Crawford County, Ohio - Chapter 24: Bucyrus, the County Seat, 1912 (part 2 of 3)

Thomas Shawke built the brick, the old Trimble house, in 1838, on the southeast corner of Mansfield and Walnut, where the VoUrath Opera House now stands. He had his blacksmith shop on the same lot ; later the shop was moved across the street, a few doors east of East alley, and in this shop did the blacksmithing for the Ohio and Indiana road. When Mr. Shawke built his brick in 1838, Hugh McCracken lived on the corner where the Library now is and there were but three buildings east of him on Manslield street; the Methodist church nearly opposite; George Lauck's residence near where the T. & O. C. crosses the street, and Samuel Ludwig's residence east of Whetstone street. South of him on Walnut street were two houses, one the northeast corner of Charles street, occupied by Thomas Hagerman, and the other the house and blacksmith shop of John Rexroth, near Middletown street, where Mrs. L. C. Doll now lives. The old Merriman corner, now owned by the Eagles, was built by R. T. Johnston in 1840 for Dr. Willis Merriman. The brick now occupied by Berk & Hales was built as a residence by J. P. Bowman in the early '46s. It was two stories and remained as the Bowman residence for many years when it became the property of the First National Bank and was converted into business rooms, and recently came into the possession of P. J. Carroll, who remodeled it, and built the third story.

The south end of the Deal House was originally a two story brick built about 1850 by Jerry Yost and used as a harness shop. Under John Sims it became a part of the Deal House and was made three stories. The present Rowse Block was built in 1858. Ten years previous a severe fire had swept away the buildings in this section, and the lot had remained vacant until the present building was erected. Not only were the brick made in Bucyrus but the iron pillars and cornices were made at the Kelly & Widgeon foundry, now the American Clay Company.

The five eastern rooms of the Quinby Block were built in 1858 by George Quinby and the three western rooms in 1859, and at the time of its completion was one of the finest business blocks in northern Ohio. The iron cornices and pillars were made at the Wingert foundry which was at the northeast corner of Poplar and Charles streets. When the block was completed its first occupants were. No. i, the Exchange Bank; No. 2, Hall & Juilliard, dry goods; No. 3, Graham & Trauger, dry goods; No. 4, Fulton & Qark, drugs; No. 5, Zwisler & Howbert, dry goods; No. 6, Jones & Co., stoves and tinware; No. 7, Cuykendall & Weber, groceries ; No. 8, Potter & Craig, hardware. No. i was the west room, and No. 8 the east.

The little three-story brick north of the Bucyrus City Bank was built by C. D. Ward about 1848; in the low third story was the entertainment hall, where traveling troops gave entertainment to not over-critical citizens. The other hall was on the southwest corner of the Square, called the McCoy Hall; here the entrance was on the outside stairway, the same as it is today, and here as many as a hundred people could be accommodated. When the Rowse Block was completed the entire third story was Concert Hall, where all the principal entertainments were held until the building of the Vollrath Opera House, when Rowse Hall was given over to secret societies. In the centre of the Quinby Block was a large hall which was used for festivals -and meeting purposes, religious, social and political.

Sometime in the '30s the first public library was started in Bucyrus. The library was in the tailor shop of Peter Worst, which was in a little frame where the Schaber Block now stands. This library was a joint stock institution and was known as the Washington Library. It was started by books donated by the members. On Tuesday evening, Nov. 2, 1869, a meeting was held at the Lutheran Church and a Y. M. C. A. organized, with William M. Reid as president. They met in the Birk frame, southeast corner of Sandusky and Rensselaer, until they secured permanent headquarters in the west room, second floor of the Quinby Block, now occupied by Leuthold, McCarren and Leuthold law office. A library was started and eventually reached a thousand volumes, mostly donated by the members. Daily papers and magazines were kept, and such mild games as chess, checkers, and dominoes allowed. Later the reading room and library were moved to the second story of the Birk Block and after three years was disbanded.

A permanent Y. M. C. A. was established when Mrs. E. R. Kearsley gave the building which had been known as the Deal residence. Subscriptions were liberally donated, and the building fitted up. In 1810, $17,000 was raised by the citizens and an addition made extending to the alley; the building now has a fine gymnasium, sleeping and bath rooms, and is on a scale equal to many larger cities.

for a public library, and several thousand dollars were secured by them. The matter Avas brought to Mr. Carnegie's attention and he donated $15,000 for the building. The city donated the lot, and the present structure was" erected.

As the village grew the necessity of better fire protection was apparent. In case of fire people all responded, every available bucket was secured and a line formed to the nearest well where pumpers filled the buckets and they were passed along the line and thrown on the fire, another line returning the empty buckets to the well. The citizens deemed it best that there should be an organized company, so they held a meeting at which J. H. Hutcinson presided, with Jacob Scroggs as secretary, and they selected J. E. Jewett, an attorney, as captain of the company; so on Aug. 11, 1848, the first fire department in Bucyrus was organized. The people breathed easier, and as for the new company they were pining for a fire. It came on the night of October 26, 1848, when the cabinet shop of Howenstein & Sheckler at the southeast corner of Sandusky and Galen was discovered to be in flames. The people turned out, and under the leadership of Capt. Jewett the people were shown what an organized company could do. Unfortunately before the fire was extinguished several other buildings were destroyed. More would probably have gone but there were no others within reach. However, the People's Forum, the only paper then in the village, demonstrated its loyalty to the town, and to the new fire company, by giving an account of the fire, and closing with the highly complimentary remark : "Much credit is due the firemen and other citizens for their exertions to stop the progress of the flames." This read very nicely, but the citizens privately must have been aware that some better protection than "exertions" was needed, so a hand engine was bought, which was called "Rescue No. i." In case of a fire, lines where still formed and the water poured into the little engine and then a crank was turned and the water forced through the hose on the fire. This was much better protection, and the little engine gave fairly good service, but something better was needed and in March, 1858, the town council purchased the Water Cloud for $1,282.50, and built a large cistern on the

Square, and several others in the most important parts of the town. The officers of the ^Vater Cloud Company were F. W. Butterfield, foreman; G. M. Lindsay, assistant foreman; M. Buchman, secretary, and J. G. Birk, treasurer. The Water Cloud had long handles on each side; in case of fire the engine was stationed at one of the cisterns ; a long heavy hose extended from the rear of the engine into the water ; the hose was attached in front, and \\ith a dozen strong men pumping on the handlea on each side the water could be thrown to the top of the largest buildings. On July 4, i860, the engine threw water a distance of 199^^ feet. With the addition of this machine the Rescue No. i was turned over to the young men, with Gains C. Worst as the foreman; it was rechristened the "Let 'er Rip," as once filled with water, you let 'er rip. A hose cart and. hook and ladder were added and it now became necessary to have a chief of the fire department, and E. R. Kearsley was the first man selected for that position.

The Buckeye Hook and Ladder company was organized with A. E. Walker as foreman. At first the Rescue No. i was kept in a small building, at the rear of the Hotel Royal lot. In 1854 the County Commissioners bought the rear lot of the present court house yard, and in connection with the city, built a house for the fire department on this lot. In 1859 the City Council decided to build an engine house, and the present city building on East Rensselaer street was erected, and dedicated on April 30, i860. On the evening of the dedication. Water Cloud No. 2 and Mazeppa Hose No. i turned out in uniform with torches, 71 strong, and paraded the principal streets of the village, and finally drew up at the engine house, where S. R. Harris presided, and Jacob Scroggs as mayor presented the new company the keys of the city, the response being made by F. W. Butterfield, the foreman. Every citizen who could talk made a speech, but the success of the evening was an original song, written and sung by Matthias Buchman, the secretary of the company ; one of the verses was as follows :

There were six other verses, and the song was the success of the evening, which was bad, as Mr. Buchman later wrote other poems on the Water Cloud, and sang them.

A fireman's festival was also held at the Concert Hall and everybody was present and everybody made more speeches, and Miss Mary Ellen Moderwell on behalf of the ladies presented the company with a handsome flag, and the festival netted $ioo for the Water Cloud.

In 1869 the present steam fire engine was purchased for $5,100 and hose and other paraphernalia secured amounting to $1,000 more. Prior to the purchase of the steamer there was a craze swept over the country for firemen's tournaments, and the city was behind the times that failed to give a tournament. Bucyrus gave several and vast crowds assembled to witness the competitions. Later these contests centered on the hook and ladder races, and the Buckeyes of Bucyrus gained a state-wide reputation. In 1871 they tied their sporting truck to a wagon and drove across the country to Findlay where the Northwestern Ohio Volunteer Firemen's Association held the annual meeting. The Buckeyes took first prize and the news was flashed home by wire and when the company returned a number of the factories and business houses were closed, and fully 500 people met the company at the edge of the town and escorted them to the public square where congratulatory speeches were made by Gen. Finley and others. In the years that followed the Buckeyes took part in twentytwo tournaments winning thirteen first prizes, four seconds and one third, besides three sweepstakes, their total winnings amounting to $2,480 in cash besides appropriate prizes. The race consisted of a run of 40 rods and placing a man on the top of a thirty-foot ladder. Their best time was at Crestline in 1883 when they did it in 34J4 seconds, a record which was never beaten. About this time the volunteer fire department was abandoned and a paid department took its place. For a time this was under the control of Frank Haman, but later the city again took charge of it and the present quarters erected on West Mansfield street, and singularly enough the department now occupies the site to which Christian Howenstein moved with his cabinet shop, after the fire which caused the purchase of the first fire engine by the village.

When the water works were built, in 1883, nearly ten miles of pipe were laid and the engine was only used as a reserve, hydrants having been erected all over the city, to which the hose is attached in case of fire, and now several streams can be brought into play at the same time on any fire in the central part of the city. The department has a fire alarm system with seventeen signal boxes. There have been one or two humorous incidents in connection with the fire department, but with a serious ending.

One very severe winter the thermometer had registered below zero for several days and some expressed a fear that the fire hydrants might be frozen up. One of the men in authority, who knew little about the laws of natural philosophy, but did not forget the duties devolving upon him, took a wrench, and with the thermometer below zero faithfully went over the city and opened the hydrants to see if the water was running, and to his great delight found the water came out in a copious stream, not one being frozen up; unfortunately that night a severe fire broke out, hose was attached to hydrant after hydrant in the neighborhood and all were frozen up. The engine was hurried to the scene and finally succeeded in extinguishing the fire.

At another time the city advertised for several hundred feet of new hose. There were a number of samples sent, the Council finally made their selection and took the hose to the Frey-Shekler shops where they were attached to the engine and pressure applied. One section burst, when the pressure reached 420 pounds. The council promptly wired the firm : "Hose refused ; one section busted at 420 pounds pressure. What shall we do with the hose ?" The answer came back promptly : "Keep it; we only guaranteed 350 pounds."

During the fall of 1859 a company was formed to organize a gas company, with Horace Rowse, president, S. R. Harris, secretary, and George Quinby, treasurer. The works were built in i860, by B. B. McDanald on their present site on North Sandusky avenue.

and the streets were lighted with gas for the first time on Tuesday evening, Oct. 23, i860. The buildings were 32 by 68 feet in size, slateroofed. The gasometer contained 9,000 cubic feet. There were two benches of retorts capable of generating 20,000 cubic feet of gas per day, with extra benches to provide against accident. The company started with 100 metres. When electricity came into use for street lighting, a company was organized here, in connection with the gas works, and the city was lit by electricity there being today a light on every other corner. The discovery of natural gas practically put an end to the gas works, and the entire plant is now known as the Electric Light works, the Logan Natural Gas Company furnishing the illumination for the residences, although very many houses and nearly all business stores have introduced electricity.

In October, 1819, Samuel Norton and his party, reached Bucyrus, and it is reported the first religious services to be held were as early as 1 82 1, when a Rev. Mr. Bacon made occasional visits, preaching to the settlers in the cabins of Mr. Norton and others. It is known that in the fall of 1821, the Rev. Jacob Hooper was preaching occasionally in Bucyrus, and he stated that he delivered the first sermon ever preached in the village, and that the services were held under a large oak tree that stood where the Pennsylvania station now stands. He was appointed by the Methodist Conference to take charge of the Bucyrus station, which was attached to the Scioto circuit. His circuit was seven hundred miles, and he managed to get around about once in eight weeks. Of course other missionaries came around, and the people being notified turned out to the grove, or to a cabin, or any large building, and it is probable there were services as often as every two weeks. After 1826, the little brick schoolhouse was used by all denominations, and after 1832, the court house was at the disposal of the people. About 1830 a large revival occurred under the Methodists, the services being held in the unfinished hotel under process of erection by Abraham Hahn. In summer camp meetings were held, the large barn of Martin Shaflfner being used, situated on what is now the new Fair Ground. In 1822, Rev. Thomas McCleary had charge of this circuit and the increasing population reduced the - circuit in size, so the only territory the new minister had to cover was Delaware to Mansfield, to Plymouth, to Bucyrus, to Marion, then back to Delaware, where if he had a family he could make them a ten minutes' visit and start on his round again.

His route was mostly through an unbroken forest, following Indian trails, with an occasional crude road made by the settlers for their convenience. He traveled on horseback, and forded all streams, as there were practically no bridges. Each night found him a weldbme guest at some cabin, and the neighbors were hurriedly summoned, and when a few were gathered together, services were held so the early minister had no idle time on his hands, and plenty of exercise. Among the earliest ministers of whom any account is given was a Presbyterian named Matthews. A pioneer states that "he stopped at Daniel Cooper's to stay all night, and proposed to preach to the people of that place that night if they could get together. Mr. Cooper immediately sent out word and by early candle-light had gathered in some fifteen or twenty men, women and children to hear the glad tidings from the man of God, as he was the first of the kind that had ever been through on that errand. The old minister made an appointment for four weeks later, and agreed to preach once a month during the year for $15. Even this small pittance he took out in dressed deer skins, which he said his good lady could use to 'face the boys' pantaloons,' as seems to have been a common custom in those days in the backwoods."

Near yonder copse where once the garden smiled, And still where many a garden flower grows wild, There, where a few torn shrubs the place disclose. The village preacher's modest mansion rose. A man he was to all the country dear, And passing rich with forty pounds a year.

The faithful Matthews had four stations, in such an unsettled wild region that he could only visit them once a month,< and for this he received, if they paid, $60 a year, one-fifth the amount of his English brother, and no poetry to beautifully record his zeal and devotion to the Master's work.

old "Missouri Harmony," and among them the favorites were "Rock of Ages," "God Moves in a Mysterious Way," "Jesus I My Cross Have Taken," "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand," "Jesus My All to Heaven Has Gone." Unfortunately at that time "The Lord Will Provide," had not been written. It would have been most appropriate.

People today little appreciate the hardships and privations, the faithfulness and self-sacrifice of these servants of God who dared all and suffered all that a grtat nation might be kept true to the Christian faith.

Revs. John O. and William Blowers were two early ministers in the Methodist church, they were brothers, the former coming to the county in 1821, and the latter a year later, and were soon licensed to preach, being the first persons in the county licensed.

Another early preacher was John Davis; he was a hatter, and his hat shop was first on the J. K. Myers corner, and in 1833 he removed to the present Shonert lot. He was of the United Brethren persuasion, and once he was delivering a sermon at the court house, and was vividly picturing the punishment that was certain to be meted out to the wicked. When he reached his peroration he drew himself up, and solemnly thundered forth : "Yes, sinners, you must all repent or you will all go to hell just as sure as I made that hat" (pointing to his well-worn beaver) "and I have plenty more at my shop which I will sell at two dollars apiece."

In 1 83 1 Samuel Norton sold to the trustees of the M. E. Church for $125', lot No. 96, Here a small brick church was erected, which was used by them until 1851, when on the same site the present building, was erected, now occupied by the News-Forum. This church was dedicated on Oct. 29, 1851, Elder Poe, a son of the great Indian fighter, preaching the dedicatory sermon; in the first building a Sunday School was started in 1834. In 1822 Bucyrus belonged to the Delaware Circuit, and in 1832 to the Marion Circuit, but in 1840 it became a circuit of its own, and the parsonage was built in 1 84 1. The residence adjoined the church a story and a half brick on the lot now occupied by tlie post office, this and the church site being the original lot 96. The church of 185 1 was used until the present handsome church was dedicated in 1890, the first year of its use being marked by the holding of the Methodist conference within its walls.

Prior to 1825 the Presbyterians held services at the homes of the various members of that denomination. Rev. William Matthews frequently addressing them. A congregation was formed, but the services continued to be held in the grove where now stands the Pennsylvania station ; in the little brick schoolhouse, where the Park House now stands, and later in the court house. Among the ministers, were Rev. Shab Jenks, and Rev. Robert Lee, the father of Robert Lee, probate judge of the county half a century later. The elder Lee is reported as being the first stated minister assigned to Bucyrus. Services were irregular, and the Presbyterians increasing a congregation was again organized in 1833 and the Columbus Presbytery enrolled Bucyrus on its list of established churches, the request having been made by thirty-three petitioners. Their first building was a little frame erected in 1839, on the present site of the church, lot No. 170, which was deeded to the trustees by Samuel Norton in 1843, this lot and the court house being the only lots in Bucyrus, transferred from the first owner, and never used for any other purpose than that for which it was donated or purchased. In the first church Rev. Wm. Hutchinson was pastor from 1839 to 1848. In i860 a new church of brick was built at a cost of $8,000 to $10,000. and April 7, 1907, this gave way to the present handsome structure. The Presbyterians started a Sunday School in 1835, and nearly half a century ago William M. Reid became its superintendent filling the position for a quarter of a century. Among the ministers was John H. Sherrard, who occupied the pulpit from 1867 to 1878. He was a grandson of John Sherrard, who was on the ill-fated expedition of Col. Crawford through this county in 1782.

In 1829, the Evangelical Lutherans met at the little brick schoolhouse and organized a congregation with the Rev. David Shuh as pastor. They, too, had previously held services occasionally at the houses of those of that faith and in other places in the village as opportunity offered. For two years he acted as their pastor, and was succeeded by Rev. John

Stough, and he retired on account of his age and was succeeded by the Rev. F. I. Ruth of Ashland, who for three years filled the pulpit while his home was in that village, but in 1835 he removed to Bucyrus. The congregation continued to hold services in the schoolhouse and later in the court house, until in 1835 they bought the lot on W'alnut and Mansfield streets, kno«n as the Adams residence, and now the property of Aliss Lizzie Ostermeier. Abraham Alyers had purchased the lot in 1830 of Samuel Norton for $275. The corner stone was laid with appropriate ceremonies on Aug. -'o, 1836, but it was not completed until more than a year later. Both the German and English Lutherans occupied the church, being one congregation, and services being held in both languages. In 1842 the German members sold their interest in the church to their English brethren, but both continued to occupy the building until 1857, when the German portion bought the lot on Poplar street, and erected a church of their ov^rn, which is still standing, and best known as the armory. It was dedicated Sunday, June 20, 1858. For over forty years this building was used, and the Lutherans built their present large structure, Good Hope Lutheran, with the highest spire in the city, at the comer of Poplar and Charles, which was dedicated Oct. 29, 1893, and all the work of the building was done in Bucyrus. During the erection of their building in 1857, the Germans held their services at the Baptist church, the lot now occupied by Frank T. Johnston on Walnut street. At the same time the Germans were building the English portion of the congregation also secured a new home. Their new structure was erected at the corner of Walnut and Rensselaer, the corner stone being laid July 2, 1857, and the church dedicated May 16. 1858. This served as a place of worship for fifty years, when the present structure was dedicated in September, 1903.

The Lutheran Sunday School was organized April 5, 1828, and after the separation both churches kept up their schools, the German Lutherans being the first church in Bucyrus to have a Christmas tree for their scholars, and fifty years ago there was never a Christmas eve when the church was not crowded with the members of all denominations to see the pretty sparkling tree, and sometimes two trees. All

The German Reformed congregation was organized about 1829, and for some years was a part of the Lutheran Church, being members of that denomination, and in 1835 they were with the Lutherans in the purchase of the church site opposite the court house. But that same year they secured the services of Rev. Gottleib Maschop, a minister of the Reformed church, and held services in the little brick schoolhouse. In 1840 he was succeeded by Rev. J. J. ]Miller, and dtiring his pastorate of three years the court house was used. The pulpit was vacant until 1845, when Rev. Wasnich came for three years, resigning in 1848 to be succeeded by Rev. Abraham Keller, and during his pastorate they erected their first church, a one-story frame on the northeast corner of Rensselaer and Lane, the first church to be erected on land that was not a part of the original Bucyrus. On the resignation of Mr. Wasnich in 1848 he was succeeded by Rev. Abraham Keller, who died in the parsonage adjoining the church in the fall of 1852, from cholera, that scourge taking away two of the Keller family and a number of others before its ravages were stopped. During his ministry a Sunday School \\as organized, although the proposition was bitterly opposed by some of the more conservative members of the congregation. It was a year before the congregation secured another pastor in the person of Rev. Max Stern, who served until the spring of 1856 when he resigned and was succeeded April 13, 1856, by Rev. Eli Keller. Twenty years ago the congregation had so increased as to necessitate larger quarters and the present brick structure, St. John's Reformed, was built and dedicated Oct. 12, 1890. The Keller's have had a number of Reformed Ministers all over the county, and the present pastor. Rev. F. H. Keller, is of the same family.

The first meeting to organize a Baptist church was held at the home of William Kelly on Feb. i, 1838, and later meetings were held once a month at the homes of William Kelly and ^\'^illiam White and on July 29, 1838, the first sermon was preached to the new congregation by Elder William Stevens, and at its conclusion all repaired to the Sandusky river, where the ordinance of baptism was admin- istered to William Magefs and his wife, Margaret Magers, and Sovena Norton. The church was not strong in numbers, but meetings were held once a month at the court house, schoolhouse or some private residence, and the organization was kept up. In August, 1839, an attempt was made to secure a regular pastor. Rev. Thomas Stevens being the choice of the congregation, but as only $54.50 could be raised, it was not sufficient to pay his expenses for coming once a month. But services continued with occasional volunteer ministers, and in the spring of 1842, the church purchased lot No. 107, on Walnut street, of David Arthur for $100, now owned by Col. C. W. Fisher, and during the years 1840 and 1841 the church was served by Revs. Newton and Samuel Wadsworth, and in 1849, one of the members added to the church was Sophronia Norton, the first white child born in Bucyrus. The first regular pastor was Rev. Jacob Thorp, who received a call on Oct. 2, 1841, which he accepted. A one-story frame was built on the church lot, and the Baptists now had a home of their own. On Dec. 2, 1843, Rev. Edwin Eaton was called as pastor, and the church became one of the strongest in Bucyrus, but July 5, 1845, he resigned and went to Illinois, where he became one of the prominent churchmen of the west. Under Eaton, on April 6, 1844, a Sunday school was started, and a library purchased. Unfortunately for the church, James Quinby died, but in his death he released the church of debt due him amounting to $250, but he had been a tower of strength to the struggling congregation. Many of the members were from the country, notably from Whetstone township, and when Elder J. G. Tunison became pastor in September, 1845, differences arose, and on Dec. 6, the pastor retired and organized the Olentangy Baptist Church, near Parcher's Corners, of which he was pastor for several years. Many members withdrew and united with the Whetstone church. For ten years only occasional services were held, an occasional minister visiting the place, but the few remaining members were always striving to hold the church together. Finally, in 1858, the weekly prayer meetings were revived, services held at irregular intervals and on Feb. 5, 1859, eight members met and decided to reorganize their church. And while they failed at that time, the work was kept up and on June 4, 1864, regular services were resumed at Quinby Hall, with Rev. S. D. Bowker as pastor. The Sabbath school was again started. During the three years' pastorate of Mr. Bowker the church was again built up to nearly 100 members, baptisms being had in the Sandusky and also in the old Buffalo run back of the residence of George Quinby, the latter having been one of the leaders of the church since the death of his brother, 35 years previous. Mr. Bowker was succeeded by Rev. Jay Huntington, and under this pastorate the Baptists bought the old Congregational church for $2,750, and removed to their present location. The new building was fitted up with a font for immersion, and the ordinance of baptism was administered within the church. The dedicatory service was held Sept. 27, 1868, conducted by Rev. J. R. Stone, of Springfield. In this church Dr. L. G. Leonard was one of the later pastors, and Rev. T. J. Sheppard, known throughout the nation as the "Andersonville Chaplain," having preached while a prisoner for nine months in that prison pen. Several years ago the present handsome stone structure was dedicated July, 1906.

The first German Methodist minister to visit Bucyrus was Dr. William Nast. In 1837 he was appointed to the first circuit laid out in this section of Ohio, a circuit so large that it took him five weeks to cover it. He would preach at Columbus, then start on horseback and hold services at Basil, and on to Thornville, where services were held on the second Sunday; then to Newark and Mt. Vernon, reaching Danville for the third Sunday; then to Loudonville, Mansfield and Gallon, and to Bucyrus for the fourth Sunday; then to Marion and a German settlement near Delaware for the fifth Sunday, then to Worthington and Columbus, where he held Sunday services, and started again on his long round. In Bucyrus the services were held in the English Methodist church. This first minister was a man of high education, a zealous worker and of great force, and he was selected to take charge of the German Methodist paper in Cincinnati. In after years his biographer wrote of him : "Dr. William Nast is looked upon as the great head and leader of the German Methodists in the United States ; he has frequently surprised the

After Dr. Nast left Bucyrus, services were held every four weeks, in the M. E. Church, until 1850, the church constantly increasing in membership, and in 1854 the lot was purchased on Warren street, where the American Clay Works now are, and a frame building erected, which served for nearly 50 years when they removed to their present site, at the junction of Middletown and Gallon streets, erecting a large brick structure, with the parsonage adjoining. The first church was dedicated on Sunday, Jan. 14, 1855, Dr. Warner of Columbus delivering the dedicatory sermon in English, and in the afternoon. Dr. Nast, who had preached the first sermon in Bucyrus to the congregation, delivering an address in German. The first parsonage was built on the church lot in 1863.

About 1837, the first Roman Catholic services were held in Bucyrus, when Rev. F. X. Tschenhous celebrated mass at the residence of Dr. Joseph Boehler, at the southwest corner of Plymouth and Lane streets. Services were continued every month or two for several years at the Doctor's residence, until about 1842 the Doctor removed to Tiffin. This discontinued services until about 1849, when Catholic families became more numerous, and the church found it necessary to make Bucyrus one of their missions, and for ten years services were held at irregular intervals at the homes of various members of the church, priests from adjoining churches conducting the services, the most convenient points being Norwalk, New Riegel and Mansfield. In i860, the old frame Presbyterian church was purchased from the Presbyterians and the building removed to the present lot on Mary street, which was purchased for $350. The building was dedicated by Rt. Rev. Bishop Rappe on May 26, 1 86 1, and the Rev. Uerhart. Kleck celebrated the first mass and preached the first sermon in the new church. The church was not regularly supplied with a minister and was attached to the Upper Sandusky mission, but monthly service and sometimes semi-monthly were held until 1869.

2, 1868, he was riding on a freight train between here and Upper Sandusky and just west of Nevada, he was later found lying dead beside the track, and all particulars as to his death have ever remained a mystery.

In 1869 differences arose between the German and Irish members of the Congregation, and it resulted in services being temporarily discontinued. Matters were finally adjusted, and on May 5, 1871, Rev. D. Zinsmayer was appointed to the Bucyrus church, the first resident pastor. - The church, with a resident priest of its own, grew rapidly, and a parsonage was built on the lot adjoining the church on the east. In 1877, Rev. Zinsmayer resigned to take charge of the church at Shelby, and he was succeeded by Rev. H. Best, and one of his first acts in May, 1878, was to purchase nearly two acres of land on Tiffin street, for $200, to be used as a cemetery. The first interment was that of Mrs. Martha Doerfler, who died Aug. 17, 1878. The cemetery was consecrated by Rt. Rev. Bishop Gilmore on Oct. 19, 1880. When the present large brick church was erected. Rev. J. H. Kleekamp was the priest in charge; it was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Gilmore, May 28, 1888, and at its completion was the largest church in Bucyrus. In 1866, Rev. A. Spierings started a parochial school, but it was discontinued. The attempt was again made under Rev. Mr. Zinsmayer, but the expense was too heavy for the church to undertake at that time. When the present building was erected, the old frame was moved back and transformed into a schoolhouse. The church was now strong and prosperous, and a parochial school was started, which has continued ever since. As years passed the attendance became too large for the little frame and in 1 9 10 lot No. 70, on Walnut street, was purchased and the present structure was erected, the only school building of stone in the city, and the only school building erected on land which was a part of the original plat of Bucyrus. The corner stone was laid July 17, 1910, and that date was the "Ruby Jubilee" of the pastor. Rev. Charles Braschler, and it was also the 25th anniversary of the Catholic Benevolent Society. The school was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Schrambs of Toledo, Nov. 14, 1911.

the home of Jeremiah C. Correll and decided to organize a Disciple church. The lot was purchased at the southeast corner of Warren and Lane, and by November, 1876, the basement was completed and services in the new church commenced. The second story was completed the following year, and the building dedicated Sept. 2, 1877, Elder Isaac Errett having charge of the services. Elder George T. Smith was the first pastor. A Sunday school was organized immediately, and like the church has prospered; The cost of the building was $11,000, and the entire amount was paid before the church was dedicated.

The United Brethren Church was organized in Bucyrus in 1892, by Rev. C. E. HiU with eleven members. They bought the lot at the corner of Middletown and East streets. This county has a large number of U. B. Churches, and many coming to the city from the country were of that faith, and the eleven members were rapidly added to. The frame church was bought when the Reformed Church built their new brick and it was moved to their lot, and regular services held, a Sunday school organized, and in 1901 the old frame was replaced by the present brick building, the frame being moved out Middletown street where it is still in use as a warehouse at the Smith & Fitzer coal yards. A few years later the parsonage was bought east of the church.

In the past dozen years a number of citizens have removed to Bucyrus from the country, and among them many from Whetstone township, who were prominent in the Evangelical churches in that section. Some united with other churches while waiting a church of their own. In March, 1902, a number of the Evangelical faith met at the G. A. R. Post Room, and organized. The old German Lutheran church building on Poplar street was rented, and here services were held by Rev. W. H. Munk. The first Quarterly Conference was held June I, 1902, Rev. W. H. Bucks was the presiding elder, now editor of the Evangelical Messenger. A Sunday school was started. The church increased rapidly in membership, and in September, 1903, Rev. B. E. Reams became pastor of the congregation. He remained four years, and under his pastorate the present church was built on Gallon street. It was dedicated in April, 1906.

The First Church of Christ Scientists was organized in 1900. The first public lecture was given at the Opera House in March, 1901. In the fall of that year they opened their rooms on the second floor of the First National Bank building, where they hold regular meetings every Sunday.

As early as 1874, an attempt was made to start an Episcopal Church at Bucyrus, Rev. J. M. Hillyar of Mansfield, who was the rector at Gallon, coming over on alternate Sundays, and holding services at the Y. M. C. A. rooms. An organization was effected, but the membership was not strong enough to support a church, and the movement was dropped. Still the organization kept together, and services were occasionally held, later developing into services every two weeks. Church property was bought on South Lane street, and a building fund started. No regular services are at present held, but the Church - St. John's Episcopal - still keeps up its organization, and services are frequently held in the Y. M. C. A. assembly room, and eventually a church will be erected.

The present site of the Baptist church was once occupied by a two-story brick, which was built by the Congregationalists in 1855. For the previous 15 years Rev. John Pettitt had been holding services, and finally organized a congregation. The new church was dedicated on Sept. 28, 1855, and services continued under various pastors until 1864, when services became very irregular, and two years later the building was sold to the Board of Education, who used it for school purposes while the new school building was being erected. After the completion of the new school building it was sold to the Baptist church. In 1859 the Congregationalists installed the first pipe organ ever brought to Bucyrus. When the church was discontinued the organ was removed to the Methodist church. Rev. John Pettitt, the founder of the church, became a resident of Bucyrus about 1840, and filled many of the Bucyrus pulpits. He went to Benzie county, northern Michigan, in 1866, and in this sparsely settled region had several appointments which he filled winter and summer. On Sunday, May 11, 1879, he went on horseback to fill one of these appointments, and on his return was taken suddenly ill, and in half an

About 1830, Rev. Seeley Bloomer visited Bucyrus and delivered a sermon to the Protesttant Methodists. He made several visits and was followed by other ministers of that denomination. In 1845 under Rev. Mr. Dalby, a meeting was held at the residence of John Morfoot on South Walnut street, the house now occupied by Mrs. L. C. Doll, now 412 South Walnut. A church was organized, the lot on the northwest corner of Walnut and Rensselaer was purchased and a church building erected, a small frame. The first pastor was Rev. Mr. Bamford, who held services every two weeks, filling stations at the same time at Wingert's Corners, Bear Marsh and Grass Run. Other pastors followed, the last, Rev. I. C. Thrapp, in 1856, and when he left services were discontinued. Later the building was removed to the present site of the American Clay Co., where it was a part of the machine shops of Frey & Sheckler, and was destroyed by fire on the night of Aug. 19, 1867, when the entire plant was burned, with a loss of $13,000.

On Oct. 31, 1869, Rev. Alexander M. Cowan, a minister of the Southern Presbyterian church preached a sermon in the Court House, and organized a church of that denomination, the membership being composed almost exclusively of members of the Presbyterian church. The Quinby Hall was secured and services were held for several months, but interest in the new church became less and less and it was finally abandoned, the members again uniting with the Presbyterian church.

About 1873 a number of the members of the Methodist church started what \\as known as the Christian Holiness movement, the doctrine being that once experiencing holiness, the convert could do no wrong, the minister himself being an advocate of the new doctrine. The next Conference quietly replaced him, and sent to Bucyrus, Dr. A. Nelson, one of their ablest men, and although the first meetings of the holiness believers were held in the basement of the church, later the church was denied them. They were still Methodists, and Dr. Leonard with Christian patience faithfully attended many of their meetings, endeavoring to give them counsel and advice and lead them to more rational views. On his departure, they became more zealous in their belief than ever, were generally known as "Sanctificationists," and with difficulty secured rooms for their meetings. They held tent meetings, on East Rensselaer street and really developed into martyrs for their belief, as the unruly element in the community disgraced the town by disturbing their meetings and eventually stopped the services by cutting down the tent. This left them no place to meet but at the homes of the members, and although they bought ground for the erection of a church, the members were poor in everything except religion, and the project was abandoned, and most of them gradually drifted into other churches, principally the United Brethren.

The Salvation Army has established a headquarters here on several different occasions, their principal one being in 1894, when they used the basement of the vacant M. E. Church on East Mansfield street. This was during the time when the financial depression left hundreds of unemployed in every community, to be cared for by the citizens. They frequently met in winter at that time with little or no fire to warm the building, and although their food allowance was meagre, it is to their credit that they shared the little they had with any wandering tramp who applied to them for relief.

It was in October, 181 9 that the Nortons came, and in the spring of the following year came the Beadles, and in December, 182 1 the town of Bucyrus was laid out. On September I, 1822, the first death occurred, and the fouryear-old son of Mishael Beadle was taken away. There was, as yet, no graveyard in the village, so a site was selected on the extreme south line of Mr. Norton's land at the junction of Walnut and Middletown streets and here the little boy was buried. Three months later, on Dec. 30, 1822, as the old year was passing away, another little life was ended, and Jacob, the five-year-old son of John Kellogg was laid beneath the second mound in the graveyard. The next year John Deardorff, the first adult to pass away, was laid beside his little son, and the same year his daughter Margaret was buried there, and the next year her brother William. In 1824, a daughter of Rachel Kellogg died, and the year following John Kellogg himself passed away. There are many others, as years after, the remains of many of these early burials were discovered here as improvements were made in the town, and all were transferred to the city graveyard on Tiilfin street.

Lewis Cary came to Bucyrus in 1822, and two years later his wife Rachel, died. The graveyard south of the town was on the edge of the plains, covered with wild grass, and was bare of trees, and anything but a site that would be selected by the pioneers for the burial of their loved ones, and it was probably only taken when the emergency arose, making some burial spot necessary. When Mrs. Cary died her husband selected a pretty site on his land north of the river on the brow of the hill overlooking the Sandusky, and surrounded by trees. It was just south of the present Holy Trinity cemetery, and here Mrs." Cary was laid to rest. It had been partly cleared away, and in the little clearing Johnny Appleseed had planted a few of his apple trees. The same year Mrs. Elizabeth Bucklin died, the mother of Mrs. Samuel Norton and Albigence Bucklin who had joined her children in the west in 1822. She was buried on this burial site. In 1825 the burials were Daniel McMichael, who came in 1820, built a mill up the river, and disposing of it had his home in a log cabin on the lot where the Finley residence now stands ; Seth Holmes, who came with the Nortons in 1819. Other burials there were the father and mother of Seth Holmes, Timothy Kirk and wife, and a colored servant of Lewis Cary. Not many years ago, some of the stones were still standing in what was known as the Henry orchard, marking the site of the last resting place of these early pioneers.

In 1828 Amos Clark donated about an acre of ground north of the city to be used for burial purposes. It was across the road and a little north of the Cary graveyard. It was a pretty location, on high ground, overlooking the river. The graveyard was still in existence, owned and cared for by the city, and many of the tombstones can still be read that mark the last resting place of many of the first pioneers. Here Samuel Yost, a little boy of four and a half years was the first burial in May, 1827.

"The death of Mr. Norton has left a vacancy among our citizens as well as in his family, which cannot be filled. Being the first settler, he was justly entitled to the name of the "Father of Bucyrus." In the autumn of 1819, when the country around was in a state of nature, and the dark glens of the forest reechoed the hoarse bowlings of the wild beasts and the dread war-whoop of the Indians, this hardy pioneer left his quiet home in Pennsylvania to seek his fortune in the West. Attracted by the beauty of the surrounding country, he erected a tent of poles in which he spent the winter. His life for many years afterward was but a series of severe toil and exposure, which none but the most hardy and persevering could endure. For fifty years he was an exemplary member of the Baptist church, and through all the vicissitudes of his pioneer life, his spirits were kept buoyant by the hope of a future reward in the mansions of eternal glory. A large concourse of citizens attended his funeral and all expressed their regret for their much esteemed citizen, and sympathy for their afflicted relatives." Mary Norton, his wife, died April 29, '59, and was laid beside her companion of 52 years of wedded life.

There resides today in Bucyrus, Mrs. Mary Jones Lemert, a granddaughter of the founder of the city; her mother was Elizabeth Norton Jones, daughter of Samuel Norton, who came to Bucyrus with her father in 1819. Alonzo M. Jones, great-grandson of the pioneer, son of Lorenzo Jones, and grandson of Mrs. Elizabeth Norton Jones. Fernando J. Norton, a grandson of Samuel Norton; his father was Jefferson Norton, who was born in Bucyrus. These descendants all live on land that was purchased of the Government by their ancestor in 1819.

In 1830 the Southern graveyard was laid out at the southwest corner of what is now Rensselaer and Spring streets, but then outside the village limits. This later became known as the Lutheran graveyard, and for thirty years the graveyard on the Tififin road and the Southern graveyard were the burial sites of the city, but thirty years had crowded these silent cities of the dead, and a larger burial ground was needed. A private corporation was formed composed of twenty citizens on Aug. 30, 1858, and it was called the Oakwood Cemetery Association. Grounds along the river, southwest of the city were purchased of William Rowse, nearly 44 acres at $74 per acre, and the association organized with the following as their first trustees : John A. Gormly, president; S. R. Harris, secretary; C. W. Fisher, treasurer; A. M. Jones, J. H. Keller, George Quinby, R. T. Johnston, Hiram Fenner. Later additions were purchased, so that Oakwood Cemetery now comprises 65 acres, although all this land is not used for burial purposes, but will be added as necessity demands. The services of B. F. Hathaway, a landcape gardener, were secured and the grounds artistically laid out with the paths and drives, winding their way among the trees. The grounds were purchased in September, 1858, but before they were laid out, the first burial took place, a little grave was dug, and on Sunday, Nov. 21, 1858, a funeral procession made the first solemn march to the new cemetery, and Lillie Annie Craig, in all the innocence of childhood, consecrated the hallowed ground.

The grounds were dedicated on Tuesday, June 19, 1859, with appropriate e.<ercises. On March 6, 1882, the original owners of the cemetery incorporated the association, and gave the entire cemetery in charge of the Oakwood Cemetery Association, there being btit two considerations, one that the graves of the original members should always be kept in repair, and the second was $3,000 in cash, the money however to be expended in building a receiving vault, and the following year the vault was finished. During the time the association was a private company, all moneys received were devoted to the improving of the grounds, and the payment of the sums advanced for the purchase of the land, and when this was paid, without any interest, Oakwood Cemetery was donated to the public for their use, and it is now an association in which all moneys received must be used exclusively for running expenses and improvements.

In 1888 the Lutheran graveyard was abandoned ; and the remains of over three hundred who had ben buried there were taken up and transferred to Oakwood Cemetery.

Bucyrus was organized as a village in 1833 and James McCracken was the first mayor. He was followed by John Moderwell in 1837. Peter Worst in 1840. Nicholas Failor, 1841. David R. Lightner 1842. James Marshall 1844. James McCracken 1846. James H. Hutchinson 1847. William M. Scroggs 1850. Stephen R. Harris 1852. George P. Seal 1853. Jacob Scroggs 1855. S. J. Elliott 1858 Jacob Scroggs 1858, Elliott having resigned to become probate judge. Henry C. Rowse i860 S. R. Harris 1861. Wm. M. Scroggs 1862. E. B. Finley 1863. C D. Ward 1865. Wilson Stewart 1866. George Donnenwirth 1868. In 1870 at the April election the count showed the election of William M. Reid as mayor by 23 majority. Several days later a second count was held and this showed the election of George Donnenwirth by a small majority and he was sworn into office. The matter was carried to the Supreme Court, and that body, in March of 1872 rendered their decision, that when the votes had once been counted and the result declared, and the ballot box remained unguarded in the hands of the clerk for several days, a second count was not to be relied upon, and gave the certificate of election to Mr. Reid and he served as mayor for about two weeks. At the time of the election the opinion was so general that the second count was fraudulent that Gen. Samuel Myers, C. G Malic and William Rowland, three members of the council elected on the same ticket with Mr. Donnenwirth, denounced the entire transaction as unjust and declined to serve as councilmen. After Mr. Reid had served his two weeks the spring election of 1872 came on and James M. Van Voorhis was elected mayor. He was followed by C. D. Ward in 1876. Allen Campbell in 1880, C. D. Ward in 1884, M. H. Fulton, 1886; C. D. Ward, 1888: Charles Donnenwirth, 1894; David E. Fisher, 1896;' C. F. Birk, 1898; H. E. Valentine, 1902 ; and E. J. Songer, 1907.

In 1886 Bucyrus became a city, and was divided into wards. W^hen Bucyrus was laid out as a village in 1822, it was receiving its mail at Delaware. Any responsible citizen having business there went to the postoffice and brought up the mail for people living within a radius of eight or ten miles of Bucyrus. Occasionally, one of the settler's lent his horse to one of his neighbors to make the trip to Delaware and bring the mail. After the town was laid out the saddler's shop of Lewis Carey was the recognized headquarters for the mail. After several small shops had located in Bucyrus a petition was sent to the postmaster general requesting the establishment of a postoffice at Bucyrus, with Lewis Carey as postmaster. He was appointed on Feb. 2, 1824, and served for over five years, and during those five years the name of the office appears on the records at Washington as "Bucyrus" alias "Busiris". On March 4, 1828, Andrew Jackson became president and commenced his wholesale removal of public officials, giving as his only reason "to the victor belongs the spoils," and this principle laid down by Andrew Jackson has been followed ever since with Bucyrus postoffice appointments. During Mr. Gary's term of service the postoffice was in his building on what is now the Shonert property, adjoining the bridge on North Sandusky avenue. He was succeeded on July 20, 1829 by Henry St. John, who kept the office in his store, a two-story frame erected by him in 1825, on the northwest corner of the Public Square, which was torn down to make room for the present Bucyrus City Bank building.

Henry St. John held the office for eight years, and on the election of Martin VanBuren John Forbes was appointed on June 26, 1837. Mr. Forbes was a harness maker and of the same political faith as Mr. St. John, but the latter was disposing of his store and removed to Tiffin. His harness shop was in a little frame on the west side of Sandusky avenue, the second lot north of the railroad. When the first postoffice was established in 1824, mail was brought by carrier on horseback once a week, and in the winter when the ground was not sufficiently frozen to bear a horse it was delivered on foot. In 1827 the line of stages began between Columbus and Sandusky, and mail was delivered three times a week. In 1834 a stage route was commenced from Bucyrus to Mansfield. The following was the mail facilities under Postmaster Forbes. The Tiffin mail left every Friday morning at 7 o'clock and arrived Saturday at 5 p. m. The Mt. Vernon mail left every Friday morning at 6:00 and arrived on Saturday evening at 7:00. The Fredericktown mail arrived every

Wednesday evening at 6:00 and left every Thursday morning at 5 :oo. The Perrysburg mail left every Monday morning at 5 :oo and arrived on Tuesday evenings at 6:00. The Kenton mail arrived every Wednesday noon and left the same day at i :oo P. M. The New Haven mail arrived every Tuesday at noon and left at I :oo P. M. the same day. The eastern mail from Pittsburg, through Mansfield, arrived every other evening at 6:00 and left the following morning at 4 :oo o'clock. The northern mail arrived every other day between i :oo and 4 :oo o'clock in the afternoon and departed in twenty minutes for Columbus. The great southern mail arrived every other day (the same day as the northern) betwen g and 12 P. M. and departed in about 30 minutes for Sandusky City. It will be seen the last mail to arrive was about midnight and the first mail to leave was at four in the morning, so it must not have been the duty of the postmaster to keep as close a scrutiny of the mail as is done at the present day. He probably closed the sack and either hung it on the outside of the building, or the mail carrier had a key by which he could enter the office and get his own mail, while the postmaster was soundly sleeping, and dreaming of the emoluments of his office. The salary of Forbes in 1840, was $293.47. Up to this date Bucyrus was still the office of delivery for a large part of the county. The only postoffices in the county at that time being at Brokensword, Poplar, and one in Sandusky township. There were offices at Gallon, Leesville, and Tiro in the Richland county part, and two or three in what is now Wyandot county.

There was a change of parties by the election of William Henry Harrison in 1840 and on July 13, 1841 James McCracken, a Whig, was appointed postmaster, and his office was in his shop where the Mader Block now stands. The Democrats again came into power at the next election and Alexander P. Widman was appointed postmaster in May 6, 1845, ^"d continued the office at the same place, when he was succeeded by Dr. R. T. Johnston, Dec. 8, 1847, and the office was in his drug store where the Majestic picture show is now located. When Zachary Taylor was elected president the Whigs again secured the postoffice, and Henry Converse was appointed, April 4, 1849. The fire of 1848 had destroyed nearly all the buildings on the southwest corner of the square, and on the lot west of the Rowse block Henry Converse had erected a frame building where with his brother he ran a drygoods store. In

1852, there was another change of administration and there were several Democrats aspired for the office, so an election was held on Feb. 26, 1853, and A. A. Ruhl received 160 votes, John Picking 100, and Geo. P. Seal 50. Mr. Ruhl was appointed to the office on July 14,

1853, and the office was on the present site of the Picking Block, and later removed to a small frame building on the square west of the Bucyrus City Bank. Under Air. Ruhl the postoffice had a room of its own and from that time on it was not run in connection with the postmaster's business. Mr. Ruhl was succeeded on Sept. I, 1857, by C. D. Ward, and under him the office was in the same building on the northwest side of the square.

Another change of administration came in i860, and with it came the appointment of James G. Robinson as postmaster on March 12, 1 86 1, the quickest appointment after a change of administration ever made in Bucyrus. Lincoln became president, March 4. Air. Robinson was editor of the Journal at the time, and his printing office was in the second story of the Rowse building, and Air. Robinson removed the office to the rear room of the block on the first floor. He was succeeded by Isaac Z. Bryant on October 5, 1866, who held the office only six months, and on March 19, 1867 W. C. Lemert was appointed. He held the office only two months and on July 19, 1867 James P. Rader became postmaster, and the office was removed to the Swigart building, opposite the Court House, the room now occupied by Alader and Crawford. On July 12, 1870, John Hopley editor of the Journal, was appointed and held the office over eight years, being succeeded on Jan. 14, 1879 by C. W. Fisher. Air. Fisher died in the spring of 1882, and until his successor was appointed the office was in charge of one of his bondsmen, Martin Deal. AI. H. Fulton was appointed on March 29, 1882, and sensed four years, when another change of administration in the election of President Cleveland occurred and Shannon Clements was appointed on Alay 28, 1886, and the office was removed to the east room of the Vollrath Block. Mr. Clements served four years when the policy of the administration again changed and John Hopley was appointed on July 9, 1890, and the office was removed to the south room of the Vollrath Block on Walnut street. President Cleveland came in for his second term in 1893, ^"d on July 9, 1894, A. M. Ensminger was appointed postmaster, and served four years, when the administration again changed, and on August 8, 1898 Joseph E. Hall was appointed postmaster,' and the office was removed to its present location, the building being erected by Chas. Roehr expressly for the purpose. On Jan. 27,, 191 1, James R. Hopley, manager of the Telegraph and Journal was appointed to the office. In the early days the postage on letters was 25 cents but was gradually reduced. On July I, 1850 the law went into effect making a rate of three cents on all letters not over one-half ounce, if paid in advance, and five cents when marked collect. \\'eekly newspapers were free in every county; within a radius of 50 miles the postage was 20 cents per year; 300 miles 40 cents per year; and 1,000 miles 60 cents per year.

In August 1865, under Postmaster Robinson, Bucyrus was made a money order office. In 1893 under Postmaster John Hopley free delivery was secured, with three carriers, Joseph Fisher, \N . C. Lybarger and ^^^alter Sheckler, the latter still being one of the carriers.

On April 11, 1851, the Bucyrus Journal contained the following item, it was at a time when the Ohio and Pennsylvania road was being built west toward Crestline: "Bucyrus has a daily mail. On Tuesday, April 8th, the first four-horse coach made its appearance in our streets with a daily mail from the east. The intention of the stage company is to keep up a daily line of coaches from this place to \\^ooster, if it can be sustained. Heretofore persons coming to this place ha\e been obliged to lay over one or two days before they could get away by any public conveyance. This difficulty is now remedied, and travelers can take a coach from Bucyrus to the railroad every morning."

And Representative Citiz-Ens

"Our town has been wheeled into instantaneous communication with the balance oi the world and the rest of mankind. Bucyrus is now hitched onto the telegraph and ready at any moment to receive the latest streak. The establishment of a telegraph office here will prove of great importance to our town and we trust its advantages will be duly appreciated by our citizens. The office is in charge of Mr. Eckert."

Nearly thirty years later, in November, 1881, George T. Ristine, of Gallon, established the telephone in Bucyrus and today the Bucyrus Telephone Company has nearly 2,000 phones.

On Sept. 22, 1845, six men met in the second story of the old frame which stood on the corner where the Bucyrus City Bank now is. They had leased the room for $44 a year, and they organized La Salle Lodge No. 51, L O. O. F. The men present were John Clark, George P. Seal, James R. Knapp, James M. Albert, Oren Siser, of Bucyrus, and District Deputy Grand Master Joseph Whitmore, who gave them their charter; the first officers were John Clark, Noble Grand; George P Seal, Vice Grand; James R. Knapp, secretary; James M. Albert, treasurer. The officers were immediately installed and the following members initiated: J. B. Lawill, Franklin Adams, Hiram Fenner, Alec Howenstein and Frederick Bickle.

On Sept. 5, 1854 the lodge surrendered their charter, but on Feb. 26, 1856 it was restored on the petition of Franklin Adams, W. R. S. Clark, William M. Scroggs, Benjamin Failor, C. W. Butterfield, Hiram Fenner, and J. E. Zook. They elected officers, installed them, and initiated E. Smith, W. Bair, W. A. Chambers and Pinkney Lewis, the latter being the only man still livinj: of the above names, his home being now in Mansfield. On the reorganization they met in the Anderson building on South Sandusky avenue, and in July i860 they removed to the west end of the third story of the Quinby Block, where they remained until April, 1886 when they removed to the Vollrath Block.

In August, 1848, the Lodge moved to the third floor of the Anderson building, the room being occupied in the day time as the high school room, Israel Booth being the teacher, and later the first superintendent of the Bucyrus Union Schools. They paid $40 a year rent.

In connection with La Salle Lodge is Kearsley Encampment No. 234, and Bucyrus Lodge No. 139 Daughters of Rebecca, both of which meet in the Odd Fellow's room in the Opera Block.

The first society funeral in Bucyrus was conducted by the Odd Fellows. On the night of organization, Sept. 22, 1845, Frederick Bickle was initiated into the order. He was a saddler and harness maker, and lived at the southwest corner of Walnut and Warren, in the story and a half frame now being torn down to make room for the brick residence of Dr. W. A. Koch. He died on Feb. 2, 1848, and on the evening of that day the Odd Fellows met and passed resolutions of respect to his memory, and the next day attended the funeral, which was conducted by that Order, Hiram Fenner being then Noble Grand. Both the Masons and the Sons of Temperance attended the funeral officially, and he was buried in the Lutheran graveyard.

On Oct. 20, 1846 a charter was granted to Bucyrus Lodge No. 139 F and A. M., the charter members being Col. Zalmon Rowse, Rev. Hibbard P. Ward, Joseph E. Jewett, Benjamin Warner, Madison W. Welsh, Amos L. Westover, John Caldwell and Jonas Stough. The first officers were Joseph E. Jewett, W. M. ; Amos L. Westover, S. W. ; Benjamin Warner, J. W. On May 4, 1870 the Masons organized Crawford Lodge No. 443, giving Bucyrus two Masonic lodges. At the start Bucyrus Lodge met in the Anderson room, and in i860 joined with the Odd Fellows in fitting up the hall in the Quinby Block. Later the Masons selected quarters of their own meeting in the Blair Hall, the Picking Hall and the Miller Hall, until in 1886 they removed to the third floor of the Opera House Block, where they were located when their charter was arrested, in 1889. Of Bucyrus lodge, Lewis Stremmel was secretary for twenty-one years. Ivanhoe Chapter No. 117, R. A. M. was instituted Jan. 13, 1869, and Bucyrus Council, No. 57, R. & S. M., on Feb. 10, 1870. On Feb. 3, 1887 Bucyrus Chapter No. 3, order of the Eastern Star was instituted, and the next

After the charters were arrested there were no Masonic organizations in Bucyrus. On Oct. 19, 1892, a charter was granted to Trinity Lodge No. 556 on petition of 18 members and a new lodge was organized which has continued ever since, holding its first meetings on the third floor of the First National Bank building, and later removing to their present quarters in the Blair Hall. Bucyrus Chapter No. 160 received its charter Sept. 23, 1893, and Gwynn Council No. 83 R. & S. M. on Sept. 17, i8g8. These bodies together with the Eastern Star meet in the same rooms in the Blair Hall. During the three years the Masonic fraternity were without a home the Stars kept up their organization by meeting at private residences of the members.

The next lodge to form an organization in Bucyrus was the Knights of Pythias, who organized Demas Lodge No. 108 being instituted Sept. II, 1877, with 24 charter members. On March 6, 1878, Section No. 119 Endowment Rank was instituted with 16 charter members.

Feb. 19, 1890 Bucyrus Lodge No. 156 B. P. O. E. was instituted with thirty-three charter members, but after a year it was discontinued but was reorganized in 1892, and met in the third story of the Rowse Block, later it moved to the third story of the Hausleib Block, when they fitted up the second and third floors of the Sens Block, which is their present home, where they have the finest club rooms in the city.

Bucyrus Aerie of Eagles No. 501 was organized Oct. 3, 1903 with 75 charter members. In 1905 they purchased the Merriman comer for $11,000, the lot that in 1827 was sold for $80. The growth of the order has been so rapid that their lot is paid for and they are now arranging to build, and one of the youngest orders will be the first to own their own home. Their present meeting place is the third floor of the Hausleib Block.

The last society to organize Avas the Bucyrus Nest No. 121 1, Order of Owls, which was instituted on Aug. 20, 1909, with 112 charter members. Their rooms are in the third floor of the Fisher Block.

members. Their first meeting was in the Birk Block, then for two years in the third floor of the Bowman Block, and in May, 1877, they removed across the street to the Fisher Block, their present quarters.

Following them came Crawford Council No. 15 Royal Arcanum instituted Sept. 12, 1877, with 22 charter members. Their meeting place has always been the third floor of the Fisher Block.

Bucyrus being a central point on the T. & O. C. railroad, the engineers and conductors, firemen and brakemen, all have organizations with a large membership, and there are unions covering nearly every trade and occupation.

"We, whose names are undersigned, having conferred together on the objects proposed and designed by the True American Society, and believing the same to be of great importance, and worthy the aid and support of every true American citizen, we have resolved, and do resolve, ourselves into a branch of said society, to meet monthly, in the town of Bucyrus, on the Saturday next before every full moon in the year, and have therefore hereunto subscribed our names, in the presence of each other. First signed at Bucyrus, July 31, 1823."

This was a political organization, and the probability is its object was opposition to the naturalization of citizens. In the '50s a similar organization existed in Bucyrus, known as the Know Nothings, their object being to preclude foreigners from voting. In 1862 an order of the Knights of the Golden Circle met in the Ritz Block in Bucyrus. In 1876 there was an organization in Bucyrus to oppose the election of any Catholic to office. Its meeting place was in the Bowman Block. No one cared to have his name associated with any of these orders, and they died natural deaths for want of followers.

Another Lodge which was founded in 1859, was the Sons of Malta. One of the fundamental principles of the order was that every initiation ceremony should be different, and as the order rapidly gained in membership it took the combined ability of the brightest members to devise more humorous and sensational features in the ceremonies. They had a benevolent feature also, and frequently made a midnight parade, the members being masked and clothed in various disguises, they marched through the streets, leaving provisions at the homes of needy and worthy families. The

Thirty years later a similar organization was started with sport as the foundation of the order, but it disbanded on account of the accidental injury of one of the candidates during the ceremony of initiation.

The first school taught in Bucyrus was in the winter of 1822, a little log cabin which stood on the bank of the river, near the east end of the railroad bridge. It was taught by William Blowers who later became a minister in the M. E. Church. Among those known to have attended this school, were Elizabeth Norton, who later married Dr. A. M. Jones, and Horace Rowse, one of the builders of the Rowse Block. The charges of Mr. Blowers were $1.50 per pupil for a term of three months and he boarded round. In the summer of 1823, Miss Alta Kent taught a school east of Bucyrus. Before a school building was erected expressly for educational purposes, the location of the school was not so important as was the question as to where the teacher could secure a building. Hence both these early schools were outside of the village as originally laid out by Norton, but inside the present corporation. Moses Arden and Joseph Newell later taught in the log school east of Bucyrus, Miss Alta Kent, the first teacher in that log cabin, marrying Asa Hosford of Galion in 1825.

The first school in the original village of Bucyrus was taught by Sarah Gary in 1824. Aaron Gary removed to Bucyrus in 1822, and built a two-story log cabin near the tannery of his brother Lewis. Here he had his saddlery and harness shop, and in the second story his daughter Sarah had a number of pupils, and taught a small school.

In 1824 the law was pased which enabled public schools to be established, and allowing a certain amount to be appropriated for their support, tuition to be free. Under this law the residents of Bucyrus had a schoolhouse constructed. It was of logs, and 20 feet square, and the site selected was in a grove of oak and walnut trees owned by Samuel Norton. It was along the Indian trail which passed through Bucyrus a few rods north of the river, between the Norton and Bucklin log cabins. It was about where the Shunk Plow Works now are. It was built in 1824, and the first teacher was Zalmon Rowse, at $15 per month. There was not sufficient money in the school fund to run the school more than a few months, but some of the citizens subscribed money so that the school term could be extended and one summer the neighbors did his farm work while he taught the school, but generally in summer it was used for the smaller children only, people paying a small tuition. In summer the larger children were needed to work and could only be spared to attend school in winter. The growth of the town soon left the little schoolhouse far too small to accommodate the pupils ; added to this was the fact that the country was being settled up rapidly near Bucyrus, and in winter many scholars walked in three and four miles to attend, there being no schools in their neighborhood, so it was determined to build a larger schoolhouse. A one-story brick building was erected 18x36 feet in size near the southeast corner of Walnut and Galen. The brick were made by Albigence Bucklin, his brickyard being at the rear of his lot where the T. & O. C. railroad crosses Mansfield street. This building was not only used for a schoolhouse but later for the court house and public meetings, and there was hardly a Sunday but what some denomination held services in the building. Only the common branches were taught, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography and history, but occasionally some of the teachers gave instructions in grammar. Among the teachers in this early building were Horace Pratt, Sallie Davis, Dr. Samuel Horton, William White, Mrs. Espy and her two daughters, Maggie and Elmira.

In 1832, Bucyrus was selected as the county seat, and the citizens decided that the village ought to own their own schoolhouse. Mr. Norton donated the lot, southwest corner of Galen and Walnut for school purposes. The following is the record of the start of the present Bucyrus schools:

"Agreeably to public notice given by the school directors of the school district in Bucyrus township a meeting of the house holders was held at the school house in said district on Thursday, Feb. 21, 1833, and John Smith was called to the chair, and the object of the meetmg made known by Z. Rowse.

unanimously that the school directors be and are hereby empowered to purchase the school house from the owners at any price not exceeding two hundred dollars. "Resolved, 2d, That a tax levy for the aforesaid purpose be levied and collected within one year from and after that date.

"Agreeably to public notice, the householders met at the schoolhouse in said district on Tuesday, Oct. 15, and elected George Sweney, James Marshall and Nicholas Failor, directors; Lewis Cary, treasurer; and James McCracken, clerk of said district.

Bucyrus now had a schoolhouse, owned by the village. But it was soon too small to accommodate the increasing number of pupils. From the time of building the first log schoolhouse in 1824 and previous to that, schools had been held in several buildings, teachers miaking a canvass of the village and securing as many pupils as possible at so much per term. Besides the school of Sarah Cary over her father's harness store, there was a vacant log house on the McCracken property, now the Mader Block, and here in 1829 or 1830 Sallie Davis taught a school. The old log building built by Samuel Myers, south of the J. K. Myers corner was used for school purposes, and in an abandoned frame building on the northeast corner of Walnut and Perry a private school was taught. In the old log building built as a district schoolhouse, on the corner of W^arren and Spring schools were held. When the American House was building Miss Emily Rowse taught school in what was later the hotel office.

In 1838 the four square miles in the northeastern part of Bucyrus township was the Bucyrus school district. This was divided in four districts. No. i being the southwest district; No. 6 the northwest. No. 7 the northeast, and No. 8 the southeast. The school children at that time, with the directors were as follows.

At that time the total number of school children in Bucyrus township was 529, which left 214 in the township outside of Bucyrus. Of these 108 were boys and 106 were girls.

In 1839 a larger schoolhouse was built; it was a frame building, and on the lot donated by Mr. Norton; it was 30 by 50 feet, two stories high, with a tower. The building is still in use, being the front of the present Park House. In front it had five windows on the second floor with four on the rirst floor with the door in the centre. There were two rooms on each floor, a hall running east and west on both floors separating the rooms. The furniture was made by the workmen of the village, and was mostly of walnut, and for that day the interior as well as the building itself was one of the finest village schoolhouses in the State. At the rear and on the north were oak and walnut trees. The house was painted white, with green shutters. In the belfry a bell was placed, the first schoolhouse bell in Bucyrus. The first school was opened in October, 1840. There were five teachers. In these days boys and girls were in separate rooms. S. Fry taught the more advanced boys, and J. B. Squier, afterwards one of the leading physicians of the county at Sulphur Springs, taught the smaller boys. Miss Marshall taught the more advanced girls, and the smaller girls were taught by Miss Gary and Miss Espy. Owing to boys being needed at home, there were many more girls than boys in attendance, and two teachers were needed for the younger girls, both being in the same room.

Only the common branches were taught, the highest instruction reached being grammar and natural philosophy. During the winter of 1847, Joseph R. Whitum taught the higher branches in a private school. He was a graduate of Jefl^erson College, Pa. The session of his school commenced on Nov. 15, and was to continue for five months, his prices for the term being $6 for the lower English branches, including geography, arithmetic and the lower English branches; $8 for natural philosophy, chemistry, history, &c. ; and $10 for the Latin and Greek languages, including algebra, geometry and surveying. E. G. Chambers the next year had a private school for the higher branches.

better regulation of schools in cities, towns and villages which permitted the organization of graded or union schools. Prior to this among the early teachers were William Blowers, 1822, James Martin, Moses Arden, John Blowers, Zalmon Rowse, Jonas Scott, Dr. Samuel Horton, Joseph Newell, John Davis, William Y. McGill, Horace Rowse, Abraham Myers, jr., Abraham Holm, jr., William White, S. Fry, J. B. Squier, John D. Sears, J. S. Plant, Joseph R. Whitum, E. G. Chambers, Jacob Hofman, and Messrs. Camp, Everson, Kiskaden, Lee, McMullen, Needham, Wallace and Yost, date of teaching unknown. The lady teachers were Alta Kent, 1823; Sarah Gary and her sister, Sallie Davis and her sister, Emily Rowse, Margaretta Williams, Mrs. Espy and her two daughters Maggie and Elmira, Miss Marshall, Ann McCracken, and Hannah J. Dunn.

Bucyrus determined to take advantage of this new system, and the question was submitted to the voters of the village in April, 1849, and it was voted down. Jacob Scroggs in a history of the schools written by him in 1876, says the friends of the new system were Josiah Scott, Lawrence W. Hall, Dr. Willis Merriman, Aaron Gary, Dr. Jacob Augustein, Rev. John Pettitt, J. B. Larwih, John Anderson, John Moderwell, M. P. Bean, editor of the Forum, (the only paper in the village,) Col. Zalmon Rowse, and others. Mr. Scroggs, speaking of the opposition says: " The most serious and obstinate opposition came from a few men of wealth, who had no children to educate, or who cared little for any education beyond what was necessary to compute interest at 12 per cent." The friends of the system had a special election called on July of 1849, three months after its defeat, and this time they succeeded in carrying it. The citizens shortly after assembled and elected the first board of education in Bucyrus ; Rev. John Pettitt, John Anderson, Aaron Gary, Dr. Jacob Augustein, Dr. Willis Merriman, and John Moderwell, all active and zealous friends of the new school system. The first board organized by electing Dr. Willis Merriman, president; Aaron Cary, secretary; Dr. Jacob Augustein, treasurer. The first school opened on the first Monday in May, 1850, with Israel Booth as superintendent at a salary of $600 per year; Miss Diana Taylor of Syracuse, N. Y., was the first high school teacher, her salary being $25 a month; T. C. Bowles of Ashland taught the senior grammar at $25 per month ; N. P. Tarr taught the junior grammar at $20 per month, but before the term expired he was compelled to resign on account of ill health and Jacob Scroggs succeeded him. Miss Ann McCracken and Miss Myra Fitzsimmons had charge of the secondary and primary departments at $13 per month. The board levied a special tax, which in addition to the sum allowed by the State under the new law, would be sufficient to maintain the schools. The board adopted rules to govern the schools, eight to guide the superintendent, nine for the teachers, and six special and twenty-five general rules for the pupils. Here are some of the rules : " School week five and one-half days ; five days one week, six days the next."

" Use of tobacco prohibited in the schools." " Teachers will be admonished, reproved, or expelled for drinking intoxicating liquors or using profane language."

"Teachers must be at their room at the ringing of the first bell. In winter they must see that their rooms are heated and swept before the pupils arrive."

The text books were McGufifey's readers and spelling book ; Ray's arithmetic with Colburn's mental; Mitchell's geography, Pineo's grammar, and such others as the board selects.

The frame schoolhouse could not contain all the departments, so the high school, taught by Mr. Booth, was in the third story of the Anderson building, opposite the present office of the Journal and Telegraph.

Before the schools started the people saw the benefits of the new system, as on March 15, 1850, an election was held to levy a tax of $4,000 for the purpose of building a new schoolhouse. The proposition carried by a vote of 146 to 71. This building was erected on the west half of the lots now occupied by the central building, and was a two-story brick with a cupola, and when completed the entire second floor was occupied by the high school, with two small rooms at the rear for the school library and for recitation rooms. The two rooms on the lower floor were the grammar departments, the old frame being used for the intermediate and primary departments. Prof. Booth remained as superintendent for two years, and was devoted to his work, and as the first superintendent did much to place the schools on a substantial basis. He was probably like many literary men a trifle absent minded. He was married while teaching at Bucyrus. The lady of his choice lived at Norwalk and a day being set by her for the wedding he obtained permission of the board to dismiss the high school on the day of the wedding. The permission was readily granted, but at noon on the day set for the wedding, one of the school board met the Professor and expressed his astonishment at seeing him. The Professor failed to see why there need be any astonishment at his attending to his duties. " No reason at all," said the man, "but I thought it was today we had given you a day off to go to Norwalk and get married." The Professor turned pale. He had a date to get married at two o'clock, and his bride was at Norwalk over thirty miles away. There was no railroad to Norwalk, and no telegraph in those days. Mr. Booth never waited to tell his pupils there would be no school that afternoon ; he hurried to the livery stable, secured the best team available and started on his long journey across the country ; a rain came up, and through the wet and mud he urged the team, and at midnight reached Norwalk. In the meantime, while he was driving frantically across the country the friends had assembled at the bride's residence, the time passed, and the bride dressed for the ceremony waited in her room for her expected husband, at first patiently and then impatiently ; the people waited in the room below and the minister waited, and still the time wore on, until satisfied it was useless to wait any longer, about six o'clock the people left. The evening passed away and still no word from the groom, and the bride and her family were justly indignant that no message had been sent by him explaining the delay, and all retired. About midnight there was a terrific pounding at the door and the girl's father responded and found at the doorway his prospective son-in-law covered with mud from head to foot. The interview did not start harmoniously, but Mr. Booth finally succeeded in explaining how he had forgotten the day, which made the old man madder than ever, but later he listened to the earnest protestations of the young man, began to see the humor of the situation, and agreed to let him make his explanations to his daughter, if she would consent to see him. Then came another hitch; she wouldn't. Finally, she consented, and Mr. Booth again explained the matter, but the young lady filled with the disappointment of her postponed ceremony, expressed her opinion in a way not very complimentary to her unfortunate lover. He explained and entreated, and finally as Tennyson puts it,

The next morning the minister was sent for ; there was a quiet, private wedding, and Mr. Booth brought his bride to Bucyrus. When Mr. Booth left here he went to Sullivan, Ind., where he died in the fall of i860.

Succeeding Mr. Booth as superintendent, was H. S. Martin in the spring of 1852, with a salary of $500, but he remained but one term and was succeeded by M. Hill on Nov. 8, 1852, the salary being $600. The new school building was now completed, the last term of the high school having been held in the Methodist church. In the fall of 1853 David Kerr was superintendent and remained two years at $600 a year. ' In the fall of 1855 J. K. Mason became superintendent at the same salary, but only remained six months, and on Monday April 14, John Hopley became superintendent with a salary of $700. The schools now had seven teachers. In December of 1856, the Bucyrus Journal published an account of a spelling school written by Dr. W. R. S. Clark in which 50 pupils took part, divided into two sides, and spelling and defining the words in McGuffey's Fourth Reader. The article says : "After three hours, twelve of the two contending parties retained their position on the floor, having neither spelled nor defined a single word incorrectly, although 600 had been given to them. The finale was exceedingly spirited. One young lady maintained her position against an opposition of ten, spelling down in succession nine of them, when the exercises were closed from the simple fact that the book had been exhausted." The young lady who spelled down the nine was Miss Virginia Swingly, still living, the wife of James B. Gormly. The tenth who retained the floor for the other side, was her sister Miss Marcella Swingly, later superintendent of the schools, and afterward marrying Major E. C. Moderwell.

The next December another spelling school was held with a crowded house, and the report of this gives the names of those who spelled through a book of a thousand words without an error several of whom are still living : "In the High School, Misses Mary E. Moderwell, Georgianna Merriman, Elizabeth Moderwell, Amanda Kimmel, Jane Sims, Melinda Lightner, Ophelia Didie, Elizabeth Rexroth, Sarah Rexroth, and Master Hiram Moderwell ; in the Senior Grammar School, Misses Helen Van Tyne, Fidelia Howenstein, Mary Gormly, Lydia Rexroth, Elizabeth Rowse, Margaret Fulton, Anna T. Fulton, Elizabeth Bradley, Masters Albert Van Tyne, David Hall, John Moderwell, Eugene Sims, Daniel Kanzleiter, Rufus Kuhn and Leroy Henthorn. Miss Emma Shaw from the junior grammar school, retained her place on the floor during the pronunciation of over 900 words, Miss Mary Howenstein, from the same department, kept up until after 800 words had been spelled and defined." Of those mentioned two are still living in Bucyrus, Miss Sarah Rexroth, the widow of Rev. T. J. Monnett, and Eugene Sims. Of the others, nearly all have descendants whose homes are in. and around Bucyrus.