Crawford County, Ohio - Chapter 24: Bucyrus, the County Seat, 1912 (part 1 of 3)

Chapter 24: Bucyrus, the County Seat

Origin of the Name, Bucyrus - Arrival of Samuel Norton and Party, i8ip - Cabins Built and Crops Planted - First White Child Born in Bucyrus - Expert Spinners - Abundance of Game and Fish - Shortage of Bread Owing to Distance of Mills - Slow Milling - Arrival of Other Settlers - Col. James Kilbourne - Norton's Agreement with Kilbourne - The Survey and Platting of Bucyrus - Naming of Streets - Sale of Lots - Bucyrus as Described in the Ohio Gazetteer, 1826 - Early Stores and Merchants - Prices of Various Products in the Early Twenties - Fever and Ague - Mrs. Lucy Rogers' Experience - Tanneries and Grist Mills - The Carys - Early Industries - The First Tavern - Price of Whiskey - Mrs. Rogers Thrashes an Indian - Liquor Selling to the Indians - Law AgairtrSt It - How Evaded - Adventure of a Bibulous Citizen - Bucyrus Song.

Bucyrus is an Egyptian word, the name being derived from Busiris, a city of ancient Egypt, and also a name given the old Egyptian kings. It was named by Col. James Kilbourne, who with Samuel Norton, the first settler, was the founder of the town. The poetical lines relating to Bucyrus are found in Milton's Paradise Lost, book first :

When Samuel Norton reached Bucyrus in October, 1819, the party consisted of the following eighteen persons : Samuel Norton and Mary Norton, his wife; three daughters - Louisa, Catharine and Elizabeth ; three sons - Rensselaer, Warren and Waldo; Albigence Bucklin, (a brother of Mrs. Norton) and his wife and six children - Esther, Cynthia, Austin, Elizabeth, Almeda and Pitt, and an adopted daughter, Polly. The eighteenth person was Seth Holmes, who had been through this region in 1812, as a teamster in the war of 1812, and who accompanied the Norton party as teamster and guide. On arriving here an old wigwam mide of small saplings was found standing in the woods in what is now the court house yard. This the pioneers occupied for three days, while the three men built a log cabin. It was of round logs, unhewed, the cracks chinked with mud, and was built on the banks of the Sandusky, just west of the Sandusky avenue bridge, on the land now occupied by C. H. Shonert. This cabin, the wigwam and the wagons accommodated them. As soon as it was completed, a site was selected for the Bucklin cabin - also on the bluff on the banks of the river. It was built north of Mansfield street, just west of where the T. & O. C. embankment commences on its way across the river. At that tiine the river bed was at the foot of the bluff, passing just north of the brewery. A cabin similar to the Norton cabin was erected here for Mr. Bucklin and his family and the pioneers were as comfortably situated as possible for their first winter, the Nortons and Bucklins in their cabins, and Seth Holmes in the wigwam. Small sheds were erected for the stock, the pioneers having brought with them several horses and cattle, a few hogs and some chickens. They were fairly provided with cooking utensils, and the farming implements of those days. Mr. Norton had also brought with him a hand-mill for grinding corn or wheat in case of emergency. These pioneers were ten miles from the nearest settlement, which was at and near where Gallon now is.

The first winter was passed in clearing land around their cabins, and the spring of 1820 being a very early one, Norton planted his first crop in February, and in later years stated it was the finest crop he had ever produced. When Norton first settled on the land, it had been surveyed but was not yet entered for sale, and as soon as it was open for purchase, Norton went to Delaware on horseback, after leaving the plains being compelled to pick his way th'rough the woods, to the land office at that place. Here, it is reported, some Quakers endeavored to persuade him that the land he desired to enter was not the land he wanted, but Mr. Norton insisted it was and entered 400 acres, on which the central part of Bucyrus now stands. One of these deeds was for 160 acres, the southwest quarter of section i, township 3, range 16, of the district of Delaware, and was signed by James Monroe, Oct. 5, 182 1. It was one of the earliest deeds for land in the New Purchase as it was recorded in Vol. I, page loi. Returning home he gave Albigence Bucklin the 80 acres where he resided, he having promised him that amount of land, if he would accompany him to Ohio, as Mrs. Norton refused to come unless her brother and his family came along.

The first planting of the settlers was principally wheat, corn, potatoes and flax, the latter being a necessary article, from which Mrs. Norton and her daughters made the clothes for the family. On one of his trips to the mills on the Mohican, at Fredericktown in Knox County, over 30 miles away, Mr. Norton stopped at the Quaker village of Friendsborough in what is now Morrow county, and purchased ten pounds of wool, the wool being spun into yarn, the yarn made into cloth, and the cloth into clothing by Mrs. Norton. The Norton cabin had one window which let in some light; this window was a hole cut near the door over which was placed greased paper.

As the cabin was surrounded by woods, little or no rain or wind reached the flimsy window, yet from the first cotton woven, the window was covered with the cloth, which was a step in advance in house-building.

The most important event which occurred the first winter was on Feb. 11, 1820, when in the little cabin on the bank of the Sandusky was born to Mr. and Mrs. Norton, a daughter, Sophronia, the first white child born in Bucyrus. The Nortons had brought from Pennsylvania both a loom and spinning wheels, and the young girls soon became valued assistants of their mother in the manufacture of the goods for clothing. Mrs. A. M. Jones (Elizabeth Norton) while quite young, was the expert spinner of the family, and received so many compliments that she became a very zealous spinner from pride. She was so small that her father cut the legs of one of the spinningwheels to make it more convenient for her. Each of the girls had a task allotted of so much spinning per day, and Elizabeth soon discovered that her expertness and her skill brought with it troubles, as on her the larger part of the spinning devolved. True, all girls in those days were expert spinners, some of them skilled at weaving; all good cooks, and all of great assistance in the family work. The clothing they wore was made by themselves. Game was abundant - deer and wild turkeys, rabbits and squirrel - and Mr. Norton reports killing five deer in one day, near Bucklin's cabin, about where the T. & O. C. crosses the Sandusky. Here there was in those days a salt lick, where the deer came. The skins were used for clothing and the meat stored away for winter use.

In those early days, while the woods produced an abundance of game and the river yielded fish and an occasional hog was killed, the chief difficulty was the supply of bread, and the Norton daughters report that sometimes for days they were without bread, their diet being game, potatoes and honey, for there were many bee trees, and at one time Mr. Norton had over a barrel of strained honey in his cabin; in one day he found 23 bee trees, and the first hive of bees he had was a swarm of wild ones he secured in the woods. The nearest mill was at Lexington, on the banks of the

Mohican in Richland county. The largest was the Herron mill at Fredericktown on the Vernon river in Knox County. Although over thirty miles away, it was the safest as the pioneer was certain of having his grist ground, the water being sufficient to run the mill at all seasons of the year. An Indian trail led to that settlement, the Indians passing through Bucyrus and Whetstone township, across Morrow County and to Fredericktown and Mt. Vernon, the latter being one of the principal points where they disposed of their skins and cranberries. This trail was well-marked through the forest, and over this long route, Norton or Seth Holmes would take as much grain as the horse could carry, and return about a week later with it ground into meal. Four days was a quick trip. In spring the route was almost impassable, even on horseback, and then it was when the meal was low, that the family were thrown on their own resources, and the hand-mill was pressed into use - a very crude sort of coffee-mill, holding half a pint of grain, which was ground into meal. Then the mill was filled up and still more ground. The slowness of the process prevented a supply being gathered ahead. It was an evening's work at the mill, to secure enough meal for the next day's use. Another device was the punching of holes with a nail through a piece of tin, the bottom of an old bucket; and on the rough edges of the holes, an ear of corn was slowly and industriously rubbed, the meal falling through the holes. This was amusement of a winter evening, sitting beside the large fireplace. In a few hours enough meal could be ground this way to give all at least a taste of bread for breakfast. When the roads were bad in the spring of the year, it can readily be seen why bread was a luxury, and potatoes and game the staple article of food.

A corrected survey of the land showed that the Norton land did not extend to the river, but that his northern line was Perry street, so he built himself another log cabin on the southeast comer of what is now Galen and Spring streets. This was a much larger house, known as a double log cabin. There were neighbors then, and they came to the raising and the new cabin was erected, with two rooms do\yn stairs, two windows in the front, and a spacious loft. The chimney for six feet was actually built of stone, and above this was the balance of sticks and mud. Norton now had the palatial residence of the county, one that well became the future founder of Bucyrus.

In the spring of 1820 some settlers arrived in a family named Sears, who lived for a time just west of the present site of Oakwood Cemetery and then moved away. Then followed the Beadles - David Beadle and two sons, Michael and David, Jr., and Beadle's son-in-law, John Ensley. Daniel McMichael followed with his family, and Joseph Young and family and others. Michael Beadle built a cabin on West Mansfield street, about where the property of the late Silas A. Bowers now is ; south of him his father had 80 acres, his cabin being just north of the junction of Kaler avenue with Charles street. ^

It was during 1820 that Col. James Kilbourne drifted north from Columbus, making a preliminary survey for a road from Columbus to the Lake. At that time a road extended from Columbus through Delaware, and as far north as Norton in Delaware county, near the Greenville Treaty line. When in 181 7 this land, north of the treaty line, was opened to settlement, arrangements were made to extend the road to the Lake. Kilboume, with a surveyor's instinct, saw at a glance the excellent location of the Norton land as the place for a town on this new road. But Mr. Norton did not favor it. He had come there because he liked the land; he had a good farm, it was fast being cleared, and it was too good a farm to spoil by being laid out into town lots. Kilbourne continued on his way to Sandusky City, drew up his plans for the road, and in 1 82 1 returned to Bucyrus. He had established the town of Claridon in Marion County, about 16 miles north of Delaware, and the Sandusky river sixteen miles further north was excellently situated for his next town, with the site of (Caroline) Attica selected still further north. The neighbors wisely prevailed on Norton to enter into an agreement with Col. Kilbourne and as a result the following contract was drawn up.

Know ye, that James Kilbourne, of Worthington, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, and Samuel Norton, of the county of Crawford, and State aforesaid, have agreed, and do agree as follows, viz. : The said James Kilboume agrees to lay off a town for said Nor- ton, on the southwest quarter of the first section of the third township south, and sixteenth range, of the public lands of the United States, the west line of which shall be forty-four rods from the west line of said quarter, and parallel thereto, and shall extend thence east one hundred rods, being bounded north and south by the quarter lines, so as to contain one hundred acres in said town plat of in-lots, out-lots and reserves. In laying off and establishing said town, the said Kilbourne shall do, or cause to be done at his own expense, the following particulars, viz. : He shall make, or cause to be made, the preparatory survey and notes; project and make the plat ; survey the town ; cause the plat to be recorded; advertise, and attend at the first public sale of lots ; draw all the writings for the sale ; advertise the applications for such State and county roads as the proprietors shall, within one year from this date, agree to be necessary, leading to and from said town; draw petitions for said roads; circulate them for signers; present them to proper authorities, and attend the commissioners and viewers who may be appointed thereon,^ to assist in selecting proper routes for said roads ; and, when the town shall be surveyed as aforesaid, the said Norton, his heirs or assigns, as principal proprietors, shall first choose and reserve one lot; the said Kilbourne, as projector, surveyor and minor proprietor, his heirs and assigns, shall next choose and reserve one lot; and the remainder of the town shall be the joint property of the said Norton and Kilbourne, their heirs and assigns, forever, in the proportion of three-fourths to the said Norton, and one-fourth to the said Kilbourne; Provided, however, that the said Norton may reserve twelve rods in width of the west side of said town plat, as the same shall be platted, surveyed and recorded as above, to his own proper use and disposal ; for which the said Kilbourne shall receive and hold, throughout the other parts of the town plat, in addition to his fourth part thereof, an interest and right equal in quantity to one-fourth part of said twelve-rod reservation; so that the said Kilbourne's interest in the eighty-eight acres east of said twelve-rod reserve shall be as twenty-five is to eighty-eight, or, twenty-five acres in the whole ; and the said Samuel Norton doth agree to appropriate the said tract for a town plat, to be laid off by said Kilbourne as above written, and upon the terms aforesaid ; and, so soon as the said Kilbourne shall have completed, all and singular, the obligations on his part, so far as that the town is ready for the public sale as aforesaid, the said Norton shall make and deliver to the said Kilbourne, his heirs or assigns, a good and sufficient warrantee deed of the said one-fourth part of the town plat aforesaid, provided he shall so soon receive the patent from the President for the tract of which the said town plat will be a part; and, if the patent should not be so soon received, then and in that case the deed shall be made and delivered as soon as the said patent shall be received as aforesaid.

In witness whereof, we have hereunro set our hands and seals, at Crawford county the fourth day of October, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one.

The plat of the within described town, now named Bucyrus, is so changed to the west by laying off by mutual agreement as to leave but twenty-four, instead of forty-four, rods between said plat and the sectional line; and the reserve of Samuel Norton is extended on the plat to twenty-four, instead of twelve rods; there will, of course, remain but seventy-six instead of eightyeight, rods, or acres, of said plat east of Samuel Norton's reserve, of which seventy rods, containing seventysix acres, James Kilbourne shall receive his proportion of the town, in amount twenty-five acres, instead of the eighty-eight acres as within contracted. Said Norton shall have to his own use all the mill privileges, with no other consideration than that of the contents of the ground contained therein, toward his part of the out-lots of the plat; and the ground bought of Mr. Holmes, if retained, shall be laid out into lots by said Kilbourne and added to the town, on the same principles and proportions of mutual advantage as the hundred' acres contained in the foregoing contract. December 15, 1821.

The foregoing contract is this day so changed by mutual consent that the part of the town of Bucyrus which is laid upon the lands of Samuel Norton is confined to such limits as to contain only the numbered in-lots, out-lots and public grounds, with the avenue, streets and alleys, containing fifty acres more or less ; and the projector and surveyor of the town, James Kilbourne, his heirs and assigns, shall have and receive the one equal half part thereof, instead of the one-fourth part of the one hundred acres, as previously stipulated in this contract. Witness our hands, and seals at Bucyrus, this 12th day

This contract, with the amendments, occupied three pages of foolscap, and it will be observed that the" final agreement was reached and the contract signed on Lincoln's birthday, that later distinguished American being at that -time ragged and barefooted in his log cabin, probably passing the day without any presents to remind him that it was the thirteenth anniversary of his birth. On the same sheet of foolscap is written the final words :

"The within article of agreement, with the two modifications of the original contract herein contained, being complied with by the parties, is fully canceled and of no further effect.

The plat itself that was filed at Delaware, Ohio, in the Recorder's office, was signed Feb. II, 1822. The corrected survey showed Norton's land only extended as far north as Perry street. East of Sandusky avenue, the land between Perry street and the river was owned by Seth Holmes and Daniel McMichael. and west of the avenue by Abel and Lewis Gary. The sale of lots later shows Seth Holmes' land was bought, and certainly some agreement was made with the Carys and Mc- Michaels as the town extended to the river The amended plat as filed in this county shows that described by present boundaries the town started on the east at the Sandusky river, just half a block east of Walnut street, extending south to Middletown street, the line being half way between Walnut and Lane streets, a part of this line having an alley, notably from the Pennsylvania road to Charles street. At Middletown street it ran west two blocks to the alley between Sandusky avenue and Poplar street ; then north along the alley until it came to within one lot of Warren street, where it went west to Poplar street, including in the village lot 176 on the southeast corner of Poplar and Warren, now owned by the heirs of D. Picking. It went north on Poplar to Rensselaer street; then went half a block west, then north, along the west line of the present Presbyterian parsonage until within one lot of Mansfield street, when it went west across Spring street, and further west two lots, then north across Mansfield street, so as to include one row of lots on the north side of Mansfield. The line then ran east, at the rear of two lots on Mansfield street west of Spring, and at the rear of four lots between Spring and Poplar. On Poplar it went north to Galen, east to the alley between Poplar and Sandusky, then north to the river. The plat contained 176 lots, and of these lots 90 and 92 were set apart for a Court House, the present site; and lot 88 for the jail, and north of this lot 86 was donated by Norton later for school purposes, the lot adjoining the Pennsylvania road on Walnut street.

The streets were named mostly by Samuel Norton, as they are after members of his family, modestly omitting one after himself. Sandusky avenue was laid out as an avenue, and was 5 rods wide (82>4 fett) called after the Columbus and Sandusky turnpike, but always popularly known and called "Mam street " Mansfield street was called after the road leading to Mansfield. Walnut street was probably named by Col. Kilbourne, on account of a number of Walnut trees at the north end of the street. Poplar street was named from the number of Poplar trees on its northern end. Mary street was named after Mrs. Norton: Rensselaer, Warren and Charles, after the sons of Norton. All these streets were not named at the start, as Perry street was named after Perry Garton, the eldest grandchild of Samuel and Mary Norton, son of Louisa Norton who married Harris Garton Feb. 15, 1824. Middletown street was also named later, after the road leading from Bucyrus through that village to Mansfield. Galen street was also named later, the early history says, probably after some member of the Norton family but no Galen can be found in the family, and the probabilities are it was named by Dr. Mc- Comb, the first disciple of Galen who came in 1822; the street itself was partly through a swamp, at places impassable east and west, and as late as 1851 was in such a condition it was probably a relief to the citizens when the Ohio and Indiana road decided to use it for their track. Spring alley was named from a spring on the banks of the Sandusky, east of the avenue. East and West Alleys were named from being east and west of Sandusky avenue. The lot sale took place in April, but prior to this parties had bought lots. When the sale took place, a large crowd was present, people coming from the country and from neighboring towns, and Col. Kilbourne was the auctioneer, and during the sale sang for the first time his Song of Bucyrus

Many times in after years when Col. Kilbourne visited Bucyrusi he sang this song and others to admiring crowds. He was a great favorite among the sturdy pioneer settlers, who esteemed him for his many social qualities, and, when the knowledge that the Colonel was at the village spread throughout the neighborhood, they would assemble at Bucyrus to enjoy the rich season of fun which the old surveyor always planned and directed when he appeared. He had a few old cronies, who were seldom absent when the Colonel was willing to "make a night" of it with his boon companions. Brandy and egg-nog were Kilbourne's favorite beverages, and these special friends of his never refused to indulge when stray glasses containing liquid of this description were thrust into their hands ; consequently, when Kilbourne planned a good social time at the public house with a few friends, these companions were always willing and anxious to assist in disposing of the various liquors furnished by the Colonel's hospitality. In those days when whisky was supposed to be a necessity in every household, nearly all indulged in strong drink and for a man to be under the influence of liquor was not so serious a matter as it is regarded at the present time. Even ministers did not object to an occasional glass ; many were regular drinkers. But in the early days of the village, when ordained ministers appeared at irregular intervals, some of the early settlers, learning that Col. Kilbourne had formerly been an Episcopalian rector, requested him to conduct religious services. The Colonel consented in order that Bucyrus would obtain some credit for being a moral and religious village, and arrangements were made for him to preach on a certain Sabbath. The night previous, however, he assembled with his usual companions at the public house, and until after midnight the jolly crowd had a fine time. Many songs were proposed and sung by the Colonel ; the bar-tender's till received numerous contributions, and much of his liquid ware had been disposed of ; consequently, when they adjourned, many were much th( worse for liquor. But the Reverend Colone appeared next day ready for the religious exercises, and, in consequence of his early experience as rector, he conducted a very satisfactory meeting; the eiTect of the previous night did not prevent him from preaching ar excellent sermon. Not so, however, with som« of his companions who took part in the revelries at the public house; one of these misguided men, having learned that Kilbourne was to officiate at another meeting, seemed tc consider it a continuation of the "good time' started the night previous, and made haste to assemble with the religious portion of the community. The poor fellow was too fat gone to notice the difference in the assembly, but he heard the familiar voice of Kilbourne asking some one to propose a hymn for the occasion, and the erring man not knowing the horrid mistake he was making, arose and startled the congregation with one of the wild drinking songs of the night previous.

The original numbers of Bucyrus on the Delaware plat, and on the Bucyrus plat, commenced at the Sandusky river, the odd numbers on the west side of Sandusky avenue and the even numbers on the east. They ran i to 7, Perry street; 9 to 17, Mary street; 19 to 27, Galen street; 29 to 35, Public Square; 37 to 43, Rensselaer street; 45 to 53 Warren street. This was as far as the original plat of the town filed at Delaware, contemplated, and south of this, starting two blocks wide was a triangular park, extending to a point at Sandusky and Charles street. On the east side of Sandusky avenue, commencing at the river are lots 2 to 8, Perry street; 10 to 18, Mary street; 20 to 28, Galen street; 30 to 36, Public Square; 38 to 44, Rensselaer street; 46 to 54, Warren street. On the east side of Walnut the numbers commenced at the river with No. 56 and ran to 95 and 97 on Mansfield street, which were the present Opera Block and the Hall property adjoining; on the west side they ran from 57 to 91 and 93, the Adams property on Mansfield street, now owned by Miss Lizzie Ostermeyer. The plat as filed at Delaware was signed on Feb. 11, 1822, by Samuel Norton, Abel Gary, Daniel McMichael, and Seth Holmes. It was witnessed by Joseph Young and Gibley (Polly) Bucklin, and was sworn to by Joseph Young, as Justice of the Peace. Later the plat was changed but it was never corrected on the Delaware records. On this Delaware plat a site is marked on the river, half a block east of the present Lane street (now out-lot 119) and marked Norton's Mill, showing Norton had in contemplation the building of a mill. On this plat the town stopped at Warren street, which was called Cherry alley. Of the park the plat says, "to be improved for parkage gardening as the corporation of the town shall direct, and until the town shall be incorporated the original proprietors will direct and dispose thereof at discretion." The plat further says : "The marks of the figure 'o' denote the springs which issue from the high bank within the town." This spring was about half a block east of Sandusky avenue, on the high bank of the river, and a distillery was started there on account of the pure water that could be secured. There was also another spring on the river bank, between the railroad bridge and the Mary street bridge. On April 22, 1830, the contract was canceled as being completed, but this completion was made by Norton and Kilbourne having a division of the lots remaining unsold at that tiqie. The lot sale took place in the spring of 1822, and there were many came from the surrounding country and from a distance, the sale having been well worked up by Col. Kilbourne. The first owners on record of each of the lots of the original plat filed at Delaware, with the prices paid, and date of giving the deed, are as follows :

Of the original lots sold in Bucyrus, No. 36, where the Quinby Block now stands, was sold to Lewis Stephenson for $42 ; the land is now on the tax duplicate at $45,850, and the buildings were about $30,450 more, giving the total valuation of this $42 lot at about $76,300. It is now owned by several different parties. Commencing at the east No. i is owned by the Hausleib Brothers; No. 2, by Judge Charles F. Schaber; Nos. 3 and 6, Fred W. Mader; No. 4, the heirs of L. Mantle; No. 5, Charles Lake; Nos. 7 and 8, by Mrs. Millie Geiger and Mrs. Mary Sarles. The lot has a frontage on the Square of 159 feet, with a depth of 66 feet.

Until 1828 nobody wanted the Rowse Block corner ; it was too far up town. The first business on the lot was in 1827, when James Mc- Lean, a carpenter, erected a one-story building on the lot where he lived and made shingles. It was sold in 1828 to Jacob Culler for $100. Today the land is on the tax duplicate at $46,166, and the buildings at $25,806, making the total $71,972. It is the largest of the lots on the Sc|uare, being 165x67.2. It is now owned by the William Rowse heirs. Second National Bank, H. F. Miller, G. K. Zeigler, and the George Mader heirs.

Lot No. 35, the Bucyrus City Bank corner, was purchased of Norton by Henry St. John for $45. It has a frontage on the Scjuare of 165 feet, with a depth of 66 feet. The land is now on the tax duplicate at $46,713, with the buildings valued at $21,478, making a total of $68,191. The land is now owned by the Bucyrus City Bank, Judge J. C. Tobias, Fred W. Mader. the Mader heirs and Lewis Mollenkopf.

as the Quinby Block, and with a depth of 67.2 feet. Ihe land is now on the tax duplicate at $44,846, and the buildings at $10,931. It is now owned by P. J. Carroll, with the exception of the 22 feet owned by W. F. Barth and occupied by him as a barber shop. The Deal House was originally a two-story brick about 45 feet front on the Square and about the same on Sandusky avenue. In 1858 it was extended on the Square as it is at present, and made three stories, the corner remaining as originally built, a third story being added. The Barth barber shop and the Martinitz bakery are as originally built over 70 years ago, no change except a coat of paint occasionally. When McCoy had the Deal House from 1853 to 1858 he owned the entire frontage on the Square from Sandusky avenue around to Mansfield street. Above the Martinitz bakery up to i860 was the McCoy Hall which you entered by the same outside steps that are there to this day, the only change being they are now covered. Here the elite of Bucyrus assembled to listen to lectures, and minstrel shows and theatrical troupe which made a one night stop at Bucyrus. The stage was a platfonn about a foot high in the north part of the hall. In front were two or three rows of chairs, which were occupied by the more wealthy citizens as reserved seats at some select entertainment, when prices ran as high as 25 cents, or what was called a shilling in those days. Behind these chairs were benches without backs. Benches about 12 feet long on each side of the hall, with the aisle down the centre. Here the price was uniform, a sixpence. The other hall in those days was Denslow Hall. This was the third story of the brick, north of the Bucyrus City Bank. It was a very low room, not easy of access, and was not as popular as the McCoy Hall. C. D. Ward owned the building, and the hall was called after his middle name Denslow.

Of the original lot owners not one is in the hands of any of their descendants. In 1828 Abraham Yost bought lot 29 for $120. John Deardorff had originally bought the lot of Norton and erected a house on it ; he died before he had paid for the lot; so the first deed was from Norton to Yost. This lot remained in the possession of the Yosts until 1910, when it was sold to Dobbins and Geiger. The oldest lot owner in Bucyrus (in the point of time) is C. J. Scroggs, his grandfather, John Scroggs, purchasing lot 104 southeast corner Walnut and Rensselaer, in 1839; from John Scroggs. it descended to his son Jacob, and from him to his only son Charles, who still resides there. The same year 1839, but a month later, John A. Gormly purchased lot 6 in Carothers' addition to Bucyrus southwest corner Poplar and Warren ; it passed from John A. Gormly to his son J. B. Gormly, and is still occupied by the latter as a residence.

"Bucyrus - A lively post town laid out in 1822 on the south bank of Sandusky river, in the eastern part of Crawford county. It is the seat of justice for the county, has two stores and several mechanics."

It is a pleasure to notice that in these early days Bucyrus had a reputation of being a "hustling" town. The fact that the editor's uncle laid out the town, and was financially interested in it, may have made it advisable in the interest of peace at home that the young man give the town a good "send off."

The two stores were those of E. B. Merriman and Samuel Bailey. The Merriman store was on the lot just south of the Electric Light Works, and was probably started in 1822. Mr. Merriman was known as "Judge" Merriman and "Bishop" Merriman. Of this store John Moderwell, who came in 1827, wrote in his pioneer reminiscences published in the Bucyrus Journal in 1868: "Judge E. B. Merriman had the monopoly for some time of exchanging goods with the red and white people for deer skins, furs, beeswax, honey, ginseng, cranberries and other articles." It was not an elaborate establishment, and the business was mostly trade, very little cash. Even his goods were purchased mostly by exchanging the skins and farm products he had for the goods he wanted. James Nail, in his pioneer letter in the Forum of 1874, writes : "I now remember that the first Sfoods I bought in a store at Bucyrus were from Bishop Merriman (1822 or 1823). As I was getting a few articles a Mr. Peter dinger took his pencil and paper and commenced writing. Merriman asked him what he was doing. He said he was taking an invoice of his goods, and that the amount of his stock was $37.41. Merriman said he was not far out of the way." The prices current in those days were wheat, 40 to 50 cents per bushel; oats, 12 to 18 cents; corn, 15 to 25 cents; potatoes, 12 to 25 cents; cranberries, 50 cents per bushel ; pork i J4 to 2 cents per pound ; maple sugar, 5 to 6 cents per pound; butter 5 to 6 cents per pound ; eggs, 3 to 4 cents a dozen ; honey, 50 cents per gallon. Coffee was 50 cents per pound ; salt $3 for 50 pounds ; powder, 50 cents a quarter, lead 50 cents a pound, chewing tobacco, 50 cents a pound, and whiskey 50 cents a gallon.

The other store was that of Samuel Bailey, the east side of Sandusky and the second lot south of Perry street. Bailey sold about 1824 to French & Bowers and they sold to John Nimmons in 1827, and the latter built the frame on the northeast corner of Sandusky and Rensselaer, and moved into it in 1828, the first store south of the Square.

The several mechanics were probably Russell Peck with his blacksmith shop, northwest corner Sandusky and Warren ; Lewis Stephenson, hatter, on Quinby Block lot ; Joseph Umpstead, cabinet maker, whose shop was in his residence ; Aaron Cary, who had a saddlery on his lot just west of the bridge; Adam Bair had a carpenter shop, and John Billups was a shoemaker. Besides this, Cary had a mill, Moore and Rogers each had a hotel and there were two physicians, Drs. McComb and Hobbs.

1819 - Samuel Norton; founded the town in 1821 ; kept a hotel in 1835. Albigence Bucklin; ran a farm and made mill-stones. Seth Holmes, came with Norton; had a log cabin southeast corner Galen and Sandusky, where he died about 1825.

1820 - A man named Sears, who settled near Oakwood Cemetery, but left soon afterward. David Beadle entered land west of the Norton tract; built his cabin near the corner of Spring and Charles ; his son David lived with him until he married two years later Mishael Beadle son of David, built a cabin on the Bowers lot on West Mansfield. Amos Clark, a farmer, who bought the land south of Norton, and had his residence near the W. H. Miller property 435 South Sandusky.

182 1 - Abel Cary, who built the first mill a few rods below the Sandusky avenue bridge. 1822 - Russell Peck, blacksmith, shop, northwest corner Sandusky- and Warren. Conrad Roth, blacksmith. Lewis Stephenson, hatter; first shop, centre lot, east side Sandusky between Perry and Mary; in 1826 moved to Quinby Block lot. Joseph Umpstead cabinet maker, north Sandusky; E. B. Merriman, merchant ; first store was between the present G. K. Zeigler residence and the river ; in 1824 moved to southeast corner Sandusky and Perry; with him came his brother Charles as clerk. Zalmon Rowse, who came to Whetstone township the year before; Ichabod Rogers, who started a tavern the next year; Aaron Cary who started a tannery and saddlery shop on the Shonert lot. Conrad Rhodes, who the next year ran a tavern on the Shonert lot. George P. Schultz, who kept a boarding house on north Walnut; Joseph McComb, a physician ; Lewis Cary, who ran the first tavern on the Shonert lot ; Robert Moore and Joseph Pearce, who later ran the tavern. Harry Burns, a friend of the Nortons, who was a hunter. John Deardorff, who built a cabin, on the southwest corner of Sandusky and Galen and was a farmer; Harris Garton and John Kent were also farmers. Others that year were Samuel Carl, John Kellogg and Samuel Roth.

1823 - Adam Bair, carpenter; John Billups, shoemaker; Matthew McMichael, teamster; he came to the county in 1819, and in 1820 helped his father on the farm east of Bucyrus, and then came to Bucyrus. Moses Arden, William Blowers and James Martin taught early schools, the latter was the first auditor of the county in 1826. William Early, the first real estate dealer and an early justice of the peace, and Patrick Height and William Reeves.

1824 - Samuel Bailey, merchant ; John Funk, tavern keeper; Henry Miller, cabinet maker; John Marshall, surveyor; John T. Hobbs, physician; Thomas Alsop and John Blowers, who taught early schools, and John Huhr and Daniel Seal.

1825 - ^John Bowen and James Marshall, blacksmiths ; Hugh McCracken, John Bowman, and Andrew Failor, merchants ; Adam Bair, carpenter, John H. Morrison, lawyer; Jonas Scott, teacher; George Hawk, shoemaker; Nicholas Failor, tailor; Daniel Miller, farmer, and James Houston, John Kanzleiter, and Hugh Long.

Bratton, hatter; James McLain, miller; Jacob Bowers, John B. French, Henry St. John, Martin Barr and Henry Babcock, merchants ; Isaac H. Allen, Michael Flick and Charles Stanberg, lawyers; Abraham Myers, teacher; Henry Minich, tanner; John Caldwell, contractor; Ebenezer Dowd and Samuel Myers, tailors; George Lauck and Capt. John Miller, tavern keepers ; Thomas Johnston and James C. Steen, farmers, and Elihu Dowd, Jacob Drake, William Hughey and son William, William Marsh, Jacob Sigler and Joy Sperry.

1827 - John Moderwell, cabinet maker; Eli Slagle, miller; Robert W. Musgrave, James Ranney, John Nimmons, merchants; Richard W. Cahill, clerk; Willis Merriman, physician; Horace Pratt, teacher; Emanuel Deardorff, tanner; Jacob G. Gilmore, tavern keeper; and William Farley and William Magers.

1828 - Daniel Holm, brickmaker; Adam Moderwell and Isaac Ritter, cabinet makers; James and John McCracken, millwrights ; John Yost, gunsmith; Rev. David Shuh; Abraham Hahn, jr., teacher; David and Abraham Holm, tanners ; Henry Couts and John Heinlen, teamsters; William R. Magill, printer'; Abraham Hahn, tavern keeper; Peter Klinger, well digger; Lewis Heinlen, farmer, and William F. Ayres, Thomas Barnett, Jacob Forney, Daniel and John Holm, Christopher Noacre.

1829 - Matthew Feree, blacksmith; Samuel Jones, cabinet maker; Benjamin Meeker, merchant; Jonathan Reeder, printer; Nicholas Cronebaugh and John Shull, carpenters ; Josiah Scott, lawyer, Jacob Bash.

1834 - Thomas Gillespie, registrar land office; Josiah S. Plants, lawyer; William Wise, cabinet maker; Christian Sexauer, shoemaker; Charles P. West, printer; Rufus Benson and Jonathan Timberline.

1835 - George McNeal, carpenter; Charles Kelly, miller; Peter and W. W. Miller, merchants; Ludwig Assenheimer, weaver; James W. Armstrong, lawyer; Drs. Andrew and George A. Hetich and Dr. A. M. Jones; Rev. Frederick Maschop; William White, teacher; Samuel Caldwell, farmer.

Other early business men were John Davis, hatter; Christian Howenstein cabinet maker; Chris Brinkman, millwright; John Anderson, James Quinby, J. W. Bener, S. A. Magers, M. Nigh and J. Coleman, merchants; Frederick Schuler, shoemaker; Peter Howenstein and Lewis Kuhn, tailors; Samuel Picking, tavern keeper; Jesse George, wagon maker; and James Goodel, James Gilson, Jacob Howenstein and John Moody.

In the early part of the summer of 1824, James Nail had finished his grist-mill near Gallon, and in his letters in the Forum he says : "At this time went to Bucyrus and engaged mill stones of a Mr. Bucklin, who was making them there out of a kind of nigger-head stones. After he finished them he gave me notice, and I went there for them with a wagon and two yoke of cattle. Remained one night at Bucyrus with Mr. B., and as I could get no enclosure or stable I let the oxen graze on the plains. In the morning when I went for them they had started home, and it was about 10 when I found them and brought them back to town. In the street I met a man, Mr. Henry Smith. He asked me if I had had breakfast that day. I said no. He then said: 'Nearly everybody in this town has the ague ; go with ine and take your breakfast.' He further said : 'I am the only man in the town that has any pork. You may fill your stomach with pork, then keep your mouth shut, and breathe through your nose, or you will have a shake of ague before you leave town.' After breakfast my mill-stones were loaded. I hauled them home and had the mill started the same fall. I had been partially acquainted with some men around here before this time, for instance, two families by the name of Gary, Mr. Rogers, I think two families by the name of Merriman, Col. Rowse, Mr. Miller, Dr. McComb and others. East of Bucyrus I knew several families by the name of Kent, Holmes, Bear, Scott, Judge Stewart, the Parchers, and others, then settled along the edge of the Plains. Another settlement had commenced along the Plains near the Whetstone. Among them I knew Messrs. Hancock, Eyeman, King, Armstrong, Van Voorhis, Hamilton, Campbell, Poe, Mears, Clark and others."

Mrs. Lucy Rogers tells of her sad experience with the ague in 1822. She says : " My husband took sick on one occasion and was bedfast. He could neither eat or drink a part of the time. Meanwhile our scanty store of food was consumed until not a particle was left in the house for our subsistence. The last crust was gone. My prayer to God was that all of us, my young babe, my helpless husband, and my starving self might all die together before the sun should set. That night was one of sleepless agony. Next morning I went through an Indian trail, unfit as I was to go through the tall, wet grass, which was then as high as a man's head, to William Langdon's, near Young's grist mill, and, between sobs, told my pitiful story to him, and begged for some flour to keep my little family from starving to death. He did not know me, and refused; but his wife - God bless her - spoke up and said: 'You shall not starve if it takes all there is in the house.' Her husband relented and weighed me out nineteen pounds oi flour, and then, blessing them for their charity, I returned home through the tall grass with the 'bird of hope' again singing in my bosom. How sweet the short cake, without meat, butter or anything else tasted that day. In the afternoon. Aunt Lois Kent, learning of our destitution, brought us a pan of meal, I got some milk of Mrs. Shultz and then made some mush. Believe me, the tears of joy and sorrow rained down my cheeks when this meal was eaten. I then told Louisa Norton, who afterward married Harris Garton, how terribly we were distressed by want and hunger. She went home and told her father, Samuel Norton, who said: 'This will not do; these folks have come to a new country, and they must be helped; they shall not starve in Bucyrus.' So every evening he sent us new milk, fresh from the cow, and as we needed it a ham of meat. One day he sent Louisa over to us with a dressed pi^. I never had a present that did me so much good. In a very few weeks my husband recovered and then we fared better."

There were very few cases like this, and it is to the credit of the pioneers, that in every case, a person really in need, found help and assistance, and Langdon, himself had reason to be suspicious when a woman in need deliberately walked a mile and a half to seek assistance.

When Norton first came he started a little tannery on the banks of the Sandusky to tan enough leather for the family shoes ; it was on land which later he discovered belonged to Abel and Lewis Gary, Abel Gary came in 182 1, and on the south bank of the river just below Sandusky avenue he built a small dam, and erected a grist-mill in 1822, and the long journey of the pioneers through the forest was a thing of the past. His brother, Lewis Gary, came in 1822. The latter had learned the tanning business in New Jersey, and came west to Jefferson county, where he went into the tanning business. Here he married Rachel Kirk, and in 1822, came to Bucyrus, driving through in a "schooner wagon" with his wife and nine children. Arriving here, they occupied an old log cabin, until a cabin of his own was erected by him and the early settlers on the banks of the Sandusky, where Norton had first resided. This cabin was the first one erected in Bucyrus of hewed logs with a shingle roof and grooved floor. The others were simply the logs as cut from the trees, and puncheon floors or the bare ground. His brother's mill, iust west of him was not yet completed, and he was compelled to go through the woods the forty miles to Fredericktown for flour, and stated later, that sometimes the supply at home was so small that the entire family were put on an allowance. Gary made a real tannery out of Norton s first yard, and for years he conducted the business, in 1839 disposing of it to his son Aaron, who ran it until 1855 when he sold it to Richard Plummer. Chris Shonert had learned the trade of tanner under Aaron Cary, and a year after Plummer bought the yard, it was purchased by Chris Shonert; it later became the firm of Shonert and Haller, and a quarter of a century ago was abandoned. Cary made his vats by sinking large troughs in the ground, and prepared his bark by pounding, having no facilities for grinding. Later regular vats were dug, and the bark was ground.

Lewis Cary only ran his mill a short time, the little dam being a crude affair was washed away at the first freshet, so it was moved to a better site up the river, at the north end of Walnut street, and was run by Eli Slagle. Later it passed into the hands of James Kelly, and a hurricane came and took away the roof; this was replaced and in 1843 it was destroyed by fire. A company was formed and it was rebuilt, a \ery large frame mill. A strong, ser\- iceable dam was erected by John Gilmore, near the north end of Lane street, with a mill-race running to the mill which furnished the power at all seasons of the year. Kelly and James McLean became the proprietors, and later James McLean, who ran it tintil it was destroyed by fire on Saturday night, April g, 1870. It was never rebuilt, and nothing now remains to show where this large mill once stood; even the old mill race has long since been filled up. The Cary mill, west of Sandusky avenue, was the second business enterprise in Bucyrus; the Cary tannery the first. In 1823 Daniel McMichael and Ichabod Rogers started a small distillery on the land now occupied by the Electric Light Works, but after running a year or two it was abandoned.

Henry St. John bought lot 3 s northeast corner of the Square, where he erected a two-story frame, and started a store in 182s; this building was also used as a store until in 1890, it was moved away to give place to the present brick building of the Bucyrus City Bank.

shoes, of an evening, after working at his tannery all day. ihe Indians frequently brought skins to him for tanning, which they made into moccasins - or, rather their squaws did. They occasionally had shoes maae for them by Cary for they discovered that his shoes "squeaked," and they were always anxious to secure a pair of that kind, insisting with the order that he must make a pair that "talked." And they were also as proud of a shoe that "talked," as boys of a later generation were of red-topped boots.

Cary was a Quaker, and the Indians were great admirers of him, and while they were insatiate thieves, laying their hands on everything lying around loose, they never stole from Cary.

Aaron Cary settled in Bucyrus soon after his brother Lewis. He was a saddler and harness maker, and had his cabin and shop near his brother's tannery. It was a two-story log house and on the upper floor his daughter Sarah taught school.

Lewis Cary died on Jan. 9, 1866, at Defiance, Ohio. Of his nine children, only one remained in Bucyrus, his daughter Isabel marrying Alexander Caldwell, who had their homes for years three miles southwest of Bucyrus, near the Little Sandusky road.

John Bowen had a brick yard near the southwest corner of East and Middletown streets, in 1825 and here he burned the brick, and erected for himself the first brick building in Bucyrus ; it was on the site of the present Blair and Picking Blocks, on Sandusky avenue, and was used as a blacksmith shop by him and later by James Marshall.

The first frame building, was about 15 feet square, and was on Sandusky avenue, about where the Myers harness shop now is. It was later moved to West Mapsfield street, and still later to the German M. E. church lot at the junction of Middletown and Gallon, then occupied by Hon. A. M. Jackson, and on his property it was used as a woodshed, and torn down when the present M. E. church was built.

maker, which he had learned in his early home in Pennsylvania. He was followed in 1827 by John Moderwell, in the same business, and Miller soon retired from cabinet-making and built a carding-mill, the first erected in Bucyrus, and his mill was a pronounced success, doing a large business for many years. He kept hotel a few years, and through his carding-mill went into the dry goods business. He became prosperous, purchased 80 acres of land of Amos Clark on South Sandusky avenue, and commencing about Narrow street, laid out a part of it, on both sides of Sandusky avenue, in town lots as an addition to Bucyrus. In 1830 he was elected sheriff of the county, serving two years, and singularly enough his successor as sheriff was John Moderwell, the other cabinet-maker of the village.

Besides Miller's carding-mill a similar mill was also built by Jourdan Jones; this was on the present site of the Vollrath Mills, and was run by tramp-wheel power. A man named Kirk also had a carding-mill, and later sold it to Samuel Clapper, who with Dr. A. M. Jones went into the business on a large scale, and their mill later became the Bucyrus Woolen Mills.

The, earliest tannery was the family affair of Norton, followed by Lewis Cary, but the developing of the country and the plentitude of bark at their doors made the tanning business the industry of Bucyrus. One of the early tanners was Emanuel Deardorff, who came to Bucyrus in 1827 with his brother-in-law, George Myers; they came through in a onehorse wagon from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The farther west they got, the worse became the roads, and at Pittsburp- they found the only way to get through with their one horse was to travel light, so" they left all their bedding, and whatever they thought they could get along without, and came on to Bucyrus. Here Emanuel Deardorff bought 38 acres of land at $8 per acre, and started a tan yard on the river bank on the north side of West Mansfield street, present home of H. F. Miller. Getting the business started during the winter and spring, in 1828 he returned to his former home in Cumberland county to fill an engagement he had probably made prior to leaving for Ohio, for on March 13, 1828, he married Elizabeth Howenstein, and with a team the two started for their new home, at Pittsburg taking on board the bedding and household goods he had previously left there. The bridal trip took fifteen days, and they took up their residence at their new home on West Mansfield street. He ran the tannery until 1852, when he sold to John Engle. It burned down, was rebuilt and lat^r was abandoned. When Mr. Deardorff retired from the tanning business he ran a saw-mill for eight years across the river, where the Sandusky Valley Mills were later, then disposed of it, and took. a 200-acre farm in Whetstone, where he remained until 1870, when he came to Bucyrus, retiring from business.

Other early tanners were David Holm, who had a tannery in 1831, just north of Buffalo Run which crossed Sandusky avenue, through the present lot of C. Roehr. Across the street the creek continued its way, bearing north through the lot of Dr. Arthur McCrory. Here Henry Minich had a tannery. The Wieland tannery was on west Galen street, run by Wieland and Michael Walters.

Lewis Stephenson built the second house in the village on the west side of the Sandusky the centre lot between Perry and Mary, where he ran a hatter shop.

George P. Shultz was the first German in Bucyrus and he built a house on Walnut street north of Perry, where he kept a boarding house for several years; he had an adopted daughter who kept house for him until she married Henry Miller, one of the early cabinet makers of the village.

Dr. J. T. Hobbs came in 1824, and had his office adjoining the hat shop of Lewis Stephenson. Dr. Joseph McComb came in 1822 and had his office near Stephenson's hat shop, and later purchased a lot on the east side of Sandusky between Mary and Galen, the centre lot in the block, and in April 1825 he married Rebecca Kimble; later he neglected his practice and about 1835 died at the Fitzsimmons tavern in Whetstone township.

Harry Smith in 1823 built a cabin on the southwest corner of Perry and Walnut. William Reeves built a cabin between Perry and Mary on the east side of Sandusky in 1823.

Harris Garton came in 1822, and two years later married Louisa Norton, a daughter of Samuel Norton, and about 1827, bought out Albigence Bucklin, his wife's uncle, and later moved to Chatfield township where he kept a tavern and was postmaster; in 1853 he removed to his farm in Tod township where he died.

Adam Bair came in 1823, and a cousin Adam Bair came in 1825 ; they were distinguished by calling the first Adam the bad Bear, and the second Adam the good Bear; these two built the first brick school house on Middletown street, two stories with a tower and contained three rooms, built about 1850, and torn down in 1868 to make room for the present central building.

Ebenezer Dowd was the first tailor and purchased the lot where the Schaber-Volk Block now stands, and here he opened his shop. He had a brother and sister who came with him, as in August, 1825 Elihu Dowd married Polly Ketchum, and in December of the same year Eunice Dowd married James Dor land of Liberty township.

Harry Burns came about 1823, a former friend of the Nortons at Elk Hill, Pa., he devoted his time to hunting and after settlers became so numerous that game became scarce he removed to the west.

John Yost came with his wife, "Aunt Chloe" and three sons, Abraham, Jacob and Jerry; he bought the lot on the southwest corner of Galen and Sandusky, when he arrived, for which he paid $120, and it remained in the family of the Yosts for over 80 years. On this corner he lived in a log house, which had previously been built by John Deardorff, and from his doorway frequently shot the wild ducks that took advantage of the swamp. on the northeast comer opposite.

John Moderwell came in 1827, with his wife, Aunt Betsy, and he purchased the lot on the southwest corner of Perry and Walnut for $40; he. was a cabinet maker and millwright; he opened his first shop in a little log house about where the Pickering Block now is on

North Sandusky; later moved to the south side of the Rowse Block lot; here he continued in business until 1833, when he moved to a larger building where the Hotel Royal now stands. He early took an active part in the affairs of the village and county; was sheriff of the county in 1833 and mayor of the village in 1837. To him more than any other man have historians been indebted for the most reliable information as to the early history of Bucyrus. He was a resident of the county for over fifty years, and then went to Genessee, Illinois, to make his home with his son, and died there.

George Lauck came in 1826 and later purchased the lot on the northwest corner of Sandusky and Mary, where he ran a tavern until he was elected county treasurer in 1837 and again in 1839, later serving two more terms as treasurer from 1843 to 1847. When he disposed of his tavern he bought the original Bucklin land of Harris Garton, and the old brick at the crossing of the T. & O. C. and Mansfield street was always known as the Lauck homestead; he owned the land to Middletown street on the south and Whetstone street on the east.

James and John McCracken, cousins of Hugh, came about 1828 and had a carpenter and wheelwright shop on the square the eastern part of the Quinby Block. This they rented, but they were compelled to move, as John Smith took the site and built a frame building in which he ran a store; this frame was afterward moved to the northeast corner of Mansfield and Lane and used as a residence. The McCrackens bought of Edward Billups the lot where the Mader Block now stands, and here they built another shop. James McCracken had a residence on the same lot. With the McCrackens was their sister, Mrs. Phillips, a widow with two daughters, Samantha and Susan, the latter still living, the widow of E. R. Kearsley; the stage in those days from the east only came as far as Mansfield, so James McCracken had to take two days to go to Mansfield with a horse and wagon and bring

Andrew Failor came in 1825, and bought the present J. K. Myers lot on the southeast corner of Sandusky and Mary, for which he paid $40. Here he started his first store, where he remained a few years when he bought the lot on the corner of East Mansfield street and the Square, and built the frame which is still standing, and here moved his store which he ran for many years with his brother and for a time with George Lauck. Mr. Failor took an active interest in the Ohio & Indiana road, devoted all his time to the securing of the road, his business being a secondary consideration. Bucyrus secured the road, but Mr. Failor, who up to 1850 had been a prosperous merchant, had very little capital left. He started branch stores in many of the smaller towns in the days of his prosperiy; he finally sold out and went to Iowa.

Thomas Johnston came in 1826. He had stopped with his brother-in-law, George Walton, in Dallas township, and was a skillful cabinet maker, and after a short visit with the Waltons, came on to Bucyrus with his family. His wife, Martha Johnston, thus gives her description of Bucyrus at that time, it was in the spring of the year 1826: As they neared the Sandusky river they saw a few log cabins surrounded with water up to the very step's. Wild ducks were running at large within the corporation limits, having no fear of the few settlers. They approached a cabin, looking from its situation very much like a river boat as it was surrounded with water. A large log reached across the ditch in front of the building and over this they went into the store which proved to be Bishop Merriman's. They were from the east and made a humorous remark about the limited stock of goods he carried, and Merriman replied: " If you had to wheel all this stock of goods in a wheelbarrow a distance of forty miles, as I did, and sleep on them at night to keep them from being stolen, you wouldn't think it was so limited." Johnston was oiTered the use of an abandoned cabin by Amos Clark on what is now South Sandusky. Into this he moved with his family, and from the cabin door could see the deer and prairie chickens wandering where they pleased, and frequently wolves sneaking through the woods and tall grass. He found plenty of wood for his cabinet work, but there was no way he could dry it suitable for fine work and he decided to go to Columbus, but his friends and relatives induced him to remain by making him a present of 80 acres in southern Whetstone. .

Babcock & Ranney kept store on the second lot north of Galen street, now occupied by the Vollmer restaurant; Ranney later built a small brick on the northwest comer of Rensselaer and Sandusky, which was torn down when the present brick was erected now occupied by the First National Bank. Musgrave & Merriman occupied the present site of the Johnston Pharmacy Company in 1835.

William Reeves in 1823 built " log house on the east side of Sanduskv avenue between Mary and Perry. This is probably where Merriman had his store in 1826, and that year he sold the lot to Dr. Hobbs for $125, throwing in the house.

The Rowse Corner wa's originally bought by Henry Miller of Samuel Norton, and in 1828 he sold it to Jacob Culler of Mt. Vernon, who erected a small frame on the corner, and a store was started. This came into the hands of J. W. Bener and later Nigh & Magers became the proprietors. Josiah Scott bought the store and placed his brother-in-law John Moderwell, in charge. Both these gentlemen had married sisters of James McCracken. While running the store Mr. Moderwell lived a few doors south. Scott sold the store to Daniel and Owen Williams.

The first store started in the village was by E. B. Merriman. Other early storekeepers were French & Bowers, John Nimmons, Henry St. John, Coleman & Kerns, Caldwell & Mc- Farlan, D. S. Norton & Co., Martin Barr, Jones & Butler, B. Meeker, O. & D. Williams, James Quinby, Babcock & Ranney, Sljnith & Moderwell, J. A. Gormley, Musgrave & Merriman, John Beaver, Nye & Majors, Quinby &

Beside the brick yard on the school house grounds, an early brick yard was the southwest corner of Sandusky and Warren, about where the Diller property now is, and just south of this was another brick yard ; farther south on Sandusky avenue and across the street, just north of Holm's tannery, was another.

After the flour mill was removed to the north end of Walnut street it was run for a time by Elias Slagle, and when he left the milling business he started a pottery near the mill, at the north end of Walnut street on the east side. This ran for years under various proprietors, making only crocks and jugs and the coarser articles of pottery, and was discontinued in the early 60s. Elias Slagle also ran an oil mill, the seed being ground with a large circular tramp-wheel.

In 1826 Ebenezer Dowd had a tailor shop just south of the southwest corner of Sandusky and Galen, the present site of Dobbins & Geiger's meat market.

Jesse Quaintance built a mill on the .Sandusky, near where the Buffalo run that passed through Bucyrus empties into the Sandusky, south of the extension of Rensselaer street.

The first tavern in Bucyrus was a two-story log building on the Shonert corner, northwest corner of Sandusky and Perry, and when Abel Gary first located on this land he occupied the cabin built by Samuel Norton until he erected a larger structure for himself and family on the same lot. There was no special road in those days, but the old Indian trail going north to the lake was followed by settlers ; it crossed the river at Gary's residence. His being the nearest house to the ford, travelers stopped there. No one was turned away in those days, and Gary's place became known as the tavern, even if many of his guests did sleep on the floor or in their wagons. He increased the size of his log house and eventually it was a tavern. In 1824 Robert Moore built a tavern of logs across the street on the brow of the hill, just north of the G. K. Zeigler residence. This was a regular tavern, and in the oiifice he had a bar the first in Bucyrus. The bar consisted of a shelf on which he kept the liquor and it was sold to customers at three cents a glass. Prior to this liquor was sold at the stores by the quart or gallon, the price being about 50 cents a gallon. All stores kept a jug at one end of the counter and beside it a tin cup, and customers on entering if they wanted a drink helped themselves. In April, 1825, Hugh McCracken married Martha Moore, a daughter of the landlord. Moore did a good business, until he sold out to Ichabod Rogers. Samuel Roth took charge of the Gary tavern, which had been discontinued when Moore had his tavern completed. He ran it only a short time, but was running it when the first Fourth of July dinner was given in Bucyrus. Ichabod Rogers had bought out Moore and was running the other tavern across the street, and Squire Roth engaged Mrs. Rogers to prepare the Fourth of July meal for a dozen couples, but when the day came there were fifty to sit down to the table. The first Fourth of July oration was delivered by James Martin. He was an Englishman, but his address was patriotic enough to suit the early pioneers, for a year or two later they elected him as the first auditor of the county.

After Roth, Dr. Joseph Pearce took charge. The doctor in January, 1825, had married Mary Gary, and at the same time Charles Merriman married Susan Gary, both licenses being issued on Jan. 10. Licenses had to be procured in Marion, and the early records of that county show the young men about to be married must have made the trip together either on horseback or on foot, as in several instances two licenses were isued for Crawford county couples the same day. Dr. Pearce practiced medicine as well as running the hotel. A part of the practice of all early physicians was the pulling of teeth, but for this no charge was made for many years. When Ichabod Rogers bought out Robert Moore, he enlarged the tavern; later built a large frame on the northeast corner of Main and Perry, and it continued as a tavern for fourteen years, until finally the business drifting south to the Square, and later still farther south the tavern was discontinued and used as a residence.

The Indians received an allowance annually from the Government, which they spent occasionally for absolute necessities, but mostly for liquor. After pay day the money was soon gone, but in the cranberry season the cranberries were exchanged for necessaries and hquor ; in the winter racoon and deer skins were the articles of exchange. At one time Mr. Rogers reports fifty bushels of cranberries in the house and hundreds of 'coon and deer skins. The Indian trade was profitable, as at many places they could get no liquor, and naturally, they paid any price asked for it where it could be obtained. Two or three other places later sold to the Indians, as shown by the court records, where they were fined by the Court $5 and costs "for selling liquor to the Indians," and after paying the fine their tavern licenses were renewed for another year. But Rogers' old tavern was the headquarters for this class of business, and when some of the prominent citizens of the village had occasionally imbibed so freely that the taverns up town declined to furnish them any more, they wandered down to Rogers' tavern, where their wants were supplied ad lib. The trip to Rogers' tavern was not an easy matter prior to 1835 ; it was over very low ground, sometimes under water, and the sidewalk was only a long stretch of logs, massive fellows 18 inches square, and somtimes so wet and slippery that even a sober man had to walk with care. But our pioneer ancestors were careful, for at times when navigation was difficult, partly on account of the sidewalk and partly on account of their condition, they used to send for Jedediah Scot, the well digger of the village. He responded promptly with his large wheelbarrow and the over- jubilant distinguished citizens, loaded up in a double sense and singing their bacchanalian songs, were wheeled down to Rogers', where they received a cordial welcome and all the liquor they wanted. There were other citizens who played jokes in those days even as is done today, and they once put up a job on one of these distinguished citizens. The aforesaid citizen, who had put in an afternoon at the tavern by the riverside, sent for his private wheelbarrow, but the sports had seen the charioteer and arranged with him for a good joke, and on the way up, just in front of where the Vollmer's cafe now is, the accident happened. Jedediah stumbled - quite accidentally, of course - the wheelbarrow tipped and the citizen was instantly floundering in two feet of water. He was not in a condition to extricate himself ; Jedediah was in almost a similar condition, and the jokers were compelled to cross the muddy street and wade into the swamp, and fish out the unfortunate, and thus was rescued one who a few years later became a pillar of the Methodist church.

The first wedding in Bucyrus, of which any report is handed down, doubtless owes its preservation to the incidents connected with it. In the early days notice of a marriage had to be posted for fifteen days in some conspicuous place prior to the marriage. In this wedding the bride was Mary Inman, and it was she herself who tacked the notice to a tree on what is now North Sandusky avenue, and the report further says that some one through jealousy or from meanness tore the notice down, but the day of the wedding came, and with it the justice to perform the ceremony. The bride was there, and Samuel Carl, the groom, and while the Justice was also there, he had tarried too long with boon companions before the hour for the wedding, and could not read the ceremony. This difficulty was obviated by an accommodating school teacher (either Moses Arden or James Martin) who read the ceremony to the Squire, and he with difficulty repeated the words to the couple, who responded properly to the questions, and the ceremony was over.

The people of today should remember that customs change, and it was not so severely criticized in the early days as it is at present if citizens sometimes carried their conviviality to excess. This was not alone in the villages but in the country. Attempts were sometimes made in early days to raise a cabin or barn without the inevitable whiskey, but if it became known that there would be no liquor, the raising was generally a failure for the lack of attenders. Squirrels were a nuisance to the farmers on account of their depredations on the planted grain, and squirrel hunts were organized, all in that region turning out. In one of these reported on the line between Crawford and Marion, it lasted two days and on the afternoon of the second day the scalps were to be counted and the prizes awarded, by a committee. The account states: "This committee, or some other committee, had provided a full supply of whiskey, maple sugar and eggs ; whereupon another committee was appointed to mix, mingle and commingle those three ingredients into a fluid which they called egg-nog. It was a time long to be remembered ; and it has often been said that there was but one man who left that place sober, and that was Daniel Parcell, who had never been known to take a dram." This second Daniel was a Marion county man.

George Lauck came in 1826, and soon after he started a tavern on the northwest corner of Sandusky and Mary, which he ran until elected county treasurer in 1837.

Samuel Picking started a tavern north of the Square, which was called the Spread Eagle, in front being a tall pole on top of which was the signboard with an eagle painted with wings outspread, and it was popularly dubbed " The Buzzard." This was a resort of the prominent local citizens, and with Lauck's were the taverns of the village. Neither would sell liquor to the Indians, running strictly law abiding places, the Indian custom going to the Rogers tavern.

In 1828 Abraham Hahn came to Bucyrus, and he bought the lot on which the Deal House now stands for $100; on this he erected a brick hotel of two stories with a gable front. The building was about 40 feet on the Square and nearly the same frontage on Sandusky avenue. It was completed in 1831, and the expense of its building must have been beyond his means as he adorned it with a mortgage of $1,000, which he borrowed of Samuel Ludwig. The hotel was called the Pennsylvania Coat of Arms, and on the corner was the post on top of which was the sign on which was painted the coat of arms of the State of Pennsylvania. A few years later Samuel Picking took charge of the hotel and changed the name to the National, paying $750 as rent from 1847 to 1850, $250 per year. When McCoy took charge in 1854 it became the McCoy House; two years later the Johnson House. Under Mr. Johnson it was enlarged to three stories and the addition built on the east. Since first transformed from vacant ground into a building, this corner has always been a hotel.

The next proprietor was John J. Boeman, who had a son-in-law who had always been a great admirer of the ladies and parted both his hair and his name in the middle. Mr.

Boeman was a very slow and methodical man, very neat, and the last man in the world to get excited over anything. He made his sonin-law manager of the hotel, and he was as successful a failure at that, as he had been at everything else, so Mr. Boeman quietly sold the hotel to John Sims without consulting his sonin-law. When the young man learned of the sale, he rushed across the street to his fatherin-law's bakery and inquired if it was correct that he had sold the hotel. " Yes," said Mr. Boeman, " Mr. Sims offered me a good price, and I thought it best to let it go." The young man reached back in his hip-pocket, and drawing a revolver, heroically remarked, " Well, I guess there's nothing left for me to do now except blow out my brains." Mr. Boeman looked calmly at his son-in-law, and slowly drawled out : "All right. Pierce, but don't do it here ; go out in the barn ; I don't want my clean store all littered up," and he turned coolly around and went on dusting ofif the shelves. Mr. Sims ran the hotel for several years, calling it the Sims House ; for a while it was Sapp's Exchange, and finally it was bought by Horace M. Deal and L. W. Hull, and became the Deal House, a name it has since retained under several proprietors.

About 1829 Abraham Holm built the brick house still standing on the northeast corner of Sandusky and Charles. The brick were made in the Holm brick yard which was across the street, the next lot to the Wingert property. It was run as a hotel called the Oregon House ; later passed into the hands of George Mader, and although the words "Oregon House" were seen painted on the building for half a century it became known as Mader's tavern, and under him was gradually discontinued as a hotel.

In 1822 Samuel Norton sold to Russell Peck the lot on the northwest corner of Sandusky and Warren for $25, and here the owner had a little blacksmith shop, and also his residence. In 1828 the property was bought by Zalmon Rowse for $300. He lived there a short time and then concluded to build. The log house was removed to his land, the old Wm. Monnett farm on the south side of the Galion road ; later this house was hauled to town, placed on the northeast corner of Rensselaer and East street, where the logs were covered with

On the west side of Sandusky, across Warren street, was a brick yard in which Mr. Rowse had an interest and here the brick were made for the new building. While it was building Miss Emily Rowse taught school in the room which afterward became the hotel office. In 1836, Mr. Rowse sold the building and the lot north to Messrs. Stone & Osborn for $2,- 500, but in 1838 it came into the possession of James Anderson, who named it the American House. He was a strong abolitionist, and in 1839 when the Rev. Mr. Streeter, a Protestant Methodist minister, was delivering an antislavery address, a shower of stones came through the window, and the rougher element rushed in, broke up the meeting, and in the confusion the minister made his escape. In 1842 Jacob Poundstone went into partnership with Anderson, and under them the hotel reached its highest prosperity. It was the stopping place for the stages from Columbus to Sandusky and also the line that ran from Wooster to Bucyrus. Anderson built a small shop just north of the hotel and in this he ran a tin shop, and here one night about a dozen of the Abolitionists gathered to listen to a runaway slave give an account of his experiences in his flight for freedom. The meeting was unmolested. Anderson sold the hotel to Thacker and went into the stock business, but later met with reverses, and rebought the hotel which he ran until he sold it to Jacob Poundstone and moved to Illinois.

In 1847 Poundstone leased the hotel to Abram Seitz of Seneca county, and started a boarding house in the building which stood where the Journal-Telegraph block now stands, which was so well patronized he used as an annex the frame building still standing on the north. He built a stable at the rear of the lot and ran a livery. The Mexican War was then in progress and the house was called the Vera Cruz, after the battle of that name. Among his boarders was a young law student in Josiah Scott's office. He wrote a poem about the house, one stanza reading:

The young law student was N. C. McFarlan; and later he went to Kansas, and in spite of his "poem" became Commissioner of the Land Office of the United States.

Seitz sold the American to Henry Warner of Marion, and as that gentleman had three daughters it became a strong rival of the Vera Cruz for parties and dances, and in 1853 Isaac Russell leased it, and he was followed by Major Diller, who ran it awhile and in 1855 Poundstone sold it to John Sims for $3,000 and in 1856 he sold the hotel part of the lot to J. C. and H. Anthony for $1,000. When the Anthonys took control they built an addition at the rear in which they started a brewery, which they ran until it was destroyed by fire June 17, 1857. Mr. Sims rebought the hotel in i860, ran it for a year as the Sims House, and then sold to L. D. Johnson and it became the Johnson House ; it went through varions hands, was reduced to a tenement house, and in 1875 under sheriff's sale it went to Benjamin Sears for $3,002. It was refitted and William R. Shawtook possession and ran a hotel restoring the old name of American. But its days as a hotel were over; N. Steen and Thomas Jones tried it, and under the latter it was discontinued. Old age and ijrevious neglect had done its work and it again became a tenement house not worth repair, and on the night of April 13, 1883, the casings of the stone arch over the front door fell in. There was danger of the old building falling, and Mr. Sears ordered it torn down, and at that time its principal tenant was Sing Lee with a Chinese laundry. So passed away the last of the old stage taverns in Bucyrus, which in its palmy days had its old fashioned sign post on top of which its creaking sign swayed slowly in the breeze ; its covered porch in front, where in chairs, tilted back, idly discussing the politics of the Nation, the village loungers would sit for hours, chewing tobacco and drowsily passing away the long summer days, with nothing in sight but the deserted and dusty road, with its grass-grown borders and sidewalks made of hewn logs; the lifelessness of the street only disturbed by the cackling of the busy bustling hens or the hogs wandering lazily to their favorite spot where they could grunt their complaints of the heat in some comfortable mud hole, of which there was no lack ; and the cows quietly chewing the cud under the shade of some neighboring tree. And when the cool of evening came, and the tavern loungers were brightened up by the dropping in of the Squire and the school master and the prominent men of the village, they could see far down the road a cloud of dust, and heads looked out from doors and windows along the street; the landlord appears, as the stage dashes up the street at topmost speed, and the skillful driver throws the horses back on their haunches, and stops the coach immediately in front of the hotel entrance to the admiration of all. If the old American House could have left its written history behind, what a tale it could tell of the political conclaves within its walls, of anxious citizens waiting for the latest news of an important election, when day succeeded day and week followed week, before down the silent street comes a dashing rider, and as his horse goes by at full gallop, shouting the news that "Harrison is elected," and continues on in his wild race announcing the result of a presidential election.

Three-score years have worked wonders in the town. The lot that Russell Peck once bought for $25 is worth today more than ten times over what Samuel Norton paid for the entire city. Grass-grown graves in many states now cover nearly all of those who knew the house in its youth and in its pride, and when it was torn down its tenant was a native of that race to whom a hundred years are as nothing; a race of which probably neither the builder of the block nor any inhabitant of the village had ever seen one of its members, and who.se country with its four hundred millions of people was to them a fabled land;

John Moderwell built for himself a shop and residence on the west side of the Square in 1833, the Hotel Royal corner, which he sold to Benjamin Meeker. In 1835 it was bought by Peter Miller and his son William W. Miller and they ran a general store and a hotel called the Western House which was burned down in 1848. Later it was rebuilt by Jonathan Kissinger, and Frederick Feiring ran a hotel there called the Western House; a large two story porch occupied the front ; the hotel passed into several hands and under the Alcorns became the Alcorn House; finally it became the property of John Stoll, who built the present brick addition and the name was changed to the Stoll House and later to the Hotel Royal. In 1840 William W. Miller dug the sulphur pump, in front of the building.

The pike road was completed about 1834, but stage coaches had been running for several years previous between Columbus and Sandusky. Samuel Norton had built a large frame residence on West Perry street and Kilbourne suggested that he go into the hotel business. So Mr. Norton built a two story brick in 1834, the building still standing, and now a part of the Main street mills. This was opened with a house-warming. Col. Kilbourne being present to assist his old friend at the opening. It was called the Union Hotel. Here Franklin Adams stopped when he first came to the town in 1837; here also Gen. William Henry Harrison stopped when he spent the night when he was a candidate for President in 1 840 ; here also was Col Kilbourne's headquarters when he was in the city. When it was first started it was the headquarters for the Columbus and Sandusky Stage line, but they were later taken to the American. The latter hotel was the Whig headquarters while the National Hotel on the Square was the Democratic headquarters. After a few years Mr. Norton tired of the hotel business and discontinued it. About 1838 one of his guests one night was Nicholas Longworth, the then wealthy Cincinnati merchant who was going through northern Ohio on a collecting tour. He and Mr. Norton were standing on the front steps of the hotel, where on the left could be seen the pretty river (for it was pretty in those days), and on the right the little street, and Mr. Longworth complimentarily said, "What a pretty site for a town." "Yes," said Mr. Norton, and he looked up the street with a sigh, and said slowly, "Yes, but it spoiled a good farm."

In the early days many of the pioneers brewed a mild beer which they kept for their own use. Besides this, cider was barreled annually for winter use. The first establishment for the manufacture of liquor in Bucyrus was a small distillery, started by McMichael and Rogers on the land of the former, where the Electric Light Works are now located. This

About 1850 a brewery was started on the Annapolis rdad by John Marcks, just west of where Lane street enters that road. Henry Anthony also had a small brewery at the rear of his hotel, the American, on the northwest corner of Sandusky and Warren. About 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 28, 1857, the brewery on the Annapolis road, owned by John Marcks, caught fire, and all efforts to save it were useless. The building and contents were consumed. The fire started from a defect in the furnace. A part of the loss was $2,000 in grain. The loss to the owner was too heavy, and the demand for beer too light in those days to make it profitable to rebuild. It was a bad year for breweries for on the night of Wednesday evening, June 24 of the same year, the Anthony brewery at the rear of the American House caught fire, and the building was destroyed with a loss of $1,500. This brewery was owned by the Anthony Brothers. After the fire one of the brothers saw no profit in the business, and declined to invest further in breweries. But Henry Anthony determined to continue, and bought of the Norton heirs the lot where the present brewery now stands. Here he erected a small building. He understood the brewing business, but he lacked capital. He had with him as clerk at the American, a young man, George Donnenwirth, who had come from New Washington and was his chief assistant at the hotel and brewery. Anthony suggested they go into partnership, and the offer was accepted, Anthony to put in his experience and Donnenwirth the money, which consisted of $180 which he had saved. The two young men went to work, sleeping at the brewery and putting in about 20 hours a day to make experience and $180 run a brewery. Mr. Anthony made the beer and Mr. Donnenwirth sold it, delivered it, and made the collections, was the purchasing agent, and paid the bills, sometimes in cash but when possible with notes and promises.

With their limited capital, bills could not be met, on the small output, and it was necessary to increase the plant or close down. In this tmergency Anthonv sold his half interest to George Donnenwirth, the father of his partner, for $500, and the firm became George

Donnenwirth & Son. One fault with Anthony was his extravagance, and making no provision for the future, buying freely on time. The new firm were careful and provident, and kept within their means, extending the plant as their increased business justified it, and they soon had it on a paying basis. In 1882 the senior partner sold out to his son Frank P. Donnenwirth and the plant became G. Donnenwirtth & Brother. The new partner had had three years' experience in a St. Louis brewery, and took entire charge of the brewing. The firm continued to prosper and in 1894 they sold out to Frank Dick. The new proprietor further increased the plant, added an ice plant, and in 1906 sold to the Dostal Brothers for $120,000.

The two-story brick, very low, still stands as originally built by the George Donnenwirth & Son, covered with vines from top to bottom, while around it and added to it are many large buildings and offices, made necessary by the increasing business each year.

About 1830 Cornelius Gilmore built the brick on the northeast comer of Sandusky and Warren, which he used as a residence, and for years he had the handsomest home in the village. Later this building was used by Thomas Gillespie who was the registrar of the land office. Mr. Gillespie lived at the northwest corner of Sandusky and Charles in a two story frame built by him ; he was the father of Mrs. Willis Merriman, and when the house was built the Jones and the Yost brothers assisted at the raising. Gillespie bought the land of Abraham Myers, the father of Gen. Samuel Myers, who lived in a small frame which he had erected on the lot. The little brick, now occupied by the Miller bakery, was built by Mrs. Martha Hetich in 1838. She was the mother of Charles and Paul I. Hetich, and Mrs. George Sweney.