Hancock County, Ohio - Chapter 5: Relating to a Few First Things in the County, 1881

AN examination of the Poll Book of that first election, held in April, 1828, discloses the fact that S(|uire Carlin is the only man now .living in Findley, of all those who then voted. The names of Judges Hutf, Hammond, McKinnis and Wilson, George Shaw, Josiah Elder, Wilson Vance, Jacob Poe, Joshua Hedges, Asa M. Lake, Nathan Frakes and many others appear, all of whom, after having provided a goodly inheritance for their children, have passed away. S(iuire Carlin, Joseph Johnson, Peter George and perhaps a few others of that old 74 still live in our county, a link connecting the past with the present of our history. They have lived to see the wilderness disappear before the march of civilization, and beautiful farms, commodius buildings and thriving villages spring into life all over the county. To see railroads and telegraph lines, and all the modern improvements introduced amongst us. And others still, such men as James McKinnis, John Fishel, Edmund S. Jones and Joseph DeWitt after a residence of many years in the county, again took up the line of mai'ch westward, and became the pioneers of other states.

The first church edifice erected in the county was the "Dukes' Meeting House," in Blanchard township. It was built and owned Vjy the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The building was of hewed logs, and its dimensions were thirty-two feet long and twenty-eight feet wide. The roof was of clap-boards, a kind of roofing very much in use at that time, and were kept in their places by poles laid on each course of boards. The openings between the logs were chinked with wood, and daubed with mortar, the then prevailing style. The pulpit .and sea.ts were of rude construction. The seats were simply benches without backs, and the pulpit of unpainted boards. The building still stands, and althoucrh not now used as a house of worship, still to many who are now living it is surrounded with cherished memories.. Many, very manj^, who in that early day met in that house for worship, have passed away. The pulpit in that old church has been occupied by such ministers as Bigelow, Finley, Thomj^son, Wilson, Gurley, Allen, Heustiss, Conway, Hill, liunnells, Breckenridge, Delany, Biggs and a host of other pioneer Methodists, whose names are familiar, not only in our own county, but all over Western Ohio, But they have nearly all gone to their reward, and their works do follow them.

Humanity, civilization, good society, and all that goes to make us a great people, owe to these self-sacriftcing, earnest, unselfish, devoted servants of their Master, a debt which can never be repaid, except by a practice of the precepts they taught, and in a defense of their memories.

As early as the year 1822, the Kev. James Gilruth, a Methodist minister, and who died but a few years ago, preached in Findley. In an interview with him but a short time before his death, and whilst he was here on a visit to his daughter, Mrs. Frederick Didway, he stated that in 1822 lie left his home in the east and came west for the purpose of enteriniz; lands. He first visited the land office at Bui yi'u?, Ohio, and there obtained a plat Government lands not taken up in the District. He made his way into Hardin County, passing through old Ft. McArthur. But not beinc? able to suit himself in that i-egion, he turned north towards Findley. After leaving Ft. McArthur, he did not see a dwelling house until his ai-iival in Findley, which was in the month of April.

As soon as it l)ecame known that a preacher had arrived, he was waited upon by some of the citizens, and requested to preach for them. This he readily consented to do, and an appointment was made and circulated to the different settlements. Father Gilruth said he had a very attentive congregaticui, and as large an one as he could expect, and indeed it was said at the time, by those in attendance, that almost every man and woman in the county was present. This sermon was undoubtedly the first ever preached in the county.

The late Rev. Adam Poe, also of the Methodist Church, was led to suppose that he preached the first sermon in the county, and related the following incident connected with it. He and another young minister on their way from the Maumee River to the South, stoj^ped at Findley over night, .and as a matter of course were solicited to preach. Poe consented to do so. They had put up at the tavern kept by Wilson Vance, had their horses cared for and ate their suppers, after which they went to the place of meeting, which was in a log school house near where the depot of the C. S. <fe C. Railroad is now located. The two Missionaries had but a single dollar between them, and as it would require all that to pay for their suppers and the care of their horses, and no one inviting them Lome with them, they slept in the school house that night, and the next morning, after paying their bill at the tavern, they rode to the next settlement, a distance of several miles, before getting breakfast. It is not at all strange, after such an experience, that Poe and his companion should conclude that they were the first to bring good tidings to this benighted people.

The first school house in the county was built in Findley, and the first school was taught by John C. Wickham, who was long a resident of the county. As there has been very decided improvement in the architecture and conveniences of this class of buildings, it will not be uninteresting, perhaps, to the young people, at least, to describe one of these ancient seats of learning, and as a specimen " brick," I will briefly describe one with which I was most familiar, but which fairly represents a majority of the primitive school houses of the county,

It stood some rods from the public highway - did the one I refer to - built so perhaps, that the attention of the scholars might not be attracted to passers-by, but more, I suspect, for the reason that its location was at a place less liable to be inundated by the floods. It was built of round loes, and was chinked and daubed in the most approved style. Its dimensions were certainly not more than fifteen feet square. It was covered with clapboards, nailed on with weight-poles. The height between the floors was about six feet. Nearly the entii-e north side was occupied by a huge fire-place - stoves were not theu invented - with an outside chimney built of sticks and mortar. On the south side was a door - and the only one in the building - made of unplaned boards, which creaked on its massive wooden hinges, and by the way they were the only massive things about the building. The older boys said that the door and fire-place were placed opposite to each other for convenience in ])ringing in the logs of wood for the fire, which they protested were drawn in through the fire-place by a yoke of oxen, and the oxen were then unyoked and driven out at the door. But I think this could not have been true, for no little boy or girl ever saw such a performance. The lower floor was of split logs, or puncheons, a kind of lumber much in use at that time, as it was manufactured without the assistance of saw-mills, xmd the upper floor was of clap boards, laid loosely on the round joists. Windows almost the entire length of the two ends of the building, admitted the light. These windows were just ten inches in height, and the writingdesks were placed immediately beneath them. In lieu of window-glass, these windows were filled with paper :well oiled to protect it from the weather. The writingdesks were long boards supported by wooden pins inserted in the walls at proper angles, for that purpose. The seats were slabs procured at the saw mill, supported by wooden legs, and always elevated high enough from the floor to prevent the feet of the smaller scholars from t<mching, thus making it impossible for them to be noisy with their feet, an arrangement satisfactory to the teacher no doubt, but dreadfully luicomfortable for the little boys and girls. We were perched upon these seats of torture eight hours each day, M'ith nothing at our backs, and the same under our feet.

The external surroundings of this primitive academy wt-re not so disagreeable. True, in the winter season, when not frozen, we had an over abundance of water, but when frozen we had an almost boundless skating rink. In the summer season it was a very pleasant place. Just in the rear of the house and used as a playground, was a most beautiful grove, cool, shady and inviting. Only a few rods from the house ran the river, with its cool waters, and the old mill, with its huge wooden wheel, splashing and battling in the flood, -seemed to laugh at us little prisoners shut up in the hot school room, and bid us run away from teacher, and school and books, and join it in its sport.

The boys and girls of that day knew nothing of the modern improvements in school houses, school books, and school conveniences. The school year consisted of three months of school in the winter for the larger pupils, and a thi-ee months term in the summer for the smaller ones. No blackboards, no geographical or astronomical apparatus, no changing text books every term. Orthography was taught from the old American and United States spelling books. The Introduction to the English Reader, the English Reader, and the Sequel to the English Reader, the New Testament and the Life of Washington were the principal readers. Pike and Daball furnished the Mathematics and Olney and Kirkham the Grammar and Geography.

With all these inconveniences and want of what would now be deemed indispensable necessities, quite a passable education was obtained at these schools. No scholar was then allowed to idle away his time, if it were possible to prevent it. The substance, the real business of imparting and obtaining an education, actuated both teacher and pupil. But little attention was paid to forms ; provided a pui)il got a fair understanding of that which he was studying, the way, the formula, was not of so much anxiety to the teacher. Good wholesome instructions in deportment as well as the sciences were made a part of the duty of the teacher. Pupils were under their care not only in the school room, but on the way to and from school as well, and woe ! to the urchin who was guilty of passing a man or woman on the road, without a bow or courtesy. No brawling on the road, no impertinence to strangers, no profane language, no tale-bearing. The conduct of the pupils was as much the concern of the teacher as was their studies. I fear^ with all our present boasted superiority in school appliances, that we have gone backwards in this matter of ''good manners," and that the youth of to-day would suffer by comparison with those of that early day.