Marion County, Ohio - Chapter 6: Grand Prairie Township, 1883

Chapter 6: Grand Prairie Township

the indolence and silence of asummer noon-day, in which she had been tasking for ages. A few Indian wigwams and a few rude cabins of restless white-men dotted the margins of her forests. The purchase of these lands of the Indians by the United States in the year 1819, and the subsequent discovery of the extreme fertility of the soil soon changed the whole scene, A constant tide of immigration flowed hither, and soon the lands were oceupied by a hardy and industrious class of pioneers.

Organization And Physical Features

This township was organized at the first session of the County Commissioners, in June, 1824. It, perhaps, was among the first then organized, although there is no entry of the formal organization of the township to be found in the records at that or any other date. Yet it has ever since been known by that name on all the records and duplicates of the county. It originally consisted of the full surveyed Township No. 4, Range No. 15, and it thus remained until in 1845, when the county of Wyandot was erected and the boundaries of Marion and Crawford Counties were changed. At that time, two tiers of sections were taken from this township and given to Wyandot County. Since then, however, the territory of his township has not been disturbed, and to-day it consists of twenty-four full sections: of Congress lands. It lies almost wholly within the limits of the Sandusky Plains, and probably derives its name from the originally beautiful prairies within its borders.

The surface is generally level, but in some parts it is slightly rolling, with rich bottom lands in many parts of the township.. The soil is deep and exceedingly productive in the prairie lands, and of more than averuge depth and fertility in that portion consisting of woodland. The lands are afforded much natural drainage by the Little Seioto, which flows through it from north to south, and also Rocky Fork and one or two smaller streams.

Settlement

The tirst permanent white settler was a Mr. Ridenour, who came here from Ross County and located on the north side of the Little Scioto River, where he built a cabin and made some meager improvements, and afterward sold the premises to James Swinnerton, who, wiih his family, came from Delaware County to this township in the early part of 1819. Within a few years after Mr. Swinnerton came to this township, Joseph Drake, Sr., and Joseph Drake, Jr., also settled here, and in 1824, Capt. John Vanmeter came. He was a native of Berkeley County, Va., whence he came to this township. Mr. Vanmeter served as Captain in the war of 1812. His residence here was near Bentsfield His son, William Vanmeter, who is now living, still resides in this township.

Benjamin Salmon, a native of the State of Delaware, came during the same year, and Asa Pike located here about the year 1826. In the following year, Henry May and family came here from Franklin County, Ohio, and located where John A. May now resides. Mr. May at once opened a publie house. This inn, whose place and publie character were designated by the picture of a black horse, became quite a popular stopping place, and 80 continued until about 1854. Henry May died in 1838.

John Cook and Mr. Cadwell were also among the settlers of about this date; also, Jacob Bentsfield and family, locating here in 1828, on the bank of Rocky Fork, a little south of the center of the township. He had secured the property of Mr. Hume, who had entered eighty acres of land here, built a cabin and made some other improvements. Others in this locality were John Bunn, John Cook and Capt. John Vanmeter previously notieed, and David Salmon, who lived on the east bank of * Salmon Run," in a large log house, which is still standing. The only living representative of the Burtsfield family, who came here at an early day, is John Burtsfield, and he gives it as his recoliection that Abner Bent, who lived just north of the Scioto bridge, was here at the time of their eomieg. Powell,

Mrs. Catherine Bretz is also one of the early settlers of this township, and is still living. She was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, April 25, 1804, and was a daughter of John and Barbara Bibler. who were also among the early pioneers of this township. Mrs. Bretz is the widow of Samuel Bretz, to whom she was married in 1823. Five years later, they came to this township, arriving here in the spring of 1828, fully intending to go on to Seneca County and there locate, but they were persuaded by friends to remain in Marion County. Mrs. Bretz relates that they lived with David Hite and family from the time they came in the spring until late in the fall. In the meantime, Mr. Bretz had purchased the farm upon which Mrs. Bretz still resides, and in the autumn erected a cabin, which approaching winter compelled them to enter before it was completed. The cabin, when they first moved into it, contained no windows; no floor was yet laid, except on that portion upon which a couple of bedsteads stood; the door was a mere * ole through the wall, and there was no fire-place. Mrs. Bretz did her cooking out of doors, by a large stump. They had to carry or haul the water they used a distance of a mile or more. They lived in this manner for about two months, until other improvements were made.

On the day after Mr. Bretz and his family had moved into their new home, one of their neighbors became ill, and Mr. Bretz was sent for to go as a messenger for Dr. Holloway, at Marion. When Mr. Bretz returned to the house of the sick neighbor, he found the man in too bad a condition to leave, although the patient had been administered to by the physician. Hence, he reluctantly consented to remain over night with the sick man, thus unavoidably leaving his wife and three small children alone for the night in the rickety and unfinished cabin, wholly at the mercy of thestorms and the attacks of wild beasts. The neighbors were few, and Mr. Bretz did not return. The twilight of the evening deepened into utter darkness, and Mrs. Bretz had no opportunity of securing company, or even of calling aid in ease of danger. It was autumn, and the fallen leaves, dead grass, brush and dry sticks were undergoing their annual burning. The night was a dismal one. The fierce blazing of the fire in the early part of the evening had aroused all the wild animals in the vicinity. Later, when the glare of the light was dying out, the howling of the wolves and the screaming of the panthers made the night hideous. To render Mrs. Bretz's situation more desolate and dangerous, the wateh-dog had been frightened away. She, however, barricaded the door, and availed herself of all the means of defense at hand to prevent the intrusion of any unwelcome visitors, in the shape of either man or beast. These precautions were not ill-timed, for the entrance to the cabin had not more than been securely closed when a number of hungry wolves eongregated, and with howling, snarling and snapping of teeth indicated plainly where they were seeking their prey. Growing more bold, they sought every aperture to effect an entrance, and their glaring eyes might have been seen through the crevices between the logs, 'as they howled with rage at their inability to enter. Mrs. Bretz and her little family sustained no bodily harm during that long, dreary night; but she rightly attributes it to her abundant caution, in thus early barricading and securing the door. Other settlers came to this township previous to 1882, all of whom can- not be mentioned; but among them were Lewis Jury, Eleazer Parker, John Page, Chancy Clark, William Powell, who came in 1828 and located on Rocky Fork; also Landy Shoots, David Bibler and family, who came in 1831. Michael Campbell, who was born in Koss County, Ohio, in 1811, and who was then a young man, came with Mr. Bibler and family. Young Campbell remained with Mr. Bibler for a year or more, when he secured a position in a distillery in Crawford County. Soon tiring of that kind of business, he left it, and afterward worked at several places until, in, 1837, he married Miss Mary Bibler and moved upon the farm where he now lives. i

The first schoolhouse in this township was erected about 1832, near Mrs. Hord's place. It was a log structure, of the most simple, primitive pattern. The first teacher who taught there was probably Isaac James.

For many years after the early settlers came here, the Indians were quite numerous. Not far to the north lay the Wyandot reservation, twelve miles square, which territory had been ceded to that brave and warlike tribe by the terms of the treaty effected, in 1817, between the Wyandots and the Government, as represented by Lewis Cass and Duncan McArthur. But their movements and their privileges were not confined alone to their reservation, and it was no unusual thing to see them in the deeper wilds of Crawford County, or the more remote parts of Wyandot, or in regular squads or caravans passing southward, through the sparse settlements of Marion and Delaware Counties, their ponies loaded with various articles of merchandise. The white settlements adjacent often suffered losses from their thieving, but no accounts of great losses have been given.

The manners of these people would be regarded now, as they were then, as odd and uncouth A squad passing in front of cabins of white settlers would often halt, and while the male portion of the company would wait, the squaws would enter the house without rapping or any ceremony or leave of any kind, and if any one were present they would ask for anything they could see that struck their fancy, and if they did not get it the refusal generally made them angry. If no one were present on those occasions, the intruders often helped themselves to what they wanted. They never, at a private house or in the villages, lost an opportunity to display their wares and whatever they had for sale, and generally asked a good price for them. In their habits of cooking and preparing their meals, they were far from being cleanly. If white people visited their camps, or were present at their wigwams in the villages when a meal was being prepared, they invariably insisted upon the pale face partaking of their hospitality; but it is needless to say that their kind invitations were usually declined, which fact often gave offense.

Mrs. Bretz relates an incident that occurred soon after they came to this township, that is worthy of note here. It was while they were yet living with Mr. Hites and family. Both Mr. Hites and Mr. Bretz were absent for the day, and only their wives and children were at home. A party of about thirty Indians rode up in front of the cabin, and a number of them dismounted and went in. Mr. Bretz had brought a barrel of liquor with him from Fairfield County, and Mrs. Bretz was not long in discovering that the Indians were after some of the " fire-water;" but as it was a violation of the law to sell to the Indians, she determined not to sell them any on any condition. The Indians were very urgent in their entreaties, offering Mrs.

Bretz a fine shawl and other valuable articles for a quart of whisky; but Mrs. Bretz was unyielding. They were very persistent in their efforts, but she steadily refused to either sell or give them whisky, and they finally became very much enraged, and tried to obtain it by threats. They pointed their guns at the children, and placed their fingers on their foreheads in a very significant manner, thus intimating that they would shoot the children through the head if their wishes were not granted; yet Mrs. Bretz did not yield to their solicitations and threats, even under these frightful cireumstances, but succeeded in getting one of the children off to a neighbor for help and protection. The neighbor presently came, and as soon as he was in view, the Indians, with many angry mutterings, ceased their efforts and withdrew.

_ As the Wyandots did not relinquish their territory and remove West until in 1842, many of the present generation remember distinctly the remnant of this once haughty and warlike tribe and a number of their chiefs. Mr. Michael Campbell gives the names of the following of his own personal acquaintances: Bear-skin, Sarrahus, Grey-Eyes, Peacock and Snakshead.

Religious

The first religious society formed in the township was organized at John Vanmeter's, by Rev. Benjamin Cane and Thomas S. Nelson, and was Old School Baptist. It was organized May 26, 1827, and at first had only a membership of five, to wit: John Staley, Susan Staley, Sophia Vanmeter, Chauncey Clark (Deacon) and Reuben Drake (Clerk). This society, however, has since grown strong and prosperous - due, mainly, to a revival initiated and conducted by Rev. S. D. Bates--now numberiny forty-two. In 1867, they built a house of worship in the northern part of the township, where the society holds regular services. It was dedicated by Rev. George Tusing, of Cincinnati. Present pastor, Adam S. Shoemaker.

The Free-Will Baptist Church of this township was organized on the 22d of February, 1867, by Rev. S. D. Bates, of Marion. In January, 1867, Rev. Bates held a series of revival meetings, resulting in sixty conversions, forty-five of whom subsequently became members of the Free- Will Baptist Church at the same place at the date above mentioned, and the remaining fifteen joined the Old School Baptist Church, of the same place, which had been organized many years before. Rev. Bates continued in charge of the church society which he had organized here for a period of seven years. During that time, several revival meetings occurred, and the membership was increased to the number of seventy.five at the close of his pastorate. He was succeeded by Rev. R. J. Posten, who remained pastor for two years, and was followed by Rev. J. F. Tufts for two years, who was succeeded by Rev. Isaac Seitz, who was pastor of the church for four years.

After eight years, Rev. S. D. Bates again resumed the pastoral relation, which he now holds. During the period of his absence, the church maintained about its own in membership. very neat frame chapel, costing $2,000, was erected by the charch, at Brush Ridge, in 1867, where the society meets to worship regularly every alternate Sabbath, and where a Sunday school is maintained now during the summer months.

as returned to the Auditor's office: Wheat, acres sown, 1,376; bushels produced, 14,770; number of acres sown for harvest of 1883, 1,319. Oats, acres