Paulding County, Ohio - Chapter 5: County Seats, County Buildings, Etc, 1892

Chapter 5: County Seats, County Buildings, Etc

at that time the largest and most flourishing village in the county. It was situated on the south bank of the Maumee river, about one mile north of the present village of Cecil. It was laid out in 1835, by Dr. John Evans, Robert Clemmer, and Revs. N. L. Thomas and Joseph Miller. Rev. Thomas built the first house in the village, and Isaac Savage the second. At the timeof the location of the county seat there, the village contained thirty or forty families, three hotels, three general stores, two blacksmith shops, two tailor shops, and was on a daily stage line, leading from Toledo to Ft. Wayne. Its buildings were mostly built of logs, but have now all rotted away. An old school house was the last to remain to mark the spot of Paulding county's first county seat, but that, too, has now rotted away. No vestige of New Rochester now remains, and wheat and corn are grown upon its once busy streets. From New Rochester the county seat was removed to Charloe, and the county business transferred to that place in 1841. The village was laid out, for the purpose of being a county seat, by Benjamin F. Hollister, and was pleasantly located on a commanding bluff of the Big Auglaize river. It was on the site of an old Indian town and received its name from an Indian chief known as Charloe Peter. Here, at one time, dwelt the chief, Oquanoxa, and about six hundred Indians, a remnant of the once powerful tribe of Ottawas, of which the noted Pontiac was chief. The village was near the center of an Indian reserve, a tract of land four miles square, set off by the general government for the Indians, and known as Oquanoxa's reserve. As the lines of this reserve came in conflict with the section lines, it yet has an effect the surveys in that vicinity, inasmuch that many tracts of land within the former reserve and near its borders are fractional. The Indians raised corn upon the large bottoms opposite their village, which are now owned by Hon. John W. Ayres. Just north of the village was their cemetery, many mounds, beneath whose sod sleep the dust of their braves, are yet plainly visible. Silver brooches, toma- _hawks, pipes, and other Indian trinkets, have from time to time been exhumed from these Indian graves. Charloe, in its prosperous days, contained a neat brick court house, the residences of county officers and | other families, a large frame hotel, several store rooms, and a population of four or five hundred. Some of its first settlers were John W. Ayers, G. H. Phillips, John H. and A. J. Taylor, A. H. Palmer, A. S. Latty, and the Hankins and Kingery families. Its location was a beautiful one, its natural scenery, grand and picturesque, but, like New Rochester, when deprived of its county seat honors, its star of prosperity sank beneath the horizon, never to rise again ; the marks of decay soon settled upon the doorposts of its dwellings, or as an humble follower of the immortal 'bard, who, insensed and inspired over the removal of the county seat, was constrained to write : " When Paulding a shire town was made, And thither folks began to wade.

The location of Charloe is yet as beautiful as ever, surrounded by green swards and shady groves, but the location is about all that is left. Nearly all of its former buildings have crumbled to dust, and only a few families remain to tell the tale of its pioneer prosperity.

Paulding, the third and present county seat, was laid out by George Marsh, August 10, 1850, the lines being established by Ezra J. Smith, the county surveyor at that time. It is located on the banks of Flat Rock creek, one and a half miles north of the geographical center of the county. By a special act of the legislature the county seat was located there in 1851, and the county business was removed from Charloe in the spring of that year. The site was selected in consequence of its central position, and it may be that the county seat removal from Charloe was somewhat hurried up by the influence of speculative land owners in the vicinity of Paulding. However that may be, all now agree that the county seat is where it should be. Attempts were made to remove it back to Charloe; also to Junction, but they were unsuccessful. At first Paulding was in the very midst of heavy forest, without roads, save a few winding wagon tracks, and almost without communication with the civilized world. The wild deer and bear roamed its uncleared streets; squirrels chattered from its woody housetops, and wolves howled in its thicket-covered alleys. Many of the county officers lived in log cabins.

and the first jail was of hewed logs. For nearly thirty years the town made but little advancement, for in 1880 its population was but 483; but since that date it has made rapid strides, stimulated by the building of the Mackinaw railroad and the location of factories within and near its limits. It now has a population of nearly 2,000, has several fine brick blocks, good public buildings, and is fast taking rank as one of the leading county seats of Northwestern Ohio.

County Buildings. - Owing to the short period of time that the county seat remained at New Rochester (a little more than a year), there were no county buildings, erected at that place. The only term of court held there was in a room over Gen. H. N. Curtis' store, and the county offices were located in private buildings. Upon the removal of the seat of justice to Charloe, Mr. B. F. Hollister proceeded to erect a court house, at his own expense, as he had agreed to do in case that the county seat should be located there. The building was a very neat, and, for those days, rather a commodious one, being about 30x40 feet in dimensions, and two stories in height. It was erected of brick on a good, solid stone foundation, at a cost of $10,000. On the lower story there were six rooms, three on each side of a hall extending east and west through the building, used for the county offices. The court room was the second floor, and was richly finished in black walnut and furnished with the same material. The house was presented to the commissioners on the condition that it shéuld be the property of the county as long as the county seat remained at Charloe, after which it should revert to the original owner, or to his heirs. When the county affairs were removed to Paulding, Mr. Hollister being dead, the building fell to his legal heirs but they were already wealthy, and perhaps looking upon the vacated court house as a useless piece of property, never paid any attention to it. The building became everybody's building and nobody's building, the court room for a number of years was used for schools, church, elections, balls and for public gatherings of all kinds. The offices were used for residences by anyone who might choose to occupy them. A few years ago the county commissioners claimed the right (and perhaps legally), to dispose of it, and offered to sell it to Brown township, to be fitted up as a public school building. A committee was appointed to inspect it who did so, and reported that its decayed condition would not wariant a purchase. A new school-house was built and the old court house was left to be only the habitation of owls and bats. Year by year isis more rapidly hastening to decay. Its roof has fallen in, its stairway has tumbled down, and ere another decade shall have passed away a mouldering pile of brick dust will be all that remains to mark the site of Paulding county's first court house.

For many years thou wast fair Charloe's pride, And little dreamed of ills that now betide; Within thy walls hast stood full many a pioneer. Is there none now to drop for thee a tear ?

Paulding county's second court house was erectedin Paulding ip 1852, and was a two-story frame with county offices below and court room above. It was an ungainly, ill-proportioned affair, and from the day of its completion had a sort of rickety, tumble-down appearance. Its dimensions were about 30x40 feet, and the court room was reached by an outside stairway erected on the rear. The building was consumed by fire on the evening of January 2, 1868, and but few tears, if any, were shed over its ashes. Some valuable documents, however, were destroyed. It was located on Main street near the northeast corner of Courtyard square. Upon its site was soon after erected the county's third court house. This was a one story frame 30x40 feet in size, and contained only court room and two small jury rooms. The contractor of this building was Francis Reiniche, who did the job complete for $2,000. The house was a decided improvement over its "illustrious predecessor," and did good service until superseded by a new one in 1888, It was then sold to M. D. Mann, Esq., for 8500, who removed it to a location on Jackson street, and fitted it up as an opera house. As this building was for court purposes only, a long one-story brick building was erected south of the court house, and fronting on Main street, in which were located the county offices. Much of the brick for these offices were furnished by Dr. D. W. Hixson, and were conveyed to Tate's landing by canal, from thence to Paulding by wagons, and as the roads were at that time almost impassable, the cost of getting the material on the ground was exceedingly high, and, it is said, the contractor lost much money on the job. These offices were termed the "brick row," and for a time filled the purpose for which they were erected, but in a few years became so dilapidated that they illy served as a store house for the public documents, and as places in which to transact the county business. In some parts the brick had so crumbled away that there were holes entirely through the wall, and other portions had to be propped with timbers to keep the walls from tumbling down. So insecure became the building that it was condemned by the public generally, and it became necessary for the county commissioners to do the same. Certain it was that some place for keeping the county records and transacting the county business must be prepared, and it was thought better and cheaper in the end to build a new court house out and out, than to attempt to patch up the old, county buildings, and that the conclusion was a wise is now conceded by all. Accordingly, in January, 1886, the first steps for the erection of the new court house were taken, by the circulation throughout the vounty of the following petition:

We, the undersigned resident taxpayers and voters of Paulding county, State of Ohio, respectfully represent that public necessity requires the building of a court house, in and for said county, with suitable county offices. We ask, therefore, that your honorable body may enact such legislation as may be necessary, authorizing and requiring the commissioners of said county to issue bonds in the sum of $40,000, and build for said county, forthwith, a court house, to cost $40,000."

In accordance with the above petition, Hon. John L. Geyer, then representative from the Paulding-Defiance district, prepared and presented the following bill, which, after the usual routine, passed both houses and became a law some time in April, 1886.

Sixty-seventh General Assembly, Regular Session, Entitled a bill to authorize and require the Board of County Commissioners of the county of Paulding to issue bonds to build a court house.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, that the county commissioners of Paulding county are hereby authorized and required to construct a court house in the center of the grounds now occupied by said county with old court house and county offices, in the county seat of said county. Plans and specifications for said building shall be determined upon, and the contract let according to law, within six months after the passage of this act, which contract shall require said building to be completed as soon as practicable, and at a cost not to exceed forty thousand dollars.

SECTION 2. That the commissioners of said county, for the purpose of building said court house, are hereby authorized and required to borrow such sums of money, not exceeding forty thousand dollars, as they shall deem necessary, at a rate of interest not exceeding six per cent. per annum, and issue the bonds of the county therefor. The payment of the principal of said bonds shall not be deferred beyond a period of twenty years, and shall be payable at the pleasure of the commissioners after five years. The interest of said bonds shall be payable semi-annually, and said bonds are not to be sold for less than their par value.

SECTION The bonds so issued shall be signed by said commissioners and attested by county auditor of said county, who shall keep a record of all bonds issued (with coupons attached), in such sums not less than one thousand dollars, and not more than one thousand dollars each, payable to bearer at such place as the county commissioners may designate in said bonds, and such bonds shall specify distinctly the purpose for which they are issued.

Section 4. That said board of commissioners are hereby authorized to levy an annual tax of one mill, orso much as is needed to pay the interest on said bonds, and shall, in addition thereto, levy an annual tax of one mill for the purpose erecting a sinking fund to pay said bonds. The one mill levy for sinking fund purpose to be levied for thirteen years, beginning at such time as said commissioners may determine, and to continue until said bonds are paid.

Shortly after the passage of the above act the bonds were duly advertised according tolaw. They were drawn up in sums of 81,000 each, to draw interest at the rate of five per cent. per annum, from August 1, 1886, interest payable semi-annually, bonds to become due four at a time each successive year, beginning August 1, 1895. The bonds were sold to W. H. Pennell, of Van Wert, at a premium of 81,000, thus bringing a court house fund of $41,000. A building committee was appointed, who visited several county seats in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, and inspected the court houses therein for the purpose of securing a model, and it was at length determined that the one at Adrian, Lenawee county, Michigan, furnished the best pattern. Having concluded on the style of building, bids were solicited from architects for plans and specifications, which were let to E. O. Fallis, of Toledo, he having presented the lowest bid. The contract of furnishing material and erecting the building in accordance with plans and specifications was awarded August 12, 1886, to Rudolph Ebrhart, of Defiance, he agreeing, by a sealed bid, to do the work fur

833,380, that being the lowest bid, by several thousand dollars, of the many that were submitted to the commissioners. Work was commenced on excavating the grounds of the basement shortly after the contract was let, and the corner-stone was laid with imposing ceremony by Paulding Lodge, No. 502, F. & A. M., on December 21, 1886. The event is thus described by an eye-witness: " At 1lo'clock P; M.,the Paulding F. & A. M. Lodge met the visiting committee from the south at the depot, formed in procession, and, headed by the Paulding Harmony Band, marched to Literary Hall, where the Grand Lodge of Ohio was opened. The procession then, headed by S. S. Williams, M. W. G. Master, of Newark, Ohio, moved to the court house square, where the ceremonies were performed in a very imposing manner in the presence of a Jarge number of ladies and gentlemen from the town and country. The stone isa parallelopiped of gray granite, three feet in length, and two feet in width and thickness. It occupies a position on the northeast corner of the building, and is inscribed as follows: On the east end, at the top, is engraved the triangular symbol of the square and compass, and the words: 8. 8. Williams, M. W. G. Master;' below these words follow, 'Dedicated by the Paulding Lodge, No. 502, E. & A. M, Dec. 21, A. D. 1886, A. M. 5886.' The north side bears the inscription, 'E. O. Fallis & Co., Architects, Toledo, O. R. Ehrhart, Con., Defiance, O. F. M. Wade, J. V. Sharp, Thos. Chester, Commissioners.' Withinthe stone was deposited a copper box containing a copy of the Holy Laws, list of the county and village officers, members of the bar, several pieces of coin, list of Paulding school board, silver Masonic square, found by A. C. Hale, on the Franklin pike, Tenn., in 1864; copies of the Paulding Democrat, Paulding Gazette and Antwerp Argus, etc., etc, After the stone was laid, the procession returned to Literary Hall, and the Grand Lodge was closed. Owing to the somewhat poor health of the Grand Master, he did not give a public address, as was intended." The building was accepted by the commissioners May 24, 1883, although at that time a few finishing touches remained to be done, and, to insure the completion of the same, $500 were kept back. The work was soon after finished and the whole amount paid over. The size of the building is 105 feet north and south from the extremes of the brick pillars at the entrances, by 98 feet, similar measurement, east and west, and is erected on what is known as the " four front" plan. Its height from the ground tothe highest point of the dome is 163 feet. The basement story is used to store away fuel, and is also the location of the hot air furnaces from which the building is heated throughout by means of pipes ; an engine is also located in the basement, which is used to pump water into a 100-barrel cistern, near the roof, from which the building is furnished water. Water is also conveyed from this cistern to the county jail, by means of an underground pipe.

On the first floor are two halls extending entirely across the buildingone east and west, the other north and south, and crossing in the center. At the outer extremities of these halls are the four entrances to the building, all of which are similar. In the northwest. corner of the first floor is the recorder's office comprising two rooms, a fire-proof vault, and two closets; in the northeast corner is the clerk's office, having the same amount of room as the recorder's office, and the addition of a private stairway leading to the judge's stand in the court room. In the southeast corner are the commissioners' office, and the auditor's public office. The commissioners have only one room. The auditor's public office is supplied with a fire-proof vault and two closets. In the southwest corner is the treasurer's office and vault; also a private office to be used conjointly by the auditor and treasurer.

On the second floor is one hall extending north and south. On the east side of this hall is the court room, about 40x70 feet in length and breadth. Back of the court room in the northeast corner of the building is the judge's private room. South of the court room is the surveyor's office. On the west side of the hall in the southwest corner of the building is the sheriff's office. Immediately north of the sheriff's office is the probate judge's office, and farther down the hall are two rooms for the grand and petit jurors. At the north and south ends of the hall are rooms for witnesses. The garret is used as a store room for unused public documents and records of no special value, yet necessary to be preserved. The committee who had charge of the construction of the building were as follows: The board of county commissioners, consisting of F. M. Wade, J. V. Sharp, and Thomas Chester; Probate Judge W. G. Lee; Clerk T. J. Champion; Sheriff D. W. Parr, and J. B. Zuber, Esq. The grounds about the house are nicely graded up and suitable walks have been laid. In the spring of 1891 shade trees were set throughout the yard. From the peak of the dome extends a flag-staff, thirty feet in length, from which, on notable days, or when the occasion demands, float the American colors. The entire cost of the building may be sum-

| | John L. Geyer is the son of Amos and Emogene Geyer (Wells) Geyer, natives of Ohio and New York. The former was of German and Trish, and the latter of English descent. Amos Geyer was brought up 'on a farm, and received a common school education. He reared a family of six children, four sons and two daughters. In early life he wasa whig, and later a republican, but in the Tilden campaign changed and |voted the democratic ticket, and voted until his death. Amos Geyer was a Methodist and his wife a Presbyterian. The subject of this sketch, 'Hon. John L. Geyer, was born in the county of Putnam, Ohio, near the | town of Kalida, December 6, 1854, and was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Hicks, of Kalida, October 14, 1875. Three children were born {o this union, viz.: Mary Olive, born December 5, 1876; Herbert Spencer, August 7, 1884, and Helen Blanche, November 5, 1888, who died August 9, 1889. At the age of fifteen years Mr. Geyer commenced teaching school in Paulding county,and by this and hard manual labor succeeded 'in securing sufficient money to attend the National normal university, jat Lebanon, Ohio, from which institution he graduated in the scientific 'course in the summer of 1879. He then returned to Kalida and conducted anormal school until the spring of 1882, when he removed his family to Paulding county, where he has ever since resided. His ability | as a civil engineer was such that shortly after his removal to this place he was employed by the commissioners of Paulding, Putnam, Defiance and Van Wert counties, and our excellent ditches and improved roads are monuments to his good judgment and ability in his chosen profes- | sion.

In politics Mr. Geyer has been a life-long democrat and has repeatedly | been honored by his party, which was not slow to recognize his ability and reward him for his brilliant efforts. In 1885 he was nominated at (Paulding, by the democracy of the district, then composed of the coun- 'ties of Paulding and Defiance, for the general assembly, and was elected by the usual party majority. Although he took an active part in the deliberations of the house, his first important bill was one to secure for his 'county a new court house, of which it was very much in need. He recog- 'nized this fact, and introduced the bill which secured the necessary appropriation without consulting the county commissioners or any other officials, and he is entitled to the thanks of every citizen for the magnifi- [cent building which graces the public square of the county seat. Among the many important bills which he introduced and which were passed during his first term, was one which secured an appropriation of a large [sum of money with which to drain a great amount of land in the southeastern portion of the county which was swampy and perfectly worthless, but which to-day is fine farming land. Many bills of local importance were also passed for Defiance county, and the first term of John L. Geyer was pronounced a grand success by members of all political parties. Although many things have been mentioned, in connection with 1885 and 1886, which were of much importance to the people, the measure introduced by him in the latter year for the abandonment of the Six Mile jreservoir, and its passage by the house, was the greatest victory ever achieved by a member of the Ohio general assembly. It is more than (likely that most of the citizens of this county are acquainted with all "e facts concerning this matter, but it would probably not tire the [reader should mention be made of what is now an immense garden spot

| Many years ago, when the canal system of this state was in its infancy and when Paulding county was very new, the state authorities built within her borders and in the townships of Crane and Carryall, an im- 1 iense reservoir, which was to be used as a feeder to the Wabash Miami Erie canals. The reservoir was very beneficial to the canals until the rapid development necessitated a swifter process ef transportation, and from that time on the reservoir was of benefit to any person, and, in fact, was not only a great detriment to the whole county, but was the principal cause of breeding disease in its im- mediate neighborhood. As we stated before, the bill passed the house but was defeated in the senate by a few timbermen, and the bitter warfare waged by the daily press all over the state. The people of the county knew the reservoir was useful no more, and none knew it better than Mr. Geyer, and being re-nominated and re-elected in 1887 by 1,800 majority (the largest ever given any man in the district), he again introduced the bill for its abandonment, in 1888, and, with the tenacity so characteristic of the man, fought for and secured its passage by both branches of the general assembly, and the city press, which had been against the bill, with har an exception, turned squarely around and lauded his ability and fine statesmanship, and declared he would be the leader of the house, and the prediction proved true.

Mr. Geyer, after his second term expired, used all his influence for the nomination of Hon. Frank Knapp, for his former position. Mr. Knapp was elected, but died before he could take his seat. The democratie convention, called to nominate Mr. Knapp's successor, unanimously chose their candidate, and he was elected by a handsome majority. Among the many important measures introduced and passed, this term, was the "(Geyer school-book bill." which gave him a national reputation. In 1891 he was nominated for the office of state senator from this district, which is composed of the counties of Paulding, Williams, Defiance, Van Wert, Allen, Mercer and Auglaize, and was elected by about 18,000 majority. He is one of the most prominent members of the senate, and has been spoken of most favorably for the complimentary vote of his colleagues for United States senator. Mr. Geyer's record is without a blemish, and as the democratic leader of the Ohio general assembly, he is without a peer. He is thoroughly identified with Paulding county. and her people will always retain a warm place in their hearts for the man who has labored so earnestly and unselfishly in their behalf.

The building, for convenience, beauty, and probable durability, is one to which our citizens may point with pride, and its cost of construction is regarded by all strangers wha visit Paulding asa marvel of cheapness. The first and only calamity which has yet befallen this new temple of justice occurred on the night of June 20, 1890, when the dome was struck by lightning, took fire, and was injured to the extent of about $500.

The first jail in the county was a small brick one erected in Charloe in 1842. It was not a very substantial building, and its walls have long since fallen down and crumbled away. To the credit of the early settlers of the county be it said that this jail was seldom occupied by evil doers. The second jail was erect.d on the southeast corner of the court yard in Paulding, shortly after the removal of the county seat to that place. It was built of hewn logs closely fitted together, and the walls were of huge plank heavily spiked and riveted together, and some of the cells were lined with heavy plates of sheet iron. But, notwithstanding this apparent security, es2apes from the jail were frequent - - so frequent, indeed, that a new and more substantial one became necessary. Accordingly, on May 7, 1874, the following notice appeared in Vol. 1, No. 6, of the Paulding Democrat, and was published for six consecutive weeks:

A New Jail

Norice is hereby given to all persons whom it may concern, that at the March session of the county commissioners of Paulding county, Ohio, said commissioners decided in accordance to law under and by virtue of the provisions of a certain act of the general assembly of the state of Ohio, passed April 27, 1859, entitled, ' An act authorizing county commissioners to purchase land for the use of court houses, jails and county infirmaries, and to erect buildings thereon, ete., and the acts amendatory thereto, to purchase grounds and erect a new jail in the town of Paulding, Paulding county, Ohio, and that so soon as legal notices are given according to law, and publication thereof complete, they intend to take the necessary steps to advertise for sealed proposals for the erection of the said building, work to commence as soon as said Commissioners can make preparation therefor, and that on Friday, the 12th day of June, 1874, at 10 o'clock, A. M., of said day, they will meet at the auditor's office in said county of Paulding, to hear petitions ancl remonstrances against such proposed improvement.

In due time, after the publishing of the above notice, the contract for building a new jail and sheriff's residence combined was let. As there was no railroad passing through the town at that time, the cost of getting stone and other material on the ground was much greater than at the time of building the court house, and the work progressed rather slowly. The building was not completed uutil 1876, and at a cost of about 325,000.

The basement is of cut limestone, above which are two stories of brick with stone trimmings. It was constructed on the most modern and improved plans, and is regarded as one of the securest jails and most convenient sheriff's residences in northwestern Ohio. It is located on Williams street, in Paulding, about one-half a square from the southwest corner of the court house yard.

Three miles northeast of Paulding, in Jackson township, is located the county infirmary farm. The first county buildings erected here were of logs and a small frame, but these were superseded, about the year of 1884, by a large and neatly constructed frame, in which reside the county poor; also convenient apartments for the residence of the superintendent and family. The farm consists of 160 acres, about ninety of which are under cultivation. Two frame barns and other necessary outbuildings are on the farm. It is thus shown that, in the way of public buildings, Paulding county is now as well supplied as any of her sister counties, and that her buildings are all comparatively new and substantial; also they have been built in an economizing and careful manner, for which the publie servants, who had charge of their construction, deserve the thanks of her citizens. Besides the public buildings the county has many elegant structures in the way of bridges, several of which are of iron. Of these, three are across the Maumee; one about one mile north of Antwerp, in Carryall township; and one at Jackson's ford, and one a mile north of Cecil, in Crane township. All across the Maumee are iron structures. There are three across the Big Auglaize; the one at Junction is of iron, and is the longest and most imposing bridge structure in the county, being about 500 feet in length. At Charloe and Oakwood are wooden bridges spanning the Auglaize, Across the Little Auglaize two iron bridges - -one at old Fort Brown and one at Melrose. Several good bridges span Flat Rock: aid, in fact, all of the streams are bridged at the principal crossings. The first bridge across the Auglaize was at Junction. It was a wooden structure, poorly constructed, and soon went to decay. This fact prompted the county commissioners to erect better bridges ever after, even if built at a greater expense.

Official The county since its organization has belonged to the tenth, fifth and sixth congressional districts, and has been represented in the national congress by Hons. S. R. Mott, J. M. Ashley, W. D. Hill, Benjamin Le Fever, A. V. Rice, M. M. Boothman and D. D. Donovan. ae

The following residents of the county have represented it in the state legislature: Hons. John W. Ayres, Calvin L. Noble (deceased), Lewis 8. Gordon, John L. Geyer and P. W. Hardesty. The last named served in the senate, the four former as representatives. The county was not entitled to a single representative in the legislature until 1891. Prior to 1870, it was attached to Defiance and Williams counties. At that time, Williams county being entitled to a representative of her own, the district became the Paulding-Defiance district, and so remained until 1891, as above stated.

The first auditor of the county was Andrew Clemmer; then, in the following order, came A. H. Palmer, A. S. Latty, Benjamin L. Wentworth, Richard 8. Banks, Isaiah Richards, Valentine V. Pursel, William C. Means, Charles Hakes, Robert S. Murphy, Ralph D. Webster and Ephraim Ridenour.

Ezra J. Smith was the first probate judge elected in the county. The office has since been filled by Fielding S. Cable (died in office), Lewis S. Gordon (by appointment), David C. Carey, Calvin L. Noble, B. L. Wentworth, Warren G. Lee, H. S. Spring (by appointment), Vance Brodnix and Lafayette Lewis.

The first two sheriffs of the county received the office by appointments. They were Andrew J.Smith and Ephraim Burwell. The first elected sheriff was Matthew Flemming; then came William K. Daggett, Thomas C. Banks, John Crosson, Isaiah Richards, Freeborn T. Mellinger, John Brakefield (elected coroner, but to fill a vacancy served four months as sheriff), Andrew P. Meng, Jasper A. Fergerson, Hiram M. Ayres, Samuel J. Tate, David W. Parr, Edward C, Swain (resigned), John J. Clark (by appointment), Harry L. Saylor and Edward Staley.

The first county clerk was Gen. Horatio N. Curtis, and his suecessors have been Andrew J. Taylor, John Lincoln, James M. Russell, Robert Russell, William T. French, Samuel Means, Dr. D. W. Hixon (by appointment), Orlando A. Russell, Orsin D. Fuller, Joseph B. Cromley, Thomas J. Champion and William B. Jackson.

The county treasurers have been William Gordon, Richard 8. Banks, James M. Russell, Ezra J. Smith, Isaiah Richards, Lewis Gordon, Peter Hilty, Frederick Young, Samuel G. Robertson, Andrew J. Stenger, Michael Finan, Henry Hyman and Michael Finan.

The first county recorder was H. N. Curtis, and afterward came Andrew J. Taylor, H. A. Shaffer, A. P. Seely, William T. French, Lewis S. Gordon, Isaiah Richards, Charles Hakes, Frank M. Bashore and John Yager.

The first prosecuting attorney was Edwin Phelps (appointed pro tem. by the court), John W. Ayres, John S. Snook, D. N. Osborn (by appointment), A. H. Selden, Thomas B. Holland, Medary D. Mann, Lewis 8. Platter, Wilson H. Snook and W. F. Corbett.

The surveyors have been: Ezra J. Smith, Noah Ely, Henry A. Brown, Russell T. Cushman, Frederick W. Bashore, Thomas B. Harris, Henry B. Kretzinger, T. H. B. Bashore, Oliver Morrow and W. J. Johnson.

The first board of commissioners was Christian Shroufe, John Kingery and Thomas Banks, and the following persons have held the office since that time: Thomas Wentworth, John Mason, Sr., John Musselman, John Stair, Samual Forder, Hubert Naveau, Sr., Henry Oswalt, John Hardesty, George W. Morris (by appointment), L. M. Barnes, Alonzo H. Selden, Theodore G. Merchant, Coe Gordon, John 1). Carlton, Alexander Brown, Wilson N. Snook, Joseph Bowyer (died in office), Thomas Chester, Francis M. Wade, J. V. Sharp, George Gusler, George W. Sowers, Martin N. Utley, Daniel Davidson, Michael Maloy and John Powers.

As coroners the following have Served: Jacob Switzer, John Brakeficld, Dr. B. B. Woodcock, John Hardesty, Dr. Thomas Carpenter, Dr. P. Alvin Dix, Dr. D. W. Hixson, Dr. J. L. Slager and Dr. John Hosford.

The infirmary directors have been as follows: Daniel Kaufman, Darius Lecth, Henry C. Boyland, James Powers, W. R. Crawford, Samuel Craven, Henry Downhower, J. C. Dunlap, Samuel Dotterer and Peter Kimler.

The above may be said to have been some of the representative men of the county, and several of them are still residents within its limits; but many of them are dead. while others, swept by the tide of emigration, have found homes in different parts of the " Far West."

County Finanees.-Owing to many of the financial records of the county having been burned at the court house fire of 1863, it is impossible to give a perfect and complete synopsis of the finances of the county from the time of its organization to the present. The earliest record that the writer has been able to find is a report of the county treasurer and auditor, published in the Panlding Eagle, October 7, 1858. A verbatim vopy is as follows:

Report of the county treasurer and county auditor of Paulding county, Ohio, showing the amount of funds in the treasury of said county, on the 7th day of September, 1858, to wit:

We do certify the foregoing is a full, true and correct statement of the funds now in the treasury of said county, and that it is the full amount due from the treasurer, as shown by the books of the county auditor.

Thirty years after the above report was made a similar report was published by the county commissioners, which, when compared with the report of 1858, will show to the reader the amount of gain in collections made in those three decades; also the large increase made in the financial business of the county in that length of time. The report of 1888 is as follows: The valuation of all property, personal and real, year of 1888, as reported by the county auditor, amounted to three millions, four hundred and ninety-six thousand, six hundred and ninetyone dollars (33,496,691), upon which valuation the board made the following levy of taxes upon each dollar, for the several county purposes, to wit: General county purposes (expense). 3.5 mills; bridge, 1.5 mills; building, 2.2 mills; interest on county bonds, 2 mills: poor, mills; improved road repair, .7 mills; general county ditch, .5 mills; bonded debt, 2 mills; indigent Soldiers' relief, .3 mills. Total levies for county purposes, 13.5 mills. The total net collections on the duplicate from the

_ above levies, including delinquencies of former years collected, amounted to $44,116.70, which was distributed among the several funds as follows: General expense fund, $11,657.34; bridge fund, 54,954.08; building fund, 551.35; receipts from sale of bonds on McClure roal improvement, $4,507.00; on Dorman road improvement, 83,009,00; on Wiseley road improvement, $4,507.00; Six Mile Creek ditch, 54,907.00; Barber ditch,

A return of the state board of equalization for the decennial land appraisement of 1890, has not as yet been made; but it is thought that the appraised value will be about 320.00 per acre, which would give a real estate value in the county of 35,184,700; or a total of all taxable property, both real and personal, for 1891, of 36,757,304.

ditches, etc., within the past few years, the county has incurred a bonded debt estimated in round numbers at about $100,000. As these bonds issued have been sold on long time at a low rate of interest, no inconvenience is anticipated in meeting them when due. Taking it all and all, the county may be said to be in a fair financial condition.

Manufacturing Industry

eee within the past few years, and it may be said that even yet, the extensive forest products of Paulding county have furnished its chief source of wealth. The first manufacturing industry that may be mentioned was the making of staves, railroad ties, and the chopping of cord wood by the pioneers. This industry began on the opening of the canals through the county. The staves were made of white oak, burr oak and red oak timber. The timber was sawed with a crosscut saw, the power being furnished by the muscle of the workmen, split into bolts with a maul and wedge. and riven into staves by means of a fro and mallet. Different grades of staves were made, such as flour barrel, tight barrel and hogshead staves, aud were of different sizes and grades of timber, bringing prices according to the grade. On the canal bank flour barrels were worth from 73.00 to $4.00 per thousand; tight barrels from 85.00 to $0.00, hogsheads from 810.00 to 312.00. One thousand flour or tight barrels, or about 500 hogsheads, were regarded as a day's work for two men. In ap early day much of this business was carried on in close proximity to the canals, so that the staves could be vasily hauled to the banks ready for shipment. The boats stopped and loaded them wherever a pile, even of only a few hundred, had been culled and counted. The pioneers were not particular as to whose land it was upon which the staves were made, and frequently the most extensive manufacturers were persons who did not own a foot of land. They did not regard it as stealing, but took the choicest oaks by the "right of discovery" from government and speculators' lands, and piously said grace over the luscious viands purchased with the proceeds of their sale. Whether this was right or wrong is a question too fine in moral ethics for the writer to decide. He only knows that it was a pioneer custom, and that the timber of many a "back forty" was partly cleared away by the stave making process. Many thousands of hoop-poles were also taken in the same manner ani annually shipped away, yielding a profitable employment both to the eutter and shipper. The shelves of many a pioneer merchant's store room have been replenished from the proceeds of a boat load of hoop-poles shipped to Dayton or Cincinnati, said poles having been gleaned from the forest at large by some enterprising backwoodsman who received the price for them with no compunctious throb, and conscientiously believed that he was engaged in a legitimate business.

From the hoop-pole and hand-made stave era, the county emerged into the ship timber period. This business was introduced into several of the timber growing counties of northwestern Ohio, about the year of 1526, and has been conducted with a greater or less magnitude from that time until the present; and none of the counties have furnished more or better timber than that furnished by Paulding county. The ship timber business has mostly been carried on by Canadian capital and workmen trom the provinces who were skilled in the business. The woods were scoured for burr oak and white oak timber, which was at first bought in the standing tree for about 2 cents per foot, but gradually increased in price as it became scarce, until in 1889, when from 14 to 18 cents per foot were paid. The trees were cut down, hewed square, hauled to the nearest water and floated to Toledo. Millions of feet have been taken from the county down the canals and Maumee and Auglaize rivers to Defiance, and thence onward to the eastern markets. The cost ot rafting from Defiance to Toledo was about 85 per thousand. At Toledo it was loaded into the hulls of lake vessels and taken to Quebec at a cost of about 8115 per thousand, each vessel carrying about 20,000 feet. At Quebec it was solidly packed into ocean vessels and shipped to London and Liverpool at a cost of 20 cents a foot. One of the first men to operate in this business in the county was A. Cheesbrough, of Toledo, who secured much of the timber nearest to the canals. Afterward Fred. W. LeSueur and Charles J. Chenevert came from Canada to Defiance, about the year of 186:, made the latter place the base of their operations in the timber business, and under the management of their sub-contractors stripped Paulding county of much of its forest wealth. Other big timber men were, C. Neelon, of St. Catharines; Kelsey, of Detroit; Stokes, of Windsor, and McArthur Bros., of Toronto. It is estimated that F. W. LeSueur paid out annually for over twenty years $175,000 for timber. or about 23,150,000 in all; Neelon, 3160,000 an- nually since 1870, 83,040,000 in all; Chenevert 850,000 annually since 1867, about 81,100,000 in all. Other timber men have paid about asmuch more, so that in the aggregate over $15,000,000 have been paid for ship timber in northwestern Ohio, about $1,500,000 of which has been expended in Paulding county. In England this timber was formerly largely used in the building of ships, hence the -- ship timber; but as vessels are now almost entirely built of iron and steel, it now used for other purposes, such as the manufacturing of street cars, furniture, coffins, and other articles requiring first-class timber. The business is now about extinct in the county, as only a few straggling trees, suitable for such timber, yet remain, and they will probably be used for other purposes. The largest stick of ship timber ever gotten out in the county was in the winter of 1805-66, by Johnson & Snook,and was cut in Jackson township. two miles west of Melrose, at which place it was "banked." Its dimensions were three feet square and seventy-five feet in length, containing 675 cubic feet. It was hauled to the canal bank by means of a block and tackle.

The heavy growth of timber in the county which afforded the means of obtaining an abundant supply of charcoal invited the establishment of blast furnaces for smelting the iron ores of Lake Superior. were at one time two of these in the county. One was known as the Antwerp furnace, and was located on the Maumee river, half a mile east of the village of Antwerp; the other, known as the Paulding furnace, was lucated one and a half miles south of Cecil, on section 23, Crane township. The ore for both furnaces was transported from Toledo by canal. The Antwerp furnace was operated by the Antwerp Furnace Co., A. Cobb, president, and William Sayles, superintendent. Evans, Rodgers & Co. were the proprietors of the Paulding furnace. These furnaces were built in 1864-5, and for many years furnished employment to hundreds of men, and converted thousands of cords of wood into charcoal. The everage length of run per year was about eight months; and the average amount of iron annually produced by each furnace was 2,600 tons. Both of these furnaces are now extinct, the Antwerp furnace ceasing operations in 1880, and the Paulding furnace about six years later. During the last few years of the Paulding furnace it was named Bertha furnace, owned and operated by Bennett, Graff & Co., with S. Frank Eagle as superintendent.

The county is now basking in the bright sunlight of the elm hoop and stave era. It began about the year of 1880, although much timber had been rafted away to supply the factories of Delphos and Defiance prior to that date. The enterprising gentleman and energetic business man, Maj. A. B. Holcombe, began the elm hoop manufacture in the county, a business in which he had been engaged for some years at Mentor, Ohio, but which was entirely new in the northwestern part of the state. In the autumn of 1880, Mr. Holcombe, in company with his partner, John F. R. Evans, erected a large mill at Paulding, put in the necessary machinery, and commenced cutting and coiling the stately elms. Mr. Evans dying soon after the mill was built, Mr. Holcombe assumed the entire control, and conducted the business alone until 1884, when he formed a partnership with Mr. Paul Weidmann, of Brooklyn, N. Y. The business was a success from the beginning. The capacity of the mill was about 30,000 hoops per day, and the hands employed from eighty to 100. The hoops were shipped to New York, and from thence to different parts of Europe, mostly to Germany. The car-loads were labeled "Ocean Freight " at the factory. In 1886 Mr. Holcombe sold his interest in the business to his partner for $13,000, and forming a partnership with Mr. Trowbridge, of Toledo, under the firm name of Holcombe & Co., purchased about 1,600 acres of timber land lying a short distance northeast of Paulding, erected a large and well arranged factory, put in the best improved machinery, and commenced cutting staves and lumber. This factory formed the nucleus around which has sprung up the enterprising village of Holcombe, now a station on the Mackinaw railroad. About 16,000,000 staves per year are cut at the Holcombe factory, and it is one of the most extensive manufacturing industries in the county. The hoop mill erected by Mr. Holcombe in Paulding was destroyed by fire Sunday morning, July 24, 1887, at a loss of $25,000 to the proprietors, Messrs. Weidmann & Hichling, only $6,800 of which was covered by insurance. The ashes of the burned building were scarcely cold until the rubbish was cleared away and a new building - a heading factory - was erected upon the grounds. Shortly after this Mr. Weidmann purchased 1,600 or 1,800 acres of land four miles west of Paulding, and in 1889 erected a large stave mill on the same, and is now cutting away the timber into staves and lumber, and converting the lands into farms as soon as cleared. A factory village has sprung up around this factory also, and is known as Section Eight. The Weidmanns (Paul, Sr. and Jr., father and son), reside in Brooklyn, N. Y., and are wealthy manufacturers and dealers in all kinds of cooperage stuff; also proprietors of the Chicago stave factory at Paulding, and the Paulding flouring mills. Their business in Paulding county is looked after by W. H. Vermylie, superintendent.

Antwerp Hub and Spoke Company. - This company was incorporated, under the laws of Ohio, on February 11, 1873. Under its charter, it embarked immediately in the manufacture of hubs, spokes and wagon material. Its first board of directors were Willoughby H. Doering, Lewis 8. Gordon, Phaon P. Doering, Harry H. Gordon, John 8. Hill and Henry Harris; and its first officers were: president and superintendent, Phaon P. Doering; secretary and treasurer, Lewis S. Gordon. Op January 10, 1874, the following officers were chosen: president, Henry Harris; superintendent, Phaon P. Doering; secretary and treasurer, Lewis S. Gordon, and said parties have held said offices continuously to the present date. The authorized capital stock of the company was $25,000, of which amount $18,000, only, were ever issued, and said stock is now owned and held exclusively by the original stockholders. The company confined its efforts to the manufacture of hubs, spokes and lumber until the spring of 1878, when it added to its production the manufacture of slack barrel and keg staves, rough and dressed lumber, moldings, etc., adding career the company purchased over 1,000 acres of heavily timbered lands; in convenient proximity to its factory, and in 1882 constructed a tramway railroad to its lands, which has enabled it to move timber cheaply to its factory, and this supply, supplemented with local delivery from other sources, has enabled the company to run continuously for about ten months in each year since its organization. As the timber has disappeared the lands have been cleared and improved for cultivation. The business has been prosperous and well managed, and, while the timber supply is fast decreasing, a vast amount of timber and lumber is still handled here. Asan index to current business it may be proper to state that during the year 1890 over 8,000,000 keg staves and 1,000,000 feet of lumber were shipped, and the demand for finished lumber, moldings, brackets, etc., for neighborhood supply, was very large. Over 120 carloads of lumber and staves were shipped during the year. The company employ an average of fifty men and boys, and its pay roll for labor and salaries alone amounts to $15,000 per year. The amount disbursed in the immediate community of Antwerp amounts to about $30,000 per year. With the disappearance of timber in Paulding county is being developed the finest agricultural area in Ohio, and the wealth of oleaginous fluid underlying Antwerp and vicinity, awaiting only the derrick and the drill, will in the near future give the vicinity due prominence.

In addition to the above named factories there are extensive stave works at Latty, Cecil, Hedges, Broughton, Payne, Briceton, Melrose and other places in the county, all of which are duly mentioned in the village or township history of this work. The largest hoop mill in the county at present is that of Jacob Saylor & Sons, at Antwerp. John Leeson, at Scott, and Edwin Bell & Sons, at Hedges, formerly manufactured hoops. It is estimated that there are now over 100,000,000 staves and headings annually manufactured in the county and shipped to all parts of the world. What a contrast is this with the few boat loads that were formerly riven out by the hand of the pioneer, and the "flours " shipped to Dayton or Cincinnati, and the tight barrels to Burkehead & Co., at Toledo. Truly, Paulding county has been mounted upon the car of progression, her natural resources are being developed and the sweet hum of prosperity is heard throughout her borders. That such is so is largely due to her enterprising manufacturers. Side by side, and keeping pace with the manufacturers, are the farmers, the worthy followers of Cincinnatus. Land that last year was growing timber for the factory is the next year growing corn or wheat or some other cereal. Annually is the business of husbandry making more rapid strides, and when the forest wealth has been swept away, and the busy wheels of the factory have ceased to turn, then will Paulding be an agricultural county, and, owing to her great fertility of soil, one of the richest in the state. The area of the county as returned by the state board of equalization is 259,235 acres. Of this area in 1870 only 21,443 acres were under cultivation; in 1880 there were 47,199 acres; and in 1890 about 90,000 acres were arable or plow land, and about 10,000 acres pasture land; leaving a remainder of 154,235 acres of wood land for the factories yet to draw from. In the point of commercial importance Paulding county has ever and does yet take a front rank with any of her sister counties. Her first cargo of exports, it is said, was twenty-five raccoon skins, eight deer pelts, ten pounds of dried ginseng, and a pair of venison hams, loaded into a canoe by a squatter at some point in the northern part of Emerald township, and shipped down the Maumee to Defiance. The commercial value of this pioneer argosy was perhaps $25 or $30, which may seem exceedingly small to thë present lumber princes of the county; but to that squatter it no doubt seemed large, as the returns represented a year's incofne, and from it must be furnished a year's necessaries for himself and family.

The first commercial channels of the county were the Maumee and Auglaize rivers. Down these streams were marketed, in pirogues and " slap-togethers," the surplus grain and other salable commodities of the pioneer farmer. Next came the canals - the Wabash & Erie and the Miami; and, lastly, the Wabash, Nickel Plate, and Mackinaw railroads. The first exports of the county were furs, peltry, dried venison, bear's oil, etc., followed by hand-made staves, hoop-poles, cat-tails, ship timber and the finer grades of lumber - such as black walnut and poplar - and some stone#rom the Doyle and Noble quarries. For many years the rearing of stock - hogs and cattle -- upon the acorns and pasturage of the forrest wilds was an important industry. The stock was generally purchased in the autumn by drovers and driven away to the older counties of the state to be corn-fed and fitted for the eastern markets. The present exports of the county are agricultural products, live stock, staves, heading, hoops, pail staves, hubs and spokes, railroad ties, lumber and timber. By the above industrial review it will be seen that the leading industries of the country are agricultural and manufacturing, and that both are re- In speaking of the rapid growth and development of the county, the Toledo during the last decade Paulding county has increased more rapidly in population than any other county in the state, must be as gratifying to its citizens as they are surprising to some other people. But not only in population has Paulding made rapid strides. The most marvelous improvements have been made in lands and roads, and the unpromising swamps of a few years ago have been transformed by industry into a garden."