Seneca County, Ohio - Chapter 11: Jesse Spencer County Road from Fort Ball to Tiffin -Wolf Scalps Organizing Townships in Crawford County Building the First, 1880

Jail-The New Jail

JESSE SPENCER COUNTY ROAD FROM FORT BALL TO TIFFIN -WOLF SCALPS BRIDGE FIRST KILN OF BRICKS DAVID BISHOP FINAL ORGANIZATION OF ALL THE TOWNSHIPS H ISTORY OF THE BUILDING. THE BURNING AND THE RE-BUILDING OF THE COURT HOUSE BUILDING THE STONE JAIL-THE NEW JAIL.

IN A former chapter it was said that the Indian reservations were not surveyed into sections until after the Senecas had left the country ; but this statement should be qualified so as to except the Armstrong, the McCulloch and YanMeter sections.

Robert Armstrong and the heirs of McCulloch had full power to dispose ot' their respective reservations in any manner they saw tit. after, the patent from the I'nited States had been issued to them. The trans fer required only the approval ot the President ot the I'nited States endorsed thereon.

On the 2<;th day of the same month Armstrong sold and deeded four hundred and four acres of his reservation to Jess.j Spencer, for three thousand dollars. The deed trom Armstrong to Spencer was approved by President Monroe, and signed by him in his own hand writing. The part of the Armstrong reserve sold to Spencer extended trom the Sandusky river westwardly. Mr. Spencer laid out and platted the village of < (akley, including the old stockade, i Fort ISall, i and extending down the river to the railroad bridges, and west to somewhere near the I!. \- ( ). depot. It was not much ot a town, even on paper. No trace of it < an anywhere be found, and Mr. Spem er never caused any record to be made of thi^. hi-> lirst town in Seneca county. The only buildings the to\\n of Oakley ever contained were the log cabin hotel of Mr. Howe and the cabin ot Mr. I)a\id Smith, near \\here the stove works now ap The i abin of Mr. Agreen Ingraham was up on the hill where the ari~>toi ra< v afterwards ->cttlcd, around about M< Ncal's store, alter M r. Spent er laid < >ut Fort Hall.

They seemed to be more numerous in Seneca than in any adjoining county, and were found most plenty along the Sandusky river, and along the several branches ot Wolt creek, which was very appropriately named after them.

By the law of the state, four dollars were paid for wolf-scalps, and every county was authori/ed to add such additional sum to the lour dollars as the commissioners would order. The counties adjoining Seneca refused to add any further sum to the state premium on sculps, and the two dollar^ added in Seneca became a great inducement to kill wolves in Seneca county. Money wus exceedingly scarce in those davs. and hard to get. The idea <>! raising six dollars in money for one wolf's scalp, excited the skill and avarice of many a pioneer. Men would work on farms, at trades, at anything, a whole month for that much money and board - yes. and then very otten take their pay in store goods, or other barter, at that.

The greater number of wolves that were killed were caught in traps made expressly for wolves. Those that were shot were comparative!} few. The ingenious trapper was the most successful man to get the premiums on scalps. Some ot these trappers in Hancock, \\ood. Sandu>ky. Huron and Crawford, living near the county line - yes. and some of those that lived a considerable distance away -when they found a wolf in the trap, in making the morning rounds, would strike the wolf over the head with a club and thus stun and disable, but not kill him. Then they would hitch a horse or an ox to a sled, and haul wulf and trap into Seneca count}', and there finish killing the wolt: so that the trapper rould make an atlnlavit that the wolt was killed in Seneca. This i ounty paid lor many a s< alp ot a wolt that was caught in some other count}'. There was mone\ in it. The result was. that in the course of a lew vears the wolvVs became very scarce. Along towards the year i.S.jo. scarcely an\ scalps were presented tor premium.

After the organi/ation of Seneca, and betore Crawtord count} was organi/ed. the commissioners of Seneca county, upon petition for that purpose, organi/ed three townships in Crawford, as follows. \i/:

< >n the ;th day of December. 1X24. upon the pet ( haeMi.e, Crawiord township was ordered to orgam/e eleMion on (he j^th day ot December, 1^-4, at the house ot said Cha< itee, i! n ind i here to elect three I rustees and a treasurer, to take < hr.rge and dispose of the school lands belonging to s.nd township.

At the same session. Uenjamin Bellinger was paid ><j.oo for nails used in building the jail. Nails were then a rarity, and just coming into use. There were no nails used in building cabins, as we shall see hereafter. If a man were to be compelled to build a house now-a-days without nails, he would scarcely know how it could be done. It wa> no trick, at all. for a pioneer.

David Bishop, who had come to Tiffin about one year before this time, was appointed keeper of weights and measures, by the board at this session.

Bishop was a sort ot character by himself. He was a carpenter by trade, and a rival of Reuben Williams in that line. He was a large. powerful, muscular man. Francis Bernard was a stone and brick mason. He and Bishop had a great many tights, and when Bernard was sober, he would almost invariably whip Bishop: and Bernard'- friends charged Bishop with cowardice, because lie would never whip Bernard except when he ' Bernard) was drunk. Bishop was the auctioneer for a long time, and a wonderful man to talk and boast. He was friendly to everybody - kind and hospitable - and was afterwank elected sheriff ot the count}'. He was a good officer, and faithful to dut\ .

Dr. \\ illiams. a sketch ot whose lite will be found elsewhere herein. insists that the township was named for Seth Read, and by him. Read was an earl}' settler there, and a singular, original sort <>f a character. The dor tor says: "The name of the township ought to be spelled as it was lirst intended R e-a-d".

Pleasant township was organi/ed with it- present boundaries June 6. i *.? i : London township was organi/ed with its present boundaries, but no election was ordered until upon the application of ( 'harles \V. Foster, who -ays in his petition, that there were twenty elector- in London, and i^ks tor an order !o hold the lirst election, to ha\ e the -chool lands taken '-an- of. So ordered on the 4th of Man h. iS^.i. At the March term, i-^.vv the auditor ot the count}' tor the lir-t time be< ante <\\--<>f}ii'i<> clerk

Thus everv township in the counts was or_;an;/ed, the ciotion ot township otticefs ordered, and the L^ >\ eminent "! the < - Mint) ( ompleted.

In or^'ani/m^ ('Union township as originally sijr\e\ed. adding to it tlie portion lyin^ \\e-t ot the river, whii h. lor the sake ot < on\en;em e. and tor want of a bridge a< ros> the Sandu-k\ r;\ er. had !"f a t , me been attai hed to Hoprue!!, the ])fo]>osition met with a strong opposition. Ncarlv e\erybod) on the uest s;de o! the ri\er -:_m d a teim >:;--' ram c. The sj.int of o], position to 1'ittin had -prc.ul trom 1 -ort llall i i>-ar to and all a!on- the east line of Ilopeuc!!. and it st-eined to be a sort ot lu\ur\ when an opportunit) ottered it-eit to h-h; Tittin and. the ea-t side. Hut the board fixed the bonndar) as it now is, ami the ! 'eel MI:; oi resentment ^radunlh abated.

I* or want oi a < onrt house, the several i onnt\ otm ers turm-hed their own room- and jiresented their accounts [or the rent to the bond of ( oinm i ssioiuTs i or allowance. Mr. Raw -< MI . the count v ro order, w as allowed ofiiee rent tor the ye. ir ending l>o ember (i, iS^j. ten dollars. The other ottu ers < lerk. auditor, sheriff. et< .. ro eivei! about the same ani< unit.

given tor the reception of proposals to build a court house, and that the commissioners \vi!l meet tor that purpose on the i4th day of April then next following.

Nothing further was done towards building a court house until in the session of the commissioners on the 5th day ot December, 1833, when they appointed John Hungrier and Calvin Bradley a committee to proceed to the county seats of I, online, Portage and Richland, and take a correct description, together with the cost, etc., of each court house in the said counties, and report the same to the board at their meeting, on Friday, the 2 7th day of December, 1833.

December 27, 1833 - Board met and adjourned to January 3, 1834, when they again met and received the reports of Buugher and Bradley. The expense ot the trip. 593.80, was allowed. Adjourned to Friday. January 17. 1834. At this meeting it was ordered that a court house be built of brick, and that notice be published tor proposals, etc.. up to February 13. 1834.

.March 5, 1834 - Calvin Bradley was paid £15.00 for draft and specifications. Brown >\: Magill's printers' account ot £3.25, was also paid. Jacob Stem was appointed as agent to negotiate a loan of S6.ooo.oo to pay tor the court house, and a bond was issued to him for that purpose.

March 15, 1834 - Mr. Stem reported that the amount, $6,000.00, was deposited in the Baltimore Savings Institution, Maryland. Thereupon the board loaned this amount to Mr. Stem until the interest should compensate him for his trouble.

seven' \ears the-iee next following, which time having expired, the board appoints the said Al>el Kawson reconltT. as aforesaid, and until the next lal October election. .JOHN SKIT/.

- losiali Hedges presented a petition from sundry inhabitants of Adams, and 1'leasant townships, praying for a ne\v township to he made out of the aliove named townships, to lie called -'Sulphur Springs." After taking said petition into consideration, they protest the same, and petitioners go hence from wlience they came.

The first step taken for the purchase of a farm, and the erection o; a county infirmary for Seneca county, was the entry on the journal o: the county commissioners, on the ;th >iay of June. 1X41. upon the petition presented by Jacob \V. Miller and others, on the ^d day ot March. 1X41. The petition was read at this session, and postponed for further considerate >n.

U'hile writing on the subject of this court house, it may be well to state here, in connection with the subject, the circumstances ot the burning ot the court house, and the rebuilding ot the same.

The reader must not look for any chronological arrangement in this, work, as there is no eilort made touards order in tune in the relation ot subjects. This is not intended as a reference book. Its object is to preserve descriptions of earl\ limes and scenes; the memories of men and women who first built homes in this forest, then called Seneca i oun'y: recollei - of their manner of living: their trials and hard ship-: their pleasures and their griefs; their virtues and their vices: to ple.isc. and. it possible, to instruct. The data were so carclullx i ollei led ' ' . i\ be n lied upon with < ontidence.

and Wilson, being close to the stair ease, had the logs burnt nearly through at this time, and the sand had commenced pouring down. ( )nc jump brought me into the south \\indo\v of the office, when three logs, with about twenty leads of sand on top. tell down into the oltice. Another jump out, landed me on mv hands and feet on the ground, with the cheer-- of the crowd on that side; but before 1 could get up. the whole cornice on the south side fell and nearly covered me: but, as good fortune would have it. a piece of the cornice that tell close by. end-ways, operated as a pro]) to the balance, and I was pulled Irom under the rubbish without injury.

After the first alarm of lire, a few bucketfuls of water would have been sufficient to put it out. It was then just breaking through the cornice and root, at the northeast corner of the house. There was no way to reach the lire. There was no lire-engine, no hooks, no ladders, no fire company. The people were as helpless as children, and doomed to stand bv and see their new and beautiful court house burn down. They did all they could do. They saved the records, some of the turniture. and the neighboring buildings.

There was a great difference of opinion as to the cause ot the lire. Some laid it to incendiarism: others laid it to Mr. John KIder, who was deputv clerk, for leaving his candle burning in his room in the upper story, immediately below where the fire first broke through. John was seen, late1 in the evening, coming down stairs, dressed up. and some time alter the roof was all ablaxe, came back, being dressed lor Sunday, lie had a bed. his clothing, books, and some furniture in the room, and slept there. 15 e this as it may, Sunday morning. May 2^. tound the court house in a>he.i within its walls. The gable ends had tallen in. and all the c himncy-, but one.

( )i: the Monday following. Mr. I)avid Ilishop, a most daring, reckless man. in Mime way got up on to the- north wall and walked eastward towards the onl\ < h'mney yet standing, and iii:-t as he stretched out nd to touch it. it tell outside to the ground. How Mr. ISishop ug alter it . is Minpl v a in i racle.