Seneca County, Ohio - Life of Josiah Heuges Change I- I K S I Jm.a1 Ol Mm in 1 H 1- Saw M![.l Miasma Iiksi 1kaivf Hclms L:ksl S1okis* Firm Hk!^k Hotsks, 1880

at the Delaware land office. In 1822 the first stick was cut on the plat of Tiffin, at a place near the Commercial bank, in the first ward. In the same year Mi. Hedges built a saw mill on Rocky creek, a short distance east of the court house, and a frame building on the lot north ot the court house, which was afterwards used for very manyjmrposes - lor a court house. Masonic hall, offices and shops, etc. The same building is still in existence, and stands near the mouth and on the leftbank of Rocky creek and also on the bank of the Sandusky river, and is now used as a pape» box factory. In the same year he also built the flouring mill on the Sandusky river, which was afterwards known as the --Hunter mill." By a prudent and liberal course in disposing of his town lots, he saw the place increase steadily, and in 1X28 he secured the removal of the land office from Delaware to Tiffin, thus giving the town a new impetus. In 1825. and again in iS^o, he was elected a member ot the House of Representatives from this district, in which capacity he served to the satisfaction of the people. In 1837 he disposed ot his interest in the store to a son. and from that time to the close of his life, devoted all his time to the interest of Tiffin and his growing wealth.

In his younger days Mr. Hedges was an athletic and vigorous man. and well up to nearly four score years he retained a large portion of his mental and physical vigor, and was always able to attend to his own affairs. lie was generous and just in his dealings with his fellow men: benevolent and kind. He assisted all the Christian denominations in Tiffin, and granted lots for the erection of churches, in addition to his liberal subscriptions. He was the originator of many, and the supporter of all, public improvements. He was possessed ot that large and unselfish hospitalitv that characterized all the early settlers. He was generous to the poor, and always willing to lend a helping hand. When a man bought a lot from him on which to build himself a home. and could not pay as he had agreed to do. Mr. Hedges would never trouble him. as long as the purchaser showed a desire and willingness to pay. Yet he looked after his interest, and expected men to come up to their promises. While he had no love tor drones and loafers, the man of work and industr alwas found in him a friend. Those that he kut-w the man to be true and faithful, was ready to help him, if necessary. with inati'ri/}! aJricr. lie was as sincere in all his intercourse with his Irllow men as he was just and generous: and while he was the good neighbor and citi/cn. the sale counsellor and faithful friend, he -,v:is also an indulgent and affectionate father and devoted husband.

lar. ami his carriage wonderful!) straight lor one ot" his age. Kroni that time onuard th'1 in< reasing years wrought their mark upon his powerful frame. < >n a pleasant <lay he \vouM walk with short steps about town, in his double gown, with a stick in his hand, dragging his shoes, tramped down at the heels, olten with his smoking cap on and smoking his tamiiiar short pipe - the very picture ot a comfortable sunset after a long, summer day.

In stature Mr. Hulges was a little over six teet high, and well proportioned. His carriage was very straight, his movements and gestures, as well as his conversation, very decided. He had nothing of suavity or "blarney" about him. He was very economical with his words in business transactions, and would say no more than was necessary to accomplish the work in hand. His intercourse with men, while it was pleasant enough in business, and utterly void of offense, yet borethat peculiar, almost indescribable, natural aristocracy that so much characteri/es the true Virginia gentleman of the olden school. His voice was clear, a little metalic. and on a rather high note for so large a person. He had a fine forehead, a sharp, small, black eye, a prominent nose, not very large, clenched lips, high cheek bones, heavy lower jaw. and in his A//// t->isc/n/>/c was the very image of firmness and decision.

"( I'd1 us. \vr scarce know whence »>r when A change licgins t<> steal. Which teaches that we ne'er again \s once we felt . shall feel. A curtain, slow 1\ drawn aside. Reveals a shadi >we<l scene When-ill the 1'iit lire <li It'ers \\ hie From w hat the past has been."

The first plat of Tiffin contained iiS lots - each block ot 12 lots facing lour streets, \\itli a cross alley through the center. It had three streets running east and west, vi/: Perry, Market and Madison, starting near l\ock\ creek am[ ending near the river: and three streets running north and south, vi/: Jefferson. Washington and Monroe, starting near the river, and ending at an alley i<So teet south ot Madison street. The east end of this alley is now Tiffin street, and leads from Jefferson to the old cemetery.

This was Tiffin, with a little opening and a cabin where the gas works now are. Another was built soon thereafter, near where the Commercial bank now is. and another a little south ot Naylor's hardware store.

Thi> survey was made and the town platted before Seneca county was organi/ed. a> was before slated, and thereiore the plat had to be recorded in the' recorder's office of Sandusky county, which was done on the 2Sth day of November. A. \), 1X21.

No change was made in the pla; of Tiffin until iN^i. on the 2 7th day of May. when Mr. Hedges had his southern addition to Tiffin surveyed and platted. This contained in-lots from i j<) to i.j(>. both inclusive. and out-lots from i to 12. both inclusive. The public cemetery was laid just north of out-lot No. 7. This addition was a string of lots, one on each side of Washington street, running south to the first alley now north of the (lerman ('atholic church and the junction ot the roads. The lots from both sides run endwise to the street. Not a single cross street intersei ts them to this day. Jefferswn street and Monroe street were also extended south, the same distance through these out iots.

( reek .:j lin. so ih it ihe mill ';. id neither head nor t i;l race. A ra< e. hov.\ e\ <-;-. v\ a- ' ':}--' rui ied !r< nn this da in to the ( '; ty M i!l. still standing. Tiiis -;iw mill \.a- built in iXji>, and \\ as run night and dav fo suppl}" the _rrea! (iemand that was mail1 upon i: for lumber with whi< h to build irame houses, and for oilier jmrposes. It bo ame tile center of attrac lion, and looked like a bee hive on a large M ale while it lasted. Kvrvbody was in need of board-, and had t» have them.

Brick yard- were now started: one in Fort Ball, and the other, by |ohn Strong, ai the south side of Tiffin street, near the east end. and \vhirh wa- kept in operation for many years thereafter.

In iS.^i. Patrick Kinney. Philip Hennessey and another Irishman who-e name ha- escaped me. entered into a contract with Mr. Strong for tlie making of brick sufficient to build the fust Catholic church in Tiffin, and became personally responsible for the payment.

The church was erected in the fall of that year, near the -outh side and ca-t end. of Madi-on street, opposite the old stone jail, and on the present old ('atholic cemetery. It stood with the -'able end towards the -tree',, with a cupola at the north end of the root. It- little bell wa- the lir>t church bell in the county, and while it- note wa- on a hi^h kev. it \\a- pleasant to hear it- cheerlnl echo through the woods.

The remainder of the brick from this kiln Mr. Strong sold to Mr. lohn (ioodm. who built with them the fir- 1 brick hotel in town, on lot No. So. now owned bv Mr. lohn I.o-s>er. in the tit'ili ward, 'I'his hotel wa- then con a Lirand affair. The lar^e fire-place in the bar room i- then; yet. but clo-ed up. The pon h ol the second -lory. whu h extended clear over the pavement, and had a heavv root over it. ha- pa--ed away. The town council had it removed because it obstructed the \ iew ol the street: but it was the 1110-1 conspicuous part of the hoi

The M. I.. Church on Market street: the -tore buildings of Henry l.bert uhi> i- now !vin_ a i orp-e at thi- writing, and will be buried !o day. April 2. iSSo ; John Park's -tore: a -mall, one -tor\ brick immediately south of Sneath's hotel, where Mr. Andrew Clcim kept -tore, and the one -tory. -mall lirii k -choo] house, nearlv opposite the oid M . I-'.. ( 'hurch. were a.! MUM all the bru k buildings in '1'itlin and Fort ball. excepting the dwelling hon-e of ]>i. Kuhn. and the little IJXLJ vellow hr < is on Sandn-ky street, which \va- \lr. Rawson's law office. and afterward- be. a me the oftic e of I )r-. I ) re-bach and Carey.

the Walkers and Masons opened up in it on a large scale. John Staub and F.li Norris were rival liotel keepers with Richard Sneath. deorge Park had a round-log-cabin hotel on 1'erry street, the first tavern in Tit'tin. lie afterwards put a two-story frame hotel on the lot now covered by the National Hall Mlock. Sometimes it was kept by Staub. and sometimes by Norris. Later on. Dr. lames Fisher built the frame house on the northwest corner of Market and Monroe, where Staub kept tavern awhile. The building is now owned and occupied by Mr. Upton Flenner. who is also an old pioneer here.

Mr. Calvin Mradlev built the Central House, in which he kept tavern himself, opposite the west part of the court house. ( )f all the older hotels in Tiffin, this is the only one remaining, and is now, and for a long time passed, has been, known as Remele's butcher shop.

This man Mradley was a wonderful man tor energy ami enterprise. He engaged in very many speculations, and while he kept hotel he also carried on the butchering business, selling meat twice a week. In 1832 he (hanged the name of his hotel to that of the Washington House. It had a high post in front, with a swinging sign on which was a golden lamb.

Fdar and Howe had a but< her shop in Fort Mall. They advertised fresh Meat tor sale every Tuesday and Saturday. The market opened at the sound of the trumpet.

\Vherc the Commercial Hop.se now stands, there was a two-storv frame building occupied b\ Mr. lames Mercer with his lamily. and in which he. in companv with Mr. Henry L.bert. carried on the hatting business, manufacturing and selling hats. M\ brother Ileiirv. the beloved pastor of the Cerman Fvangelical Lutheran Church of Fre mont. learned the trade ot hatter there, as the apprentice of Mr. M ercer.

Mr. Cronise's store contained a large stock o! goods tor that time, and like all other stores, was composed ot all varieties ot goods, such as dry goods, hardware. (]iieensware and groceries.

( >ne druggist advertised for sale at his stand, medicines, paints, oils, patent medicines, cross cut saws, mill irons and tooth ache drops.

It w,,s then, and tor some time afterwards, very customary in Tiffin to ke'-p molasses and whisky lor sale at the stores. These articles were generally kept in the cellars, When farmers came in to trade, thev were taken b\ the proprietor, or some < lerk, into the cellar and treated to a glass ot' black-strap. This compound consisted ot molasses and

Jacob Plane was justice of the peace and postmaster on the Tit'tin side, and lived in a two-story frame house that stood immediately south of where Man mart's dru:_r store now stands.

Mr. Rawson had moved his law ottice to this side of the river. It was a small trame building that stood close bv or about the place where Mr. 11. Prohl now lives. I)r. Dresbarh's ottice was a small, low brick building that stood on the alley immediately north of Here's cabinet warehi >u-e.

The public st|iiare was full of IOL;- and stump-,. After Mr. Plane. Mr. Cronise had the post ottice in his building. J.cvi Keller had a black smith shop a little north of doodin's hotel, where l.oomis' stone front now stands. Valentine and Philip Secwahl put ii]i a double hewed IOL; house, away out ot town, near the southern extremity of the southern addition to Tiffin. There Valentine carried on the pmsmithini; and iockmakinu" business, and Phili]) the watch repairing and jewelrv trade. The\' lived there lor a Ion- time, and until they bought the lot where the Rn-l block no\\ is. and moved upon thai, where they both lived until the} died.

Mr. \ndrcw I.uuenbul lived in a small brick house now embraced in the house of Mr. John Kemele. on Madison street. Joseph Howard lived in a laru'e Irame house on the northwest corner of Washington and Madison. P-<|. Keen lived, in i^.v where he does now. I>avid \'.. ( )weti. the auditor, lived in a part ot the house with Ks<j. Plane. Mr. loshua Sene_\ lived near neighbor to, and east of. Mr. Heduc-. on the --outh si<le ol Perr}'. where Mr. and Mr-. Seney both died. hr. Kulm lived on the lot where the new jail now stands. His old ottii e is -till :n existciK e. and -land- < lose b\ . unoccupied.

In iS^. a man by the name of Louis Dredoon, a hotel keeper in McGutchenville. had a short cannon cast at this foundry to be used at the coining Fourth ot lulv celebration. He came alter it with a wagon on the J.-jth day of lime, and all hands concluded to try it first. They put the piece on the running gear ot a wagon and loaded it very strong. It exploded, and played havoc all around. A piece of the iron struck Mr. Durdoon on the torehead and crushed in the skull from his left eve brow up to the hair. He was picked up unconscious, and carried to Goodin's hotel, then kept by Michael Hendel. where he soon after died. ])ildine had several ribs broken: one \\atson had a leg broken; other men were injured more or less. 'I he wagon and the front door ot the foundry were demolished, and pieces o! the cannon were lound great distances away. There lias been no cannon foundry in Tiffin since. \\ e buy all our guns ot Krupp.

William H. Kessler carried on the tailoring trade in Fort Hall, and Moses I). Cadwallader and [eficrson Freese were rivals in Tiffin. Mr. Freese married a young lady that Dr. Fisher raised and brought with him here from Maryland. She was very pretty, and highly esteemed. Dr. Dover lived in a stone house that stood where Kmick's boot store i-. This and the mill house were the only stone houses in Tiflin Doth are L'onc. One of Dr. Dover's daughters married Lloyd Norris. who became the owner o! the Van Metrcr section, and lived there. He had mean- they said, but very little polish. He was the lather of the detective, b'hn T. Norris. Another daughter ol Dr. D<>\er. Lii/abeth. married Dr. lame- H-her one of Tiffin's early practitioners. Moth were very polite and accomplished people. The Doctor i- -til! living somewhere in Missouri. Our Richard Dover, the broker, is the young est of the sons, and Frances Hannah was the youngest daughter. She be< ame the wife of John |. Steiner. one ol the early lawyers of Tiffin. I'x ilh are mnv dead.

It is impossible to remember all the old settlers here, and the names of tho-e that occur are only jotted down. Many ot those on the Fort ball side have already been named. There, also, li\ed Gen. H. ( '. Drish. Valentine and George knupp. Andrew Love, \\illiam |ohn-on. George Kagan. ('urtis Si-ty. l.e\ i Da\ i- and Nicholas Leibe. Mr. Stinu. the father ol ( '. II. Ming, also built and carried on a little brewer) on Sandusky street. Leibe. < oonrad and. Daugher married three sifters. ( )t these six. M rs. ( 'oonrad. alone, is living. The\ were the i] MI" ;i willow lady. Mr-. Staub. and sisters of the once

\\ e Americans understand a "forester"' to be a man that lives in the woods. The word is understood otherwise in Kurope. 'There it means an officer ot the "forest department;" one who superintends and takes care of the kind's torest. and prosecutes offender^, against the forest laws. etc.

( )n the j;th day of lanuary. iSoi. lather wa- married to Catharine. the daughter ot" the school teacher Schuet/. in \"order \Veidenthal. .111 old Al-ac;an t'amily. This union wa- blessed with nine children ->even daughters and two sons. Two of the v;:.rl- died in childhood. l.oui-a, the oldest daughter, married I'hihp Seewald. tlie jeweler, in Sep'em her. iXj.s. Kli/alieth. the second daughter, married lohn Ciros>. a cabinet maker, in March. iS-i; the other uiris were all marrieil here 1'hilipina wa- married to Valentine Seewald. in Tiffin, September. iX^. >i>oii aliei' we arrived here. Henrietta married Mr. |. M. /ahm. laic county treasurer. Mav j. 1X^6. and Hannah married Michael Schoch. wl;o died here \\itlun a lew months alter their marriage. Hannah some time after married Mr. l.dwanl Swander. well known in Seneca count v as an intelligent and -ncce-siul tanner. Mr-, /ahm is the only living daughter. Uotli sons, the Kev. Henry l.anu in I'Yemont. and tlu wriU'r. ve! remain.

The vcrv fact that father held his office from hi- nineteenth to his si\t\ founh year, when he re-i^ned it to come to the I'nited Stales. prove-- ho\\ m".' h he was a])prei ia!ed a> a man and an officer. bein_r in the posse»ion of hi- oifn e -ome fortv three years.

Nortolk. Virginia.. I poti his ivturn to Maryland he engaged in the mercantile business, which occupation lie pursued as long as he was in active lite. In iSio lie was married at Fredcricklown, Maryland, to Susanna Fundenburg, a young lady well known tor her beauty and sweetness ot disposition, which made her attractive and lovable through the whole ot her lite, and especially in her latter days, binding to her. with the closest ties of affection, children, grand-children and a host ot friends. With all her personal attractions and her warm nature, mother ('ronise preferred her home above all the allurements of society, where she would have been a queen in any circle.

In iSjC) Mr. (/ronise came to < )hio in company with several other gentlemen, and being very much pleased with Seneca county, located several sections in ditterent parts ot it. and purchased a house tor his home, which remained such for nearly thirty years, during which time it was a sort of open house for neighbors and friends at home, and distinguished strangers from abroad.

Alter his purchase he returned to Maryland, and in the tollowing year sent out a number o! wagons loaded with dry goods : himselt and tamily. then ((insisting of a wile and live children, tollowed in a short time, coming across the countty in carriage- and on horseback, and being four weeks on the road. ( )n reaching Tiffin, the family moved into the house thus provided: it was located opposite Navlor's hardware store. Four oilier children were born here, making nine in all.

In I.S.JQ Mr. ('ronise established the I'tiii Hit >'<-nit,\ and operated it as its editor against the election ot lieneral Harrison, with great force. Mr. ('ronise was elected to the legislature twice: once as a member ot

. small, clem lied lips, a tine ia\v. no.se ordinarv. ncr\ ous-biliou> tempera s the possessor trouble wlieii unaci oinpianied iron will. It is apt to lead to impulsiveness. ike this geiicrallv a> :-- betore it thinks, but it onl\ at times ot high politii al e\( itement. In

States and settled in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania, where he opened a jewelry shop. When the Lang family came, in 1^3, they stopped at Pittsburgh until Seewald and his family united with them, and then both tamilie^ came to Tittin together, where they arrived on the iSth

The early settlers will remember the jewelry More of Seewald, in tlie large, hewed log hou.-e. on south Washington street, in Tiffin. The iront end was devoted to jewelry, and the bark part to gunsmithing. Ilere he lived until about 1^43. when he bought from John (ioodin the lot where the RUM block now is. and where he li\ed the rest of his days.

1 I e never made the Lnglish language a study, and spoke it very brokenly: but he built up a good trade with his skill and general reputation lor honestv. I!v close application to IMS books he became well versed in general historv and the popular sciences o! the day. lie was naturally a thinker and investigator: he took nothing tor granted, and discarded everything that lacked a cause. lie was linn in his judgment, and able to defend an\ position he took. His mind natur allv lead him to the bottom of tilings. While he never obtruded his conclusions on anybody, he was strong in the delense ol them when once formed.

His witc died on the Mh day ot February. iN.p,. Three ol their children were born in (lermany. and the rest of them in this country. They had eight in all. of whom three sons ;md t \\ o daughters are still living. Louis Seewald. the jeweler, i- the oldest sou; William lives in New Mexico, and Philip, the youngest, in Hudson. Michigan. The boys were all jewelers. The oldest daughter is M r-y ( )Mer, and the voungres! Mrs. Spindier. both residing in Tittin.

Mr. Seewald was married au'ain to Lli/abeth Staib. This union wa> blessi-d \\i'h but one child. Sophia, who was married in the spring of liiis year to a Mr. Koll, ot ('le\ eland, where ihey reside.