Williams County, Ohio - Chapter 17: Centre Township, 1905

THIS township was established by order of the county commissioners on the 7th day of March, 1836. Its boundaries are regular, and on the south it borders on Defiance county. The commissioners' order in establishing the township reads as follows: "The Board order that original surveyed townships, Nos. 6 and 7 north, and north to the state line between Ohio and Michigan, commonly called Harris [line], in range 2 east, be erected and incorporated into a township to be called Centre township ; and it is further ordered that the inhabitants of said township of Centre meet on the first Monday of April, next, at the house of Jacob Dillman, and proceed to elect according to law, the necessary officers to organize said township." The names of the first officers who were elected at the residence of Jacob Dillman in April, 1836, are no longer remembered.

Centre as a whole may be characterized as level and unbroken land. What valleys there are, are narrow and bounded by small hillsides. The soil is generally as fertile as elsewhere in the county, and there are some fine farms in the township. They consist of the rich deposit of sandy loam, occasionally mixed with gravel, very productive, that was placed there during the prehistoric glacial period.

The streams in Centre are Lick Creek and several tributaries, and Lost Creek has its source in the southern part of the township. The streams are short, but the territory is well watered, particularly in the southern and eastern portions of the township. Centre is well adapted to grazing purposes, as well as farming, and the industry receives careful attention, with favorable results. Fruit culture is also carried on very profitably, apples being the staple in that line, though all kinds of small fruits succeed admirably. The surface of the township was originally covered with heavy timber, including all the varieties usually found in the county, and the dense forest afforded a hiding place for all kinds of game.

Centre township was settled a few years before the township was organized, the territory then being attached to St. Joseph. A number of the earliest settlers removed from the malaria-infested bottoms of the Maumee to the higher and more healthful lands. This movement was noticed in the settlement of other townships, but the valleys are now considered as healthy as any other locations.

During the summer or autumn of 1833, Mrs. Mary Leonard, a widow, came with her family to Centre township. She was accompanied by James Overleas, Sebastian Frame and John Hickman, all three of whom were her sons-in-law. The four families located in the southeastern part of the township and began to oreparc homes from the heavy woods. Mrs. Leonard had a large family of nearly grownup children, and with the assistance of her sons and sons-in-law encountered no serious drawbacks in the creation of a comfortable home. These families came from Montgomery county, Ohio, with three or four wagons, each drawn by two yoke of oxen, and loaded with such household goods as would be needful in the new home. Members of the family had come to the township some time before to select and enter suitable tracts of land, upon which they designed to locate. This was very probably done during the spring of 1833, and were, so far as known, the first tracts entered in the township, though not the only ones entered during the same year. Sebastian Frame was cabin of his mother-in-law, Mrs. Leonard. The members of the four families often met during the severe winter of 1833-34, to worship, and to talk over the means of meeting successfully the difficult problems of pioneer life. Upon their arrival in the township, the families had at first lived in their wagons and under the shelter of rude temporary abodes, built of poles, brush and blankets, while the men went to work to construct rough cabins of round logs. Pleasant was the task of removing to their cabins, humble though they were. These were probably the only persons * residing in Centre during the year 1833. in January, 1834, Joel Kinsey came from Montgomery county. Ohio, entered the northwest quarter of section 35, erected on the same a small log cabin and began the destruction of the timber on his land. Two or three months later, George Skinner appeared and entered the east half of the southeast quarter of section 34. He likewise built a cabin and made some improvements ; but, in October of the same year, sold his land to Jacob Dillman, and removed from the township, going, no one knew whither. Mr. Dillman, a man who afterward was very prominent in township affairs, had come from Stark county, Ohio, during the spring of 1834, and had selected a tract of land in the eastern part of the township, upon which were favorable facilities for a fine water-power. He returned to Stark county, but the sudden death there of a man whom he had expected would operate his prospective mill altered his plans somewhat, and when he again came to Centre township he purchased the Skinner farm. A few acres had been underbrushed by Mr. Skinner, who had sown thereon what he thought was clover seed, but what soon proved to be Canada thistle seed. The ground was soon covered with this pest, which, was not wholly eradicated for years.

Jacob Dillman was a native of Pennsylvania, of German descent; was a wheelwright bv trade: went to Canada when a young man, afterward moving to Summit county, Ohio, where he remained, working at his trade, until his removal to Williams county. In 1834 he started west through Ohio to look up a mill location and was attracted to Williams county by its bright prospects. When lie decided to locate here he brought out a stock of goods that would -be needed in a new country. He came to t-he countv a comparatively wealthy man and with his wealth did more for the general welfare of the county than perhaps any other one man. He took an active part in the building of churches, schools, etc., and built the first schoolhouse in Centre township with his own means. He built the first steam saw-mill in the county, and was active in the support of the county agricultural society at its organization ; and in fact, all matters of a public benefit found in him a warm supporter. He was a temperance man in principle, a rare thing among our pioneers, who deemed pure corn juice a necessity ; was a member of the United Brethren Church and a Republican in politics. He continued a long life of usefulness and died in March, 1870, beloved and esteemed by all who knew him.

Jacob Fetters was born in Pennsylvania, June 22, 1792, and served for some time as a soldier in the War of 1812. Shortly after he removed with his young wife to Montgomery county, Ohio, and thence in 1836, to Williams county, settling with his family on section 27, Centre township, on the farm where George Fetters afterwards resided; and there he departed this life December 19, 1836.

Bannister Poole was born in Virginia, in 1784, and in early manhood removed to Pennsylvania, where he remained for some time and then moved to Stark county, Ohio. A few years later he removed to Summit county, and then, in 1836, came to Williams county and lived the remainder of his life in Centre township.

Jacob Neihart was born in Centre county, Pennsylvania, in 1795. In early life he removed to Plolmes county, Ohio, and, in 1837, came to Centre township, Williams county, and settled on section 21, where he died in March, 1871.

William Sheridan was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania* August 9, 1801. He there went to school and also served an apprenticeship at blacksmithing. In 1826 he moved to Pittsburg, where he followed his trade until 1833. and then moved to Stark county, Ohio, where he also engaged in blacksmithing and continued thereat until 1840, when he came to Williams county and settled on the farm of 15 E acres in Centre township, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was the father of William Sheridan, Jr., who became quite promi - nent in political affairs of the county, district and State.

Bentley Hannon was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, Feb. 7, 1810. At the age of nineteen years he began learning to be a stone mason ; served two years and then went to Pittsburg, where he worked as a journeyman. He then removed to Ohio and for three years farmed in Columbiana county, but in 1837, he removed to Williams county and settled on an eighty-acre farm which lie had entered the previous year. He lived there until his death.

The first school was taught by an old gentleman named Barney, while Thomas Hill. William Xeavill and Edgar Hubbard were among the earliest pioneer teachers. There are now ten public schools in the

Early ministers in the locality were Revs. Money, Thompson, Lindsey, Ray Boyer, Miller, Perky, Henderson and Barkdoll. The labors of these were supplemented by several active local preachers and exhorters among- the early pioneers.

Centre is an exclusively agricultural township. There are no towns or villages of importance, and no manufacturing industries, aside from a few shops. Melbern is a little village in the west central portion of the township, and Williams Centre is near the southern boundary line. Each contains a store or two, a church, mechanical shops and a few residences. The population has remained stationary for many years, since Bryan and Edgerton, with their better market facilities, have cut off the trade. Two or three saw mills were operated in the township in the early days. The pioneer distilleries also had an existence, Jacob Householder being the first to engage in the liquor manufacturing business. In quite an early day he constructed a small distillery in the eastern part of the township, on the old Neihart farm. The small quantity of whisky made was consumed as fast as it came from the still. But this has long since passed out of existence.