Defiance Township (part 3 of 11)

Ten years after the first organization in 1841, the society was re-organized and a new constitution adopted. The name of the society was called The Bible Society of Defiance and Vicinity, which included tlie present counties of Williams, Paulding, Defiance, Henry and part of Putnam. Prom that time on to the present, the records are full and complete, and the fiftieth anniversary was held in the Presbyterian Church, March 27, 1881. The officers of the organization of 1841 were William Seamaus, Esq., President; Owen Ensign, Payn C. l>arker, William Trans and Dr. 0. H. Allen, Vice Pn^sidents ; Rev. E. R. Tucker, Secretary; Screno Lyman, Treasurer ; W. C. Holgate, Auditor ; and Dr. J.

Colby, W. 0. Holgate and Josiah Ackley, Directors. Of the above-named officers, only two, Messrs. Holgate and Traverse, are known to be living at the present time.

August 5, 1841, a branch society from the Defiance Society was organized at the town of Charloe, Paulding Co., Ohio, with the following officers ; Robert Shirley, President ; John Taylor, Vice President ; A. J. Taylor, Secretary ; Levi Taylor, Treasurer and Depositary. Also September 3, 1841, a branch society was organized at Williams Center, Williams Co., Ohio, with the followingnamed gentlemen as officers : Owen Ensign. President ; Jacob Conkey, Vice President ; W. 0. Ensign, Secretary ; Paj-n C. Parker, Treasurer and Depositary.

The first anniversary of the new society was held in the law office of William Seamans, November 15, 1842. Rev. Mr. Briggs, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Rev. E. R. Tucker, of the Presbyterian Church, conducted the services, and the reports of the officers in regard to the success and progress of the work were read and approved. From the reports we find that much good work had been accomplished, and many copies of God's Word had been distributed among the poor and destitute settlors of the northwest part of the State. January 26, 1843, was organized the Ladies' Branch Bible Society of Defiance, for the better prosecution of the work of the church. The following ladies were elected officers of the society :

President, Mrs. H. C. Southworth; Vice President, Mrs. E. L. H. West; Secretary, Mrs. B. Holgate; Treasurer, Mrs. A. M. Noble; Depositary, Mrs. A. Colby; Directors and Visitors, Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Cheeney, Mrs. Lyman, Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Brubaker.

This organization was very zealous and efficient in its work, visiting all the families in the neighborhood, and supplying all who were destitute of Bibles and Testaments. It was a labor of love, for which our pioneer mothers took a deep interest, as thej' do in e\ery good work for a higher and better civilization.

For fifty years the men and women of the Defiance Bible Society, in the spirit of their Master, have given freely of their time, infiuence and money, as well as their earnest prayers, for the spread of His Gospel, and the conversion of men and women from sin to pure and holy thoughts of God and Heaven, and a future life. They ha\'c sent consolation and joy into the homes of hundreds of families of pioneer settlers, which has doubtless controlled the destiny of many a wayward spirit, and turned it into channels of usefulness and power for good.

During the fifty years of the existence of the society, it has purchased more than $5,000 worth of Bibles and Testaments, for free distribution and sale among the people within its territory, and has sent to the American Bible Society, from sale of books and collections, more tliau 8(1,000. At the present time the society is in a most flourishing condition, and expects to make a thorough canvass of the count3- during the present year, and give a copy of the Scriptures to every family not able to purchase. The present offices are:

The first grounds ever set apart as shown of record for the burial of the dead at Defiance were the two lots marked M and P on the original plat of the town laid out by H. G. Phillips and Benjamin Leaveil, in November, 1822. Lot " M " was dedicated by that plat to the Methodists for a church and burying ground. And lot " P " to the Presbyterians for the same purpose. There was no organized Methodist or Presbyterian Church at that time at Defiance, and there being no member of a Presbyterian Church then resident of this place to care for its interests, the general public took possession of their ground and devoted the same exclusively to burial piirposes, This ground is very handsomely located on the vyesterly bank of the Auglaize River, a little northerly of the Hopkins street bridge, now almost in the heart of the city.

Among the early burials in this lot, as attested by marble slabs still standing, may be found the names of Nancy, daughter of Robert Shirley, who died ^March -1, 1823, aged seventeen years; Thomas, son of Joshua Hilton, died 1825, aged fifteen years; Mary, wife of Thomas Warren, died April 11, 1826, aged twenty-three years (she was also daughter of Robert Shirley) ; Nathaniel B. Adams, died August 9, 1843, ao-ed forty-one years twenty- two days; David Travis, died jMarcli 8, 1847, aged fifty-five years. In addition to the above may be found the graves of the

As this lot was fast filling up, steps were taken to secure a general burying ground, resulting in the purchase from H. G. Phillips of ten acres for 1400, deeded May 14, 1847, to the Defiance Rm-al Cemetery Association (incorporated by special act).

At an election of the Defiance Rural Cemetery Association, held March 8, 1847, the following electors were present: J. W. Phillips, M. P. Bell, A. L. Downs, S. B. Barnum, Eli Rider, William Semans, Jonas Colby, Thomas Warren, Jacob J. Greene, George W. B. Evans, Orlando Evans, T^^illiam C. Holgate, W. A. Brown and Pierce Evans, William Semans S. B. Barnum and William C. Holgate each received 13 votes, and William P. Bell and Orlando Evans each received 14 votes for Trustees of the Defiance Rural Cemetery Association. Jonas Colby received 14 votes for Secretary and Horace Sessions received 13 for Treasurer.

November 17, 1847 - Ordered that the Secretary of this Association procure a surveyor to survey the ground lately purchased of H. G. Phillips, for the use of said association, situated on the Auglaize River, at Culvert Run in Defiance Township.

Pursuant to the above orders, John Wisler, County Surveyor of the county of Defiance, was called and proceeded at once to survey the ground, laying out the lots and fractional lots, avenues, walks, etc.

May 22, 1848 - Board met. Present, William Semans, M. P. Bell, Orlando Evans and William C. Holgate, Trustees. William Semans in the chair. On motion, William C. Holgate and Jonas Colby were appointed a committee to have general supervision of the grounds, clearing, fencing, arranging shade trees, etc.

The first notice for the sale of lots took place July 1, 1848. December 20, 1848, at a meeting held at the Secretary's office (J. Colby, Secretary), William C. Holgate, William Semans and George B. Way were appointed as a committee to draft by-laws for the government of the association.

The first burial in the new cemetery was that of Helen D., daughter of Lyman and F. M. Langdon, who died January 13, 1849, aged sis years eight months and twenty days The original design of beautifying the grounds was never fully cai-ried out until 1871, when the Association was re-orgainzed by the election of new officers as follows: William C. Holgate, Peter Kettenring, L. A. Davison, L. E. Myers and E. P. Plooker, Trustees; William C. Holgate, President; Peter Kettenring, Treasurer; Edwin Phelps, Secretary. In 1875, Messrs. Davison and Myers retij-ing, their places were filled by Charles P.

Tittle and J. J. Jarvis, and subsequently in March, 1881, the Board as above was continued and John D. Lamb was elected Secretary in place of Edwin Phelps, resigned.

The ladies of Defianco, in 1875 or 1876, organized a society known as the Ladi^w' Rural Cemetery Association, whose object was the raising of money to beautify and im[)rovo the grounds, and in 1878 and 1879 their fund had grown to perhaps $500, a good portion of which had boon devoted to the object above specified. These grounds are located about a mile from the center of the city on the banks of the beautiful Auglaize Riv6r, and are very tastefully laid out into lots and fractional lots, with fine, spacious avenues and walks, notably among them Central avenue, which is twenty-five feet wide, extending through the center and whole length of the grounds to the banks of the Auglaize. Rural avenue is sixteen feet wide, running along the bank of a ravine, which forms the boundary line of the grounds on the west; and then there are Locust, Eglantine and Cedar walks, which are very pretty and are laid out each of them eight feet wide. The plat is divided into five divisions, " A, B, C, D, E. " Division C is a circle situated at the southerly part of the grounds as a public park and is surrounded by Central avenue. Its diameter, inclusive of the circular part of Central avenue, is 170 feet, and this, together with the entire inclosure, is beautifully shaded by the natural forest trees.

The Lot "M" donated to the Methodist organization by H. G. Phillips and Benjamin Leavell, was not considered suitable for a burying ground and the congregation, by and with the consent of the original donors, proceeded to lay it out in building lots, the proceeds of which they were to apply a certain amount in payment of the lot deeded to the Defiance Rural Cemetery Association, and the balance realized from the sale of said lots was to go to the benefit of the Methodist Episcopal denomination.

Defiance Township was organized in 1840. Unlike most of the other townships of Defiance County, it is not a full Congressional Township. Its southern part consists of the northern half of Town 3 north. Range 4 east, being a half of Auglaize Township, Henry County; and this half township included all the territory taken from Paulding County upon the organization of Defiance County in 1845. The northern portion of Defianco Township, as now constituted, comjirisos the southern part of Defiance Township, Williams County; which formerly included, besides these, the land which now comprises Noble.

Immediately opposite the old plat of Defiance, on the north side of the Maumee River, is a level plateau of land, extending some distance back without any apparent variation of grade. Its height above the river is fifty or sixty feet; the bank, before " improvement broke nature's fair outline," gently sloped to the river's edge, and in some places left a narrow bottom of a few rods' width.

This being higher than Defiance, it commands the view, not only of the town, but also of the adjacent farming lands, and, strategically, might be said to command the situation. Tradition has it that the French Post (if, indeed, there ever was really one here) was located on this ground. If such a post existed, its works could not have been of a very permanent or enduring character, for no trace or outline was ever identified.

The brow of the hill, and for a few rods back, was cleared and lawn-like as ordinary Indian greens, the clearing, however, could never have been made with a view to cultivation, as the soil is of too hard and forbidding a nature to reward the lazy, careless and primitive culture of the Indian agriculturist. It was, so far back as the knowledge of Americans extends, devoted to trade; and here were located the booths of* the traders and peddlers, who dispensed whisky, ammunition and blankets during the fur season, or at the payment of some annuity or gratuity from Government. ,

One of these, of a more permanent character, located on the site of the tavern building now owned by F. Wol'iiffer, survived several years, and was the scene of many a drunken row and fight - generally among Indians, though occasionally dare-devil whites mixed in the fray. On the lemoval of the Indians, all these developments of white men's cupidity disappeared, giving place to trade, less profitable but more useful and creditable to society.

This plateau, or elevated " green," was known, fifty or seventy years ago as "Scalp Level," but why so designated is only left to conjecture. Possibly, this ground was the place of torture, where captives, doomed to death were sm-rendered to the tender mercies of the boys and squaws for the preliminary gauntlet running and beating, to be followed by the final agony of stake, fagot and fire; or, possibly, a scalping scone, having occurred there under peculiar circumstances, interesting to the mind of the savage or the rude backwoodsman, gave it this uncouth name. That it ever had such a designation will probably be news to any resident now of the Maumee Valley so rapidly are the aboriginal and pioneer incidents and events passing from local recollection.

Shortly after Defiance was laid out, a few lots were platted on the hillside and top, and recorded as the "Town of Williamstown. " This, with several additions thereto, comprising Scalp Level and all its surroundings, have been, by the extension of the corporation limiiiS, absorbed in the incorporated village of Defiance.

Our Old Apple Teees

Defiance has been famed for the possession of a monstrous apple tree. Strangers have seldom failed to visit it, to measure its proportions and speculate upon its age and origin. It stands on the narrow bottom on the north side of the Maumee, and nearly opposite the old fort. It has never failed, in the knowledge of present settlers, in producing a crop of very excellent apples. One large branch, however, has of late years been broken ofif by the storms, which has much marred its proportions - the remainder is yet healthy and prospering.

Before the town was laid out, there were many trees, equally thrifty and not less in size, in this vicinity. Their origin is variously conjectured. The most probable is that they were planted by French missionaries and traders, during the French dominion on the lakes, and cared for afterward by the Indians, trappers and traders.

In an early account of Defiance, it is stated by a captive among the Indians, who visited the place in 1790, that there were a few hewed- log houses on the high grounds about where the residences of William Carter and J. P. Ottley now are, surrounded by a stockade, in which resided traders and a British agent - the United States not at that time having enforced their authority over this section. The space between these houses and the Auglaize bank was cleared, and also for some distance to the west, the bank of the Auglaize was lined with apple trees, and the premises looked clean and thrifty, and the view of Blue Jacket's town on the bottom on the north side of the Maumee, and the extensive corn-fields of the Indians on the Lewis and Frazee bottoms, are particularly mentioned.

Thomas Warren, of this vicinity, who came here about fifty years ago, says that these apple trees stood in a row, about fifteen feet from the edge of the bank, and extended from that point up to the bridge, and that they were then in excellent bearing condition. These trees are now all gone, as well as the ground they stood on. The continual wearing-away of the bank, from ice, freshets and frosts, has amounted in that time to about twenty-five feet. Occasionally a root from one of these old trees sent up a sprout, but none of them have ever come to bearing.

On the Maumee bank, extending from where the canal now empties, up to the residence of T. J. Cole, was another row of similar trees, the most of these stood on the Wasson property. These ai'e also all gone, except one in the rear of Mr. Cole's house. These died from various causes - cattle, cultivation and malicious or mischievous boys.

Chance trees stood, also, over most of the present town plat, but not of so large a growth - probably volunteers. Some of the smaller ones were taken up and removed by the early settlers; Samuel Keppler, another early settler, started his orchard with trees of this kind. On the small bottom on the north side of the Maumee, opposite Defiance, were quite a number of trees, extending up as far as the county bridge; some of these were on the towing-path, and others in the way, so that they were cut down or died. The old tree so famous is, perhaps, one of this row; standing further in from the bank, and being private property, it has been saved from the general destruction. The large trees standing on the Krotz, Lewis and other bottoms in this vicinity, are the plant of early squatters and of comparatively recent origin.

At the so-called "Orchard Hollow," eight miles up the Maumee, was also quite a number of these old trees, which probably were of like origin and age. They were on the high land on the south side, and immediately opposite the old Indian Delaware town on the bottom, now the property of Charles Speaker. It is remarked by Parkman, in his " Jesuit and Pioneer History," that the missionaries and traders always fixed their stations on high grounds overlooking the Indian towns; and the selection of the high grounds at Defiance and at Orchard Hollow was in accordance with this general rule. None of these trees are yet in existence at the last named place. The fruit of all these trees was better than that of the present socalled natural trees - grew larger and had more agreeable taste. The stocks of the trees were more like those of the forest, higher to the branches, longer in limb than the grafted trees of the present day, which, as compaied with the Indian trees, are mere overgrown shrubs. Probably the shade and contracted clearings in which they were grown had much to do with this large growth. In those inartificial days, before civilization brought in borers, worms and curculios, trees grew and thrived without hindrance.

Mr. Warren also informs us that on the St. Joseph, about the State line, in the vicinity of a Pottawatomie village, was also a similar orchard, and also another near the Shawnee village at Wapakonetta,

In early days, the Indians, before the whites obtained property in the land, guarded carefully those old trees. The fruit they claimed for themselves, and distributed to the remotest sections of their tribes a share. Probably associations of historic interest, of days of large population and greater power, or of kindly regard for the French missionaries by whom they were introduced, gave an extraordinary value to these old trees in the estimation of the untutored sons of the forest.

No treoK of similar age are known to have existed on the Maumee below Defiance. It was upon the upper waters of the river that the Indians had their chosen seats, and here those who, from benevolence or trade, sought their acquaintance must come. Of the history of those days -say from 1()40 for a hundred years or more - of the self-denying labors of the missionary, of his hardships, successes and failures, scarce a vestige remains. These trees are suggestive of his aim to minister to the comfort of the savage, to acquaint him with the benefits of civilization, and to induce in him habits of home life, with ulterior views of spiritual influence. The Indian has gone not only hence, but almost as a race, yielding to the superior power and intellect of the whites; yet, one cannot but think that, had the policy of the French missionary or the Pennsylvania Quaker been generally adhered to, th(^ result would have been far otherwise, and our national character relieved, in the mind of the pliilanthropist, of a disgraceful stain.

Eecollections Of Pioneek Life In The Maumee Valley By Mrs. Kutii Austin

My father, Mr. Robert Shirley, Sr.. moved with his family from Ross County, near Chillicothe, Ohio, to Fort Defiance in the spring of 1881. Our family numbered nine persons, namely, my parents, Mr. Robert Shirley, Sr., and Mrs. Rachel Shirley, my brothers James, Elias and Robert, my sisters Mary and Nancy, myself (Ruth) and my baby brother Johu Gilbert. My brother Nathan, the eldest of the family, was at this time married and settled in Ross County. At the time of our removal, I was eleven years of age. I have a vivid recollection of the journey, and of the wild appearance of the country. We started for Fort Defiance in March, 1822, and arrived at our destination in April, having been three weeks on the way. The first place we saw Indians was at Wax:)akouetta. They were Shawnees and partly civilized. Mr. John Johnson was Indian Agent. Through his influence, Government established a blacksmith shop, and a store to supply the Indians, and ajjpointed Mr. Broadex to superintend the work of teaching the Indians agricultural and mechanical pursuits. Some of the Indians lived in log cabins, others in wigwams. The next place of interest was Port Amanda. I do not remember seeing any remains of the fort. A family by the name of Russell entertained travelers. The next was Fort Jennings - no fort standing here. One family lived here, and were the last white people we saw until we reached Fort Defiance. We were now truly in the wilderness. On one side was the Kiver Auglaize, on the other a vast, wooded country, with no road, only an Indian trail along the river. It required a man to go ahead with an ax in order to cut away trees that had fallen across the trail, and to blaze the trees, and often to cut through the brush some distance to get a place to ford the streams tributary to the Auglaize. The weather was unusually fine, so the family did not suffer much inconvenience in camping out. After we left Fort Jennings, brothers James and Kobert took all the cattle and hogs (except one cow with a calf too }'onng to travel with the herd) forward to Fort Defiance, where brother Eobert, a lad thirteen years of age, remained to take care of them, and brother James returned to the family, meeting us at the mouth of the Little Auglaize, fifteen miles above Fort Defiance. After assisting us to ford the stream, he left us for Fort Finley, for the purpose of conveying the provisions stored there, to Fort Defiance, for the subsistence of the family. Brother James made the journey through the unbroken wilderness alone, on foot, provided with his compass, gun, ammunition, flints and punk, and his blanket.' Our parents had great fears that James would fall a prey to wild animals or liidians, but he got safely through, and, purchasing a pirogue, took the provisions down Blanchard's Fork to the Auglaize, and from thence on that river to Fort Defiance. These provisions had been raised the previous summer, with the expectation that the futm-e home of the family would be at Fort Finley. My father and two other farmers of Ross County, Messrs. Moreland and Beaver, when viewing the country, had selected Fort Finley as the place of their settlement, and in the spring of 1S21 they each sent out a four-horse wagon with plows, etc., seed corn and potatoes, also a stock of provisions and a few hogs. Two men were sent with each wagon, making a party of six men. My Ijrothers James and

Elias took father's team. They cleared and fenced land, and put in coi'n and potatoes. "When the summer's work was done, one man each, with the wagons, returned home, leaving a horse apiece for the three men remaining. Brother James remained, and brother Elias returned.

Now, to fatten the hogs, slaughter and pack them down, and store the corn and potatoes for the winter, was the work of those remaining; then they left all in the care of Mr. Cox's family - the only white resident there - and retui'ned to their homes. The horse left for brother James got away and went home. The alarm at home was very great when the horse came without its rider; all were sure he had been killed until a letter explained.

Having heard much of the Fort Defiance region, brother James went there before coming home, and was so captivated with it that, on his return, he persuaded father to change the location of his future home from Fort Finley to Fort Defiance.

Nothing of interest transpired after brother James left us for Fort Finley, until we came to Okonoksee's village, on the Auglaize, thirteen miles above Fort Defiance, where Charloe now stands. These Indians were of the Ottawa nation, called by the whites Tawas. i^Theyhad here a reservation of seven miles square. Okonoksee was chief, and the village wap called after him.

The Indians were all at home, it being the close of the hunting and sugar-making seasons. Many came out - men, women and children - to see us. They were civil, and manifested a curiosity to see the big horses and the " big wigwams on wheels," examining the cover, how it was kept on, and often exclaiming " Ugh! big pashekoksee;" meaning big horses. This was a great day with them, being the day for their yearly feast and dance to celebrate the close <if the hunting and sugar-mtdiing seasons. (It was their custom to also celebrate yearly their corn harvest.)

Brother Elias and sister Mary went into the village to see the big bear roasting. The bear was skinned nicely, all except his feet, and rested on his hind-paws on the ground, while the fijre-paws were suspended to upright poles. The fire almost sur rounded him.

After we left the village, we hastened on as fast as possible, to get out of the reach of the Indians before they began their drunken dance. At noon we halted for rest and dinner, when, to our great discomfiture, we found we were without "Anything to strike firo, James having been given all the Hints and pow-

Mother had given the little Indian papooses at the villageH all the bread we had, and We could not have any dinner. Wo let the horses rest and oat and then pushed on, hojiing to come to an Indian camp, or iir(( left by them, but were disappointed. Night came on, and we j)ropar('d to spend it the best we could. The horses won^ tied and fed; the feodbox was always taken from the rear end of the wagon, and lirmly fixed on the tongue of the wagon, and th(! h()rH(^s tied on either side of it, The family, supperless and without lires to keep off the wild animals, were arranged as follows: Father and brother Elias lay und(!r the wagon, mother, the throe daughters and baby brother slept in tho wagon.

The cow, perceiving danger, got her calf close to tho wagon, and then lay close to it on the outer sidi^. The wolves howled alarmingly near, frightening the horses so that our young teamster, brother Elia.s, needed to be up the most of the ;iight to keep thc^m fr<im breaking loose.

The next morning we started early, in the hope of finding lire, but were disappointed; so at noon we stopped and unloaded the wagon until we reached the chest and got the flints, when we soon had a fire mad(\ My eldest sister quickly pri'pared nourishing food for our dear mother, who was almost overcome by her fast of thirty hours and her care of her nursing babe, ten months old. After we were all refreshed by a good dinner, we started on. A\'hen tho sun was getting low, we came to a little stream that was difficult to cross. While looking and planning what to do, an Indian on foot came up the bank. Father made him understand, by motions of the hands, that he wanted to cross.

The Indian was soon in the bushes, blazing trees as he went; after awhile he came back, saying^ " Howshka ! " (Come on)._ Our team followed, as he directed, and made the cj-ossing safely and back to the trail, whei-o we enca]iip(Hl for tho night. The Indian lighted our lire. Ho was invited to eat supper, and aft(n- ho ate he pointed upward, saying " Heap bish " (rain); then pointing to the calf said, "Heap anemoose " (wolves). He thou took up ii brand of fire, and, making a circuit, set hro to several dry logs to jn-oteet us from the wolves, and left for the village.

'J'he stream that we had just crossed was Three Mile Run, so we were only three miles from tht> end of our journey, and this was the last night of our camping out.

joy and th(^ great delight of brother Robert, who had been there several days. My parents were pleased to find Mr. William Preston, a gentleman of intelligence and of pleasing manners, in possession of the fort. Ho had been there most of tho time since the war.

There were two goo \ log houses in the fort, built for thci officers, one of which Mr. Freston's family occupied; in the other, my father's family found nar row but quite comfortable quarters.

The fort was all standing in good preservation, excepting the barracks on the banks of the Auglaize. The bank here was very steep, and commande<l a fine view of the low land on tho opposite side of the river. The block-houses, the four lai'ge gates with sentinelboxes over them, were good, and the pickets were in good order, aud strong enough to be a protection even then. The block-house on the northeast corner of the fort, had a good cellar, that had been used for a majrazinci during the war. From tho cellar an und(«'ground way led to the river, by which the soldiers could get water without being seen by the enemy. In the block-house at the end of the barracks, facing southeast, were two or three iron-bound chests, full of written documents of the war, left by the army officers.

In this block-house was a hand mill, with buhr mill stones, that ground quite good meal when the corn was ripe and hard. There was also a large grater, like a horseradish, grater, on which we could grate corn just out of the milk - this did not make bread, but mush and griddle cakes. This fort was built for the war of 1812, by Gen. Winchester, but came to bo spoken of as Fort Defiance. This fort (Winchester's) stood on . the bank of the ftiuglaize River, about two hundred yards above the point where Wayne's old Fort Defiance stood. Some of the stumps of the pickets, and some of the embankments of Wayne's old fort (Defiance) were still plainly to be soon.

Very few white people lived in that vicinity at the time of our arrival. Four French families were livins in log cabins on tho banks of the Maumee, above the point, and three American families on the Auglaize, one mile above tho fort - two of these by name of Driver, one a silversmith, the other a shoe-maker. Six miles below Fort Defiance, at Camp Number Three, there lived three American families, namely: Mr. John Perkins', Mr. Montgomery Evans', and Mr Hively's. Two of these families had looms, and wove fiax and tow linen. Every farmer's wife took her spinning wheel with her to the new country. There were no sheep in that region then. In 1824, my brother James bought three sheep in Urbana, and drove iheni out to Defiance. There were two trading houses; one of these was just outside the fort, on the banks of the Maumee, and was kept by a Frenchman; the other was on the other side of the Maumee and was kept by 'Sh. Rice. The latter was quite a store; with everything for the Indians - blankets, bright cotton shawls, beads, ribbons, cloth (such as was worn by the squaws for strouds), and bright calicoes, used by the squaws for short sacques that came below the waist. The calico was 50 cents per yard. The Indian men wore calico shirts.

The Ottawa Indians brought the most of their trade to Defiance. It consisted of fur pelts of the otter, beaver, raccoon, bear, muskrat, mink, fox and wild cat, also dressed deer-skins; and, besides these, beeswax (from the wild honey), ginseng, cranberries and wild gooseberries.

The squaws made beautiful floor mats out of the large rushes which grew on the islands and at the river* s edge. They colored some of the rushes black, others yellow. The mats were from one and a half to two yards long and one yard wide.

Travelers planned so they could go through with the mail-carrier who carried the mail from Piqua to Fort Meigs (now Maumee City), or went in companies.

The G-overnment paid the Miami Indians their annuities at Fort Wayne. The money, all silver, was carried on pack-horses through Defiance. Four or five gentlemen, with the men who drove the packhorses, made up the company. They had to camp out in the wilderness, but I never heard of any being molested in any way. Oiu- fears in regard to the hostility of the Indians were groundless. There were very few depredations committed by the men on the property of the whites, and when they did, it was when di'unk on the whisky sold to them by the traders. Sometimes pigs would be found with arrows in their sides. If any white man's property was damaged by Indians, the amount of damage claimed and sworn to was paid by the Indian Agent out of the annuities of the whole tribe to which the offenders belonged.

to control his young men better; but their hopes were upon his elder son, a fine young man, who would soon come into the chiefship, and whom every one liked. He died, however, the first summer we lived at the fort.

The Indians were on their way to Detroit to draw their annuities, and, as their custom was, they encamped on the other side of the Maumee*to wait for all the Indians to C(.)llect, when they would together make the journey.

The young chief's horse broke its hobbles and ran away; he and others ran very fast to catch the horse, and while heated he drank hastily and freely of what he supposed was river water (he was temperate), but on draining the cup he exclaimed " Ugh! Whisky!" He laid down to sleep, and never waked. His corpse was brought over to the fort, and bui-ied just a little way above the fort, on the high bank of the Auglaize, under a large apple tree.

A bunch of little silver baubles was in each ear, and around his waist was a beautiful wampum belt, in which was his hunting-knife in its scabbard. His tomahawk, gun and shot-pouch were by his side.

At his feet were placed a two-quart pail full of soup, together with a wooden spoon, and his pipe and some tobacco. This was the outfit of the dead chief for his journey to the great hunting-grounds.

The grave was dug so shallow that the corpse was nearly even with the surface of the ground. My brother James hastened and brought some clapboards to lay over the grave before they covered it with earth.

The Indians would not permit more than a slight and flat depth of earth over the grave. Before the grave was closed, Segatchaway, the brother of the old chief, stood over the grave and made a loud and vehement speech, threatening any man, white or Indian, with death who would rob the corpse of its expensive ornaments.

All this time the young chief's parents sat on the ground, dressed without their ornaments. Ockonokseo's hair hung down upon his shoulders; dust was upon his head. Flo sat in an erect poBition, his feet crossed like a tailor's His wife sat by his side, her head oftc'ntimes bowed to the grcjund, and, moaning low, kIio would beat the ground with her hand.

The little brother of the young chief, who was only live years old, and whom his father had named General Wayne, and who was now tlio heir of the chiefship, kept all the while close to his father, with behavior as digniliod. When the coreiiKjnies wore over, all the Indians left in great haste for their camp, except Ookonoksee and his wife; they rejnained, and took farewell of the grave, the mother uttering pitiful eiies.

The next morning we hastened to the grave, fearing that, from its shallowness, the hogs would disturb it, and found the earth rooted away and the clapboards (exposed.

My brother James took his ax, and, going into the woods, cut small saplings and erected over the grave a strong and shapely Ijooth, which protected it perfectly.

When Ockonoksee saw how nicely his sou's grave was protected, ho inquired who did it, and, on learn ing it was brother James, he sent for him. Having a mark set up, he selected two young Indians to shoot at it, and told them whoever, firing once, would hit the mark, should be his adopted son. They eagerly tried, but both missed it. Ockonoksee then bade James to shoot at the mark. James did so and hit it; whereupon Ockonoksee took a roundabout, or sailor's jacket, that belonged to his deceased son, and put it upon James' shouldi'rs, thus investing him with the honor of his son's plac(<.

Ever after this the old chief claimed James as his, and whenever he came to the fort he exorcised much authority over him, and required many favors at his hand.

Two year.i after the young chief's death, a halfbreed shot his wife. She was an Ottawa squaw. They were on their way to Detroit, and were camping on the other side of the Mann:ee, waiting for others to come. He was shooting ducks, and, having killed one among the willows, sent his wife to fetch it while he reloaded his gun. As she was going down the bank, he shot her in the back, and then ran to the nearest canoe, crossed over the river below the point, and was soon lost to sight, first in the corn-fields and then in the woods. The few Indians who were there, and my brothers James and Elias, with others of the whites, all joined in the pursuit of him all that day, and some of the Indians kept on to the Indian village on Blanchard Fork, but did not find him. The squaw lived in great agony until the next afternoon, when she died. By this time, a large numlser of Indians had arrived, and they were very much excited. They buried her on the bank, near the wigwam where she died, and then moved over to the Defiance side of the river - men, squaws, papooses, horses, dogs, campkettles and all - and camped on the green just below our cabins. Some of the men began to gather wood and brush, and others rails from off father's calf-pasture fence for a great fire, while others hobbled and belled the horses. The squaws, in the meanwhile, were stealthily carrying off armfuls of bows and arrows, tomahawks, knives and guns, to hide them in the bushes.

AVhen it was quite dark, a squaw came into our yard und motioned us to put out all the lights and keep within the house. She said, " Indian mad at white man because half-white killed squaw." We gratefully acted upon her advice. The green was lighted up with the great fire, and we, being in the dark, could distinctly see every movement of the Indians. Not a squaw nor papoose was to be seen ; they were all hidden in the bushes. The war-dance commenced to the time of an instrument that sounded like a negro banjo. They had stripped themselves of all clothing except a piece of broadcloth about the loins. They divided into two parties, dancing different ways and then meeting as would enemies, all the time having the wildest gestures, throwing their arms and springing off the ground and keeping up a shrill war-whoop.

They looked frightful with their faces painted in red streaks on one .side and on the other black, and feathers of different colors in their hair. We were thoroughly alarmed; even brother James, our brave pioneer, sat quietly in the house. The war-dance kept up till the great fire had burned down to a mass of coals; then they began to scream and beat upon their camp- kettles, making the dogs howl. AYe could see the squaws and papooses among them now, and in the height of the yelling and pounding we heard the distressed squeals of a pig and soon smelled the singing of hair. Then father said, " Go to l>ed, children, I am thankful that it required only a pig to appease their vjrath." They cooked, ate and slept.

The next morning they were astir early and preparing for a start, and were sober and very quiet. Father walked out among them and called the attention of some of the Indians to the pigs in the j^en and holding up three fingers made them understand that there wore three pigs last night and only two thia morning. They looked very innocent and exclaimed,

The Indians were not commonly thievish. They did not steal from each other and very rarely from the whites; and in that thinly settled country, where neighbors were miles apart, I never hoard of but oae instance of a white woman being molested, and then no personal harm was offered her, but two drunken Indians demolished dishes and furniture in her husband's absence.

The squaws were very modest and virtuous. Okonoksee, the chief, did not stop with his young warriors to restrain them in their violent demonstrations toward the whites, and the whites thought he did not care to. He was intoxicated almost all the time, aod every year he became worse and worse. His little son, " General Wayne,'' sickened and died. All his children were now dead except two daughters; one of them was married to a brave, noble Indian, and their little son was the last direct hei]' to the chiefship.

In a drunken frolic at the village one night, Okonoksee sought a quarrel with bis son-in-law, and drew a knife threatening to kill him. The young man stepped into his wigwam, not because he was a coward, but to get out of the way of the drunken man, but the chief followed and stabbed him to the heart, killing him instantly, and either with design or a stagger he plunged the knife which he still held in his hand into his little grandson that was sitting on his mother's lap, killing him also. The indignation against him was very great. The chiefs of the other villages came to Okonoksee' s village to try him for the crime.

They sat in council for three days, and decided that he must die. An Indian brought the word to Defiance that he was to be beheaded the next day. Messrs. Preston, Warren and Kepler, with my brothers and some others, went up to the village to see, as they supposed, the last of the old chief. "When they got there the Indian men were formed in a circle with the condemned man sitting on the groixnd in the midst, his arms folded, his head bowed, and his good, faithful wife by his side. The Indians made room for the whites to join the circle. The chiefs were in council in a wigwam set apart for that purpose. After a time the chiefs came out, and walked up to ihe condemned chief. One of them made a speech; then they all walked around him. Having done this, the oldest chief, with some words, laid one hand on Okonoksee' s head and the other hand on his mouth ; and all the chiefs in turn said and did the same. The words were evidently the reprieve from the sentence of the day before, and the announcement of his punishment.

The laying the hand on the mouth was to signify that it was to be closed in council and in authority, and that he was divested of his chiefship.

This ceremony being ended, they brought a young Indian, a distant relative of the old chief, into the circle. They put on him a wampum belt and some silver ornaments, and with other ceremonies, which I have forgotten, they installed him chief. Every one, both Indians and whites, were dissatisfied with " George." the new chief.

The Indians neither loved nor feared him. There was little difference in Okonoksee's lofty bearing after he was deposed, but he did not boast so much about his great bravery nor count on his fingers how many white men he had killed in the war. His people obeyed his word sooner than they did the new chief s. The Indians became dissatisfied when the land near them was bought and settled by the whites, and finally the Government bought their reservation and moved them west of the Mississijspi.

My father, as soon as possible, built a double-log cabin a short distance above the fort on the Auglaize. These cabins were roofed with clapboards and the floors made of puncheons. The trees were felled and sawed into proper lengths, split into puncheons, dressed off with a broadax and adze, placed evenly on the sleepers, driven closely together and firmly wedged.

We had at this time neither church nor minister, nor schools; we had no physician, no roads, no carriages and no mills. We had not a post office even, but had to use Piqua or Fort Meigs (Maumee City) post office, and the mail carrier who carried the mail from Piqua via St. Marys, Fort Wayne and Fort Defiance to Fort Meigs, would mail our letters for us, and when he took letters out for us he paid the postage and we refunded him.

We felt sorely the absence of society, but our few neighbors were excellent people, and though we suffered many deprivations in that new country neighbors hastened to each other's help in sickness or trouble of any kind and were ready to lend a helping hand in putting up their cabins, etc., etc. Besides our good neighbors, we every week met men of refinement and polite manners passing through to Fort Wayne. My father was a farmer. He cultivated part of the bottom land on the other side of the Auglaize River. It was very productive aud yielded fine corps of coru, potatoes, melons, etc.

The land was not yet surveyed. I think the contract was given that year to Capt. James Riley. I remember when he came to the fort; ho was entertained at our house. Soon al'ter that the survoyinff waw commenced. The surveyors suffered greatly while at their work from the mou(|uitoes and gnats. Tile Biu-veyors cniun froi^uontly to Defiance for u rest.

We were at Fort Defiancni nearly a y^^ar before there was a religimiM lueciting of any kind hold. The first was held by a I'resbyteriaii minister, who was passing througli, and pat up at .l>rl^Kton's. My mother invited him to preach in our hou.se, and she sent word around to all the people to come, and they came, French and all.

It was a year and a half after that before v?e lu>avd another sormcni. The second was preached by llev. Solomon iWanear, from Ross County, a }'oung num just licensed to jiroach by the Methodist Episcopal Chun^h (and afterward admitted to the Ohio Conference). He had come orut to Fort Defiance with others in charge of two wagons loadc^d with flour, bacon and dried fruit. My parents invited him to preach in our house; we had just moved into our double cabin.

We were at Fort Defiance two years before we had a school. Then a Mr. Smith came with his family and moved intcj an old trading house, and opened school in an old blacksmith shop that stood near Shane's apple tree. The ti-ee was full of apples. Mr. Rice claimed the apples, but the scholars were allowed to play under it. It gave a fine shade. The trunk was short and thick, the top large and spreading. The tradition of the tree then was that the wigwam where Shane was born stood near there, and on that day his father planted this tree, and when he was a little boy, the Indian lioys when mad at him would break d<)WQ hi-; tree to spito him, which accounted for its shape.

Having no mills, father had to send to Swan Creek (now Toledo), for llour and salt also. These were hauled to the head of the Maumee Rapids and from tliere brought in pirogues. It was hard work, both in low and high water - in low water they often had to get into the water acd push and pull the pirogue over the riffles.

Ague was prevalent in the Fort Defiance region. The first year we lived there our family were all down with it except my father und one sister, but the cold wiuti>r restor(>d us to health.

In the early years of our pioneer life, death visited our family and took from us oiu' lovely sister Nancy, seventeen years of age. She died of the measles. Under the shadows of death, the deprivations of a pioneer life were most keenly felt - no religious services to comfort and console, and not even a beautiful oofiiu in which to lay one of the loveliest of earth's fair flowers away. Nothing but the trees of the forest were available for this, and Messrs. James Partee and John I'lummer, members of Mr. Perkins' family, canjo and made the coffin out of puncheons of a black walnut tree. They planed and waxed the wood; they had io use nails instead of screws .

Our little settleuioul did not increase in numbers until after the land came into market. The land office was at Picj^ua. Messrs. Phillips and Leavel purchased the site of Defiance, and laid out the town. Mr. John Perkins bought laud on the Titfin River, where Brunersburg now stands. This stream was called by the Indians Bean River, but the surveyors named it in honor of the first Governor of Ohio. Mr. Perkins built a grist and saw mill on this river.

People now came and settled permanently, and frame buildings with brick chimneys took the place of log cabins with sticks and clay chimneys.

Messrs. Phillips and Leavel erected a frame building for a store, etc., in Defiance. In an upper room of this building the first courts of justice were held. Previous to this, the people had to go to Fort Meigs for law purposes, as Williams and Wood Counties had one county seat, namely, Fort Meigs (Maumee City).

The first officers were: Circuit Judge - Lane, of New York; Associate Judges, Robert Shirley, Sr., John Perkins and Pierce Evans; Sheriff', William Preston; Clerk of the Coui-t, Dr. John Evans.

We were still without religious services and a house of worship, and Brother Nathan applied to the Ohio Conference of the IMethodist Episcopal Church, and in 1S27 Rev. Elias Pattee was sent to Fort Defiance INIission. Rev. Pattee soon gathered the men totrether with their axes and teams, and Hogs were cut, hewed and hauled to a lot presented by the proprietors of the town plat, and a church erected.

It was a simple structure - walls, windows, roof and floor - but no chimney. In this we worshiped when the weather was warm; when cold we held our meetings in private houses. When the brick court house was bu.ilt, oiir meetings were held there, our society having outgrown the small accommodations of its pioneer life.

ily fiither bought land ou the opposite side of the Auglaize River, one mile irom Defiance, improved it and moved his family there. My brother Nathan settled five miles up the Auglaize; brother Elias, three miles; brother Kobert on same stream near where Gharloe now stands, and brother James on the Maumee, ten miles above Fort Defiance.

Brother Nathan sowed wheat largely, and when his grain was to be cut (they used sickles), he proposed to his harvesters to pay them an extra shilling a day instead of providing them (as had been the custom) with whisky, as he was a man of temperance principles. Of the twenty men, only one preferred the whisky, and he was dismissed.

Or' my father's family, but two remain - my brother Kobert and myself. My sister Mary married Mr. Thomas Warren, of Defiance, and died in a little less than a year afterward. I married Rev. James B. Austin, of the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church; at the time of his death, in 1857, he was a member of the Cincinnati Conference. Brother John died while a young man and single.

Pioneeb Eecollections Of Philip Shirley

My father, Nathan Shirley, started from Ross County, March 1, 1825, with sixteen other families, among whom were the Tittles, Hammons and other families, and when a wagon would stop all would stop and help repair it, and it was on one of these occasions that I saw two Indians for the first time in full costume. There were several four-horse teams, one of which was my father's and all four were needed, as sometimes we were axle deep in mud. The comjjany kept some ten men in advance to chop roads around bad places and fallen trees, which made a great distance of unbroken road. At the mouth of the Blanchard River, Thomas McClish had lately settled, who was the last white settler until we arrived near Defiance. At the Little Auglaize, at Fort Brown, we were met by several pirogues that carried part of our loads and assisted in crossing Little Auglaize, Blue Creek, Flatrock and Six-Mile Creeks. We passed Ooconoxee's Indian town some twelve or fifteen miles south of Fort Defiance, which contained some 300 Ottawa Indians, who had a long line of small hewed-log houses, some fifty or more in number, and other canvas or elm-bark wigwams for dwellings, and a few sleeping places fixed some fifteen or twenty feet above ground on four posts set in the ground to avoid mosquitoes. It was a show to immigrants, consisting of Indian men and women and children nearly all naked up to ten or twelve years old, more than a hundi-ed horses and more than a hundred dogs, all in a state of active enjoyment.

One mile south of Defiance, I saw the first herd of deer, some nine in number, bounding by our emigrant train, apparently not much frightened, and seen and remarked by nearly every one.

On the 1st of April, 1825, we arrived in Fori Defiance, some moving into the Fort, some moving down on the Maumee River. My father moved into grandfather's (Robert Shirley, Jr.) house, double log (cabins), for a few days; then on his grandfather's farm, later known as the Frazee farm, one mile south of Defiance, for three years; then on my father's farm, six miles south of Defiance, now known as the Town Newton farm, into his new double log cabin, which was good enough, and used for a dwelling, tavern, church, and Justice's office when -my father was elected Justice of the Peace.

In 1840, my father moved into his new two- story frame house just in time for the wedding of his eldest daughter, Rachel, to Shadrach H. Carey, and in 1844 Nathan Shirley's wife died, and father and the family kept house for eight years, giving a dinner to myself and Elizabeth Pro want on the 9th day of October, 1849. My father was married to Mrs. Ann P. Hankins about 1852 ; then sold his farm and bought and made a farm at old Milldam, four miles south of Defiance; then sold and moved to Junction, being one of the proprietors of that town, where he died in 18*72, after an active life of over forty-seven years, holding the office of County Commissioner in Williams County and acting a» Colonel of the militia for a number of years. After Paulding County was organized he served as Justice of the Peace, and was an accepted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, serving as class leader and doing other church duties, and being a member for over fifty years, having belonged, together with my mother, to the Methodist Episcopal Church in Ross County. They having raised seven bo3-s and six girls, five of whom are still living, myself in Dupont, Putnam County; C. D.' Shirley, in Clark's Hill, Tippecanoe County, Ind. ; John W. Shirley, in Paulding County; Stephen M. Shirley, in Defiance County, and Nancy M. Dila, in Defiance.

About the year 1827, Robert Shirley, Sr., and my father bought and donated to the Methodist. Episcopal Church a town lot, on which the neighbors and minister, Rev. Pattee, built a hewed-log church, near where the present brick church now stands. About the year 1827, Robert Shirley, Sr., moved into his twostory hewed-log house on his farm one mile south of De- fiance. lu the your ISI^H, Elias Shirley and his wife, Phebo Hudson, settled on their farm, four miles south of Defiance, now known as the Shots farm, once while Uncle Elias and Aunt Phebe were eatinj^' their breakfast, in came a large, rough looking old Indian who said he was buckata (hungry; and pointing down his throat. Uncle told aunt to give him some victuals on a plate (which was good treatment for Indian beggars) and generally well received, but on this occasion the Indian appeared angry and asked to eat at the table which uncle deniod him. He ate his meal, api)oaring to bo angry, and left in an unthankful manner. About three weeks afterward. Uncle Elias Shirley was atlonding a public sale of James Hudson's property, preparatory to moving to Fort Wayne to work at the brick mason trade, and about 11 o'clock, he noticed that same old Indian and a young Indian looking on at the sale and observed the usual mean countenance of the old Indian. The two Indians soon left and wont up to Elias Shirley's house, finding his wife and child alone. The old Indian ordered the woman to get the two Indians something to eat and to put it on the table. He ordered what to get, and watched her closely while she got it, and the tea and sugar from the bureau drawer, etc. When the meal was got agreeably to order, the two Indians sat down to eat, the old Indian ordering her to get whatever was needed. The young Indian got up from the table first and started out of the house, and when ho got to the door, and beckoned the woman to him and told her to make her escape for the old Indian intended to kill her, and the young Indian went up the road. The old Indian finished his meal and went to the window and looked up and down the road, apparently to see if any one was passing, and while so doing the woman took the child and ran toward the river, thinking to wade across the river to Abraham Hudson's farm, but the old Indian overtook her at the river, after running a quarter of a mile. Ho drew his butcher knife and drove her back to the house and set a chair in the middle of the floor and made her sit down in it, and told her if she got up he would kill her He then took hold of the child and tried to take it from her. But she was resolved never to let go of it. So they pulled till she thought it. was badly hurt. He finally let go of the child and commenced dancing around her. He soon went to the window again to watch the road. She went out of the house in another direction and got behind a large sugar tree, and feared the child would cry. She saw the old Indian come out of the house and look all around, and thou he ran toward the river as before, and she took to the woods and went down the river two or three miles to where the sale was. They were still selling, and she, knowing her safety, and not wishing to interrupt the sale, stood in the thicket of bushes near by quite awhile, until the sale closed, when she appeared and told her story, when her husband, Elias Shirley, took his gun, mounted a horse and rode for his house, followed by his brothers Nathan, James and Robert and many neighbors, and when they reached the house they found it knee deep in feathers, two feather beds having been ripped open and emptied on the floor. A few gallons of lard had been poured over the feathers. The chairs had been thrown on the fire in the fire-place, and then thrown on the feathers. Medicine bottles were all broken The bureau had been robbed of its contents, sugar, tea, etc. , a large iron kettle had been chopped down to the bottom with Shirley's ax, and all was quiet. Some forty neighbors went in pursuit next day, rationed for an Indian hunt. They went to Occonoxee's village, but the Indian had gone to the woods to hunt. They ate their dinner at the village and while there some men drew a figure of an Indian on one of their doors with a big heart, and several of the men shot the heart full of holes. The men divided into companies of ten men each and separated, and went up Flatrock Creek, Blue Creek and Little Auglaize River, with orders not to shoot a gun until the Indian was found and then they were to shoot signal guns until they all got together. One company found the two Indians at their camp on Flatrock Creek, and signaled all together. When Nathan Shirley and Elias Shirley and their company came up to the Indians, the old Indian's head was all white with feathers, and Elias Shirley begged for a gun to shoot the old Indian, but Nathan and others refused to give him a gun, and they had the old Indian lodged in jail at Defiance, where he was confined for some time for trial. The young Indian was allowed to go at large, as being only a coward in bad company. The chiefs of the Ottawa nations were called together by their agent and a settlement made by paying Elias Shirley $100, it being a low estimate of the property destroyed without any compensation for damages. The Indians said this Indian was a bad man and oftion abused their families and caused them much trouble. They said they were sorry that Shirley was prevented from shooting the Indian, and the Indian was released from prison with orders never to be seen in that neighborhood, and if he ever came back Shirley was permitted to shoot him. Elias Shirley said he met him once afterward in Defiance, but when they recognized each other the Indian dodged away and he never saw him again. The next summer, when Nathan Shirley and some hands were clearing on his new farm preparatory to moving, Occonoxee, the chief, and Segatchaway (Oc-co-noxee's brother), Dr. Kickwas, Sco-be nah, Poke-shaw, and several other Indians, Oc-co-nox-ee said to Nathan Shirley: " You are Colonel Shirley, and I am Oc-co-nox-eo, chief; yonr men shoot Indian on wigwam door, Indian no like it." Shirley seeing the situation, said: Come to the house; and Shirley took a piece of charcoal and drew a large picture on a board of a white man having a hat on, and a large heart, and said, " Indian, you shoot at it. Several of the Indians took aim and shot through the heart. Then Oc-co-nox-ee shook hands with Shirley and said, " good friends," and the Indians went away well sat isfied.

Poke-shaw, a Pottawatomie Indian, married Occo-nox-ee's sister, a lady who had been married to a French gentleman by the name of Lumbar, who had a farm at Delaware town on the Maumee River. They had two children, a boy and a girl, and then parted, he keeping the boy Peter, and she taking the girl, who made a fine Indian lady or squaw, while Peter Lumbar sold dry goods to the Indians and whites. There were several children in the Pokeshaw family, and Poke-shaw was buried on Six-mile Greek, and his widow and her brothers, Oc-co nox-ee and Se-gatch-a-way, went to the far West.

There was a Christian Delaware Indian by the name of Caleb Lewis, who was married to a Munoie squaw, and they had two children, Was-keel-no, a boy, and Chola, a girl. Caleb Lewis would attend church whenever he could, and work in the harvest field. He appeared quarter white, and would call his daTighter Chola, my wife, which made us very shy of each other. One Sabbath, my brothers and myself were taking observations down where about five Indian families were camped in summer wigwams made of elm bark on posts and poles at the river side. We had a good time. Mrs. Caleb Lewis took down fiom off the bark roof the breast bone of a turkey, with considerable amount of flesh on it and completely covered with fly blows, apparently a pint or more blows. I watched the cook and sa^ breast and all put into the kettle without the loss of a fly blow, and thickened with flour and cooked and poured into a wooden bowl surrounded by wooden spoons. Caleb Lewis invited us boys to eat dinner, which we declined, and* he got angry and said we thought their victuals were not good enough and that ended my claim on Chola.

James W. Eiley, of St. Marys, once told Caleb Lewis that in the next world he would be a horse and he would ride him there. Caleb Lewis told Eiley that in the next world he would be a snake and he would beat him on the head with a club, etc.

Personal Sketches. '

Mrs. Julia A. Kiser was born of American parents May 24, 1815, in Paint Township, Ross Co., Ohio., near Chillicothe, and immigrated to this county in the fall of 1834. The father's name was Jehu P. Downs, a native of Maryland. He followed the trade of shoemaker for some years, but being possessed of a venturesome spirit, he went to sea before the mast; unfortunately for him, the vessel was seized by the English and the crew thrown into a London prison; part of the crew took the oath of allegiance to British Government and were immediately placed upon a man of war; he and his comrade, being good Americans, refused to take the oath. They languished in prison nine long months; the authorities at last becoming tired of keeping them, released them by kicking them out destitute of money, clothes or friends; the comrade disappearing, leaving him to fight the battle of life alone, he sought and found work in a cobbler's stall, until he obtained money to buy clothes, meantime watching an opportunity of escape, which soon occurred by the death of a sailor, and he secured his berth on board a vessel, following the" sea seven years before his return to his native land. He afterward enlisted as a soldier in the war of 1812, came home on furlough in 1813, and was married to Elizabeth Vandervort, of Virginia. He served until the close of the war. During his wanderings as a soldier, he visited Ft, Defiance, and being highly pleased with the appearance of the country, was never satisfied until he located here in the fall of 1834, where he remained until his death, which occurred Auj^ust, 1866, aged ninety-three. They had three children - Julia A., Oliver P (who died September 8, 1830) and Angus L., who learned the saddler business, which he followed successfully for many years, accumulating quite a property. He married Sophia C. G-raper, a native of Hanover, Germany, in 1843. He was very fond of hunting and fishing, and had many interesting adventures incident to frontier life. Died August 15, 1857. After the death of Jehu P. Downs, his widow married Thomas Warren, who was also, one of the pioneers of the country. She died May, 1878, at the age of eighty-five years. Mr. Downs and family came to this place from Palestine, Pickaway Co., Ohio, situated about twenty miles from Circleville, moving the whole way by wagon, the trip consuming about fourteen days. On their journey they passed through New London, Wapakoneta and other towns; between the latter place and the mouth of the Little Auglaize, the roads were almost impassable, the teams stalling as often as four times a day, making it necessary for them to unload and wade out to highor ground, obliging the men to carry the gooflH. Upon their arrival here, they could find no nnocoupied rooms, and were compelled to take shelter in an old French cabin, dingy with age and smoke, situatcnl on the lands whore the upper ends of East Defiance now stands. The first visit Mrs. Kiser made, at a distance from this place, after locating here, was to Hteiibenvillo, in the summer of 18a7, performing the whole journey on horseback, a distance of more than three hundi'ed miles, passing in the route through Maumoe, Findlay, Upper Sandusky, Fremont, Mansfield, Wooster, New Philadelphia, Sandyville, Harrison and a number of smaller towns and villages. Iveturning by the same route as far as Mansfield, thence to Maderia and across the black swamp, where the mud and water was midside to a common horse, compelling the riders to sit with their feet th-awn up on the /saddle to keep them dry. They stopped at Ottaway on Sunday, July 3, for dinner, at a house of private entertainment. The proprietor at first refused his guests anything to eat, or to provide anything for their horses; but finally gave them some bread without butter, tea without sugar and onions without salt, also sent his man to the field a half mile away for green oats to feed their horses, declaring this was the best he could supply them, but was expecting fresh supplies by wagon hourly, which, owing to the condition of the roads, was several days behind. The party feeling refreshed for this bill of fare, and the assurance of the host of fresh supplies in a few days, started on their journey. In 1838, Mrs. Kiser, then Julia A. Downs, was married to John U. Kiser, of Wayne County, Ohio, Mr. Kiser was born in Jefferson County, Ohio. His parents were natives of Pennsylvania; his grandparents of German descent. He was one of a large family of children, now all dead, save one who resides in Noble County, Ind. In July, he moved to this place, bringing with him a large stock of goods, his being the first saddle and harness shop in the county. He afterward entered into the mercantile business; was also Treasurer of Defiances County, and held offices of trust on the canal . He took the census of Defiance County in 1800; died March 19, 18()1. They had five children - John H. , born Maj 16, 1839, resides in Defiance County, Ohio; married Mary E. Bridonbaugh July 21, 1870, has three children living, Victoria A., born November 16, 1841, married S. A. Shields May 21, 1873, has one child, resides in San Francisco, Cal.; Maiy E., born December 25, 1844, married Dr. T. H. Ashton July 20, 1865, has two children, resides in Defiance; James P., born February 16, 1847, died August 25, 1855; Callie E., born April 6, 1849, married S. H. Cave February 7, 1874 has one child, resides in Terrace, Utah. Victoria and Callie were engaged in mission teaching among the Mormon's (for some time previous to their marriage), Mary, the second daughter, has in her possession the old clock which grandfather Downs brought to this county. It is a tall coffin-shaped affair, after the old Dutch style, and a great curiosity in these days of style and novelty. Mrs. Kiser resides with her son John H. at the old homestead at the corner of Wayne and First streets. Is in the enjoyment of good health, having lived to witness the progress of Defiance from an al most howling wilderness to a city of 7,000 inhabitants.

Mrs Sophia Downs, widow of Angus L, Downs, and daughter of Henry C. and Elizabeth Graper, was born in Hanover, Germany, November 27, 1819, and immigrated to America with her parents, arriving at Defiance, Ohio, September 18, 1834. She was married to Angus L Downs, of Defiance, January 1, 1843; to them were born six children, two boys and four girls, viz.: Emily, born May 7, J 844, died June 6, 1845; Wesley J., born June 25, 1846, died June 19, 1847; Emory W., born July 20, 1848; Ella C, bom December 29, 1851; Caroline E., born July 13, 1854; and Alice M. Downs, May 12, 1857. Angus L. Downs was born in Ross County, Ohio, November 4, 1819, and removed with his parents to Defiance County in the fall of 1834; of the children who are. living, Emory W. graduated in medicine at Cincinnati, Ohio, March 1, 1873, and commenced his profession the same year, and was married to Nellie M. Thrall, October 8, 1873. To them were born three children - Thaddeus A. add Charles F. and Mabel Clara. Ella C. Downs married an attorney, A. J. Mitchell, of Mansfield, Ohio. Caroline E. Downs married a physician. Dr. James M. Colliers, March, 1877, and now resides and practices his profession in Plymouth, Mich. Alice M. Downs married Fletcher E Morris, of Mansfield, Ohio, December 12, 1878, at which place she now resides.

The grandfather of the family, Jehu P. Downs, was a native of Maryland, and his mother a Virginian lady. He was in the war of 1812, and subsequently was a frontier ranger.

Mrs. Hannah McFarlan was born February 13, 1810, in Washington Township, Columbia Co., Penn., and was the fourth child of a family of twelve children, three boys and nine girls, of Edmund Herin and Rhoda (Young) Herin. The children all grew up, were married and raised families, except the third child, who died in infancy. Mr. Herin was born in the State of New Jersey May 25, 1772, and died in Defiance County, Ohio, in September, 1838. His wife, Rhoda, was born November 30, 1773, in Trenton, N. J., at which place they were married. Mr. Herin moved from Trenton, N. J. , to the forks of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. From there to Muskingum County, Ohio, in 1823. He being a cooper by trade, went to work in the salt works in that coun*y, makihg barrels for shipping purposes; from there he moved to Licking County, Ohio, and bought a farm near the little town of Nashport. In June, 183-4, while living at this place, it was visited with a severe frost, cutting down everything - corn, potatoes, etc., freezing the leaves on the trees-so they all became crisped, and doing great damage to the fruit and vegetables generally. In 1834, Mr. Herin came to Defiance County. The subject of this sketch (his daughter) was married at the age of sixteen, February, 1826, to Tarlton McFarlan, of Muskingum County, Ohio, by whom she had the following children, viz. : James (deceased), Edmund (deceased), Martha (deceased), Theodosia, married to RoUin C. Fisher, who is a resident of Defiance, Sarah J., who resided at Findlay, Ohio, and William (deceased). Mr. McFarlan arrived in this county with his wife and four children in February, 1835. There was only an Indian trail leading through the black swamp at that time, through which they came. Iilr. McFarlan and his brother had to cut a road for the team, while Mrs. McFarlan carried a babe of four months, and a gun, and drove the cow, assisted by a younger sister of thirteen summers. The sugar maple of the forest afforded them their sugar, but for six weeks they had no bread except corn pounded in a mortar, and sifted, from which they made their Johnny-cake. Flour was 116 per -barrel, pork i?20 per barrel; groceries and goods were shipped by pirogues and flat-boats to this place. Pioneers were often lost in the woods in coming to this i)lace. Two men, who came through from Findlay, Ohio, were lost, and for three days were without food excejit two small biscuits each; when they arrived at her house they were so famished they begged her to give them some raw venison to satisfy their craving appetites until she could hastily prepare a meal for ihem. Mr. McFarlan died March 10, 18-41. In September, 1846, Mrs. McFarlan was married to her present husband Isaac Hoovei, by whom she had one child - Kate E., born February 17, 1848. Mrs. McFarlan has passed her threescore years and ten, and has witnessed the many changes of Defiance County for about a half century past - having seen the forest give way to line cultivated farms, the log cabin to line residences and the town of Defiance from a few pioneer families to a city of about 7,000, and now, with implicit confidence in her Lord and Master, she is waiting His summons, "Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. " Charles V. Royce iminigrated from Vermont to Defiance County at an early date, and for many years acted as Deputy Clerk of the Court. He was remarkable for the energy, decision and promptness with which ho performed all his duties, both ofiicial and private. He was a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal Church, of which he was a strong supporter. He removed to Miami County, and while serving as Clerk of the Court of that county died, October 2, 1863.

Frederick F. Stevens was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, February 26, 1814. In 1825, he removed with his mother to Putnam County, and two years later became a resident of Defiance. He hired out to Judge Robert Shirley at $4 per month, to work on the farm, $1. 25 being deducted per month for washing and mending. The next season he worked for Pierce Evans, six months for $6 per month, and in the fall engaged to clerk for Foreman Evans six months for $25. He spent his winters in Mr. Evans' store until he was of age, except one year when he worked for Moses Rice, an early Indian trader. Mr. Stevens married Elizabeth Oliver July 13, 1836. She was the daughter of -John Oliver (for whom he was clerking at this time) and niece of Oliver Spencer, who was a captive boy with the Indians at Defiance. 'By this marriage Mr. Stevens had six children, three sons and three daughters. His wife died in 1851, and he reunited in marriage with Susan Forest, by whom he has had nine children. Mr. Stevens was engaged in mercantile pursuits and other business enterprises until 1874, when he removed to Seneca County. He is there dealing in live stock, and although nearly seventy years of age retains the vigor and activity of his youth.

Michael Gorman was born in Elphin, County Roscommon, Ireland, September 8, 1818. His parents were Patrick and Bridget (Nolan) Gorman, whose children were Michael, Sabina, Bernard, Mary. Margaret and Catharine. Three of them are dead - Bernard, Sabina and Mary. Mrs. J. B. Weisenburger is now living in Defiance. Mrs. George W. Lowery is living at San Jose, Cal. Michael, the subject of this sketch, who resides in Defiance, immigrated to America in 1846, being forty-five days on the passage. The vessel ran onto a reef and sprung aleak. A heavy swell of the sea finally relieved the vessel from this position, and a pilot boat came along and towed the vessel into Quebec. Mr. Gorman went first to Montreal, then to Toronto, then took steamboat across to the States, then by rail to Buffalo (the cars being drawn by horses); from there took steamboat for Cleveland, and from there went to Warren, Trumbull Co. , Ohio. Remained there five months, then went to Beaver Falls, on the Monongahela; then to Wheeling, and from there to Cairo, 111. ; then went steamboating as deck hand, retracing his steps in a measure, arriving at Defiance, Ohio, April 8, 1847, with $7 in his pocket. He began work for Edwin Phelpa at $1 a day. He was married to Sophia Hoverstadfc, of this place, September 11, 1851, by whom he had ten children - Bernard J., Michael P. (deceased), Patrick W. (deceased), Theresa S., Anna C. (deceased), and onfl not named died in infancy. Mr. Gorman al)out this time commenced the grocery and provision business at the lower lock on the canal, and nearly opposite the Russell House. Continued the business there about seven years, in partnership with his broth(fr Bernard, to whom he sold out and who carri(«l on the business for two or three years, and then, on account of ill health, was obliged to give it up. Bernard traveled about in search of some climate in which to regain his health. Went to Michigan up in the pinery, from there to Germany; remained there about three months; then returned to Cleveland to try the water cure, but finding no relief for his complaint (asthma) was induced to go to Colorado, for which place he started out May 0, arriving at Denver in a few days (growing rapidly worse), at which place he died May 24, 1872. Michael bought a farm and farmed for about two years, then sold out and returned to the grocery and provision business, entering pretty largely into speculation in pork and-beef, in the winter of 1858- 59, which speculation resulted in a loss of |17, 000, in the winter of 1864-65, which nearly broke him up financially. But Mr. Gorman was not the man to sit down and brood over losses, but buckled on the armor again for business, and to-day is doing a very thriving grocery and provision business with hia eldest sou, Bernard, on the corner of Fifth and Clinton streets, believing that where a man loses his money is the place to find it again. Mr. Gorman is now in his sixty- fourth year and is robust and healthy, and enjoys all the comforts of life and has a beautiful family residence on South Jefferson street. Mrs. Gorman's parents - Bernard and Blii^abeth (Stertiman) Hoverstadt, immigrated from Germany, Minster, Province of Westphalia, to this country in 1835. They had four children, viz. : Sophia M., Elizabeth, Bernard Henry and Hermann John, the two latter being twins. Mr. Gorman was elected Commissioner of Defiance County in the fall of 1882, and is now serving in that capacity.

John Tuttle. Prominent among the names worthy of honorable mention is that of John Tuttle, a native of Warren County, Ohio, who was born August 16, 1819, and emigrated to Defiance in September, 1833. He had the misfortune to lose his parents almost in his infancy, and was thrown upon the world to seek a home among strangers. On reaching Defiaace, not finding a shelter in any of the few cabins that were here at that time, the Stoner family, with whom young Tuttle migrated, were obliged to procure a cabin on the Kepler farm, four miles down the river. Here young Tuttle found employment with Mr. Kepler in husking corn and digging potatoes, receiving for a day's wages one bushel of either corn or potatoes. He soon gained the confidence and friendship of his employer, who was a kind and companionable man, and a practical hunter, and young Tuttle was soon invited to join him in his night sports of coon hunting, and immediately made a joint partner in the coon trade generally. This partnership, or sort of co-operative industry, proved a good thing for both parties in the end. Coons were plenty and their pelts in demand at fair prices, and by the time winter set in they had, by aid of dog and gun, procured over one hundred pelts. The income from this source, small though it was, rendered important service to the Kepler family that season, for before the winter set in Mr. K. was taken sick, and but for the money derived from the sale of those furs (carried a long distance to market by young Tuttle),' the family must have suffered greatly through the winter. The next sjjring, or in the season of 1834, the village of Brunersburg was laid out, and with the prospect of plenty of work the Kepler family, together with young Tuttle, were induced to move to that place. Mr. Tuttle in his younger days worked for whomsoever would furnish him honorable employment, not refusing at times barely board and clothes. He speaks of working much for his old friend Brice Hilton, and greatly enjoying the society of his family. In the spring of 1836, young Tuttle entered the grocery store of a Mr. Williams from New York State, as clerk, a situation he obtained, by the by, only on condition of good and sufficient recommendation from good and responsible parties. Here he continued about a year, when he purchased the stock and trade of his employer and started business for himself. In 1844, he sold out, came to Defiance and entered the store of Pierce Evans & Sons as clerk, Mr. Evans being at that time the oldest pioneer in the country. In the following fall, Mr. Tuttle, with what means he had of his own and with some help from his friend Evans, started a store on the north side of the Maumee, in what was then called Williams Town, now known as North Defiance, from which place he has never moved his place of business above a few rods. In July, 1845, he married Miss Charlotte Bruner. The children by this marriage were Andrew, Isabella, Cornelia, Avaro, Ellen, Laura B. and Mary. Andi-ew served through the war of the rebellion. In the fall of 1849, erected a large warehouse near the north end of the Maumee bridge at a cost of $4,000, and with a floor space of over half an acre. Here Mr. Tuttle still may be found at all business hours ready to grasp the hand of any old friend or accommodate a customer. Mr, Tuttle has ever been characterized as a liberal man, "want ever went smiling from Ms door," and from his benevolent impulses, perhaps, he readily fell into the credit system oi: doing business, so prevalent in early times, not having the face, as he expresses it, to turn a customer away empty-handed for want of means wherewith to settle his bills. A great many men have been made happy by striking his acquaintance. Through the credit system, Mr. Tuttle has many times been severely crippled in his business, but never to the extent of a failure, nor to the creditors' loss of a single dollar, and though old in business he sustains an unimpaired credit, with a competence to make life glide smoothly on. In politics, he, from the beginning, was a Whig, and gave his first vote for Gen. Harrison in 1840. He also voted for Fremont, believing yet if Fremont had been elected the war of the rebellion would have been averted. If, however, as he avers, he had been a voter in Jackson's time, he would have most surely voted for the old hero. Mr. Tuttle has at times held important offices of trust; was at one time Deputy Postmaster in Brunersburg, and also at Defiance under his old friend Evans, and was elected the second Treasurer of Defiance County. Mr. Tuttle, though somewhat advanced in years, has lost but little of the vigor and vivacity of his younger days, neither has he forgotten the sports of his youth. To-day the rod and gun are as much cherished as in days gone by. At one time while working on a farm a mile or two up the river, he killed in the short space of two months, twenty-five deer without losing a half day's work.

Peter Kettenring was born in Bavaria, Germany, January 10, 1835, and the same year his parents, Adam and Charlotte (Allspach) Kettenring, immigrated to America, and in 1838 settled on a farm in Henry County, Ohio, twelve miles southeast of Defiance. To them were born thirteen children; but three of this largo family are now living, viz., Peter, Catharine and Marj. Mrs. Kettenring died in 1855. Mr. Kettenring is still living and is smart and active for one of his years, having passed through hardship, toil and privation, incident to pioneer life. - At that time there were no roads except Indian trails, and but one house between Defiance and one Mr. Hoffrichter, a distance of ten miles, and that was Henry Brechbill's, at Ayersville. Mr. Kettem-ing well remembers his father going to mill at Evansport, a distance of twenty-four miles, not with a team but with the grain on his back, following Indian trails and footpaths. In the spring of 1844, he came to Defiance, which has been his home most of the time since. In the spring of 1850, he engaged him.self to Messrs. Kimball & Frank, of this place, as an apprentice to learn the molding trade. Having served his time, he worked in Toledo and in Ft. Wayne. In the spring of 1856, he retm-ned to Defiance and leased the foundry then owned by Seaman & Stevens, which was situated upon the grounds on which the present building now stands, known as the Defiance iVfachine Works, where he commenced business with a cash capital of $125, and for the first six months employed but two men. Mr. Kettenring married Miss Frances Kahlo, of this place (Defiance), October 25, 1850, by whom he had eight children, five of whom are now living, three boys and two girls. In 1858, he sold out his interest in the foundry to Strong Brothers & Orcutt, Six months thereafter, he bought a fourth interest in this firm, and in 1800 Strong Brothers * bought out Orcutt, and the firm was changed to Strong & Co. In 1864, the foundry was destroyed by fire, but was rebuilt and run under the name of Kettenring & Strong. In 1860, William Laiister was connected with the firm, known as Kettenring, Strong & Lauster. In 1872, they were chartered as a stock company according to the laws of Oliio, and known as the Defiance Machine Works, for the manufacture of wood working machinery, engines, boilers, shafting, pulleys, hangers, plows, etc., together with all kinds of castings and also to do a general jobbing business, and a better class of work or machinery bearing the impress of finer master workmen can nowhere be found in Northwestern Ohio. These works are steadily increasing in business year by year, as will appear by comparing 1856, when two men were employed, with the present, 1882, now giving employment to about one hundred and twenty-five men. Mr Kettenring was chosen President of this company at the time of the charter in 1875, and has been reelected annually ever since.