Florence Township

Bryan, Ohio 43506

Next to local vital records, the best source of qenealogical data about specific individuals is the federal decennial census. At the present time there is no state-wide index to the 1270 Ohio Federal Census. With this in mind the 1&70 Williams County, Ohio, Federal Census including a surname index was chosen to be transcribed into manuscript form township by township by the Williams County Genealogical Soceity to serve as a useful toal in family research.

The 1870 federal census for Williams County, Ohio was extracted from National Archives Microfilm Roll # 1282, housed at the Bryan Public Library, Bryan, Ohio. The following information is included in the census extraction:

{, Page number written by the census taker found at the top left of each microfilm frame, the date of enumeration, the township, and the nearest post office for residents on each microfilm page.

2, Capitalized surname preceded by an asterick * for head of household, followed by lower case first name and initial, if given; for each person residing in the household; other surnames of those living within the household are capitalized also, but only the head of household is preceded by the asterick.

3. Age, sex, occupation/trade of each person given; the color of residents in Florence Township was white, therefore it was decided to delete that

4, Householders possessing a valued real estate are indicated by the symbol r; householders possessing valued personal property are indicated by the symbol p; money values can be found by personal check of the microfilm itself,

6. A surname index is included with the surname of not only the heads of household but also those listed within the household whose surname is different from the head. When using this please check the entire census page as surnames are found in multiple spots.

?. An alphabetical list is included of children born in the 12 months prior to the 1870 census, the page number on which each is found, and the month of birth. This is followed by an alphabetical list of marriages which were indicated on the census form having taken place in the 12 manths prior to the census enumeration. There were no marriages listed in this census for Florence Township.

If an individual wishes to take a personal look at the census roll, he/she can find additional information not listed here which includes: physical imnpairments,; whether parents were foreign born, whether the individual attended school during the census year, and whether the enumerated males were eligible to vote. This transcription of the census is not ta be considered a substitute for looking at the actual microfilm roll.

The microfilm census roll for Florence Township was difficult te read in spots. In all cases the surnames were checked with other sources to make sure the transcription was correct. These other sources were: list of personal property taxpayers of Florence Township, 12467; Williams County, Ohio Atlases, 1864 and 1874; biographical sketches within several county histories; and, Williams County, Ohio Marriages, Volumes I-III (1224-1862). There were some surnames that were obviously misspelled by the census taker; therefore, family researchers should be careful to check various surnname spellings.

Aside from the obvious family data that can be gleaned from this census, we found the following occupational statistics to be of interest in regard to Florence Township:

& fomestic Servants Blackemi the Gristmillers Herchants Echool Teachers Workers in Sawmill Shoemakers Factory Workers Fhysicians Hilliners Coopers Cabinet Makers Saddler/Harness Makers

There was one person who fulfilled the occupation/trade for each of the following: tanner, seamstress, stonemason, plasterer, grocer, lawyer, baker, brickmaker, and town pauper.

Shsnshps Shum Shs Saha As Sys Ssm Sesh Szs Uses

David Joseph Jacob John Catherine * DITTENHAVER, Joseph Susan Nancy BRUBAKER, Susan * BORDNER, John Sarah Allen * BOWSER, Jacob A. Nancy A. Louisa E. Jonnie). dames Alla * LIVENSPARGER, David Nancy Jacob David Hannah * GEORGE, James Susan Orpha * KING, Samuel Mary A. Nancy A. Hulda S. * KAISER, John G. Elizabeth Catherine John

Index

Umbenhaur Vail hy eke Yan Buskurk 41 Vanderburqer 2? Wanfossen 4, 22 Wanway " Varn 2 Vaughn a4 Wlagner sles Wallack ay Waller 'j Wally =n Walter 14 Ward 37,40 Ile 1 dy 5 Werth 8 Wideler ae Williams 14,34 Williby ie

Source changes here: from The County of Williams : a History of Williams County, Ohio, from the Earliest Days, with Special Chapters on Various Subjects, Including Each of the Different Townships ; Also a Biographical Department, by Shinn, William Henry, published 1905; 4,297 words in this source stream.

Florence Township

Joseph when the latter was erected ; and prior to the organization of Bridgewater, Northwest and Superior, it included all the territory now embraced by them. When originally organized, Florence township was described as follows : "All the territory belonging to Town seven, Range one; also, Town seven, Range two, and including all the territory north to the State line." The commissioners ordered an election to be held for the necessary officers on the first Monday of April, 1837, an(I hence this was the date of the organization of the township. The names of the officers who were elected in the spring of 1837, to administer the civil affairs of old Florence township, are no longer remembered ; neither can it be learned who first served after the township was cut down to its present iimits. In March, 1839, Bridgewater was organized, to include the present Bridgewater and Northwest townships, and at the same session, Superior, as it now is, was created, thus leaving Florence with its present limitations.

The surface of the township is gently undulating in some parts and quite level in others. The soil is a very fertile black loam in some districts on the bottoms and streams, and a rich clay soil elsewhere. There is comparatively little waste land in the township, and the condition of the farms, buildings and surroundings are indicative of thrift and prosperity. The streams which drain the township are Bear Creek and its tributaries, with numerous runs which empty into them, and Eagle Creek, iii the northern part of the township. The St. Joseph River flows through the southeastern corner.

Florence township was mainly covered with heavy timber, though there was originally considerable marshy land upon which there was only shrubs and brush. But the wet lands have been recovered by ditching and under-tiling, until they are very valuable and highly productive. It is said that this bogp'v land originally seemed like earth floating on water, and that in the early days a pole could be forced into it to a depth of twenty feet.

The principal varieties of timber were black walnut, sugar maple, elm, ash, oak, beech and hickory. Some of the choicest timber was used for buildings, making rails, and sawing into lumber, but much of it which would now be very valuable, was burned in clearing the land.

township was the Singer family. David Singer, the first, was a farmer; married Margaret Kragore, came to Ohio and located in Florence township in 1837, and entered cne-half section of government land. His soil, David Singer, the second, was the first white child born in Florence township. This event happened in 1839. The senior David Singer deserves more credit than perhaps any other man for the hardships himself and family endured, to create a home in the dense forests of Florence. Mr. Singer came to this part of the state in 1836, locating his farm on Section 9, and during the winter of 1 836-37, erected a log cabin about forty rods north of where the family residence was in later years. In the meantime, his family lived a short time at Denmark, and later with Robert McDaniel, who then lived on Section 30, Superior township. In February, 1837, the family took up their residence in their new home, on Section 9. They were very poor, as almost everybody was then, but they had good health and did not hesitate to face a reasonable amount of privation and toil. At that time there was not a neighbor residing any nearer to them than five miles, and their little home was surrounded, on all sides, by an almost impassable wilderness, filled with wild and savage beasts and with scarcely less savage Indians. It was all the family could do at first to live. At one time, for four weeks, they lived without anv bread whatever, their only food consisting of rice soup and wild meat. These extreme privations did not last long, fortunately, for if they had the family would have gone back to their old home farther east. They soon were enabled to feed and clothe themselves, and were then about as well situated as most of the earliest settlers. There was no such thing as caste in early times ; the settlers were like brothers, for all were poor. Mr. Singer became belated in returning home one night from Denmark, and a heavy storm coming on, he became bewildered and lost. In vain he endeavored to trace his wav, as the thick darkness and heavy rain descended. The more he tried, the more uncertain he became that he was moving in the right direction. At last he saw that the wisest course was to sit down on a log and wait, either until he was certain of his steps or until morning had dawned. There he sat all night long, with the cold rain beating upon him and the dreary winds sweeping by him in chilling gusts and eddies. When morning dawned, he was soon beside a roaring fire, something which every settler had with no cost save labor. After a few years, the Singers were in better circumstances. They, on one occasion, owned a fine sow, which had a large family of pigs, and these animals were permitted to sleep against the side of the cabin (on the outside) that they might be protected from wolves and bears. One dark night, when Mr. Singer was away and no one was at home save Mrs. Singer and her little children, the wolves, rendered desperate by hunger, came up to the cabin to attack the sow and pigs. Mrs. Singer resolutely sallied forth with a large fire brand and drove them away, and then the settler's wife saw that if she saved her animals she must guard them with fire all night. A fire was kindled near

The above facts concerning Mr. Singer are taken from Goodspeed's history of Williams county, published nearly a quarter of a century ago, and as such incidents were common, they are, no doubt, substantially correct. As the experiences of the early pioneers were alike in nature, only occasionally differing in the degree of danger and privation, the following* statements of hunting exploits will suffice for a further description of early times, not only in Florence, but every township of the county: Mr. Singer, though not the best hunter in the world (as the expression goes), was quite skillful with his rifle and generally kept his cabin supplied with wild meat. He killed many deer and a few bears. One day, while he was at work in the woods near his cabin, he was approached by Phillip Nihart, who hurriedly told him that he had treed a bear out in the woods, about half a mile distant, and wanted his assistance in killing it. The two settlers, armed for the fight, went to the tree as fast as they could and found the animal still in the branches. A couple of shots brought it to the ground, dead. On another occasion, not far from the year 1845, Mrs. Singer, who was standing outside her cabin, saw some black animal, about as large as a small dog, walking on the top of a rail fence near by. She approached and saw with surprise that it was a cub. Calling to her husband and two or three other men who were chopping near by, she ran up and caught the little animal by the back of the neck, and despite its growls and struggles, ran with it to the cabin. The men came up, and, coming to the natural conclusion that the mother of the cub was not far distant, resolved to find her if possible. The next day, while hunting, the men found a hollow tree that looked as if it might contain a bear, and while cutting it down, scared a porcupine, which ran out of a large hole high up in the tree. The men at first thought that this must be the animal that had made the scratches on the side of the tree ; but, the tree being so near down, the cutting was continued and the first thing the chopper knew the report of a rifle rang out on the air and a large bear fell to the ground, within five feet of him. dead. The animal had come out of the opening above, and was seen bv Mr. Singer, who brought it to the ground with one shot. The cub was kept for some time and finallv sold for fifty cents and was taken Ea«t.

Mr. Singer was quite a bee hunter and his cabin table was often graced with a fine dish of strained and candied honey. One day, the Indians, who were encamped on the creek about thirty rods east of the second David Singer's former residence, wounded a bear which crawled into a hollow log and could not be dislodged. One of their number who had come from Canada, and whom they did not like, was told that he was too cowardly to enter the log by crawling and pull the wounded bear out by the leg. It was thought to be alive and full of fight, but after a little time he entered the log*, head first, and soon emerged, pulling the animal, which was dead, out by the leg. One day, one of the Indians got drunk and declared that lie would kill his squaw, attempting to put his threat into execution. Several Indians came to Mr. Singer and begged him to interfere, which he accordingly did, and, with their help, bound the desperate savage hand and foot. The mosquitoes were very bad and pestered the savage to such an extent that he soon came to his senses and demanded that his bands be taken off ; but this was refused until his complete sobriety was assured and his promises were given that lie would behave himself. Every year Mrs. Singer smoked many venison hams on shares for the Indians. John Singer and David Singer, Jr., wounded a deer one day, and while trying to cut its throat were knocked back by the animal, which sprang to its feet and ran off through the woods. It was afterwards caught with the assistance of the dogs. For years the Singer family had a pet deer with a bell around its neck, which was used as a decoy in hunting. It would meet other deer in the woods and bring them close to the cabin, where they could easily be shot from some place of concealment.

Samuel Cain came from Richland county, Ohio, and located in Florence township in 1838, thus becoming one of the pioneers of Williams county. He was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1810. He moved to Harrison county, Ohio, in 1829, and there resided for two years ; thence he moved to Stark county, where he remained for six years; thence to Richland, where he passed one year. He then started for DeKalb county, Indiana, but an accident detained him at Napoleon, Ohio, and he remained there until 1838, when he came to Florence township, as stated above, and entered ninety-three acres of land on Section No. 1. He was about the second permanent settler in the present limits of Florence township, and all around him was a wilderness. Pie disposed of his property in 1844, and bought eighty acres nearby, on which he resided until 1866. when he moved to Northwest township and ended his days there. Mr. Cain used to tell many interesting hunting incidents. One day he broke an ox-yoke and went to William Van Fossen's to get another. While on the way, his dog discovered a cub and chased it, growling, into the top of a tree. The mother bear appeared upon the scene at this juncture and charged furiously upon the dog, which nimbly got out of her way. She passed close to Mr. Cain and he swung his hat at her, causing her to veer around him and run into a swamp, disappearing from his view. Mr. Cain had no gun with him, hut he went some distance and called to Nelson Clark's boys, who lived in Superior township, and they came up and shot the cub. On still another occasion, Mr. Cain, John Anspaugh and Jacob Anspaugh were walking in the fresh snow, near the tamarack swamp in the northeast corner of the township, when they discovered a fresh bear track They immediately called their dogs, which followed the hear into the swamp and soon treed it there. John Anspaugh was the first to reach the tree, and, at the first shot brought the animal to the ground. It proved to be a young bear and its flesh was very tender and sweet. Many stories, similar to those given, might be narrated concerning the pioneers of every

Nathan Disbrow was a native ot Seneca county, New York, born February 24, 1813. The early portion of his life was passed on the farm and consequently he received but a meager education. His parents moved to Allegheny county. New York, and thence to Canada, where Nathan remained until 1838, when he went to Huron county, New York; then came to Williams county, where lie purchased land and removed to Superior township in 1839. In 1840. he disposed of this farm and removed to Florence township, where he spent the remainder of his life. There were then no improvements and he was obliged to clear a space to build a cabin 16x16, in which he lived a number of years. The forest was filled with wild beasts, whose bowlings could be heard nearly all night, and these animals preyed upon the sheep belonging to the settlers. It took two days to reach the mill, and the nearest postoffice was Pulaski.

The Thomas family were early settlers of the township, locating in the extreme northwestern part, where they enterd land, and where the parents, Moses Thomas and wife, spent the remainder of their lives. The children were David, who yet lives in Florence township; Joseph W.. deceased ; Rebecca J., who is the widow of Joseph W. Back, and lives in Montpelier; Benjamin, deceased; William, a < resident of Lucas county, Ohio; Deborah, the widow of Ira Bratton, and lives in Angola, Indiana; Albert 1\, of Montpelier; Richard, killed at the battle of Resaca ; Mary, the widow of Sylvester Graves, now residing in Oklahoma; Sarah Ann, the wife of John Maxwell, of Stockton, California, and James C., who lor years past has been a resident of Chicago. The family originally came from Bucks county, Pennsylvania, where seven of the eleven children were born. They first migrated to Crawford county. Ohio, and thence, in 1840, to Florence township, where, the year previous, Moses Thomas had entered the southeast quarter of Section 32. Many descendants of Mr. Thomas live in Williams and adjoining counties.

Thomas Burke and wife, with a family of four children, came from Columbiana county and settled in Florence township, in 1841. Mrs. Burke's failing health caused them to decide to return to their former home, but ere they could reach it. Death claimed his victim and the children were motherless. Mr. Burke returned to .Williams county in 1843, and resided here until his death, in 1866. Some of his descendants still reside in the township.

Florence enjoys the distinction of being one of the best agricultural townships in Williams county. Its soil is especially adapted 10 diversified farming and fruit growing, in which pursuits, combined with stock raising, the intelligent and industrious farmers have met with phenomenal success. The pleasant homes and thrifty surroundings are abundant proof of this, while an occasional handsome mansion, with modern improvements and appliances, affirms the conclusion that even in this favored land some have been more successful than their worthy rivals. And thus it will ever be, so long as accumulated wealth is the

Edon and Blakeslee are the only villages in the township, and Edon is the sixth town, as regards population, in Williams county. For a number of years prior to the establishment of the town, the contiguous territory, and even the town site, contained a number of settlers. The land upon which Edon is located was originally owned by Henry Stuller, John Garwood and Thomas Smith, who occupied it in 1852. Henry Stullcr came to this county in the above year and settled near the present town site on timber-covered land, which was transformed, however, by the united labor of father and sons, into a comfortable home. Here, Henry Stuller died, in 1864, aged fifty-seven years. Soon after that date Andrew Sheline came into possession of a tract upon which the principal corner of "Mudsock" was located, and in 1874, the village was regularly incorporated and christened Edon. Andrew Sheline was born, in Washington county. Pennsylvania. April 20, 1819. He came with his parents to Carroll county, Ohio, in 1824, and resided there until 1855, when he came to Williams county and here spent the remainder of his life. He was both carpenter and farmer, but did not confine himself to any one business. Seeing the opportunity for a broader field of enterprise in the building up of the West, he laid the foundation of the present village of Edon, building the first dry-goods and grocery stores, cabinet shop and doctor's office in the place. He also erected the first grist mill and woolen factory in Florence township, and the second sawmill, and was also the owner of a fine farm of eighty acres. He was the proprietor of a hotel as soon as Edon needed one, but in later years he disposed of his hotel and factory interests and retired to private life for the rest and quiet from activity he so deservedly merited.

A man named Herbert bought a lot of Andrew Sheline, about 1856, put up a little store building and began selling from a stock of notions, valued at about seventy-five dollars. He built an ashery and conducted it and the store until his death, a few years later. Robert Smith located at Edon, about 1S57-58, bought a lot, built a store house and placed therein about $1,000 worth of a general assortment of goods. Two or three years later, his goods went to George Huber, who did a lucrative business with his store and with his saie of liquor. In about 1866 or 1867, he sold to Cook & Eichelberger, both of whom retired from the business in a few years. Kiink Bros, probably went into the same room with a stock of goods next: hut. after a few years, built the hardware store room, and, in about 1869 or 1870. sold to C. S. Garrison and C. A. Bowersox. Mr. Bowersox sold out to Garrison. who was in business there for a great many years. Curtis S. Garrison was a native of Ohio, horn in Portage county, July 27, 1835. He was left an orphan at an early age, and when hut eleven years old, began life for himself by working on a canal, where he remained for six summers. Shortly after this, he engaged in peddling for some time, removing to Williams county in 1854, where he took a clerkship in Edgerton, remaining there most of the time until i86<). In t86i.

he enlisted in the Fourteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry for the three months' service. He was a resident of Edon for many years, and proprietor of a large establishment.

One of the religious landmarks of the community is represented by the Methodist Episcopal church, now located in the town of Columbia, Northwest township, but originally established in the northern part of Florence township, in 1843. The society was formed in the year above mentioned, and as soon as the school house in the northwestern corner of Florence was built, services were held there, and later in the school house at Columbia. Eight members constituted the organizing force, the names being as follows: James Coon and wife, James McClarren and wife, Martin Perky and wife, J. R. McConnell and Benjamin Thomas. Rev. James Alderman was engaged as pastor, and from that day to the present, the organization has been maintained, and three g'enerations of people have been communicants around the same altar. As the years passed other families of like faith located in the neighborhood and added their names and influence to the church directory. From its earliest inception, this congregation began to assume a position of prominence in the community, and under the pastorates of Revs. Everhart, Cameron, Dunham, Thompson and Olds, great revivals were conducted.

Martin Perkv was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, January 18, 1819. He was reared and educated in Seneca county, Ohio, and followed farming there until 1839, when he came to this county and located in Florence township, where he entered 140 acres of government land and resumed his vocation as farmer. He joined the Methodist Episcopal Church as stated above, in 1843, ar*d, in 1853, joined the North Ohio Methodist Episcopal Conference, and from then until about 1865, was engaged in pastoral work over northwestern Ohio. In 1861, he was appointed chaplain of the Sixty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and remained with it until the fall of 1862, when ill-health caused him to resign. In 1865, he engaged in mercantile pursuits in Pioneer. He sold out in 1878, having been elected probate judge of Williams county, to which position he was re-elected in 1881, and again in 1884.

J. R. McConnell was born in Mahoning county, Ohio. March 1, 1811, and passed his early years in working on a farm and at the joiners' trade. In 1835, he came west as far as Putnam county, Ohio, located in a township where there were but three white families, and there farmed until 1841, when he came to this county and settled in Northwest township, on the site of the present village of Columbia. In 1854, Mr. McConnell assisted William Rannels in platting and surveying the village, and there for ten years he kept hotel. In 1861, he enlisted in Company K, Sixty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain E. J. Evans, and remained with his company nine months, when he was discharged on account of illness. He moved into Florence township, in 1864, and lived the remainder of his life there.

ions services of that denomination were held at a very early date, probably in the early 4o's. Though a class was organized, and preaching and Qther services were held in an old cabin, no church building was erected until about 1848 or 1850. About that time, however, a hewed log church was built, and, with the true spirit of Christian tolerance, both the English Methodists and German Methodists joined in its construction. The hewed-log church was superseded by a frame structure more in keeping with the needs of the congregation, and this in turn gave place to a handsome brick structure erected in 1878. Among the earlist members of this church were George Donutt and John J. Webb, and several others whose names cannot be given. It had a successful career as one of the principal churches of the township.

The educational interests of Edon have ever been a paramount consideration, and no town of its size in the state has a better system of public schools, or more appreciative or helpful patrons.

Of the social orders the Odd Fellows are the pioneers. Florence Lodge, No. 545, was organized July 1, 1873. The charter members were James Pollit, J. W. Thomas, Henry King, Samuel Keiss, O. B. Johnson, W. H. Hillard, Joseph Garwood, John Zimmerman, John Friend, J. W. Stuller, John Bordner, Frederick Mocherman and David Keiss. The first elective officers were John Friend, N. G. ; David Keiss, V. G. ; Henry King, treasurer, and O. B. Johnson, secretary. The lodge is in a prosperous condition financially, having sufficient funds to meet all obligations in a beneficial way.

Edon Lodge, No. 474, A. F. & A. M., is another society which has had a career of prominence, usefulness and popularity. It was instituted July 17, 1873, with the following named charter members: J. G. Cameron, Emmet Burke, John Aller, C. S. Garrison, Nprman Relyea, J. A. Headley, J. D. McConnell, Frederick Coldsnow, Edwin Powers, H. S. Hine, William Malcolm. Robert Laugheed, C. A. Headley, G. B. Near, James Thorne, T. J. Fetterhoof, Jacob Haughey, S. Spangler, John Willibee, Jr., G. W. Lindersmith, Thomas Davis, D. Isenhart, Sylvester Isenhart, W. J. Purdy, Hezekiah Edwards, Sr., Hezekiah Edwards, Jr., T. J. Burlew, Hiram Hoadley, Jr., Fred Hardenbrook, C. McKillen, Henry Cassler, and Simon Bookmiller.

In the town of Edon the various business and mechanical industries are carried on, and the handsome little village bustles with busy life. The only monetary institution is the Edon Banking Company. In 1892, a number of prominent capitalists of the county effected the organization of this popular concern, which has steadily grown in public favor. The capitalization was ten thousand dollars, though the institution is backed, through individual responsibility, with many times that amount. The first officers of the institution were Oscar Eaton, president; I. E. Gardner, vice-president, and Theo. S. Carvin, cashier. The institution transacts a general banking business and gives special attention to collections and buying bankable paper.

Besides the general representation of all phases of mercantile life, there are also quite extensive mechanical interests, of which the woolen

Blakeslee is an enterprising and busy trade center, located on the Wabash railroad, ten miles southwest of Montpelier, and in 1900 had a population of 239. It was laid out in 1882, by John Boman, at which time that branch of the Wabash was built.