Fulton Township (part 13 of 34)

Isaac Fauble came into the township in 1842, and settled on section 5, town 7 north, range 8 east. He and his wife Rachel A. Watkins) were born in Wayne county, Ohio, and his family was of German origin. Isaac lived in Fulton Township until his death, in 1873, at the age of fifty-eight years. His widow lived for a further thirteen years, and they raised five of their six children. The family is still in the township, their son Robert W., continuing in possession of the

Samuel Dowling came in 1842, from Trumbull county, Ohio, and settled on section 3, town 10 south, range 4 east. He was a typical pioneer, capable, generous, and industrious. He raised a fine family. His son Daniel became sheriff of Fulton county; and Patrick sheriff of Lucas county, and eventually postmaster at Toledo. His younger son, James, remained on the old homestead in Fulton Township, and a decade or so ago passed it on to his son, Henry. James Dowling was a venerable old man, classed with the pioneers, when, in 1907, he narrated some of his early experiences to Mr. Reighard, then editor of the "Fulton 'County Tribune." He then stated:

"I was born in Trumbull county, this state, in 1835. My father owned a small farm in that county, but he became discontented and wanted to go west. So he sold his farm and, putting his family into a covered wagon, started westward through the forest, for Iowa. Day after day we rode through the forest, fording rivers, building roads over bogs, and ever pushing westward, for my father was a man of determination. Some time we would go days without seeing a settler, and to a boy seven years old the journey became very tiresome. After several weeks' journey we came to what seemed to me to be the sea. It driving onto the old ferry, which was made of logs pinned together, the team became scared, and threatened to jump over the railing into the water. It was just at sunset, and the red sky, the dark water, the creaking logs all combined to cast a gloom over me which I will never forget.

"After crossing the river, we camped on the bank that night where the city of Toledo now stands. There was no sign of a city then, and only a few houses could be seen. Father could have bought any of this land at that time for ten dollars per acre. My brother Dan was taken sick, and as we traveled he grew worse. When we reached Ai, my brother was so sick that we were compelled to abandon the wagon, and seek shelter in an old shanty that stood on the farm now owned by Frank Merrill. For several weeks it was a question whether he would recover or not, but finally he began to improve in health, and in a few months we were able to resume our journey. But winter was coinin'' on, and father decided to wait until spring. When spring arrived, we were so pleased with the new country, and the neighbors had been so kind, that we abandoned the idea of going to Iowa, and have lived all these years within a few miles of the place where father first settled - never leaving what is now Fulton Township.

"This was a wild country during the '40s, and I remember one evening when my brother, Dan, and I were treed by a wolf, while coming home through the woods from a neighbor's. We were pretty badly scared, and I have ofttimes thought that our ability to climb a tree as quickly as a squirrel saved us much trouble. We boys were always on the lookout for wolves, and they were about the only things that we were afraid of.

"Levi Merrill, grandfather of the county auditor, Daniel Berry, Caleb Vaughan, father of our ex-county commissioner, J. C. Vaughan, all lived around Ai, and were very kind and good neighbors. There was no S wanton, no Delta, no Wauseon then. The Lake Shore Railroad was unheard of, or thought of, at that time, and all travelling was done by stage, horseback, or in emigrant wagons. You fellows who now fly over the country at the rate of a mile a minute on these fast trains, or who speed across the country in an automobile, at the rate of twenty miles an hour, can realize but little how slow our progress was, winding our way through the forest, searching for the high ground that our team might not mire. In those days, to go from my farm to Wauseon would have been a big journey -for one day, whereas now the journey is made in an automobile in an hour.

"From 1842 to I860, nearly every settler in the fall was afflicted with ague and fever. The doctors in those days went on horseback from one settlement to another. Dr. William Ramsay, of Delta, was a young man then, and assisted in relieving the suffering of those early settlers. Many a time has he ridden all night through the woods, to reach some settler's cabin around Ai."

Martin and Emery Wilson or (Willson) came into the township and settled in either 1833, or 1834, probably the later date, although a family record asserts that it was in 1834. Martin married Jane Fullerton, who was one of the early teachers in Fulton and Swan Creek, and they raised a large family. Martin lived on his Fulton Township farm, situated about two miles west of Ai, until he had reached nonogenarian age. The Willson family seems originally to have settled in Pike Township, in 1833, or 1834, Nathan and Margaret (Potter) Willson, parents of Martin and Emery (or Emira), the former being then about sixteen years old and Emira two years younger. Nathan Willson settled on Etna Ridge, and there one of their children, Katherine, died of consumption in 1835, her's being the first grave dug by white men on Etna Ridge. Nathan Willson died in 1840 and his wife in 1844; and it is reasonable to suppose that Martin, who would then be about twenty-six years old, had remained with his parents until about that time; and did not take up land in Pulton Township until then, or perhaps not until he married Jane Fullerton in 1845. Emery, or Emira, was a stalwart pioneer. He cleared, or finished the clearing of, three good farms in Fulton Township, and in 1892 moved to Swanton.

The Fenton brothers, James and John, were among the leaders of early Fulton. They settled in 1847, and both developed good properties. John was justice of the peace for many years, and held many township offices. In the '70s, he served two terms as State Representative.

And so on. Much more could be written of Fulton Township early settlers, but there is not available space. However, many of the prominent families of later Fulton will have notice in the biographical volume of this work.

John W. Harter was the first to establish a grist milling business in Fulton Township. In 1835, he caused to be erected a grist-mill, for horse power, on the north part of his land, near where Winfield Cline's house later stood. The mill was known as the "Horse Mill," and had a capacity of from two to five bushels an hour. It might have been appropriately termed the "Ox Mill," for oxen furnished the propelling power oftener than horses. The bolt of the mill was turned by hand, as one would turn a grindstone. Altogether, the mill was a primitive one, yet the flour made was probably more wholesome and nourishing than the highly bolted, or denatured, product of present-day mills- The mill was moved in 1840 one mile south to Swan Creek, and made a water mill, Harter and Stair being in partnership. Where the Horse Mill originally stood, Michael Cline, in 1853, erected a sawmill, which however was burned three years later.

A grist-mill was erected at Ai, in 1866, by Miles Hayes. It ran for very many years, eventually passing into the ownership of C. Packham. And Pilliod Brothers, in 1887, went into the milling business.

Nicholas Q. Berry built the first sawmill, establishing it on their own farm, through which ran Swan Creek. It could only be used, however, when there was plenty of water. Tram Strong built a steam sawmill in 1852, about a mile north of Luke's Corners; in 1856 Michael Kreiger built a mill; and in about 1860 Miles ITayes put one up a short distance north of Swanton. Later, J. D. Hall built a saw and planing mill in Swanton.

Ai may be supposed to have had its origin in the establishment of a postoffice, under that name, in the log-house of David Springer, at that place, in 1843. Luther Dodge had quite a large store on his land, section 11, town 10 south, range 4 east, from 1839 to 1844, but the first store in Ai was built in 1849, by Thomas C. Berry, who sold in 1851 to Henry Haughton. In 1853 Isaac Springer bought a halfinterest, and in the following year Samuel Smout became his partner. In 1854 Ozias Merrill purchased Springer's interest. In connection with the store was an ashery, which brought trade. However, Ai's chances of rapid development passed when the railway was built in 1853-55.

The little hamlet of Lytton, situated northwest of Ai consists mainly of a large country store, which is credited with doing a larger hardware business than that of the whole of Swanton.

the Toledo and Angola road, soon grew to be quite a trading center. The late Isaac Springer and 0. Merrill, conducted a store there for several years. At one time, Ai was the trading centre of the eastern part of this county, and the western part of Lucas. The Angola road was one of the principal roads of the county, and a settler coming from the east took this road, or the Plank Road, some six or eight miles north of it. With the coming of the steam and electric roads and the stoning and gravelling of the public highway, Ai, like the old Roman empire lost her prestige as a commercial centre."

The promising Village of Swanton is situated partly in Fulton Township, and partly in Swan Creek. In point of population, Swanton of Swan Creek is of slightly greater importance, and the history of the village, as a whole, will be found in the chapter regarding Swan Creek Township. The pioneer settler was Joseph Miller, who owned the greater part of the land where Swanton now stands.

Swanton, in 1866, was thus described by the compiler of Brown's "Gazetteer of the Michigan Southern Railroad" : "'Swanton, late Centreville, Fulton County. . . . There are only three business places there. Dr. A. L. Bassett keeps a general assortment of drugs and merchandise, and a tavern; Paul Beard, grocer; Joseph Miller, dry goods and merchandise, also station agent. There is a saw-mili half a mile north, and the town is located one-half mile south, comprising two stores, hotel, and blacksmith's shop. Swanton, from which more recently the station was named, is one and a half miles southeast; has a hotel, store, wagon, and blacksmith's shop."

The population of that part of Swanton which is in Fulton Township can be separately given, for the decadal census of 1890, when it was 310 persons; in 1900 the population had increased to 465; and in 1910 to 493. During the three periods, the figures for Swanton in Swan Creek Township were: 1890, 198; 1900, 422; 1910, 565. The separate figures for 1920 cannot yet be given, but the preliminary announcement of population issued by the Bureau of the Census in June, 1920, shows Swanton to have a combined population of 1,248.

The first schoolhouse built in Fulton Township, or rather in that part of Swan Creek Township, as it then was, was erected on the southeast corner of the eastern half of the northeast quarter of section ten, town ten south, range four east, in 1836, or 1837. It was on land upon which the Rev. John Shaw had settled in 1834, but had vacated in 1835, and it was built to serve the needs of most of the families who came in 1834 and 1835, probably drawing its first pupils from the Teachworth, Lake, Boyd, Berry, Welch, Wilcox and Babcock families. It may have been the schoolhouse at which Gideon W. Raymond was the pioneer teacher, although early teachers in that house were Joseph Babcock, and Luther Dodge. It was of course built of logs, and its furnishings were of the primitive kind generally associated with such times and houses.

The second schoolhouse was established in 1837, and was probably the little log house at Ai, at which Julia Chamberlain, sister of Samuel Durgin, taught the first session, in 1837.

The third schoolhouse was that designated the Clark District, or District No. 3, as it officially was. That was built in 1838, and Gideon W. Raymond may have taught school there in the winter of 1838, although there is no record of a school term before that of August, 1839, when it was decided to " employ a "female." Who she was is not recorded, although a statement, in an earlier historical work on Fulton county, that Harriet O'Brien "taught the first sum- mer term in the Clark district, but was taken sick, Miss Huldah Merrill finished the term" is not quite correct, for the school records show that emergency arrangement was made in the winter session of 1841-42. Harriet O'Brien receiving $1.50 a week from November 15, 1841, to January, 1842, the entry reading "Directors agree with Huldah Merrill to continue the school commenced by Miss O'Brien (and left in- consequence of sickness) and to continue it twelve weeks from the time it commenced."

The Clark District was organized on July 28, 1838. On August 7, 1838, the directors met to view ground for a site, "and stuck a stake for said site on a piece of ground near the quarter post on the north line of section five, township seven." There, on November 24th, of that year, they met "according to appointment" and "commenced chopping the logs;" and five days later, on November 29, 1838, "the district met and raised a schoolhouse in said district." That schoolhouse is described in the article before-referred to by James Nobbs, whose parents settle in the neighborhood in 1835- He said: "The schoolhouse where I attended school was a log building, with desks fastened to the walls of the building. Our desks were boards fastened on wooden pins driven into the wall, while the seats were slabs split from logs put on wooden legs."

"Talk about school government! That was when we had it. The teacher who could not thrash the biggest boy in school, or at least was not afraid to try it, didn't last very long. Every teacher had his water beech, and the first fellow who broke a rule was sure to receive a flogging. The first thing the teacher did was to secure order, and then came instruction ; and the question has sometimes come to me whether we had not gone to the other extreme now, and was giving too much instruction these days, without paying enough attention to discipline and order."

The first frame schoolhouse in the township was probably that built in 1842, or earlier, in District No. 1, "near the house of L. Dodge," as an entry in the school records of District No. 3, reads. In 1843, the directors of the Clark district arranged with Bradley Wood for a frame house, he having undertaken to build one "the size of the one in District No. 1, in this town, near the house of L. Dodge" for two hundred dollars. The frame schoolhouse built in the Ai District has been stated to have been the first built in the township, but that is not borne out by other records. James Dowling, who came into the township in 1842, in the autumn, and was then a boy of seven years, stated that :

"The first schoolhouse that I know of in what is now Fulton Township was an old log building standing a short distance east of the present residence of Richard Pinkstock. It was some three or four miles from our home, and here was where I first attended school. A little later a schoolhouse was built at Ai. Like the children of all pioneers, our education was very limited. You must remember there were no free schools in those days* like we have now. Then, a school was supported by each family agreeing to give so much to pay the teacher, and to board her or him a portion of the time there was school."

Samuel Durgin taught for some years in the Ai school, and Gideon W. Raymond was the teacher for at least four of its early years. Other pioneer teachers were Luther Dodge, Almeda Doughty, A. Sawyer, Lucy Clough, Margaret Emery, Jonathan Woods, Ezra Tunison, John Clendening, Elenor Johnson, Persis Scott, Ruthett Deblin, Caroline Wood, Moses Curtis, D. Allen, Lemuel Johnson, M. McCoy, William Lewis, Hartley Clute, N. S. Merrill, Eli J. Reed, Mary M. Barrett, Charles Thompson, Jane Templeton, Fanny Wood, Bethulia Day, Eliza E. McCaskey,. Warren A. Harrington, Hannah Morel, (or Merrill) J. W. Taft, Esther Merrill, Charles B. Hayes, 0. W. Parrish, Alvina Griffin, C. A. Harmer, Hester Trowbridge, Amelia Quiggle, D. C. Baxter, Moses D. Grandy, Elizabeth Mack, E. Van Fleet, (or Van Vleet) David Swank, Ruth Fewless, Lisa (or Elizabeth) Lucas, Mary Fraker, E. Fassett, Clarry A. Tappan, Agnes Mecologue, Louisa Cameron, John Raker and Frank Beard.

As to salaries paid to teachers ; Gideon W. Raymond in 1840 contracted to teach a winter term of school for a stipend of fifteen dollars a month; in 1879, "Jim" (James F.) Burroughs was "hired to teach school," in District No. 4, of Fulton Township, for thirty-five dollars a month, with the possibility of dismissal at any time, the minute book of the school directors stating that "he is to quitt any time we think he don't do justice for the school. . . and he has the same right on his part to stop any time he can't get along with the school." Today, the salary expected by teachers is very near to $100 a month, or should be.

As to cost of maintaining a school district, there is probably not a school district of today (certainly there is not in Fulton Township, where all have been centralized) that would not require many times the amount yearly that was needed to keep District No. 3 of Fulton Township in operation for the school year of 1841, when the cost was $44.00, $10.86 of which was borne by the county.

The original log houses cost practically nothing but labor; and the first frame buildings erected in Fulton Township for school purposes cost not more than two hundred dollars; but the present fine centralized school at Ai is valued at $26,750, with fittings.

The centralization of schools is a very creditable page in the history of Fulton Township. Mr. Reighard's newspaper in issue of December 18, 1908, explained briefly its development and consummation, stating, in part:

"The schoolhouse of sub-district No. 2, known as Ai school, was situated almost exactly at the geographical centre of the township, This was a two-story, two-room building, and in it was maintained a graded school with two teachers in charge. With the gradual decline of the Village of Ai, the school enumeration became gradually smaller, consequently the attendancee was not as large as could be conveniently accommodated. When, in the spring of 1903, the teacher of the adjoining district to the west, No. 3, resigned about two months before the school term was completed, the board of education made arrangements for the transportation of the pupils to the Ai school."

Thus centralization began in Northwest Ohio, Fulton Township being the first throughout all that area to bring the theory into practice; and while their pioneer effort arose because of the exigency of the moment, the school directors who guided the change through to complete success (and there were many perplexing problems to solve before success could come) deserve to be placed on the county historical record. They were, states the "Fulton County Tribune" of December 18, 1908: Ed Smith, Henry Dowling, IT. E. Wilson, John Hable, F. C. Merrill, with I. L. Richards, clerk. Of course, it was long after centralization began in Fulton Township before a much larger schoolhouse became necessary. The directors went steadily forward with their plans until in 1912 the present fine schoolhouse at Ai was in course of erection. In 1919, it was attended by 230 pupils, of high and elementary grades. Its teaching staff numbers seven, and the school is well adapted to the needs of the township, its curriculum including courses in agriculture and domestic science. In addition, Fulton Township scholars also have the Swanton school within reach. That is a special school district, and serves Swan Creek as well as Fulton Township; and it is one of the fine schoolhouses of Fulton county, having cost $35,000, when built in 1904. Then, Fulton Township has a special fractional school district, Amboy-Fulton, in which district is a one-room schoolhouse, of rural class.

The present boards of education are as follows: A. B. Putman, president; John M. Estell, clerk; John Fauble, Geo. R. McQuillan, A. A. Kline, and Vern Robasser, directors.

It may be presumed that the Rev. John Shaw, who came to Fulton Township in 1834, conducted religious services in his, or other log cabins. But he did not remain long. Verity says that J. W. Harter's cabin was used in the summer and autumn of 1834 and 1835, Mr. Shaw conducting the services. There was a Presbyterian Society in the township very early in its settlement, Jonathan Wood being one of the most active pioneer members. In 1842, the Rev. Gideon Johnson came from the state of New Hampshire, and formed a circuit, holding services in the schoolhouse of Ai, and district No. 1, known as the Dodge, and later as the Witt, district. Amboy and Pike Townships were also in his circuit. It is stated that Jonathan Wood organized the first Sabbath School - probably the first Presbyterian Sunday School; for it has been claimed that David Born and Wells Watkins organized the first Sunday School in the township.

Charles V. Merrill, who came from Maine in 1837, and settled on section four, town ten south, range four east, was a minister of the Christian Church, and the first to take up permanent residence in Fulton Township. He was active in pioneer church work in many townships of Lucas, and later Fulton, County, and he remained in church work until he died.

The statistics for 1840, 1850, and 1860 cannot be given, but the population of Fulton Township in 1870 was 1,328, and it then stood third in point of population, among the twelve townships of Fulton County ; in 1880 it was fifth, with 1,555 persons ; in 1890, the population was 1,580; in 1900, 1,693; in 1910, 1,637 ; and in 1920, the "Preliminary Announcement of Population" issued by the federal authorities after the first count, records Fulton Township population as 1,677 persons. In only three townships of Fulton County was there an increase in population during the last decadal period, Fulton Township being the third. The figures given above include the figures for that part of the Village of Swanton which is in Fulton Township.

Chapter Xxii

The Township of Swan Creek was the second to be organized after Lucas County was erected, in 1835, as has elsewhere in this volume been explained. York Township was the first, it embracing originally all the territory with the county, excepting that portion ceded by Williams and Henry Counties in 1850, when Fulton County was formed. York Township was organized on June 6, 1836, and Swan Creek sometime later in the same year, its western boundary having never since been changed. Its southern boundary was extended two miles south into Henry County, and for the whole six miles of its latitudinal extent, when Fulton County was erected in 1850, and it lost territory from the Fulton line (e. g., from the boundary line surveyed by Mr. Fulton, and designated Fulton's line, to distinguish it from the other state and county boundary line surveyed by Mr. Harris, and called Harris' line), to its present boundary, when Fulton Township, Lucas County, was organized in 1841. Apart from these changes, the area of Swan Creek Township has remained as it now is, and its present boundaries are clearly marked on map reproduced on one of the earlier pages of this work.

The township takes its name, as will be surmised, from Swan Creek, which runs almost due east through the township, and eventually passes into the Maumee River. Other streams are Blue Creek and Bad Creek, both coursing in a southeasterly direction, and both being somewhat sluggish. The soil is in places heavy, and in other parts sandy. Much of the land was actually under water in the early decades of settlement, and had, literally, to be reclaimed; and much of it was almost bare of vegetation, i. e., of large standing timber, being designated "openings." These parts were sandy, and considered unfertile. Undoubtedly, without treatment and patient and skilful cultivation, these sandy stretches would not be as productive as the heavier soil ; and in the early years of settlement, those families that settled upon the open land had to exist as best they could on poor yields. Those that settled upon the wet lands also had a trying, time, and had to reclaim their land tract by tract, and also clear the standing timber. Much ditching, or draining, must have been done, in the early years of settlement, upon the initiative of individual landowners, but the first reference made to such work in township records was in 1855, when, on March 12th, the Township Trustees met and "sold out" a contract for building of a portion of a ditch. The record reads : "John continued through the sixties, seventies, and eighties, and much under-draining by tiling was done by farmers, so that the township today compares, in agricultural yield, with most of the other similar areas of the county.

The first settler was William Meeker, it is universally acknowleged. He probably is deserving of place with Eli Phillips and Joseph Bates, as the pioneer settlers of Fulton County. He is believe to have been in the township, also in 1833, the year in which Phillips and Bates are recorded as having settled. William King, who settled in York Township in May, 1834, referred to Meeker in his reminiscences, stating that upon the entreaty of Peter Manor, a- hotelkeeper at Providence, he (King) "was induced to go some twelve miles north, to what was then called the Six Mile Woods" and there he found William Meeker, "who had settled in the edge of this woods in 1833, or the year before, now in Swan Creek." Eli Phillips settled in 1833, but Joseph Bates was stated by his daughter to have been in Franklin Township earlier.

However, William Meeker was undoubtedly the pioneer settler of Swan Creek Township. Peter Manor, who probably was the most reliable authority, testified that Meeker settled in the Six Mile Woods in 1833. And the early settlers within Swan Creek Township seemed to have recognized the priority of Meeker. He was the first, or at least one of the first clerks of the township (the early records are not available, but there is a document on file showing that he was clerk In 1839) ; and he was the first postmaster, that office being established on the farm of S. H. Cately (or rather, where he eventually located) in 1838. That office also served the people of York Township, and, singularly enough, was named Delta.

In 1834, incoming settlers included John Witmer, John Fassett, Thomas Gleason, David Williams, Looman Hall, Nathaniel Leggett, Eccles Nay, Sidney Hawley, and William Fewless; in 1836, Jesse Browning, George Curtis, Ormand Pray came in; in 1838, Wells Watkins; in 1839, Jacob Reighard; in 1844, S. H. Cately; in 1848, Palmer Lewis; in 1852, Ora Blake; in 1853, John Templeton and Wesley Knight ; and in 1857, Moses R. Brailey. These were prominent settlers. Township records of the first years of Fulton County show that in the early fifties there were the Stall, Cullen, Johnson, Mead, Coss, Roos, Waldron, Wyman, Chamberlin, Allman, Carpenter, Earl and Teachman families resident in Swan Creek; and a Swanton list of early settlers compiled and published some years ago gives the year of settlement of some of the more prominent residents as follows: Joseph H. Miller, 1840; B. W. Bayes, 1847; A. C. Tremain, 1848; S. S. Carter, 1847; William Lewis, 1850; J. H. Brigham, 1852; John McLaughlin, 1852 ; George H. Haynes, 1852 ; G. W. Hoffman, 1857 ; Thomas Elton, 1861 ; Jeff. Lutz, Wm. Geyser, R. C. Brattin, and 0. N. Detwiler, in 1865; H. B. Smith, in 1867; A. J. Hart, in 1868; William Perkins, in 1870; C. J. Brindley, in 1873; A. Q. Price, in 1877, and the Pilliod brothers in 1883. Other records show that residents during the sixties included: John de la Mare, John Westbrook, Thomas Waffle, the Sheffield, Geere, Brice, Harrison, Hoyt, Horton, Houge, Whitmore, Warren, Immel, Fox, Farren, Ransom, Keith, Barr, Raker, Bixler, Moyer, Swartz, Jay, Montgomery and Brewster families; and there were many other families probably of the same praiseworthy usefulness as pioneers and home builders.

Swiss birth, born in Berne. Their first cabin was of bark, and there the wife and children lived until a small piece of ground had been cleared and planted. Then a more substantial log house was erected. The family is of good Civil War record, one of the sons giving his life to the nation.

Nathaniel Leggett was one of the strong men of the settlement. He came in, about 1834, and his personality soon became evident. He was a man of athletic inclinations, and of pronounced administrative ability. His life has been reviewed elsewhere in this work, mention being made of him in many connections, as was of course proper for his activities were evident in many phases of the history of Fulton County. He was a clerk of Swan Creek Township in 1840, and will always be referred to with pride by the people of Swan Creek Township, in which was his first home in Fulton County, and in which he found his first opportunity to participate in public work. He was one of the most active workers for the separation of Fulton County from Lucas, or rather, for the erection of Fulton County from part of Lucas.

Eccles Nay entered government land in 1834, coming from Jefferson County, Ohio, and earlier from New England. It is said that after paying for his land, Nay had no personal property of any kind except an ox team, yet with the aid of kind neighbors he struggled through the hard times.

In 1834, William Fewless settled. He came from Long Island, New York, and was so discouraged by his early experiences in the swampy and mosquito-ridden country of Lucas County, that he returned to Long Island. He, however, was soon again in Swan Creek, and hereafter made it his home until he died in 1881. Members of his family have place in pioneer school history.

George Curtis, and two brothers-in-law, left Orleans County, New York, in 1836, and "after several weeks of toil and hardship, over muddy trails and swollen streams, the little wagon train arrived at the Maumee River, near Perrysburg, where they met an old acquaintance named Browning. Browning was also looking for land." The acquaintance, Browning, was evidently Jesse Browning, who settled in Swan Creek about that time, and lived there for more than thirty years. The narrative continues:

"They proceeded up the river, expecting to cross by ferry at Damascus. When near Rouche de Bouef, just below Turkey Foot Rock, they met a man who was unfriendly ' to the ferryman. He advised them that it was unnecessary to pay a fee to the ferryman, as the river could easily be forded with perfect safety. An attempt to ford the stream nearily cost them their lives.

"Pushing on, they arrived at a settlement of half a-dozen log cabins, called Centreville. The Curtis family, and Browning, decided to locate there, while the two brothers proceeded farther into the wilderness, one locating in what is now Chesterfield Township, and the other in Michigan. For about six weeks, the Curtis family occupied a location near^where James Gibbs' residence now stands, until the father could procure some land. He finally entered and bought from the government, three hundred acres, and built a log cabin on the bank of the creek, where the country home of N. B. Cairl later was.

hundred Indians, camped on the opposite bank of the creek, on the farm now owned by J. E. Coon. The Indian children were the playmates of the Curtis boys. The family was on fairly good terms with the redmen, and one day two Indians called at the home and inquired for the father, who had gone to the little trading post of Maumee, to procure provisions. The mother readily guessed the object of their visit, and not wishing to divulge his absence, and made some excuse when they asked for 'Firewater/ which was plentiful with the settlers, and was used for pickling. She told the Indian she would give him all his basket would hold. The Indian left, and soon returned, with a basket coated inside and out with ice, and received the 'firewater'."

Wells Watkins, a settler of '38, became one of the leading men of the township, and one of the most popular. He came from Wayne county, Ohio, in August, 1838, with his newly-wedded wife, and nine days later settled on section ten of Swan Creek. It is recorded that he took his first grain, on his back, to Harter's horse mill, three miles distant. And when it was necessary to make a trip to Maumee, the journey would occupy the greater part of a week. So that his family adopted every means possible to make all they could at home. His wife, Sarah Newhouse, made clothing of buckskin, linsey, and coarse linen, "around the cabin hearth" at home, and they reared a large family, many of whom became prominently indentified with township and school and church administration. Also, Wells Watkins, and a son, rallied to the call of the Nation in the 'sixties, and thus have place upon the roll of the country's truest patriots.

The coming of Jacob Reighard, in 1839, began a connection which has been strongly maintained, in useful participation in various phases of the development and life of Fulton county from the pioneer period to the present. The record is elsewhere reviewed, so that not more than passing mention is necessary here. Some of the family still have possession of the land entered by Jacob Reighard, and cleared by him and his sons; while the family record runs through township, county, and. state records, and comes into national records in the Civil War service of some of its members. The record of Frank H. Reighard, as school teacher, newspaper editor, county surveyor, and especially as state representative, is perhaps the most prominent, although he would agree that the most vital was the pioneer labor of his stalwart ancestors. And, it is hoped, that this historical work, of which Frank H. Reighard is the capable and interested supervising editor, will constitute one additional and appreciated service he will have rendered his home county.

Joseph H. Miller, who owned the greater part of the land upon which Swanton eventually developed, is, strictly, a pioneer of Fulton lownship, but as the history of Swanton is shown, in whole in thi« , Wllln°t be inappropriate also to make some reference here o Mr. Miller He came in 1840, and then was a young man of twentyeig t years, the adult age of which had been somewhat adventurously spent, ITe was undoubtedly well able to' care for himself when he came to Lucas county, and settled in Swan Creek. He had been for a short while employed on the Miami and Erie Canal, driving towboats, and three years after he settled at Swanton he married Lydia Cass, a Canadian. They had four children, among them James W., who for long was a resident of Swanton. They live together in marital helpfulness for more than forty years, Mrs. Miller dying in 1884 in Swanton. Joseph Miller worked at railroad construction, when the Air Line was being built in 1853-54, receiving seventy-five cents a day for his labor. And he did much trading, in farm produce, soon becoming established in a lucrative store business in Swanton. That, added to his farm holdings there, to his salary as station agent at Swanton, and the ever-increasing value of his land, eventually made him a man of considerable means. He added to it during the year in which he was also an innkeeper in Swanton ; and although it was to his interest to encourage, by donations of land, the development of the community, he undoubtedly showed in many of his actions that he was a man of helpful public spirit, even though, with some basis, he may be criticized for his slowness, at the outset, in grasping the possibilities that were before him, as land owner, after railway connection had been established.

Socrates IJ. Cately took up residence in Swan Creek Township in 1844, and soon became prominent in township and county affairs. He was a very active and capable man, and had part in the agitation which resulted in the creation of Fulton county, in 1850. David Williams and S. IJ. Cately were the representatives of Swan Creek Township at a meeting of township delegates of the democratic party, held at the house of Daniel Knowles, in Pike Township, on March 20, 1850, "to form a democratic ticket." At that meeting they decided to "run" Nathaniel Leggett for treasurer. Leggett, however, had been appointed associate judge of the Common Pleas Court by the governor, who under the old constitution had such power, and had to decide whether to accept the judgeship, or the nomination for county treasurer. He decided on the latter, seeing that the whigs had also nominated him for that office, thus assuring him election unopposed; and as he could not hold the judgeship also he declined to accept that appointment, and, stated James S. Riddle in his "Short History of Fulton County," S. H. Cately was appointed in his place. There are some conflicting records, as has been noted in an earlier chapter, but undoubtedly S. H. Cately sat in the first, or second session of the Common Pleas Court of Fulton County. He was assessor of Swan- Creek Township in 1852, which is the earliest year for which township records are available, and in all probability he held other township offices prior to that. For forty-two years he was a resident in Swan Creek Township, and latterly lived in Delta. He also served for three years as probate judge, succeeding L. H. Upham, who was unseated because of irregularity in election. Judge Cately took keen interest in historical matters, and was one of the vice-presidents of the Fulton County Pioneer and Historical Society. He was twice married, and to the second marriage there were ten children.

Palmer Lewis came from New York state to Erie county, Ohio, where he married, and in 1848 settled in Swan Creek. He was justice of the peace, and township trustee for many years.

to have been almost 450 pounds in weight, and to have had proportionate strength. He was a conspicious figure in the township - a man of strong frame, and, by the record, his abnormal weight seems ^to have been more muscle than flesh. John Templeton came in 18o3; and an extensive review of the Templeton family history will be found in volume two of this work. Jane Templeton, presumably of this family,, was one of the early school teachers of Fulton Township. The grandfather of John Templeton was with Colonel Crawford in 1782 at the battle of Sandusky Plains, which ended in the capture, torture and death of Colonel Crawford, in the presence of the notorious and inhuman renegade, Simon Girty.

The Brailey family is one of the leading families of Swan Creek, and the name has been conspicious in many public records. Moses R. Brailey settled on section twenty-two, in 1856, or 1857, was an attorney, and while he was active in that profession, his inclination seemed to be to agricultural life, possibly that of a gentleman-farmer.

Who Was Tortured And Put To Death By The Indians

The "Fulton County Tribune" reviewing the life of General Brailey, for he attained the rank of brigadier-general of volunteers during the Civil War, stated:

"General Moses Randolph Brailey was one of the county's most popular and prominent men. General Brailey was a native of Canandaigua County, New York, where he was born, November 2,

Fulton county, where he continued to pratcice law, and was twice elected prosecuting attorney, in 1858 and 1860. Before the expiration of the second term, the Civil War broke out. Resigning his office, he tendered his services to his country, although considerably past the age for military duty. His first enlistment was early in 1861, for a period of Company I, of the Thirty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Having been wounded in a skirmish, near Spring Mill, Ivy., he was discharged in March, 1862. On May following, he again entered the service* as captain of Company G, of the Eighty-fifth Ohio Regiment, and on August 22nd was transferred to the One Hundred and Eleventh Ohio Regiment. Major Brailey participated in the battles of Kentucky and East Tennessee, and in January, 1863, was promoted to brevet-colonel of the regular army, and brigadier-general of volunteers. By reason of impaired health, occasioned principally by his former wounds, he was obliged to leave the service, receiving an honorable discharge

General Brailey built a magnificent Rome upon his estate in Brailey, Swan Creek, quite a baronial mansion, it seems, with massive walnut staircase, after the style of the old English country houses. The "Fulton County Tribune," July 5, 1907, featured this fine old mansion, stating:

"It was erected in 1865 (Verity says 1869), and cost $5,500. At the time of erecting this, then palatial, home Colonel Brailey owned six or seven hundred acres of land surrounding this home. The house stands upon a hill, and in a silent language it speaks of the enterprise and the high ideals of its builder, and of his conception of what the future of this county would be. It was erected at the close of the Civil War. . . .Building such a home at the close of so terrible a conflict. . . . it speaks for his faith in the stability of the Government.

"The home was erected in the midst of a dense forest. To the west, a few miles, were the Lewis and Adams settlements; to the east, about the same distance, was the settlement of Wm. Perkins; on the south W. J. Lutz and William Phare had built homes; while to the north were the settlements of B. Bixler and Ora Blake. To build a home like this, nearly a half-century ago was a gigantic undertaking. The brick for the building was made in Gates' tile yard, in Delta, some eight miles distant.

"The building was fashioned after the most modern homes of the Eastern states of that time. It has a broad open stairway, in the center of the building, leading to the upper rooms. The front doors, and the inside woodwork were of black walnut, and hand-carved. The building is a large one, and is divided into reception halls, parlors, dining rooms, libraries, art rooms, and chambers.

"The old mansion still stands on the hill south of the Brailey Station, but the hands that laid the walls, that moulded the brick for its construction, or shaped the wood to add beauty to its interior, have laid their last wall, have manufactured their last brick, have moulded their last piece of wood, and are now quietly resting in their narrow home. A number of changes in the interior of the building have been made ..... .but the outside remains unchanged, as designed by Colonel Brailey, and builded by a Mr. ILogel."

In the eighties, General Brailey and his wife removed to Wauseon, where they spent the remainder of their lives, both eventually being laid in the Wauseon Cemetery. The Brailey family comes prominently into Wauseon history, as has been noted in the Clinton Township chapter; and have to this day held connection with Swan Creek Township, and Swanton.

Ora (or Orra) Blake, who came from Allegany county, New York, in 1852, with his wife, Catherine E. Osterhout, and was a comparatively near neighbor of General Brailey for many years, lived the greater part of his life in Swan Creek, and was a useful settle*. He built many of the farm buildings of the neighborhood. For the last four years of his life, which ended in 1911, at the venerable age of ninety, he lived with his son at Emmenlaw, State of Washington, where he was buried.

Wesley Knight was one of the helpful settlers. He had courageous enterprise and worthy principle when he ventured into a country in which whiskey and alcoholic liquors were freely sold, and extensively consumed, and out of the dregs of a reeking saloon made a temperance tavern at Centreville, such as did credit to that community and the county. His coming is referred to in the narrative of his son, Theodore, which story has been specially written for this chapter.

Thomas Elton will be remembered as a worthy pioneer, a home builder, one of those who worked hard through poverty to a worthy independence. He contributed to the wealth of the county by his indefatigable labors. He was born in England, and married there, and his son William H., who died in 1906 and is classed with the pioneers, was six years old when the family emigrated, taking up residence in Medina county, Ohio, and in 1861, or 1862, moving to Swan Creek. The son, William H., lived in Swan Creek from his twelfth year, and at his death an obituary stated that "in the development of the township Mr. Elton contributed his full share. Beginning in poverty, by industry, economy and close application to business, he acquired considerable wealth, which he used for the betterment of mankind, and the industrial improvement of his community. He was a kind, genial, and benevolent citizen." He was buried in the Raker Cemetery, which was established in 1836, and where lie many of the Reighard and Elton families. Elizabeth Elton, who married George Reighard, father of Frank H., was a daughter of Thomas Elton, the pioneer.

Another of the grand old settlers is William Jefferson Lutz, who was bom in 1833, and is still alive, and comparatively vigorous - particularly so, mentally - and latterly has lived in Swanton. He reached Swanton, then known as Centreville, on a memorable day in American history - that upon which Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, in 1865. At that time, there were only three houses in the place: that of "Joe" Miller, who owned practically all the land of present Swanton ; a little shoe shop ; and another small shanty. At that time, or rather in that year, and for many years afterwards, where now the town stands one would only see waving wheat. "Jeff" Lutz remembers that on the Fourth of July, 1870, binder contests were held on Miller's' land where Main street now is. Mr. Lutz was a man of remarkable energy, and his public work has been notable. He bought four hundred acres of land, for which he paid $2,000, and at that time much of it was actually under water, and there was only a log cabin upon the land. One of his neighbors was General Brailey, who, he states, bought six hundred acres at only one dollar an acre. Lutz built a frame house in 1875, and lived on his farm until 1918, when he sold the 320 acres he then owned, and retired to Swanton. At one time he owned a thousand acres in the swamp, and he labored indefatigably to drain and ditch it. He is now probably the oldest resident in Swan Creek Township, and is the oldest Mason of the Swanton lodge, and also, probably, of the local lodge of Oddfellows. Mr. Lutz's public record includes forty yeanf as member and president of the Swan Creek Township School Board, during which period twelve township schools were organized, ,a school being built for every four sections. One of his early associates was Mr. George Reighard, and Frank H. Reigliard received his first appointment, as a school teacher, from Mr. Lutz. "Jeff" Lutz set to work with a will to remedy the natural disadvantages of his own land, and other land in Swan Creek Township. He did much ditching himself, and he probably was one of the petitioners, and prime movers, for every ditch and road project undertaken in the eastern part of that township. It is asserted that he built the first section of gravel road laid in. the township, and throughout his connection with Swan Creek, he, and his wife, were earnest, unselfish and effective public workers. His wife was a woman of fine characteristics. She was known affectionately as "Aunt Jane," and in old days when ague and fever prostrated whole neighborhoods, she would go from house to house ministering to the sick, giving them not only medicinal treatment, but actually setting herself to the urgent domestic tasks of the stricken household, all of which she did out of the kindness of her heart. She manifested neighborly interest of the highest degree, and it is little wonder that she came to be known as the "Angel of Swan Creek." In the early years of their residence, she was a school teacher, and capable as such. Mr. and Mrs. Lutz had only one child. She, Mary Lucinda, died in early womanhood. Six of the brothers of "Jeff" Lutz were soldiers of the Union during the Civil War, and five of them marched with Sherman to the sea.

The Gingery family, father and sons, reclaimed more than three hundred acres of the swampy land of Swan Creek, and took part in public work.

William Geyser, who is known as "The Father of Swanton," died in Swanton in 1907. He was born in Germany, in 1840, and came with his mother to Lucas County, Ohio, in 1850. In 1862 he enlisted, and marched with Sherman to the sea. Later campaigning developed a hernia from which he suffered during the remainder of his life, although it did not prevent him from taking consequential part in industrial and public life. Lie was pensioned, and invalided, and "after his return from the war, he engaged in the grocery business in Swanton." It has been claimed that he "was the first merchant of Swanton, and shipped the first grain from this station." The first merchant, probably, was Joseph A. Miller, whom "Jeff" Lutz found, upon his arrival in 1865, to be the only merchant of Swanton, Miller's house then being, really, a store and boarding house. Undoubtedly, however, William Geyser was one of the pioneer and most successful and progressive merchants of Swanton. Later, he lost much money in a cold storage venture in Wauseon, but he had much part in the building of Swanton. In 1887, he was, without solicitation, chosen to act as delegate at the senatorial convention, at Toledo, and there lie was nominated for election to senatorial office, to represent the counties of Lucas, Wood, Hancock, Henry, and Fulton, in the republican interest. He and his colleague, William Carlin, of Findlay, Were duly elected. He was mayor of the incorporated village of Swanton for a couple of terms, and was ever interested in the advancement of the village, it is therefore somewhat surprising to note that his name does not appear on the petition for incorporation of that place in 1882. He was thrice married, his third wife, Amy Haubell Geyser, dying in a New York City hospital in March, 1916. She was a school teacher at Delta prior to her marriage.

C. J. Brindley, A. Q. Price, the Pilliod brothers, and several other prominent residents of Swan Creek Township will have somewhat extensive biographical mention in the second volume of this work, and much more space cannot here be given to personal review, deserving though the pioneer records may be, and interesting and noteworthy as they undoubtedly are.

Martin Raker, Sr., must, however, have place among the pioneers whose lives will not be reviewed elsewhere. He was one of the settlers of 1835, or 1836, and the coming of the Rakers, husband, wife, and nine of their eleven children effected an appreciable addition to the Swan Creek settlement. The nine children were John, William, Jacob, George, Abram, Solomon, Catherine, Sarah and Christena. Martin, Jr., stayed in their former home in Fairfield County, Ohio, until 1846, but the descendants of Martin Raker, the pioneer, have had much part in Swan Creek Township affairs.

A. Holmes Smith, of Delta, who knew the Raker family well, and boarded with the pioneer, Martin Raker, Sr., when he taught the Raker school in 1851-1852, has given further data regarding that family. He states that Martin Raker, Sr., considered a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, on section 30, as his homestead farm. He owned in all several hundred acres, but lived on the 160 acre tract. Eventually, he gave his son, John 160 acres, Martin 120 acres, and Jacob 80 acres. Abraham lived at home until he married, then buying from William Meeker 30 or 40 acres that had originally been part of the Raker estate. Jacob eventually sold the eighty acre farm his father had given him, and bought 160 acres in York Township, on section 19. Martin Raker, Sr., as early as 1836 built a saw mill on the homestead farm, and it was operated almost until the year of his death, which occurred in, about 1865. And in 1853 he arid William Meeker built a stone feed mill, which was operated until the year of the former's death. After William Meeker had sold his small tract to Martin Raker, Jr., he moved to where the Union Church now stands; and a little to the rear of the church William Meeker built a residence and also a cane mill, for making sorghum. He operated the mill for about a year, or so, his tragic death, in 1866 or 1867, bringing about its abandonment. William Meeker one day was caught by the sweep of his mill, and scalped, death being instantaneous.

The burial ground known as the Raker Cemetery was established in 1836, and stood upon the only rising ground in the neighborhood and for many miles west and south. It was the burial place of all the families of that part of Swan Creek, and by many of the families of early York, most of the surrounding country for many miles being so wet as to be impossible locations for burial purposes. As the years passed and a church building was erected (that known as the Raker Union Church) near the cemetery, the subscribers to that church were in great measure drawn from the descendants of those pioneers buried in the Raker Cemetery, the people of the neighborhood of all denominations contributing to the cost of building.

Martin Raker, Sr., from his early years in Swan Creek was somewhat crippled, having a maimed left hand. How is became so maimed was narrated by Mr. Holmes Smith. It appears that one winter day he noticed the track of a bear. He called his sons, and his dogs, and they routed the bear out of its lair onto the ice. The dogs worried the be»r, but Bruin locked his powerful arms around the best of Martin's dogs, and it seemed that it would crush the dog to death. It was more than Martin, Sr., could stand, and he rushed with his son, John, to the rescue. The father was badly mauled by the bear, and John slipped on the ice and broke his leg. Fortunately, Jake shot the bear, but the father's hand was more or less useless for the rest of his life, and John to the end of his days walked with a cane. Presumably, doctors were inaccessible in those early pioneer days, and John had to permit the leg to mend itself. The bone set crookedly, as was to be expected. Such were some of the handicaps of pioneer life.

John was a man of sterling qualities; progressive and hardworking. He eventually owned several hundred acres of rich farm land, and built a huge house - quite a mansion - having an almost baronial hall, and a massive black walnut staircase. The house was burned a few years ago. He was four times married, his third wife being Rachel Watkins of worthy pioneer stock. When she came with her parents into Fulton County they lived for forty days under the spreading branches of a giant oak, -while a little land was being cleared and a log cabin built. John F., son of Martin, Jr., had a fine record in his home township.

He was one of the pioneer teachers of the township, and met his death suddenly a few years ago. He had that day gone into Delta to arrange for the drawing of a pension, as a Civil War veteran. He drove home in his car, and as he stepped out of it in his barnyard, he fell dead Jacob son of Martin, Jr., died last year, on part of the original Raker farm. He was a veteran of the Civil War also. Two of the boys of Jacob, Sr., son of Martin, Sr., were of Civil War record as also were two of the sons of Martin, Jr. One died in service, the other was John F.

Mention must also be made of Uncle John Waggoner, who also was one of the good old pioneers of Swan Creek. The family still live in the vicinity in which their ancestor settled, and have taken stalwart part in the development of that part of the township. They have held to the soil, and been content to just go on working and building. So, has the present wealth of the county been slowly but surely builded. Simon, who is still alive, was a veteran of the Civil War, and has been one of the substantial citizens of the township. He was a member of the Board of Education for very many years, and still is justice of the peace. He also has been one of the strong basic pillars of the Shiloh Church since its establishment.

Unfortunately, the trustee records for the earliest years are not available. All those of Swan Creek Township when it was part of Lucas County have either been destroyed, or mislaid ; and the records have been preserved for only a few years of the early administration of Swan Creek of Fulton County. It is known that William Meeker was town clerk in 1839, and probably he held that office from the date of organization, in 1836. Nathaniel Leggett was town clerk in 1840. From that time to 1852, there is not information presently available.

At the annual election, which was held at the schoolhouse in District No. 10, on April 5, 1852, those elected to township office were: John W. Harter, Myron Williams, James T. Stall, trustees; S. H. Cately, assessor; Charles Cullen, treasurer; Samuel Johnson, clerk; John Browning and Charles Mead, constables; Alpheus Coss, Wells Watkins, Joshua Fassett, Jacob Roos (maybe Koos), Isaac Fewless, Harvey Mead, William Meeker, H. E. Waldron, and N. R. Wyman, supervisors.

The township taxation in 1852 was one mill, and the treasurer's statement for that year showed expenditures, for township purposes, of $68.68; also a. Poor Fund of $60.57, with no expenditures. Another account, entitled "School Fund for the year 1852," showed appropriation of $219.83 6 mills for six school districts, that sum presumably being appropriation from county funds for school purposes.

Township order No. 1, dated April 16, 1852, was drawn in favor of Myron Williams. The amount was one dollar, "it being for services as trustee." Twp. Order No. 10 was for seventy-five cents, in favor of Joshua Fassett, "Lor services as supervisor," evidently the yearly stipend.

for Robert Trailor, be allowed and paid, the entry stating that "said Trailor is a person that came from the Juction (junction) into this town on a visit, and was taken sick, and died sudden."

An interesting entry in the trustees' minute book is that of April 3, 1854, recording an "Indenture of Apprenticeship, whereby Hiw (Hugh) Reighard, son of Jonathan Reighard, then recently deceased, was bound to Cyrus N. Earl, from November 18, 1854 until that date in 1867, when the boy would become of age, "to learn farming" at the end of which thirteen years of faithful service, Cyrus N. Earl bound himself to furnish "Hiw" with "a Bible and Hymn Book, and two common suits of clothes." Jonathan Reighard had had a hard struggle and had succumbed while still in the early pioneer effort, leaving his widow with her young children practically destitute. Other branches of the Reighard family were likewise poor, finding it hard to make headway, in their swampy surroundings. As a matter of fact, Hugh Reighard did not complete his apprenticeship. He was either released, or he went without permission when the outbreak of Civil War stirred his heart. He had a good record as a soldier of the Union ; and the early poverty of the family was not such that any of the present generation might be ashamed. All the pioneers were poor; comparatively so, that is in currency. They were rich only in loved ones, in neighborly interest, and in determination to withstand privations in a desolate region until they had conquered the wilderness and the swamp.

Another entry in the trustees record states that, in June of 1858, "Mr. Libeys three children were sold to Mrs. Abigail Teachman, to board and cloth for one year, from the 16th day of June, 1858, for one hundred dollars."

On one of the last pages of the last of the early trustees' minute books still available is "A list of the Subscriptions to the Bounty Fund of Swan Creek Township Fund, 1864-65. John McLaughlin, Jonathan Houge, and Jacob Koos each contributed $200; M. P. Barber gave $100; Lorenzo Lewis, John Llorton, Chas. Hoyt, A. J. Allman, and S. H. Cately, $50 each. Subscriptions in the amount of $25 came from John De La Mare, John Westbrook, George Westbrook, Thomas Waffle, Geo. H. Richardson, William Sheffield, Richard Terwilliger, Y m. L. Stall, E. Geer, Wm. Mack, Jr., David Woodring, H. E- Waldron, James Biice, Charles Blake, M. S. Pray, N. B. Harrison, David Bassett, and David Williams; while smaller amounts, $20, $15, $10, and in some cases less, were contributed by A. Cass (or Coss), Eccles Nay, R. Whitmore, John Hall, A. Warren, S. Immel, John Reid, Thomas Elton, C. Fox, Wm. Phare, Wm. Farren, Hiram Ranr?1?' Keith, S. S. Barr, IT. II. Reighard, James Watkins, Geo.

Covering the period, 1852-67, which are the only years for which township records of Swan Creek have been preserved, apart, from the recent years, from 1913, the township officials were:

That is all the information that can he recorded from official records of township administration, apart from the seven years, from 1913, the records for which are now in the possession of the present township clerk, C. M. Stine, of Brailey. The present trustees of Swan Creek Township are Wilt Lemmon, George Haynes, and Dell Gill. L. C. Winzeler is treasurer.

The Civil War record of Swan Creek Township is a very creditable chapter in its history. Verity states that Swan Creek contributed onethird of its men to the Union Army, and added:

"Enlistment to most of them, especially those who had families, was peculiarly trying; for in the years of the Rebellion but few parts of Ohio could be found inhabited by poorer people. The Swan Creek volunteer went from a poor and often uninviting home, except for the loved ones left there, and from neighbors as poor as himself, and scarcely able, except by sore privation to themselves, to provide aid of any kind to those whom they would most gladly have helped and whom they often did assist, but out of no store of abundance."

The percentage of Swan Creek soldiers who became veterans was unusually high; and, alas, many did not live to see the war through to the final emancipation of the slave. As the result of their rigorous and sanguinary experiences, many of the boys who went away from Swan Creek homes strong and active returned to spend the remainder of their lives in a more or less physically maimed condition.

The village of Swanton, which is partly in Fulton and partly in Swan Creek Township, is one of the promising incorporated places of Fulton county. It has some healthily growing manufacturing industries, and it would not be surprising if it developed much more rapidly than other villages of Fulton county. It is asserted that Swanton gained more in population during the decadal period, 1890-1900 than the whole of the other villages of the county, and in the last period, 1910-20, its increase was greater than any other place, excepting Wauseon, the county seat.

Theodore W. Knight, who writes the following historical sketch, of "Swan ton, Ohio, in its Earlier Years," states in this connection that "Swanton was like the paddy flea; when you had your finger on it, it was not there, but moved." His article reads:

"Swanton of today is not the Swanton of the year of 1845, when it was almost a dense forest, with only here and there a lone white settler in his log cabin.

"At the time referred to, Swanton was located in Wayne Township, Lucas county, about three-quarters of a mile from the Fulton county line, with only a very few inhabitants. A log hotel, owned by a Mr. Kirkland, stood there. It was afterwards sold to B. T. Geer. Mr. David Mills built a double log building, and used it as a hotel. He was one of the earliest settlers, and held several offices in the township.

"The inhabitants would go to Maumee, the nearest trading point on horseback, with a sack or two of corn thrown across the saddle, to make the food supply.

"Swanton village was completed and so designated when it was given a postoffice; and as far as I can ascertain, Mr. Kirkland was the first postmaster.

"In about 1850, the building of the Plank Road was begun. It started from Maumee, and ran through Lucas county, into Fulton county, about eleven miles, stopping in the woods, about half-way between what i.s known as the towns of Delta and AVauseon.

"About that time a village began to grow, about a quarter-mile across the Fulton county line. It was called Centerville, and went by that name until it had outgrown the Swanton in Lucas county, and wanted a postoffice. Then, the name was changed, from Centerville to Swanton; and, to distinguish the two Swantons, the one in Lucas county was called East Swanton, and that in Fulton county, West Swanton. Under the new change, James S. Showers, who was justice of the peace, had added to his name the dignity of postmaster. The mails at that time were carried by stage.

"This new Swanton ( formerly Centerville) was situated on a four corners; on the northwest corner was a large frame hotel. I think Horatio Witt was connected with it, or built it. It contained a large dance hall, the largest in the county at that time; on the southeast corner was a blacksmith's shop, that of Alexander Spaulding; on the northeast corner, in later years A. J. Allman built a large dwelling; and at this time people continued to do the trading at Maumee, thirteen miles away, and at Toledo, then only a small town.

"In addition to the hotel at West Swanton, there were two hotels in East Swanton, in 1853, one owned by B. T. Geer, and the other by Wm. D. Herrick.

"During the period of 1852-55, the three hotels, within one and a half miles, did a thriving business, and sometimes would be unable to care for all the customers, without sending some to the neighbors. You could look east, or west, along the road, and see long strings of covered wagons, either going or coming, either emigrants going westward, or farmers from Williams county, hauling their grain, or sweet potatoes to Toledo. They would make the trip, or aimed to do so, in three days, and Swanton would be one of the nightly stops.

"Referring again to East Swanton early history. Among its early settlers were Erastus Brown, Dr. W. A. Scott. In, or about, 1865, W. D. Herrick gave up hotelkeeping, and built a store, stocking it with groceries and dry goods; and B. T. Geer left his hotel business to take up the practice of law. John Wales also had a blacksmith's shop there early.

"Today there is nothing left of the old town. Where its first log hotel stood, there is now a fine two-story brick school building, which is quite a conspicuous ornament, to mark the spot where once stood the first Swanton.

"Returning again to the history of West Swanton. It was thought, in 1853, that West Swanton might make a town of some business importance, as a railroad was laid out, graded, ties were strewn along the track, bridges were partly built, abutments across the Maumee River, between Perrvsburg and Maumee; and it was expected that the railroad would be running, as far as Swanton, within six months; but at the same time the Lake Shore Railway was being built, and its construction was nearly as far advanced. In the early part of 1854, the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway Company bought the controlling stock in the other road, stopped the work on the other road, upon which nothing was ever afterwards done. But the Lake Shore road was pushed through to completion."

The abandoned railroad project, of which Mr. Knight writes, was probably that which was started in 1846-47, seeking to carry through the construction of a railway from Cleveland, or Norwalk, running westward through Fulton county, and crossing the Maumee River at the foot of the Rapids, and eventually establishing a connection with Chicago. It was known locally as the Junction Railroad, and some of its stock was purchased by Fulton county people. Further reference to this railway project will be found in Chapter IV, of this work.

"In those early days, the country was settled, mostly, by a class of people who had little means, and very little after they had paid from three to five dollars an acre for a small piece of land. But game of all kinds was plentiful; there were plenty of fishes in the streams; and whisky was almost as plentiful as water.

"The Opening of the Temperance Hotel. Although no town would be without one hotel, there came a time when a town of the size of Swanton would not support more than one. In 1853, Wesley Knight bought the hotel at West Swanton. He bought it near the holidays, and word had gone out that he was to run a temperance hotel from the first of the year. Therefore, the laboring class then working on the railroad thought that they had better make the most of their last chance. So they celebrated Christmas Day riotously in the hotel. The Knight family arrived on Christmas Night, and found conditions in the hotel deplorable. The landlord and his wife both lay in a drunken stupor on the bed; the bar-room floor was covered with whisky, to a depth of one and a half inches, the barrel-bungs or taps having in some way come loose; and the stove was broken into many pieces. The Knight family made their beds on the floor of the sitting room, which was the only place that was anywhere near being decent; and their supper was made from the remains of their lunch. Next morning, Wesley Knight opened for business, and had with them that morning for breakfast, A. J. Allman, who for many years thereafter continued to board with them.

"Wesley Knight's temperance hotel gained a wide reputation ; his open door was for very many years the stopping place for the weary traveler. He conducted the business for forty years.

"About 1856, J. B. Carr opened a dry goods store, but the town was not large enough for two stores, and Mr. Can- moved away. In 1863, Mr. A. J. Allman continuing in the dry goods business, was appointed postmaster, which office he held for a number of years. I can remember when the mails arrived, during the years of the Civil war. He would hold a handful of letters, and read aloud the names of those for whom there were letters; and many in those days were anxious waiters, hoping for news from their soldier boys.

"Many interesting incidents come back to the recollection, when recalling the names of some of the early citizens of this place. There were John Dixon, Horace Young, Wm. Stair, Harvey McCoy, David Mills, Richard Marsh, Ezra Willcox, and George Curtis. The lastnamed was not only one of the first settlers, but the most prosperous, having entered a half-section of land. He was' the only moneyed man of the place; he would lend money to anyone who would be willing to pay his rate of interest. I own the safe he once had - the first safe that was ever brought to this place. He lost a good deal of money in the failure of Krouse's Bank, at Toledo. How much he lost, he did not even tell his family, and nobody ever knew.

Railroad was put into operation, the mail was brought from the station to Swanton by Alpheus Seaton, who would stand on a frame built for the purpose, would hold the mail in both hands, and the route agent would catch the mail on his arm. No Twentieth Century trains in those days. You could ride on any train that came along. Dr. L. A. Bassett was postmaster at that time.

"The Village Church. The village church, the only church, was the Methodist Episcopal. It was built in about 1863, and situated just west of the village.

"Swanton School. The school building was located just west of the church, a one-story frame structure. Miss Betsey Ann Geer was the teacher for a number of terms.

"In the year 1857, or near that time, James Cornell moved into the place from the state of Texas. He was a good church-worker, and was the first to establish a Sunday school in the village. Mr. Wells Watkins was also a live-wire in Sunday school and church work. He was quite a hunter, a good marksman, and used to the forest, being an early settler. He was president of the pioneer's picnic, and was very popular.

"Grandpa John Templeton. I must not forget Grandpa John Templeton, as we always called him. He raised a large family of boys and girls who were stout and hardy, but never could equal him. John Templeton at one time weighed about four hundred pounds, and was president of the Fat Men's Convention for several years.

"Industrial History. In the history of the business of West Swanton, A. J. Allman was the principal business man in merchandise, and was connected with Cullen and Clark, in the business of making Potash. The ashery was cared for by Israel Gamble, and netted them a good income.

"There was no other indiistry, excepting the brick and tile factory of Thomas Farthing, and one run by Newton Curtis. Much of the brick they made is still in Swanton buildings.

"In the year 1870, or thereabouts, Mr. Allman moved his store to Delta, and lived there for several years, later going into business in Toledo. There being no store left in Swanton, Knight and Grandy opened a grocery store, and finally branched out into dry goods. After a term of successful business, Mr. Ed. Brailey bought Mr. Knight's interest, the latter becoming a school teacher, and continuing as such for seventeen years.

"Swanton's Last Move. The time came when Swanton must move. This time, if Paddy got his finger on it, it was there. From now on, all that is written of Swanton is of that place in its present location. There is nothing now left of West Swanton but a few residences, and a small grocery and oil station.

"Origin of Swanton. This new Swanton is sometimes termed: 'The Center of the Universe/ having grown from a railway station, or woodhouse. The woodhouse was about one hundred feet long, with a water tank in the centre, and a room about twelve feet square under it for the Ladies' and Gents' Waiting Room, with a board bench, ready for cushion seats. When passengers were too thick, there was plenty of room out-of-doors.

"After several years, the railway company built a one-room Depot, and moved the old woodshed across the track for a freight house. However, the depot became too small before many years had passed, and the depot building now used was erected. Mr. J. II. Miller was the first agent. Following him came Mr. Beard; then Mr. Brady. Some years later, Jacob Gehring became agent. He was killed at his post. Mr. John Eva, the present agent, succeeded him.

"Growth Checked. This Swanton remained a dead town for several years. Mr. J. H. Miller owned all the land on one side of the railroad, and George Curtis on the other. They would not sell a lot, and the place grew only so fast as they saw fit to put up a building. Mr. Miller built a residence with a store-room in front, but times demanded more than that. At that time Mr. Miller would buy wood ties and stave bolts; at his own price, the seller taking goods from the store in exchange. Miller would sell the wood ties to the railway company, and would ship the bolts, thus making a round profit.

"Petersburgh. Peter Miller, a well-to-do farmer, and as fine a man as I ever met, was then living about half a mile from the depot. He saw the need of the town, and laid out several acres, selling the lots at a reasonable price. Soon, he had brought into being quite a fastgrowing little town, in which was a large store. They called the place Petersburgh.

"Swanton Spurts. The threat that the landowners of Swanton saw in the development of Petersburgh soon caused them to adopt a new policy. Both Miller and Curtis began to sell lots, and the boom developed at the natural place, which was Swanton, because of its railroad facilities. Petersburgh then began to decline.

"Mr. Wm. Geyser saw that there was a good opening at Swanton, and opened a grocery in a small building, adding dry goods in course of time. He did good business, and was eventually forced to build larger quarters. He was enterprising, and held practically all the trade of the town. He built a large brick building, that now owned by F. J. Curtis.

"On the corner now known as Main and Mill Street, a Mr. Culver put up a frame building for a hotel, and between Culver's Hotel and the store of Mr. Geyser were small buildings occupied by various people. They were destroyed by fire. About that time Dewey Haskins and Knight moved a stave and oval dish factory here, and J. E. Hall started a lumber mill, and sash and door factory'. He was one of makers of Swanton. The large store building of Miller and Knight the makers of Swanton. The large store building of Miller was stocked with groceries and dry goods by Haskins, Dewey and Knight; and they conducted that business, with their factory for about three years.

"Removal of Postoffice. The enterprise of the new town demanded postal facilities, and it did not require much argument to bring about the removal of the Swanton postoffice from the old town. Mr. Richard Marsh was the postmaster at that time, and with declining years, a change seemed necessary. He was succeeded by T. W. Knight, who held the office for about six years - until there was a change of administration.

store building on the south side of the railroad, and moved their stock from the old town. Two or three years later, this building was burned to the ground, but another was quickly erected. It was at one time occupied by R. S. Clegg, furniture dealer and undertaker. He was succeeded by R. S. Fenton, who bought the property and stock, and after several years sold the business to C. J. Brindley, who still owns and conducts the business.

appointed postmaster, he moved the office across the street to more suitable quartes, putting up a new building with larger quarters, and new fixtures; and the postoffice at that time was equal to any in the county. When his term as postmaster had ended, he sold his outfit. It was moved to Edgerton, Ohio, where it was used for a number of years. B. V. Ludlon succeeded Theodore Knight as postmaster at Swanton.

"The Veteran Telegraph Operator. I must not forget our old friend, Frank Minnich, the veteran telegraph operator, who served the L. S. and M. S. R. R. Co. for the greater part of his life, always accident. Of late years he has enjoyed a well-deserved pension. We see him still on the streets, but he begins to show the effect of declining years.

"Grist Mill. The grist mill at Swanton was built shortly after Dewey, Haskins and Knight left 4he town. A great part of the structure was furnished by subscription ; some donated material ; others labor. Mr. J. H. Miller was a good canvasser; he succeeded in getting a subscription from almost everyone he asked, for he would not take no for an answer.

"School. At one time there was no school in Swanton, and the children had to go to one of the two district schools which stood about a mile distant from the village on each side, one being in Fulton Township, and the other in Swan Creek. It was far to send small children, and eventually a small two-room two-story frame building was put up in Swanton; and when that became too small, as it soon did, a brick addition was put on, making four rooms. One evening the cry of "Fire" was given. It was the school building. It was burned to the ground. The property was insured, but not at its full value. For the remainder of the year the school was held in churches and halls, while the board considered ways and means. They issued bonds, and let a contract for a new building which was to cost $35,000. At the time it was built it was the best in the county, and it still marks the enterprise of the town.

"Church. The only church in the town was the Methodist Episcopal, which also was moved from West Swanton, and placed on the corner of Main and St. Clair. It was thought that we needed a new church, and the Rev. N. D. Baumgardner lost no time in securing the subscription for a new building, to the amount of $5,000. This church was also burned down, but in less than a year another was built. At present Swanton has four churches.

Minutes Of Tornado

"The Baker Plant. The most important event in the history of the new town was the construction of the A. D. Baker plant. Mr. A. D. Baker started as a boy of sixteen to work at ingenious inventions of mechanical nature, and had a shop about half a mile from town. From that small shop has grown his present factory which now covers ten acres, manufacturing the celebrated Baker threshing machines, and engines; also the Baker valve gear, used on locomotive engines all over the United States. Normally, the plant employs a large force of machinists, but at the time of writing, it had not yet recovered from the almost total destruction of their plant by the terrible tornado that passed over the town and neighborhood on Palm Sunday, March 28, 1920. Damage to the extent of about $60,000 was done to this plant, but rebuilding is rapidly proceeding, and business has to some extent continued, notwithstanding the collapsed walls.

"The Tornado of 1920. The town was also badly damaged. Business places were unroofed, and partly destroyed; dwellings were blown to pieces, or turned over. However, Swanton is still there.

Theodore W. Knight, himself, has had a good part in the building of Swanton, and is now its oldest, and one of its most respected residents.

In all probability the petition was duly filed, but it is marked as having been recorded on February 19, 1883. Meanwhile, there undoubtedly had been divided feeling as to the need for incorporation, for two remonstrances were filed with the county authorities, the first on November 8, 1882, and the other on the 17th of the same month. About twenty-five signatures were put to these remonstrances, evidently

The present municipal administration is constituted as follows: L. R. Baker, mayor; Cass Cullis, clerk; Chas. Witmer, Charles Neis, John Fels, Will Weir, and C. E. Brindley, councilmen; G. R. Ackerman, treasurer.

Swanton had some disastrous fires in its history; that of Tuesday, January 23, 1912, when many of the buildings on Main Street were destroyed entailed a loss of more than $40,000.

The greatest disaster that Swanton, and Swan Creek Township, have had to suffer came with the passing of a tornado through the neighborhood on Palm Sunday, March 28, 1920. The local paper well describes the visitation, stating that:

"The storm struck this county about two miles east of Naomi, on the county line, destroying Arthur Tabor's house and barn, and the the new Tilse residence and barn near it. The Tabor home is a complete wreck. The family was in it at the time, and how they

"From this point the storm traveled in almost a straight line to' Swanton, passing about three miles south of Delta, and a mile north of Brailey. The large barn of the Enos Rupp farm south of Delta was blown down, and two cows were killed.

buildings all destroyed, and she escaped uninjured. When the storm struck the home the windows crashed in, and she braced herself against the door, to hold it shut. After the storm had subsided she found the top part of her house was gone, the walls bulged in, and the interior of her home a wreck. Although nearly eighty years old, she was not. injured. She knew where she kept her lantern, found it, lighted it, and stopped an automobile that was passing, and had them take her to Delta.

"The great machine shop of A. D. Baker Company, in Swanton, was blown down, causing thousands of dollars of damage to the machinery. The great separator storage sheds of the same company were blown down.

"The roof and upper stories of the tall business block on Main Street, between the T. & I. and New York Central Railroad tracks was blown away, while across the street the front of the opera house block was blown in. Not a business block in Swanton but suffered damage, and in many cases destroyed the upper stories.

"The beautiful homes on North Main Street were largely wrecks - roofs torn off, porches gone, one end, or corner of a building torn away. This street has been one of the beauty spots of the country. The residence of Dr. and Mrs. F. W. Stine was partially destroyed, while the office and garage of Dr. Odell was practically wrecked, and onehalf of the roof of his house carried away. Not a dozen residences in the entire city escaped injury.

"The windows of the Methodist Church were blown in, and the Catholic Church was badly damaged. The public school building stood the storm, though the windows and roof were damaged.

"With a dozen more residences entirely destroyed, and the great damage done to others; with business blocks and manufacturing plants wrecked, not a person in Swanton lost his life, and only four were slightly injured.

The tornado was an appalling calamity to many in Swan Creek Township. In many cases barns which a few minutes before had stood house-high collapsed like a house of cards, and lay in many cases, like carelessly piled waste stacks of lumber, some of them not a yard high. It was truly appalling. Yet, the people of Fulton county of today have much of the sterling qualities of their pioneer ancestors. The old widow "felt that soon matters would right themselves"; and the people of Swanton evidently meant to set about righting matters without more ado. The local paper stated:

"The same undaunted progressive spirit that made Swanton one of the foremost manufacturing centers in the county is at work to rebuild it. The next day after the terrible catastrophe that befell this prosperous city, workmen were clearing away the wreckage for the building of a new Swanton. While it is a great loss to the town and community, the citizens are left determined and not discouraged, and will soon change the wreckage and devastation into prosperity and

The people of the county, in general, rallied to the aid of the unfortunate. The Delta paper of that week stated that "Delta business men divided into three squads drove over the storm-swept country Monday, and made a survey of the losses and actual needs of the farms and farmers." In some cases money was promised, but the most appreciated help was in man-power. The Fayette paper stated that:

"Some-tliing like a hundred men from Fayette and surrounding farms went to Swanton (on Wednesday) to aid the victims of the big wind storm in setting their places to rights. Not only from this section, but from other parts of the county were men there, and our people went to one farm, cleared away the debris, piled up the windblown trees and shrubs, and set fire to them; collected the barn and other timbers; and then on to another place to do the same. They kept it up all day."

The local Red Cross bodies were prompt in offering financial aid. Wauseon and Delta societies within a day or so of the storm, offered to contribute $500 each, "and more if needed," and Bryan Red Cross Chapter sent a cheque for $400. From a reading of all the reports, one is forced to the realization that the people of Fulton county of today are just as much "one family as they were in pioneer days, when all neighbors would set aside their own work to help a newcomer to raise a log cabin, or as, in a somewhat later day, they gathered for a barn raising.

Mrs. A. Q. Price, who was married to Mr. Quill Price in 1877, and then came to Swanton, where they have ever since resided, read a paper entitled: "Swanton Forty Years Ago," at a meeting of the Progress Club, in 1917. It contains many interesting items of local history, and parts of it could appropriately be given place here. In part, the paper read :

"It (Mr. Price's drug store) was a small frame building, standing where the bank now is, a large maple tree in front, board sidewalk, and sand ankle-deep in the street. The population of Swanton at that time was 175. They supported a night-watch at that time, Wm. Buffington, mostly for intoxicates, and the caliboose, surely not for joy-riders and hold-up men. At that time houses were scarce, so we boarded across the street, at the Miller House, which is now Fleming's grocery our store after supper. Old Dr. Cosgrove was the first man I met. The next was an old resident who had visited the tavern, where the Pilliod block now stands, and he was feeling in quite a fighting mood

"This was a hard town, but soon improved as it increased in population. Of course I got very lonely. The Millers were very kind to me. Mrs. Sanderson, Mrs. Jas. White, and Miss Olive were the

"Church. The M. E. Church was a frame building on the lot where Bob Fenton's house now stands on Main Street, next to the garage. They had a new organ, and a number of the members of the church were going to leave on account of it. They had no one to play it, so Mr. Price told Mrs. Boyer his wife could play it. Of course I could for him, for he didn't know one tune from another, but Mr. Boyer asked me, so I could not refuse. We had a large choir, Mrs. Anna Houseman, leading soprano, Mr. Boyer and Ed. Wilcox basses. Mr. Boyer would tell me the key the piece was written in, and I would play. No one knew the difference then, but I am afraid the music would be criticized now.

"The Depot. The depot was the building now used as the freight depot, and was north of its present location. At that time this building was kept full of wood for shipping. Nothing but woods could be seen along the track, as far as the eye could reach. N. D. Berry had the contract for pumping water, to keep the tank filled, to fill the engines. He had a blind horse to do the pumping.

"South of the Railroad. The only houses on the south of the railroad was: the house of Ed. Brindley, then owned by a family by the name of Gibbs; Fred Harrington, Mr. Knight, Jas. Fenton, and Houseman homes, and store where L. Reed lives. The house on Chestnut Street, where Mr. and Mrs. Myers live was our first home.

was a stave factory, located opposite the grist mill, on the railroad ground. The factory was managed by men from Blissfield, Lane Smith and Haskins. Mr. Haskins ran a general store in the building now used by the T. & I. Depot, which was then on Main Street. Over this was a room they called Miller's Hall, where they held dancing parties. On December 23d they held a party, at which Geer's Band played. C. J. Brindley and C. 0. Marsh were floor managers, and the supper and dance cost $1.50.