Monterey Township

Monterey Township

The year 1848 witnessed some very marked changes in the territorial limits of Putnam county. In this year Auglaize county was organized by cutting off the southern part of Allen, which joins Putnam on the south. In order to equalize matters, a strip was detached from the southern part of Putnam and added to Allen - seven tiers of sections being detached from Riley township, six tiers from Pleasant (known as Monroe township), three tiers from Sugar Creek and a similar amount from Jennings. This took one hundred and fourteen sections from Putnam county, but the kindhearted Legislature compensated Putnam by adding eighteen sections taken from Van Wert county. This strip, six by three miles, Hes immediately west of Jackson township and was organized as Monterey township in 1849. At the same time, five sections were detached from Jackson township and added to Monterey.

This township was settled largely by Germans and is one of the strongest Catholic township in the county. Henry Schroeder and Henry Upland, who came with their families in 1845, were the first permanent settlers. They were followed by Joseph Gruver (1846) and John Livingston, Jonas Dash, Conrad Henry and Bernard Esch (1847). Matthias Schroeder came in 1849.

The first election, on January 19, 1850, at the house of Joseph Gruver, resulted in the selection of the following officials : Bernard Esch, Henry Schroeder and Joseph Gruver, trustees; Jonas Dash, clerk. The scarcity of population may be understood when it is known that only eleven votes were cast at this first election. W^hen the board of trustees met, on March 7, 1850, they proceeded to organize the township into two road and two school districts.

The Monterey township officials at present are : Justices of the peace, George Altenberger and J. H. Wannemacher ; trustees, Frank W. Ruen, Martin Miller, and James Weber; clerk, Frank Kromer; treasurer. Max Winkelman; constable, Jacob P. Studer.

There is only one town in Monterey township, Ottoville. The platting of Ottoville has had some marked and varied changes, as shown by the records for those acts. In 1845, Elias Everett, county surveyor, platted for John Otto Bredeick a parcel of land in the northeast corner of section 30. This survey was abandoned, however, and the land was again surveyed by Charles Wannemacher in 1873.

The present site of Ottoville, by way of explanation, is platted in the corner of four sections, namely, sections 24, 25, 19 and 30. The numbering is due to the fact that the township was changed since the original survey.

In 1863 Samuel Parker, county surveyor, laid out that part of the original town plot lying in section 19 for Christ Martin. This survey has been changed somewhat since that time. In 1865 F. J. Lye, with the services of George Skinner, surveyor, laid out an addition west of the canal in section 30. In 1874 Peter Wannemacher laid out an addition to Ottoville in section 25 and in 1883 Aaron Overbeck, surveyor, at the instance of Richard Gilmour, bishop of Cleveland, Ohio, resurveyed all that part of the town originally laid out in section 19. The same survey platted an addition in section 19 for Max Winkleman during the year 1892. In 1894 Peter Wannemacher had another addition platted by D. W. Seitz, surveyor.

The town was incorporated in 1890, with Joseph Wannemacher, mayor; J. C. Wannemacher, clerk; John Branderhoff, marshal; Matt Schulien, treasurer; V. H. Otte, Peter Wannemacher, B. Wannemacher, J. B. Mersman, J. J. Miller and WilHam Gasser, councilmen.

This village is the center of a very prosperous farming community; situated on all sides are the well-tilled farms of the sturdy, industrious Catholics who make up this settlement. This is the home of St. Mary's Immaculate Conception church, one of the most beautiful churches in this part of the state. The business interests of the town have always assisted in every material way for the growth of the town and unison among its early settler^ was their strong characteristic.

has paved streets and an excellent school system. The population in 19 lo was four hundred and seventy-seven, but has increased since that time.

The officers at present are: Mayor, J. C. Wannemacher; clerk, Frank Kromer; treasurer, Joseph P. Hurst; marshal, William Grenlich; councilmen, George Wannemacher, James Otte, Alph Bertling, W. T. Geier, John Van Oss, Alex Odenweller; trustees of public affairs, George Miehls, Ed Odenweller and J. J. Miller.

Electric Light And Power In Ottoville

In the fall of 1914, the town of Ottoville completed arrangements with the Electric Light and Power Company, of Delphos, Ohio, whereby the latter company agreed to furnish electric current for Ottoville at a definite rate. Delphos brought the current to the corporation line of Ottoville and then the latter wired it to its consumers in the town. The town has spent five thousand dollars in wiring, poles, meters, transformers, etc., and, although the first year has not yet passed, Ottoville already has one hundred and one consumers of light service and two consumers of power. The town operates twenty-five incandescent street lights, ranging in power from one hundred to two hundred and fifty kilowatts.

Ottoville guaranteed the Delphos company a minimum of fifty dollars a month for the first six months and since then has been on a rate of one hundred dollars a month. The Ottoville consumers have a minimum rate of fifty cents a month and a rate of ten cents a kilowatt. The profits of the town for the first six months enabled it to pay for its street lighting, and as time goes on the town hopes to make a still greater profit. The service has proven satisfactory in every respect and the example of Ottoville will doubtless soon be followed by other towns in the county. The local management of the utility is vested in the board of public affairs, consisting of J. J. Miller, George Miehls and Edward Odenweller. The clerk of the board is Frank Kramer, who acts as the manager and has general control of the installation of lights and the making of collections.

Fire Department Of Ottoville

Ottoville is fortunately located in regard' to a bountiful supply of water, being at the crossing of the Little Auglaize and the canal. With a twentyhorse-power gasoline pumping engine, water can be thrown in two streams over any and all buildings in the town from either the river or the canal. In addition, the town has a hand-pump which requires thirty men to operate, but, since the installation of the gasoline engine, this is necessary only in extreme cases. The town owns fifteen hundred feet of two and a half inch hose, \\hich is amply sufficient to carry water to any part of the town. It is interesting to note that in the whole history of the town there has never been more than one building burned down at one time. In fact, there have been no serious fires in tlie town for the past five years. There is a voluntary fire company of fifteen members, who receive twenty-five cents for attendance upon meetings, the number of meetings being limited to twenty-one a year. The members of the company are exempt from road tax, but receive no extra compensation for attendance at a fire. The presenf fire chief is Frank Kramer. Joseph P. VVurst is secretary and Joseph Vanoss is treasurer of the fire company.

Business And Pr0Fe,S.Si0Nal Interests Of Ottoville

Monterey township reported nineteen volunteers enlisting between July 2 and August 22, 1862, as shown by the official report of the assessor, Peter Wannemacher, as follows : Arent Huysman, Walter Huysman, Moses C. Cowen, Orlando F. Damon, Samuel McMillen, T. P. Payne, Ephraim Tillton,. Oscar Curtis, George W. Roush, Nathaniel Harris, Israel Gaden, Silas M. Thatcher, John T. Thatcher, Daniel Sullivan, George Good, Jacob Elder, Hiram H. Elder, John W. Stoffer and Isaiah Allgyre.