Norwich Township

Norwich Township

Norwich township was named in honor of its Connecticut namesake. At the original survey by Almon Ruggles the township contained sixteen thousand five hundred and twenty-nine acres, and the land was estimated to be worth to the original grantees about one dollar and fifty cents per acre. From the time the grant was made to the close of the War of 1812 many of the grantees had sold their claims, or at their decease, left them to their heirs, who in some instances sold them to speculators or permitted them to be sold for taxes. The first house in the township was a cabin built by the surveying party for their own convenience.

The first road opened to the township was that made by General Beall and his army in 1812, leading from Wooster to Fremont, through New Haven and Norwich. The trail came into the township at the southeast corner and ran through northwesterly and left the township on the north side about one and a half miles east of the northwest corner. Hopkins made a survey of the trail, and located the present road leading from where the B. & O. railroad crosses the Greenwich and Norwich center road.

On the 8th day of November, 1808, the township received its name and was divided into four sections, as were each of the thirty townships comprising the Firelands. Norwich was drawn by nineteen persons.

As early as 1815, Daniel L. Coit had become by heirship and purchase the owner of the township of Norwich, excepting a portion of the first section. Later he sold sections two and three, comprising the north half of the township to Judge Canfield, of Connecticut, who soon after sold the same to James Williams, Philip R. Hopkins and David W. Hinman.

In the spring of 1816 Messrs. Williams, Hopkins and Hinman surveyed the two sections into one hundred acre lots. These were in size one hundred and sixty rods east and west by one hundred rods north and south, making five tiers of eight lots each a section, and numbering from the southeast corner of the sections. Hopkins was the surveyor. These gentlemen also laid out a village. It was named Barbadoes, and was situated on the west end of lot thirty-eight in section second, and the adjoining portion of lot six in the third section. The survey was completed in June. The surveying party built a small log house, the first in the township, on lands now owned by Kinsman Bowen. The same year John Williamson put up the walls and roof of a hewed log house on the village plat, near where Durwin Boughton's house later stood. That was long known as the "village house," though no other was built on the plat. Williamson neither finished the house nor occupied it; in fact, nothing further of his history is known.

A small band of Seneca Indians, with Seneca John at their head, sometimes made their camp in the township. John could speak a little English. He was honest and trusty, but others of the tribe were drunken and thievish. Their dead were usually enclosed a bark coffin and buried near their camp. There were a few conical mounds in the southeast part of the township when first settled. These were believed to have been burial places for the dead and have long since disappeared.

In the fall of the year 1816 Chauncey Woodruff and Wilder Lawrence, with their respective families, left Saratoga county, New York, for the wilderness of Ohio. After a tedious journey, they reached Trumbull county, where they rested until the severe months of winter had passed. Chauncey Woodruff and his son, George H., came on to Norwich and selected lots for future homes. The son remained at New Haven while his father returned for the family. On the 8th of February, 1817, Woodruff and Lawrence arrived in New Haven; and, on the roth, started, with their families, for Norwich. Accompanied by a few friends, they journeyed on, and before night arrived at the "village house" before mentioned. This consisted of but the walls and roof; holes had been cut for a door and fire-place. Oak puncheons had been prepared for a floor, and lay near by under the snow, which was then about one foot deep. A few were soon fished out and placed in position and a fire started. Blankets were hung for a door, and supper prepared, over which the company made merry. In laying in stores for the occasion, a jug of the "ardent" had been procured, and doubtless added much to the jollity of the evening within the cabin, while without the wolves made night hideous with their incessant howling.

Mud run is the largest stream in the township. It rises in Seneca county and enters Norwich township near the southeast corner and flows and generally runs northeasterly. It derives its name from the muddy appearance of its banks and the absence of stone and gravel in its bed.

Slate run also rises in Seneca county, flows across the western line of the township on lot number thirty-four, runs northeasterly across section third, and unites with Mud run on lot number thirty-eight. It receives its names from the slate rock over which it runs. These streams are tributary to Huron river. Other small streams exist in the township, but as they are wholly unimportant we omit description.

The soil is a clay loam, varying from light clay on the ridges to black loam between them. The whole is well adapted to agriculture. THe subsoil is brick clay. A few "cat swamps," of a few acres each, lie in the southeast part of the township. The whole township was originally heavily timbered.

The township was situated on the outcrop of the black slate rock, and occupies a middle position between the sandstone on the east and the limestone on the west. The slate rock dips to the east and runs under the sandstone, which appears on the surface about five miles east, in the township of Greenfield. The limestone which lies under the slate rises to the surface about five miles west, in the township of Reed in Seneca county. Above the slate rock, for about fifteen feet, the subsoil contains a large quantity of water-worn limestone of the buff-colored variety, containing numerous fossils, such as coral and shellfish of many species. Along the streams are numerous sulphur springs. Sometimes they appear in the bed of the streams, and at others rise to the surface of the bottom lands, forming deer licks. Big lick, the longest in the township, lies near the center of section four and contains nearly an acre.

Litigations as to titles of property, kept settlers from making improvements, except for living and this kept others from entering the township with a view of making settlements.

In 1827 Coit resurveyed the land and sold to settlers, old and new, at two dollars per acre and improvements began in earnest, and a new era began to dawn, as the industriously inclined from the settled districts of the east began to seek a place where they might make a home for themselves and their families in the west.

As the' tract was heavily timbered which must be removed before the seed could be sown, which was to furnish their food, and a place for shelter yet to be built, labor and privation welcomed them when they made their arrival.

Instead of the small log house, which was to them, we see today the comfortable and commodious farm house and stock and grain barns. That the residents of the township of today inherited the sturdy qualities of his forefathers is manifest by fully ninety per cent owning their homes.

The first birth was that of twin children of Mr. and Mrs. Dickinson, on the 24th of October, 1817. They lived in the house of Hosea Harnden. But one of these infants survived its birth, and that only a few hours.

The first person born in the township that survived its birth was Owen Fletcher, son of John Fletcher, February 22, 1818, eleven days subsequent to the time Fletcher, Rossman and Moore moved into the township. He died near Toledo, a few years since, of the small pox, leaving no family except a wife.

The first marriage in the township was that of Augustus Cook to Miss Martha Fletcher, March 3, 1819. The marriage contract was solemnized at the veyor's house," where her father lived, by Richard Burt, Esq., of Monroeville. The wedding was attended by nearly all the settlers in the township, who enjoyed a friendly social afternoon visit. Augustus Cook was born in Onondaga county, New York, and came to Norwich in December, 1818. His wife, Martha, was born in Otsego county, New York, and came to Norwich with her father, John Fletcher. Mr. and Mrs. Cook lived in the township until 1871, when they removed to Michigan, in which state he died August 14, 1878, leaving a wife and seven children.

The first death was an infant son of Wilder Lawrence, February 19, 1817, only nine days after their arrival in the township. It was buried on the bank of Mud run, some twenty rods northeast of the present burying ground. Soon after, Chauncey Woodruff buried a son at the same place. One of these children was born in Trumbull county while the parents were enroute from the state of New York. The first adult person that died in the township was Richard Moon, in the fall of 1819. Elder J. Wheeler, then a resident of Greenfield, preached the funeral sermon. This was the first burial that had been attended with religious services. The body was interred on the bank of Mud run.

The frame dwelling house was built by Cyrus Niles. It was designed as a dwelling house and cabinet shop. It was built in 1835 and burned the following year.

The first postoffice was established in 1827. It was North Norwich, so named to avoid repetition, there being a Norwich postoffice in Muskingum county. Naum Gilson was the postmaster for perhaps twenty years.

In 1848, postoffices were established on the Mansfield and Sandusky railroad, at Havana and Centerton in the township, and the North Norwich office was abolished in 1858.

Motson And Front Streets. Chicago. Ohio

Naum Gilson sowed the first wheat in the township. This was on lot twentyeight in above section, the fall following the arrival of Mr. Gilson in the township.

Asa Gilson, Naum Gilson, Jonas Gilson, George H. Woodruff and Joseph Read, each planted or set out orchards in 1827. The Gilsons brought their apple seeds with them, and raised the trees. Joseph Read procured his trees in Norwalk township, and G. H. Woodruff purchased his of Morris Read, of Sherman.

Ira Halloway opened a small store on the corners, near the meeting house, in 1835. He remained long enough to sell out his stock of goods, and retired from the business.

Norwich was attached to Greenfield township in 1818, and, in the year following, Naum Gilson was elected supervisor for the township. He was the first sworn official. In 1820, the township of Sherman was organized, with Norwich attached. The April election was held at the house of Captain Hanford, in Sherman. The Norwich men, feeling dissatisfied at being required to go so far to election, rallied their forces, outnumbered the Sherman voters, and elected two trustees and the township clerk, in Norwich; Beckwith and Medad Woodruff were the trustees, and Jesse Woodruff, clerk. The next election was held at the house of Alvin Blodgett, in Norwich. A compromise was then effected, and the elections were afterwards held at the house of Burwell Fitch, in Sherman. In 1820, Russell Woodruff, of Norwich, was elected justice of the peace, and "18 said he served the entire term of office (three years) without issuing a single process. In 1828, Asa Gilson was elected to the office of justice of the peace. He did not qualify. From that time until 1831, the office was vacant. In this year, Calvin Powell was elected. He was succeeded, in 1834, by William Robinson, who served until 1849. In 1857, Wesley Robinson was elected, and is still in office. L. W. Benham is also a justice of the peace in the township.

In 1827, Norwich was detached from Sherman and organized as a separate township. The first election, held in April of that year, was at the log school house near the former residence of George H. Woodruff, and for many years were held there. The qualified electors at this election were: Asa Gilson, Augustus Cook, Medad Woodruff, Naum Gilson, Joseph Read, Russell Woodruff, Wilder Lawrence and G. H. Woodruff. The officers elected on the occasion, so far as we are able to ascertain their names, were: Augustus Cook, clerk; Wilder Lawrence, Asa Gilson and Russell Woodruff, trustees. The only strife at this election, was over the election of a supervisor, there being but one in the entire township. Joseph Read and Wilder Lawrence each received an qual number of votes. The judges decided the contest by casting lots, declaring Joseph Read duly elected.

In preparing for the fall election, Augustus Cook, the township clerk, in company with Joseph Read, made a trip to Norwalk for the purpose of procuring the new ballot box, law books, etc., belonging to the township. Two yoke of oxen were attached to the wagon and driven along, as Read designed, to bring back a load of boards with which to construct a floor, doors, etc., for his cabin. The ballot box and books were put into a bag and placed on the load. While fording Slate run, on the return, the wagon was overturned. After buffeting the stream, and carrying out the floating lumber, they discovered that the bag and its precious contents had floated down the stream, and gave chase. Far down the run it was seen bounding along in the current; Cook plunged in, and soon brought it safely ashore.

The first physician who settled in Norwich township was Dr. Hurlburt. He located on lot number forty, in the second section, in 1825. He practiced in the township until his death, in 1828.

In 1834, Peter Brown put in operation the first grist-mill in the township. This was propelled by horse power, and it is said did a good business. In 1830, Benjamin Moore built a saw mill on Slate run, on the west end of the farm afterwards owned by C. H. Woodruff. Two years later, Thomas Bennett, erected another saw mill on the same stream, and in 1840, Ira Wood built a third mill on the same stream. These mills were all eventually carried away by the high water.

In 1842, Miner Atherton built a steam sawmill on the fourth section. James L. Couch built another steam sawmill in the same section, a few years later. In 1846, John Idler built a steam sawmill at Centerton. This was burned in 1856, and rebuilt in 1857, by Messrs. Idler & Hester. It was again burned in 1859, and rebuilt the same year.

The first school house the township was built in 1819. It was located on the east bank of Slate run, on lot six. The house was a log cabin and was covered with elm bark, size twelve by sixteen. It had neither floors, windows nor desks. A row of split oak benches constituted the furniture, and the unchinked places between the logs served for windows. The school was supported, as all the early schools were, by subscription, and Miss Aurila Lindsey was the first teacher, in the summer following the erection of the house. In 1824, another school house was erected, also of logs, on the corners, a few rods south of where a church was later erected.

The first sermon preached in the township was by the Rev. Alvin Coe, in 1817. He was of the Presbyterian faith. The first church building was erected by the Methodists in 1837. The religious services held in the township had prior to this been at private houses and in the school houses.