Whetstone Township (part 3 of 5)

When Crawford county was first established by the legislature in 1820, there was considerable unanimity in politics not only in Ohio at that time, but in the nation. James Monroe had been elected president without opposition. Crawford county did not vote as a county until 1824, and even at that election its vote was cast with Marion, and the first separate vote of the county was in 1826, and at that time a harmonious spirit existed in the county. Prior to 1820 there had been two parties, the Federalists and the followers of Jefferson, the latter using the names of Republican and Democrat indiscriminately. The Jeffersonian theory of government had prevailed to such an extent that in Ohio there was practically no opposition. When the election took place in 1824 there were four candidates John Quincy Adams of Massachusetts, who represented what was left of the old Federal party, and was supported by the more conservative voters; William A. Crawford of Georgia, a democrat of the Federal school, who favored the leaders of the party at Washington controlling the nominations. The other two were Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay. The bulk of the Jackson and Clay followers were of the Jefferson-Madison-Monroe school, Jackson being for a strict construction of the constitution, against a national bank which then existed, and against any centralizing of power. Clay was more liberal, and favored the government looking after internal improvements, and in connection with that a protective tariff. Not one of them was a Federalist, although Adams was so classed, while the Jackson men took the name of Democratic Republican; the Clay men National Republican. The election in Ohio resulted Clay 19,255, Jackson 18,489, Adams 12,280, while Crawford had no electoral ticket in the field. It will be observed that his vote was 50,024. A month previous at the October election for governor the vote was Jeremiah Morrow, democrat, 39,526; Allen Trimble, national republican, 37,108. Trimble's vote coming from the Clay and Adams men, and Morrow's vote from the Jackson men, and many democrats who were dissatisfied with all the presidential candidates. So mixed up, or so united, were political affairs that two years later Trimble, national republican, had practically no opposition for governor, receiving 71,475 votes, the scattering vote being about 13,000. By 1828 the two parties took definite forms, both either republican or democratic, whichever one might choose to call them, and the only difference being in matters of governmental policy. In 1828 Jackson carried the State for president, although the national republicans elected their governor that year and in 1830, and after Jackson again carried the State in 1832, the democrats of the Jackson school were left in undisputed possession of the name of democrat, and the national republicans united all opposition to the democratic party under the name of Whigs. The latter party carried the state for Harrison in 1836 and 1840. Under President Jackson, from 1829 to 1837 party lines began to be closely drawn, but prior to that time there had been no special difference between the two parties.

The first mention of Crawford county in regard to political matters was in the Columbus Gazette of July, 1824, when a meeting was held at Columbus in the interest of Henry Clay. At that meeting Henry Brown of Franklin county was appointed the Clay elector for this district, and Joseph Chaffee of Crawford county was present and was placed in charge of the Clay interests in this county. Chaffee lived in Tymochtee township. That year practically all were Clay or Adams men in this county, as at the election in 1824, Marion county, of which Crawford was a part, gave the following vote : Adams 87 ; Clay 54; Jackson 13. The formation of parties can be seen by the presidential vote of 1832, when it resulted in this county : Andrew Jackson, dem., 557; Henry Clay, whig, 259.

The exciting campaign in Ohio and in this county was the presidential election in 1840, when William Henry Harrison ran against Martin Van Buren, the latter being the democratic candidate for re-election. Pages of history have been written about the campaign of 1840. It was the first political "tidal wave" that ever swept the country. From 1829 to 1840 Andrew Jackson had been president, followed by Martin Van Buren, and the democratic party was strongly intrenched in power ; the whigs were demoralized, their principal issue being anti-Jackson. On December 4, 1839, they met at Harrisburg, Pa., and nominated Gen. Harrison for the presidency, with John Tyler of Virginia for vice president. Van Buren's colleague was Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky, who in the war of 1812, had won the final battle of the Thames in Canada, when the British were defeated and Tecumseh was killed. Harrison, as the hero of the war of 1812, was the idol of the then great rising northwestern territory, but in the east the business interests and the newspapers made light of his candidacy; soon after the Harrison nomination, the editor of a Van Buren paper at Baltimore, Md., visited General Harrison at his country home at South Bend, Ind., and was cordially received and hospitably entertained by him. He published an account of his trip, spoke slightingly of Harrison's abilities, and stated that he lived in a log cabin and drank hard cider, and had no desire to be president, and neither had he the ability to fill the position, and concluded by stating that if the people of the country would only furnish him with a liberal supply of crackers and sufficient hard cider he would be contented to live in his little log cabin for the remainder of his days. Every Van Buren paper in the east published the story with great relish, and it was copied in the western organs. Then the storm broke. In all of the great northwest that Harrison had rescued from the Indians the people remembered the log cabins that had been their first homes ; they still kept the hard cider for the hospitable entertainment of their guests, and many still lived in the little log cabins. The northwest rallied to their idol, the log cabin and the buckeye became their rallying cry, and the hard cider was free everywhere. A meeting was called at Columbus for February 22, 1840, and although it was the dead of winter, when the day arrived over 15,000 people assembled in that city of 6,000 population, and every house was thrown open to entertain free every guest. Every county within a radius of a hundred miles sent monster delegations, some hauling log cabins for fifty miles over the miserable roads. Nearly a hundred went down from Crawford county. Heavy rains had swollen the streams, and the roads were almost impassable, but there were miles of paraders, with their innumerable log cabins, and heading the procession was a reproduction of Fort Meigs erected by Harrison, and defended by him in 1813, and on the front flag staff Harrison's reply to General Proctor's demand for its surrender: "Tell General Proctor when he gets possession of the Fort, he will gain more honor, in the estimation of his King and country, than he would acquire by a thousand capitulations." There were speeches ; and the hard cider distributed free at every house, with barrels of it at every street corner, kept up the enthusiasm, and also prevented any ill effect from the intemperate weather.

opposition, and one resolution, not political, but future events demonstrated it was the shrewdest of politics. It was a resolution recommending that "the young men of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Western New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia celebrate the next anniversary of the raising of the siege of Fort Meigs, in June, 1813, on the ground occupied by that fort."

As early as May they started for the rendezvous; men left their farms and their factories, their stores and their shops, and through the forests and across the swamps they journeyed hundreds of miles on foot and on horseback in wagons and in log cabins, these latter being hung with coon-skins and covered with strings of buckeyes, and used as sleeping places during the night. And -when the day arrived fully fifty thousand people were there from every state in the union, and the wagons were camped for miles around. Harrison spent the night at Toledo, a little town of 1,300 people, and on the morning of the day went on a little steamer to the fort he had so bravely defended a generation previous. People were weeks getting back to their homes, but from the west the excitement spread to the east, and the chief export of Ohio that year were the buckeyes, and the national drink was hard cider. It was, too, a cure for all ills ; with a pepper-pod sliced into it it was a sure cure for rheumatism; mixed with willow-bark and iron-wood it cured fever and ague; with wild cherry added it became a tonic. It was the juice of the apple, and many a temperate man in his enthusiasm for the cause partook so liberally that when night came there was little difference between a moderate and a heavy drinker.

It was at Columbus that Otway Curry, of Union county, who represented this district in the legislature in 1837 and 1838, wrote the first campaign song that was used in a campaign. It was to the tune of "Highland Laddie," and commenced :

"Oh where, tell me where, was your Buckeye Cabin made? Oh where, tell me where was your Buckeye Cabin made? 'Twas built among the merry boys who wield the plow and spade Where the Log Cabin stands in the bonnie Buckeye shade."

From east to west and from north to south the wave spread, and long before November came the one side felt defeat and the other scented victory. A tidal wave swept the land "For Tippecanoe and Tyler, too." The magnificent democratic organization which six months previous had deemed defeat impossible was swept away by an uprising of the people, and even the democratic organ in Baltimore that first started the sarcasm on the candidate and his log cabin and hard cider, was caught by the wave, and closed the campaign as a Harrison supporter. During the campaign many passed through Bucyrus on their way to the great demonstration at Fort Meigs, and among them none other than Harrison himself, accompanied by Robert C. Schenck, a rising young lawyer from Dayton and an orator. He came over the Pike from Columbus speaking in Delaware and Marion, and stopped at the Union Hotel, then kept by Samuel Norton on the lot now occupied by Zeigler's mill. He spent the night here. Bucyrus had a Tippecanoe club and John Moderwell was the president and James Marshall the vice president. The club escorted him to the court house. The little building was crowded. The meeting was presided ovef by Josiah Scott, then a rising young lawyer of Bucyrus. Robert C. Schenck addressed the meeting, and made a brilliant speech. General Harrison was then introduced, but the crowd was a trifle unfriendly and frequently interrupted the speaker, but he bore the annoyance with dignity and calmness, until a better feeling prevailed and he was allowed to continue.

The next morning he left for Sandusky where he took the little lake steamer for Toledo. This was the first president ever in Bucyrus. Later in the campaign, in September, Richard M. Johnson, the candidate for vice president was in Bucyrus, and addressed a large crowd. He was the guest of Congressman George Sweney and was accompanied by Senator Allen and John Brough, and when he left for his next date at Mansfield, Mr. Sweney and a large number of Bucyrus politicians accompanied him.

The wave that swept the country and landed Gen. Harrison in the presidential chair was of little avail to the whigs. Whether he could have built up a party is problematical, but he died shortly after his election, and Tyler became president, and in 1844 the democrats again returned to power. In 1848 the whigs were again successful with a war candidate. They had opposed the Mexican war, but after the United States were victorious stole the democratic thunder by nominating the hero of that war. General Zachariah Taylor, and obtaining a presidential victory. Old "Rough and Ready" as he was called was just as his nickname indicated. One of his first messages congratulated congress with the expression : "We are now at peace with all the world and the rest of mankind." Taylor also died and Fillmore succeeded him. For years the whigs had been little more than an opposition. But in their later years they had driven the democratic party to a defense of slavery. The democratic party had never recognized slavery as one of their party principles, but they were finally forced to its defense, a defense that almost killed them, and did kill the party that forced them into that position. For several years prior to 1854, a new party had sprung up of "Free Soilers," who were opposed to any further extension of slavery; an

American party, who held that Americans must rule America; and the abolitionists. The Free Soilers at the start drew largely from the democrats and later from the whigs ; the Americans and abolitionists from the whigs, and in some cases the whigs became the third party. In 1854 the many discordant elements that opposed the democratic party got together with a firm and pronounced declaration to stop the inroads of slavery. The free soil democrats and the abolitionists practically all united with the ne\v party, and about two-thirds of the whigs. At least onethird of the whigs went bodily over to the democratic party declining to follow such advanced ground on the slavery c]uestion. in 1853, the democratic vote in Crawford tor governor was 1778, the whig vote 525, and the free soil vote 306. The whigs had gone to pieces. In 1855 under the new alignment the democratic vote was 1710, the republican vote 1,449 and the American vote 24. Many well known democrats in Crawford county, who had held office and been leaders, joined the new party, and democracy in turn recruited its ranks from life-long whigs. Since then it has been a straight fight between the two great parties, with an occasional new party springing into existence to cast a fewvotes, and then drift back to one or two other of the two great parties. At one time the populists rose to several hundred votes in the county, but they finally found a home in one of the two leading parties. The prohibitionists have been faithful for years, but their vote has- been^drawn from both parties and has been recently light, many years ago their highest figure being about three hundred. In the past few years the socialists under various names have had tickets in the field, taking their following from both parties but mostly from the dominant one. In a few local elections their vote has been such as to indicate that if the increase continues they are a power to be counted on.

When the war started in 1861, it was heartily supported by both parties, but as time passed the republicans being in power in the national government were receiving accessions of strength, which bid fair, when the war reached a successful conclusion, to wipe out the democratic party. And the democratic party soon changed to a severe criticism of the conduct of the war, and later came out in bitter opposition to it. The RepubHcans, to make the hne more marked, headed their ticket in this state with the word Union and the party was known as the Union Republican party. In the winter of 1882 one of democracy's brilliant orators, Clement L. Vallandigham, was so severe in his strictures on the government that he was arrested for treason, and banished from the country, first transported across the line as a present to his friends in the south. From there he went to Canada. The democratic party in this state were up in arms against the administration for the arrest and banishment of their leader and insisted the rights of "freedom of speech" as guaranteed by the constitution were being suppressed. They called their next convention at Columbus to select a candidate for governor, and there was an outpouring of the people; over two hundred went down from this county ; other counties turned out in force ; there were delegations from everywhere, and in the neighborhood of fifty thousand indignant and protesting democrats assembled at the capital. It was a great outpouring of the people, and there was no building large enough to hold the crowd, but the problem was solved by having the convention outdoors in the state house yard. With the greatest enthusiasm Vallandigham was nominated by acclamation for governor. Crawford was conspicuous at this convention. The headquarters were at the American house, and the evening of the nominations a ratification meeting was held, and ex-Senator George E. Pugh, the candidate for Lieutenant Governor, and many others made speeches, most of them too mild for the anti-war faction of the party and the excited crowd, besides which the speeches were temperate from the fact that dozens of United States marshals were present with instructions to arrest any one guilty of treasonable utterances. The speeches were therefore tamer than the Crawford county men had been accustomed to, and they set up a call for "Jackson." Abner M. Jackson was a natural born orator, pleasant, affable, the friend of everybody, and the idol of the democracy of this county. The crowd caught the name and Jackson came forward to speak. He expressed his opinion on the generals, the war, the government, and the president, with the same freedom and force he had been accustomed to do in Crawford county. He was a brilliant orator and set the crowd on fire, and the cheers and applause he received showed he was the orator of the evening, and if his speech had been made the evening before there is no question he would have received the nomination for lieutenant governor. At the conclusion of his speech, policy called for an adjournment of the meeting.

A severe campaign followed, processions miles long attending every meeting. Pugh took up the fight for his party, his leader being absent in Canada; party bitterness ran high; nearly every meeting created trouble owing to the intense earnestness of both sides, and in the end Brough was elected by 60,000 exclusive of the soldier vote which was 41,000 more. A law had been passed which allowed the soldiers in the field to vote. The Crawford soldier vote was Brough, union, 268; Vallandigham, democrat, 24. On the county ticket the Union vote was some forty less. In the vote as reported from the field 57 votes were thrown out for informality, of these 49 were for Brough and 8 for Vallandigham. In 1865 the soldier vote was not counted in this county.

The next important contest was in 1867, when the state was called upon to vote on an amendment to the constitution giving to colored people the right to vote, the republicans favoring the proposition the democrats opposing. The amendment was beaten in Ohio by fqrty thousand, but the republicans carried the state by a small majority.

In 1872, the democrats made no nomination for the presidency, meeting at Baltimore and indorsing Horace Greeley, who had been nominated by the Liberal republicans at Cincinnati. This took over to the democratic ranks less than a hundred in this county, owing to their intense bitterness against the administration of President Grant, but eventually most of them returned to the republican party.

Party lines remained the same in this county until 1887 to 1891, when the Peoples Party sprang into existence, an organization principally of farmers comprising men of both parties, but later coming largely from the democrats. It ran for a few years, and its members later drifted back to the old parties, the democrats getting the better of the drift.

So strong had the populistic tendency become, that that party dictated the democratic presidential nomination and platform in 1896, which caused the nomination of a gold democratic ticket made up of those who still believed with Andrew Jackson on the money question. Many joined this party, but when it came to vote, they mostly voted for McKinley. In the last few years the Socialists under various names have had an increasing vote, especially in the cities, and both the great parties have been drifting toward the adoption of many of the milder views of the Socialists.

The first constitution was adopted when Ohio was admitted as a state in 1803, with a proviso that a constitutional convention could be held every twenty years to submit a new constitution to the people. In 1830 there was no desire for any change in the constitution, so no constitutional convention was held.

In 1850 a constitutional convention was held, the delegate from this county being Richard W. Cahill of Vernon township. The ne^\ constitution was submitted to the people in June, 1851, and was adopted, the vote in Crawford county being 1,441 for and 399 against, a majority for of 1,042. It carried every township except Auburn and Dallas, losing in Auburn by 22 and in Dallas by 8. When this constitution was submitted a separate proposition was submitted to the people as to whether the sale of liquor should be licensed in the state. License was defeated. On this question Crawford's vote was, for license 1,121, against 592; majority for 529. License carried every township excepting four, Bucyrus giving 17 majority against, Jackson 57, Texas 4, and Tod 5. The next constitutional convention was in 1870, when Thomas Beer was elected the delegate from this county without opposition. The constitution was submitted to the voters on August 18, 1874, and defeated by 147,284. Three other propositions were submitted separately but all were defeated overwhelmingly, excepting the licensing of the liquor traffic, and this was defeated by only 7,286 majority in the state.

In 1851 the majority against license was 8,982. In Crawford county in 1874, the vote was 1,107 for the new constitution, 2,283 against. On the propositions submitted separately the vote was: For minority representation 945, against 2,241 ; for railroad aid 225, against 3,043; for licensing liquor traffic 2,212, against 1,187.

The following is the vote of Crawford county for governor, the years 1828 and 1832 being the presidential vote: *Indicates the candidates who carried the state:

And Representative Citizens

Crawford county has not fared very well as regards state offices. It started in all right, but later devoted more attention to the holding of county offices, leaving other counties to fill the state positions. In 1830, Moses H. Kirby of Crawford was appointed secretary of state, and held the office for three years. Over fifty years passed when the next man to hold one of the state offices was E. B. Finley. His office was also an appointive one, he being tendered the position of adjutant general of the state by Governor Hoadley, serving from 1884 to 1886. In 1895 Crawford county, for the first time, elected one of its citizens to a state position, Frank S. Monnett being elected attorney general and reelected in 1897. Another ten years elapsed and in 19 10 Sylvanus Strode was elected as dairy and food commissioner, and renominated again this year.

In 1856, Josiah Scott was elected a judge of the supreme court. He came to Crawford in 1829, but removed to Butler county in 1850, and was elected from that county, and reelected for two terms, and at the expiration of his judgeship returned to Crawford county, so this county has a right to claim him. In 1876, the supreme court was so far behind in its business that several additional judges were appointed by Gov. Hayes to serve for three years, and Judge Scott was one of the appointees on what was known as the supreme court commission.

Another citizen of Crawford to hold office in the capitol was Charles W. McCracken, who was appointed canal commissioner in 1896 by Governor Bushnell.

In 1867 Cochran Fulton of this county was nominated on the democratic ticket for state treasurer but was defeated. Judge Thomas Beer was nominated for supreme judge in 1892, on the democratic ticket, but was defeated.

In the legislature this county has held several positions. The first was John R. Knapp, who established the Peoples Forum in 1845, ^"d in 1847 was appointed one of the clerks of the Ohio senate. The next year he was a candidate for the clerkship. The senate stood democrats 17, whigs 17, free soil 2, and the first ballot resulted Knapp, dem., 18; Galloway, whig, 13; Tappan, whig, 4; Stanley, free soil, i. Balloting commenced on December 5, and Knapp was elected on December 8, on the 121st ballot, receiving just the 19 votes necessary to elect, the other 17 votes scattering between six candidates. The next year he was elected on the second ballot. The contest over clerk was due to the fact that prior to 1850 the clerk of the senate had control of the state advertising, which amounted to about $50,000 annually to some Columbus newspaper. In 1898 David O. Castle was elected as clerk of the senate serving one term. In 19 10 W. I. Goshorn of the Gallon Inquirer, was elected clerk of the senate, and is the present incumbent.

In 1874 Thomas Coughlin was elected clerk of the house, serving one term. He was also an editor of the Forum, owning that office from 1862 to 1868, later serving two terms as clerk of the court.

In 1890 Senator Perry M. Adams (Seneca county), representing this district in the state senate, was elected president pro tem of that body holding the office for two years.

Two citizens of Crawford county have received presidential appointments abroad, both newspaper men and both in the consular service. In 183 1 William Crosby published the second paper ever issued in Bucyrus, which he called the Bucyrus Journal; he continued it for several years under different names, and in 1845 President Polk appointed him United States Consul at Talcahuano, Chili, and after serving for some time he found the office was not a paying institution and resigned to go into the business of whale fishing which proved more profitable. In 1898 President McKinley appointed John E. Hopley, editor of the Evening Telegraph, as United States Consul to Southampton, England, and in 1903 he was promoted to the Consulate at Montevideo, Uruguay, where he served for two years returning to his editorial work in 1905.

Campaigning in the old days was vastly different from what it is today, and prior to 1850 a speech a day was about all the dates a candidate could fill, but if he were some prominent leader, the people assembled from miles around, and little towns of only a few hundred had crowds that numbered away up into the thousands. Generally the distinguished speaker was attended from one town to the next by a delegation of worshippers. It was about 1849 that John Brough made a democratic speech at Bucyrus. His next date was at Tiffin, and Jacob Scroggs, Tom Orr, and a few other of the faithful young democrats of that day, started with him to Tiffin. The roads were bad, as they generally were, and reaching Melmore they decided to stay over night and continue their journey in the morning. After supper they found there was a whig meeting in progress at the school house addressed by some local celebrity, and to put in the time attended the meeting. Brough was like the old Dutch governors of New York, he was built on the purest of geometrical principles ; he was five feet, six inches tall and six feet, five inches in circumference, and as jovial and good natured as men of that build generally are. He was a great lover of a joke. During the young man's speech, he was scathing in his denunciations of the democratic party and defied any man present ' to contradict his assertions. After several challenges hurled at the audience, Biough quietly arose, and with his mildest look, innocently said, "Young man, if you have no objection I would like to answer some of your assertions." Brough looked anything but a statesman or an orator, and the young man jumped at the chance, smilingly thinking of how he would cover himself with glory by later literally skinning the unsophisticated looking stranger alive. Brough was one of the great orators of his day, and added to this was the happy faculty of being one of the people, and making himself at home with them. With his wit and humor, sarcasm and oratory he soon had the audience wild, and they were spell bound under his matchless eloquence, and when he concluded there was no answer from the young man, but instead cheer after cheer for the distinguished speaker.

Another orator of the early days was Cooper K. Watson, not a natural born orator like Brough and Gibson, still an orator. He was a candidate for congress in this district in 1856, and had a date for an evening meeting at New Winchester, and Jacob Scroggs drove him down. Watson was , a republican, and Mr. Scroggs was one of the many in the county who had joined the new party. When -they reached New Winchester, they found a faithful republican who had built a fire and lighted up the school house. On their arrival he rang the bell, and the three waited. After half an hour Watson inquired where the rest of th^ people were, and was informed that there would probably be no one else there. Scroggs was for canceling the meeting, but Watson held the man had come to hear a republican speech, and he would not disappoint him. So Scroggs presided, and introduced the speaker, and Watson addressed his single listener for an hour and a half, and when the speech was over the man turned out the lights, locked the door and went home, the two men driving back to Bucyrus.

John R. Clymer was clerk of the court from about 1862 to 1868, Tom Coughlin at the time being editor of the Forum, and Coughlin concluded to run for clerk, the arrangement being that if he got the nomination Clymer would buy the Forum. Coughlin's principal opponent was A. A. Ruhl. In the course of his canvass Coughlin stated that he visited Gallon, and met Dr. D. Shumaker there, one of the prominent democrats, and solicited him for his support. Shumaker promptly replied that he was friendly to Mr. Ruhl, that gentleman having formerly been a Gallon man and his people prominent in that town in its early days, therefore he should certainly support Ruhl. The Doctor then inquired about Mr. Clymer, who was also a Gallon man, and whose ancestors were also pioneers, and asked what he proposed to do when he left the clerkship.

After Mr. Clymer retired from the Forum he was a candidate for the nomination for probate judge. He was one of the polished speakers of the county, was more than friendly with everybody, in fact effervesced in his expressions of interest in everyone. He was not good at remembering names and faces, and during the campaign met a young democrat in the postofhce, shook him warmly by the hand and expressed his great delight at meeting him, spoke of his dear old father and mother, and how he always loved to meet them, and finally inquired after the father. The young man solemnly replied: "Why, Mr. Clymer, father died last year."

Half an hour later, Mr. Clyraer met ^he same young man on the street, and his face looking familiar he shook him warmly by the hand and expressed his great delight at meeting him, spoke of his dear old father and mother, and how he had always loved to meet them and then inquired, "How is your dear old father?"'

In 1 86 1 Joseph Worden was elected sheriff of the county, and when he took charge the following year he had as his assistant his older brother, better known as "Uncle Jimmie" Worden, who was prouder of his ofifice as deputy than his brother was of the Shrievality. He was as faithful and accommodating in his duties as he was averse to fine raiment and soap and water. He was so friendly and good natured and willing that everybody overlooked his lack of cleanliness. When his brother left the office in 1866, "Uncle Jimmie" was out of his job, but he pined in secret for the position, and in 1869 he astonished everybody by announcing his name as a candidate for sheriff. It was regarded as a joke, and the only man in the county who took the matter seriously was "Uncle Jimmie" himself. In 1826 the sheriff's office was thrust ^on a man who had just become a resident of the county, but in 1869 things were different, and half a dozen men were in a terrific struggle to have the "thrust" come their way. It was cut and slash between the candidates, except "Uncle Jimmie," and he was allowed to follow the harmless amusement of running for office unmolested. In fact, the other candidates rather "pitied the sorrows of a poor old man," and while all had a bitter word for their opponents they had a kindly word for "Uncle Jimmie," and when they failed to land a man, generally closed with the remark, "Well, if you can't vote for me don't do me any harm, and if you can vote for Uncle Jimmie ; he's a nice old fellow, and it will break his heart when he finds how few votes he got."

The April primaries came. The ballots were cast and counted, and to the astonishment of everybody, except Uncle Jimmie himself, he was the winner. His every act and manner showed that he was astonished that anyone would think they could defeat him for sheriff.

The above is the story handed down of "Uncle Jimmie's" election as sheriff of the county. His candidacy had been a huge joke to, it was believed, every one but himself^ yet there may be another side to it ; as deputy for four years he had been the faithful and willing servant of his brother, the bar and the people; that he took more pride in the office than he did in his own personal appearance his dress gave unquestioned proof, but perhaps there were more people remembered his faithful service than his opponents expected.

For four years he was the happiest and least dressy man that ever held office in the county. But he still had those good qualities of willingness and an accomodating disposition, and he never complained. Notwithstanding his slovenliness he was not disliked by the other officials, and as proof of this a glance at the election returns of 1871 when he was reelected, shows he had the largest majority of any candidate on the county ticket. He was a poor writer and a still poorer reader of writing, although he prided himself on his ability in reading writing. Once, in dead of winter, a witness was wanted in an important case; the subpoena was made out and handed to Jimmie. He spelled it out slowly and carefully and left the court room. The important witness only lived a block away. A half hour passed and no Jimmie ; an hour went by and another hour followed it and still no Jimmie, and court was stopped awaiting his arrival. Inquiries were made but he could not be found. It was 10 o'clock when he left the court room; he promptly went to the livery stable, secured a rig and started north on the Tiffin road. It was bitter cold, and the Tiffin road was the worst in the county in winter, and this year worse than usual, so the horse walked the entire seven miles until he stopped at the store of Daniel Fralic in Wingert's Corners where Jimmie served the subpoena on the squire. The Squire put on his glasses, read the document over carefully, and returning it said: "Why sheriff, this supoena isn't for me; it'sfor Dr. Cuykendall at Bucyrus." Jimmie never complained, and never said a word or made any explanation. It was noon, and he didn't even stop to eat, but got in his buggy and drove slowly back to Bucyrus, and handed the document to Dr. Cuykendall, who promptly repaired to the court house reaching there at three o'clock. Jimmie made no explanation, but when Squire Fralic came to town the following Saturday, the story came out. When twitted about it Jimmie got even with the pointed remark: "Lawyers always were such d - n poor writers."

Although the sheriff is the official who deals with criminals it is a singular fact that while no sheriff has lost his life in the discharge of his duties, yet more have met with violent deaths than any other class of officials in the county. Of the twenty-five sheriffs, five have met with violent deaths.

John Caldwell, sheriff from '44 to '46^ on the discovery of gold in California, started across the plains and was never heard from afterward, believed to have been killed by the Indians; his body never having been found. Jonathan Kissinger, '50 to '54, after his term of office, removed to Williams county, and was killed by the cars. His successor, William C. Beal, '54 to '58, a few years after leaving the office, was killed by the cars west of Bucyrus. Joseph C. Worden, '62 to '66, was run over by the cars at Galion and killed. Daniel Keplinger, '66 to '70, was just completing his second term, when on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 6, 1869, he was thrown from his buggy while driving, and after lingering for days died on Dec. 9, the only sheriff to die in office. The Bar Association held a meeting with Franklin Adams as chairman and John Hopley as secretary, passed resolutions of respect, and Judge Chester R. Mott adjourned court for six days; the bar attended the funeral in a body, which was conducted by La Salle Lodge I. O. O. F. Much of the political bitterness that arose during the war still existed, yet the Journal, the opposition organ to the sheriff politically, paid the following tribute to his memory:

"He won the respect and confidence of all with whom he came in contact. In an eminent degree he was "diligent in business." He softened the asperities of his office without relaxing the rigor of his duties; and where many persons would have caused lasting harsh feelings, he made warm friends. Even in temper, calm in character, inflexible in integrity, faithful in duty, and firm in the execution of it, he possessed and justly merited the esteem of all."

To the people of the present day, there may be wonder at this insertion of a deserved tribute to a faithful official. And yet there were many republicans in that day who severely criticized the republican organ for "going out of its way" to praise a democrat. Times indeed have changed

The present generation little know and can not remember the intensity of the bitterness that was engendered by the Civil war. How it started or why it started it is difficult to determine. For the first thirty years of the republic, party lines were a -division bettween the federalists, who believed in a few controlling and the democrats and republicans, who believed in the people controlling. The people won, and under Jackson took the name of democrat, their opposition being whigs, but both believing in the right of the people to rule, that question having been forever settled by the death of the federalist party. From the time of Jackson for thirty years the democratic party formulated the laws and were the up-builders of the nation. All attempts to overthrow their tremendous hold on the people- were unavailing. The whigs, as a party, were shifty, evasive and compromising, and succeeded in but one thing and that was to drive the democratic party unwillingly into a defense of slavery. On this issue the south became dictatorial and the party was disrupted in i860; it was the north against the south in the democratic party. At the election in i860, Crawford's vote was Douglas, northern democrat, 2,752; Lincoln, republican, 2,064; Breckenridge, southern democrat, 117. There was no question where Crawford stood. The war broke out, and democrats and republicans alike responded to their country's call, and for a year there was a united sentiment in the county, for the defense of the union.

Shrewd men in the rising young republican party, saw that in a successful and popular war their lease of power would be perpetuated; equally shrewd men in the democratic party, feared the disintegration of their once powerful party, and as a result first criticised, then opposed, and finally became openly hostile to the administration and in many cases strong sympathizers with the southern cause. This feeling was mostly confined- to the party leaders, for during the entire war, except among the most bitter, enlistments continued regardless of party. But it is true that the 117 Breckenridge men eventually molded the opinion of the county, and Crawford became an anti-war county. Many altercations arose between the soldiers returning on furlough and the rougher elements in the democratic party and fights and knock-downs were frequent; a political meeting was almost invariably followed by assaults on citizens. In many cases shots were fired, the most serious being the result of an altercation in the Fulton drug store when three soldiers were wounded, one very seriously. In many places in the country chui;ches were desecrated, their windows broken, and two were destroyed because the minister was a union sympathizer. In the country also known union sympathizers found their stock poisoned, their barns and outhouses burned, and their families ostracised. It is a singular fact that when a nation is engaged in a prolonged war the baser instincts pervade human nature, and among the more ignorant and brutal the animal instincts prevail, and it was this class that led the outrages in defiance of law and of decency. The seed sown by local leaders started a force which got beyond their control. When the draft came armed resistance was prepared for, but wiser counsels prevailed and the drafts passed off quietly. To add to the intensity of the situation. Judge Hall was arrested for alleged treasonable utterances, and taken a prisoner to the camp at Mansfield. He was released on parole, but his arrest added fuel to the flames among his friends. A warrant wa.s issued for the arrest of A. M. Jackson for alleged treasonable utterances, but when the soldiers searched his house he was not to be found. A republican friend at Crestline had sent word to him that the soldiers were on their way to arrest him, and Mr. Jackson took refuge in the house of a friend. He remained in hiding several weeks, changing his residence every few days, so that his place of refuge could not be traced. The alleged treasonable utterances were very mild criticisms of the war to what occurred later, when no attention was paid to them. The democratic* organ carried two flags, which they flew over their office. When there was a rebel victory, the Stars and Stripes were flung to the breeze, and when the Union forces were successful the flag flown was of pure white, containing a picture of a dove, and in its beak the olive branch of peace. All day long on July 4, of 1863, business was almost suspended in Bucyrus, and men frequented the telegraph office to gain what little tidings they could of the fearful conflict on the field of Gettysburg. The early reports were unfavorable, and night settled on an anxious, doubting and discouraged village. In the evening a jollification meeting was held on account of the fourth, and one of the speakers in his denunciation of the war, thundered forth the inquiry: "Where now are your shattered armies? fleeing before the victorious hosts of Lee in Pennsylvania." This was not the feeling of the better element of the democratic party in the county; it was the expression of the views of a class which catered to the vicious element of the community, an element so lawless that men found it the safer policy not to openly denounce their outrages. Naturally war brought its hardships, its deprivations, and its struggles on the families of soldiers in the field, but under the law each county levied a tax, the proceeds of which were distributed monthly by the auditor and commissioners to deserving families in need. Besides this, the citizens of both parties gave freely of their means to see that none should suffer, and many a grocer and store keeper had charges on his books for the necessaries of life which were never presented for collection and of which sometimes no entry was even made. This county had a very strong German population, and nine-tenths of them belonged to the democratic party, and yet a very large majority of these same German democrats were for the preservation of the Union. The majority of the people in Crawford were loyal during the war, but the county did gain an unenviable notoriety through a disorderly element in nearly every section being allowed to commit their outrages with very little protest from their neighbors and much less restraint by the authorities. It was a case where the people controlled, not the whole people, but the worst element as in the days of the French Revolution. It not only gave the county a bad name, but it did more than anything else to bring on the intense party bitterness which it took years to overcome. Some churches in the county were so intense in their unionism that the Christianity of a democrat was so doubted that he was compelled to sever his connection with the church, or left it voluntarily to avoid the suspicions with which he was viewed by his democratic neighbors. Other churches were composed exclusively of democrats. There were republican stores and democratic stores, republican and democratic hotels and barber shops, and nine-tenths of the trade of each came from their own partisans. So intense was the feeling that it is dqubtful if a democratic store in the town had a republican clerk, and when some of the leading republican stores later had a democratic clerk they were regarded as unfaithful to their party obligations. In many churches it took careful handling by the ministers to avoid friction in their congregations.

Crawford county since the time of Andrew Jackson has been a democratic county, and since the courthouse was built in 1856, with one exception no republican ever held office within its portals, and that one republican was not elected but got there by appointment. In 1857 Patrick S. Marshall was elected probate judge and in August, 1858, he resigned. Under the law the probate judge is the only county office in which the vacancy is filled by the appointment of the governor. Gov. Chase, a republican, was then governor and he appointed S. J. Elliott to serve until his successor was elected and qualified. Abram Summers was elected in October, and as soon as he received his commission he entered on the duties of his office.

As to other offices there has not been in this county a republican or whig official since the day the democratic party took its name under Andrew Jackson, eighty years ago. In 1853 Mr. Beal was elected sheriff as an independent, the whigs making no nomination, and he receiving their support. But he was a democrat from Gabon. Kissinger had been elected in 1849 and 1851, and was renominated in 1853. The new constitution had changed the law so that no sheriff could serve for more than four years consecutively. The friends of Kissinger held that the limitation could only commence under the new constitution, but the people doubted it, and Beal was elected by less than 200 majority, his township of Polk giving him practically their unanimous vote.

Twice, disputes arose over the Democratic primaries and two candidates ran on that ticket for the same office, but a democrat candidate won over the republican in each case. In 1887, John H. Keller came within 300 votes of being elected representative, and still later, in 1906, Joseph Mollencop was defeated for commissioner by less than a hundred votes.

In 1856 the tidal wave toward the new republican party landed James Lewis of this county in the office of state senator. With the exception of Mr. Lewis the only two persons who defeated the democratic candidate for state senator since the time of Andrew Jackson were James H. Godman in 1840, and Hezekiah Gorton in 1836, both of Marion. In the lower house at Columbus the last man who succeeded in defeating the democratic nominee in this county was John Carey, in

The first election was in 1820; what is now Crawford county (west of Auburn and Vernon townships) was then all one township, called Sandusky (which also included nearly all of the present Marion county.) This Sandusky township for judicial purposes was a part of Delaware county. At this first election, the polling place was at the house of James Murray, a mile north of where Marion now stands. There were 48 votes cast, and one of the trustees elected was Daniel Fickle, who three years later moved to Bucyrus township. The Delaware records also show that Sandusky township was in existence in 1821, as on April 15, of that year commissions were issued to Westell Ridgely and Joseph Young as justices of the peace of Sandusky township, Westell Ridgely then living near the present village of Leesville and Joseph Young near -Bucyrus, neither town having yet been started or even dreamed of. Sandusky township then was probably from the western boundary of Auburn and Vernon to the western boundary of Bucyrus, about 15 miles, and from the southern boundary of Bucyrus to the north county line, 18 miles. It was easy to be elected to office in those days as witness the following from the recollect'ions of M. Peters, a pioneer of Marion county. "The first election was held (1821) for one justice of the peace. There being no candidates, I selected W. Crawford and he selected me, and thus there was a tie. The clerk of Delaware county cast lot and drew for Crawford." But generosity has its reward as in the fall Squire Crawford resigned and Peters was elected.

The following is a complete list of the district and county officials since the organization of the county, the years given being the date of their election:

*During his second term Rudolphus Dickinson died, and Amos E. Wood of Sandusky county was elected to the vacancy. Wood died, and John Bell, of Sandusky county was elected to fill the unexpired term, about two months.

Circuit Court Judges

*Rohn was appointed by Gov. Bushnell to succeed Seney who resigned, and in the fall Finley was elected to fill the vacancy of the unexpired Seney term.

Crawford was a part of the Third Circuit, and in 1884 the counties composing that circuit were Allen, Augalize, Crawford, Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Logan, Marion, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam, Seneca, Union, Van Wert, Williams, Wood, Wyandot. In 1887 Fulton, Williams and Wood were transferred to the Sixth Circuit, leaving the remaining sixteen counties the present Third Circuit.

Common Pleas Judges

In 185 1 Crawford was a part of the third division of the Third District, the counties being Crawford, Hancock, Seneca, Wood, Wyandot. In 1879 the districts were arranged as they are at present, the counties of Crawford, Marion and Wyandot being the Second Subdivision of the Tenth Judicial District.

State Senators

tBoston G. Young died in 1910, and Scofield was appointed by Gov. Harmon to fill the vacancy, and in November, 1910, was elected to fill the unexpired term of Younf, and also for a full term.

*In 18.^3 charges were presented to the Senate aflfecting the reputation of Senator Crawford, and the matter was referred to a committee. On the unanimous recommendation of the committee the Senate unanii-.ouslv expuno^ed the entire matter from the records.

And Representative Citizens 137

^^ , ,, -^ V- i- J 1 * Wiley died Aug. 15, 1855, and Gov. Medill apuel Myers, Crawford, dem. pointed Marshall. Marshall was elected in October i8SS» for the unexpired term ; and elected in October, 1857 ; he resigned in August, 1858, and Gov. Chase appointed Elliott; Summers was elected to the vacancy in October and immediately took the office.

1 July 16, 1836, Caldwell resigned, and Howenstein was appointed. At the October election Howenstein was a candidate but was defeated, so in December he resigned and Sinn, who had been elected, was appointed to the vacancy.

4 John Franz died while serving his second term, and the commissioners appointed his son Job Franz, who was his deputy at the time, to fill out the unex- ''ired term.

Prosecuting Attorneys

Beardsley, a Marion attorney was appointed, but durins; the first term the court appointed Zalmon Rowse. It was an appointive office lasting seven years. Under the Constitution of 1850, clerks became an elective office.

Infirmary Directors

tin 1912 John Meyer was appointed to succeed his brother Charles, who resigned on account of ill health, and died soon after his resignation.

Chapter Vii Transportation Facilities

Indian Trails and Water Routes - Swamps - Portages - Indian Village of Seccaium - Route Followed by Gen. Bradstreet - Capf. James Smith's Travels; His Description of Water Routes and Portages - The First Road in Crawford County - Geographical Notes by Seth Holmes and James Nail - Military Roads - Biased Trails - "Corduroy" or Log Roads - The State Road or Sandusky Pike - Zalmon Rowse's Work as Commissioner - Proceedings of Other Commissioners - Columbus & Sandusky Turnpike Co. - Rate of Toll - Transportation of Mail - Activity of Col. Kilbourne - Cost of the Sandusky Pike - Rev. Mr. Reid's Description of this Road - Its C ommercial Use and Value - Difficulties of Spring Travel - Litigation - Stage Lines - Bill of Cost of the Old Portland Road - First Attempt at Improved Roads - Vote by Townships - Railroads; Early Plans and Charters - The Railroads of the County; Their Origin, Construction and Cost - Railroad Excursion to Bucyrus in i8js - The "John Bull" Locomotive Passes Through Bucyrus, i8ps - Electric Roads - Amount of Trackage in Crawford County, with Values, by Townships.

One of the first difficulties with which the pioneer settlers had to contend was the lack of roads. But even before the first white man passed through this region, what is now Crawford county had been an important highway for travel ; and along its streams, and through its forests, and across its plains, were the well used routes or trails of the Indians. In Crawford county are streams that run north to the lake and south to the Ohio. Southwest of Bucyrus, the Sandusky and the Little Scioto rivers, both flowing in a southwesterly direction, are only from two to three miles apart, and when they leave the county the former bends to the north, and proceeds on its way to Lake Erie, its waters passing over Niagara, and down the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic, while the latter joins the Scioto proper, and continues on its way through the Ohio and Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. In the southeastern part of the county is the Whetstone, which also joins the Scioto and continues its flow to the Gulf. Between the Sandusky and the Little Scioto and the Whetstone, in the townships of Dallas, Bucyrus, Whetstone, Jefferson, Polk and Jackson, are houses and barns on this watershed where the waters from one side of the roof find their way to the Atlantic, and on the other to the Gulf of Mexico. Even as today Crawford county is one of the great railroad centres, so in the years long gone this section was one of the great centers of travel. Not alone by land, but by water, for many a stream in this county, now nothing more than a county ditch or a city sewer, was in use by the early savages as a route for transportation and for travel. Along the Sandusky river in Dallas, Bucyrus, Liberty and Sandusky townships, were mills run by water-power over 80 years ago, and along the Whetstone, both above as well as below Gallon, that little stream was lined by four mills; along the Honey Creek and Cokyendall run in Auburn were mills; the Brokensword and the Sycamore had sufficient water to furnish the power for the running of mills. Where Adrian had his mill on the bank of the Whetstone above Gabon, the stream now only needs a small culvert for its passage under the railroad track. At Crestline, Judge Daniel Babst, whose father settled there in 1852, remembers, when a boy, Elisha Allen, who lived near Leesville, coming to the village on one of the branches of the Sandusky in a canoe to do his marketing, returning home in the evening. At Bucyrus, when Abraham Hahn, in 1838, built his mill-race to run his saw-mill, that mill was located on the lot now occupied by Edwin G. Beal, at the northwest corner of Warren and Poplar streets. At the rear of the lot was the little stream on which the mill was located, and now all that remains of this stream on which a mill once stood, is a covered sewer. In the old Indian days the Little Scioto had sufficient water for canoes as far up as Dallas and probably as far as the southern part of Bucyrus township. The Whetstone was a navigable stream for small boats, and in the region of Seccaium Park little streams entered into it from the north, which had their rise in swamps, and from these same swamps other little streams flowed to the north and emptied into the Sandusky.

Along these creeks the land was all so low and swampy that for years it was not considered by the first settlers in their entries of land. In the map of the county published in i860, in the eastern half of section 14 in Whetstone township, one of these swamps was so pronounced as to be marked on the map as a small lake. Hon. S. R. Harris stated that when he came here in 1849, and for years afterward, in his hunting expeditions he found enough water in. the spring of the year covering this region to enable one to cross from the Whetstone to the Sandusky by water. In 1777 a pamphlet was published in French by Joel Barlow, describing the Northwest Territory. In that pamphlet he says : "The Scioto river furnishes a navigation much more considerable than that of the Hocking and the Muskingum. For an extent of 200 miles large vessels can navigate it. Then there is a passage to be made by land of four miles only to the Sandusky, a river also easily navigable, which empties into Lake Erie. This route is one of the most considerable and most frequented found in any country." John Henry James translated this work into English, and in his noles he says :

"The statement as to the Scioto being navigable for large vessels for two hundred miles above its mouth, and its navigable head waters being within four miles of those of the Sandusky, appears so extravagant as to be attributable either to gross ignorance of the country or a deliberate purpose to deceive. We are satisfied there was no intention to deceive on the part of the author, though he had very imperfect knowledge of the country. And yet this and other waterways and portages were regarded as of such importance at the time as to warrant the insertion in the Ordinance of 1787 of the provision: "The navigable waters leading into the Mississippi and the St. Lawrence, and the carrying places between the same, shall be common highways, and forever free as well to the inhabitants of the said territory as to the citizens of the United States and those of any other States that may be admitted into the confederacy, without any tax, impost, or duty therefor."

These water routes and portages connecting the Great Lakes with the Mississippi were first discovered (leaving the Indians out of consideration) by the early French explorers and were used by their missionaries, soldiers and traders. Marquette's route was up the St. Lawrence, through Lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron to Lake Michigan, then up the Fox river, with a portage across to the Wisconsin river and down that to the Mississippi. This was afterward shortened by leaving Lake Michigan at Chicago, then up the Chicago river, portage across to the Illinois and down that river to the Mississippi. The next shortening was up the Maumee at Toledo, by portage to the Wabash and down that river to the Ohio.

Who made the first trip between the Sandusky and the Scioto it is impossible to say. In 1670 La Salle went up the St. Lawrence to Lake Erie, went up some stream, portaged across to another, and down this stream, discovering the Ohio river. It is almost certain that this first trip of La Salle - when he discovered the Ohio - was across to the headwaters of the Alleghany and down that river to the Ohio at Pittsburg, which river he followed to Louisville. For twenty years La Salle devoted his entire time to explorations of the Northwest territory, as it was the desire of the

French to diacover the best and shortest water route from the Lakes to the Mississippi. There were several portages in Ohio, the principal ones being from the Sandusky to the headwaters of the Scioto and from the Cuyahoga to the headwaters of the Muskingum, and it is probable that in one of his trips La Salle came up the Sandusky river, crossed by portage to the Scioto, and down that river to the Ohio, which would mean that the first known white man to set foot on Crawford county soil was Rene Robert Cavalier, the Sieur de la Salle, between 1670 and 1680.

Hon. E. B. Finley, who made considerable research in order to locate an ancient Indian village called Seccaium, gives the following on this subject in an address by him at the dedication of the monument that marks the site of the Battle of the Olentangy, five miles southeast of Bucyrus on the Gallon road :

"In addition to this beautiful monument marking the battlefield of June 6, 1782, where the retreating army of Crawford battled with the British and Indian forces, it also marks the almost forgotten site of a village renowned in the traditions and legends of a departed race. Within a few rods from this spot once stood the village of Seccaium, celebrated in ancient legends and song as one of the famous places of Indian history. For hundreds and hundreds of years, before the white man set foot on this continent, the Sandusky, Olentangy and Scioto rivers formed a great water thoroughfare, over which Indian commerce was carried to and fro between the north and south. Over this route Indian war parties from the Lake regions swept down upon their enemies in the south, and over this same route ofttimes came the wild Catawbas, Natches, and other southern tribes, in fierce retaliation. From the time when the French first occupied Canada until the opening up and settlement of the United States, this same route continued to be the thoroughfare of traffic and travel, not only by the Indians but by the French traders. Coming anywhere from Canada or the north or northwest, the canoe of the Indian or trader entering the mouth of the Sandusky river was paddled up the waters until arriving at the bend northeast from this point, the canoemen transported their boats and goods from thence across this point to yonder bend of the

Olentangy (or Whetstone as it is now called), and then launching their- light craft in the Olentangy, paddled down to the Scioto, entering which they traveled down to the Ohio, and into the Mississippi, being thus enabled to travel by water from the great lake of the north to the Gulf of Mexico, with a land portage across the point near where we now stand of only about four miles. Near the landing place on the Olentangy, within a few rods of this monument, stood the once great village of Seccaium, famous for centuries as the great mart of Indian commerce; it was the common ground where all the tribes of the north and the south met and exchanged their peltries and wares. Here it was that the great treaties, conclaves and powwows of the Indian nations were held. When it first was built no one knows. It was visited by white men as early as 1650, and at that day even Indian tradition could not give the age.

"A Frenchman, who passed over this route in 1750, thus writes of it : 'The Scioto is almost as wide as the Ohio, and runs through fertile bottoms or plains, which commence a few miles above the river Huskinkas, and extend almost to Seccaium. The Olentangy is navigable for boats as far as the famous village of Seccaium. It is at this village that the great portage to the Sandusky river begins, which is but four miles.' The village stood here in 1669 when it was visited by Robert Cavalier, Soeur de la Salle, the famous discoverer of the mouth of the Mississippi, and all the west territory bordering upon that river. La Salle, in company with DoUier de Casson and Galinee, aCnd his Indian guides and companions, passed by water from Montreal to the mouth of the Sandusky river, thence up the Sandusky and over the portage to this point, where he visited the famous village of Seccaium, remaining several days ; thence passing down the Olentangy and the Scioto to the Ohio, where at the mouth of the Scioto he planted copper plates bearing the image of the King of France, and then formally took possession of all the country in the name of his King. From the mouth of the Scioto he traveled down the Ohio to the Falls of the Ohio, where Louisville now stands, there planting other copper plates, and likewise taking possession of the country in the name of the King of France."

It is certain the Sandusky-Scioto portage was an important one and much traveled, as the French erected a fort and established a trading-post on the Ohio just below the mouth of the Scioto in 1740. Along the Lakes the Wyandots were the allies of the French, yet in view of the anticipated coming struggle between France and England for the Northwest Territory, the French in 1750 erected a fort on the west bank of the Sandusky to guard its mouth, and in 1754 about six miles up the river erected Fort Junandat on the east bank. This guarding of the mouths of both rivers shows conclusively it was the principal route from the Lake to the Ohio. They built no fort at the mouth of the Cuyahoga or the Muskingum. It was the only fort-guarded route in Ohio between the lake and the river.

The location of the old Indian town of Seccaium is placed by Mr. Finley on the banks of the Whetstone, southwest of what is now Seccaium Park, believed to be at this point from the fact that besides arrow-heads found there in large numbers, the ground was at one time covered with chipped flint covering over an acre. It was a flint stone found nowhere in this region, and such was the profusion of the chippings of flint that they could only have been caused by the manufacture of arrowheads there on a very large scale. But the town there must certainly have been abandoned or destroyed more than two centuries ago. There could have been no Indian village there during the Revolutionary war, as when Crawford's expedition passed within a mile of this site in 1782 neither Stover nor Zane, Crawford's guides, gave any intimation of any such village and both had been through this section many years previous.

In 1764, Gen. Bradstreet, "after raising the siege at Detroit, and dispersing the Indians, sailed across Lake Erie and into Sandusky Bay and up the Sandusky river as far as it was navigable for Indian canoes," there established himself and demanded a council with the Indian chiefs, who had offered but little opposition to his progress. The council was held, and the Wyandots, with their subordinate dependents entered into a treaty of peace. This council was probably at the Wyandot village that then existed on the Sandusky, three miles

Col. James Smith, when a young man, was a captive among the Indians from 1755 to 1759, and traversed this region, and from his interesting account of his experiences valuable information is learned as to the location of this portage. With his adopted Indian brother, Tontileaugo, he had been hunting in what is now Ottawa county, and they decided to go up the Sandusky to the prairies on a hunting expedition. In his narrative, Smith says: "When we came to the falls of the Sandusky, we buried our birch bark canoes as usual, at a large burying place for that purpose, a little below the falls. At this place the river falls about eight feet over a rock, but not perpendicular. With much difficulty we pushed up our wooden canoes, some of us went up the river, and the rest by land with the horses, until we came to the great meadows or prairies that lie between Sandusky and Scioto." Here they had what was known as a ring hunt, setting fire to the grass in a large circle, thus driving the game to a common centre, where it was easily killed. They fired the grass when the sky had every appearance of rain, but the expected rain failed to fall, so the fire spread, and "extended through the whole prairie, which was about fifty miles in length and in some places near twenty in breadth."

He then says: "We then moved from the north end of the glades and encamped at the carrying place. This place is in the plains betwixt a creek that empties into Sandusky, and one that runs into Scioto; and at the time of high water, or in the spring season, there is but about one-half mile of portage, and that very level, and clear of rocks, timber or stones ; so that with a little digging there may be water carriage the whole way from Scioto to Lake Erie."

The general opinion is that this portage or carrying place was at least sixteen miles southwest of Bucyrus in Marion county, and was between the Little Sandusky and the Little Scioto, the latter stream having its start near Bucyrus. However, William M. Darlington, of Pittsburg, who edited Smith's narrative, and made the most thorough research possible, has a number of notes and among them the following :

( 1 ) " 'By the Sandusky, Scioto and Ohio rivers lay the route of the Indians of Detroit and Lake Huron when going to war with the Catawabas and other southern tribes. "They ascend the Sandusquet river two or three days, after which they make a small portage, a fine road of about a quarter of a league. Some make canoes of elm bark and float down a small river (the Scioto) that empties into the Ohio." - Memoir of Vaudreuil, Governor of Canada, to the Council of Marine, from Quebec, Oct. 30, 1 7 18. Paris Documents, New York Col. Hist., vol. ix, page 168; Pownall's Top. Disc, of North America, page 42 and map.' "

(2) " 'Through these rivers lies the most common pass from Canada to the Ohio and Mississippi." - Morse's Am. Gazetteer of 1798, page 497; Kilbourne's Ohio Gazetteer for 1817, page 60; Carey's Atlas for 1812."

(3) " 'This once important portage extended from the site of Garrett's mill, near the village of Wyandot, on the Sandusky river, in Wyandot county, thence south, about four miles, on a ridge, through part of Dallas township in Crawford county, to the north branch of the Little Scioto, near Swinnerton, on the Old Fort Ball and Columbus Road, in Grand Prairie township, Marion county. The length of the portage varied according to the stage of the water. It was known as the Four Mile Cross. In high water the north branch of .the Little Scioto could be navigated by canoes to a point about a mile distant from Garrett's mill, on the Sandusky. A cut has been made through the ridge about half a mile east from the village of Wyandot, by which the waters of both streams are' united." ( Notes to the writer from S. R. Harris, Esq., of Bucyrus, and Wm. Brown, Esq., of Springfield.) Mr. Brown settled near Wyandot in 1826, and surveyed the Wyandot Indian Reservation for the U. S. Government.' "

Besides these water routes the Indians had trails crossing the county in many directions. The main trail from the Lake to the Ohio river passed through Crawford county. Hulbert, in his "Red Men's Roads," calls it the "Scioto trail," also the "Sandusky and Richmond Trail." It started on the Sandusky bay, going almost due south to Delaware, then keeping within a few miles of the Scioto until it reached the Ohio below Portsmouth. Hulbert refers to this route as "one of the greatest war paths in the west, leading southward into Warrior's Path, to land of the Cherokees and Catawbas." This trail had a branch at Lower Shawnee town,* that crossed the present counties of Hocking, Vinton and Meigs to the Ohio river, and then up the Kanawha to Richmond, Va. Of this trail Hulbert says: "Important fur route between Virginia and the Lake country; also most direct route to Central Ohio from southern seaboard colonies." This trail which passed through Crawford, and the "Great Trail" were the main thoroughfares of the Indians. The "Great Trail" was from Pittsburg to Detroit; it did not pass through Crawford, but through Richland and Huron counties. Just east of Crawford county a branch of this trail bore to the west to the old Indian town of Upper Sandusky, three miles southwest of the present Upper Sandusky, crossing the Sandusky river near Bucyrus; another branch was through Crestline and Galion, across Bucyrus township, and following east of the river to Little Sandusky. Another important trail was the route from the Tuscarawas Moravian villages to the Indian village near Upper Sandusky. It entered the county near the southeastern corner of Whetstone township, bore northwesterly through Whetstone and Bucyrus townships, and crossed the Sandusky south of the Mt. Zion church. This was the route taken by the Moravian Indian in 1781 and 1782. There were important Indian villages near Greentown and what is now Jeromeville in Ashland county. Trails connected both these Indian villages with the various Indian villages on the Sandusky. One of these trails, crossing Jackson, Jefferson, Whetstone, Bucyrus and Dallas was probably the route followed through this county by the army of Col. Crawford in 1782, both going and returning. There were many minor trails in this county, used by the Indians in going to and from their various camps and hunting grounds; especially is this true of several trails to the cranberry marshes in Chatfield and Cranberry townships. Traces of these trails are shown by the surveyor's notes of nearly a hundred years ago. The sur- veyor, in 1819, did not find a continuous trail, as parts of them were obliterated even then, but he found sufficient markings so that the old Indian trails can be traced with a fair degree of accuracy.

The location of these trails are not of special importance, but it was along them that the first pioneers came to the county; it was also along them that the first roads were laid out, for every Indian trail follows from one place to another over the highest and best ground. These children of nature, with no education, had a trail from the east to the west, and this same trail through Richland, Crawford and Wyandot counties, a hundred years later was selected by the engineers as the road bed for the Pennsylvania Railroad.

The first made road in the county was the one crudely cut through the woods by the soldiers in 1812. A map of Ohio, published in 181 5, gives this road as leaving Richland county to enter the Indian reservation, which Crawford county then was, north of the present town of Leesville going a trifle north of west for three miles, then straight west to Upper Sandusky. When this map was made the entire country west of the Richland county line had never been surveyed, and the map shows that when the designer reached the unsurveyed Indian reservation, he must have taken a ruler and drawn an air line from the western boundary of Richland county to Upper Sandusky. This line would pass along the present northern line of the city of Bucyrus. The map, however, is conclusive proof that the military road did exist through this county, although west of Bucyrus, neither to the north nor to the south can any trace be found of a road ever having been cut through the woods wide enough for teams to pass.

On the other hand, Seth Holmes, who piloted Norton here in 1819, was a teamster in the War of 181 2, and was with the supply train which went through Crawford county from Mansfield to Harrison's headquarters at Upper Sandusky, and he stated that when he was on his way through this county with that supply train they camped one night near what is now the crossing of the Pennsylvania road and East Mansfield street. The probable camping site was about where the brewery now stands, as at that time the river was then at the base of the blufif. In 1819 James Nail entered his land" about two miles north of Gallon and two miles south of Leesville. In his letter in "The Crawford County Forum" in 1868, he writes of taking a trip with two neighbors to find where the Indians got their cranberries. He says: "We took our horses and started in a southwesterly direction until we struck the Pennsylvania army road, then followed the route, which we could clearly distinguish. After passing along said route for several miles we thought we were not getting far enough to the north, and, therefore, turning further north, struck the Sandusky river east of Bucyrus." *

At the river they found Daniel McMichael clearing his land; this land was on the south bank of the Sandusky river, one mile northeast of the eastern boundary of Bucyrus township. H. W. McDonald, who made a thorough survey of the county in the sixties, found several markings of this road in the northern part of Polk township, which is a confirmation of the recollections of Nail. It should also be remembered that when Norton first arrived in this section he stopped near Gallon, and would have entered land there, but Holmes assured him he knew of a much better site a little farther on, and it was through the statements of Holmes that Norton and Bucklin left their families and followed Holmes until he piloted them to the site he remembered, which was where Bucyrus now is. The pioneer recollections are that this road must have been through the northern part of Polk township, and to Bucyrus over the high ground between the present Gallon road and the Pennsylvania track, crossing the Sandusky near the West Mansfield street bridge, crossing the Pennsylvania road near the Oceola road crossing, then northwest, south of the Oceola road, and crossing the Brokensword southwest of Oceola, and then to Upper Sandusky.

Polk township pioneers also report a military road through the southern part of that township, markings of which still remain. This is also probably correct. When Harrison made Upper Sandusky his headc[uarters in 1812, and built Fort Ferree, many troops assembled there. At one time the entire militia of the State were hurriedly ordered to report at that point, and many of the troops from eastern and southeastern Ohio passed through Crawford county, some striking the Pennsylvania army road, and others following the Indian trail along the Whetstone, and to Little Sandusky. Many of these so-called military roads were routes taken by these troops responding in a hurry, and traveling on horseback, carrying their arms and provisions and supplies, and no army train with them. Practically all supplies that were gathered at Upper Sandusky came up the river from the Lake, or by the road Harrison had cut through the woods from Franklinton (Columbus) to Upper Sandusky. General Harrison makes frequent complaints of the difficulties and expense of getting his supplies over this road from Columbus.

After the eastern part of the county was surveyed, in 1807, a number of years passed before bonafide settlers began occupying the land, but by 1818 there was a fair sprinkling of pioneers in the eastern part of the county. They had blazed trails through the woods to their nearest neighbors, but about 1818 the pioneers themselves cut down trees, laid the trunks over the worst of the swampy ground, and had a road running from the settlements around Galion through what is now Middletown, Leesville and West Liberty, and north to the Huron river, by which they could secure an outlet to Huron on Lake Erie. This was the first road in the county. A year or two later the pioneers of Bucyrus, Liberty and Sandusky, to get an outlet to the same market, made a road northeast from Bucyrus, following what is now the Sulphur Springs road, and when near that village, turning east, south of the present road, passing half a mile north of the present village of Tiro, and connecting with that first road built by the early pioneers. Another early road made by the pioneers was one from Galion to Bucyrus.

The first road in Crawford county of which there is official record was established by the county commissioners at Delaware in 1822, "from the southeast corner of Section 13, now a part of Sandusky township, to Bucyrus ; total length nine miles and 276 rods. John Marshall surveyor and Michael Beadle, Joseph Young and David Palmer viewers." This road gave Bucyrus better connection with the road in the eastern part of the county, and indicates that the important markets at that time were New Haven, Milan and Huron. The same year a state road was authorized from Norton in Delaware county, north through Bucyrus and on to Sandusky, on the Lake. James Kilbourne was the surveyor. Solomon Smith and Luther Coe the commissioners. Nothing was done with this road until later, when it became the Sandusky Pike.

In 1824 Crawford was transferred from the jurisdiction of Delaware to that of Marion county, and Crawford was given a commissioner in the person of E. B. Merriman. On June 8, 1824, a road was established "beginning at the east line of Crawford county, at crossing of road leading from Wooster to Upper Sandusky, thence on nearest and best ground to Bucyrus, making Daniel McMichael's mill a point on said road." This passed through southern Liberty township north of the river, crossing the Sandusky at the present water works reservoir, McMichael's mill being on the south bank of the river, west of the present road. "Nearest and best ground" has given way to straight roads and right angles, so much of this road has been straightened. The viewers to establish this road were Joseph Young and Abel Carey. Another road in 1824 was the present Little Sandusky road with Lewis Carey, Daniel Fickle and Samuel Norton as the viewers. The road from Norton to Portland (Sandusky) was taken up in 1824, and Heman Rowse, Nathaniel Plummer, Benjamin Parcher and John McClure were appointed viewers. The road from Bucyrus to Mansfield was laid out, James Cassaday being the surveyor and Amos Utley, and James Perfect the viewers. The first alteration of a road is recorded in 1824. It was of "a road leading from Friendsborough to Benjamin Sharrock's." They were instructed to "lay it out on old boundary line from Friendsborough until it intersects the State road leading from Mt. Vernon to Upper Sandusky."

In 1825 Zalmon Rowse was Crawford county's commissioner. The first road he introduced was what is now the road from Caledonia to Bucyrus. Another was what later became the Mt. Vernon road through Whetstone township, and near New Winchester it

In 1826 Crawford county was organized, and the early sessions of the commissioners were mainly given to the laying out of new roads and the straightening of old ones. All the records of the commissioners prior to 183 1 were destroyed by fire, but the first meeting of which there is any report relates to roads :

"Proceedings of the Commissioners of Crawford County, begun and held in the town of Bucyrus, on the 17th and i8th day of October, 1831. "Be it resolved, that James McCracken, Esq., is hereby appointed a commissioner (in the room of R. W. Cahill, Esq., resigned), to lay out a certain state road, commencing at the town of Perrysburg in Wood county, thence to McCutchenville, thence to Bucyrus, in Crawford county."

As early as 1808 a road had been constructed from Franklinton (Columbus) through Delaware to Norton, a town on the border line of Delaware and Marion counties, within two miles of the Greenville treaty line, all north of this line being Indian reservation. In 1820 the two miles to the Greenville treaty line were laid out. On February 4, 1822, the General Assembly passed an act establishing a State road, "commencing at Norton, in Delaware county, thence to the city of Sandusky" by the nearest and best route, and Hector Kilbourne and Lyman Farwell were appointed commissioners with instructions to report to the county commissioners of Delaware county. Previous to this, on June 7, 1821, the Delaware commissioners had established a county road from Norton "as far north as the Indian camps on the road leading from Mt. Vernon to Upper Sandusky."

In 1826 an act was passed by the Legislature incorporating the Columbus and Sandusky Turnpike Company. The capital stock was $100,000, divided into one thousand shares of $100 each, two of the incorporators being Judge E. B. Merriman and Col. Zalmon Rowse of Bucyrus. The road was to be a "good, secure and substantial road of stone, gravel, timber or other material." They were authorized to collect as toll for each ten miles, 25 cents for every four-wheeled carriage or wagon; 18^ cents for every two-wheeled vehicle; and 6^ cents for each horse or ox. Each fourwheeled pleasure carriage drawn by two horses was required to pay 37J4 cents, and i2j>2 cents for each horse additional. Every person going to and from religious services on Sabbath, and militiamen going to and from muster grounds, were allowed the use of the road free.

John Kilbourne, in his Ohio Gazetteer of 1826 says of this road: "During the last session of the Legislature (December, 1825) the author petitioned for the grant of a turnpike incorporation to construct a road from Columbus to Sandusky city, a distance of 104 miles in a direct line. An act was accordingly passed therefor. But whether the requisite funds to make it can be raised is yet (March, 1826) somewhat uncertain. But its benefits and advantages to above one-half of the northern and western part of the State, are so obvious that the presumption is that it will be made."

This road was so important, and its promoters were so influential, that on March 3, 1827, Congress passed an act granting to the State of Ohio 49 sections of land, amounting to 31,360 acres, "situated along the western side of the Columbus and Sandusky turnpike, in the eastern part of Seneca, Crawford and Marion counties." The considerations for which these lands were granted were that the mail stages and all troops and property of the United States which should ever be moved and transported along this road should pass free from toll. On February 12, 1828, the Ohio Legislature transferred these lands to the turnpike company, which sold them to obtain funds to build the road.

A meeting was held at the schoolhouse in Bucyrus, and stock sold and subscriptions taken to secure funds to build the road. Money was scarce, and the raising of the funds was a difficult task. It was Bucyrus's first attempt to secure a public improvement. Merriman, Rowse and others all spoke strongly of the advantages which would accure to Bucyrus if this road could be built, and Abel Carey, who strongly favored the project, in his remarks lifted the veil which hid the future, when he hopefully predicted, "Why, gentlemen, if we succeed in getting this road, we may yet see a daily line of stages through Bucyrus!" The meeting for the organization of the company was held at Bucyrus and Col. Kilbourne was appointed surveyor of the road. The cost was assessed to the different counties, and nearly all the additional meetings were held at Bucyrus, the lively post town being the headquarters of the enthusiastic supporters of the road. If there were any "knockers," pioneer history fails to record their names, but it does record the fact that some of the citizens subscribed and paid for more stock than all their real estate would have sold for in cash. The difficulty of raising the funds made the road long in building, and it was 1834 before it was finally completed. It will be remembered the charter called for the building of the road of "stone, gravel, timber, or other material." It was built of the latter. The "other material" being the throwing up of earth in the centre of the roadway, and through the low and marshy ground laying trees crosswise, side by side, forming a corduroy foundation. In some places, so deep and swampy was the land that trees were felled and laid across the swamps, and on these were placed the smaller trees crosswise. The cost of the road was about $700 per mile. It was probably the most direct road in Ohio, the distance from Columbus to Sandusky by the road being 106 miles, while an air line is 104. Although the road was not completed tmtil 1834, stages had been running over the old county and state road, along practically the same route, since 1823. In 1827 the first line of stages began running on the~ new pike.

What this road was is best told by the Rev. Mr. Reid, a Congregational minister who came over from England to visit the American churches. He went from Sandusky to Cincinnati in 1834. He spent Sunday in Sandusky City, and writes of "the stumps still standing in the main street and over the spots that have been cleared for settlement."

Mr. Reid published his experiences in a little volume entitled "Visit to American Churches," and it is so complete and vivid a description of the Columbus Pike, and what first-class traveling was in those early days, the condition of the country and the customs, that his entire trip is given from the Lake to the Ohio :

"Having rested over Sabbath I arranged to leave by coach early in the morning for Columbus. I rose, therefore, at two. Soon after I had risen the bar agent came to say that the coach was ready and would start in ten minutes. As the rain had made the road bad this was rather an ominous as well as untimely intimation, so I went down to my place. I had no sooner began to enter the coach than splash went my foot into mud and water. I exclaimed with surprise. 'Soon be dry. Sir,' was the reply, while he withdrew the light, that I might not explore the cause of complaint. The fact was that the vehicle, like the hotel and the steamboat, was not water-tight, and the rain had found an entrance. There was, indeed, in this coach, as in most others, a provision in the bottom - of holes - to let off both water and dirt, but here the dirt had become mud and thickened about the orifices so as to prevent escape. I found I was the only passenger; the morning was damp and chilly; the state of the coach added to the sensation, and I eagerly looked for some means of protection. I drew up the wooden windows - out of five small panes of glass in the sashes three were broken. I endeavored to secure the curtains; two of them had most of the ties broken and flapped in one's face. I could see nothing; everywhere I could feel the wind drawn in upon me; and as for sounds, I had the call of the driver, the screeching of the wheels, and the song of the bull-frog for my entertainment.

"But the worst of my solitary entertainment was to come. All that had been intimated about bad roads now came upon me. They were not only bad, they were intolerable ; they were rather like a stony ditch than a road. The horses, on the first stages could only walk most of the way; we were freqvfently in up to the axle-tree ; and I had no sooner recovered from a terrible plunge on one side, than there came another in the opposite direction. I was literally thrown about like a ball. Let me dismiss the subject of bad roads for this journey by stating, in illustration, that with an empty coach and four horses, we were seven hours in going twenty-three miles; and that we were twenty-eight hours in getting to Columbus, a distance of one hundred and ten miles. Yet this line of conveyance was advertised as a 'splendid line, equal to any in the States.' " is a nice inn; in good order, very clean, and the best provision. There was an abundant supply, but most of it was prepared with butter and the frying-pan ; still there were good coffee and eggs, and delightful bread. Most of the family and driver sat down at the table, and the daughters of. our host waited on us. Mr. Russell, as is commonly the case in such districts, made the occupation of innkeeper subsidiary to that of farming. You commanded the whole of his farm from the door, and it was really a fine picture, the young crops blooming and promising in the midst of the desert.