Chapter Programs 13Chapter Contact Information 14Chapter News 15Dave’s Blog 19DCGS Blog 19Defiance Democrat - April 6, 1893 20John E. Troeger Bio 21Frank Meekus Bio 21Hicksville Tribune - Jan. 5, 1882 22Early History of Defiance County 22Tuttle Museum Minute 24

Page 2017-13 SSN#1047-0077

Summer 2017 Vol. XXXVI Issue 2

Defiance County GenealogyChapter and Board Meetings

Regular monthly meetings of the De-fiance Chapter OGS are held at St. JohnUnited Church of Christ at 7:00 p.m. unlessotherwise stated. The address is 950Webster Street— on the northeastern cor-ner of the Defiance Colllege campus. Entryis on the north side of the church adjacentto the college gymnasium.

Chapter Meetings are the 4th Mon-day of each month except May, August, andDecember or as noted.

Board meetings are held at 3:30 p.m.the third Thursday of the month at the St.John UCC at 950 Webster Street.

Table of Contents

Yesteryears’ TrailsQuarterly Newsletter Published by the Defiance County

Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical SocietyP.O. Box 7006 Defiance, OH 43512-7006Web Site: Http: www.defiancecountygenealogy.orgEmail address: defiancegenealogy2002@ yahoo.comBlog site: defiancecountyohiogenealogy.blogspot.com

Coming Chapter Programs

Monday, July 24 - Visitation to WilliamsCounty Public Library in Bryan, Ohio (Meetat the library at 6:30)August - No meetingMonday, Sept. 25

History of Riverview Gardens-Trish Speiser

Monday, Oct. 2340th Anniversary of DCGS

Monday, Nov. 27Veterans’ Pensions - Dianne Klineand Joanne Allison

December - No meeting

‘

On March 4, 1845, Defiance County wascreated. The county was originally parts ofWilliams, Henry, and Paulding Counties. Thecounty seat is Defiance, site of old FortDefiance.

Officers and Trustees

President - Joanne AllisonEmail: ljallison1@frontier.comCorresponding Secretary & MembershipDianne KlineEmail: dijimkline@gmail.comRecording Secretary - Mary WilliamsEmail: marywill@smta.ccTreasurer - Lavina BoeslingEmail: lib10@embarqmail.comFirst Families - Mary ScrantonEmail: mjs463@frontier.comNewsletter Editor - Mary WilliamsEmail: marywill@smta.ccTrustees:Rhonda CaslerDawn HaschPat Wise

Change of Address or Email ?If you change your postal or email address,

please make sure you email the chapter at<defiancegenealogy2002@yahoo.com>or send the changes to Defiance Chapter OGS, POBox 7006, Defiance, OH 43512-7006 so that yourcurrent information is on file.

Become a Member of DCGSChapter dues are $12.00 for an indi-

vidual and $15.00 per family.An additional $5.00 is required for

mailing the four annual newslettersthrough the U. S. Post Office.Membership form is at the end of thisnewsletter or you may download a mem-bership form atwww.defiancecountygenealogy.org

Page 14 Yesteryears’ Trails - Defiance Co. Summer 2017

Defiance County FirstFamilies

If you can proveyour ancestor resided inDefiance County beforeJanuary 1846, your an-cestor can be classifiedas a “Pioneer.” If he or shelived here between Janu-ary 1846 and December1860, that ancestor can be classified as a “settler.”To prove your lineage back to your ancestor, youmay use birth records, death records, marriage li-censes, census records, Bible records, and otherprimary or supportive secondary records.

The application fee is $15.00 which coversas many ancestors as you can prove and also cov-ers your membership pin. You must be a memberof the Defiance County Chapter OGS. This mem-bership may be paid at the same time as your ap-plication fee is paid. The cutoff date is August 1stof the year in which you apply. For more informa-tion and to download the application for First Fami-lies, please go to the Society’s web site atwww.defiancecountygenealogy.org or write to thechapter at PO Box 7006, Defiance, OH 43512-7006attention of Mary Scranton, chair.

Defiance County Centennial FamiliesTo acknowledge families which have been

in Defiance County for 100 years or more, our chap-ter has established a centennial recognition pro-gram. Just one item of proof showing that a familymember was here in 1916 or before is needed toregister a family. Upon registration, a certificate willbe sent from the chapter. For more information,please contact the chapter via email or by postalmail-- attention of Carol Ehlinger.

First Families of Defiance Countyand Centennial Families

Defiance County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical SocietyYesteryears’ Trails Vol.XXXVI Summer 2017

Yesteryears’ Trails - Defiance Co. Spring 2017 - Page 15

The Defiance County GenealogicalSociety (DCGS) met on March 27. Thesociety was entertained by the BlackSwamp Medicine Girls, Jeanne Caryerand Susan Wiesehan. The two womengave an informative and humorousPowerPoint presentation about old timemedicines and remedies that were com-mon in the 19th and early 20th centuries.They also displayed a large collection ofvintage medicine tins and bottles.

The Black Swamp was known for itsmany diseases. The women at that timewere the main health care providers in thefamily, and they got their home remediesfrom older generations and cookbooks.People did not yet know about germs, andwere ill-informed as to what caused sick-ness and diseases. For example, theythought malaria was caused by swampgas, not the mosquitoes. Poor diet andcontaminated drinking water caused the

spread of cholera, and in 1849 an epi-demic wiped out whole towns and commu-nities.

The college-educated medical pro-fession was just beginning in America buthad not yet reached the common folk inrural areas. The effective treatment forague or malaria, also called summer com-plaint or canal shakes, was quinine, but itwas very expensive.

Desperate to be cured of those andother diseases, people were willing to tryany alternative cure. Mineral springs andbaths of sulfur water were popular in ourarea and were believed to have healingproperties. Also, self-trained “doctors”traveled the countryside attracting custom-ers with their medicine shows of comedyroutines, dancing, and singing, and thenthey peddled their phony patent medicinecures. It was common for those medicinesto produce feelings of well-being becausethey often contained alcohol, opium, can-nabis or morphine, resulting in addictions.Even some of the local doctors’ treatmentswere brutal, such as bleeding out whatthey called bad blood.

The Medicine Girls pointed outmedicines and devices from their display.They concluded the program by answeringquestions and quoting from the Bible that“laughter is good medicine.”

April Chapter MeetingThe Life and Times of Andrew Tuttle

The Defiance County GenealogicalSociety met on April 24, with Tuttle Memo-rial Museum’s education director JudyDally gave a PowerPoint presentationabout the life and times of Andrew L.Tuttle.

March Chapter MeetingBlack Swamp Medicine Women

Black Swamp Medicien Girls Jeanne Caryerand Susan Wiesehan

Page 16 Yesteryears’ Trails - Defiance Co. Summer 2017

Born in 1918, Tuttle grew up in Defi-ance and attended public schools there.As early as the fifth and sixth grade, hebecame interested in collecting and trad-ing stamps, coins, Native American arti-facts, and other fine objects.

After graduating from Defiance HighSchool in 1937, he served in the U.S.Army during World War II, spending sometime in Italy. He brought home a GermanMothers’ Cross, a pistol, and other warsouvenirs. He was honorably dischargedin 1949 and then went on to earn a bach-elor of science in business administrationfrom The Ohio State University.

During the 1960s, Tuttle’s passionfor collecting and trading grew even stron-ger, enticing him to travel in 50 states and50 countries. He considered every littlestamp valuable. For example, while inPortugal, Afghanistan, the USSR, andothers, he sent letters home to his family,giving them strict instructions on how toopen the envelopes and carefully preservethe stamps on them. Eventually, he accu-mulated a massive and extremely valu-able stamp collection.

Tuttle also successfully collectedsome rare coins such as the 300 CE Indiacoin, ancient Roman coins, an historicVatican coin, and others from Europe,South America, and Africa. One coindealer from Ceylon, Sri Lanka, accusedhim of cheating him and put a voodoocurse on his head, but Tuttle survived.Over the years, as with the stamps, he hadaccumulated an unbelievably huge num-ber of valuable coins.

Similarly, Tuttle also collected NativeAmerican spearheads, projectile points,pottery chards, as well as priceless An-

cient Incan and Egyptian figures andsculptures all of which he had carefullylabeled, grouped by type and place oforigin, and packed away in boxes in hisstorage closet.

In 2003, Tuttle died in a car accident whilereturning home from Florida. It was hisfinal wish that his entire collection be a giftto the City of Defiance, providing the citywould establish a museum in his name.Thus, in 2011 the Andrew L. Tuttle Memo-rial Museum, 514 W. Third St., Defiance,was opened to the public. These collec-tions can be seen there as well as numer-ous mementos of Defiance’s natural andcultural history.

Minutes of the May 22, 2017 DCGSChapter Meeting

The Defiance County GenealogicalSociety met on Monday, June 26 withseventeen members and guests. Preced-ing the program, President Allison con-ducted a brief business meeting. DanHasch moved to send flowers to the fu-neral home in honor of and in memory ofour longtime chapter past-presidentCecelia Brown. Marilyn Mallott secondedthe motion which passed.

May Chapter MeetingEarly History of Defiance College

Barb Sedlock, lead librarian at Defi-

Yesteryears’ Trails - Defiance Co. Summer 2017- Page 17

ance College, presented a PowerPointprogram detailing the early history of Defi-ance College from 1850 until 1920.

The college officially received acharter in 1850 as the Defiance FemaleSeminary although two men were admit-ted the first year. Later it was advertisedas Defiance Normal College. In 1875 nineacres was purchased from William C.Holgate for $1200 on which to build acampus. In 1884 the first building waserected.

Ms. Sedlock showed photos anddocuments including student rosters fromthe 1880s. Shown also were many copiesof programs from concerts and literaryentertainment, commencements, fielddays and other events-- each detailingwhat campus life was like in the early daysof the college. Newspaper articles high-lighted how the college programs werethought by the community to be assets tothe city.

Photos and historical documentspertaining to the history of Defiance Col-lege can be seen atwww.memory.Defiance.edu. First go to"Administration" then to College HistoricalDocuments."

Chapter Meeting of June 24The DCGS met on Monday, June 24 with

twenty-six members and guests present.Membership chair Dianne Kline noted that

currently there are 80 members in the chapter.She also noted that there have been over 75,000hits thus far to the blog site.

Rich Rozevink passed on thanks to thosewho submitted articles concerning early Germanicsettlers to the Defiance area from Jan Bechtol ofthe Tuttle Museum. Soon the museum will havean open house and display these articles. Richalso reported concerning a letter sent to the

Defiance mayor which noted that William GeorgeKing of the 38th OVI Co. I is buried in Alabama.Mr. King was the first post master of the town inwhich he was buried.

President Allison noted that a nominatingcommittee is needed as election of officers shouldtake place in the fall. She also reminded mem-bers of the Federation of Genealogists conven-tion August 30- Sept. 2 in Pittsburg.

Rhonda Casler who has worked in theRecords Center presented the evening’s pro-gram.

Using Probate Records in Defiance Co.with Rhonda Casler

Rhonda detailed what kinds of informationcan be found in probate court records. One ofthe most often consulted for genealogical pur-poses are wills and estates as it provides deathdates and locations and often a listing of heirsalong with other valuable information. DefianceCounty records begin in 1845 when the countywas formed. Any earlier existing probate recordswould be found in Williams County, Defiance'sparent county.

Birth records from 1867 until December1908 fall under probate.. Often the tax collectorsreported births. The records may contain thename, sex, date of birth, township/ward. AfterDecember 1908 birth records are located in thecounty health department; also they may befound on FamilySearch.com. There are alsoseparate records for corrected birth records anddelayed birth records.

Marriage records for Defiance Countybegin in 1845. There is no statewide databasebut FamilySearch.com has copied early records.Records include application, license, and journalentries with contain the final filings by ministers orjustices of peace. Records are kept in the placeof application.

Death records for Defiance County inprobate begin in 1867 and end in December 1908when the health department became responsiblefor the records. Reporting of deaths was donevoluntarily or again by a tax assessor. Recordsmay be ordered through the Ohio HistoricalSociety.

Page 18 Yesteryears’ Trails - Defiance Co.Summer 2017

Other records which may be found inprobate are the following: criminal cases, di-vorces, name changes, guardianship, coronerinquests, declaration of intents, naturalizations,foreclosures, assignments, partitions, mentalincapacities, state window pensions (1913-1940),minister's licenses, physician and nursing li-censes, children's home records, (1884-1995).

Adoption records are closed. As of 2015,only the adoptee or an adult lineal descendant ofthe adoptee can petition the Ohio Department ofHealth for permission to see the records.

Actions of the DCGS Board

Highlights of the DCGS February MeetingMinutes of the previous board and chapter

meetings were reviewed and corrections made.Lavina Boesling presented the monthlytreasurer's report. There is $2702.89 in thechecking account with $954.98 in the GeneralFund, Memorials and Acquisitions $695.90, Li-brary Fund $1000, and Veterans' Memorial Fund$52.01.

Preceding the board meeting, thetreasurer's books for 2015 and 2016 had beenaudited by Ruth Ann Block and Mary Williams.The books were found to be in impeccable order.

Dianne Kline reported that currently thereare 48 members for 2017. Currently there havebeen 51,112 hits on the blog site with an averageof 300 hits per day.

A motion was made by Pat Wise andseconded by Dianne Kline that due to the debili-tating stroke of Cecelia Brown, Acting PresidentJoanne Allison should be added to the checkingaccount so that there are two active names onthe account. Motion passed.

The April 13 genealogy workshop will takeplace at Northtowne Mall at 5:00. Dianne Klinewill lead and Mary Williams will be responsible fortechnical aspects and handouts. Mary sug-gested arranging another help session at theSherwood Library since the first floor of the Defi-ance Public Library will be undergoing renovationbeginning this week and continuing throughAugust.

Joanne reviewed the contract for the BlackSwamp Medicine Girls with their program inMarch and reviewed other monthly programs.Mary will confer with Judy Dally (April) and BarbSedlock (May) concerning their programs.Rhonda Casler will discuss probate records inJune. Joanne will check with the Williams CountyPublic Library for a visitation in July. There is nomeeting in August. Mary has sent an email toTrish Speiser to confirm a September program onRiverview Memorial Gardens. The Octobermeeting will be a reception celebrating thechapter's 40th year.

Highlights of the DCGS March Board MeetingMinutes from the February board and

chapter meetings were reviewed. The checkingaccount currently has a balance of $2625.87 withthe following breakdown: general fund $853.11,memorials and acquisitions $720.75, library fund$1000, and veterans' memorial fund $52.01.Joanne Allison, as president, has been added tothe checking account.

Dianne Kline, as membership chair, notedthat there currently are 56 members. With thegeneral fund getting somewhat low, membershipneeds to be encouraged as it is the major sourceof funding.

Dianne noted that blog site has had over56,000 hits.

Due to Maundy Thursday, the beginninggenealogy program co-sponsored by the DefiancePublic Library has been changed to Saturday,April 22 beginning at 10:30 at the NorthtowneMall. A reminder was made that the OGS Confer-ence is April 26-29. Notification has been re-ceived that our chapter will receive a certificatefor its 40th year at the convention.

The chapter has received a letter fromGermans to America noting that they have aspeakers' bureau with speakers available at nocharge. It was decided to meet at 6:30 at theWilliams County Public Library on Monday, July24. The rest of the programming for 2017 wasreviewed.

Yesteryears’ Trails - Defiance Co. Summer 2017 - Page 19

Highlights of the DCGS May Board MeetingMinutes from the April board and chapter

meetings were reviewed. The checking accountcurrently has a balance of $2706.57 with thefollowing breakdown: general fund $881.11,memorials and acquisitions $772.75, library fund$1000, and veterans' memorial fund $52.01.

Dianne Kline, as membership chair, notedthat there currently are 79 members. Undercorrespondence was a letter from Susan Zeedykthanking chapter members for the support of hermother, Cecelia Brown, with prayers and cards.

A possible help session was suggested forAugust which is family history month.

http://daveshistorycorner.blogspot.comWednesday, October 26, 2016

Planting Redbuds Along River Bank East OfDefiance from The Crescent -News 26 March1945

My friend and I have always taken great de-light in traveling Route 424 in early spring to enjoythe redbud trees along the Maumee River. The fol-lowing article explains why the trees are so plenti-ful in that stretch of the highway.

From the March 26, 1945 article: “ Plantingof redbud trees along the banks of the MaumeeRiver between Defiance and the Henry County linewill be continued next Saturday under auspices ofthe Defiance Garden Club.

“ Last Saturday 250 of the seedlings takenfrom Independence State Park were planted by 20prisoners of war from Camp Defiance, supervisedby Henry H. Reineke and Harry L. Burden. Statehighway department trucks were used for transpor-tation.

“Each spring the redbuds along the old ca-nal bank east of Independence dam have attractedmuch comment to the present plan of the GardenClub, in co-operation with the high way departmentto make extensive plantings along the river andcanal banks.” Site maintained by Dave Bennett

Dave’s

http://defiancecountyohiogenealogy.blogspot.com/

DCGS

Dianne Kline maintains our Defiance countyGenealogical Society’s blog site. She notes thatthe site has had over 75,000 hits. In the blog ofthis past June, Dianne has highlighted the life andfamily of Doctor Ludwell Gaines Thacker. He isone of the many members of the Defiance GARpost 22 that Dianne has researched.

Ludwell’s army career in the Union Armybegan as follows in the blog: “When only 19, L. G.enlisted in Company D of the 100th Ohio Infantryon July 23, 1862. He mustered in as a private, butin just a few months was promoted to sergeant.Although he had signed up for a three year term ofservice, he was mustered out on January 6, 1863on a surgeon's certificate of disability.”

Both Ludwell and his father served the Defi-ance area as physicians and were esteemed mem-bers of the community. For more information con-cerning Dr. Thacker, read Dianne’s full article. Otherarticles included a photo of the graduates of MarkCenter High School in 1939, information about theNey Saloon including a photo taken in 1899, andthe WPA Cemetery Survey - Presbyterian or Up-per Lost Creek Cemetery, Farmer Township whichwas one of a series of articles on area cemeteries.Be sure to visit the blog site for a vast variety ofsubjects Dianne has encompassed

Just FYI: The Works Progress Administra-tion (renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Ad-ministration; WPA) was the largest and most ambi-tious American New Deal agency, employing mil-lions of people (mostly unskilled men) to carry outpublic works projects, including the construction ofpublic buildings and roads.

Page 20 Yesteryears’ Trails - Defiance Co. Summer 2017

Defiance DemocratApril 6, 1893After Thirty Years of Separation.Doctor Slough’s Detective Work.He Finds a Sister of Mrs. J. Eberle Who Has Been Miss-ing Since the War.

Mrs. Jno. Eberle received Tuesday a letter bear-ing news of a sister whom she has not seen for thirtyyears. Mrs. Eberle’s maiden name is Ankney. She wasborn and raised in Paulding County. Their mother diedand their father went to the war when it broke out, andthe children were adopted by various families.

One of the children named Sarah, who was aboutfive years old at the time, was adopted by a family namedSchlosser, who shortly afterward moved to Norwalk,Ohio. Schlosser did not want to go to the war, so hequietly left his wife and the country. Mrs. Schlosser foundshe could not support herself and the child, so the latterwas taken by another family named Fenus. A brother ofMrs. Fenus, named Andrew Amand, who lived at Joliet,Ills., was in Norwalk on a visit. He took a fancy to thelittle girl and, as a result, she went to live with him.

Until she was about eighteen years old, she livedwith Mr. Amand and family. She then was married toJohn Lesure, of Omaha, Neb., and is living with him inthat city now, in comfortable circumstances.

Her whereabouts was ascertained through Dr. E.L. Slough of this city, who was at one time a Pinkertondetective, and has lost none of the acumen and sagacitywhich made him eligible for such a position. He foundout that Schlosser was in Cullman, Ala., and throughhim traced up the child that is now Mrs. Lesure. Dr.Slough has been working on the case since last August,and in the progress of the affair, has written 103 letters.His achievement is one of which he may be justly proud.

The first letter from her long-lost sister was re-ceived Tuesday. It was indeed joyful tidings. In a fewweeks more, the sisters will be united after a separationof over thirty years.”--------“JURYMEN. Grand and Petit Jurors Drawn for theNext Term of Court.The grand and petit jurymen for the spring term of courtwere drawn Monday. The venires are as follows:GRAND JURYChristian Harley – First WardEphraim Sauer – HicksvilleLewis Spring – Second WardJoseph Smith – Second Ward

Andrew Tuttle – Third WardWm. Bricker – HicksvilleDaniel Neidhart – MilfordJ. W. Snyder – TiffinPeter Sieren – Second WardO. D. Loveridge – First WardJ. N. Replogle – TiffinFred Linebrink – Third WardA. J. Sanford – HighlandJohn Winterhalter – DelawareJessie Fisher – Farmer“Petit JuryFrank Mason – FarmerJohn Barnes – AdamsHenry Deepe – TiffinLorenzo Simons – TiffinL. P. Hibbard – First WardJohn H. Bercaw – DelawarePeter Gares – TiffinElbert Rowan – Second WardE. F. Aldrich – First WardDavid Heilshorn – RichlandSamuel Radicker – HicksvilleB. F. Casebeer – Hicksville”-------“COLD CASH Is What Cornelia Spindler PrayedFor.Money is the Only Solace for Blighted Affections.

A sensational case has recently been brought incommon pleas court. Cornelia A. Spindler brings suitagainst Brice M. Allshouse for $5,000 through her at-torney, L. E. Griffin.

It is an affair of the heart and apparently nothingwill assuage Cornelia’s grief but cold, filthy cash. Shealleges in her petition that she is an unmarried woman,and that on September 1, 1889, the defendant soughther hand in marriage, was accepted, and the date for theconsummation of their plighted troth fixed for the nextspring.

She says that when the time came for the mar-riage, it was postponed on account of the ill health ofthe defendant and he has ever since refused and neglectedto marry her, and she asks damages in the above namedamount.

A glance at the marriage record book in the pro-bate judge’s office probably reveals the key to the situa-tion and the reason the suit was brought at this time. Onthe 9th of this month, a license was issued to Brice M.Allshouse and Mrs. Mary Miller to wed. This probablyis the cause of the defendant’s fickleness. The partieslive in Hicksville township.

Yesteryears’ Trails - Defiance Co. Summer 2017 - Page 21

John E. Troeger wasborn May 9,1824, atNeudorf, Uberfrauken,Bavaria, Germany. In1847, he came to theUnited State locating atonce at his presenthome in Highland town-ship.

In 1859 he wasunited in marriage toMiss Catherine Schall.To this union, two chil-dren were born. Mrs.

Barbara Baumann of East Defiance survives. In1864 John’s first wife died. Two years later, in 1865he married Miss Mary Otilie Garman. Five childrenwere born to them- John living in Kansas, GeorgeE. and Henry living in Highland Township, Adamliving Buffalo and Anna who lives with her father onthe old home farm.

Mr. Troeger boasts of sixteen grandchildrenand six great-grandchildren.

John lived in the old homestead which hebuilt in 1847 just south of the St. Stephens LutheranChurch.

Frank Meekus, thepioneer of AdamsTownship, is an-other example of apioneer who cameout to the wilder-ness of DefianceCounty. Cominghere when thecountry was in itsyouth and nothingmore than a greatswamp has builthimself a fine coun-

try home and raised a family that ranks among thefirst in the county.

Frank Meekus, Sr., was born in the villageof Sundavek, Westfalen, Germany,August 3, 1822.On Nov. 6, 1861, he was married to Miss Mary Eilertalso a native of Germany.

In 1872 , with his family consisting of his wifeand six children, he came to the United States.Landing at New York City, he traveled directly acrossthe country, arriving Sept. 23 at what is nowAdamsTownship. Liking the country, at this point, he pur-chased a tract of land of 80 acres. At that time theentire country was a forest. With true German en-ergy, he set to work and with the aid of his smallsons, soon made a little clearing and erected a smalldwelling. In an incredibly short time space, Mr.Meekus and his family had cleared a little patch ofland, and in the spring made their first sowing.

From almost the first moment of his land-ing, Mr. Meekus has been very prosperous, andnow is one of the best known farmers of the com-munity.

Mr. and Mrs. Meekus are the parents of 11children all of whom [at the time of the article] wereliving. Christ, living in Adams Township; MaryVoerne living at Toledo; Fred, the well known stockbuyer, at Jewell; Sister Fabiola of St. Francis Hos-pital, Lafayette Indiana; John and Andrew both liv-ing in Adams Township; Minnie Corressel, living inAdams Township; Kate Clemens living at Defiance;Josephine and Henry living with their father at thepleasant home farm in Adams Township were bornin the United States.

Mrs. Meekus, the wife and mother, diedMarch 14, 1902, at the age of 59 years. The entireMeekus family are faithful members of the St.Michael’s Catholic Church of North Ridge.

Page 22 Yesteryears’ Trails - Defiance Co. Summer 2017

Hicksville TribuneJanuary 5, 1882

“Considerable interest has been created inour town in the past few days about the theft ofseveral head of cattle in Mark Township. In the pastfew weeks fourteen head of cattle have been miss-ing in that township, but the cause of their disap-pearance was not known until Saturday last, whenJack WONDERLY, John WONDERLY and GeorgeSEWELL were detected. On that morning theseparties drove to Williams Center and sold to JamesFISHER, five head of cattle for $65, the Wonderlyboys giving their names as Blackburn, and theSewell boy as Eaton. Eugene BLAIR saw the boysdriving the cattle, and recognized them as belong-ing to Harvey HULBERT, and this led to their de-tection.

George Sewell and John Wonderly werearrested Saturday, and Jack Wonderly on Monday.It seems that Jack Wonderly, aged about 21 years,stole the cattle, and that he hired George Sewell,aged 17 years, and John Wonderly, aged 13, tohelp drive them.At a trial yesterday, Jack was boundover to court by Esq. HUFFMAN in the sum of$1,000, John, $500, and Sewell, $1,000.

As soon as the arrests were made, it be-came known that Jack Wonderly had also soldcattle, five in number, to Hugh MILLS, at WilliamsCenter, for $70, several weeks ago and that thecattle belonged to Albert COY. To Mr. Mills,Wonderly gave his name as Keister.

In both cases, Wonderly told the story thathis mother was a widow and did not have feed forthe stock. To the boys, Jack represented that hehad bought the cattle. On the second count, theywaived examination. Esq. Huffman placed $1,650more bail for Jack, for his appearance before thegrand jury at Defiance today.

Jack Wonderly shot and killed in father inMark township a few years ago, for which he wassent to the penitentiary, but was pardoned out twoyears ago.

Each lot of cattle was worth about $100, andJack will have to go over the road. Opinion is di-vided as to the guilt of the younger boys.

J. E. COULTER appeared for the state, andTHOMPSON & GRIFFIN for the defense.

The boys were taken away yesterday

evening. It is not probable that they will get back,except the small one, George. Mr. Mills and Mr.Fisher will both lose the cost of the cattle.

Defiance DemocratNovember 2, 1916“EARLY HISTORY OF DEFIANCE COUNTYINTERESTINGLY SET FORTHby U. G.TEGLEY

The Ohio Legislature, February 12, 1820,passed an act providing that the land ceded bythe Indians to the United States, Sept. 29, 1817, atthe treaty at the rapids of the Miami of the Lake(Maumee),should be erected into‘fourteen sepa-rate and distinct counties.’ Surveys were madefrom the Indiana state line case to the WesternReserve line, then south to the line of Greenville.The base line of the survey was the 41st parallelnorth latitude, which is the south line of the Con-necticut Western Reserve.

Williams county, named from David WILL-IAMS, one of the three captors of Major ANDRE,Benedict Arnold’s ‘middleman’ in his traitorousdeal with the British in 1780, the other two beingJames PAULDING and IsaacVANWERT (hence thenames of those counties), was formed April 1,1824, and was organized April 24, 1824. January13, 1825, the state legislature passed a resolutionappointing Joseph C. HASKINS of Preble County,Forrest MEEKER of Delaware County, and RobertMORRISON of Miami County as commissionersto locate and establish a county seat for Williamscounty. Accordingly, they came to Defiance andproposed that if one third of all lots in the town bedeeded to the county, and a jail be built, theCommissioners would establish Defiance as thecounty seat.Of course, this was done and the newcapital was ready for business.

Defiance was laid out in November 1822,by Benjamin LEAVELL , of Piqua, and Horatio G.PHILIPS, of Dayton. The plat was acknowledgedApril 18, 1823, and recorded April 28, 1823, byThomas R. McKNIGHT, Recorder of Wood county.The original plat numbered 150 lots, and was lo-cated at the confluence of the Maumee andAuglaize rivers. Benjamin Leavell was the onlyone of the two proprietors locating in Defiance,and he erected a home in December 1822,on thenorthwest corner of Water and Jefferson Streets,

Yesteryears’ Trails - Defiance Co. Summer 2017 - Page 23

opposite the fort grounds.He afterwards sold outand returned to Piqua. The lumber for his housewas sawed at the Brunersburg mill. He was thetown’s first innkeeper, and had the first store tosupply white settlers. His store was at the foot ofJefferson Street on the river bank.

The proprietors of those 150 lots reservedthe square on which the court house stands to belaid into town lots, unless the town became thecounty seat, ‘and forever continue to be,’ when itwas to be used for public buildings.The originalplat of Defiance located it between the rivers andfrom Jackson street on the west to Fourth street onthe south.The square between Jackson and PerryStreets south of Fourth was a donation for a Meth-odist church and burying ground,and the squarebetween Washington Street and the AuglaizeRiver, and south of Fourth, for a PresbyterianChurch. The Old Fort Grounds was a public do-nation on the same condition.

There had,of course,been white residentsof Defiance ever since Anthony Wayne built hisfort there in August, 1794. An aunt of Mrs. Marga-ret RYDER, who resides north of Ney, Mrs. SarahWARREN EVANS,wife of Montgomery EVANS,anarmy scout, lived in the old fort for a time, soonafter the War of 1812, at which time, it was calledFt.Winchester. Mrs.Ryder’s father,ThomasWAR-REN, came to Defiance form Chilicothe in 1822.

William TRAVIS,who came to Noble Town-ship in 1819, found seven cabins occupied byFrench traders. John and Wm. PRESTON lived inold Ft. Winchester on the old fort grounds. Johnmarried a daughter of Judge EVANS of Troy, Mi-ami county. John DRIVER, a silversmith,was therewith his family. He, with his brother, ThomasDRIVER, some years after, went on West.

Wm PRESTON, a soldier then in 1812, isconsidered the first white resident of Defiance.He afterwards moved to St. Joseph in WilliamsCounty. Robert SHIRLEY came with his family in1821. Arthur BURRIS, the first blacksmith, had hisshop near ‘the old apple tree’ on the North side.Dr.John EVANS came in 1823,the next year bring-ing a large stock of goods from Maumee City,andstarting the first extensive store.Albert and Fore-man EVANS came in 1824. John PERKINS lived at‘Camp No. 3’ a little below Independence. He notlong afterward went north of Evansport and built

a saw mill and grist mill, I think,on Beaver Creek.As for the French cabins, three stood in the pointof the rivers, two where the canal enters the river,and two on the opposite side of the river.

Peter LOMBARD kept on of the tradinghouses on the point; L. A. CLAIR and PeterBELLAIRE occupied the cabins on the hill. About1822, two Indian trading stores were kept on thenorth of the Maumee, on the hill, kept by PeterBELLAIRE and George LANCE, but owned by theHOLLISTER’s of Perrysburg; the other at the footof Clinton Street on the bank of the Maumee, wasowned by the FERRY’s of Michigan. These storeswere moved from Defiance about the time Dr.Evans located there.

In 1825, Defiance had a store, a tavern (orrather a sort of hotel) and five or six families,among these being Robert WASSON, Timothy S.SMITH, Isaac and David HULL, and James CRAIG.Isaac Hull had a big trade with the Indians of hisstore on the north side of the Maumee. Payne C.PARKER came in 1827 and ran a trading house onthe bank of the river. In 1829,C.C.WATERHOUSEoperated the Pavilion House on the corner of Frontand Jefferson Streets, buying out Thomas WAR-REN andWilliam TRAVIS,who had bought out Dr.EVANS. Mr. Waterhouse operated a four horsestage running to Maumee City, also. A barn largeenough to accommodate 16 horses was built nearhis hotel, and not a nail or scrap of iron was usedin the construction; wood pins being used, eventhe hinges being of wood.Virgil SQUIRE, in 1858,bought this property and I believe it is yet ownedby some member of the Squire family.

Payne C.PARKER’s hotel was on the cornerof Front and Clinton Street, on the site occupiedfor many years by HOFFMAN & GEIGER’s furni-ture store. He rented this store and hotel in 1834to BLACKMAN & STODDARD,then in a year or so,John W. MOORE took it till 1837, when LymanLANGDON ran it for four or five years, and goingon his farm in Noble township, sold to SamuelROHN and C.J.TRUDE.In a little while,Rohn trans-ferred his interest to Allen BRAUCHER. About1848, Samuel GREENLER took possession of ‘Ex-change’, as Langdon had called it, and son soldout to C. L. NOBLE, who had charge of it when itburned down June 6, 1852, an account of which

was published in R.R.THRALL’s‘Defiance Banner’June 10th:

‘The old and well-known Exchange buildingswere destroyed by fire on Sunday morning last. Thefire was discovered about 10 o’clock in the hotelstables in which 11 horses were burned. The build-ings were the property of Col. J. D. PHILLIPS ofDayton, who had no insurance. The hotel was oc-cupied by C. L. NOBLE, partly insured; DavidTAYLOR’s law office, furniture, etc. mostly saved.

A. M. RICHARD’s saddler shop, lost about$150, and Wm. FERGUSON’s tin and stove store,loss about $500. The Banner building was partlysaved by great exertion of the citizens. Dr. O.ALLEN’s drug store was in imminent danger. PierceEVANS and E. F. LINDENBERGER had their goodsconsiderably damaged in removing them.’

In 1833,William SEMANS, Pierce TAYLOR,Walter DAVIS, Frederick and PeterBRIDENBAUGH were Defiance residents.ThomasWARREN had gone on a farm on Mulligan’s Bluffin Delaware Township before this. Davis was thefirst cooper,. Jacob KNISS, I think it was, was thefirst shoemaker. CRAIG & JOLLY started the firsttannery nearly about the corner of First andClinton Streets.

March 10, 1834, the name of the town waschanged from Ft. Defiance to Defiance; May 19,1821, the first post office was established withTimothy SMITH as postmaster, in his house on theNorth side.The post office in 1822 was moved intoa little 10 x 12 building built for it on the southside of the river. Peter G. O’HARA and SamuelEWING were his bondsmen for $700. The mailroute extended from Piqua to Perrysburg via Ft.Wayne, a distance of 200 miles; the carrier wasThomas DRIVER, who made his round trip everytwo weeks. I may as well give a list of Defiancepostmasters here,with the year or date of appoint-ment, up to the present:

May 19, 1821 – Timothy S. SMITHSept. 22, 1825 – Isaac HULL Jr.June 30, 1826 – Benjamin LEAVELLJan. 13, 1830 – Joseph HULLMarch 12, 1831 – Foreman EVANSOctober 21, 1837 – Jonas COLBYJuly 6, 1841 – Sereno LYMANMarch 18, 1842 – Orlando EVANS

Feb. 13, 1845 – Samuel S. CASEOctober 5, 1847 – Wm. RICHARDSJune 20, 1851 – Henry C. BOUTONMay 16, 1861 – Chas.W. EVANSAug. 4, 1868 - Joseph RALSTON (special

acting)March 3, 1869 – Joseph RALSTONFebruary 20, 1871 – Francis BROOKSFebruary 26, 1875 – Geo.W. DEATRICK1887 – John M. HENGSTLER1891 – Charles B. SQUIRE1895 – Peter WEIGERDING1899 – Herman A. SPANGLER”

Page 24 Yesteryears’ Trails - Defiance Co. Summer 2017

TuttleMuseumMinute

From the Andrew L. Tuttle Memorial Museum514 West Third Street, Defiance, Ohio 43512Phone 419-782-0746Date: Mon, January 9, 2017 11:20 amTo subscribe: <thetuttle@cityofdefiance.com>

“Old newspapers always intrigue us. Theyare brittle and yellow and hard to unfold withoutlosing scraps of paper along the fold line. Theyseem so old-fashioned, so quaint, so “Good OldDays.” Old newspapers do, though, pull us backinto history. The Defiance Crescent-News ofSaturday, April 27, 1929, reported on life in goodold Defiance, Ohio.• The Twin-Towers Barbeque, on Route 24east of Defiance, offered home-baked foods,sandwiches, salads, ice cream, soft drinks, andwas “open for the season.”• Proprietor F. P. Weisenburger's Rexall Storehad candy and greetings cards ready for Mother'sDay.• The Elks sponsored a dance (round andsquare) at the hall for 25¢.• A 4:00 children's matinee of “The Elks BigMinstrel Show,” was to be held in the high schoolauditorium, price 10¢ with copy of the ad.• Airplane rides were offered by Albertus MotorSales at the Defiance Simplex field. A giant FordTri-Motor took folks on a twenty-mile ride overDefiance. All this for $5, or free if one ordered anew Ford Model A car or truck.• Nolan's coffee was sold for 45¢ per pound.the Graham-Paige automobile for $935.

Thanks for a minute of your time.”