This township was
organized, under the jurisdiction of Mercer County,
about the year 1830. So states Hon. C. C.
Marshall, now of Dclphos, and opinions differ as to
who was the first justice of the peace, some stating
that Daniel Hoak, and others that
Samuel Washburn, John Crosior,
or William Stewart was the first justice.
The pioneers also fail to remember the balance of the
township officers. They all agree that the first
election was held at old Fort Amanda, on the Auglaize,
and that about twelve electors were present.
This fort, a stockade, was built in the spring of 1813,
by Kentucky troops under the command of Col. Richard
M. Johnson, and named “Amanda” in honor of the wife
of an officer. The soldiers of the war of 1812-15
often stopped at[Page 24]
the fort, in going to and returning from the Army of the
Northwest, under Gen. W. H. Harrison.
DESCRIPTION OF THE
FORT.
WAYNE'S TRACE.
PERSONAL
REMINISCENCES.
WILLIAM STEWART
JAMES
SUNDERLAND states that his father, Dye
Sunderland, came from Montgomery County, February,
1821, and settled near old Fort Amanda, on section 15.
He came on the old War of 1812 trace, by the way of Fort
Amanda to Defiance. He found that Andrew
Russell had preceded him about four years.
William Vanausdall and Peter Diltz, Henry Harter,
Jacob Harter, Samuel and William Stewart, Thomas Adams,
George Kephart, Joseph Sutton, and others, came in
as early as 1824. The first cabin for Mr.
Sunderland was built by Mr. Diltz and
Henry Harter, before his arrival, by the aid of
Shawnees, who often helped to put up cabins for the
first settlers. Mr. Sunderland had to go to
Dayton and Piqua to attend mill and get salt and other
necessary articles. He had to pay for good Kanawha
salt about $4 per barrel. In clearing up the home
farm his father and family had to perform a great deal
of very hard and fatiguing labor. George
Kephart and William Berryman are the first
shoemakers remembered in Amanda township. The
first school teacher was a Mr. Benham, and the
second in 1829, Archelaus Martin. Mr.
Sunderland is of the opinion that Amanda township
was organized in 1833, and Daniel Hoak the first
justice of the peace. Dye Sunderland, his
father, died in 1856, aged about 62 years, and his
mother about 1850, aged 63 years.
ARCHELAUS MARTIN
SILAS MILLER was born
in Clark County, Ohio, Feb. 14, 1814, and came with his
parents, Jacob Miller and mother, to Amanda
township when twelve years of age, and settled on
section 16. His father afterwards purchased
section 29. At this time, 1826, the Shawnees,
Wyandots, and Ottawas were quite numerous, but harmless
in their intercourse with the whites. When he
first came into the township, the old Wayne trace, which
passed near his cabin, was quite plain. It was
much travelled, and when a death occurred in the army,
the soldier was buried near the trail. The earth
was carefully heaped up and yarrow seed sown on the
grave. The seed soon grew and marked the grave in
the forest. Mr. Miller states that the
soldiers in 1812-14 followed the same trail from Fort
Amanda to Defiance, along the west bank of the Auglaize.
The trace also passed through Marion township, by Fort
Jennings to old Fort Brown. The first school-house
in his part of the township was built in 1849, and the
first church by the Christian Brethren, on section 33,
in 1865. In early days he had to go to St. Marys
and Wapakonetta, to obtain milling, over poor roads,
through the forests. In those days the Shawnees
often called at his cabin for something to eat and for
corn. The early settlers in and about Fort Amanda
were: Samuel Washburn, Henry Harter, Dye
Sunderland, David Knoop, Jacob Miller, and Daniel
Sunderland. His nearest neighbors were
Samuel Moore and others. He has six living
children, three boys and three girls. The first
settlers were all dead. He performed a great deal
of hard labor in clearing nd preparing his homestead.
When sic he obtained medical aid from St. Marys of
Defiance. His wife died in 1875, aged about 56
years. Since then he has lived with a daughter on
the homestead.
CHARLES POST
JAMES BAXTER
[Page 25]
THE TOWN OF AMANDA
VILLAGE OF ARMSTRONG.
- END OF AMANDA
TOWNSHIP - |
*
Source: