After the organization of
the original township in 1834, in the erection of
Auglaize, part of Jennings township, from Putnam
County, was annexed to the original township of Marion.
The officers in the first organization were: Benjamin
Cochran,
justice of the peace; Christian Stukey,
Michael Swisher, and Thomas J. Fair,
trustees; William J. Cochran, clerk, Ferdinand
Miller, treasurer.
The early settlers are believed to have been:
Barnabas Coon, Benjamin Cochran, William Cochran, Daniel
Knoop, Samuel Moore, Samuel Miller, Jacob Miller, Jesse
Miller, Samuel Mannon, Sylvester Woollery, Norman
Washbnrn, John Wagner, Josiah Clawson, James Cochran,
and others.
About the year 1834, William Scott and
William Brady opened the first road from the
Auglaize River, through the present site of Delphos to
the village of Van Wert. It is stated that this
road passed through what was then known as the “
ten-mile woods,” and that not a single cabin was seen in
all that distance. It was a dreary and sickly
region at that time.
The great experiment of the introduction of slackwater
navigation had been tried under the administration of
Gov. De Witt Clinton, in the State of New York, and
was gradually
increasing its advocates in Ohio. As early as
1828, the United States gave to the State of Ohio,
certain lands, on the condition that the State would
build a canal from Dayton to Defiance, on the Auglaize
River. These conditions were that the State should
have all the even-numbered sections on the
above-mentioned route, for the construction of said
canal. Some three routes were surveyed under the
direction of Samuel Forrer, and immediately
difficulty was experienced in fixing the precise
location of the canal. Speculation was entered
into, and the price of lands was greatly enhanced.
Finally, the present site was agreed upon, and in due
time the work was commenced and completed. These
routes were surveyed in 1830, and the canal was
completed about 1845.
As soon as the location of the canal had been fully
determined, there was quite a rush for lands. A
number of Germans, who had settled in the neighborhood
of old Fort Jennings as early as 1834, at once discerned
the rising of real estate in what is now Marion
township. Mr. Ferdinand Bredeick
immediately purchased a tract of land for himself, and
like a thoughtful brother, another for his brother Otto,
who had not yet left the good old Fatherland Germany.
In this part of Marion township the following old
settlers located: Ferdinand Bredeick,
Theodore Wrocklage, Bernard Esch,
John Bredeick, Conrad Loudeck,
Casper Geise, Mathias Shroder,
George Wilte, Conrad Wellman,
Henry Lause, Henry Shroeder, Casper Mesker, Casper
Luesmann, C. D. Geise, M. Hemker, F. Reinemeyer, John
Grothaus, D. Kariman, H. Linderman, and Mrs. Osenbach.
The lands of Marion township are very fertile, and
farming, as a business, is becoming quite remunerative.
Tiling is being introduced by the farmers, and aids
materially in putting the grounds in condition, and in
wet years rescues the crops from destruction. As a
result of this thrift, farmers are erecting fine houses
and splendid barns, and valuable herds of cattle are
fattened and prepared for a distant market.
The population of Marion township, by the Compendium of
the Ninth Census for 1870, amounts to 2920, including
that part of Delphos lying east of the canal.
THE TOWN OF DELPHOS.
DELPHOS was
laid out about 1845, by Ferdinand Bredeick and
Otto Bredeick. Ferdinand Bredeick laid out
that portion of land bordering on the anal into a town,
which was called West Bredeick, and Otto Bredeick,
joining West Bredeick, as East Bredeick. About the
same time there were two other plats laid by Everitt
& Shaw, the one belonging to Hollister, and the
other to Samuel Forrer, the former as "section
ten," and the latter as "Howard." The name first
given the town was finally surrendered for the
more classic one of "Delphos," by Mr. Bredeick,
who is said to have been a fine scholar.
Upon the completion of the canal the growth of Delphos
was very rapid, and it continued to increase in
population until 1854, when it was visited by the
Cholera, and was nearly depopulated. When the
Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne and Chicago Railroad was finished,
in 1854, the town gradually assumed its former
enterprise and prosperity.
There are three railroads passing through the town of
Delphos - the Delphos and Kokomo Narrow Gauge, the
Toledo,
[Page 31]
Delphos and Indianapolis Narrow Gauge, and the
Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne and Chicago.
It is stated that within a radius of five miles of the
town of Delphos there are about 35 saw mills continually
employed in cutting and preparing lumber for the market.
Immense quantities of fine timber is thus annually
conveyed to market by the railroads and canal.
The enterprise of Delphos can be seen by the following
list of business establishments: Two steam saw
mills, two grist mills, one paper mill, one woollen
mill, one machine shop and foundry, one stirrup factory,
two planing mills, one handle factory, one Excelsior
works, one tight barrel factory, one Union stave
factory, one hoop and stave factory, one wheel factory,
two brickyards, four livery stables, four hardware
stores, four stove and tin stores, nine drygoods stores,
four millinery establishments, four drug stores, twelve
grocery stores, thirty-six saloons, seven butcher shops,
two jewelry stores, two harness shops, two undertakers'
establishments, six wagon shops, six blacksmith shops,
six boot and shoe shops, two banks, one warehouse and
three elevators, two furniture stores, seven barber
shops, six hotels, four public halls, one Masonic hall,
one Odd Fellows' hall, one brewery, one tannery, two
sewing machine companies, one steam fire engine, two
hand fire engines. The fire department seems to be
carefully conducted.
Corporation
Officers
Councilmen.
Banks
PERSONAL REMINISCENCES.
SAMUEL FORRER
was a native of Pennsylvania, and a practical
surveyor. He surveyed the route of the Miami
Canal. He was in the canal business as early as
1824, about the time that the canal excitement ran very
high in the State of New York. It will be
remembered that the State of Ohio went largely into the
business of slack-water navigation, in 1832 to 1845.
During the former excitement, De Witt Clinton,
the great champion of the canal system in New York,
addressed the friends of canals at Newark, Ohio.
The Hon. Charles C. Marshall, of Delphos, Allen
County, states that he became acquainted with Mr.
Forrer as early as 1824, while surveying the
Miami Canal through Shelby County, Ohio, and knew him
well until his decease. Of his business qualities,
Mr. Marshall says: “A more honorable and
upright man was never connected with the Ohio canals.”
In his residence, be mixed largely with the old settlers
of Delphos, who will remember his appearance and
personal bearing quite distinctly. He was also the
proprietor of an addition to the town, bearing his name.
This venerable pioneer deceased in 1874 or '75, at an
advanced age, in Delphos.
MRS. ELIZABETH
WHIRRETT
CURTIS BAXTER
[Page 32]
MRS. JULIA
ANN PLICARD was born Nov. 15, 1819, and came from
Ross County, Ohio, with her parents and family,
consisting of two boys and two girls in 1828. They
located near Elida, on what is now known as the Isaac
Bowyer farm. Her father's name was Frank
Jameson He died in 1872. She was married
to John Plicard at the age of sixteen, and is the
mother of ten children, eight of whom are now living;
three being married. Mr. Plicard died Mar.
18, 1860. Mrs. P. still resides on section
34, Marion township, where she has lived for forty-six
years.
JAMES COCHRAN,
son of William Cochran, was born in 1804,
and, with his parents, moved from Ross County, Ohio, to
this county in 1825, and located in the woods in what is
now Marion.
In 1829 he married Julia A. Russell, of Amanda
township, whose parents had located in that section some
years previous to his arrival in the county. Three
children were born to them, William R., the
eldest, now about fifty years of age, still living in
Marion township. Mrs. Cochran died in 1833,
and in 1834 Mr. Cochran was again married to
Isabel Sunderland, twelve children being the fruits
of this union. At the time of Mr. Cochran's
arrival there were but few white settlers in all this
region, Indians and wolves being their principal
neighbors. The nearest mills were fifty miles
away, on Bean Creek, Williams County, and at Sydney.
After a few years grinding was done on hand mills.
Mr. Cochran enjoys good health, though his eyes
have failed somewhat. He is the father of fifteen
children, and has twenty-six grand- and three
great-grandchildren.
ABNER CARR,
now living in Marion township, is one of the pioneers of
Allen County, having come with his father, who located
on the Auglaize River, in Amanda township, in 1826.
He was born in Fayette County, Ohio. Feb. 3, 1823, and
was married, Feb. 20, 1843, to Vienna John,
who originally came from Ross County, Ohio. She
died in 1863, and Aug. 20, 1864, Mr. Carr
married Sarah Nichol. He is the
father of eight children, six of whom are living.
One of his sons, John W., died in the army.
He has nine grandchildren. The usual privations
and hardships of pioneer life were borne by Mr. Carr,
and he relates of having to go fifty-three miles to
mill. He lives on section 13, and enjoys good
health.
MRS.
REBECCA PANGLE. This venerable lady and
pioneer of Allen County, whose maiden name was
Longacre, was born in Frederick County, Va., Dec.
14, 1781. Vance Pangle, to who she was
married Aug. 14, 1799, was also a native of Virginia.
He was born January, 1774. They were married in
the State where they were born, and moved from there
to Lancaster, Ohio, about fifty years ago. A year
afterwards they moved to Urbana, where they remained
about three years, and then came to this county,
locating in Sugar Creek township. Here they lived
till Mr. Pangle's death, which occurred Sept. 15,
1835, since which time Mrs. Pangle has lived with
her son Elisha, who occupied the old homestead
for nine years, then moved to Delphos, where he remained
fourteen years; after which he moved to the home they
now occupy. It has been the custom of Mr.
Pangle for several years to celebrate his mother's
birthday by giving an entertainment at his residence, to
which the family and friends generally are invited.
As the old lady's family now embraces children,
grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, these
gatherings are large, and are greatly enjoyed by all who
attend - her son Elisha and his wife sparing no
pains to make these events full of pleasure and
enjoyment. It is not often we are privileged to
meet one who has travelled along the road of life for
nearly a hundred years, and yet to-day Mrs. Pangle
walks erect, makes her own bed, enjoys good health
generally, and is likely to live to celebrate her
centennial. Her mind is still quite vigorous, and
her recollections of incidents of pioneer life in the
woods of Allen County are vivid and clear. May her
remaining days be full of peace, and when the final
summons shall come may
"Angles spread their joyful wings,
And bear her soul away"
- END OF MARION TOWNSHIP - |
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