The first
white settlements within the present limits of this township
were made along the Auglaize River. Andrew Russel
located within this territory on the Ft. Amanda farm about 1823.
Here with his family, consisting of wife, four daughters, and
one son, he lived some time with Indian associates alone.
In 1825 William Berryman, with his wife and twelve
children, settled on the present Russel Berryman farm.
Here he resided until the time of his death, rendering his
family the permanent resident pioneers of the township.
Mrs. Eliza Noble is the only surviving member of this
family. About the next accession was Martin Hire,
who located here with his wife and nine children. Then
came Elder Simon, Jr., which occurred Feb. 12, 1880.
He had married Frances, daughter of Elder Richardson,
and in his youth united with the church his father had been
largely instrumental in establishing in the earlier days of the
settlement. He soon after entered the ministry, in which
he labored until his death.
Then came James Crozier, who settled on the
present Madison Bowsher farm. About this time came
the old veteran and centenarian William Taylor, who
located on the east bank of the river. He had served
through the war of 1812, and suffered all the hardships of the
northern frontier. He possessed a remarkable memory, a
strong physical constitution, remembered the Revolutionary War,
and was a living history of the war of 1812. He died at
Spencerville at the advanced age of about one hundred and nine
years. Afterward came Daniel Gregory, followed by
Leonard Place, who still occupied his pioneer farm.
About the same time Abraham Whetstone located on the west
bank of the river, on land now owned by James H. Gochenour.
The next accession was Isaac Terwilliger, whose family
consisted of two sons and one daughter. One of these sons
is an extensive farmer and grain dealer of Wapakoneta.
Charles Pernell improved the Whitney farm, and
Jacob Baker the land of the Whitefeather Indian camp.
The old homestead is occupied by two of the sons, William A.
and L. C. T. B., another son, is a clerk of the
Court of Common Pleas, while David is a practical
printer. After 1848 the country settled very rapidly, but
improvements had been retarded by the government land grant to
the State for canal purposes. When this land was put in
market it was rapidly occupied. Among the settlers of this
period were the Richardson family, the Wheeler family,
N. C. Edman, S. M. Dixon, G. Blackburn, John Daniel, the
Bodkins, David Bigelow, A. J. Culp, C. Culp, J. and S. Barr, F.
M. Bowsher, M. J. Bowsher, John H. and J. H. Gochenour,
John Dingledine, and many others. These settlers were
exposed to all the inconveniences usually incident to pioneer
life.
They were compelled to go to Piqua to mill, as the old
Mission Mill at Wapakoneta was now of little use. To Piqua
they also went for a physician, and the charges for one of these
visits to the Berryman family was $37.50. While the
doctor was in the settlement one of the Berryman
neighbors called him to visit a patient, and here the charge was
$10.00. The first post-office within the township was
established at Fort Amanda, and Samuel Washburn received
the first appointment as postmaster. The mail was then
carried on horseback between Piqua and Defiance. Reuben
Treece became first agent on this line. At that time
the country was swarming with Indians, the old Ottawa towns
being opposite Fort Amanda, and partly occupying the present
Backus farm. They employed themselves generally in
hunting, begging, and stealing. We relate an incident of
the mail carrier and the Fort. During an absence of the
postmaster, his wife invited Miss Eliza Berryman to stay
with her during the husband's absence. The postmaster was
in the habit of selling whisky to the Indians, and soon after he
left home three of these rode up and demanded "fire water."
Mrs. Washburn refused to sell them whiskey, barred the
door against them, but they prowled about the house all day.
In the evening the mail carrier, Mr. Treece, arrived and
ordered the Indians away, when one of them offered resistance.
Treece carried a loaded whip, and before the Indian had
time to carry out his threat, he received the full force of the
loaded end of the whip, which knocked him down, when he was
soundly scored with the lash. As soon as he could regain
his feet he started for his horse, but his two companions had
taken the three "ponies," and fled. Missing his horse, he
made for the river, into which he plunged and swam across, glad
to escape the terrible whip of the mail carrier.
"Father" J. B. Finley in his missionary labors
in the Northwest preached at Fort Amanda at a very early day.
At that time the forest abounded in game of all kinds.
Deer were plenty and the hunter had no inducement to waste
ammunition with small game. It is related of Russel
Berryman, that going to a deer crossing one morning, he shot
seven deer on one spot before breakfast time, and even as late
as 1838 Leonard Place and his brother, in a two days'
hunt secured four barrels of nicely dressed and packed venison.
The river abounded with fish of many kinds, and at
certain seasons sturgeon of enormous size would come up from the
lakes. It is related that on one occasion Thomas
Berryman was crossing the river on a foot log and saw a
large sturgeon struggling up the ripple. The water was
shallow and the fish was foundering under the log when
Berryman sprang upon its back, and forcing both hands into
its gills, attempted to steer it ashore. The struggle was
long, both man and fish were up and down, and both in danger of
being outdone, but finally Berryman reached the shore
with his prize, which he found to be about eight feet in length.
Later on when the lands had been put on the market, and prior to
1852, immigration was constant, and new farms were occupied all
over the township. The northwest part was rapidly settled
by an industrious class of Germans, whose labors have placed
their lands second to none in the township for material
improvement. The development of the southwest part has
been retarded by the ownership of large tracts of land by
speculators. Among these are the Pratt, Moody, and
Perkins tracts. Still some good farms are occupied
in this section.ORGANIZATION
Prior to the
organization of this county the territory now comprised in Logan
township formed a part of Amanda and Moulton townships, Allen
County. At the time of organization three tiers of
sections were taken from the south side of Amanda, and one and a
half tier from the north side of Moulton township, which
sections were erected into the present township. It is
thus four and a half miles north and south and six miles east
and west, and contains twenty-seven square miles. It
embraces what is still known as the "Logan Section," which was a
grant of 640 acres by the government to the Indian Captain
Logan, for his fidelity and brilliant services to the
American cause, The organization of the township took
place in 1848, and it was considered appropriate to name it in
honor of the same noble Indian, Captain Logan. (see
sketch of Logan elsewhere in this volume.)
Again, this territory is associated with the great past
of the Northwest, as it was on the route of many branches of the
army during the war of 1812. In 1813 Fort Amanda was built
on the Auglaize nearly opposite the Ottowa towns on the present
Lathrop farm, by Col. Pogue, by the orders of General
Harrison. It became something of a storehouse, being
within the range of the base of supplies during the preparations
preceding the concentration against Canada. It was named
by the regiment Fort Amanda in honor of the wife of Colonel
Pogue. (See General History.)
OFFICIAL.
The first Board of
Trustees was as follows: Leonard Place, Jacob Baker,
and William Dennison; W. B. Vance, clerk; Abraham
Whetstone, treasurer; Jacob Baker, justice of the
peace. Since then the office of justice has been filled by
David Bigelow, E. B. Springer, George D. Lathrop,
George Daniel, Charles Adams, and the present incumbents,
J. S. Butcher and Shem Neese.
PUBLIC ROADS.
As late as 1855 the
roads were few and very poor. The old Defiance road was
the first, and the balance were all "hoop pole" roads. New
ones have now been located all over the township, and much
improvement is making upon them. Several wooden bridges
were constructed over the river since 1855, but they are being
replaced by permanent iron bridges of a superior character.
The territory is crossed by the Lake Erie and Western Railroad,
which affords a station at Buckland, a village of recent growth,
containing some twenty houses, a general store, grocery, drug
store, one physician, W. R. Sharp, M.D., blacksmith shop,
carriage shop, shoe shop, saw mill, warehouse, telegraph and
post-office. Considerable business is done in grain by
W. Bodkins & Son.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
The pioneer church was
erected upon a farm of N. A. Murdock, by the
"Christians." This house is no longer used. The
second is that of Buckland, chiefly used by the "Christian
Union" order. The third is in the north part of the
township, and belongs to the "United Brethren." The fourth
is in the northwest, and is used by the "German Methodists."
It is the only one supplied with a bell.
The township is divided into six sub-school districts,
two east, and four west of the Auglaize. Each is supplied
with a comfortable frame building well seated. The school
property has cost something over $3000. The funds are
divided equally among the districts without regard to
enumeration. The Board of Education makes liberal
provision for sustaining the schools at least seven months each
year.
The teachers are generally young men and women who take
interest in the advancement of the schools. Still they
find it difficult to organize and advance beyond time-worn
methods and exploded theories. This difficulty is not
confined to this locality, but is only too general, and arises
from inefficiency of boards, incompetency of teachers, and
indifference of parents. The re-organizers of schools who
will place them in advance, rather than abreast or behind the
age, will be hailed as benefactors, for all eyes look wistfully
and hopefully to the schools for the full development of the
highest manhood and purest womanhood. This development is
the foundation of our institutions and the school branch must be
true to itself and its supporters.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
FRANCIS M.
BOWSHER
MADISON J.
BOWSHER
JOHN H. GOCHENOUR
HENRY DANIELS
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