Farmer Township was
organized in the fall of 1836. At first it
was called "Lost Creek" Township, but afterwards
received the name of "Farmer," in honor of
Nathan Farmer, who came into the township as
early as 1833. The township was heavily
timbered and somewhat wet; but after the farmers
were cleared and drained it proved good land for
culture, yielding fine crops of wheat, oats,
corn and grass, and is now one of the most
productive in the county. It was largely
settled by people from St. Lawrence County, N.
Y., and the New England States. They have
always been friendly to the common school
system, and have spent much money in the
creation of schoolhouses and the employment of
teachers.
The sixth public examination of teachers of common
schools in Defiance County we find was held at
Farmer Center March 5, 1852. Twenty five
teachers were present, and sustained a close and
thorough examination in all the branches of
learning required by law to be taught in common
schools, at that time.
Thence were the county at that time seventy-eight
school districts, containing 3, 455 scholars.
There had been built, during the year past, six
new schoolhouses, at a cost of about $1,500.
There are now (A. D. 1882) nine frame and one
brick school-house in Farmer Township.
The Presbyterian Church was built in 1855, and
organized as a congregation in 1818.
Rev. John Crabb was the pastor. The
church cost $1,000. The materials at that
time were very low. The membership is
about seventy. The preacher is Rev.
James Quick, of Hicksville.
Among the first settlers were Nathan Farmer,
John Hickman (first settlers, Elisha
Tharp, Elijah Lloyd, Colin Tharp, Orson _.
Sawyer, James K. Eager, Oney Rice, Oney Rice,
Jr., John Rice, William Powell, Levinus Bronson,
Edward Lacost, James W. Fisher, Isaac Wartenbe,
Daniel Comstock, James Crain, Laura Hopkins (widow)
and William Wartenbe.
James W. Fisher was elected the first Justice of
the Peace, but failed to qualify, and Oney
Rice, Jr. was elected at special election;
William G. Pierce, Constable; Levinus
Bronson, Clerk.
The present Justices of the Peace for Farmer Township
are A. Stone and William Lane; the Trustees are
Charles Case, Oney Allen and Wilson
Nichols; the Treasurer, John Murray;
the Clerk, E. O. Stone.
The Indian name of the creek running through the
township is Buck qu o k__uh.
Interpretation, Marsh Creek. This name was
appropriate. The head branches were
marshes, made by beaver dams, at every tangible
point, and their selections for dams could not
have been surpassed by modern engineers.
The selection of their sites for houses, in a
bordering bluff, where they entered their dams
far below the water level of their ponds, and
ascended above the water level into their cells,
gave them security and comfort, until the
rapacity of the white man encouraged their
destruction for their furs. The so-called
Old Lake Shore Ridge, from northeast to
southwest, is cut through by this creek, and the
southeast part of the township has an even
surface, with a descent of eight feet to the
mile, until the water of Lost Creek collects and
passes into the Maumee River. This is now
channeled, by ditching, and in time the flooded
lands will be made valuable.
A Mr. Hoffman settled near the northwest corner
of our township (Farmer) in 1811, and his little
boy, just in his first pants, wandered out of
sight of his home, and the lost by was followed
by wild excitement. The dwellers in the
scattering cabins were notified to those who
could not go into the woods, while the entire
male population were scouring the woods in
search of the lost boy. He did not wander
far, but was not found until he had expired.
His last thoughts were, perhaps that he should
address and retire to rest. He had tried
to take off his pants, but failed.
THE VILLAGE OF FARMER CENTER
This town was platted from four lots of forty
acres, in 15, 16, 20 and 21, and, for
convenience and location of duplicate, numbered
and platted by John Norway, by act of the
Legislature, and authorized by Auditor John
M. Sewell. The lots had been said to
various persons prior to that time. The
town has 120 inhabitants, one hotel, one wagon
shop, two blacksmith shops, two groceries,
laundry good stores, one good school, eighty
scholars, a brick schoolhouse and a murder of
private dwellings. The town is growing
moderately, and is handsomely located. It
is in center of township.
There are two cheese factories in this township.
One company was organized in 1875. It has
a capital forty shares of $50 each. The
Secretary is L.
Page 268 -
C. Conkey; Treasurer,
John Norway. The Directors for 1880
were C. F. Goler, B. H. Conkey and G.
D. Ensign. The other company is a
private one, and organized in 1873 at Williams
Center. It has a capital of about $1,500.
Mr. Giles H. Tomlinson operates the
factory. It is an individual affair, and
not joint stock.
FIRST
VOTERS.
The following is a list of the voters at the
first fall election after Defiance County was
organized.
Ira Brown, Jesse Haller, Joseph Bradley, Martin
Johnson, Levi Nichols, Miller Arrowsmith, James
W. Fisher, Adam Mortimer, C. C. Sawyer, Daniel
Hilbert, A. C. Biglow, Ira Freeman, William
Mann, H. F. Teavitt, Spencer Hopkins, J. F.
Mortimer, W. P. Franks, Jacob Conkey, Oney Rice,
Sr., O. N. Foot, Henry Mavis, R. M. Kells, J. C.
Rice, William Munn, Jr., Edward Lacost, Thomas
A. Sawyer, William Earlston, James J. Lloyd,
Philip Selders, Orin Ensign, Anthony Huber,
Charles Samlin, Elijah Lloyd, William C.
Callender, Levinus Brunson, William O. Ensign,
Joseph Oxerider, Ebenezer Lloyd, Alexander
Tharp, James K. Eager, Edward Eager, C. F.
Mannard, J. D. Sliter, Ryer Reynolds, Thomas
Carey, John Chaney, Randall Soul, Elias Lentz,
Samuel W. Chapman, P. C. Fisher, Stephen Sisco,
Andrew Mavis, John R. Husten, John Marshall, T.
E. Lloyd, James Callender, Josiah Reynolds,
James C. Reynolds, Joseph Barney, John Fisher,
Colin Tharp, Elisha Tharp, Elisha Tharp, James
Freeman, Joshua Gardner, William Gardner, James
Gardner, Thomas Blair, Capitil Callender, Andrus
Rice, Keelin Leonard, Reubin Sisco, Jared
Halbert, John Hechman, J. C. Callender Oney
Rice, Jr., Z. H. Conkey, Stuart Wartenbee, S. R.
Wartenbee, Isaac Earlston, S. A. Sanford, Nathan
Farmer, Darius Allen, J. L. Tharp, John Denmer,
O. V. Sawyer, S. T. Dalrymple, McDaniel
Campbell, Frederick Deetrish, Davis Gardner,
John Earlston, Sylvester Sisco, Sanford Hulbert,
R. C. Hyde. W. P. Franks, Anthony Huber
and Jared Haller. Judges.
S. H. Sanford and Barney, Clerks.
PERSONAL
REMINISCENCES.
Page 268 -
ENOCH
FARMER
MRS.
CASSANDRA HALLER
Page 269 -
WILLIAM M. HALLER
---
Page 270 -
THOMAS
M. ALEXANDER
SUSANNAH
RIDENOUR
MRS.
HARRIET M. ALLEN
MRS.
LYDIA RICE
Page 271 -
RICHARD
KNIGHT *
RANDALL
LORD
WILLIAM
LORD
DR.
B. E. MILLER
DR.
J. J. REYNOLDS
Page 272 -
ELISHA
THARP
JPHN
NORWAY
Portraits
of
Mrs. John Price & John Price
and
Sarah Ann
Tharp Price & William Price
Page 273 -
JAMES
A. GARDNER
MRS.
SUSANNAH EARLSTON
HORACE
W. HILL
ETHAN
R. WELDON
WILLIAM
MARTIN
GEORGE
WALTZ
ANTHONY
HUBER
Page 274 -
WILLIAM
PRICE
JOHN
PRICE
EMANUEL
WOLFORD
HARRY
SWEET
HIRAM
SWEET
LEVI
W. WILDER
Page 276 -
ONEY
RICE HOPKINS
|
