HIGHLAND
TOWNSHIP was organized in 1842. The
following is a duplicate of the first election
on record at the Township Clerk's office in
Highland Township, then Henry County:
"December 18, 1843, we met at the house of John
Wiler, agreeable to the Commissioners of
Henry County, Ohio, to elect township officers:
John M. Sanford, Philip G. Hoeltzel and
Henry Brechbill as Trustees; Brazila
Hendrix as Treasurer; Jacob Kraft,
Clerk; William Boucher, Augustus Skiver
and John Wiler, Fence Viewers; Jacob
T. Peterson and David Skiver,
Overseers of the Poor. "JACOB KRAFT,
Clerk.
"April 1, 1844, we
met at the house of John Wiler, agreeable
to the Trustees of Highland Township, to elect
township officers: John M. Sanford,
Philip G. Hoeltzel and Henry Brechbill,
Trustees; Brazilla Hen-
Page 309 -
drix, Treasurer; Jacob Kraft,
Clerk; Jacob Peterson, Assessor;
William Boucher and William Harper,
Constables; David Skiver and William
Harper, Overseers of the Poor; Thomas
Peterson, William Boucher and
Augustus Skiver, Fence viewers.
- JACOB KRAFT, Clerk.
"May
18, 1844, we met at the house of John Wiler
agreeable to the Judges of the Court of Common
Pleas of Henry County, to elect township
officers: Brazilia Hendrix.
Justice of the Peace.
- JACOB KRAFT, Clerk.
The
following are the present township officers
John W. Ramey and Jacob K. Myers,
Justices; Nathan A. Boutell, Clerk; E.
B. Mix, Treasurer; James Ashton,
Henry Stone and Jerry D. Hall,
Trustees; Jacob Wise and John
Stock, Constables.
There are two sandy ridges extending through the
township. The soil is generally good.
The southwest part of the township is drained bj'
Powell Creek. In the west of the township,
the drainage is largely artificial. The
southeast part of the township is but sparsely
settled and quite heavily timbered, a great
quantity of ship-timber is being taken from this
part of the township.
AYERSVILLE.
Ayersville is not a laid-out town. It was
named after Joseph Ayers. There was
a post office there as early as 1849. A
mail route was established about this time,
running from Defiance through Ayersville, New
Bavaria, Ridgeland, Madrid, Leipsic, McComb and
to Findlay. The present mail route extends
only from Defiance to Ayersville. Mr.
Nathan A. Boutell has the contract for
carrying the mail and his wife, Mrs. Boutell,
is the Postmistress. Ayersville contains
one store and post office, kept by Mr. and
Mrs. Boutell; one physician, one Methodist
Episcopal Church, one school house, one
blacksmith shop, one saw mill. The first
physician who located at Ayersville was Dr.
B. D. Ashton, about the year 1856, followed
by Dr. Boutell in 1860. In
1878, Dr. I. N. Thacker located there,
and remained about two years, and then removed
back to Defiance. H. H. Ziegler is
the present physician, and located there about
the first of the year 1882.
CHURCHES
The Methodist Episcopal Church at Ayersville was
built in 1860, at a cost of about $700. The
congregation numbers about seventy-five members
Rev. Henry Boyer is their present
pastor.
The Lutheran congregation have a church building which
is located on Section 1.
The Presbyterian Church is located on Ottawa pike.
Rev. B. W. Slagle, of Defiance, preaches
every other Sabbath afternoon.
The New School Baptists have no church building, but
hold services in the Methodist Episcopal Church
at Ayersville. The Rev. W. V. Thomas, of
Defiance, fills the pulpit once every two weeks.
The Free-Will Baptists also hold services in the same
church (Methodist Episcopal), Rev. Dr. Hosier
officiating.
The Evangelical congregation hold services in what is
known as Hills' Schoolhouse.
The Dunkard's have an organization and also hold their
services in the same schoolhouse.
The German Evangelical Lutheran Church,
situated on the South Ridge road in Highland
Township about seven miles southeast from
Defiance. The congregation of this church
bear the name, German Evangelical Lutheran Saint
Stephen's Congregation of the Unaltered Augsburg
Confession. It was founded in the year
1853 by the following persons, viz.: G. C. A.
Greenler, George Schall, George Nikol Troeger,
Simon Kollrich, John Dietseb, Henry Dietseb,
John Schatz, Henry Schatz, Adam Schatz, John N.
Thieroff, Nikol Goller, John Goller, Jacol
Hermann, Erhard Bauer, Jakol Roth, John Troeger,
John Kohenberger, etc. The first
pastor was Rev. A. Detzer from 1853 to
1873, then the Rev. C. Boese was called
and has remained their pastor ever since.
At the present time the congregation counts
about forty families.
AYERSVILLE
GRANGE, NO. 369.
This Grange was organized in 1873, with J. W.
Tate, Master, and A. C. Henry as
Secretary. The organization numbers about
thirty members. Meetings are held every
Wednesday evening at the residence of E. F.
Palmer. A. T. Brechbill, Master; I.
N. Brechbill, Secretary.
VOTERS IN
OCTOBER, 1815.
Abraham Creamer, Jacob T. Peterson, Solomon
McCollock, Thomas Peterson, John M. Sanford,
Jacob Kraft, Henry Brechbill, Augustus Skiver,
Isaac Skiver, Brazillia Hendrix, Phillip G.
Hoeltzell, Joseph Wagoner, C. B. West, John
Wiler, Daniel Clark, Charles Dellette, Robert
Randall, Henry Wite, Albert Stites, Hezekiah
Clark, Jefferson Warren, John McBernhill,
William
Boucher, Henry Stiles, John M. Sanford, Phillip
G. Hoeltzell, and John Wiler, Judges;
Jacob Kraft and Brazillia Hendrix,
Clerks.
PERSONAL
REMINISCENSES.
HENRY
BRECHBILL
Page 310 - 312
JOSEPH
PRUDDEN AYERS
JACOB K.
MYERS
HARVEY J.
HILL
MRS. JOHN BRECHBILL, JOHN BRECHBILL,
MRS. SARAH ROHN,
MRS. A. T. BRECHBILL, A. T. BRECHBILL
Page 313 -
JOHN M.
SANFORD
JACOB KRAFT
AUGUSTUS
SKIVER
JAMES ASHTON
Page 314 -
PHILIP
GEORGE HOELTZEL
Page 315 -
N. A.
BOUTELL
Page 316 -
JOHN BOUTELL
ENOS B. MIX
A. FULLMER
HERVEY J.
HILL
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ABRAHAM
POVENMIRE
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