MARK TOWNSHIP is
located in the southwest part of Defiance
County, being Town 4 north, Range 2 east.
Hicksville Township is on the west, Farmer no
the north, Delaware on the east and Paulding
County on the south. The surface is mostly
low and wet, though in the northwest and
southeast portions some line farms are located.
The soil is good, and when systematically
drained the large unclaimed tract will become
excellent for agricultural purposes.
The township was erected by the County Commissioners in
1850, on petition presented by Mr. William C.
Hutchinson. It was proposed to name
the new township Kenton, in honor of Mark
Kenton, who made the first improvement,
having settled on the west half of the southwest
quarter of Section 5, and there engaged in
hunting and trapping. This name was
objected to for the reason that there was a post
office by this name in the State and the title
Mark was agreed upon.
The organization was completed by the election of
township officers in April, 1851. At this
election seventeen votes were cast. The
voters were Samuel Smith. H. G. Luce, Samuel
Fisher, Thomas Pope, W. C. Hutchinson, John L.
Ginter, M. C. D. Campbell, .John
Kiser, Harrison Jenkins,
Samuel Onstatt, Peter Frederick,
George Hobbs, John
Shafer, Martin Smith, Jacob
Fisher, George Porter and
John Garible.
The officers elected were W. C. Hutchinson,
Assessor; Peter Frederick, Clerk; W.
C. Hutchinson, Treasurer; Harrison
Jenkins, Samuel Onstatt and
H. G. Luce, Trustees; John Kiser and
M. C. D. Campbell, Constables; Samuel
Smith, Supervisor. This election
was held at the cabin of a Mr. Bunnell
who had taken a contract to build a bridge.
At the next election, held June 17, 1851,
Samuel Fisher and Samuel Onstatt
were elected Justices of the Peace. The latter
declined to serve, and William C, Hutchinson
was elected the same year to till the
vacancy, and filled the office twelve years.
SCHOOLS
In April, 1851, the trustees divided the
township into three districts, and two years
later into five districts. The first
teachers in these districts were: No. 1,
William A. Slough; No. 2, Mary J.
Powell; No. 3, Oren L. Hulbert; No.
4, Oscar Works; No. 5 Jacob
Bruner. Other early teachers were
Isreal Baum, William Mann
and James Evans. In 1853, it
was decided to erect three hewed log
schoolhouses, each 20x24 feet, with a porch over
the door; one in No. 3, at a cost of $75; one in
No. 4 and one in No. 5 at a cost of $150 each.
The enumeration of youths, returned in 1854 was
49 males, 34 females, total, 83; in 1864, it was
males, 107, females, 107; total, 214.
There are now nine schoolhouses in the township.
MARK CENTER.
The
only village in the township is Mark Center, an
enterprising little place of the township,
one-half mile north of the present village a
little town spring into existence, grew, and in
1874 contained a store, a grocery, a saloon, a
schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop and a number of
dwellings. In May, 1875, after the B. & O.
Railroad was constructed through the township,
Frederick Harmening laid out the present
village just north of the railroad was laid out
by Josiah Kyle and A. M. Anderson.
The Van Wert Stave Company, under the
supervision of Mr. George Holton, in the
most extensive industrial concern in the place.
The company located here several years ago, and
have ever since been extensively engaged in the
manufacture of hoops and staves. During
the first year, it turned out 7,000 oops and
20,000 staves daily, and at present this amount
is more than doubled. Fifty hands are
employed in the factory. The foreman is
Mr. Z. T. Hilligas. There are also at
the village two hoop pole shaving shops, one
steam saw mill, a blacksmith shop, one shoe
shop, one hotel, two stores, a post office,
millinery store, saloon, express office, a
two-story brick schoolhouse and a church.
The stores do a thriving business and keep in
stock full supplies of general merchandise.
Josiah Kyle is the owner of one, and
R. F. Hecht of the other. The latter
is also Postmaster and express agent.
Ludwig Klein is the village blacksmith and
Joseph Kibler the shoemaker. The
saw mill is owned and operated by G. W.
Spealman. The church building is a
neat frame edifice, recently erected. It
is the property of a small but flourishing
Methodist society. Other denominations
also hold occasional services here. The
only other church building in the township is a
United Brethren Church, located on Section 25.
It was built in 1878, at a cost of about $550.
PERSONAL REMINISCENCES.
E. H. DEVORE
SAMUEL ONSTOTT
ROBERT HAVER
WILLIAM C. HUTCHINSON
HENRY MARTIN
JOHN P. FREDERICK
THOMAS CRAWFORD
SAMUEL KLECKNER
DR. LEVI COLBY
PETER FREDERICK
G. W. SPEALMAN
GEORGE N. RICE
JOSIAH KYLE
LYMAN R. CRITCHFIELD
WILLIAM J. KNIGHT
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