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Chapter VI.
pg. 43
Early Settlers of the Maumee Valley Recalled
- The Names of Many of Them, and Some Incidents Concerning
Them.
IN the year 1830 according to the census of population then
made, the county of Henry contained two hundred and sixty
persons, young and old; in 1840, two thousand five hundred
and three; in 1850, three thousand four hundred and
thirty-four; in 1860, eight thousand nine hundred and one;
in 1870 fourteen thousand and twenty-eight; in 1880, twenty
thousand five hun- Page
44 -
dred and eighty-five. From these facts it is fair to assume
that in the year 1820 there was not to exceed a dozen
families within the borders of the county, and upon this
basis, not more than fifty or sixty white inhabitants.
Although Henry county was formed, and only formed, in the
year 1820, there were not then living therein enough people
to organize a township, and it was not until three years
later, 1823,, that the whole county was populous enough to
be formed into one township, called Damascus. The
county, it is true, was given an existence the time named,
and while conveyances of land may have recognized such an
existence, the residents and pioneers of the whole Maumee
Valley, and as such will be mentioned so far as their names
can be ascertained.
It is possible that in the following record the names
of some maybe inadvertently omitted, as the names, as
obtained, are somewhat incomplete, still it will serve to
show who were a large majority of the residents of the
valley prior to the year 1825, together with some incidents
concerning them and their families.
The list was prepared by a person now past an alloted
"three score and ten" years of life, and will be found
substantially authentic so far as given. It is
arranged to commence at Defiance and record the names as the
people were found on going down the river, and is as
follows: Pierce Evans and family, Indian fur
trader; Dr. Jonathan F. Evans, physician and surgeon;
Colonel Evans, on the Au Glaize; Allen Browher,
father and brother, farmer and trader; ____ Brubecker,
farmer; James Laughlin, Indian jewelry manufacturer
and river boatman; the "Snook Boys," two brothers, farmers
and pirogue men (river boatmen).
Flat Rock: (Down the river four miles), old
Uncle Hively, Pennsylvania Dutch farmer; Adam Kepler,
on south side of the river, also Pennsylvania farmer.
There were a few other settlers near this point, whose names
cannot now be recalled.
The next settlement was at or near Damascus, below the
present village of Napoleon: John Patrick and wife,
farmer and Indian trader; "Sammy" and David Bowers,
brothers, on south side, both farmers; Elisha Scribner,
father and family, farmer; Charles Bucklin and
father, "Squire" Bucklin, farmers; Samuel Vance
and wife; farmers and Indian fur traders, brother to
ex-Governor, Vance of Ohio; Richard Gunn and
family, farmer; Carver Gunn and family, farmer;
Osman Gunn and family, farmer; Judge Cory, the
largest farmer in the valley; David De Long and sons
"Jeff" and "Nicky."
Grand Rapids: Uncle Peter Manore,
Frenchman, farmer; he built the first saw-mill on the river;
his son, Frank, now or recently living on the old
homestead, a part of the Indian grant of one and one-half
sections, at teh head of the Grand Rapids was born at the
foot of the rapids, where Maumee City now is, in 1812.
Page 45 -
On
the south side of the river, at this place, was settled
Thomas Howard and his sons, Edward, Robert A. and
Richard M. W., and their families, as also William
Pratt and family, son of Captain Pratt, of Fort
Meigs, all farmers.
A few miles below this, at Raccoon Rapids, was John
Morgan, an old Rocky Mountain hunter and trapper, and
his "man Friday," "Bob" Ryan, a farmer.
A short distance further down, on what afterwards was
known as the Hedges (grandfather of Judge David
Commager) farm, was a "squatter," by the name of Adam
Teel farmer, and still further down the river, near the
mouth of Tone-tog-o-nee Creek, and opposite the "Indian
Island," was erected and in full operation, the Presbyterian
Indian Mission, under the general management of Rev.
Isaac Van Tassell, assisted by Revs. Coe and
Sackett, with their families, and teh Misses Riggs
and Brewster; Dayton Riley (brother of William
Riley of African slavery fame, who after his release and
return to America, built the first mill to crack corn, on
the St. Mary's River, near the line of the Toledo,
Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad, near the present village
of Wilshire, Van Wert county, Ohio). This Dayton
Riley was a very good carpenter, and performed much work
for the Indian mission people, but loved the fur-bearing
animals, and lining the little busy bees to their homes in
hollow trees, for their rich stores of wild honey.
Still on down the river opposite the present village of
Waterville was the commodious and hospitable log cabin of
"Uncle" Guy Nearing, whose cabin latch-string always
"hung out" to welcome the neighboring settler, or the tired
and often belated traveler. Near him, in a snug little
cabin, lived one Thomas Dix, and usually called
"Uncle Tommy Dix," a full blooded Irishman, from Cork, and
the only pauper on the river. He was quite a hand at making
maple sugar in the spring. he had seven large trees
near his cabin into which he put numerous spiles, and, as he
counted it, made quite a sugar bush. A settler once
asked him how many trees he had, and he answered "seventy."
The settler could not see so many and so remarked.
Uncle Tommy replied that he had "tin tapsin a tree, and
sure that's sivinty."
Just below this were the families of John Race
and the Deckers and John Charter. Going
back to Roch te Bout (Bushteboo) was found Isaac
Richardson, the man who was afterwards murdered by
Porter, the "Old Gay Lark," as he was usually called,
who was the first man ever hanged in the valley under the
civil laws of the United States; and also Hughs, a
millwright, living at Richardson's.
At Waterville was John Pray
and family, Colister and Whitcomb Haskins (a
little below, and the two brothers Farnsworth, and
their families; Deacon Cross, Mr. Martindale, Orson
Ballou, Alex Howard and family; Warren
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Gunn, and on the high bank of the river, a little
below was the white-washed log cabin of "Count" Pierre
Louie La Point known as "Uncle" Peter La Point,
whose roof often sheltered and made glad many a heart from
the posts at Detroit, and along the river to Fort Wayne, by
the hospitality of this genial and kind-hearted old
Frenchman; Deacon Barlow (on Presque Isle), Judge
Jonathan Jerome, at Turkeyfoot Rock, "Old" Haynes,
and one or two others whose names cannot now be recalled.
At Maumee City proper were General John E. Hunt,
and Robert and James H., and Duncan
Forsyth all merchants and Indian fur traders; Judge
Wolcott, also a fur trader; David and Isaac
Hull, fur traders; Dr. Conant, James Wilkison,
Hezekiah Hubel, hotel keeper and farmer; "Old"
Haynes, George, John and James Knaggs, farmers
and traders; Perley Carlin and his brother,
Esquire Carlin, Mr. Gibbs and family, ___ Whitney,
Peter Rebedow, a blacksmith; Mr. Mashor, the
Rand family, ____ Trombley, and a number of other
French families, including Peter Nevar and brothers;
"Deacon" Keeler, and Indian agent Major Stickney
and family, Mr. Whitney and "Uncle Peter" Shaw,
Mrs. Mary Ann Gilbert (nee Miss Wolcott,
daughter of Judge Wolcott), Ralph Keeler There
may be yet a number whose names have been forgotten.
Passing back to the vicinity of Fort Meigs: First was
found Captain Pratt and sons, Jonas, Hiram, Amos,
James and Foster, and daughters Sally and
Jane. Also the family of Captain Pratt
was his mother, known by everybody as "Granny" Pratt,
Judge James Spafford and brother, and their families,
Dr. Coulton, John and Frank Hollister,
merchants and Indian fur traders, as also a brother,
Harry; Thomas McKnight, John Webb, who built the first
house in Perrysburg and who died Aug. 28, 1885; Jacob
Wilkinson and Captain David Wilkinson; the
Jenison family, Nathaniel, Julius, Leonard, and Blinn,
brothers, and sister Mary; Philander B. Brown and
father, a blacksmith, and sister Jane; Elijah Herrick,
Thomas McElrath and the Leaming families,
Carter, a tailor, and Wm. Ewing, then a boy, but
later known as ex-Judge Ewing; Judge Thomas Powell, "Sile"
Morehouse and brothers, and Vickers, a gunsmith
and blacksmith, employed by the United States government for
the Indians; Griffith, John Chartier, Wm. M. Billings,
Valentine Winslow, the Deckers, Races, John J.
Lovett, Hawley, Wilsons, Baldwin, Printice, Hubbard Worden,
Sibley, Whitmore, Noyes, Elijah Huntington, Joshua Chapel,
Charles C. P. Hunt, brother of John E., of
Maumee, Mrs. Major Skinner (nee Miss Mary
Ann, daughter of Maj. Spafford, of Ft. Meigs),
James Mackelrath, Ft. Meigs; Louis Trombla and
Mr. Daget, of Maumee; Mr. Adams, Waterville;
Mrs. Isaac Hull, daughter of Mr. Spafford;
Mrs. Perrin, now living, daughter of Jacob Wilkison
and brothers Merrill and Samuel, Jerry Crane
and father, Mr. Crane, "Old" Loup, "Sister Knowles,
an old bachelor, who finally married and was supposed to
have lost his life from poison given him by his wife;
Charles and Curtis, "Curt." Roby, and possibly
others.
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