PAULDING COUNTY, OHIO
Pg. 602

Formed April 1, 1820, was named from John Paulding, a native of Peeksville, N. Y., and one of the three militia men who captured Major Andrew, in the war of the revolution, and who died in 1818.  The county was organized in 1839.
     The population of this county in 1830, was 161; in 1840, 1,034; in 1850, 1,766; in 1860, 4,945, and in 1872, 8,544.
     The returns of the census of 1870, exhibited the following of the census if the several townships:
     Auglaize, 788, Benton, 404; Blue Creek, 163; Brown, 1,140; Carryall, 1,087; Crane, 1,685; Antwerp, 717; Emerald, 717; Harrison, 304; Jackson, 556; Latty, 294; Paulding, 448; Washington, 957.
     General Horatio N. Curtis is old resident of the county.  In a communication to the Antwerp Gazette, he states that he made his second visit to the county on the 10th of March, 1825. "At this time, Defiance was quite a small village, containing one small store, one tavern, and some five or six families.  Isaac Hull kept a store on the north side of the Maumee, opposite Defiance, and had an extensive trade with the Indians.
     "Among the first settlers of what is now Delaware township, in Defiance county, were Montgomery Evans, William Snook, Thomas Warren, and Samuel and Dennison Hughes, who settled there in 1823-24.  Soon after, Gavin W. Hamilton and Jacob Platter moved in.  The first death that occurred, was Andrew, son of Jacob Platter.
     "The two first justices of the peace, were Oliver Crane and Montgomery Evans.  The next township organized was Crane, which extended south and west from Delaware Township to the State line.  The township derives its name from Oliver Crane.  Among the first settlers of what is now Crane township, were Oliver Crane, William Gordon, Ephraim Seely and Samuel Reynolds, who settled in 1823-24.  Samuel Gordon and Dennison Hughes moved to the township in the early part of 1825.  The first marriage in what is now Crane, was solemnized by Oliver Crane, who joined in holly wedlock a Mr. Young to Miss Sherry.
     "About this time, Brown township was organized.  This township was up the Auglaize south of Defiance.  The first settlers there were Shadrack Hudson, Isaac Carey, John Kingery and Christopher Stroufe.  The township took its name from a small fort or stockade that was built by a part of General Harrison's army during the second war with Great Britain.  It occupied the point at the junction of the Big and Little Auglaize rivers.  A part of the pickets or pallisades were still standing, and seen by the writer in passing down the Auglaize river in the spring of 1825.  This was called Fort Brown, and was, I think, so marked upon the early maps of the country.
     "The next township organized was CARRYALL, which took its name from a large rock in the middle of the Maumee River.  It was so-called by the French on account of its resembling a vehicle of that name.  This stone is about one mile above the village of Antwerp.  Carryall township lies west of Crane.  Among the first settlers were William Banks, Reason V. Spurrier, David Applegate and Thomas Runyan, who settled there in 1827-28.  The first marriage that took place was that of Phillip Murphey to Miss Nancy Runyan, and was solemnized by H. N. Curtis, then justice of the peace, in October, 1830.  The three townships last named are now within the limits of Paulding county.
     "The first Associate Judges were Nathan Eaton, John Hudson and Gilman C. Mudgett, who met in the fall of 1839, and appointed H. N. Curtis, Clerk pro tem., and Andrew J. Smith, Sheriff.  The first Court was held in the spring of 1840, Hon. Emery D. Potter presiding, in the then flourishing village of New Rochester, at that time containing some twenty families, and the most suitable place in all the county to hold a Court.  (There is now scarcely a mark of all its former greatness remaining.)  From there the Court and county business were removed to Charloe, in 1841 - the county seat, meantime, having been established at that point, and continuing there until removed to its present location.  The bounty on wolf scalps in the early settling of the county, together formed quite a revenue, and assisted much in paying taxes, and in procuring the common necessaries of life.
     "This county, in early time, was one of the favorite hunting grounds of the Indians, and they yielded their right of dominion to the 'chemocoman,' or what man, with reluctance.  It was noted for the abundance and fine quality of the furs and peltries taken within its limits.
     "I recollect, while acting as Clerk of the Court, to have had candidates for marriage frequently pay me my fees in raccoon skins for granting the marriage license.  One case I well recollect, of having been called upon to marry a couple; and having done so, the gentleman informed me that he had nothing to pay me for my services.  I told him, all right; but in the fall they gathered and sent me a fine lot of hickory nuts as compensation for my services.
     "The first trading house in the county was opened by Thomas P. Quick in 1826, for the purpose of obtaining furs and peltries from the Indians.  The first citizen's store in the county was opened in the fall of 1829, by the writer.  The first white man that settled in the county was John Driver, a silversmith, who made broaches and earrings for the Indians.
     Among the early settlers at Charloe, were John Taylor, (now of Perrysville,) John W. Ayers, George H. Phillips and A. H. Palmer; and at the Junction, Capt. Dana Columbia, Dr. Henry Marcellus, and Capt. Thomas Lough.
     General Curtis was well acquainted with the Indian, Occanoxa, with whom he frequently had business transactions.  He was chief of a band numbering about six hundred, his town occupying the present site of Charloe.  He was a large, powerfully-built Indian, but advancing years had made inroads upon his constitution.  He was naturally ugly, and when intoxicated, malicious.  On one occasion, visiting the store of General Curtis for the purpose of trading, and being under the influence of liquor, he was describing, in a ferocious manner, his ancient feats in scalp-taking.  This fighting of his old battles against white women and children over again, upon his own premises, was not agreeable to the General, and in a moment of excitement he advanced upon the Indian and knocked him to the ground.
     William and John Moss, brothers, and natives of England, visited Paulding county in 1834, and established themselves as residents of year following.  The patent for the land entered at the Piqua Land Office, for the N. E. Qr. of Sec. 26, T. 2 N., R. 3 E., (now Jackson township,) bears date May 11, 1835; and that for the land of his brother John being on Sec. 24 adjoining, bears the same date.  These brothers were probably the first white settlers in that Section of Paulding county, excepting, possibly, one family on the Little Auglaize, named Earl.