HURON TOWNSHIP [Erie County, Ohio] by Dr. Geo. Haskins. from HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO 1879 by W.W.Williams pages 470-475 LOCATION. The town of Huron, situated at the mouth of Huron river, fifty miles west of Cleveland, or the mouth of Cuyahoga river, and about ten miles east of the mouth of Sandusky bay, has probably been settled longer than any other town on the Fire-lands. The township is bounded on the north by Lake Erie, east by Berlin township (formerly called Eldridge), south by a part of Berlin and Milan townships, west by Perkins and Portland townships (now Sandusky), and northwest by Sandusky bay. Huron river runs through the eastern portion of the township, in a northwardly direction, till within about one mile of the mouth, when the channel takes a northeast direc- tion, till it empties into Lake Erie. AS A HARBOR. Huron has been considered an important point on account of the shipping facilities; by lake navigation, which it affords to the surrounding farming country. Huron river is one of the best harbors on the south shore of Lake Erie. The ordinary depth of water in the channel is usually about fifteen feet, and fre- quently even greater, and when you get "inside," (as the sailors say), there is room for all the shipping on Lake Erie. PHYSICAL FEATURES. There are about fifteen hundred acres of marsh land within the boundaries of Huron township: three hun- dred in the Huron river valley, the remainder border- ing on Sandusky bay, all of which is irreclaimable, from the fact that the land is all lower than the sur- face of the lake and consequently affected by the rise and fall of its waters. The land east of Huron river at the time of the first settlement of the early pioneers, was covered with a dense forest, about half of which was what is termed second growth, the balance heavy timber; much of it being white oak, has been used for ship timber. About two miles west of Huron river is Saw Mill creek, a stream of considerable magnitude, the outlet of prairie drainage, and which, at a time when the waters of the prairies were discharged more slowly, previous to the extensive opening of prairie ditches, saw mills for the manufacture of lumber have been known to run the greater portion of the year. But since the advantage to farm land of a thorough sys- tern of drainage has been taken into consideration, most of the water falling upon the land within twenty miles of the lake is discharged therein in the course of a week. The southwest part of the township is mostly prairie. The northwestern part, except the marshes bordering on Sandusky bay, is timber land. ORIGINAL OWNERS. [ note: the following list of "sufferers" is abridged. Also included was the amount of loss, by whom classified, and amount classified. This refers to those lands granted in the "Firelands" in 1808 to those in Connecticut whose property had been destroyed by fire during the Revolution.] HURON, TOWN NUMBER SIX, IN RANGE TWENTY-TWO. CLASSIFICATION No.1, SECTION 1. Peter Lattimer, John Lester, John Welch, Joseph Hurlbut, Samuel Brown, Samuel Lattimer. [their claims were sold to "the Heirs of William Stewart, late of New London, Connecticut,(deceased)"] CLASSIFICATION No.2, SECTION 2. Jeremiah Miller [his claim was sold to William Winthrop, NY], John Ewing, John Barr, Eben Goddard [their claims were sold to "heirs of William Gale, New London"] CLASSIFICATION No.4, SECTION 4. Joseph Packwood, Bathsheba Smith, Richard Potter[their claims were sold to "heirs of Richard William Parker, New London, Connecticut,(deceased)"] CLASSIFICATION No.4, SECTION 4. Samuel Lattimer [claim sold to "heirs of William Stewart, of New London, Connecticut"], Richard Potter, Thomas Bowlay or Boyd, Ann Hancock, Richard Stroud, Eben May, widow Austus Piner, Bathsheba Skinner, Jabob Fenk, Ichabod Powers [their claims sold to "heirs of Richard Parkins, deceased ], Jeremiah Miller [his claim sold to William Winthrop, NY] EARLY SETTLEMENT. The precise date of the first occupation of Huron by white settlers is uncertain. It is known, however, that the French had a trading post at the mouth of Huron river about the year A. D. 1749, but it was abandoned previous to the Revolution. The Moravian missionaries, consisting of a few white settlers and Indians, located on a part of the southeast corner of Huron and the northeast corner of Milan townships. They also abandoned their set- tlement previous to the war of the Revolution, and probably before the French occupied their trading post at the mouth of the river, though there were a few Moravian Indians, with a white preacher and his fam- ily in their midst, in 1808. The beginning of the present settlement was in the year 1805. John Baptiste Flemoned, or Fleming, first came to Huron that year, but Mr. Hosea Townsend, of New London, says that Flemoned claimed to have come to Huron in 1790. He was born in Montreal, Lower Canada, about the year 1770, of French par- ents. He located on the east bank of Huron river, about two miles from the mouth, on lot number fif- teen, section first. The land is now owned by Mr. Simon Knight. He opened a small stock of goods for the purpose of dealing with the Indians, exchang- ing with them for furs and of supplying them with such articles of merchandise as their necessities re- quired. In the arrest, trial and execution of the two Indi- ans, Negonaba and Negosheek, at Norwalk, May 21, 1819, for the murder of John Wood and George Bishop, Mr. Flemoned was one of the most important witnesses, interpreter, guide, and one of the execu- tioners. The weary pioneer always found welcome hospitality in his store and cabin, and the early sur- veyors, in 1806, found rest and repose. He also as- sisted in their second survey. It has been said that he died in 1820, but according to the most reliable data he died about the year 1827, leaving a wife and three daughters: Eliza, Jane and Lydia. His eldest married John McCarty. After his (McCarty's) death she married John Miller and lived on the old farm till about 1851, then moved to Wood county, Ohio. The condition or whereabouts of the two younger is not known to the writer. Mrs. Flemoned died about twelve years subsequent to the death of Mr. Flemoned. Jared Ward and family came into the township in the spring of 1808, lived on a part of the Flemoned farm, near the site of the present residence of Widow McMillen, until the following year - 1809. He then bought a part of David Abbott's land, in Avery [now Milan] township, near the Hathaway neighborhood, where his son, Elam Ward, now resides. Mrs. Betsy Collins, late the wife of Isaac Collins and a daughter of Jared Ward, remembered the time when her father came to Huron; was then in the fourth year of her age. She resided in Milan from the time of her par- ents' residence there until 1858. Mrs. Collins was born in Painesville, Ohio, in 1804, was married to Mr. Isaac Collins in Milan. They moved to Huron in 1858, where she resided until her death, September 1, 1877. Mr. Isaac Col- lins was in Huron in 1812, but made only a short stay; went the same year to Columbus, Ohio; came back to Milan in 1818. He helped raise the court house at the old county seat. He assisted at J. B. Flemoned's funeral. Came to Huron in 1858, where he now resides. Almon Ruggles visited the Fire-lands a few years prior to moving his family to Huron in June, 1808. Jabez Wright also came to Huron in 1808. The same year, these gentlemen commenced the survey of the township, laying it off in sections and lots in course of that and succeeding years, completing the survey in 1810. Mr. Jabez Wright was born in 1780, near Copen- hagen, New York. After he came to Huron, he married Miss Tamar Ruggles, a relative of the late Judge Almon Ruggles. He located on the west bank of Huron river, about two and a half miles from the lake, on land now known as Wright's river farm, and owned by his son, Winthrop H. Wright, and where W. H. Wright was born, in December, 1813. Mr. Wright was elected justice of the peace for Huron township, the exact date is not definitely known; he was subsequently appointed one of the associate judges of the court of common pleas, for Huron county. He was land agent for William Win- throp, of New York city, who had acquired the title of the whole township. Mr. Winthrop died about the year 1826, when the land, by Mr. Winthrop's will, went to his nephew, Wm. H. Winthrop. Mr. Wright moved on to the lake shore in 1815, about one mile west of the mouth of Huron river. In the year 1822, he built the first brick house that was erected in the township. He continued to act as land agent for Wm. H. Winthrop until the time of his death, December 16, 1840, which was caused by falling front the lake bank on a dark night. Judge Wright was an exemplary citizen, highly respected, and all who knew him sadly mourned his sudden and untimely death. Mrs. Wright died in 1849, at the house of her youngest son, Ruggles Wright. Of their five children, there are now three living: Win- throp H., the eldest, and Ruggles, the youngest, and Mrs. Abigail Vance, youngest daughter (widow), liv- ing in Columbiana county, Ohio. The eldest daugh- ter, Lucy, married General John W. Sprague; died in Troy, New York, May, 1844. Douglas, the second son of Judge Wright, died at the brick house resi- dence, January 11, 1856. Cyrus Downing and family, consisting of wife and two children, came to Huron in November, A. D. 1809. He located on the lake shore on land now owned by W. H. Wright, somewhere near Mr. Wright's present dwelling, where he resided until the summer of 1812, when he left and went to Cleveland soon after Hull's surrender, where he died the next winter. Mrs. Downing afterwards married a Mr. Parker, of Milan. The Indians were quite numerous about Huron at that time, and somewhat troublesome about the first breaking out of the war, but became more shy after hostilities commenced. Jeremiah Daniels came to Huron about the same time as Down- ing. Mr. Daniels carried the mail from Huron to Cleveland, making weekly trips, He married Pauline Downing in the spring of 1813, and settled on the farm now occupied and owned by Mr. William J. Hinde, two and a half miles west of Huron village. Major Hiram Russel came to Huron in the winter of 1809 and 1810; built a log house on land afterward owned by Jeremiah Van Benschoter, now owned by Mr. Van Benschoter's two daughters, Mrs. Widow Stapleton and Mrs. James Paxton. Mr. Russel occu- pied his house as a tavern and store; which was the first tavern kept in Huron. It was opened to the public in 1810. The same year. Mr. Russel com- menced building a vessel, of about forty tons' burthen, near his house. It is said that there was but a very small amount of iron used in the building, wooden pins being used instead of spikes. Mr. Russel was assisted by Jonathan Sprague (father of the late Jon- athan S. Sprague, Esq.), who did what blacksmith work was required. The vessel was finished in 1811. Jonathan Sprague came into the township with his family in 1810. Located on the east side of the river, a few rods above the railroad bridge. Mr. Russel built another vessel, which he completed in the spring of 1813. She was named "The Fair American." It is said that this vessel was sold to the British government, and delivered to the British agents at Buffalo soon after being completed. Mr. Russel cleared a field on the farm now owned by Mr. William G. Sage. This field was afterwards abandoned, and in 1845 was covered with a thick growth of timber. The land on this farm, like much land east of the river in this township, was a light sandy soil, and was considered by the early settlers nearly worthless. It is now known to be the best farm land on the Western Reserve. Russel left Huron soon after the war commenced. In 1809, Asa Smith visited the country in and around Huron, and moved into the township in June, 1810, from Romulus, Seneca county, New York. In 1811, he was elected justice of the peace, at the first election held in the township after its organization. Mr. Asa Smith located not far from the present resi- dence of W. H. Wright, one mile west of the mouth of the river. He was born in Massachusetts; his wife in Rhode Island; they lived, for a time, on Long Island; afterwards moved to Romulus, New York, and from thence to Huron. They had six children when they came to Huron, one of whom, William B., was born on Long Island, August 15, 1796. Mr. Asa Smith died at his residence, in Huron, August 30, 1815. His wife died August 30, 1842, in San- dusky. Johathan S. Sprague, Esq., came to Huron with his family in 1810, from Canada. He settled on the farm now owned by Henry Holsaur. He married Miss Mahala Daly. He afterward bought an adjoin- ing farm, of Judge Charles Standart. Jonathan S. Sprague was a man of more than ordinary talents; he had not the benefit of a common school education; yet he was held in so high estimation by his friends and associates that he was frequently elected to offices of trust. He held the office of justice of the peace for eighteen years in succession, at the termination which he refused to serve in that capacity any longer; his health was very much impaired for several of the last years of his life. He died at his house, on the Standart farm, on January 15, 1861. Mrs. Sprague died at the house of her son-in-law, Mr. Isaac Dur- ham, in April, 1872, near the village, at the age of seventy-two years. In January, 1816, Reed & Sandford, merchants, of Erie, Pennsylvania, opened a store of goods at the mouth of the river, on the east side. It was man- aged by Mr. Francis Graham, assisted by John B. Flemoned. Mr. William B. Smith, and his mother, kept a public house at that time on the west side of the river. Mr. Smith remembered hearing the report of Perry's guns on the 10th of September, 1813, and, in company with his father, started for Put-in-Bay the next morning, arriving there the following morning, where Perry's fleet, with their prizes, were moored. Mr. Smith was married in Huron in June, 1819, and moved to Sandusky soon afterward, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was always highly esteemed as one of Ohio's best citizens by all who knew him. He was elected treasurer of Erie county in 1840. He died in Sandusky, September 25, 1878. Mrs. Smith, a most estimable lady, survives her husband. FIRST EVENTS. It is uncertain when the first post office was estab- lished at Huron. A letter from the venerable Francis Graham, above mentioned, of Ashland, Ohio, says "I went to Huron in November,'15,(probably 1815) where I spent four years of my life. Uncle Sam gave us a post office early in 1817; office on the east side, and Asa Sandford postmaster," which was probably the first regularly established post office in Huron. The first public school, it is said, was taught by Calvin Coo, in the winter of 1810-11, and afterward by Miss Tamar Ruggles (later Mrs. Jabez Wright). It is said that Mr. Coe was afterward ordained preacher of the gospel, and as such was the first who served in that capacity in Huron. About the year 1815, Mr. William Chapman opened a school near his house, on lot twenty-five, section three, and continued for a few years. Mr. Winthrop H. Wright remembers attending as a pupil. The first public highway in the township was on the east side of the river, surveyed by Jabez Wright, beginning at the lake shore, near the mouth of the river, running southward. The survey was made in 1810. William Winthrop, former owner of Huron town- ship, built a saw mill on Saw Mill creek, two and a half miles west of the river, in 1819. In 1819, N. M. Standart and Cyrus Butler opened a store of dry goods and groceries on the west side of the river. In 1820, they parted. Standart went to Milan, and Butler went to Norwalk. In 1824, N. M. Standart and Daniel Hamilton built a store in Huron. Charles Standart aud Philo Adams served as clerks till 1825. Mr. Adams had moved to Huron in the spring of 1824 to board the men working on the harbor, under the direction of the Huron Harbor company. In 1825, Philo Adams moved on to his farm, where he remained until his death, except a short residence in Milan, keeping a hotel. In the fall of 1825, Charles Standart and George H. Gibbs purchased Standart & Hamilton's stock of goods. The firm continued fifteen months, when Gibbs retired. Standart continued the business till 1828, when he discontinued the store, built a ware- house and dock, and commenced storage and com- mission business. EARLY RESIDENTS. Judge Standart says that when he first went to Huron, in October, 1824, there was one frame house on the west side of the river, occupied by Philo Adams, who boarded the men working on the harbor, a log building occupied by the Green family, and a small cabin on the bank of the lake occupied by Captain Reed, the first shipbuilder of Huron. There were on the east side other log buildings, occupied by different individuals; among whom were Benjamin Gould, a catfisherman, and Jeremiah Van Benschoter, lip the river. There were several other families located in different parts of the township about the time Standart came to Huron, which we have not heretofore mentioned. E. M. Granger lived on the farm afterward owned by Mr. Standart. George Downing lived near Granger; Mr. John Hughes and family near the west line. William Chapman, the Everetts, Woolvertons, Swifts, and some other farm- ers settled in the township about the same time. David Everitt came to the Fire-lands in 1824. He lived in Milan a few years; is now a resident of Huron township, and about eighty years of age. Mr. Tower Jackson came to the Fire-lands April 14, A. D. 1819, and soon after located in Milan. He was married November 18, 1822, to Miss Sarah Clock, of Monroeville. On the 4th of July, 1826, he moved to Huron. He entered into partnership with Henry W. Jenkins, selling dry goods and groceries, continu- ing in business with Jenkins for a few years. About 1830, he went into partnership with Mr. Richard E. Colt. The firm invested considerable money in the encouragement of various industries; quite extensively in vessel building. They built the steamboat Dela- ware, bringing her out in 1834. Mr. Jackson re mained in Huron till 1846, when he went to Racine, Wisconsin; and two years later removed to Cleveland, Ohio, where Mrs. Jackson died, in A. D. 1854. He is now a resident of Huron, in the eighty-first year of his age, where, it is to be hoped by his many friends, he will continue his residence. He married a second wife, Miss Lucy Button, previous to returning from Cleveland. Mr. Jackson built the Huron House about 1830, on the northwest corner of Main and Wall streets. In 1840, he built the American House, on the corner of Main and Lake streets. The Huron House has been moved, and is now occupied as stores. The American was burned. Henry W. Jenkins came in quite an early day; the precise time is not known. He dealt in dry goods and groceries, invested some in vessel stock; built the Ohio Hotel, and was an active worker in assisting to build up the town. He left Huron sometime after 1840, went to Cincinnati, from thence to the Isthmus of Darien, and commenced the carrying business across the Isthmus, and died there about 1850. The Ohio Hotel, above mentioned, stood on the southwest corner of Main and Wall streets, and was destroyed by fire on the Fourth of July, 1854. Buel B. Jones came to Huron about 1835 or '36; sold dry goods and groceries for a few years, after which he rented the Ohio hotel, which he kept for two or three years, then moved away. Mr. John W. Wickham (of the firm of Wickham & Company), was born in Philadelphia, October 13, 1806; was reared to manhood in Sodus, at the mouth of Great Sodus Bay, in the State of New York. He came to Huron in the autumn of 1833; commenced the forwarding and commission business, buying and shipping grain and other farm productions. He also opened a stoic of dry goods and groceries, but after a few years discontinued selling goods. The firm are now carrying on a very extensive fishery; also dealing in lumber and buying grain. They give employment to a great number of Huron laborers. Mr. Wickham is one of the oldest pioneers now engaged in mercan- tile business. Mrs. J. W. Wickham is also a Huron pioneer from infancy, a daughter of Mr. Schuyler Van Rensselaer, deceased, who was one of the early producers of Huron county. He came to Huron in the spring of 1833. He assisted Mr. Abiatha Shirley in making the plat of Huron in A. D. 1833. PHYSICIANS. The physicians were not very numerous among the early Huron pioneers. Dr. Ansolem Gutherie was the first Huron physician who attempted to locate in the town. He came in 1813, and remained until 1817, when he removed to Canada. It is not known whether there were any other resident physicians at the mouth of the river for several years after Dr. Gutherie left. An old gentleman, called Doct McCrea, from New Jersey, located near the west line of the township, near the Stone House (so called), doing some medical business in that vicinity. We think he went back to New Jersey. Dr. Charles H. Legget came to Huron in 1830; practiced in the village and vicinity till May 29, 1832. He was drowned in Huron river, together with his wife; supposed to have been caused by the accidental upsetting of a small boat, near Wright's river farm - no other person was present when the accident oc- curred. It was not discovered till the following morning, when the citizens, alarmed at their pro- longed absence, discovered the boat, dragged the river, and recovered their remains. After Dr. Legget's death, there were a great many physicians who came to Huron at different periods with a view of locating, as our Huron marshes and their various surroundings looked inviting to the doc- tors who aspired to professional notoriety; but in time discovered that "all was not gold that glittered," that the marshes were on a level with Lake Erie, and that their pure, glittering waters would not pro- duce miasmata worth a cent; or, in other words, Huron was a very healthy town, and would support only a limited number of physicians. Therefore, as there were so large a number of medical men who attempted a permanent location and failed, I will only mention the few who have weathered the hard- ships of a pioneer life, and those who reside here at the present time. Dr. George S. Haskin, now practicing medicine in Huron, was born in the town of Rupert, Vermont, August 27, 1805. He came to the Fire-lands in 1831, landing at Sandusky; in June, 1832, he came to Huron and commenced the practice of his profession. Dr. Joseph Caldwell came to Huron in the spring of 1833. He continued the medical practice till his death, which occurred June 13, 1866, in the seventy- fifth year of his age, much lamented by many friends. Dr. J. T. Cushing, now a medical practitioner, came to Huron in 1865 and commenced business. Dr. H. E. McNutt, now practicing medicine in Huron, commenced in 1874. CHURCHES. There are now five church edifices within the village corporation limits, and one on the west line of the township, which was erected by the late Mr. John Graham, assisted by the citizens of West Huron and some others. John Graham was of Irish nationality. He came into the township about the year 1833, and located on the Cummings farm, lot number twenty-seven, section fourth. His religion is said to have been that of a Wesleyan Methodist. His character was that of a strictly honest man. He was highly esteemed by all his neighbors. He died about the year A. D. 1856, in the month of October. Mrs. Graham, a very es- timable lady, seventy-three years of age, survives her husband. She resides on the old homestead. Since writing the foregoing we have learned that Mr. Graham's ancestors were of Scotch descent, hav- ing emigrated from Scotland to Ireland in the early part of the eighteenth century. Of the five churches in Huron, the Protestant Episcopal, called "Christ's Church" (a brick edifice), was built in 1838. In 1839, this church edifice, un- der the ministry of Rev. Samuel Marks (the present rector) was dedicated to the service of Almighty God by Bishop McIlvaine, D. D., D. C. L. Wardens: J. W. Wickham and S. P. McDonald. The Presbyterian Church was built in 1853. The German Lutheran was erected about 1860. The Methodist in 1871. The German Evangelic in A. D. 1875. The Presbyterians have recently engaged Rev. Mr. Snowdon, of West Vill, Ohio. The Rev. Mr. Hassenpflug has charge of the Ger- man Evangelical Church. The other churches are not under the care of any regular established clergyman. THE CHOLERA. The natural advantages of the Huron harbor and the favorable location for a business town, began to attract attention soon after the close of the war with England, and when the United States made appro- priation for the improvement of the harbor, in 1827, immigration rapidly increased till 1834, when a seri- ous impediment to business occurred by the appear- ance of Asiatic cholera, wholly suspending, for a few months, all varieties of industry, except the care of the sick. That year the emigration from Europe, principally from Germany, was a perfect flood, and at every steamboat landing there were sick and dying in numbers so great as to drive a great portion of the inhabitants from town. There were then five practicing physicians in the village, one of whom died of the disease; three others left, Dr. George S. Haskin only remaining. Finally, as autumnal frosts made their appearance, the mon- ster disease disappeared, and business increased with redoubled vigor, and in a very short time all was life and animation. Huron village has a population of about one thou- sand and five hundred; the whole township, includ- ing the village, about four thousand. The present board of township officers are: Wm. G. Sage, Blake W. Griffin, Geo. W. Harris, trustees; Thomas M. Sprowl, township clerk; John W. Wick- ham, treasurer; Thomas J. Harris and Levi Peck, justices of the peace. The officers of the village corporation are: A. H. Winchell, mayor; J. L. Brooks, recorder; Jabez Wright, John Archer, Philo McMillen, Charles Hey- man and Jacob Gunzevhauser, town council. At the April election for the present year -1879- there has been some change in the township board of officers. The following were elected, viz.: Wm. G. Sage, Blake W. Griffin and Henry Halliday, township trustees; J. L. Brooks, clerk; John W. Wickham, Jr., treasurer; J. L. Brooks elected as the third justice of the peace, in addition to Harris and Peck. The officers of the village corporation are the same as above. In reviewing the early history of the Fire-land pioneers, mentioned in the foregoing sketch, we are forced to look with admiration at the stern, manly character of nearly every early pioneer. Their power of enduring hardship and privation, the cheerful and determined fortitude of their onward struggles, without a thought of looking back, but always looking ahead with unyielding determination, seem to be al- most universal characteristics of the early Fire-lands pioneers. How hard it would seem to any of our well-to-do neighbors of the present day, to be set back into the rude log cabin with only one room, eighteen by twenty feet, a log fire blazing on the hearth; would we be as happy as we can imagine the early pioneer to have been when thus situated? In our imagina- tion we can see a pioneer family enjoying the rude comforts of such a primitive condition. The family consisting of father, mother and half a dozen, or more, children. The sturdy head of the family sit- ting at a rough table, after a hard day's work, read- ing from a much-worn old family Bible. The mother with knitting-work in hand, and half a dozen, or more, children respectfully listening; and later in the evening, we can see the boys climbing up the ladder on their way to bed in the chamber overhead. The mother hearing the "now I lay me down to sleep," and affectionately tucking up the covering of three or four little fellows in their trundle beds. But, oh, how swiftly time flies, and we often feel that it matters but little how swiftly. We may re- call the pleasant memories of the past and of our youth, but seldom find the man who would wish to live the same life over again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Notice: the above material is Public Domain (no copyright)." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Ted Reising tedohio@yahoo.com Dec. 15, 1998 ------------------------------------------------------------------------