OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 19

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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Darlene E. Kelley
http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374
March 15, 2005
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Historical Collections of Ohio
And Then They Went West
Know Your Ohio
by Darlene E. Kelley
Tid Bits -- Part 19.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Part 19.

From the Upper Sandusky "Democratic
Pioneer. "

May. 1846.

Mr. Editor --

" Please let the people know that the ladies and gentlemn of our town
went fishing yesterday, and , just to " stop the rush, "
tell them the fish are all bespoken.

Upper Sandusky is in its infancy, but if there is a town in Ohio of not
more than three times its age and size. which owns a greater number of
sweet, charming and beautiful girls, we think we always went through it
in the night time. All these charmers went out, and with them a slight
sprinkling of the rougher sex.  

Armed with bean-poles, pin hooks and twine, and loaded with bounteous
provisions of cake and pie, sallied forth, and disregarding wells,
springs, and puddles, struck boldly for the Sandusky. 
The fishing being only ostensible, was soon finished. We rendezvoused at
the Big Sycamore,** around which the varied and fleeting groups, the
diversified pursuits, and strange commingling of sounds, afforded
excellent opportunities for the study of Nature's works, both natural
and artificial.

The greensward was our table, and never was festive board, surrounded
with lighter hearts than ours. The grass afforded pleasant seats; and
the attitudes, as we reclined around the daintily ordered feast, were
purely classical. Of course there were coquetting, ogling, honied words,
and tender glances, and those who were hooked, will, perchance, learn in
future to beware of the " fishers of men."

But don't stop the press any longer than just to say that we relieved
the anxieties of ou careful mammas by returning before dark, and the
fish stories to the contrary notwithstanding, didn't catch a single
fish, cat, bass, minnow, pike, or 
                                         Sucker."

** " The big Sycamore in 1846, measured fifty-one feet in circumference.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

         Town of Upper Sandusky 

Upper Sandusky is a town which has an altitude of 287 feet above the
surface of Lake Erie, and for many a year was known as the seat of
justice of Wyandot County, and was pleasantly located on the west or
left bank of the historic Sandusky.
Its wide, well shaded avenues, laid out in the true direction of the
cardinal points of the compass, are graced by many handsome public
buildings, churches, and private residences, and are apparently today in
the full enjoyment of a enviable degree of confort and prosperity.

But it wasn't always so -- The lands where it was built was in
possession of the Wyandot Indians, and in later years it was the grand
rallying point of the hostile Northwestern tribes during their wars
against the Americans; and its site was visited by Col Crewford's
command of Pennslvanians in June, 1782; that during the war of 1812-15
it again became prominent in National affairs and history, by reason of
the assemblage of large bodies of American troops under Gen. Harrison
and Gov. Meigs, and as the site of Fort Ferree; that in 1817 it was made
the central point of the chief Wyandot Reserve, and thus continued as
the seat of their council house, church, store, Jail, etc., until 1843,
when they the Wyandots, removed, in accordance with treaty stipulations,
to a region lying west of the Missouri River. Therefore, this sketch of
the town of Upper Sandusky will begin with the year 1843 -- the date its
site was surveyed and platted under the provisions of an act of
Congress.

This act of Congress is dated March 3, 1843, " for the sale of certain
lands in the State of Ohio and Michigan, ceded by the Wyandot tribe of
Indians, and for other purposes." From this act we learn that the
original survey of this town was made by Lewis Clason, D.S., sometime
during the year of 1843; that " the inlots fronting on Wyandot avenue
are eighty-three and one-third links front by 300 links in depth. All
the other inlots are 100 liks front by 250 inks in depth, and contain
one-fourth of an acre. The dimensions and contents of the outlots were
different. All alleys were 25 links in width. This plan goes into quite
detail of the naming of the streets and their widths and etc; was filed
as 
" The Township of Upper Sandusky, Township No. 2 south of Range No.14
east, First Meridian Ohio. Approved and examined at The Surveyor
General's Office, Cincinnati, Janueary 8, 1844.

This plan also indicated the exact locations of various points of
interest in old Upper Sandusky, which, with the exception of the
graveyard and William Walker house, which stood on the southwest corner
of Walker and Fourth Streets. Thus on outlot No. 49 which was bounded on
the north by Walker street, east by Third street, south by Wyandot
avenue, and west by an alley, stood the ruins of Fort Ferree. Upon the
same lot, and directly northeast from the fort, stood the Indian jail,
wich was constructed of hewn timbers, and standing upon the point of the
bluff. The council house stood upon Inlot No. 90. Directly north of it,
is shown the graveyard. 

The Indians had departed in July, 1843, and their old haunts were soon
occupied by a number of those who became permanent settlers, though by
reason of the fact that these lands, or lots were not placed upon the
market until two years later, they were for a brief period only 
" squatters. " In October, 1843, the United States Land Office was
removed from Lima, Ohio, to Upper Sandusky, and when at the same time,
Col Moses H. Kirby was Receiver and Abner Root was Register, and
established their offices in the old council house. Early residents were
Andrew McElvain, his brother Purdy McElvain, and Joseph Chaffee. Andrew
McElvain was the proprietor of a log tavern. Col Purdy McElvain had been
there a number of years, employed as United States Indian Agent, while
Col Chaffee was engaged in farming and land speculations. He had a
considerable portion of the original town plat sown in wheat in the fall
of 1843. At the same time, George Garret, whose wife was one-quarter
Wyandot, and who was the father of Joel Garret, who kept the Garret
tavern. At that time, William Brown was engaged in surveying the
reservation, which had been vacated by the Indians during the preceding
summer.

Jude Hall, Esq., was Upper Sandusky;s first lawyer and was numbered
among the residents in 1844, also Chester R. Mott, Esq., Wyandot's first
Prosecuting Attorney. During that year too, Oct 12, Col Andrew McElvain
was commissioned as the first postmaster of the town.

Wyandot County was erected in February.1845, and soon after Upper
Sandusky was chosen as the County seat. Then began a lively boom for the
new town. In their anxiety to secure good locations, lawyers, merchants,
doctors, artisians, hotel-keepers, shop-keepers, speculators, etc, etc,
hastened there by the score, and ere the close of that year, hndreds of
town lots had been sold. The town could boast of two newspapers,
numerous stores and shops, and made a population of three to four
hundred.

The Upper Sandusky did make rapid progress during the first eighteen
months succeeding the county's organization, as fully attested by the
following extract from a letter which was written by Col. Joseph
McCutchen to his friend Hon. William Crosby, United States Consul at
Talcahuano, Chili, on Christmas Day, 1846.

" In the first place, in relation to Upper Sandusky. It has improved
beyond the most extravagant calculations. It is but a little over a year
ago since the General Government sold the town lots and land, and now
some 800 inhabitants reside here. There are six dry good stores-- three
too many-- about the same number of groceries, four hotels, mechanical
shops of various kinds, and the town is still improving.

The county is also settling with an excellant class of farmers. The
public buildings are in rapid progress. The jail is almost completed; it
is by far the best looking jail I ave seen; it is made of stone and
brick. The brick is the best specimen I have seen in Ohio. The stone for
the doors and windows are beautiful white limetone, brought from Marion
County. The builder is Judge McCurdy, from Findlay, Hancock County.
Although he will in a few days have seen seventy-four winters, he is one
of the most enterprising men of his age I ever saw. If he is spared a
few weeks longer, the job will be finished in a masterly style. He gets
by $500 too little for the building.

The court house has been contracted for about $7.000, by a Mr. Young,
from Logan County. It is a magnificient building. The donation from the
General Governmemt, if judiciously managed, will pay every dollar of
expense of the public buildings, or nearly so, without taxing the people
a dollar. I hope it may do it, as you are well aware I have labored
three years with Congress, to have the donation matter accomplished.
Your old friend in Congress, Hon. Henry St.John, managed that matter
well.................."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

             Some Reminiscenses

The following entertaining reminiscences 
" of peculiar people and events in the early days of Upper Sandusky."
appeared in the columns of the Wyandot Union, during the year 1882. They
were written by Robert D. Dumm, the senior editor of that journal, and
has many times been reproduced.

                 Old Storm.

In 1845 and 1846, perhaps extending into 1647, there lived in Upper
Sandusky , a man by the name of Storm, He was a Frenchman--- a Frenchman
patriot. Every fiber of his nature was French; every feeling and impulse
an irrepressible desire to once more look upon the beauties and grandeur
of Paris. He would talk glibly of the Boulevards and the Palais Royal "
on 
zee Rue Richelieu;" and give you plainly to understand, that more than "
zee hundred time," had he joined in the uproar of " Vive 1' Emperour!"

He was one of Napoleon's old guards. He saw, as wellas felt, the carnage
and destruction of Waterloo, and was one of the survivors of that
terrific struggle. In his way, he was quite a character, and knew just
enough of English to make his broken French a jingle of quaintness and
humor.
A single man was Storm through an eventful life, because the old guard 
" never surrendered;" and moreover, no thought nor care had he taken of
the morrow. How he happened to drift into Upper Sandusky was never fully
explained, for old Storm was only communicative when in liquor, and the
topic then uppermost in his mind was Napoleon and the French Army. He
could think and talk of nothing else, and when referring to the
Emperor's exile, would weep like a child. His worship of Bonaparte had
all the feeling and fullness
of adoration, and the music of his pronounciation in uttering the name
of 
" Na-po-le-on," had that sweet and peculiar ripple which forever lingers
in the recollection.

But Storm, away from the shimmer and shock of battle-fields, had to make
a living, and he existed in Upper Sandusky, by taking care of the horses
and stables of Dr. Mason, one of our early physicians. Storm also taught
French to many young lads who needed help with the French language. 

However, Doctor Mason, from the exhaustion of a large practice in this
counrty, rough as it was then, was worn out and feeble in health and
sometimes irritable, and old Storm used to try his patience terribly. A
little incident we have in mind will show the craftiness of the old
guard. Besides grooming the horses, a share of his business was to pail
the cow, but as Storm never looked on milking as a fine art, he failed
to preform this part of his task with any degree of satisfaction. Time
and again the Doctor and old Storm would dispute over the proclivities
and disposition of the cow. To apologize for the scanty supply of milk,
Storm would insist that " zee dam short-tail would not let zee milk
down."

One day the Doctor met Storm coming from the stable with a vessel of
milk. The quantity did not suit the Doctor, so he took the bucke out of
Storm's hand, proceeded to the stable and re-milked the cow with very
satisfactory results. This chagrined and puzzled the old guard, but he
did not surrender. The next time when Storm went to milk, he took two
buckets with him. After milking half from the old cowin the first
bucket, he hid it in the straw, and then finished milking in the other.
He carried his scanty supply of milk to the doctor, d---ming " zee
short-tail," with many emphatic embellishments, for holding up her milk.
Here, the Doctor, in a fit of passion, grabbed the bucket and broke for
the cow to show Storm thet he was " a liar and a villian." After tagging
away at the cow for about ten minutes without any show of milk, he felt
like, and did apologize to Storm for his rashness. But Storm was all
smiles and good humor.
He had convinced the Doctor that the cow held her milk. The old guard
was himself again and on top.

A few minutes after, Storm came from the stable with another bucket of
milk, telling the Doctor that he had just yanked it from the cow. Here,
the Doctor transformed his eye-brows into a fine pair of exclaimmation
points and forgave Storm for all former delinquencies blaming the
frequent short crops of milk upon " zee dam cow."

This is one of the many little incidents that occurred, bringing forth
the character of the old guard, which a life in the French Army had
cultivated. Frequently have we seen old Storm, in a transport of
imagination, living over again the scenes of his army life, going
through the drill with a pitchfork, and keeping time and step to the low
chant of some patriotic air.

But a time came for old Storm to pass in his checks, and as the fever
racked his brain, he marched with Death through the broken ranks of a
shattered army --- on ---
on -- into eternity; exclaiming with his last breath, "
Na-po-le-on-----Waterloo! Zee old guard dies, but never surrenders."

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Tid Bits to be continued in part 20