OTTAWA COUNTY OHIO - HISTORY: County History Part 1 *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Submitted by: MRS GINA M REASONER Email: AUPQ38A@prodigy.com Date: August 18, 1999 *********************************************************************** HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF OHIO By Henry Howe, LL.D., 1898 OTTAWA County Part 1 OTTAWA OTTAWA COUNTY was formed March 6, 1840, from Sandusky, Erie and Lucas counties. Ottawa, says, Bancroft, is an Indian word, signifying "trader." It was applied to a tribe whose last home in Ohio was on the banks of the Maumee. The surface is level, and most of the county is within the Black Swamp, and contains much prairie and marshy land. A very small portion of the eastern part is within the "fire-lands." There were but a few settlers previous to 1830. The emigration from Germany after 1849 was large, and its population is greatly of that origin. their farms are generally small but highly productive, the draining of the Black Swamp bringing into use the richest of land. On the peninsula which puts out into Lake Erie are extensive plaster beds, from which large quantities of plaster are taken. Upon it are large limestone quarries, extensively worked. Area about 300 square miles. In 1887 the acres cultivated were 60,922; in pasture, 16,311; woodland, 19,601; lying waste, 6,989; produced in wheat, 228,461 bushels; rye, 46,961; buckwheat, 101; oats, 223,003; barley, 22,134; corn, 505,787; meadow hay, 12,166 tons; clover hay, 5,226; potatoes, 41,237 bushels; butter, 265,064 lbs.; sorghum, 317 gallons; maple sugar, 460 lbs.; honey, 8,786; eggs, 184,174 dozen; grapes, 6,993,216 lbs. (largest in the State); wine, 320,534 gallons (largest in the State); apples, 43,783 bushels; peaches, 86,424; pears, 1,867; wool, 49,823 lbs.; milch cows owned, 3,523. -State Report, 1888. Limestone, 167,054 tons burned for lime, 261,085 tons burned for fluxing, 56,000 cubic feet of dimension stone , 16,333 cubic yards of building stone, 40,272 cubic yards for piers and protection purposes, and 3,534 cubic yards of ballast or macadam. -Ohio Mining Statistics, 1888. School census, 1888, 7,338; teachers, 137. Miles of railroad track, 89. TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS 1840 1880 Bay 231 509 Benton 2,172 Carroll 262 1,697 Catawba Island 520 Clay 176 3,616 Danbury 515 1,599 Erie 196 595 Harris 318 2,515 Kelley's Island 68 Portage 357 2,094 Put-in-Bay 1,222 Salem 108 2,683 Van Rensselaer 27 Population in 1840 was 2,258; 1880, 19,762, of whom 12,793 were born in Ohio and 3,800 in the German Empire. Census 1890, 21,974. The first trial of arms in the war of 1812 in Ohio occurred in two small skirmishes on the peninsula between the Indians, September 29, 1812, and a party of soldiers, principally from Trumbull and Ashtabula counties, one of whom, then a lad of sixteen, was Joshua R. Giddings. What is known as the PENINSULA is a tract of land, a little less than thirty square miles in area, lying between lake Erie and Sandusky bay, and attached to the mainland by a narrow neck near the Portage river. Its early settlers were Danbury, Conn. and gave it the name of Danbury township. The western boundary of the Firelands cuts off a narrow strip of land on the west side of the township, though, as the township is now organized, the western line is that of the Firelands survey. CATAWBA ISLAND was organized as a separate township on the development of grape culture. It contains some 600 acres, situated north of the old Portage river bed, that stream now emptying into the lake some eight miles west of its original outlet, what is known as "The Harbors" being the old bed of the river. Catawba Island is connected with the mainland by a bridge over the west harbor. PORT CLINTON IN 1846. -Port Clinton, the county-seat, laid out in 1827, is 120 miles north of Columbus, thirteen miles west of Sandusky, and thirty miles east of Toledo, on the L.S. & M.S. Railroad. County officers, 1888: Auditor, John H. Berleman; Clerk, Wm. A Eisenhour; Commissioners, Alexander Scrymager, Frederick Hillman, Henry Rofkar; Coroner, George W. Woodward; Infirmary Directors, Robert Richardson, Henry Ryer, Wm. C. Lewis; Probate Judge, David R. McRitchie; Prosecuting Attorney, Charles I. York; Recorder, Frederick W. Camper; Sheriff, James Bisnette; Surveyor, Smith Motley; Treasurer, Washington Gordon. City officers, 1888; George R. Clark, Mayor; Wm. Bertsch, Clerk; John Orth, Treasurer; Sigmund Leimgruber, Marshal; Wm. Bodenstein, Sealer of Weights. Newspapers: Lake Shore Bulletin, Independent, A.W. Courchaine, editor and publisher; Ottawas County Republican, Republican, J.W. Grisier, editor and publisher. Churches: one Catholic, one United Brethren, one Lutheran, one Methodist Episcopal. Bank: S.A. Magruder & Co., S.A. Magruder, cashier. MANUFACTURES AND EMPLOYEES. -A. Spies & Co., doors, sash, etc., 6 hands; Seuyfert & Co., carriages, etc., 5; O.J. True & Co., flour, etc., 4; A. Couche & Co., saw mill, 10; Robert Hoffinger, flour, etc., 8. -State Report, 1887. Population, 1880, 1,600. School census, 1888, 546; John McConkie, school superintendent. Capital invested in industrial establishments, $78,500; value of annual product, $172,900. -Ohio Labor Statistics, 1887. Large fishing depots are located here. Census, 1890, 2,049. THE TRIAL OF BENNET G. BURLEY AT PORT CLINTON. This was an interesting trial involving the question of recognition of the Confederate States as a government de facto. It resulted from the arrest of Bennet G. Burley, one of the Johnson's Island raiders. (See Erie County, Vol. I., p. 572.) Burley was tried in the Common Pleas Court at Port Clinton on the charge of robbery in forcibly taking the watch of W.O. Ashley, the clerk of the steamer "Philo Parsons." In bar of proceedings was pleaded the fact that defendant was the authorized agent and acting under the directions of the Confederate government, in all that he did, and that he did nothing not warranted by the laws and usages of war. Judge John Fitch presiding, held that the Confederate States were, at the time named, a government de facto, exercising sovereignty, and being in a state of war with the Federal government; and hence the defendant could not be held amenable under the civil laws for acts performed under the authority of the Confederate government. The Court cited, in support of such opinion, the fact that the United States had uniformly recognized the Confederate government as belligerent, and treated its soldiers and agents as prisoners of war. The Court, however, held that in case the jury should believe that the taking of Ashley's watch was for the personal benefit of defendant, and not in the interest of the Confederate government, he was punishable under the State laws. The result was a disagreement of the jury, which stood, eight for guilty, and four for not guilty. The case was understood to be without precedent, and the result was, accordingly, of general interest. The ruling of Judge Fitch was generally accepted as correct. These facts are from Waggoner's "History of Toledo." That noted event in the late war in the Northwest -Perry's victory -took place on Lake Erie, only a few miles distant from the line of Ottawa. A description of this action we annex, from Perkins' "Late War:" BUILDING A NAVY IN THE WILDERNESS. -At Erie Commodore Perry was directed to prepare and superintend a naval establishment, the object of which was to create a superior force on the lake. The difficulties of building a navy in the wilderness can only be conceived by those who have experienced them. There was nothing at this spot out of which it could be built but the timber of the forest. Ship-builders, sailors, naval stores, guns and ammunition were to be transported by land, over bad roads, a distance of 400 miles, either from Albany by the way of Buffalo, or from Philadelphia by the way of Pittsburg. Under all these embarrassments, by the 1st of August, 1813, Commodore Perry had provided a flotilla, consisting of the ships Lawrence and Niagara, of twenty guns each, and seven smaller vessels, to wit, one of four guns, one of three, two of two and three of one -in the whole fifty-four guns. While the ships were building the enemy frequently appeared off the harbor and threatened their destruction; but the shallowness of waters of the bar -there being but five feet -prevented their approach. The same cause which insured the safety of the ships while building, seemed to prevent their being of any service. The two largest drew several feet more water than there was on the bar. The inventive genius of Commodore Perry, however, soon surmounted this difficulty. He placed large scows on each side of the two largest ships, filled them so as to sink to the water edge, then attached them to the ships by strong pieces of timber, and pumped out the water. The scows then buoyed up the ships so as to pass the bar in safety. This operation was performed on both the large ships in the presence of a superior enemy. THE FLEET READY FOR BATTLE. -Having gotten his fleet in readiness, Commodore Perry proceeded to the head of the lake and anchored in Put-in-Bay, opposite to and distant thirty miles from Malden, where the British fleet lay under the guns of the fort. He lay at anchor here several days, watching the motions of the enemy, determined to give him battle the first favorable opportunity. On the 10th of September, at sunrise, the British fleet, consisting of one ship of nineteen guns, one of seventeen, one of thirteen, one of ten, one of three and one of one -amounting to sixty-four, and exceeding the Americans by ten guns, under the command of Commodore Barclay, appeared off Put-in-Bay, distant about ten miles. Commodore Perry immediately got under way, with a light breeze at southwest. At 10 o'clock the wind hauled to the southeast, which brought the American squadron to the windward, and gave them the weather-gauge. Commodore Perry, on board the Lawrence, then hoisted his Union Jack, having for a motto, the dying words of Capt. Lawrence, "Don't Give Up the Ship," which was received with repeated cheers by the crew. -continued in part 2 *************OH-FOOTSEPS Mailing List***************************