Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-03-30

uFcsscu W cOht tuu poues VI o"H W othOho
dressed deerskin. Next to him, | think,
came our late and lamented Dr. Daniel
Brainard. The practice Of medicine was
then extremely arduous and trying Doc
tor Brainard was for years the leading
physician in the western part of Ohio. His
practice required him to visit the sick as far
East rs Bellevue; West to Portage River,
and South to Fort Seneca. The modern
practitioner of medicine would be appalled,
at what he promptly performed. Think of
ride on horseback to Fort Seneca, in q
dark night; over streams with no bridges,
and no road save winding wagon trail
through dense forest; or similar visit to
Bellevue, or Portage River.
The first regular preacher who lifted his
voice to proclaim the Gospel in our town,
was the Rev. Joseph Badger; Presbyteri-
an missionary. cannot learn the date of
his arrival, but Mrs. Scranton says he and
his family boarded at her mothers house,
and preached sometimes there, and some
times at small log house standing few
rods south and west from where the Fort was
built; aud she remembers well, that he
preached and taught school there before
the war Of 1912. She says further, that
Qnintius F. Aikins-afterward well known
and esteemed as the surveyor Of the Maui
NEE and Western Reserve Road lands,-
and his wife lived at her mothers at the
same time; and that Mrs. Atkins first-born
was cradled in sugar trough.
From this narration conclude that-with
the exception Of Mr.. Whitaker and his fam
ily--the Rev. Joseph Badger was not only
the first preacher and school teacher in our
town, but probably the first white settler
SURVEYS.
Our town now embraces several different
surveys or plats:
First: Croghausville, laid out and sur
veyed by - Wompler; United States
Surveyor in 1916, and held for sale by in
and out-lots; the title still being in the
General Government. Then it was expect
cd that a city, fort and ship-yard, would
soon be built on that elevated and beauti-
full Site
Second: Sandusky; the first survey on
the East side of the River, made, or dedi-
Gated and acknowledged, Dec. 9th, 1917,
by Thomas L. Hawkins, Thomas E. Bos-
well, Morris A. Newman, Israel Harrington
and Josiah Rumery.
Third: The survey made by Quintius F.
Atkins; made in 1925. This was survey
of the unsold and reverted tracts and lots
in the 2 miles square, into in and out-lots,
to be sold for the purpose of constructing
the Western Reserve and Maumee Road
A > thie ttr,o tbn lofs anH "a. bo
East side of the River, along the turnpike,
called East-town; the lots along the River
above and about the warehouses, called
North-town; and the lots about the ship
yard, and around the present residence of
Doctor NJ E. Rawson, called Middletown (;
numberof lois in the vicinity of McArdle's
new planning mill and sash factory, called
Triangular Survey, were made.
Fourth Brush's Survey, including that
part of our town where the Court House
and Episcopalian Church now stand; ded-
icated by Platt Brush, Platt Brush ir., Sam
uel Brush and John T. Brush, April 4th,
lS4o
Fifth: Dickinson and Orchards addition
to the town of Lower Sandusky; including
the lots along the turnpike, on the hill
on the West side Of the River; dedicated
Sept. 9th, 1910, by Rodolphus Dickinson
Sardis Birchard, and Richard Sears.
These are the chief surveys made in oul
town though number Of others have beer
since made. To mention them all would
be tedious and out of place here.
ROADS, BRIDGES, &c.
In 1925 the General Assembly of the
State of Ohio authorized the construction
of the Western Reserve and Maumee Road
and appropriated one mile of the land or
each side to pay for the work. jeremiah
Everett was then Representative, and the
first resident of our town ever elected to
that Office. 1t was several years before the
work was completed. To clear strip one
hundred and twenty feet wide, through
heavily timbered land, grubbing the giant
trees from the central sixty feet, from
Bellevue to Perysburg, was no child's play
1t finally about 1929 or 80 presented the
form of wide mud pike. In 1889, through
the efforts of Hon. R. Dickinson, aided by
the people along the line, the State had
been induced to adopt this road as one OF
the Public Works, aud the Matchmaking
had commenced. Itwas completed think,
during the year l84l.
The first Bridge across the Sandusky
River, in our town, or anywhere else on the
stream, was constructed in 1928; under the
direction and superintendent of the Hon
John Bell, then Superintendent of the
Road. This bridge was all of timber, with
out covering, and rested on bents. 1t stood
till February, 1888, when the extraordina
ry freshet of that year moved it almost
bodily; and bore it on mass of floating
ice and driftwood to near the upper poin
of the Island, where it lodged, and lay
stretching almost from bank to bank. BY
the help of few timbers aud planks, it was
used for some time as a foot-bridge. Il
laid in this position till the river had frozer
over, about the first Of April, of that year
During the next ensuing summer another
was built upon similar plan, which witt
repairing, stood until the more permanen
one designed by Cyrus Williams, was be
gun; about the year l843.
COMMERCIAL.
Before the war of 1912, Mr.. James Whit
-taker had traded with the Indians, barter
inQ with them n few OOOds for their necn