The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-07-27


concur in the fact. that most Of tho river
bottoms were without trees or stumps, aud
in 1915 were covered with tall grass.
The characteristics Of the land are op.
posed to the euppositiuu, they were natural
praries. Ii they had been cleared OH since
about 1900, there would have been some
stumps remaining in 1915.
The reasonable suppositon iF, That these
river bottoms were cleared oil as early as
the establishment of the French Post at
Maumee, aud were cultivated by them as
| squatters.
Then, people lived by hunting, fishing,
trading with the Indians. and cultivated
small patches of ground. They, in part.
adopted the Indian mode Of lifo According
to the best information we have, no law.
fully established civil government existed
among them. Tho tact, that there is no
title to lands, either w,dor French or British
Governments prcres it.
INSTITUTION ~ CIVIL GOVERNMENT PIONEER RE-
MlNIsCENcEs.
The first institution of civil government,
was in tho winter Of 1917. Although Post.
master was appointed in 1910, and Collec.
tor of the Port sometime previous, yet there
was no organization of society under the
forms of law previous TO the time above
named.
The first official act Of the first Justice Of
the Peace in the Maumee Valley, was mar.
rying couple. Aurora Spaiford, son Of
Amos Spaifurd tho Collector of the port,
and Mary Jones were the couple married.
The wedding was on the 20th of February,
1877. Charles Gum, Esq, then residing in
what is now called Waterv,lle Township,
Lucas County, was the first Justice of the
Peace in tho Maumee Valley, aud married
MIR. Spafford aud Miss Jones, as his first
official act.
The wedding was at the house of Mr..
Amos Spafford, in what is now rerrysburg
| Township.
The parties had been engaged for sew.
eral months previous, and expecting that
the laws of Ohio woull soon be extended
over this Territory, deferred their marriage
beyond the time they were ready, waiting
Tor an officer to be dulyqualf 1t TO perform
the ceremony. They Wer Americans a ,,l
cherished American Institutions, and de-
clned to adopt tho French custom. After
some months delay, MIR. Gum, was
commissioned Justice OF the Peace and rs
soon. AZ tho fact was known he was sent
for aud came and married the couple on the
next day after being qualified. MIR. SpafiOrd
died somo years ago, ut PrrYsburg. Mrs
Spafford still lives there.
The first white child born iu tho Mau
meo Valley, after tho establishment of law
was Almira Hull, daughter of Captain Davc
Hull at Perrysburg, in November, 1917. She
is now the wife of Dr. Colby, OF Defiance.
The first newspaper printed in tue Valley
was the Miami Of The Lake, at Perrye
burg. Tue first number was issued Decem
her IL, 1888. Joseph w, Scott aud Henry
Darling were the editors. aud James II
+ Mcbride, printer.
THE BOUNDARY DIsPUTE-THE TOLEDO WAR.
As the history of country would be in
, complete without recording themitary op
/ eratious, will not pass overin silence som
pioneer "reminiscences of u warlke charac
ter, growing outol the disputed boundar.
= line between Ohio and Michigan.
, You have not forgotten the great low
the State of Ohio and the Territory of Mich
, igan bore to the promising child, now callet
Toledo how that love was magnilied b,
A the auxieties of tho two mothers tha
J. claimed it. The women that went to So
g onon, to decide which was the mother o
the disputed child, were not more in earn
| est than the good people of Ohio and Mich
Y igan were for the possession OF Toledo
/ Ohio and Michigan did not do as the wome
: did--so to Solomon to decide which shoul
e have lt but like chiva,rOus knights q
old, confident in the lustness Of their claims
e determined to be their own judges ant
. champions.
4 When the State of Ohio was about to cx
! tend the Miami Canal, north from Dayton
TO the navigable waters of the Maumee, sh
y found the harbor needed for its Termination
4 in the possession Of the Territory OF Mich
f igan.
3 There were two disputed Ines on
y called the Harris line, claimed by Ohio, III
!. cluded in the State of Ohio, a strip OF Ian
t some miles in width, claimed by Michigan
The other, well known on our maps, as tn
Fulton line, was claimed by Michigan
o Toledo was in the disputed Territory.
e The difficulty in the boundary arose out O
d the wording of the line fixing tho norther
boundaries of what are now the States o
t Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, in the or,linanc
Q of 1887, for the government Of tho Nortt
o west Territory.
Michigan claimed this disputed groun
II from its organization as Territory, an
>. extended it's laws over it. The authoritie
t. of Ohio paid very little attention to it, a
l. the great Black Swamp interviewed betwee
l. the settled portions of the State and thi
s Territory, until it became necessary to i
y cate the canal, when it was found that th
$ harbor needed for its termination, was
y the possession of Michigan.
In tho winter of 1885, the Legislature al
y tached the disputed Territory to the ceul
l. ties of w ood, Henry and Williams and el
tended the laws Of Ohio over it.
i Governor Lucas, of Ohio, taking it fc
granted, that he would lave to use militar
force to get possession, ordered ont volul
G teers for that purpose. General Bell, tll
ii Fabius of Ohio, was Major General of til
v Maumee Department., aud was ordered
r take command of the volunteers, and OF
cnpy the disputed Territory. Governo
y Lucas with his staif came to the Maume
. River and established his head quarters Il
r Maumee CITY, where he could he in cas-
o communication with General Bell, who ha'
u taken posse ssion at old Fort Miami withil
n the ackno wledged limits of the State.
y In the mean time Governor Mason, an
! General Brown, of Michigan, eXpedltiousl
o organized force, and took military posses
4 sion of Toledo, while Governor Lucas an
: General Bell were at Fort Miami studying
!. over the plan OF the campaign.
Governor Lucas had supposed that til
p very act of calling out a military force t
take possession of the territory, wonll, q
). itself induce the Governor of Michigan, t
. reinquish jurisdiction without restraint
but when he found General, Brown ha
e taken possession OF Toledo and issued hi
!. orders as General of the army of occupation
4 he felt that he was on the war-path NOR
! ellectualy than he had expected.
4 The pride and chivalry OF the STATE
"A precluded the idea of its breaking dowI
. and of course, there was no alternative, bu
to 6ght, or Michigan must back down.
n II was ont of the question for her