The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-01-18


very sick at the time, aud father went in |
canoe to bring Mrs. Spaiford TO our house, |
There were many cattle and hogs drowned |
and fouces carried away by the ice.
The principal mode Of travelling in the |
Winter in those days, was on the ice in rude |
sleighs called Jumpers" Father had been |
to Rochester on business, returning home |
in February 1923, and came safely on the |
ice from Buffalo to Sandusky, where he
stopped at night, and on making inquiries |
about the condition Of tho ice from there |
TO the Maumee, was told that il was per.
fectly cafe, as o couple of men had come !
from there the day before. But he seemod
to have some doubts about its safety, and
procured long pole and fastened II to tho |
back OF the sleigh. And at three o'clock in
the morning he again started on his jour
ney, taking in one passenger (Mr. Herman
Alvord, of Monroe, Mchigan). They had
been on the ice about an hour when they
broke through, the horses head resting on
the edge of the ice at one side, and the end
of the pole at the other. They were obliged
to get ont of the sleigh into the water,
swim to the edge of the ice and climb out.
II was bitter cold morning, and their cloth.
ing WINS soon frozen so stiff they could
tcarceIy movc. They were about mile
from the shore, and discovering q light,
father started towards it, requeating Mr..
Alvord to try to follow him, but he seemed
to have become hewildered, turning around
several times and saying, II dou't know what
10 do" Father thought the only chance for
saving their lives was for him to go as fast
as possible for help. After considerable
difficulty, occasioGed by tho stiffness of his
frozen clothes, he finally succeeded in reach.
ing o house about mile distant, but found
its only occupants were o French woman
aud boy He told them to only help him
| take off his cloak and boots, then go imme-
diately to the assistance OF his companion.
When they had gone about half way they
found Mr.. Alvord frozen to death. Flo
seemed to have crawlcd tho most of the dis-
tance on his hands and knees, as the skin
and flesh were worn off and the ice marked
with blood. l cannot reccoleot how father
performed the remainder of his Journey
| home. The horse was drowned in the Lake.
In Jannary, 1924, father moved from
Fort Meigs down 10 Port Lawrence, (now
the upper part of Toledo,) the river being
clear OF ice, and the weather rather mild.
Our mode of travelling at that time was in
perogues hshed together. There were
then living at Port Lawrence the families OF
Mr.. Baldwin, Mr.. Prentice, who after
wards lived at the place now known as the
Prentice Nursery" and a French family
named rrombley. About mile down the
river, lived Major Stickney, anil a half
mile still further down, Mr.. William vii
son. There were also one or two families
living out.ou the road toward Mai. Keelers.
In the summer of 1924, Invent to Trenton
Mich, on a visit, under the care of Dr.
Walter Cotton, who was going from Fort
Megs to Detroit. We took passage on the
"Maumee Packet" small schooner then
sailed by Capt Truman Reed, and were
three days making the voyage. About six
weeks later on my return home, on the
same vessel, we were on board six days,
during three of which we were beating
about on the Lake and the other three be-
calned in the Maumee Bay, At The end Of
that time the passengers, some five or six
in number, prevailed upon the Captain to
set them on shore, as they preferred walk
ing up to Port Lawrance (about six miles,
rather than remain any longer on the ves-
sci.
In the Winter Of 1924 5, Captain David
Wilkinson built schooner, which he named
Guerriere The next Winter he built an
other and called it tho Eagle. In the sum
mer of '26 Miss Mary Stickney aud myself
took passage with Captain Wilkinson on
board the Eagle for Perrysburg. The first
! day we got as far up the river, as opposite
the Prentice place, when there arose heavy
storm of rain and head wind and we were
Obliged to anchor there twenty-rour hours or
more, but OH the third day arrived safely D
at Perrysburg. ID.
think it was sometime in the year of
1924, that Mr.. Daniel Murray moved to
Port Lawrence and built house half a
mile from the mouth of Swan Creek, on the
road to Monroe, and in the spriug Of %
came, Mr.. Fisher. His son Cyrus, in com,
pany with John Baldwin, opened the frat
dry goods store in that locality. Soon after
) Mr.. Bartlett (brother-in-law of Cyrus Fish
er,) came and bought Mr.. Murrays place
that gentleman moving farther west.
think it was also in the same year that Mr.
Phillips grandfather of Colonel @. b Phil
lips moved there, remained there about
year and then moved out on farm near
Ten Mile Creek. About the same time Mr.
Merritt came, also DR.. Sutphen, who was
the first physician settled there. He mar.
ried Miss Mary Rose, step-uaughter of Maj
Whitney, who came from Monroe a short
time previous and settled on farm near
Major Keeler's.
In the Winter of 1924 3 father taught
, school there for sixteen dollars per month
and boarded himself, and that was the only
opportunity the children in that region had
of attending school during the four yearl
} that we remained there. Late in the sum
mer of '27 we moved to Monroe, Michigan
taking passage in the same OLD Maumee
Packet, and were again three or four days
making the trip.
4 | Cnn fSrs. f,f