The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1868-03-13

! lNOOCrt \. fOlSythC, Judge Ambrose klCO,
John HoliSter and his twoor three brothers.
These aud others constituted society
! there, which would he acceptable any
where. aud who on account of their iutelli.
gcncc aud enterprise would be prominent
| citizens in any p'a,e. Settled along the
river in various places from Swan Creek to
! Roche de Boute were found persons who,
entitled to our notices, amongst whom
| were the Keclcrs, the Hubbolls, the llulls.
! Spailords, the Wilkiusuns, the proys, the
| Pratts aud the hearings all distinguished
! for their intelligence, enterprise and in
! duStry. Finding these so acceptable so
! cicty, aud communicable population, and
! being charmed with the beauty OF the
| valley, soon determined to make it my
| future home, and to which determination
! adhered against every obsticlc for ten
| Yeas.
Previous to the war 1872 the foot OF
| the rapids had been settled 10y consider
able population Engaged in agriculture aud
| in the extcusive Indian trade, that the
| latural advantages Of the place afforded.
! But soou alter the commencement ot the
war; upon the defeat of General Hull at
! netrvit these FIRST settlers OF the Maumee,
were all driven oft 10y the British and
! Iudiaus--thcir homes burnt down, and
/
soon alter the restoration OF peace uhabi-
! taus began ro return and settlements
! formed. In 1917, the General Government
sol the lands i'll lots within the twelve
miles square at the tuot ur the rapids"
and the promiu, MT ttlemcu's were formed
and the IMPROVEMENTS made that | found
! when | arrived there. The Interesting
events connected with the early history OF
the valIey-thc taking possession OF the
country 10y the British at tho close OF the
! Revolutionary war and the building OF tn, ir
! tort Just below the foot OF the rapids, at
! what SUI scqucutly became Port Miami
the events ui lI94 aud the battle OF Gen.
| crai Nagner's CampaiEu--thc defence OF
| the country by General Marion the defeat
and massacre of Colonel Dudley's mon, and
the scigc Of Fl. Meigs, as well aS the treaty
held by Generals Cass aud McArthur, il
1871. are all events highly interesting in
the history OF the county, aud r,n lcr the
valley of the Maumec the classic ground
OF Northern Ohio. But ali these trauspirod
before | came to the country, aud do not
further intend to allude TO them. Tho
county ot Wood was organized in the
spring Of 1870, and at that time included
the whole valley. In May of that year the
first court of Common Pleas, was
held at the town of Maumce 10y Hon..
George Todd of Trumhul County
whose circuit as Presiding judge iucluded
all Northern Ohio, (thc Reserve and the
New Purchase), aud who continued to hold
courts here for some years. The clerk of
the court was Thomas r. Mcknight Esq,
from Wooster, Ohio, and who was con.
t,nucl in that office until his death, in 1892
The Prosecuting Attorney was j. c. Me
.lN l,,, g.,
cirr,tly there, aud who uovcr saw.
In October, soon after my arrival at
Maumcc, was held the accoud term OF the
court oC Common Pleas. Mt which Judge
Todd presided Mr.. Mcknight was the
clerk, and was appointed the Prosecuting
Atorucy-an Office held during the whole
ten years | resided there. There were at
this term several cases tried both civil and
criminal OF considerable interest aad some
importance. The court was then attended
bv several able lawyers from various parts
of the country. Euthcrus Cook, Esq, from
Huron rty-thcn brilliant aud eloquent
lawyer; Eheuczer Lane, Esq, an able law.
yer aud finished scholar--a graduate of
Harvard Dockorty. Esq, of Columbus,
Jonathan Edwards Chaplir, Esq., of Urbana,
a good lawyer and scholar, and on his
mothers side a descendant OF Jonathan
Edwards. and a near relative of the cele.
bratrd Aaron Burr; Charles |. Laman.
from Michigan, a brilliant and accomplished
gentleman whose father was then Sinator
in Congress from Connecticut These dis.
tinguished mer, as well as few othersg gave
the court an interest and standing which
the court of Wood County always retained
When the court was over the whole OF us !;
court and har-made an excursion up the
rapids TO Roche do Boutc, and we were
ali Lighly delighted with the beauty OF the
country and its future promise.
Upon the close of the war Of 1872, the
foot of the rapids became an important
point in the commercial business Of the
country. In the spring of the succeeding
year, large quait titles of the produce Of the
Indiana was brought down the river in
fiat boats and here transferred to the ship
ping of the lake. The Indiana trade was
large. The quantity of iurs and polterics
collected here by the Indian traders and
that of the sugar made by the Indians, from
the sap of the sugar maple, and put mp 10y
| them in cases made of harls, each weigh
ing GO or so pounds and called mococks-
these and other like objects of trade aud
commerce. made MS q considerable bust.
ness. The fisheries of the river, also con.
stiuted a large item in the business Of the
place. The quantity Of corn even raised
ON The Maumee was very large, and was
exported in large quantities TO Detroit and
other parts of the upper lakes--this was
so much the case that it was called com.
Ing to Egypt for corn" These objects and
| other minor subjects of commerce and
tralic, rendered the business of the place
| far larger than that which would be indi
Gated by the population Of the place, and
! the amount of the lake shipping that
came M there TO meet this commercial de
mand was quito considerable, The cOnnec
tiun of transient persons with these trans
actions in their various departments made
/ the business of the place assume a variety
and character far superior TO what the
permanent inhabitants of the place would
afford or require. This gave to the law
business of the place variety and interest
! il could not otherwise attain. 1t induced
large number Of lawyers to attend the
courts there, during the time made he val
| lev my residence. Among those who thus
attended in subsequent ears ,(besides those
whom | have already mentioued) were
Judge Parrish, Of Columbus, c. Ewing, OF
! Fl. Wayne, l. nman, Lawrauce aud Noble
of the River Raisin, Dickinson and Lati.
more from Srndusky and Huron Counties
and occasionally others, which rendered
the Bar Of Wood County at Court times,
large, able and interesting
Soon after camo to the Maumee, a law.
yer by the name of Roby, came and settled
ihtre with his family. He commenced his
practice in Albany n. Y, aud afterwards
settled for while in Southern Ohio. lie