Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-08-04
LETTER FROM rorroaANY.


lohTooAkT, July 3l, 1911.
kD. JOURNALS have been thinking what
would most interest the readers Of your paper
and the thought occurred TO me that perhaps Il
might be interesting to 90 back into the past aud
come up gradually 10 the present.
Our township Wsshington) was among th
last that was organized in this county, and wa =
made up Of territory taken from Middleton,
Weston aud Plain, and is the smallest in the
county, containingbut about twenty. two sections
OF land. In 1888 Messrs. Morse& Bearlsley of
New York, laid out the town of Otsego, on the
Maumes River; erected q Touring mill, saw mil
and commenced a foundry. Samuel Flanders
was the builder, and he was a very energetic
business man, and while he lived Otsego grew
considerable. He died think, in 1871. From
that time the place did not seem 10 imp rove, al
though 1t was place Of considerable trade. At
that time there was M other mill on the south
side of the river, and none on the north side for
quite distance, consequently people camo a
great ways to mill; from Weston Milton, Plain
aud the back townships as far as the Portage
river. Wilson was, belive, the first regular
merchant lie came from New York city. f..
Tuller next sold goods, aud S. Ciymer next
During the winter months great portion of the
trade was in furs. Now adays when q farmer
oomes in. lie inquiries what is the price of corn
and wheat Then 1t was how much for coon
skins, mink and deer.
Benton was laid out about one ard a half
miles down the river; saw mill was erected
and put IN operation, also store, by Hedges.
who then owned what IS now known as the Stone
House farm. But it soon went down. Towns
n those days came up like mushrooms aud pas.
sed away as soon. Otsego has, since the DAy-
ton Michigan railroad was located, olso gone
down. But two or three Of the oricinll buildings
remain aud they are in very dilapidated coud.-
tion.
Some of the early settlers still reside here,
among whom are the SINNERS, Cummings, Ku-
ders, Warmers, Black s, Norths an Crums. FL
liot Warner was, l think, the first Township
Clerk, and held that Office until within very
few years. The old Indian Station was at the
mouth of TOntogany creek and in an early day
Rev. Isaac Van Tassell had charge Of the mis-
sion. Nothing now remains to mark It as in
days of yore, unless 1t be the old Indian buryihg
ground, and that is scarcely discenoble and in
very few years the last ves,ige that marked
the dnal resting place OF its dead will have dis
appeared. The OLD Washington Scluol house
was the first frame school house erected in the
township, aud still stands and looks (yith the
occasional brushings up it has had) rs well
as any Of the other school houses in the town
ship, Of which we have som, eight or nine. The
Old school house was also used for holding meet
turra l., tI,a Il. az
and lyceums, and secml to be the central SPIT
Tor everything of public nature. Many of the
oder citizens can remember the pleasant associ-
ations connected with the old school house, and
it seems to me that there was at that time far
more hospitality and good feeling among the
people than at the present. The latch string to
every door hung out, without being curled up
as now for fear that some one will take hold Of
it and come in.
The writer can well remember when the beau
tful farms that now surround Tontogany we're
cpvered with a tall growth of Prairie grass and
covered with water great portion Of the year.
Some oftho best farms we now have, we're al
most like swamps thirty years ago. Grass pike
would come up the creeks aud work out into the
prairie along the swails for miles, aud people
often went out in tie swais to catch fish, where
now can be seen fine fields of grain, and farmers
living comfortable aud happy.
One that has not lived here any length Of time
can hardly realize the hardships and difficulties
that the early settlers endured in opening up
this part Of the county, in fact any other por-
IT,. 90 ~.'- --.--'- D,-is.~ 7 ~, safa IN saw
ing that it has been one OF the hardest anu uust
difficult counties to reclaim from state of ma.
,ure, that we have in the State, but with all the
hlrdships and drawbacks that the pioneers and
s,ttlcrs have had t, undergo. venture the pre-
diction that whosoever lives To see Wood Couu-
ty twenty-five years from now. with inl il not
oaly as among the best, but ho best agricultural
county in he State. TYSON.