Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-08-14
WOODBURY..
JkRkr CRY. Arousr s. l!

JERRY City, ArGusr s, 1874.
Ed. JoURsAL:-Many Of your readers will
remember large fran. house that formerly
stood in the southeast corner OF Liberty town
shir, known as the "Old Woodbury. House."
This old building marked the site of what was
to have been the town of Woodbury.. The pro-
ject Of buildin! the town was undertaken by
New York Company, represented by their agent
GENERAL THOMPSON,
who was just the IN IN to undertake the project
of building a town iu the then swamp and
wilderness. The General was wild aud vision
airy in all his plans, as one Of his ideas will
s,rvs TO illustrate. His plan for keeping a road
from getting muddy, was TO roof the road
and thus keep of the rain. Yet with all Of his
failingS he was a MN OF cons iderabIe e1ecu-
tive ability.
THE SITE
fer the town was mt well chosen, as a stream
of considerable siz, passed through the center
an the whole towi was often badly q ,oded
THIS tn, General undertook to remedy by
digging ditch along the sIuth and west side
of the town to head off the water, but as he had
NJ ontlot he soon found this plan to be failure.
Nothing dlunted by the q ,ods he proceeded
with tbs building, three in all, one a stable,
one a he we'd log bull ling that served as n sto re
room, and the other WAS intende for tavern
stand-3JKH with a wing to serve as 4 kitch-
en-, aud celler under part Of the house that
WAS always full Of water. This building must
haYe cost large amount of money, and WAS
one OF the first frame houses in the county
Having completed the buildings, the General
went to Columbus to secure the
"coUSrY SEAT"
for the new town. Petitions were circulated
AMI quite nun irousiy signed, which were en-
trsstsi with the Postmaster. Jo. Thomp.on, to
forward to the Capitol at the right time. Jo
Thought II would do as well to cut the headings
OF Of all the petitions, save one, and paste all
the names 10 that one. When they arrived in
Columbus they were thrown under the table
and the General returned home. He was conf
dent, had it not been for this blunder he would
have succeeded. When we remember that
Perrysburg then lad but few buildings in
the woods, aud Bowling Green unknown, his
chances were probably much better than might
be supposed at first thought.
S"on after this the town was abandoned the
tavern stand could not be rented the Thomp
con boys drank freely and were not competen
to attend to the store: the store room wal
afterward used for blacksmith s shop, and thu
tavern stand was used for dwelling house b,
different families. This old house had an vent
ful history which, il written, would occupy
much space and do no credit to its occupants
who were generally Of the worst aud depravet
class. The house got the unenviable reputA
tion of being haunted, and fifteen years ago
frst-elass ghost story respecting it was pub
lishsd tn the Perrysburg JOURNAL. But som'
eight or niue years ago the fire fend" did il
work and now nothing remains of the tow
save what lives in the memory Of men Of brigL
hopes and blasted prospects Of visionar
iudividuals-whO were looking forward to rail
road eenters, county seats, a thriving inlan
city - and an old well which is valuable as
stock we'll, as il never goes dry. ADoLPnUs.