Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-03-05

all the way ne tOund the ground covered
with water.
When he got tired and wanted to rest, ho
had to look for some fallen tree top or
| high log to rest his grist on to keep il out
| of the water. As laborious as his task was
to provide the family with meal, those Of
them remaining at home were in the agony
Of fasting, waiting with solicitude for his
return for their suppefs. He performed the
trip the same day. This was in the year
1885. Such energy and pluck as was ex-
hibited in the boyin taking the grist TO mill,
| has M ade the man one Of the wealthiest and
best reputed in his township. To show
what changes have been wrought since
then, / will state that the farm on which
Mr.. Skinner then lived has, within a few
years past, been sold for 500 per acre.
ANY one who has passed over the direct
road from Perrysburg to Bowling Green
within few years, cannot help noticing
that the farm aoove described as occupied
by James Whyte in 1915, ia one Of the
most productive tracts of land in the
County of Wood, in all seasons, whether
wet or dry The owner of tie farm
adjoining the Whyte farm, to my per-
sonal knowledge, has refused 800 per
acre for his farm. 1t is no better than the
Whyte farm, except that it has better build
| ings.
1t is we'll known with everyone familiar
with Wood county, that mJst Of the land
along what is commonly known as the Nc
Cutchenyille road, and what is commonly
called the Findlay road is now in high
state Of cultivation, and very productive
nearly every year. Yet, previous TO the
year 1914, when the system Of drainage was
commenced for months together during the
season of the year when crops should be
growing the land along the road between
| Perrysburg and the south branch of the
! Portage river (l6 miles) was entirely COW
cred with water, from inches to about q
! feet in depth, except the narrow ridges; in
| all, not making more than thrce-fourths Of
a mile of dry land. The same can be said
I OF the land along the Findlay road, between
Perrysburg and Bowling Green. There
were only two ridges on this road, not
amounting together to mile iii length,
! that were not covered with water the same
/ depth as along the McCutchenville road.
THE BLACK SWAMP.
! 1t is no wonder that the country got the
name of "the Black swamp" and yet
/ Spdmp was an inappropriate name for it.
! 1t had none of the characteristics Of a
swamp, except that of water, and that wa
ter at times disappearing
The ground was not spongy or miry.
| When the water settled away, as it would
invariably during the dry months of sum-
mer and fall, the ground would then plow
up we'll and present every appearance of
being in good condition for cultivation. The
great and marked feature of the country
was, that the whole surface of the ground
was one broad water course, or that there
was no water course ut all.
A great part of Holland, the richest agri-
cultural country in the world, was reclaim
ed from the overflow of the sea by sys-
tenn of dyking and ditching. Northwestern
Ohio has had one obstacle less TO overcome
than Holland. 1t had no tide or waves to
encounter; but in place of them the rains
and melting snow would food the earth to
such an extent that with the imperfect
drainage that existed the water would be
so long getting of the ground that the land
was entirely unfit for cultivation. 1t might
have been covered with water the entire
year as well as to have been covered part
of the time, and that part of the time enI-
bracing the growing season, so far as cult
vation was concerned.
If Northwestern Ohio has had one obsta-
Gle less than Holland, it has had less help
to do its work. While the overhowed land
of Holland was reclaimed at the expense Of
} |
swamp lands of Northwestern Ohio were
reclaimed at the individual expense OF the
owners, after paving the government this
full price Of dry land.
DRAINING THE LAND.
) The beginning of reclaIming the We
lands in Wood county by system of drain
age was made in the year 1874.
In that year Turnpike Company wal
, organized under charter obtained from
e the Legislature, to construct a turnp;k,
: road from Perrys5urg to Finilay. Some
little work was done on it in the fail of tha
9 year.
In the winter of lS45 an act was passed
authorizing the County Commissioners o
4 Wool county to purchase that part OF tn,
turnpike road lying in Wood county, anC
4 to pay for the same by special tax upoI
| the lands supposed % be particularly bene
e fitted by its construction. There was
: two-fold object in view in constructing tn,
road, namely, to drain the adjoining lanC
: BY bitches on each side, and to make
i road-bed of the earth thrown out of tn
i bitches.
6 The experiment succeeded in draiHin,
II the adjoining land and making ii fit 70
cultivation, that the system was followed
d ZIP by constructing what is called the Nc
c Cutchenville road in the same way. Th
o Otsego and Hancock Free turnpike was tn
!. next road in order of construction BY spe
II cial tax. A general system of free turnpike
= was then organized and carried out by levy
= ing a tax on the lands on each side Of tn
e roads for the purpose of cutting bitches t
= drain the lands for cultivation and make
: road-bed.
d The adoption of the new constitution il
/ 1850 cut of the power of the Legislature t
! construct free turnpifes oy special taxation
y y as was done before bat the drainage wa
q continued on, under what is termed th
u ditch law and road improvement law.
!. This plan Of drainage was at great ex
:: pcnsc to the owners of the land. 1t, how
;, ever, proved etiectual 10 diain the countF,
u properly for all purposes. | am glad t
. saw that I am unable to give the exac
a amount in dollars and cents that have al
a ready been expended; for if should Civ
> the correct sun, it would be so large that
: would hardly be credited without the pro
: duction of the county records. Our singl
Il ditch-No. l2-commonly called the Bi
( Ditch, is 10 feet wide on top, 25 feet wild
- at bottom and q feet deep, portion Of il
length cost about $4,000.
The different county bitches constructe
e by special assessments in Wood county 10
outlet drains amount to great number
y ranging in cost from $4,000 down throug
y all the different number Of thousands.
= = The aggregate length OF those construct
N N ed previous to 1872 is !, 400 miles hav
- not the number OF miles constructed since
y = hut the work has been going on the same a
70 previous TO that date. -
.' As an Offset for these large expenditure
I we have slready one Of the most prodnctiv
e counties in the State, and are still pushing
h- our improvements to make it better.
y The experience we have had in reclaim
"a ing our lands correspond with the geners
le experience that the most valuable thing
1e cost the most labor. The general charat
~ ter Of the soil is such that, when proPerl
d drained, continued tillage does not exhau'
n it. 1t is porousenough to let the water an
Is. air pass into it without liability to deter
OF oration from teaching, In most countriS
| Il. =. IL. a. g.,