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


About the year 1853 l was riding in n
buggy with the late Judge Barbee, Of Troy,
Ohio, on the plank road between Perrys-
burg and Bowling Greene Judge Barbee
was then President Of the ID. & nj. II. X.
We had started from Perrysburg togo over
a portion Of the Railroad then in course OF
in Wood county. We took
the plank road part OF the way to Bow
ling Green ~ the best route for us to get
on the line Of the Railroad where we wished
to go. When opposite MIR. James Whyte's
house, about q miles from Perrysburg,
told the Judge that in the Winter OF lS45
Mr.. Whyte built his house and moved into
it; that in the fore part OF the following
month of March | was at his house. The
water WIS then about two feet deep all over
his premises, and covered the ground as far
as one could see, in every direction. This
water was caused by rains and the melting
of snow. | further told him that Whyte
had a COW and calf, and in order to keep
the calf out of water, he had built square
pen of logs, notched into one another above
the water, and then laid floor and contin-
ued the pen high enough to hold the calf.
The poor COW had to get along the best way
she could, tramping through the water.
The pen that contained the calf was too
small to admit the COW, and it was a prob
lem how the calf would suck while the COW
was standing in the water up to her sides.
Whyte, however solved the difficulty by
erecting platform on a slant up to the
calf pen, so that the COW could go up the
platform to the pen for the calf to snck,
and stand out Of water to be milked.
When the COW was to be milkcd, and the
calf fed, he would drive the COW up the
platform. This state of things lasted sew
eral weeks before the water settled away.
| further told him that Just such rise of
water used to occur about every spring
when the snow went Off; that the water
would sometimes cover the ground until
the month of July, il there was much rain /;
that there was vcrv little land in Wood
county. cy-cpt the elevated ridges on which
crop could he raised in an ordinary sea-
son without draining it. l also told him
that had seen men and boys spearing pike
that would weigh two pounds apiece in the
ditchcs on eacl side of the road within
two miles OF Bowling Green. | further
stated that in the early settlement Of the
county, before much ditching had been
done, pike used to run in the spring Of the
year, out of the small streams emptying
into the Maumee River, and swim all over
the prairies that are now dry and in high
state of cultivation. That for months to-
gether, large fish could swim out OF the
Maumee River by following up the small
streams, and go over very large portion
OF Wood county; and that they did it; and
some were caught many miles from the
river, weighing two or more pounds apiece
The Judge stared at me with astonish
ment, being at loss whether | was stIfins
him or stating facts. He finally uttered
out: You are a crook k-crooky y-crooked
Way" Those of you that knew the Judge
are aware that he suffered a good deal il
his speech.)
Some months after this, | met him il
Spafford's Exchange, in Perrysburg, il
company with part OF the Directors Of tht
Railroad. He took pains to quietly take ;
seat at my side. In quiet, subducd man
ner he said he owed me an apology anC
would then make it. He referred to th
time when l told him the COW and fsl
story, and said he called me crooked Wa,
to express his disbelief in what said HI
told me that he had conversed with severa
old settlers about what ] had told him, AM
they said they believed it to be true. IL
said they told him they had seen larg
pike swimming over the prairics in We
times; that Seneca Sterling, one OF the mel
with whom he had conversed, told hin
that he had frequently ploughed up Who'll,
carcasses of large fish when ploughing hi
land on Hull Prairie.
Mr.. Sterling was one OF the earliest SET
tle.s on Hull Prairie, who farmed on a
extensive scale. The farm Sterling was or
=.
River or any permanent natural waite
| course.
Large fish have also been caught on til
| Kecler Prairie, and on the Prairie south
east of the Keeler Prairie, between the vii
| lage Of Portage n distance of at least fiftce
miles from the Maumce River or any mai
ural water course. Fish could have passe
up out oil the Maumee River by the smal
streams eptying into over one half or MOI
of the county, just rs easy as over the Pra
rils that have mentioned.
Mr.. John Robertson, we'll known cit
zen of perrysburg, not long since informe
me that in the winter Of 1887, he skated II
the way, on beautiful ice, from Pcrrysbur
to the house of Ralph keelcr, in Wcsto
township.
The present village OF Weston is locate
adjoining the Keeler farm. The distanC
| Mr.. Robertson skatcd on straight line,
get to Keeler's house was about II mile
The land over which he skated has bee
since drained, and is now as dry and prt
ductive rs any in the county. In the sun
Iner of 1874, | went to Findlay on hors
back, and found no serious difficulty IN g
ing through the same day | started. Du
ing the night it rained very hard an
flooded the country a good deal about Fin,
lay. started for Pcrrysburg the nel
morning, and when little north of Va
Buren,, found the whole country hoodt
with water. There was no land irol
this point to Bowling Green out OF watC
except n few ridges n few rods in exten
| About three miles north of the south line
Wood county there is a low spot OF groun
over which the road ran. The water W;
SO deep that my horse had TO swim quite
little distance TO get over it. l reachc
home the third day after leaving Findla
and put in full time each day. l haN
rode $50 miles over good road quick,
and easier than | rode the sc miles fro
Findlay to Pcrrysburg. The land alot
that road is now we'll drained, and We lac;
OF no unusual high water.
| have mentioned these incidents TO
lustrate the character of the country bcfo
it became much settled.
The fact that so intelligent n person
Judge Barbee in 1858, should doubt Il
truth of the statements l then made to hi
about the wet character of the country
an early day, has induced me to repe
these statements before the Pioneer Assoc
alton, as embracing facts that ought
have historical record. II the facts th
| have stated, land Iappeal to you old 81
tiers as witnesses Of truth could be disl
lieved by intelligent strangers to the cou
try in 1853, when the country was on
partially drained, how can it be expect
; to be believed in future time, when t
, witnesses are dead and gone, unless t
pioneers make a record OF these things?
is one of the chief objects of our Associ
ton to gather up and preserve for the
formation of those that may come after I
/ facts pertaining to the early condition
, the country. We must all admit that
have seen the time when the term Bla
: Swamp" was a reproach to our countl
> and modification to its inhabitants.
| have had the pluck to brave its terrors, a
stand its reproachcs.