Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-07-07

In lolf the United states Government
sent an agent TO lay out q town at the foot
OF the Rapids. He sounded the river from
this point to its mouth, and made careful
examination of the banks and surrounding
country and located the town on the south
bank Of the Rapids. The town was named
Perrysburg (by Hon. Josiah Meigs, then
Comptroller Of the Treasury of the United
States,) in honor Of Commodore Perry
This territory was then included within the
limits Of Logan county, with the county
seat at Bellefountain, and so remained un-
I'll the year 1920 By this time the settle
ment at tue foot Of the Rapids had 80 in
creased in numbers that their rights de-
mauded county-seat with its opportunities
for business at their homes, as the theory
Of our law is, that every man shall have
justice at bis own freside.-
COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
Before speaking directly of the organize
ton ofWood county il may not be improper
to go back and review the county organiza-
ton out Of which Wood county wss formed
The first county organized after the treaty
OF Greenville out OF the territory Northwest
OF the Ohio river, was Wayne, properly
named after the victorious General who
had broken the savages' power, which sought
to stay the westward progress of civiliza-
ton. This county was organized by an
act of the territorial legislature passed Aug.
18th, 1875. This was an extensive county.
The line bounding it commenced ut the
mouth of the Cuyahoga river on Lake Erie
and run with said river to the Portage, be-
tween it and the Tuscarawas branch Of the
| Muskingun thence down the said branch
% the forks Mt the carrying place above
Fort Lawrence, thence by west line to the
D. IA 4 Il
by west northerly line to the southern
point Of the Portage, between the Miami of
the Ohio and the st. Mary's river, thence
by n line also west northerly to the south
ern point Of the Portage between the Wa
bash and Miami of Lake Erie, where Fort
Wayne now stands, thence by line west
northerly To the most southern point of
Lake Michigan, thence to the northwest
point thereof thence by due north line to
, the territorial boundary in Lake Superior,
and with the said boundary, through lakes
Huron, st. Clair and Erie to the mouth Of
the Cuyahoga river, the place of begin
| ming" including in its limits the greater
part Of the State of Ohio, all of Michigan
and part of Indiana, and of course includ-
ing within its jurisdiction the territory out
| OF which Wood county was subsequently
organized.
The next county which contained within
| its limits and under its civil jurisdiction
the territory out of which Wood county
was organized was the county of Logan.
! The act creating this county was passed
Dec. 80, 1917, and after particularly de-
scribing its boundaries it adds: And also
! including the United States Reservation at
the foot of the rapids OF the Miami of Lake
Erie, and all crimes committed within the
| 4 L l.
having been committed within said county
of Logan.
WOOD COUNTY.
! Wood county was organized by an act of
! the Legislature of the State of Ohio, passed
! February 18th, 1920 and took effect April
| lst, following. The act provided, that all
that part Of the lands lately ceded by the
Indians to the United States, which lies
! within this State, shall be erected into four
! teen counties to be bounded and named as
follows: No. IL, to include all Of ranges
nine, ten, eleven and twelve north of the
/ second township north h. said ranges, and
to run north with the same to the State line.
and to be known by the name of Wood. -
This included the county Of Lucas with the
exception of two small fractions taken from
| the counties of Henry and Ottawa. The
| two counties remained united until by act
of the Legislature passed June Goth, 1885.
the county of Lucas was formed with the
first county-seat at Maumee City
! In the formation of Lucas county all that
part of Wood then lying north of the Mau-
NEE river was severed from the original
county of Wood The channel of the river
thereby becoming the boundary between
the counties. By the act providing for the
original organization of Wood county, the
counties of Hancock, Henry, Putnam,
Paulding and Williams were attached to
the county of Wood to ie main until other
wise provided by law At their meeting on
the 4th day of March, 1922, the county
commissioners organized the county, and
the territory attached to its j irisdiction
into two townships, Waynesfield and Au-
giaize. The township of Waynesfeld was
made coextensive with the counties OF
Wood and Hancock, and the township OF
Auglaize included the counties of Williams,
Putnam, Henry and Paulding.
Maumce City remained the seat of Jus.
tice Of Wood county, and the Courts were
held at that place, and the other county
business was there transacted fr0nnthe or.
ganization OF the county in the year 1920
until the year 1923. The ~. az
FIRST TERN or THE COURT OF CoNdox PLEAs
in the county was held in thebupper story
of Almond Gibbs store house, commencing
on the Sd day of May 1920 and closing on
the 5th. The room having been previous
ly rented for the purpose by order of the
County Commissioners at their first session
which was held on the 18th day Of April
1920.
Under the judicial system then in force
in the State of Ohio, the Court of Common
Pleas, consisted OF four Judges, one presid
ing Judge, and three associate Judges. Geo
Todd was the first President Judge of the
District, including Wood County, and held
this term of Court, with Horatio Conant
Samuel Vance, and Peter Over his asso
ciates. The associate Judges brought their
Commissions into Court with them, and there
took the constitutional oath of office, and
thereupon the first Court of the county was
opened in due form Of law As would
necessarily be inferred from the short time
Court was in session, no business of impor
tance was transacted. Thomas r. Nc
knight WAS appointed Clerk, and c. J. No
Curiy Prosecuting Attorney. The Sher
III having returned the writ to him directed
requiring him to summon fifteen good anC
lawful men to serve as grand jurors, anC
their names being called, the Prosecuting
Attorney challenged the whole array which
challenge the Court on consideration sus
tanned, and ordered the Sheriff tn summon
full jury from the by-standers." there
upon the following persons were empannel
ed, charged and sworn as the
FIRST GRAND JURY OF THE COUNTY.
William II. Bostwick, Aaron Granger, Johr
f. Baldwin, NJ Plum, Aaron Spatford, Jer
cmiah Johnston, William Pratt, Richard
Gum, Collister Haskins, Ephraim A. Lean
ing, Josephus Tilon. Daniel Murray, Johr
Hollister, Norman +. Freeman and Johr
Jay Lovett. William II. Dostwick was ap
pointed foreman.
This Grand Jury found -four bills of IN
dietment, two tor assault and battery, one
for resisting the Sheriff in the execution o.
his Office, and one for resisting a Consta
BILE in the execution Of his office against
the Same person. The two indictments fol
assault and battery we're tried and the de
PENDANTS convicted. The other two were
continued and at the next term of the
Court on motion of the defendant, were