The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-07-14

of timber fOr building purposes in Fire Land On
the south shore OF Lake Enc, and his family the
fir, % remove hither for settlement The log
ho..se in which this family OF seven persons lived
i described by Hr. Flsm Ward a built of hewn
locs I2xI5 feet, one room, the roof OF bark the
floor Of hewn log, large chimney oi Siones'
sticks and mud projecting out Of the zoe
Of the house and admitting llSht
from its large opening. This house was Standing
in 1S2s. when the farm was purchased by Caleb
Hathaway. In $50 NJ HOsIner Merry cane mo
the toyguship and located about one ana "ne-hi1ii
miles below this town and moved his family tiiere
-be -avt wear Mr.. Kneeland IOWilseiit'
sf.or1- this tine bought the Norm Mi4s-i
tract and reinoved here some year later FROM
this time till the war OF lsl2 the settlement o. the
tovnsbiD Was rapid. IN that year there were
t,yeurv-thr,-e families. and forty persons capable
Of bearing arms. From lsl2 70 lsl6 immigration
-gas interrupted. The inhabitants were III con-
stan; fear oi th. British and oi hostile Indians Who
acre .l-ti.ated by the British "a commit Geirt -
tuIl~- Hou>.-, were burned and some lives were
taken. Rev. EvertOn JudsOu. the author OF the
narrative in the Historical Collections OF Ohio.
writes from the time OF General HUH, surrender
OF Detroit 10 the British, which occurred in Au-
gust, ISL, TO the naval victory of Commodore
Perry on Lake Erie in September OF the following
year, the inhabitants were in constant apprehen
sion for their personal safety. The signing Of the
breeze and the discharge Of the hunters rife alike
startled the wife and the mother a She trembled
for her absent husband or her still more defence
les little one. During the interval General 81.
men Perkins Of Warren, with regiment oi
militia, was stationed AT Fort Avery, a fOrtiiica
ton hastily thrown up on the cast bank OF tho
Huron River and a mile and One-half north Of tho
town and on the land now owned by Mr.. Geo.
Edgar and known as the Kline farm. But the
inexperiencc of the soldiers and the constant
presence OF scouting parties Of Indians, rendered
the feeling OF insecurity scarcely less than before
Some left the settlement not 10 return till peace
yas restored. Those who remained were often
cornpeIled To seek safety in the Fort make
sudden flights into the interior OF the State, or
toward Cleveland. During the naval engagement
the smoke OF the battle was seen and the roar OF
artillery heard, and at its close the inhabitants
not vet learning OF the American victory under
Commodore Perry, and mistaking the British
prisoners OF war loaded at Huron for British
raiders, hastily prepared for flight. some hiding
their goods and Others in wagons and on horses
carried necessary articles. David Abbott and
family and others directed their course toward
Mansfield. The mistake was discovered and they
retraced their march. With the return of peace in
lsl5 prosperity was again restored to the settlers
and immigration increased.
INDIANS.
Whether the mounds and enclosures, circular
and angular found in this township were the
work OF race skilled in the arts and scientific
people as some have inferred, is doubtful But
from the earliest recollection of white settlers the
valley of the Huron River was fGvorite resori
with several OF the Indian tribes, chiefly the Della
wares and Ottawas. These fertile lands and
hunting grounds abounding in game, inviting
them hither. The Indian settlements extended
a la 1afra r.sr
of the last century the MOravian Church began
a mission among these Indians and called it New
Salem afterwards known as the Abbott Settle
ment. This mission was probably branch OF the
one on the Muskingum River, and consisted of q
hand Of Christian Indians and their missionary
Tiezberger, who had been driven from place tC
place through persecution OF the whites They
were compelled TO leave this spot also through
the hostility OF Pagan Indians, and removed &c
Canada In 1904 portion Of these Indians re
turned under missionary named FredericE
Dencke or Dircke, and settled on the spot wherC
Milan now stands and called the place PequOtt
ing. At the time of the survey of theatre Lands
in 1907, considerable progress had been made in
the missionary work. The whole number o
dwellings as seen by the earliest settlers was six
teen. The house of the chief, whose English
name was David, stood on the lot occupied by the
late J. F. Adams, and was afterwards a shelter fOi
some of the earlier white settlers and called the
mGH-trdp. The house OF the missionary was III
the rear of the Presbyterian church, and also the
chapel, which was surmounted with a bell. Be
tween the wears 1907 and g. in consequence of en-.
croachments by the whites. part OF these Indians
returned to Canada. OF their subsequent history
we have no knowledge. The aborigines are fas'
passing away and even their mounds and graves
viii soon all be extinct through the mighty
power OF civilization.
MILAN.
Mr.. Ebenezer Merry came into the township in
lSlI and in lSl6 laid out the town of Milan. lie
erected Touring mill and saw mill which were
of great service to- the settlers, who had been
compelled 10 take their grain i'll open boats fifty
miles down the Lake for grinding, or il was carried
on the shoulder for miles 10 the interior through
the trails, marks on timber. In 1919 there were
a numberO of houses in the town. The same year
the first stock OF goods was brought into Milan by
Williams. Hopkins and Hinman. large distil-
lery was erected by W. L. Mason and Moody
Mears- In 1Szl and Mr.. Joe VI. Choatc set in
operation a carding machine and fulling works.
Mr.. Needham STANDARD, afterwards firm OF Stand
art IL Hamilton, opened a store and did an extens-
i've business for years. MeSsrs. Ralph and George
Lockwood, who had trading store at Gibbs
Corners, Norwalk, removed TO Milan and sold
goods i'll double dwelling house, painted red,
just west of the Paint Mill. Mr.. Ralph Lockwood
erected dwelling house west OF the residence Of
Kneeland Townsend. which was burned. He
was pOstmarter of Merrys Mills, as the Office was
then designated, and remained seventeen years
in that office. Mr.. Henry Lockwood who came to
NOrwalk in 1917, began the hating business i'll n
large store in 1924 and carried on an extensive
business. a man highly esteemed by all yho knew
him. The Lockwood Block; afterwards burned.
was built in l27. In lS3 there were ten stores in
the place OF those who did business at that time
and a few years later, none are now Ill active
business among us but Mr.. J. G.. Lockwood who
began merchandising in 1856 The first hotel was
built by +. w. Fowler on the lot southwest corner
the site OF the Town Hall, now in process of cree
ton, was opened in 1924. From these facts about
trade and travel il is evident that Milan was hav
ing steady growth
COMMERCE,
As early as 1875, efforts were made by the citi-
zens OF the county for building Il harbor at the
mouth of the Huron River company was
formed and work began in 1921 1t was finished
by government appropriations and under govern
ment control There were but TWO sd'hOoners on
the Lake in 1924 and one steamer, the Superior.
which contained most OF the machinery OF the
old Walk in-ihe-Water, originally built at Black
Rock, i'll ISIS. David Abbott built
Abbott" loaded her went through Lake Erie land and
the Erie Canal after unshipping her masts, TO New
York City, sold his cargo, reloaded and returned,
II. \. Jenkins also built at Lockwood's Landing.
the Louisa Jenkins" At this landing, on the
river Just below Mr.. Y. Fries ship yard, wheat
was brought and shipped to Buffalo. In ISIS the
legislature of Ohio granted charter to form a
TO build a ship canal from Merrys mill
pond to the nayigable waters of the Huron River,
a distance of about three miles. Books for sub
scriptOns to the capital stock were opened in ISL
and the same year directors were elected, viz:
Ebenezer Merry EbeneZer Andrews George Lock
wood, Daniel Hamilton and F. W. Fowler. The
work was begun in 1852 and prosecuted vigorous
but OWING NaIii tiilsiN ANA 1iicf al
lay oi SS coo was Completed al iSs. On the fourth
lay of July the first vessel floatc'l i'll the cInal
which could be naVi=atcd by schOOncrs of from
TWO hundred To two hundred and nifty tons bur
len. That Was ii great day for the people of Mi
AN. The event deserved celebration. Early
IN the day, says Judge Fowler, the people of
The village and the surrounding country assem-
Dled in front of the Presbyterian church to the
number OF five hundred, formed in a column,
headed by fine band Of music and under the es-
,ort oi the orator of the day and reader of the
Declaration of Independence, and the firing OF
cannon. marched through the village and des-
ended the hill 10 the wharf where the schooner
Newame. Capt Moran, lay, In behalf of the
adde's Miss Maria Butman presented the captain
with the national colorS, then as many could
DC accommodated went on board and Others on
lighter and went down the canal and returned.
4 repast was prepared by Jennings ana Kline,
lrOpTietOrs of the Eagle Tavern. After dinner
he ladies retired and the gentlemen gave toists
md drank of the O-be-ioyfuP 10 their hearts
ontent" That was great day for Milan, thirty
even years ago to-day, none like II till this pres
nj Centennial anniversary, and the laying OF the
cornerstone OF the Town Hall and none like to he
ike it till the locomotive whistle shall echo
through the Huron Valley. This" says Peter
Hathaway; Sr., ''was the most important epoch in
Erie Co" 4 market WAS AT once opened Tor ag-
icultuEl products. Il powerful stimulus ana I'M
'etus was given TO all indiistrlal Interests snip
,uilding became great business; Erie County, be
ause of her harbors became thoroughfare for
N immense commercial traffic; wheat found a
ash market in amy quantity and at moments
rom seventy and eighty miles south of Milan.
The road down to the warehouses was AT times
Imost impossible and the public square often
,acked with teams" Some days six and seven
teamers have departed with grain. A few facts
mong many that might be given viii illustrate
he amount of business done by the canal The
otal receipts from canal tolls over Sl02 600.
The dividends to stockholders $4,000. The valuO
Il exports in lSi4 WAS SS25Oo0 mostly OF wheat
nd flour The value of imports for the same
car S63OOO0. In 1873 there were g. 200 bbls of
alt imported. In 1876 slaves were shipped to the
lumber of S7S 900. In 1856 40 600 bushels of grain
we're exported and the aggregate of grain ship
nents in eleven years, from 1853, was nearly five
Millions of bushels. Ii Will be remembered
hat railroads began to draw the business from
he Milan market about 1850 and in 1854 the c. X
!. r. Il. had tapped all the southern thorough
arts leading Ia Milan. In view of this great and
Important withdrawal of trade il is remarkable
hat the business of the canal was so large The
rOwth OF Milan was very rapid in ten years. be-
Isf n g,,I I