The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-09-08

wolves howl ana SNDJ one WIG F;s,-
worked many a day in chopping and
rG.lira logs, and spent the night in burn
ill.,. lnlm, Took corn to mil, had to give
ON. fourth for toll, could not get it ground
fine enough, but used some for bread and
the balance for hominy. We also had what
MAS called grated meal. DO not know that
| regret the hardships of pioneer life
| had piece OF land at the time but il
looked hard Rev. Allen once told me.
when he made me visit that if he did not
know how the Lord settled the earth, he
would wonder what brought me here.
Some years after | came here | could
name ali the people in the town. | still see
the Carlins here, men who have been
friends to me IN my poverty. L had no
money when came here and the CarlinS
trusted me, and l dealt with them for
seven years. and they never asked me for
money. II had any gave ii 10 them, if
not il was all the same to them As
Methodist preacher, have travelled all
over Northwestern Ohio, and have found
nn actrcr place than this county
Squire Carlin said lac did not expect to
make Il speech, rs II WAS not in him, but
he would tell little something about the
early settlement of the county, / think if
il had not been for the abundance of grain
the settlement could not have been made
came to the county in 1926. Wilson
Vance and funny were the only white res
idcnis of the town
There were ii few persons Twin" III
the vicinity. Mr. Lake and some Others
lived al what is nov Mt. blanchard, bG:
there were no houses between here and
that place The MckinniscS and Pncs
with some others had made IA settlement
down the river.
/ came here first aS an adventurcr, try
inr to make a living by trading with
Iuiiuus There Was not much agriculture
here AT that time, not enough produced To
sustain the then sparse population, and
the cmigrants who were coming in. We
went Ia Bcilcfountain West Liberty. and
Crbana for tiuIr If we h:td no bread. we
did not regard ii rs much of a hardship.
Never wore shoe until was twelve
wears old, nor hat till ! was fourteen
Did not want them. Have been without
hrs.ah for "A month at "a time. Bought
cattle and drove them 10 Michigan. Rode
many a day i;hou; anything tO ca, sim.
plv because il could not he had. Have
: 1 down To tables In eat, when the entire
h,ll of fare consisted e.. hGtici-mi!k ans!
.rce;.s.
Corn had lu hc raiSc'i with the hoe
almost entirely. a. the ground WIS too
full uf roots iuT p!"Ning III, Indians
mad Il town "a Biz II r.nt~, aui one a.
| Ottawa, Those vino ,.,inc, from iopv 10
1870 and slave,l and cica.ed NJ iiriT land
are now pr,tiy well oil.
Roads were 81 bad that three yoke -;
| E, atile CoulJ no, ia'ii H. muc!, a. can nov
| | & hauled by two horses II Nnuid tax,
| team week 10 90 TO PER-, sburr AMI
back. We mad to pay 81 - per hundred
for hauling from Pcfryshurg to here.
II was then thought that "a woman who
nut six yards oi calico into dress, Wa
| rather cXlrdva"ant. Now it takes from
eighteen to twenty yards There is now
more than %iu0 in The county TO whcr,
there were - at that time. The Sccand
wear after came here the streets were full
of trees | thiuk Hancock county j,
dbnut as good as any place | have been in
The meeting then adjourned TO tlIC
court house grounds where IN old fashion
ed picnic was held Plenty to cat anC
engaged by a'. After an hour spent il
pleasant conversation, and "A revival of old
| friendship. the meeting WAS again calleG
to order, and Edwin =. Jones. Of Illinois
who came tu this county in 1926 and who
was the ilrst Treasurer of the county
elected ai Il general election, was intro
ducccd and made quite lCn-iiy Speecl
recountin" With carnc"tnc. ana vi"idncSs
his recollection OF the early history OF tho
county Spoke of his early life as
pioneer here. in his travels in the county
and the hardShips aud hnppincSs the test:
and The pleasures Of early settlements.
At the close of Mr JOncs's speech, y
u Bcardsicy read a paper. on the histor,
of our early county, giving pen pictur'
of some of the principal cities therein.
Mr. ShcpIefd responded to a call By
| saving that he need not get in the plat
form, rs he WAS tail enough to be seen b.
all without Said he came To the cOunt'
in 1S2! al the are of fifteen years. and i
now resident of that part of Hancock
county which WAS cut of at the formation
of Wyandot rOuniy.
After raising Il crop of corn, il wa
almost impossible to save il from tn
innumcrahlc number of Crows and Squir
rcls. by housein- the corn in the loft o
our cabin house, we could protect il from
these enemies. We had coffee, and whea
bread once or twice q week, and when tn
Methodist preacher came around, had 4
graie corn for meal to make bread. AN,
also 10y pounding il on block prepare,
for that purpose.
Some of the settlers were in Suc; desti
nation that they had 10 take the seed pOta
toes out Of the ground to eat.
Went fishing at FmdIay, and one of tia
Dartcy not wanting to wade, and hIvin.
some money, he proposed to furnish tn
whisky If we would do the wading
waded and :aug songs until got ven
drunk.
George /. Poe said ne couid not make
speech. He did not feel able to tail
pioneer 10 day. When Il hoy if we 20
our shoes by Christmas. we thought v,
were well off. Boys did not know wha
boots were
Henry Byal responded 10y saying that b,
was not speaker That he came TO Ia.
county III lS.i2. Had been hard times bu
always had enough tO eat. THINKS an,
one who was industrious could live well
! Have visited the west a number of time
and have seen no place as good rs thi
county. Made bread by cutting the corr
on plane and mixing with potatoes anc
pumpkins, made good bread Was .
hard county to improve, and vet need
Improvements Nathan Frakes one o
our nearest nCiChbO-s was great fighter
bnt ut one time got whipped, went hom
and told his wife that he had got whipped
and there vas no Use fighting snv more
and iiiry had better JOIN the church aat
temperance society, which they according
ly did and lead christian lie
Joseph JOHNSON said he co.lf not .rc
hiS children 10 believe the hardSliils o. a.
carly settlers. Said he was one OF fbe ne,
, sons VINO helped to build the first s.bo5
house, and chopped the trees eif IN
ground, where The Court House now sian,is
samuel Howard was called. but excuse
himself from speaking.
The meeting was one % unusual Interest
and all seemed TO en Joy themselves hugely
The Secretary stated that the first chlrc
p erected in Hancock County was vet st..nS
f ing on the farm Of Richard Dukes. j
Blanchard township. Mr.. Dukes ofTere
tO donate the building and ou. acrr Z
ground 10 the Pioneer Association. prov,
ed they would fiX it up and use the b,lii,