Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-09-04
JOHN WEBB.
Sketch of The Early Days In the Val.
Icy OF this Veteran Pioneer.

street at 2 o'clock T. NJ, on Saturday last,
Rev. g. A. Adams officiating. The ser.
vices were largely attended by relatives
aud old time friends.
Among the papers Of the late Francis
ttollenbeck, Esq., was found brief bio
graphical sketch evidently written seven
or eight yesrs ago, alta time when Mr..
Webb was in feeble health and lila early
demise was looked for. From this data
the Toledo Bee prepared one and half
columns, from which we take the following |
extract, emitting portions given in sub
stance in these columns last week
Mr.. Webb took trip east into Union
county, Pa, and there, on March s 1921
became united in marriage TO Miss Eliza
beth Charles, who was ten mont lbs his sen
ior in age. He Immediately retui ned wi b
his wife to Canton Ohio, and then went IN
To partnership with his father, having suf-
ficient neans TO bny half the tools, stock,
etc, Of the business. He remained there
until November l, 1922, when he started,
with his wife and son Charles, now living
upon his farm IN Troy township, Wood
connty,) Tor Perrysburg, arriving at his
destination on the 9th Of the same month,
after passing through many difficulties
while en- route.
lie frst went with his family and house
hold goods, to Portland (now Sandusky
Guy by wagon, expecting to take a vessel
there for the M,umee river. but no vessel
was there. Leaving his goods there to he
shipped forward ut The first opportunity.
he, with his wife and child took horse
boat Tor "mnd scow") for Lower Sandusky
(now Fremont) where, by previous mr.
rangement, lie net his brother Thomas
Lincoln Webb then young lad) with Two
horses and a side-sadj!e. Thomas X. Nc
Knight "a brother-in-law Of Mr. Webb.
who had come from the Maumee river to
meet lhem) and Mrs Webb rode the
horses and carried the babe. while Mr..
Webb and his little brother Lincoln, and
man by the name of Hawley (who had
been waiting for company through the
swamp followed on foot.
Starting from Lower Sandusky, they
went down The Sandusky river two miles
and then took the trail for the West, arriv-
irg on the night of the FIRST day, ut "the
crossing" of the Portage river, now Gilmore.
The trail was well beaten, aud tins was the
only place where the river had a rocky
bottom and could be iorded. The next day,
they came through 10 Perrysburg, striking
the river at Rock Bur, about one and one
half miles below the town. AT that time,
no wagon had ever traversed the swamp"
Perrysburg was entirely mninhabited, ex-
cept by beasts and birds of the forest. and
"rhe Future Great had not been con-
ceved.
After leaving Lower Sandusky the soli--
tary travellers discovered no hahitaton I'M
til they reached "the crossing" now FL
moTc,) where there was one log CABIN
where the wayfarer might be fed and shell
tered over night, for at that time il WIS i'm
/ practicable to journey overland from Low
J er Sandusky TO the Maumee river in one
day. The next habitatiOn they met with
was that of Victory JeniSon, on the south
bank of the Manmee River, IN the bend
: below the present site of Perrysburg. ii,
!; had made little clearing about his cabin
/. hut cultivated small tract of bottom
:, land which had probably been formed by
[. the alluvium OF the river and had never
l. been grown over with timber or brush. Al
!: that time Mr.. JenIson WAS supposed TO b,
}; "squatier." but he WAS soon aferwart
= compelled to purchase OF a nonresident il
r order 10 secure title. John Noel ant
+ Thomas Leaning were living in small
: cabins in the bushes on the hillside, ol
I. what afterward became the farm of Judg
David Ladd and cultivated a portion O
n the bottom lands at the foot of the hill.
N The town Of Perrysburg had been sur
,t veyed and plated by the United State
Government in 1917, five years prior I
d Mr.. Webb's arrival, but at that time n
as one WAS yet living upon 1t, and no porto
of it was at that time cleared, excepting il
O. lot No, 144, now occupied by the residenc
Ii of the late Francis Hollenbeck, an
:, the logs from The felled timber were pile
.e. upon it, intended 10 lie used by Thomas
to Mcknight for the erection OF dwel!in
sc Mr.. Webb took mp his quarters III a sma
frame building standing at The bottom
at the hill at the mead of the bayou and nei
the extension OF West Boundary sire
w tknown as Green Lane) over the 1ai
er He, with his family, thus became The fir
as inhabitants of the Perrysburg town pa
,- Al this time, Messrs. Thos. r. McKnigl
Aurora and Samuel Spaford, Jacob al
e James Wilkison, Mrs Omansandione 9th,
X. person, resided al Orleans Of the North,
as village located on the fats, under Fo
N, Meigs hill. Immediately after his arriv;
Mr.. Webb aided in erecting Mr.. NJ
Knights log residence on IN lot l44, carr
ing up one of the corners, and ''chinkin
and "dnubing" the structure, and N
-, Mcknight moved into it the tollowi
wv spring (lS23
X The county seat was then nj Perrvsbui
and Thos. X. Mcknight was Clerk ot 4
n Court, but the first terms uf court We
held At Maumee. for the reason that the
~ wa, no building in Perrvshurg IN WIN
|e- to hold them. Subsequently, three or fo
his terms were held in the second story of
90. warehouse at Orleans, owned 10y Jo
~, Hollisier. IollisIer, nj that time, iv
r"' in Maumee, but owned the warehouse, {
to. cnpying The ground fl 'or as store r"or
ny. afterward he removed these goods To
l., building IN which he was doing II reli
:. business at Orleans.
ms Soon after his arrival Mr.. Webb fit
ry, up a shop for the manufacture OF hats
the basement of his dwelling, but did u
of commence working At his trade until Is.
being unable to sooner obtain the nect
~ sary tools. lie manufactured the first HI
ever made in the Maumee Valley, and I
only other establishment Of the kind
the West was one nj Detroit. The mt
iall he purchased three rods front on I
north side OF Front street, at the head
Wy Walnut street, extending TO the riv
where he at once pui upa log shop,
rk basement of which ia still plainly discer
able upon the river bank. He CONNIE
VI" ceh business in this building In 1924, II
worked indusiriou-ly there for about thl
,rk and one-half years paying, with the p'
,,l ceeds of his labor, for the tract on viii
IT. his shop stood, and also for The lot
ne which he afterwarl erected the DWELL
nc In winch he died. Both of these r.
ng. estate purchases were made from s,
I;s Dnane.
w In the autumn Of 1922 Samuel Spafi
VI commenced preparations for the elecl
ilh of The Exchange Hotel which he comp
ted and moved into dnrng the next (.
md coming down from Orleans. which will,
NV WAS being Abandoned for higher groui
ere owing To the river floods. Abont the sa
od, time Judge Thomas NV. Powell, late
md Delaware, o., erected the dwelling
,oh Front street. afIerwnrd purchased and {
~ cnpied by Mr., jonathan Perrin. Fr,
IN" this lime buildings continued 10 he ere
'li- Ell here and there over the iown plai, n