Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-10-29
MUDDY MAUMEE.
Frogs, Tndpolcs, Swnmps ana Dogs.
n. ID. NJ. TO tho Rescue.

IN MAuMEE,
! feel like coming like M angel In dis
guisr (very mucl, Disguised, allow, )tothe
relioi of the city of Toledo, NJ far Rs one
cslumny ia concerned. Whenever the
tongue III envy aud mSlice sess fit 10 wng
nj the ,Sp,nre ui that lair city, il mutlcrs,
"frng~, ""ta'lpolrs," "swnmps aud bogs."
ln iii. way 'lule,lu has become possessed |
uf reputation that is not Just, aud has II |
character given her that does her grirvous
wrong.
This reputation uwcs it's existence to the |
fact that ihc railroads run inio Toledo ON
tho river bottoms, nnd the first thing that
the visitor secs are the back-et-, the frog
ponds aud low, murshy lands uf that re-
ginn. The location Of the station and Is
land House tccpenS the impre'son made
Ivy these approaches that the town In on
low mud swampy ground, bnt the impress
siun Ia not correct.
Tolcdo il nearly all upon high ground,
all the residences and the business portion
streets are broad, clean aud dry. Summit
street. which lies along the river front, n
well-pnvcd md handsome street, lined
with fine business blocks in one part and
handsome residences in another, overlook
ing the Maumee, crowns II high bluff.
II Toledo does have some marshes on
one sile OF her, they are much TO be pre-
.errcd, | think, to tie Millureek bottoms
that sometimes when the wind is sou'west
Ivy SOU, send their odorp DER the city Of
Cincinnati, causing slight seismic disturb
anccs in the Gastric regions Of the inlabi-
tants.
THIS reputation, too, attaches largely in
the popular mind, TO the Maumee river.
Th0re ia a general impression derived from
the jokes at Toledo, that il isa swampy,
sluggish, ugly stream. The fact is there
is not more beautiful stream in the coun-
try than the Muumee above Toledo.
will not attempt TO describe il. When you
90 TO Toledo ride in carriage along the
smooth roads, under the great trees and
through the pretty villages that adorn the
high green bluffs overInnging the lovely
stream and see for yourself.
| And no river III the land crowds the rec
objection with more historical events,
proud, tender, pathetic, heroic aud terrible.
1t was the battle liue OF fierce anil saw age
warfare for more than one hundred years.
English, French, Americans and Indians
split one another's blood along its banks,
and murders and massacfes and bloody
ambuscades and battles give dark signif-
icanco 10 its name that only its beauty can
dispe.
Here are the ruins Of Fort Miami, be-
yond are the runs Of Fort Meigs, opposite
the historic town OF Maumee City, furlh er
down is the site Of Fort Industry. Beyond
Mnumee is the scene OF the massacre of
Dudley's Kenluckians. Beyond that ia
the battlefield Of Fallen Timber and Tur-
key Foot Rock. all in plain sight. and fur
ther still are Fort Defiance and Fort
Wayne,
In the recollection arises such names rs
Frontenac, Tecumseh, Proctor, Mad An
thony, Harrison, Dudley, Hull, johnson
and Croglan, the intrepid boy defender o.
Fort Stephenson.
II there is anything In the way Of naiu-
raj beauty or historic association in the
Msumee valley that you don't see yon cal
ask for it.
BY the way, il you look on recent map
E for Maumee city you will not find it
1 Where il should be- you will find "Soutl
, Toledo" Just think OF that change ant
the amount OF intelligence it bespenks 70
e the people Of South Toledo. Maumee
3 the sweet old Indian name, sacredly lis.
= iorc, and giving the pretty little village I
name all 10 Itself in the hlatory OF its coun
= try, changed TO South Toledo. 'roledo' i,
n bad enough tor a cily, with thousand
s American historical name. TO clioose from
but South Toledo! Well
Upon green lawn in Maumee, up",
:, the bluff from which the British balierie
poured shot and shell into Fort Meigs OF
% % the opposite side of he river where yo
!, see the roofs aud spires Of Perryshurp
II stands a tall, large tree. In crotch Il
r the limbs twenty-five or thirty feet fror
4 the ground is imbedded big block Of wou
- stained by time aud decay. That bloc
II placed there in 1873 is the only monumeii
e to one of Tecumsehs ssvhgcs, who wa
81 pos ed in the tree, shooting at the Ameri
u cans when they had TO venture down I
T. the river, thus comirg within range,
n Kentucky sharp shooter in The font put
laundering Ing charge in his gun, got
IN bead on the Indian. pnt bullet lhr"mg
r. his head and Mr.. Indian hurriedly alight
- ed from the tree with duh thud.
= The distance from the Sliarp.hooier I
Ie the Indian was nscrrtnined TO be- cIncil
re one mile The Indian was badly kille,
ID but what became Of the Ken'ucki,n nj III
er other end Uf the flint lock l have neve
l. heard.
r However, il struck me that the reaiit
v Of poetic justice would lie illustrated
y That historic block, IN that historic tree, i
10 the historic village ot Maumee, should i
Is ~ fall which soOn must occur drop Oh II,
* pate Of the man who changed the name /
Is South Toledo"
o. AgsIn, the change outraged the mus,
f"r has not MaunIee been embaln,d
song?
k Have not we all sung, or heard SUM
, how
"Thc potatoes they grow small
la Mnumee
: The potatoes ilay grow small
In Maumee (;
The potatoes they grow small,
And they eat them tops and ali,
r. In Maumee, in Maumee."
Imagine the effort Of singing:
"The potatoes they grow small
In Sonili Toledo p
Maybe the change was made to get ri
h of that song; but it will never work
" Besides the Indian story picked u
6 there some other stories OF the dark an
bloody days, and to show that they cam
from about as reliable source az d
y most old time "Reminiscences" and Ger
tury Magazine war stories, | will say IN.
informant was deaf and dumb nut
who was present when Frontenac estat
| lighal Fort Miami in IRQn, 4