Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-08-27
THE PIONEERS
Meet at Waterville on Thurs
Gay Last.
Annual Address Delivered by Hon. j.
H. Tyler ofNapoleon.

The pioneers of the Maumee Valley
met in goodly numbers at Watervillt
on Thursday of last week, the occasion
being their annual meeting. The an,
nual address was delivered by Hon. ]
H. Tyler, as follows:
Mr.. President Ladies' and Gentlemen: When
was invited by the worthy secretary of the Maume,
Valley Pioneer Association of the executive commit
tee to prepare paper to be read directly after din
ner at this meeting, occupying about onc-half hour
as he suggested for that part of the exercises, m!
frst impulse was to decline peremptorily for man,
very good reasons.
livery we'll knew 1 could not meet the antic.pa
tions and the wishes of the intelligent audience ii
attendance, especially those who have been in thu
habit OF attending the annual meetings of this socie
ty the past few years aud listening to the addresses
OF such men the late John @. Lee, whose eloquent
and siver-tongued voice has recently been silencet
by death, an irreparable loss socially and other
wise to this society aud this part OF the state. And
his absence on this platform here to-day produces
an uncommon sadness in the heart of every pioneer
present.
ment under which would labor In the conspicuous
role must assume, when 80 we'll remember lis
tening with great satisfaction, interest and profit al
our last meeting, to the ably prepared and well de
iyered addresses of the Hon. Dennison b. Smith
and the Hon. Kent Hamilton, both of Toledo.
These gentlemen knew what to do, knew how tC
do It, and then knew nov TO ten with i,S e9qaene nuen
thus honored tha society and gave character and rig
nifty to the occasion.
historical and biographical study, to prepare an ad
dress for an occasion like this that will be satsfac
tory to himself and therefore shall not try to emu
late the studied and learned efforts with which We
were favored year ago at our annual meeting, but
shan coniine myself in wnat have to say mostly tc
incidents of my county, and beg Of this intell
gent and hope, charitable folk, to make no com
parisons.
casion and especially one like this that will be ap'
propriate is like building an elegant and expensive
house, much easier to commence than to finish.
When came to the Maumee Valley nearly forty
wears ago. the period of thrilling adventure, hair
breadth escapes and the premonlions OF starvation
had passed. The canal was completed; freight and
packet boats were constantly running during thC
navigation season. The city of Toledo was at thai
time as 1t has since been one OF the best busi-
ness cities in the United States OF its size, was &C.
cessible and there could get all the OF
ife no mean fractional part of which at that period
was calomel, blue pill and quinine. the prescribed
panaceas for ague and miasmatic fevers, so preva
Isn't those days on and near the river. In TACT nc
locality bereanouts escaped those dreadin
es, those ahakines and burnings, and the poverty
and sufferngs in consequence thereof.
OF course wild turkey were more plentiful than
the tame, the deer more numerous than sheep, wild
bears had almost undisputed possession OF the
dense forests: coon dogs, If not legal tender,
were In better demand and at higher prices than
fresh COWS; the hunters harvest was almost perpet-
ual; roads were unknown In large portion ol
Henry county and those we had were almost i'm
passible great part of the time; improved farms
were few and far between. Wild cat, blue back and
red dog issued under the law by Tom Oheatem, An
drew Shylock, Jackson Swindler. and Imitation. ev'
erybody as bankers, was the worthless currency in
circulation, and which we were obliged to take III
exchange for our produce or let 1t spoil in our cribs
and wheulwe retired to @ rest @ at night WIN our poek
picturesque and beautiful paper "money" We bad
no assurance that this balloon "circuating medi.
umn would be of any value the next morning, and
when one of those banking institutions did "bust
ae we used to say, 1t was frequently very nice
question to decide upon whom the loss should fall
whether upon the holder OF the money or the party
who paid 1t out We first mad TO ascertain the noni
of the day, minutes even, when the bank closed its
doors and the bilf ceased to pass as currency. SO
you see It sometimes depended upon what time oi
day you got your dinner to determine and locate
the loss.
d Matv wears ago was the agent and attorney fol-
the proprietor or rather proprietrees for 1t was
woman, who owned the Riggs House In Napoleon
to collect the rent, monthly from the tenant, who
at that time kept this the best hotel there. George
W. Waterman, now of Toledo WIS the landlord and
usually prompt in paying rent called over some
time in the forenoon OF the day after the rent was
due and received my money fro NJ George, five dol
lar bill which was on the Bank of Tecumseh
Michigan. -,
When the packet boat from Toledo arrived a lit.
l
learned that the Bank of Tecumseh had failed bust
ed upn Immediately went to George with this five
dollar bill and told him one of the bills he paid me
In the morning was not good. He said he knew It,
then requested him to take 1t back and give me
another one in its place. "No not yet he said. He
wanted to find out what time the bank tailed before
doing that He said the bank failed before dinner
then 1t was his loss but If after dinner 1t was mine
got rather of late dinner that day, hencelost five
dollars.
SO much admired and talked about by demagogues
and politicians, and the present! We now nave the
best and safest currency of any civilized nation on
earth. And still more remarkable are the changes
which have taken place in Henry County within the
last half century. In 1887 John Powell was count y
auditor and the tax duplicate of that year made by
him In an old account book he used In his store,
and for that reason was not destroyed by ire when
the county records were burned, put Is sun IN exis-
tence, and as shown by that duplicate the assessed
4vauation of real estate that year was SS4 Sol, and
Che chattel property $31, $40 total Of $66,34i.
Since that time strip OF land two miles wide ha 8
bee taken rom the north side of the county and is
now q part of Fulton county, and three townships,
Adams "Powell's Creek" as then called--now
Richland--and Adams are now part of Def
ance county, and notwithstanding the dismember-
ment Of this territory from Henry county, the as
sessed valuation of real estate for the present year
of 1891 is O., 052 and the chattcls SS3 1885, TO-
tai of &c. GIG 499 an Increase over 1887 of $685.
StO and there iB not village in the county with
population exceeding 5000 inhabitants. There are
men and women now living in that county who
we're there before the year 1897 ami have Deheld
these great but gradual improvements in their
midst, and may they long live TO enjoy the fruit of
their pioneer labors!
The county officers 40 year ago in Henry county
were: Probate Judge, Harvey Allen; Clerk of
Courts, Dr.. A. II. Tyler; County Auditor, W. j.
jackson; County Treasurer, George Stebbins; !;
Sheriff, Daniel Yarnel; Prosecuting Attorney, Ed
ward Sheffield; Coroner, David Leist; County Com
missoners, ). David Harley, David L. Welstead and
Charles Hornung, and Paul P. Doud, the County
surveyor. OF this number DR.. A. II. Tyler, W. j
jackson. and Charles Hornung are the only survi-
yors, unless possibly, Paul Z Doud who soon after
that returned to the state of New York, and has not
since been heard of to my knowledge. Among some
of the more prominent men residing in Henry
county when first went there and who have since
gone to their long and silent homes, and many of
whom held Offices of trust in their life time, were
Hazard Strong, who, In early times, held the offices
of Clerk of Court, County Recorder, Auditor and
Surveyor. He was for long time general land
agent and knew and had been on nearly every sec
tion of land in the county. He had retentive mem
ory cultivated mind was great reader of general
intelligence and scientific attainments, and took
the Scientific American for many years and studied
thoroughly its pages with interest and was un-
commonly useful man in his day. VIM. II. Brown
ell was also O land surveyor, millwright and man
Of brains, and held the office of county surveyor.
John Powell was merchant there In early times
and traded with Indians. He was Associate Judge,
county recorder, auditor and commissioner and
Justice of the peace. James G. Haly was for long
time the leading man in his party in the county,
had been justice Of the peace, prosecuting attorney
county auditor member of the legislature, and for
10 years probate Judge. VIM. Dodd was county
treasurer and commissioner. Harvey Allen, the
arst probate judge James Durbin, civil engineer,
commissioner and attorney. Michael Connolly,
the wealthy farmer of Washington township. and
Father of Michael and james Connolly, members of
dhis society. Joseph Oowdrick, the father of John
e. Ccwdrck, a member of our executive committee,
oxxdv hn nxuag II