Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1913-10-31

e Nm blown to the beach two
l. NV apple trees which have
but frail footing at the &%ti>
ombankments edge the last reminders of
q once thriving and popuous place will
have been swept away. WH&e
Almost seventy years ago the hamlet W
Of St John was founded by named NJ
Hetinger and few of his followers NJ
The site chosen commanding one "
on the bluff overlooking the lake and
onehalf mile east of the point where the north
western depot at the Village of Highwood now
stands. The great clay bank with the stretch of
sand beach which shelves away to the waters edge
at its foot looks as If 1t were strong enough and
lar enough removed from the breakers to be safe
against the angriest northeaster that ever blew.
The men who built their houses upon the plain
surmounting the embankment thought their foun-
cations were as sure as though founded on the
traditional rock They did take the precaution,
however to limit their building operations on the
east by line drawn fifty yards from the edge OF
the bluff. That line has long since been buried in
the sand under the waves and with 1t are the
houses and the shops of the early settlers.
In the year 1S45 the Village of St John was the
rival OF Waukegan which then called Little
Fort Both were prosperous and both were grow.
Ing. Highwood tradition hath 1t that people pass
Ing through the two places from Chicago declared
that st. John showed the ear marks of success and
that it was destined to be big city. Other people
beside the Chicagoans thought so, too and they
hocked to the place and built substantial houses
and shops The two apple trees which alone
John grew in the yard Of Sebastian Richards.
whose house was farther removed from the
lake than any other in the village. The apple
trees were back OF the residence. Not long ago
the foundation of bricks which was all that
was left of Richards dwelling. slid down the
blun into the lake during the height of win
ter storm. The roots of one of the apple trees
are even now extending into the air through the
side of the embankment. One good strong push
would send it hurtling to the beach 100 feet
below.
Among the names of the builders of ST. John
In addition TO those of Hettinger and Sebastian
Richards, the only that the Oldest High
wood inhabitants remember, are Frank
Mitch. Peter Baker and George Shepard. Mitch
was shoemaker and it is said that he is still
following the trade in town in the far north
AS far as is known he is the only survivor of
the men who founded the Village of st. John
In the year lS47 there were several stores,
blacksmith shop. tavern and postonice in the
Village of st. John, which then held popula-
tion of about 200 people In that day there was
stage coach line between Chicago and Mil
Taukee. The tavern at st. John relay
station for the stage. Henry Mowers. who
members the village in its latter days. says
that the tavern was noted for its table and its
liquor. and that people frequently took the stage
journey from Chicago for the sole purpose Of
getting good dinner and a good glass.
1t was man who intended becoming resi-
dent of st, John that afterward founded the
Village of Half Day. He had looked over the
lakeside village, and then had declared that he
would establish one that would last longer and
had more people in 1t. The automobilists who
every Sunday pass through Half Day on their
runs to Waukegan and return may look the
haifdozen houses there assembled and know
that the man who turned his back st. John
has kept his word
When the Chicago and Milwaukee railroad was
built the surveyed line ran one-haf mile west
OF the Village of St John. An adequate idea
\ Of the importance of place of which now bare
y vestige remains may be had when 1t is
Inn that thn
line running to the south edge of the town.
Some of the practical residents of the place had
discovered that excellent quality of brick
could be made from the clay which was found
In pit short distance south OF the blacksmith
shop AS matter of fact, the presence of this
brckyard was of the chief reasons that the
branch line of the railroad was built When
Uncle Sam accepted from the Commercial Club
Of Chicago the land to the north of the city as
military reservation the soldiers drew hun
dreds OF carloads of both good brick and broken
brick from the site OF the old brickyard and
used the material for temporary roadmaking
and for the filling in of swamp spots. The fore.
thought of the ST. John people In leaving be.
hind them specimens of their handwork saved
the United States government great many
dollars.
1t is possible to trace today with no difficulty
at all the embankment upon which the branch
line OF the railroad to the brickyard and to
the now lost Village of St John. In size and
outline 1t looks like military redoubt and It
would perfectly answer the purpose OF one The
embankment was leveed at its western end
when stores were erected In the Village OF High
wood. 1t starts from a point almost direct
ly back Of the little Methodist church. and runs
eastward, broken only by roads which have been
dug through It.
1t was less than ten years after the founding
OF st. John that the people awakened to a posi-
bio danger to their homes by the encroachment
OF the waves of the lake. II ts true that thew