HANCOCK COUNTY
Page
867
HANCOCK
COUNTY was formed April 1, 1820, named from John Hancock, first President of
the Revolutionary Congress. The surface is level; soil is black loam, mixed
with sand, and based on limestone and very fertile. Its settlers were generally of
Pennsylvania origin. Area, about
540 square miles. In 1887 the acres
cultivated were 169,013; in pasture, 44,809; woodland, 77,310; lying waste,
1,569; produced in wheat, 567,704 bushels; rye, 38,264; buckwheat, 764; oats,
491,677; barley, 1,376; corn, 1,667,873; broom-corn, 2,000 pounds brush; meadow
hay, 26,271 tons; clover, 10,351
bushels seed; flax, 2,839 pounds fibre; potatoes, 74,601 bushels; butter,
686,107 pounds; sorghum, 3,544 gallons; maple syrup, 16,598; honey, 14,803
pounds; eggs, 647,165 dozen; grapes, 11,445 pounds; sweet potatoes, 363
bushels; apples, 10,435 bushels; peaches, 486 bushels; pears, 652 bushels;
wool, 206,987 pounds; milch cows owned, 8,316. School census, 1888, 11,316; teachers,
274. Miles of railroad track, 129.
Townships And Census |
1840 |
1880 |
|
Townships And Census |
1840 |
1880 |
Allen, |
|
1,025 |
|
Madison, |
|
1,232 |
Amanda, |
490 |
1,474 |
|
Marion, |
707 |
987 |
Big Lick, |
431 |
1,261 |
|
Orange, |
314 |
1,451 |
Blanchard, |
629 |
1,286 |
|
Pleasant, |
252 |
1,866 |
Cass, |
588 |
829 |
|
Portage, |
675 |
914 |
Delaware, |
532 |
1,455 |
|
Richland, |
332 |
|
Eagle, |
524 |
1,284 |
|
Ridge, |
479 |
|
Findlay, |
1,024 |
5,553 |
|
Union, |
637 |
1,876 |
Jackson, |
631 |
1,338 |
|
Van Buren, |
432 |
907 |
Liberty, |
592 |
1,101 |
|
Washington, |
830 |
1,945 |
Population
of Hancock in 1830, 813; 1840, 10,099; 1860, 22,886; 1880, 27,784, of whom
23,102 were born in Ohio, 2,209 Pennsylvania, 270 New York, 252 Virginia, 143
Indiana, 35 Kentucky, 882 German Empire, 89 Ireland, 76 France, 64 England and
Wales, 47 British America, 11 Scotland.
The
central and southern part of this county is watered by Blanchard’s fork
of the Auglaize and its branches.
The Shawnee name of this stream was Sho-po-qua-te-sepe,
or Taylor’s river. We state on the authority of Col. John JOHNSTON
that Blanchard, from whom this stream was named, was a tailor, or one that
sewed garments. He was a native of
France, and a man of intelligence; but no part of his history could be obtained
from him. He doubtless fled his
country for some offence against its laws, intermarried with a Shawnee woman,
and after living here thirty years, died in 1802, at or near the site of Fort
Findlay. When the Shawnees
emigrated to the West, seven of his children were living, one of whom was a
chief. In the war of 1812 a road
was cut through this county, over which the troops for the Northwest
passed. Among these was the army of
Hull, which was piloted by Isaac ZANE, M’PHERSON and Robert ARMSTRONG.
Findlay in 1846.—Findlay, the
county-seat, is on Blanchard’s fork, ninety miles northeast of
Columbus. It contains one
Presbyterian and one Methodist church, one academy, two newspaper printing
offices, thirteen mercantile stores, one foundry, one clothing, one flouring and
one grist mill, and 112 families. A
branch railroad has been surveyed from Cary, on the Mad river railroad, to this
place, a distance of sixteen miles, which probably ere long be
constructed. Findlay derives its
name from Fort Findlay, built in the late war by James FINDLAY, who was a
citizen of Cincinnati, a colonel in the late war, and afterwards a member of
Congress. The fort stood on the
south bank of Blanchard’s fork, just west of the present bridge. It was a stockade of about fifty yards
square,
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868
with
block-houses at its corners and a ditch in front. It was used as a depot for military
stores and provisions.
About 9 o’clock one dark and windy night in the
late war, Capt. William OLIVER (now of Cincinnati), in company with a
Kentuckian, left Fort Meigs for Fort Findlay, on an errand of importance, the
distance being about thirty-three miles.
They had scarcely started on their dreary and perilous journey, when
they unexpectedly came upon an Indian camp, around the fires of which the
Indians were busy cooking their suppers.
Disturbed by the noise of their approach, the savages sprang up and ran
towards them. At this they reined
their horses into the branches of a fallen tree. Fortunately the horses, as if conscious
of the danger, stood perfectly still, and the Indians passed around the tree
without making any discovery in the thick darkness. At this juncture OLIVER and his
companion put spurs to their horses and dashed forward into the woods, through
which they passed all the way to their point of destination. They arrived safely, but with their
clothes completely torn off by the brambles and bushes, and their bodies
bruised all over by contusions against the trees. They had scarcely arrived in the fort
when the Indians in pursuit made their appearance, but too late, for their prey
had escaped.
The
town of Findlay was first laid out by ex-Gov. Joseph VANCE and Elnathan CORRY,
in 1821, and in 1829 relaid out, lots sold, and a settlement systematically
commenced. In the fall of 1821,
however, Wilson VANCE (brother of the above) moved into Findlay with his
family. There were then some ten or
fifteen Wyandot families in the place, who had made improvements. They were a temperate, fine-looking
people, and friendly to the first settlers. There were at this time but six other
white families in the county besides that of Mr. VANCE. Mr. V. is now the oldest settler in the
county. For the first two or three
years all the grain which he used he brought in teams from his brothers’
mills in Champaign county, about forty miles distant. To this should be excepted some little
corn which he bought of the Indians, for which he occasionally paid as high as
$1 per bushel, and ground it in a hand-mill.
There
are some curiosities in the town and county worthy of note. At the south end of Findlay are two
gas-wells. From one of them the gas
has been conducted by a pipe into a neighboring dwelling and used for light. A short distance west of the bridge, on
the north bank of Blanchard’s fork, at Findlay, is a chalybeate spring of
excellent medicinal qualities, and from which issues inflammable gas. In the eastern part of the town is a
mineral spring possessing similar qualities. Three miles south of Findlay is a
sycamore of great height, and thirty-four feet in circumference at its
base. Ten miles below Findlay, on
the west bank of Blanchard’s fork, on the road to Defiance, are two
sugar-maple trees, thirty feet distant at their base, which, about sixty feet
up, unite and form one trunk, and thus continue from thence up, the body of one
actually growing into the other, so that each lose their identity and form one
entire tree.—Old Edition.
FINDLAY,
county-seat of Hancock, about 85 miles northwest of Columbus, about 45 miles
south of Toledo, is on the L. E. & W.; T. C. & S.; and I. B. & W.
railroads. The largest natural-gas
wells in the world supply manufacturers here with fuel at a nominal cost;
private consumers pay fifteen cents a month per stove while in use, and for
illuminating purposes five cents per month per burner. Oil is abundant, is piped elsewhere, and
some refined here.
County officers in 1888: Auditor,
William T. PLATT; Clerk, Presley E. HAY; Commissioners, Isaac M. WATKINS,
George W. KROUT, Calvin W. BROOKS; Coroner, Jesse A. HOWELL; Infirmary
Directors, James M. CUSAC, Alexander R. MORRISON, WM. R. McKEE; Probate Judge,
George W. MYERS; Prosecuting Attorney, James A. BOPE; Recorder, John B. FOLTZ;
Sheriff, George L. CUSAC; Surveyor, Ulysses K. STRINGFELLOW; Treasurer, Andrew
J. MOORE.
City Officer in 1888.—Wm. L.
CARLIN, Mayor; Jacob H. BOGER, Clerk; Jacob HUBER, Treasurer; J. W. BLY,
Marshal; Jas. A. BOPE, Solicitor; Godfrey NUSSER, Street Commissioner.
Newspapers.—Courier,
Democratic, Fred. H. GLESSNER, editor and publisher; Jeffersonian, Independent Republican, A. H. BALSLEY, editor and
publisher; Gas-
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869
Top Picture
GEN. JAMES
FINDLAY.
Bottom
Picture
Drawn by
Henry Howe in 1846
FINDLAY,
1846.
This shows
the central part, including the Court-House, which occupied the site of the
present structure.
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870
light, E. D. LUDWIG, editor; Republican, Republican, E. G. DeWOLF,
editor; Star, Independent, HAMMAKER
& BEECH, editors and publishers; Wochenblatt,
German Democratic, WEIXELBAUM & HEYN, editors and publishers.
Churches.—1 Roman Catholic, 1
Lutheran, 1 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Disciples, 1 Evangelical, 1 Presbyterian, 1
Reformed, 1 Congregational, 1 United Brethren, 1 English Lutheran, and 1 Church
of God, sometimes termed the Winebrennarian Church. The church of God College is located
here.
Banks.—Farmer’s National,
Peter HOSLER, president, J. G. HULL, cashier; First National, E. P. JONES,
president, Charles E. NILES, cashier.
Manufactures and Employees.—The
Union Brass Co., brass goods, 13 hands; Findlay Woollen Mills, woollen goods,
25; BUSHON & CRAWFORD, sash doors, etc., 9; PALMER & ARNOLD, flour,
etc., 6; Findlay Lumber and Wood-working Co., sash, doors, etc., 12; W. H.
CAMPFIELD & Son, sash, doors, etc., 12; The Eagle Machine Works, general
machine works, 4; A. BOEHMER, Excelsior, 5; E. B. HARTWELL, handles, 8; The
Columbia Glass Co., table-ware, 177; The Western Rapid Type-Writer Co., type-writing
machines, 12; Geo. E. GOBRECHT & Sons, architectural iron work, 4; Findlay
Rolling Mill Co., bar-iron, etc.,
113; The Findlay Window Glass Co., window glass, 113; C. D. HAYWARD
& Co., planing mill, 15; Buckeye Window Glass Co., window glass, 50; The
Findlay Iron and Steel Co., bar-iron, 126; W. P. DUKES, sash, doors, etc.,
7; The Bellaire Goblet Co.,
goblets, etc., 312; DALZELL, GILMORE & LEIGHTON Co., table glassware, 270;
Model Flint Glass Co., crystal and colored glass, 192; Findlay Clay Pot Co.,
glass-house pots, 12; Findlay Hydraulic Pressed Brick Co., pressed brick, 115;
Findlay Stave & Handle Co., handles and heading, 25; Findlay Church
Furniture Co., church furniture, 9; Findlay Table Manufacturing Co.,
dining-room tables, 63; VANCE & BIGELOW, sash, doors, etc., 12; Ohio
Lantern Co., lanterns, etc., 43; VINTON, JONES & WERNER, castings, 6; J. J.
BRADNER, bee-keepers’ supplies, 3; David ROUND & Son, chains, 31;
SHULL & PARKER, sash, doors, etc., 32; FUNK & LATSHAW, tanks, etc., 5;
ADAMS Brothers, general machine work, 35; American Mask Manufacturing Co.,
masks, 45; Findlay Iron and Boiler Works, boilers, 22; WALTZ, BARR, & Co.,
grain elevator, 3; The LIPPENCOTT Glass Co., lamp chimneys, 130; John SHULL
Novelty Works, ironing tables, etc., 8; McMANNESS & SEYMOUR, rakes, 31; The
Ohio Window Glass Co., window glass, 50; McMANNESS & SEYMOUR, linseed oil,
4; 102; The Findlay Bottle Company, bottles, etc., 102; David KIRK, flour,
etc., 12; The WETHERALD Wire Nail Co., steel-wire nails, 136; Ireland and
McCOUGHROY, oil-well tools, etc., 8; The HIRSCH-ELY Window Glass Co.,
window-glass, 52..—Ohio State
Report, 1888,
Population,
1880, 4,633. School census, 1888,
3,404; J. W. ZELLER superintendent.
Capital invested in industrial establishments, $329,500. Value of annual product,
$741,000.—Ohio Labor Statistics,
1887. Census, 1890, 18,674.
GEN. JAMES FINDLAY, from whom Findlay was
named, was born in Franklin county, Pa., in 1770, of an eminent family. “About the year 1795 he removed to
Ohio, by way of Virginia and Kentucky, eventually settling in Cincinnati. There he for a number of years filled
the position of receiver of public moneys in the Land Office. In 1805-6 and in 1810-11 he served as
Mayor of Cincinnati. In the war of
1812 he served as colonel of a regiment, and was present at Hull’s
surrender of Detroit. For his
meritorious conduct in the war he was shortly afterwards promoted to the rank
of brigadier-general of the Ohio State militia, in which capacity he served for
a considerable period. He erected
Fort Findlay, from which Findlay was named. Naturally reserved in manner, he
presented to strangers an air of austerity, but he was the soul of kindness and
geniality; had great decision of character and an unsullied reputation. He died in Cincinnati in 1835.
There died at Findlay, May 12, 1856, at the
age of 68 years, ANDREW COFFINBERRY.
He was born in Virginia; came to Mansfield about 1808; after the war he
studied law there with John M. MAY, and then for nearly half a century
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871
he
practiced in nearly all the counties of Northwestern Ohio, beginning with their
organization. He was, says KNAPP,
conspicuous among the old-time lawyers of the Maumee valley, and beloved by his
professional brethren and by all with whom he came in contact.
He obtained the soubriquet
of the good Count COFFINBERRY by reason of his kindly nature, genteel address
and extra ordinary neatness of dress.
When traversing the circuit from county-seat to county-seat, the journeys
always being on horseback, he carried considerable apparel. From his resemblance to the German Count
or Baron Puffendorf, he was sometimes called Count Puffendorf. Many comical stories are told of
him.
In 1842 the count came before the public in the role of
a poet in a small volume printed by Wright & Legg at Columbus. It was entitled, “The Forest Rangers: a Poetic Tale of the
Western Wilderness in 1794, connected
with and comprising the march and battle of General Wayne’s army and
abounding with interesting incidents of fact and fiction, in seven
cantos.”
The scene of the book is of course the “Black
Swamp Region,” the Maumee country, wherein the words of the poem:
“Mustered strong the
Kas-Kas-Kies, Wyandots and the Miamies, Also the Potawatamies, The Delawares and
Chippewas, The Kickapoos and Ottawas, The Shawanoes and many
strays From almost every Indian
Nation, Had joined the fearless
congregation, Who after St. Clair’s
dread defeat Returned to this secure
retreat.” |
The main subject is the story of the capture, captivity
and final rescue of the maiden Julia Gray and the wedded Nancy Gibbs. The poem gives personal narratives,
dialogues, Indian speeches, drinking-songs of Waynes’s soldiers,
death-songs of savages, etc. It
also describes natural scenery wherein Hog creek for the purposes of euphony
appears under the name of “Swinomia,” thus:
“From Blanchard to
Swinomia, he Hied o’er to see, who
there might be. |
To make it true to nature the illiterate frontier characters
speak their own vernacular in doggerel rhyme. For instance, Mrs. Nancy Gibbs, who
states her “maiding name was Nancy Jarred,” in describing her
courtship by Gibbs, says:
“His ways was all so
dreffle nice, What maiding could reject
the splice?” |
The book stretches out for 200 pages, and is such a
curious conglomeration of intensely realistic jingle, and as a whole, is such a
strange eccentric conception that any allusion to it in the presence of those acquainted
with it seldom fail to bring a twinkle in their eyes. His old friends on the bench and at the
bar, and they were a host, at the time of its appearance, now nearly half a
century gone, enjoyed it hugely, for it brought the good count and his oddities
so vividly before them.
THE GAS WELLS
OF FINDLAY.
In our first edition as among the curiosities of this
region we said, “At the south end of Findlay are two gas wells. From one of them the gas has been
conducted by a pipe into a neighboring dwelling and used for light.” The public did not imagine that the
little obscure town stood over a great reservoir of natural gas and petroleum,
which, on discovery, was to render it one of the most famed spots geologically
considered on the globe. The
following history of its discovery and the development at Findlay up to May 20,
1887, is copied from carefully prepared articles by Mr. Frank B. LOOMIS,
published at the time:
The tendency of people to grasp with frantic eagerness
every business or social sensation that presents itself is powerfully
illustrated by the widespread interest which the recent discovery of natural
gas in large quantities has attracted.
A few years ago no geologist or practical driller would have advised a
friend or patron to put down a well in Western Ohio. But conditions change with dramatic
celerity in this country, and today Northwestern Ohio is the scene of an
intense and contagious excitement.
A few days ago the largest gas well in the world was
struck near Findlay. Its daily output
of gas is 20,000,000 cubic feet. There are in the aggregate forty-five wells in
and about Findlay. Together they
pour forth 100,000,000 cubic feet of gas daily, an equal amount in heating
capacity to 3,000 tons of coal.
The Ohio natural gas is said to be richer in heat
producing properties than the Pennsylvania gas by fifteen per cent, according
to the tests and estimates of scientific men.
There is a very important and significant geological
fact in connection with the Ohio gas and oil discoveries. Both fluids come from the Trenton
limestone, a widespread
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872
Zay, Photo,
Findlay.
FINDLAY IN 1890.
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873
formation of the lower Silurian age. In order that gas or oil may be given
forth in valuable quantities there must always be some structural peculiarity
in the Trenton limestone formation so that an arch will be formed to serve as
storehouse for the fluids to accumulate in. The town of Findlay, which is the centre
of the gas region, is built over such a fold or arch in the limestone. The western extremity of this arch is
coincident with the north and south line made by the Main street of Findlay, so
that a well may be drilled anywhere east of that street, and dry gas will be
found in abundance at a depth of about 1,150 feet. A person cannot dig a cellar or well
without setting some gas free, and it is said, in jest, that difficulty is
found in setting fence posts on account of the pressure of gas from beneath.
The people of Findlay saw indications of gas for half a
century without suspecting the remarkable treasure underlying them. One man in the town, a German physician
named Charles OESTERLEN, read the signs with an intelligent and prophetic
eye. Forty years ago he became
convinced that and enormous reservoir of natural gas lay beneath the town of
Findlay. He told his belief and was
scoffed at—men called him the “gas fool,” and until 1884 he
was regarded as a vain dreamer. But
patience and perseverance at last prevailed, and three years ago he succeeded
in organizing a stock company to drill for gas. The well was a successful one, and when
the gas gushed forth with a panting roar and shot a column of flame sixty feet
into the air, people were alarmed for a time. But the faith of Dr. OESTERLEN was
vindicated and the truth of his theories established.
Findlay was a small and almost unknown town when gas
was struck. It took a year for the
news of the wonderful discoveries to spread, and it was not until 1886, when
the great Karg well, with a capacity of 15,000,000 cubic feet daily, was
struck, that the attention of the public was arrested by the developments and
possibilities at Findlay.
The great Karg well was discovered on January 20, 1886,
by a boring of 1,144 feet. The gas
was conducted forty-eight feet above the ground through a six-inch pipe, and
when lighted the flame rose from twenty to thirty feet above the pipe: with a
short pipe the flames ascended to the height of sixty feet. The gas leaves the well with a pressure
of 400 pounds to the square inch, and with so much force that it has raised a
piece of iron weighing three tons more than 100 feet above the ground.
It is difficult to imagine the magnificent effect of
this burning well at night. The
noise of the escaping gas which, at the rate of forty million cubic feet per
day, is like the roar of Niagara or like the thunder of a dozen railroad
trains, drowning all conversation.
On the nights of the first winter it was opened the ground was frozen
and the people not being used to it within the radius of half a mile were
disturbed in their slumbers, especially when there was a change of wind. The sound under extraordinary conditions
of the atmosphere had been heard fifteen miles away, and on a dark night the
light reflected on the clouds discerned for fifty miles.
Prof. G. Frederick WRIGHT, who visited on an evening a
month after it was opened wrote: “Although the snow had covered the
ground to a depth of several inches, in every direction for a distance of 200
yards in circumference the heat of the flame had melted the snow from the
ground and the grass and weeds had grown two or three inches in height. The crickets also seemed to have
mistaken the season of the year, for they were enlivening the night with their
cheerful song. The neighborhood of
the well seemed also a paradise for tramps. I noticed one who lay soundly sleeping
with his head in a barrel, with the rest of his body lying outside on the green
turf, to receive the genial warmth from the flame so high up in the
air.” Cold as it was he slept
in perfect comfort, with no danger of suffering so long as he was within the
charmed circle.
The daily amount of heat from this single well is said
to equal that from the burning of one thousand tons of soft coal.
The cost of drilling a well is about $1,500, but gas is
supplied so cheaply to consumers that no one thinks of drilling a well except
for a factory or mill. The city
owns a number of fine wells and has pipes under all the streets. Gas is furnished to consumers for
fifteen cents a month for each grate or stove, and the consumer is permitted to
burn as much or as little as he chooses.
The gas has a distinct and penetrating sulphuric odor,
so that it safer for household use than manufactured gas, as it cannot escape
without being quickly detected. Gas
is a great luxury as a fuel. There
is no smoke, dirt or expensive manipulation connected with it. It is easily managed and burns with a
beautiful blue flame that emits an intense heat which never varies in degree.
There was a great deal of speculation in farms in the
gas belt, and one agent told me he had sold the same farm ten times. Hundreds of farmers have been made rich,
but I cannot think they have gained as much in contentment as they have in
wealth. One odd character sold his
farm for $75,000 and came to the town to live. He brought with him three strapping
daughters, and this strange quartet, in garments cut in styles that were
popular a quarter of a century ago, wander about the streets in a helpless and
hopeless sort of way, wondering what to do with their money now that they have
got it. The land which Senator
SHERMAN paid $30,000 for has advanced in three months to $150,000 in value. The population of Findlay has grown from
5,000 to 15,000 in a year.
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874
THE GREAT NATURAL GAS JUBILEE.
On the second week in June, 1887, three
days—Wednesday, Thursday and Friday—were given to celebrating the
first anniversary of the practical application of natural gas to the mechanical
arts in Findlay. It was on the 9th
of June, 1885, that the Biggs Iron and Tool Company first welded iron and steel
together in Northern Ohio with natural gas. It was a novel occasion—the first
jubilee of its kind in history.
“Forty
thousand visitors poured into the town to participate in the natural gas
jubilee. The bustling city was
ablaze with light and decorations, radiant in all the glory of flags,
evergreens, bunting, and flowers.
The main street was spanned by fifty-eight arches, bearing jubilant
mottoes illuminated by the flame of thousands of gas jets. Thirty thousand such jets were burning
all over the city and turning night into day. The first day (Wednesday) was devoted chiefly
to the reception of distinguished guests.
On Thursday morning the exercises consisted of the laying of the
corner-stones for four new manufacturing establishments, in addition to those
which had been laid the day before.
Early in the day Senator John Sherman and other dignitaries arrived, and
in the afternoon Gov. Foraker, accompanied by Adjutant-General Axline and
staff, and the regular army officers who were to act as judges of the military
contest, reached the city, and were accorded a most hearty reception. Other arrivals were about 1,000
uniformed members of the Knights of Pythias from Springfield, Toledo, Dayton,
Cleveland, Sandusky, Bluffton, and other points, all accompanied by bands of
music. The $1,000 prize drill,
later in the day, attracted 5,000 spectators.
“All day
long the burning gas on the street arches flared in the light rains. It was cheaper to let it burn than to
employ men to put it out and light it again. In the evening there was a grand
banquet, at which appropriate addresses were made by Senator Sherman, Gov.
Foraker, Charles Foster, Murat Halstead, Gen. Thomas Powell and others. The evening’s illumination was a
grand success. Hundreds of sheets
of flame leaped from the arches, and the brilliancy of the burning gas flooded
the city in a blaze of light. A
continuous display of fireworks was made from seven o’clock until
midnight, while 70,000 people packed roadway, walks, windows and roofs, and
manifested in repeated applause their admiration of the spectacle. Friday, the last day, was occupied with
processions, military parades, prize drills, band contests at the Wigwam, the
laying of various corner-stones, and of the first rails of the belt and
electric railroads; the festivities concluding in the evening with the awarding
of prizes and a display of fireworks.
In the drill the first prize of $1,000 was won by the Toledo Cadets,
while the State University Cadets won the second prize of $500, and the Wooster
Guards the third prize of $250.”
MT. BLANCHARD is 10 miles southeast of
Findlay. It is on the line of the
C. & W. Railroad. It is in a
fine farming and wool-growing district, and oil and gas are found in
abundance. Churches: 1 Methodist
Episcopal, 1 Methodist Protestant, and 1 Presbyterian. Population in 1880, 285.
MCCOMB is 85 miles northwest of Columbus, 40
miles south of Toledo, and 116 miles west of Cleveland, on the line of the N.
Y. C. & St. L. and McC. D. & T. Railroads. It is surrounded by fine farming
lands. Oil and natural gas are
found in abundance. Newspaper: Herald, S. B. DAVIS, editor and
publisher. Churches: 1
Presbyterian, 1 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Disciples, and 1 German Lutheran. Principal
Industries: Manufacturing handles of all kinds, planing mills, etc. Population is 1880, 417. School census, 1886, 337; H. Walter
DOTY, superintendent.
ARCADIA, on the L. E. & W. and N. Y. C.
& St. L. Railroads, is 9 ½ miles northeast of Findlay. It has 1 Methodist, 1 Presbyterian, and
1 Lutheran church. Population in
1880, 396.
VANLUE, on the I. B. & W. Railroad, 10
miles east of Findlay. Population
in 1880, 364. School census, 1888,
142.
VAN BUREN is on the T. C. & S. Railroad,
7 miles north of Findlay.
Population in 1880, 130.
BENTON RIDGE is 8 miles southwest of
Findlay. Population is 1880,
179. School census, 1888, 96.