Ohio Counties
Adams
Historical Collections of Ohio
By Henry Howe
Vol. I
©1888
HENRY COUNTY
HENRY COUNTY was formed April 1,
1820, from old Indian territory and named from Patrick Henry, the celebrated Virginia operator of the Revolutionary
era. Area about 430 square
miles. In 1887 the acres cultivated
were 102,558; in pasture, 5,377; woodland, 49,895; lying waste, 1,064; produced
in wheat, 487,986 bushels; rye, 80,539; buckwheat, 1,319; oats, 303,186;
barley, 14,787; corn, 938,584; broom corn, 275 lbs. brush; meadow hay, 10,945
tons; clover hay, 4,670; potatoes, 59,647 bushels; butter, 435,113 lbs.;
sorghum, 6,338 gallons; maple syrup, 1,037; honey, 9,131 lbs.; eggs, 598,334
dozen; grapes, 2,967 lbs.; sweet potatoes, 17 bushels; apples, 22,883; peaches,
706; pears, 456; wool, 40,811 lbs.; milch cows owned, 5,480. School census, 1888, 8,337; teachers,
225. Miles of railroad track,
80.
|
Township And Census |
1840 |
1880 |
Township And Census |
1840 |
1880 |
|
Adams |
188 |
|
Marion |
|
1,202 |
|
Bartow |
|
1,064 |
Monroe |
|
1,148 |
|
Damascus |
489 |
1,415 |
Napoleon |
609 |
4,504 |
|
Flat Rock |
476 |
1,701 |
Pleasant |
|
1,773 |
|
Freedom |
|
1,235 |
Richfield |
83 |
857 |
|
Fredonia |
105 |
|
Richland |
542 |
|
|
Harrison |
|
1,372 |
Ridgeville |
|
1,119 |
|
Liberty |
|
1,946 |
Washington |
|
1,249 |
Population in 1840 was 2,492; in
1860, 8,901; in 1880, 20,585; of whom 15,721 were born in Ohio; 712 in
Pennsylvania; 457 in New York; 181 in Indiana; 145 in Virginia; 17 in Kentucky;
2,106 in German empire; 140 in Ireland; 140 in British America; 127 in England
and Wales; 116 in France; and 21 in Scotland. Census of 1890, 25,080.
A greater part of this county is covered by the famous “Black
Swamp.” This tract reaches
over an extent of country of one hundred and twenty miles in length, with an
average breadth of forty miles, about equaling in area the State of
Connecticut. It is at present
thinly settled, and has a population of about 50,000; but, probably, in less
than a century, when it shall be cleared and drained, it will be the garden of
Ohio, and support half a million of people. The surface is generally high and level,
and “sustains a dense growth of forest trees, among which beech, ash,
elm, and oak, cotton wood and poplar, most abound. The branches and foliage of this
magnificent forest are almost impenetrable to the rays of the sun, and it's
gloomy silence remained unbroken until disturbed by the restless emigrants of
the West.” It is an
interesting country to travel through.
The perfect uniformity of the soil, the level surface of the ground,
alike retaining and
Page 904
alike absorbing water, has given to the
forest a homogenous character; the trees are all generally of the same height,
so that when viewed at a distance through the haze of the forest appears like
an immense blue wall, stretched across the horizon. It is yet the abode of wild animals,
where flocks of deer are occasionally seen bounding through its
labyrinths. Throughout the swamp, a
mile or two apart, are slight ridges of limestone, from forty rods to a mile
wide, running usually in a westerly direction, and covered with black walnut,
butternut, red elm, and maple. The
top soil of the swamp is about a foot thick, and composed of a black, decayed
vegetable matter, extremely fertile.
Beneath this, and extending several feet, is a rich yellow clay, having
large quantities of the fertilizing substances of lime and silex. Lower still is a stratum of black clay
of great depth. The water of the
swamp is unpleasant to the taste, from containing a large quantity of sulfur;
it is, however, healthy and peculiarly beneficial to persons of a costive
habit, or having diseases of the blood.
The soil is excellent for grain and almost all productions - garden
vegetables and fruit thrive wonderfully.
We were shown an orchard of apple trees, some of which had attained the
height of twenty feet, and measured at their base twenty inches, which, when
first planted, 5 years since, where mere twigs, but a few feet in height, and
no larger than one's finger. - Old
Edition.
The foregoing description is
copied from our original addition, issued forty-three years ago. In the meantime this entire region - the
Maumee valley - has undergone extraordinary changes. Napoleon, the county-seat, was then so
insignificant that our entire description was contained in 3 lines:
"Napoleon, the county-seat, is on the Maumee River and Wabash canal, 17
miles below Defiance, 40 above Toledo, and 154 northwest of Columbus. It is a small village, containing about
300 inhabitants."
Knapp, in his history of the
Maumee valley, published in 1872, has given some valuable historical items, in
regard to both town and county, which we here copy:
"Napoleon was platted in
1832, and the first dwelling, a log-cabin, erected that year. By the census of 1830, two years
previous, the entire county had but 262 inhabitants, and its tax valuation in
1823 was but $262. The following
were residents of Napoleon in 1837: Judge Alexander Craig, James G. Haley,
Gen. Henry Leonard, James MaGill, John Powell, Hazell Strong,
George Stout, and John Glass. There were three small frame houses, the
others being made of logs. The
first house erected in the place was a log-cabin, twelve by fourteen feet, and
was offered to the public by Amos Andrews as a tavern.
"On the usual road, on the
north side of the river, between Maumee city and Fort Wayne, thirty-five years
ago [1836], after leaving the former place, the first house the traveler would
meet would be at Waterville, six miles above Maumee city, where he would find
five or six dwellings. Passing up
seven or eight miles farther, he would reach the tavern of Mr. Tiehean, a half-breed Indian. The next house, eighteen miles above,
would be in a group of three or four, standing at Providence; thence he would
reach the hospitable house of Samuel Vance,
occupying the site of a farm which was found by Wayne's army in a high state of
cultivation, in 1794, and which was then known as Prairie du Masque, and now as
Damascus. This point would bring
the traveler twenty-seven miles above Maumee city. The next house, about two miles above
Damascus, was a tavern and trading-post owned by John Patrick. Three
miles above this the traveler would reach Napoleon, where he would discover the
settlers above enumerated.
"In 1871 there were 5 church buildings in Napoleon: Presbyterian,
Methodist, Catholic, Episcopalian, and German Lutheran. The Swedenborgians have also a church
organization. There are two
well-conducted in newspapers: The
Northwest, by L. Orwig &
Co., and the Napoleon Signal, by P.
B. Ainger; two
Page 905
banks: The First National, organized
February, 1872, and that of the Sheffield
& Norton, a private
institution, established in 1866. "-Knapp’s
Maumee Valley.
Napoleon, the county-seat, about 105 miles northwest
of Columbus, thirty-six miles southwest of Toledo, is on the Maumee River,
Miami and Erie Canal, and W. St. L. & P. R. R. County Officers for 1888: Auditor,
George Russell; Clerk, James Donovan; Commissioners, William N. Zierolf, Andrew J. Saygers, George Daum; Coroner, Conrad Bitzer;
Infirmary Directors, Peter Schall,
Edward Dittmer, Henry Bostleman; Probate Judge, Michael Donnelly; Prosecuting Attorney, James
B. Ragan; Recorder, Thomas W. Durbin; Sheriff, Elbert T. Barnes; Surveyor, Charles. A. Schwab; Treasurer, James C.
Waltimire. City Officers, 1888:
Mayor, John Thiesen; Clerk, E. C.
Dodd; Treasurer, Oliver Higgins; Marshall, Oscar Rakestraw; Street Commissioner, Daniel Hess. Newspapers: Democratic Northwest, Democratic, L. L. Orwig, editor and publisher; Henry County Democrat, German, C. F. Clement, editor and publisher; Henry County Signal, Republican, J. P. Belknap, editor and publisher; Catholic Companion, Catholic juvenile, Schmill & BrennEn, editors and publishers. Churches:1 Methodist, two Lutheran, one
Presbyterian, one Catholic, one Evangelical. Bank: Meekison’s, W. H. Brownell, cashier; J. C. Sauer & Co..
Manufacturers and Employees. - A. Brunner, hoops, 47
hands; Thiessen & Hildred,
doors, sash, etc., 8; Joseph Shaff,
carriages, etc., 4; John Miller,
carriages, etc., 4; T. Ludwig,
potash, 3; A. J. Saggers, lumber,
4; M. Britton, boat oars, etc.,
12; Napoleon Woolen Mills, flannels, blankets, etc., 25; C. Vock, flour, etc., 4; F. Roessing, beer, 5; J. Koller & Co., flour, etc., 6; C. F.
Beard, founder and machinist, 5;
Napoleon Foundry, castings, 5; Napoleon Elevator, grain elevator, 2. - Ohio State Reports, 1887.
Population, 1880, 3,032. School census, 1888, 1,053; W. W.
Weaver, school superintendent.
Capital invested in industrial establishments, $119,000; value of annual
product, $179,500. - Ohio Labor Statistics,
1887.
In our original edition we
stated, "The notorious Simon Girty
once resided five miles above Napoleon, at a place called ‘Girty’s
Point.’ His cabin was on the
bank of the Maumee, a few rods west of the residence of Mr. Elijah Gunn. All traces of his habitation have been
destroyed by culture, and a fine farm now surrounds the spot."
Our authority for this statement,
in the lapse of time, it is now impossible to trace, but probably some old
pioneer whom we interviewed. It is
now known that it was George Girty,
the brother of Simon, that resided there.
He was an Indian trader, and alike infamous in character. Opposite the spot is a beautiful island
of about forty acres, called Girty’s Island, with an extremely dense
growth of vegetation. Girty’s cabin and trading-house
were on the left bank of the river, and it was said, "When he was
apprehensive of a surprise he would retire to the island, as a tiger to his
jungle, with a sense of almost absolute security from his pursuers."
After making our original
statement, as above given, we followed with an article upon the Girty’s, which we repeat here verbatim:
Simon Girty was
from Pennsylvania, to which his father had emigrated from Ireland. The old man was beastly intemperate, and
nothing ranked higher in his estimation than a jug of whiskey. "Grog was his song, and grog would
he have." His sottishness
turned his wife's affection. Ready
for seduction, she yielded her heart to the neighboring rustic, who, to remove
all obstacles to their wishes, knocked Girty
on the head and bore off the trophy of his prowess. Four sons of this interesting couple
were left, Thomas, Simon, George and James. The three latter were taken prisoners,
in Braddock’s war, by the Indians.
George was adopted by the Delawares, became a ferocious savage, and died
in a drunken fit. James was adopted
by the Shawanese, and became as depraved as his other brothers. It is said, he often visited Kentucky,
at the time of its first settlement, and inflicted the most barbarous tortures
upon all captive women who came within his reach. Traders who were acquainted with him
say, so furious was he, that he would not have turned on his heel to save a
prisoner from the flames. To this
monster are to be attributed
Page 906
Top Picture
Gardner & Son, Photo.
GIRTY’S ISLAND.