|
|
Township
History |
| |
Sandusky
Township, Richland County, Ohio |
| H |
The
territory now included in Sandusky Township maintained its
primitive condition until about 1817, before any permanent
white settler made his appearance. The first white men to
press the soil of the township so far as is definitely and
positively known, were the armed, belted and buckskinned knights
under Col. William Crawford, in 1782, as they went silently,
swiftly and with grim determination to battle. death and disaster
on the Sandusky plains. They halted at Spring Mills over night,
and in the morning took a pretty direct course west, crossing
the township very near the site of Crestline, but probably
a little north of that place, striking the Sandusky River
near Leesville. This was a good hunting ground for the Wyandots
and Delawares; a chief of the latter tribe, Wingenund, having
his camp for many years on the river near Leesville. Col.
Crawford was captured near the latter place. This was a beautiful
home for these red men the beautiful sparkling little streams,
the plains stretching away for many miles, surrounded by deep,
dark forests, full of game of every kind, and dotted over
by little clumps of trees ; all made a paradise which they
were loathe to relinquish, and only relinquished after years
of hard fighting and much bloodshed and suffering. The remorseless
white man, however, was determined to possess this beautiful
country, and. being superior in numerical and I intellectual
strength, succeeded. |
H |
When the first settlers entered Sandusky Township, it was
one of the best hunting grounds in the State. All kinds of
wild game was so plenty that the hunter could supply his table
with meat almost without stepping outside his cabin door:
had it not been for this, they would have suffered greatly
for provisions the first two years, as but little could be
planted the first year, on account of the difficulty of making
an opening in the great woods and before the first crop of
corn grew to maturity says Mr. Snyder, one of the earliest
settlers, "the squirrels came by hundreds and thousands
and took it all." |
H |
It is a difficult matter to get the names and locations of
the earliest settlers in the township, as nearly all have
gone to their long homes or moved away; but the following
persons were among the earliest settlers, and it is believed,
were the earliest in the township. Some of these settled in
what is now Crawford County, but some are known to have settled
within the present limits of Sandusky Township, as at present
constituted. The first were Christian Snyder and Jacob Fisher,
who came in 1817, and settled about two miles southwest of
the present town of Crestline. Following these were John Doyle,
1818 ; Joseph Russell 1818; Louis Lyberger, 1819 ; Daniel
Miller; 1818 ; Henry Hersner, 1819 and John Reed, 1818. Of
these; Louis Lyberger and Henry Hersner are known to have
settled within the present limits of Sandusky Township. probably
on Section 23. The first settlement, therefore. occurred near
the center of the township. The others settled in what is
now Crawford County; and Mr. Snyder says there was not a white
settler in the territory now embraced in that county when
he came. The first settlement east of them was the Douglas
settlement in Springfield Township, and, when they started
west from this settlement, on their arrival. they were compelled
to cut a road for their teams to the land they had entered.
This was the second road cut through the township. the soldiers
on their march in 1812 having cut the first through the northern
part. This was the only road for many years, but was finally
abandoned. A few of these settlers came from Western Pennsylvania,
and the remainder from near Steubenville, Ohio. |
H |
The early settlers who arrived after those named were Mordecai
Harding. Section 36 ; Daniel Riblet came in 1831 and settled
on Section 25: John Brookwalter. Section 26; Christopher Pletcher,
Section 25: Jacob Haflich 1828, Section 24; George Johnson.
Section 13. 1820: --Carson. Section 13: Andrew Taylor. Section
1; Rev. Culler, Section 13: George Walters. Section 12. The
Hardings and Snyders were among the first settlers in the
southern part of the township. Daniel Riblet was a prominent
man in the township and county and was Justice of the Peace
for eighteen years and served two terms in the Legislature
from 1840 to 1844. He was from Union County, Pennsylvania,
and died November 6, 1865. For many years, he kept what was
well known as the Riblet House, at a point on the Mansfield
& Bucyrus Road, about half-way between Ontario and Galion.
This was a stopping-place for the stages. The house was first
built of logs, afterward a frame was added. It is yet standing
and is occupied as a dwelling. A post office was established
here while the stages were running - one of the first, if
not the first in the township; and the militia musters frequently
occurred here, making it altogether an important point.
|
H |
The Snyder family was somewhat remarkable for longevity. Christian
dying at ninety-eight, and his wife Mary M. at one hundred
and seven. An Indian Trail ran across the township east and
west very close to their house. Mr. Snyder says it was about
the width of a sheep-path and many times he has seen parties
of Wyandots on this trail passing along in single file and
while thus on the march. He never knew them to speak a word
to each other or make the slightest noise. They never disturbed
the new settlers, but often divided their venison with them.
The Indian and white settlers both made large quantities of
maple sugar every year. |
H |
Among the early settlers also was a family by the name of
Hibner and the bear story handed down by this family is illustrative
of the condition of the township in those early clays. They
lived as did everybody in those times in a log house with
an immense chimney occupying most of one end. One day, while
Mr. Hibner was away from home and Mrs. H. was busy about her
work she heard a noise near the chimney and, looking around,
was horrified to see the great black paw of a bear reaching
through an opening beside the chimney. The opening was caused
by one of the chimney stones having become loosened and rolled
to one side. She had placed her babe upon the floor on a blanket
near the fire and the bear was endeavoring to reach it. Fortunately
it was beyond its reach. and the mother was very chuck to
remove it still further away. Finding his chances for a dinner
having disappeared, the bruin moved away. Many such stories
are remembered by these early pioneers but space forbids the
mention of them. It is not the paws of a bear that troubles
the mother of today but croup and kindred diseases, that must
have come with civilization, for they were not known in those
early days. |
| H |
| The
township was organized February 12, 1818 and at that time
was twelve miles long from north to south and six miles wide
and included Vernon, Jackson, Polk (the two last in Crawford
County) and what is now left of it. It remained in that shape
until March 9, 1845, when it was divided, and the north half
was called Vernon leaving Sandusky six miles square, in which
shape it should have been allowed to remain. But when the
rage for county seats grew to an uncontrollable extent and
Crawford County was formed on February 3, 1845, four tiers
of sections from the west side of this township were cut off
and handed over to Crawford having a strip two miles wide
remaining of Sandusky. In their cutting and slashing to get
the new county, two sections immediately south of Sandusky
were left unprovided for. These were consequently attached
to the southern end of it making the township seven miles
long from north to south and two miles wide in which condition
it has ever since remained. The only town is East Crestline.
It has three railroads the Atlantic & Great Western passing
through near its center, and the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne &
Chicago and Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis,
through the northern part. The land is generally gently rolling,
all tillable, and very fertile. It was once densely wooded
with all species of hard wood, but now contains beautiful
and well cultivated farms. There are no streams of size within
its limits, though Clear Fork near its source passes through
the southern portion and the headwaters of the Sandusky River
through the northern part. There is not sufficient water-power
in these for milling purposes consequently there were no water-mills
in the township in an early day with the settlers going to
Bellville for their grinding. Later two horse-mills were erected:
one by McQuade in the southern part and one by Snyder further
north. Hominy blocks were in general use before this. |
H |
The first election was held in Mr. Mozier's house, twelve
votes being cast and John Williams elected Justice of the
Peace. |
H |
Several years elapsed before any school or schoolhouse was
established. Jacob Dorne was said to have been the first teacher.
He taught a "subscription" school of about a dozen
scholars. He was an ignorant German, and did little good.
Russell's schoolhouse south of the present village of Crestline
was one of the earliest if not the earliest in the township. |
H |
Mr. Snyder says in the third year of their residence in the
woods, a terrific windstorm blew down their house and barn
and destroyed their growing crops, besides making great havoc
in the timber.
|
H |
Two churches have at present an organized existence within
the limits of the township, The first one of these was erected
by the Free-Will Baptists, about 1850, Section 36 in the Harding
Settlement. It is a small frame church. Harvey Day, Samuel
Nestlerode, Mr. Reece and some others were among the first
organizers and influential members. This organization went
to pieces for some reason, and the church remained unoccupied
for some years. In 1877, it was taken possession of by the
"Albrights" who organized a church of which Jacob
Lohr, Phillip Corman, John Morton and others were the organizers.
Rev. Hawks was their first minister. A Sabbath school is connected
with the church, which is kept up the entire year. |
H |
The other church, called Riblet's Chapel, was erected near
the old Riblet Tavern about or before 1860. It is a Methodist
Episcopal, and cost about $800. |
H |
It was erected by the Lutherans and during the first year
of its existence, it was used by all denominations. In later
years, however, it became exclusively the property of the
Methodists. Rev. Coon was one of its first Pastors and a few
of its early influential members were Daniel Riblet, Jacob
Haflich, and John Wein. The Methodists organized about January
1876. The present Pastor is J. H. Johnson and membership is
about thirty. A Sunday school was organized in 1876. John
Riblet is Superintendent with a membership of fifty. |
H |
It looks as if Sandusky should follow the lead of townships
north of her and take a slice from Springfield on the east,
to compensate her for the loss of territory and make her equal
in extent to the others. The name Sandusky comes from the
Wyandots - their Sah-un-dus-kee meaning "clear water"
or their cold water and their "water within water pools."
The latter signification is peculiarly applicable to Sandusky
Bay and the extensive marshes on its borders which are intersected
in many directions by pools and channels of open water. The
French traders, who were on the banks of the Sandusky River
years before any other white men, called it Sandusquet. |
| H |
|
|
|
|
|
