An Unusual Land Deal - W. P. Sanford

Wesley P. Sanford, about 75 years old, sold some land in Noble Township, but one part of the deal was just a little...bizarre?  Apparently, Mr. Sanford had been talking to the Spiritualists. 

"UNCLE SANFORD'S FARM

Sold to Isaac Bissey By the Bronson Real Estate Exchange

W. P. Sanford, familiarly known as 'Uncle' of Noble township, has disposed of his farm of 110 acres.  Isaac Bissey, of Washington township, made the purchase of it Thursday.

Section 5, Noble Twp - W P. Sanford - 110 acres

The deal was consummated by the Bronson real estate exchange of this city.  The exact price is not given though it is reported it will set Mr. Sanford somewhere in the neighborhood of $5000.

Uncle Sanford reserves the right to dig for the $8000 in gold which the spirits have told him lies buried in one of the fields.

He had resided on the place fifty-three years the day before the sale was made.

He still owns a small tract near the place just sold, upon which it is reported he will make his future residence."

So, if you know who owns this land today, you might want to give them this tip so they can start digging!
 

Defiance County Pioneers - Isaac Corwin

Isaac Newton Corwin

"ISAAC CORWIN DEAD.

Highly Respected Defiance County

Pioneer Gone to His Reward.

Result of a Second Stroke of Paralysis -

Arrangements for the Funeral -

Sketch of the Life 

of the Deceased.

Isaac Corwin, one of the most widely known and highly respected of Defiance County's pioneers, died Monday evening at 10:45 o'clock.  Had he lived until October 3d, he would have been 73 years old.

About five months ago, Mr. Corwin suffered a stroke of paralysis, since which time he has been in a precarious state of health.  On Sunday, July 18, he was afflicted with the second stroke, and has rapidly failed since until final dissolution came.

Mr. Corwin leaves seven children, three girls and four boys, also his third wife.  His other near relatives living are Mrs. Charles Krotz, of this city, who is a sister, and Jack Corwin, a brother, residing in Mt. Gilead, O.

The funeral occurs tomorrow at 2 o'clock, from the residence, conducted by Revs. Latchaw, of the Baptist church, and Slagle of the Presbyterian church.  Interment in Riverside cemetery.

Defiance Commandery No. 30. K. T. of which deceased was an honored member, turned out to the ceremonies in full uniform.  Also the Blue Lodge members of the Masonic order, will attend in a body.  Knights Templar met the funeral procession at the north end of Clinton street bridge and escorted the same to the cemetery and conducted exercises at the grave.

Isaac Corwin was born October 3, 1824, in Washington County, Penn.  His great grandfather, Wm. Corwin, and two brothers, Benjamin and Moses, immigrated to this country from Ireland about 1770.

In 1827, Isaac emigrated with his father from Pennsylvania to Knox county, Ohio.  He learned the blacksmith trade with his father.  At the age of 18, he went away from home and worked at his trade, and afterward started a shop of his own at Williamsport, Morrow county, Ohio, where he married Feb. 4, 1845, Miss Maria Smart, by whom a family of eleven children were born.

In 1850, Mr. Corwin removed to Defiance by team, and on his arrival, invested his all in a cook stove, a barrel of flour and half a hog.  October 15, 1850, Mr. Corwin formed a copartnership with John Yocum in the blacksmith business on the north side of the Maumee.  In about six months, they dissolved and Mr. Corwin then built the shops now occupied and owned by Peter Dickman.  

In 1861, he sold that and bought a small farm when he farmed and dealt in livestock for a time.  Later he entered into a partnership with John H. Kiser and the firm carried on the well known carriage manufacturing business of Corwin & Kiser in a large brick building on Perry street.  They were afterward also engaged in the livery business.  He retired from active business pursuits about four years ago.

In 1861, Mr. Corwin built a residence on the hill in North Defiance.  But about eight years ago, he removed to the farm residence, where he died, situated on the Brunersburg road, about a mile this side of that village.

Mr. Corwin was one of the original members of the Baptist church of Defiance, and a man who was highly respected by all.  His death is very generally mourned."

Defiance Democrat - July 29, 1897

Hickory Grove School #6, Hicksville Township

Hickory Grove District #6

Hicksville Township

(Located at the northeast corner of Jericho and Casebeer-Miller Roads)

1918 - 1919

Elma Bungard, Teacher

Wm. Walker, District Superintendant

W. W. Heater, County Superintendant

School Officers - F. Z. Clark, Charles Volkert, Harry Hofmeister, John Sellars, Donald Batchelor

PUPILS

Harry Ridenour

Irene Volkert

Harold Wagner

Glen Volkert

Leone Shrider

Goff Clark

Ralph Hook

Ralph Keener

Lee Wagner

Chester Clark

Mildred Clark

Alice Bihr

Mervin Applegate

Scudder Clark

Paul Miller

John Hook

Carrie Shrider

Harold Speer

Opal Applegate

Lucille Fell

Helen Wagner

Fern Hook

Gale Smith

Guy Volkert

Roma Mansfield - A Hero in World War I

As soldiers went off to fight in the battlefields of Europe in World War I, Defiance County was well represented.  The newspapers of the time were full of war news, letters home, and reports of injured and deceased young men from our own neighborhoods.  In those times, it was acceptable to use their stories in a plea for the purchase of war bonds.  Here is one such example from the Defiance Democrat, May 1, 1919. Roma Mansfield was just a boy of 17 when he died on the fields of France.

 Pvt. First Class Roma Mansfield was buried in the Meuse Argonne American Cemetery in Romagne, France after his death on October 4, 1918.  But, his parents memoralized his name on their own tombstone in Mansfield Cemetery, Defiance County, Ohio, too.

The cross is so weathered that it is difficult to still read the name.  Plot A, Row 46, Grave 39, Meuse Argonne American Cemetery

 

Mansfield Cemetery, Defiance County, Ohio

And What Would YOU Do?

I can't even imagine what my response would be in the situation described below, but it probably wouldn't have been the clear-headed action of these ladies.

"FRIGHTENED LADIES

Two Young Ladies Encounter a Large Black Snake

Last Saturday, Miss Lettie Davison invited her young friend, Miss Mabel Switzer, to be her companion on a voyage up the Auglaize river.  

The young ladies embarked in a rowboat near the Hopkins street bridge for Bouton's Island and all went merrily.  Miss Lettie is an accomplished young lady in the art of handling the oars and the boat house was soon lost in the distance.

 Mr. Davison's family are lovers of the water and have a splendid boat well equipped and appointed.  The boat is provided with a log book and the incidents of all the voyages are always carefully recorded on its pages.

Miss Lettie thought this trip afforded interest sufficient to make a chapter and the oars were allowed to trail in the water while she chronicled some notes that came to her mind.

While writing, she dropped her pencil which rolled under the running board of the boat.  This board was covered with a carpet and, as the rug was raised, the ladies were horrified at seeing the shining coils of a huge snake glistening in the sunlight.  They had an unbidden guest in the form of one of the largest black snakes the ladies had ever seen.

The fair boatwomen did not scream or do anything usually attributed to the fair sex on such occasions.  They clambered on top of the seats and paddled to the shore thoroughly frightened.  They hollored to some men after they had gained the shore, but their cries were unheeded.  They looked at the boat and saw about three feet of the glistening snake reared above the gunwale.  

 The serpent protruded his tongue in a manner that led them to believe his special forte was terrorizing ladies.  They tried to kill him with an oar, but he skillfully eluded the blows and finally disappeared.  They thought he had sought refuge under the carpet.

A council of war was held by the crew and they concluded to put the ship about and make a run home where they were sure of reinforcements.  The girls stood upon the seats and propelled the boat home.  They then had their force augmented by Mr. Davison, who instituted a hunt for his snakeship, but it was found he had disappeared, probably in the excitement occasioned by the attack with the oar.

The ladies were badly frightened and it is a foregone conclusion that the next time they go out, they will search the craft thoroughly before they embark."

Democrat Defiance, August 8, 1895

 

Defiance County Pioneers - Mary Schleger Wisda

As an immigrant widow with six children to raise, Mary Schleger Wisda kept the family together and financially prospered enough to support them all into adulthood.

"MRS. MARY WISDA

Mary Wisda died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Chas. Clemens, near Domersville, on Saturday, October 12, 1895, at 1 o'clock p.m. of infirmities due to old age.

She was born in Klattan county, Bohemia, in 1817, and was 79 years old at her demise.  She came to this country with her husband and family in the spring of 1854, in a sailing vessel, the voyage occupying 42 days, and settled in Sandusky county where her husband John Wisda, Sr. was killed in 1862 by a falling tree, leaving her a widow with a family of six children, of which John, the oldest, was 18 years of age.

 

Photo, courtesty of C. C. Brown

She managed to keep the family together and soon the debt of $150 on the homestead of 40 acres was paid off and another 40 was purchased and added to the farm.  In 1871, the family sold their property and removed to Defiance county in Tiffin township, later she removed to Adams township, where she has since resided.

She had been unusually vigorous up to about one year ago when she began to fail and on Saturday, heart failure closed the scene.  Her maiden name was Schleger.  She was united in marriage in 1843 to John Wisda, Sr.

Six children were the fruits of this union, viz: John Jr., Joseph J., Albert who is at present in South Africa, James W. of Ord, Neb., Mary, wife of Charles Clemens and Anna, wife of M. J. Shondel of Holgate.  

The funeral services were held Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock at North Ridge Catholic church, conducted by Rev. J. B. Heiland; interment in the Catholic cemetery on the Ridge.  A large circle of friends mourn her loss."  

The Defiance Democrat - October 17, 1895 

The burial was at what is now called St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery.

This is a tombstone full of the symbolism of the time.  Mary's name is written on the book of life; the IHS cross of Christ is at the head of the tree of life, the sawed off branches and the vine - "I am the vine; you are the branches."

  

David Gusler's Journal, Mark Township

Gladys Walters Donson, DCGS member, contributed information based on the notes kept by her great-grandfather, David Gusler, of Mark Township in Defiance County. Her article first appeared in Yesterday's Trails, the DCGS newsletter, in 1983.

Donson wrote that "Mark Township was the last township to be settled in the county due to the level, wet, swampy condition of the land.  In the early 1850s, only a few families were in residence. From 1880 - 1900, it was still a pioneer period in Mark Township, as forests were being cleared away and drainage ditches constructed so that the land could be farmed.

In the period around 1900, my great-grandfather, David Gusler, was a trustee of Mark Township.  I have copied excerpts from his notes which he kept during these years.  The spelling of the names is his - phonetically correct, but not always the way the names are spelled at present.  I copied only the most interesting entries, or the ones naming the most Mark Twp. residents.

May 29, 1900: 
Sold Thomas Haver,  job grading street from town house to Hiree's store.    Amount for work: $16.
Sold Chancy Curtis,  job grading road, $19.
Sold Charley Miller,  bridge job between Sect. 14 and 15, to be completed Aug. 
15, 1900.  $7.75. 

June 18, 1900:
Making application for Ida Hart 5 children to be sent to the Children's Home.

June 25, 1900:
Accepted the road job of Samuel Byers in District 8; 5

June 30, 1900:
Accepted Charley Garver raod job, District 2; 5

July 3, 1900:
Sold gravel job to M. Huber

Aug. 10, 1900:
Sold George Wonderly a bridge job, and looked after John Crawford's road work.

Aug. 24, 1900:
Sold two jobs of work cleaning Spindler and Colby cemeteries.

Sept. 11, 1900:
Accepted George Baylee road and bridge job in Sect. 29 & 30.

June 27, 1900:
Taking the Hart children to the Children's Home. $3.00, paid out for help, 20 c and 25 c paid for crackers and peanuts for the children.

June 29, 1900: 
Sold Benjamin Culler South Platter Creek bridge job.
Sold to Jasper Huss road job north of Albert Burd's corners.

Oct. 9, 1900: 
Taking care of a man that had a fit, and hauled him to the Hotel for lodging.  John Barr, a hobo.

Oct. 27, 1900:
Taking Edward Kelly to the Children's Home. Cost $2.50

Nov. 26, 1900:
Made a visit to the quarantined family and looked after their child.

Dec. 26, 1900:
Paid William Winterhalter 25 c for notifying Mr. Theil to meet at my house.

Jan. 7, 1901:
Looked after smallpox family.  Telephoned Cecil for information.

Jan. 17, 1901:
Looking after the support of Emiline Jackson, pauper, age 73, paid W. E. Hire for groceries for her for 6 months, $15.00.

April 19, 1900:
Mark trustees met Crane twp., Paulding Co. trustees and located a tile drain near Nicholas Arend's house on the county line road.

July 7, 1900:
Paid for groceries furnished by L. A. Pugh for John Boyle, age 68.  Reason for relief, broken wrist.

Jan. 8, 1901:
Paid L. A. Pugh for groceries for George Arend, age 25 years.  Reason for relief, small pox.  $2.25.

July 26, 1901:
Paid Dr. Fraze for care of Maggie Hemlinger, daughter of J. Hemlinger.  Reason: scarletina.

June 21, 1901:
Paid L. A. Pugh for groceries for Ezra Cole, age 51 years.  Reason, sickness.

Sept. 25, 1901: 
Paid Dr. Fraze $24.70 for care of Howard Horn, age 22, sick with typhoid fever.

Aug. 19, 1901:
Trustees of Mark Twp. of this date were M. Thiel, David Gusler, and W. H. Miller.  Paul Hagen, Clerk; Treasurer was E. J. Pugh, his sureties were: L. A. Pugh, W. M. Hammon, Ludwig Klein, Henry Wonderly.

April 11, 1903: 
Trustees were the same as above, G. A. Gecowets, Justice of the Peace.  Signing Gecowet's bond were Frank Gusler and Houston Hanna."

Among the Trustee notes of David Gusler was this list of Mark Twp. voters in his neighborhood, sections where they lived and party affiliations.  The list is undated, but was probably around 1900 when he was running for trustee.

"DEMOCRATS
Section 29 - John Walters (Gusler's son-in-law), Erl Bevington, Jacob Sigg, ? Etchie, Vincent Brittenbaugh

Section 30 - David Slattery, David Conley, Harvy Watson, William Watson, Charley Walker, Jonas Rigle (Gusler's son-in-law), Thomas Conley

Section 31- Jacob Hinch, George Hinch, William Hinch, Jacob Cloventin (?), Philip Dirr, John Conley

Section 32 - David Gusler, Clinton Gusler (David's son), David Slattery, Tomas Slattery, Frances Slattery (?), Charley Hinch, David Hinch, David Hinch, Theodore Hinch, Frank Gusler (David's son)

REPUBLICANS
Section 29 - Charles Gillespie, Joseph Horn, George Spealman, James Spealman

Section 30 - John Treaster, Brice Evans, Jasper Evans

Section 31 - John Spindler, Edward Spindler, Lonzo Spindler, John Ashliman, Elmer Listen, Ephrim Detter,  ? Detter

Section 32 - Amos Conley, Milo Beam, ? Chester"