An Old Settler in Defiance - Dr. John Evans

 

An Old Settler - Dr. John Evans

This account of the life of Dr. John Evans was found in an 1873 copy of Memories of the Maumee Valley by H. S. Knapp, beginning on page 402+.. These tales are detailed and interesting and written closer to the time of the actual happenings, as compared to some other sources.

 

Dr. John Evans

The family of this gentleman was widely known to the old citizens of the upper Maumee Valley. He had studied his profession under the instruction of the doctors Spencer, of Kentucky, and Rush, of Philadelphia; and commenced practice at Washington, Fayette County, Oho, about the year 1814, and also conducted in separate rooms of the same building, the mercantile and an apothecary store. On the 27th of May, 1818, he married Miss Elizabeth Taylor, of Bainbridge, Ross County, Ohio...

Dr. Evans and family (now consisting of a wife and two daughters) removed to Defiance in February 1823. They started in a large double sleigh, but the snow falling, they were compelled on the second day, to abandon their sleigh and resort to wagons

The family reached Judge Nathan Shirley's, on the Auglaize river, one mile above Defiance, on the last day of February. Their first location was at Camp No. 3, five miles below Defiance, on the north side of the Maumee in a double log cabin; and here, Samuel Carey Evans, their first son was born, April 10th, 1823.

A later double cabin, not John Evans'

During the summer, the doctor build a frame house at Defiance, into which he removed his family in the month of November of that year, He made the first brick and the first lime that was manufactured in Defiance, a part of which he used in the construction of his own house; and the proceeds of the sale of the surplus lime and brick netted an amount that paid the entire cost of his home.

In this same year, Foreman Evans, his brother, also moved to Defiance. The late Judge Pierce Evans (cousin of Dr. John) removed to the head of the rapids of the Maumee and resided there during the year 1822 and into 1823, and then removed to the farm below Defiance, now occupied by his son Rinaldo Evans.

When Dr. Evans reached Defiance, there were no physicians on the river nearer than Fort Wayne above and Maumee below, and his professional visits often extended to the first named place to St. Mary's on the St. Mary's, and to the head of the Maumee rapids.  There being no well-made roads, no bridges over the stream and facilities for ferriage at points remote from each other, it is difficult to convey to the mind of the medical practitioner this day an adequate view of the formidable and often dangerous obstacles that Dr. Evans was compelled to encounter in this distant charge of his professional duties. The first relief from this exhausting toil was afforded by the arrival, at Defiance, of Dr. Jonas Colby, in 1832.

In 1824, Dr. Evans purchased a stock of goods of Hunt & Forsyth, of Maumee City, which were brought up on pirogues. This was the first store of considerable importance that contained goods adapted to the wants of the white settlers, although staple Indian goods (except whiskey) were included in general stock.

When the family removed to Defiance, there were no regular church services; and until the Court House was erected, no suitable house for worship. The Methodists, however, held services at short intervals, sometimes in private homes and, when the weather was favorable, in the adjacent groves. The first Presbyterian clergyman was Rev. Mr. Stone (father of Mrs. Wm. A. Brown, now living at Defiance).

During his residence in Defiance, Dr. Evans possessed more fully the confidence of the Indians than the majority of those who had had dealing with them. He acquired their confidence by professional ministrations, by fairness in trade, and refusing their applications for intoxicating drinks. When the Indian men and women would visit town, and the former obtain liquour of mercenary traders, and become drunken and crazed and their brutal nature aroused, the latter would gather up the tomahawks and knives of their lords, and deposit them about the premises of their friend, Dr. Evan.

On one occasion, the chief, Oquanoza, of Oquanoza's town on the Auglaize, (now Charloe, Paulding County) brought one of his daughters to the doctor to be treated, for some malady which had baffled the skill of the Indian 'medicine man.' She was received into the doctor's household, and in due time, restored to health. As an equivalent for this service, the chief made the doctor a present of an Indian pony."

In 1838, Dr. Evans and family moved in search of better educational facilities for their children, and then resided in Fort Wayne. He kept his store in Defiance for a short while, and then he removed all his stock to his Fort Wayne store in 1840. In that same year, he was called to Defiance on business where he became extremely ill. He decided he needed to get back to Fort Wayne and his family, so he left on horseback and he made it one mile to the Thomas Warren house where his suffering demanded he stop. He stayed there two or three days and sent a message to his family in Fort Wayne. When received, his son, Samuel Carey Evans, came immediately and was astounded at his poor condition. 

The son who came to his father when ill, Samuel Carey Evans

Samuel sent for a Fort Wayne doctor to come and also informed his family of the situation. The doctor and his second daughter, Merica, set out on horseback on the terrible roads. In the meantime, they had moved Dr. Evans to Mrs. Hilton's house for a more comfortable stay. By this time, Dr. Evans faced his quickly ending life and asked to dictate the terms of his will to the doctor.

His will, in part...p.404

"And I hereby appoint my daughter, Merica, and my sons, Carey and Rush, together with Allen Hamilton, Hugh McCullough, and Pierce Evans as my Executors... "and he asks that "his sons carry on the mercantile business  

until all my just debts are paid; after which it is my desire that my beloved wife shall have one-third of all my personal and real estate during her life; and desire that my daughter, Eliza Hill, shall receive nothing more until my other children have received one thousand dollars each.

After which, I wish the balance of my property equally distributed among my children.

And I further desire that my children shall provide for Aley Cumberland (a faithful colored servant of the family) so long as she may live; and it is my special request that my friends, the three last named Executors, will not make any public sale of my property, but permit my sons to sell it at a private sale to the best advantage. Signed, sealed and delivered, this 10th day of August, A.D. 1842."

On the next day, he died - the 11th of August, 1842. He was forty-eight years old. 

"The physician whose skill had prolonged the lives of multitudes was unable to heal himself."

Lindenwood Cemetery, Ft. Wayne, IN

 Dianne Kline, Researcher