The Arrowsmith Grist Mill at Lost Creek and the Haller Relationship

 

"Who remembers that the Arrowsmith grist mill, north and a little west of the crossing at Lost Creek, was part of logs, the oldest part and after it was abandoned, was used as a sort of blacksmith shop?  

Mr. Arrowsmith was a good millwright and understood all about grinding, dressing buhrs, etc.  Repairs were generally done to the water wheel and the tools were an inch auger, an ax and a handsaw.  The water wheel was one of his own invention, that is the one used was built according to his own ideas.

An old ax was much used at picking or chopping or whatever it was called in dressing the buhrs, and fit them for running nicely.  

John F. Haller usually helped in the repairs, though he was not a millwright.  This was the mill called 'the turkey trap,' on account of a flock of wild ones going in and taking possession and not knowing how to get out."

Bryan Press, Thursday, November 18, 1926

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"Who remembers that there is a close connection between the Arrowsmith and Haller families of early Farmer? We gather that Ezekiel Arrowsmith was born near Baltimore 1770, went to Kentucky when 23 and married Elizabeth Kenton, niece of the noted Simon Kenton, moved near Urbana, Ohio and died in 1849, his wife dying at 90.

His son, Miller Arrowsmith, one of ten children, came to Defiance County in 1833, locating first near Defiance and was chosen Deputy County Surveyor by John Perkins, shortly moved to Lost Creek where he had a grist mill, was county auditor and held other important offices.

Sarah Arrowsmith, his sister, married William Haller, son of John Haller, and after her death in 1837, he married her sister, Jane.  A son, John F., taught school in the early days and farmed southwest of Farmer.

John Haller, father of William, located at Brunersburg and had a tannery and farmed.  Jesse, son of John, married Cassandra, sister of Miller Arrowsmith and located in 1831 in Brunersburg, and in 1837, came to Farmer, the trip taking four or five days as the way was swampy; brush had to be cleared to make a road, trees had to be whacked out of the way, too.

When they moved from Champaign County, the few household goods were hauled in a sort of wagon to the Auglaize River and then shipped to Defiance in a pirogue, a large tree trunk burned and dug out into a boat and was run by a pole pushed in the water when the bottom of the stream was 'near,' and when deep, paddles were used.

The family rode horseback and fording streams, sometimes high from freshets, and landed safely. How does that compare with moving now-a-days with a motor truck about the size of a pioneer's cabin?  People these days do not know and do not want to know what those sturdy old pioneers did."

Bryan Press, September 9, 1926, page 2

Lost Creek School Records of Farmer Township - 1842-1858

Some of the oldest documents from the townships are the old school records held by the trustees or whoever was in charge of the township at the time.  Some were thrown out long ago, and some languished in barns or basements and were ruined, but the records of Jesse Haller, first clerk of the Lost Creek school district survived.  The old book, itself, cost him 50 cents and was inscribed "Champaign, Ohio, March 4, 1837" and then "Williams County, 1837."

The first meeting was advertised by Jesse Haller, district clerk, on August 25, 1834.  After that, a gap occurs in the record until September, 1842, when citizens met at the home of Isaac Wartenbee's and elected Jesse Haller (3 year term), Miller Arrowsmith(2 year term) and Isaac Wartenbee (1 year term as school directors with Jesse Haller to serve again as district clerk.








 On December 10, 1842,another public meeting was held and a site was chosen for the building of a school in the district in Section 32.  The school house was to be built of round logs, 16 x 18 feet long, covered with boards, with a hewed puncheon floor, "as agreed upon by a majority of the district."

At this point, Farmer Township was still a part of Williams County.
"June 26, 1843 - The directors of school district #4 in Farmer Twp., Williams county, Ohio, report that there have been taught in this district 8 weeks and 3 days common school by a female teacher whose term of hire will expire when she has taught these months.  The average number of scholars attending said school was nearly seven.  The wage agreed upon to pay said teacher was $1.12 and 1/2 cents a week. The branches taught were reading, writing and spelling.  There have been built in the district within the last year one school house not yet finished, built by the liberality of the inhabitants.  (Signed) Jesse Haller, District Clerk and Treasurer." 

Here are the highlights from subsequent years:
1843 - "Agree to pay Oliver T. Evans $30.00 for teaching school for 3 months, Sundays and every other Saturday excepted, six hours a day, commencing on Jan. 4, 1844, and is to be boarded and lodged by the inhabitants.  Each inhabitant to bear his equal ratio of boarding and lodging Evans in proportion to the scholars he sends to said school"  

1844 - April 12 - Mercy Crarey was hired to teach at $1.25 a week.  In September of that year, a tax of $2.50 per 80 acres was levied so that another school house could be built in Section 30.

"Dec 5, 1845 - Resolved that a tax be levied to purchase a lot of ground also for purpose of erecting a school house in Dist #4 Farmer Twp. Williams Co.
The board met at Miller Arrowsmith's and agreed to purchas of Abram Bercaw a lot of ground on which to erect a school house.  Mr. Bercaw gave deed for the sum of 75 ct. "

In 1845, these teachers were hired - J. L. Haller, Marisa Hulbert, James Drunker, Lucy M. Hulbert and in 1846, M. Arrowsmith.

On September 17, 1847, the board decided to make seats and writing tables, purchase a stove and raise a tax of $20 for a library.  Daniel Cheney was employed to teach 3 months in the quarter for $40.00.  In April of that year, each inhabitant of the district was instructed to deliver one cord of stove wood to the school by the first day of the commencement of school.  

Teaching in 1850 was Minnie Hulbert and in 1851, Warren Lazell, now to teach four months of school.

Once again, a gap occurred in the record until April 9th, 1860, when one school was to be taught by A. Waltz and the second school by Oscar Palmer, and later by Lydia Loving and G. D. Ensign.

An interesting directive in 1865 was that "School children should not be permitted to make a playground out of the graveyard." 

In 1866, a vote was taken to build a new school and it passed 11 - 0.  At that point, bids were being taken on a yearly supply of wood and F. Walden won the bid at 85 cents per cord.  Six cord was ordered. 

The last entry in the book was in April, 1870 - "Miller Arrowsmith elected director, 10 cords of wood, $1.37 1/2 per.

Who knows how many other old treasures of the townships have survived?  If you have something of historical interest, think about having it preserved, transcribed, photographed or in some way kept for future generations.  Contact our society for more information.