Delaware Township School, District 1 - 1930-1932

1932

1930 - 1931

Settling Adams Township

"ADAMS TOWNSHIP PIONEERS WERE

ALL STRONG AND HARDY PEOPLE

(By U. G. Figley)

Adams township was organized April 6, 1836, and was a part of Henry county, and was annexed to Defiance county when it was formed in 1845, so it seems in a way not so much a part of the county as the other townships originally a part of Defiance.  It was named after Judge Bishop Adams, who was the first settler locating in Section 18.

A portion of Adams township, showing Section 16 and 18, from the 1866 plat map of Defiance County

Among the earliest settlers were A. Battenberg, Joseph Frantz, John Hornish, John Hively, Darius Jones, Eli Markel, Jacob Shock, John Scott, Jacob Schwartzel, Jacob Tittle and Tollman Voorhes

The old 'great prairie' is in Section 16, and the county ditch through there finished its being a marsh for beavers and such, bordering on the Black Swamp, so familiar to all the early settlers as a land of mud and water and brush and other stuff, through which they as a rule had to move, in coming from the east.

Relics Are Found.

In the process of draining, a large collection of skeletons, elk-horns, and numerous relics were found.  What is known as the Ridge Road was evidently once along the shore of Lake Erie, extending from the river at Independence to Detroit, Mich.  Being a nice, sandy road, naturally it was the Indian highway to Detroit.

Aaron Diehl came from Montgomery County in 1843.  His father served in the war of 1812 and an uncle was one of 'Marion's Men' during the Revolution.  Mr. Diehl purchased his home in Section 21 in 1835.

Ephraim Markel came from Delaware county in 1835 with his uncle, Eli Markel, and married Barbara Lehman in 1840.  He was a great hunter, dispatching three or four bears or forty or fifty deer on a hunt.  He also trapped wolves for the fun of it.  Bears also were killed.

Fought Buck Deer.

Abraham Schrimplin came with his family from Knox county about 1841, and was one of the solid old pioneers.  John Hornish, Sr., came with his family from Montgomery county in 1836.  A son, John, Jr., when only 13 years old, had a terrific fight with a buck deer, wounding it in the great (?) with a gun-shot and when the buck jumped for him, he took advantage of its catching a foot on a root and stumbling. The lad jumped on it, grabbed it by the antlers with one hand and killed it with his hunting knife.  

Another time, he was hunting with J. K. Potter, when they found a she-bear and her cubs.  Thinking they had finished the old bear, he gave her a final blow, as he thought, on the head with a club.  She came to her feet with a rush and grabbled with him, necessitating Mr. Potter's putting his gun against her head and shooting her dead for sure.  Mr. Hornish accumulated 650 acres of land in Adams township.

Jacob Swartz came to the township in 1836, helping to organize it.  Among the early settlers in those days, George Grubb appears to have been the second to locate.  Charles Tubbs came from Oswego county, New York in 1836, and settled in Section 11.  Nearby were Jacob Hively, William Mozier, James Davison, Mrs. Tubbs (formerly Lucy Howe) who taught the first school in 1837, with nine pupils.  Expenses of the school were paid by subscription.

Built Meeting House.

Henry Lehman was born in Germany and located in Adams township in Section 21, in 1837, and he was influential in the building of the meeting house of the Church of the Brethren (Dunkard), in 1878, and he was one of its local ministers.  Others were Aaron Diehl, John Hornish, Ephraim Markel and John W. Lehman.

Jacob Tittle moved from Richland township (to which

he had moved in 1824) to Adams township in 1839.

There are numerous descendants.

Sylvester A. Hull, a prominent Defiance man, was a son of Emanuel and Jane Osborn Hull, who came to Adams township from Trumbull county in 1849.  Elijah Osborn, her father, came from Mahoning county in February, 1846, moved with three teams across the state in six days.  At Gilboa, he concluded to have the six children walk and have the two teams haul the goods.  The children broke out with the measles, and wading through the mud and water of the famous Black Swamp for several miles, they were both tired and sick when they reached Independence.  There they were cared for, all fortunately recovering.

Michael Lutz was born in Bavaria, Gemany, and he came to Seneca county in 1841.  He married Catherine Hassett, who was born in Ireland and he came to Adams township in 1850.  A daughter, Gertrude, married the late John Wisda, in 1871, who was born in Klatan, Bohemia in 1844, and he came to America with his father's family in 1854, locating in Sandusky county.  A brother, Joseph, lives in Tiffin township.  The family name appears to have originally been spelled Hwezda.  Mr. Wisda accumulated a great deal of land, and was a prominent citizen of the county, serving two terms, most acceptably, as County Treasurer, in the 90's.  A son, John G., being deputy."

Defiance Democrat - February 22, 1917

 

Brunersburg School, Noble Township

The Brunersburg School, sometimes known as "The Burg," was located in Brunersburg on Haller Road in about the middle of Section 15.  District #5 (Later District #4) had several different locations in Brunersburg.  The one room school that was there was relocated and rebuilt after a tornado went through on March 28, 1920. The small school was completely destroyed.  In 1921, four lots were purchased from Charles Smith and the ground was made ready for a new school.  

Four transcriptions taken from souvenir school booklets:

Brunersburg School, District No. 5, Noble Township, Defiance County, Ohio

Summer Term Commencing April 6, Ending June 26, 1897

John F. Dowe, Director

S. I. Gruner, Teacher 

Girls - Alice Leaders, Flo Dowe, Stella Goddard, Nellie Goddard, Minnie Smith, Emma Smith, Ella Felley, Anna Ashbaugh, Grace Chaney, Mary Mack, Alice Lero, Cora Beck, Georgia Lower, Beatrice Dowe, Hazel Hilton, Carrie Dowe, Deetta Goddard, Loda Myers, Ida Pfeifle, Pearl Dowe, Carrie Haller, Hattie Worthington, Fern Mack, Rena Hayward

Boys - Charley Smith, David Lower, Johnny Beck, Alvie Beck, Joe Lero, Will Lero, Clarence Felley, Earl Goddard, Charley Lehman, Roy Lower, Dick Hilton, Harry Lower, Johnny Ashbaugh, Charley Dowe, Frank Smith, Joe Brown, Joe Brown

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Brunersburg School, District No. 5, Noble Township, Defiance County, Ohio

Term - Oct. 2, 1899 to Feb. 23, 1900

John F. Dowe, Director and Member of School Board

James Haller, Sub-Director

F. W. Smith, Sub-Director

Frank L. Wisda, Teacher

Girls  - Vidia N. Gyer, Mary M. Hiler, Bea Dowe, Grace Cheney, Anna L. Mack, Carrie Dowe, Stella Goddard, Mable L. Myers, Cora Shaffer, Emma Speaker, Ida May Mock, Emma C. Smith, Myrtie Gyer, Hazel Hilton,Georgia Williamson, E. Louisia Jordan, Carra Haller, Pearl Dowe, Josephine Hiler, Katie Lero, Mary G. Mack, Alice Lero,L. Deette Goddard, Fern A. Mack

Boys - Joseph Lero, Marriett E. Schoonover, Dick H. Hilton, Maynard H. Jordan, Joseph A. Brown, Sylas Williamson, Grover Castner, Karl T. Schoonover, Walter Arnholt, John Lero, Charlie Dowe, Earl F. Goddard, Frank A. Smith, Charles Smith, Fred Mack, William Lero, Walter Smith, Frank W. Gyer

Tornado damage in Brunersburg, 1920

^^^^^^^^

Brunersburg Public School, District No. 4, Noble Township, Defiance Co., Ohio

1909 - 1910

Helen Ashbacher, Teacher

1st Grade - Ferne Hetz, Frank Mattocks, Helen Dowe, Lester Hanna, Agnes Hiler, Clifford Harmon, Helen Helfrich, Lester Hetz, Henry Lers, Dorothy Grogg, Alma Hanna, Olive Grogg, Eugene Decker, Carrie Leaders

2d Grade - Ellen Leaders, Gertrude Kehnast, Elsie Mattock, Frederick Ratzlaff, Claude Buckmaster, Louis Aschbacher, Mary Figley, Blanche Fokler, Nellie Miller, Charley Ratzlaff, Hillard Koeppe

3d Grade - Clara Helfrich, Gladys Hanna, Edward Shaffer, Leone Leaders, Tony Hiler, Clarence Helfrich

4th Grade - Eli Clark, Louis Hanna, Marie Figley, Caroline Lero, Mary Goddard, Clarence Hanna, Paul Koeppe, Margaret Hiler, Clara Ratzlaff, Helen Mattoch

8th Grade - Hazel Clark, Mildred Chaney, Clayton Shaffer, Louisa Goddard, Howard Deckrosh, George Lero

^^^^^^^^

Brunersburg Public School, District No. 4, Noble Township, Defiance Co., Ohio
1910 - 1911

Helen Ashbacher, Teacher

1st Grade - Marv Ratzlaff, Harmon Leaders, Helen Potterf, Mabel Shaffer, Bernard Decker, Hazel Acus

2nd Grade - Carrie Leaders, Helen Helfrich, Dorothy Grogg, Nellie Miller, Lester Hanna, Raymond Acus, Eugene Decker, Oliver Grogg, Alma Hanna, Helen Dowe, Agnes Hiler, Gladys Miller, Clifford Harmon, Clarence Acus, Arthur Fokler, John Potterf

3rd Grade - Ellen Leaders, Gertrude Kenhast, Louis Aspacher, Claude Buckmaster, Mary Figley, Allen Royer, Charley Ratzlaff, Fred Ratzlaff

4th Grade - Leone Leaders, Mary Goddard, Anthony Hiler, Edward Shaffer, Gladys Hanna, Clara Helfrich, Clarrence Helfrich, Clarence Potterf

7th Grade - Albert Mack, Charley Royer, Clarence Hanna, Clara Ratzlaff

8th Grade - Hazel Clark, Mildred Chaney, Marie Figley, Mary Boyer, Clayton Shaffer, Eli Clark  

Figley School, District #4, Tiffin Township - 1936 and 1937

1936

1937

Buckskin School, District # 3, Noble Township - 1928

1928

Fair School, District # 1, Delaware Township - 1928 - 1930

1928 - 1929

1929 - 1930