Bounty Land, Bureaucracy and Badly Patronized - War of 1812 Veterans and the Settlement of Defiance County - Part 2

 Bounty Land, Bureaucracy and Badly Patronized - War of 1812 Veterans and the Settlement of Defiance County - Part 2

REALITY -

There were only 82 Military Bounty Land Warrant Patents awarded in Defiance County, totalling 5,283 acres.  When two "yahoos" in Washington Township were caught cheating and each had their 160 acre parcels revoked, the adjusted total was 4,963 acres - representing a little under 2% of the county acreage.  Hardly the economic catalyst I theorized.

Interestingly, all 80 county patents were purchased from the government in the years 1851 - 1854 (an important clue I will explain subsequently).  In every case of the 1851 patents, the purchaser of the land was the warrant holder.  Thereafter, the purchaser differed from the warrant holder most of the time.

In distribution by township, Mark (1,592 acres) had the most patent grants, followed by Richland (1,126 acres) and Adams (880 acres).  I believe this to be a reflection of the relative development of these townships in the 1850s - the wilder, wetter and woolier the land, the more it remained unclaimed and available for military bounty awards in mid-century.

The Timeline -

Northwest Ohio, including Defiance County, was technically Native American land until the Treaty at the Foot of the Rapids was signed in 1817.  At the time, the United States took possession of Northwest Ohio and the native population was resettled on reservations sprinkled around the area.  Surveying the newly acquired land was completed in 1820.  Meanwhile, the wheels of progress and government largesse continued to turn.

Veterans of the War of 1812, and later their widows and heirs, could apply for bounty land under various government acts passed during and immediately after the war.  Seasoned veterans were entitled to quarter sections of land (160 acres); a few got half sections (320 acres).  But, there were two big catches to the giveaway:

 

1. The land was ONLY available in Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas.

2. The bounty warrants, as well as the land itself, were not transferable.  This meant that if you exercised your bounty warrant and bought the land at $1.25 an acre, you and your progeny had better intend to develop/ farm it because your family was stuck with it in perpetuity.

Steps to Redress -

Originally a large swath of Western Michigan not far north of Defiance County was slated for War of 1812 bounty lands.  However when it came time for Congress to decide what lands qualified, a few key politicians (apparently, Lewis Cass) wanted to protect their speculative interests and floated false rumors about the unsuitability of the land in that part of the territory.  Obliging its own, Congress did not include Michigan in the bounty lands, but instead substituted Missouri for use by 1812 veterans.  At any rate and better late than never, Congress, 30 years on (1842) opened up all land that was owned by the Federal Government for use by  bounty warrant land holders.

The galling point though, for 1812 veterans, which would become the focus of their political efforts in the next 40 years, was the inability to sell either the bounty warrants themselves or the land which they entitled a veteran to purchase.  One generation before, the ability to do both had been given to Revolutionary War veterans.  When, in consequence, there suddenly appeared money grubbing bounty warrant brokers all over the nation, Congress surely thought it had unwittingly let the "money changers into the temple.  When it came time to reprise their efforts for the veterans of 1812, they "corrected their mistake" and eliminated the transferablity of both bounty land warrants and the land itself.

What is NOT a surprise is that, like nothing else before, the Ten Regiments Act spurred 1812 veterans to organize as what we would recognize today as an effective lobbying group. (The Ten Regiments Act, passed in 1847, gave Mexican War veterans more generous terms for bounty land warrants.)  It took Washington another eight years to rectify the inequalities.  But by  1856, Congress was acting the part of a "guilty grandparent at Christmas," using both hands to ladle out perquisites to former soldiers...

To be continued in Part 3

Bounty Land, Bureaucracy and Badly Patronized - War of 1812 Veterans and the Settlement of Defiance County - Part 1

 

Ohio in 1814

WELCOME TO OUR GUEST BLOGGER -

MIKE KONIECZNY

(Mike has used the Bureau of Land Management Records of Defiance County to study bounty lands given to veteran soldiers of Defiance County.)

It seems everyone knows a Vietnam veteran who is still angry at this country's treatment of his cohort in the wake of their tours of duty.  To have done their patriotic duty, fighting an unpopular war, only to come home and be disrespected in the press and on the streets was as infuriating to them as it was confusing.  One hundred and eighty years ago, the veterans of the War of 1812 felt much the same.

Whether they looked behind their times of service to the veterans of the Revolution or forward to the veterans of the Mexican War, 1812 veterans frustratingly saw a country doling out perquisites of bounty land warrants and military pensions in a manner denied and delayed to them.  Interestingly, historians cite many reasons for this discrepancy, but always return to a reoccurring thread in our country's history: Americans love and reward winners; "place" and "show" are afterthoughts.  In both the Revolution and Mexican Wars, America won great land empires.  In contrast, the best we could do in the War of 1812 was to negotiate a return to the "status quo ante bellum."   This was codified in the 1814 Treaty of Ghent which officially ended that war.  Let's face it, Americans hate ties - a big reason soccer has never captured the national psyche.

In February, 2022, I was alerted to the power of the Bureau of Land Management Patent Deed Database.  This database is available on the internet and, in it, the BLM lists every patent deed awarded in the country's history.  Patent deeds record land passing from the federal government to an individual and are tracked at the federal level.  Thereafter, all other types of deeds tracking the transfer of property are recorded locally.

Within the BLM database exists a designator for land deeds awarded to 18th and 19th century veterans for their wartime service.  In an age when the U.S. government was land rich and cash poor, awards of land for military service were the G.I. Bill of the time and served as a thank you from a grateful nation.  In total, these awards were consequential; indeed, all land awarded to veterans up through the American Civil Wa amounted to a land mass the size of the state of Oregon.  Using this database designator, I found it a small matter to download all records of deeds for military service.

Using this database, I was certain that it would be easy to prove that Military Bounty Lands were a major catalyst in the development of Defiance County.  My hypothesis was based on two vectors:

*The first was that during the War of 1812, a noticeable percentage of military aged Kentucky men tromped up and down the Maumee River and were aware of the agricultural potential of the Black Swamp - especially around the Defiance area.

*And the second was that Defiance County was bisected by a major water course; indeed the Maumee River basin is the largest watershed in all the Great Lakes.

Combined, the two vectors would certainly explain why War of 1812 veterans came flocking back to Defiance County to exercise their Bounty Land Warrants.  What I found was considerably more complicated...

More on Part 2

Centennial Families of Defiance County

 If your family has lived in Defiance County for 100 years or more, we invite you to apply for a Centennial Families designation to honor them.  It's easy to apply; details follow.

These citizens have already been so named and their certificate awarded to the descendant/ researcher who applied:

Ayers, Elicum

Bayes, Catherine Holey

Bayes, Howard Leroy "Roy" and Sarah Ellen "Ella" Fickle Bayes

Bayes, Thomas

Bayes, William P.

Burgbacher, John W. and Louise Vollmer

Burgbacher, John and Catherine Hornish

Burgbacher, Herman F.

Burgbacher, Harold and Clara C. Hoch

Childs, George

Deckrosh, Christian

Dreher, Carrie E.

Durfey, Maria Iona Miller

Gorman, Bernard John

Gorman, Edmund Benedict and Eliza J. Carney

Gorman, Michael

Gorman Sophia Hovestadt

Gusler, David and Susannah

Helfrick, John

Himes, William Marion

Kistner, Jacob and John George

Kniss, John

Kurtz, Jacob

Kurtz, Louisa

Long, John Thomas

Mason, George Childs

Miller, Jacob C. and Louisa Heller Miller

Miller, Jacob and Vernia Walter Miller

NIcely, Effie

Nolan, John

Pask, Joseph George

Polter, August and Wilhelmina

Sanford, Samuel R. and Annzonetta M. "Nettie" Spencer

Scranton, James A.

Scranton, Ward E.

Smith, Anthony Bennett

Smith, John B.

Smith, Stanley Robert

Stuckman, Isaac

Swartz, Lewis/Louis

Todd, Edward and Frances

Toenjes, Henry John

Veith, Carl A.

Walter, Jacob and Vernia Walter Miller

Walter, John

Walters, Goldie Lovejoy

Walters, John and Orpha Gusler Walters

Walters, Nicholas and Elizabeth Margaret Roth Walters

Walters, Perry "Roy" and Carrie Polter Walters

Wilhelm, Harrison Henry

Wilhelm, Henry

Wilhelm, Walter and Frances

The Centennial Family designation honors those who were in Defiance County one hundred or more years ago from the present date.  

To apply:

1. Fill out the application form found on our website.

https://www.defiancecountygenealogy.org/centennial.html

2. Only Defiance County Genealogical members may apply.  Join our society!

Application at 

https://www.defiancecountygenealogy.org/join.html

3. Explain your connection to this family by blood or marriage, or if unrelated, present some of your research.

4. Send a copy of a document that proves the person or family has lived in Defiance County for 100 years from the present date.

When approved a Centennial Families certificate will be presented or sent to you, honoring your ancestor, and that person will be added to the Centennial Family roll.

August Blog Break

 

I'm taking the usual AUGUST BLOG BREAK!

See you in SEPTEMBER!

Five Generation Keepsake Photo from Sherwood

 Taken in 1948, this photo depicted five generations of the family of little Anna Boroff:

Hattie Breininger, great-great grandmother

    Mrs. Jacob Sprow, great-grandmother

        Mrs Russell Hallard, grandmother

              Mrs. Janet Boroff, mother

                   Anna Boroff, daughter

Sherwood Chronicle April 22, 1948

Clarinda Bailey Williamson French, Proprietress on Danforth Street, Defiance

 

Born Clarinda Bailey on October 10, 1844, to Jesse Ordway Bailey and his wife, Sarah Green, Clarinda was, in the 1850 census, the 6th of eleven children.  The family was poor and, in 1860, reported their real estate as worth $200 and their personal worth at $25.  Clarinda had left the house by the time the 1860 census was taken.  About 16 years old, many agree that she married George Williamson by that time.  No record of a marriage could be found.

The couple was divorced by 1870, and the 1870 census showed her living in Putnam County with the Albert and Nancy Russell family and their three children.  Clarinda had three children, as well, George - 8, Jessie - 4, and Charley, 2.  She married Darius French on May 12, 1873.  They had at least one daughter, Ella, in the next year, but this marriage did not last either and the couple divorced.  A Sheriff's Sale of Property was held to settle the suit of Clarinda against Darius on August 28, 1880.

The Defiance Democrat of May 15, 1879, reported:

"Clarinda French against Darius H. French.  Defendant ordered to pay $4.00 a month for benefit of infant child and child given to plaintiff.  Defendant to have access at 6:00 each Sabbath night."

In the census of 1880, now divorced twice, Clarinda (sometimes called "Clara") settled into a home with three children: George Williamson, 19, who worked on a farm; Charley Williamson, 7; and Ella French, 6.  Clarinda was 38 and reported that she worked as a seamstress.  

In the 1890 Veterans Census, George Williamson was listed at a veteran of Company B, 76th Ohio Infantry.  He served from March 15, 1864, until June 15, 1865.  Above his name was the notation, "Clarinda French, former wife of "

Does that mean she would benefit from his pension someday?  George Williamson was lost after this census, with no clear record of his death, a remarriage, or anything else.

It was about this time that Clarinda's choice of the use of her home began to bring her trouble.  Divorced twice, it was likely that she was quite poor and decided she needed some easy extra income.  It was in 1891 that her name became regularly written about in the newspapers of Defiance.  Early morning raids were held and she was fined quite consistently for running a house of ill fame.  

By March 3, 1892, the Defiance Democrat reported that "The only occupant of the city's free institution (the stone yard) at present is Clarinda French, who has been serving time since the 12th day of last December."  That's 2 1/2 months in the winter in the stoneyard.  Would she learn her lesson?

In March, 1892, a murder occurred in the county infirmary...and the guilty party was named as Charles Brown, illegitimate child of Clarinda French and son of Jonas Brown.  

Defiance Democrat, March 17, 1892

"BROWN THE IMBECILE

HE IS EXAMINED BY PHYSICIANS IN REGARD TO HIS MENTAL CONDITION."

Tuesday Charles Brown, the imbecile and murderer of young Rich (Joseph E. Rich) was brought into Probate Court.

The idiot is a repulsive creature and there is no doubt as to his mental condition.  He has a low forehead and his hair grows nearly down to his eyes.  If he had not such an idiotic expression, he would be considered vicious looking.  Mrs. Clarinda French, his mother, appeared in court.  She says he is the son of Jonas Brown and is twenty four years old.  He is a bastard child.  Mrs. French is a resident of this city.

Brown does not stay at the Infirmary regularly.  Doctors Chapman and Berchtold took the young man into a private room and made an examination of him in regard to his medical condition.  Brown says he is going back to the Infirmary and 'do up' John Bordner.

The certificate of the physicians pronounces him insane, but Judge Baker says it is doubtful whether the keepers of the asylum will receive him as our quota of inmates is now exceeded by five more than the county is entitled to."

As the doctors proclaimed, "A man who will deliberately butcher up a person, as was the case with Rich, is not safe to be at large..."  Charles" fate is unknown.

When the 1900 Federal Census was taken, Clarinda French ,55, was at her home at 336 Danforth Street, Defiance, where she gave her occupation as washerwoman.  With her lived her oldest son, George, 38; John Williamson, her nephew; Ottenger Wells, a boarder; Laura Bennett, 22, dressmaker and boarder, and Nettie Bennett, 24, a widow. Newspapers indicated that the business was going strong.

The Defiance Express printed the following article on December 7, 1904:

"TRAPPED DOVES.

Sunday morning officers Shea, Rath, McDonnel and Stock made a raid on Clarinda French's castle for soiled doves down by 'Sulphur Hollow.'  It was not a water haul, and Mrs. French, the proprietress, Ella French and Della Bird were the females bagged.  Two men, giving their names as George Green and George Smith, probably fictitious, were also 'caught in the shuffle'  The feminine portion of those nipped were put in the cooler, but Green and Smith put up ten dollars each for their appearance this morning and forfeited that amount by not showing up.

This morning the females were brought into court.  Mrs. French was charged with keeping a house of prostitution and Ella French and Della Bird had a charge of being inmates of a house of ill fame placed opposite their names.  The French's pled not guilty and their trial is set for Wednesday.

Della Bird, who has figured quite prominently in this section of the state was found guilty and fined ten dollars and costs.  She is now in city prison and will stay until someone puts up for her.  The police are elated over this arrest and it will probably break up a place of bad repute."

Notice that Clarinda now had her daughter, Ella, as one of the workers in her business!

Della Bird (aka Della Ocobock) was notorious in the state as the girlfriend of convicted murderer, Martin Kuhns.  Her testimony sent him back to a second term in the Ohio Penitentiary.  "She was a bad lot," stated one newspaper.  

A page by page search of the newspapers of the time did not lead to a conclusion for the case against Clarinda.

In the Federal Census of 1910, Danforth Street, Defiance - Clarinda French, 65, widow and washerwoman at other homes, lived with her oldest son, George Williamson, single, and 49, a laborer at odd jobs.  It seemed Clarinda's former business was done.  

Clarinda/ Clara died on October 10, 1915, in Defiance at her home at 339 Danforth Street, 3rd Ward.  She was found dead in her bed after complaining of stomach trouble.  The physician concluded that she had a valve disease of the heart. She was 71 years and 7 days old.  No obituary could be found.

George Williamson continued to live in the house until he died quickly on May 23, 1930, of a pulmonary hemorrhage.  

"EX-CITY WORKER IS FOUND DEAD.  GEORGE WILLIAMSON TAKEN IN NIGHT BY HEMORRHAGE AT THIS HOME.

George Williamson, 69, an employee of the city until recently, was found dead shortly afternoon today in his house at 239 Danforth Street where he lived alone.  Coroner Fred W. Watkins pronounced death as due to a hemorrhage after viewing the body.

Fred Hoge, 620 Adams Street, found the body and called Coroner Watkins.  Mr. Hoge was attracted by a light shining through the bedroom window as he passed the place.  He found Williamson's body in bed.

Ben Bailey, Timothy Street, an uncle, was called.  Mr. Williamson was a bachelor and had no near relatives.

Mr. Bailey said Williamson had been suffering from hemorrhages during the last week and that he had tried to get him to go to his home.  Williamson had taken dinner Friday at the Bailey home.

Mr. Hoge said he had been at the house with Williamson about 7 p.m. Friday and that he was all right when he left him.

His mother, Mrs. Clara French, was found dead in the same house nine years ago.  Mrs. S. E. Huffman, 301 Gray Street, who assisted in arrangements for Mr. Williamson this afternoon said she had found Mrs. French's body.  No funeral arrangements had been made this afternoon.  The body was removed to E. W. Hoffman's funeral establishment."

Both Clarinda French and her son, George Williamson, were buried at the Brunersburg Cemetery.  A look in the Tombstone Inscriptions (DCGS book) for that cemetery did not show a tombstone for either.

   

Houses of Ill Fame in Defiance

 

Defiance was not alone in its struggle against the houses of ill fame (i.e. bawdy houses, houses of ill repute) that settled in its neighborhoods.  Early newspapers of the 1880s to the early 1900s mentioned Deshler, Oakwood, Montpelier, Paulding, and others as joining the fight to purify their towns.  But it was hard, even with town ordinances to help.

In January, 1889, Defiance passed an Ordinance to "Suppress Houses of Ill Fame."  It stated that those who kept a house of prostitution in the city would be fined $10 - $50 and court costs.  But, whoever visited such a place of ill fame should be fined $50 and costs. Later on a punishment of work in the stone yard was added as a deterrent.  Newspapers stated that the men often gave fictitious names and paid their fines quickly.

Where were these houses of ill repute?  Throughout Defiance, it seemed.  

The town's newspapers kept the citizens up to date:

"A midnight raid was made last evening by Officers Ross, Seibert and Hummer on the house of ill fame conducted by Pearl Gardiner known as the 'bad lands,' located near the street tracks in East Defiance, resulted in the arresting of three fallen women, Pearl Gardiner, Louisa Bennett and Nettie Bennett."

A house on Perry Street, "a few doors below Second Street" was often mentioned with the proprietresses, Emma Hartman and Ida Dennies.  A house on Perry Street, commonly called the "shot tower," was run by Mary Taylor with her employees, Ola Kelley and Hazel Dean.  It was rare that a particular address was given, except for the colored house of ill fame located at 539 Holgate Avenue.  After all, that might seem like advertising their locations.

In North Defiance, a mention of a house at the foot of Clinton Street was well-known.  On May 25, 1891, the Defiance Daily Crescent reported this:

" SOILED DOVES

AN ALLEGED HOUSE OF ILL FAME IN NORTH DEFIANCE PULLED BY THE OFFICERS

TWO VISITORS PLEAD GUILTY

For some time the officers have had their weather optics on a house in North Defiance which is inhabited by Clarinda French.  The officials became pretty well satisfied that the conduct of the house was such as to warrant their making a raid upon it, accordingly Sunday morning about 2 o'clock, nearly the entire police force descended on the place, capturing the females, Clarinda French, Fannie Fraser and Laura Williams.

It appears the ladies had some visitors at this unreasonable hour, for a search unearthed Andrew and Joseph Williamson, who were ostensibiy spending the night there.  The men were taken in tow by the officers and placed in the city cooler to stay until this morning when they appeared before the mayor and pled guilty to visiting a house of ill fame.  They were fined five dollars and the costs for which they secured.

The females were not taken into custody as they gave bail for their appearance at court.  Mrs. French is charged with keeping a house of ill fame and the other two with being inmates of a house of ill fame.  Their trial has been postponed until Thursday at 1 p.m. It is understood they will employ a lawyer and fight the case."

In the subsequent case, Clarinda was found guilty "of conducting a disreputable house," and she was fined $20 and the costs, the whole amounting to $47.65.  Since there was no ordinance at the time relating to those who were inmates in the house, the other two women were released.  It was thought that the city would remedy that oversight.  In a later case, the inmates were fined $5 and sent to the stone yard to work off that amount.

Connections with these houses could often become the reason given for divorce.  On December 9, 1904, Philip Stork filed for divorce based on his wife's involvement in a house of ill fame.  As reported in the Defiance Weekly Express:

"A petition has been filed in the probate court by Philip Stork praying for a divorce from Elizabeth Stork.  Plaintiff says that they were married in December 1885 and that a result of this union, three children were born, now aged 18, 16 and 14 years.

He alleges that since 1896, defendant has continuously kept a house of ill fame in the city of Defiance and has kept company and consorted with lewd and immoral men and women.  That prior to that time, she was guilty of gross neglect of duty and refused and neglected to take care of their house and home and refused to properly perform her household duties..."

Many were outraged by the existence of these places in their cities.  Marriages were broken, women were cast aside from their families or disowned by husbands, men were shamed.  Writers to the papers protested the "protection" these houses seemed to have. When would it end?

Next - a look at the life of Clarinda French, notorious proprietress of one of the houses in Defiance.