SIGNS

OF
From

PAULDING
COUNTY
The

H i s t o r i c a l Archives

P a u l d i n g County
2005

E D I T I O N

of

the

Progress

V O L U M E

PAULDING COUNTY
CARNEGIE LIBRARY

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1916

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2 0 0 5

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Copyright 2C05 oy the Paulding County Progress.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication ri,
r, i:.ic4-. ;'.i: m, form without
permission in writing from the publisher.
"Visions of Paulding Co:.--t/: fic-n "ic 'Historical Archives Of the Paulding Ct.
"
Volume C s pjl;iisru-:c bv nie Paulding County Progress.
H 45879
email progresssl.rght.net

To purchase extra copies

Visions of Paulding County: From the Historical Archives of the
Paulding County Progress, Volume 6 is published by the Paulding
County Progress newspaper. A copy of this publication is included
free in the Jan. 26, 2005 edition of the Progress for the enjoyment
of our readers. We have a limited supply of additional copies,
which may be purchased for $2 each at the Progress office, 113 S.
Williams St., Pldg. Copies can be obtained by mail for $4 ($2 plus
$2 shipping and handling) by writing to: Paulding County
Progress, P.O. Box 180, Paulding OH 45879. Inquire about copies
of our Visions Volume 1 published in January 2000, Visions Volume
2 published in January 2001, Visions Volume 3 published in
January 2002, Visions Volume 4 published in January 2003, and
Visions Volume 5 published in January 2004.
January 2005

Paulding County Alcohol

and Drug Services has
changed their name
which just proves
anyone can change.
Even you.
the u a m i l l !
point
451 McDonald Pike, Suite A
Paulding, Oh 45879 399-5612
Visions of Paulding County 1

Name Calling
Origins of Paulding County's place names

By M E L I N D A K R I C K Visions Editor
merald Road. Antwerp. Benton Township. Auglaize River. We hear and see dozens of
familiar place names every day around Paulding County, but give them little thought.
However, there's a history behind every name of every township, waterway, town,
school and landmark. As you study a map of Paulding County, the words printed on it
reflect the times and the circumstances of the men and women who settled here.
Some names have their origins in other cities and countries. Politicians, military heroes and
other famous people were memorialized by some communities. In other places, names given by
Native American peoples are still in use after several hundred years. The
region's early French and British influences colored some choices for place
names. Still other sites were named for the surroundings, local industries, or
the men who founded the town. The sources of some names may be lost to
history forever.
Antwerp - W. Wilshire Riley, General Horatio N . Curtis and Samuel
Rice surveyed the town in 1841. They consulted a post office directory to find
a name not already used. Riley suggested "Antwerp." It comes from
Antwerp, Belgium. The area had many settlers from Germany and Holland.
Arena - Unknown. It was a crossroads community in Paulding Township
in the late 1890s.
Arthur - Named in honor of Chester A. Arthur, then President of the U.S.
when a post office was established there in 1884.
Auglaize - Mentioned in the writings of early explorers as though it was
a Delaware Indian village situated on a branch of the Maumee River; meaning "at the lick." Another version says "The French gave it the name in the
1600s; it means river at or of the clay and loam banks." The French word
"glaise" means loamy or clay. Still another source claims that in the Shavmee
Indian language it meant "fallen timbers."
Baldwin - Timothy Baldwin platted the town in Benton Township on
May 19, 1890 on the Findlay and Fort Wayne Railroad.
a itale call on
Batson - For Andrew (or A.W.) Batson, who first petitioned for a post
office there and was the town's first postmaster in 1891.
Benton - (Township) Named in honor of U.S. Senator Thomas Hart
Benton of Missouri, an outstanding national figure. He was said to have
many admirers in Ohio.
Black Swamp - No one knows the origin for certain. Eighteenth century
no pay.
land speculators claimed that it referred to the rich black soil, but usually it is
thought to be from the fact that the forests were so dense that sunlight hardly reached the ground - an "impenetrable gloom."
Blue Creek - (Township, Creek) Probably descriptive. The township is named for the creek.
Briceton - For the Honorable Calvin T. Brice, a U.S. Senator from Ohio who lived in Lima. He
helped build the N.Y., Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, later known as the Nickel Plate, which crosses the county.
Broughton - Possibly for someone named Broughton who was connected with the stave mill
there. Also possibly for the first Baron Broughton, a British statesman.
Brown - (Township) Also Fort Brown. For "Colonel Brown" who constructed Fort Brown during the War of 1812 and is believed to be buried at the site.
Canalport - (Also Canal Port) Literally, a canal port or export spot for quarried stone and timber along the Miami & Erie Canal.
Carryall - (Township) For a large rock in the Maumee River, just above Antwerp; shaped like

Auctioneer!
I f you are leoing to hare
or addrcM,

FoUmer, Ohio.
Snttsfficlion guaranteed or
This ad for a Follmer business appeared in the Paulding
Republican newspaper in
August, 1890.

2 Visions of Paulding County

January 2005

Photo Courtesy of Otto E. Ehrhart Museurti

a boat used by the French voyagers in navigating the river, called by them a "canyall."
Cecil - Supposedly from the first engineer on the Wabash Railroad who made the first run
between Fort Wayne and Toledo; his name was Cecil.
Charloe - For an Indian chief known as Charloe Peter.
County Line - Descriptive; a crossroads community near the Paulding-Putnam County Line.
Crane - (Township) For Oliver Crane, one of its early settlers.
Cranesville - A trading post settlement named for Oliver Crane, an early settler.
Crooked Creek - Probably descriptive; also known as Flat Rock Creek.
Dague - For Hamilton Chauncy Dague, a promoter who platted the town. He was a real estate
dealer and an early postmaster.
Doylestown - For Samuel Doyle Sr., who ran a packet line on the Miami & Erie Canal and carried mail between Cincinnati and Toledo.
Emerald - (Township) For the many early settlers who originated from "The Emerald Isle"
(Ireland).
Emmett - (also Fmmitt) Possibly derived from its original name of Emerald Station; also possibly a family name.
Englewood - Named for the Englewood Tile Mill at the site.
Ettiesburg - Platted in 1860 by Samuel Shisler and named for his daughter, Etta.
Exchange Bridge - A canal town named because the canal towpath changed sides at this location.
Five Span - Named for a five-span iron bridge built across the Auglaize River.
Flat Rock - (Creek) From the flat limestone bed for the distance of a mile fr'om its mouth at the
Auglaize River.
Flat Rock City - Descriptive; community along the Flat Rock Creek.
Folmer - (Also Follmer, Fulmer, Fullmer) Probably named for an early resident of Blue Creek
Township.
Forder's Bridge - For local landowner George Forder, who built the stone abutments and pier
for the bridge in 1889. The bridge was replaced in 1995.
Fort Brown - See "Brown."
January 2005

This undated photo was taken

Knoxdale, a railroad community
^^^^ of Antwerp.

Visions of Paulding County 3

A view of the Paulding

Furnace, near Cecil, taken from
Howe's Historical Collections of
Ohio.

4 Visions of Paulding County

Furnace - In 1861-64, a company from Pittsburgh known as Evans, Rogers & Co. established
what was then called a Catalan Bloomery and Forge for the reduction of iron ore by direct process.
This plant was located on the north side of the Wabash & Erie Canal in Crane Township, 1.5 miles
south of Cecil. It was later referred to as the old furnace farm. It included 23-35 beehive-shaped
charcoal kilns of brick, plastered outside with lime, each 15 feet in diameter and 15 feet high. The
company built a fumace of seven fires and a forge close to the canal. The Cecil Furnace employed
as many as 250 woodchoppers and sawyers at one time.
Giauque - Unknown. (Pronounced "gee-oak") Of French origin; possibly a family name. A
post office was located in this community from February 1903, to
February 1904.
Gilbert's MiUs - Named for
Philander Gilbert, who built a
sawmill and gristmill there starting
about 1866.
Goodwin - A railroad town possibly named for the Goodwin family.
Grover Hill - Named in honor
of former President Grover
Cleveland,
and
former
Congressman W D . Hill. The name
was changed to one word,
Croverhill, from 1895-1905, then
changed back to two words.
Hamer - Believed named for
Gen. Thomas L. Hamer, an officer
in the Mexican War, and a congressman in the 1830s.
Harrison
(Township)
Probably for William Henry
Harrison, a general in the War of 1812 who marched his men up the Auglaize River and built Fort
Brown. He also was a U.S. Senator and the ninth President of the U.S.
Haviland - For John F. Haviland, a proprietor who owned land in the area.
Hedges - For WC. Hedges, who laid out the town along the Nickel Plate Railroad.
Henpeek - Unknown. This settlement was located in Crane Township. There were also towns
called Henpeek in Clermont and Warren counties in Ohio.
Hipp's Lock - John J. Hipp settled at the site of the lock on the Miami & Erie Canal and erected a store and mill. He was the first postmaster in 1868. The commimity also was known as
Timberville.
Holcombeville - For Major A.B. Holcombe, who owned a stave and lumber mill. Also see
Morrison P.O.
Indian Bridge - Uirknown. The bridge is located on Road 123 over Flat Rock Creek in Jackson
Township.
Jackson - (Township) Probably for President Andrew Jackson.
Jacquette - Unknown. Possibly a family name. A post office was established there from 186769.
Junction - For the junction of the Wabash & Erie Canal and the Miami & Erie Canal, once
thought destined to become a metropolis.
Knox - (Also Knoxdale) Possibly for the first Secretary of War, Hemy Knox. Other possibilities are that it was named for Knox County, Ohio, or for a family named Knox.
Latty - (Township, Village) The township was organized in 1855 and named in honor of
Alexander Sankey (A.S.) Latty, who was county auditor at the time. Latty later platted the town
on his land.
LesUe's Crossing - Founded by George Leslie 11, the town later was called Briceton.
Link Post Office - Unknown. This crossroad community in Carryall Township may have gotten its name for a local family, or it may have been considered a "link" between Antwerp and
Hicksviiie.
Llewellyn - (Also Lewellyn) Tom and Sam Llewellyn built on the north side of the PauldingVan Wert County Line; the area on the south side of the road was Scott. Townspeople had to
choose between the names of Scott and Llewellyn.
Logtown - Probably descriptive; a timber site in Benton Township.
Malottville - In 1872, Peter Lehman and Joseph Malott platted a village on the present site of
January 2005

and later the town adopted the name of the

Payne. The new town was called Possibly for Rochester, N.Y. or East
post office. The community changed its
Malottville. In 1882, petitions to change Rochester, Ohio. There were Rochesters in
name from Malottville to Payne in 1882.
the name from Malottville to Payne were Noble, Stark and Lorain counties in Ohio,
filed in the Court of Common Pleas.
and a New Rochester in Wood County.
Plumb's Crossroads - For Caleb
Plumb, who established the crossroads setNiudeville - (Also Nineville) One
Mandale - Named for Dale Mann. A
tlement and built a store.
plat for the town was filed in June 1889 by source states it was named for the Nine
family, who had a mill there. An 1896
Point Pleasant/Pleasant Grove - A
D. Mann and Alice Mann.
post office settlement established on the
Marble - Unknown. Possibly a family newspaper mentioned the Ninde family at
Niudeville, while the 1900 Census lists a
Paulding and Van Wert Pike; probably
name.
descriptive.
Marie DeLarme - One version says it family named Ninder.
was named in honor of a daughter of an
Oakwood - The town was originally
Reid - (Also Reids) Named for Capt.
early French boatman. However, another called Wide-A-Wake, but later received the
Robert M . Reid, who was largely instmsource indicates the name is a corruption of more prosaic name of Oakwood, largely
mental in securing the establishment of a
the phrase "marais de Forme" meaning because of the heavy stand of oak trees in
post office for this canal town.
"elm swamp."
the area, according one source.
Renollet - For the Renollet family, who
had large holdings at the site.
Ohio - From an Iroquois word meaning
Maumee - According to one writer, the
Roselm - (Also Roselms) From the famFrench explorers meeting the Miami great river.
ily name "Rose" and the elm trees in the
Indians understood from them the name of
Oquanoxa's Reserve - Named for a
vicinity.
their tribe as Me-ah-me or Me-au-me, chief who resided in a village there with
which they recorded in French as Miami. about 600 Indians of the Ottawa tribe until
Royal Oak - A man named Darling
The rapid pronunciation of this three-sylla- the reservation was sold in 1820.
opened a small grocery in the front room of
ble word, Miami, led the settlers here after
his cabin at the site. Darling fashioned a
Paulding - For John Paulding, who
the War of 1812 to pronounce it in two syl- along with David Williams and Isaac Van
sign from a store packing box and wrote on
lables as Maumee. The name also was Wart captured Revolutionary War spy
it with charcoal the words "Royal Oak
sometimes written as Omi or Omee, which Major Andre.
Grocery." He then nailed this sign to a
may have been short for the French "an
stately old white oak tree. It was from this
Payne - Probably for Henry C. Payne, a
Miami" and "aux Miamis," meaning to or U.S. Senator from Ohio and lawyer with
grocery and sign that Newberg got its other
at the Miami or Miamis.
name. Royal Oak. Also see Newberg.
financial interests in the railroads. A post
Scott - For John Scott, who platted the
McDouald Pike - Another name for office called Payne was established there in
village in 1882. Also see Llewellyn.
Road 107. A road often was named for the 1858. The suggestion has been made that
the post office was named Payne by a
person who petitioned for it.
Section 8 - A timber town established in
Section 8 of Paulding Township around
McGill - Named for John McCill, an gratefiil community for Mr. Payne's efforts
1900.
organizer of Benton Township, described on its behalf with the Post Office
Six Mile Creek - So called because it
as "that old wolf hunter and veteran of the Department. Other speculation is that it
was named for a general in the army or for
empties into the Auglaize River six miles
War of 1812."
above its mouth.
Melrose - Believed named after the an early postmaster. The railroad station
Smiley - For I.E. Smiley, the
Melrose Abbey in Scotland. The
postmaster who ran a general
town was platted by two
NINDKVILUFJ.
store and operated a mill and a
Scotsmen in 1845.
shingle and a basket bottom factoMolasses Gap - For a sorghum
Nlndes are cwtUng their wheat.
rymill there, used to press juice for
Charley Ilalubridge is going to huild
Sophia - Unknown. A post
sorghum cane; the juice is boiled
office town in Blue Creek
down to make molasses.
a new houae !tt the near future.
Township from July 1893-April
Morrison Post Office
Mr. Cornell ia building a new bam.
1895.
Named for Chief Justice of the
Tne Weeley Methodbta are going to
Spencer - Unknown. This canal
U.S. Morrison R. Waite. The site
jbeild A new churoh two niileii nouih of
town was located in Washington
was
also
known
as
thla place on the Urcider farm.
Township. Possibly a family
Holcombeville.
name. One source mentions that
Murat - A canal town named
H. O. Sneilcnbergor haa acveral
"the 'state boat' best remembered
for Joachin Murat, a French
teams hauling jumboa for him.
by the older citizens of
statesman and military leader.
Mr. and Mrs Mnn.sflcld were over to
Washington Township was under
Newberg - (Also Newburgh)
Panldlbg
Sunday visiting frienda.
the command of Capt. Spencer."
Probably descriptive; literally,
"new town." Also see Royal Oak.
St. Andrews - For the patron
Mr. Bummei and family wore viaitsaint of Scotland.
New Harrison - Unknown.
ing at Charley Bainbridge'a one day
Probably named in connection
Snnnyside - Probably descriplast week.
with William Henry Harrison (see
tive.
BL, O. Saellenbergor has been holding
"Harrison").
Tate's Landing - For Irish
canal contractor Lyle (or Lyal)
danoea at hie honse.
New Rochester - One source
Tate, who purchased land there on
indicates the town was named by
the Wabash & Erie Canal.
Johnny Appleseed, who traveled
A news item for the community of Nindeville in Harrison
Timberville - Combination of
through
Paulding
County.
Township from 1896.
January 2005

Visions of Paulding County 5

"timber" - a local product or resource - and "ville" meaning town.

It was located at Lock 31 on the Miami & Erie Canal and was also
known as Hipp's Lock.
Tipton - Unknown. There also are Tiptons located in Indiana
and Iowa and England.
Toronto - Unknown. Possibly for Toronto, Canada or Toronto
in Jefferson County, Ohio.
Washington - (Township) Probably for George Washington.
Washington is America's most common place name.
Wayne Trace - Named in connection with General "Mad"
Anthony Wayne, hero of the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794.
Wayne's army traveled through Paulding County along the
Auglaize River, Fiat Rock Creek and Maumee River. There's a
road named Wayne Trace in Fort Wayne, and reportedly U.S. 127,

Word

search:

which runs in front of the Wayne Trace High School, was once
known as Wayne Highway.
Wildcat Creek - Probably descriptive. A pioneer reminiscence
noted that in the area in 1857, wildcats, bear, wolves, deer and panthers were numerous.
Worstville - For John Worst, who owned a sawmill in this railroad town in the late i800s.
Wrexham - From Wrexham Lewis, who platted a town and
called his Wrexham. Alexander Sankey Latty platted another portion of the town and called his Latty. The town was later incorporated as Latty.
If you have any additional information on the names of these
places, please contact the Paulding County Progress newspaper at
419-399-4015; or emailprogress@bright.net.

Places

Paulding County has had many villages and communities throughout its history. Many of these towns have since vanished.
Can yon locate these places in the word search puzzle? Answer on Page 14.

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6 Visions of Paulding County

FLATROCK CITY
FOLLMER
FORT BROWN
FURNACE
GIAUQUE

CRANESVILLE

BRICETON
BROUGHTON
CANALPORT

ANTWERP
ARENA
ARTHUR
BALDWIN
BATSON

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GILBERT'S MILLS
GOODWIN
GROVER HILL
HAMER
HAVILAND

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LATTY
LEWELLYN
LINK
MALOTTVILLE
MANDALE
MARBLE
McGILL
MELROSE
MOLASSES GAP
MORRISON PC.
MURAT
NEWBURGH
NEW HARRISON
NEW ROCHESTER
NINDEVILLE
OAKWOOD
PAULDING
PAULDINGVILLE
PAYNE
PLEASANT POINT
PLUMB XROADS
REIDS
RENOLLET
ROSELMS
ROYAL OAK
SCOTT
SECTION EIGHT
SMILEY
SOPHIA
ST. ANDREWS
SUNNYSIDE
TATE'S LANDING
TIMBERVILLE
TIPTON
TORONTO
WORSTVILLE

January 2005

P a u l d i n g

PAULDING COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF
JOB AND FAMILY SERVICES

o f

C h a m b e r

C o m m e r c e

303 West Harrison Street

Paulding, Ohio 45879
419-399-3756
O F F I C E

H O U R S :

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Tuesday 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Child, Adult and Family Services

Paulding Chamber of Commerce Board of Direotors: Front row l-r: Jane Gray-Vloe
President, Jim Durre-Presldent, Deb Adams-Seoretary, Jim States-Treasurer; middle
row l-r: Meiinda Kriok, Mike Farmer-Executive Director, Greg Johnson, Dan Fessei;
Back row l-r: Bill Voirol, Randy Daeger, Chris Johnson, Kevin Stahl.

are provided to Protect, Strengthen and

Maintain Family Units, Promote

Business

Seif-Sufflciency, Personal Responsibility

Leadership

and Financial independence

Community
Please call our office for Employment &
Training Assistance and Services.

Supporting
P.O. Box 237

I..art7 liiortvll
.\laii SiuKlrr
Josrpli lEarkrr
Wlu'tlicr
SOLI)

you're

.Sandra ^ i r k r l s a n
.\aron Tinim
lErian fiiwrrrll

.scliiiig

/V llie woni

or huyiiig

at am lion,

von most waul to hear.

GORRELLBROS.
AUCTIONEERS & REAL ESTATE
SINCE 1924
Larry D. Gorreii - Real Estate Broker
1201 N. Williams St., Paulding, OH 419-399-4066

Promotion

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the

Community

Paulding, Ohio 45879

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Visions of Paulding County 7

N o r m ' s N e w s

R e m e m b e r

From the Paulding Progress of January 13, 1982:

aken from the files of "THE PAULDING PROGRESS"
January, 1952.
Members of THE PAULDESC i
PROGRESS Photo Staff were.
Joe Hanson, operator; Harold Betz,
operator; Ruby Crawford, secretary;
Robert McMichael, advertising; salesman, Joseph Straka; H. Richard Smith
and Lowell Wamer, printers.
This was the Editorial for the Jan. 3
issue.
"THE GOOD OLD DAYS"
In our Christmas issue, we published an
article on a trip made in 1921 from Florida to
Van Wert, and referred to that period of three decades ago as
"THE GOOD OLD DAYS." What makes us think twice about it
is that people's memories sure do change and speaking of 'THE
GOOD OLD DAYS" is merely a matter of relativity. It scarcely
seems possible that any time after the first world war should now
be referred to in that manner. The expression not so long ago
brought to mind when the horse was "king," you got afreelunch
with a mug of beer and the income tax had not even been invented.
'THE GOOD OLD DAYS" were always those times that your
father and grandfather talked about - imtil you finally get to an
age yourself where you can remember many incidents, fashions

W h e n

and troubles that no longer exist.

We can recall, for example, that a 1916 model Overland usually
had four punctures during a 60-mile trip that required four hours.
We can remember when U.S. 127 was a freshly laid strip of flat
concrete. And we can remember when the gals did everything
they could to keep from looking like gals.
"THE GOOD OLD DAYS" may have been alright, but we're
still young enough and fdled with enough hopes that we wouldn't
want to trade what America has today for what it had in 1920, or
1900 or 1880.
The passage of time seems to gloss over all the trials and tribulations of the gaslight era, leaving with some only the false belief
that those days were for some reason better days.
We don't think so and look to the future rather than to the past.

The First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Defiance was

paying 2-1/2 percent interest on savings accotmts.
The Board of Education of New Latty Local School District,
was advertising for sale at Public Auction, The Broughton School
House located on State Route 13, on Saturday, Jan. 5, 1952.
It was reported on Monday, Jan. 7, 1952, that Lt. Gene Stahl, a
jet fighter pilot was missing since Dec. 17. Lt. Stahl was with a
fighter squadron in Korea.
Some of the workers with the Paulding Farm Bureau Co-op
Elevator in 1952 were Clyde Adkins, bookkeeper; Fred Lilich,
office manager; Mrs. Avon Bond, federation secretary; Roscoe
Waters, feed specialist and branch manager; George Moon, millman; and Luke Thaman, general manager.

Old-Fashioned Service
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On the Square Downtown Paulding
419-399-2071 800-399-2071

Service Hours
Monday - Friday: 7:30 - 5:30 Saturday: 7:30 - 12 noon

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from Service Department.
with coupon
8 Visions of Paulding County

January 2005

Shall w e heat w i t h coal or w o o d ?

Keeping your home warm

in Great-Grandpa*s day
was a huge chore.

Paulding Area
Visiting

Nurses

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of clean, reliable, versatile natural gas?
Serving Northwestern
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Main Office:
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Phone Mon.-Fri. 1(800) 331-7396
1(419) 636-1117
Nights, weekends, holidays &
emergency numbers:
1(800) 331-7396 or 1(419) 636-3642

Preserving
Paulding
County^s
Heritage
s i n c e 1977.
John Paulding
Society

Complete

Home

Health

Care

In-Home Skilled Nursing

Hospice for Terminally III
Home Health Aide
Physical, Occupational
and Speech Therapy
Medical Social Services
Private Duty Services
Hourly Long-Term Care
Assistance With Daily Living:
Bathing, Dressing, Meals,
Groceries, Errands, Laundry

Ask your hospital or physician

to refer you to:

Historical

Museum

600 Fairground Drive

Community Health
Professionals

(across from fairgrounds)

Paulding, Ohio
Open Every lYiesday
10 a j n . - 4 pjn.
Some Saturdays in
Summer. Call for
information
419-399-8218
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 93, Paulding,
O H 45879
January 2005

Paulding A r e a Visiting

Nurses

250 Dooley Dr., Suite A, Paulding

(419) 399-4708
Medicare/Medicaid Certified, PASSPORT,
and private insurance
Accredited for Quality by CHAP
A Community Health Professionals, Inc. Agency
Visions of Paulding County 9

Photo Courtesy of Denise Renollet

Damage from the Renollet tornado of March 1920.

lyeVisionis

istones

reference. Here is a compilation of "revisionist" histories

from Volumes 1-5.
VOLUME 1
"Story of the Woods," about Lewis Beck, a Blue Creek
pioneer, was originally written in the 1920s. Here is a
copy of Mr. Beck's obimary from the newspaper:

So although it was too late to add to what was just published, we made note of the new information for future

Lewis Franklin Beck, son of Alvin and Enzie Beck, was

bom in Columbiana county, Ohio, Nov. 23, 1846.
Departed this life Sept. 14, 1928, aged 81 years, 9 months
and 21 days.
He was united in marriage to Susan Baugbman, May 8,
1868. To this union was bom ten children, eight of whom
are living as follows: Martha Page, of Haubstadt, Ind.;
Mary Jane Fry, of Quincy, Mich.; Anna Williamson, of
Latty, Ohio; Artinca Frantz, of Great Falls, Mont.; Lewis,
of Portland, Ore.; Chance and Richard, of Ft. Wayne, Ind.;
Vema Litniear, of Payne, Ohio. He also leaves twenty-two

By M E L I N D A K R I C K
Visions Editor
he trouble with history is that it doesn't necessarily remain in the past. History, and our
understanding of it, can literally be rewritten
every time a researcher discovers some new
piece of information or an archaeologist uncovers a new
artifact. When we began Visions six years ago, we stated
our commitment to helping preserve our county's unique
history. Since 2000, we've published nearly 150 pages of
text, maps and photographs documenting different aspects
of our past ~- ghosttowns, businesses, events, buildings,
schools and people. It never fails that even before the ink
is dry on the paper, some interested reader walks through
our front door with some new piece of information or a
new artifact. And for that, we are very grateful.

' ) d a t e s

10 Visions of Paulding County

o n

Obituary of Lewis Frankiin Beck

^^Ml

January 2005

grandchildren, twenty-four great grandchildren and one great great grandson.

He moved with his family to Paulding
county, within one-quarter mile of his late
home, living there until he built bis home
and has lived in the same bouse over 50
years. He was a devoted father, and a kind,
truthful neighbor, who will be greatly
missed by all.
VOLUME 2
An article titled "Early Days in
Paulding County" included an etching
called "Scene on the Auglaize - A Home
in the Wildemess." It turns out the drawing came from Henry Howe's Howe's
Historical Coiiections of Ohio, which
contrasted the Ohio of 1846 with 1886-90.
The Ohio Centermial edition contained a
reprint of this drawing with the caption
"Drawn by Henry Howe on a pleasant day
in June 1846."
Howe wrote: "The view, ' A Home in
the Wildemess,' represents a log tavem in
the westem part of the county [Putnam],
on the road to Charloe.... It has long been
a favorite stopping-place for travellers, as
many as twenty or thirty having, with their
horses, frequently tarried here over night,
when joumeying through the wildemess.
The situation is charming. It is on the
banks of the Auglaize, which flows in a
ravine some fifteen or twenty feet below."
The name on the sign is P.B. Holden.
The home, built by Sebastian Sroufe, was
on the main route between Kalida and
Charloe, about five miles northwest of
Kalida.
VOLUME 3
Volume 3 included the article "Many
happy retums," about the search for a lost
hand-drawn sketch of the second courthouse built in Paulding about 1868, and
used until our present courthouse was finished in 1888. The sketch also was featured on the cover of Volume 3. The article stated, "This was probably the only
picture of that particular 30-by-40-foot
courthouse."
Since then, this author has acquired a
photograph of Main Street in Paulding,
taken in 1880. The photo clearly shows
the old wooden courthouse next to a board
sidewalk on what is now the east side of
the courthouse square. Next to the white
building are the separate brick offices of
Photo Courtesy Meiinda KrIck

Text continued on page 14

January 2005

Detail from a photograph taken in Paulding In 1880, showing the old courthouse and county offices at far right. This photo is looking south on Main
Street, on the east side of the square.

Visions of Paulding County 11

evastam the
rnado
1920. i

Photo courtesy of Denise Renollet

Searching through the dehrls from
the Renollet tornado of March 1920.
12 Visions of Paulding County

ring

R e n o l l e t

)20-Palm Sundaystroyed Renollet

nfed six lives.
irnado of March 1920.

damaged hy the 1920 tornado.

the county officials, as depicted in the sketch shown in Volume

3. However, the office building had five windows and five
doors, not six as shown in the sketch.
Is this the only photograph of this old courthouse and county
offices?
VOLUME 4
One of the highlights of this edition was '"The Most Terrific
Tomado That Ever Visited Northwestern Ohio' - The story of
the ghost town of Renollet." This rail community in Emerald
Township was leveled by a tomado in March 1920. Since then,
Denise Renollet and the Otto E. Ehrhart Museum in Antwerp
have contributed additional photos of the devastation from that
tomado.
Another article in this edition was "'Rowdy' - A pioneer legend," about William "Rowdy" Richardson, a colorful area character who is said to have fought in the Revolutionary War and
died at age 109 in about 1874. After the story appeared, an individual came forward and suggested that Rowdy's "legend" may
be just that. The individual provided a copy of a govemment
document, dated 1871, in which Richardson applied for a soldier's pension for the War of 1812. Richardson signed the statement that he was age 96 at the time, which means he would have
been bom about 1775 - too late to have served in the
Revolutionary War. Which is the tme story?
VOLUME 5
A popular article published last year was "Tme Colors Remembering the school colors and mascots of Paulding
County." Author Nancy Whitaker painstakingly researched 13 of
our county's high schools to document the colors and mascots.
After the article appeared, several readers came forward with

additional information, including two more schools that should

have been included.
Haviland School
Haviland's colors were red and white, according to 1932
alumna Helen Jenkins Mumma. The school didn't have a mascot.
Melrose School
Their team name was the Indians. Their school colors were
red and black.
St. John School
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Payne has had a school
since the early 1900s. In the 1950s and 60s, the school's seventh
and eighth grade basketball teams were known as the Indians,
and their team colors were red and white. More recently, due to
growing concems about sports teams with Native American
names, St. John's teams are known as the Cmsaders. Today's
basketball teams are made up of fifth and sixth graders.
St. Joseph School
In 1918, St. Joseph Catholic Church in Paulding began a
school for grades 1-6 across the street from the old Paulding
High School. The Catholic school closed around 1925, according to a former pupil, Norm Rulman. The school didn't have a
mascot or colors.
Still looking...
What were the colors, i f any, for Broughton School and Scott
School? Did Paulding have a mascot before they chose the
Panthers? I f you have any information, please contact the
Paulding County Progress newspaper at 419-399-4015; mail to
P.O. Box 180, Paulding OH 45879; or email to
progress@bright.net.

About the cover

Word search
Word Search Answer from Page 6

*- B E

History isn't simply a long list of events and dates. History is

the everyday life of ordinary people. The sixth Visions of
Paulding County cover includes the faces of some of our citizens: top row from left - Evelyn Allensworth and son Johnny
from a family Christmas card with "Doc" Allensworth; Francis
Dittenhaver Royer (right) and two friends; an unidentified man
from a postcard marked "Philippine lilies, Paulding, Ohio";
portrait of Philo Stoiy Leach; Lettie Williamson, Amanda
Knisley and Marjorie Beamer Bordner from the Starlite Cafe in
Paulding, late 1940s. Second row - postcard mailed from
Payne in 1915; World War 1 era postcard marked Ehrhart
Studio, Antwerp. Third row Levi Eaton, founder of Eaton
Children's Home; a tintype portrait of three unidentified children. Fourth row - unidentified photograph of a horsedrawn
carriage; portrait of unknown couple; postcard of puppies
marked "Oliver Ferrell, Paulding O, owner" mailed in 1911;
postcard marked "old soldiers," taken in Oakwood; portrait of
Francis Zavier Dechaux. Fifth row - two girls, probably
Oakwood area; clothier Ben Moore posing for a photo to advertise a new type of shirt: Charlie Smith at Blue Creek Store in
1941; Cleo Durham Bidlack (top) with three friends, circa
1920; tintype portrait of Karry S. Ditteniiaver, Lon Dittenhaver, ;
Earlie Reynolds and Guy C. Dittenhaver. Photos are courtesy of
Sam & Nancy Jeffery, Dorothy Dean Smith Riggenbach, Jack
Moore, Ron Eakins, Charles E. Fuller, Meiinda Krick.

January 2005

ChTef

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Servins Northwest Ohio for over 50 years

1069 N. Williams St., Paulding, OH

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Special Recipe Cookies are the most popular bakery items sold at Chief. The cookies come in
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Special Recipe Cookies are sampled every day at
Chief through an extensive demo program.
Fresh Market
Salads are so
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y make all our saladsrighton the
premises, so we can maintain
ultimate control over freshness.
And, we've taken some of our
most popular salads and created
variations, like a fat free version.
Chief dairy manager Deb McClinv
Chief produce
manager Scot
Hohenbergre

Al Smazenko
frozen foods

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L A N E S

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Chief deli manager Paula Gutierrez

When our customers have worked all

I day and are busy shuttling kids around
and running errands, going to the grocery
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'
Having all the lanes open from 4 to 6
jfi
pm weekdays and from 10 to 6 pm
y \
Saturdays, allows Chief to stand out and * * '
appeal to "Mom".

January 2005

Visions of Paulding County 15

Detail from an 1840s map of Paulding County, sfiowing the loca-

THE DYNAMITE FIENDS AGAIN AT WORK!

Antwerp citizens take matters into their own hands in the
infamous 'Reservoir War"
16 Visions of Paulding Counfy

January 2005

From "A Century of Progress, Antwerp Ohio 1841-1941"

hy O.E. Ehrhart; reprinted in the Ohio Genealogical
Society's "The Report" Vol 5 No. 5, October, 1965:
revious to building of the canal, freight and
commodities of life were transported up and
down the Maumee between Fort Wayne and
Toledo by pirogues. These being narrow
boats with a runway on each side. They
required five men to operate them, two men
on each side to push and one man to steer.
They would propel the boat by placing the
end of a long pole against their shoulder and
would walk on the mnway from the front to
the rear of boat, then would step up on deck
and walk forward to repeat the operation; by
this method using two men on each side it
was possible to keep the boat going continuously.

Some of these boats carried twenty tons or more per trip.

In case of low water or coming to a riffle they would have
to get out and push, and in some places, with the aid of hand
spikes, would have to lift and carry them over these low
places.
In February 1820 the Ohio Legislature passed an act that
authorized the location of a canal that would j oin Lake Erie
Note: "H-L ON THE WABASH!" was the headline of an article on the
reservoir's destruction, printed in the Antwerp Argus newspaper on
April 28,1887.
January 2005

with the water of the Wabash river in Indiana, a distance of

213 miles.
In 1826 a survey was started through unbroken wilderness for the location of this canal. The survey was completed in the fall of 1828.
The first groimd was broken for the construction of the
canal at Fort Wayne, Ind., in the spring of 1832. The work
progressed slowly and in 1840 the canal was opened
between LaFayette and the Ohio-Indiana State line.
In Ohio, work on the construction of that part between
the State line and Junction of the Miami Canal did not start
until 1840 and was completed early in 1843. This event was
celebrated on the Fourth of July of that year at Fort Wayne
by citizens of both states.
It was now possible to move large shipments of freight to
and from points located on this canal. These boats were
drawn by mules, hitched to tow line fastened to the boat.
The tow path being on the north bank of the canal. It
required several days to make the trip from here to Toledo.
These freight boats had their own stables in which they carried an extra change of mules in order to keep the boats
going continuously.
For passenger and mail service a special line of boats was
used. These boats were smaller and built more for speed
than carrying capacity. They were drawn by horses at a
brisk trot, and relayed every ten miles; their schedule was
about six miles per hour.
The average cost for the constmction of this canal was
Visions of Paulding County 17

for the abandonment of the canal from the Indiana state line
$7,177.00 per mile, including locks.
to the junction of the Miami and also the Six Mile reservoir,
For a period of 30 years the canal was a busy place.
Ore and wood for charcoal was shipped to the fumace, was sent to Columbus to be considered by the House of
logs for the manufacturing of buckets, barrels, staves, and Representatives, where it was passed.
building material came in by canal, and the finished prodThe bill was fought bitterly by a large delegation from
ucts returned by
Defiance, which
the same route.
still depended on
the canal for raftFlag or cattail
i
ing logs to its mangrowing in the
ufacturing plants
reservoir was cut,
in that city. In
tied in bundles
March 1887 the
and shipped via of
bill was defeated
canal
to
in the Senate by a
Cincinnati where
voteof26to8.
it was used in the
manufacturing of
The defeat of
barrels and buckthis bill brought
ets.
out the fighting
spirit of the citiWith the comzens of Antwerp.
ing of the railroad
which speeded up
Something must
the shipping facilbe done.
ities, shipping by Photo Courtesy of Otto E. Ehrhart Museum
Small
groups
canal became less
began
to
gather
Looking west from the northeast corner of the reservoir. The photo possibly was
each year. There taken In the early 1880s. The swamp measured about 2.5 miles east to west and under cover of
was also another about 1.5 miles north to south, covering more than 10,000 acres.
darkness. Secret
drawback - shipmeetings
were
ping on the canal
held and swom to
was at a standstill in the winter when ice covered the slug- secrecy, plans were made to drain the reservoir.
gish waters of the canal.
In printing this story of the draining of this large body of
In 1870 the state of Indiana abolished the entire part of water I have interviewed nearly every living person in this
vicinity who had an active part in the dynamiting of the
the canal that laid within their state.
After that the canal was open only from Antwerp to reservoir. The story thus printed is just as it was told to me
Junction, a distance of about 18 miles where it intersected and I think this is the first time their names have ever
with the Miami Canal. About all it was used for by that time appeared in print.
was to get logs to the local mills and to other mills located
Several secret meetings were held in the back room of
at Defiance, Ohio.
Frank Lamb's barber shop, and above the store of Oliver
As the country became more settled,
and farming began to move back away
from the streams they were met by the
back water of the reservoir which fed
this canal. This backwater was also the
In order to keep the waters at a certain level it was necessary to build rescause of much illness - ague and ty- ervoirs to store large amounts of water which was fed into the canal as needed. ;
phoid being the principle ones. It was
The Six Mile Reservoir, located just southeast of town, was built for that pur-i
also a breeding place for mosquitoes.
pose. Its location was surveyed at the same time as the canal, 1826, but actual
I have been told that when they saw a
work on the project was started in 1840 and completed in 1843. It contained
man walking on the banks of the reser8,600 acres and when completed it flooded 14,000 acres more.
voir they would come in swarms large
In the building of the bank, oak planking was set up edgeways and clay was
enough to carry the man off. I have no
thrown against it from both sides, close to these planks. Water was mixed with the
proof of this.
clay and oxen driven through to "puddle" this. It formed a cement-like mixture that
In the early eighties when shipping
resisted the seepage and held back this large volume of water. The planks also
by canal had all but ceased, the citizens
had another purpose, it prevented animals from digging their burrows through the
of Antwerp and community looked out
bank and starting a leak that might have caused serious consequences.
over this gloomy and impenetrable
This reservoir also proved to be a paradise for hunting, trapping and fishing.
swamp that was no longer a source of
How the eyes of these old timers sparkle as they relate their experiences of
revenue, they decided it was time to
their boyhood days - of the thousands of wild ducks and geese in their migration
abandon the canal and reservoir and rewould stop on this body of water, and the large catches of fish they would take
claim this flooded land for farming purfrom the canal and reservoir.
poses.
There were also drawbacks to this as will be noted in another article,
In 1886 a petition which stated the
it was abandoned in 1888 by law.
grievances of the reservoir and asked

! 'VKiA
s ' 'G

y i x Mile Reservoir

18 Visions of Paulding County

January 2005

Applegate.
Under a black banner which on one side had the words No Compromise - on the other side - The Reservoir Must
Go - they were swom to secrecy.
They assumed the name of Dynamiters. In their first
attempt a Mr. Hardy was delegated or hired by Eli Munson
to float a bucket filled with dynamite with a long fuse
attached into the feeder from the reservoir side.
The damage caused by this explosion and also several others at different points were promptly repaired by
men from Defiance.
Through the influence of these same parties the State
of Ohio placed watchmen or guards to protect its property. One of these guards was Worden Sperry (now living in Antwerp). For this guard duty he received $1.50
per night. Incidentally he was also one of the dynamiters. Under cover of darkness he would open the gates
leading from the reservoir into the canal and would
permit the water to run out during the night.
Finally on the night of April 25, 1887 a large force of
men gathered numbering between 200 and 300, carrying large amounts of dynamite. A l l were masked and
carrying guns, with a grim determination - No
Compromise - The reservoir must go.
They traveled by foot, by horse and by wagon.
A part of the delegation went to Junction under leadership of O.S. Applegate. People living along the canal were
wamed to vacate.
Another delegation went to Tate's Landing, part way
between Antwerp and Junction. Others went to the lock at
the lower end of the reservoir and still others began digging
through the reservoir bank in several places to within a few
feet of the water. Large charges of dynamite were then
placed in the remaining bank.
The other delegation having arrived at their scenes of
operation, saturated the wooden locks with kerosene and

placing two charges of dynamite of fifty pounds each in

each end of the lock.
The hour of midnight was the signal.
At the set time the mighty roar of the explosion of 100
pounds of dynamite echoed through the night from the

Photo Courtesy of Otto E. Ehrhart Museum

Hutchins Lock, located on the northeast comer of the reservoir.

This lock was blasted by the dynamiters during the "Reservoir
War" on April 25, 1887.

direction of Junction. Hardly had it died down when another similar blast shook the earth at Tate's Landing where another lock was blown.
Before the rumbling had ceased the sky was lighted by
the explosion of several hundred pounds of dynamite
placed in the lock at the lower point of the reservoir and in
the bank separating the water from the canal. With a mighty
rush the water poured out into the canal, and from there
Courtesy Bob Her

fs

January 2005

Detail from an
1870s map of
Paulding County,
Indicating the Six
Mile Reservoir In
relation to
Antwerp. The arrow
indicates the location of Knoxdale,
which figured Into
the Reservoir War
story.

Visions of Paulding County 19

Photo Courtesy of Otto E.

Ehrhart Museum

"The stumps
and debris are
clearly visible following the dynamiting and draining of the Six Mile
Reservoir, located
southeast of
Antwerp." This
photo and caption
was printed in the
Ohio Genealogical
Society's The
Report in October,
1965.

over the country-side, knee-deep to the horses, some of the

dynamiters told me. Their work was done and the dynamiters returned home.
A l l again was quiet except the rushing of the water as it
poured through the break made by the dynamite.
They had made good. No Compromise - The Reservoir
Must Go.
On the following moming word was sent to Gov. Foraker
at Columbus describing the destruction of the state's property. He immediately sent a telegram to Major Bunker, stationed at Toledo, to assemble fifty men from the 16th regiment and report for duty in Paulding county.
On the evening of April 26, 1887, troops arrived to protect the canal and reservoir from further damage.
The troops numbering about 53 men and 9 officers were
armed with muskets and 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and
Gatling guns with 45,000 rounds of ammunition. These
guns were mounted on the banks of the reservoir to rake the
north and east banks i f found necessary, but nothing happened. They tried to repair the damage previously done but
without success.
Soldiers doing guard duty on the reservoir bank sighted
no enemy - there was only the rushing of the water.
Suddenly, apparently out of nowhere, rose the dynamiters, surrounded and captured the guard on duty, other
guards fared similarly, though no harm befell them.
Again over the waters of the reservoir roared the mighty
blast of the dynamiters.
No Compromise - The reservoir must go.
These men had quietly left town. A group of them had
boarded the east bound train to Knoxdale, and from there
walked to the reservoir.
In getting this group of men on board the train, John
Pocock who was agent for the Wabash at that time.
20 Visions of Paulding County

informed the conductor of the train to pay no attention to

them - just collect their tickets and put them off at their destination. But it also required his efforts to quiet the passengers on the train, as this group entered all masked and
armed with shotguns, rifles and revolvers.
Among this group was Worden Sperry and although
masked as the others in the group, he exposed a tell-tale
mark - a gold tooth (which at that time was rather uncommon). As Worden was one of the ring leaders he was
recognized by one of the captured guards.
He was later arrested, taken to Paulding and placed imder
bond. The bond was insufficient in size to hold all the
names of the citizens from this community who went to
Paulding to place their names on the bond for his release,
and he was promptly released.
On the following Sabbath, Rev. McClusky from Antwerp
held divine services at the camp for these soldiers.
One of the dynamiters who was present thought his text
was:
"The sword of Foraker be upon us and the roaring of
mighty waters is heard throughout the land and groans and
lamentations riseth up from the city of Defiance."
The soldiers stayed on duty at the reservoir one week.
They had been treated with every respect by the people
from this vicinity, and made many friends during their stay.
They had one casualty, one of the soldiers accidentally shot
himself on their arrival at Cecil.
The state sent detectives to try and locate the guilty parties and during the time these detectives were supposed to
be present several of our citizens decided to visit friends
over in some other state.
However, one of these detectives, whose coming had
been tipped off, was met when he alighted from the train by
a reception committee composed of "Dynamiters" and
January 2005

headed by O.S. Applegate. Upon being told that his business was known, he was asked to forget what he came for
and leave town.
Looking into the grim and determined faces of the group,
and upon a coil of rope with a noose dangling down from
the arm of Wamer Ryel, he exclaimed, "Alright gentlemen,
alright, if that's the way you feel about it, I ' l l bid you goodday." He then promptly started walking toward Hicksviiie
for the benefit of his health.
About a month later Governor Foraker made a personal
visit to Antwerp.
He was met by a group of citizens and escorted to the
scenes of the late destruction where he saw the dilapidated
condition of the reservoir and the canal and the swampy
condition of the surrounding country.
During this visit he made a speech in which he promised
that he would do all in his power to remedy these conditions, which he did.
In May 1888 a second bill was passed by both houses
which then became a law - and the fmal chapter of the
reservoir and canal.

Here are the names of some of the men from this locality who took an active part in the dynamiting - there are a
number of others whose names 1 failed to get as the memory of these oldtimers is beginning to fade. O.S. Applegate
and Worden Sperry as ringleaders; Bob Perry, Asa Boland,
Chas. Boland, and Ezra Reams; Mr. Hardy and Wamer Ryel
handled dynamite; others who stood guard or assisted with
the digging and such other duties as were assigned to them
were: Jack Graves, Chas. Graves, Joe Champion Sr., Mr.
Shaw, Henry Harris, Jess Bond. Wesley Johnson, H.H.
Gordon, Lew Gordon, John B. Zuber, John Pocock, F.M.
Stmday. Geo. Munson, Fli Munson, Francis Zuber, Nick
Harrmann, Frank Lamb, Frank Leamon, Simon Nedrow, A l
Marlin, H.A. Overmyer, F.L. Overmyer, Geo. Overmyer,
Wm. Smith and Andy Smith.
There were many others from the surrounding towns and
communities who helped or furnished money for explosives and other necessities.
None of these men were punished and Governor Foraker
extended his hand to Worden Sperry and asked him to forget the past incidents.

"(eserVoir^
By "Diamond Dick"
The following song was printed in the
Antwerp Bee by Ed Osbom shortly after the
Reservoir was dynamited by unknown parties. This was composed as a song to the time
of "Yankee Doodle" and was sang at the
Dynamite Celebration by High School girls
of that time.
5
i: 1. Yankee Doodle is the tune,
To sing on this occasion;
Then hearken while we call to mind
The Reservoir Invasion
CHORUS
Oh Yankee doodle, doodle doo.
It comes to nation handy:
So mind the music "Amica"
Whose front name is Andy.
6.
2. Near Antwerp there is a pond,
"Twos once a Wabosh feeder,
But for many years 'tis been
Only an ague breeder.
CHORUS
Oh Yankee doodle, dam the pond.
It raised a big commotion;
But dynamiters, if they'd try,
7.
Could drain the Arctic ocean
3. The people voted Johnny Geyer,
In him they had reliance;
He passed the Reservoir Bill
In spite of all Defiance.
CHORUS
Yankee doodle. Bud DeWitt!
Hurrah for John L. Geyer!
He's in the Legis'ature now
8.
Some day he'll go up higher.
4. Old Applegate "he lost his cow"
January 2005

And didn't know where to find her

But Barber Lamb, he drove her home
With dynamite behind her.
CHORUS
Oh, \ankee doodle, praise the cow
Let's ever idolizer;
9,
And if she's ever lost again,
We'll surely advertiser.
On a dark and dreary night,
In April, eighty seven;
A shock was heard along the line
It shook both earth and heaven.
CHORUS
Oh Yankee doodle, dynamite,
10
It made the people wonder,
But on the morrow all did hear,
"The locks arc blown to thunder"
Defiance raised a hullabaloo
And telegraphed Foraker
"There's riot at the Reservoir
For God's sake don't forsake her"
Oh Yankee doodle, Zochary Graves;
11.
Hurrah for Joseph Benson
He did his duty like a man
F'Nfgf'
And kept on office fencing.
Major Bunker soon did come
With a regiment of soldiers
But all he found for them to fight
v Was "skeeters" on their shoulders
CHORUS
12.
Oh Yankee doodle, Gatling gun
It killed no dynamiter
Though Captain Hopkins, we are told
Was a brave, and gallant fighter.
John T, NoitIs came to town
But didn't stay till moming;
He cut cross lots to Hicksviiie

Without a second warning.

Oh Yankee doodle detective
A rope was at you pointed
And had you raised afingerup
Your neck would been unjointed.
In Antweip lives a bald head man,
His name is RR Doering,
He says much timber he can use
In making staves and flooring.
Oh Yankee doodle, elm logs
No more you'll go a floating:
And on the Wabash, timber sharks,
No more will go a-boating.
Lewis Gay in Antwerp dwells;
He makes the pails for candy;
His song upon the Geyer bill
Was Yankee doodle dand}'.
Oh Yankee doodle, Jake Savior.
And also Harry Gordon;
The Wabash spur by dynamite
Was blown "Way over Jordan."
Here's a health to Uncle Ed.
The man who runs the paper:
All through the Reservoir war.
He did the proper caper.
Oh Yankee doodle to the press
It is a mighty lever;
Which dynamiters all should praise
Forever and forever.
Let's not forget the Antwerp girls.
Today they smile so sweetly.
Their lovers helped to blow the locks
And did the job up neatly.
Oh Yankee doodle, doodle doo;
Let everybody shout it.
The "old frog pond" is "up a spout"
And all can do without it.
Visions of Paulding County 21

Paulding County Pedigree

From the Paulding County Progress of September 27, 1995:
By C A R O L I N E ZIMMERMAN
aulding County is a living organism with its history
and memories indelibly impressed upon its Paulding
County clay. The people who have lived here have
linked their progress, hopes, and disappointments
through their imprints in the buildings, the roads and
towns that have been built and the cemeteries which
made the final resting place for the deceased Paulding
Countians who stayed until the end.
Water was the big attraction in Paulding County for
early settlers. The Maumee and Auglaize rivers made for
easy ways to travel here even when the "Great Black
Swamp" was still a reality in this area. It was easier to
pole a flatboat or paddle a canoe down the river and portage
around the rapids than it was to try to make your way through
the thick virgin forests and mucky sinkholes. The mosquitoes had
to be as big as bats (not to mention the bats) and the snakes were
VERY plentiful, too. As a good little frontier woman, I would
have insisted on traveling by boat under those circumstances.
Sawmills and gristmills were eventually built along the rivers
because of the water power to drive the machinery and the
access for bringing in supplies and getting it out on the rivers.
Not to mention the possibility of using the river water for washing, bathing (and probably drinking in the very early times) and
for irrigation in drought times.
Paulding County is noted for the "medicinal" sulfur water that

is so plentiful in wells. It stinks, but the Indians were certain

that it meant "big medicine." After a steady diet of just com
products, they probably needed the laxative effect of the sulfur
water and they just felt better.
Farmers always dreamt of having land that was flat and rockfree. Paulding County is the flattest county in Ohio, but
the stones on the stone piles beside of the bams on many
farms make it apparent that we do have our share of
stones.
The shapes of abandoned farm fields can give you a
clue to their former uses. Long, narrow lots were cropland that witnessed the sweating progress of the farmer
following an animal-drawn plow down its furrows.
Squarish fields, particularly with rocky or broken terrain, were probably, pasture for the farm livestock.
"As pioneering farmers moved west, they developed a
keen eye for soil that promised the greatest yield. The tree cover
of the virgin forest was a likely indicator or the soil's worth.
The well-drained soil of 'sugar tree lands' or other hardwood
forests was nearly always preferable to the damp and clinging
of 'beech land.' Whenever there was a slightest doubt, you were
sure to find men hunkered down, carefully inspecting handfiils
of soil to judge its promise."
^America's History
Do you have a Paulding County Pedigree or even a tiny root?
I f so, please send your queries to:
PAULDING COUNTY PEDIGREE, c/o Caroline Zimmerman,
7292 Road 176, Antwerp, Ohio 45813.

POP

The Paulding
County Progress
Delivered 2nd class mail to your home.
Rates: "29. per year < Paulding, Van Wert,
Defiance & Putnam Counties, ^^^s^
*39. per year all others

Yes,
I want tomake my move a
little easier. Please begin
my

subscription.

W
ALL Immm

Fooa

Antwerp, OH
419-258-4311

P.O. Box 180

Paulding, OH
45879
419-399-4015

B R E W

Buffet S t y l e Pizza

102 N. MAIN
ANTWERP
419-258-2531

Ebel's Butcher Shop

Butcher & Process

Cattle, Hogs, Deer,

Chickens, Turkeys

rNanne

Address

Hours: M-F 8:00-5:30 Sat. 8:00-1:00

City_
Phone(_
22 Visions of Paulding County

Zip_

419-587-3524
17146 SR 114 Grover Hill, OH 45849
January 2005

WHICH WAY? In the 1930s, the old bandstand stood at the corner of Williams and Perry
streets, on the southwest corner of the courthouse lawn. A sign post from the Paulding
County Auto Club pointed the way to Van Wert, Oakwood, Grover Hill, Fort Wayne, Payne,
Antwerp, and a tourist camp.
January 2005

Visions of Paulding County 23

^ > l\n Index i^c

?\dVertisers

H V i s i o n s

Page#

A&W
Antwerp Exchange Bank

22
Back Inside Cover

C&YOil

Back Cover

Ebel's Butcher Shop

22

Expression's Making Faces

Gorrell Bros. Auctioneers & Real Estate

Herbert E. Orr Co

John Paulding Historical Society

Lafarge/Systech

S O C I A L

S T A T I S T I C S

From the Paulding Democrat of June 21, 1888:

Below we give the record of births and deaths occurring in
Paulding County as reported by the township assessors at their
canvas this spring:
Total births 624; total death 293.
Distributed among the different townships as follows:
Auglaize - Births, 40; deaths, 26.
Benton - Births, 32; deaths, 14.
Blue Creek - Births, 47; deaths, 20.
Brown - Births, 65; deaths, 31.
Carryall - Births, 30; deaths, 30.
Crane - Births, 48; deaths, 13.
Emerald - Births, 28; deaths, 13.
Harrison - Births, 48; deaths, 23.
Jackson ~ Births, 61; deaths, 30.
Latty - Births, 45; deaths, 17.
Paulding - Births, 109; deaths, 42.
Washington - Births, 73; deaths, 35.
Note: The articles contained in this issue, with the exception of
"Name Calling, " " 'Revisionist' Histories" and "Hell on the
Wabash " have been previously published in the Paulding County
Progress or one of its predecessors. For this project, the original
articles arc presented as they first appeared in print, except to
correct any grammatical, typographical or factual errors.

Back Inside Cover

Ohio Gas Company

Paulding Area Visiting Nurses

Paulding Chamber of Commerce

Announcing...

Paulding County Carnegie Library....Front Inside Cover

Paulding County Dept. of Job & Family Services
Paulding County Progress
Pop N' Brew

22, 24
22

Visions of Paulding County

2006 Edition - Volume 7

Town & Country Monuments

Village Apothecary

24 -

Visions of Paulding County

7
Back Cover

Scheduled for publication i n

January 2006

More fascinating stories and vintage

photos about Paulding County history!

W h y d i d ' t y o u advertise i n this year's edition?

Y o u ' r e reading this - so are thousands of other
people! D o n ' t miss o u t o n this o p p o r t u n i t y to
be a p a r t o f a u n i q u e keepsake. Plan n o w to
advertise your business or o r g a n i z a t i o n i n the
2005 issue. C a l l 419-399-4015.

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Signature ads available for families too.

January 2005

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Hometown
Banking

We're not just

we're

11

bankers,

neighbors.

t w e r p
x c h a n ^ c

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quality cement since 1956.

a n k

305 S. Main Street

Antwerp, OH 45813 419-258-5351
www.antwerpexchangebank .com
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Village Apothecary

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in 2005

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Pharmacy Tech., Beth White, R.l'li.. Back rou lel'l to right: Ihiula Bowersox,
Pharmacy Tech, Bill Calvert, R. Ph., Steve Mantel, R. Ph., District Manager,
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C & Y OIL COMPANY, INC.

DAULDING COUNTY'S SOURCE FOR INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL
AND RESIDENTIAL MARATHON PRODUCTS. OWNING AND
OPERATING TWO CONVENIENT MARATHON LOCATIONS:

Payne
MaraMart
202 N. Main St.
Payne, Ohio

263-2684
Store Hours:
Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
Sun. 7a.m.-10 p.m.
\mahathow J

Paulding
MaraMart
1001 N.Williams St.
Paulding, Ohio

399-3247
Store Hours:
Men.-Sun. 6 a.m.-11 p.m.

An American Company Sarving America