Henry County Genealogical Society Newsletter
Volume 5, Number 1, January-February 1991
MEETINGS
January 21, 1991, Monday, 7:00 pm
The video “Story of the Great Black Swamp,” about the draining and settling of NW Ohio, will be shown at the Edwin Wood Library.
February 18, 1991, Monday, 7:00 pm
Steve Charter, archival specialist at BGSU, will speak about his experience working at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.
WELCOME TO 1991!
HCGS has great plans for ’91. We have a terrific program set up for our monthly meetings and hope that you will find time to attend. The speakers we will have our to help you with your research and encourage you to dig deep.
The cemetery committee is almost ready to index the Damascus Twp. and Washington Twp. Cemetery Inscriptions book. It will be available in June. Two of our members are also working on another Obituary book with obituaries taken from the Deshler Flag.
New to the library collection is microfilm copies of the old Northwest Signal.
Also note that if you have not paid your dues for 1991 this will be your last copy of the Newsletter. Check your mailing label for a red check for unpaid dues.
The deadline for First Families of Henry County for 1991 is April 30, 1991.
QUERIES
HARTS/HARTZ, McMILLAN, BUCK, CHILCOTE, VOGEL
Trying to find more info on Frances Ellen Harts/Hartz b. 1852 in Ohio to Conrad & Eliza (McMillan) Harts. Sisters Anna Buck, Martha Chilcote and Mary Vogel. She was 13y when mother d. in 1865. Where did Frances go after 1865? Any info appreciated.
–Patricia Cole, Torrington, WY 82240
SCOTT, CROZIER, KARG
Would appreciate any info on Jake Scott m. Rebecca. Info on John Crozier m. Emma Jane Scott: their children Ellen, Alice, Minnie, Emma and May. Emma Scott (1858-1920) m. John Lewis Karg (1827-1892).
–John L. Dosh, Athens, MI 49011-9741
FOX, DOSH
Searching for info on Mrs. Andrew (Mary Fox) Dosh sister of John Fox d. 1929 buried Pleasant Twp., and Frederick Fox d..1938 buried Marion Twp. Last known residence of Mary was Cleveland, OH
–John L. Dosh, Athens, MI 49011-9741
BARTLE
Looking for info on family of Francis A. Bartle b. Liberty, OH 28 Apr 1843. His parents were Z. M. and Nancy Bartle. Liberty Center is the only Liberty I could find in OH.
–Mrs. Francis C. Bartle, Canyon Lake, TX 78133
HISTORY OF MONROE TOWNSHIP, 1888
(abstracted from History of Henry and Fulton Counties, Ohio, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich)
This is another township which has recently been cut out of the “Big Woods,” and thus destroyed a large part of the happy hunting ground of the sportsman. It was organized as a geographical township in 1850, being detached from Harrison to which it had previously belonged. In the government survey it is known as township four, north of range seven, east. The duplicate of 1851 shows only seven chattel taxpayers resident in the township. We give the names with the amount of tax paid by each: Samuel E. Edwards (author of the “Ohio Hunter,” who then resided on the farm now owned and occupied by Philip Heckler), $2.40; William Hill, $1.89; Michael Hill, $2.02; Waite Hill, jr., $1.09; Christopher Kemm, $3.38; Matthias Knopsley, $.97; Amonah Parkison, $1.05; Paulus Quitman, $1.01. The number of acres of land entered and subject to taxation was 14,463, valued at $22,268.21; while the value of the chattel property was only $476, and the total tax paid including specials, was $1,198.35. In this connection the duplicate of 1887 may as well be given. It shows 22,960 acres of land, valued at $233,210, subject to taxation; the chattel property is valued at $80,376, and the total tax paid $7,244.62. The population of the township was, in 1860, 352 souls, in 1870 658; in 1880 it had grown to 1,148, and is at present not less than 1,500. The township is divided into nine school districts and has as many good and commodious school buildings; and five churches, all Protestant, — one a United Brethren, near Levi Dresbeck’s; two Lutheran churches, one on section 18, and one on section 33. The others are in the villages.
Among the early settlers of the township, in addition to those already named, we may add: David Latta, Matthew Hill, Daniel and W. H. Bigford, Rev. Williamson Barnhill, Charles Huber, John Bensing, John Frankforther, Peter Reimond, John B. Meyers, Rev. Frederick Witzgall, and Jacob Snyder, who made the early improvements on the valuable farm now owned and occupied by John Rentz. All of these persons or their immediate descendants or families are still living in the township.
For many years this township was a stunted child, and its healthy growth commenced with the construction of the Toledo, Delphos and Burlington Railroad, a narrow gauge, and is now known as the “Clover Leaf” route. The road enters the township at the northeast corner of section one, on the east line, runs in a southwest direction, leaving the township in the northwest quarter of section thirty-one, on the west line.
The lands in this township, as in the whole county with the exception of the ridge, are low, flat, level, and were wet, requiring considerable drainage. This has been accomplished and three-fourths of the township is now under a good state of cultivation. The drainage is accomplished by the cleaning out, widening and deepening of the natural water courses, the main one of which is Turkey Foot. This creek enters the township in the south at the line between section 35 and 36, and running north in a winding direction through section 35, 26, 23 22, 14, 15, 10, three, four, and five, entering Harrison township near the center of the latter section on the south township line. School Creek enters the township in the west near the southwest quarter of section 19, and runs northerly, winding through sections 18 and eight, emptying into Turkey Foot in section four. Lost Creek and Ash Creek also run from south to the north, both adding their water to Turkey Foot. Into these several streams artificial drainage, both surface and sub-soil, have been constructed, pretty thoroughly draining the township and fitting it for cultivation. Good roads have been constructed on almost every section line, both north and south and east and west, many of which have by the county commissioners been improved under the laws of the Legislature enacted for that purpose, and the township today ranks among the best and wealthiest in the county.
MEMBERSHIP AND SURNAME LISTS
As usual, our January edition of the newsletter contains our membership list, current as of the preceding December, and the surnames being researched by our members. Neither list is reproduced here in the electronic version of the newsletters for reasons of privacy.
CORRECTIONS
An error in the Flatrock Township Cemetery Inscriptions book was recently brought to our attention. The following corrections need to be made.
page 77, Row 2, #22 G. M. BAHLER
page 82, Row 8, #5 s/o G. M. BAHLER
Row 8, #23 BAHLER, Dorthea E., d/o G. M. & S. M. BAHLER
page 88, Index BAHLER, G. M. & BAHLER, Dorthea E.
