Defiance Co, OH Area
from 1812 until about 1840
from published sources (additions, with sources, welcomed)
1812
William PRESTON, who was a soldier at Fort Wincester in 1812, is regarded as the first white permanent settler at Fort Defiance [1]. (He married a Miss BUTLER {in 1820 [2]}, whose brothers lived about eight miles below, on the Maumee, near the village of Florida.[1])
See a map of Fort Defiance on the Maumee about this period.
John PRESTON, living at Defiance with William, marriage to Sophia EWING, 13 Oct 1814, Miami County, OH [4].
Sometime between 1814 and 1816, William PRESTON set up, or took over, a trading post operations in Defiance [3] (which he conducted until he removed to his farm in St. Joseph Township {Williams Co} in 1928[1]).
William TRAVIS (a pioneer of Noble Township) visited Fort Defiance and found here seven cabins, occupied by French traders. A few Americans were also here. In old Fort Winchester, John and William PRESTON were living. John PRESTON was married to a daughter [4] of Judge EWING, of Troy, Miami Co, OH (John PRESTON died soon after Mr. Travis came) [1].
John DRIVER, a silversmith, and family were here [1], his brother Thomas DRIVER was also an early resident [1]. Both moved farther west as emigrants began to people this vicinity [1].
John Perkins lived at "Camp No. 3" a short distance below Independence [1].
Of the French cabins, three stood in the point, near the old fort, two where the canal enters the Maumee, and two on the opposite side of the river. Peter LUMBARD kept one of the trading houses on the point [1]. L.A. CLAIR and Peter BELLAIRE occupied the cabins on the hill [1].
Arthur BURRIS was the first blacksmith (arrival date uncertain) [1]; his shop stood near the old apple tree north of the Maumee [1].
An act was passed in the Ohio Legislature, 12 Feb 1820, providing "that all that part of lands lately ceded by the Indians to the United States which lies within the State of Ohio shall be and the same is hereby erected into fourteen separate and distinct counties, to be bounded and named as follows..."[1]. Of the counties thus formed, Williams county occupied, as now [1], the northwest corner of the State, but embraced most of the territory now included in Defiance County [1]. There were as yet but few settlers in this vast scope of country, and for judicial purposes Williams and several other adjoining counties were attached to Wood County, Maumee City being the seat of justice[1].
William PRESTON marriage to Assenath (sic) BUTLER, 7 Dec 1820, Wood County, OH [2] (which included Defiance at the time).
Robert SHIRLEY, with his family, came to Fort Defiance in the spring of 1821 [1]. (The recollections of his daughter, Mrs. Ruth Austin, may be found recorded in [1].)
Mrs. Ruth Austin's family (Robert SHIRLEY, mentioned in 1821?) migrated to the future site of Defiance in April 1822. She later described the area: "There were two good log houses in the fort (Winchester) built for the officers, one of which William PRESTON's family occupied; in the other, my father's family found narrow but quite comfortable quarters [6]. The fort was all standing in good preservation except the barracks on the banks of teh Auglaize [6]. This fort was built for the War of 1812 by General Winchester, but came to be spoken of as Fort Defiance. Fort Winchester stood on the bank of the Auglaize River, about 200 yards above the point where Wayne's old Fort Defiance stood. Some of the stumps of the pickets and some of the embankments of Wayne's old fort were still plainly seen [6]. Very few white people lived in that vicinity at the time of our arrival. Four French families were living in log cabins on the banks of the Maumee above the point, and three American families on the Auglainze one mile above the fort. Six miles below Fort Defiance there lived three American families [6].
Two Indian trading stores were kept, one north of the Maumee, on the hill owned by the HOLLISTERs, of Perrysburg, and operated by Peter BELLAIRE and George LANCE [1]; the other owned by the FERRYs of Michigan [1]. It stood on the banks of the Maumee near the foot of Clinton street [1]. (Both these stores were removed from Defiance about 1823 [1].)
Defiance was laid out in November, 1822, by Benjamin LEAVELL, of Piqua, and Horatio G. PHILLIPS, of Dayton [1]. (The plat was acknowledged April 18, 1823, and recorded April 28, 1823, by Thomas R. McKNIGHT, Recorder of Wood County [1].)
The original plat embrace 150 lots, and was located at the confluence of the Maumee and Auglaize, with Jackson street on the west and Fourth street on the south [1]. The square in which the court house now stands was reserved by the proprietors to be laid out into town lots, unless the town became a county seat, "and forever continue to be," when it was to be used for public buildings [1]. The "Old Fort Grounds" was a public donation on the same condition [1]. The square between Jackson and Perry streets, and south of Fourth was a donation for a Methodist Church and burying-ground [1], and the square between Washington street and the Auglaize River, and south of Fourth, for a Presbyterian Church [1].
H.G. PHILLIPS, one of the proprietors, never resided at Defiance [1]. (He was a son of a Revolutionary officer, and one of the earliest settlers of Dayton, OH, an extensive land-holder and a man of unblemished character [1]. He died at his home in Dayton, OH, 10 Nov 1859 [1].)
Benjamin LEAVELL became a resident of Defiance, and was its first innkeeper [1]; he also kept the first store to supply white settlers [1]. The store was located on the banks of the Maumee, at the foot of Jefferson street [1]. His dwelling, the first frame building in the village, was a one and a half story, erected in December, 1822, on the northwest corner of Water and Jefferson streets opposite the fort grounds [1]. The lumber for it was sawed at the BRUNERSBURG Mill, which had been built the winter previous [1]. Mr. Leavell's residence was still standing at the writing of [1]. (In a few years, he sold his interest in the town to Curtis HOLGATE, of Utica, NY, and returned with his family to Piqua [1].
Dr. John EVANS came in 1823 [1].
The plat (of Defiance) was acknowledged April 18, 1823, and recorded April 28, 1823, by Thomas R. McKNIGHT, Recorder of Wood County [1].
Dr. John EVANS brought a large stock of goods from Maumee City, and opened the first extensive store [1].
In April, 1824, Williams County was organized [1], and Henry, Paulding and Putnam Counties were attached to it for civil purposes [1]. (The nucleus of the early settlement of these counties was at Defiance and it was chiefly settlers, in what now consitutes Defiance County, who were active in the early official life of Williams County [1]. )
The Judges of Williams County were appointed by the Governor 4 Feb 1824 [1]. The first court in Williams County at Defiance was held 5 April 1824, with Ebenezer LAND, Presiding Judge, and Robert SHIRLEY, John PERKINS and Pierce EVANS, Associate Judges [1]. John EVANS was appointed Clerk, pro tem., by the court, and John EVANS was appointed Recorder [1]. On 8 April 1824, he gave bonds in the sum of $2,000 [1]. Forman EVANS, Pierce EVANS, and Moses RICE were his sureties.
The first election for county officers was held 8 Apr 1824, at which for Auditor, Timothy S. SMITH received 37 votes, and H. JEROME 26 votes [5], SMITH prevailed.
For Coroner, Arthur BURRAS, 6 votes; John OLIVER 40 votes; and Thomas WARREN 17 votes [5], OLIVER prevailed.
For Sheriff, James SHIRLEY had 14 votes, and William PRESTON 48 votes [5], PRESTON prevailed.
For Commissioners, Jesse HILTON had 58 votes; Cyrus HUNTER, 37 votes; Charles GUNN, 31 votes; Montgomery EVANS, 28 votes; Benjamin LEAVELL, 26 votes; William HUNTER, 4 votes; and John OLIVER, 1 vote [5], LEAVELL, C. HUNTER, and GUNN being elected.
8 May 1824, the court granted Benjamin LEAVEL a license to vend merchandise at his place of residence in Defiance for one year, upon his paying into the county treasury $10 [1].
John CANNON was the first person to declare his intention to become a citizen of the United States [1].
Charles W. EWING was appointed Prosecuting Attorney 5 Oct 1824, and as allowed $10 fees [1].
The first grand jury was William HUNTER, Timothy T. SMITH, Arthur BURRAS, George LANTZ, John HILTON, Foreman EVANS, Montgomery EVANS, Thomas DRIVER, Benjamin MULLIGAN, James SHIRLEY, Jonathan MERITHAN, Thomas WARREN, Theophilus HILTON, Hugh EVANS, and Daniel BRANNEN [1].
The first cause in court, Timothy T. SMITH, plaintiff, in certiorari, against Montgomery EVANS [1]. The first State case, State of Ohio against Enock BUCK, indicted for keeping a ferry across the Ohio without a license[1].
The first will submitted to Probate was James JOLLY's (no date given) [1].
The first session of the Commissioners of Williams County (according to the well-preserved record of their proceedings), convened at the house of Capt. Benjamin LEAVELL, in the town of Defiance, 6 Dec 1824 - the Commissioners being Benjamin LEAVELL, Cyrus HUNTER, and Charles GUNN, and Clerk, T. L. SMITH [5]. The business transacted at this session related only to the establishment of county roads; and projects for new roads chiefly engrossed the time of the sessions held during many years following [5]. Henry, Paulding and Putnam Counties were then attached to Williams County for civil purposes [5].
The first license for marriage to Carver GUNN and Mary Ann SCRIBNER, married 24 Dec 1824, by Charles GUNN [1].
Forman EVANS and Albert EVANS arrived [1]. The village grew slowly [1].
13 Jan 1825 the following resolution was passed by the Ohio Legislature: "Resolved, By the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, that Joseph C. HASKINS, of the county of Preble, Forest MEEKER, of the county of Delaware, and Robert MORRISON, of the county of Miami, be and they are hereby appointed commissioners to locate and establish the permanent seat of justice, in and for the county of Williams." [1]
Pursuant to the above resolution, the Commissioners proceeded to the County of Williams, and proposed that if the proprietors would deed to the county one-third of all the lots in the town of Defiance, and build a jail, the Commissioners, agreeably to the resolution above recited, would permanently establish the seat of justice at the town of Defiance [1]. the proposition of the Commissioners was accepted by the proprietors [1]. A deed in fee simple was made of the lots, to the county, and a jail was erected by them [1]. Individuals bought them at high prices, with the view of this being the county seat [1]. Others, too, settled in and about the town, and invested their fortunes under this expectation [1].
The first Assessor was Samuel VANCE, appointed by the Court, 7 Mar 1825 [1].
At the June session of the County Commissioners in 1825, it was ordered that a jail for the County of Williams be erected, the dimensions of the building "to be twenty-six by eighteen feet, nine feet between floors, with a partition of the same dimensions as the walls, and two grate windows, eighteen by ten inches, with five iron bars to each window," etc. [5]; $29 was ordered paid the County Auditor for his annual allowance, and the listers (or assessors, as now known), of the several townships were severally allowed from $12 to $1.87 1/2 [5].
At the session of the County Commissioners held 15 Oct 1825, it appeared that Isaiah HUGHES had been appointed by the Court of Common Pleas Commissioner in place of Benjamin LEAVELL, resigned [5]. Mr. George LANTZ was appointed County Auditor in place of Thomas PHILBRICK [5].
At the 6 Dec 1825 session of the County Commissioners they ordered that Clark PHILBRICK be allowed for his services in making a half-bushel measure and brand for said county, the sum of $2 [5].
The village of Defiance contained a small store, a tavern and five or six families [1]. These families included those of Robert WASSON, James CRAIG, Timothy S. SMITH, and Isaac HULL and David HULL [1]. Isaac HULL kept a store on the north side of the Maumee, and did an extensive trade with the Indians.
The proprietors of the town of Defiance having donated forty town lots to the county, the Commissioners ordered them offered for sale at auction, on the first day of February, 1826. Seven only of the forty lots were sold, in pursuance of said order, viz.: Lot No. 4 to William PRESTON for $80; Lot No. 12 to Samuel VANCE, for $41; Lot No. 58 to John PERKINS, for $40; Lot No. 64 to Samuel VANCE, for $85; Lot No. 101 to John PERKINS, for $71; Lot No. 107 to John OLIVER, for $36; Lot No. 61 to Robert and Nathan SHISLEY (sic? SHIRLEY?), for $77 [5].
James L. GAGE opened a law office on the second floor of LEAVELL's house/inn during the winter of 1826 [6].
P.C. PARKER came [1]; he kept a trading house on the Maumee bank [1].
William PRESTON removed to his farm in St. Joseph Township [1].
A Mr. WATERSON occupied the Pavilion House [1].
William SEMANS, Peter BRIDENBAUGH, Frederick BRIDENBAUGH, Walter DAVIS, and Pierce TAYLOR were here [1]. Walter DAVIS was the first cooper [1]. JOLLY & CRAIG started the first tannery, nearly opposite the Russell House [1].
[1] History of Defiance County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns, etc.; military record; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; farm view; personal reminiscences, etc. (1883) Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co.
[2] Extracted marriage record for: Wood County, OH (IGI) William PRESTON marriage to Assenath (sic) BUTLER, 7 Dec 1820.
[3] History of Jones County, IA, (1910), p. 92: Sketch of Henry C. PRESTON, son of William and Asenath (BUTLER) PRESTON.
[4] Extracted marriage record for: Miami County, OH (IGI) John PRESTON marriage to Sophia EWING, 13 Oct 1814.
[5] County of Williams, Ohio: Historical and Biographical, with An outline Sketch of the Northwest Territory, of the State, and Miscellaneous Matters. Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor, and Charles Blanchard, Biographical Editor. (1882). Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co., Publishers.
[6] Temple of Justice: The Story of Williams County's Courthouses, by Richard L. Cooley and Kevin M. Maynard. Published by the Williams County Historical Society, Montpelier, OH (1992).
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