North Baltimore, Ohio

September 11, 2024 3:58 pm

By Tom Boltz and North Baltimore Ohio Area Historical Society

In the late 1890s and early 1900s George W. Wilkinson, the editor of the North Baltimore Beacon, encouraged elderly local residents to write about their experiences in the settling of Henry Township and the founding of North Baltimore, Ohio.  He published their letters in a series of articles which he titled “Interesting Pioneer Sketches.”

The following article was written by Harrison Downs (born 1834-died 1902).  It describes life in northern Hancock County and the early days of Wood County in the mid 1800’s .  This article is directly transcribed from the North Baltimore Beacon of October 25, 1901.

AN INTERESTING LETTER

Describing a Pioneer’s Many Adventures

Eleven Children in the Family and all Alive— “Downs Boys” With Their Dogs—Chased by a Catamount on The Way Home

HARRISON DOWNS

BY REPORTER

 My father moved his large family of eleven, six girls and five boys of which all are living today to the best of my knowledge, into the wilderness east of Vanburen in 1846. Henry Campbell was the only settler here at that time. This was the year that the heavy frost came so early which destroyed the fruit and wheat.

Father bought the land of Henry Copus who had entered it. There was a log cabin already built and we moved in it at once and were thus saved the trouble and hard labor of erecting a suitable shelter for the family. Times were pretty hard in those days and we were very thankful for the abundant game which was to be found all through Wood and surrounding counties, at that time one large dense forest.

I well remember the time Mr. Roberts shot the deer which he mentioned in his letter. We had a great deal of fun at his expense, telling him the deer was blind and for that reason he was permitted to get so close to it before it became frightened.

Our nearest grist mill was at Tiffin where we would take our wheat and corn to be ground and stay there until it was done. We would always wait until two or three families needed flour and we would then go together and many were the good times enjoyed on these long and tiresome trips. There was an old water mill at Vanburen but it only ground once a month.

Log rollings were one of the special features; all that was necessary was to notify the farmers and they would come and a good time was always assured together with a big dinner and all other extras which could be furnished for a big day. The logs were rolled, dragged in to large piles by men and teams and then set on fire. In this manner we eventually got part of our farms cleared and in shape to raise grain and vegetables adding greatly to the welfare of the families.

I remember one season we put out some buckwheat and father had to watch the field to keep the wild turkeys from snatching it up. One day father and my older brother were gone, and I discovered the turkeys in the buckwheat patch. Running to the cabin I hurriedly asked mother for the shotgun and in the same breath was telling her what an awful large flock of it was. She refused to let me have it at first but was finally won over by earnest desire to defend father ‘s property in his absence, and handed me the gun. Stealing up to the field as quietly as possible, I was on the point of firing when they became frightened at something and rose in the air. Nevertheless, I fired anyhow and killed three.

My brother Edward purchased a pack of hounds and we then embarked to a great extent in the hunting business and were very successful, having killed forty-six foxes one winter. Owing to the great amount of hunting we did, and partially to the success we were fortunate enough to meet with, we were commonly referred to as the “Downs Boys”.

While speaking of game my mind recalls a little incident which happened to me when I was a boy.  In going home one evening from an errand on which father had sent me, I lingered along the road to play with some children. Being interested with the rest of the children I did not notice that the shadows of night had already began falling fast over the woods and when I at length started homeward it was quite dark.  In going along the path, (we only had paths in those days) I suddenly discovered that I was being chased by a catamount.  Having no weapon to defend myself with, I could simply run a few steps and then turn around and look at it and the cat would stop.  But as soon as I started ahead again it would immediately follow watching for a chance to spring upon me.  In this manner I finally reached home unharmed.

In planting corn, instead of having a planter, we would cover it with the hoe, carrying an axe along the cut into roots and underground stumps which made plowing an impossibility. All putting out and tending crops had to be done by hand.

In 1850 I went to work on the Continental railroad, which is now the Nickelplate, and helped build the track which lies between the Port Clinton and Perrysburg pikes. I then did my first work at my trade, that of carpenter, helping to build a house on the Franks farm near Vanburen, for which I received $6 per month and board. Having finished this job, I started with seven head of horses for St. Paul, Iowa for a man by the name of Goshner.

In April 1857 I returned from the west and in May I was married to Sarah Heminger, my, present wife. We went to housekeeping on my father’s farm on the Arcadia road. In 1860 we moved onto the Lloyd Weizel farm and during that winter helped W. H.  Roberts get out logs for his cabin. In ‘61’ the army worm infested this region and stripped the trees of their leaves, the woods being alive with them.

I entered the army the 11^th day of August 1862, accompanied by my brother Edward. We camped a week and were then pushed on to Lexington and from the Covington. Here I was detailed by Gen. Wallace to a gunboat and was in the battle of Perryville soon after. I wanted a fight but got plenty of it here and if the war would end I was ready to come home.

While in the army my wife and three children had resided in a cabin built for her and the children by her father and mine. Returning from the army I bought land where my farm now is and erecting a cabin in the woods moved my family into it. Leaving my boys to clear off part of the land I started to work at my trade. I also helped put the B. & O. through where North Baltimore now stands, getting the timber for the ties in the woods through which we were passing.

The children went to school in the Pete’s school house which was situated where the city hall now stands. The Indians were about exterminated by this time but there was one tribe which camped each spring on my farm and trapped muskrats and made sugar.

But now, instead of trails we have pikes, instead of going with oxen and a horse-back, we have rubber tired buggies and before many years it will be nothing but auto and locomobiles and trolley cars.