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Articles... The Eichers | Ann Sauder Witmer-Roth | Peter Stuckey | Dresden Howard | Lucia Van Tassel | Peddler George | A.D. Baker
This series of articles  provide a more in-depth look at the people who lived in Northwest Ohio in the early 1800s.
 

Meet The Eichers... A Family on the Move

On April 15, 1843, Jacob Eicher applied for a passport to travel with his family from the Alsace area of Europe to America to make a new life for himself. Having been born in 1787, Jacob, at age 56, was quite a bit older than many of our first settlers in German Township. Perhaps the decision to immigrate at this time was made because his son, Joseph, was now of military age.

Jacob and his second wife, Barbara Stuckey, sailed from the port of Le Harve on board the ship Cotton Planter. On board the ship with them were some of Jacob’s children, Magdalena (23), Joseph (18) and Christian (13), from his first marriage to Catherine Klopfenstein; and his children with Barbara, Ann (6), Elisabeth (3) and Christina (1). Hopefully Magdalena helped her step-mother care for the three little ones on the voyage. The Cotton Planter docked in New York Harbor on May 31, 1843 and the family then proceeded west to Wayne County, Ohio.

The Eichers seem to be a family that was always searching for "greener pastures". After only four years in Wayne County, in 1847, Jacob purchased 40 acres of land in German Township, Fulton County, Ohio. He paid Henry Hicks, a land speculator, $120 for the property but did not move immediately. In fact, the exact date of Jacob and Barbara’s arrival in German Township is not known. What we do know is that in the 1850 Census, Jacob’s son, Joseph and his wife, Elizabeth Beck, were living there. Perhaps he was sent ahead to prepare the land for his parents’ arrival. Sometime before 1855, the elder Eichers did arrive, because that year, their son Christian, died and was buried in Johnson Cemetery.

By 1860, Jacob and Barbara are found in the censuses for German Township. Living right beside them are Jacob’s son John and his wife Catherine who have moved into the area. Both Jacob and John are listed as farmers. Since Jacob was now 73, perhaps John was helping him farm. But now the "wandering bug" had struck son Joseph who was no longer in German Township. Instead, he and his wife Elizabeth had moved to Gratiot County, Michigan to be near Elizabeth’s father, Christian Beck.

Jacob Eicher lived in German Township until his death in 1869. He was buried in Johnson Cemetery. By 1870, Jacob’s son, John, followed in the family tradition and moved on again. Records seem to indicate that he eventually settled near his brother, Joseph, in Gratiot County, Michigan. The Eicher family was like many other early pioneers in German Township. Some family members stayed and some moved on, but all helped to make the area what it is today.

(Picture: Eicher home)

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Meet Anna Sauder Witmer-Roth... Northwest Territory Pioneer

By 1844, Wayne County, Ohio was a settled area with several well-established Amish communities, but newlyweds Anna and Peter Witmer chose to leave their comfortable life there and travel to the frontier. Anna’s father, Henry Souder (Sauder) had purchased land in Cedar Creek Township, Allen County, Indiana in 1837 and it was to this property that the Witmers moved.

Cedar Creek Township’s first permanent settler had arrived in 1834. By the time Anna and Peter reached the area in 1844 there was a store, a school and the first road had been surveyed. The made their journey while Anna was pregnant and in November their first child, Barbara, was born. By then Peter had built them a log house with one large main floor room where most of the family’s living was done. A lower level contained the kitchen/eating space. However, there was no interior connection between these two levels, so Anna had to go outside in all weather when traveling from the living area to the kitchen. The loft over the main room would have been used for "cold" sleeping, as there was no heat.

Anna and Peter prospered on the frontier. The 1850 Agricultural Census reports Peter owning 160 acres of land, raising wheat, Indian corn and oats and owning a team of horses and a team of oxen. In that same year their daughter, Ann, was born giving them three sons and three daughters. And then on August 5, 1851 tragedy struck. Peter died suddenly and Anna was left a widow with six children under the age of seven and a farm to run.

At this time in history, women who were widowed frequently fell into dire straits. They were often unable to keep their family together and lost everything. However, Anna was fortunate. Within a year, she married Benedict Roth. Benedict was a good provider and the farm continued to prosper. Together they would raise Anna’s six children from her first marriage and have nine of their own.

Anna’s youngest son Henry remembered how hard his mother worked to make a good life for her family. She had an outside bake oven and would bake as many as 15 loaves of bread at a time, as well as pies and cakes. Ann was also a spinner. She spun and plied wool from the family sheep. In the cold winter months she would knit mittens and other clothing for her family.

Anna lived a remarkable life. She made the long trip to unsettled Cedar Creek Township and worked hard to raise 15 children. She saw many changed in her lifetime. Anna lived to be nearly 80 years old. When she died, in 1904, she was one of the oldest original settlers of Cedar Creek Township. She was survived by 12 of her 15 children, 83 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren. Many of her descendants today still remember her from shared stories and family histories.

(Pictures: Anna Sauder Witmer-Roth with her granddaughter Emma. Also, the Witmer-Roth home, which guests will be able to visit as part of the Pioneer Settlement area, scheduled to open late summer 2009.)

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Meet Peter Stuckey... Farmer and Craftsman

Peter Stuckey arrived in American from Alsace Lorraine, France in 1837 with his wife Catherine (Yoder) and children, Catherine, Peter and Anna. His sisters and their husbands, Peter and Maryann (Stuckey) Short and Daniel and Catherine (Stuckey) Short, arrived that same year. Three years earlier their father, Pierre Stuckey, had immigrated with Peter's younger siblings. All of these families settled in what was then Brady Township, Williams County, Ohio. By the time of the 1840 Census, each family had purchased land and settled into their respective homes.

In those early years, Peter struggled to create a new life for his family. The tall trees of the forest had to be cleared and the swampland had to be drained. Slowly this pioneer family began to prosper. The homestead, located two miles west and one mile north of Archbold, began to take on a settled appearance. In 1850, Peter had real estate valued at $700.00. Ten years later his property worth increased to $6800.00 and his personal estate was valued at $880.00

Now that the land was cleared and the older children were able to help with the farming, Peter was able to turn his hand to a trade that would bring additional revenue for his family. He had probably gained his wagon making skills while still in Alsace, and now he had time to put these skills to good use. Peter opened a wagon shop on his farm and probably supplied wagons and did repairs for surrounding farmers. According to great-grandson, Peter Graber, Peter Stuckey specialized "in a narrow wheel which pulled easier in the mud of the swampland". Information in the 1870 Census shows that Peter had continued to prosper, with real estate valued at $8400.00 and a personal estate value of $2000.00.

Peter Stuckey lived to be 84 years old, dying in 1892. In his lifetime, he saw changes from subsistence farming where life was a daily struggle, to a time where it was possible to be a farmer, but also to own a small business and perhaps even enjoy a little leisure time. This same story is true of many of the other settlers in the Great Black Swamp.

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Meet Dresden Howard...

"... Standing on either bank of a little stream near by, called by the Indians Chimiche-cepe (Bad Creek), in Pike Township, Fulton County, Ohio... they will find themselves upon the site of one of the oldest and most populous Indian Towns in the northwest, The Pottawatomie Village of Winameg. ...at one time the village extended along both banks of the stream for nearly half a mile and north on the ridge to a greater distance containing many lodges, the beautiful springs breaking out of the banks in many places. They cultivated large fields of corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, as the rich land along the creek was excellent for such purposes. ...The place was the finest hunting and trapping country in all the North West. It abounded in all fur bearing animals, otter, mink, raccoon, fisher, beaver, at an early day, and the muskrat, all eagerly sought after by the fur traders. The prairies abounded in deer, elk and bear which furnished an ample supply of clothing for this people."

Description of town of Winameg from Dresden Howard's reminiscences, McClarren Family collection

One of the most exciting aspects of our new Natives & Newcomers exhibit is the wealth of primary source documents that have been used to create the interpretive material. Don Rettig, Director of the Toledo MetroParks served as our research consultant. He scoured libraries, personal collections, universities and historical societies to find letters, journals, and articles written by those people who lived, worked or traveled here during the 19^th century.  Many of these have never been published before and provide a rare glimpse into this time through the eyes of those who were there.

Dresden Howard is not new to Sauder Village. In fact, his figure has graced our museum building for many years! Dresden is the boy pictured with Chief Winameg in the carving of the Council Oak Tree. As a boy, his family earned the trust of the Natives living around them and he himself served as an interpreter on numerous occasions in dealings between the European-Americans and the Natives. And, as it just so happens, he was one of the most prolific writers of his experiences in Northwest Ohio in the 19^th century and many of his reminiscences help fill out the story that will be told in Natives & Newcomers.

Born in 1817 in Yates County New York, Dresden moved to Ft. Meigs with his family at the age of 3. In 1823, they moved again to what is now Grand Rapids on the Maumee River where his father established a trading post and helped found the community. Dresden attended the Indian Mission School run by the Presbyterians and recounts some of the fun they had as children: "We enjoyed our Saturday half holiday. In the winter season, when the river was frozen over, we skated on the ice, both boys and girls, and when there was snow we enjoyed ourselves sliding down the long hill on the bank of the river... with lightening speed (the Indian sled) would fairly fly down the hill and far out on the ice on the river if successfully guided; if not, you might be able to see a load of boys and girls piled up in the snow or scattered along the hill."

Dresden Howard knew the great chiefs of the era such as Wauseon, Winameg and Ottokee and would record his experiences with them particularly at Council that he was often privileged to be a part of. In fact, he was present at the last Council in this area.

"The last speech made by an Indian in the county in Council was made by Ottokee at a council of Treaty made by the Government agents and Commissioners for their removal west. Their lands had been sold and the time had expired for them to remain. Ottokee told the Commissioners that his people did not want to go. They could not leave the graves of their fathers or their Council fires nor even the ashes and it was with great effort that they were induced to go.

A few more years of sugar making and trapping and all had disappeared. I may be censured for my sympathy for these wandering people, driven from place to place... But I still say better to have given them homes and made friends of them than to have made enemies of them."

As Dresden witnessed the removal of the Natives from this area, he stayed in contact with some of those who remained behind including Chief Winameg whom he describes at that time as being filled with and 'air of despondency'.

"I could discern the pain he felt when recounting the happy scenes of his people when all was theirs as far as eye could reach... Now, the spot of his Council fires, the graves of his dead and the little spot upon which he pitched his tent were not his."

In the 1840s Dresden traveled west to set up trading posts on the upper Missouri River, before returing to Maumee and start a family. He became active in politics and served as a State Senator. Dresden Howard died in 1897.

His life was a witness to the changing times of this region and his words help us share this story with you!

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Meet Lucia Van Tassel...

"... It is true we have trials such as were wholly unexpected and some which we see but little prospect of being removed; were these merely personal and did not feel that they would probably in a great measure prevent our usefulness here... We do not shrink from toil, hardships, or privation... We have laboured hard and almost incessantly and I hope we shall be willing to wear out in this delightful and important service."
                         
Excerpt from a letter by Lucia B. Van Tassel, February 28, 1823

Lucia Badger was born in Blansford, MA on January 19, 1794. Her father, Reverend Joseph Badger was a preacher and in 1800 was appointed by the Connecticut Missionary Society to New Connecticut (now Western Reserve) in the Ohio Territory. Lucia as a young girl grew up near present day Ashtabula County, Ohio. Her father worked as a missionary among the Native Americans pursuing, as Thomas Jefferson preached, the idea of urging natives to adopt the lifestyle of 'yeoman-farmer'. The missionaries were to "collect all the native children [they] could into the school and teach them English."

Along with English, the boys were taught to work a farm while the girls were trained in the domestic chores. With this came a strong diligence on education in the Bible and Christian morality, all fitting in well with Jefferson's vision. Lucia must have been familiar with the Natives and was used to being with them while growing up.

Lucia married Reverend Isaac Van Tassel on September 17, 1822 and later that year, she, her husband, and several others arrived at Maumee to open the first mission school in the Maumee River Valley. Lucia recounted later: "We landed at Maumee, October 27, 1822. Mr. Van Tassel repaired immediately to the site of the mission house; found the body of a hewn log cabin erected, 16 x 60, and went to work to prepare it for the reception of the family, consisting then of 13 members and some hired help... Our school commenced the winter following, with about a half dozen scholars and increase time after time till we numbered 50; but they probably would not average over 30, as they were very unsteady in their attendance. Mrs. Sackets commenced the school and taught a few weeks, it was subsequently taught by different members of the family. I taught one year; the remainder of my time was devoted, when not confined by sickness, to domestic avocations, and the study of the Indian language in which I had made considerable proficiency."

The work at the mission school was hard and the ague (malaria) was rampant. Lucia's husband spent a good deal of time away from the mission, traveling among the various tribes, trying to encourage more students to attend.

Lucia became the center and stronghold of the little school, taking care of not only students but also the teachers who shared her home. She also developed and affinity for the Native people not shown by all missionaries. She writes: "It would have been far more agreeable to my wished to spend my time in studying the language and instructing adult native females, than otherwise."

Because Lucia spent time studying the Native language she was often able to communicate directly with the tribes without an interpreter. She worked on a written vocabulary of the languages she learned.

This mission school struggled and finally closed in 1834 due in part to the lack of financial support, illness of many of the leaders and of course, the impending removal of the Natives west by the government. Lucia's story in Northwest Ohio doesn't end here.

Following the death of her husband in 1849, Lucia returned to New York State and studied medicine. After qualifying to practice medicine, she returned to the Maumee Valley in Wood County (Ohio), and began a long and successful medical practice. Her niece, Louise Atkinson, remembered Lucia fondly: "Love for her fellow creatures was the most marked trait of her character. She was small of stature and possessed of remarkable physical endurance, once crossing the Mississippi River in a rowboat to see a patient. However vexatious and trying the occasion, she always preserved a quiet unruffled demeanor."

Lucia dies in 1874 in Maumee and was buried in the Perrysburg Cemetery.

Regardless of our 21^st century views on these missionaries and their actions, they all believed they had the best intentions of the heart. Many became allies with the Natives and even tried to help prevent their inevitable removal. They saw their primary mission as imparting Christianity and the 'hopeful conversion' of even one soul was seen as a victory. As Lucia Van Tassel noted in her reminiscences: "It has been said that the Maumee Mission was a failure: If the hopeful conversion of about thirty souls, and the triumphant deaths of at least nine of these, who were known to the missionaries to have died trusting in the Saviour, besides much seed sown, the result of which can only be known in the light of eternity was not worth the few thousands expended there, then might the mission be called a failure."

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Meet Peddler George...

In the days before super stores, strip malls and on-line shopping, there were peddlers who would travel the countryside selling everything from dolls to pencils to fabrics to the farm families along the way. One such businessman traveled the roads of northwest Ohio becoming not only a trusted friend but also a cherished childhood memory.

George Lutife was born in Syria in 1884. He arrived in Toledo as a young adult and began his career as "Peddler George" in 1900. For more than 50 years, he traversed the country roads between Toledo, Fulton, Williams, Henry and Defiance counties. He would load up his goods from stores in Toledo, including one owned by his son Eli.

He made his way with horse and wagon. His trusted horse provided the transportation and his cardboard cases were stuffed with goods of all descriptions. Decorative pillows, pencils, candy, fabric, tools, dishes, pots and pans were just some of the 'treasures' he carried.

Area homes provided meals and lodging for both man and horse and a visit by George the Peddler became a highlight. Often families would return home from an outing to find George waiting for them. Children particularly delighted in his appearances, which were often associated with gifts of pencils, candy or gum. Memories of visits by George the Peddler still resonate today. Maurice Nafziger remembered, "George stopped by our house every couple of months (in Fulton County), stopping in the late afternoon. He'd ask if we had a place for his 'hoss'. We knew that meant he wanted a place to eat and sleep for himself as well."

"We children were intrigued to watch him un-strap his cardboard pack and lay out the wonders he had to sell... red hankies for Dad, materials for Mom to sew new dresses or aprons or maybe even a sunbonnet. We waited to see what small gift he had for us. We listened to his stories. We watched him slurp his coffee... straining it through his big mustache. We didn't know anyone else with a mustache and such a big one he had!"

"After a night's sleep and a good breakfast in the morning, he hitched up his 'hoss' and we watched him go on down the road again."

George's stories were legendary especially when he talked of places far away. During World War II, he would provide descriptions of the lands where local men were fighting well on many subjects.

Not only was George a trusted business man, for many he was part of their extended families. The King sisters of Fulton County remember the chair at the kitchen table and bedroom always ready for a stop by George. One night in the 1930s while staying at the Miller family farm, the barn caught fire, destroying his wagon, goods and taking his horse. George was devastated but found comfort and support when local families lent him a wagon and a horse to start over.

When George died in a car accident in 1954, an era ended. By that time, railroads, mail order and motorcars made shopping even in remote areas a simple event. But not even the convenient corner drug store could replace the fondness for the man everyone called 'George the Peddler'.

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Meet A.D. Baker... Industrialization 

Industrialization came to Swanton, Ohio with the incorporation of The A. D. Baker Company in 1901. Founded by a quiet inventor, Abner Baker, the company would remain a part of the business life of Swanton until 1953.

Abner Baker (who preferred A. D.) was born in Knox County, Ohio in 1861. His father, Samuel, moved the family to Swanton by the time A. D. was fifteen.His marriage to Ella Berkebile occurred in 1886. Their only child, Louis was born in 1891.

During his early twenties, A.D. began a series of employments with various machine and iron working companies. The experiences he gained led him to open his own machine shop in Swanton in 1895. The development of many new pieces of farming machinery during the late 1900s helped the shop to thrive. Having the opportunity to work on so many different types of equipment allowed A. D. to develop a great understanding of what did and didn’t work on these machines. And so the young inventor set out to create a steam traction engine with the design and features which seemed most desirable to him.

But, why would anyone even want to invent a steam traction engine? These massive engines provided far greater power than could be supplied by animals. More importantly, this was a power plant that could be moved from farm to farm...  thus the threshing rings formed.

The largest steam traction engines had no clutch and were used for pulling. These engines were found doing road grading, pulling stumps, logging, and tilling the thick sod of the Great Plains states. The steam traction engines with clutches could be used to power many pieces of farm equipment, such as separators (threshers), balers, and corn shellers. This power was provided by a belt that ran from the fly wheel of the engine to the equipment being run.

And so Abner Baker produced his first steam traction engine in 1898. The Baker #1 was a 16 horse power engine, which sold immediately. The sale allowed A.D. to pay off his loan to a Toledo bank and finance additional engines. Believing that a steam traction engine plant could be successful, The A.D. Baker Company was incorporated in 1901.  Over the years A.D. was president of the company at various times. However, throughout the life of the company he was always the Plant Superintendent.

Constantly inventing, Baker had over 270 patents issued to him in his lifetime. He would often disappear into his workshop for days at a time when deeply involved in an invention. In 1907 A.D. was granted a patent for a reverse valve gear for use on steam locomotives. The demand for this gear became so great, that its production was separated from the threshing machine business and became the Pilliod Company. The valve was eventually used on locomotives all over the world.

The Baker Company expanded its line of equipment by adding separators in 1907 and road rollers in 1910. The rollers were created by adding a front roller attachment and a cast rear roller to a 16 horsepower traction engine. The fuel economies of WW I had A. D. designing engines with improved fuel and water consumption. About this time, Abner’s son Louis began to take an active part in designing new engines and factory management. Over the years the company also produced feed mixers, corn shellers, and a hammermill to grind corn.

A.D. was always a part of the day-to-day running of the company. Raymond Fork, of Gibsonburg, Ohio helped his fataher with custom threshing in the 1920s and remembers going to the Baker plant for repair parts. They would arrive in the evening after the day’s threshing was done and knock on A.D.’s front door. Baker would go across to the factory with them, find the part, write the sales information on a slip of paper and toss the paper on a nearby desk. Fork says that he always wondered how anyone would ever find the sales slip, but eventually his father would receive a bill in the mail.

As the gasoline tractor began to gain in popularity, A. D. tried to compete with a steam tractor. Two sizes were built, a 22-40 and a 25-50. This tractor was a one-man operated unit, very economical on fuel and water. However, they never gained a wide following. Eventually Baker did produce a gasoline tractor. Most of the components for the gas tractors were purchased.

By the 1930s, the A. D. Baker Company advertised steam traction engines “as available.”  The work force at the plant, once at over 120 men, was reduced to four part-time workers by the 1940s.  Their job was to produce the required service parts for veteran steam traction engines still in use.  Early in 1953, the A.D. Baker Company was finally dissolved.

A.D. Baker led a full life. A friend of such men as Henry Ford, who often visited in Swanton, Baker played a major role in the Swanton community... at one time owning the electricity generating plant and also the feedmill. In later life he had the opportunity to see the revival of interest in restoring historic steam engines. He helped to found the National Threshers Association and many times took the Baker #1 to threshing events around the country. A. D. Baker passed away on 11 June 1953, but his legacy lives on where ever steam threshing events are held. 

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