town, John A Bryan, no real estate title could rest upon more indestructible foundations: JOHN A. BRYAN TO WILLIAM TREVITT : Know all men by these presents that we, John A. Bryan and Eliza A. Bryan, wife of said John A. Bryan, of the County of Franklin, Ohio, in consideration of the sum of $800 in hand paid by William Trevitt, also of the said County of Franklin, have bargained and sold and do hereby grant, bargain, sell and convey unto the said William Trevitt, his heirs and assigns forever, the following premises, situate in the county of Williams, in the State of Ohio, and bounded and described as follows: All that lot, piece and parcel of land situate, lying and being in the County of Williams and State of Ohio, known and distinguished as the half of the west half of section number seventeen (17), in township number six (6), north of range number three (3) east, and containing an equal undivided half part of the entire half section, which half section contains, in all, three hundred and twenty acres (320), on which, or a portion of which, the seat of justice in and for the county of Williams, State of Ohio, has recently been located, as the same was originally conveyed to Charles Butler, by patent bearing date the sixteenth day of March, A. D. 1837, recorded in the General Land Office of the city of Washington, in volume twelve, page one hundred and seventy-five; reference thereto had will more fully and at large appear the premises hereby conveyed-being the equal, undivided half part of the half section above described, and which was deeded by Charles Butler and the American Land Company to the said John A. Bryan under date of the twenty-second day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-one, as a reference to the same will the more fully exhibit, to have and to hold said premises with the appurtenances unto the said William Trevitt, his heirs and assigns forever. And the said John A., and Eliza Ann, his wife, for themselves and heirs, do hereby covenant with said William Trevitt, his heirs and assigns, that they are lawfully seized of the premises aforesaid -that the premises are free and clear from all incumbrances whatsoever, and that they will forever warrant and defend the same, with the appurtenances, unto the said William Trevitt, his heirs and assigns, against the lawful claims of all persons whatsoever. In testimony whereof, the said John A. and Eliza Ann Bryan have hereunto set their hands and seals this twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-one. Executed in presence of C. H. BRYAN. THOMAS WOOD. JOHN A. BRYAN. [Seal.] [And following the foregoing is the usual acknowledgment—the instrment having been executed at Columbus, Franklin County, March 27, 1841, and received for record in Williams County, by the County Recorder, C. L. Noble, per W. A. Stevens, Deputy, July 20, 1841, and recorded 22d same month.] BRYAN AND TREVITT TO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Know all men by these presents, that we, John A. Bryan, and Eliza Ann, wife of the said John A., William Trevitt, and Lucinda, wife of the said William Trevitt, all of the county of Franklin, in the State of Ohio, in consideration of the location of the county seat of Williams County, Ohio, at the town of Bryan, in said county, have bargained and sold, and do hereby grant, bargain, sell and convey unto the County Commissioners of the said county of Williams, the following premises, situate in the county aforesaid, in the State of Ohio, and bounded and described as follows: Being the Public Square in the center of the town of Bryan, in the center of the County of Williams, in the State of Ohio, which public square is distinctly marked and designated on the recorded plat of said towu of Bryan; also, the two town lots of the said town of Bryan, situated immediately south of said public square, and contained within the intersections of Main street, High street, Linn street and Butler street, with each other-the said last mentioned lots to be used for county purposes, under the direction of the County Commissioners, for the erection of a county jail and such other public buildings as may be deemed for the benefit of said county. To have and to hold the said premises, with the appartenances, unto the said County Commissioners, and their succcessors in office forever. And the said John A. and William and Eliza Ann and Lucinda, their wives, themselves and their heirs do hereby covenant with said County Commissioners that they are lawfully seized of the premises aforesaid. that the premises are free and clear from all incumbrances whatsoever, and that they will forever warrant and defend the same, with the appurtenances, unto the said County Commissioners and their successors in office, against the lawful claims of all persons whatsoever. In testimony whereof, the said John A. Bryan, William Trevitt, Eliza Ann Bryan and Lucinda Trevitt, have hereunto set their hands and seals this twelfth day of June, A. D. 1841. JOHN A. BRYAN, LUCINDA TREVITT. Executed in the presence of Thomas Wood, M. Bryan. [Then follows the usual form of acknowledgment, appended to which is the official statement of the County Recorder, certifying that the instrument was recorded July 23, 1841.] The Commissioners of Williams County had taken bond of John A. Bryan and William Trevitt, as principals, and Alfred P. Edgerton, as security, for payment of the amount elsewhere named, to aid in the building of the present court house; and to enforce compliance with the full terms of this instrument, the Commissioners brought suit against the proprietors and their security, and at the May term of the Common Pleas Court, 1847, obtained judgment for $6,402.65 and costs, and execution ordered and levy made upon the real estate of said proprietors. Mr. Edgerton bid off the property, and the sale was confirmed by court and the Sheriff ordered to execute to him a deed therefor. Mr. Bryan conveyed his interests, and the whole title became vested in Edgerton and Trevitt, as proprietors. After it became generally known that the Legislative Commissioners had located the county seat of Williams in the midst of an unbroken section of Pulaski Township forest, many people, some attracted with a possible view to purchase and open up business, and others to gratify curiosity, made journeys to the place. Most of these returned home and circulated reports anything else than favorable. Among the few, however, who determined to brave it out was the late John Kaufman, who aided in building the first log court house, and in burning brick for the walls of the present one. Mr. Kaufman was a worthy citizen, and many years prior to his death, which only occurred recently, was janitor of the court house. By many, the selection of Bryan as the capital of the county was deemed ill-judgment, and some complaint, orignating chiefly at Defiance and neighborhood, was made; but the place, being so near the geographical center, satisfied for the time the majority interests. Soon after the plat became cleared of its timber, however, an unexpected source of water wealth developed itself at Bryan, being an artesian or flowing well on the premises of Daniel Wyatt, and soon after another on Alexander Hamilton's lot; the third, on lots of Dr. Thomas Kent, and the fourth one at the tannery of Jacob Youse. Others were soon discovered, and as they multiplied, many of the first ones ceased their supplies of flowing waters. These disclosures of artesian wells, and their claimed medicinal virtues, gave the new town a broad fame, and made many recruits to the population. FIRST SHANTY AND CABINS. Volney Crocker, for use as a habitation during the time he was engaged on his contract for clearing the public square grounds, built a shanty on the lots now owned by David King. The first regular cabin was built by Daniel Wyatt, on lots now owned by Samuel White, south side of the square and on Butler street, and now used by Mr. White as a residence. But very soon after that time, John Kaufman erected a cabin on the lots now owned and occupied by Dr. Q. H. Graser. FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE. The first schoolhouse was a small log structure, situated on the south. side of the square, on the lots where the Bryan Boot & Shoe Company now stands, and this was where A. J. Tressler, now President of the Bryan First National Bank, taught the first public school. Previous to this, however, Miss Harriet Powell, now Mrs. David Shoemaker, of Michigan, had taught in the same building a private school for the instruction of juvenile pupils. Subsequently, and in about 1845, a one-story frame schoolhouse was built on the lots northwest corner of Butler and Beech streets, upon which now stands one of the public school buildings. More on this subject will be found farther along in this chapter. FIRST MARRIAGE. The first marriage solemnized in Bryan was in September, 1842—the contracting parties being Andrew J. Tressler and Miss Oleva, daughter of Dr. Thomas Kent. HOTEL RESOURCES. The first recognized public wants, after the county seat became fixed at Bryan and the public records had been removed, were places of accommodation for transient visitors. Several undertook to meet this demand, and Thomas Shorthill opened a public house on Main street, which he afterward sold to Mr. Yates, who used part of the building for his first storeroom. Thomas McCurdy, on Lynn street, west side public square, and in the vicinity of Pratt & Bentley's law office, and John McDowell, southeast corner of public square, each opened public houses. During the first court terms, accommodations were so limited that such private houses as could afford possible entertainment for lawyers, clients, jurymen, witnesses and others, whose business required them to attend court, offered lodgings to sojourners. The first frame public house, and, indeed, the first one of any importance, was built by Daniel Langel, east side of court house square, upon the ground where now stands Neikirk's dry goods On these premises, before Langel opened his house, he discovered, by boring about sixty feet, that he had struck a vein that afforded him a large volume of water, and by adjusting tubing, he carried the stream that issued from the earth to a height above the first floor of his house. But a pump is now required to bring the water above the surface, having lost its flowing power nearly forty years ago. store. FIRST DRY GOODS STORES. In the fall of 1841, William Yates brought with him from Wayne County, where he had formerly been engaged in mercantile business, his family, consisting of his wife and ten children, and a stock of goods. His freights were transported from Defiance to Bryan in wagons drawn by ox teams, and three days were consumed in making the distance, which, in a straight line, would be eighteen miles. A person could now travel from New York to Omaha in less time. In December, 1855, the store and dwelling of Mr. Yates were destroyed, and he retired from the business. The three merchants who immediately succeeded him were, in order of time, D. M. Crall, Jacob Boyer and Charles Case. EARLY INDUSTRIES. The blacksmith most convenient to the town, after settlement commenced, was William Sheridan, Sr., who resided one and a half miles west. of the corporation line. The first who opened a The first who opened a shop in the town was James Alexander, and the second, John Thompson. James Shorthill established the first tailor shop, and, subsequently, James B. Akey and Richard McClure engaged in the business. Jacob Over and James McFadden were the first who appeared as car |