John Bear, William Stahl, Isaac Miller, John W. Hollopeter, Mathias Hollopeter, and others. On the 7th day of December, 1844, Isaiah Hollopeter caused to be surveyed on section seventeen, in this township, a town, to which he gave the name of Rehoboth. It was surveyed and platted by Thomas Heming. CHAPTER XIV. Big-spring township-Springville-Oregon-Productions of the countyConclusion. On the 6th day of March, 1833, the original surveyed township No. 1, in the 13th range, was constituted a legal township, and received the name of Big-spring. It was thus named from the circumstance of there being a large spring of water within its limits. The first election for township officers was held on the 4th day of April, of the same year.* * Hugh Mulholland, E. Bogart, John Peer, Hiram Bogart, Philip Peer, and Austin Knowlton, were among the first settlers of this township. Big-spring was surveyed into sections. and quarter sections, by J. Glasgow, in 1820, except that part of the township which was then owned by the Wyandot Indians, and which was surveyed by C. W. Christmas in 1832. The population of Big-spring, according to the census of 1840, amounted to 925. Since that time it has rapidly increased in population and in wealth, numbering among its enterprising farmers-Jacob Boucher, Peter Lantz, John Jinkins, Isaac De Wit, Frederick Waggoner, Ira Taft, William Blue, Israel Harmas, John Hile, W. Burgess, Nathan L. Huling, George Kline, Austin Knowlton, Peter Wenner, M. Clark, John Wag *The officers chosen at this election, were as follows: William Brayton, clerk; E. Bogart, and Richard Reynolds, trustees; Hugh Mulholland, treasurer; Cornelius Bogart, Andrew Springer, and Joshua Watson, fence-viewers; Elijah Brayton and Charles Henderson, overseers of the poor; Austin Knowlton, constable. goner, Francis Etchey, Michael Waggoner, Lewis Shaney, James W. Laughead, William Clark, Sen., and many others. The land in Big-spring township is generally level, but the soil is rich, producing all kinds of grain and grass in abundance. At the treaty held at the foot of the rapids of the Miami of Lake Erie, September 28th, 1817, the United States granted to the Wyandot Indians, then residing at Solomon's town, and on Blanchard's fork, sixteen thousand acres of land, which was laid off in a square form, the center being at Big-spring, (now the town of Springville,) on the trailed road from Upper Sandusky to Fort Findlay. At a supplementary treaty, held September 17th, 1818, with the Indians, a very wise provision was made to protect them from imposition, which had so often been practiced upon them by the avaricious whites. It was stipulated, that all lands granted them by the United States, could not be disposed of except by the consent of the president. Part of the land in Big-spring township consists of prairie; and in the southern section is a ridge, which is quite stony. The land is heavy timbered and well watered. On the 20th of September, 1825, Elijah Brayton, then a resident of Crawford (now Wyandot) county, who resides near Springville, in this township, lost a child, a lad about eight years of age, who has never since been heard of.* It appears that the boy had followed an elder brother and a neighboring friend, who were seeking for some cattle that had strayed away, when the little fellow was directed to a house near by, while the others proceeded onward. He followed the path which had been pointed out to him, but a short distance, when it is supposed he became bewildered, and immediately *We have the particulars of this event orally, from a sister of the lost child, the wife of David Burns, of Springville. took to the woods. On the return of the others to the house where they expected to find him, they learned to their surprise, that he had not been seen. Alarm was immediately given. The inhabitants for many miles around turned out, and the whole country for a considerable distance, in every direction was thoroughly searched. The Indians were particularly assiduous in their generous endeavors to find the child, but all to no avail. A large reward was offered to the one who should find him, or any of his remains; but after many days, as no traces of the little fellow had ever been discovered, the search was finally abandoned. Some imagined he had been torn to pieces by wolves; some, that he had been stolen by the Indians; while others were of the opinion, that he had died of want in some secluded spot. What became of the unfortunate child, will, in all probability, remain forever unknown! During this search, Neal McGaffey and other citizens of Fort Ball, who had likewise left their homes upon this occa sion, encamped for the night upon the site of the present town of Rome, in Loudon township, which was then a dense wilderness. Being highly pleased with the spot of ground, and the appearance of the woods around, they jocosely called it "Fort McGaffey." In the month of May, 1834, David Risdon surveyed, on section twenty-nine, in Big-spring township, a town, to which the proprietors, Benjamin and John Jenkins, gave the name of Springville. It was thus named, as there is a large spring of water immediately west of the town. Unlike those in Adams township, the water from this spring, has no traces of sulphur, but is clear, cold, and impregnated with lime. The site of this town, which was formerly an Indian village, is very beautiful. It contains twelve dwellings, two taverns, one wagon-shop, two blacksmiths'-shops, and two tailors'-shops. In 1840, Springville contained thirty-five inhabitants. It has since about doubled. There are two practicing physicians, residents of this town-D. Peters, and George H. Scoles. Oregon, a town surveyed, February 17th, 1844, on sections thirty-five and thirty-six, in Big-spring township, by R. M. Shoemaker, is situated on the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad, ten and a half miles from the county seat of the county. Its proprietors were Erastus H. Cook and D. C. Henderson. Among the first settlers upon the site of this town, were Eli Gehr, Adam Fetter, John Gantz, and Charles Foster. Oregon contains twenty-three dwellings, one large forwarding house, one tavern, three stores, one saw-mill, propelled by steam, one cabinet-shop, one tailor-shop, one blacksmith's-shop, two wagon-shops, and two shoe-shops. The post-office at this place is called "Foster's Mill." The first post-master was William White. The office is now held by John Carr. There is a practicing physician, a resident of this place-Samuel B. Owens. The population of this town is over one hundred, and is rapidly increasing, It is three and a half miles from McCutchenville, and five miles from Carey, in Wyandot county. It has now been nearly thirteen years, since Big-spring was constituted a legal township, which was the last one organized of the fifteen townships of the county. In 1830 the whole number of inhabitants in the several townships, amounted to 5,148. According to the census of 1840, the population had augmented to 18,128. At the present time it is probably about 22,000. Seneca, compared with the counties that surround it, is second to none in the fertility of its soil, number of streams, activity, intelligence and morality of its inhabitants, and in the increase of its population. The staple production of this county is wheat, large quan |