Years Ago in Paulding County

By: MELINDA KRICK

It Happened in May …

Many important and memorable events in Paulding County history have taken place in the month of May:

1841 – Shadrach Hudson, the first settler in Paulding County, passed away May 17 in Auglaize Township, just shy of his 70th birthday. He was born May 31, 1771, in New Jersey. At the age of 18, he enlisted as a soldier under Gen. St. Clair, and was in the bloody conflict of 1793, on the Wabash, now known as Ft. Recovery; only seven, besides himself, survived to be discharged. Last fall, he was taken with the prevailing disease of the country and in the spring he was again taken down and after a few days yielded to death. Died, also on the same day, Mrs. [Lydia] Hudson. She too was a native of New Jersey, born Dec. 18, 1775. The disease of which she died was most painful – that of cancer. The proximity of her death and that of her husband to each other, is worthy of remark. She expired at 9 o’clock a.m., and he at 11 a.m., on the same day. They married in 1794 and lived to see a large family of children grow up.

1898 – The Nickel Plate has a new iron bridge over the tunnel on First Street in Oakwood.

1899 – Timber Scarce: The available supply for factory purposes is about exhausted; The mills in this part of Ohio are compelled to discontinue buying on account of the scarcity. The vast forests of prime timber that existed in this part of Ohio at one time are about exhausted. The pioneer rolled logs, burned, destroyed and wasted it in the early days of his advent here to make a “clearing” for crops. Of the many busy factories once located in this county, there remains only here and there a straggling one that runs but a portion of the year and the last one of these must soon close down for want of material.

1901 – A very back wreck occurred on the Nickel Plate R.R. at Melrose. The watchman who tends the drawbridge over the canal at that place had swing the bridge to let a canal boat pass when one of the fast freight trains came into sight. The morning was so foggy that the engineer could not see the signal to stop and the engine with one car load of hides ran into the canal. No one was seriously hurt.

1903 – The large stave, heading and hoop mill, formerly known as the Eagle Stave Works, at Latty, owned by the Fort Wayne Cooperage Co., was entirely destroyed by fire. The plant, a landmark of that village, had been in operation for about 20 years and at one time employed a large force of men. The mill was practically the only industry the town had.

1909 – The cornerstone of the new church of St. Mary, Junction, the best and most flourishing Catholic congregation in the county, was blessed and laid last Sunday. More than 2,300 people from all parts of the county were gathered to witness the solemn ceremony.

1912 – President William H. Taft and ex-President [Theodore] Roosevelt both will be here this week. It is not often a town the size of Paulding is honored by the presence of the two most prominent citizens of the nation. Mr. Roosevelt speaks here today. President Taft will be here Saturday. It will be the first time a president ever visited this town.

1916 – The Catholic Church at Latty was struck by lightning in the belfry early Sunday morning and the bolt set fire to the building and it burned to the ground. The costly altar, the organ and other articles burned with the building.

1918 – Oakwood Mayor Ritchie issued an edict to loafers and panhandlers: Go to work or go to jail. A fellow who does not work and who has no job though able to work will be sent to jail at once.

1919 – Prohibition went into effect in Ohio May 27. The predicted drought enveloped Paulding County as per schedule, Saturday evening. Payne, one of the “damp spots,” did a heavy business until closing hour. The stock of liquors on hand being nearly depleted. It is estimated that $10,000 was spent over the bars of the village on this date. Visitors from dry sections came to town with a thirst. It is reported that in the past few days, more drinking has been done in Payne than in the entire history of the town. Booze by the drink, quart or barrel was on sale, and found ready takers.

1921 – A wooden marker for old Fort Brown was dedicated on Decoration Day by local residents. The marker, 8 feet high and 28 inches square, was placed at the site of the fort, built during the War of 1812. The location has been fixed beyond a doubt by older residents who knew it when part of the structure was standing.

1934 – Recreation Park Planned for Fort Brown: Paulding County will soon have a modern recreation park. Construction is beginning of several summer cabins, a dining pavilion and drives through the grounds. The old aqueduct is to be demolished and the rock of its abutments will be trucked to Fort Brown to build a retaining wall to stop erosion.

1936 – The Paulding Putnam Electric Co-operative was organized May 15 at a joint meeting of the electrification committees of the two counties at the Farm Bureau office in Paulding. F.B. Wortman, Howard R. Mosier, Tom Forder and Guy Bidlack were selected as incorporators from Paulding County.

1938 – This week the work of tearing down the old aqueduct a half mile south of Melrose was commenced. This was the point where the Miami & Erie Canal went over the Little Auglaize River.

1939 – In accordance with state law, all county offices in the courthouse will be closed Saturday afternoons, starting May 1 at 12 noon.

1939 – New post office buildings are open to the public in Oakwood and Paulding. About 1,500 visitors inspected the Paulding Post Office during an open house.

1939 – The construction contractor for the Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative Inc. is constructing distribution lines in Allen County, Ind. This cooperative has the distinction of being the first in the U.S. to cross a state line with their power.

1940 – Paulding County Memorial Hospital was dedicated, appropriately on National Hospital Day, May 12. The hospital opened in 1938 with beds for eight patients. More room and adequate equipment was needed so a new addition has been built, and by donations made by physicians, organizations and individuals, is now well equipped.

1942 – Albert M. Crosby, Paulding County’s last Civil War veteran, who would have been 94 years old May 19, died at his home one mile east of Broughton. In spring 1864, Mr. Crosby enlisted at age 16 in the Union Army and served in Company H, 132nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil War. An enthusiastic hunter, Mr. Crosby was credited with bagging more than 200 deer in the county and with killing the last black bear that roamed the county.

1943 – The Memorial Day observance will include the dedication of the new Paulding County Honor Roll on the west side of the square. The board will honor the brave and courageous boys and girls of our county serving in the armed forces on the battlefields of the world.

1945 – M.G. Stoller was surprised while driving along on U.S. 127 about two miles south of town. A large doe deer suddenly appeared, coming across country headed in an easterly direction then turned and went back west into the Floyd Cook timberland. Its presence was something of a novelty for this part of the country.

1950 – The Auglaize-Brown Local School District is created from all the territories of Brown Local School District and Auglaize Local District, effective July 1.

1963 – The New York, Chicago and St. Louis “Nickel Plate” Railroad will discontinue its two passenger trains that stop at Oakwood. This will be the first time there hasn’t been a passenger stop in Oakwood. Also, there will be no more express picked up or received at the depot after June 1. 

1964 – One of the most spectacular train wrecks in years on the Nickel Plate Railroad occurred when 61 cars and four diesel engines of a 107-car freight train derailed after hitting a semi trailer outfit on the grade crossing in Melrose. The truck driver was critically injured and later died. The crash piled up freight cars like cord wood and tore up nearly one-third mile of track. Railroad officials estimate damage will exceed $1.5 million.

1971 – The Paulding County School Board met in special session regarding district reorganization. The board, by a 3-2 vote, transferred all of the territory of the Blue Creek Local Schools and Grover Hill Local Schools to the adjoining Payne Local School District. The board unanimously approved a second resolution to transfer all of the territory of Auglaize-Brown Local Schools to the adjoining Paulding Exempted Village School District.

1997 – Paulding Mayor Vera Miles invites the public to attend the official streetlighting ceremonies on the courthouses square. The 28 historic-type lights have been installed as part of a downtown revitalization grant project.