Betsy Ross, the Cannon

Betsy Ross, known locally as the cannon in Waterworks Park, formerly Perry Park, is relic of Perry’s victory over the British in 1813. Betsy is a carronade cannon that was found on the shore of Put-In-Bay, originally called Ross Island.

The cannon is referred to in Sketches and Stories of the Lake Erie Islands by Lydia Ryall. The cannon bears the initials H.M.N. (His/Her Majesty’s Navy). The initials B.C. are found on the cannon indicating that the cannon was made by Birmingham Cannon making it a British cannon.

The cannon was purchased by Port Clinton Mayor Henry J. Rohrs prior to 1904. Mayor Rohrs left the area in early 1905.

Initially the cannon was mounted on large carriage wheels which were not historically accurate. This cannon was normally mounted on the upper deck rather than below decks. Eventually the Matthews Boat Plant created a new appropriate mounting.

The Port Clinton Progressive Times of February 1930 contains a very informative article about the cannon.

The Ottawa County Courthouse

The Ida Rupp Public Library is pleased to re-introduce the local history blog. This month’s feature is the Ottawa County Courthouse.

The structure is typical Richard Romanesque style. Its construction is of North Amherst, Ohio sandstone and pink Tennessee marble. The foundation is made from local Marblehead limestone.

The Courthouse was started in 1898 and completed in 1901. The contracted construction price was to be $47,500. Additions and changes brought the final cost to $60,000. The addition of steam heat and furnishings brought the total to $65,500.

A ¼ mill tax levy generated property taxes sufficient to produce a tablet that lists the name of every soldier and sailor who served in the American Civil War.

A lesser known but intriguing fact is that during construction a five-ton stone fell when a cable broke knocking Conrad Balduf to the ground. Fortunately, Balduf was not seriously injured. The construction company presented “Coonie” with a jersey cow as he has just lost a milk cow before this incident.

In 1974, the Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historical Places.

For further reading, please refer to:

          Henry House, Historical Collection of Ohio. Centennial Edition,

          1902, 2 vol.

          The Heritage of Port Clinton, Ohio, A Collection of Writings by Port Clinton                               Historians, edited by Barbara Bailey. 

Mysterious Green Island?

Does Green Island hold a long lost secret?  A forgotten lighthouse lost in obscurity, overgrown with vegetation and now a state owned bird sanctuary.  In the 1820’s the island was known as Strontium Island because of the crystallized Celestine or Strontium discovered in the cliffs along the eastern side of the island, by Major James Delafield.   Delafield was an agent of the International Boundary Commission as established by the Treaty of Ghent.  In 1851 the U.S. Government purchased the island from Alfred Pierpont Edwards.  A frame lighthouse was completed by November of 1855.  The light was destroyed in a New Year’s Eve fire in 1863.  The lighthouse keeper Colonel Charles F. Drake and his family were the only residents of the island escaped with barely their lives; a storm of freezing rain ravaged the island the very night of the fire. The family dragged a feather bed into the privy and huddled beneath it  until a rescue party reached them. Rescuers moved the family to Put-in –Bay where they gradually recovered from their ordeal.  Colonel Drake’s hands and face were severely burned in the attempt to save his family.  In Harry Ross’s book Enchanting Islands of Lake Erie, he writes about the islands role in the Manhattan project.  Many local residents disregard the premise.  In 1990 Green Island was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park service.

Part two will be featured next month

GERMAN & ITALIAN P.O.W.s @ CAMP PERRY

 

          While working on our local Bataan collection; and, in my involvement with the Ottawa County Historical Society’s oral history project, it became quite clear that we needed more information in one central location regarding the German and Italian prisoners housed at Camp Perry.

 

          Donna Bovia, our late local author, created a legacy in print to those passed through the gates of Camp Perry. There are also newspaper articles from the Port Clinton Herald and Republican from October 1943 when the POWs first arrived until they departed in December 1945. These articles have been very useful in my research. The Italian prisoners were the first to arrive and they were settled into their five-man huts. The prisoners had their own mess hall where the meals were prepared by their own cooks. Prisoners also had their bakers, laundry and cobblers for shoe repair.

 

          German prisoners began arriving in June 1944. In July 1944 a larger group arrived after their capture in Normandy, France. All prisoners were put to work as farm laborers, if physically able (unwounded). Local farmers and fruit growers who were within a 50 mile radius of Camp Perry were provided with laborers. The prisoners were paid $.80 per day plus a basic allotment of $.10 per day. The local farmers, growers and others who were provided with the laborers paid the U.S. Government a fee of $2.00 per day for each worker. Anna writes that “in 1945 $2,000,000 was paid to the U.S. Treasury” from the German and Italian P.O.W.s working in the fields and at side camps.

 

          The prisoners also tended a 5 acres vegetable garden at the Camp which resulted in a $5,000 savings to the amount that was necessary to feed the prisoners. Over 1,000 bushels of potatoes alone was produced from the garden.

 

          The oral History Committee has collected a number of stories about this time period at Camp Perry. We are also interested in adding to these stories. If you are interested in contributing to our local history, please contact Connie Cedoz at the Ida Rupp Public Library, (419) 732-3212.

 

 

 

Sources

 

          Bovia, Anna L. and Maj. Gary L. Wirzylo. Camp Perry 1906 – 1991. The Hubbard Company, Defiance, Ohio. 1992.

 

          Ottawa County News. July 13, 1945.

Ottawa County Courthouse

The Ottawa County Courthouse is a picturesque building. I have answered many questions regarding the style, cost, etc. Here is a concise description of what I have discovered. The source of the following information is primarily newspaper articles.

            The structure is in the Richardson Romanesque style, constructed of North Amherst, Ohio sandstone and Pink Tennessee marble. Construction started in 1898 and was completed in 1901. The contract price for the Courthouse was $47,500; additions and changes brought the price to $60,000. This did not include the steam heat, furniture and other fittings. The total cost was $65,500. The cost of decorating the 3^rd floor Common Pleas courtroom exceeded $1,000.

            The tablet that records the name, company and regiment of every soldier and sailor from Ottawa County who served in the Civil War was paid for by the funds generated from a ¼ mill property tax levy which was approved by the voters.

            During construction a five ton stone was to be transferred from the south face to the north face. While the stone was being moved, a cable on the derrick parted and the stone & derrick fell. It fell on Conrad Balduf knocking him to the ground. Miraculously, Balduf was not seriously injured. The construction firm presented him with jersey cow. “Coonie” had just lost a milk cow shortly before the incident.

            In 1974, the Ottawa County Courthouse was added to the national Register of Historical Places.

          Etienne Brule was often treated as though he were a mythical character. The facts are these: there were no letters or diaries left behind by Brule to give us his account of life as one who literally became a native with the Hurons.

 

          Brule fully integrated himself, learning the language and the customs. It was in 1610 that Samuel de Champlain the exchange with the natives. Young Brule was 16 years old and he was one of eight who managed to survive the winter of 1608 and 1609 with Champlain in Quebec.

 

          Brule was aid to be strong and adventurous; often called “first runner of the woods.” When he did return to Quebec, he was said to be unrecognizable. The Frenchman was accepted as a native of the Metis Nation. He had an impact on Canadian history. It is accepted as local history that Etienne and his fellow travelers landed at the Toussaint Creek of the Portage River on November 1, 1615, All Saints Day. This tributary of the Portage River was named for the date of his discovery. Toussaint means All Saints.

 

          Here he trapped muskrat and beaver for the fur trade with the natives. In 1629, Brule was killed by the Hurons for a betrayal that he committed. He was stabbed, dismembered and his remains were consumed by the villagers, as was their custom.

 

          Brule was born in 1592 in Champigny-sur-Marne, France. He died a Toanche, on the Pentanguishene Peninsula, Ontario, Canada.

 

 

Port Clinton Millstones

 

 

          There are two huge millstones located in the Adams Street Boulevard that have a local significance. The first stone is located across from St. John’s Lutheran Church, just south of Second Street.

 

          The stone was forced ashore at the South end of Fulton Street from Sandusky Bay. The stone, measuring 2’ x 3’ and weighing approximately 3800 lbs, was forced ashore about 1920 during a winter ice storm. Ice formed in the Bay and the stone was forced ashore by the current of the Bay. It came ashore on the farm of Henry Rohde and had been turned upside down. The stone has three bowl shaped indentations; one measuring about nine inches in diameter and the other two slightly smaller.

 

          The existence of this stone was first brought to the attention of Port Clinton by Emil Heiser. Mr. Heiser had been a resident of the Bay area for many years and thought that the stone was significant. The City of Port Clinton decided to move the stone to the Adams Street Boulevard (1,000 feet south of the Harrison Trail) near St. John’s Church. Washington’s Birthday 1933 was chosen as the date for the move.

 

          The second stone was moved to its location just south of Perry Street across from the former Garden at the Lighthouse. The stone was moved to this location from the property of Col. S. M. Lockwood.  Lockwood was instrumental in developing the gypsum industry in this area. The stone, appears to be of similar size to the Indian Millstone, was used in the milling operations by the gypsum industry; milling stone into plaster for use in drywall.

 

 

Sources:

 

          Millstone is placed in park on Washington’s Birthday. ---------, Port Clinton, Ohio, February 24, 1933.

 

          Gordon, William & Mary. A Historical Walking Tour of Downtown Port Clinton. 2004

 

Nabagon

            Legends and lore are a very significant part of any culture, especially those cultures with a history involving Native Americans. The legend of the Nabagon is one of those poignant stories worth telling.

            Legend tells us that Nabagon was a brave, young Ottawa Indian warrior who prized courage and valor; and was loved and respected by his tribe. Nabagon’s adventures were known by all those who knew him and his prowess was never in doubt.

            The young brave had an encounter with a panther that proved to be his demise. Nabagon saved a youngster from an attack by the panther. Nabagon was grievously wounded with deep cuts across his chest and back from the panther’s claws. Nabagon became feverish from the infection in his wounds. Nabagon died a few days after the attack from the infections.

            After the attack, the tribal chief asked the tribe prophet to pray to the Great Spirit to save Nabagon’s life. The following is the final part of the Nabagon legend: after the panther attack, the young brave helped Nabagon to his feet. Nabagon went to remove his tomahawk from the panther and it took all of his strength to remove the tomahawk. The legend states that it was the Great Spirit in the form of the panther trying to call Nabagon to the Great Spirit. For it is also stated that the body of the panther was never found and thus it was never killed.

            Days after the death of Nabagon a cliff (outcropping) of limestone took on the appearance of Nabagon; just as though he had posed for the carving. The tribe looked on his visage and knew that forever more he would stand as The Watcher to keep his tribe safe and those who would come after him.

Sources:

Holt, Pamela. The Legend of the Indian Head. Catawba Island Magazine, October 6, 2009.

Heinsen, Victoria King. Ghosts and Legends of Lake Erie's North Coast (OH) (Haunted America). August 2010.

Did you know? John Brown, Jr.; Put-In-Bay resident

John Brown, Jr. was the oldest child of the abolitionist John Brown and his first wife Diantha Lusk.

Mr. Brown served with the Kansas 7^th Cavalry as a Captain of Company K. In 1862 John Brown, Jr. moved to Put-in-Bay where he lived the remainder of his life. Mr. Brown died May 5, 1895 and he was buried on the Island with the full rites and ritual of the Science Lodge F & AM.  The 1880 census lists Brown as grape grower and lived with his wife, Wealthy, and children John and Edith. Edith later married Thomas Alexander, an actor and mayor of Put-in-Bay for many years.

At Brown’s funeral services many individuals offered glowing eulogies for Mr. Brown. Judge E. M. Colver gave the eulogy. Judge Colver paid a glowing tribute to Mr. Brown, stating “his name was connected with the greatest pages of America’s history.” The judge continued, “He was a disciple of truth and his life exemplified that great truism, ‘an honest man is the noblest work of God’ ”

Sanduskian James M. French paid tribute to John Brown, Jr. on behalf of the people of color of Ohio. He spoke of the sacrificial spirit of the Brown family. “The lesson to be carried away is that we should have a renewed inspiration for progress and advancement in our civil and educational lives, to show our appreciation for what was done in our behalf.”

During the Civil War, Brown warned the Union troops on Johnson’s Island of the impending raid to free Confederate officers imprisoned there. Later, he organized a militia company to assist in the defense of the island. He filled his home with memorabilia of Kansas and his father and defended John, Sr.’s, character against all public criticism. It has been written that Brown, Jr. was aware of his father’s plan to conduct the raid at Harper’s Ferry. Brown, Jr. was instructed by his father to move “tools” for the raid to a secret location. In 1858, the “tools” were to Conneaut, Ohio and from there to Cherry Valle Village. The Senior Brown also instructed Brown, Jr. to recruit “likeminded” individuals from Pennsylvania in the areas of Gettysburg, Bedford, Chambersburg and Uniontown.

Brown also had a brother, Owen, who also participated in the assault on Harper’s Ferry. Owen escaped to Put-in-Bay where he remained for twenty years. Owen lived in a small cabin on his brother’s land; he spent the winter months on nearby Gibraltar Island serving as the caretaker of Jay Cooke’s summer home.

According to Roger Long, late of Port Clinton and a noted Civil War historian, the people of Put-in-Bay often noticed Owen carrying a basket with a checkered napkin as a cover. Most thought Owen was carrying his lunch while working for Jay Cooke. In reality, Owen was carrying a firearm to protect himself, if necessary.

The papers of John Brown, Jr., including many letters, are found at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center. The Genealogical Project of the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society features a page on its website dedicated to the Brown Family.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_Junior. Retrieved Aug 19, 2012

http://www.rbhayes.org/hayes/mssfind/286/brownjohnjrwebpage++.htm. Retrieved Aug 19, 2012.

Sketches and Stories of the Lake Erie Islands. Ryall, Lydia J., The American Publishers Co., 1913.

How was Catawba Island named??

               Catawba Island …Everyone comes in to the Ida Rupp Public Library with the same information …Catawba Island was named for the Catawba Indian tribe. 

               Catawba Island was actually named after the Catawba grape.   Yes, a grape, a red grape with a crisp flesh, very sweet and juicy, that produces a pinkish wine.  This particular variety dates back to the early 1800’s when they were found growing along the Catawba River in North Carolina.  It was this river that was named for the Native American tribe that settled along its banks.  They were known as Kawahcatawbas, people of the river, I think this is where the tradition begins about our local island. Nicholas Longworth, of Cincinnati, introduced the first Catawba vines here from North Carolina.  Mr. Longworth had tried this grape growing venture in Cincinnati.  Catawba Island has a wonderful agricultural history with grapes and peaches in abundance.  The limestone bedrock and underground caves and caverns provide the area with a wonderful natural drainage system and the surrounding lake shore gives a natural temperate climate.  Lake Erie being so shallow keeps wide spread frost from being an issue or major concern for present day growers

               Early in its history, Catawba had three commercial wineries.  In 1863, Benedict Furrer emigrated from Switzerland and planted a vineyard near Catawba Point and built his home on the southeast corner of Porter Road and Northwest Catawba Road; his winery lasted until 1905.  Gidion Owen came from New York State in 1865; his vineyard was also near Catawba Point.  He later converted his winery into a successful peach brandy distillery.  The third winery was located on Wine Cellar Road.  The Catawba Island Wine Co. was truly a cooperative effort between Catawba and Danbury grape growers but they were out of business by the 1870’s.  The Mon Ami Winery was built in 1871, and has had many owners.

               By 1871 there were 345 acres of vineyards on Catawba Island and by 1874 six of those acres were producing Catawba grapes. The Catawba grape has been used by many different wineries in Ottawa & Erie Counties and by other vintners in other locales. Some of the local wineries are Mon Ami, Lonz, and Heineman. The Heineman Winery is located on Put-in-Bay and was founded in 1888. Except for the duration of Prohibition, Heineman has been producing wines from locally grown grapes. The Mon Ami winery was originally founded as the Catawba Island Wine company and was changed to Mon Ami in 1872. It is the largest winery on the Catawba Island Peninsula with an annual capacity of 130,000 gallons.

Sources:

http://www.monamiwinery.com/

http://heinemanswinery.com/history.cfm

Lake Erie Islands, Grapes Have Long Been Associated. Port Clinton News Herald, 9/17/1970.

Changing Times Down Island Veteran; Old Distillery at Catawba Served in Many Capacities. Toledo Blade, 9/24/1958.

“The Lookout”

          As the Ida Rupp Public Library prepares to host the exhibit  Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War, my thoughts turn to the Confederate Cemetery on Johnson’s Island. The statue designed by Sir Moses Ezekiel, “The Lookout” a bronze representation of the Confederate Soldiers who were imprisoned on the Island, guards the graves of 206 soldiers who perished there.

          The statue, which looks to the South, was dedicated in 1910. It is interesting to note that a former prisoner, General George Washington Gordon, gave the keynote address. The Daughters of the Confederacy, Cincinnati, Ohio chapter erected the statue. “The Lookout” remains a stoic reminder that 10,000 to 15,000 men were held prisoner on the Island, far from their homes.

          Moses Ezekiel, the statue’s creator died in 1917 in Italy and his body was returned to the United States in 1921. Ezekiel is buried in Arlington Cemetery at the foot of the Confederate monument that he designed. Ezekiel was a Sergeant in Company C, Battalion of Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute.

          In the short space of this blog, we cannot do adequate justice to the Johnson’s Island site; but Johnson’s Island has been written about in many books and magazine articles.

Sources  

“Rebels on Lake Erie,” by Charles Frohman

“The Civil War Reminiscences of General M. Jeff Thompson”

“Ohio’s Military Prisons in the Civil War,” by Phillip R. Shriver

The late Roger Long’s enumeration of the graves made available through the www.rbhayes.org website has been invaluable.

Portage River

          One of the most asked questions regarding local history relates to the course of the Portage River. The answer is not complicated nor is it lengthy.

          The Portage River flowed from the west to the area of Port Clinton in somewhat the same course as the River flows today. The River flowed along what is the shoreline and marsh area of Perry Street. The leeward bank of the River was formed by sand bars in Lake Erie. The River flowed through the lower areas north of the current State Route 163 and eventually emptied into West Harbor and East Harbor.

          As Lake Erie began to assume its present level and form, the gradient of the old river decreased thus forcing the Portage to seek a higher level upstream. Gradually, the mouth of the River was established at Port Clinton.

          This event was not a recent development. Geographically this drainage and re-channeling was a result of the Wisconsin Glacier that passed through this area during the last Ice Age, approximately 14,000 years ago.

Sources

Prescott, Henry W. Legends of Catawba, 1922.

Ryall, Lydia. Lake Erie Islands, 1913.

Finkbeiner, Pettis & Strout, Limited. Ottawa County Planning Program; Comprehensive Regional Development Plan, vol. 2. 1970 – 1995.

Bataan Memorial Collection

Honoring the Men of Company C

By Connie L. Cedoz

          Seventy years ago American & Filipino troops fighting the Japanese on the Bataan Peninsula surrendered to the Japanese Army. The Japanese had no method for housing as many prisoners as they had in their custody. The Japanese then subjected the prisoners to a forced march to the Northern end of the Bataan Peninsula. That march from Mariveles to San Fernando has become known as the Bataan Death March. It would have been a severe trial for any healthy man; the American & Filipino prisoners were severely dehydrated, malnourished and demoralized. The condition of the prisoners set the stage for what was to become extreme cruelty and brutality.

          Included in the complement of prisoners was a contingent of National Guard troops from Port Clinton. The 42 men of Company C, 192^nd Tank Battalion, Camp Perry, Port Clinton, Ohio left for training at Fort Knox, Ky, November 29, 1940. By  November 20, 1941, the men of Co. C had arrived at Fort Stotsenburg in the Philippines.

          On December 8, 1941, Clark Field was bombed by the Japanese who later invaded the islands and marched southward towards Manila. On December 22, the unit was engaged in ground combat with the Japanese who had landed at Lingayen Gulf.

          Of the 42 men who left Port Clinton in 1940, 32 were still with the unit as they fell back to assume new defensive positions on the Bataan Peninsula. On April 9, 1942, the Bataan Peninsula fell to the Japanese Army and began one of the most grueling survival stories in WWII. Of the thirty two Port Clinton men captured; only 10 survived the Death March and the next 3 ½ years in captivity as POWs. These 10 men eventually returned to Port Clinton after being treated for malnutrition and various tropical diseases.

          The Ida Rupp Public Library has had a separate Bataan Memorial Collection for many years. The library has received many donations for the collection since the core books were donated by Philip J. Heineman. The most recent donations were artist prints received from Donald C. Caldwell, for which we are very grateful.  These prints are the work of Ben Steele, a Bataan survivor whose experiences are related in Tears in the darkness: the story of the Bataan Death March and its aftermath by Michael and Elizabeth M. Norman.      
       We continue to purchase new materials to further honor the men of Company C. We have digitized some of the photographs in the collection for online research in the Ohio Memory project.

          The large framed photograph of the men of Company C located in the library was taken by Willis G. Misch the night before the Tank Corps left Port Clinton in November 1940 for a year of additional training before being sent to the Philippines. Three of the thirty-two men from the Company not shown in this picture were officers: Arthur Burholdt, Harold Collins and Robert Sorensen.

The survivors of the War who returned to Port Clinton:

1.    Harold Beggs

2.    Charles Boeshart

3.    Charles Chafin

4.    Wade Chio

5.    Joseph Hrupcho, the final Bataan survivor to pass away

6.    Virgil Janes

7.    Silas L. LeGrow

8.    John Minier

9.    John Short

10.  Kenneth Thompson

“Lest We Never Forget”

Sources:

          Articles, Books from our Collection

Fort Sandoski & the de Lery Portage

I am often asked about the pyramid shaped monument at the North end of Fulton Street made of “Boulders.”

My response is that there is a twin monument at the South end of Fulton Street. Usually the questioner is unaware of this fact.

The Marker at the South end of Fulton Street marks the location of the original Fort Sandoski. Built in 1745, Sandoski was the first fort built in Ohio. Sandoski was used by the French, the English, and the Ohio  tribes for trading and protection.

The marker at the North end of Fulton Street marks the terminus of the Sandoski area. The northern monument is located near Lake Erie and was used as the portage for the local traders, trappers and other woodsmen. This location is also the location from which General William Henry Harrison departed on his campaign to defeat the British in Canada. The importance of the Fort is also detailed by the fact that Harrison garrisoned his horses when he departed via ship for Canada.  There is some discussion about the exact location of the brush fence being much closer to Danbury, not likely, say others.

The major source for the history of this area is the journals of explorer Joseph Gaspard de Lery,   who found the remains of Fort Sandoski. Another important source for the history of this area is Old Fort Sandusky and the De Lery Portage by Lucy Elliot Kessler.

Betsy "Mojohn"

Visitors often ask about the cabin on the grounds of Mon Ami Restaurant. This cabin was the home of Betsy "Mojohn", one of the last of the Ottawa Indians. Her name reported came out the local expression for corn liquor, "John" and her desire for "more". What we do know is that "Betsy", Mary Elizabeth, married Henry Luckert on May 1, 1852 with Justice of the Peace, H.J. Miller officiating. It was known that Luckert spoke only German and we assume that Betsy did not. We also know that he did build her a 6 room, story and one half black walnut cabin. They did not remain married for long, reportedly her fondness for alcohol contributed to her temper. Betsy later married L.C. Bonnet, a tavern owner and they moved to Bogart's Corners near Sandusky. Betsy died at an advanced age in 1909 and is buried in the Bloomville Cemetery. Sources for this blog were Last of the Ottawa Indians,  Port Clinton Daily News, 7/5/1928, and A Little Log House On Catawba Island Reeks Indian Romance, The Progressive Times, 8/6/1928.