Old Notice Of Sale Of Defiance Defiance Democrat 9 June 1905

    Judge S.T. Sutphen received from a cousin, Mrs. John Outcalf, a newspaper clipping that has some historical significance inasmuch as it relates to the original sales of the city of Defiance.
    The article was taken from the Ohio State Journal, of Columbus, which is undoubtedly the oldest published paper in the state, being founded in 1811. It is a reprint from their edition of February 27, 1823.

    It will be noticed that it is a legal notice. The sale of the lands mentioned of about 40 acres, or only a very small fraction of what now constitutes the city of Defiance. The present acreage of Defiance is in the neighborhood of 3,200 (1905) acres. The lands offered for sale were bounded on the north and east by the Maumee and Auglaize rivers, on the west by Jackson street and on the south by Fourth street. It is another noticeable fact, that a house is now located on every one of those lots, with the exception of one, and that is located just across from the fort grounds (1905). In the sale notice, special mention is made of the wide streets that have been provided for, showing that the original proprietors and platters of the land had in mind at the very beginning of the foundation of Defiance, in making it particularly noted for its wide thoroughfares, and this has been carried out. The main street, Clinton, being one the widest streets, especially of any the size of Defiance.
                              The notice as it originally appeared is as followed.




                                                              " Town Of Defiance"
                                     
                             "The lots in the above town will be offered at public sale on the premises
                          on Monday, the 1st day of May, next. The terms of the sale will, be one-fourth
                          in hand, the balance in three equal payments of 6, 12 and 18 months
                              "Defiance, is laid out at the junction of the Auglaize an Maumee rivers.The
                         streets are wide with alleys for the convenience of the lots, which are of handsome
                         size; the proprietors have also laid off lots for religious societies and schools. The
                         superior advantage for navigation, being only 50 miles by water to Lake Erie; the
                         beauty and healthfulness of the situation, being in the center of a fertils country offers
                         advantages to the enterprising and industrious, beyond any situation in the western
                         country.

                                                          "H.G. Phillips
                                                           "Benjamin Leavell
                                                                            "Proprietors."