Wednesday, September 30, 2015

William Durbin Tells of the Building of Miami& Erie Canal





Bad Creek Canal Culvert, Texas, Ohio (State Route 424 Henry County, Ohio)
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    I was born in Carrol County, Maryland Sept. 22, 1814. In 1837 I sought a new home in the wilds of the Northwest, and in the spring of that year I found myself 15 miles west of Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, then nothing more than a wilderness. During this time a brother of mine, James Durbin, became quite an extensive contractor in excavating the Miami & Erie canal, then in the course of construction. In the spring of "39".  I left Michigan for the purpose of joining him in the labor, but I landed at Sandusky and found employment on the old Mad River Railroad, then running up through Bellevue, where I remained the whole summer, and did not reach the Maumee River, where Texas, Ohio now is, until November of the same year "39". My brother had contracted for four miles of the work-section 49,53.56 and 57. Section 49 commenced with, the lock at the head of the slack water. Section 53 commenced a short distance above Texas, and extended three quarter of a mile below, including the culverting of the Bad Creek. Section 56 and 57 commenced three miles further up. The ground excavated from the high bluff at Texas, Ohio and above, was carried in wagons to from the heel and tow path through the low ground below. No scrapper were used, nothing but shovels, wheelbarrows and wagons when necessary to convey the dirt any distance. In the year 1839 the canal was finished up from Toledo to the slack water at Providence, Ohio, and the water let in. This proved a great help to the transportation of stone for the building of the locks and culverts required in my brother's contracts. He built three locks and four culverts. The stone in these were quarried in the Maumee River at Providence, Ohio for the first four feet of the wall, which was supposed would be always covered by water, but the river stone was not thought durable enough to stand exposure, so the bulk of the stone for the work was brought up the canal from Marblehead. I was a mason by trade, and built most of the stone work on the locks and culverts at Texas, Ohio. 
    If I remember right, there were about 300 men working on the section at Texas, though I think there were more on other sections. The men were mostly Irish, and the contractors kept large supplies of whisky on hand in compliance with the demand for that drink. Whisky was drunk in as great quantities as water would be now. Morning and evening the stuff was doled out to them, beside "jigger" boys passed around to each during the day, carrying a pail of whiskey with a tin cup attached. My brother was quite strict in adhering to the rules of drink he had laid down, and the results was few rows or drunks while in the camp.


                                                                                  William Durban

1910 Postcard The Point and Second Street Bridge Defiance Ohio







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                                                          A Narrow Escape
    When the Second Street Bridge was taken away, Andrew Sauer was crossing from East Defiance and E. Hoover was going home to East Defiance. Both heard the premonitory signs of a crash and both ran for dear life. Each reached shore, one going east, the other going west,just as the bridge fell. A minute later would have hurled them both into the grinding mass of ice below.


                              Defiance Democrat     2-17-1881

Happy Humpty (Wayne Street, Defiance, Ohio)

Derrow Motor Sale (Clinton Street, Defiance Ohio) H.R. (Shorty) Deerrow

2nd Postcard Westwood Motel Defiance Ohio

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Monday, September 28, 2015

1910 Pioneer, Williams County Ohio

Perry Street Napoleon Ohio 1908

Canal Map

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Farmer, High School 1910 Farmer Center Defiance County Ohio

Looking East, down Vine Street, Sherwood Ohio

Miller Shoe Store Sherwood Ohio 1910

Lipe Elevation Sherwood Ohio

Train Station Sherwood Ohio

Crystal Fountain Park Sherwood Ohio

Entrance to Crystal Fountain Park

Downtown Sherwood Ohio (1881)

Stone Hotel Sherwood Ohio

Friday, September 25, 2015

Bark Cabin and Home Coohcooche and Spencer, Pontiac Park, Defiance Ohio







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    To those who have never seen the dwelling of Indian priestess, A description of the bark cabin of Coohcoocheeh be worth telling. Covering an area of 14 by 28 feet, its frame was constructed of small poles, of which some, some planted upright in the ground, served as post or suds, supporting the ridge poles and eve poles. While others firmly tied to these by thongs of hickory bark formed girders, braces, laths and rafters. This frame was covered with large pieces of elm 7 or 8 feet long and 3 feet or 4ft wide; which being pressed flat and well dried to prevent their curling fastened to the poles by thongs of bark, formed the weather board of the cabin. At its western end was a narrow doorway about 6ft. high, closed when necessary by a single piece of bark placed beside it, and fastened by a brace, set either within or on the outside as occasion required. Within separated by a bark partition were two apartments, of which the inner one, seldom enter but by Coohcoocheeh, was occupied as a pantry, a spare bed room and at times as a sanctuary, where she performed her incantations; her other, having on each side a low frame covered with bark and over spread with deer skins serving both for seats and bed stead was in common used by the family, both as a lodging, sitting, cooking and eating room. On the ground in the center of the apartment was placed the fire; and over it, suspended from the ridge pole in the middle of the apartment an opening left for the passage of the smoke, a wooden trammel for the convenience of cooking. The site of this cabin was truly pleasant. It stood a few rods from the northern bank of the Maumee river with it side fronting the river,
    Both banks of the Maumee above the Auglaize were steep and high; that on which Coohcoocheeh cabin stood was covered with willows, while the opposite bank down to the point, being swept by the current, here slightly curving northward with the waters of it tributary stream was entirely bare.

Where the two canals join together. Miami & Erie and Wabash. Junction, Paulding Co. Ohio

Miami – Erie and Wabash – Erie Canals Marker Photo, Click for full size

Evansport Mill. Evansport, Defiance County Ohio

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