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T. 3, N. R. 14 E.
THIS township was organized on the 5th day of June, 1832. The first election took place April 1st, 1833, when
the following persons were elected as township officers, viz
Trustees-John Rosenberger, Evan W. Brook, Jacob Kaine.
Clerk-John Craun.
Constables-Eben Conway and Nicholas Rumbaugh.
Supervisors-Adam Fleck, Isaac Hartsock, James Hudson, Levi Crissey and Joseph S. Conway.
In 1840 the population was 1,084; in 1870 it was 1,668 and in 1880 it is 2,159.
An area of nearly a mile wide and three miles long, in the northeastern part of the township, is one of those stoney
ridges that are found very frequently throughout the northwestern portion of Ohio. In some places the limestone
rocks cover the ground almost entirely. In other localities, near the ridge, they are strewn less thickly and the
land is cultivated. The township generally is free from stone, which makes this spot rather remarkable from a geological
standpoint. It is otherwise level but very fertile and undulating in some localities. Largecrops are raised here
annually. The western branch of Wolf creek passes in a northeasterly direction through Liberty, driving several
saw mills. The supply of water is sufficient to run three mills six months in each year.
A town by the name of Middleburgh was surveyed by D. Risdon, on the 8th of September, 1832, and on section nine.
The land was formerly owned by Jacob Kessler. The town never flourished.
On the 12th of April, 1838, John Betts, a very enterprising citizen, laid out a town on section three, and called
it Bettsville; David Risdon was the surveyor. It is situate near the west branch of Wolf creek and has now over
one hundred dwellings, two churches, one saw mill and sash and blind factory and several stores and shops. The
large brick steam fiouring mill is doing a good business. Since the location of the Toledo, Tiffin & Eastern
railroad the business of the town has improved very materially and is constantly on the increase. Fine brick residences
have been erected and the town has assumed a very businesslike appearance, and the warehouse of Flumerfelt &
Titus has greatly added to its trade.
Abraham Ash, guardian of Jacob Ash, on the 9th day of March, 1855, laid out the town of Kansas, near the northwest
corner of the township. It is on the line of the Lake Erie & Louisville railroad. It is fourteen miles from
Tiffin and thirteen miles from Fremont. The town has one dry goods store and a store of general variety, one grocery
and provision store, one cooper shop, one blacksmith shop, one wagon shop, one stove factory, one steam saw mill
and one steam grist mill. There are about fifty dwellings, occupied by over two hundred inhabitants.
The soil of the township, is rich and very productive.
James Grimes, Jacob Null, Daniel Lynch, the Brickners, Gassrnan, Lendelbachs, Smiths, Zimmer, Jacob Zeis, the Robertsons,
Johp Michaels, Joseph Cessna, David Brown, Reuben Lott, John Powell, John Baughman, George Feasel, Orrin Betts,
Barney Zimmerman and others are among the earliest and most prosperous farmers. Daniel Reinbolt settled here in
1828.
On Saturday morning, the 7th day of August, 1880, a fire broke out in the back end of A. W. Day's building, and
destroyed nine rooms in Bettsville, and other property, estimated over $11,000. Mr. Betts, Schubert, John Cook,
C. Norton, Joe Massony, George Schuster and John Perong were the principal sufferers.
MRS. RACHAEL K. TURNER.
This lady is one of the veteran pioneers of the county, spending the evening of her long, eventful life in the
shades of Liberty township.
She was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, on the 4th of July, 1797. In 1817 she came to Perry county, Ohio,
where she remained one year with friends and in the following year she went to Fairfield county, where, in January,
1818, she was married to Benjamin Turner. In 1829 they. removed to this county and located one mile west of Sandusky
street, in Tiffin.
McNeal's store and Smith's tavern were then the principal buildings in town. Their neighbors were the Ogles, Creegers,
Cadwalladers. Millers, Jennings, Gordons, Arbogasts, Adeispergers and Graffs. She was well acquainted with Mr McNeal
and Mr. Crissey, and knew Joseph Jenay, the colored cabinet maker. Crissey was the blacksmith. In the summer of
1830, when the Senecas prepared for their departure to the west, they came to Fort Ball, where they camped out
some two or three weeks and made sale of their ponies and other personal property. General Brish and Mr. Hart went
with them to the west.
Mrs. Turner also recollects the excitement occasioned by the accidental drowning of Robert Burns and Batholomew
Kinney, who attempted to cross the river to the Tiffin side for the purpose of buying a yoke of cattle.
In the year 1834 the Turner family removed to the northeast corner of Liberty township, where she still resides.
She says:
When we came to Fort Ball, we bought 19 acres from Smith, the tavern keeper. We paid him $94 in cash and the other
$6 he was to take in game, paying 60 cents for a hind quarter of deer.
To Mr. C. W. Harris my thanks are due for this statement.
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