No fatal and malignant epidemic, except the Cholera, has ever scourged this section of country. Genuine Phthisis Pulmonalis, or Consumption, is of rare occurrence; and, since the forests have been cleared; since they have been turned into cultivated fields, Seneca has justly ranked as a healthy county.

On the 17th day of January, 1834, the county commissioners issued notice to receive proposals for erecting a court-house to be built in Tiffin. On the 13th of February, of the same year, the commissioners, after deliberating upon the proposals submitted, finally agreed and entered into a written contract with John Baugher, to build the same, for the sum of nine thousand, five hundred dollars.

It was finished in the fall of 1836, and on the night of the 21st of May, 1841, all, except its walls, were burned to the ground. A large amount of papers, books, &c., belonging to private individuals and of considerable value were consumed, but none of any worth belonging to the county were destroyed, except a few in the clerk's office, and some others of inconsiderable value.

same.

On the 10th of June, of the same year, the commissioners ordered the re-building of the court-house, and on Friday, July 23d, entered into an examination of proposals for doing the The lowest proposal was by John Baugher, who offered to do the joiner-work for two thousand nine hundred and ninety dollars, which was accepted. Jacob Emrick contracted for the mason-work, at eight hundred dollars; and Alison Phillips, for the plastering, at four hundred and fifty dollars.

to be made. But the county soon began to settle rapidly, changing the face of the country-society began to improve-the county-seat was located-physicians, mechanics and merchants came in-but sickness still prevailed, which for some time, was very discour aging to early settlers, who were much indebted to Drs. Dresbach, Kuhn, and a few others, for their valuable services."

In June, 1843, the building was completed a second time, the same walls standing that were built for the first house. These are two stories high; and, with two feet of hewn stone for a foundation, measure thirty-three feet. To the top of the dome, it is seventy-one feet. This elegant building is fifty feet in front, and seventy in depth. The basement story is occupied by the several county officers. In the one above, is a large and commodious room for the holding of courts, and two jury

rooms.

On the 16th of May, 1843, the county commissioners agreed upon a plan for a county-jail and sherif's house; and, on the 26th of June, of the same year, they entered into a written agreement with Ephraim Riker, of Erie county, for building the same. The former is of hewn stone; the latter of brick; and both, under one roof and constituting one building, are well calculated for the object for which they were built.

On the 12th of July, 1847, Samuel Waggoner, Benjamin Tomb, Rufus W. Reid, Alfred Johnson, Daniel Brown, William M. Buel, Daniel Smith, William Fleet, R. G. Pennington and William II. Gibson, subscribed stock to the amount of fifty thousand dollars, divided into shares of one hundred dollars each, and filed in the proper office their application for an independent bank, agreeably to the provisions of an act entitled “An act to incorporate the State Bank of Ohio, and other banking companies,” passed by the General Assembly of Ohio, February 24th, 1847.

On the 2d day of August, of the same year, and during the pending of the application before the bank-commissioners, the above named persons, with others as their associates, enlarged the capital stock of the bank to one hundred thousand dollars, and filed accordingly, an amended application, which was acted upon by the board of commissioners, and an independent bank, to be located at Tiffin, with a capital of one hundred

thousand dollars, was granted them on the 9th of August of the

same year.

The bank was organized by electing Benjamin Tomb, Samuel Waggoner, William M. Buel, Rufus W. Reid, and R. G. Pennington, directors; who afterwards elected Benjamin Tomb, president, and R. G. Pennington, cashier, pro tem.William E. Chittenden, has since been elected permanently, as cashier of the bank. The notes of the bank are provided by the treasurer of state, as well as those of all independent banks, at the expense of the several banks, and are registered at the treasurer's office, and obtained upon the order of the directors of the several banks, upon depositing with the treasurer certificates of the funded debt of the state, or of the United States, agreeably to the terms of the statute, in this behalf.

Annual meetings for the election of officers, are held on the first Monday of January in each year. The bank commenced business, on the 13th day of November, 1847, and is now in successful operation. The notes, the engravings of which are neatly executed, are of four denominations-ones, threes, fives and tens.

* On Tuesday, the 8th of February, 1849, the office of president became vacant, by the resignation of Mr. Tomb; whereupon, Abel Rawson, Esq., was elected to fill the va

cancy.

CHAPTER VI.

Journey of the Welches-John Vanmeter-Eden Township-First physician-Melmore.

In the month of February, 1819, Thomas and Hugh Welch started from Huron county to seek a home in the wilds of Seneca. Having reached the limits of the county, as since defined, they soon struck a beautiful stream of water, where they encamped for the night.

The sight of the lofty forest-trees filled them with admiration; and they were not a little surprised to find the wilderness already green with leeks, and a modest wild-flower, here and there, "wasting its fragrance" in the silent woods! The wide-spreading branches of the oak, black-walnut, hickory and sycamore, partially protected the earth from the severity of winter. This was supposed to induce the early appearance of vernal vegetation.

The stream where they had encamped, was Honey creek.— The next morning, they followed its course downwards, until they arrived within the present limits of Eden township.Near what is now the residence of William Fleet, they came upon a band of the Seneca Indians employed in making sugar, and with them, they again encamped for the night. The next morning, pursuing their journey down the creek, they at length arrived at a village of Mohawk Indians, consisting of about twenty log huts, pleasantly situated upon both sides of the

stream. This village was located upon a tract of land of a thousand acres,* granted at the treaty of the Miami of Lake Erie to one John Vanmeter, a white man, and to his wife's two brothers.

Vanmeter was captured by the Wyandot Indians, in the month of March, 1778, at the age of five. This happened within a mile of West Liberty, in the state of Virginia. The people in the neighborhood, having been frequently alarmed by Indian aggressions, had assembled for the purpose of building a fort, to protect themselves from savage cruelty. It was a beautiful day in the spring of the year, and two of the elder boys of the family were directed to proceed to a "chopping," and arrange some brands. John accompanied them, and the father proceeded to the fort. The boys had but just commenced their work, when they were suddenly beset by a party of Indians. The elder boys made good their escape, but John was easily captured. The Indians then directed their course to the house of Vanmeter, set it on fire, murdered his wife and daughter, and immediately fled to the wilderness, carrying with them their captive boy.

He ever afterwards lived among the Indians; completely forgetting his native tongue, though he learned it again, before he died, so as to converse quite fluently. He was afterwards induced to visit his relatives and friends; but refused to remain among them, "preferring," as he said, "the innocent and unrestrained indulgences of the Indian's life, to the arbitrary restraints of civilized society." Vanmeter was a man of more than ordinary decision of character; of a benevolent disposition, and friendly to the whites. Owning a large stock of cattle and several horses, early settlers relied much upon his generosity; and it was not in vain, that they sought relief at his

*Now owned by Lloyd Norris,