By VICKI JOHNSON
Ohio Correspondent ARCHBOLD, Ohio — Land sold for $1 an acre 175 years ago when the northwestern part of Ohio’s Great Black Swamp was being settled.
Details of early farm and domestic living are brought to life at Sauder Village’s new Pioneer Settlement exhibit, the newest installment to the village’s historical timeline. Land was sold in 80-acre tracts for $1 an acre, said Arlan Beck, Sauder Village’s resident farmer.
“When they got there, they found out why,” he said.
The land was a swamp and covered with trees that had to be cleared and drained before farmers could plant anything. But they began the process of making that part of northwestern Ohio into the productive agricultural land it is today.
Beck said the land underwent a tremendous change between 1850 and 1870. Farmers worked first toward planting crops to sustain their families and then toward planting crops for sale. In the beginning, corn was raised to either feed pigs or ferment into whiskey because it wasn’t feasible to transport corn to market.
Farming got a boost in the 1860s because more grain was needed. “The Civil War came along and created a large demand for food,” Beck said.
It wasn’t until 1879 that the railroad moved into the area and made it possible to ship grain to other areas.
Farming was the main occupation of the first settlers to the area and the lives of pioneers are detailed in the new exhibit. Visitors can get a feel for life as it looked to the earliest settlers in the farthest portions of northwestern Ohio from 1834-90.
The new section required five years of planning and research, said Jeanette Smith, director of sales and marketing for Sauder Village. In the Sauder Village timeline, the pioneer section follows the “Natives and Newcomers” (1803-39) section, which opened a few years ago. The next portion is to follow history into the early 1900s.
The settlement opening coincided with the 175th anniversary of the arrival of the first five families to German Township – Aug. 22, 1834. Covering nearly five acres, the new section is designed to educate visitors on the “real stories” of early pioneers who came to the Great Black Swamp from Europe to settle in the area of Ohio that was still a wilderness.
Visitors can get a taste of how they lived by visiting historic homes, community buildings, farms and gardens. Interpreters help tell the story by cooking period foods in an outdoor oven, hearth fire and on a wood-fired cook stove. Demonstrations of pioneer skills include such daily activities as farming with oxen, gardening, spinning and rug hooking.
Gardens within the area in the future are to feature heirloom vegetables, herbs and historic crops.
Guests may try their hand at some of those skills, such as churcning butter, candle dipping, rope making, old fashioned games, hauling water with a neck yoke, walking the fields with a harrow, gardening, spell downs and other experiences.
The first stop after leaving the Natives and Newcomers area is the Lauber Hill Settlement. Depicting August 1834, when the Lauber party arrived as the first settlers, the area features a covered wagon and a representation of the first structure built at Lauber Hill. The location is two miles from the spot where the first European immigrants to the area settled.
Specially reconstructed from original 19th century parts by Brenda Grant, the wagon is a reproduction of those used to carry the settlers into the area.
The next stop is the Log School House, a representation of an 1840s-era school that showcases the importance of education to the new immigrants. Down the path is the 1844 Witmer-Roth Home, the original home of Anna Sauder Witmer-Roth. She gave birth in the house to 10 of her 15 children.
Next is the Eicher Cabin, the original home of Jacob and Barbara Eicher, who arrived in Fulton County in the 1850s, at about the same time the railroad made travel to the area much easier. The area includes an original 1860 jail building moved from Edgerton, Ohio.
On down the road is the Peter Stuckey Farm, a recreation of the 1870s-era settlement where Peter and Catherine (Yoder) Stuckey lived and farmed. In addition to farming the newly-drained swamp, Peter operated a wagon making business.
The Holdeman Church originally belonged to the congregation of the Pettisville Holdeman Church – or the Church of God in Christ Mennonite – formed in 1865 after hearing the preaching of John Holdeman, the founder of the branch of the Mennonite Church.
Visitors can stop at the area, which is included with the general admission price, via a new train stop for the Erie Express, which makes its rounds throughout the village.
“The opening of Pioneer Settlement is happening at a time when our country is facing many challenges not unlike those experienced by our ancestors,” according to literature announcing the settlement. “Financial insecurity and uncertain job situations are nothing new.
“Guests to Pioneer Settlement will hear about our ancestors, who worked together through tough times to build a community in the wilderness based on ingenuity, creativity, hard work and perseverance. As guests hear stories of their journey, their struggles and their joys, they’ll be inspired with the messages of hope as they learn how these early settlers not only survived but thrived.”
A series of free programs is under way in honor of the opening.
The next sessions begin at 7:30 p.m. at Sauder’s Heritage Inn.
On Sept. 21, Hank Fincken, a professional historical actor, plans to portray John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed.
On Oct. 20, Ann Bowers, National Student Affairs archivist at Bowling Green State University and women’s history researcher, plans to speak about the experiences of the early women settlers in northwestern Ohio in her “Pioneer Women: Heroines in Aprons” program.
The address of Sauder Village is 22611 State Road 2, Archbold, OH 43502. From the Ohio Turnpike, take exit 25. For more information, call 800-590-9755 or visit www.saudervillage.org/
History/Pioneer_Settlement.asp |
