Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/650

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY

��Creek, which also rises in the southern part, and, passing north the entire length of the township, enters Huron County through Sec- tion G. The Mansfield, Coldwater & Lake Michigan Railroad passes across the southwest corner, and Tiro, on this road, is the only rail- road station and post office within its limits.

One of the earliest settlers in this territory was Jedediah Morehead, a hunter and trapper. He might not, in those very early days, have been called a settler at all, as he roamed about a good deal, squatting here and there wherever he found the best hunting, though later, he moved his family — a large one — to Vernon Township, where he purchased land and settled, on Section 1. He hunted the swampy region about the cranberry marsh (the old settlers called it " the mash " ), where he found bear and all other four-footed wild animals plenty, as well as wild geese and ducks. Even to this day it is is a good ducking-ground. In the northern part of the township, and extend- ing into Huron County, is a narrow, irregular strip of dry land jutting into the swamp ; and, upon the extreme point of this strip, Morehead built a small brush cabin, which is well remem- bered by the later settlers, in which he spent much of his time. This is yet known as "Morehead's Point." There is little doubt that he was the first settler and built the first cabin in the township.

Two very singular characters, bachelors and hermits, named Varnica and Wadsworth, were among the earliest residents of the township. They could hardly be termed settlers, as they lived here in caves, and did not associate with their fellows. They were solitary in their habits, and sufficiently eccentric to be called "crazy" by those who knew them.

Varnica was a German, a fine scholar, and in his youth, it was said, was a military com- mander in Europe, but for some unknown rea- son, fled to the wilds of America, and his entry of land in Auburn Township was among the

��first. He had money, which he kept hid in the most singular places, and lived a hermit until quite old, when he took a fancy to a young man. by the name of Robert Wilson, with whom he resided until his death.

After his death, very little money could be found until they came across a will, written in German and pi'operly witnessed, giving his fine quarter of land and some monej' to his friend, Wilson, who was also made executor and en- joined to give the residue of his money, scA'eral thousand dollars, to poor, aged and friendless females, and to make the distribution in small sums. This provision of his will was surpris- ing, as during his life here, he was never known to notice the opposite sex, and appeared to detest them. The will also revealed the place where the mone^' was secreted ; $2,200 in gold was discovered in a gate post, in the top of which a large hole Jiad been bored, and the coin dropped in, after which the hole was plugged with a pin of the same wood as that of the post. Other smaller sums of money were found in singular places. This strange man died about forty years ago. From the clause in the will regarding women, and other evidence, it is con- jectured some one of them had something to do with shaping the man's life. Young Wilson, who has also been dead about thirt}' years, exe- cuted the will with commendable fidelity, and relieved the wants of many poor women.

The other man, Wadsworth, was also a fine scholar, a graduate of Yale College, and stud- ied theology. He also made one of the first entries of land in Auburn, and lived in a cave on his land. He was singular in appearance as well as action, being very round shouldered, so much so that it amounted almost to deformity ; ])ut was one of the most muscular men in the township. He was an expert hunter and trap- per, and a miser. He raised chickens, melons and vegetables, and peddled his own produce later, when settlers came in and villages began to spring up. He would take a bag of melons

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