Presidents Letter July 2011
Greetings from Luckey Historical Society. This weekend (July 16th and 17th) was scheduled to scrape and paint the Townhall. We will have to find out at our meeting Thursday what happened. I have not seen anyone working there this weekend.
Although it is only July we should be thinking about the fall festival. Does anyone have any preferences or new ideas?
I also give you Article IV section 3 of our By Laws.
Section 3: Nomination and election of Elected Officials – Officers of the Board shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. All shall serve for two-year terms or until their successors have been elected. The president shall receive nominations for vacancies, at least one month (at the September Meeting) prior to the election. Eligibility of candidates will be determined by paid up to date membership dues. Officials shall be elected by a majority of the members present at the October membership meeting.
We should be thinking about nominations for officers. We should have nominations by the September meeting so we can vote in October.
Troy Township [from “Wood County Revisited” researched by Lynne Smith, summer 2007]
The settlement of this township is said to have begun in 1833 when a few of the immigrants who chased the sun toward the Maumee considered they had traveled far enough west and determined to cast their fortunes in the forests of this division of the country. It is true that the Western Reserve Road (Mud Pike) was open through a part of the wilderness, giving a token of civilization.
The population in 1840, was 383; in 1870, increased to 1,057 and in 1890 to 1,803. The 2000 census found 4,355 people in the township.
Lemoyne A Muddy Trip
The first store was opened in 1877 with a second store soon to follow. These LeMoyne’s stores were built on the old Western Reserve Road. One of the most important improvements in this part of Ohio was commenced in 1825, when a “mud pike” was constructed from Lower Sandusky to Perrysburg, a distance of thirty-one miles. Every mile had a stage coach stop, thirty-one in all between Fremont (Lower Sandusky) and Perrysburg. The two story brick “Howard House” in LeMoyne, was the first pretentious public house to be built along the “mud pike”.
Stony Ridge A Different Kind of Dance Floor
The Empire House (photo below) was another famous public house built along the “mud pike” in 1848 or 1849. The second floor had a ballroom that took up the whole east side. The ballroom was unique not only for it’s size, but because the floor was anchored in such a way that it rose and fell as the dancers passed over it. The Empire House has been an antique business since the 1950’s. The building has remained unchanged except for the removal of a widow’s walk from the roof. 
Luckey
This village was surveyed in April 1881. The location could not be better, for between the railroad and a small feeder of the Toussaint River assumes a form peculiarly adapted to a town site. It was first called Black Swamp and Hathaway before it became Luckey. The first two Postmasters in 1881 & 1882 were G. Luckey and S. Hathaway.
As near as I can figure, prior to 1850 the U.S. census did not ask for much information such as place of birth, occupation, etc. So, in the 1850 census we can finally see where our ancestors came from. I have listed all of the family names of troy township and their origin if other than the U.S. I was not surprised to find that a good majority of the people came from Germany. I was surprised to see so many unfamiliar names. Not growing up in the area, I am at a disadvantage in knowing the old family names. Your homework is to read through the list of names and see how many of them are familiar to you. Just for fun at our next meeting we will compare our lists. I am a member of Ancestory.com again if anyone has anything they want me to look for. The Black Swamp was not drained until the late 1800’s so certainly some of these settlers gave up and moved on or died in the swamp.
1850 Census Troy Township, Wood County, OH
LAST NAMESBIRTH PLACE OTHER THAN U.S.
- Ackebays
- Ban
- Berkherst Germany
- Biddle
- Blandin
- Booker Germany
- Bramanhiske Germany
- Bushman Germany
- Chamberlain
- Coving Germany
- Cramer Germany
- Criship
- Dailey Canada
- Dennis
- Dressing Germany
- Efizee Germany
- Elder
- Elderkin
- Ellis Canada
- Emily
- Emp Germany
- Emrie Germany
- Epger Germany
- Farner Germany
- Fitmire Germany
- Foster
- Fowler Germany
- Gerlitz Germany
- Gibson Scotland
- Gilbert Canada
- Gonel England
- Hagerman Germany
- Hagerty Ireland
- Haley
- Hanmore Germany
- Hannon Germany
- Happer England
- Harriss
- Hartman Germany
- Haskell
- Hilker Germany
- Hogerm
- Howrd
- Jacobs Germany
- Joseph Germany
- Kinker Germany
- Lamme Germany
- Leming
- Linch Ireland
- Manes
- Manter Germany
- Martin Germany
- Minard Germany
- Myers Germany
- Myrose Germany
- Noel
- Philips
- Pratt
- Rife
- Rolph Germany
- Rolphes Germany
- Samson Germany
- Sanders Germany
- Sealscot Germany
- Shader Germany
- Shamon Germany
- Shever Germany
- Simmer
- Sinker Germany
- Smith
- Soolman Germany
- Stemmer
- Sternaman
- Stickney
- Stoner
- Swan Germany
- Tape Germany
- Tonel
- Toyer Germany
- Truex
- Van Camp
- Van Carp
- Weeman
- Whitzer Germany
- Witzler Germany
- Woods
Next meeting July 21st at 6:30 in the Luckey Library.
Over and out Sally