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L A S T C E N T U R Y
From R/T May 8, 2003
Rome and Risdon reviewed
By GENE KINN
R/t STAFF WRITER

On Dec. 7, 1909 the Fostoria Review carried a story entitled "Retrospect-- Fostoria and it's Predecessors, Rome and Risdon -- Written and Unwritten History"
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The story was written by N. Portz, -- Nicholas Portz was born here in 1839. At the age of 12, he entered the employ of C. W. Foster and Son. Twelve years later, he became a partner in the firm and later assumed the management of the Brass and Iron Works Co., the forerunner of Atlas Crankshaft Corp.

In relating some of the incidents of the early settlement of Rome and Risdon and the surrounding country, it will be necessary to name some of the leading characters who were active participants in the opening up and developing the Ague and matarial-stricken Black Swamp and converting it into a beautiful little city and a charming, healthful and most productive country.

I will only give a passing glance at the famous military characters prominent at a early day, the men who trained the militia and fitted them for the Mexican and other wars and received honorable titles. There were General B. L. Caples, Colonel Charles W. Foster and Captains John Tennis and Jonas Hampshire.

It was John Crocker, Grandfather of the late R. Crocker, who entered the land and platted the town of Rome, in which and in its building up, He was able assisted by his son-in-law ,C.W. Foster.

At about the same time, a Mr. Gorsuch entered the land and platted the town of Risdon A mysterious feature in the plat of Risdon was the leaving of a strip ground around or nearby around the town plant of about one rod. This freak was never satisfactorily explained, but it was supposed to be for the purpose of preventing any addition to Risdon without the consent of the proprietor.

Risdon always had the great advantage of a beautiful location on the high bank of the Portage creek which furnished excellent drainage, the town always high and dry, a feature that was promptly recognized by strangers during our late gas boom The Ridge Road also went out from Risdon. In fact the location of country roads became at that time an important factor in the development of the two towns, each town having its own stores and active business men. Risdon excelled for many years in the number of its stores The location of new roads vacation of undesirable ones, and the extension of favorites kept the active participants busy looking and planning.

Risdon had the first Methodist church, a long building, rough slabs from the saw mill with holes bored and pegs driven in for legs, forming the seats. The writer, as a small boy sat on them. The grandest old Methodist however lived on the farm just west of Rome. Mr. James Anderson. It was not long before Rome had a fine Methodist church, a grad building on South Wood Street near South Street.

Politics also had its place in the contentions. Whether by deliberate plan, or by accident, the leaders in Risdon were Democrats whilst those in Rome were firmly bound to the Whig party, as parties were known in those days. Unfortunately for Rome, the Democrats had the reins of power nearly all the time, giving Risdon a great advantage for it gave the town the Post Office. The writer remembers going to that Post Office and West Summit Street, on the northwest side of Public Square, and of going to a neighbor who kept a quantity of little wafer-like seals for sealing letters.

With the Ridge Road, the Perrysburg Road and the lower Sandusky (Fremont) Road, which latter started out from the northeast corner of Risdon (now Jackson Street), where a grist mill and a saw mill were located, it was indeed a serious matter to the lone champion of Rome, how to secure his proper proportion of the country trade.

During these developments of Risdon, Mr. Foster was not to be caught napping, nor allow his interest in Rome to wane or lose force
continued.
R/t May 15th 2003

Tiffin, Findlay join forces -- -Mr. Foster steps in to save road.

The businessmen of Risdon were not the only rivals which Mr. Foster had to contend with.

The two county seats, at Tiffin and Findlay, working in harmony to accomplish the defeat of their competitor at Rome, were indeed a power worthy of the ambition of the best of men.

The combination of the two county towns conceived a move on the board that would have caused a severe blow at one stroke. It was the opening up of a state road, from Findlay to Tiffin by straight line. They reckoned without the King Bee.

A joint petition by Tiffin and Findlay businessmen was sent to the State Legislature at Columbus, praying for such a road, if secured as asked for, it would have left Rome about five miles out of the way.

Mr. Foster, learning of the move, made haste to see that Rome was not be forgotten. The petition was put in proper form and passed by the legislature.

But, when the instructions wee forwarded for the construction of the road, it was found to contain four words that were not intended and were not in the original petition...to the utter confusion and amazement of the petitioners. These four words were "by way of Rome,' resulting in the construction of the road from Tiffin to Rome and from Rome to Findlay, both roads having to be cut through dense forest.

The road to Lower Sandusky, (Fremont) was opened up on the line of the present Sandusky Street on which the plank road was built, leaving the Risdon road in the same direction, a half mile to the north. An effort was made to extend the Perrysburgh McCutchenville-Bucyrus road to a direct junction, which would have put it nearly one mile east of Rome, but Mr. Foster learned of the intentions and by the time the surveyors came to locate the line, a force of choppers had felled so many mammoth trees across the line intended to be followed, that it was deemed impractical and abandoned.

Again, the Risdon faction, ever on the alert, saw an important tributary to Rome that they planned to have vacated as useless and wasteful of land. That was the South Ridge Road. they contended that the North Road was much better and that travel had better come through Risdon to reach Rome.

The county commissioners were appealed to and promised attention, setting the date when they would go and view the so-called useless road. Mr. Foster learning of this, at once took action to thwart the scheme.

Having a good friend on what has long been known as the Schaufelberger farm, Mr. Foster had painted a hotel sign on nailed it to a post and set it up in front of the farm house, had the main front room vacated and had a hasty counter and fixtures put in place for a hotel and bar, with a supply of decanters, well filled tumblers etc., the landlord was in 'business.

It was in winter time and there had been a good fall of snow. Mr. Foster enlisted a few friends, who like himself had a horse and cutter which were put to good use on the appointed day, driving up and down past the "hotel" to the junction of the Ridge Road and around the sign post up to the hotel.

When the time had arrived that the visitors might be expected, Mr. Foster drove west on the Ridge Road and soon met the commissioners. Expressing surprise and learning the object of their visit, he volunteered to escort them over the so-called useless road. Soon arriving at the "hotel", the visitors expressed wonder and surprise to see such a facility on a road that was proposed to vacate. Of course, they were invited in to partaker of liquid refreshments and to see the fine accommodations.

After a social visit, they departed, saying that there would be not further attention paid to such a foolish request.

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From R/t Jan. 9, 2003