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SANDUSKY IN 1846
CHAPTER XV
SANDUSKY (CONTINUED)
IIOAVC thus describes Sandusky and the churches in 1846: "The
Methodist Episcopal church, a small frame building, and the first built,
Avas erected in 1830; the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches in 1835;
the Wesleyan chapel in 1836, and the rest since. Sandusky contains 1
Episcopal, 1 Methodist, 1 Congregational, 1 Reformed Methodist, 1 Catholic
and 1 German Lutheran church, 1 high school, a large number of
dry goods and grocery stores, several forwarding and commission houses,
2 furnaces. 1 oil mill, 2 extensive machine shops for the manufacture of
the iron for railroad cars, 2 printing offices, 2 banks, and a population
estimated at 3,000. This town is now very thriving, and promises to
be, ere many years, a large city. A great impetus has been given to its
prosperity by the construction of tAvo railroads Avhich terminate here;
the first, the Mad River and the Little Miami railroad, connects it Avith
Cincinnati; the other connects it with Mansfield, from which place it is
constructing through Mount Vernon and Newark to Columbus; a branch
Avill diverge from NeAvark to Zanesville. This last is one of the best built
railroads in the country, and is doing a very heavy transportation business.
The commerce of Sandusky City is heavy, and constantly increasing.
The arrivals at this port in 1846 were 447; clearances, 441; and
843,746 bushels of Avheat were among the articles exported. On the farm
of Isaac A. Mills, Avest of the town, are some ancient mounds and works.
In the late Canadian 'patriot war,' this city AA-as a rendezvous for 'patriots;'
they had an action on the ice near Point-au-Peele Isle, and Avith
British cavalry in the Avinter of 1838. They were under Captain Bradley
of this city, who has since commanded a company of volunteers in
the Avar with Mexico. In this action the 'patriots' behaved Avith cool
bravery, and although attacked by a superior force, delivered their fire
with steadiness, and repelled their enemy Avith considerable loss."
On May 13,1882, Mr. C. C. Keech informs the Register that when he
came to Sandusky in 1847 the parks had a post and bar fence all around
them, Avith no opening through east and AA'est. The next improvement
AA'as to tear doAvn that fence and build a circular picket fence with no
street through east and west, and then the next improvement Avas to tear
doAvn the fence some time in the '60s.
The folloAving invitation to attend a reception to President-elect
Zachary Taylor was presumably an elaborate affair of 1848:
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