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66 HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
back, escorted by John Hoak's father, Henry Hoak. He Avas the oldest
of the pioneers, having been born in 1745, and remained here until his
death in his eighty-eighth year.
The majority of this party deserted Huron on account of its overfloAVS
and settled in Berlin. They found here rich soil and two creeks—
one called the Chapelle, the other "The Old Woman's Creek," because
it was said a sqmnv had droAvned in it at an early date. Jt rises in
Huron County and passes through the whole length of the central portion
of this township. Jt has a west branch, and the tAvo branches have had
at different times more than half a dozen saAvmills built along tlieir course,
The Chapelle empties into the lake in Vermillion. The strangers also
found an abundance of Avild game, turkeys, deer and small animals, with
a sprinkling of AVOIVCS and bears, sufficient to keep them in a state of
anxiety, continually. Men who Avorkcd by night at that time did so to
the music of the Avoh'es that barked on every side. A Mr. Freeman,
who settled in the eastern part of the lOAvnship, bad noticed that his hogs
came to the house badly Avounded, and one moonlight night he heard
one of them squealing. He seized his gun and ran to the rescue. A
large bear was carrying oil" a good sized hog. The hog Avas dead, and
in attempting to carry it over a log the bear had slood upon the log and
was there shot. Its meat was divided among all Ihe settlers and was
enjoyed as a rare treat, being the first of the kind they had ever tasted.
A thrilling Avolf story is told of a boy named Jacob Simpson, who
AA'as left alone at the house of Mr. Fitzgerald. The boy had nothing to
read, and no company but a dog, so. as the evening Avas pleasant he Avent
out of doors and sat on a log, hoAvling to imitate a Avolf. The dog joined
in the concert, and his voice AA'as even more shrill than the boy's. It
AA'as but a short time before they heard a reply from a genuine wolf,
and as they came Hear the house the boy ran in and tried to coax the
dog to go with him. It Avas Avorse than vain; the dog would not stir,
and the pack of AVOIVCS surrounded the house and attacked the dog. This
made the dog Avilling to join his master and came to the door to be let
in, and so closely Avas he folloAved by the AVOIVCS that as Simpson opened
the door to let him in he nearly caught a Avolf at the same time. He
fastened the door and piled fire Avood against it to keep them out. and
succeeded in doing so. The dog Avanted to get out again, but he dared
not let him go among them, and they remained around the house a
long time trying to get in.
The first toAvn meeting was held at Thompson's Mill on the 1st of
April, 1817. The settlers concluded that the township needed a government,
and they did not wait for the state to supply it, but organized
themselves. Thirteen pioneers, dressed in patched and mended buckskin,
with coon skin caps and faAvn skin vests, met and elected each
other, each man to an office, and some had two. The folloAving is the list
of officers: Trustees, John McLaughlin, Samuel Reed and John Thompson
; clerk, Henry Brady; treasurer, John Hoak: constable, Daniel Butler;
lister and appraiser, Lybeus Storrs; path masters, Christopher Brumbacker
and Thomas Starr; fence vieAvers, John Hoak, Samuel Reed; poor-