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STORY OF ANOTHER PIONEER BY C. B. STEBBINS
June 7, 1882.
Along the river was a ridge with a clay bluff, on which grading was commenced— the dirt to be filled in to the railroad which was built on piles about a mile, from upper to lower town, from two to four rods from the shore. This grading was so expensive that some of the owners suffered their lots to be forfeited rather than pay their tax. Some of these lots forfeited for perhaps $150, are now worth many thousands. Along the ridge was Summit street, and back of that it was principally a swamp, through which the canal ran to Manhattan, three miles down the river. This was a rival town, and a railroad was building from the opposite shore to Upper Sandusky—now Fremont. The rails were to be laid on piles instead of ties. The road was graded and the piles driven the entire distance, and a long dock built at the river; and there the work stopped forever. The canal was abandoned below Toledo, and Manhattan, whether loved by the gods or not, died young.
Toledo comprised upper and lower town; each striving for the ascendancy. Cincinnati men held the fort at upper town, and triumphed; and though both now constitute a compact part of the city, lower town failed entirely as a commercial center.
Until Michigan became a State, a few months prior to my advent, Toledo was, in both equity and law, in Michigan. How our State was robbed of the territory at the behest of Ohio, is a history of which that state has little reason to be proud. Our State had selected, under the congressional grant, about one and a half square miles of land for the University, where now is the heart of the city. This ought to have brought to the University fund a million dollars; but by unfortunate management, it realized hardly $18, 000. Full details of the transactions may be found in Supt. D. B. Briggs' report for 1875.
Michigan
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