and an official return of 405 inhabitants. It would not be exaggeration to state that, within two years after taking its first federal census, Montpelier has more than trebled its population, and that its industrial wealth has fully kept pace with its increase in numbers. To make proper estimate of the present number of its inhabitants, the candid investigator will make note of the fact that the floors above nearly every store in the town are occupied by families, while into many dwelling houses, that would only comfortably accommodate one family, are crowded two and sometimes three. Dwelling structures, which appear to be uninterruptedly in progress, are occupied as soon as the walls are sufficiently dried out to make them safe places for habitation. The history of no city or town in Northwestern Ohio or Northeastern Indiana furnishes a parallel to Montpelier since the date of entering upon a career of growth; and the new structures are of a substantial character.

EARLY MANUFACTURING.

The development of Montpelier in manufacturing has also been remarkable. It is found difficult to ascertain clearly the date of the establishment of the first industrial shop in the town; but when Louis Wingert located in the place in 1865, and who, from a condition of penury, has built up a moderate fortune in manufacturing, there were the following: One steam saw-mill, one grist-mill operated by water-power, one ashery, two blacksmith shops, one shoe, one furniture and one wagon shop. There had been a tannery built as early as 1848, but it had been abandoned. Mr. Loudon says that in 1844, the place where Montpelier now is contained only a saw-mill operated by water-power, and owned by Tucker & Hueston; and this one mill was then the only manufacturing establishment in the town.

FIRST MERCHANTS.

Upon some points there exists considerable diversity of opinion, but by common consent it is conceded that C. W. Mallory opened the first general merchandise store of goods in the place now known as Montpelier, in 1845. Following him in the trade were Brown & Crissey and James T. Platt. Prior, however, to Mr. Mallory's engagement in business, Jacob Snyder and William Crissey had a small store and ashery west of town, on the farm now occupied by Charles Brundydge and his son. In its day, this place was known as "Tuckertown." Mr. Mallory continued business until 1852, when he sold at auction his merchandise stock, and now resides near Bryan. He was a pioneer, having located in Superior Township in 1841.

BUSINESS RESOURCES OF 1882.

Two grist and one saw mill; one stave, one oar and one wheelbarrow factory; one foundry and machine shop; one ashery; one cabinet factory and undertaker; one merchant tailor; one machine and repair shop; a printing office; three boot and shoe shops; two wagon shops; one grain elevator, having a storage capacity of 10,000 bushels; one lumber yard, and two establishments that manufacture copper, sheet iron, tinware and roofing. Three dry goods and general merchandise stores; three grocery and provision, two drug, two jewelry, one ready-made clothing and three millinery stores; one bank; one photograph gallery; one agricultural machine establishment; two hotels and several boarding houses; four physicians, one lawyer and two dentists.

WABASH, ST. LOUIS & PACIFIC RAILWAY.

It is obvious to all interested, that the extraordinary commercial advancement of Montpelier dates from the opening of the Detroit Division of this road, which was opened for passenger and freight traffic in August, 1881. It at once opened a market for the surplus farm and garden productions of the rich agricultural region of which Montpelier is the center, and by the increased value it has given to all agricultural productions by establishing a new market, it has conferred as substantial benefits upon the farmer as it has upon the manufacturer and the merchant. As a grain, wool and live-stock market, and counting the value of merchandise received and of manufactured goods shipped, it is now the most important town on the line of the Detroit Division of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway, Butler possibly excepted.

ADDITIONS.

Anticipating that it might and would become a town of importance, sanguine people made additions to the original plat as follows: South Montpelier, Leonard Merry and Samuel S. Bryant, April 18, 1851; Bechtol's Addition, August 1, 1872; Snyder's Addition, December 26, 1872; Kriebel's First Addition, July 18, 1873; Snyder's Second Addition, July 21, 1873; Kriebel's Second Addition, August 2, 1876; Daniel's and Snyder's Addition, November 16, 1877; Joseph Deibly and others, November 6, 1877; Harrison Louden's First Addition, January 11, 1881; Harrison Louden's Second Addition, February 14, 1881; J. M. Snyder's three Additions, June 20, 1881; Joy and Nelson's, November 26, 1881; and the founder of the town, although many years in his grave with nearly all his cotemporaries, could scarcely have realized the results now witnessed in the marvelous growth of their work.

ROADS AND BRIDGES.

Within the corporation are four substantial bridges, one of iron, and all above high-water mark. For considerable distances each side of some of these, roadways are made of a maximum height of from ten to twelve feet above the bottom surface, and about three feet above high-water mark. The only objection to these pikes is, that they are too narrow, not being of sufficient width to permit the passing of teams, though turn-outs are made at short distances. This objection, however, will doubtless soon be removed. The main roads communicating with the country are in better condition than the average roads upon which other towns in this section of Ohio depend for cheap and easy communication with the farmers who seek their places as markets.

WATER-SUPPLY.

The water of the wells of Montpelier is of the purest quality, and apparently inexhaustible; supplies are obtained at a depth of from twelve to fifteen feet below the surface. Upon the banks of the St. Joseph and Cranberry are several springs that have never been known to fail in seasons of the greatest drought to yield abundantly, and their waters are of nearly even temperature during all seasons.

TILE AND SEWERAGE FACILITIES.

The town is situated upon as beautiful banks of the St. Joseph as may be found in all the course of that delightful and historical stream from its source to the place where it loses its name and mingles its waters with those of the St. Mary's at Fort Wayne. For health as well as for business, no town or city could have been more favorably chosen, by reason of its having been so highly favored by nature. No town in the county is so advantageously located for purposes of cheap and thorough sewerage and drainage, the river and Cranberry Creek affording for these essential purposes unsurpassed facilities. There is no cellar in the corporation limits, and for any considerable distances beyond them, that af ter a judicious system of sewerage is perfected would not be as dry as the floors above them, and no street or garden would ever be deluged except in cases of extraordinary storms.

AGRICULTURAL WEALTH.

A large area of country extending on the north a considerable distance beyond the State line, and on the west embracing some sections of Indiana, find their natural and best market at Montpelier, and the region, naturally making choice of this town as a market, is one not yet used for purposes of tillage by reason of the timber wealth that occupies the soil;

but the forests are rapidly disappearing, and new farms continually being opened. As a class, the farmers of the region that make Montpelier their market are intelligent and enterprising, and apply the best approved methods of culture.

EARLY PHYSICIANS.

It was many years after white settlers appeared before a physician located in the township. In cases of emergency, Dr. Jonas Colby, of Defiance, or Dr. Thomas Kent or Dr. John Paul, of La Fayette, would be summoned. Dr. A. L. Snyder, now of Bryan, commenced medical practice in Montpelier in June, 1854, and his immediate predecessors in the practice there, at that time, were, in order of time, Drs. Levi Colby, Draper, De Wolf, A. P. Meng and Barkdol; but excepting Dr. Colby, the stay of all these was brief. Then followed, in July, 1859, Dr. Isaiah M. Snyder, when the two physicians of the same name, though not united by kindred ties, formed a partnership, which continued until the removal of the senior partner to Bryan. There are now five physicians in the place-Drs. I. M. Snyder, S. W. Mercer, Blair Hagerty, J. W. Williams and J. W. Starr.

LAWYERS.

It is only within about eighteen months that law offices were opened in Montpelier-the first by George Strayer, who was soon followed by Col. W. O. Johnston, the first now being Prosecuting Attorney of the county, aud the latter now Mayor of Bryan. Recently, John B. White removed to Montpelier from Bryan, and commenced law practice. Thus far, there has not been sufficient litigation to sustain a lawyer at Montpelier.

THE ST. JOSEPH AS A COMMERCIAL HIGHWAY.

Although a little outside the record, it may not be out of place here to recur to the fact that these great interior States, from 1787 down to the dates of their several admissions into the Union, were under a common Territorial Government, under an ordinance of Congress, which was the supreme law for the whole territory ceded by Virginia. The last clause in the ordinance of 1787, Article III, reads as follows:

The navigable waters leading into the Mississippi and St. Lawrence, and the carrying-places between the same, shall be common highways, and forever free, as well to the inhabitants of the said territory as to the citizens of the United States, and those of any other States that may be admitted into the confederacy, without any tax, impost or duty therefor.

Though this clause in the ordinance mentioned might appear to have no relevancy in these pages, yet it has in this: That the waters of the St. Joseph were included among the rivers leading into the St. Lawrence, and made "a common highway," and under its terms even

mill-dams could not have been constructed, had they been objected to as interfering with the free navigation of pirogues or flat-boats; but the early settlers on the river, while they availed themselves of the use of its navigable waters to float down to Fort Wayne their peltries and furs, and obtain in return necessary household goods for family use, did not for many years, object to the construction of mill-dams, because the mills conferred upon them blessings that overshadowed all damage. The nearest mills at which the early settlers of Superior Township could be accommodated were distant and inconvenient of access-either on the River Raisin, Mich., Brunersburgh, on Bean Creek, near Defiance, or at Fort Wayne; hence, every possible encouragement was offered those who would engage in mill enterprises by use of the St. Joseph, although, in low stages of water, they did seriously interfere with the movement of water craft. It may be added here that the river, from its navigable source to Montpelier, has never been of as much importance to the town as now. Without its use, the large manufacturing establishments would find it difficult and expensive to obtain the raw material necessary to keep their works in motion; but now, timber in abundance is floated down at cheap rates, and in quantities ample to meet the demands of the mills; thus, by obtaining cheap raw material, and having convenient facilities for shipment of their mill products, the Montpelier manufacturers possess unusual advantages.

THE SCHOOLS.

The first schoolhouse was of logs, built in 1841, and known as the "Bible Schoolhouse," and located near the east line of the township, on George Wisman's farm. The second was built in 1845, and situated near the central part of the township; the walls of this were also of logs, and in the midst of the place known as the Scholl settlement.

SCHOOLS AT MONTPELIER.

During two or three months of the summer of 1849, a young woman taught a school of youths in a shanty, and this was the first school undertaking on the ground where Montpelier is now located, according to the recollection of the earliest settlers. Jacob Leu, merchant, and Dr. Mercer, a practicing physician, both of whom located in Montpelier in 1863, and both of whom have honorably served as members of the Board of Education, state that when they made their first appearance in the town there was only one schoolhouse, kept in a room 24x30 feet, by a Miss Morris, and that she had ample room for more pupils. The old schoolhouse was purchased jointly by the township and town, as a place for holding township and town elections and official meetings,