ncorporated Communities.

Hancock county had seven incorporated villages in 1871; Arcadia, Cannonsburg, Findlay, McComb, Van Buren, Vanlue, and Mt. Blanchard.¹

... wife of the murdered Dr. Nott, of Mt. Blanchard, has been arrested charged with assault and with intent to murder Mrs. Susan Cherry, the result of an old quarrel.²

rs. Henry K. Nott (1878) ...

In 1870, Dr. Henry K. Nott (b. NY) physician & surgen [sic], and wife, Sarah Nott (b. OH), lived in Houcktown, Jackson Twp., Hancock Co., Ohio.³ Living with them at the time were John Morris and John Tipple. Prior to his arrival in Houcktown, Dr. Knott lived in Scioto Twp., Delaware Co., OH.⁴ Coincidently, there was a Dr. H.K. Knott, physician (b. 1822, NY) living with his wife Sarah Knott (b. 1832, OH) in Hannibal, Marion Co., Missouri in 1860.⁵ Could this have been the same Knott/Nott family and could this have been where the feud have started, maybe over the Missouri Compromise or the Civil War?

THE KNAPP CASE.—There is a very strong probability that the case of the State of Ohio vs. Dr. Knapp, indicted for murder in the first degree for the shooting of Dr. Nott, will not be tried at the next term of Court.
-------------------------------------------------------------
At Benton Ridge, Hancock County, O., on the 22d, Dr. Frank H. Knapp shot and killed Dr. H.K. Nott with a shot-gun. Both were practicing physicians. Dr. Knapp says as a defense of his crime, that Dr. Nott had several times fired at him with a revolver, and did so on the day of the shooting, and that he fired the fatal shot while under the conviction that his life was in imminent peril.¹⁵

Dr. Henry K. Nott, of Benton Ridge, was allegedly murdered by Dr. Frank H. Knapp⁶. He and his wife, Elizabeth M. (Warfal) Knapp,⁷ lived in the incorporated hamlet of Benton Ridge where Dr. Knapp was a physician. They had one daughter, Anna R. Knapp, who was eleven at the time of the incident. Dr. Knapp apparently shot Dr. Nott with a shotgun after Dr. Nott supposedly fired at him several times previously that day with a pistol. Dr. Knapp indicated to a reported that he was in fear of his life.⁸

--E.A. Ballard, was over at Findlay last week assisting in the defense of Dr. Knapp, tried for murder.¹³

Dr. Knapp, born in Pennsylvania in 1850, was 48 at the time, his wife, Elizabeth, was 34, having been born in Vermont in 1844. In the late 1860s, the Knapp family was either living or visiting in Missouri where Elizabeth was born. Knapp was indicted by the State of Ohio for the murder of Dr. Knott.⁹ About a score of witnesses were eventually subponenaed for the trial at Findlay, Ohio.¹⁰ Mr. E.A. Ballard, of Lima, assisted in the defense of Dr. Knapp.¹¹ who was later acquited.

By the time of the 1880 census Sarah Nott was listed as a widowed "doctress", living in Houcktown with John R. & Hannah Morris.¹⁴ John R. was listed on the census as her son. The relationship of the difference in surnames has never been determined.

Dr. Knapp later helped in a fatal railway accident which occurred just east of Bluffton, Ohio on January 18, 1888.²¹

     FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT
          ------------------------
A.L.E.&W. Train Jumps the Tract--A Troupe Badly Broken Up.

LIMA, O., January 18.--passenger train No. 1, west-bound, on the Lake Erie & Western Railway, was wrecked by a boken rail at 8:35 yesterday morning, three miles east of Bluffton. The engine and baggage car passed over in saftey, but the smoking car and ladies' coach were thrown over on their sides and badly broken up. The train had about fifty passengers on board, among whom were the member of the Frank Mayo "Nordeck" Company, all of whom were more or less bruised and shaken up.
A relief train carrying surgeons left here immediately upon receipt of the news, and everything possible was done for the comfort of the injured. Dr. [Frank H.] Knapp, a physician of Findlay, who was on the train, although considerably injured himself, rendered efficient aid to the wounded. As soon as the coaches tipped over they took fire from the stoves, and had it not been for the active work performed by conductor W.B. Kaywood, Engineer Nelson Robinson, and other trainmen, the cars would have been burned up.
  Following is a list of the killed and wounded:
  Albert Gilbert, Fostoria, O., killed
  Miss Frances Graham, of the Mayo Company, ankle dislocated and injured in the back.
Edwin Nalod, of the Mayo Company, left hand crushed; amputated at the wrist.
  Neil gray, of the Mayo Company, ut on the head.
  Robert Neil, thrown through a window and badly cut and bruised about the head and face.
  Lawrence Johnson, of the Mayo Company, right arm broken.
  J.C. Harvey, of the Mayo Company, hands badly cut with glass.
 &nbs;C.H. Ways, of Findlay, badly injured about the head.
  F.W. Redding, of Findlay, seriously cut in the right side with glass.
  C. Yound, of Findlay, slightly cut in the legs.
  This is the first accident that has ever occurred upon this line by which a passenger loses his life, and the road't excellent record for the past sixteen years is broken.²²

And in 1879 ...FINDLAY, July 22.—Mrs. S. Nott, of Benton, was arrested for assault with intent to murder Susan Cherry. She appeared before Justice of the Peace Saturday, waved an eamination, and gave bonds for her appearance at court. Mrs. Nott is the widow of the late Dr. H.K. Nott, murdered about a year ago by Dr. F.H. Knapp, who was acquitted. A bitter fued existed between the friends of the two families, which frequently broke out in bloody broils, and it is thought will yet result in murder.¹²

uperstition, 1879.

HOW A LITTLE GIRL FACINATES BIRDS
From the Forest (Ohio) Review.
  We learn from a correspondent that there resides in the vicinity of Harrisburg, an out-of-the-way place in Hancock county, about three miles west of Mount Blanchard, a very remarkable child only five years old, who seems to have the power to charm birds at will. Her mother first noticed this strange facination that the child possesses about a year ago. The little girl was out playing in the door-yard among a bevy of snow-birds, and when she spoke to them thay would come and light upon her, twittering with glee. On taking them in her hands and stroking them, the birds, instead of trying to get awa from their fair captive, seemed to be highly pleased, and when let loose would fly away a short distance and immediately return to the child again. She took several of them into the house to show her mother, who, thinking she might hurt them, put them out doors, but no sooner was the door opened than the birds flew into the room again and lit upon the girl’s head and began to chirp. The birds remained about the premises all Winter, flying to the little girl whenever the door was opened. The parents of the child became alarmed, believing that this strange power was an ill omen, and that that much-dreaded visitor, death, was about to visit their home. But death did not come, an during last Summer the child has had numerous pets from the birds. The child handles the birds so gently that a humming-bird once in her had does not fail to return. This Winter a bevy of birds have kept her company, and she plays with them for hours at a time. Every morning the birds fly to her window, and leave only when the sun sinks in the west. The parents of this little girl are poor, superstitious people, and have been reticent about the matter until lately fearing that some great calamity was about to befall them.¹⁶

il and wells.

Oil wells were first drilled in 1890. Back in 1886 the Mt. Blanchard Gas Company refused $2,700 for their wells.¹⁷ Later in 1930 Mt. Blanchard’s oil territory south & east of the village had producers sinking wells near Findlay, Forest, and Kenton "... with a showing of oil in most of the wells north of Forest; near Wharton, gas and oil on the Lincoln-hy west of Forest, gas south of Patterson and west of Dunkirk and the new oil and gas well on the Sites farm, just brought in, together with the old Ed Young 10-barrel well, one mile west of Forest, producers feel the time is now ripe for a full development of this entire territory, which centers around Forest.¹⁸

nderground Railroad.

The underground railroad which was in operation prior to the late rebellion passed through Arlington.¹⁹

ohnny Appleseed.

One of the noblest works of "Johnny Appleseed" can be seen on the farm of Clark Greer, one-half mile east of here. It is a monstrous apple tree that one foot from the ground measures nine feet and six inches in circumfrence. It was put there by the pioneer nurseryman over fifty years ago.²⁰

     

 ¹Defiance Democrat (Defiance, OH) 25 Feb 1871.
 ²Allen County Democrat (Lima, OH) 1 Aug 1878, p.3, c.2.
 ³1870; Census Place: Jackson, Hancock, Ohio; Roll: M593_1218; Page: 163; Image: 327. Ninth Census of the United States, 1870. Washington, D.C. National Archives and Records Administration. M593, RG29.
 ⁴1860 U.S. Census, p.276. Jackson, Ronald V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp. Ohio Census, 1790-1890 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Original data: Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.
 ⁵1860; Census Place: Hannibal, Marion, Missouri; Roll: M653_632; Page: 0; Image: 282. Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Eighth Census of the United States, 1860. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1860. M653.
 ⁶1880 U.S. Census (Inc. Hamlet of Benton Ridge, Blanchard Twp., Hancock Co., OH) 2 Jun 1880, ed177.
 ⁷National Archives and Records Administration. Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Original data: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. T288, 544 rolls.
 ⁸Allen County Democrat (Lima, OH) 17 January 1878, p.3, c.6.
 ⁹ibid. 24 Jan 1878, p.3, c.6.
¹⁰ibid. 31 Jan 1878, p.3, c.1.
¹¹ibid. 31 Jan 1878, p.3, c.1. This same article also ran on 31 Jan 1878 on p.3, c.1.
¹²1880; Census Place: Washington, Hancock, Ohio; Roll: T9_1021; Family History Film: 1255021; Page: 373.3000; Enumeration District: 176; Image: 0122.
¹³Allen County Democrat (Lima, OH) 17 Jan 1878, p.3, c.6.
¹⁴The Elyria Republican (Elyria, OH) 1 Aug 1878, p.3, c.2.
¹⁵The Iola Register (Iola, KS) 1 Dec 1877, p.1, c.6.
¹⁶The Forest Review (Forest, OH) 3 Feb 1879.
¹⁷Daily Democratic Times (Lima, OH) 11 Mar 1886, p.2, c.2.
¹⁸Lima News (Lima, OH) March 30, 1930, p.5, c.5.
¹⁹The Mount Blanchard News (Mt. Blanchard, OH) 1883.
²⁰ibid. 1886.
²²Springfield Daily Republic (Springfield, OH) 18 Jan 1888, p.2, c.4.