PHOTO BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
CHURCH HISTORY … Lyons First Universalist Church Moderator Megan Bovee speaks about the history of the church to attendees at the Museum of Fulton County’s 14th annual Haunting History Tour in Lyons Friday night.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
History came alive in Lyons Friday night with the Museum of Fulton County’s 14th annual Haunting History Tour.
Staged from the Lyons and Area Historical Society’s Toledo and Western Depot, the tour was led up and down Morenci Street to various locations where volunteers told stories of the area’s history, from its founding through major events and into the 2000s.
After a brief lesson on the history of the Toledo Strip area, including Morey’s Corners – the original name of Lyons when it was located in what is now Seward – the first stop was the Village Mart, where a reenactor playing the part of Vesta Phillips regaled tourgoers with a brief history of the Phillips family and of the nightlong “Toledo War.”
The so-called war involved Undersheriff William McNair and a posse he put together to capture surveyors sent by Ohio Governor Robert Lucas to survey the area, then claimed as part of the Michigan Territory, in an attempt to gain ownership of the land for Ohio.
A brief skirmish on the property of Eli and Vesta Phillips resulted in the arrest of nine armed surveyors and the escape of several others. Shots were fired, but no one was injured in the incident.
The next stop was the State Bank and a slate of stories of robberies and burglaries through the years. In addition to tales of robberies long ago, robberies of the State Bank in 2002, 2003, and 2004 were also included.
In both the bygone and more recent robberies, brave civilian residents chased the robbers in sometimes helpful efforts that led to arrests.
Up next was a brief stop at the First Universalist Church, founded in 1852 with the church itself constructed in 1868 on land donated by church and village founder Jinks Morey.
A stop at Friendship Hall brought stories on different people buried in the cemeteries of Lyons, including Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War veterans.
The penultimate stop – at what is now American Oak Creations – gave tourgoers a history of the village’s post office, including stories of Charles E. Carmon, the postmaster appointed in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln.
Among the tidbits shared during that presentation was the story of Carmon’s drafting into the Civil War and his wife Rachel’s service as postmaster during his absence.
Carmon was also a businessman and inventor of the “resonator,” a telephone-like device. His life also included tragedy when he shot at what he believed to be a returning robber trying to break in, killing his son, who was sleepwalking on the roof.
The final stop, back at the depot, brought stories of entertainment throughout the years, including the local baseball team playing inside a racetrack while horses were racing and the local band played.
It also included the story of Edwin Smith, a local pioneer born in New York who grew up in Ohio. He went to California in search of gold in 1861 but returned unsuccessfully, except in growing a beard, nearly to the ground, which attracted the attention of P.T. Barnum. Smith went on to tour as part of Barnum’s Greatest Show on Earth circus.
The next event being held by the Museum of Fulton County will be Santa at the Wauseon Depot on November 28 and December 18, 19, and 20, and Christmas at the Cabin at the Fulton County Fairgrounds on December 11 and 12.