Biddle (Biddle Mills) – Sandusky Township
Post Office: 1880 – 1904
Location: 40.840389, -82.818306
on Biddle Rd (Township Hwy 44) at the intersection of Loss Creek Rd (Township Hwy 178) along Loss Creek and the Sandusky River
Remnants: Loss Creek (Evangelical Lutheran) Church at the GPS coordinates, Biddle Cemetery 1 1/2 miles southeast of the GPS coordinates on south side of Remlinger Rd (Co Hwy 49)
Description: The town was founded by Reverend Alex Biddle (1809 – 1898) who owned a 160-acre farm in the northwest corner of the intersection of Biddle Rd and Remlinger Rd. In the mid-1800s, there was a grist mill along the Sandusky River just southwest of Biddle Cemetery on land owned by the Robinson family and a saw mill next to Loss Creek just northwest of the Lutheran Evangelical church on land owned by the Kaler family. A school (Sandusky Township No. 5) was on the south side of Biddle Rd across from the Biddle farm. Alex preached at a United Brethren church at Biddle Cemetery which has since been lost to time. He was buried there with 3 former wives and some of his children, including John B. Biddle (1838 – 1862) who died in battle in the Civil War. The present brick structure of Loss Creek Church was built in 1905 at the same spot as the one pinpointed on earlier maps. Biddle’s postmasters over the years were J. Parr, Thomas S. Dewalt, Isaac Kietler, S. S. Elberson, and Guy E. V. Fry.
Camp Run – Sandusky Township
Post Office: 1852 – 1873
Location: 40.843378, -82.846953
on SR 96 along the Sandusky River between SR 602 and Beck Rd (Co Hwy 20)
Remnants: none known
Description: The proprietors were War of 1812 veteran Mathew Torrence (1788 – 1873) from Allegheney County, Pennsylvania and Juda (Hess) Torrence (1804 – 1877) from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. They had 12 children and owned a 160-acre farm on the north side of the GPS coordinates with Mathew being the town’s postmaster. It’s unknown if any of the buildings currently standing there date back to that time period. Mathew and Juda were buried with relatives in Sandusky Cemetery 2 1/2 miles northeast of the GPS coordinates on the east side of Biddle Rd (Township Hwy 44).
Crawford – Holmes Township
Location: 40.877504, -83.027227
on the north side of Temple Rd (Township Hwy 30) along Broken Sword Creek
Remnants: none known
Description: Joseph Newell (1789 – ?) from Pennsylvania arrived in Holmes Township around 1826 and subsequently platted Crawford on his farm in section 9 in the hope that it would eventually become the county seat. He also laid out half an acre for a cemetery and fenced it in. It appears that none of the lots ever sold, but residents in the western portion of the township were in favor of the idea of Crawford becoming the county seat. Bucyrus was granted the honor with more residents in the southern part of the township backing it up. Crawford ended up being a “paper town”. Joseph served as the first township clerk and a school teacher. It’s unknown when he died and where he was buried, but Joseph was recorded in the 1850 census as living in Dallas Township.
Fauser – Chatfield Township
Location: 40.921235, -82.940222
on Carey Rd at the railroad crossing between SR 4 and Schwemly Rd
Remnants: Lust (Pietest) Cemetery a half mile west of the GPS coordinates at the intersection of SR 4 and Carey Rd
Description: It was founded by German immigrant John G. Fauser (1811 – 1892) and Magdaline (Crum) Fauser (1813 – 1893). They originally settled in Columbiana County before moving to Crawford County in 1839 and purchased a 160-acre farm on the north side of Carey Rd just east of the GPS coordinates. John and Magdaline had 9 children and lived in a one-room log cabin which was greatly improved as the family’s farming success continued. John was also a baker by trade. The Sandusky, Columbus, & Hocking Railroad (later bought by the Pennsylvania Railroad) rolled through the area in Fauser’s later years. A former wood frame church at Pietest Cemetery was replaced in 1897 by a much larger impressive brick structure with a beautiful wooden steeple topped with a pineapple carved in great detail. It was demolished in the mid-2010s as the congregation again needed a more modern building with additional space. The new church is also on SR 4 (Chatfield Center Rd) on the south side of the town of Chatfield 2 miles north of the original site. Most of Fauser’s residents were buried in Lust (Pietest) Cemetery.
Glenville – Bucyrus Township
Location: 40.813594, -83.050774
on Glenville Rd at the railroad crossing at the intersection of Heinle Rd
Remnants: none known
Description: This farming town had a train station on the Pennsylvania Railroad and a relatively densely populated area consisting of small lots on the north side of the train tracks in the late 1800s to early 1900s. A school was a half mile south of the GPS coordinates in the northeast corner of the intersection of Glenville Rd and Bucyrus – Nevada Rd on land owned by the Heinlen (Heinle) family which was the most prominent in town. German immigrants Mathias Heinlen (1816 – 1897) and Mary Elizabeth (Bickle) Heinlen (1830 – 1908) were the patriarch and matriarch of the family in Bucyrus Township. Benjamin A. Sinn (1831 – 1913) operated a saw mill in Glenville for 8 years. Mathias and Mary were laid to rest with relatives in Nevada Cemetery about 6 miles northwest of the GPS coordinates on the east side of SR 231 in Eden Township, Wyandot County. Benjamin Sinn was buried with relatives and currently over 100 descendants of Mathias and Mary in Oakwood Cemetery at the intersection of W Southern Ave and Kaler Ave in Bucyrus.
Jacksonville – Jefferson Township (formerly in Jackson Township)
Location: 40.770593, -82.848522
on the north side of Windfall Rd between SR 602 and Beck Rd
Remnants: none known
Description: It was platted in 1836 in section 15 of Jackson Township. None of its lots sold and Jacksonville fell into the ghost town subcategory of “paper towns”. Jefferson Township was later formed out of Jackson in 1873.
North Liberty (Hog Town) – Chatfield Township
Location: 40.941041, -82.947225
on SR 4 between SR 103 and Orr Rd
Remnants: Old Chatfield Lutheran Cemetery in a field on the west side of SR 4 just south of the GPS coordinates
Description: North Liberty was the first village in the township. It was platted with 41 lots in 1834 by John Henry. The only business the town ever had was a small ashery. Despite that fact, the population rose to around 35 residents with a church at Old Chatfield Lutheran Cemetery and a school across the road. John wasn’t a well-liked guy, a notorious pig poacher who received an nickname of “Hog Henry”. He never disputed the title and sometimes referred to himself by that name. John’s love of bacon finally got the best of him as he was shot in a thigh after getting caught in the act by two local hunters. They did rush to John’s aid after the incident though. He eventually recovered a few months later, but reportedly didn’t stop poaching hogs. As a result, the residents started calling North Liberty “Hog Town”. The population subsequently dwindled and the town faded out of existence long before publication of the 1881 county history book. Where John Henry came from and where he was died is a mystery. He moved west after the failure of North Liberty.
Whetstone – Whetstone Township
Post Office: 1833 – 1838
Location: 40.773759, -82.913281
on SR 19 between SR 100 and Parcher Rd
Remnants: none known
Description: The proprietors were William Fitzsimmons (1793 – 1847) from Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania and Ann (Holman) Fitzsimmons (1807 – 1890) from Franklin County, Pennsylvania. They moved to Crawford County in 1831, had at least 7 children, and owned an 80-acre farm with a tavern on the south side of the GPS coordinates. The tavern was an important stopping point for pioneers heading further west. William and Ann were laid to rest in Oakwood Cemetery 4 1/2 miles northwest of the GPS coordinates at the intersection of W Southern Ave an Kaler Ave in Bucyrus.
Crawford County, Ohio Ghost Towns Research Resources
1850s – Crawford County map
1873 – Crawford County atlas
1894 – Crawford County atlas
1912 – Crawford County atlas
1881 – History of Crawford County and Ohio
1902 – A Centennial Biographical History of Crawford County, Ohio
Ohio Ghost Town Exploration Co. 