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Biographical Names of Henry County |
The History of Henry County Submitted from the Henry County Courthouse Staff |
The History of Henry County, Ohio |
Henry County
was formed on April 1, 1820 from Indian Territory but did not have enough
population to form a township until 1823. In 1824 Henry County was still attached to Putnam, Paulding, and Williams Counties judicially. In 1834 it became an independent county but has over the years given up sections to Defiance and Fulton Counties.
Named after the patriot, Patrick Henry, it contains about 430 square miles most of which was covered by the "Black Swamp". As a result of the "Swamp" the surface is basically level with rich soil, foliage and forests which gradually slopes toward Lake Erie. The Maumee Valley region was slow to develop; land was cheap(only $1.50 an acre in 1855), but involved a lot of hard work. The land had to be cleared of thick dense forest and drained before it could be farmed and just getting to the land was a chore. In 1830 the population of Henry County was 262 people and tax value was $262.00. Creation of the Miami and Erie canals on the Maumee River and the railroads helped increase development of the area.
Napoleon, plotted in 1832, became the county seat in 1850. The first framed courthouse was built in 1844 but was destroyed by fire in 1847 and all the records were lost. The second courthouse was built in 1849-50 and was again destroyed by fire in 1879. At this same site the present courthouse was built in 1880-82.
This history was taken in part from: Henry County, Ohio: A Collection of Historical Sketches And Family Histories Compiled By Members And Friends Of The Henry County Historical Society, Vol.1, p.7-9. Published 1976 by The Henry County Historical Society, Napoleon, Ohio 43545
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