History

Village Background

Vanlue , the only village in the township, had its inception May 5 , 1847, when William Vanlue laid out a town of 44 lots in the north part of the north half of the northeast quarter of Section 9, and named it after himself. Four additions have been made to the original plat. Vanlue postoffice was established in 1849, and has had the following postmasters : Dr. W . P. Wilson, John Wescott, Dr. W. P. W Wilson, Ira Plotts, W . A. Sponsler, Daniel Gilbert and W William Alspach. The first business commenced in the village was a tannery in 1847, by Thompson & Barnhart. Clawer & Green opened a general dry goods and grocery store the same year. Hiram and W. L. Plotts were the first carpenters, afterward carrying on a cabinet shop and carding-mill run by steam power. In 1847-48, S. N. Beach opened a general store, Peter Shuck a grocery and Isaac Van Horn a blacksmith shop. The earliest physicians were Drs. A. Bell, Abraham Brown, W. P. Wilson, Stover, Igert, Todd and Myers, Dr. Wilson is yet in active practice at Vanlue. The town grew considerably during the first few years of its existence, and, being located on the branch railroad from Caret’ to Findlay, became the great shipping point for the sur rounding county. About 1851-52 a shingle factory was built, and operated a few years. In 1855-56 a grist-mill was put up by Hiram Russell, of which the present Centennial Mills is the successor. A foundry was opened in 1859, by James B. Freeman, which lasted about five years, The foregoing embrace the principal business interests of early Vanlue; but its location made it impossible for Vanlue ever to be anything more than a small country town, and after a certain stage of growth was reached its progress slackened up.
In September , 1866, Vanlue was incorporated for special purposes, and the first election for officers held April 13 , 1867, resulting as follows : Elisha Brown, mayor; Abraham Brown, recorder; Hiram Pratt, Ira Plotts, B. A. Etherton , Charles H. Hatch and A. S. Roberts, council. The mayoralty has since been filled by Aquilla Gilbert, Frederick Shiner, J. H, Brown, B. F. Burnap, T. B. Gilbert, Henry T. Lee, John Ward, Charles H. Hatch (appointed to fill vacancy), Henry T. Lee, Calvin Clark, George W. Snook and E. L. E. Mumma. After its incorporation prosperity once more visited the town, and a new impetus was given to business. On December 3, 1877, Vanlue was incorporated for general purposes. The census of 1880 gave it a population of 364, though its citizens now claim about 500.

Location

Vanlue is situated on the Findlay branch of the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western Railroad , about ten miles southeast of the county seat. It contains two general dry goods and grocery stores , one grocery, one drug store and grocery, one hardware store, one harness shop, one furniture store, one bakery, one tin shop, one boot and shoe shop, one barber shop, two blacksmith shops, four physicians, one hotel, and two saloons. In 1855-56 a steam flouring-mill was built in Vanlue by Hiram Russell, and after passing through several ownerships was bought by Frederick Shiner in 1882. He ran it some ten years and then sold it to Jacob Wall, who in turn disposed of the property to Homer Vansant, and it was soon afterward burned to the ground. In 1876 Mr. Shuler erected the “Centennial Mills,” a two and a half story frame building, which he has ever since operated. In the winter of 1884-85 Mr. Shuler put in the roller process, and now turns out a grade of flour second to none in northwestern Ohio. Two saw and planing mills are in operation in the village, and an extensive file and brickyard, which has been very successful since its establishment in 1884, is also located here. A large grain elevator and warehouse stands near the track of the Indianapolis , Bloomington & Western Railroad. It was built soon after the road was completed, and handles, annually, thousands of bushels of wheat, corn and oats raised upon the rich lands of this vicinity.

Religion

The United Brethren denomination built the first church at Vanlue in 1851-52; the English Lutherans, the second, and the Methodist Episcopals, the third. The United Brethren have abandoned the old structure, and erected a new one. All are comfortable frame buildings, and accommodate good congregations, A good frame schoolhouse of four rooms furnishes educational facilities, R. E. Diehl is principal, and there are two assistant teachers,
Fountain Lodge No. 353, I. O. O. F., was instituted July 28 , 1859, the charter members being John Wescott, Aquilla Gilbert, Abraham Brown, Harmon Pratt, Joshua Myers, Oliver Gordon, Henry Watkins and Benjamin Scott. The lodge erected a fine two-story brick building in 1883, at a cost of over $6,000, selling their old building to Ira Plotts. It now contains over 100 members, and is in a very prosperous condition.
Ellen Lodge No. 60, I. O. O. F., Daughters of Rebekah, was organized May 10 , 1870.
Ladonia Lodge No. 82, I. O. G. T., was organized November 24, 1884, and has a very large membership, numbering at present 110. Thus it will be seen that the cause of temperance in Vanlue is in a flourishing condition.