Through some friends, I gained access to some private property that had a significant amount of history. The site had seen use since colonial times, but also had a lot of construction, destruction and earth moving in 250 years. Hope were high, but nothing from the earliest era surfaced. Near an aged wisteria where a house stood at one time came these finds. A Civil War era merchant's token, 1909 quarter and 1892 nickel. Just by luck and a good guess, I was able to find a picture of what the token looked like, enabling me to identify it and learn some history of the merchant who issued it, Gilbert Beach.
"Gilbert Beach came to Perrysburg, Ohio from New York state in 1835 while Perrysburg was still in an unimpressive oasis on the rim of the great Black Swamp. He opened a grocery store on Front Street, which was then the village's main thoroughfare, near the Exchange Hotel. He remained there for the next 29 years, part of the time in partnership with Schuyler. At one point fire destroyed his store, but he built another that eventually was moved to where the Hood Park parking lot is now located and which later became the home of the Perrysburg Journal until it was razed in 1966. In 1863 Gilbert purchased the building later occupied by the Munger Brothers Meat Market at 123 Louisiana where he added dry goods to his line of business. He continued there until closing the store in 1877.”
"Gilbert Beach came to Perrysburg, Ohio from New York state in 1835 while Perrysburg was still in an unimpressive oasis on the rim of the great Black Swamp. He opened a grocery store on Front Street, which was then the village's main thoroughfare, near the Exchange Hotel. He remained there for the next 29 years, part of the time in partnership with Schuyler. At one point fire destroyed his store, but he built another that eventually was moved to where the Hood Park parking lot is now located and which later became the home of the Perrysburg Journal until it was razed in 1966. In 1863 Gilbert purchased the building later occupied by the Munger Brothers Meat Market at 123 Louisiana where he added dry goods to his line of business. He continued there until closing the store in 1877.”
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