make three round trips daily to accommodate travelers, freight and mail At Wapakoneta, the new road connected with both the new Dayton and Michigan Railroad and also with the toll road to Logan County.

What gay parties must have been enjoyed on many a sunny Sunday afternoon when a group of ten to twenty young couples would charter one of the steam boats for a picnic on the lake. The meeting place would be the "basin," a wide harbor where the Chestnut Street parking lot is today. There they would board the steamer with their baskets crammed with chicken, ham, roast beef, home made bread, cakes and pies. The men had already seen to it that a good keg of Minster's Wooden Shoe beer was already chilled and hidden back of the wheel house. With a long toot of the whistle, the party would steam up the canal through the aquaduct, turn right into the Feeder and approach the deep lock at the Bulkhead. An hour after leaving town, they would be out on the wide expanse of the Reservoir. After several hours of "paddle wheels a splashing "good food and a song fest, the party would be heading back to town in time for the evening services in most all of the churches.

Samuel Doyle of Dayton had built the first of the steamers to ply the canal .oute; however, due to slow speeds required to prevent washing of the banks, steamers did not prove financially profitable for this trade. Doyle and Wheeler brought their craft to the Reservoir and as early as 1849, their "Niagra" was making daily trips to Celina and Montezuma. Round trip fare was 50 cents with leaving time of 9: 00 a.m. and to return by 3:00 p.m. Some of the other steamers of the period included Bill Barienbrook's "Clipper," James Johnson's "The Pilgrim" and J. M. Davidson's boat carrying his own name. Steam boat traffic in the lake continued for many years. As late as 1891, a large party was on the lake to watch the shooting of a new oil well, drilled several miles out in the water.

In 1853 a new sound was heard in Saint Marys. School bells gladdened the hearts of some and saddened the hearts of others after the passing of the so called Akron School Law. Saint Marys is recorded as being the first town in the State to take advantage of its provisions and organize a public school. Within only four years, the new school had such a reputation for quality teaching that pupils came here from seven counties.

In earlier years, school had been on a subscription or pay basis. James Laird, as early as 1827 taught the three "R's." Other who had schools included Stacy Taylor, Rev. Gregg, Mrs. Dumbauld, Mrs. McGinley, Miss Medbury and Miss Henry. One of the largest and most successful, however, was that of Mary Barrington. In 1846 she had 65 pupils assembled in the basement of the Baptist Church. The demand was so great that the next year she employed her sister, Susan of Piqua, thus becoming the first two-room school. With support from taxation, the Union School was built where the Methodist Fellowship Hall is now located. It was enlarged from four rooms to eight rooms, than later tore down for the West Side School which in turn became the Saint Marys High School.

Another new sound was added in 1861. This was the tramp, tramp, tramp of soldiers drilling for service in the Civil War. Company "C" of the Ohio 37th was enlisted as Volunteers under the leadership of Samuel Mott, Attorney-at-Law. Another Company composed of a good mixture of Irish and German recruits also drilled on the Parade Grounds laid out north of Bunker Hill. This Company acquired a reputation of fighting among themselves of Irish versus German, but in actual battle stood staunchly together against the enemy. Mott, who retired during the war because of his health, and Major Charles Hipp combined these two units and brought them safely back home with only the minimum of casualties. Again they entered their normal activities, married "the girl they left behind them," and continued the growth and development of Saint Marys. The girls who had been "left behind them" had been the young ladies of the village who had gone every drill night to the Parade Ground. There they watched their young men go throughthe prescribed formations until darkness. In the quiet evening hours, they would be "walked home" by the boys who were to Save the Union.