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In the early history of the township, as well as that of the county, there were but few of this class of men, and those few supplied a want very much needed and appreciated by the first settlers. To raise cattle and hogs was not very difficult or expensive; but the difficulty consisted in getting them to market. There were but few marketable points within reach of the settlements, and the demands at these were in limited numbers only. The Government Agencies at Sandusky and Detroit were ready purchasers for a small amount of this class of farm products. Subsequently, however, in the latter place, Canadian speculators purchased largely of cattle and hogs that were packed for the English markets. In addition to these places, Cincinnati, Chillicothe and Cleveland did a small amount of this kind of business. Here, then, were the points of trade; but to reach them was a difficult task. All this stock must necessarily be driven on foot a distance of from 100 to 200 miles, with such surroundings as are peculiar to a new country like this.
Butler Comstock, of Worthington, was among the first extensive cattle speculators in this township. His purchases were usually made in the spring, comprising one hundred or more four-year-old steers, for which he paid from $4 to $7 per head. These cattle were herded and grazed upon the prairies until early autumn, and then driven to some of the above markets – Pittsburgh or Philadelphia. Mr. Comstock continued this business for several years, with profit to himself and those of whom he purchased.
In the year 1818, a young man by the name of James Guy came from Canada to this township. Others of the family came at about the same time. James possessed fine business qualifications, and at once entered into the cattle trade limited, however, at first; but, as his means increased, his purchases were correspondingly greater. The points of trade sought by him were in keeping with the kind and condition of his stock. His fat cattle, in the infancy of his speculations, were driven to Sandusky or Detroit, but his stock cattle were taken to the neighborhood of Chillicothe and sold to feeders along the Scioto bottoms. This method of doing business was too circumscribed to meet his enlarged views and speculative usefulness. This increased trade upon his part was in keeping with the increased supply, for, by this time, the people had learned that stock-raising was the most profitable, if not the only industry that brought the ready cash. From 1830 to 1840, the price current for a four-year-old steer was from $7 to $10 per head. Mr. Guy in his traffic was not confined to this township or county; he therefore purchased large droves of cattle that were driven on foot over the Alleghany Mountains to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Sometimes his droves assumed mammoth proportions, numbering from 300 to 500 head. He followed this business for nearly twenty years. At one time he was the owner of 1,500 acres of the finest grazing lands on the plains. In 1846, his speculative mind was turned to a new field of action. He, in company with David Mitchell, son of Judge Mitchell, entered largely into the pork-packing business at Columbus. Many thousand head were slaughtered, for which they paid from $5 to $6 per hundred; but before this great bulk of pork was put upon the market, there came the great financial crash of 1847. like a sweeping tornado, carrying with it some of the best business firms and men of the county. Mr. Guy was therefore wrecked upon the sand-bar of finance, and to him, like others with such extensive ideas of speculations, disaster was an almost natural result. He lost all, and made an assignment to his creditors; but he was not the man to sit down and brood over the disasters of the past, for, when the California gold fever swept over this continent, he went with an overland emigrant train to "Ophir," to gather the precious metal of that land. Here he remained four years, and came back with $5,000 of the shining dust, with which he purchased a farm, partly in this and Union Counties, where he lived until his death, in 1882.
James Boyd came to Canaan Township in 1829, and purchased a farm on the plains, where he lived until his death, in 1831. There were three sons, the oldest a resident of London, this county; James Boyd, Jr., is a resident of this township, and the owner of a fine farm near Plain City. His occupation is farming of a mixed character, but devoting special attention to fine cattle and hogs. His life has been identified in the agricultural pursuits, and his surroundings are indicative of thrift and prosperity. As the lines of railroads extended westward, many of the old stock speculators and drovers retired from business, and new ones stepped to the front. Daniel Boyd, of this township, was the first to engage in this new mode of transportation. His early business training was among the cattle herds of Darby. Accordingly, in 1855, his first shipments were made to the Eastern markets. Being young and inexperienced, there were many things to be learned that were important and essential to success. In a few years of experience, he abandoned in part the shipment of cattle; but for the last fifteen or twenty years, his shipments have been confined to hogs, sheep and wool. He has been engaged in this business for twenty-seven successive years, and in this particular is the oldest shipper in the county. During this period, the value of his shipments have been from $150,000 to $300,000 per year. He lives in a finely located suburban residence of Plain City.
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