WABASH TOWNSHIP.
The township is located upon the north line of Darke County, being the third east from the Indiana line. It is in Township 12, Range 3 east, with Sections 1, 12, 13 and 24 of Township 14, Range 2 east. Formerly, it extended two miles farther north to the old Indiana boundary line running from Fort Recovery to Fort Loramie. The reduction in area was caused by the assignment of this and other lands of Darke to Mercer, on the formation of Auglaize. It is situated upon an elevated plateau or table land, being nearly 700 feet above Cincinnati. The north part of the township has a deep, dark, loamy soil, well adapted to raising corn and grain. The south part is a light soil, underlaid with a stiff clay subsoil, producing heavy crops of wheat and other grains. Forty-six bushels of wheat to an acre were raised in the year 1879. The township is well calculated for stock raising.
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Originally, a sturdy growth of timber covered every acre. but now about two-thirds of the extent is cleared—the greater part of which is cultivated. A great deal of tile has been put down, and, though level and apparently low. the drainage is sufficient for successful culture except in unusually wet seasons. Attention is beginning to be paid to the improvement of stock. Mr. John Dodds has taken especial interest in this particular, and as a result. it will not be many years before the farmers of Wabash will be of the foremost in the county as stock-raisers. The farm of Mr. Dodds lies partly in Allen, and comprises about 500 acres, with good buildings and the machinery now in use. Originally the farms in this township were large, much of the land being entered in quarter, third and half sections. William A. Davison and Nimrod Ross, brothers-in-law, in the spring of 1838. bought together the west half of the southwest water, Section 12. the east half of southeast quarter, Section 11, the northwest quarter and west half of northeast quarter of Section 12, and sold this body of land on October 23 following. to Harmonious Shook for $1,800. In accord with the results of land ownership in this county, successive sales have been made and a number of good farms have been formed from this tract. It is reported that the first settlement of Walm„sh Township was in 1832, and Jesse Hill is spoken of as the pioneer. He was followed by Isaac Finkbone, Harmon, Henry, Peter and Elijah Shook. A. D. Birt. J. M. Houston, Samuel Hays and Justin Skinner. The Shooks and Birt were from Greene County, Ohio, Houston and Hays from Warren County. Ohio. and Skinner from New York. The township was organized in 1840 with sixteen voters within its limits—all of whom voted the same ticket in the exciting election of that year. The pioneer Justice of the Peace was Elijah Shook, who held that position twenty- one consecutive years, and until his demise. J. M. Houston was the first Township Clerk and the first Postmaster. At the time of its organization but one road was established within its limits, and that one was nothing else than a bridge path. In 1841, what is known as the Greenville and Celina road was surveyed by John Devor, Sr., and established and opened soon after.
The early settlers had their full share of hardships, privations and adventures. Mills were distant, roads almost impassable, and often the settler. not so very hardy after all, was placed on short allowance for bread until the two or three days' trip to the mill could be made. Game was abundant, and the trusty rifle never failed to keep the table supplied with choice venison or wild turkey; indeed no one thought of going even to a neighbor's house without his rifle or shot-gun. Much of the land being owned by non-residents. the actual settlers often called upon the pioneers to assist in finding them lands and corners. Foremost among the experts of this business were Isaac Finkbone and J. M. Houston—either of whom could find any section line or corner within a radius of seven miles from his home.
Working bees were very common. Among these were house-railings, log-rollings, rail-makings, etc., among the men, and quiltings and comfort-knottings among the women. At these gatherings, everybody within five miles was invited, and invariably went ; and the amount of work accomplished would surprise the present generation. Ten to fifteen acres were often rolled and log-heaps fired during the same day. Large log houses were raised and roofed. and sometimes floored, in a day. Often would five to seven thousand rails be made during a day by the men, while the women would finish one or two quilts ; and most of the night was then given to the merry dance, then trudging homeward through water and mud at early dawn, or, perhaps, if desirous of putting on style. some stalwart swain having brought along his horse. would take his ladylove on behind him to traverse the woods, parting the brush and leaping logs until arrived at home.
The road surveyed by John Devor. in 1841, soon became the favorite route of travel between Greenville and Celina. As the counties of Darke and M cer were in the same judicial district. and as the only mode of travel was on horseback, at the times of court at either Greenville or Celina, squads of lawyers could be seen wending their way, single tile. to attend the sessions. The residence of J.
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M. Houston was midway between the two towns, and it became a regular stopping place for dinner. If the path was good. the time was good ; but more frequently the trip took two days. and this house was the lodgings for the night. Among these pioneer legal lights were Judges Haines and Wilson. and Messrs. Bell, Dempsey and Knox. Those living no doubt recollect the genial hospitality, the corn bread, fat venison. social chat. and last—not least—the ingenious contrivance for bedding fifteen to twenty persons in a log cabin in size 18x22 feet. Squire Houston has been in public life in Warren County for many years, and has taken great interest in public affairs. As at this time there was no mail route. he availed himself of the lawyers' presence to " post up." and converse was often maintained till far into the night. Of those present at the organization, and voting at the first election, but one remains—Orrin Skinner: Thomas Birt is the oldest resident... but was not twenty-one at that time. The descendants of the Shook and Houston families are yet living in the township, and enjoying the fruits of their early hardships and toil, and many a tale of the early day may be heard among them. There are six school districts in Wabash Township, and as many brick schoolhouses, ranging in value from $800 to $1.200 each. The interest taken in educational matters. and the liberal provision made for schools, augers well for the future intellectual status of Wabash. The Frst schoolhouse was built in the spring of 1844. in the E. S. Shook neighborhood, on Section 13. The first teacher in this house was Elijah Raines, who came from Greene County. The first church was the Methodist Episcopal. built of logs, in 1844, in the Shook settlement. A second building, of the same material, was built in the fall of 1848, in the same locality. There was no formal dedication of the former, and it is a matter of doubt whether there was to the latter ; but services were occasionally held in it by Rev. Harmount.
In 1870, a frame church was erected, the third in this place ; and this was duly consecrated by Rev. Wycke. During the spring of 1876, the erection of a meeting-house was contracted for by A. R. Catterell, at North Star. On its completion, it was dedicated by Rev. R. D. Oldfield, assisted by Rev. T. D. Howe. This was during the time when Rev. M. Omerod was on the Dawn Circuit. There is a Christian Church in what is called the Holsapple settlement, on the Wabash, north of the center of Section 12. about two and one-half' miles from North Star. It is a frame, and was built in 1871.
In the line of manufacture there are two tile factories, one operated by Gilbert & Trissell. formerly by Harvey Burns and Benjamin Gilbert, and the other by Ephraim Trissell and Alvin Jones. A saw-mill was erected at North Star in 1852, by John and David Trissell. To this mill, grist works were added in 1858 by Stephen J. Houston. The property is now owned by Andrew Alexander Another mill stood a half-mile east of North Star. It was built by David Trissell and was burned down in 1878. The establishment of mail routes gave employment to Freeman Whittaker, who was the first to carry the mail in Wabash. In accord with the custom and necessity of the times, small cemeteries were laid out adjacent the churches ; there were three in the township, located respectively at Shook's Chapel, Holsapple's and at Perrysville.
North Star is the principal village in Wabash. and stands one-fourth mile west of the center of the township, and in the center north and south. It was laid out in 1852. It is distant from Berlin ten miles, from Rossville six, from Celina seventeen, and from Greenville eighteen. The first sale of lots was made by H. Puterbaugh from Section 17. Sales were also made by D. H. T. Sullow from Section 9, and by S. J. Houston out of Section 8. None have been sold from Section 16. of which Mrs. Myra Wallace owns an eighth, and upcn which she has a fine dwelling. On the corner section opposite is a general store building kept by Peter Groff, and built in 1852 by William Edwards, who put in the first stock of goods. It has changed proprietors a number of times in the interim from Edwards' till Groff's time, and both building and lot belong to the Campbell
390 - HISTORY OF DARKE COUNTY.
heirs. The church here, as stated, was begun in 1876, but not finished until recently. A blacksmith named William Pierson built and operated a shop at the village in 1860. The saw-mill previously noted does an extensive business. The population of North Star is about one hundred and fifty.
The following are the statistics of the township for 1879 : Wheat. 1,280 acres, 19,463 bushels; rye, 36 acres, 405 bushels ; buckwheat, 14 acres, 204 bushels ; oats, 644 acres, 20,806 bushels ; barley, 9 acres, 101 bushels ; corn, 2.212 acres, 23,350 bushels ; meadow. 275 acres, 274 tons ; clover, 278 acres, 203 tons, 30 bushels seed and ten acres plowed under ; flax, 103 acres, 966 bushels ; potatoes, 564 acres, 9,004 bushels ; tobacco, 9 acres, 9,160 pounds ; butter, 19,415 pounds; sorghum, 43 acres, 3,819 gallons sirup ; maple sugar,- 40 pounds ; bees (hives), 83, 1,800 pounds ; sweet potatoes, 116 bushels ; orchards, 144 acres. The total of lands in Wabash is 10.550 acres, of which 5,918 are cultivated, 62 in pasture, 4,275 in woods, and 295 in waste. Considering lateness in settlement, difficulties in the way and distance from market, the record of the past and of the present give encouraging promise for the future.