Delaware County, Ohio History

412 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY

CHAPTER XIV.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP-EARLY SETTLEMENT-PIONEER LIFE-MILLS AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS

-SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, ETC.-STORES AND VILLAGES.

"Like the one

Stray fragment of a wreck, which, thrown

With the lost vessel's name ashore,

Tells who they were that live no more."- Moore.

THIS particular section of Delaware County is rich in remains of the strange people who once inhabited the country and left imperishable evidences of their labors behind, extending from Lake Superior to the Isthmus, and from Ohio to the Pacific. Of them and concerning them history is silent. No record exists of their achievements and progress; no sculptured memorial attests their skill and greatness, yet all about us is proof that a population vastly greater than now abounds, once inhabited these valleys, and reared these mysterious structures. Our houses are built on grounds once appropriated by others; our towns and cities occupy the sites of older cities; and our cemeteries are sacred to the memory of a ghostly people, who, in the event of a final resurrection, could rise up and claim ownership prior to the present occupants. As to these mounds, investigation and research tell us, that -

"A race that long has passed away

Built them, a disciplined and populous race,

Heaped with long toil the earth, while yet the Greek

Was hewing the Pentelicus to forms

Of symmetry, and rearing on its rock

The glittering Parthenon ;'

but whence the builders came, in which age they existed, and the cause of their final disappearance, we know absolutely nothing. The antiquary finds

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in them no inscriptions, which, like those found on the plains of Shinar, or in the valley of the Nile, can unfold the mysteries of bygone centuries. He finds only moldering skeletons, the scattered remnants of vessels of earthenware, rude weapons of war, axes made of stone, and other implements equally rude.

Not only this township, but the country immediately surrounding it, contains many traces of that wonderful people, the Mound-Builders. One of the most extensive relics of them in this region, and perhaps in the county, is in Orange Township, just across the river from the southeast corner of Liberty, and is on the land of A. E. Goodrich, Esq. It is located on the bank of the river, which here rises into a bluff, and being so near to Liberty Township, and the land upon which it is located having, for a number of years, been owned by the Goodriches, citizens of Liberty, they take more interest in it than do the people of Orange. It bears all the marks of having been a fort, and with the river-and a large ravine which enters the river almost at right angles-forms a semicircle, or, more properly speaking, a quadrant, and incloses something near ten acres of ground. Several gateways or openings in the wall surrounding it, which is of earth, from five to eight feet high, are guarded by mounds on the inside of the inclosure. This work, whatever it may be, has never been examined scientifically, and hence may be as rich in archaeological lore as any of the mounds and fortifications hitherto examined in the State. Mr. Goodrich, who owns the land, is much interested in the matter, and, doubtless, will sooner or later have a thorough investigation made. About a quarter of a mile southwest of the elder Goodrich's residence, and on the farm of one of his sons, is a mound, perfect in shape as though made but a few year, instead of untold centuries. ago. It is some forty or fifty feet in diameter, and has the appearance of having been walled in. Another mound in Mr. Goodrich's barn lot, some forty feet in diameter, which was recently removed for grading purposes, was found to contain three skeletons, most of the bones in a pretty good state of preservation. One of the skeletons, judging from the bones (which the writer had the privilege of examining) was that of a man considerably above medium stature ; the other two were much smaller, and were apparently those of a woman, and an individual not fully grown. These relics were found some eighteen inches below the surface, but as the ground about the mound had long been used as a kind of barn lot, they were, doubtless, originally placed much deeper in the earth. Still another of these mounds was on the old Carpenter farm, in the north part of the township, and embraced in the family burying-ground. When Capt. Carpenter had occasion to choose a site for a graveyard, upon the death of his wife, be selected the spot where this mound had been built in the "dim ages past." In grading down the mound, assisted by some of his neighbors, and leveling the ground, a human skeleton was found of an unusually large size. Mr. Gillies, who was present, and who was a man fully six and a half feet high, in comparing the thigh bones with his own limbs, it was admitted by those present that they had belonged to a man much larger than Gillies. But our space will not admit of a full detail of all the mounds existing to this part of the county. The subject is more fully discussed in another chapter, and with these local allusions we will pass to another branch of our work, leaving further investigation to the scientific.

Liberty Township lies south of Delaware, and is one of the three original townships into which the county was divided for temporary purposes, at the time of its formation. In that division, Liberty comprised about half of Orange, Berlin, Delaware and Scioto Townships, and all of its present territory, and of Concord Township. At the first meeting of the County Commissioners, Delaware Township was formed, which took a large corner from Liberty, as did Scioto, Berlin and Orange some years later. In 1819, when Concord was erected, Liberty was called upon to contribute most of the material for its formation. With all these drafts upon its territory, it is at present about eight miles in length ; from four to five miles in width, and bounded on the north by Delaware Township, on the east by Berlin and Orange, on the south by Franklin County, and on the west by Concord Township. Its principal water-course is the Olentangy, which enters almost in the center of the north boundary, and flows a little east of south, passing out near the southeast corner of the township. A number of small streams, such as McKinnie's, Wild Cat, Big Wolf and Lick Runs empty into the Olentangy. There are also many, fine springs along its banks, of never-failing, pure water. Not far from old Liberty Church, but on the opposite side of the river, is one of the finest sulphur springs in the county. The water is the very strongest of sulphur, and the flow said to be ten or twenty times greater than that in the campus of

414 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware. The Scioto River forms the boundary line for some two or three miles between Liberty and Concord Townships, and drains all the western portion of Liberty. Upon the farm of Mr. Stanbery, situated on the Scioto River, in the extreme southwest part of the township, is also a fine spring, noted for its cold water, which, in summer, is said to be almost as cold as ice-water. In early times it was a favorite camping-place for the Indians when hunting in the vicinity. The land in Liberty Township will compare favorably with any portion of the county. It is what might be termed rolling, but not rough or broken, and originally contained all the varieties of timber common in this section, among which may be noted black and white walnut, oak, hickory, sugar-maple, hackberry, sycamore, etc., etc. Fine sugar orchards abound in various parts of the township. What were called pigeon oaks were quite plenty. This name was applied to them on account of the vast numbers of wild pigeons that swarmed into them in the fall of the year, and fed upon the acorns.

Along the river bottoms the land is very rich and produces all kinds of grain crops. The high lands are better adapted to grazing, but also produce abundantly. Much attention is paid to sheepraising and wood-growing, and many fine flocks of sheep are to be found in the township. To sum up in a word, Liberty is one of the wealthy and flourishing subdivisions of the county.

This township is noted as being the scene of the first settlement made in the county by white people. A complete and intelligent history of this early settlement involves a sketch of the family who made it, and is not deemed inappropriate to the subject. Such a sketch will doubtless be read with interest, not only by the citizens of Liberty Township, but of Delaware County. It carries us back to the reign of George I, who ascended the English throne in 1714. In the early part of that monarch's reign, three brothers named Carpenter came to America on a tour of observation. They were of a respectable family, possessed ample fortunes, and being highly pleased with the country, two of the brothers, Jonathan and Abiah, remained, resolving to make it their permanent home. The third brother soon after returned to England.

The following facts, pertaining to this noted family, and their settlement in this township, are from an article in the Delaware Gazette, written by A. E. Goodrich, a descendant. The article is so thorough, and so well written, that we incorporate it in this chapter, almost bodily, as being pertinent and to the point. It is as follows: "There was a custom in the family, contrary to the feudal system, by which the chief inheritance passed to the youngest son. After the death of Abiab, his son, Abraham Carpenter, was established in the family seat, at the village of Rehoboth, in the Massachusetts Bay Province, which at that time was a small republic, and quite independent, as it had not yet been enslaved by the encroachments of the British Ministry. Here he continually added to his estate by the purchase of small and sometimes large tracts of land, until he became an extensive landowner. No doubt it will be somewhat surprising to our readers, to learn that prices for land then were about as high as at the present day, as is shown by some of his conveyances, now in possession of the writer, some of which date back to the year 1728. For one half-acre he paid Ł10 ($50), and for two acres he paid Ł40 ($200) ; but, as they were small tracts, they were probably located near the village. In 1756, Abraham made his last will, which is as much a dissertation on the Christian graces as it is a conveyance of his property bequeathing his property to his son Abiel, and to his grandchildren. Abiel lived in the village which was the choice of his ancestors, where he reared a large family, and his third son, Nathan, became the pioneer, and the original settler of Delaware County.

Capt. Nathan Carpenter was born at Rehoboth in 1757, and grew to manhood amid the excitement preparatory to the Revolution, a zealous patriot. He was among the first to respond to the call of his country when the great colonial struggle came on, though scarcely more than a boy in age. He fought bravely at the battle of Bunker Hill, at which place his brother was killed and himself wounded. Afterward he participated in several sanguinary battles. among them the pursuit and capture of Burgoyne at Saratoga. After the surrender of Burgoyne, Capt. Carpenter had an interview with him, in which he took occasion to remark that he had very reluctantly accepted the command imposed upon him by the British :Ministry, that of compelling him to war against the American colonies. He soon after confirmed his position by returning to England and joining Pitt's party, opposed to the war. Carpenter described Gen. Washington as being a tall, large man, of very imposing appearance, and, like Bonaparte, devoid of warm or passionate affection, although so ardently and truly devoted

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to his country . Persons owed more gratitude to him collectively than they did individually. After the battle of Monmouth, Carpenter visited his home, and during his stay was married to Miss Irene Reid. But he did not long remain at home, and, soon after his marriage, returned to his post of duty. He took an active part in the campaigns and participated in many of the battles until a peace was conquered at Yorktown. The war was over now, and the troops were returning home. The battalion to which he belonged was expected home on the evening of a certain day. The young wife knew not whether'her husband was living or dead. (Mail communications were not so complete, nor soldiers' letters so common, as during our late war.) Full of hope, however, she prepared supper for both of them, and then sat down to await his coming. Sadly she thought over the probabilities of his return, now that the war had ended. As she was beginning to despair, and her heart to sink with hope deferred, a knock was heard at the door. She started up, but was unable to speak or move further, when the door opened, and, behold, both her husband and brother stood upon the threshold safe and sound. It was too much; she fell senseless, but her husband caught her in his arms. He had returned to enjoy with her the recompense of those hardfought battles, and to share with her the rest of his eventful life.

"After the close of the war. Mr Carpenter lived in Connecticut until 1795, when he removed to New York, and purchased a large estate upon the Unadilla River. It was while residing here that the excitement over the Ohio Territory rose to a height exceeded only by that perhaps over California in later years. Public meetings were hold, at which were discussed the stories of its delightful climate and inexhaustible wealth. Never having become attached to the country which he had adopted as his home, he was inclined to share in the enthusiasm. And, then, a life in the West would be congenial to his nature. One morning, after having ascended to the roof of his house to shovel off the snow, a frequent necessity in that climate, he broke the intelligence to his wife, that he intended to leave that land of hills and snowbanks, and go to the wonderful Ohio. Having disposed of his estate and other effects which he would not need, and, having procured everything required in his future home, he bade adieu to his numerous friends, who had gathered to say farewell, and started for the new El Dorado on the 12^th day of February, 1801. About twenty young men (Powerses, Smiths, etc., etc.,) who were going out to see the country, and some of whom afterward became permanent settlers, accompanied him. He traveled on wagons and sleds as far as Pittsburgh, where he loaded his effects and passengers into a boat and continued his journey by floating down the Ohio River. The beginning of his journey down the Ohio placed the little party beyond civilized limits, and brought it a foretaste of the privations and luxuries of pioneer life. He traveled by day only, the boat being made fast to shore at night; but shortly after leaving Pittsburgh, some of the passengers became anxious to travel at night also, and Capt. Carpenter finally acceded to their wishes. The boat started out, but did not proceed far before it struck a "sawyer," obstructions which were then so common in the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and crushed in the bow. The hold was rapidly filling with water, when the break was rudely stopped and the water kept down, until the boat could be run ashore and all on board rescued, though not a little alarmed. A day was spent in repairing the damage,. when they again proceeded on their journey with light hearts and buoyant spirits. Congeniality lightened every adversity and swelled every enjoyment. The variety of scenery contributed largely to the entertainment of the little band as it floated down La Belle Riviere. This voyage was long remembered and was highly interesting to the younger members of the party at least. Although early in the season, Nature had already donned her spring clothes, for the winter was indeed over. The knolls and valleys were covered with grass, and hundreds of deer, which looked in great wonderment upon the strange barge, were seen grazing upon the green slopes. Sometimes a solitary moose, with his huge antlers, or a bear, would change the monotony of the scene and contribute their mite to the variety of the bill of fare. Then turkeys were so plenty and the deer so tame that le voyageurs never lacked for fresh meats. Marietta was left behind ; prominent hills faded away in the distance; the last bend was passed, and the boat arrived safely at the mouth of the Scioto River. But here a change must be made; in order to reach his destination, the Scioto River must be ascended. Accordingly, the cargo and passengers were transferred to keel-boats, in which they were moved up to Franklinton, a place consisting of three or four log houses, and situated across the river from where Columbus now stands. Here a

416 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

large canoe was procured, and his goods transported up the Olentangy to the place where Hiram R. Carpenter now resides, and where he arrived on the 1st day of May, 1801, having been two months and eighteen days on the voyage. The first business in order was the erection of a cabin for a shelter, which was built on the bank of the river just above higbwater mark. It was rudely chinked with split sticks and covered with bark, but without floor or chimney. Flat stones were set up against the logs to make a safe place to build a fire. The cabin was scarcely finished when it commenced to rain, and continued for eight days in succession. After the flood had abated, the land was surveyed, and, according to previous arrangement, Capt. Carpenter received choice of land in the section. He now began prospecting for a site on which to build a permanent home, which must be erected and finished before winter. His assistants were equally engaged in clearing, plantmg and hunting, and the result was they harvested 500 bushels of corn, besides superabundantly supplying the party with the choicest meats. Game was plenty; deer were to be seen every day ; turkeys were frequently shot from the cabin door, and the creeks were full of fish.

During the summer a substantial hewed-log house was erected on the site of the present residence of Squire Carpenter. The family were moved into it, and provided with improved furniture and other adjuncts of civilization. In the spring following Capt. Carpenter's settlement, his party was joined by two other pioneer adventurers, Thomas Cellar and Josiah McKinnie, who were also men of wealth and influence, having their land paid for, and bringing with them surplus money. Mr. Cellar had purchased an entire section (4,000 acres) of land (a matter to which we shall again have occasion to refer), and, upon his arrival, built his house near the present residence of E. G. Taggert; McKinnie located on the opposite side of the river from Carpenter. The colony now consisted of the families of Carpenter, Powers (who came with Carpenter), Cellar and McKinnie. Cellar was a gunsmith, and had manufactured guns for the war of independence, while the others had used them to that end. They were now associated together, not in war, but in subduing the wilderness, and building up homes in the new land of promise.

"The children of Capt. Carpenter, ten in number, were now young men and women, and, being of congenial disposition, were sufficient company for each other to render their forest home cheerful and pleasant, instead of suffering it to become lonely and irksome. They often had exciting stories to relate concerning their adventures with wild animals and the Indians. With the latter they were usually on pretty good terms. As many of these pioneer stories have been handed down to the present, we will give one or two by way of embellishment to dry facts. There were those among the Indians, who sometimes became intolerable- in their conduct, especially in their demands for whisky, and the whites, in such cases, did not hesitate to enter into a skirmish with them, knowing that they were in bad repute, even with their own people. An old Indian, whose name was Sevans, came to Carpenter's one day and asked for 'whisk.' Ira, the eldest son, who chanced to be present, knowing too well what the result would be, informed Mr. Sevans that he could not be accommodated. The old Indian urged his demand with so much importunity, that it became necessary to use other kinds of persuasion than argument. He first drew his knife, but Ira wrested that from him with little difficulty, which rendered the red man furious, and he began drawing his tomahawk from his belt, when a kick from his pale-faced adversary sent him sprawling out of doors. As soon as he recovered himself, he threw his tomahawk at young Carpenter with all the force he could muster, but the door was brought together in time to intercept the blow. The weapon passed through the door, however, and was now in possession of the white man, who chastised Mr. Sevans quite severely. He then gave him back his knife and tomahawk, with the injunction never to be seen there again-an injunction the old rascal faithfully obeyed.

"There being a surplus of help at home, John Carpenter, the second son, concluded that he would hire out his services, and obtained employment of a Mr. Patterson, who had a trading-post at Sandusky. He set out for that place on foot and alone, following the Indian trails, which were the only roads there were at that time through the wilderness. He traveled in the daytime, guided by these trails and a pocket compass, and at night he slept by the side of a log. His first night's rest was quiet and undisturbed, but late in the second night, he was awakened by shrieks or howls, the source of which was evidently approaching nearer every moment. Being thoroughly awakened and conscious of his impending danger, he remained perfectly still by the side of his log. The shrieks

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were soon changed to snuffings, and then the beast sprang upon the log directly over his bead; walking down the log smelling of its intended victim, it again alighted upon the ground, and, after smelling of him from head to foot, began to cover him up with leaves that were within reach. After having accomplished this feat to its satisfaction, it retired some distance and began to shriek most hideously, and soon Carpenter heard a response in the distance which convinced him that he was the subject of a grand supper talk. Not wishing to become the food of a panther and her cubs, he quietly crawled out of the pile of leaves which had been heaped upon him and climbed up the nearest tree. The answering sounds which he had heard grew nearer, and soon the young family made its appearance. They tore open the bed of leaves, but their anticipated supper had disappeared. Uttering hideous shrieks, the old one struck the track and followed it to the tree, and, rearing up against the trunk with he fore feet, stared indignantly at the subject of her disappointanent. When the morning dawned, the huge panther withdrew her interesting family, and young Carpenter, happy in his escape, went on his journey. Many other incidents of interest pertaining to this pioneer settlement might be narrated, but our space will not permit; so we will return to facts.

"Capt. Carpenter died in 1814. On the evening of the 9th of September, a little more than thirteen years after his settlement in the township, he was returning from the town of Delaware on horseback. The animal on which he was mounted was a very vicious one, and, having left town late, night overtook him before he reached home. He could not see the road, and his horse had no disposition to follow it. Winding along the river, it passed between the bank and a tree that stood very near to it. An overhanging limb swept the rider from his seat, and, being so near the brink, he fell down the precipice upon the rocks below. He raised upon his hands and uttered a solitary cry for help. The familiar voice attracted the attention of a neighbor near by, who hastened to his assistance. He immediately asked for water, which the man, with his hat for a cup, procured for him from the river. Dr. Lamb was soon at the scene of the accident, but his injuries were fatal, and he soon expired, thus ending, at the age of fifty-six, his eventful life. His death cast a cloud over the entire community ; all were conscious that they had lost a friend. His family were devotedly attached to him ; his physician and many friends wept at his grave, as they laid him by the side of his wife, who had died ten years before."

Capt. Carpenter's seven children, who survived him, lived to an average age of eighty-one years, aggregating 570 years.* The eldest daughter, Mrs. Swiniton, went to Illinois in 1816, and died in 1873, at the age of ninety-three years. Alfred died in Illinois, and Nathan at his residence in Worthington. The others are all dead except Mrs. Case, now eighty-three years of age, and most of them died in the county in which they grew up. Mrs. Case is living in Licking County, in good health for one , of her years. Sarah, who married John Hardin, Esq., and who died at the residence of her son-in-law, A. S. Goodrich, Esq., in the winter of 1878-79, at the age of eighty-eight, was the last surviving child, except Mrs. Case, of Capt. Carpenter. After her decease, her grandson, Al. Goodrich, whose excellent sketch of the Carpenter family has served us so well in recording the first settlement of this township, indited an affectionate little tribute to her memory, which we give as an appropriate finale to the history of this pioneer family. He pays a beautiful and touching compliment to a noble woman, and his only fault is, that he does not oftener touch the strings of his harp, and sing for the benefit of the public:

"There was naught of living verdure,

Or of summer's light,

For the earth was clothed in ermine,

A true emblem of her life,

When they bore her to her resting

In the city of the dead,

Near by the ancient temple,

With a slow and measured tread.

" ' Twas by the old familiar streamlet,

Where, full many years ago,

She had watched the red man sailing

In his light and fleet canoe.

She was laid beside a dear one,

Who had gone some time before,

When she was left to mourn him,

For thirty years or more.

" Long had she dwelt among us,

Was always true and kind,

And many stories did she tell us

Of the happy olden time.

No grave, in her early childhood,

In all the land was seen,

Yet she had seen the churchyard

Filled with her friends and kin.

* This estimate was made in 1876, at the time Mr. Goodrich wrote the article from which we have quoted so freely in the foregoing pages. Mrs. Hardin, as well as Mrs. Case, was then living.

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" But, yet, alas! the time had come,

A day of grief, a day of gloom ;

We left the cares of the busy world

To lay her in the tomb.

Sweet incense to the memory

Of the sleeper 'neath the sod,

Till we join her in the presence

Of the everlasting God."

Thomas and Avery Powers accompanied Capt. Carpenter to the West. They were neighbors in New York, and settled on adjoining farms to Carpenter in this township. Avery was one of the first County Commissioners, a position he filled with credit and satisfaction. He did not live many years, however, to enjoy his new home, but died some time previous to Capt. Carpenter. A son of his, Benjamin Powers, has been, until recently, President of the First National Bank of Delaware, an office he filled acceptably. Thomas Powers served in the war of 1812, and was killed in the battle of the Thames, we believe. Thomas Cellar owned 4,000 acres of land (one section) in the central part of what is now Liberty Township. He was a native of Franklin County, Penn., and came to his new possession in the spring of 1802. Josiah McKinnie came with him, and hailed from the same region. The Cases and James Gillies followed a few years later. These were all related by marriage or otherwise, and located upon the " Cellar section." Thomas Cellar had several sons, among them were Thomas, R. M. and J. F. Cellar. McKinnie was one of the first Associate Judges of Delaware County after its organization. Both be and the elder Cellar died years ago, and sleep in the old burying-ground at Liberty Church. McKinnie's widow is still living, nearly ninety years old, but quite active. The Cellar family was a large one, and representatives of it are to be found in many parts of the county. Of the Case family, there were Ralph, Watson and George Case, who were all pioneers. There are still many descendants of them in the country. George Case and his wife lie buried a short distance east of Powell. In the corner of a large field, by the roadside, stand their tombstones, looking as lonesome as a weeping-willow tree by moonlight.

The Welches came to Liberty Township in 1804. There were three brothers, John, Ebenezer, and Aaron Welch, and a brother-in law, Leonard Monroe, and all were from Unadilla County, N. Y. John Welch, the eldest of the Welch brothers, came to Ohio as the agent of the Glover lands, but, liking the country, he settled permanently in Liberty Township. He died in Marlborough Township in 1832 ; Aaron died in Delaware in 1816, and Ebenezer died in 1823. He was a man somewhat addicted to drinking, or had been, but for some time had refrained. He was at Delaware one day, where something went wrong with him, and, to solace himself, drank to intoxication. Late in the evening he started home, a place he never reached. A few days afterward he was found dead in the woods. Abijah Welch was a son of John Welch, as was also Dr. David Welch. Abijah died very early, and was among the first deaths that occurred in the settlement. In fact, it has been said that his grave was the first of a grown-up white person north of Franklinton. This, however, we think a mistake as Mrs. Carpenter died the same year the Welches came to the country. John Welch's mother, who came to the country with him, also died early. Billdad, another son of John Welch, came to Delaware County in 1817. A son of his, Augustus Welch, lives in Delaware, a prosperous furniture dealer. John Welch was a Justice of the Peace, and probably the first one in the county. Isaac Welch, a nephew, was also an early settler. He settled near the mouth of Welch's Run. He had a large family, which are scattered ; none of them living in the county at present. He himself died on the place of his original settlement, some twenty-five years ago. Leonard Monroe, a brother-in-law to the Welches, died nearly half a century ago. He was a tailor by trade, and always appeared in company looking extremely neat and well dressed. A devout Christian, Deacon Monroe is still remembered in the community as a very pious man. One day he was lecturing some of his neighbors about not attending church, when they remarked, " Well, but Deacon, you have shoes to wear, and we would have to go barefooted." "Why," said he, "if that is all, I will go barefooted too." So the next church day, the delinquent brothers went to meeting " to see if Deacon Monroe would keep his word." Sure enough the Deacon was there barefooted, and had taken a seat just inside of the door with his feet so displayed that any one on the outside could not avoid seeing them. As each man came up to the door and caught sight of the Deacon's naked feet, he walked in and took his seat. Thus, by adapting himself to circumstances, he largely increased the attendance at church ; on this particular Sunday at least. But whether they were drawn thither for the benefit of divine worship, or to see whether Deacon Monroe would attend church barefooted is somewhat problematical.

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A few years subsequent to the settlement of those mentioned above, probably about 1806, Ebenezer Goodrich settled in the extreme southeast corner of the township, where his son, A. S. Goodrich, now lives. He had bought his land before leaving Connecticut, his native State, and, being a young man an and single, he kept" bach " for a number of years after locating in the township. The first settler in this immediate section, while living alone with no companion but his faithful dog, he was a kind of second Crusoe on his desert island. He served in the war of 1812, and, soon after his return to his home, he was elected or appointed a Justice of the Peace, an office he held for many years. Mr. Goodrich died October 15, 1846. Four sons are still living, two in Delaware County and two in Indiana. A. S. Goodrich occupies the old homestead, and has accumulated considerable wealth. He has retired from active business, and, while he enjoys the fruits of a life of industry, he has turned over the management of his large property to his sons, who are Nvorthy scions of a good old stock. William Goodrich lives at Ashley, this county; Edmund lives in Miami County, Ind., and H. E., in Cass County, Ind. John Hardin was another settler of 1806, and came from Fairfield County here, but had lived previously at Marietta. He was a descendant of the old Hardin stock of Kentucky, than whom none better exists in that proud old commonwealth. He married a daughter of Nathan Carpenter, the first settler of Delaware County, and died some thirty years ago. A son of his, Solomon Hardin and Mrs. A. S. Goodrich, a daughter, still live in the township. Another son, John, lives in Illinois; Isaac, another son, is dead; Nathan C., still another, lives in Missouri. Capt. Timothy Andrews and his father, also named Timothy, were from Connecticut, and settled in the township in 1815, on what was known as Middlebury street. The old gentleman died in 1840, but Capt. Timothy is still living, though quite old and infirm.

Among the early settlers upon Middlebury street besides Capt. Andrews and his father, were Solomon Moses, Joseph M. Gardner, Lemuel Humphrey, Abner Pinney and Eben C. Payne. They were all from Connecticut except perhaps Gardner, who came from New Hampshire. They called the neighborhood Middlebury, in honor of their native town. Humphrey was an early Justice of the Peace. He had several sons, but none o them, we believe, are now here. Moses was a zealous Methodist, and has two sons, Flaviel and Russell Bigelow Moses, still living in the neighborhood. Gardner settled here in 1820, and died about 1835. His wife survived him forty-four years. A son, J. T. Gardner, lives near Powell, and is now numbered among the old citizens of the township. . His father was the first burial in the cemetery at Powell. The pioneers of this settlement are all dead years ago. David Buell was another Connecticut man who came in early. He had two sons, Jarvis and Edmund; the first died on the homestead, but Edmund is still living, and is a resident of Orange Township. David Thomas was from Connecticut, and settled one mile below the old Presbyterian Church, in 1810. Here he kept a tavern in an early day, also the stage stand which was on the route from Franklinton to Sandusky. His widow is still living in the neighborhood of their early settlement, at the age of ninety-two, but he is long dead.

Another section of the land embraced in Liberty Township, was that known as the Stanbery section. Owing to a curve in the river, the survey was a little short of a regular section, being about 3,500 instead of 4,000 acres. It was originally patented by some old Revolutionary General, and sold by him to Dr. Jonas Stanbery, who was long a resident of Zanesville, and finally died there. He purchased the section some time previous to the commencement of the war of 1812, but never occupied it. A son, Charles Stanbery, owns 500 acres of the original purchase, who, with his son, occupies it at the present day. The Stanbery family is an old and aristocratic family. They were originally from New Jersey, but removed to New York, and, in 1814, to Zanesville, Ohio. Hon. Henry Stanbery, ex-Attorney General, is a son of Dr. Jonas Stanbery, and a brother to Charles Stanbery, Esq., of this township. Mr. Stanbery can scarcely be termed an early settler of Liberty, but the land he owns and upon which he lives has been in the family ever since its purchase by his father in 1809-10. Be fore it was occupied by Mr. Stanbery it was a kind of hunting-ground, both for white and red men, who camped during their hunting excursions at the Otter Spring, where the Stanbery residence now stands. It was also occupied by squatters at an early day: One of these transient individuals was a man named Pasco, who was remarkable for having a very large family of children, and for f being a millwright by trade. He built a mill on the Scioto River in early times, but for some cause it was not much of a success. He finally moved to Indiana. Another squatter on the Stanbery

420 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

section was Peter, an " American citizen of African descent." Nobody knew him by any other name than Peter. He, like Pasco. was a remarkable man in some respects. For a number of years he lived in this vicinity with his family. His cabin was known far and wide, as a station on the underground railway, and his doors were always open to fugitive slaves fleeing to the land of freedom. He had two sons, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson; the latter died while they lived there, but Washington, who was a great fiddler, married a white girl, and then went to the north part of the State.

Isaac Patton came from the southern part of the State, in 1809. His father was a native of the Old Dominion, and came to this State in the latter part of the last century. Isaac, upon his removal to this township, settled near where Bieber's dill now stands. He was a Captain in the war of 1812, and many of his old neighbors were in his company. Mr. Patton is still living, and has been a resident of Liberty Township for more than seventy years.

Benjamin Bartholomew was one of the early settlers in the south part of the township. He located first in Worthington, about the year 1814, but in a short time removed to this township, where he died about 1856-57. His son, Major Bartholomew, died here five years ago. Caleb Hall, the father of Mrs. Bartholomew, who was a native of Massachusetts, came to Ohio in an early day, but stopped in Worthington, and afterward moved into the county. The last years of his life were spent with his daughter Mrs. Bartholomew, and he died, in 1877, at the age of ninetytwo years. He belonged to a family remarkable for its longevity. His father lived to be over one hundred years old, and, at the celebration of his hundredth anniversary at the old home in Massachusetts, the following, prepared for the occasion, was a part of the proceedings: "Centennial Celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of Mr. Joseph Hall, in the Methodist Church at South Walpole." I. Reading Scriptures ; II. Voluntary, by the Choir ; III. Prayer; IV. Hymn; V. Address, by the Rev. Messrs. Merrick and Mudge; VI. Closing Ode, written for the occasion by Mrs. Smith Pond

"O, Holy Father, by thy power,

To see this wondrous day I'm brought;

And now, in life's declining hour,

My gracious God, forsake me not.

"The voice that sung my cradle song

Is hushed; and that dear household band

Have fallen, silent, one by one,

While I among the living stand.

"What changing scenes what grief, what joy,

I've seen and tasted here below;

What stirring themes my thoughts employ,

The present, past-and future too.

"Amid the crowd, I stand alone;

Well may my soul be deeply moved ;

A HUNDRED YEARS have come and gone

And still I live, and still am loved.

"My children, hearken-live for God ;

Earth is but vanity at best;

Search, daily search, His written word,

Obey its precepts and be blest.

"Friends, fellow-men and kindred dear,

To each the greeting hand is given ;

God bless you all, while lingering here,

And fit our souls to meet in Heaven."

This comprises a list of the early settlers of Liberty, so far as we have been able to obtain them. No pains have been spared to secure a complete history of the pioneers, but, after the lapse of three quarters of a century, the task is too great to require of mortal man. Doubtless, many facts pertaining to the early history of the township, and many pioneer incidents, have been lost with the death of the original settlers. A few more years and all of the early history would have beep buried in oblivion, and nothing left but a few modern incidents.

As descriptive of the life the early settlers led for a number of years after locating in the wilderness, we will again have recourse to the article of Mr. Goodrich, from which we have already made lengthy extracts. He says : "In 1808, the town of Delaware was laid out and the county organized, after which the country was rapidly settled up. The encroachment of the white man-as it naturally would-irritated some of the Indian tribes until they became hostile, and were readily induced to become allies to the British in the war of 1812. Although too infirm to join the army himself, Capt. Carpenter was represented in the ranks by his five sons-Ira, John, Alfred, Nathan and James-as well as by many of his neighbors. No one but the father was left at home (at Carpenter's) to provide for the family, or defend it against the hostile Indians, who sometimes made incursions in their vicinity. Nathan Carpenter, Jr., in going to the war had left at home a wife and babe. They lived about half a mile from the

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. - 421

old home. Laura, the youngest daughter, then sixteen years of are, went to stay with her in her solitude. She had looked after the various little charges around the house one evening, and had gone inside to attend to the housework, when, looking out of the window into the moonlight, she saw two savages approaching the house. Having just heard of the murder of an entire family but a short distance from their neighborhood, she was considerably startled, and exclaimed, `My God, Electa!' (which was the name of the young wife who sat in the middle of the room with the child in her arms) ' what do you suppose these critters want?' Elects understood too well her meaning, and was unable to utter a word. In order that they should not surprise her, Laura advanced, opened the door, and propped it open, then, seizing the ax, she retired behind her sister's chair that she might the better conceal her motions and the ax, with which she had determined to defend them to the last. The savages, armed to the teeth, walked up to the door, came in, and began their parley by making pretenses, during which time Laura remarked that they could obtain what they wanted at her father's house upon the hill. 'Oh, your father live near here?' ` Yes,' she answered; only a short distance.' After a few more words, they shouldered their guns and started, as they said, for the `big house.' Thus the young girl had saved their lives by artfully insinuating that help was near. After they were gone, she received the congratulations and thanks of her sister, who, during this time, had sat speechless and as white as death, which each moment she expected to suffer. After barricading the house, Laura, expecting their return, stood guard with the ax until morning, when they returned to the manor-house. The savages had not gone there, as they pretended they would, but, on the contrary, as soon as they were out of sight, they went into the woods and were never seen afterward."

When the Carpenters first settled in the county, Indians were numerous, and they had several villages within its limits, but none situated in the present township of Liberty. Says Mr. Goodrich in his sketch speaking of the arrival of the Carpenters: "Unlike the Ohio, the shores of the Olentangy were swarming with Indians, by whom our party was received with many tokens of friendship, notwithstanding the stories they had been told of their hostile and savage nature. The Wyandots predominated in numbers and enlightenment, followed in their order by the Senecas, Delawares, Shawanees, Choctaws and the Taways, who were noted for their uncleanliness."' Although none of their villages were in Liberty, yet its forests were a favorite hunting-ground. The fine springs along both the Olentangy and the Scioto, presented fine sites for camping-places, especially Otter Spring, on the Scioto, where Mr. Stanbery now lives. This was a famous camp-ground, and old " Leather-lips," an Indian chief, whom many of our readers doubtless still remember, made it his camping-place during his annual hunt for many years. It was known throughout the country on account of its water being so cold, and the name Otter became attached to it from the otter found here in early times. The trail from Sandusky to Chillicothe passed by it, and thus it was a wellknown watering place to travelers between those points. And it is even a tradition in the neighborhood, that a detachment of Harrison's army, during the war of 1812, camped at the spring on its way to join the main army in the North, and the old road where the troops passed is still pointed out to visitors to the place.

From the cranberry marshes of Sandusky, the trail followed along the west bank of the Olentangy River to Franklinton. Over this trail, the Indians used to pass in the cranberry season with their long trains of ponies laden with cranberries for the markets at Franklinton and Columbus, and where they bartered their berries for flashy cotton bandana handkerchiefs, powder, lead and "firewater." A. S. Goodrich, who was born and reared in the township, and enjoyed an extensive acquaintance with the Indians, and had their confidence and good will, relates many incidents and amusing reminiscences of the "noble red men." He has now in his possession a war-club that was presented him by a chief, who told him it had been in his family for many generations. It is a rather ugly-looking shillalah, and, wielded by a strong arm, is still capable of cracking any number of skulls. Mr. Goodrich moved this Indian chief, who lived in the neighborhood of Sandusky, and his family and household traps, to Cincinnati, when he left for the reservation of his tribe, and, as a token of' his friendship for Goodrich, the chief presented him this family relic, which the pale-face has preserved to the present day.

On the Carpenter farm, which is still owned by Hiram B. Carpenter, a grandson of the original settler, are frequently discovered what are supposed to be Indian graves. Skeletons and human bones have more than once been turned up by the plow

422 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

on this place. That they are Indians, there is but little doubt, as they are interred altogether differently from the Mound-Builder, there being no mound raised above the graves. In all yet discovered, as Squire Carpenter informed us, a large flat stone was laid in the bottom of the excavation, other rocks set up around the edge, the corpse placed in this vault and covered with earth. Quite a number of such graves have been discovered on this farm ; so many, in fact, as to lead to the belief that it was once used, to a considerable extent, as an Indian burying-ground.

In addition to the dangers to be apprehended from the Indians, there were other sources of peril and annoyance to the pioneers. The woods were full of wild beasts, some of which were ferocious enough to attack people when pressed by hunger. Wolves, wild-cats and panthers were plenty, and sometimes troublesome. Many other minor perils beset them, but received little attention from them, on account of their insignificance as compared to the savage barbarities which took place in many parts of the country during the war of 1812. Then there was the danger of starving to death, of which some entertained wholesome fears. If a man ran out of provisions, he could not go to Columbus or Delaware and purchase a supply, for these places were unborn, and, had they existed then, there was nothing to buy with. Men had hard work to scrape together money enough to pay their taxes. Sugar and coffee were from 25 cents to 75 cents per pound and everything else that the pioneer had to buy was correspondingly bigh, while that which he had to sell was correspondingly low. And thus the earlier years were spent in the great wilderness.

The first mill built in Liberty Township, and the first in Delaware County as well, was built in 1804, by Capt. Carpenter. It was run by water. power, and used both for sawing and grinding The buhrs were cut out of large concretions, a geological formation that abounds in plentiful profusion in this section of the county. But they did ample work for the demands made upon them and proved a great convenience in the neighbor hood. It furnished both meal and lumber for the early settlers, and was the only establishment of the kind in the county for several years. Just how long it did supply the neighborhood with these necessaries is not now known. But, some ten or fifteen years later, John Case built a saw mill on the Olentangy, a little below Carpenter's It finally ran down, and lay idle for quite a while

when Harvey and Pomeroy Pasco, whose father built a mill in the southwest part of the township, on the Scioto River, in an early day, obtained possession of it, and repaired it. This was probably about 1835, and for a few years the old mill was run by them. About 1846, Jones, Gunn & Co. commenced the large stone mill near the same site, which is now operated as a woolen factory. It is a large and excellent stone building, three stories high above the ground, and cost originally some $5,000 or $6,000-more really than it was actually worth. It is now owned by James Henkle, and is operated exclusively as a woolen factory, though it does not run more than about three months during each year. A gristmill was built about 1843-44, half a mile above 'Squire Carpenter's, by Knapp & Glenn. Three or tour years later it was bought by Mr. Bieber, and since his death it has been owned by his son, James Bieber. It was originally a wooden building, but, a few years ago, Mr. Bieber commenced a stone building of large dimensions, which cost a considerable sum of money, and which he has not yet succeeded in completing or utilizing, beyond operating a saw-mill in the first story of it. The grist-mill still occupies the old wooden building, and does excellent work. It comprises three run of stones, and, if ever put into the new building, with new machinery, it will be a first-class mill in every respect, the best, perhaps, in the county. In an early day, a saw-mill was erected where the Olentangy Valley Mills now stand. There appear to have been several stockholders in it, among whom were Edmund Goodrich and Martin Case, and Dr. Pickett was also interested in it. A grist mill was added some years later. It is now owned by Herman Muelzer, a man who thoroughly understands his business and is doing well. It is believed that Sebert Hinton originally built this mill, but no one can say definitely that he did. That he owned it once is well known, and that it changed hands several times, without paying its owners large dividends, before it became the property of Mr. Muelzer, is also known. He, it is said, is the only man that has ever made money out of it. Another of the pioneer mills was erected by Joseph Cellar, one mile above where the Liberty Church now stands, but on the opposite side of the river. The dam was finally washed away, a damage never afterward repaired. The property is now owned by Mr. Rutherford.

The first bridge in Liberty Township was built over the Olentangy at Liberty Church, where the

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. - 425

Lewis Center and Sulphur Spring road crosses. It is a wooden structure, upon stone piers, and was built, the piers by the people, and the superstructure by the county. It was originally built some twenty-five or thirty years ago, and with occasional repairs it still serves the purpose. There are two other bridges spanning the Olentangy in the township, one at the Olentangy Valley Mills, known as the Bartholomew Bridge, and the other at Bieber 's Mill. The latter is an iron bridge, and was built in 1875. The Bartholomew bride, at the Olentangy Valley Mills, was built in 1876: the stonework was let to J. L. L. Jones, and the superstructure to the Canton Wrought Iron Bridge Co. It is a substantial piece of work. Another bridge, in which Liberty is interested, is the Stanbery bridge, over the Scioto River, where the road from Powell, running west, crosses. It was built in 1877 ; the stonework by Glick, Corbin & Harriott, and the superstructure by the Canton Wrought Iron Bridge Co. Like the Bartholomew bridge, it is an excellent iron bridge, and is substantially built.

The first road through Liberty Township was merely the improving of the old Indian trail which wound along the Olentangy, and was the route from Sandusky to Columbus, or Franklinton, as it then was. This road has been worked at and improved, until it is the best in the township. Liberty is not as well provided with turnpikes and gravel roads as some other portions of the county. So far as dirt roads, or mud-pikes, as they are called -and the name has been singularly appropriate the past winter-they are well supplied, and this class of roads are good enough during the summer season. The road running east and west through Powell has been recently graded, and with a good coating of gravel would be a most excellent pike. The citizens of the township are working to have it thus improved-at the expense of the county, while all, except those immediately interested, oppose such a measure, and maintain that the people whom the road will benefit most should pay the expense of building it. Without entering into a discussion of the matter, we would suggest that the completion of the road, by graveling it, would be a grand improvement to the section of the township through which it passes, and one that is much needed.

The messenger of death entered the pioneer settlement in the year 1804, a little more than three years from the time of the first settlement. On the 7th of August of this year, the wife of Capt. Carpenter died, and was buried on the old Carpenter homestead. Upon a high point of land, bearing marks of artificial elevation a cemetery, perhaps of the lost race-with a freestone slab, moss-grown and dimmed with age, she calmly sleeps. Although the first to occupy this pioneer metropolis, many of her loved ones now slumber around her. By her side rests the partner of her joys and sorrows, who followed her ten years later, and, near by, John Carpenter, her son, who died a short while before his father. Several other members of the family occupy places in this little burying-ground, all marked by neat freestone slabs, but much dimmed by age. The tombstone of John Carpenter is profusely illustrated with the emblems of the Masonic Fraternity, thus denoting that he was a member of that ancient and honorable order. The square and compass, trowel, crow, pick and spade, the anchor and ark and many others, familiar to the members of the mystic tie, adorn it. Squire Avery Powers, who came to the country with Capt. Carpenter, died early, and was buried on his farm, which adjoined Carpenter's on the north. One of the Welch brothers, noticed as early settlers, was also an early death in the township. The first birth is contested by B. Powers and Jeremiah Gillies. The date of Gillies' birth is given as August 7, 1803, and it is said that Mrs. Carpenter maintained that he was born before Powers. One of the first marriages of which we have any record was that of Ebenezer Goodrich and Miss Betsey Dixon. They were married at Middlebury, as the settlement about Powell was then called, in June, 1813, by Aaron Strong, a Justice of the Peace. This worthy couple is still represented in the township by numerous descendants, who rank anion, the best citizens. Nathan Carpenter and Electa Case were married as early, perhaps, as those given above.

Education and religion received the early attention of the citizens of Liberty. The first school taught in the township, of which there is any definite information to be obtained, and, no doubt, the first effort made to advance the cause of education, was taught by Miss Lucy Carpenter, afterward Mrs. James Swiniton. The exact date of this school is not now remembered, but was probably within a few years after the first settlement was made. It was taught in the first cabin built by Carpenter, and used by him as a family residence during his first summer in the wilderness. The school was supported on the old subscription plan. An Irishman named Haligan was

426 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

among the early teachers in this section. From this small and insignificant beginning, educational facilities have increased in proportion to the demand, until no township in the county surpasses it in this regard. There are eleven school districts in the township, in all of which are good, comfortable schoolhouses well supplied with modern furniture and fixtures. A few years ago, after building the bridge over the Olantangy at 'Squire Carpenter's, Districts 5 and 6 were consolidated, and a new district formed in the southern part of the township, still retaining the same number of districts as before the consolidation of 5 and 6. Of the eleven schoolhouses, six are brick and five are frame; all commodious buildings and in excellent repair. Good schools by competent teachers are maintained for the usual term each year.

The date of organization of the first religious society in Liberty Township is scarcely to be obtained at this distant day. The old Liberty Church, as it is called, was formed so long ago, that no one now living can tell the precise time of its organization. The almost universal answer to the inquiry is, " Well, it has been in existence ever since I can recollect." And, in regard to the old church building, the same answer is given. It is well known as one of the oldest church societies, as wellas one of the oldest church buildings, in Delaware County. The society was originally organized by Rev. Joseph Hughes, of Delaware, but at what date we are unable to learn. Several years later, the church was built. It is located on the west bank of the Olentangy, where the White Sulphur Spring road, as it is called, crosses the river, and is still doing service as a temple of worship, though it has several times been modernized and remodeled, and presents an appearance now to the casual visitor of being as good as new. The present membership of this church is not far from 130, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Thomas Hill. The Sunday-school, superintended by E. G. Taggert, is one of the most flourishing in the county, outside of towns and cities. A fact that is deserving of mention is, that for fifty years, it is said, not a Sunday has passed, rain or shine, without Sunday school, nor a week without the regular weekly prayer-meeting of the church. Deacon Leonard Monroe was a zealous member of this church, and labored "in season and out of season" for the cause of Zion, and to him, more than to any other one man alone, perhaps, is due the high attainment of both church and Sunday school. A cemetery was laid out adjacent to the church building very early, and is the resting place of many of the pioneers of Liberty Township. It is one of the oldest public burying grounds in the county.

Among the pioneer preachers of this settlement were the Methodist circuit-riders. Rev. Mr. Beach was one of the first of these itinerant ministers, and was here before there was a regular society formed in the township. Rev. Mr. Bacon was a local preacher of the M. E. Church, and used to hold meetings at Carpenter's house before the era of organized church societies. He married Ann Case and was a permanent resident of the neighborhood. The first Methodist society formed in Liberty Township was organized by Rev. Mr. Emery, at the house of Jarvis Buell, as early, perhaps, as 1825. The society built its first church about 1840, just south of Powell, and across the road from where the present building stands. It was a log structure, very plainly furnished, and christened Emery Chapel, in honor of Rev. Mr. Emery, who organized the first society. In 1859, Emery Chapel was rebuilt. The new edifice was located on the opposite side of the road, and is a neat and tasty frame building still in use. It was erected under the pastorate of the Rev. Levi Cunningham. The church is flourishing, the membership is large, with an interesting Sunday school under the superintendence of A. G. Hall, which is well attended and maintained during the year. These two buildings are the only church edifices in the township.

Another of the landmarks of the township was the pioneer tavern of David Thomas, which stood on the west bank of the Olentangy, on the trail running from Sandusky to Franklinton, and was the general stopping-place for travelers between those towns. This tavern was kept by Mr. Thomas from 1811 until his death in 1826, and the old house, it is said, is still standing. Besides the mills, to which we have already alluded; other pioneer industries comprised the blacksmith-shops along the river trail, and the tanyard over on Middlebury street, all of which are numbered among the things that were.

The first effort at merchandising was made by an Englishman, George Dean, who opened a store on Goodrich's farm about 1829-30. After conducting the business for a few years, he sold out to Edmund Goodrich and Henry Chapman. They sold goods in partnership for two or three years longer, when the store was discontinued. This ended the mercantile business in this section of the

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. - 427

township. The next move was made by Joseph M. Cellar, who opened a little store at Liberty Church. A post office was established at the same place about 1848-19, called Union, and for a time I it was quite a lively place, consisting of a store, post office, church, schoolhouse, and-a cemetery. But after a few years, both store and post office were discontinued, thus leaving the township without these useful additions to civilization, until a I little store was opened at " Hall Corners," or "Middlebury," by Thomas R. Hall. This was a :, small affair, and the date of its establishment is not remembered, but it was a number of years ago. This store at " the corners " led to an application for a post office, which, through the influence of Judge Powell, of Delaware, was obtained, and named for him in compliment for his exertions in procuring it. Joshua Pennell was appointed Postmaster. With the building of the Columbus & Toledo Railroad, Powell Post Office made some pretensions toward becoming a town. It was surveyed and laid out as a village in February, and the plat recorded March 29, 1876, for A. G. Hall, the owner of the land upon which it is located. Joshua Pennell was the first merchant, except Hall, as well as the first Postmaster, and opened a store long before the place was laid out. The first house in the place was built by Mr. Hall. Since the laying-out of the village, it hascontained as many as three stores at one time, but recently they have been consolidated, and the mercantile business proper is controlled by one house-that of C. W. Mason. In addition to his establishment, there are two drug stores, by Dr. Ingersoll and .John Kidwell respectively ; two wagon and blacksmith shops, by William Gardner and William Baninger ; one boot and shoe shop, by David Shaw. Quite a handsome little schoolhouse adorns the town. There is no church within the corporate limits, but Emery Chapel stands just outside of the village, and a little beyond the church is the sawmill of Mr. Hall, which does a large business in its way. A few years ago a lodge of Odd Fellows was organized in the village, and is to-day one of the most flourishing lodges in the county. A halfdozen or so members of the order, who were somewhat isolated and distant from lodges, conceived the idea of having a lodge of their own, bought a lot and put up a substantial building thereon; the lower story was made into a storeroom, and the upper into a hall. Upon the completion of the building, they applied for and received a charter as Powell Lodge, No. 465, I. O. O. F., with the following charter members: B. B. Nafzger, J. T. Gardner, Ralph Case, William P. Fuller, M. S. Case, J. N. Kidwell, M. G. Staggers, Arthur Dougherty, G N. Warner, A. S. Goodrich and S. P. Andrews. It was instituted September 29, 1870, by Hiram J. Beebe, G. M., and W. C. Earl, Grand Secretary. The first officers were A. S. Goodrich, N. G.; J. T. Gardner, Y. G.; M. S. Case, R. S.; B. B. Nafzger, P. S.; William P. Fuller, Treasurer. The Trustees of the building are Ralph Case, M. G. Staggers and S. P. Andrews. The present officers are Ralph Case, N. G.; T. W. Case, V. G.; Jacob Stietz, R. S., and M. S. Case, P. S., with forty-seven members at last report. As remarked, the lodge owns the building, which cost $1,600 ; has a fund at interest of $2,000, and promptly pays every demand made upon it by the Grand Lodge, or by others. The village cemetery is a well-chosen spot, and is kept with good taste. It was laid out long before the village, and contains the moldering remains of many of the early settlers in this part of the township. The village of Powell, for a new place, and a railroad village, too, contains some very handsome residences. The houses are mostly well built, and upon the whole are much above the standard of towns of its size.

The village of Hyattsville was laid out February 6, 1876, by Henry A. Hyatt. Ed Nalz opened the first store. Henry Cook bought him out, when Nalz opened a store in the depot building. A post office was established in 1877, with H. A. Hyatt as Postmaster. Hyatt originally kept a few goods, but makes no pretensions in mercantile business at present. He keeps a grain warehouse and does considerable shipping. The business may be thus summarized: In addition to the stores of Cook and Nalz, there is a blacksmith-shop by B. Poole, cooper-shop by English, shoeshop by James Wallace, saw-mill by Henry Oller. One of the best schoolhouses in the township is located here. There is one saloon, which adds little to the morals of the place.

Both Hyattsville and Powell are the result of the building of the Columbus & Toledo Railroad through the township. There was a store and post office at Powell previous to the building of the road ; but for the road, however, it doubtless would never have been anything more than merely "Powell Post Office," as it had been known for years before. Hyattsville, it is quite evident, owes its existence to the road. But it was not in the birth of these thriving little villages that the great benefit to the township of this road

428 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

lay; it was in bringing the best markets in the country into the midst of the people. With two shipping stations in the limits of the township, the people are well supplied with facilities for getting rid of their surplus produce and stock. Then, the road itself is a valuable one, and one that any section should be proud of. It is one of the best-ballasted and best-equipped roads in the State.

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