672 - HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

CHAPTER LXXII.

ORANGE TOWNSHIP.*

FORMATION - INDIAN TRAIL-INDIANS AND INDIAN RELICS-ANCIENT RELICS-FIRST SETTLERS - FIRST ROAD-MILLS-ORANGE VILLAGE-CHURCHES.

PRIOR to 1816, Montgomery Township, in what is now Ashland County, was twelve miles long from north to south, and six miles wide. June 3, 1816, this territory was divided and the north half called Orange. It was at that time the northeast township of "Old Richland," but became a part of Ashland County in 1846. It was surveyed by Maxfield Ludlow in 1806, when it was yet a wilderness and no white man's cabin within its boundaries. An Indian trail passed through the southwestern part of the township, passing up Jerome Fork, crossing into Clear Creek Township, to Vermillion Lake. This trail was much used by the Wyandots and Ottawas in their passage to and from the eastern part of the State. About the year 1816, this trail was surveyed by Rev. James Haney, of Savannah, a practical sur -

*Now in Ashland county, formerly in Richland.

veyor, to Rowsburg, and from there to Wooster. It was opened as a road and used as a common highway by the early settlers of Orange and Clear Creek Townships.

The evidences of Indian occupation in many parts of Orange Township were numerous. The aborigines, it seems, were accustomed to assemble annually in the spring, in large numbers, upon the lands subsequently owned by Isaac Mason. Jacob Young, Jacob Heifner and Peter Biddinger, to make sugar and hunt, which custom they kept up until as late as 1815 or 1816. Mr. Biddinger, being a gunsmith, was often visited by them for repairs to injured or broken flint-locks.

The soil and timber of Orange do not differ materially from others around it, already described. The land is generally level, or with gentle ascents and descents; the township is

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generally well watered by Jerome Fork of the Mohican and its tributaries, this stream having its rise here.

A few interesting relics of a former age have been found in the township. A few human skeletons were once unearthed on the bank of the creek, while a party of workmen were improving the before-mentioned trail, one of which appeared to be more than seven feet in height. It may be imagined that this was an Indian chief, who once headed his file of dusky warriors along the dark paths and ravines and beautiful streams of the country. If he wielded authority in proportion to his physical dimensions, he must have more than rivaled Pipe. Logan or Tecumseh. Col. John Hurray, who discovered the remains, had no difficulty in passing the lower jaw over his face. The cranium and other bones showed that the skeleton belonged to a man of unusual size and power.

About one-fourth of a mile southwest of the village of Orange is to be found an ancient mound. It was examined by Dr. Deming and others, who found well-preserved human bones, remnants of pottery, etc.

The first settlers were as follows: John Bishop, February, 1814, Section 21 ; Vachel Metcalf, 1814; James Campbell; James Clark. 1818, Section 2 : Robert Culbertson, 1825 Phillip Biddinger, 1823; Christian Fast, Sr., 1815, Section 18 ; Jacob Fast, 1817, Section 21 , Nicholas Fast. 1815 ; Phillip Fluke, 1816; Jacob Hifther. Jr., 1817, Section 14; James Medowell, November, 1823, Section 26 ; Edward Murray, 1820; Patrick Murray, 1815 ; John Stull, 1820 ; William Patterson, 1818, Section 7 ; Christopher Rickett, 1822; Daniel Summers, 1818, Section 10 ; Solomon Urie, 1814, Section 34; Jacob Young, 1814 ; Amos Norris, 1814.

It will be observed from this list that five families (these settlers nearly all brought their families) settled in the township in 1814 ; they were, as was usually the case, mostly from Western Pennsylvania, and many of them came as early as 1813 to select their lands.

The reminiscences of these early settlers are intensely interesting to the present generation, but, however interesting, they cannot all be preserved in print. A few of the best are retained, which convey a truthful picture of pioneer life.

Among the earliest settlers in this township was Christian Fast, Sr., whose captivity among the Indians in this part of the State, is given in the chapter entitled " First White Men in the County." It is only necessary to refer to it here, as it is fully given there. It is a narrative of thrilling interest, and shows in a striking manner the privations of frontier days in the West. Mr. Fast returned in 1815 and settled in this township, where he lived many years. Vachel Metcalf and Amos Norris were the first to move into the township with their families. They came early in the spring of 1814; Jacob Young and Jacob Crouse, however, came the same spring, and the former built his cabin on the Ashland and Orange road, a few rods from where the bridge crosses the Jerome Fork of the Mohican.

Another of these pioneers, Solomon Urie, relates many interesting adventures. His brother, Thomas, was killed in Eastern Ohio, by the Indians, while he and Solomon were out hunting. The latter barely escaped, on this occasion, by leaping from a high bluff. The Indians dared not follow. Solomon and his son, Samuel, served with credit in the war of 1812. He was with Williamson in his campaign against the Moravian villages in 1782, and witnessed the massacre and burning of the villages. Williamson was his brother-in-law, and on this account he was induced to accompany the expedition. He always disapproved the barbarous act, and often stated to his sons, that Williamson yielded a reluctant consent to the perpetration of that dreadful tragedy, being unable to control the violence of his soldiers, who

674 - HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

were border volunteers and had suffered much from Indian raids and depredations. In the winter of 1815, he erected a blacksmith-shop on his land, being the first one in Orange Township, he. being a blacksmith and gunsmith by trade. The first winter after his arrival, he killed forty deer, eight large black bears; a great number of coons and other game.

An Ashland paper of April 9, 1862 has this item: "Jacob Young, an old citizen of this township, died on the 3d instant, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years and three months. He was born in Hardy County, Va. January 1, 1773 ; emigrated to Ohio in 1804, and to this county in 1814. He lived with his companion, who still survives him, sixty-eight years. He was the father of twelve children; and when he died, had one hundred and seventeen grandchildren; one hundred and seventy-six great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren."

No road had been surveyed in the township at the date of its first settlement. John Bishop carried the chain for the surveyors when they established the first road which led from Sheet's saw-mill, on the east line of Montgomery Township, via Jacob Young's and Leidigh's mill to Savannah, though no mills or towns were then in existence. Mr. Bishop was made Constable at the first election held in the township.

On the site of this Leidigh mill, two miles west of the present village of Orange, was erect the first mill in the township, in 18l 5, by Martin Mason. The stones were "hard-heads," and would grind sixty bushels per day. The mill commenced operations in March, 1816. That the settlers in Orange and adjacent townships appreciated the advantages of the mill, may be understood when it is stated that prior to its erection, the nearest mill was that of Stibbs. one mile east of Wooster. In 1814-15. no corn could be obtained nearer than Wooster and along Apple and Short Creeks-price, $1.25 per bushel. Wheat could not be obtained nearer than Massillon, at $2 per bushel.

Previous to the erection of this mill, corn was prepared for use on hominy blocks, and nearly every cabin had one. Mr. Mason constructed a hand-mill before this first water-mill was built. He had a couple of hard-heads made into mill-atones. This hand-mill (a good one of its kind) would, by the aid of six persons, produce half a bushel of meal in two hours.

What was called "sick wheat" was often produced in the early attempts at cultivation. The berry would be as plump and attractive in appearance as the best quality ever grown, and the flour as white as the best specimens now produced. When made into bread, it would be palatable, except that it would have a sweet taste ; but when eaten by man or beast, it produced a distressing sickness, and only remained upon the stomach a few moments. This was, however, the only disease that attacked the wheat, neither weevil, rust nor smut being then known.

Milling was sometimes done at Beam's on Black Fork, and down on the White Woman the trip to the latter being made in canoes, and occupying about two weeks. For a long time Beam's mill ground only corn.

Orange, the only town in the township, was laid out April 22, 1828, by Amos Norris and J. C. Chilcoat. It is located in the midst of a fine fanning region, but long ago arrived at maturity a village of one or two hundred people. The post office is Nankin.

The religious sentiment is well developed a number of churches having; been organized in the town and township. One of the earliest is the German Reformed, organized about 1832. The Methodist Episcopal Church of Orange is probably the oldest, having been organized scene years before 1830, at which (late the church building was erected. The Evangelical Lutheran was organized in 1861: the North Orange Methodist Episcopal about 1848; the Canaan Church was erected in 1850: the Ger-

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man Reformed and Methodist Episcopal about 1840 ; the Old School Presbyterian of Orange in 1834, by Russell Bigelow, the famous missionary; the United Brethren Church building was erected in 1850, and the St. Jacob's German Reformed in 1853.