416 - HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY.
CHAPTER XVIII.
BATH TOWNSHIP.
BATH is a land of well cultivated farms, groves of forest trees, pleas- ant streams, and is altogether one of the most picturesque divisions of Allen County. The principal streams are the creeks, known as Hog or Swinonia, and Sugar Creek—the former coursing through the southern sections and the latter through the northern sections, each stream flowing in a southeastern course. Several tributaries of these creeks course through the township, leaving few, if any, sections without a water supply. The economical geology of the township is treated of in the chapter on natural history.
Very early in the history of this township, its pioneer, Christopher Wood, saw in its southwestern section, a beautiful site for a village, and there, in 1829, he located the Seat of Justice. In 1831 he was appointed Commissioner for the sale of lots in the Town of Lima, which belonged to the township until the establishment of Ottawa.
ORGANIZATION.
It appears that the name and organization of Bath Township existed prior to the organization of Allen County; yet there is no record of its establishment either in the records of Allen or Mercer County. It is conceded, however, that in 1831 it was a regularly organised township, with the town of Lima as a center. Chris. Wood. John Schrouf and James Daniels were Justices. On June 6, 1831, a petition for the organization of Jackson Township, was presented and granted. In December, 1834, the people of Jackson petitioned to have the present township, (Con-
BATH TOWNSHIP - 417
gressional) organized under its original name, which petition was granted, and the two tiers of eastern sections of Bath, which belonged to Jackson up to this time, were detached and added to Bath. This order of affairs continued down to May, 1857, when Bath was ordered to contribute portions of Sections 29 and 32, and all Sections 30 and 31, to the new town of Ottawa. Up to the organization of Lima Village, in Section 31, it too formed a part of Bath, and its affairs were administered by the Town Board.
The sight of a town meeting in early days was an interesting one. Here the freeholders came, one by one, from different parts of the town, hard-working, hopeful, earnest, honest men. They met, perhaps, for the first time in a year. They went early in the morning to cast their votes, and, under one excuse or other, remained until late at night. They urged their local political campaign in a homely way, spoke freely their thoughts respecting the candidates, performed their duty at the polls and enjoyed it, and this done, returned to their clearings in the wilderness, to battle with the obstacles of early settlement, until the fall elections called them from their homes again.
Pioneers : Christopher Wood, his sons, Joseph and Albert G. Wood, and his son-in-law, Benjamin Dolph may be credited with settlement in Bath Township, so early as April, 1824. Early in this month they left Bellefontaine to visit lands, which were entered in the land office at Piqua. The story of their exploratory trip and final settlement is told in the following extract from the original biography of Christopher Wood: " From Logan County, on the Miami, where resided a man named Stewart, who had married an Indian wife, they left the borders of the white settlements, and cut a road a distance of twenty-four miles, camp. ing at night in the woods until they reached the Indian town of Wapakonetta. In all this distance, except at Stewarts, they found not a trace of civilization. When they reached Shawnee Town, now Hovers, in Shawnee Township, where Pht,' the chief resided in a cabin, and had about twenty acres of cleared land in good culture, they stayed all night, and on leaving, purchased corn and potatoes for seed. They cut a path, and after Iwo days' hard work, reached their land on Sugar Creek, having heen sixteen days in the wilderness, since quitting Logan County. They landed about the 16th of April, 1824. The parties at once com-
418 - HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY.
menced the work of erecting cabins, and clearing land and planting crops, after which they returned to Champaign County, and moved their families out in the fall. They were at once visited by Wyandots, who assisted them in the erection of their cabins. Captain Wood was appointed and commissioned a Justice of the Peace for Bath Township, when it had civil jurisdiction over nearly all Allen County. In 1829 he was appointed by the legislature one of the commissioners to locate the county seat of Allen County, and upon the erection of the county, in 1831, was appointed one of the associate judges, and when Lima was platted, the first city director for the sale of lots. He moved to, and resided in Lima until 1856, when, having served faithfully his day and generation, full of years, he was gathered to his fathers, aged about eighty-seven years." Tobias. James and John Wood; the Jennings family; Evans and Everett, came in within a few years. Alex. Allison, who died in 1871, settled here in 1827, Matthew Allison, his son, in 1827; John Crawford, who died in 1839, and his son, David Crawford, arrived in 1828. Previous to the organization of the county in 1831, a number of pioneers settled in the southeastern part of the township, whose names are so intimately associated with 'Lima Village and Ottawa Township, that they are given in the history of these divisions of the county. In the following history of the purchase and settlement of the United States lands of Bath, many names and dates are given, all historically interesting. Again, in the pioneer chapter, the names of all tax-payers in the township (including Lima) in 1834 are given, so that in this important matter of pioneer settlers, names and dates are based upon the records of fifty years ago, thus avoiding the errors and omissions which generally mark legendary or unwritten history.
ORIGINAL LAND BUYERS OF BATH.
Joseph Hoover, section 1, 1833.
Wm. C. Wright. section 1. 1835.
Henry D. V. Williams, section 1, 1836.
Whitfield Evaus, section 1, 1834.
Ezra Edgecomb, section 1. 1833.
John Karns, section 1. 1834.
James Elliott, section 1, 1836.
George Olmstead, section 1. 1834.
Elijah Welker. section 2, 1833.
George Bokinger, section 2. 1830.
George Barber, section 2. 1833.
Matthew Allison, section 2, 1834.
John Carlisle, section 2, 1833.
Hector Carlisle, section 2. 1833.
Matthew Allison, section 3, 1834.
John Barber, section 3, 1833.
Alexander Allison, section 3, 1830.
Elizabeth H. Curtis, section 3, 1833.
Hector Carlisle, section 3, 1833.
Andrew Crawford, section 3. 1833.
David Crawford, section 3. 1833.
Ezra Edgecomb, section 3, 1833.
BATH TOWNSHIP - 419
Uriah Edgecomb, section 3, 1832.
Daniel Custard, section 4, 1835.
George Pettit, section 4, 1834.
Freedom Gaskill, section 4, 1833.
Benjamin Moore, section 4, 1833.
Robert Moore, section 4, 1834.
Harmon Wood, section 4, 1833.
John Crawford, section 4, 1831.
Elisha Tharp, section 5, 1833.
Alexander Tharp, section 5, 1834.
Daniel Tharp, section 5, 1835.
Alex. B. Hazel, section 5, 1835.
Daniel Leatherman, section 5, 1834.
Jacob Rigel, Jr., section 6, 1834.
Nathaniel Rockhold, section 6, 1835.
Albert G. Wood, section 6, 1835.
Christian Wolf, section 6, 1842.
David Ballinger. section 6, 1834.
Edward Hartshorn, section 6, 1832.
Moses Wertman, section 6, 1835.
Lewis Shroufe, section 6, 1830.
Thos. B. Van Horn, section 7, 1836.
Mary Elizabeth McCoy, section 7; 1834.
Albert G. Wood, section 7, 1831.
Edward Hartshorn, section 7, 1829.
Christopher Wood, section 7, 1828.
Joseph T. Wood, section 7, 1829.
Abner Kelsey, section 7, 1825.
Rudolph Boose, section 7, 1832.
Elisha Hall, section 18, 1830.
Rudolph Boose, section 18, 1832.
Valentine Pence, section 18, 1832.
Thomas Nichols, section 18, 1832.
Daniel Agler, section 18, 1834.
James Reese, section 9, 1832.
Valentine Pence, section 9, 1832.
Isaac Erlston, section 9. 1833.
Gideon Jennings, section 9, 1834.
John Jennings, section 9, 1834.
John Skinner, section 9, 1833.
Robert Edgecomb, section 10, 1835.
Harvey P. Allen, section 10, 1835.
Edward Hartshorn, section 10, 1833.
Harmon Wood, section 10, 1847.
George Pettit, section 10, 1833.
Olin Jennings, section 10, 1834.
Gideon Jennings, section 10, 1834.
John N. C. Schenck, section 10, 1835.
Josiah Soule, section 1, 1834.
Laucil Edgecomb, section 1, 1833.
James McCullough, section 1, 1833.
Andrew Hine, section 1, 1834.
Peter Snyder, section 1, 1834.
John Jackson, section 1, 1833.
Samuel Mellinger section 12, 1833.
John Russell, section 12, 1834.
Joseph Brown, section 12, 1834.
Wm. W. Hawk, section 12, 1847.
Josiah Soule, section 12, 1834.
Walter Edgecomb, section 12, 1848.
Ezra Edgecomb, section 12, 1848.
Lewis Bassett, section 12, 1847.
Wm. Candler, section 12, 1834.
Thomas Williams, section 13, 1835.
Samuel Bassett, section 13, 1834.
Gustavus Swan, section 13, 1835.
Silas Faurot, section 13, 1834.
David Faurot, section 13, 1834.
John Lewis, section 14, 1834.
Jonathan Lewis, section 14, 1835.
Wm. Stewart, section 14, 1833.
John N. C. Schenck, section 14, 1835.
Lorenzo Snyder, section 14, 1835.
Wm. Stewart, section 15, 1833.
John N. C. Schenck, section 15, 1835
Geo. Stuckmeyer, section 15, 1835.
Joseph Tapscott, section 15, 1835.
John F. Amos, section 15. 1835.
Silas Chalmers, section 15, 1833.
Abraham Miller, section 17, 1832.
John G. Wood, section 47, 1826.
Simon Doyle, Sr., section 17, 1829.
Andrew Gillespie, section 17, 1834.
David Martin, section 17, 1832.
Thomas Elder, section 17, 1833.
Simon Doyle, Sr., section 18, 1829.
Jacob Huck, section 18, 1833.
Jacob Stripe, section 18, 1833.
Frederick Shaffer, section 18, 1831.
Christian Wood, section 18, 1832.
Henry D. V. Williams, section 19, 1837.
Philip Minick, section 19, 1833.
Wm. Stripe, section 19, 1833.
Robt. S. Preston, section 19, 1833.
Andrew McClain, section 19, 1831.
David Rowe, section 19, 1833.
John Jackson, section 19, 1833.
Peter Ogan, section 20, 1834.
Philip Rumbaugh, section 20, 1833.
Samuel Homan, section 20. 1833.
Jacob Lewis, section 20, 1834.
James McClain, section 20, 1833.
John H. James, section 20, 1833.
Ebenezer Osborne, section 21, 1835.
420 - HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY.
Samuel Clayter, section 21, 1835.
John Carbach, section 21, 1834.
Isaac Reed, section 21, 1833.
Wm. Hazel, section 21, 1835.
James Carbach, section 21, 1835.
Charles Baker, section 21, 1835.
Hector Carlisle, section 21, 1833.
Ebenezer Osborne, section 22, 1835.
Clement Smultz, section 22, 1835.
Thomas Neeley, section 22, 1834.
Geo. Rumbaugh, section 22, 1831.
Joseph Aldridge, section 22. 1836.
Ebenezer Osborn, section 22, 1835.
Wm. Rumbaugh, section 22, 1834.
Berzilla Osborne, Jr., section 22, 1835.
Wm. Roberts, section 23, 1832.
Daniel Thayer, section 23, 1835.
John Rumbaugh, section 23, 1835.
John Ream. section 23, 1836.
Samuel McClure, section 23, 1829.
Abraham Ward, section 23, 1832.
Silas Faurot, section 24, 1833.
Wm. Rumbaugh, section 24, 1834.
David Fanrot, section 24, 1830.
Joseph G. Walton, section 24, 1829.
Lorenzo Snider, section 24, 1835.
Joseph Ward, section 24, 1829.
Samuel H. Jameson, section 24, 1833.
John Hiberts, section 25, 1847.
Daniel R. Thayer, section 25, 1845.
Wm. Rumbaugh, section 25, 1834.
H. M. Bennis, section 25. 1836.
Moses Smith, section 25, 1836.
Jacob Fridley, section 25, 1834.
Jacob Defebaugh, section 25, 1834.
Enoch Spangler, section 25, 1834.
James Watt, section 25, 1833.
Robert Snodgrass, section 25, 1832.
Philip Wollett, section 26, 1834.
Jno. Rumbaugh, section 26, 1831.
Joseph Shellenbarger, section 26, 1833.
Jacob Bressler, section 26, 1833.
Adam White, Jr., section 26, 1828.
Daniel Wollett, section 26, 1832.
Adam White, section 26, 1832.
Enos Paubin, section 27, 1832.
Jacob Paulin, section 27, 1833.
Daniel Wollett, section 27, 1832
Philip Wollett, section 27. 1833
Robert YouUg, section 27, 1832.
Hy. Lippincott, section 27, 1835.
W. M. Scott, section 27, 1831.
Barzillai Osborn, section 28. 1829.
Abraham Clark, section 28. 1830.
Aaron Osborn, section 28, 1830.
David N. Saxton, section 28, 1832.
Robert Terry, section 28, 1829.
Samuel B. Lippincott. section 28, 1830.
The west half of southwest quarter of section 29, all of section 30, all of section 31, and the southwest quarter and west half of southeast quarter of section 32, Bath, are now in Ottawa Township. The entries for sections 29, 30, 31 and 32 are given in that township.
Hugh B. Stevenson, section 33, 1833.
Wm. S. Chenowith, section 33. 1831.
Henry M. Corns, section 33, 1833.
John Ward, section 33. 1829.
Alfred Baker, section 33, 1832.
Joshua Murray, section 33, 1831.
Stephen Cook, section 33, 1832.
Moses McClure, section 34, 1832.
George White, section 34, 1831.
Philip Wollett, section 34, 1833.
David N. Saxton, section 34, 1832.
Joseph Smith, section 34, 1833.
James B. Findley, section 34, 1835.
Moses McClure, section 34, 1834.
David Rumbaugh, section 35. 1832.
James P. Harris, section 35, 1833.
Job Haines, section 35, 1835.
Wm. M. Copeland, section 35, 1834.
Silas Osborn, section 35, 1833.
Wm. Hnghes, section 35, 1833.
James B. Findley, section 35. 1835.
George Miller, section 35, 1833.
John Smith, section 35, 1834.
George May, section 36, 1834.
Jesse Spangler, section 36, 1834.
David Rumbaugh, section 36, 1832.
Silas Osborn, section 36, 1834.
Asa French, section 36, 1833.
CHURCHES.
A Methodist society was formed in 1835 by Rev. George Swigert, and one year later a log-house for church purposes Was erected on Section 4, near the Sugar Creek trail.
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The German Baptist Church may be said to have been organized by Abram Miller in 1833, the year of his settlement in Allen County. Within the seven years succeeding the number of members of this faith who settled in the neighborhood was eleven, increased to thirty in 1845 and to 170 in 1880. In 1853 a house of worship was erected on the south bank of Sugar Creek in Section 7, which is still the church of this society. The pastors have been Abram Miller, David Brower, Benjamin Burley, Daniel Brower, Daniel Miller, Robert Edgecomb, Samuel Metzger, Anthony Miller and Samuel Duver; Elder A, Miller died in 1862, when Daniel Brower was elected Elder. The Disciples established a class here in 1834-35, with Rev. Mr. Wilson in charge, and in 1840 erected the first house of worship in the township. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church on Section 22, and the Presbyterian Church on Section 12, make up the list of Churches.
SCHOOLS.
The pioneer school of Bath Township was opened by Daniel Bradigan in the Crawford-Allison settlement on Section 3, near where the Sugar Creek school building now stands. Ezra Comb followed Bradigan, Scranton taught in 1832, and William Terry in 1834-50. The receipts in 1884 for school purposes were $3,5180.16, the expenditures $2,956.95. There are ten school buildings valued at $9,100. Twenty teachers were employed during the year. The number of pupils enrolled was 404234 boys and 170 girls.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The railroads passing through this township are the Dayton & Michigan, the Lake Erie & Western, and the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago.
In this sketch of the township only that which is directly connected with its local history is dealt with. This is due to the fact, that, in the chapters of the general history, every name and almost every item which connects its settlement and progress with Allen County, find mention. Again, in the chapters devoted to personal history, the minutiae or details of the story of its advance in wealth and intelligence appears.
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