|
182 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES CHAPTER XXI HARRISON TOWNSHIP BOUNDARY-POPULATION - SCHOOLS - TOPOGRAPHY AND GENERAL FEATURES- COAL MINES-VILLAGE OF NEW HARRISBURG-WINCHESTER-HIBBETTS. Harrison Township originally contained land embraced within a part of Stark County, at the formation of the new county of Carroll. It embraced all of the original surveyed township 15, range 6, until the erection of the present civil township of Center, by the county commissioners, when four and one-half sections were taken from Washington Township in the formation of Center. Under the present arrangement of civil townships, Harrison is left with thirty- one and one-half sections. SCHOOLS Until 1882 the schools of Harrison Township were supported by money arising from the rent of school section No. 16. But after years of experience and difficulty the school lands were sold (April 15, 1882), the popular vote on that issue standing 120 for and thirty- five against the lands being sold. POPULATION The population of this township according to the United States census has been : In 1840 it was 1,308 ; in 1890 it was 915: in 1900 it was 799; in 1910 it was given as 750. SINGULAR COINCIDENCE When the first courthouse in Carroll County was erected a man named William Davis was one of the county commissioners in charge, and when in 1884 the present courthouse was erected, another William Davis was one member of the board. TOPOGRAPHY The elevation and topography of this township is such that it rises so high above the valuable coal measure that an entrance cannot be made without making a shaft, although several coal mines were opened prior to 1884. RAILROAD The railway facilities in this township are furnished by the Wheeling & Lake Erie line, with station points at Hibbetts and another CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES- 183 just over the line in Washington Township at Stemple. Both are merely way-stations of no business consequence today. WINCHESTER VILLAGE PLAT Who knows anything about Winchester, Carroll County, Ohio? Well, such a place was platted, though never recorded by its proprietor, John Swearingen. It was situated in section 9, cornering with section 16. It was never accounted worthy of even building upon as a village plat. At a very early day in the settlement of this county there was a pottery established by someone, on the Jacob Rock farm, two and a half miles west of Harrisburg and about a mile and a half east of the road leading to Carrollton ; there was a tavern and a still-house there also. It has been long years since there was any trace of a village or of these industries. VILLAGE OF NEW HARRISBURG In 1886, State historian Henry Howe mentioned this village in these words : "It is a small village five miles northwest of Carrollton and which in 1883 contested with it for the county seat. This was the birth place of Jonathan Weaver, bishop of the United Brethren Church and president of Otterbein University. The village has one Presbyterian, one Christian church and about 200 inhabitants. In the little cemetery hard by the village may be seen a grave stone about twelve by eighteen inches, bearing the inscription 'Jonathan Lewis, aged 104.' " As to this place in 1920 it can be said there is nothing to note a commercial interest at this point—it only remains in memory of the older citizens of the county. A writer in the Free Press at Carrollton in 1884, and later, gave in substance the following concerning this village, which has some interesting points in history : New Harrisburg was platted by Jacob Harsh, December 26, 1828, and soon assumed some promise of commercial importance, held its own share of the patronage so long as the stage line continued from Steubenville to Canton, through the place. But when the old rockaway stage coaches ceased to pass through the burg and the horse of .flesh and blood was superseded by the horse of iron and steel, the town commenced to decline. Early in the eighties, Colonel Ayers was running a general store at this point and offered the county ten acres of land if they would locate the county seat there. It was here that Rev. Jonathan Weaver, bishop of the United Brethren Church was born. He was also president of the Otterbein University. In 1884, New Harrisburg had a population of 200. The postmaster was then James Barr ; dry goods dealer was T. J. Elder & Company ; tannery, by A. B. McGill ; boots and shoes by Masters & Barr ; hotel, John Moore ; undertaker waS G. W. Perry ; Conrad Wertz was the "village blacksmith." The farming country about this place is indeed most fertile and has been cared for well by intelligent, hard-working farmers. Bax- 184 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES ter's Ridge is counted about the finest in the township. The northeast part of the township extends into what used to be known as the "Swamp." The old Conotton Valley Railroad runs through this township, but left New Harrisburg off the line by three miles. |