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194 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES CHAPTER XXV ORANGE TOWNSHIP LOCATION-TOPOGRAPHY-ORGANIZATION-VILLAGES-. SETTLEMENTS -RAILROADS-"UNDERGROUND" RAILWAY STATION-POPULATION. Orange Township (a part of) was originally under the name of One-leg Township, Tuscarawas County and commenced to receive its pioneer settlers soon after Ohio was admitted into the Union. Benjamin Knight, Samuel Dunlap and a few others built their log cabins along Conotton Creek and by the addition of other settlers the early clearings grew rapidly so that within a few years the distance between neighbors was not so very great. The land embraced within Orange Township is made up of two or more of the original surveyed townships of the county. As now constituted it has part of townships 13 and 14, in range 6 and parts of townships 14 and 15 of range 7. It has an area of twenty-seven and one-half miles. It is bounded by Monroe Township on the north, by Perry on the east, by Harrison County on the south, by Tuscarawas County on the west. Its general topography is quite rough and hilly and is underlaid with valuable minerals including coal and clays. The railroad found traversing the territory of Orange Township is the Wheeling & Lake Erie line. The villages of the township are Sherrodsville, Leesville, New Hagerstown. The population of Orange Township in 1840 was 1,528; in 1870 it had decreased to 1,207; in 1880 it was placed at 1,327; and in 1910 it was 1,700. Before the Civil war and the consequent freedom of slaves, this towns.* was a station on the old So called "Underground Railroad", by which slaves were spirited through from slave states north into Canada. Among the noted "conductors" of this route towards the north star, were Messrs. Joseph S. Burr and Jacob Millesack. The route lay from Port Washington, in Tuscarawas County, through Leesville, thence to Salem, Columbiana County, via Baxter's Ridge in Harrison Township on by way of Judge Georgees in Fox Township, Carrollton County. Carrollton was always avoided if possible, as it was not considered a safe locality in which to try to hide a fugitive slave. In 1884 Hon. William Adair was a reSident of the township at Leesville. He was the author of the celebrated liquor law ; a member of the Constitutional Convention of Ohio. He was then practicing law there. Leesville was also the home of Mrs. Mary A. Kail, poetical writer of note—see some of her verses elsewhere in this chapter. CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES- 195 LEESVILLE Leesville, situated in sections 28 and 29 of Orange Township, was platted August 1, 1812, by ThomaS Price and Peter Saunders. It is on the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad, one hundred miles northeast of Columbus and twelve miles southwest of Carrollton. It is on Conotton Creek, formerly spelled Kanotton and is of Indian origin as a name. Early settlers knew this Stream as One Leg, so called from a one-legged Indian who lived on itS banks and for whom a township was named in Tuscarawas County. Around this little place centers much of history ; has long been known as an intellectual and reforming center. It waS one of the stations on the Underground Railroad, and in those days its little public hall at times was visited by such bright and shining abolition lights as William Lloyd Garrison, Fred Douglass, Wendell Phillips, Parker Pillsbury. This was also the home of the celebrated genius and clock- builder, Charles Dunster, who made with his own rough tools an ingenious astronomical clock which kept the time of several of the larger cities of this country. He was a self-taught man and wrought out this wonderful piece of machinery in an ordinary blacksmith shop, where he also earned his daily bread. Another unique character who naturally finds a place high on the honor roll of the county, is Mrs. Mary E. Kail, authoress of "Crown Our Heroes," and "Ohio." She was born in Washington City, but from early childhood lived in Carroll County. At one time she was a clerk in one of the departments at the national capital, but for political reasons was "let out" by an mcoming administration. Her style as a poet can be best judged by reading her poem entitled "Ohio": Ohio, I love thee for deeds thou has done; Thy conflicts recorded and victories won ; On the pages of history, beaming and bright, Ohio shines forth like a star in the night. Like a star flashing out o'er the mountain's blue crest, Lighting up with its glory the land of the West ; For thy Step onward marching and voice to command, Ohio, I love thee, thou beautiful land. Commonwealth grandly rising in majesty tall— In the girdle of beauty, the fairest of all ; Tho' thunders of nations around thee may roar— Their strong tidal waves dash and break on thy shore— Standing prouder and firmer when danger is nigh, With a power to endure and an arm to defy ; Ohio shall spread her broad wings to the world, Her bugles resounding and banners unfurled. A queen in her dignity, proudly she stands, Reaching out to her Sister States, wealth-laden hands, Crowned with plentiful harvests and fruit from the vine, And riches increasing in ores from the mine. 196 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES While with liberty's banner unfurled to the sky— Resolved for the Union to do or to die— Her soldiers and statesmen unflinchingly come, 'Mid booming of cannon and roll of the drum. To glory still onward we're marching along, Ev'ry heart true and noble, re-echoes the song, Every pledge to each other, through years that have fled, We have hopes for the living, and tears for the dead. Bless the heroes who suffered, but died not in vain ; Keep the flag that we love—without tarnish or stain. Thus uniting with all shall my song ever be Ohio, my home-land, my heart clings to thee. At present the village of Leesville has business interests as follows: General store-Thomas McCreary. Grocery-James Kugas. Hardware—J. H. Benedun. Harness Shop-A. R. Shearer. Barber—Albert Chaddock. Incubator Factory—C. E. Adair. The village has churches and lodges as follows : A Methodist Episcopal church, a Masonic lodge, a Grange, an Eastern Star Chapter and a Daughters of the Revolution Chapter. The postmasters have included these: John Hoover, Robert Cummings, Mary E. Blackburn, B. W. Adair, John Scott, B. W. Adair, John Scott, B. W. Adair, R. H. Miller, M. W. Herron. The present village officers are : Mayor, A. E. Knight ; councilmen, Robert Parker, A. Adair, L. W. Leech, C. Clark, C. B. Gartrea ; treasurer, J. H. Benedun. NEW HAGERSTOWN This is a defunct village and never grew to be of great importance —see "Village Plats" for its origin. THE VILLAGE OF SHERRODSVILLE This is one of the villages of Ohio which has met with numerous changes in its prosperity since its founding. It has numbered its population by the thousand and noted for its business push and enterprise as well as for its decline and periods of Stagnation. These changes have all been caused by purely natural causes over which no man, or set of men, has had any control. Sherrodsville was named for Charles Sherrod who owned the land where the village now stands. He had a machine shop In the nearby country and there manufactured a small type of threshing machines which were sold over quite a large scope of country. Near this point, before the days of the Civil war, a postoffice was established and called "Sherrodsville postoffice." It is now located on the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad and the water course known as CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES- 197 Conotton Creek, flows by the village. This platting is within the civil townships of Orange and Monroe and was platted about 1882 by John Pearch and Allen Pearch on the west side of Conotton and another section of the platting was by Henry Barrick over in Monroe Township. Luther Pearch started the first store in the village and the pioneer hotel was erected and conducted by Samuel Maughiman and wife. Later the hotel was known as the American House. The 1920 commercial intereSts of the village of Sherrodsville are: General dealers, L. C. Justus, W. H. Stratton, Mrs. E. J. Morgan, Reece Scourfield, Pearch Brothers, J. D. Williams ; millinery, Miss Mattie Griffith ; restaurant, R. M. Campbell, John Holcroft ; garage, James Daugherty ; meat market, Pearce & Statton ; cream station, William Pilgrim ; lunch and soft drinks, Robert Bryden, who also operates a dance hall. The undertaker of the village is Edward Baxter ; the flouring mill which has been in operation for thirty yearS is the property of N. E. Morgan. The first lumber dealer in the place was the present postmaster, W. D. Beamer, who opened a lumber yard there soon as the railroad was completed. The various religious denominations have here formed societies and churches including these : Lutheran, Methodist Episcopal, Catholic and Congregational and all have supported pastors and erected houses of worship. The church chapter of this work will treat this in detail. The lodges of Sherrodsville are the Knights of Pythias, Maccabees, Red Men and Woodmen—See Lodge chapter. MINES AND QUARRIES At an early day the coal miners' monthly pay-roll was $40,000 at this place, but today has decreased to about $8,000. However, new developments seem to point to a new and better day in the coal industry of the place. It was about 1905 when coal mining commenced to lessen in the output. From 1900 to 1903 the industry of quarrying building stones here was developed to some extent, but finally went down and this injured the business of the place. However in the autumn of 1918 the Ohio Buff Sand Stone Company took over the old Craig quarry two miles east of the village and are now preparing to do an extensive buSiness and it is said at this date, November, 1920, have contracts with builders in Milwaukee and New York City for immense buildings, including a Catholic cathedral and numerous handsome residences, which will keep this company busy for the next five years. It is believed that as high as two hundred men are soon to find constant employment in this industry, The company in charge took down an immense stone saw and planing mill plant in Bedford, Indiana, for the purpose of utilizing the stone near Sherrodsville, which it is said by master builders and artisans to be far superior to the far-famed Bedford (Ind.) building stone. Concerning the shipping facilities of Sherrodsville let it be said that the old "Conotton Valley" Railroad, a narrow gauge line, was constructed to this place in 1882 and the Wheeling & Lake Erie line 198 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES from Carrollton was finished to Sherrodsville in the fall of 1885. At present both lines are standard gauge and both owned by the Wheeling & Lake Erie system. POSTOFFICE The postoffice at Sherrodsville is still a fourth class office. Its postmasters have been as follows : Luther Pearch, Daniel Narigon, Doctor Dunlap, George Barrick, S. J. T. Pearch, M. V. Shuman and present postmaster, W. D. Beamer, who began his duties in May, 1918. VILLAGE GOVERNMENT This is an incorporated village under the laws of the State. Its present mayor is S. J. T. Pearch. The village owns a two-story frame hall, built in 1895. The present population is not far from four hundred. This village had a great fire about 1889 by which most of the business houses of the place were wiped out. Again on August 11, 1911, eighteen buildings were burned, loss $45,000, and but small insurance on account of the poor fire protection afforded the village. 'The insurance companies would not carry such poor risks. The .citizens from Carrollton, Leesville and Bowerston rushed rapidly to the scene, but all combined could avail but little. Many of these business houses were never rebuilt as at about that date the mining company dismantled its property. The result of this fire may still 'lee teen in the affairs about the once prosperous village. |