TWIN TOWNSHIP.

Twin Township was erected in July, 1817. from Greenville Township. which then comprised the whole territory within the limits of Darke County. consequently Twin was the second civil division of land made. Its limits embraced all that part of the county south of a line running due east from the northeast corner of Section 31, Town 11 north. Range 1 east.

The area of the township has been reduced by the successive formation of other townships till it now lacks one tier of sections on the east, of including all of Town 8 north. Range 3 east. Its name was taken from Twin Creek. It contains no considerable streams. Miller's Fork rises in the northwestern part. and flows in a southerly course, passing out of the township from Section 33. This stream throughout its course flows with a rapid current. and with its many tributaries affords an excellent system of drainage for the surrounding country. Painter Creek flows eastward across the north part of the town on into the Stillwater. Several creeks which flow into Ludlow's Creek head in the eastern part and afford drainage thereto.

The eastern halt; and north part of Twin Township have a flat surface. originally swamp lands. The rest of the land has :1 more elevated and rolling surface. The soil is rich, black and very productive. Corn. wheat. oats. flax and barley are successfully and profitably grown. and the cultivation of tobacco is gradually assuming greater proportions as acreage annually increases. the strong soil being well adapted to sustain its rank growth. There is scarcely any waste land. Most farms are well improved. and the general appearance of the country suggests thrift and enterprise. Twin was early settled. Miller's Fork. with swift water and high land, attracted the settlers' eyes. and Wayne's trail from Lewisburg to Fort Jefferson and Greenville rar along the 'urns of the stream. Here the pioneer was monarch. untrammeled be society restraints. and free to wage war with the kingly trees of the forest. The pioneer of Twin Township was Jacob North. The date of his arrival is conjectured to have been previous to or during the war of 1812. He moved from the Lewisburg settlement mid built his domicile on the creek bank. near the present location of the township cemetery. His sojourn was but transient. The passions of the red men were aroused. and depredations upon his little property became frequent. North was several times admonished to leave the locality. but 1w apprehended no danger and still remained. At length. Stoner and Elliott tell victims to the tomahawk and scalping-knife. and the pioneer was marked as a victim. One day. a half-breed quietly stepped into his cabin and informed him that for the safety of himself and fairly he had better return

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to the settlement fit owl% Acting upon this advice. Mr. North and his wife gathered up their few movables and went back to his old home. Shortly following his departure. a party of Indians surrounded his cabin and burned it to the ground, and it was probably well for the owner that a friend had given him Warning. Thus terminated the first attempt at a residence in the land of Twin Township.

On Christmas Day, 1800. a company of emigrants began a long and toilsome journey from North Carolina westward, across the Ohio River, and northward, into the Indian country. Accounts of the fair, fertile valleys of the Miamis had reached their homes and incited them to go forward to settle upon the banks of the Upper Miami. These emigrants located north of Dayton, in the fertile valley of the Stillwater. From the ranks of this colony. about 1816, came the first permanent settlers of our township. The van was led by Richard Robbins, born.in Randolph County. N. C., where he celebrated his marriage previous to his removal to the Stillwater. He became a resident of Twin Township in 181.5, having settled on land just west of the present site of Ithaca. From this dates the actual settlement of the township. The war had closed, but the Indians remained, and white and red men regarded each other with distrust. Both went armed. One day, while Robbins was feeding some pigs which were confined in a small pen to protect them from the wolves, the sharp report of a flint-lock rifle was heard, and the settler saw an Indian neighbor withdrawing his body behind a tree hard by. He charged the attempt to shoot him upon the Indian. who earnestly denied any such intention. Robbins would not be convinced. He always maintained that the shot was fired with a view of getting possession of a fine rifle much coveted by the Indians. The settler was carried off by an attack of the measles, in 1824. David Lucas. from the same company of immigrants, followed Robbins in 1816, and located just south of Ithaca on land owned by Champe McGoff. In the same spring. two brothers. William and Eli Curtner, entered land and began a clearing further up Miller's Fork, on land now owned by Mr. Albright. These men located here in March. and in May following, a son. named William, was born to Eli Curtner. and this was the first white child born in the township.

The fall of 1816 brought in a few more settlers from the Stillwater. Land was cheap and good, and attracted many intent upon securing themselves homes. One after another settled along the creek and began his labor, encouraged by the older settlers. former neighbors. In the fall, came Philip Shank, his father. Frederick. and their families. and entered the land now owned by George Corwin. Again the season went round, and again there came an influx of immigrants. David Shearer and James McDole settled on the Colville farm, just west of Ithaca. The Shanks were natives of Virginia ; and of the earliest settlers on the Stillwater, Philip Rutter, of Virginia, and Daniel Baumgardner, of North Carolina, located on Section 16, school land three brothers, Isaac, Thomas and George Walker, primarily from Rhode Island, and later from Virginia and ,Tennessee, from which State they early made their way to Stillwater Valley, whence they moved to this township, locating on land owned by Troxel & Trump. Frazee Doty came in the spring of 1817, and settled just west of Ithaca, on land now owned by Matthew Guy. Mr. Doty was one of Twin's prominent townsmen, and officiated as a local minister. A few years ago. he removed to Missouri. where, a short time ago, he was found by the roadside dead. as was the horse which he had been driving. The cause of the accident was unknown. Mrs. Doty, his widow. Mrs. Shank, wife of Philip Shank, and Mrs. Curtner. wife of William Curtner, are the only surviving persons of the original first settlers. During the fall of 1817, quite an addition was made to the settlement from Stillwater. Andrew Burkett was one who came at this time. For several years, immigration was slow, but constant. We are not able to trace in order the arrival of settlers ; however, we may recall Michael Bickett, Emery Rogers and William Lemon, who was the first Justice of the Peace and Captain of the militia company of the neighborhood. For many years, the ,east and northeast parts of the township remained somewhat unsettled, owing to

460 - HISTORY OF DARKE COUNTY.

the swampy condition of the surface, but, in time, these lands were entered. drainage was resorted to, and, as elsewhere, they have become by far the choice farming lands of the country.

The early settlers have nearly all been called from their toils and privations to final rest. Peace iv to their memories, green grow the grass over their graves. May the pregent generation preserve inviolate, and carry to perfection, the sacred heritage bequeathed by them. In this as in nearly all newly settled countries, the industries dependent upon trade were slow of development. Pioneer wants were proportionate to their abilities to satisfy them. Milling was done at the Stillwater and Big Twin, at the Lewisburg settlement. for many years. The first mill—and this appellation is scarcely applicable to it—was erected upon a branch in Section 32, by John Osbrook. This was the old-fashioned corn cracker, and cracked corn then constituted one of the staple articles of food. The daily capacity was limited to a few bushels, and the mill ran but a short period of the year. The first saw-mill built was on Miller's ('reek, near Ithaca, by the enterprising John Colville. This man was an early settler, and by energy and enterprise did much for his neighbors and for the township. This mill, like the preceding, was imperfect and rude, but answered its purpose and well fulfilled its work. As the country increased and the wants of the townsmen demanded more pretentious manufactures, these were supplied by remodeling the old mills or by building others. The water-power of the country-as defective and difficult of being utilized. Steam power had to be introduced. The first steam grist-mill was erected in Ithaca, by Caswell Sharp. This marked an epoch in the milling line of this section of country. The mill is still in use, being owned and operated by Watson West. and doing good work. In order to preserve the health and spirits of the community, a copper still was erected in the southern part of the township by Daniel Phillips. It was probably the only one ever operated in Twin Township. How long this "venomous worm" was operated, or what was its capacity. it is not known, but it was inefficient to meet the local demand. If evey intemperance reigned and ruined in after-times in the history of the township. but little harm can be charged to this still. There are now in the township three grist-mills of good capacity and four saw-mills, three of which are circular. with large capacity. These, with several manufactories in Arcanum to be mentioned hereafter, now mark the improvement which the industry and enterprise of a half century have wrought in the township. Almost as soon as the settler had provided a shelter for himself and family. he took counsel with his neighbor for the erection of a place for public worship. From house to house the preacher traveled until increased numbers permitted a house, and as time wore on this was kept in repair, until increased wealth enabled the worshipers to erect churches in Cost and character in accord with the times.

The first ones to bear the glad tidings of salvation to the settlers of Twin Township were Abraham Sneethan and Levi Purviance. of the Christian society. Who came first is not known, and a third name, that of John Williams, is given as a cotemporary with them. This trio were early engaged in the work of disseminating Gospel truths. The first church built in, the township was by the Christians, on land now owned by W. H. Tillman. At a later period, they erected another church, just one mile south of Arcanum. Both of these have gone down years ago, and now the denomination which was seen to have planted the first germs of practical religion in Twin Township has no organization within its boundaries. The United Brethren in Christ had the next regular organization. They built their first church in Ithaca, where the present one now stands, which building was the second of the kind raised in the township, nearly fifty years ago. The church interest is strong and healthy at both Ithaca and Arcanum.

The Methodists. progressing with the van of civilization, were here, as elsewhere, early promulgators of the Scriptures in Twin Township. The first organization was effected at Ithaca. in 1840. with forty-two members. and two years

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subsequently. their present house of worship was erected, the first in the township. They now have three societies—one at Ithaca, one at Gordon, and the third at Arcanum. Four other organizations, two of them Lutherans, one German Reformed and one Baptist. complete the list of the religious associations in Twin Township.

There are two cemeteries in the township ; these cities of the dead are both located at Ithaca. One is under the control of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the other belongs to the township, and takes its origin from the date of the first settlement therein. Here was buried Jacob Baumgardner. who died in the spring of 1817. and was the first burial in the township.

Twin has its full proportion of villages, there being three regularly laid out villages within its limits. The oldest in point of survey is Ithaca, which was platted by John Colville. in 1832. This served as the trading center for a circumference of many miles and for a number of years. Joseph Evans established the first dry-goods store in the place. It was kept by "Jacky " North, previously mentioned. The first tavern, or at least place where the public were invited to bed and board," was kept by Eli Shearer. upon the site occupied by the present hotel. The village now contains one dry-goods store, one grocery, one clothing store. two blacksmith-shops, one hotel. and among shops, a shoe, a meat, a harness. a cabinet and an undertaker's. There is a single physician only in the place.

Here are the headquarters of Ithaca Lodge. F. & A. M., No. 295, whose charter was granted July 17, 1857. At this time the members were William H. Matchett, Daniel Ridenour. William Colville, S. C. Engle, Martin J. Colville. Milton McNeal, J. H. Engle, Caswell Sharp, Clark Baker and Elijah Heath.

The first Master was William H. Matchett ; the first Senior Warden, Clark Baker the first Junior Warden. Martin Colville. The lodge has a present membership of sixty-three, and is in a flourishing condition. They have a large three-story building, whose uppermost room is large, spacious. well furnished and in use as a lodge-room.

The next place laid out was Arcanum. in 1849, by Gunder. As growth continued, additions were successively made by land-owners, on all sides. Of these were additions to the north and west by Ivester: Allread & Houck, on the south, and by Falkner. on the northeast. On June 20. 1851. the first store in the place was begun, by Messrs. Samuel and John Smith, and in the year following, the railroad came through from Dayton. The building of this road, which extended diagonally across the township. from north to south, marked an epoch in the history of township and village. It put an end to the necessity of the previous long, tedious and expensive journey. through swamps and over corduroy roads, to Dayton, with produce. It brought a good market to the township, and, to the extreme surprise of many “increased the price of horses." The M. E. Church was built in 1856, and the people came here instead of to the old log church on Painter's Creek. The United Brethren was put up in 1872 or 1873. and they were no longer dependent upon the old schoolhouse. and the Reformed Church perfected an organization in 1879.

On June 20. 1851. the Messrs. Smith. as stated. engaged here in merchandise and trade, and to their energy Arcanum. now a village of 1,000 people, largely owes its present prosperity. It contains four dry-goods houses, seven groceries, two drugstores. two hardware. four harness, three carriage, four blacksmiths, three meat, three shoe. two milliner. three dress making and two barber shops. There are two livery stables. a hotel, a printing office. two bakerys, four grain warehouses, one lumber yard. two flouring-mills. a saw-mill, a planing-mill and a sash and door factory. A synopsis this of the interests of a live, thriving place. Among professional men, there are four physicians and one dentist. A schoolhouse has eight rooms and four teachers employed therein. Taken in business, religious, educational or other views of the village, it is seen to be aspiring and enterprising, manifesting a spirit valuable to the community and securing prosperity to themselves.

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The presence of such places in a township serve as a stimulus to trade and agriculture. enhancing real estate values and inciting to cultivation.