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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY - 523 CHAPTER XXII.* TROY TOWNS HIP-DESCRIPTION AND TOPOGRAPHY-EARLY TRIES-SETTLEMENTS-THE MAIN SETTLEMENT-EARLY FACTS AND INCIDENTS-RELIGION AND EDUCATIONAL ROADS, BRIDGES, ETC.-WAR AND POLITICS-TOWNSHIP OFFICERS. " Their history is written In their race, and like the stars They quietly fulfill their destiny." TROY TOWNSHIP was organized from Marlborough and Delaware Townships on the 24th of December; 1816, as the following record will show. "The commissioners have this day granted the petition of a number of the inhabitants of Marlborough and Delaware Townships, praying for a new township of the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning at the range line between Ranges 19 and 20, thence east on the line in the center of the sixth township to the line between Ranges 18 and 19, thence south to the center line of the fifth township, thence west to the line between Ranges 19 and 20, thence north to the place of beginning. The wine is hereby erected into a new township by the name of Troy." It is situated north of the central portion of the county in Range 19, Towns 5 and 6, and is composed entirely of what is known as United States military lands, and is part of the tract which was set apart by act of Congress, passed June 1, 1796, to satisfy the claims of officers and men who participated in the war of the Revolution. In area, the township is five miles square, and comprises four sections of four thousand acres each. Moses Byxbe, Sr., who took an active part in opening up Delaware County, owned large tracts of the bottom lands of this township, which he sold to the early settlers at prices varying from $2.50 to $4 per acre. Troy Township is bounded on the north by Marlborough, on the east by Oxford and Brown, on the south by Delaware, and on the west by * Contributed by H. L. S. Vaile. Radnor . The Olentangy River flows south through the township, a short distance east of the central part, receiving from the east its largest branch, called the "Horseshoe," from the fact that it flows into the Olentangy at. what is known as the "Horseshoe" bend of that river. From the west it receives the waters of Wild Cat Creek, Norris Creek and Clear Run. The river has a winding course, with angles and curves almost innumerable. The geological formations are identical with those of Marlborough Township. On the west the corniferous limestone: the Hamilton group following the course of the river, and the Huron shale outcropping on the eastern bank. The land near the river, and in localities where it has been broken by the smaller streams, is rolling, but in the west it becomes level. The soil on the river bottom is a rich loam, and a long narrow strip of land of the same character is met with in the western part o1 the township bordering on Radnor. The soil on the uplands is a yellow clay, which produces well; and is held in high favor as wheat lands. The surface is rolling enough to drain well, and artificial drainage is little used. The farms are under good cultivation and well stocked. The timber is valuable, consisting of oak, sugar maple, elm, ash walnut and hickory. This township, lying as it does near the city of Delaware, possesses an excellent market for its productions, and its good pike roads leading to the city give it an advantage in this particular over some of its neighbors. In many other respects, however, it is less fortunate. Not a city, town, village, nor even a post office is to be found within its territory, and the people are compelled to go to Delaware, Eden Station, Delhi Norton and even to Ashley for their mail. There 524 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. is not a mill, excepting perhaps a portable saw-mill, nor a store of any kind within its boundaries. It has been said that the pioneer of to-day, hastening to the rich prairies of the Far West in the easy railroad car, turning the soil with the steel plow, building his cabin from lumber bought at a flourishing railroad station near his claim ; locating, in many instances, on land of the Government, which requires only that he shall live upon it to be Iris; gathering his crops and sowing his seed by means of labor saving and improved agricultural machinery, knows absolutely nothing of the great obstacles which were met and overcome by the pioneer of this wooded country in the beginning of the present century. The early settler of Troy found the Indians in full possession of the soil. Game of almost every description was to be found in abundance. The waters of the rivers and creeks teemed with fish, and these, together with other favorable surroundings, rendered the locality especially attractive to them. At "Horse Shoe Bend," in this township, the Mingoes had a large village. To this tribe belonged Logan, who immortalized his name by his wonderful eloquence, and by his magnanimity toward the white prisoners that fell into his hands during the Indian wars of his time. Other tribes, once powerful like the Mingoes, were to be found at times in the Scioto Valley and upon the banks of the Olentangy, but war, pestilence and famine had reduced them in numbers until they were but remnants of their former greatness. Still the settlers had enough cause of fear, as is shown by the following incident. The Delawares and Wyandots, who frequented the locality at one time, joined forces and sent a war party into Pennsylvania to deprecate upon the inhabitants. After several skirmishes. in which a number of prisoners were taken, among them a young white girl. the Indians started for their camp, situated on Clear Run, in this township. They were pursued, however, by a party of whites, among whom were two brothers of the captive girl. They traced the band to the Olentangy, but on arriving at a place near where the old stone mill is situated, just north of Delaware, they lost all trace of them and were about to return, when one of the party noticed smoke ascending above the trees, a mile or two toward the north. The rescuing party cautiously advanced, and, coming upon the Indians unexpectedly, drove them into the woods and rescued the girl unharmed. As already stated, Troy Township was formed in part from the township of Marlborough. Many of the early settlers of the one are entitled also to the same honor in the other. Therefore, if some of them find themselves in their neighbor's log cabin instead of their own, they will bear in mind the difficulty of keeping within proper geographical limits, when boundaries have been so often changed. The line which separates Troy and Marlborough territorially, crosses the Olentangy just north of the old Marlborough Baptist Church, and can easily be located, but the line that separates the old settlers of the two townships is as tortuous as the Olentangy itself: The Wyatts and Brundiges had settled in the northern part of Marlborough Township as early as 1806, and Foust and Drake coming in shortly after, and others, there were soon a number of cabins where the town of Norton now stands, but the lands which are now comprised within the limits of Troy Township were not settled to any great extent for several years after. In 1814, when James Norris and his family came to the county, there were only seven families in the township, viz., William Reed, Levi Hinton, Duval, William Hinton, David Dix, Joseph Cole and Duncan. For a few years after the creation of Troy Township, emigrants came in considerable numbers, and the lands were rapidly taken up. Joseph Cole, one of the earliest settlers of this township, was originally from New York. From that State he emigrated to Virginia, but the highly colored stories, told by his friends and relatives, of Ohio, determined him to make that State his home, and in the latter part of 1808 he came hither, reaching the settlement on the Olentangy, near Norton, in December of that year. Soon after his arrival he purchased 640 acres of land in what is now the extreme northeastern part of this township, where his son, Joseph C. Cole, now resides and upon this he immediately proceeded to erect a cabin. All the trials and hardships incident to pioneer life surrounded him here. Often he was forced to leave his wife and family of little ones at their cabin home in the woods, while he made a trip to Zanesville for the necessaries o1 life. The nearest grist-mill was at Franklinton, in Franklin County, and hither he journeyed to have his corn ground. He erected the first brick house in Troy township on the spot his cabin occupied The brick entering into its construction were burned on his place. Mr. Cole was elected Justice of the Peace in 1815, an office which he held fog twenty-one years. In all this time, not a single decision of his was reversed by the higher courts Often he would pay the constable his fee, and HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. - 525 settle a case between disputants, without letting it go to trial. He was one of the original founders of the old Marlborough Baptist Church in 1810, and it was at his cabin that the first meetings of that society were held. He died in 1849, and sleeps in the graveyard adjoining the old church, of which he was a prominent member. His wife survived him and died in 1868, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. The only members of his family now living are Margaret, Hugh and Joseph. The latter, the youngest of the family, was born in what is now Troy Township. Margaret, the eldest child, was eleven years of age when her father's family came to this locality, and of necessity shared in the hardships that surrounded them. She it was who, when her father was away, had to go alone into the woods, and following the sound of the tinkling bell, through under-bush and swamp, find and drive home the cows. Many times, in company with Sarah Boyd, an adopted daughter of John Duncan and afterwards Mrs. William Sharp, she would go to the barn, put down a floor of wheat, jump on a horse and after treading it out separate the chaff from the grain by means of a sheet. She once made a trip with her mother through the woods to Franklinton for the purpose of getting a set of dishes; but on arriving there they were unable to find two pieces of the same pattern, and so were compelled to return without them. When the alarming news came that Drake had been defeated and her father slain by the Indians, she bravely took her sister by the hand and, in company with little Hugh and her mother, went to Delaware. On the way, becoming very thirsty, she knelt down and drank water from a horse track. She married Eleazer Main, a soldier of 1812, and as his widow draws a pension. She still lives in the old brick house built by her husband, and is a silver haired matron of eighty-two years. Hugh Cole was a babe when his father came to this township, and the first event he distinctly remembers was, when about five years old he, in company with his two elder sisters, went over to the State road to see Harrison's army pass by. At the time of Drake's defeat, the family, having fled from their homes, were taken into a farmer's wagon, at the town of Delaware. Impelled by curiosity, young Cole drew aside the curtains of the wagon, at the end, and startled the rest by the cry of "Here comes Daddy," and sure enough, with his horse on the gallop, his father did come and soon proclaimed the hoax. For four years, Hugh carried, on horseback, the mail from Delaware to Mansfield, commencing at the age of sixteen. During the service, he experienced some exciting adventures. At that time, the road to Mansfield was nothing but a pack-horse trail, and the trees were so close to it that one could touch them from his horse. Mr. Cole relates that upon one occasion he was riding along, utterly unconscious of any danger, when his horse suddenly stopped and seemed determined to go back toward Delaware. Following the gaze of his horse, he thought he discovered a man's arm protruding from behind a tree. He had heard there were highwaymen in the country, but never having been molested, he had paid but little attention to it. He felt for his pistol, and found to his dismay that he had left it at Delaware. What to do he did not know. His impulse was to take the back track. Turning his head, he saw the shadow of another man on the trail behind him. Seeing that there was but one alternative, and that was to push on, he leaned forward upon his horse as low as possible, and sinking the spurs into the animal, made a dash to pass the tree behind which the man was stationed. Just as he got opposite, the robber sprang forward and seized him by the leg with one hand, and struck at him with a dagger which he held in the other. On account of the rapidity with which the horse was going, the robber miscalculated, and the dagger sunk into the saddle, just back of its intended victim. Clinging tightly to his saddle, the momentum of the horse tore him loose from the vice-like grip of the robber. Thus rescued, he reached Mansfield in safety. Shortly after this he married. At present, he is living in Ashley. David Dix, Sr., familiarly known as the "Green Mountain Boy," came from Vermont, and when ten years of age went with his father's family into Wayne County, Penn. His father was a militia man, and was with Washington at the siege of Yorktown. David remained in Pennsylvania until he arrived at his majority, and then started for himself: A few years subsequently, having accumulated some money, he came to Ohio, and settled on the Olentangy. in what is now Liberty Township, in 1807. He lived for a time when he first came to the county, with an old Quaker by the name of Mordecai Mitchner. Upon his arrival he began prospecting and looking for a suitable location, which he found at last in this township. The land is now occupied and owned by his son David Dix, Jr. In the fall of 1807, he returned to Pennsylvania, married, and in the 526 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. spring of 1808 moved his family out to Liberty Township and into the cabin of the old Quaker. In the fall of 1808, with the assistance of two hired men from the settlement in Liberty Township, he put up a small cabin, on the land he had located, a short distance from the present frame structure of his son. They passed the winter, however, at the Quaker's cabin, and in the spring of 1809 moved to their new home. At this time, their only neighbor was Joseph Cole, and it is said that the first knowledge Cole had of the new arrival was through the sound of Dix's ax. After getting well settled in his cabin, Dix immediately began clearing, and in the following fall four acres of corn showed that he had not been role. He was the first clerk of the old Marlborough Baptist Church, and held that position for many years. His death took place August 26, 1834, in the fifty-fourth year of his age. He was buried on the farm, not far from the site where his cabin was located. Among the next arrivals we find the Hintons and Duvals. Levi Hinton, a half-brother, and William Hinton, a full brother of Col. Hinton's, came from Kentucky and settled near the center of the township. They are both dead and their families are scattered, not one of that name now living in the township. Duval was a relative of the Hintons, and came with them from Kentucky. He settled on the farm now occupied by Charles Blymyer. John Duncan came to Troy Township from Virginia, as early as 1810. He was originally from North Carolina, and was a brother-in-law of Joseph Cole. At his death he left no children, and his wife also dying, not a relative survives him. Comfort Olds came to this township at an early date, and followed the river up to the "Forks." The only cabins he passed were those of David Dix and Joseph Cole. Nathan Roath and Pierce Main came as early as 1810. The former settled on land near David Dix. His wife died soon after he came, and was buried in the little cemetery on Dix's farm. This was the first adult death in Troy Township. The latter came from Pennsylvania and settled on land in the northeastern part of the township. He has been dead a number of years, and lies buried in the Marlborough Church graveyard. Joseph Curren came to Ohio from the Old Dominion, and settled in Troy Township about 1812. He bought land from Joseph Cole, and, after building a cabin and clearing a few acres, sold out to James Norris, Sr., in 1814, and buying land in Marlborough Township, moved to that locality. James Norris, Sr., came from Portsmouth, Ohio, to Worthington in 1811, and after having provided his family with a suitable dwelling, he obeyed the call for troops, and joined Harrison's army, which was then on the march north to Fort Meigs. He was with that army when besieged at that place. After the siege was raised, he returned to his family, and in 1814, moved into what is now Troy Township, settling on land now known as the Shultz farm. At this time, William Morris, his eldest son, was eleven years of age, who still lives in the township, and can look back upon his past life with satisfaction as one of usefulness and activity. He is popularly known as Judge Norris from having held the position of Associate Judge of the Common Pleas Court for six years from 1842. He was associated on the bench with Judge Swan, who has since gained a high reputation as a writer on law. It was while Judge Norris occupied this position that he, together with Col. Andrews and Col. Lamb, built by contract thirty-one miles of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railroad: Many reminiscences which he relates of pioneer life are interesting. When a new-comer or some neighbor, ofttimes some miles away, wished to erect a cabin, it was customary for the men of the settlement to turn out and lend a helping hand, thus making short work of the job. The lack of markets made such food as could be raised by the settlers very cheap, indeed it was years before there was a home market sufficient to create a reasonable demand. The traveler was always welcome, and found free and generous entertainment wherever he might stop, and ever carried with him the good wishes of his host. It was necessary to go as far as Zanesville for salt, and to Franklinton to mill, while occasionally trips were made as far north as Lower Sandusky for the purpose of trading. The stock all ran unrestrained in the woods, and the clang of the cow-bell told where they were to be found, perhaps in the clearing, or browsing in the timber. A pig that couldn't outrun a bear had no show for an existence. The miasmatic fevers induced by the noxious gases arising from the decay of the over-abundant vegetation upon the woodlands long hidden from the rays of the sun, were combated by teas made from herbs, to be found in the immediate vicinity, and roots from the forest. Physicians were rarely called, and then only in extreme cases. The inability of the settler to pay them when called, tended to disparage their settling in HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. - 527 so new a country. They were therefore "few and far between." James Norris, Jr.. another son, was a mere child when the family moved into Troy Township. When he had grown to be quite a boy, he assisted Joseph Cole and others, in blazing the road through from Delhi to the old Marlborough Baptist Church. Some years previous to his death, he constructed a small mill which was a novelty in its way. The grinding stones were made from " nigger heads " found on the banks of the Olentangy, and a team of horses, hitched to a lever which was attached to a center piece of the top stone, was the power that turned the mill. "The meal was a little coarse" says an old pioneer, "but then it was better than nothing." Before leaving the history of the Norris family, it may not be out of place to mention the heroic death of Dr. James Busby Norris, who was a son of Judge Norris. He, while located at the city of Chattanooga, Tenn., in the practice of his profession, responded to the call for aid made by the yellow-fever stricken city of Vicksburg in 1878, and met his death in that city while battling with that disease. His remains lie interred in the National Cemetery at Chattanooga, an innovation the Secretary of War acceded to without objection. Sabeers :Main was born in the State of Connecticut before the Revolutionary war, and although never a resident of this township, or even of Ohio, yet he was represented with numerous descendants here, in the early settlement, and deserves a passing notice by way of introducing this numerous family. He was a little under age when the war for freedom commenced, but determined to enlist, which he did, and was assigned to the army under Gen. Greene. After being with Greene for some time, the regiment he was with was placed under Gen. Putnam. He served in the capacity of a spy, often penetrating the British lines for the purpose of gaining information for his commanding officer. After the close of the war, he married Hannah Cole, a native of New York, and moved to Virginia, where he died. He left a widow and several children, all of whom were early settlers in this township. The names of his sons who came to this county are as follows Timothy, Sabeers, Eleazar, John, Jonas, Thomas and Lyman, the latter being the only one now living. Eleazar Main was the first of the family that came to Ohio. He was induced to leave his home in Virginia by Joseph Cole, who had returned to that State for the purpose of moving his brother-in-law, John Duncan, to this country. It was in the early part of the year 1813 that he reached the then little village of Delaware, and on learning that Gen. Harrison's army was besieged at Fort Meigs, he enlisted, and accompanied the detachment which went to its relief. He returned and lived for a time with the Cole family, and marrying Margaret, the eldest daughter, soon after moved to the farm where his widow still lives. In 1824, he built a brick house, the second one of the kind put up in the township. The brick for the same were burnt from clay taken from the bank on the farm of Joseph Cole. For over half a century this old brick house has defied wind and weather, but it shows signs of decay, and erelong another old landmark will be numbered with the past. Eleazar Main gave freely to the support of the Marlborough Baptist Church, and when he died in 1871 was buried in the graveyard adjoining that church. Sabeers and Timothy Main were the next of the family that came to this settlement. They arrived August 10, 1815. The former remained one year at Cole's, afterward removed to the farm now occupied by his son Jonas Main, and, putting up a cabin, began to clear the land. He died March 14, 1869. His wife was Sarah Wright, who moved into Virginia from North Carolina, and who died in 1859. Timothy and his family settled on the farm now occupied by Mr. Simpson. His demise took place a number of years ago, and his sons have moved from this locality. Lyman and Thomas Main came to this locality about 1815 or 1816, with their mother and-sisters. When they arrived they were compelled to live for a short time in the cabin home of a relative, until they could rear one of their own. Their cabin was put up on the land now occupied by Mrs. Williams. Thomas was quite young when he arrived, and lived with his mother until he attained his majority. He then married Anna Russell, and moved to the farm upon which his son Ezra now resides, and which he had purchased from a man by the name of Wilson. He built a cabin and lived there for some time, and then built a frame house nearly opposite to where his cabin was located. He moved into it, where he died in 1867. Lyman in 1823 was married to Hannah Martin. The ceremony took place in the cabin of his mother, and was performed by his brother Timothy, who was a Justice of the Peace. At this time, a great deal of sickness prevailed in the neighborhood, and of the guests who attended no less than seven were stricken down with the chills. Immediately 528 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. after his marriage, he left his old home, and cut his way through the woods to the farm he at present occupies. Here he built himself a cabin. He deserted this in 1835, and moved into a frame house that had been once used as a schoolhouse, and which he had bought, and moved to a short distance above the old log structure. A few years later, this home accidentally caught fire and burned to the ground. His present residence was its immediate successor. In his earlier days, he was a a great hunter, and among many other stories the following is related of him: One day, just as the sun was setting, he was attracted by the cry of his favorite hound, and from its tone knew it must be in trouble. Without stopping for his rifle, he hastened toward the spot from which the sound came, and found the dog in the embrace of a huge bear. Not thinking of danger, he grasped his hunting-knife and closed with the bear. Bruin with a stroke of his huge paw knocked the knife out of his hand, which compelled Lyman to seek safety in a rapid retreat to his cabin. Having gained that refuge, he took down his rifle, and the bear, which had now almost reached the door, was shot dead. Jonas Main and John Main seem to have been the last of the family that came to Ohio Jonas, soon after his arrival, married Polly Cole, and settled near the "Horse Shoe," and has been dead a number of years. John settled just north of where Lyman Main lived, and the brick house now occupied by his son marks the site of his old log cabin. Benjamin Martin, about 1811, emigrated from Virginia, a State which contributed largely to the settlement of this township. The family started in bad weather, in the winter, and at times were compelled to camp for a week, on the bank of a river, before they were able to cross. At one time, they had to sleep in an old still-house, and the baby nearly froze to death. At another time, the horses strayed away, and it was a week before they could be found. These delays postponed their arrival at Deer Creek, Bogs County, where his uncle resided, until 1812, and, having stopped his wagon for the purpose of taking out his goods and placing them in his uncle's cabin, an officer came alone and drafted him into the army. He was immediately assigned to' a detachment going to the front and marched with them to Sandusky. His uncle in the mean time placed the family in a small log house that had been used as a barn, and fixing it up made them as comfortable as possible. Mr. Martin remained in the army and in Ross County three years, and in 1815 came to Troy Township, settling on the farm now occupied by his grandson, Nehemiah Martin, and near Joseph Cole, who was his neighbor in Virginia. Soon after his arrival, he handed in the following letter to the Marlborough Baptist Church, and was admitted to fellowship and licensed to preach: "To whom it may concern : Whereas, our beloved brother and sister, Benjamin and his wife Peggy Martin, being about to move out of the bounds of our church, have made application to the church for a letter of dismissal, which letter was granted by us; we do therefore recommend them to the orderly members in full union, communion and fellowship with us, and where joined to any church of the same order and faith they will be considered as dismissed from us, and may the Lord make you all to be numbered among the jewels of Zion's kingdom, is the prayer of your unworthy brethren in Gospel bonds. Done at our church meeting for the transaction of business on Saturday October 5, 1816. (Signed) PETER JACKSON After William Brundige had ceased to preach, Mr. Martin took his place, and was the first resident preacher in what is now Troy Township. By his first wife, Margaret Wright, he had fifteen children, and after her death, in 1850, he married Mary Conger, who survives him. James Martin, his eldest son, was born in Virginia and came with his father to the settlement on the "Horse Shoe." In 1823, having married Dorcas, a daughter of Sabeers Main, he moved upon the farm he occupied until his death in 1880. It was at the raising of his barn that David Carter was killed. James Martin early took an active part in the Marlborough Baptist Church, and has ever evinced the greatest solicitude concerning its prosperity. His remains find their last resting place in its graveyard. Samuel Wells, another old settler, came as early as 1811, and was in the war of 1812. He has been dead for a number of years. Jeremiah Williams came to this section from Virginia, a short time after the Mains reached the settlement. He had been a school teacher for a number of years previous to his coming. Upon his arrival he bought land of Joseph Cole and built a cabin. Mr. Williams was the first man to introduce writing paper into the township. He died about 1819, and was one of the first buried in the Baptist Church graveyard. Henry Cline came in 1815 and bought land just north of David Dig's farm, where he died in 1875. He owned a large tract of land, now the property of his sons. Henry Worline was a neighbor of Cline, and married his sister. Both families came to Troy HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. - 529 from Fairfield County, Ohio, but were originally from Pennsylvania. Thomas Gill, a brother-in-law of Carter, came from Virginia in 1816. He settled on the farm now occupied by Cline, where he died. The Salisburys also came at an early date and settled on a farm near where Joseph Main now lives. The head of the family is long since dead and his relatives are scattered. George Hunt came previous to 1817 and was employed about the settlement as a hired hand, but never contributed upon his own responsibility to the permanent improvement of the township. At about the same time, Samuel Gilpin, a native of the State of New York, came and settled on the "Horse Shoe." He took out a contract to clear one hundred acres of what has subsequently been known as the " Brown Corn Farm." It consisted of two hundred acres of dense and tangled growth of underbrush, trees, driftwood, etc. And for this labor he received one hundred acres of the land. David Carter came about the year 1817. He was a stonemason by trade; and married a sister of Thomas Gill and through him was connected with the Mains. He settled, when he came to this locality, on the farm now occupied by Mr. Simpson. His unfortunate death caused profound sorrow in the community, and the circumstances attending it are remembered by many to the present day. In 1823, James Martin had invited his neighbors to help him put up a log barn. Carter was among the number, and while assisting to place a log in position, it slipped and, striking him on the head, inflicted injuries from which he subsequently died. This accident cast a gloom over the settlement, and for some years afterward was wont to bring up sad memories at all similar gatherings. Drake's defeat and the feeling of alarm and suspense necessarily arising from the war of 1812, caused a break in the line of emigration, and it was not until 1817 that the next influx occurred. There came about this time, the Crawfords, Eagons, Moses, Bushes, and somewhat later, the Williamses, Darsts, Jacksons, Cozards, Willeys, and Inskeeps. James Bishop came from Virginia in the year 1827. He held a captain's commission in the war of 1812. Having learned that his old friend Joseph Cole was doing well in the valley of the Scioto, he determined to come to this neighborhood. After trying in vain to enlist his father in the undertaking, he mounted his horse and started alone. Upon reaching Columbus, his horse gave out from exhaustion, and he was compelled to continue his journey on foot. He stopped at Joseph Coles, where he remained for a short time, and then buying a piece of land in the neighborhood, erected a cabin. He is still living in the township. The first minister that preached to the people was William Brundige, and the first after the organization of the township was Benjamin Martin. The first physician came into the township at a later date. The only ones the settlers had access to at an early date, lived at Delaware, Delhi, Ashley, Norton and other neighboring towns. The first birth was Robert Cole, who was born February 8, 1810, but died soon after. Rebecca Roath, wife of Nathan Roath, was the first called to seek the "undiscovered country," dying in May, 1810. Thomas Gill was the first blacksmith, and as business did not warrant him in locating permanently, he used to shift his quarters as occasion required. Joseph Cole put up the first grist and saw mill, and he was also the first Justice of the Peace. He was elected to this office immediately after the organization of the township. The first marriage was that of Eleazar Main and Margaret Cole, and took place on the 24th of February, 1814. A small distillery, built and owned by David Bush, was one of the early institutions of Troy, but never amounted to much. Bush put up the first frame barn in the township, while Norris erected the first house of that character. In connection with the building of the first two brick houses in the township, the following incident is related. The mortar for the same was being tramped by oxen, and Hugh Cole's sister, who was quite small, was sitting on the bank near by watching the operation, when from some cause one of the oxen became rampant, and making a dash toward the little girl, caught her clothes on his horns, and with a toss of his head landed her in the bed of mortar, almost under his feet. Hugh who happened to be standing near, seeing the danger his sister was in leaped into the mortar bed, and, seizing her in his arms, rescued her from peril. The first bridge over the Olentangy in Troy was built by Joseph C. Alexander, at Cole's mills in 1840. The first or nearest approach to stores were trader's tents. These traders came up into the settlements with goods which they would dispose of to the settlers and the Indians. They generally came from Worthington or Chillicothe. There never was what might be called a store in the township. The first and only post office was at the house of Cole, and he was the 530 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. Postmaster. The office continued but a short time, and the citizens were compelled to receive their mail through offices situated in other townships. The first dam was the "brush " dam at Cole's mills. About the year 1806, a tornado passed over a portion of Delaware County, which, on account of its strength and destruction was designated as "the Great Windfall." Many of the early settlers remember windfalls which did considerable damage, but this was the most devastating of which they have any recollections. It struck Scioto and Thompson Townships, and with a curve swept across the northwest corner of Delaware Township into Troy. Here, in some cases for a mile wile, the great trees were prostrated, and it seemed as if a mighty scythe had cut a swath through the forest. For many years after, the path could be discerned by means of the smaller timber and the decaying logs. The first church built in this township, and around which clusters the most historic interest, is the old Marlborough Baptist Church. The records from which we take the accompanying sketch are very full and complete, and appear to have been made a short time previous to July 14, 1810, and show the causes of organization. They run as follows, no attempt being made to change their diction : " It pleased God in His good providence to remove a number of His people to this part of the world, and we were from different parts of the country, and strangers to each other. We became acquainted in the love of Jesus Christ and the profession of our faith in God, and Brother Joseph Cole gave them permission for meetings to be held at his house, and also did a number of other people open doors likewise, and it pleased God to cause Elder Brundige's lot to fall amongst us, and we are to be constituted into a church July 14, 1810, by Elder William Brundige and Elder Jacob Drake." The first meeting of the Baptist Church at Marlborough took place the Saturday before the third Lord's Day, July 14, 1810, and the following are the minutes of the first meeting: "The church proceeded to renew covenant and found a union, and Joseph Cole was chosen Deacon on trial, and David Dix, Clerk. "The church voted to give Eider William Brundige a call to the pastoral chair of the church, and the clerk was instructed to write a letter to Liberty Baptist Church. requesting a dismission for him from that church, and to lay the letter before the church for inspection at our next church meeting, which is to be held at the cabin of "Brother Joseph Cole." After the first meeting the letter was written to Liberty Church, and after being approved was sent to Liberty Church. August 19, 1810. The church met at Brother Joseph Cole's cabin on Saturday before the third Lord's Day in August. Elder Wyatt was chosen Moderator. The church proceeded to renew covenant and found a union. The following is a copy of the letter sent to William Brundige from the church in Liberty. Elder William Brundige living a member in full communion with us now living in the bounds of a sister church of the same faith and order, and being desirous of a letter of dismission from us so that he may join them, and applying now by the mouth of Elder Wyatt for a letter, we now give him a letter as a minister of the Gospel and recommend him as such, and being in good standing with us at this time, and as soon as he is joined to another church of the same faith and order, he will be considered as fully dismissed from us This letter is given at Delaware town by order of the Baptist Church of Liberty. (Signed) JOSEPH EATON, Clerk, August 10, 1810. Elder William Brundige came forward to join, the church, and gave in his letter of dismissal from the pastoral charge of Liberty Church, and was appointed to the pastoral chair of the church. In 1810 occurred the first withdrawal, Pierce Main severing his connection with the church. The meeting on the Saturday before the third Lord's Day in April, 1811, was interrupted by the male members of the church being called to military training. May 16, 1813. No meeting of the church, as the men were called to the field against the enemy The meeting in June, 1813, postponed on account of the men being under arms to repel threatened attack of the British and Indians. The meetings in August and September also postponed on account of a threatened invasion of the enemy. In March, 1814, Pierce Main came forward and, after confessing his fault, was readmitted into the church. The following is a copy of the letter of dismissal of Nathaniel Wyett, the first settle! in this section of the county, from the Liberty Church. The Baptist Church, called Liberty Church, in Delaware County, State of Ohio, holding the doctrine of unconditional election, justification by Jesus Christ justification by the spirit of grace, the resurrection of dead, both of the just and the unjust, etc. To whom it may concern: That our Elder Nathaniel Wyett has PAGES 531 & 532 NOT USED HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. - 533 requested a letter of dismissal from this church as his local situation, and the helps we are blessed with in the church justify his request. We do now dismiss him as being in full fellowship with us, and as such we recommend him to the other churches of the same faith and order. Done on July 8, 1815. JOSEPH EATON, Clerk. Saturday before the third Lord's day in December, 1815. The meeting was opened by prayer and praise. The Church proceeded to business. Joseph Cole was chosen moderator, and the church proceeded to renew covenant and found a union. The church took up the request from the members in Radnor Township, which was laid into the church at our meeting in November, praying that they might be constituted into a separate church. It was acted upon and voted that they might be constituted into a church, separate and distinct by themselves. DAVID DIX, Clerk. It was not until about 1819 that the society built their first church. It was constructed of hewn logs, from Joseph Cole's land. The situation was the same as now occupied by the new church, which overlooks the river in the extreme northern and eastern part of the township. In 1836, they tore down the old log church. Joseph Cole bought it and moved it to his farm and placed it opposite his house, where it can be seen at the present time. It is now used as a hay barn. A frame one was then built, which they occupied until 1873, when it was replaced with a new one. The present church is an elegant structure, large and commodious, and is built of brick and freestone, at a cost of $3,300. The first minister that preached to the society was William Brundige. The first Methodist organization in Troy Township was the Windfall Class. It took its name from the fact that it worshiped in a small schoolhouse on the southwest corner of Hiram Welch's farm, which was situated in the path taken by the "Great Windfall," of 1806. This organization had an existence as early as 1834, and continued for a number of years, but had no church building. The Methodist Episcopal Church, situated just above Judge Norris' farm, first came out as an organization and at first worshiped in the schoolhouse situated near where the present structure stands. The first frame structure was built upon the site of the present brick church, and was a very cheap affair. Soon after it was put up, they were joined by the "Windfall Class," and worship was continued for some time. At last their building becoming so poor and dilapidated as to seriously inconvenience those worshiping in it, the services were discontinued, and in 1867, finding all efforts to rebuild it unavailing, it was sold to J. B. Jackson for $25, and moved by him to his farm near by, where it can still be seen. It was not until 1872 that the organization again showed signs of life and activity. In that year, the congregation built a fine brick structure, at a cost of $2,200, which was dedicated the same year, by D. D. Mather. The Baptist Church, which is situated in the eastern part of the township, near the "Horse Shoe," owes its origin to the revolt of Elder Biggs and other members, in 1856, from the old Marlborough Baptist Church. The church is a frame structure. The Grange Society have quite a fine hall in this township. It is situated nearly in the center of the township, opposite the brick M. E. Church. The building is a frame costing $600 and was built by Robert Jones. The land was donated by Judge Norris. The society was organized in the summer of 1874. The first officers being: J. B. Jackson, W. M.; B. F. Fry, O., and Richard Wallace, Secretary. The present officers are as follows: J. B. Jackson, W. M.; W. H. Pool, O.; Miss Joan Norris, Secretary. The first school was taught in 1814 by Miss Electa Wilcox, in a log cabin, that stood in a sugar-maple grove, and had been used as a camp by Mr. Cole. After Miss Wilcox had taught a few winters, a subscription was raised, and a log schoolhouse built. The following description from a pioneer will give perhaps an idea of the probable style of this structure. "It was one story high, built of logs, the cracks being filled with clay mud. The windows were made by cutting out a section of a log and pasting a greased paper over the aperture, thus supplying both frame and glass. The fire-place and chimney were formed by cutting a huge opening through one end of the cabin, thus building out and around it with clay, mud and sticks, and extending this crude structure to the ridge pole. In the cold days of winter, it required the services of about three boys to supply wood for the fire, and three to bring water to keep the schoolhouse from burning down. For seats, they either had a section of a log, or else sat on a three-legged stool." This contrast with the school buildings and their facilities of to-day, is in keeping with the present condition, in all else that goes to refine and elevate, as compared with the surroundings of primitive times. Now large and commodious school buildings with modern 534 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. appliances are to be met with in convenient places throughout the township. A corps of competent instructors are maintained, leaving no excuse for not securing a good education. The following school statistics will be found of some interest Amount of money on hand Sept. 1, 1878..............................$716.79 Total amount of money received during the year ending Sept. 1, 1879................................................2,581.20 Am't paid teachers during the year, primary .......................1,416.90 Fuel and other contingent expenses .................................... 207.49 Total expenditures .............................................................. 1,624.39 Number of sub-districts and districts ................................. 8 Whole number of schoolhouses .......................................... 8 Total value of school property ........................................... $3,200 Number of teachers employed at different times during the year, gents 5, ladies 10........................... 15 Average wages of teachers per month ............................... $31.20 Average number of weeks the school was in session ............................................................................ 26 Number of pupils enrolled during the year, boys 137, girls 136 ......................................................... 273 Average daily attendance, boys 80, girls 72,....................... 152 At present, the schools are in an excellent condition, and in many instances are being taught by young men from the Ohio Wesleyan University who are compelled to teach to procure funds to carry them through to graduation. The section of what was at one time so familiarly known to the earlier settlers of Troy Township as the United States Military Road, but which at the present time is rarely spoken of in the township, from the fact of its having been long since obliterated, was the result of the following petition, the first official record of Delaware County. June 8, 1808. "A petition for a county road on west side of Whetstone (Olentangy), beginning at the Indian boundary line, thence to Delaware, thence to south line of the county, as near the river as ground and river angles will admit. Petition granted, and Moses Byxbe, Nathaniel Wyatt and Josiah McKinney appointed Viewers, and Azariah Root, Surveyor." This road was immediately surveyed and laid out, and at the southern boundary line of Delaware County it connected with the Columbus road, and at the Indian boundary line it joined with the road north to Lower Sandusky. Soon after it was laid out, it was used by the military authorities as a channel for supplying the northern forts with war materials, and hence derived its name, although the part in Delaware County was built by order of the Commissioners, on the petition of private individuals. The road between the old Marlborough Baptist Church and the town of Delhi in Radnor Township was first laid out in the following unique manner. Joseph Cole had long appreciated the fact that a road ought to be cut through the woods between the two points, so that the members of the Baptist congregation living in Delhi could conveniently reach the church. One day, Mr. Cole, accompanied by several men, went out to locate and open the road. James Norris, Jr., being one of the number, was told to proceed two or three miles in advance, in the direction which the road was to take, and, climbing a tree or standing on the roof of a cabin, to blow the large horn which he had in his possession. He did as directed, and the chopping party, following in the direction of the sound, opened the road through to where Norris was found astride the roof of a cabin. Again he was sent in advance, and by repeating the operation, the entire road was opened between the two points. The " Horseshoe " road was located about 1828, and lies east of the Olentangy. It opens up the Horseshoe bottoms. This road is what is known as a mud road, the pure significance of which can only be appreciated after a thaw in winter, or a hard rain in spring. The Columbus & Sandusky Turnpike was built as early as 1833, and runs north and south through the township, a short distance west of the old military road and of the Olentangy River. It was half dirt and half plank, and in some localities, where the land was low and marshy, trees were felled across the road-bed and a sort of corduroy formed. An incident which happened in connection with a toll-gate on this road in Troy may be of interest. It seems that just before the charter was revoked, the Company allowed the road to run down until it was a miserable affair, and at the same time exacted a heavy toll. The citizens became very much dissatisfied, and one ',, night a mob came up from Worthington and began tearing down the gate which was situated about five miles from the city of Delaware. The gate-keeper, Thomas F. Case, fired upon the party, and wounded a man by the name of Ingham quite seriously. The parties went to law, and for many weeks the case attracted a great deal of attention. About 1842, the charter of this company was recalled by the Legislature, and, in 1869, the Delaware & Troy Pike Company received a charter which was virtually a continuance of the other. This Company located the present road, which; with a few alterations, represents the course of the old Sandusky road. A toll was collected on this road for a few years after it was established, but, on petition of the citizens of Troy and vicin- HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. - 535 ity, it was made free. The pike road which connects Delhi, in Radnor Township, with Ashley is also free, and passes in almost a direct line east and west through the northern part. It was built in 1870. The old road to Ashley was blazed through sixty years ago. The first bridge in Troy Township was built over the Olentangy, near Joseph Cole's, by Joseph Alexander, in 1840, and served its purpose for nine vears. About the year 1850, its place was supplied by a new structure which stood for ten years. This bridge was built by James Bishop, Christian Black and Elihu Clark. The present one, a covered bridge, was built about the year 1860, by a man named Landon, who lived in Sunbury. There is a new covered bridge which spans the Olentangy River just southeast of Judge Norris' farm. It rests on two strong abutments of limestone, and serves as a great convenience, as, heretofore, in the case of high water, the traveling public have been necessitated to either go up the river to Joseph C. Cole's, or down to the stone mill near Delaware, for the purpose of crossing. Previous mention has been made of the fact that the first mills built in Troy Township were put up by Joseph Cole. They comprised a saw-mill and a grist-mill, and were situated just north of the covered bridge that crosses the river near the old Marlborough Church. To-day, a few of the old timbers which composed the dam may be seen in the river near the place. All other traces of the mills have disappeared, and even the location is known but to a few. The saw-mill was put up about the year 1820, and was built of hewn logs. The grist-mill was built about three years later, of sawn timbers. The stones that were first used in this mill, were trade from a granite bowlder gotten out along the bank of the river. They were dressed and put in position by Henry James. The first meal that was ground was used in powdering the hair of Newman Haven; the millwright. The dam was situated just above the mills, and was known in those days as a brush dam. It was constructed of brush, dirt and stones, with a few logs, and was a crude affair. Subsequently, during a freshet, it succumbed to the pressure, going down stream with the foaming water, and, in its stead, a more substantial one was built. Some time after the completion of the latter, an accident occurred in its connection, which came very near closing the career of Mr. Cole. Its seems that the water had forced its way through a weak place in the dam, gradually increasing the crevice until it had washed out a large hole in the bottom, through which the water was pouring with a fearful velocity. Mr. Cole, seeing the danger that threatened the rest of the dam, immediately got a corps of workmen and began repairing the break. While standing, looking down into the hole, superintending the filling, he lost his balance and fell into the boiling, foaming vortex. In an instant he was swept through the dam into the deep water beyond. Hugh Cole was engaged in hauling logs to help repair the dam, and was just returning with one when he saw his father fall into the hole. The next moment he saw him struggling in the branches of a submerged sycamore-tree which had floated over the dam a few days previous, into which the current had carried him. He sprang to the ground, and, cutting the hame-string, took one of the horses out, jumped upon his back, swam him across the river to where a " dug-out " was tied, and, pushing that into the stream, paddied to where his father was and brought him to the shore. It was found upon examination, that Mr. Cole's right arm was dislocated, and that he was otherwise badly bruised. He told his son that in three minutes more he would have been compelled to release his hold, and in all probability, he would have been drowned. It may not be out of place to give another instance connected with this dam, that resulted more fatally to one party at least. In 1832, Thomas Willey and Nathaniel Cozard attempted to cross the river just above the dam, in an old "dug-out." It seems that neither one of the men had had much experience with that kind of craft, and, as the river was high and the current swift, they were carried over the dam. By a strange coincidence, Hugh Cole was riding along the bank and saw the men pass over. Dashing his horse into the angry waters just below the dam, he seized Willey by the hair as he was going down the last time, and brought him safely to shore. Cozard was carried down stream and drowned. His body was found soon after about a mile below the dam. In the year 1832, Lyman Main put up a sawmill on the "Horseshoe Creek," built a dam and ran the mill for a number of years. The mill has long since disappeared together with the dam, leaving the waters of the creek to flow unimpeded to the Olentangy. About the years 1834 or 1835, Timothy Main built a saw-mill on Horseshoe Creek, near the edge of Oxford and Troy townships. It was used for a number of years, 536 - HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. and then disappeared with the demand that called it forth. "Audaces fortuna juvat." This old saying, which now has become almost a proverb, seems very expressive of the people of this township, and, as they behold the records of the past in war and in peace, they can well exclaim "Fortune favors the brave." Many of the early settlers of Troy Township had been officers and soldiers in the Revolutionary war, to whom a grateful and bankrupt Congress gave the only compensation they could, namely, a liberal donation of its Western land. The war of 1812 came, and the settlers and their sons again left the plow in the furrow, and the ripe grain standing uncut in the field, to hasten to the relief of Fort Meigs and Lower Sandusky. There were a number in this township who went with Drake, and were with him in his glorious campaign. The Mexican war did not take many from this township, but the war of the rebellion called every man from his field or fireside to do for the Union. The names of the brave sons of Troy will long be remembered, and the many incidents of their camp life told anew, for no matter what the political cast of the township, it entered heart and soul into the grand object of preserving the Union. As far as politics is concerned, this township can, we think, hold the banner as being the most evenly divided township in the county, or in the State, for that matter. The following statistics will give an idea of the strength of both parties: Governor-Charles Foster, Republican, 107 ; Thomas Ewing, Democrat, 108.Lieutenant Governor-A. Heckenlooper, Republican, 107 ; M. V. Rice, Democrat, 108. State Senate Thomas Joy, Republican, 112 ; F. M. Marriott, 104. Representative John Jones, 109; D. H. Elliott, 107. The Supreme Judges, Auditors of State, Attorney General and County Commissioner each had 108 votes. The early record of the township officers is missing from the Clerk's books, and the earliest record which can be found bears date April 4, 1823, and is as follows: "At the election held for the purpose of electing township officers, the following were elected to their respective offices Trustees-Timothy Main, Peris Main, Jonas Main; Constables, Sabeers Main, Elijah Williams ; Treasurer, David Tarboss ; Supervisors-Solomon Aldrich, Henry Cline, David Tarboss; John Main; House Appraisers, Timothy Main, Sabeers Main; Overseers of the Poor, David Dix, David Carter (killed); Fence Viewers David Dix (John Wilson), Samuel Wilson; Clerk, John Wilson. Present officers are as follows: Trustees-John Downing, John Shaffner, Henry Main ; Constable, James Main ; Treasurer, John D. Williams; Assessor, John Barber; Land Appraiser, Ephraim Willey ; Clerk, S. Willey; Justices of the Peace, Charles Blymyer, William Pool ; Supervisors-Wilbert Main, Madison Main, Cornelius Marsh, William Pool, David Williams, John Barrett, Henry Ward, James Miller, H. A. Silverwood, David Dig, Jr., Samuel Willey, Ezrah Darst, Anthony Smith, James Landers, William Downing, Albert Shultz, John Confer. (RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) |