HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO - 475
from the impulsion of the same forces that founded Central college. The New School synod of Ohio, and the Presbytery of Marion, determining to found a college in the central or northwestern part of the State, were influenced to locate it in Blendon by the proposition of Squire 'Timothy Lee to give one hundred acres of land on such condition. The school being established, it was thought desirable to organize a church in close relations to the institution, both as to locality and ecclesiastical connection; hence the formation of the Central College church, in 1843. In pursuance of a resolution of the trustees of the college, a meeting was called for the organization of the church. Rev. L. A. Sawyer presided, and the Rev, Ebenezer Washburn was also present, and took part in the exercises. Sixteen persons presented letters, and were organized into a church. How many of them were from the Blendon church the record does not show. Timothy Lee and Stillman Tucker were elected elders, and President Sawyer became the active minister of the church, which immediately began holding services in the college building. Mr. Sawyer continued to supply the pulpit, until he resigned the presidency of the college, in 1846. The Rev. J. Covert, next president, took charge of the church the same year, and remained until 1848. The pastorate was, for a time, vacant, but Rev. Edmund Garland became the minister in 1849, remaining until 1851. Rev. Levi B. Wilson became regular pastor in 1853, and resigned in 1855. During all of these years the church was regarded as an appendage of the college. Its membership was small from the beginning, not exceeding twenty-five in number until 1862. In 1860 the Rev. Henry Bushnell came to the college, and was induced to take charge of the school. Both school and church prospered under his control. At a later period, the pulpit was supplied by Mr. Washburn, Rev. Warren Jenkins, Rev. Anson Smythe, Rev. H. B. Scott, Rev. I. M. King, and Rev. J. C. Campbell, each of whom served for about a year. Rev. Levi P. Sabin began his labor in 1868, and continued three years. It was largely through his labors that the present commodious house was built, in 1870. The Blendon Presbyterian church and the Central College church were brought into union again, and placed under .one pastoral charge, on the seventeenth of September, 1872, the Rev. H. M. Robertson preaching in both until 1877, when Mr. Carson succeeded him. The officers of the Central College church for 1879 are: O. C. McDannald, Charles Watt, Alfred McLeod, elders; C. E. McDannald, De Witt Gates, Wm. Linn, Frank Wilber, Charles Hempsted, trustees; Alvin Wright, treasurer.
THE CENTRAL COLLEGE BAPTIST CHURCH
had its origin in Genoa township, Delaware county, and only its late history belongs to Blendon. It was organized in 1832, with John Nutt, Daniel Dusenbury, Nancy Dusenbury, Lydia Sebring, Charles McLeod, Alfred McLeod, Rebecca McLeod, and Sally Nutt, with some others, as members. The church was removed to Central college, in 1868, in which year the church edifice
was also constructed. The house, which is still in use, was built by a committee consisting of Charles McLeod, Joseph Clapham, and S. Hildreth, at a cost of two thousand two hundred dollars, and the lot was donated by Elder S. G. Barber: The church was dedicated January 24, 1869, by Elder Randall, of Columbus. The first regular preacher was Elder P. Kelsey. Although the membership has always been small, and at present includes but eighteen members, the organization has always been kept up. The church is at present without a regular pastor: Its officers are as follows: Joseph Clapham and S. Hildreth, deacons; Charles McLe0d, clerk; Joseph Clapham, treasurer; Joseph Clapham, Charles McLeod, and I. N. Farmer,. trustees.
THE METHODIST CHURCH.
A Methodist class was organized in Blendon as early as 1819, though there was preaching in the township several years before. The members at first were Reuben Carpenter, John Mattoon, Isaac Tinkham, Thomas Ingalls, Garrit Sharp, Ezra Sammis, John Bishop, and the Westervelts– Matthew, Peter, and. William. The first presiding elder was William Swazey. A Small church was built of hewed logs, south of Westerville. The class prospered, and. grew in numbers and activity. Nineteen years later, or in 1838, the present church was built. It was erected upon a lot, donated for the purpose, by Matthew Westervelt, and cost about three thousand dollars. 'The society at that time was a large one, and consisted of members from both sides of Alum creek. The first trustees were 'Thomas McCloud, Isaac Tinkham, Artemas Cutler, John Mattoon, Ezra Sammis, and Reuben Carpenter. Cutler was an occasional exhorter. The church is, at present, in a flourishing condition, and has a large membership. Its officers are the following: H. Dyxon, T. H. Torrence, T. H. Connard, John Budd, L. R. Goodspeed, J. H. Henderson, George Kirts, Isaac Thompson, W. R. Wyant, Samuel Wood, stewards; S. Budd, A. C. Elliott,' local preachers.
UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH.
Otterbein station is a congregation of the United Brethren in Christ, at Westerville. Its history is interwoven with the history of Otterbein university, as the two have grown up together. It was organized early in the year 1848, by the Rev. Isaac Kretsinger, and continued to worship during that year and part of the year following, in the basement of the Methodist Episcopal church. Since then its meetings have been held in some of the college buildings, or in the chapel, as 'at present. Rev. Isaac Kretsinger was the .first pastor, and the original members were Rev. Lewis Davis, Rebecca Davis, Prof. W. R. Griffith, Mrs. Griffith, and Mr. Thompson. The following are the names of the successive pastors : 1848, I. Kretsinger, one year; 1849, Henry Jones, one year; 1850, George Hathaway, one year; 1851, J. Winter and J. Winn, one year; 05.2, Lewis Davis, one year; 1853, W. W. Davis, one year; 1854, Israel Sloan, one year; 1855, J. S. Davis, one year; 1856- 7, Lewis Davis, two years; 1858, J. H. Brundige, one year; 1859, William Hanby, one year.; 1860, A. Owen and J. M. Spang-
476 - HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO.
ler, one year; 1861, Lewis Davis, one year; 1862, S. W. Zeller, one year; 1863-4, William Millar (resigned to go into the army, in May, 1864), eighteen months; 1864-5 J. Weaver, eighteen months; 1866, William Fisher, one year; 1867-9, J. B. Resler, three years; 1870, J. G. Bowersox, one year; 1871-4, E. S. Chapman, four years; 1875-9, J. S. Mills, five years. The conference year does not fully coincide with the calender year. Most of the pastorates began about the first of October preceding the date named, and ended about the same time in. the year named. The church now numbers three hundred and twenty members. It has a Sabbath-school of two hundred members, which was organized by electing Prof. J. Haywood, superintendent in 1851. Its present superintendent is Prof. J. E. Guitner. This Sabbath-school has a normal department, in charge of President H. A. Thompson, D. D., for the training of Sunday-school teachers. It also supports a mission school at Manoh, West Africa. The present faculty of Otterbein university, and the bishop of the Ohio district, are members of this church.
THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION.
The church of this denomination is the youngest of the several church organizations of Westerville village and Blendon township. It was organized in the fall of 1877, and the neat church edifice was built the same year, and dedicated December 1st. It cost two thou-sand one hundred and fifty dollars. The constituent members were Samuel Rigal, Mrs. Amanda Rigal, 'Mrs. Elizabeth Ridenour, Mrs. Catharine Kroener, Amy Baldwin, George Ritter, Catharine Ritter, Mary Glick, Mrs. Cheever, and Mrs. Elizabeth Perdue. The church was organized by Rev. E. Wingard, and the house of worship by the Rev. H. J. Bowman. The first pastor was Rev. C. L. Crowther, and he was succeeded by the present incumbent, Rev. W. W. Sherrick. The present officers of the church are as follows: Samuel Rigal, Henry Ridenour, George Rigal, G. S. Ritter, trustees;' Henry Ridenour, steward ; George S. Ritter, class leader; Rev. W. \V. Sherrick, Sabbath-school superintendent.
THE GREAT CAMP MEETING, AND ITS LEADING EPISODE.
The year 1838 is remembered as the year of the great camp meeting. The meeting resulted in the making of many converts, and it is noteworthy for another reason. It was at this protracted religious service that the necesity for a school, under the Methodist auspices, suggested itself to the leading men of the church, and that the first steps were taken which led to the establishment of the Blendon young men's academy. But it was because of a peculiarly old time incident that the meeting became widely heard of and much talked about. The grounds selected for the great gathering were on the farm of Matthew Westervelt, just south of the present college campus. The principal speaker was the Rev. James Gilruth, and he was assisted by Revs. Uriah Heath, Jacob Young, and others. Preacher Gilruth was a native of North Carolina, and came to central Ohio with Harrison's army. He was a man of unusual force, mentally and physically, stood nearly six feet high, weighed about two hundred pounds, and was of powerful build. It was said that he was the only man in Blendon township who could throw a certain heavy axe over the steeple of the old court. house, in Franklinton. At the camp meeting the rowdies organized under the leadership of a notorious bully and rough, from Delaware, or some of the northern counties, and committed several disgraceful acts. While the Rev. Ebenezer Washburn was preaching, on Saturday evening, this bully, supported by his gang of roughs, undertook to pull down the stands that were used to support the lights. He succeeded in pulling, or breaking, down the one nearest the pulpit, when he was caught by a guard, who intended to hand him over to a magistrate. Athough the guard was one of the largest and strongest men in the township, the bully caught him up and threw him to the ground, as easily as if he were a child, and started around the pulpit for the purpose of extinguishing another light. Just at this time the Rev. Gilruth slipped quietly from his place on the platform, behind the speaker, and took up a position, which was directly in the bully's way, to the other light. The huge, hulking form of the rough soon confronted the preacher, and the two were immediately engaged in a scuffle. The evil-doer seized Mr. Gilruth, evidently expecting to serve him as he already had the guard upon the other side of the platform. But he was mistaken in his ability. Gilruth showed himself a "fighting parson " of no mean power. The preacher gave him a jerk as he came and threw him ten or twelve feet forward, flat upon the ground. The bully jumped up, shook himself and caught at the preacher a second time, but again found himself -landed, as at first, a considerable distance from the impelling power. A third time he attempted to Wing the Rev. Gilruth down. They clinched and struggled; both fell, but the parson was on top. The bully gave up, saying, to those foremost in the crowd which had gathered around them, " take him off, he is too much for me." Upon this Gilruth got up, caught his antagonist by the arm, lifted him to his feet, and started to deliver him to the proper authority. To do this it was necessary to cross Alum creek. When they reached its bank the beaten bully objected to crossing on foot, and wanted to be carried over in a wagon. Gilruth made no reply, but marched him through the water, up the opposite bank and to the house of a justice of the peace, who, after a trial, sent him to the county jail. After that there was peace at the camp meetings, in Blendon and its vicinity.
POST-OFFICES.
There are three post-offices. in the township, the first established being the one at Blendon corners, originally called Harrison, but changed to the present name when the name of the township was altered. It was established in 1824. Isaac Griswold was the first postmaster. The present postmaster is Thomas Ballard. The Westerville post-office was established in 1846, and Jacob B. Connelly was its first postmaster. Mrs. M. Coggeshall is postmistress at present. The Blendon Institute office was established in 1841, and its name 'was changed -to
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO - 477
Central College in the year following. Austin Stibbins was the first postmaster. A. Wright is the present postmaster.
THE MANUFACTURING INTERESTS
of Blendon are very small. Beside the broom manufactory of M. C. Howard, there are not more than half a dozen establishments in the township. There is a gristmill in Westerville, which is run by Dennis & Slough. It was originally owned by Squire Lee, and located at Central College, but the machinery was removed from there to Westerville, in 1873, by William Thayer. It was burned down and rebuilt in 1876. The only permanent saw-mill is that owned by E. C. Brett, and situated in the north part of Westerville. J. W. Everill has extensive tile works, established in 1875. The foundry, at present owned by Mayor T. J. Alexander, was started by Alexander & Smith, in 1862. A patent fence is the principal article manufactured. A spoke factory has been lately started in Westerville, by John S. Hall, of Columbus.
THE WESTERVILLE DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
was organized in 1871. It is composed of farmers of the townships of Plain, Jefferson, Mifflin, Clinton, Sharon, Perry, and Blendon, in Franklin county, and of Harlem, Genoa, Orange, Berkshire, Berlin, and Trenton, in Delaware county. The officers elected in 1871 were: W. R. Parsons, president; D. S. Houghton, vice-president; E. J. Yokum, secretary. The organization was effected hastily and at short notice. In 1872 the society was more thoroughly organized, and measures taken looking toward permanent establishment. A mass meeting was held at Westerville, April 11, at 'which Mr. W. R. Parsons proposed to be one of fifteen or twenty persons to purchase land, and fit the same in suitable manner as a place for holding the affairs of the society. In a very short time a sufficient number of gentlemen had signified their willingness to enter into the arrangement suggested. They. were: W. R. Parsons, W. S. Clymer, 'I'. F. Houghton, James M. Fuson, William Frazier, W. R. Samuels, George Shanks, Dr. C. P. Landon, Dr. Andrus, Wm. J. Phelps, George Dusenbury, William Rowe, Nathan Hutches, William Cooper, J. C. Vance, and C. A. Redding. These stockholders, through a committee appointed for the purpose—Dr. Andrus and C. A. Redding—purchased from the Rev. Daniel Bonebrake, and the Rev. J. B. Resler, a tract of thirty acres of land, which forms the present grounds of the society. A good half-mile track has been laid out, suitable buildings put up for the various exhibits, and other improvements made. A log house, built in the centennial year, and an exact counterpart of those in which the pioneers lived, is one of the most interesting objects on the grounds.
Following are the officers of the society in 1879
William Frazier, Westerville, president ; George Wagner, Hope, vice-president; C. F. Palmer, Westerville, secretary; William Cooper, Westerville, treasurer; directors, Wm. Taylor, Plain, one year; L. W. Babbitt, Plain, two years; Eli Segner, Jefferson, one year; George Shanks, Jefferson, two years; F. B. Dean, Mifflin, one year; Milo Horlocker, Mifflin, two years; Ed. Stanley, Clinton, one year.; J. W. Robbins, Clinton, two years ; Abram Moore, Sharon, one year; W. R. Parsons, Sharon, two years; C. A. Redding, Blendon, one year; H. Ridenour, Blendon, two years; Jacob Davis, Perry, one year; J. M. Thomas, Perry, two years—Franklin county; S. Fairchild, Harlem, one year; T. M. Cole, Harlem, two years; John Copeland, Genoa, one year ; Wm. Alkire, Genoa, two years; John Bale, Orange, one year; Wm. Clymer, Orange, two years; Briggs Cornell, Berkshire, one year; Roswell Cook, Berkshire, two years; Wm. Beardsley, Berlin, one year; Geo. Ridgeway, Berlin, two years; N. Perfect, Trenton, one year; E. J. Condit, Trenton, two years—Delaware county; Wm. Frazier, J. H. Bale, and W. Alkire, finance committee; Wm. Clymer; C. A Redding, and H. Ridenour, executive committee; S. W. Babbitt, marshal; S. M. Park, chief c. f police. .
WESTERVILLE.
The village of Westerville was laid out by Matthew Westervelt in July, 1839. It is, at present, a village of about fifteen hundred inhabitants, and is chiefly famous as being the seat of Otterbein university.
The first tavern kept in the village, was in the house now occupied by Dr. Cable, and the proprietor was Jotham Clark. It was opened in 1836.
The first store was kept by J. B. Connelly, where Squire Snowdy's now is, in tie. year 1838. Sylvanus and W. H. Budd were the next to engage in business, and not long after they started, the firm of Harvey & Slaughter came into existence. John Beal, still in business in Westerville, began in 1856, and is probably the oldest merchant in the village---that is, has been in active business more years than any other of the present number.
The village has now a population of about fifteen hundred. It has four of the six churches in the township, good schools, and its full share of the various societies and other institutions that abound in villages. It is a strong temperance town; and of healthful morals generally. In appearance it is rivaled by but few of the boroughs of its size in the State.
ORGANIZATION OF THE VILLAGE.
A preliminary meeting of .the citizens of Westerville was called in the fall of 1857, and a committee of five appointed to report the boundaries of the village at a subsequent meeting. This was held December 19, 1857. The report upon boundaries was accepted, and a committee was appointed to proceed to perfect the 'corporation. This committee consisted of James Lang-ham, R. R. Arnold, E. Munson, John H. Judy, and John Haywood. A petition to the county commissioners was prepared, and eighty-seven names were signed to it. This petition. was acted on, and the incorporation: granted by the commissioners July 19, 1858, and a record duly made of the same. The first election was held October r rth of the same year, and the following officers chosen: John Haywood, mayor; Thomas McFadden, recorder; James .Langham, R. 'M. Walker, P. E. Guitner, C. A. Redding, and C. May, trustees,
478 -HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO.
The first regular meeting of the trustees (council) was held October 21st, and with other proceedings, William Hays was chosen marshal, and Daniel Guitner, treasurer, to serve until the regular election.
John Haywood, the first mayor of the village, is still one of its residents. He is a native of Chautauqua county, New York, a graduate of Oberlin, and has been a resident of Westerville since 1851, and nearly all that time has held the position he now occupies—a professorship in Otterbein university.
The present officers of the corporation are the following: T. J. Alexander, mayor; John Knox, John Beal, J. H. Torrence, Abram Cooper, Isaac Thompson, John Haywood, council; L. R. Goodspeed, treasurer; Joseph Knox, marshal.
A substantial building, including a commodious hall, post-office, prison, mayor's office,• and other apartments, for public or official use, was erected in 1875. It is of brick, two stories in height, and cost about three thousand, five hundred dollars.
VILLAGE SCHOOLS.
Prior to November, 1867, the village had but one school building, familiarly known as the "brick schoolhouse." This building contained one large recitation room, and, at the time of its erection, was regarded as a model for size and convenience. It was built in 1855, and, at that time, was supposed to be sufficient for the purpose designed—the accommodation of the youth of the village, for at least ten years. But in less than five years the increase in population made it necessary to furnish two additional rooms for school purposes. The schools of the village attained no particular prominence in the county, until after the erection, in 1866-7, of the large brick edifice, known as the "union school-building."
Professor A. J. Willoughby was elected superintendent of the schools, in 1867. There were three or four departments, but soon after, a more modern system of grading, and thorough course of study was adopted. Under the able management of Professor Willoughby, the schools soon attained a high degree of excellence. After the resignation of Professor Willoughby, at the close of the school year, 1873, Professor W. Y. Bartles was elected superintendent. The course of study was revised, many improved methods of teaching introduced, and some important changes in text books made. Professor Bartles resigned in 1877, and Professor John Clark was elected superintendent. He is the present incumbent. The schools now have five departments, and the course of study has been so arranged that students graduating may enter the freshman crass in Otterbein university. The schools were never in a more prosperous condition than at present. The enumeration of 1879 shows a school population of three hundred and fifty-nine, and the school 'board intend to remodel the present school building, and to add two recitation rooms.
SOCIETIES.
BLENDON LODGE, NO: 339, F. AND A. M.,
was organized February 24, 1862, with the following charter members: 'I'. M. Copeland, J. Alexander, C. W. Smith, Daniel Shipe, C. B. Hempsted, F. A. Bull, A. G. Stevenson, P. Westervelt, A. Park, and M. R. Spurgeon. The first officers were: G. M. Copeland, W. M.; F. A. Bull, S. W.; A. G. Stevenson, J. W.; P. Westervelt, treasurer; T.. J. Alexander, secretary ; D. Shipe, S. D.; M. R. Spurgeon, J. D.; A. Park, tyler. The present officers are: W. Y. Bartels, W. M.; G. W. Clark, S. W.; L. D. West, J. W.; Jas. J. Knox, treasurer; H. F. Sibel, secretary; C. Duesenbury, S. D.; J. P. Horn, J. D.; E. Weibling, tyler.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.
Rainbow Lodge, No. 327, was organized August 7, 1857. The charter members were: C. A. Vananda, David Leib, A. G. Stevenson, J. W. Jamison, and Theophilus Jones. The first officers were as follows: J. W. Jamison, N. G.; C. A. Vananda, V. G.; A. G. Stevenson, secretary; D. .Leib, treasurer. The present officers are: C. Dyxon, N. G.; C. M. Sammis, V. G.; 0. B. Phillips, recording secretary; T. J. Alexander, permanent secretary; L. R. Goodspeed, treasurer.
KNIGHTS OF HONOR.
Westervelt Lodge, No. 1239, was instituted November T, 1878, with the following officers: H. T. Sebel, I.; E. Weibling, I. D.; S. Timmons, A. D.; J. B. King, P. D.; W. Y. Bartels, F. R.; H. A. Guitner, R.; W. 0. Rowe, guide; C. Allen, treasurer.
OHIO NATIONAL GUARD.
Company C, Fourteenth (infantry) regiment, Ohio national guard, was raised at Westerville, Ohio, mainly through the efforts of Captain I. N. Custer, Captain E. P. Vance, and, Quartermaster. H. A. Guitner, in August and September, 1877. The company was mustered on October 1, 1877, by Captain C. S. Ammel, Company A, Fourteenth (infantry) regiment, Ohio national guard, and was assigned to the Fourteenth regiment, as Company C, taking the place, in the regiment, of the Franklin Guards, of Columbus, who had disbanded. The company organized by electing I. N. Custer, captain; E. P. Vance, first lieutenant; and S. Timmons, second lieutenant. In January, 1877, Captain Custer resigned, and E. P. Vance was elected to fill the vacancy, with S. Timmons, first lieutenant, and H. Schick, second lieutenant. The company .has seventy-seven members at the time of this writing [September, 1879], accounted for as follows: Commissioned officers, three; non-commissioned officers, thirteen; musician, one; wagoner, one; privates, fifty-nine.
THE PEOPLE'S MUTUAL BENEFIT ASSOCIATION,
of Westerville, was incorporated April 17, 1877, and began business in June, following. The officers are : J. Weaver, president; H. A. Thompson, vice president; John, Knox, treasurer; J. B. Resler, secretary. The association issues certificates upon the life plan, which mature only at death, and on the life maturity plan, which mature at death and in from twelve to twenty-five years during life. The uniform assessment plan is used by which all divisions and classes are discarded, and an exact equality, proportioned to age, is maintained between all the members of the association. The associa-
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO - 479
tion had the remarkable good fortune to operate eighteen months, and secure over a thousand members before a death occurred. The association has met with such favor with the public, that at this date [October 24, 1879] there are over one thousand, eight hundred members, covering risks aggregating over two and one-half millions of dollars as an assessment basis. The assessments are graduated to the age of the members, in such a way that, on an average, it will cost the old and the young the same amount to secure the same amount of benefit. The aim is to afford protection upon terms equitable, cheap, and safe, and the generous patronage of the public shows that the efforts of the managers to afford protection at cost, are appreciated.
The Westerville Cornet band is composed as follows: C. Smith, W. C. Reese, G. Wagner, J. C. Redding, S. M. Hanby, W. O. Redding, T. Whitehead, S. Timmons, C. Dyxon, G. Whitehead, L. E. Custer, D. Kenyon, W. Young, J. Price. C. Ranney, W. Wellen, H. Custer. Prof. W. C. Reese is instructor. This band was organized in the month of October, 1878. D. C. Kenyon, president; L. E. Custer, vice president; S. M. Hanby, treasurer; W. 0. Redding, secretary.
BUSINESS IN WESTERVILLE IN 1879.
Following is a list of the business houses of Westerville, in the fall of 1879: J. F. Snoddy, J. P. Horn, Rowe & Bartles, G. W. Robinson, S. Budd, groceries ; H. Dyxon, J. Beal & Son, P. E. Guitner & Co., dry goods; L. R. Goodspeed, S. Jarvis, hardware; Joseph Knox, E. P. Vance, W. Sammis, drugs ; George Duesenbury, L. Cunningham, Jaspar Spooner, -- Pierson, boots and shoes; J. Westervelt, J. Weibling & Son, furniture; S. M. Hanby, M. Weibling, harness shops; M.
D. Waters, R. Andrix, Price Bros., meat markets; L. R. Foster, bakery; S. Fry, A. Spayd, jewelers; Mrs. Lottie Newcomb, Mrs. Bright, milliners ; J. Founce, tinware; Isaac Traubb, merchant tailor; Frank Bull, proprietor Commercial house; E. J. Cox, H. Swartz, W. J. Wharey, blacksmiths.
PHYSICIANS.
Most of the physicians of Blendon have been located in Westervelt. In early. years the people of the township relied upon the Worthington doctors. Among the first in the township were: Drs. A. G. Stevenson, Thomas McFadden, and J. W. Durant. Dr. Stevenson bought property, and remained some years in the community. Dr. McFadden is still a resident, but has a professorship in Otterbein university, and is not in active practice of his profession. Dr. Ritchie was another practitioner at an early date, in the township, and lived on Big Walnut. Drs. Clark, Charles Balsar, and McLeod have also been located at Central college. The first physician of long and regular practice, thoroughly identified with the community, was Dr. G. W. H. Landon. He was a student of the Ohio university, and also studied with the elder Dr. Cotton, of Marietta, and graduated in medicine from the Starling college, of Columbus. He came to Westerville in 1843, and began practice. He remained in the village until 1852, when he went to St. Joseph, Missouri., where he died in 1862. He was a medical director of the department of St. Joseph, and was a nominee for the office of State treasurer of Missouri, at the time of the inception of the Republican party. Later he was associated with the Gratz Brown and Bell movement. He enjoyed an extensive practice in Westerville, and the surrounding country. Dr. Chauncey P. Landon, brother of the .above, graduated from the Ohio university, at Athens, in 1844, and from the Starling medical college in 1850, immediately after which he went into practice at Westerville, in which place, and at his country home, five miles south, he has resided most of the time. He was in the Union army in 1863-4- 5, as surgeon of the One Hundred and Thirty-third regiment of Ohio volunteers, and was also post-surgeon at one of the forts on the James river. He has had a very extensive practice. Dr. Abner Andrews is another practitioner of Westerville, who has had a long term of service at his profession. He began practice in the village in 1850, and a year later graduated from the Eclectic medical institute of Cincinnati. He has been in Westerville all the time since beginning practice, except a short interval when he was obliged to give up practice on account of his health, and studied law, in Cleveland. His son, Frank Herman Andrews, a graduate of the Starling medical college, is his partner. Dr. D. W. Coble, a graduate of the Jefferson medical college, Philadelphia, of the year 1877; has been practicing, in Westerville, since 1871. The other physicians of the village, are: Drs. A.D. and Giles T. Blair, J. 0. Dawson, and D. M. Clark. The elder Dr. Blair is one of the widely known practitioners of the State. He was originally from Massachusetts. He first graduated from an Allopathic, and then from a Homoeopathic college; was once professor of materia medca in the Cleveland Homoeopathic college; practiced fifteen years in Columbus, and has, during the ,past five years, been in Westerville. Giles T. Blair is a graduate of the Eclectic medical institute of Cincinnati, and now practices Homoeopathic. He has been in practice in Westerville three years.
THE BLENDON YOUNG MEN'S SEMINARY
was an educational institution, located at Westerville, under Methodist auspices, and was the predecessor of the Otterbein university. The movement which resulted. in its establishment had its inception at the great camp meeting of 1838. The subject was broached there, and talked over at the next conference, and a committee, appointed with discretionary powers, decided to open the school. February 9, 1839, an act was passed by the legislature of Ohio, incorporating the school under the title above given, and with the following trustees: Matthew Westervelt, Thomas Ingalls, Randal R. Arnold, Alexander M. G. Elliott, John W. Ladd, Willis Mattoon, George McWhirk, Alanson Bull, Jacob Young, Charles C. Baldwin, Leonidas L. Hamlin, and Nathan Emmery. Matthew Westervelt donated twenty-five acres of land on which to establish the seminary. Suitable buildings were erected, and the school was opened under the direction of J. C. Kingsley and George Blair. The school flourished for.a number of years, but began to de-
480 - HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO
cline after the opening of the Ohio Wesleyan university at Delaware, and in consequence of its patronage being thus diverted, it was decided to tender the ground and buildings to the United Brethren,, on condition that they should establish a school and assume the indebtedness of the Methodist institution, amounting to about twelve hundred dollars. The tender was made by a committee consisting of Dr. G. W. H. Landon and Matthew. Westervelt, at the United Brethren conference, at Lancaster, and was formally accepted.
THE OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY OF OHIO.
This institution has been and is now known as the " Otterbein University of Ohio." It is so called from Philip William Otterbein, the founder of the church under whose auspices the university was first established, and by which it is now controlled.
It was chartered in 1849, by the legislature of Ohio, with university privileges. The names of the first trustees were: Lewis Davis, Jonathan Dresback, and William Hanby, of the Scioto annual conference, of the church of the United Brethren in Christ, and Jacob Barger, Peter Flack, and P. Hu!bum of the Sandusky conference of the same church.
LOCATION.
The location is fixed in the charter at Westerville, Ohio, twelve miles from Columbus, the capital of the State, and on the direct line of the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon & Columbus railroad. The college campus comprises about eight acres. The ladies' boarding hall, with its playground, occupies about one acre. The lands that were in use by the m nual labor department have all been disposed of since that plan was abandoned.
BUILDINGS.
When the site was purchased, there were two buildings already erected. One was a frame building, two stories in height, and twenty six by forty-four feet. This was used for cabinet, chapel, recitation rooms, etc. The other was an unfinished brick building, twenty-eight by sixty-six feet, three stories in height, and was used as a boarding-, hall for young ladies. These afforded sufficient accommodation in the beginning. Soon there was need of a building for young men, and, in 1854, a hall was built by a friend of the institution, Mr. Jacob Saum, of the Miami Valley, and from him it was named Saum hall. It was three stories in height, and designed as if dormitory for young men. It was of rectangular form, with no pretensions to architectural beauty. As the university grew and prospered, it was soon found necessary to erect another building, which could afford a larger chapel and more commodious recitation rooms. In 1854, arrangements were made for the erection of a new building, and the work was commenced the following spring. The building was never entirely completed. The chapel was occupied, and a number of recitation-rooms, and. rooms for the literary societies, were put in order. The trustees were hindered in their plans, and, for want of means, finished rooms only as they were needed. This building was burned in 1870. A religious meeting was in progress in the chapel, on the evening of the twenty-sixth of January, of that year, and the congregation had been dismissed, and the building closed up by the janitor, who resided in it. About one o'clock in the morning the alarm Of fire was given. The citizens, awakened from their slumber, rushed out to witness the most extensive conflagration that had ever occurred in the community. The main college building was in flames, and the fire was making such rapid progress that all hope of staving its ravages was abandoned. In a few hours the stately edifice was reduced to a shapeless ruin. With the exception of some chemical and philosophical apparatus, and a few articles of minor importance, the loss was total, including the building, with all its furniture, the col. lege library, of over three thousand volumes, including a copy of the Sinaitic manuscript, presented by the emperor of Russia, and the finely furnished halls and select libraries of the literary societies. The loss was estimated at fifty thousand dollars, fortunately relieved by an insurance of twenty thousand dollars. Measures were at once set on foot to replace the heavy loss to the institution. The board of trustees were summoned to meet in extra session, February 15, 1870. Meanwhile, public meetings were held in Westerville, and this community and Columbus were canvassed for subscriptions to rebuild.
* Compiled from a history of the university, prepared for the Centennial exhibition, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1876.
When the trustees net in February, a proposition was presented to reopen the question of location, and offer the university to the community in Ohio proposing the greatest inducements in money and friends, at the regular meeting in May, 1870. When the propositions were canvassed, the one from the citizens of Westerville seemed the most favorable, although others were valuable, and it was agreed to relocate at this place.
Plans for a college building were invited from several architects, and the one drawn by R. T. Brooks, of Columbus, Ohio, was adopted. The building was advertised for proposals, and the contract finally let to A. R. Cornell, of Newark, Ohio, for twenty-seven thousand three hundred and forty-five dollars, and the material of the old building. The new building was to be completed by the first of August, 1871.
This building is an imposing structure, the extreme length of which is one hundred and seventy feet, and extreme depth one hundred and nine feet. It is four stories in height, including the basement. It contains a large chapel room, spacious society halls, library and reading room, laboratory and numerous large and convenient recitation and other rooms, amply sufficient for all existing wants.
A newspaper editor has given the following description of the building: " The architectural design of the new building is happily conceived and makes a pleasing impression from whatever point of the compass you approach it. The height of the central portion is four stories, including that under the mansard roof, and that of the wings three stories. One of the most marked interior improvements of this building, over that of the old, is in the college chapel. Instead of the former immensely overgrown and unnecessary parallelogram, in which it was difficult for any but an experienced elocutionist to make himself heard by more than one-half the audience, we have now an auditorium, built after the style of the modern theatre, with special reference to bringing the largest number of auditors within easy hearing distance of the rostrum. A spacious gallery, extending around between the opposite points of the arc, adds greatly to the seating capacity of the roam; the seats in the gallery being in almost all respects fully as desirable as those on the fl Jon The seating capacity of the hall is sufficient for from seven to eight hundred persons. The room is everywhere adapted to all purposes, whether for chapel uses, public worship, or commencement exercises. The Gothic style of the architecture is mainly followed in the design of the building. A large freestone slab, in the central part of the front, bears the inscription
" OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY
FOUNDED APRIL 26, 1847.
ORIGIN AND CHANGES.
A reference has already been made to the origin of the university. It may be valuable to give it in the language of the founders themselves.
"The need of education for the benefit of the church of the United Brethren in Christ being deeply felt by many of its ardent supporters, and the want of a permanent location in Ohio, where the church and its friends could concentrate their united efforts in establishing a school of learning, to give to the lovers of education an opportunity of securing it, within the influence of the same, when, in the course of Providence, in the year 1846, the Methodist Episcopal church, by their trustees, proffered to transfer, by an act of their conference, the property which constituted what was called the Blendon Young Men's Seminary,' and to carry into effect the measures which render it necessary to dispose of said institution, the citizens of Westerville and vicinty, at a meeting called for that purpose, agreed and proposed, by a large majority, to offer said institution to the church of the United Brethren in Christ, with a view to having the institution kept in successful operation for the benefit of those who had liberally contributed to its erection (under the control of the Methodist Episcopal church), which meeting also appointed a committee of two, to wait on the Scioto conference of the United Brethren church, then about to meet. By this committee were presented the preamble and resolutions of said meeting, embracing the situation of the institution, and the wish of its supporters. All of which was recieved by the Scioto conference, in the session at Bethlehem church, in Pickaway county, in the month of October, 1846. At this conference, a committee of investigation was ordered, which reported in favor of a purchase, and trustees were accordingly appointed. Their first regular meeting occurred April 26, 1847."
The history of this institution, like that of most of those founded in the earlier settlement of our country, affords another example of success accomplished under the 'Most adverse circumstances. The men who founded the University were men of strong faith. The vast majority of the church were not in sympathy with such a movement—worse than this, many were actively hostile to it. They had no money, therefore, to give to its support. Not only the young people, but the fathers of the church, had to be educated to appreciate its wants. The records of the trustees, in the early days of the university show that the managers of tile institution were not free from preplexity. Time and again they met, when debts were pressing them, without knowing which way to turn. They adjourned to meet again, with the assurance that succor would come, but in what direction, or from what source, they could not tell.
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CO-EDUCATION.
The men who founded this university, had no previous experience in the management of institutions of learning. In admitting Ladies into the college on the same terms with gentlemen; in permitting them to recite in the same classes, take the same courses of study, and receive the same degrees, they builded better than they knew. Not being able to build and man separate institutions, they wisely concluded to put both sexes into the same school. After twenty-nine years of successful experience in the co-education of the sexes, it is generally agreed that better results are secured in mental and moral culture, better discipline obtained, and a more harmonious development of character produced, than in the old way.
Provisions were originally made for the maintenance of the manual labor syetem, but it was never brought practically into vogue, and does not now exist. The discussion, pro and con, developed much feeling.
FINANCES.
This scheme led to another trouble, which almost crushed the university. Arrangements had been made for securing an endowment fund by the sale of scholarships, but after a great deal of trouble and expense in selling the scholarships, the scheme was abandoned.
In the year 1866 it was felt that another effort must be made to endow, or no permanency could be secured. It was agreed to ask voluntary contributions from the people. Agents were put to work for this purpose, and, in view of the fact that all these years we have been carrying a debt for building and other purposes, they have done well. There is now pledged to the institution, in notes and bequests, ninety-eight thousand dollars. Of this amount, seventy-five thousand dollars is funded and bearing interest at ten per cent.
REV. LEWIS DAVIS, D. D.
If one person, more than another, can claim the honor of being the founder of the university, that honor belongs to Rev. Lewis Davis, D. D. No one has labored more faithfully in its interests, for a longer time, nor accomplished better results, than he. After the first six months, he became president of the university, and for eighteen years, amid troubles, cares, and perplexities—financial and otherwise—he was its honored head. He was one among the few who saw the need of such an institution. He was one of the committee that purchased the property, and was one of the first trustees. During his whole connection with it he was its financial head. A large portion of the present endowment was secured by him in traveling from one field of labor to another. In 1871, at the time of the dedication of the new building, in view of the uncertain condition of his health, and his years admonishing him that he should seek more moderate labor, he resigned the presidency, to accept a position in Union Biblical seminary (then about to be opened at Dayton, Ohio), as senior professor, in which capacity he has been employed ever since.
THE OFFICERS OF THE FACULTY,
from 1847 to 1873, are as follows : William R. Griffith, principal, 1847 to 1849; Rev. William Davis, 1849 to 1850; Rev. Lewis Davis, 185o to 1857;. Rev. Alexander Owen, 1858 to 1860; Rev. Lewis Davis, D. D., 1860 to 1871; Rev. Daniel Eberly, A. M., 1871 to 1872; Rev. H. A. Thompson, D. D., 1872, presidents. William R. Griffith, 1849 to 1850; Alexander Bartlett, 1850 to 1852; James A. Mantling, 1852 to 1853; Ralph Manning Walker, 1853 to 1858; Rev. Samuel B. Allen, 1862 to x865; John E. Guitner, 1867 to 1869, professors of the ancient languages. Lucian H. Hammond, r858 to 1862; Rev. Samuel B. Allen, 1865 to 1867; John E. Guitner, 1869, professors of Greek. Ralph Manning Walker, 1858 to 1862; John E. Guitner, 1865 to 1867; Rev. Henry Garst, 1869, professors of Latin. Rev. Sereno W. Streeter, 1857 to 1858 professor of intellectual philosophy. Lucian H. Hammond, 1857 to 1858; Rev. Sereno W. Streeter, 1858 to 1860, professors of rhethoric and belles-lettres. Sylvester S. Dillman, 1849 to 185o; John Haywood, 1851 to 1858; Rev. Henry A. Thompson, 1862 to 1866, professors of mathematics and natural sciences. John Haywood, 1858 to 1862; Rev. Henry A. Thompson, 1866 to 1867; John Haywood, 1867, professors of mathematics. Thomas McFadden, x858 to 1862; Thomas McFadden, 1866, protestors of the natural sciences. Rev. Julius Degmeier, 1859 to 1862, professor of modern languages. John E. Guitner, 1864 to 1865, adjunct professor of languages. Jacob Zellar, 1857 to 1858; John E. Guitner, 1862 to 1864, tutors in languages. Miss Sylvia Carpenter, 1848 to 1849; Miss Lucy Carpenter, 1849 to 185o; Miss Sylvia Carpenter, 185i to 1854; Miss Martha A. Perin, 1854 to 1855; Miss Mary L. Gilbert, 1855 to 1862; Mrs. Lizzie K. Miller, 1862 to 1863; Miss Melissa A. Haynie, 1863 to 1864; Mrs. Lizzie K. Miller, 1864 to 1869; Miss Clara L. Leib, 1869 to 187o; Mrs. Lizzie K. Miller, 1870 to 1875; Mrs. M. Fisher, 1875, principals of ladies' department. The present faculty consists of Rev. H. A. Thompson, D. D., president and professor of mental and moral science; John Haywood, A.M., professor of mathematics; Thomas McFadden, A. M., M. D., professor of natural sciences; john E. Guitner, A. M., professor of Greek language and literature; Rev. Henry Garst, D. D., professor of Latin language and literature; Mrs. M. A. Fisher, A. M., principal of the ladies' department; W. L. Todd, professor of instrumental music; W. C. Reese, teacher of penmanship; Mrs. Harriet E. Thompson, A. M., teacher of drawing and painting.
COURSES OF STUDY.
The collegiate department of Otterbein university offers two full courses of study, the classical and the scientific, each requiring four full years for satisfactory completion.
The classical course leads to the degree of bachelor of arts, and is, in its general character, identical with that which is offered by the leading colleges and universities of the Union. It requires long and progressive study of the Greek and the Latin languages, mathematics, natural sciences, philosophy, history, political science, metaphysics, and morals, and furnishes that knowledge and training which those who are competent to judge pronounce the paramount qualification for any profession or station in life.
The scientific course leads to the degree of bachelor of science, and is adapted to the wants of those who, for any reason, may not desire to spend in study the longer time required to complete the classical course. It does not require Greek, but will accept Greek, French, or German, instead of the Latin required. In other respects, it is not essentially different from the classical course, and classical and scientific students recite in the same classes, if their studies are the same.
The alumni records show a list of two hundred graduates, one hundred and thirty-eight of whom are gentlemen, and sixty-two, ladies. We should like to print a list of the names, if we had more space.
LIBRARY.
The University library consists of over one thousand well-selected volumes, besides pamphlets, all obtained since the great fire of 1870, and nearly all fresh publications. Books are added from time to time, as they are obtained by donation and by purchase. Connected with the library is a reading room, furnished with many of the best religious papers, newspapers and magazines.
LITERARY SOCIETIES.
A very valuable means of improvement is that afforded by the literary societies. There are four of these societies, two conducted by the young men, the Philophronean and the Philomathean, and two by the young ladies, the Philalethean and the Cleiorhetean. All the societies are in a prosperous condition, and each has a commodious and well furnished hall and a valuable library.
CENTRAL COLLEGE
is the name of an educational institution of a very small village which has grown up around it.
The first educational enterprise was a school taught at this place, by the Rev. Ebenezer Washburn, the pioneer of higher education in Blendon, in a building, long since destroyed.
About 1835 Squire Timothy Lee took measures toward the realization of what had long been a cherished idea—the establishment of a permanent and valuable seat of learning. With this idea in view he made liberal proposals to the new school branch of the Presbyterian church. The Presbytery of Franklin accepted his generously offered gift of money, lands, and building. He gave a tract of one hundred acres of land, and erected, at his own expense, all of the buildings necessary—a large brick dormitory, forty by sixty feet, and three stories in height, a dwelling house and two buildings for use, respectively, as chapel and recitation rooms. A charter was obtained, and the college regularly organized in 1842. Rev. L. A. Sawyer was the first president, and Rev. Ebenezer Washburn was made professor of natural philosophy, mathematics and as-
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482 - HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO.
tronomy. The school flourished for a time, but met with adversities, and finally became very nearly defunct, though not until after many young men had been educated there, some of whom have -since become distinguished. Mr. Sawyer remained at the head of the institution until 1846, when he was succeeded by the Rev. J. Covert. He gave place, two years later, to the Rev. Edmund Garland. Rev. Levi B. Wilson was the next president. The Rev. Henry Bushnell became president in 1860. He was succeeded by Prof. Williamson, who, like Mr. Bushnell, was very successful in his management of the school. In 1872 and the following year, the buildings were repaired, and the institution passed under the control of the presbytery of Columbus with which the presbytery of Marion was, soon after, brought to unite. Central College academy is now under the principalship of Prof. F. A. Wilbur. It aims to do academic and preparatory work for colleges, and receives pupils of either sex.
The village of Amalthea or Central College was laid out by the college board• of trustees, on the lands of Squire Timothy Lee, in 1849. It has but two stores—those of F. W. Wells and A. L. McLeod, the first, a general store, and the latter, a drug store.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
NATHAN S. VINCENT,
long a resident of Blendon township, at the Alum creek bridge, on the turnpike between Westerville and Columbus, was born in Brown township, Delaware county, Ohio, October 7, 1830. He was the son of Charles and Louisa Vincent, who were emigrants from France to this country. His mental training, in a formal way, was received solely in the district schools of Delaware and Franklin counties. In 1846 or 1847 he came, with his parents, to the lower part of Blendon township, about two miles from the home now occupied by his widow. He remained with them during his young manhood, laboring on the farm until his nineteenth yea!, when he learned the carpenter's trade, which he chiefly pursued thenceforth, and a year or two after the war of the Rebellion broke out, he was appointed general superintendent of building at Camp Chase, near Columbus, and served in this capacity nearly two years—so long as needed by the maintenance of the war. He then retired to a farm he had purchased three miles north of Westerville, and engaged in farming. After remaining three years, he sold the place and went to reside on the farm on Alum creek, where he died on the thirteenth of June, 1879. For the last five years before his death, he was honored with successive appointments as general superintendent of the State fairs at Columbus. He was held in high esteem for his business ability and his many excellent qualities of character, and numbered a host of friends. In 1853—November 24—he was married to Miss Lauretta C. Phelps, of the same neighborhood, who is the subject of the following notice.
MRS. LAURETTA C. (PHELPS) VINCENT,
wife of the late Nathan S. Vincent, of Blendon township, was born at the old homestead, occupied for many years by her father and mother, Edward and Elizabeth (Jameson) Phelps, in that township. The date of her birth was September 18, 1835. Her parents removed to this part of Ohio from Hartford, Connecticut, in 1806, and were among the very first settlers in the region. She took the usual round of pioneer education in the country schools, and spent a year (1851-2) in Central
college, then in charge of Professor Levi Wilson. After that she re-remained in the quiet life of home until united in the bonds of matrimony with Mr. Vincent, as before noted, to whom she remained a loving and faithful wife, through all his labors and cares, until death separated them. She now owns and occupies the homestead last purchased by him, two and a half miles south of Westerville. All the children of her marriage—seven sons and one daughter—are still surviving, and all reside with their mother, the oldest being twenty-four, and the youngest six years old. Their names, in the order of birth, are: Charles E., born December 9, 1855; Chauncey P.; born November 19, 1857; Corwin T., born December 24, 1859; Carrie F., bcrn October 14, 1862; Joseph C., born March 26, 1866; William F., born February 14, 1868; Freddie, born March 6, 1871; and Walter B., born July 14, 1873.
GEORGE WASHINGTON SHROCK,
an early settler, one mile south of Westerville, now deceased, was born in Romney, Virginia, December 12, 1804: His father, William Shrock, was a native of Winchester, in the same State, but was of Irish descent. While still young, he removed from Winchester to Romney, where he resided sixty years, and pursued the trade of a hatter, removing finally to Ohio, with his son, George, and dying at his house in Blendon township, December 21, 1848. The mother's maiden name was Jane Means. Her family was of Dutch origin, but she was horn in New Creek, Virginia. George was brought up mainly in the family of his elder brother, Perez, with whom he learned the weaving trade, which he followed at intervals, afterwards. For some time after his majority he was also a flatboatman on the south branch of the Potomac, and engaged casually in various other labors. September 27, 1832, he was joined in marriage with Miss Rachel V. Inskip, also a native of New Creek, born there December 4, 1811. Upon the subsequent removal of the family to Ohio, she rode on horseback with the emigrating party all the way from her birth-place to the new home. From their union sprang a large family, five sons and five daughters, of whom seven are now living, namely, in the order of seniority: James, a bachelor; still residing upon the old place, near Westerville; Sarah J., now Mrs. Edward Nobles, of Washington county, Missouri; William, a farmer, in Sharon township, two miles from Westerville; Melissa, now Mrs. Benjamin F. Moody, also near Westerville; Vause, residing three miles south of the same place; Clara Arabell, at the old home; and Alfred Taylor, owner of the homestead, at which he now resides. Another on, George W. Shrock, jr., was a soldier in the Ninety-fifth Ohio volunteer infantry, during the war of the Rebellion, was wounded at the battle in front of Spanish fort, Mobile bay (the last fight of the Rebellion), April 8, 1865, and died of his wound seventeen days afterwards, in the United States general hospital, at New Orleans.
The place near Westerville, now occupied by three of his descendants, is the one first settled by Mr. Shrock, and mostly cleared up by him, upon his removal to Blendon township, about 1840. Here he resided until his death, on Christmas day, 1877, his venerable wife surviving until September 2, 1879. He was long a member and officer of the Presbyterian church, in Westerville, lived in peace with all the world, and died much lamented by the community among whom he had so long lived and labored.
SAMUEL RIGAL,
son of Philip and Catharine (Keller) Rigal, was born near Reading, Pennsylvania, April 14, 18o7. His ancestors were among the foreign soldiers who settled in Pennsylvania, at the close of the Revolution. When Samuel was but nine years old, his father came to Ohio, and settled in Lithopolis, Fairfield county, as a farmer, also practicing, as opportunity afforded, his trade of weaver. The son had little chance of schooling, and pursued the labors of the farm at home, with little intermission, till he was twenty-one, when he became his own master, but continued farming. In 1828 he removed to Plain township, Franklin county, and entered sixty acres for a farm, receiving, also, one hundred and sixty acres with his young wife, formerly` Miss Sarah Hay, of Fairfield county, Ohio, daughter of one of the oldest settlers in that region, to whom he was married on New Year's day, of the same year. Losing her by death, he was married, October 12, 1866, to Mrs. Amanda Miller. Upon re-marriage, he sold his farm and moved to Westerville, where he engaged in the hardware business for a year, when he retired,
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and has since lived a quiet life, comparatively freed from business cares, enjoying the fruits of his long and hard labors. He has had two sons—Daniel and Joseph—both of whom are dead, and three daughters—Diana, now Mrs. Daniel Ullery, wife of a farmer in Delaware county; Catharine, now Mrs. Samuel McClung, a widow, residing in Columbus, her husband having been killed by an accident in Missouri, some years ago; and Fanny, now Mrs. Jonathan Trist, wife of a farmer in Blendon township. He has never been in politics, but has held several township offices, and is, with his wife, a member of the Evangelical Association, or "Allbright " church, in Westerville.
Mrs. Amanda (Wilson) Rigal, wife of Mr. Samuel Rigal, is the daughter of John and Rebecca Wilson, who were among the earliest settlers near Newark, Licking county, Ohio, to which place they removed in 1805, from Hardy county, Virginia. In their new home they shared fully in the hardship of pioneer life—among the Indrans, bears, and wolves, the latter of which still abounded in that region. There Amanda was born, May 18, 1818. She received her education solely in the primitive log school-houses of that day. In her twentieth year she was married to Anthony Miller, a young carpenter, and long a schoolfellow and playmate of hers, by whom she had eight children--three daughters and frve sons--of whom four are living: Perry W., who lives on the old homestead, at New Albany; John N., a farmer in Blendon township; George W., a farmer in Livingston county, Missouri; and Mrs. Margaret E. Shrock, wife of a farmer four miles south of Westerville. Mrs. Rigal, with her first husband, removed, in 1853, from Liking county to New Albany, Plain township, Franklin county, where he died, of palsy and typhoid fever, March 6, 1862. She remained a widow something more than four years, when she was married, as Already noted, to Mr. Samuel Rigal, and has since made her home with him in Westerville, where she is the mistress of a spacious and comfortable mansion, with handsome grounds about it.
JOSEPH CLAPHAM, SR.,
one of the old residents of this township, now deceased, was born in Walton, Yorkshire, England, on Christmas Day, 1793. He married Miss Sarah Hudson, of the same place. They emigrated to this country in the spring of 1818, sailing from Hull, and landing safely at Philadelphia, after a voyage of eight weeks. They removed at once to Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in teaming. At the expiration of five years, they came to Ohio, settling in Blendon township, in October, 5823, upon the farm then owned by Mr. John Snow, of Worthington, now known as "the Shrock place," Seven years afterwards he bought a hundred-acre farm on Big Walnut creek, one mile north of the present location of Central college, where they resided until their death, his occurring September 4, 1875, when he had almost completed his eighty-first year, and his wife's January 22, 1873, she then being aged seventy-five years and twenty-three days. They were highly respected for their useful and upright lives. Both were members of the Presbyterian church, and he, although not active in politics, had the convictions, first, of an anti-slavery Whig, and then of the Republican party. During several terms he served the people as township trustee. Five, out of a family of nine children, survive him—Joseph, a Delaware county farmer; George, a farmer near the old homestead; Thomas, a farmer in Mercer county, Missouri; and Mrs. Sarah J. Goldsmith, widow, and Miss Mary Ann Cladham, who reside at the old home. The other children died as follows: Martha, at home, October 21, 1832; Charles, at home, 1842; Mrs. Elizabeth Strong, in Bucyrus, Ohio, August 12, 1855; and John, upon his farm in the neighborhood, January 12, 1879.
HORACE SPRING,
residing about a mile east of Westerville, is one of the most venerable citizens of the township. He was born in Sandisfield, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, August 8, 1800, of mixed Dutch and Irish blood. His parents were Artemas and Sarah (Adams) Spring, his father being a farmer and stone mason. He is the oldest of fifteen children, of whom twelve lived to adult age. Both his grandfathers did honorable service in the war of the Revolution. When Horace was but eight months old his people removed to Hartford, Washington county, New York—then altogether a new country—and began the clearing of a farm, but sold out in about three years, and afterwards resided in various parts of the same township and county.
Young Spring, when but eighteen years old, determined to see the great world for himself, and to push his fortune in it. He started from home with one shirt and a pair of socks in his bundle, and thirty-seven and a half cents in his pocket. He revisited his birthplace, and afterwards went to Warehouse point and other places in Connecticut, where he worked until 1830, farming and teaming, and for some years holding a profitable interest in a line of stages running from Hartford to New Hampshire. In that year he removed to Blendon. township, settling two miles south of Westerville, near the Alum creek bridge. Much of the means hardly earned in New England had been lost by various mischances, and he came to Franklin county with but seventeen dollars and fifty cents in money, and a hoe, an axe, and a hand-saw, by way of implements. With indomitable will, however, great vigor, and ceaseless industry, he set to work again and measurably recovered his means in a very few years; so that when, in April, 1836, he bought his present place for five hundred dollars, he was able to pay most of it cash down. Here his lot has since been cast, full of hard, but success-full labor, and devoid of exciting incidents and events. He has never been an office-seeker, but has several times had the post of township trustee conferred upon him. Originally a Jackson Democrat, he has since been, successively, an anti-slavery Whig and a Republican. He has lived a life without reproach, and is very highly esteemed by his fellow-citizens. March 15, 1824, he was married, in East Windsor, Connecticut, to Miss Minerva Fisk, of Warehousepoint, who died in 1873. Their children have numbered six—five sons and one daughter—all of whom survive save one, and are settled within forty miles of the old home. 'The daughter, Miss Elizabeth Spring, remains with her father, to cheer his declining days.
ALONZO O. BLAIR, M. D.,
the nestor, and, in his prime, the leading Homoeopathic practitioner of medicine in Ohio, now a resident of Westerville, was born the son of Luther Blair, a farmer of Becket township, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, March 13, 1806. He received his academic education in the district schools of his native place and at Lenox academy, where he spent a year or two in faithful study. Determining to study medicine, he began to read in the office of Dr. John Cornell, in Schoharie, New York, and afterwards attended medical lectures at the Berkshire medical institute, a department of Williams college, kept in Pittsfield Massachusetts. Completing his preliminary studies at the age of twenty-two, he opened an office in Schoharie, but shortly after, in 1837, removed to Ohio, and settled at Newark, Licking county, where he again began the practice of his profession. At the expiration of seven years, he removed to Columbus, where he continued in practice until July, 1861, when he transferred his residence to Cleveland. He had, for a year or two previous, been delivering lectures from the chair of materia medica in the Homoeopathic medical college in that city, and upon his removal there, assumed the position. in the same institution, of Professor of the Principles and Practice of Medicine. About five years afterwards, he was elected to the presidency of the college, and retained this important post for several years, when he resigned, to devote himself solely to his lucrative and increasing practice. He was, for a time, president of the State Homoeopathic Medical society, and has been a prominent member of several other professional bodies. He was also physician to the orphan asylum in Cleveland, and while in Columbus rendered similar services to the home for the friendless, and was also there a member of the city council for one term. He served the gov ernment and the disabled soldiers in Cleveland for some years as pension surgeon. He was the first physician in Central Ohio to take a decided and permanent stand as a Homoeopathist, and is known throughout that region and Northern Ohio as the father of Homoeopathy in the Buckeye State. In 1876 Mr. Blair removed back to Columbus, and spent two years there, when, feeling the increasing weight of years and bodily infrrmites, he retired to the quiet of a farm, purchased by him near Westerville, and ultimately to a comfortable dwelling in the village, where he now resides with a son, greatly esteemed by the community, and peacefully awaiting the summons to his final reward. He is a Swedenborgian in religious faith, an old Liberty man in politics. and a Republican from the beginning of Republicanism, and has always manifested a hearty and active interest in the temperance reform.
Dr. Blair was married in Schoharie, New York, September 9, 1826, to Miss Ann Maria Kroemer, who also still survives, at the advanced age of seventy-two. They have had four children, three of whom are living—Dr. George H. Blair, a practitioner, formerly in Columbus and Cleveland, but now of Fairfield, Iowa; Dr. Giles F. Blair, who resides with his father, and practices in Westerville and the surrounding country; and Jeannette, now Mrs. F. A. Comstock, wife of a manufacturer in Columbus. All are happily settled in life, and have growing families.
MIFFLIN.
Mifflin was, originally, a portion of the old township of Liberty, erected at the time of the division of the county, in 1803. It so remained, until 1811, when the township was established and organized with its present boundaries. It is just five miles square, and is one of the townships of the United States military lands, known, in early times as township number one, range seventeen.
The land in this township is level, or slightly undulating, except along the two principal streams—Alum and Walnut creeks, which flow through its teritory from north to south, the former in the western, and the latter in the eastern part. The beds of these streams are quite deeply sunken, and in many places they have precipitous banks of a shaly slate formation. Along Alum creek, the greatest unevenness is exhibited. The bottom lands of this stream and Big Walnut, contain the richest soil in the township. The uplands are also fertile, and produce fine wheat, being composed of what is generally known as the "yellow oak soil," which originally bore a heavy forest, in which that variety of timber prevailed.
NAME.
The township was first settled by emigrants from Pennsylvania, and they gave the place of their choice the name of their old governor—Mifflin.
CIVIL BEGINNING.
The township was organized and established within its present limits in 1811, previous to that time having been in common with Blendon and Jefferson, attached for civil and judicial purposes to Plain. The first justices of the peace were Frederick Agler and John Scott. In 1815 John Scott was re-elected, and Stephen Harris was chosen in Agler's place.
The first fall election of officers shown by the records is that which occurred in 1815. At that time the election was held at Frederick Agler's house, William Read, John Turney, and Agler acting as judges, and James Shannon and Henry Hawken as clerks. Following is the full list of officers elected: William Read, John Turney, and James Price, trustees; Geo. Baughman and Asa Roberson, supervisors; Hugh Price and Asa Roberson, constables; James Shannon and Jacob Isanheart, overseers of the poor; John Agler and Geo. Ridenour, fence viewers; Henry Hawken, clerk; Stephen Harris, treasurer; James Shannon, lister; Stephen Harris, house appraiser.
The present officers are: David Beers, William Shepherd, and William A. Stygler, trustees; John Zuber, clerk ; Thomas D. Cassady, treasurer; Eli Chrysler and David Beers, justices of the peace; Levi Benedict and Daniel Beers, constables.
PIONEERS AND EARLY SETTLERS.
Mifflin township was settled in r799 or 1800. The exact time cannot be stated, nor can it be said definitely who was the first settler. Many of the earliest families have no representatives left in the township or county, and others, who are still represented by their descend, ants, cannot be definitely placed.
William Read, who was, in all probability, the first, owned several hundred acres in the southwest part of the township, and lived near the present location of St. Mary's seminary. He was a prominent man—an associate judge of the court of common pleas, and a member of the legislature. None of the family are now living in this part of the country. His son, Adam, who was also at one time a member of the legislature, was killed at the raising of a log barn.
Frederick Agler was another of the early pioneers. He, like Read, settled on Alum creek, but about three miles farther north. He bought a large amount of land, made many improvements, and remained in the township until his death, in 1824. Margaret, his wife, also died at an early date. They raised quite a large family of children, of whom Samuel, Louis, Elizabeth (Mrs. Peter Horlocker), and Margaret (Mrs. James Park), are residents of the township. The Aglers came as early as 1806 or 1807.
Matthias Ridenour and his wife, Catharine Fage, came in in 1810, and settled on Big Walnut creek. They were originally from Maryland, removed from there to Pennsylvania, and thence to Ross county, from whence they came to Mifflin. Their fan.ily consisted of David, George, John, Susan, Mary, and Catharine. All are now dead, except David, who is a leading citizen of Westerville, Blendon township. Susan married Daniel Turney, Mary married John Turney, and after his death, Frederick Neiswender, of Jefferson township. Catharine married John Scott.
Daniel Turney and his wife, Susan (Ridenour), of Pennsylvania, emigrated, in 1806, to Chillicothe, and came from there to Mifflin township in 1811. They settled first upon Big Walnut, above the present site of the village of Gahanna, and soon afterwards, removed to Alum creek, and settled upon what is known as the Cynthia Turney farm. They had nine children, of whom seven are still living, as follows : John, in Morrow county; Mary (Dill), Susan (Bell), Daniel, in Iowa; Catharine (Noble), also in Indiana; Phebe (Noble), in Iowa. Daniel Turney died in 1856, and his wife, in 1857. They were among the best known and most liked families in the township.
George and Barbara Baughman, with their families,
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO - 485
first. settled in Plain township in 1805, but subsequently removed to Mifflin, where they spent most of their pioneer life. They were from Washington county, Pennsylvania. Samuel Baughman, a son of George, was grown up and married, and when others of the Baugh-mans moved into Mifflin he brought with him a family. Jesse Baughman, another son, was for many years one of the prominent interprising citizens of Mifflin. He laid out the village of Gahanna; was engaged in manufacturing; was a farmer, and in other respects assisted the advancement of the township, none, perhaps, doing more. He was twice married, his first wife being Catharine Turney, and his second Mary Albery, a sister of Judge Albery, and who is still living. Jesse Baughman died in 1878. A sister, Mary, was a party in the first marriage performed in Plain township. Henry Baughman, another son of George and Barbara Baughman, raised a family in Mifflin, but he, himself, removed to Auglaize county in 1834, where he remained until his death.
John Saul, another settler from Pennsylvania, was one of those who arrived early in the township. He located on Big Walnut, and there raised a family. Three of his daughters, Lydia Jacobs, Ann Shanks, and Polly Sher-rick, are now residents of the township.
James Price, a native of Maryland, but for some years a resident of Virginia, came to Mifflin in 1811, and settled where his son, Hugh, now lives, on the Price road, near Big .Walnut, there being At the time no other settlers in the east part of the township, except the Ridenours, where Gahanna now stands. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. Besides being a farmer, he was by occupation a blacksmith, and if not the first in the township, was certainly the first in the east part. He also served as justice - of the peace. He died in 1853. His family consisted, when he came to Mifflin, of only a wife, Mary McComb, of Virginia, and one child, Jane, now in Adams county, Illinois. The children born after settlement, were: Harriet, deceased, Hugh, Eliza, who lives in Iowa, Will: iam, deceased; Oliver P., who lives in Indianapolis; and James, who died in 1862. Robert Wert came with James Price, and, like him, was a soldier of the war of 1812. Stephen R. Price, father of James, became a settler in the township in 1815, but bought land there as early as 1808, when he made an inspecting trip. He was one of the most intelligent and well informed of the pioneers, having been educated in London, England, for the ministry. In 1776, when he was nineteen years of age, he ran away to the United States and enlisted in the American army, and served all through the war. He took a prominent part in the affairs of Mifflin, and a year after his arrival was elected justice of the peace, and subsequently re-elected three times. He died in 1832.
John Scott and his sons were squatters, east of Big Walnut creek, in 1811, when James Price arrived. They came through the country with the surveying parties of Thomas Worthington, Duncan McArthur, and Nathaniel Massie. John Scott, jr., subsequently settled near Gahanna, and Andrew in Fairfield county.
The Deans were prominent and early settlers, arriving soon after 1810, or, possibly, in that year, and taking up a thousand acres of land in the western part of the township. The family consisted of Lebious Dean, his wife, Rhua, and several sons, among them Ebenezer, who became a permanent settler. They made their settlement very nearly upon the ground now occupied by Francis B. Dean's house, and where there originally stood a giant sycamore tree, so large that, after it was prostrate, a horse and rider could pass through its hollow. Ebenezer Dean built one of the earliest mills in the township, which is elsewhere spoken of. He was one of the township's most active residents until his death, in 1841. He married Rachel Dalzell, of New York State, who is still living, in Columbus. Their children were: Francis B., a resident of Mifflin ; Robert D. and John, citizens of Columbus; George (deceased), Ebenezer,, and Sally Maria.
Luther Patterson and his son, Philander, the latter still a resident, came in from Massachusetts, in 1816, and settled on Alum creek. A daughter, Laura, married Simeon Moore, one of the early settlers of Blendon.
Andrew S. Smiley, a brother-in-law of Stephen R. Price, settled south of the latter on Big Walnut, in 1816.
James Latta, a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, came to the township, on foot, in 1818, to make arrangements for the settlement of his family, who came in a flat-boat, by way of the Ohio river, and thence up the Scioto, shortly after. His father had about eight hundred acres of land in the township, and James Latta and his wife, Elizabeth, located upon it, .near the east line of the township. He died in 1826, leaving a family of eight children : Martha, Sarah, and Mary, now deceased; William and Hannah, in Miami county; John, a resident of Mifflin; James and Elizabeth, deceased. John Latta married, in 1842, Phebe T., daughter of Robert Paull.
John Starrett came with the Lattas. He became quite noted as a local school-teacher, and was a resident of the township until his death, in 1859, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years.
William Smith was a settler of the period of 1820, and a native of Pennsylvania. He settled in the northeastern part of the township.
Nathaniel Harris came into the county in 1814, from the State of New York, and was noted as a singing-teacher, and, afterwards, as a lawyer and doctor. He left the State in 1855, and located in Springfield, Illinois, where he now lives, aged eighty-nine years. He was twice married. One son, Edwin, is now a resident of Gahanna.
William Dalzell and Henry Zinn came in about 1818.
D. Stygler, son of John and Bulah Stygler, of Belmont county, Ohio, natives of _Virginia, who emigrated from there in 1810, came into Mifflin township in 1825, and beginning with nothing, has attained a large property. The farm he first settled upon in 1833, was the one up Walnut creek, on which his son now resides. He has since bought the property on which he resides, on the Columbus and Gahanna pike, and other real estate, amounting in all to about two hundred acres. He married Harriet, a daughter Zachariah Paull, of Truro township. His daughter, Sarah Parks, lives in Plain township; Leander, upon the old farm, which his father
486 - HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO.
cleared up; Many Jane is deceased; and William is in the township, upon a farm which is a part of his father's accumulations.
George Bartlett came in in 1825, and made the first improvement upon the Columbus and Gahanna pike, where Mrs. Culberson now lives.
John Clark, a son of Joseph Clark, who was a settler of 1798, in Ross county, was born there in 1804, and in 1828, moved to Mifflin township, and made a clearing just east of the present site of Gahanna, upon a portion of the eight hundred acres lying in Mifflin and Jefferson townships, and bought by his father from Governor Worthington, in 1814. He has here handsome improvements, including a fine residence, built in 1840. He married Mary Murray, by whom he has had seven children--Joseph, Elizabeth, William, Phebe, Harwood, James, and Rufus, all of whom are living except Joseph, the first born.
Robert Paull came into the township in 1830, from Berkeley county, Virginia, by wagon, and has cleared up the farm which is on the road from Gahanna to Central College, and in the northern part of the township. He had, by his first wife (who died before his removal to Ohio), two children—Robert and Phebe (Latta). He died in 1852.
Thomas G. Schrock came to the township with his father, William Schrock, from Hampshire county, Virginia, in 1831. There also came, at the same time, three others of the family—Pierce, William, and George, all three of whom are now dead. Mr. Thomas G. Schrock made his settlement, where he now lives, and upon the farm which he has cleared in 1834. He married Christina, daughter of Isaac Griswold, the first female child born in Blendon township, by whom he has reared a family, of whom five are living, viz: Isaac W., Orentia, Ursulla Jane, Editha, and Lacylum.
John Dalzell and his wife, Catharine, of Oneida county, New York, in 1831 or '32, made their settlement in the township. John Dalzell had been, previous to his removal to Mifflin, a resident, since 1822, of Columbus, and a warden in the penitentiary.
Zachariah Kramer came in in 1830, and settled north of Gahanna, and David Shull, in the same year, settled on the same farm, where the family now lives, which had been somewhat improved by Isaac Johnson, of Jefferson, then a squatter.
About this time came, also, the Dills from Nova Scotia. There were John Dill and his wife, Sophia Beckwith. Their children were : Edward, who lives in Blendon ; William and George, in-Mifflin; David, John, Augustus, Joseph, and James. Of the five last named, all are dead, except John, and he resides in Blendon. Augustus married Elizabeth Turney, by whom he hail three children: William A., a resident of Blendon, and John B. and Joel W., of Delaware county.
James Park, son of Amos and Sarah Park, of Ontario county, New York, came into Delaware county, in 1816, and from there into Franklin county, in 1830, where he located upon his present farm, on the Sunbury pike, in the northwestern section of Mifflin township. He mar ried Margaret, a daughter of Frederick Agler. The elder Park followed his son into Mifflin, in 1832, and remained there till his death, in 1851.
George and Ellen Harwood came in from Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1835, and located on the farm which the family improved, and upon which a sonThomas—now lives, situated on the road from Gahanna to Central College. They had a large family: Eliza, John, Thomas, Charles, Benjamin, Harriet, and Alvin, of whom only Thomas survives. He married Christina Wilkins.
Henry and Henrietta Carpenter came into Mifflin in 1839, from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and later moved into Jefferson township. Henry Carpenter died at the advanced age of one hundred and four years, and his wife at ninety-eight, both being people of wonderful strength and splendid health. Charles Carpenter, a son, is now a business man of Gahanna, and one of its leading citizens. Ae has been several times a justice of the peace. A sister, Julia Ann (Beecher), lives in Indiana.
Sarah Crouse Ramsey, widow of the late John Ramsey, son of Joel, an old settler of Plain township, and herself the daughter of Christian Crouse, of Strasburg, Germany, who came to Columbus in 1841, is a resident of the township. John Bagshaw, a native of England, is one of the most prominent of the later settlers, and an influential man in the township. His farm, on Alum creek, has been almost entirely cleared, up by him. Philip Keim, a native of Virginia, came into Mifflin, from Licking county, in 1851, and took up the place where his widow, Susan Keim, now resides. He was one of the useful men of the township, until his death, in 1858. Samuel Powell, a native of England, came to this country in 1838, and located in Licking county, and, in 1852, removed to Mifflin, where he died in 1879. His widow, Matilda, daughter of John and Mary Keim, who came from Pennsylvania to Ohio, in 1826, resides upon the farm which her husband improved.
VARIOUS FIRST THINGS.
The first marriage in the township was that of James Scott, to Miss Judy McManaway. The first death was that of a daughter of Ake Anderson. The first cemetery was in the southwest part of the township, the one near the Mifflin chapel. It was here that Judge Read was buried, also Ebenezer Dean, and the Dalzells. Polly Smiley was buried at an early day near the Big Walnut, but the ground is not now used for burial purposes. The first tavern was kept by George Read, son of Judge Read, where the water-cure establishment of Dr. Shepherd now is. It is probable that the first road ever traveled in the township was the old Zanesville road, leading to Columbus, and running through the southern part of the township. Some of the early settlers came in on this road, and then cut their way through the forest to their locations. This road was long since abandoned, except a little part which is still in use, and which lies just south of the new Orphans' home. The first school-house was built on Big Walnut, where Gahanna now is; the second, on top of the hill,
JESSE BAUGHMAN.
Jesse Baughman, son of George and Barbara (Steele) Baughman, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, on the eleventh of June, 1802. His parents were of the well-known Pennsylvania German blood. His father was a carpenter, but Jesse was brought up mainly on the farm, giving, however, some attention to education in the common schools of that time. In 1805 his parents removed to the country near New Albany, Plain township, Franklin county, and when Jesse was in his eleventh year, in 1812, they again removed, this time going to Mifflin township, where they lived upon a farm, and where both died in the fullness of years. Young Baughman was married May 26, 1825, to Miss Catharine Turney, of Mifflin, and settled on the old farm till after his second marriage (his first wife died December 1, 1838), which occurred May 3, 1840, and was to Miss Mary Albery, a young lady of a German-English family, residing in Jefferson township, and sister of Judge Albery, of Columbus. He was the founder and original proprietor of the village of Bridgeport, which he laid off in 1853. In 1859 Mr. Baughman built the first gristmill ever erected in Mifflin township, at Gahanna, and managed it with success until 1865, when he sold out on account of poor health, and afterwards did some light labor in farming, but mostly lived a retired, quiet life, free from manual labor. He served as county commissioner for Franklin county one term-1853-5, and was quite often elected township trustee, assessor, land appraiser, and to various other minor offices. He was one of the first to promote. the organization of the Franklin
county pioneer association, of which he remained an active member. He was a Democrat in politics, and a Presbyterian in his religious convictions, ever an active man in church and Sabbath-school. He died in Gahanna on the last day of 1878, much lamented by a great number of relatives and friends. In an autobiographical notice which he contributed to the newspapers some years ago, he said of himself, and, doubtless, with the utmost truthfulness: "In all my dealings I have never been sued, neither have I ever sued any one. I never spent twenty-five cents for cigars or tobacco, and was never intoxicated in those seventy-three years "—[the time he had then resided in the county].
By his first marriage Mr. Baughman had five children —four sons and one daughter—of whom four are living: Rev. George Baughman, a clergyman resident in Eaton, Preble county, Ohio; Joel, a farmer near Gahanna; Josiah, an engineer at Westerville, and Mary Ann, now Mrs. Eskridge Carter, wife of a farmer in Blendon township. Seven children—three sons and four daughters—were the issue of the second marriage. Four of them yet survive: William Sandford Baughman, a farmer near Gahanna; Francis, a lawyer at Battle Mountain, Nevada; Esther Josephine, now Mrs. Robert Collier, residing at No. 152 Hamilton avenue, Columbus, and Lewis Clifford Baughman, the youngest child, yet at the old home in Gahanna, residing with his mother, who is still, though somewhat advanced in years, in vigorous health, and gives promise of long life.
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKA WAY COUNTIES, OHIO - 487
west of Alum creek, and on what is known as the Alum creek road; and the third, in the Parks neighborhood.
The first brick house was built by Judge Read, about 1815, but one was erected by Andrew Agler about the same time—the one in which Peter Horlocker now lives.
DEER HUNTING.
James Price, father of Hugh Price, at present, a resident of Mifflin township, was, in the early years of the settlement, a great hunter, and particularly fortunate in killing deer. He seemed to have a natural instinct for hunting; and his knowledge of the woods and of the habits of animals was so thorough that he seldom failed to come home, within a half hour, with a haunch of venison on his shoulder, or some other game slung across his back, when he went into the woods with his trusty rifle. He supplied his own family and the neighbors with venison and other meats, and often, when the larder was low, his services were brought into requisition with good effect. It was thought that from the time of his arrival in Mifflin (1811) to the time that the deer disappeared from the woods (about 1848), he killed as many as, five hundred deer, to say nothing of smaller game. He rid the country of wolves, too, as late as 1826, trapping an old she-wolf that had been a great source of annoyance to all the settlers, because of her frequent and very bold depredations.
Mr. Price had some experiences which proved deer hunting not an altogether safe sport. One adventure, in particular, showed its danger. One evening, in October, he took his small bore rifle and the tomahawk which he always carried, when hunting, and went into the woods to cut a few hoop poles, which he needed. It was customary in those days to carry a gun, whenever going any distance from the cabin, either for self-defence, or to bring down any game that might, by chance, be seen. Mr. Price, on this occasion, had gone but a short distance when he saw a fine, large deer. He fired, and it fell. Supposing it to be dead, he went up to the animal, laid his gun down, and prepared to remove the skin and choice parts of meat. Just as he drew his tomahawk from his belt, the deer, quick as lightning, sprang to its feet, and came furiously at him. He aimed a blow at the deer's head, but the handle of the tomahawk struck one of the deer's horns, and the weapon flew from his hand many feet away. Then a life or death struggle commenced between the weaponless man and the infuriated animal. The deer tried to gore Price with its horns, but he being a very strong man, succeeded in holding the animal so that it could not reach him. He was jerked violently backward and forward, however, and the deer's sharp hoofs struck terrible blows upon his person, cutting entirely through his clothing, and producing painful wounds. The deer jumped upon Price frequently, and finally, he became so weakened by the loss of blood and the violence of the battle that he was scarcely able to keep up. The fight lasted about half an hour, and just as Mr. Price was about to give up, it ended in a singular way. The deer setting its feet firmly in the ground, began to pull back with all its strength, and when the strain was most severe, Mr. Price suddenly relaxed his hold, thinking to dodge behind a tree before the animal could reach him. As he let go, the deer reared upon its hind feet, and fell heavily backward. As it made a struggle to rise, Mr. Price saw that one of its horns had become fast under the root of an elm tree. He was quick to take advantage of the situation, and drawing his pocket-knife, cut the deer's throat. When Mr. Price arrived at home, he was in a very pitiable contion. His clothing was blood-stained, and hung upon his person in tatters, his face was cut and bruised, so as to be scarcely recognizable, and his left thumb was out of joint, and his strength completely gone.
On another occasion, Mr. Price was so badly hurt by a deer that he had shot, that he only got home with great difficulty in half a day, although the distance he had to travel was not more than a mile and a half.
CHURCHES.
The Rev. Ebenezer Washburn, of Blendon, began preaching in Mifflin, in 1819, his first services being held in the barn of William Smith. This was the beginning of Presbyterianism in the township. In the same year the Rev. Charles Henkle founded a Lutheran church. These two denominations have ever since held the precedence in the east part of the township.
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH
was the first one organized, though, as stated above, the Presbyterians were as early in holding religious services, and, it is also probable, that the Methodists were equally early, but this denomination, usually the pioneers Of Christianity, were later in Mifflin than any other township of the county. The first preaching by the Lutherans was in George Ridenour's house, at Daniel Forney's and at — Neiswender's, in Jefferson township; afterwards, services were held at a school-house, in the same township, which was built by Michael Neiswender. The meetings were held in various localities, for the accommodation, in turn, of the different settlements. The early members of the church (organized as above stated, in 1819) were: George and John Ridenour, Michael Neiswender, George Baughman, Jesse Baughman, David Ridenour, John Saul, Daniel Turney, Jonas Souder, and, perhaps, a few others. The house of worship was built in 1838, just north of the present site of Gahanna, and upon a lot donated, for the purpose, by Zachariah Kramer. An addition was found necessary, and was accordingly built, in 1843. The church has now a total membership of one hundred and sixty persons, and is under the pastoral charge of the Rev. Lewis T. Meyer. The elders are Isaac Souder and G. Neiswender; Serenus Souder and Nicholas Heischman, deacons; Samuel Neiswender, John Kramer, and John Souder, trustees.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
as shown by the record, was organized in 1840, by the Rev. Ebenezer Washburn and E. Fitch, who were appointed to the duty by the presbytery of Columbus. The members were: James, Mary, Eliza, and Hugh Price, John Starritt and Martha Starritt, Mary Clark, Elizabeth Latta, Nathaniel and Sophronia Harris, George,
488 - HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO.
Eleanor, and Eliza Harwood, William and Jane McCutcheon, Edward, Jane, and Mary Dill, Susan Turney, Christiana Schrock, and Mary Starritt. George Harwood, William McCutcheon, and Nathaniel C. Harris, were chosen as elders. The church edifice was built soon after the village of Gahanna, or Bridgport, was laid out. This church has now fifty-five members, and no resident minister. The elders are John Clark and Robert Paull. Isaac Shull, Walter Paull, Jesse Price, Rufus Clark, and William Stygler, trustees; John Clark, treasurer.
EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION.
This denomination has a church building at Gahanna, which was built in 1870. The society is not in a flourishing condition. The first class formed was at a considerably earlier date than the building of the church, and it consisted of Mr. H. Ulery, Elizabeth and Peter Neiswender, and Polly Nofzger.
PHYSICIANS.
The first physician was Samuel Stambaugh, who commenced practice in 1846, and remained until the fall of I850, when he removed to California. His successors, who remained long enough to entitle them to mention, were Jonathan Flathery, Dr. Williams, John Baughman, who died -in 1862, David Ridenour, who now lives in Indiana, and Frank Beatley, who now resides in Columbus. Of the physicians now in the township, all but one are located in Gahanna. Dr. R. P. Anderson, of the Eclectic school, and a graduate of one of the Cincinnati colleges, has been in practice about twenty-five years. He practiced in Albany, Plain township, until 1876, and then removed to his present location, where he has quite a large patronage. The other medical men are Thomas Young, -- Sensenig, Wm. A. Wilson, and T. J. Clouse.
ST. MARY'S OF THE SPRINGS
is a seminary for young ladies; is under Catholic control, and is one of the well-known educational institutions of central Ohio. It is beautifully situated upon a gentle eminence, near the southwest corner of Mifflin township, and just three miles from Columbus. It is near the lines of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis and the Baltimore & Ohio railroads. It has claim to the latter part of its name from the fact that, within the extensive grounds, there are several excellent springs from which bubbles up an abundance of pure, cold water. There is also an iron spring, and one of white sulphur, which are said to be among the most valuable medicinal springs in the State. The institution, which has recently been incorporated by the legislature, was established in 1868, and is now under the direct superintendence of the Dominican sisters, and also under the auspices of the bishop and clergy of Columbus, and the Rev. S. A. Clarkson, O. P. The superior is Mother Francis. The academy is a large and well-built structure; three stories in height, and has all the conveniences and luxuries that belong to a place of its kind. The school is in a very flourishing condition, and has been well patronized from the time of its establishment. A handsome view of the seminary is given herewith.
DR. SHEPHERD'S WATER-CURE.
Dr. W. Shepherd has, in Mifflin township, a private sanitarium and water-cure, which has attained quite a wide celebrity. It is situated in the southwest corner of the township, upon the Alum creek road, and is about four miles from the State house. The buildings are, in themselves, attractive, and they ornament a beautiful landscape. The grounds are extensive, including about forty acres, and are tastefully laid off, and adorned with trees and all the varied greenery that can combine to lend beauty to the place. Dr. Shepherd, who is a graduate of the Eclectic medical college of Cincinnati, established the sanitarium in 1853.
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICK AWAY COUNTIES, OHIO - 489
MILLS IN MIFFLIN.
Early in the history of the township, Ebenezer Dean built a saw-mill on Alum creek, which he run for a number of years, and in which was sawed a vast deal of lumber used in the surrounding country. His son, Francis B. Dean, also operated the mill a number of years, and Judge Hey! was at one time its owner. This was the first mill in the township. The exact date at which it was built can not be ascertained, but it was undoubtedly earlier than 1825. James Park built a mill on the same creek about a mile up stream, and Andrew McElrain put up one, about where St. Mary's seminary now stands, in 1839. Dr. William Janney, of Virginia, who was temporarily a resident of Mifflin, built a saw-mill, in 1837, upon Big Walnut. Samuel Powell had a steam saw-mill in operation for about ten years, near where his widow now resides. There are now steam saw-mills in, and near, Gahanna, the former owned by J. W. Caldwell, and the latter, upon fhe Columbus pike, owned by Eli Chrysler.
The first and only grist-mill in the township was built in 1859, at Gahanna, by Joel and Jesse Baughman, and is still in operation. Eli and Elias Chrysler bought out the Baughmans in 1865. It subsequently passed through a series of ownerships, among the various proprietors, either wholy or in part, being Joel Baughman and Eli Chrysler, Edwin Harris, R. S. Katterman, and W. W. Berris, the present owner.
POST-OFFICES.
The first post-office in the township was established at Gahanna, and is known by the name of the village in which it is located. It was established in 1849, and Thomas Young had the first commission as postmaster. Another was established on Alum creek, at Park's sawmill, in 1851, and Jeremiah Lasure was appointed postmaster. Two years later he was succeeded by James Park. This office has since been removed to the tollgate, upon the Columbus and Westerville turnpike, where it crosses the west line of the township.
THE VILLAGE OF GAHANNA, OR BRIDGEPORT,
is a hamlet of about three hundred population, of comparatively recent growth. It is located in the east part of the township, upon Big Walnut creek, and midway between the northern and southern boundaries of the township. That portion of the village which is Gahanna, was laid out in 1849, by John Clark, esq., and the other, properly called Bridgeport, was laid out in 1853, by Jesse Baughman. The village was never incorporated. The first place of residence which was built upon the site of Gahanna, was a log cabin, erected by John Ridenour, and dwelt in by John Starritt. The first tavern was kept by James Staley, and was known as the Mifflin hotel. The first store was kept by Thomas Young, and the second by William Beecher. Gahanna has had a slow growth and very moderate business improvement. Three of the four churches of the township are situated in the village, and it has a good school, at present under the charge of Leonard Graham, of Reynoldsburg. William Ross is postmaster, storekeeper, and hotel landlord. The other stores are those of Mrs. S. A. Quinn and Mrs. F. M. Percy. Wagon making is carried on by John "Luber and Jonas Glick, and Jacob and Charles Breiret are manufacturers of carriages. Theodore Carpenter is a tinner and hardware dealer.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.
Mifflin Lodge, No. 518, is a flourishing organization of Odd Fellows, which meets in Gahanna. It was instituted June 27, 1872, by Joseph Dowdall, P. G., and consisted of the following charter members: G. H. Gunderman, S. L. Quinn, D. Hollen, W. Beechard, W. P. Dawson, C. Goodman, A. Mann, E. Ayres, L. Stagg, John Shilling, W. J. Cheney, John Miller, J. Winsor, and H. Cummins.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES,
SAMUEL L. QUINN.
Samuel L. Quinn was born in Plain township, Franklin county, January 5, 1833. His early life was passed at his boyhood's home, and here he obtained the rudiments of an education, which he afterwards improved at Central college, where he commenced study when about eighteen years of age. He remained at college a number of years, pursuing an irregular course of study, such as he deemed would be of most advantage to him during life, without attempting to take the prescribed course, and become a graduate. When about twenty-three or twenty-four years of age, he gave up his studies, and engaged in teaching, which vocation he followed some five years. He then spent some two years in travel, in the west, crossing the Rocky mountains during his absence. Then returning to his home for a brief time, he, in 1866, engaged in mercantile business, at Gahanna, which he continued until 1873, when he was appointed deputy sheriff of Franklin county, and disposed of his business in order to assume his official duties. He was a second time appointed to the same office, in which he served until August 13, 1876, when typhoid fever claimed him as a victim, and he died at the early age of forty-three.
He was a member of the Young :dens' Democratic club, of Columbus, and was held in high esteem by his fellow-members, who passed a series of resolutions on his death, among which was the following :
Resolved, That we deeply deplore the loss of our brother, who had so many of the virtues that go to make up the true gentleman and patriotic citizen; that his memory will ever be cherished by us with kind recollections of true friendship, as he himself was true to his friends.
In his death the county lost a faithful and efficient officer, his family a kind, affectionate, and loving husband and father, and the society in which he moved a warm-hearted, genial, and honorable member. He was married, April 9, 1861, to Miss Sarah A. Grant, of Jackson township, who became to him a helpmeet, in every sense. To them were born five children, of whom death has taken three. Those living, are Louis and May. About a year after the death of her husband, Mrs. Quinn returned to Gahanna and engaged in mercantile business, in the building formerly occupied by her husband, and where she has since remained.
EBENEZER BUTLER.
Judge Ebenezer Butler, of Mifflin township, Franklin county, Ohio, was one of the earliest settlers of that township. He came from New York some years previous to the war of 1812. He was born in Connecticut, near Hartford, in the year 1738. Following in biographical order the incidents of his life, it appears that he was among the first of the revolutionary patriots who participated in the struggle of the American colonies, in resisting British oppression. At the early age of eighteen, he responded to the call upon the people of Connecticut, and,
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in conformity with the traditions of those trying times, he "left his plow standing in the furrow," received the ancient fire-lock from the hands of his mother, and joined General Putnam in the defence of Bunker Hill. After that memorable battle, he remained in the army until sickness compelled him to leave it.
In imitation of the primitive custom, he married when quite young. His wife was Rebecca Davis. Not long after this event, he discovered that the central portion of the State of New York, then a part of the extreme western frontier ofthe country, offered attractive inducements to enterprise, and he determined to seek a new home there. He settled in the then small village of Pompey, where he received the appointment of land agent, for the sale of the State lands, and immediately began to prosper. Here his somewhat numerous family of children were born. Their names were Martha, Belinda, Aurelia, Flora, Mary, and Rebecca, the latter of whom died when quite young. To this number, two sons — Roswell and Manly — and a second daughter named Rebecca, were added. Belinda and Aurelia were educated at the Hamilton academy; Flora and Mary were sent to Hartford, for the advantages of the higher studies and accomplishments.
In progress of time, Mr. Butler was appointed to a judicial position on the local bench, and elected to the legislature of his adopted State. He was the contemporary and neighbor of the father of Gerrit Smith; each the possessor of a very extensive landed estate. Judge Butler, in the prime of life, was a man of remarkable capacity for business enterprise, engaging with equal facility and uniform success in merchandise and farming—in the milling business, and in ocean commerce, becoming largely interested in foreign trade, and the owner of a considerable investment in vessels. He had formed a partnership with a Mr. Phillips, and, during his necessary presence in Albany, in attendance upon the legislature, his partner succeeded in defrauding him of a large sum of money, with which he absconded. Succeeding this event, came the embargo of 18o7, which ruined his shipping interests. The result of these successive misfortunes was an embarrassment so serious that he was compelled to bring to a close his large and varied business transactions. Upon a settlement with his creditors, which was accomplished with rigid conformity to the rules of honor, which governed him in all his transactions, he found himself still in possession of a small reserve of capital, with which to begin life anew, in the now populous and prosperous State of Ohio, then one of the youngest of the States, presenting, in the superior advantages of its agricultural lands, inducements which attracted a large emigration from the eastern States, and offering, as he conceived, an inviting opportunity for the retrieval of his fortune. He bravely resolved to make the change, and, accordingly, joined the throng of emigrants to this then far western locality, I ranging with him his entire family, with the exception of his oldest daughter, who had married Mr. Atwater, an attorney-at-law in the State of New York. He came directly to Franklin county, and entered lands to the amount of some seven hundred acres, on Alum creek, about seven miles north of the site of the future city of Columbus. The location was an almost unbroken wilderness. The scattered settlers were too few as yet, too impoverished, and too laboriously occupied in securing for their own households the subsistence they required, to render much of neighborly aid to each other. The lot of the early pioneer in this State was one which it is hard to realize. With his own hands, and with such help as he could, with diffrculty, obtain, he built a log house for an immediate home. In his oldest son—Roswell— he had a very effrcient assistant, in the struggle with the difficulties which beset his efforts. It is related of this son, that he was very popular with the pioneers, who were often benefitted by his superior intelligence. His death, by drowning, at an early age, was felt as a great loss in the neighborhood. In their new and trying experience, Judge Butler's daughters put to practical use the advantages of education which they had acquired in their more prosperous days. One of them—Aurelia— opened a school in the village of Franklinton, on the opposite side of the river from Columbus. The third daughter— Flora-- found an opportunity to establish a school for young ladies, in Lancaster, then one of the most thriving towns in the State, some thirty miles distant. Her hand was soon sought by Mr. Christian King, 'the leading merchant of the place, and the fourth daughter—Mary —took the school, and retained it until her marriage with Mr. Richard Douglass, an attorney-at-law, residing in Chillicothe. His daughter, Aurelia, married Judge Orris Parrish, of Columbus. The exposure encountered at the burning of his home, which caught fire by some accident, and was consumed so rapidly that the inmates barely escaped, seriously impaired his health, and an attack of fever subsequently occurred, which occasioned his death, in 1826, in the sixty-eighth year of his age.
THOMAS HARWARD.
The subject of this sketch was born in Morgan county, Ohio, December 26, 1816. His parents were George and Ellen Harward, who came to this State from Pennsylvania when quite young, and were married in Ohio. They raised nine children, of whom Thomas was the first in order of birth. In 1835 the family came to Franklin county, and located in Mifflin township, a mile and a half north of Gahanna, where George Harward purchased ninety acres of land, to which he afterward added, by purchase, one hundred and thirty-four acres. After his death, Thomas Harward bought the interest of the other heirs in the estate, and, in 1862, built a substantial brick house on the place, in which, with his family, he now lives. He has been a hard-working and industrious man, economical in his habits, and strongly attached to his home. He was married, in 1864, to Christine Wilking, and has a family of five children, as follows: Carrie E., Emma May, Charles, Alvin, and Arthur, all of wbom are living at home. Both Mr. and Mrs. Harward are members of the Presbyterian church, with which they have 17 connected many years.
NORWICH.
This township originally constituted a part of Franklin township, but in 1809, when Washington was organized, it became a part of that township, and so remained until 1813, when it was laid out and organized under its present name. It, at that time, included what is now the south part of Perry, until that township was estabished, in 1820. There was no post-office until 1852, and the inhabitants were obliged to go a considerable distance to obtain their mail, as well as for all purposes of trade. This township has settled up very slowly, especially the northern and western portions. The first settlements were made along the river, and afterwards in the southern part.
SETTLEMENT.
The first settlers in what is now known as Norwich township, were Daniel Brunk and family, who settled half a mile south of Hayden run, in 1807.
Rev. Benjamin Britton settled on land, next south of Brunk, at the same time. He was a Christian, or "New Light," preacher, and early organized a church of the denomination to which he belonged, on land near by, which, at that time, belonged to Joseph Carr, but which was not occupied. Mr. Britton was assisted by Rev. Mr. Fisher, of Worthington. A log structure was built for use, as a church, but was occupied but a few years, when the church died out, and the building was fitted up and used as a dwelling-house. The members of the church, afterwards, joined with the congregation at Dublin.
The first cemetery in Norwich township was on the land at that time owned by Daniel Brunk. The name of the first person buried there is not now known.
Isaac Grace settled east of Mr. Britton, and near the Scioto river, about the same time. He was a Methodist preacher, and an early member of Christie Methodist church, at Dublin.
George Rager settled near Hayden run, soon after the settlement of Britton and Grace. Like many others, of that day, he was a firm believer in the supernatural, and as strong a believer in the efficacy of a silver bullet to cause the death of a witch.
Peter Latimer was born in Connecticut, and, when about two years old, was taken to Pennsylvania, where he spent his early life. He was married, while living there, and, on one occasion, himself and wife were obliged to seek safety from the Indians, by flight into the woods. They hid between two logs, and distinctly heard the Indians, as they searched the woods for them, but, fortunately, they remained undiscovered. In 1811, they emigrated to Ohio, and settled in Norwich township, on land now owned by William Armistead, where Mr. Latimer purchased a large tract. He sold from this, after a time, until he had a farm of but one hundred and fifty acres left. He carried the first mail from Columbus to Zanesville, on horseback, and also carried the mail from Columbus to Bellefontaine, many years. He raised eight children, five of whom are now living, as follows: Harriet, in Illinois; Elizabeth, in Iowa; Sallie (Mrs. McCoy), in Perry township, this county; Naomi J. (Mrs. Williams), at Chittenden hotel, Columbus, and John, in the gold mines of Alaska. Mr. Latimer has been a resident of Columbus during the past fourteen years, making his home with his daughter, Mrs. N. J. Williams. He is now in the ninety-eighth year of his age.
The next settler below Britton and Grace, was Samuel Davis, who came to the township, with his family, in 1814. He was born in Connecticut, and in 1785 emigrated to Kentucky, when about twenty years of age. He was there employed by Major Simon Kenton, as a spy among the Indians, to warn settlers of intended raids by the savages. There were twelve men thus employed, six being on duty at a time. He served as a spy three years, and at one time, when trapping with a man named Campbell, both were captured by the Indians, when camped on the Big Sandy. They were tightly bound, for security, but his bonds hurt him so that he could not sleep. The Indian who had charge of him inquired what was the matter, and when informed, directed one of his young men to loosen his thongs. Mr. Davis watched his opportunity, leaped across a small run into a thicket and escaped, but with scarcely any clothing. For six days he traveled, with no food, other than wild roots, in a cold March air, until he reached the settlement. Campbell was taken to Detroit, and sold to a Frenchman, whence he eventually obtained his freedom.
After the close of the Indian war, General Massey and thirty men came to Ohio and laid out the town of Chillicothe. Mr. Davis and General McArthur, afterwards governor of Ohio, were employed as hunters for the camp, at Chillicothe, where they came in about 1796. Samuel Davis was married, in Kentucky, to Elizabeth Smith. His son, Asa, was born at Graham station, in Kentucky, a few weeks before they came to Ohio. After the survey of Chillicothe was made, he received a lot in the town, on which he built a house, where he lived one year. At the end of that time he bought land in the Peewee bottoms, where he remained two years. He then moved into Buckskin township, Ross county, where he purchased five hundred acres of land, on which he resided until 1814, clearing and improving his farm. In 1814 he came to Norwich, where he bought three hundred and eighty acres from Mr. Terry, of Highland county, who owned the property. When in Connecticut he
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learned the silversmith business, but on his settlement in Kentucky worked at blacksmithing and gunsmithing. He started a shop on his land, in Norwich township, where he worked until just before his death, in 1849, hiring the clearing of his farm. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, from Connecticut, and served two years. He was also in the war of 1812, a short time. At the time of his death he was a Revolutionary pensioner. His wife died in 1844. They raised ten children—Asa, Orange, George, Anson, Moses, Buriah, Samuel, James, Elizabeth, and Smith. Elizabeth married Benjamin Sells, and lives in Washington township, near Hayden run. The children all settled in Washington and Norwich townships. Asa lives in Norwich, a short distance south of Hayden run ; Samuel and Smith have homes a short distance south of Dublin. Samuel Davis, his son, Asa, and Ebenezer Richards bored two wells, in the river, on Dr. Davis' farm, for the purpose of obtaining salt. After boring to a depth of one hundred feet in each, they gave them up, having passed through the rock. They then went to Delaware county, where they sunk a well over five hundred feet deep, and found a strong white sulphur stream. They were obliged to give up the work, on account of the prevailing sickness of that season, and never again resumed it. The land is now occupied by the State girls' industrial school. Asa Davis settled on the farm with his father after giving up the salt-well. He worked the place, and shortly bought it from his father, on condition, that he furnish each of his brothers with one hundred acres of land. Since that time he has added to his farm, and increased his property. In Au- gust, 1879, over eleven thousand dollars of money that he had in Pickley's bank, at Columbus, was stolen from the vault during business hours. In 1845 he married Mrs. Lucy J. McDowell, and has had five children, four of whom are now living. Two daughters are married, and live in the vicinity, and one daughter and a son live at home. Mr. Davis was a soldier in the war of 1812, and now receives a pension on account of his services. He has also received one hundred and sixty acres of -land. He is now about eighty-four years of age, and the oldest settler in Norwich township.
A man named Hopper was an early settler on the south bank of Slate run. He had the first cabin north of the three mile cabin, at the State quarries, in Franklinton.
William Armistead emigrated from Virginia to Ohio in 1808, and in 1809 settled a mile- below Hayden run, where he bought three hundred acres of land, which he cleared and improved. He was twice married, and raised five children, two of whom live in the township, and one in Kansas. The others are not now living. On his death, Mr. Armistead willed his property to his wife. She soon gave up her claim, and the property was sold to Michael Walton, and the proceeds divided among the children.
Asa Wilcox settled on the liver road; on land now owned by David Elliott, in about 1811. He did not make a purchase there, but a number of years later bought land on the Hilliard pike, now owned by Abraham Sells.
Robert Elliott came from Pennsylvania in about 181 0, and bought land on the river road, and north of the present location of Wesley church. His wife was a daughter of Daniel Brunk, and by her he had several children. His son, Daniel Elliott, now owns and occupies the home farm.
A Mr. Everett settled on land adjoining Elliott, on the south, in about 1812.
Henry McCracken was an early settler near the present farm of Abraham Sells.
Ephraim Fisher was born in Maryland, and came from there to Jefferson county, Ohio, where he remained some years. In 1814 he, with his father and Elias Pegg, bought six hundred and twenty-five acres of land a mile and three-fourths southeast of Hilliard. In 1816 they moved to Franklinton, where Mr. Pegg finally settled, selling his part of the land in Norwich to Moses Hart, in 1819. In 1818 Mr. Fisher built a cabin on his land, and occupied it. It was a small home, twelve by fourteen feet in size, and with no floor. He split oak clapboards on which to place their bed, and soon made a comfortable home. They came to the country in a large Pennsylvania wagon, drawn by four horses, and brought with them two cows and calves. Their cows and one calf died of murrain, -and they were obliged to go two miles through the woods for what milk they used. His son, George Fisher, was then nine years of age. His clothing, when a boy, consisted of buckskin, for many years, until flax could be raised. Ephraim Fisher died in 1838, and willed his property to his children. On the sale of the land, George Fisher bought the property, on which he now lives. Ephraim Fisher was twice married, and has had eleven children, most of whom are now dead. One son lives in Hilliard. George Fisher married Sarah Latimer, and has had eight children, two of whom are now livin The original proprietors of his land were William Price, T. Bentley, and B. Anderson.
Mr. Cutler settled south of Hilliard a mile and a half; as early-as 1816, where he bought and improved a farm. He sold to S. Winecup, and he to Daniel O. Roberts. It is now owned by William Roberts. The Cutlers moved to Franklinton after selling their property.
Moses Hart settled north of Ephraim Fisher, in 1819, where he built a cabin and cleared the land; his purchase was made from Elias Pegg. His children numbered six, four sons and two daughters. Moses Hart, jr., his son, now lives on the land, aged about eighty-eight years.
Harmon Groom settled south of Moses Hart, in the same year, and built a cabin and cleared about six acres of land. In 1825, he sold to Hart, and moved into Prairie township.
Martin Miller, and others, leased land west of George Fisher, at that time owned by a man in Kentucky. The property is now owned by Benjamin and Elias Scofield.
Francis Wilcox came to Ohio, from Canada, in 1810, and settled in Franklinton. In about 1812, he moved into the southeast corner of Norwich township, and cleared the land now owned by E. Wilson. About 1820, he bought one hundred acres of land, a mile and a half west of his first settlement, where he died. He deeded
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO - 493
his property to his son, Peter, who now occupies the land. He married Tryphena Watts, in 1827, and has one daughter living near Hilliard.
Samuel King came from Pennsylvania to Chillicothe, in about 1800. Afterwards, he bought land in Clinton and Sharon townships, and made his home in Clinton, where he worked in a tannery. Samuel M. King, his son, was born in Clinton, in 1807, and, in 1840, bought fifty acres of land near Hilliard, on which he now lives.
John Laird settled on land south of, and adjoining, the present village of Hilliard, in 1820 or 1821. He improved the land, and lived there until about 1840, when he sold out and moved west.
John Vanschoyck settled next west of John Laird, in 1821. His children settled in the vicinity, and some of them are still living near Hilliard.
Daniel Roberts settled a mile and a half south of Hilliard, about 1823; he had a wife, but no children. Robert, his brother, settled in Washington township, a little later, and, while visiting in Norwich, he died. His son, William, was raised by Daniel Roberts, who left his property to him. The children of William Roberts now live a mile and a half south of Hilliard.
John McCan settled west of Hilliard, in 1821, the same year that Vanschoyck came to the township.
Ezekiel Latimer and wife, with one child, came from Connecticut, in about 1822. They moved with two wagons, drawn by a team of horses and oxen, respectively. Lines Latimer, a cousin of Ezekiel, came at the same time. They bought, together, one hundred acres of land, in the southeast part of the township, now owned by Albert Scringer. Lines sold his share to Ezekiel, after a few years. The widow of Ezekiel Latimer now lives with her daughter, Mrs. George Fisher, aged eighty-four years.
William Watts came from New York, in 1804, and settled two years in Franklin township, where he rented land of Lucas Sullivant. In 1816, he moved into Perry township, then part of Norwich, where he cleared land and made a home, which he deeded to his son. He died in Washington township, where another son lived.
Samuel Paxton settled in Perry, where he married Amy Wilcox, and remained several years. In 1823 they removed to Norwich, where he rented and leased land several years. He finally settled on a lot of fifty acres, given his wife by her father. He lived on the farm near Hilliard, and cleared the land, and died there in 1849, of cholera. His wife and children sold their interest in the property, and the children went to different parts of the country. One daughter lives in Union county. Mr.
Paxton lives three miles southeast of Hilliard.
David Thomas settled on the north part of the land now owned by Daniel Roberts, in about 1820 or 1821. He was a Batchelor, from Virginia, and his original purchase comprised four hundred acres of land.
David Smiley settled on the river road about the same year, and Daniel D. Lattimer came at the same time.
Edmund Warren emigrated from Connecticut with his father, in 1819. They settled in Athens county, where he married Maria Hyde, in 1830. In 1836, he bought seventy-two and one-half acres of land in the Selden survey, number three thousand and two, a short distance northeast from Hilliard. A clearing of about four acres had been made by Stanton Boland, a renter, previous to his purchase. Isaac Davidson had charge of the land. Mr. Warren has since added to his original purchase, and now has one hundred and ten acres, which he has cleared and improved. Two of his sons now live on the place with him.
Isaac Davidson settled in Norwich in 1832. He bought seven hundred acres of land, but the title proving defective, he lost his first purchase money. The matter was finally settled, and he sold a part of the land to Edmond Warren.
Abraham Sells was born in Franklinton, in 1806. In 1809 his father moved to Washington, and located a mile west of Dublin, on Indian run, where Mr. Sells passed his early days. In about 1840 he came to Norwich, and bought land east of Hilliard, where he now resides. A pioneer association was formed at a grove on his farm, the past summer [1879]. Mr. Sells has a fine grove and a beautiful location for picnic excursions, and intends to fit his grounds for the convenience of such parties. A short distance below the picnic ground is as fine and pure a spring of water as can be found anywhere, and in the river are boats, with a fine slack water for over two miles. This place will soon become a favorite resort for pleasure seekers. The camping-ground of chief Crane, of the Wyandot tribe of Indians, is shown a short distance from the spring.
Jonathan Hommons, Wilkins, Duling, Amos Kidwell, John Hiser, and Smith Doolan, settled in the woods northwest of Hilliard, about 1840, where they made clearings, and improved farms. Some have sold their property, and moved elsewhere, and others remain on their land.
Charles Peyton and family emigrated from Virginia, in 1833. .They remained in Zanesville eighteen months, where he worked in a mill. In 1835 they went to Jonathan's creek, in Muskingum county, and in 1842, to Perry county, in both of which places he worked at milling. In 1846 he leased land in the south part of Norwich township, near the Scioto river, and in 1852 bought eighty-seven acres, a mile south of Hilliard, in the woods. He has cleared and improved the land, and now occupies it. His son, James, lives on the farm, a short distance from the home of his parents.
Apollos Rogers came to Ohio from New York State, and bought three hundred acres of land in the Bellfield survey. A small clearing had been made when he came on to occupy the land. He died in 1844, and his property is now owned by his three sons—Marcellus, Martin, and Milton.
Daniel Avery came from Pennsylvania in 1820, and settled in Perry township, near the Scioto river, on land now owned by Mr. Matthews. He remained but about two years, when he moved on land owned by Joshua Davis. From there he went to Worthington, and in about 1829 settled two miles south of Hilliard. In 1834 he went to Illinois. He was a carpenter, and helped to
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erect many buildings in Norwich. His son, P. S. Avery, lived in Washington township from 1836 to 1840. In the latter year he bought a farm northwest of Hilliard, with a clearing of about fifteen acres, made by Alfred Latham, who had a lease of the land, then owned by J. S. Britton. Mr. Avery has cleared and improved the land.
EVENTS.
The first orchard planted in Norwich was by Samuel Davis, in 1814. He purchased the trees for his orchard from Lucas Sullivant, at Franklinton.
The first burial ground was on land belonging to Daniel Brunk, in the north part of the township. The name of the first person buried there cannot now be ascertained. Since the first ground was opened, many grounds have been used on private lands. One was started at an early date, on the lot belonging to, and adjoining, Wesley M. E. church, and another is located opposite the home of Marcellus Rogers.
About 1833, a saw-mill was erected on the Scioto river, by Samuel Wilcox. A few years later—about 1845—Joseph Corbin built a grist-mill at the same place, which is still in operation. Both mills are now owned, and managed, by Frederick Fishinger.
Dr. Streeter was the first physician who located in Norwich. He was not a regular physician, but practiced medicine in the neighborhood. Dr. Hamilton came to Norwich, about 1846, and remained several years, when he removed to Columbus. Dr. Hood, also, practiced in the township for a time. Dr. W. H. Jewett was the first physician to settle in Hilliard, soon after the village was laid out. Dr. Taggart practiced a short time in Hilliard, after Jewett came. Dr. R. Z. Seeds located at Hilliard, in 1869, and continues in practice there. Dr. Merryman come soon after Dr. Seeds.
The steam saw-mill, at Hilliard, was built by James Ralston and Kirkpatrick, in 1854. It has since changed hands many times, and is now owned by William M. Gill, in trust for J. H. Simpkins.
The warehouse, at Hilliard station, was built by John R. Hilliard, in 1853. Was afterwards owned by P. S. Avery, then by Benjamin Sells, and, at the present time, by Conrad Koehler.
Miskell Saunders was a justice of the peace, in Norwich, in 1833. It is not known in what year he came to the township. His death occurred by a fall from a horse.
The harness used by early settlers was often unique, being, sometimes, composed of hickory withes, bass-wood bark, and moosewood.
Lamps were made by scraping a hole in a turnip, which was filled with grease and a tow wick to burn: The light was never very strong, but the early settlers had no daily papers to read after the day's work was done, and generally were too tired to read, had there been plenty of reading matter.
Wheat was winnowed by swinging sheets, a splint riddle being used. Two men swung the sheet, and another handled the riddle.
A grand 'squirrel hunt was celebrated in 1830, which lasted two days. Prizes were given for the most scalps produced. Abraham Sells took the first prize, amounting to eighty bushels of corn, he having killed one hundred and fifty squirrels. The second prize was given to Moses Davis, for killing one hundred and forty squirrels, and consisted of forty bushels of corn. Several thousand squirrels were killed during the two days' hunt.
This township has never yet had a town-house or hall, though, at the present time, the trustees, with a committee from the council at Hilliard, are considering the propriety of erecting a suitable town-hall, which will undoubtedly be done very soon. From 1813 to 1820, when Norwich included the southern portion of Perry township, it was entitled to three justices of the peace. From 1820 until 1851 it had but two, and since the latter date it has been allowed three. Among 'the justices were : Daniel Brunk, in 1813; Thomas Backus and Ebenezer Richards, in 1814; Daniel Brunk and Robert Elliot, in 1816; Amaziah Hutchinson, in 1817; Messrs. Brunk and Elliot again in 1819 ; Mr. Brunk and John McCan, in 1822; L. L. Latimer and Mr. McCan, again in 1825; John Weeden and George Black, in 1828; David Smiley, in 1830; Miner Pickle, in 1831; Miskell Saunders, in 1833. On the stone over the grave of the latter is the inscription : " He died a christian and a Democrat." While of the former there is a shadow of a suspicion, of the latter there is no doubt. The township officers for 1879, are: John W. Howard, Andrew Huffman, and Daniel Roberts, trustees; W. A. Crum, clerk; J. M. Merryman, treasurer; Jacob Romick, assessor; Orange Sells and William Walton, justices of the peace; John Fisher and George Harper, constables.
SCHOOLS.
The first school in the township was opened in a log building at Smiley's corners, on the river road, and was in operation in about 1814. A special school-district was cut off, in Hilliard, in 1870, although schools had been kept at and near the place for many years previous to that date. In 1878 the brick school-house was condemned as insecure, and was torn down. A new one was erected during the year, which is adapted for four schools, three of which are in operation at this time. Besides the school at Hilliard, the township is well supplied with district-schools, nearly all of which are provided with substantial brick school-houses.
POST-OFFICE.
The first post-office in Norwich township was established in the spring of 1852, at a place called Smiley's Corners. David Smiley was the first postmaster. This office was discontinued in 1854, and the same year an office was established at Hilliard, with John W. Dobyns as postmaster. He remained in charge of the office several years, and was succeeded by James S. Wright. On his death, in 1804, Orange Sells was appointed to the office, which he still holds. It was kept at a private house until Mr. Sells was appointed. He removed it to the warehouse, and railroad station, which was in his charge. The first quarter after he took it, the business of the office doubled, and during the year increased fourfold. In July, 1879, it was made a money-order office.
DR. R. ZENAS SEEDS
was born in Jackson township, Franklin county, Ohio, January 12, 1845. His parents were Dr. John Seeds and Asenath Seeds (Britton), both of whom were born in the United States, the former in Ohio and the latter in Virginia. When but four years of age his father died, leaving his mother with a family of seven children, himself the youngest. His early life was one of privation and hardship. Until he arrived at the age of fourteen, his education was obtained at the district-school, three miles distant, and was consequently very limited. He spent the winters, from his fourteenth to his eighteenth year, at the Union schools of Mechanicsburg, Champaign county, working on the farm of his uncle, Lewis Britton, during the summer months. He then went to Antioch college, Green county, Ohio, where he finished his literary education in the fall of 1867. His early hopes and aspirations were to be a physician, and when a boy he was always, in mimicry, making " pills and powders." During his college course he had paid particular attention to those branches of study most .nearly connected with the science of medicine, and now resolved to adopt that as his profession.
He attended his first course of lectures at Starling Medical college, Columbus, in the winter of 1868-69, and graduated second in a class of seventy-two members, in the winter of 1869-70. He then returned to his adopted home in Hilliard, and to his uncle, James S. Britton, who had always been his best friend in his attempts to obtain an education and prepare himself for his life work, both pecuniarily and by his sound advice.
He was married to Electa Davis, eldest daughter of Asa Davis, esq., and grand-daughter of Samuel Davis, one of Franklin county's first settlers, who was a comrade of ex-governor McArthur, and several times a prisoner of the Indians. Asa Davis when but a boy was in the war of 1812, with " Mad Anthony Wayne," in some of his marches against the hostile savages.
Dr. Seeds was in the war of the Rebellion, although but nineteen years of age. He and an older brother were with General Sherman until after the capture of Kenesaw mountain. His brother, Dr. S. M. Seeds, remained with the army as assistant surgeon of the Thirteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, until the close of the war. In the spring of 1870 Dr. R. Z. Seeds commenced the practice of medicine at his present home, in Hilliard, where he has built up a practice and a character that any person might well be proud of.
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO - 495
Mail was carried by Peter Latimer for many years, between Columbus and Urbana. He always made the journey on horseback.
HILLIARD.
In the fall of 1853, about the time of the building of the Columbus, Piqua & Indiana railroad, John R. Hilliard caused his farm to be surveyed into village lots, and laid out the present village at Hilliard station, which was incorporated in 1869. The first officers of the corporation were : John R. L. Seegur, mayor; A. H. Gray, clerk; W. H. Jewett, J. S. Britton, William Matthews, Nathan Landaker, John Godown, and A. M. A. Forshee, council. An election was held, September l0th, and the new council met on the twenty-ninth of the same month, and were duly qualified to their new offices. A room situated on the corner of Columbia and Center streets was occupied by the council, for a number of years, until in 1878, when a room in the new business block of Orange Sells was leased. The present officers of the village are: Orange Sells, who has been mayor since 1872; Conrad Koehler, R. Z. Seeds, J. P. Landaker, A. M. A. Forshee, T. R. McNorton, and John Scott, council; 'I'. H. Thackery, the present clerk, has held that office since 1872; J. M. Merryman is treasurer, and J. M. Guches, marshal.
CHURCHES.
WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH
was organized, as a class, in Norwich, about 1832. Preaching was had, by local ministers, in Armistead's barn, and in other places, until 1836, when a small frame church was erected, on the site of the present church, a little south of the present residence of D. Elliott, on the river road. In 1-850 the frame church was torn down, and a brick building erected. This was blown down, after standing two years, and was then rebuilt. It was again blown down, within a year, and was rebuilt a third time. The early members were: Abner Clapp and family, William Armistead, M. McCracken, ____ Morehead, ____ Glasscock, and others. Rev. J. D. Smith, a local preacher, was instrumental in putting forward the project of first building a church. The present membership is about forty-five. A Sunday-school of about seventy members is sustained.
ST. JACOB EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
(German) was organized in the south part of Norwich, near the line of Norwich township, in 1847. Among the first members were: Matthias Fladt, Matthias Spindler, John Koener, and others. A hewed log house was built soon after the church was organized, which was used until 1872, when a substantial brick church edifice was erected, at a cost of five thousand, one hundred dollars. The old log house has been used for some years for a church school, at which reading and writing, German, and the church catechism, are taught by Rev. Henry Horst, the pastor. The church has had three pastors: Rev. Adam Ernst being the first, Rev. H. Bauer, the second, and Rev. Henry Horst, the present pastor, who has been in charge of the congregation during the past seventeen years. The present membership of the church is forty voting members, and about sixty families. The number
of scholars in the church school is about forty. This school does not interfere with their attendance at the public schools, but is in addition to that.
A church of the United Brethren was organized at the old log school-house, east of Hilliard, about 1852, but it was continued only a year.
COLWILL METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
was organized in the winter of 1876-7, and a house of worship erected, about two miles southwest of Hilliard. The first members were: John Colwill and wife, Philip Clover and wife, Mr. Harlow and wife, Henry Culp and wife, Harvey Simpkins and wife, and others. A Sunday-school, during the summer and fall, has been sustained two years. Rev. Isaac Mackey, of Hilliard, is pastor of this church.
THE DISCIPLE CHURCH,
at Hilliard, was built about 1853, as a union church, by members of the Christian church and members of the Disciple church. The Christian church was organized the first, and kept its membership together until about 1877, since which time they have not had regular services. The Disciple church was organized two years after the Christian church, or about 1855. The first members were : A. M. A. Forshee and wife, Nathan Landecker and wife, and others. The membership is small. The first members of the Christian church were: Thomas Dobyns, wife and family, Solomon McCullough, and others. But two services are held monthly in this church, the Disciples having preaching once, and the Adventists once, during the month, the services being two weeks apart. A Sunday-school is regularly sustained by the congregations of this church.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH,
at Hilliard, was first organized as a class, in a log schoolhouse, east of the present village of Hilliard, about 1842. Meetings were held there, with local preaching, until about 1853, when the school-house was burned by some persons, who did not wish church services held there. In 1854 the class was divided on the question of building a church, eight of the members being in favor of building near the old site, and seven insisting on erecting a church at Hilliard station. The party in favor of a house of worship at Hilliard circulated a subscription paper, and met with such good success that,. in 1854, the church was built. Samuel Crum was one of the most efficient members in erecting the new church, and superintended, and did a great share of the work, of building. The original class consisted of Hosea Britton and family, John Britton and wife, Jacob Moyer, Mr. Doolan, Edmond Warren and wife, Rachel Gray, and others. The members who formed the class at Hilliard were: Samuel Crum and wife, Mrs. Gray and three sons, and Anna Vanschoyck. After the church was built, the class rapidly increased until, in 1876, it numbered .over three hundred members. Since that time two independent classes have been formed, outside of the Hilliard church: one called Colwill church, southwest of Hilliard, about two miles, near the line of Brown township, and one at Churchman's, in the western part
496 - HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO.
of Washington township, where a church is being erected —in 1879. The Colwill church is already completed. The present church at Hilliard numbers some two hundred members, under the pastorate of the Rev. Isaac Mackey, who lives in a neat brick parsonage, owned by and adjoining the church. The circuit preachers, when the church was built at Hilliard, were Revs. Archibald Fleming and Bradford Cook. A Sabbath-school, of about one hundred members, is sustained, under the superintendence of Hosea Romick.
SOCIETIES.
Norwich Lodge, No. 385, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was chartered June 25, 1867, by the grand lodge of the State. It was instituted the same date. The charter members were James C. Gray, William Roberts, J. H. Kidwell, W. M. Gill,. Moses Latham, P. S. Avery, David Smiley, William H. Jewett, William M. Walton, Daniel Latham, and Henry S. Baldwin. The first officers were: J. H. Kidwell, N. G.; Moses Latham, V. G.; J. C. Gray, F. S.; William Roberts, treasurer; William Gill, P. S.; David Smiley, C.; John T. Jewett, I. G.; Tilghman Grim, 0. G.; P. S. Avery, R. S. N. G.; W. M. Walton, L. S. N. G.; W. W. Sells, R. S. V. G.; W. H. Jewett, L. S. V. G.; David Latham, R. S. S.; H. Baldwin, L. S. S. Since its organization the lodge has occupied a rented hall, but some years since it purchased a building lot, on which will be built, at some time in the future, a lodge hall. The lodge has in its possession a small fund in readiness to use for building purposes. The present officers for 1879, are: J. W. Wintringer, N. G.; W. F. Henry, V. G.; David Reese, F. S.; W. M. Gill, P. S.; John Hart, treasurer; T. R. McNorton, W.; A. S. Hager, C.; J. F. Ball, 0. G.; John R. Fisher, I. G.; John Hart, R. S. N. G.; A. M. A. Forshee, L. S. N. G.; E. Fisher, R. S. N. G.; George Fisher, L. S. N. G.; J. H. Homon, R. S. S.; N. Ellis, L. S. S.
Avery Lodge, No. 493, Free and Accepted Masons, was chartered August 19, 1873, after working nearly a year under dispensation. The charter members were J. T. Black, William Hatton, J. E. Moling, Edward S. Churchman, R. Z. Seeds, Clark Glover, Alexander Davidson, P. S. Avery, and Henry Culp. The first officers were: J. T. Black, W. M.; R. G. Seeds, S. W.; J. E. Moling, J. W.; The present officers for 1879, are: J. E. Moling, W. M.; Alexander Davidson, S. W.; John Koehler, J. W.; Clark Glover, S. D.; Nathan Scofield, J. D.; W. A. Crum, secretary; John Hart, treasurer; Abraham Orihood, tyler. Before the lodge commenced working, the members and friends of the fraternity subscribed money, and in 1872 they added a second story to the store building of John Westerwiller, which was completed and dedicated as a masonic hall. Meetings arc held the first and third Tuesdays in each month.
INDIANS.
The bank of the Scioto, in Norwich township was a favorite camping-ground of the Wyandots. The old chief, Crane, had his camp on land now owned by Abraham Sells, and with members of his band occupied the land at times for some time after the arrival of the first settlers. The river was, at that time, filled with the finest of fish, among them the large yellow salmon; for be it remembered that at that time the land had not been cultivated, and the water of the Scioto was pure and clear, it being fed mainly by springs. This noble fish is long since driven away, and by the damming of the river many other fine fish cannot come to the upper waters of the stream. The forests along the banks, and back into the country, were filled with game, and this was a paradise for the red man.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH,
MRS. EMULA ROGERS.
The subject of this sketch, Mrs. Emula Rogers, was born in Connecticut, November 22, 1799. Her father and mother were Abner and Mercy Gillett Clapp. When about six years of age, her parents removed to Martinsburg, Lewis county, New York, where she passed her early life, and where she obtained a good education for that early day. She was married, October 12, 1823, to Asa Moore Rogers, by whom she raised three children—Mary, .Lester Asa, and Julia E. Her husband died January 2, 1831, and, on September 16, 1835, she was again married. Her choice fell on Apollos Rogers, a brother of her former husband. By him she had two children—twins--to whom they gave the names of Eli and Ela. Mr. Rogers, her husband, had been married previously, and had several children by his first wife. In 1836, with their family, they emigrated to Ohio, arriving in Norwich township, September 29th, of that year. Mr. Rogers bought a farm near the Scioto river, and well toward the southern line of the township, where two of his sons—Marcellus and Milton Rogers—now live. Here he died, September 17, 1840. Mrs. Emula Rogers. his wife, survived him, and died February 9, 1871, aged seventy-one years.
Of her children, Lester A. removed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he now lives. Julia E. is living single in California. Mary married John Howard, July 4, 1850, and lives in Norwich township. Their home is about eight miles from Columbus, on the river road.
Mrs. Emula Rogers joined the Methodist Episcopal chinch at Martinsburg, New York, when about sixteen years of age, and continued in close connection with it to the time of her death. Both of her husbands belonged to the same church. After the death of her second husband, she kept her family together until all but one Were married, when she gave up housekeeping, and spent the remainder of her days with her daughter, Mrs. John Howard, in whose home she quietly fell asleep, well prepared, by a consistent christian life, for the call at the last great day.
MARION.
Marion is a small, ill-shaped township, almost encircling the city of Columbus. It is bounded, on the north, by Clinton and Mifflin; on the east, by Truro and Madison; on the south, by Hamilton, and on the west, by the city of Columbus and the Scioto river. It was formed February 24, 1873, by order of the county commissioners, as follows :
"That sections one, two, three, four, ten, eleven, twelve, and fractional sections eight, and nine, of township four, range twenty-two, situate in the township of Hamilton, contiguous to the south line of Montgomery township, be, and the same is hereby annexed to said Montgomery township, and the said Montgomery township is erected and constituted a new township, to be called Marion township."
Montgomery was the western township in the Refugee tract, and was organized in 1807. It originally consisted of a part of Liberty township. It was named by Judge Livingston, after his distinguished uncle, General Richard Montgomery, who fell at Quebec. The new township of Marion was named for the family of that name, now residing in it.
NATURAL FEATURES
The township is level. The soil consists largely of clay, although there are .some rich bottom lands along Alum Creek. This stream is the largest water course in the township, being a western branch of Big Walnut, and of nearly equal magnitude. It rises in the north-eastern part of Delaware county, and flows in a southerly direction, through the eastern part of this township—marking the eastern limits of the city of Columbus—and unites with Big Walnut some eight miles southeast of the city, in Madison township.
INDIANS,
of the Wyandot tribe, had an encampment, in the early settlement of the township, on Alum creek, just above Colonel Livingston's. They hunted in the surrounding region, and were friendly with the whites. They would, however, occasionally steal a horse from the settlers. One was stolen from John White, which Mrs. White had ridden all the way from Pennsylvania, and William Hamilton lost a horse in the same way. But, with the exception of an occasional theft of this kind, the pioneers of Montgomery suffered no annoyances from the Indians.
NATIVE ANIMALS.
It seems incredible to the present generation, that less than eighty years ago the township, now so highly improved, and skirting a city of over fifty thousand inhabitants, was covered with a dense forest, and inhabited by wild beasts, but such is the fact. Game, of nearly all kinds, was abundant, especially deer, wild turkeys, and smaller game. Bears were somewhat scarce, and we have no reports of any being killed in the township. Wolves were the most annoying, often killing the settlers' sheep, even under the walls of their cabins, and sometimes attacking calves and young cattle. A wolf once attacked a calf belonging to John White, while a social party of the settlers was being held only a short distance away. In 1804 or 1805, William White and William Hamilton shot a large panther, over in Hamilton, after following him one whole night.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first settlements in the township were made along Alum creek, and were commenced about the year 1799. Most of the early settlers came from Mifflin county, Pennsylvania. One the first families that settled in the township was that of David Nelson, sr., who located and lived, for a year or two, south of where Columbus now stands, and then located near the site of the present residence of John J. Nelson. Afterwards, he purchased a section of land in the "Refugee tract," including the homestead now occupied by Mr. Nelson. After occupying a cabin for a number of years, he erected, in 1819, the main part of the present frame house of his grandson, and occupied it until his death. He had several children. Martha was the wife of Judge Livingston, and Nancy was the wife of John Barr, both of whom settled on the creek. Another daughter married a Shannon, and was the first wife of David Taylor. The son, Robert, lived on the corner of Broad street and the Creek road, and David, on the homestead. Four daughters of Robert Nelson are now living : Mrs. Sanderson, in Worthington, Mrs. Dr. McConnell, in Upper Sandusky, the widow of Governor Brough, now temporarily in Europe, and Mrs. James Armstrong, in Wisconsin. David Nelson, jr., married Mary, daughter of Isaac Taylor; he died in 1847, his wife surviving him some two years.
William Hamilton and family were the first occupants of the place on which John Barr afterwards lived. He died in 1802 or 1803, and his was undoubtedly the first death among the pioneers in this township. He had a large family of children, who were bound out to others after their father's death.
George Turner, one of the first settlers, built on the creek where George Emmett now lives. He afterwards bought a quarter-section across the creek, through which Friend street now runs. Only one of the family is now living—Mary Hendren, who lives near Groveport.
William Shaw settled just above the Nelsons, and lived there until his death. A daughter, now the wife of Squire Matt Martin, of Columbus, is the only survivor of the family.
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498 - HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO
William Reed located on the place next above Shaw. None of the family are now left. The Reeds were the largest land-holders on the creek, and carried on farming extensively, but the last one in the family died in the poor-house.
Among the early settlers, already mentioned, were: John Starr (the older), Nathaniel Hamlin, and John McGown, afterward proprietor of the present site of Columbus.
Andrew Culbertson, about the year 1804, settled in the southwest corner of the township, near where the starch factory now stands.
John White, in 180 1, located on the creek, on land then owned by Edward Livingston, now owned by his son, Robert Livingston. His family consisted of his wife and six children, the youngest of whom was George, now living in Marion, and is nearly eighty-two years of age. The mother rode all the way from Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, on horseback. The family arrived in this township on the fourth day of July. After living some three years on the creek, during which he made some improvements, erecting a double log house and clearing about fifteen acres of land, he purchased from Messrs. Mills and Stanberry, fifty acres, where his son, George, now resides. He there built, on nearly the site of the present brick residence of his son, a hewed log house in which he lived until his death, in 1828, at the advanced age of ninety-six years. His wife died in 1840. He was the father of eight children, two of whom died in Pennsylvania. Three are now living, they are: Mrs. Catharine Vining, in Illinois, now over ninety years of age — Susan, unmarried, and George—both living in Marion, aged, respectively, eighty-three and eighty-two, nearly. George married Mary Kilgore, who died January 6, 1873. John White, the father, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war.
Colonel Edward C. Livingston came to this county, from Saratoga county, New York, in 1804. He was the agent for the sale of considerable land in Franklin and Licking counties. In March, 1807, he was married to Martha, daughter of David Nelson, sr., and settled on Alum creek, on half section thirty-four. He erected a frame house on this place, as early as 1808 or 1809—without doubt the first framed dwelling in the township. The old building was consumed by fire a few years since. Judge Livingston was a man of much force of character and native ability, and a worthy descendant of the old and distinguished family of that name in New York. He was elected associate judge of Franklin county in 1821. Mr. Livingston died November 13, 1843, in the sixty-first year of his age, and his wife died August 30, 1855. They had eight children, all of whom, except Angelica, who died at the age of fourteen, lived to maturity. Four are now living, viz: Mrs. David Taylor, in Columbus; Mrs. Elijah Marion and Robert Livingston, in this township, and Mrs. Smith, in Missouri. James, the eldest, was a physician, and practiced in Marion county until his removal to Missouri, where he died. Edward was a resident of this township, where his widow, who was Elizabeth Hawkins before her marriage, now lives. Car oline was twice married : first, to Samuel Wilson, and, after his death, to Dr. John Morrison.
William Mooberry, with his family, consisting of his wife and five children, came to this county, from York county, Pennsylvania, in the year 18436. Mr. Mooberry made his location just below where Joseph Berkey now lives, on Alum creek, purchasing three quarter sections of land. He died there, January 28, 1829, and his wife August 27, 1822. All of their children, with the exception of Alexander, removed to Tazewell county, Illinois, but John is the only one now living there. Alexander Mooberry has been a resident of the township ever since he came into it in 1806. He married, in 1822, Margaret Williams, and settled where Mr. Shoaf now lives. In 1855, he moved to the place he now occupies. His wife died in May, 1872. Mr. Mooberry is now eighty-three years of age.
Thomas Hamilton, son of William Hamilton, previously mentioned, was brought up by David Nelson, after his father's death. He was one of the first children born in Franklin county. He was born in 1798, and continued a resident of the county until his death, in 1863. He was married, in 1824, to Elizabeth Reed, of Pickaway county, and located on the northeast part of the Livingston farm, but afterwards settled where his family now lives. Mrs. Hamilton is still living, and is now aged nearly eighty-one.
William Merion, sr., came from Boston, Massachusetts, about the year 1807, in company with William Palmer, who afterward owned the Yeager property. He was then single, but a year or two after his arrival, he married Sally Waite, who came with her father, Jenks Waite, from Johnstown, New York, in 1806. After residing in Franklinton about a year, he settled on the Chillicothe road, just north of what are now the city limits of Columbus. He owned, in connection with his brother, Nathaniel, and his sister, Mrs. Morrill, some seventeen or eighteen hundred acres of Refugee land, in Montgomery and Truro townships. He died, in 1837, aged fifty, and his wife in 1856, aged sixty-six. Four, of their six children, are now living. William, the oldest, was born in this township (then Montgomery), in 1811, and is the oldest present resident of the township, who was born in it. He located where he now lives, in 1833. The three other surviving children are: Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Davis, and Mrs. Stewart, all living in Columbus. Captain Nathaniel Merion (deceased), was president of the Central bank of Columbus (now Fourth National). He died in June, 1877. George died in 1866.
Moses Morrill, also from Massachusetts, settled at an early date on the Chillicothe road, south of William Merion, sr., his brother-in-law; his residence was that now owned by Mr. Frisbie. His wife was Milly Merion. Mr. Morrill died in 1837, his wife surviving him many years. Two of their children are now living—Mrs. Cook-man, in Columbus, and the wife of Colonel Innis, near the starch factory.
Elijah Merion, sr., a brother of William Merion, sr., previously mentioned, came from Boston, Massachusetts, with his wife and four children, in 1816; he located on
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES, OHIO - 499
the half section just east of where his son, Elijah now lives, and resided there until his death, in 1865. He was born December 20, 1779, and was, consequently, at the time of his death, eighty-six years of age; his wife, who survived him, was, at her death, about the same age. Their four children are still living—Calvin, the eldest, aged seventy-eight, residing near Peoria, Illinois, Mrs. Flannagan and Mrs. Lydia Mooberry, also in Illinois, and Elijah, in this township. He married Adaline, daughter of Judge Livingston.
Adam Earhart, with his family, came from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1818, and settled where Philo Watkins now lives, in this township, then Hamilton, purchasing eighty acres of land.. After living there a number of years, and making considerable improvement, he removed to Alum creek, across from Eberly's mills. He bought there eighty acres of land, and resided upon it till 1840, when he purchased, and removed to, the farm now owned and occupied by his son, John H. He died January 3, 1844, and his wife, February 18, 1869. They had a family of eleven children, seven of whom survive, as follows: Josiah Irvin, living in Bloomfield, Iowa ; John H., in this township, on the old homestead—he is now serving his third term as director of county infirmary, and has been assessor of the township for many years; Mrs. White, widow of George White, in Columbus; Maxwell K., in Groveport; Isabella, with her brother, John H.; Susannah, wife of John Hawthorn, in Columbus, and Edmiston, in this township. George H., deceased, was elected sheriff of the county, in 1868, but died before his term expired.
David Aultman has resided where he now lives since 1833. His father, William Aultman, emigrated from Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, to Ohio, and after residing a number of years in Columbiana county, and afterwards, a short time, at Lancaster, settled in Columbus, in 1812. He was one of the first residents of that now thriving city, there being but one house there when he bought his lot, at the public sale, and High street was merely cut out. David Aultman was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, in 1801, married Elizabeth Otstotts, in 1829, and lived in Columbus until 1833, when he removed to Montgomery, now Marion, township.
Jacob Hare came from Ross county, about the year 1812, and first located on the Scioto river, a mile south of Columbus, and afterwards moved into Columbus, where he resided many years, during which time he was engaged in wagoning from that place to Chillicothe. He finally purchased the fifty acres now owned by his son, B. F. Hare. He died in Columbus. Besides the son mentioned, several children live in the west.
John Wallace came from Pennsylvania, in 1813, and settled near Columbus, where he purchased one hundred and fifty acres of land. He married Betsey Andrews, from Massachusetts, in 1817, and raised a family of two sons and two daughters: The youngest son died at the age of fifteen. The other married, and lived in Delaware county. The daughter, Mary, became the wife of John Bullen, now living in the south part of Truro township, whom she married, in 1843, and Elizabeth married, in 1835, David Handley, and lives in this township.
Colonel Frankenberg, still living in this township, in the eighty-fourth year of his age, emigrated from Hanover, Germany, to this country, in 1833. After a residence of about six months in Columbus, he purchased half a section, where he now lives. In 1834, he married Dorothy Frankenberg, his cousin, who came from Germany the same year. Colonel Frankenberg assisted, in 1814, in driving Napoleon back into France, being a lieutenant of artillery. His military title is derived from the fact that he was, in the old militia days, a colonel of militia in this State.
Herman Ochs settled where his son, Gustavus, now lives, about the year 1835; he came from Germany, in 1832, and bought first in Missouri, but the title of his land proving defective, he lost the whole amount of his investment. His first wife, who was the mother of his two children, was,-before marriage, Matilda Hinthe, who came from Germany in the same ship with the Frankenbergs. Their children were: Gustavus, who occupies the homestead, and a daughter (now deceased), who was the wife of Henry Mitthoff, of Columbus.
In 1812, David Nelson and Colonel Livingston erected the first frame barns in the township. The buildings were both quite large, that of Nelson's being thirty by sixty feet. There were not enough settlers to raise it, and a part of the frame fell down. A company of soldiers, at Franklinton, were sent for, who came and helped to put up the structure. The barn of Colonel Livingston now stands on the farm of George White, and is still, apparently, as good as ever. Mr. White says he would rather have the old structure now than any built now-a-days.
THE FIRST SCHOOL.
According to the recollection of Mr. David Taylor, the first school was kept in a cabin on the old Bartholomew farm, in 1812. The teacher was a lady, but her name cannot now be remembered. A frame school house was built on the Morrill farm as early as 1822 or 1823, in which the first school was taught by a male teacher by the name of Christy.
CAPITAL UNIVERSITY.
This institution was founded in the year 1850. It is under the control of the Evangelical Lutheran church, as represented by the joint synod of Ohio. It is connected with an older institution of learning—the "German Evangelical Lutheran seminary of the Joint Synod of Ohio"—but retains, however, an independent organization. Since 1853, the college occupied the old Capital university building (where the Park hotel now stands), in the northern part of the city of Columbus, until a few years ago, when a ten acre lot, just east of Alum creek, on the old National road, being presented to the institution, the old college building was disposed of, and a new and greatly-improved edifice was erected on the new location. The university is distant about three miles east of the center of the city, and is easy of access, a street railway being operated to within a mile of it. A commo-