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CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 455 CHAPTER XXXI NORTH TOWNSHIP BOUNDARY-TOPOGRAPHY-POPULATION-ORGANIZATION- RAILROADS -VILLAGE OF SCIO-EARLY SETTLEMENT-ETC. North Township lies on the northern boundary line of Harrison County. It is south of Carroll County, west of Rumley Township, north of Stock and Archer townships and east of Monroe Township. It is four and one-half miles from north to south and five miles from east to west. In common with most of the townships in Harrison County the surface of the land is somewhat rough and hilly, but the hillsides as well as the valley lands produce abundant crops of all grains and grasses common to this soil and latitude. Sheep raising for scores of years has been a paying industry. The numerous streams and valleys make an ideal place for sheep. Coal mining, gas and oil also have been great industries in this section of the county. See later m this chapter and also in the chapter on geology where these subjects are treated at considerable length. POPULATION The census reports in 1890 gave this township a population of 1.499; in 1900 it was 2,248 and in 1910 it fell back to 1,624 on account of the giving out of the oil and gas wells of that section. Today's population is 1,478. ORGANIZATION North civil township was organized Tune 11, 1813, by the board of Harrison County commissioners. Its citizens have sought, as a rule, to be township and county builders in the true sense of the word. In times of war such as the Rebellion, the Spanish-American and the great World war, her brave sons have gone forth to defend the flag of our country, forgetting not their sister countries in Europe and the far off isles of the sea. RAILROADS North Township has for its railway facilities the Pennsylvania line with Scio as its chief station. This road enters the township in section 15 and passes southeasterly leaving the territory from section 30. The Wheeling & Lake Erie road parallels the Pennsylvania its entire length through this township and has a station at Scio. Freight and passenger traffic on both of these steam highways is very heavy. 456 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES EARLY SETTLEMENT The first settlement in this township was made before 1814 as follows: Jacob Albert, 1811; Martin Boghart, 1812, from Somerset County, Pennsylvania ; Christian Canaga, 1807, from Somerset County, Pennsylvania; Jacob Canaga, 1807; Phillip Creplever, 1812, from Washington County, Pennsylvania ; James English, 1812, from Fayette County, Pennsylvania ; John and Philip Firebaugh, 1812, from Somerset County, Pennsylvania ; Nancy Forney, 1812, from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania ; Peter Forney, 1810, from Somerset County, Pennsylvania ; Joseph Gunfy, 1812, from Somerset County, Pennsylvania ; Joseph Keiser, 1812 ; Henry Miser, 1811 ; Peter Smith, 1812, from Somerset County, Pennsylvania ; Thomas Yarnell, 1811, from Washington County, Pennsylvania. THE VILLAGE OF SCIO Among the numerous villages within Harrison County, few if indeed any, possess a-stronger disposition to do and to dare in their business undertakings than Scio, the history of which, however, has been somewhat unfortunate and fraught with not a few misfortunes. Her future now looks brighter than for many years to its citizens. The cause will be observed later in the reading of this chapter. LOCATION, PLATTING AND POPULATION It was platted March 30, 1852 in section 31 and at first known as New Market. This village is situated in the southeast portion of South Township. Both the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Wheeling & Lake Erie line runs through Scio, giving it most excellent shipping facilities. The United States census reports for the enumeration periods of the last three decades place the population of this village at 616 in 1890; 1,214 in 1900; 958 in 1910, and the 1920 census gives it 861. The churches are the Presbyterian with a frame edifice and the Methodist Episcopal with a brick structure. The civic societies include the Masonic, Knights of Pythias and Odd Fellows. The local newspaper is the Herald. The last named several important factors of this village are fully treated in the general chapters of this work, under the headings of churches, lodges, newspapers, etc. THE POSTOFFICE The Scio postoffice is a third class office with three rural delivery routes extending out to the surrounding country. For thirteen years this postoffice has been located in the Knights of Pythias building. The postmasters who have served here have been in about the following order: John Giles, sixteen years; D. J. Snyder, four years; E. B. Kirby, four years ; E. H. Kennedy, four years; William H. H. Masters, eight years; James A. Downs, eight years; George O. Canaga, present postmaster since 1915. Under the postmastership of Mr. Masters the postoffice was burned. CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 457 CORPORATION FACTS Scio is an incorporated village with the following as its present village officers : J. W. Welling, mayor ; L. V. Marquis, clerk ; H. D. Starkey, treasurer ; town council, H. W. Strayer, president, A. C. Spiker, T. T. Moore, E. H. Kerr, R. T. Arrowsmith, Elmer Markel. The village marshal is J. Woods. The village has an excellent waterwork plant with a pumping capacity of one million gallons per day; they employ an eighty-horsepower gas engine. There is also a reservoir and two steel tanks holding 95,000 gallons. The water is pumped to a distance of 225 feet from the base of the street. The water mains consist of four and two-thirds miles of cast-iron pipes. The number of street hydrants, or fire plugs, is forty-one. The normal pressure is one hundred pounds per square inch. The fire department consists of forty volunteers aided by H. A. Wood, fire chief and four hand- drawn hose carts, with three hundred feet of hose each ; one hand hook and ladder truck. A fire bell is connected with the town hall. At one time the village was lighted with natural gas but finally it became too expensive. COMMERCIAL INTERESTS 1N 1920 In the autumn of 1920 the following comprised a list of business and professional men of Scio : General Dealers—Canaga-Scott Company, F. B. Willet. Hardware—M. M. Webster, J. G. Croghan. Furniture-James F. Cairus, E. H. Kerr, both also do undertaking. Hotel—The Cutshall sisters, a private place, now accommodates the traveling public in the absence of any regular hotel. Meat Markets—D. N. Bower and J. A. Ritchie. Grocer-Shambaugh & Cunningham, D. A. Maxwell, J. G. Bundy, H. T. Pittinger. Confectionery—C. F. Kirby. Building and Loan Association—"The Home." Banking—The Scio Bank Company (see Banking Chapter). Bakery—R. C. Robb. Newspaper—The Herald, Mrs. John Foley. Flouring Mill-J. E. Sargentls frame building with steam and gasoline power. Ladies Furnishings—Dux Coleman, Richard Shildt. Millinery Store-Mrs. H. -L. Menkel. Harness-J. R. Stephenson. Shoe Repairs-Hans Cloman. Dentist-Dr. George Love, Dr. C. R. Morris. Physicians—Dr. J. M. Scott, Dr. G. D. Custer. Jeweler-J. A. Slonecker. Cream Station—The Medina Company, O. O. Hines. Clothing-"Scio Clothing Company." Barbers-W. 0. Snyder, E. A. Carpenter and Mr. Woods. Sign Painter—H. A. Woods. 458 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES Insurance Agency—E. H. Wilson is agent for the Hartford Fire Company ; Home Insurance Company of North America ; Aetna Insurance Company ; West Chester Company, Underwriters, Royal Queens, Sun, National, American, Eagle. In life insurance he handles such companies as these : New York Life, Fidelity & Casuality Company, National Surety, Hartford Live , Stock, etc. Mr. Wilson purchased this agency from L. V. Marquis in September, 1920. Marble Works—O. O. Amos. Auctioneer—O. O. Amos, also Oliver Amos. Pool Halls-J. G. Bundy and Paul Scott. Garage—T. E. Chambers & Co. Stock Dealers—H. W. Strayer, E. C. Spiker. Lumber—J. W. Welling. Job Printer—R. Dewey.
COAL OIL DAYS OF PROSPERITY
Scio was not unlike many another Ohio town of its size until a paying amount of coal oil was struck in 1898 and the wells continued to flow freely for at least three years thereafter. About I900 the former village of a few hundred had grown to between four and five thousand souls. Everything was on a boom standard. But when the oil field gave out the commercial interests of Scio, of course, went down to the normal again.
SCIO COLLEGE
A Methodist Episcopal church educational institution known as Scio College was chartered in 1866 and its seat was at the village of Scio, and it flourished many years, educating its hundreds. Its full history is given in the educational chapter of this work. When this college ceased, the village of Scio met with another. loss it could not well sustain at the time.
Before the finding of oil Scio had a population of about 900 composed largely of retired farmers and others in well-to-do circumstances. It had long been a favored place for retired Methodist ministers who moved there because of the advantages which the college offered their children, as well as for the healthfulness of the location, the moral tone of the community, and the pleasant social conditions. The village had no manufacturies, but derived its support from the students and the farmers of the surrounding country. Once only in eighteen years was there a saloon in the town, and that one was soon driven out by the angry citizens. Billiard halls and bowling alleys were conspicuously absent, while card parties and dances were in bad repute. The discovery of oil worked the most sudden revolution ever seen in an Ohio town. The population of 900 in 1898 increased with an amazing rapidity, and it is estimated by good men and the professors of Scio College that in the following January and February, it had risen to 12,000, though other well-informed persons put the figure considerably lower.
The people came principally from the oil fields of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Northwestern Ohio, and consisted of operators,
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drillers and teamsters. With these came those who supplied the necessities of life, boarding-house keepers, hotel men, butchers, etc. But with those necessary to develop the territory came a large number who maintained themselves by preying on the weaknesses of men, the fakir, gambler, saloon keeper and dissolute women were conspicuously present. There were eleven saloons in the town and an unknown number of "Speak-easies." Three or four variety theatres were started, and the nights were made bideous by the barkers of all kinds. These features so horrified the staid citizens that they sold or rented their property and moved away. The village was unable to care properly for one-tenth of the people who had so suddenly gathered there. They lived in tents, shanties, reconstructed stables, boiler houses or wherever they could find shelter. Many slept in chairs, hundreds unable to find lodging, left on evening trains for near-by towns, returning the following morning. Finally the Pennsylvania Railroad put on an extra train to accommodate the crowd. It ran between Pittsburgh and Dennison, and was popularly known as the "Greaser" because its patronage consisted largely of oil men. Rooms which previously rented at sixty cents per week commanded from $5.00 to $10 for the same period.
The macadamized streets of the village were soon cut through by the heavy loads of oil supplies and converted into mere mud canals, in many places so deep that the axles of an ordinary wagon would drag. It was not uncommon to have horses mire in the deeper places, and have to be pulled out by another team.
The demand for men and teams was of course very heavy, and exorbitant rates were charged. Forty dollars per day were frequently paid, and one operator reported having given twenty dollars to have an ordinary boiler dragged sixty feet. The two railroads greatly increased their sidings to accommodate the cars loaded with boilers, rig-timbers, engines, machinery, etc. It was not uncommon to have supplies remain on the cars ten days before they could be unloaded, so great was the rush. As the number of wells increased the danger of fires became so great that nearly every policy in town was revoked, but later several companies took risks on what they regarded as choice locations, charging as high as a hundred dollars per month, where from five to six dollars had been charged before. Several large fires occurred and when the danger was at its height. A number of public-spirited citizens began the construction of a system of water works, which however, was not completed until the greatest danger was past. The cost of the plant was about $30,000.
It is hardly necessary to state that the general conditions then existing were very disastrous to the college. In eight weeks' time the attendance dropped from three hundred to about twenty-five and all departments of the school, except two, were moved to New Philadelphia, twenty-four miles distant. After about four months however these were taken back to Scio.
The time of greatest excitement was during the first three or four months of 1889, when there was seventy-five strings of tools at work. After that a decline set in and this was almost as rapid as the growth of the boom. The village, however, did not drop back to
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quite its former condition, the population of 1901 being between 1,200 and 1,300. An immense amount of money was left in the community and the wells were an important source of revenue for a number of years.
Of the early companies in the field, the most active was the Allegheny. After having drilled twenty-six wells in and near Scio, the company sold a part of its property to the United States Oil Company for $450,000, an exorbitant price and later sold the remainder to the Consolidated Oil Company for an unknown sum. The most extensive operators in the field were the E. H. Jennings Brothers & Company of Pittsburgh, who had about 140 wells, nearly all of which produced a number of years—up to 1901.
THE LATEST BUSINESS BOOM
The dawn of a brighter day seems almost insured since the Albright China Company have located in the place and have already commenced extensive building operations, preparatory to the manufacture of various grades of plain and fancy china ware. When fully equipped the plant now contracted for will employ constantly, not less than three hundred men, and this pay roll of itself will be of great financial advantage to Scio. The chief advantages offered this company of china makers was the bonus given by the citizens of the place and the fact that a village of the size and location of Scio is a much cheaper point at which to operate a factory than in a large city, while the railroad facilities here are excellent, being on two great trunk lines of railway.
VILLAGE OF HANOVER-DEFUNCT
Hanover, platted by John Fisher, August 13, 1912, was situated in the northwest quarter of section 29, of North Township, but the record shows it was not filed until July, 1834. Its fondest hopes soon decayed and nothing remains of the place save a partial record of its platting. |