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468 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES CHAPTER XXXIV SHORT CREEK TOWNSHIP BOUNDARY-TOPOGRAPHY-POPULATION-VILLAGES-EARLY SETTLEMENT- RAILROADS-HURFORD--SCIENCE HILL - GEORGETOWN - HARRISVILLE- ROBYVILLE--SHORT CREEK. The southeastern civil township in Harrison County is known as Shortcreek. It is five miles from north to south and six miles from east to west. It is in townships 8 and 9 of range 4. It is bounded on the north by Green Township, on the east by Jefferson County, on the south by Belmont County, on the west by Cadiz and Athens townships. This township has more villages and hamlets than any other in Harrison County, though none are very large. Its soil and surface shows almost all kinds of topography. Here one finds the beautfiul little valleys where farming and successful stock-raising are carried on with pleasure and profit ; the hill sides where not used for grazing purposes have for many years been cultivated and have produced their annual crop of every variety of grain and grasses, as well as fruits and vegetables common to the climate of Harrison County and Eastern Ohio. Coal mining is another paying industry of later years, but this industry is mentioned in other chapters hence only here referred to. POPULATION The population of Shortcreek Township in 1890 was 1,712; in 1900 it was placed at 1,608 and in 1910 at 2,000, and in 1920 it was 3,212. The people have ever been noted for their good, loyal and religious traits of character-real true, substantial County, State and Nation builders. Several county officials have from time to time been selected from out the citizens of this civil township and they have usually proven themselves as the right men in the places for which they have been selected. EARLY SETTLERS Prior to 1814 the following were the actual settlers: John Adams, 1805, from the North of Ireland; Thomas Anderson, before 1805; Joseph Applegate, 1805, from Brooke County, West Virginia ; James Beatty, 1803 ; John Beatty, 1803 ; David Belknap, 1807; Robert Braden, 1802, from Washington County, Pennsylvania ; William Brown, 1805, from Brooke County, West Virginia ; James Carrick, I812, from Adams County, Pennsylvania ; Sarah Chambers, 1806, from Brooke County, West Virginia ; Joshua Clark, 1808, from Fayette County, Pennsylvania ; John Cope, 1813, from Frederick County, Virginia ; Thomas Crumley, 1812, from Virginia ; Robert Culbertson, CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES - 469 1811, from the North of Ireland: Thomas Dickerson, before 1805, from Fayette County, Pennsylvania; James Erving, 1812, from Maryland; James Finney, 1806, from Fayette County, Pennsylvania ; John Fuller, 1806; Joseph Gill, 1806; Samuel Hanna, before 1806, from Washington County, Pennsylvania ; Simpkins Harryman, 1802, from Maryland ; Samuel Haund, 1801; Robert Hill, 1807; Isaac Holmes, about 1800, from Brooke County, West Virginia; Joseph Holmes, about I800; Ellis Hoopes, 1812; Nathan Hoopes, I809; Joseph Huff, before 1800, from Brooke County, West Virginia ; John Hurford, before 1810, from Culpeper County, Virginia ; Abner Hutton, 1805; Jonathan Jessop, 1806; John Johnson, 1807, from Westmoreland County ; William Johnson, about I804, from Pennsylvania ; Enoch Jones, 1806; James Kerr, 1807, from Adams and Westmoreland counties, Pennsylvania ; James McBride, 1809, from Washington County, Pennsylvania; Vincent Metcalf, before 1804; Baldwin Parsons, 1803; Samuel Primes, 1806; Andrew Ritchey, Jr., before 1805, from York and Washington counties, Pennsylvania ; Charles Ritchie, 1805, from Washington County, Pennsylvania; John Ritchie, about 1807, from York and Washington counties, Pennsylvania ; Richard Ridgway, 1803; James Roberts, before 1806; Hugh Roberts, 1806, from Washington County, Pennsylvania; William Rouse, 1805; William Sherrod, 1804; John Singer, about 1808, from Virginia ; William Smith, 1812; Benjamin Stanton, 1803; Silas Stephen, about 1810; Jacob Styers, 1812; Jonathan Taylor, 1813; Bradway Thompson, 1804, from Washington County, Pennsylvania ; Isaac Thomas, 1812; Thomas and William Thorn, 1806; Joseph Townsend, about 1812, from Bucks County, Pennsylvania ; Nathan Updegraff, 1806; Thomas Vambuskirk, 1804; Joseph Vanlaw, 1805, from Burlington County, New Jersey ; William Walraven, before 1805; John Wells, 1806; Ezra Wharton, 1806, from Bucks County, Pennsylvania; William Wiley, 1804, from Washington County, Pennsylvania ; Michael Yost, 1806, from Frederick County, Virginia ; Charles Young, 1805, from Washington County, Pennsylvania. From that date on the settlers came in all too rapidly to be here enumerated and located by sections. VILLAGES Of platted and unplatted villages and hamlets within the limits of Shortcreek Township there are several to be mentioned briefly in this connection. Hammond Cross Roads, sections 23 and 29, in the southwestern portion of the township is such as its name would indicate. Science Hill situated in section 26 is a small community center, as is also Hurford in section 3, in the northeastern part of the township. Georgetown is on the Harrisonville pike road, seven miles southeast of Cadiz. It has a population of about 150, with business as follows : J. W. Adams, general dealer ; H. H. Barcus, grocery; Gilbert B. Dickerson, blacksmith; William A. Smith, carpenter. The Shortcreek Coal Company has large coal mining interests right near the village of Georgetown. The railway facilities consist of a spur division link of the Wheeling & Lake Erie system. 470 - CARROLL AND HARRISON COUNTIES The village has a Methodist Episcopal and a Friends church, the pastor of the former is Rev. George Scott while of the latter it is Rev. Bernard Mott. Shortcreek village in section 1, of township 9, range 4, of this civil township, is on the extreme eastern edge of the township and county. It has less than 200 inhabitants. Robyville, about a half mile to the south of Shortcreek is a station on the Wheeling & Lake Erie railroad. It has a population of less than 100. Harrisville, in section 5, township 8, range 4, was platted by John Wells, . Thomas Gray, Store Hutchinson and Robert Dutton, October 19, 1914. For present history see later in this chapter. RAILROAD OF THE TOWNSHIP The steam railroad of Shortcreek Township is the Wheeling & Lake Erie, an account of which appears in the Railroad chapter in this work. HARRISVILLE OF TODAY Concerning the village of Harrisville it may be said that today the business and professional interests of the place are about as follows: The business interests in December, 1920, were as follows : Auto Garages—Grant Morton, Floyd Coulter and R. L. Galispie. Blacksmith Shop - Joseph Johnson. General Merchandise Dealers—F. M. Farnsworth, W. N. Hall, Miner's Co-Operative Supply Company, (incorporated). Restaurant and Ice Cream—J. B. Giffin. Hotel-J. L. Beck. Meat Market—William Moore. Shoe Repair Shop—A. W. Toland. Creamery—The United Dairy Company. Freight Line—From Harrisville to Wheeling, daily, by the United Dairy Company. Auto Hack—Daily to Wheeling. Postmistress—Mrs. Gertrude Mercer. Physician-Dr. J. C. McClester. The churches of Harrisville are the Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant and the United Presbyterian. The lodges of the village at present are the Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodmen. The public school house is a four-room brick structure with a second frame high school. The latest census returns gives Harrisville village 356. Harrisville is located ten miles southeast of Cadiz. In a description of the village in 1889 it is given as having a United Presbyterian, a Methodist Episcopal and a Methodist Protestant church. The school census was 143 at that time. |