Logan County, Ohio History

HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY - 491

CHAPTER XVII.

MONROE TOWNSHIP - DESCRIPTIVE AND TOPOGRAPHICAL - PIONEER HISTORY - EARLY INDUSTRIES - - SCHOOLS - CHURCHES - VILLAGES, ETC.

THAT portion of Logan County treated of in this chapter is rich in historical lore, and teems with that romance which lingers in mournful memories around the fated red man. Long before the Anglo-Saxon came with his education, refinement and civilization, tradition tells us, and it is borne out by historical record, that this valley was occupied by another race of people. and the surrounding Bills echoed with the busy hum of human life. How long they inhabited this region we are unable to say; what aboriginal sage led them to this "land of promise" " is unknown to us. The Romans preserved in consecrated temples lasting memorials of the founder of their empire, and the enlightened Greeks, availing themselves of the art of sculpture, perpetuated in marble the sages and heroes of their race: but here no rude pyramid of stone or "misshapen tomb," with traditional narratives transmitted by hereditary piety from age to age, informing the unlettered savages of the gratitude they owed to the hero of their tribe, or the law giver of their nation is found, to tell the exact period of time when they made this valley the last home of their own choosing. We know that a remnant of the once fierce and warlike tribe of Shawanoese were found here by the whites. Deprived of their hunting grounds elsewhere, they had been pressed backward. step by step, and had commenced their sad and mournful journey tabards the setting sun. But here they were not allowed to remain in security and repose. Dark clouds were gathering over them ominous of the coming :corm. White men were thirsting for their lands, and main they were forced to give way before his superior intelligence. Their council-fires paled in the growing dawn of the nineteenth century, and then went out forever in the Mad River Valley. Retreating before the advancing tide of immigration, they have passed away, and are swallowed up in the distant West.

We find much in the Indian to loathe and condemn, and much, too, to admire and honor. Barbarians as they were, and savage by nature, yet it is universally true, that when they were treated honorably, as by William Penn. they never betrayed the confidence reposed in them. While admitting their savage cruelties, we should acknowledge the provocations were great, and that more civilized being's were often just as relentless as the Indians themselves. .

In a preceding chapter of this work. the Indian history is given in detail, and the towns and villages, known as the "Mackachack Towns" which were once situated in this township, are fully and completely written, rendering anything that might be said in this chapter but a repetition of what has already been given. It is there noted how Simon Kenton was captured by the warlike Shawanoese, and made to run the gauntlet in front of the towns of Mackachack, and many incidents related of this celebrated borderer. With this general reference to the subject, we will pass to the topography of this township.

Monroe Township lies in the extreme south part of the county, and in the east tier of townships but one. It is bounded on the

492 - HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

north by Jefferson Township, on the east by Zane Township, on the south be Champaign County, on the west by Liberty Township, and is nearly five miles square. It was legally organized, March 5, 1822. On that day we find from the Commissioners' records that they ordered a new township to be surveyed, which was called Monroe. It was taken off of the south end of Jefferson, and the first election was ordered to be held at the house of Conrad Moots, on the first Monday in April, of the same year, for township officers. The surface of Monroe Township is more uneven than any other township in the county, perhaps, except Jefferson, much of it being broken and hill, with few bottoms or galleys, and these small in extent. The hilly land is mostly limestone, with a clay soil, and produces excellent grazing, as well as fine crops of grain. The bottoms have a black loamy soil, and are highly productive.. The principal production of the township is grain, though a number of farmers pay considerable attention to stock, with good results. The timber is such as abounds in this section of the State, viz.: different varieties of oak, hickory, elm, walnut, sugar-maple, etc. Sugar-maple is quite plenty, and a number of sugar orchards, or "camps," receive due attention each year, and produce large quantities of sugar and molasses. The principal stream is Mad River, which enters on the north line near the center of the township, and flowing in nearly a southwesterly direction passes out of the west line, a little south of the center. Mackachack Creek has its source in the township, and also flows in a southwesterly course. It has numerous small tributaries, which head in the township, and with the main stream drain the land well, without the aid of artificial means.

Monroe Township is without any lame towns or villages, but one small village been within its limits. No railroads cross its soil, nor any manufactories, other than mills, with their noisy machinery, are found here to disturb the quiet of its peaceful inhabitants. It is thoroughly an agricultural township. The population of Monroe, by the census of 1840, was 1,203; in 1850, it was 1,330; in 1860, it was 1,111; in 1870, it was 1,372 and in 1880 it was 1,304. Schools and churches abound and the citizens rank high as moral, educated and refined people.

Close in the wake of the retreating savages came the white people, and soon the pioneer's hut dotted the landscape where but recently the " wigwam blaze had beamed on the tender and helpless, and the council-fire had glared on the wise and daring." The sound of the woodman's ax took the place of the Indian's rifle, and his voice lifted in praise to God was heard where erst had echoed the savage's war-whoop. To whom the credit should be given as the first settler of Monroe Township, is not known at the present day. Mr. Antrim, in his history of Champaign and Logan Counties, mentions the following names as among the early settlers, and gives the dates appended as the time of their settlement. How nearly correct it is, in every particular, we are unable to sac, and probably there is no one now living who can vouch for its perfect correctness. It is as follows: Robert Frakes, from Kentucky, in 1810; Nathan Gilliland, from Virginia , in 1810; Samuel McColloch,* in 1803; Rev. George McColloch (his son), in 1803; Thomas Athy, in 1809 (was a drummer in the war of 1812); Zebedee Randel, from New York, in 1810; George Moots, from Pennsylvania, in 1809; Conrad Moots, from same places in 1809; Charles Moots from same place, in 1809; George Green, from Kentucky, in 1810; William Williams, Henry Williams and Obadiah Williams, from Virginia, in 1811; Jacob Johnson, from Kentucky, in 1811 (he had four sons who were preachers); Jacob,

* Samuel McColloch was a representative in the Legislature when Logan was a part of Champaign County.

HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY. - 493

John and William Paxton, brothers, came about 1814; Err Randel came in 1810; Nicholas Pickerel, first Sheriff of Loan County, came in 1813; Henry Pickerel came in 1813.

The above varies somewhat from the information we have gathered in regard to the early settlement. but, nevertheless, may be substantially true. We will not presume to dispute any of the facts contained in it, but will give our information as we received it, leaving the reader to accept that which seems most likely to be correct. Many of the facts pertaining to the early settlement of the township were received from "Uncle Jack'' Enoch. a perfect walling encyclopedia, and who has been familiar with the country since 1812, and knows whereof he speaks,

Charles, Conrad and George Moots were brothers, but did not all come to Monroe Township at the same time. Charles came first-sometime previous to the war of 1812 and with his wagon and team was in Hull's surrender at Detroit. He lived about a mile above where Donn Piatt now lives. Conrad came about 1813, and settled on a place which had been occupied by a squatter named Race. George came in the spring of 1815, and was the last one of the three brothers to settle in the township. They were Germans and ramp from Chillicothe here, but Mr. Antrim says they were originally from Pennsylvania. They all died years ago, but George has two daughters living in the town of West Liberty, who are unmarried. Another daughter lives in Mingo, and another on the old homestead. A man named Soots, with two married sons and one that was single, came previous to 1812, and located on the place where Mr. Bradley now lives. Where they came from is not known, and after remaining a few years, they removed West.

The fall of 1811 witnessed the arrival of Robert Smith He name from the "Old Dominion," and was a man of some prominence; at one time served as an Associate Judge of Logan County, A son, Robert, Jr., stilt lives in the township. The elder Smith built the first mill ever built on Markachack Creek, about 1813. It was a small log structure, and used principally for grinding corn, but had a "hand bolt,'' and sometimes essayed wheat, though, as a flouring-mill, it was but a poor success. Zebedee Randel and his son, Err Randel, were among the very early settlers, but the elder Randel is long dead. Err Randel still lives just across the creek from where they originally settled. Benjamin Long came about 1814, and has a son still living in the township. Robert Frakes lived on the creek a little above Long. He was from Kentucky, and came previous to 1812. In 1830 he removed to Michigan and from there went to Missouri, where he died years ago. Nathan Gilliland was from Virginia and settled where Mr. Short now lives. He was a brother-in-law to Burnside, who was an early settler. He died of consumption, at Urbana, in 1825. He came to the township as early as 1813.

The Williams brothers and Jacob Johnson were also from Virginia. Obadiah Williams settled just above Gilliland, where he died many years ago. Johnson was here as early as 1812, and is long since dead. Daniel Purdy was a squatter, and came previous to 1812, and has been dead many years. George Green and his father, whose first name is forgotten, were from Kentucky, and came precious to 1812. Both are dead. The Paxtons were believed to have come from N North Carolina about 1814. There are descendants of them still living in the county, though the original pioneers are dead. Obadiah Howell was here previous to the war of 1812. He had a son named Israel, and both died in this township years ago. Charles Fielder was also here before the war of 1812; he lived at the crossing of Mad River, at what was caned the

494 - HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

"State Bridge." He was a blacksmith by trade, Gnu afterward followed it as a livelihood, and kept the first shop in the township. The old gentleman has been dead many years. He had a son named James-an only child, who died but a few years ago. Samuel McColloch settled about a mile from Fierier: he was an officer in the war of 1812, and had one arm off above the elbow. He died soon after the close of the war. His son George now lives in Jefferson Township, and is said to be the oldest man living in this county, Solomon, a brother to Samuel, lived just above him, on the river. A man named Tittsworth was an old settler in the east part of the township, but of him little is known. Samuel Scott came from Virginia about 1815, and settled in the southeast part of the township. Both he and his wife died on the place of original settlement. A unit named Stotts, dud another by the name of Cruizan, were among the earliest settlers. The former settled where the widow Neal now lives, and the latter on the place now occupied by Esquire John Kelley. They arc long since dead, and very few now living remember them, or are aware that they ever lived in the township. William McDonald settled on Mad River as early as 1812; he was from Kentucky, and has two sons still living on the old homestead. Henry Robinson came about 1811; he was an excellent man, and was an early Justice of the Peace. Both he and his wife died many years ago. Joseph and Benjamin Cox settled about 1813 -14; Joseph moved West at an early day, and Benjamin went to Fort Findlay, in Hancock County, about 1818. Nicholas Robinson settled where John Hunt now lives about 1814; he had a brother named James, who lived up near Frakes'. They were squatters, and are all long since dead.

This comprises a list of the early settlers, so far as could be obtained, Many others came in about the time Loan County was organized, but our space will not allow such extended mention of the mere settlement, and other objects of interest claim our attention. The country was to be improved by the pioneers and early settlers, the forests felled, cabins built to guard them against the inclemencies of the weather and the encroachments of the wild beast , and the erection of mills and the cutting out of roads, All this must be done by the settlers, in order that they might live in comfort, if not in luxury, short sketch of how the pioneer lived follows appropriately the settlement of the township, Says a writer on the pioneer history of the country: "The construction of log cabins and the manner of living in them are worthy of remembrance, for they have so nearly gone out of date, that it will not be a great many years before the people will scarcely know what they were. They were generally constructed of round logs, one story high. covered with clap-boards, which were not nailed down, but kept to their places by weight-poles lard lengthways across every row of boards. In fact, many very comfortable dwellings were built and tired in, without so much as a single iron nail being used in their construction. As there were no saw-mills in the country at its very early settlement, the floors of the cabins were mule of what was called puncheons. They were made by splitting large logs into slabs three or four inches thick, and by nicely hewing them on the upper side, and neatly fitting the joints; they mad a very permanent floor, The open spaces in the walls, between the log , were filled up, and made smooth by 'chinking' and daubing with clay inside and outside. The fireplace was at one end of the building, generally outside, an opening being cut through the log wall for that purpose. The flue was built up above the comb of the roof, with what was called 'cat and clay.' The fire-places were large, sufficient to take in back-logs from

PAGE 495 - PICTURE OF J. G. HOGE

PAGE 496 - BLANK

HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY. - 497

twelve to eighteen inches thick, and four to six feet Long. These buildings varied in size from fourteen by eighteen feet, up to eighteen feet wide by twenty-four feet long. A room of that size, and built in that way, was used for kitchen, dining-room, parlor and bed-room, The bed, and sometimes three or four of them, were placed in the back end of the room and here the whole family slept. And when they had visitors, which was very frequently in those days, then were accommodated in the same way. Where the family was large, however, the boys had generally to sleep up in the loft on the floor, which was laid with clapboards like the roof. In order to get up to the loft, a ladder was placed close up in one corner of the house, usually in the end near the fire-place."

This description applies only to the very first settlers. They very soon began to add to these cabins such improvements as seemed necessary for comfort and convenience, but many well-to-do farmers still held on to the first comfortable log-cabin for many years. And ever. to the present. time, we occasionally find some gray-haired sire, or wrinkled dame, who sigh, as they recall what they term the good old times.

In comparing the early days, the pioneer cabins, farms, the manners and customs, the pleasures and enjoyments, with those of the present time, the question will obtrude itself upon the mind, a, to which is the best calculated to promote real comfort, health and enjoyment the old-fashioned cabin, customs and manners of those times, or the very different ones of the princely palace-residences, with their retinue of servants, and the fashionable customs of the present time.

The ladies-the women, as they were termed in the pioneer days-bore as important a part in these early struggles as did the men themselves. They spun and wove cloth and made their own clothes as well as those of the men, and bore their full share of every hardship. The modern housewife, with her sewing machine and her washing machine, cook stove and other conveniences, knows little of her grandmother's trials and troubles. The mush: of the spinning - wheel and the weaving-loom in the cabin, has given way to the piano and organ of the splendidly furnished parlor. But as we advance in civilization and refinement, we come to enjoy these: innovations on the " pioneer luxuries," and wonder how our ancestors got along at all - how, with fat' pork, or wild deer meat, and "corn-dodger," and this often in limited quantities, they kept from starving to death. Our fastidious noses are elevated to an angle of many degrees, as we sit at our well-laden boards, and allow memory to wander back and dwell for a moment on the frugal fare of our pioneer ancestors.

This chapter would scarcely be thought complete without some mention of the fluffs. Gen. A. S. Platt, the soldier and politician. and Donn Piatt, the editor and poet, are residents of this township. Both are mentioned in other portions of this work-the General in the war history of the county, and the latter in the history of the press. They arc scholars, and both are men of fine literary tastes and abilities, with wealth to fully satisfy their inclinations in this direction.- Donn Piatt is known throughout the county, a newspaper man of high attainments. Many poetical gems contributed to the press by him have received a wide popularity, both at home and abroad. He has a beautiful place on the Mackachack of almost baronial splendor, where he Masses his time at ease and in the gratification of his literary tastes. His brother, Gen, Piatt, lives near him, the owner of a fine property and an elegant home. The following of Gen. Piatt is from Antrim's History Of Logan County: "Abram Sanders Piatt is more generally known to the military and

498 - HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

political than the poetical world. The two pursuits, so wide apart as they are, seldom center in one individual. Did Mr. Platt seriously follow either, this would not probably be the fact in this instance. But, the happy possessor of broad acres-and beautiful acres they are-in the Mackachack Valley, Logan County, Ohio, he dallies with the muses and worries the politicians more for amusement than aught else. His leisure moments are given to the care of an interesting family, and the cultivation of his farm. No one of any refinement could long dwell in the Mackachack Valley and not feel more or less of the poetry that seems to live in its very atmosphere. So rare a combination of plain and hill, wood and meadow, adorned by the deep, clear, glittering stream that gives name to the valley, seldom greets the eye. There the hawthorn and hazel gather in clumps upon the sloping hillsides, or upon fields, while, like great hosts, the many-tinted forests of burr-oak, maple and hickory close in on every side the view. Nor is the Mackachack without its legends and historical associations: Men yet live, rough old backwoodsman, with heads whitened by the snows of eighty winters, who will point out the precise spot where a poor Indian woman, seen lurking around the smoking ruins of the Mackachack towns, only then destroyed by the white invaders, was shot by a rifleman, who mistook her for a warrior. Near the Piatt homestead may be seen the spot where Simon Kenton was forced by his cruel enemies to run the gauntlet, where, between lake and river, lay a vast unbroken wilderness. It was near this that he and Girty, the renegade, recognized each other, and the hard heart of the murderer was touched at the sight of his old comrade and friend, and he saved his life at a time when this bold act endangered his own. The family to which Mr. Piatt belongs is one of the pioneer families of the Mad River Valley, and has prominent associations with the literature and politics of the West. Mr. Piatt's poems have been published chiefly in the Cincinnati Commercial and in the Mackachack Press." His poem "The Dainty Bee," was very popular, and copied extensively in the press of the country.

The first mill in Monroe Township, and said to be the first ever built on the Mackachack, was put up in a very early day by one of the pioneers of the township, Robert Smith. It was a small log building, and received its power from the Mackachack Creek. It was intended merely as a corn-cracker, but a hand-bolt was afterwards added, for the purpose of grinding wheat, when there was any to be ground. The large mill of Gen. Platt was built originally about 1840, and is still in operation. A distillery was connected with it at one time, but was discontinued many rears ago. The grist-mill, and a saw-mill in connection, are still running, and doing good work. Other mills, saw and grist, have been built at different times, and the township is now well supplied with these conveniences.

The Mad and Mackachack Rivers, fed by the springs and drainage of the hills that make up the major portion of Monroe, are still valuable for milling purposes; every here and there are mills which look out of all proportion when compared with the size of the streams, But the character of the streams appropriately expressed in the name of one - the Mad-makes up in power what they lack in size. The power of the Mackachack is very strikingly shown where it crosses the farm of Mr. Long. Here, in 1853. where was only a "dead-furrow," is now a wide gully, sixty feet wide, where the stream sometimes rushes along with fury enough to drown a horse.

The early efforts to advance the cause of

HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY. - 499

religion are not so clearly related by the older settlers. Wherever a little colony was formed in the early day there was a center from which went forth a religious influence. The people were God-fearing, and brought from heir earlier homes the influence of a Christian education. Many of them were members of the different churches, and though deprived for a time of the advantages of older settlements, they did not allow their surroundings to interrupt their worship. For some years they kept the flame of truth alive by prayer meetings held in the different cabins about, and noun after the earnest pioneer preacher came and dispensed the word of life. Among the patter was Daniel Long, known in those days as a "New Light." Among the earliest organizations, perhaps, was the Mt. Pisgah Methodist Church. A class of ten or fifteen members was organized about 1830. Some six years later they erected a frame building, which served their purpose until about 1865, when the church died out. The principal cause of this result was the change in the neighborhood, the old families selling out and the Ormish taking their place. The old building stands unused. in the wood near the Ludlow road, a decayed monument of the past.

In the southwest part of the township is a little log chapel belonging to the Catholic Church. It had its origin somewhat as follows: When the Catholics first came to Cincinnati, the property-holders refused to sell them land, but Benjamin M. Piatt, who was a large property-holder then, was less hostile, and notified Bishop Fenwick, that he could have a building site not far from his residence. The intercourse thus opened up between the clergy and the Piatt family, resulted after a while in the conversion of Mrs. Piatt from the Methodist to the Catholic faith. When the Piatt family came to Logan County, Mrs. Piatt persuaded her husband to donate fire acres to the church. One day, in his absence, Mrs. Piatt directed that the logs that had been cut and prepared for a workshop, should be taken and put into a chapel. This was done, and Mr. Piatt found his workshop had been converted into a chapel, to his no small disgust. This was done about 1830, and it still stands, serving its purpose as well as ever. The wife of Col. Donn Piatt proposes in 1881 to erect a handsome stone chapel in its place. There are about 150 members, to whom the Bellefontaine clergy minister once a month. Near the center of' the township is the Mackachack Baptist Church. The first building was erected as a union affair for all or any denomination, on land donated by Benjamin Long. In 1868, however, a new frame building was erected by a Baptist society that had sprung up in the meanwhile. Rev. George Lyon was instrumental in its erection, and took possession of the house, with about twenty members. There are now ninety-eight members, with Milton Squib as pastor.

The early community about Pickereltown was lamely made up of Quakers, and, as is natural with this sect, they held meetings at once, for years ears occupying a pole-log schoolhouse in the valley. About 1820 they put a better log building on the site of their present building, and in 1826 were regularly organized as the Westland Meeting. In 1866 the old building was replaced by a neat frame building, where services are regularly held at this time. There are about ninety members. The only other Church in the township is that of the Protestant Methodist. About 1820 a Methodist Episcopal Church was organized here, and for years had a thriving society, but it gradually passed away, until the Protestant Methodists entirely supplanted them, using their old building until 1874, when they put up a new building at the other side of town. They have about twenty members, and Rev. F. B, Graham is the Pastor.

500 - HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

The earliest attempt at schools in the township was by way of subscription efforts, and the teachers were the heroes of the hour. They wielded a poser that none dared to dispute, and carried their instruction into the affairs of the family with the same arbitrariness that they exercised in the school-morn. Among the earliest schoolhouses was the one mentioned above, in the valley near Pickereltown, Here old John Pastors taught, one of the gentlest and kindliest old men in the county. He used to get the little ones between his knees and instill into the young mind wholesome lessons of good while he taught the a, b, c's. John Garrison is another teacher of the olden tunes. He taught in a cabin that had but one window and a crooked log, through which a small boy could crawl. One Christmas the boys turned him out, but finally compromised on a quantity of apples. These were dumped in the middle of the floor for the boys to scramble for. Another of the early schoolhouses stood about a mile west of Mr. Long's. Here George Crosscup taught, and when locked out by the boys treated them with whisky, getting all the boys drunk, even to the smallest. But the establishment of the district schools in the winter of 1834-5 changed all this, and now Monroe rejoices in as good schools as any of her sister townships. The present status, gleaned from the records, is as follows : Balance on hand, September 1, 1878, $255.06; State tax, $912; local tax, $1,864.20; amount paid teachers during year, $1,562; balance on hand, September 1, 1879, $2,260.61; number of school districts, 9: total value of school property, $3,200; average enrollment-boys, 180: girls, 84 ; average attendance-boys, 96; girls, 52.

Pickereltown is a little hamlet in the northeast part of the township. It was never regularly laid out, but about 1830, it was talked of, and was divided into lots taking a name finally from the oldest of those interested in the property. The lands of Henry Pickerel, Nathaniel Pope, Samuel Collyer and William Pearson came together where the roads cross in the middle of the village. No plat was ever made of the town, but by common consent quite a cluster of houses have gathered at this point. In 1825 Mr. Pickerel started a tan-yard here, and later George Williams put up a wagon-shop, which was followed by a hatter's shop by Jesse Hyatt. The first store was started by Thomas Wilson, in 1841 or 1842. The first name of the place was Frogtown, from the fact that, notwithstanding its general high altitude, several ponds contributed to the discomfort of the new village. It later took its present name, an appropriate one, to follow the suggestive one first given. Mr. Williams had some ambition to hand his name down to posterity, in connection with the hamlet, but it did not get popular indorsement, and the project failed. A post-office was established July 22, 1851, and that, with a small store, is the principal business outside of the blacksmith shop, wagon shop and shoe shop. It is beautifully situated on a high ridge of land, overlooking a fine prospect of valley land.

(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE)