The County of Noble. Chapter I. FIRST WHITE MEN-MISSIONS-TRADING POSTS-A LEADEN PLATE -FRENCH AND ENGLISH CLAIMS-OHIO LAND COMPANY-EXPLORATIONS - FRENCH FORTS - WASHINGTON'S MISSION-FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR-ENGLISH GAIN POSSESSION- FIRST SURVEY-SQUATTERS-INDIAN TREATIES-LAND BOUNTIES TO REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS-THE OHIO COMPANY FORMED-GETS A GRANT OF LAND FROM CONGRESS-RULES FOR SETTLE'MENTS-MARIETTA SETTLED-FIRST COURT-FIRST LAND PATENTS-PROGRESS OF THE SETTLEMENTS. DURING the latter part of the seventeenth, and the early years of the eighteenth century, the French missionaries and traders were active in founding missions and establishing trading posts at various points in the Ohio Valley. The principal avenues of travel were the Ohio and the Wabash rivers, and from the great lakes the line of missions and trading posts followed these streams, together with the Allegheny and Maumee rivers, to the Mississippi. The traders, being bent on gain, kept no records of their explorations, so that the only authentic account of this period is to be obtained from the journals of the Jesuit missionaries, and this is often so meager as to afford little information. Leaden plates have been found on the Kanawha and Allegheny rivers, and at the mouth of the Muskingum, bearing inscriptions to show that the French had laid claim. to the country in. the name of their king. The inscription on that at the mouth of the Muskingum was as follows "In the year of 1749, of the reign of Louis XV of France, we, Celeron,* commandant of a detachment. sent by the Marquis de la * This plate was found in the year 1798 and the dates mentioned in the inscription correspond to the expedition sent out under Celeron de Bienville. This expedition built a fort at Sandusky and explored several tributaries of the Ohio. 2 18 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE. Galissoniere, captain-general of New France, in order to 'establish tranquility among some villages of savages of these parts, have buried this plate at the mouth of the river Chi-no-da-hich-e-tha, the 18th of August, near the river Ohio, otherwise 'Beautiful River,' as a monument of renewal of possession which we have taken of the said river Ohio, and all of those which empty themselves into it, and of all the lands on both sides, even to the sources of said rivers, as have enjoyed or ought to have enjoyed the preceding kings of France, and that they have maintained themselves there by force of arms and by treaties, especially those of Ryswick, of Utrecht, and of Aix-la-Chapelle." By this claim that portion of the State of Ohio now included within the boundaries of Noble county became the territory of France, and subject to the edicts of the French king. But, before this plate had been deposited, the ,English had already began to dispute the possession of the country. AS early as 1714, Governor Spotswood, of the Virginia Colony, had found an easy route through the Allegheny mountains and advocated taking possession of the country west, of them. The governor of Pennsylvania joined with him in recommending the mother country to take possession of the region between the Alleghenies and the great lakes. Had the suggestions of those two colonial governors been accepted by the British Parliament the French and Indian war might have been avoided, and the history of the Conquest of the Northwest Territory would have to have been told in different language. From 1720 to 1750 numerous, English traders and explorers visited the Ohio Valley. Some were licensed by the Pennsylvania authorities to trade with the Indians, but many of them assumed the responsibility and the risk and went on their "own hook." Among these early adventurers were Conrad Weiser, John Howard, who was captured by the French on the Mississippi in 1742, and George Croghan, who erected a stockade on the great Miami river, in what Is now Shelby county, Ohio. The first systematic attempt to establish an English settlement west of the Alleghenies came in 1748. That year Governor Robert Dinwiddie; of Virginia, Thomas Lee, president of the Virginia council, and ten others organized the Ohio Land Company. The following year the company received from George II a grant. of 500,000 acres of land. By the terms of this grant the company was given the option of locating their lands either between the Kanawha and Monongahela rivers, or on the northern side of the Ohio, but in either case the Conditions required the settlement of one hundred families within seven years. In 1750 the Company sent out a surveying party, under the leadership of Christopher Gist, to locate the grant. Crossing the Ohio near the mouth of. Beaver Creek, Gist spent the month of December among the Indians of the Tuscarawas country. THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 19 In one of the Indian villages he found George Croghan, previously mentioned, and a Seneca half-breed named Andrew Montour. They had hoisted the English flag and were taking steps to hold councils with the different bands of Indians in the interest of the English traders. Accompanied by Croghan, Gist explored the valleys of the Muskingum and Scioto rivers, after which he descended the Ohio to the falls, but nothing definite was accomplished in the way of locating the grant of the Ohio Company. In the meantime the French had established a line of forts from Lake Erie to the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers to prevent the English from gaining a foothold in the country. The reader of American history is familiar with the story' of how George Washington, then a young man, was sent by Governor Dinwiddie to the French commandants at Forts Le Boeuf and Venango to demand the reason for their invasion of English territory, No 'satisfaction was received from the French officers at those posts, the French and Indian war ensued, and all efforts to found a colony north of the Ohio was for the time abandoned. By the treaty of 1763 the French relinquished all claims to the disputed territory and the following year an expedition was sent into the country north of the Ohio to punish the Indians for their participation in the French and Indian war. Although the English were given undisputed control of all the region between the Ohio and the great lakes, they were slow to take advantage of their new acquisition. A few resolute traders invaded the country and established a profitable traffic in, furs with the natives, but it was not until after the 'Revolution that a finally successful attempt was made to settle the northwest territory. In April, 1784, the Congress of the United States passed an ordinance providing for the government of the territory northwest of the Ohio river. This ordinance remained in force for about three years and under its provisions the first survey of the public lands was begun. Among the surveyors appointed by Congress were Rufus Putnam, of Massachusetts William Morris of New York Nathaniel Adams, of New Hampshire; Alexander Parker, of Virginia; Adam Hoops, of Pennsylvania James Simpson, of Maryland; and Isaac Sherman, of Connecticut. These surveyors were appointed on May 27, 1785, and at once entered upon their. duties. They found a number of squatters upon the unsurveyed lands and reported the conditions to Congress, which led to the following proclamation being printed and circulated throughout the territory : "Whereas, it has been, represented to the United States in Congress assembled that several disorderly persons have crossed the Ohio and settled upon their unappropriated lands and whereas, it is their intention, as soon as .it shall be surveyed, to open offices for the sale of a considerable part thereof, in such 'proportions and under such 20 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE. other regulations as may. suit the convenience of all the citizens of the United States, and others who may wish to become purchasers of the same; and as such conduct tends to defeat the object they have it, view, is in direct opposition to the ordinances and resolutions of Congress, and is highly disrespectful to the Federal. authority, they have therefore thought fit, and do hereby issue this proclamation, forbidding all such unwarrantable intrusions. and enjoining all thosewho have settled thereon to depart with their families and effects without loss of time, as they Shall answer the same at their peril." The names of about sixty of these squatters were sent to Colonel Harmar at Fort McIntosh, and a body of troops was sent out to dispossess them. The squatters showed fight, and the affair was finally adjusted by temporary homes being given them on the east side of the river, until the lands Were opened to settlement. By the treaty of Fort Stanwix, New York, in 1784 the Six Nations had surrendered all claims to lands in the Ohio Valley, and on January 21, 1785, a treaty, was made at Fort McIntosh between George Rogers Clark, Arthur Lee, and Richard Butler, acting on behalf of the United States, and the By of the Delawares, Ottawas, Wyandots, and Chippewas. By the provisions of this treaty the boundaries between the United States .and the Indian lands were fixed and the different tribes relinquished all claim to the' lands in Southeastern Ohio. On the last day of January, 1786, General Clark, Richard Butler, and Samuel H. Parsons met the Shawnee, chiefs at Fort. Finney and negotiated a treaty by which this tribe ceded their lands in the Ohio Valley to the United States: Thus the native red Mari retired before the march of the Caucasian, and the lands once the home and hunting ground of the savage, became the possession of a civilized race. Meantime another agency was at work, having for its object the settlement of the Northwest Territory. In 1776. Congress had passed an act providing for a• bounty of land to be given from the public domain to every soldier that served through the war: These bounties ranged from 500 acres for a colonel down to 100 acres for a private soldier. In 1783 a petition, signed by nearly three hundred officers of the army, was presented to Congress asking that the lands constituting these bounties be located north of the Ohio river.. Owing to claims of certain States to these lands Congress did not deem that it had a perfect title to the domain and declined to act. The State of Virginia surrendered her claim in 1784 and another effort was made by some of the officers to have Congress recognize the claims Of the soldiers. Among these officers. were Generals Rufus Putnam and Benjamin Tupper. General Tupper had been one of the surveyors under the ordinance of 1784 and had been favorably impressed with the resources of the country.. The soldiers of the American army during the Revolution received very little money for their THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 21 services, being paid in certificates, which in 1785 were worth about twenty per cent of their face value. General Tupper conceived the plan of organizing a company. and purchasing a large tract of land, payment for which was to be made in these certificates. In January, 1786, he and General Putnam prepared the following address to the people, and it made its appearance in the Boston newspapers on the 25th of that month: "The subscribers take this method to inform all officers and soldiers who have served in the late war and who are by a late ordinance of the honorable Congress to receive certain tracts of land in the Ohio country, and also all other good citizens who wish to become adventurers in that delightful region, that from personal inspection, together with other incontestable evidences, they are fully satisfied that the lands in that quarter are of a. much better quality than any other known to the New England people that the climate, seasons, products, etc., are, in fact, equal to the most flattering accounts that have ever been published of them; that being determined to become purchasers and to prosecute a settlement in the country, and desirous of forming a general association with those who entertain the same ideas, they beg leave to propose the following plan, viz. : That an association by the name of the Ohio Company be formed of all such as wish to become purchasers, etc., in that country, who reside in the commonwealth of Massachusetts only, or to extend to the inhabitants of other States, as shall be agreed on." The address also recommended that each county choose delegates on February 15, and that these: delegates should meet in Boston on the first day of March, 1786, to perfect plans for the organization of the company. Delegates were accordingly chosen, among them being some of the most prominent men of the State. General Putnam presided over the deliberations and Winthrop Sargent acted as secretary. Articles of association were adopted, providing for the subscription of a fund, not, to exceed $1,000,000, each share of which was to consist of $1,000 in Continental certificates and $10 in gold or silver. A second meeting was held at Brackett's tavern, in Boston, on March 8, 1787. Only two hundred and fifty shares had been subscribed up to this time, the agents reporting that many had expressed sympathy with the movement but that they had declined to become stockholders because of the uncertainty of the company's being able to secure a suitable tract of land for a. settlement. At this meeting it was determined to take immediate action. and apply to Congress for the acquisition of lands. General Putnam, Samuel H. Parsons, and Bev. Manasseh Cutler were elected directors, and were given authority to make a. purchase of such lands as they might deem. best. In June Dr. Cutler went to New York, where Congress Was then in session, to secure the title to a tract of land for a settlement. While 22 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE. he was in New York Congress passed the act "for the government of the territory of the United States northwest of the. River Ohio." This act, since known as the "Ordinance of Freedom," contained several provisions suggested by Dr. Cutler. It was passed on July 13, and on the 27th Dr. Cutler and Winthrop Sargent submitted propositions for the purchase of 1,500,000 acres of land, which were adopted by Congress. The agreement was ratified, by the Board of Treasury on October 27, and the Ohio Company became the owner of a million and a half acres of land lying along the Ohio and Muskingum rivers. The first settlement made upon the lands of the Ohio Company was at Marietta, in April, 1788, by a party of forty-seven men from Massachusetts, with Gen. Rufus Putnam as superintendent of the colony. On September 2, 1788, the. first court ever held in the Northwest Territory was convened at Marietta and was opened with imposing ceremonies. No business appeared before the court and it was soon adjourned. Prior to the settlement of Marietta, however; the Company adopted the plan of donating lands. to companies of actual settlers. One of these donations was located at the forks of Duck Creek, about fifteen miles from Marietta, and consisted of twenty lots of one hundred acres each, to be given to twenty settlers who would bind themselves to observe the following rules: 1. The settler to furnish lands for public highways when called upon to do so. 2. To build a dwelling-house within five years, of the size of 18 by 24 feet, eight feet between the floors, and a. cellar ten feet square ; a chimney of brick or stone. 3. To put out not less than fifty apple trees and twenty peach trees within three years. 4.. To clear and put in meadow or pasture fifteen acres, and into tillage not less than five acres, within five years. 5. To be constantly provided with arms and to be subject to the militia law at all times. 6. Proper defenses or blockhouses to be kept upon the donation lands, of such strength as shall be approved by the committee. In addition to these rules each settler was required to keep upon his land, for the period of five years, a man capable of bearing arms in case of invasion or attack from the Indians. To all who would comply with these requirements' the directors obligated themselves to give a deed to their lands. This liberal policy on the part of the Company encouraged immigration and the country northwest of the Ohio began to attract the attention of home' seekers in the older States. In the swing of 1792 the directors of the Ohio Company petitioned Congress for a title to the lands, asking that the 1,500,000 acres be THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 23 deeded to them for the $500,000 already paid, and that a further grant of 100,000 acres be made to reimburse the Company for the donations made to encourage settlers. In April Congress passed an act providing that a deed for 750,000 acres be made for the $500,000 paid; another for 214,285 acres, to be paid for in land warrants; and another for 100,000 acres to be held in trust and parceled out in tracts of one hundred acres each to actual settlers. On May 10, 1792, patents were issued by the president for these three separate tracts. They were issued to Rufus Putnam, Manasseh Cutler, Robert Oliver, and Griffin Greene, in trust for the Ohio Company, and were with one exception the first land patents issued by the government of the United States. When it became known that the Company had a clear title to its grant, immigration received a. still greater impetus, and at the close of the year 1793 there were three settlements in the new territory—at Marietta, Belpre, and Waterford—with a population of nearly two hundred men capable of bearing arms.-" * Most of the incidents referred to in this chapter are treated in detail in the first volume of this work. They are mentioned here merely for the purpose of enabling the reader to refresh his memory and form a better conception of the events which led to the early settlement and ultimate formation of Noble county. Chapter II. FIRST WHITE MEN IN NOBLE COUNTY-DIFFERENCE' OF OPINION -JOSEPH REEVES- JOHN VORHIES-IN THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY-ON THE EAST FORK OF DUCK CREEK-CONFLICTING STORIES-THE ENOCHS SETTLEMENT- MARTIN CROW-THE DYE SETTLEMENT-SECTION LINES RUN IN BUFFALO TOWNSHIP-FIRST SETTLEMENT THERE-FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE-LAND ENTRIES NEAR BELLE VALLEY-WHERE CALD- WELL Now STANDS-IN ELK TOWNSHIP -SALT KETTLES-IN WAYNE TOWNSHIP-EARLY MILLS-AARON HUGHS IN JACKSON TOWNSHIP--HIS STRENUOUS CAREER----REASONER THE TRAPPER A TEMPORARY RESIDENT-ALES' TAVERN-ENGLISH IMMIGRANTS -THE KEITHS----BELL MAKING-THE IRISH SETTLEMENTHUGH O'NEILL'S SCHOOL-SCOTCH PIONEERS- SQUATTERS' RIGHTS-A LAWSUIT OVER A TITLE--SHARON TOWNSHIP SETTLED-FIRST GRAVE. IN SHARON CEMETERY - GERMAN FAMILIES -PIONEER LIFE-THE LOG CABIN-DESCRIPTION OF ITS CONSTRUCTION -ITS FURNITURE- FRONTIER ADVANTAGES-AMUSEMENTS -EARLY SCHOOLS-THE ITINERANT PREACHER-NOMENCLATURE. THERE seems to be some difference of opinion as to when, where, and by whom the first settlement was made in Noble county. It is a matter, of record that the lands were surveyed as early as 1800 and that numerous hunters and trappers had taken up at least a temporary residence within the present limits of the county. One of these early adventurers was a man named Joseph Reeves, who built a cabin in what is now Wayne township, as early as 1799, and declared his intention of taking up his permanent abode there. But the lonely life of the wilderness and the hostility of the Indians caused him' to change his mind and abandon the home he had established. Later he returned to the county and became a permanent resident.. Descendants: of John Vorhies claim that he came to Wayne township in 1802, and that he was the first real settler of the county. Three years later it is said that Jacob Yoho settled in the same neighborhood. Descendants of Timothy Bates say he settled in what is now Seneca township in 1805, while THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 25 the Reeds, John and James, claim to have located in Beaver township the previous year. These, and various other claims are made for the early settler's in the northeastern part of the county, within the present townships of Wayne, Seneca and Beaver, along the rich valleys of Will's Creek, the fertility of which was the chief attraction to these dauntless pioneers. A settlement was established on the east fork of Duck Creek, in what is now Stock township, by the Enochs, Morris, Crow, and Crandon families at an early date. Watkins fixes the date of this settlement as the year 1806. He also says that among the first settlers were Elisha, Henry, Enoch, and Jesse Enochs, and that their father, Enoch Enochs, did not join the colony until some years afterward. Another story, which appears to be equally as, well authenticated, places Enoch Enochs, Sr., among the first settlers. According to this story Enoch Enochs, Lewis Wetzel, Martin Crow and Simon Girty were residents of the same neighborhood on Wheeling Creek, in Western Pennsylvania., near the Virginia boundary. For the protection of the settlements on Wheeling Creek a company of three hundred men was organized. Tinder the militia laws of that period each company was given the privilege of electing its own commissioned officers. Enochs, Crow, Wetzel, and Girty were candidates for the captaincy of the company. Enochs was elected captain, Crow and Wetzel were chosen lieutenants, and later were appointed scouts.* After the Ohio Company had succeeded in establishing settlements on their purchase northwest of the Ohio, detachments of this company were employed in piloting and protecting emigrants to the new territory. On these excursions they learned the value of the fertile valleys of Southeastern Ohio and some of them determined to try their fortunes in the new country. Among these were Captain Enochs and Martin Crow. The story goes onto say that their exodus from Wheeling Creek was somewhat hastened by the massacre of Martin. Crow's parents and, three of his sisters in the spring of 1791, but is not definite as to whether they came directly to the east fork of Duck Creek or whether they spent some time in the other settlements before attempting to found one of their own. Some of the descendants of the Enochs and Archer families believe the Duck Creek settlement, in the present township of Stock, was made in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and that it is, therefore, the oldest settlement in the county. Martin Crow lived in the county until 1832, when his death occurred, and his remains rest in the Carlisle cemetery near the settlement he helped to plant on the margin of civilization. * Girty's defeat on this occasion is said to have been the cause of his becoming a renegadend of his hatred of the whites. This statement coincides with K that of Simon Kenton, who says that Girty deserted his race because he failed to receive a military promotion. 26 - THE COUNTY OF. NOBLE. Gen. William H. Enochs, a great grandson of Captain Enoch Enochs, was the only one of Noble county's sons to attain the rank of brigadier-general during the Civil war. After the war he established himself in the practice of law at Ironton and for several terms he represented the Eleventh Ohio district. in Congress. In 1804, Ezekiel Dye, a veteran of the Revolution, left Pennsylvania and started westward in search of a new location. He followed the old "Federal Trail," which, had been made by a part of General St. Clair's army on its way to Fort Washington. 'This trail left the Ohio river at the mouth of Grave. Creek, pursued a westerly course, and crossed Dye's fork of Meigs Creek near the present site of Renrock. After proceeding as far west as Chillicothe, Dye returned to Meigs Creek and made a selection of a tract of. land. The next year was spent in Pennsylvania, making preparations to emigrate, and in 1806 he sent his six sons, Thomas, Ezekiel, Jr., Vincent, William, John, and Amos, to occupy the land and make the necessary improvements for a permanent home. In 1807 he joined his sons and thus was made the first settlement in what is now Brookfield township. Following the Dyes there came a large number of immigrants from New England, chiefly from Massachusetts, and it was not long until the "Dye Settlement" was one of the best known northwest of the Ohio river. These early settlers were men of sturdy character, little given to roaming, and some of the farms they entered are still in the hands of their descendants. In 1805 the section lines were run in what is now Buffalo township by William R. Putnam. The following year Jacob Gregg came from Pennsylvania and entered a hundred and sixty acres of .land there, upon which he settled. Shortly after him came Abraham, John and George Rich, and John and Abraham Miley. These pioneers blazed trees to mark the route to the new settlement, to serve as a guide to their friends in 'Pennsylvania, several of whom came out a little later. In 1812 a number of families from Virginia joined the settlement. Among them were Levi Lyons, Abraham Booher, John Drake, George R. Johnson, John, Samuel, and Isaac Kackley. One of the first school houses in this part of the State was built on the farm of George R. Johnson. It was of logs, with a bark roof, a puncheon floor, a clapboard door, and a bilge fireplace at one end. George Kackley was employed as teacher and in this rude temple of learning was imparted to the children of the hardy pioneers the simplest rudiments of an English education. A man named Bain made an entry of land not far from the present village: of Belle Valley in 1806. Soon afterward he was joined by Richard Fletcher. These two men were the first settlers on the West fork of Duck Creek. For five years they were the only settlers in that part of the county, but in 1811 they were joined by the. McKees, THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 25 and the next year John Noble and his brother came to the same locality. Between 1812 and 1815 Charles McCune, John Reed, Benjamin Thorla, John Clowser, Lambert Newton, John and Thomas Davis, Lemuel Fowler, Joseph Lippitt, Solomon Brown, and a number of others settled on the West fork. Joseph Lippitt bought a whole section of land just north of where the Belle Valley railroad station now is, and at that time was considered the wealthiest man in the entire community. Solomon Brown was a blacksmith and when not 'engaged in working at his trade he made salt from a. well on the John Noble farm and sold the product to his neighbors. In 1809 Robert Caldwell came from 'Washington county and made an entry of land where the city of Caldwell now stands, this being one of the first entries made in what is now Olive township. During the next three years several settlers located in this township. Among them were Simeon Blake, William Free,* Joseph Tilton and his three sons, Charles Davis and four sons, Silas Thorlab, James Webber, George Padgett, Sherebiah Clark, and Samuel Allen. Allen erected the first mill on the West fork,' at Socum, soon after coming from Marietta. It was probably the first mill in Noble county. Sherebiah Clark came from .Kennebec county, Maine, where he had been a member of the State legislature of Massachusetts before the State of Maine was created. Upon the organization of Morgan county in 1819 he was appointed one of the associate judges of the new county. About the time that Robert Caldwell made his entry of land Samuel Pryor; Jesse Davis, Moses T. Spencer, and a few others founded a settlement in what is now Elk township. The descendants of Matthew Gray claim that he was the pioneer sealer in this township, and relate a story to the effect that the day his cabin was raised an elk was killed near the place, from which 'incident the township afterward took its name. This cabin could be seen for many years after Mr.' Gray's death still standing in the village of Harrietsville. Ephraim Bates and James Dye made entries of land in Center township in 1809. Bates was one of the first men in. this part of the country to start an orchard. It seems that he Was an enterprising individual, for, in addition to his orchard; he built the first mill in Center township, having it in operation as early as 1814. Other early settlers in this vicinity were the Devollds, the McGarrys, Ambrose Merry, James Lowe, and some of the Archers. Daniel Devolld brought with him the kettles that were afterwards used in Thorla & McKee's salt works. * There is a story told of William Free to the effect that his real name was Hamilton; that for some petty offense he was publicly whipped at Marietta, and after receiving his punishment and being released from the whipping post he shouted " I'm free! I'm free!" After that he was called Free. He settled in Olive township, near the locality afterward known as Socum, and was one of the first justices of the peace of Olive township. 28 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE. Mention has been made of the settlement of John Vorhies and Jacob Yoho in Wayne township.. In 1807 Edward Ward and his son John brought their families from Pennsylvania and located in the same neighborhood. Others came within the next three years and by 1812 quite a population had gathered in what is now the northeastern part of Noble county. Some of the early settlers there were Cornelius Bryan and his two sons, James and John, Joseph Burson, Robert Carpenter, John Ferris, James Law, John Hague, Thomas Richey, Isaac Mendenhall, William Lowrey, and William Thompson. The last named erected a mill on the Seneca fork of Will's Creek, which was the first structure of its kind in this part f the county. Before the advent of the mills of Allen, Bates, and Thompson, the settlers had to depend upon two horse mills owned by Thomas Barry and Elisha Fogle. These early mills were operated by water power and in a dry season they were frequently rendered useless by a lack of power. In emergencies of this kind a heavy rainfall was looked upon as a Godsend, and after such an event it was no unusual sight to see the settlers coming from all directions, mounted on horseback, bearing a "turn of corn" to supply the family with breadstuff until another rain should give the mill an opportunity to again become of use. At the mill each one would have to await his turn, and the time was spent in frontier sports, such' as wrestling, shooting at a mark, pitching horseshoes, etc., or in discussing the weighty Problems of government. Many a heated argument over political questions, have occurred at the old country mill, and many a problem of public policy has been settled to the entire satisfaction of the rural Salons, who, on such occasions, would resolve themselves into an extempore legislature. About the year 1811 Aaron Hughs settled in Jackson township. Few of the early settlers had a more strenuous career than he. Hughs was a native of Hardin county, Virginia, but in 1804 came to Guernsey county, Ohio locating on Will's Creek. After a year or two there he sold out for $500 and went to what is now Center township in Morgan county. While stopping at a tavern his $500 was stolen and he was compelled to begin life again bare-handed. Nothing daunted, however, he improved a farm in Morgan county, which he sold in 1810 for $150 and with $80 of the money entered the land in Noble county the following year. It is believed that he was the first settler within the present boundaries of Jackson township. Aaron Hughs was a typical backwoodsman. Almost a giant, physically, his courage was equal to his physical. strength. With his dog, his rifle, and a. pocket compass he would venture alone into the unbroken wilderness on his hunting expeditions, and often days would elapse before his family would hear anything of him. He was an expert marksman and he made more money as a hunter and trapper than he did as a farmer. It is said that he killed the last elk that was ever seen in Noble county. THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 29 Soon after he located in Jackson township he. was joined by his brother Jonathan and for some time they were the only residents in that part of the county. Some years before Aaron Hughs became a permanent settler a .trapper named Reasoner came from Guernsey county and built a cabin on the little stream that still bears his name. Not far from the Hughs brothers, in what is now Jefferson township, a man named David Ales settled at an early date.* He was a native of New England. When the Barnesville and Marietta State road was built he opened a tavern on the line of the .road and for many :years his place of. entertainment was a. popular resort for travelers, .being the only tavern for several miles in' either direction. The "settlements in the southern part of the county made slow progress, When compared with those in the northeastern portion and along the west fork of Duck Creek. It was not until after the war of 1812 that immigration was attracted to them, and as late as 1825 the district was the most sparsely .settled in the county. Among those that came after the war were several English families, who came in 1817 and almost doubled the population. Prominent among these were the Taylor and Cadwell families, Peter Gore and the. Keiths, Benjamin and Peter. The Keiths were natives of Pennsylvania but came at the same time as the English. They were .both blacksmiths, and after coming to Noble county did a thriving business in the manufacture of cowbells, which they sold to the settlers. John Hall came to this vicinity soon after the war, married a daughter of David Ales, and settled near the Ales tavern. One of the most prosperous of the early settlements was made between the years 1812 and 1820 in the neighborhood. of the present town of Summerfield. The first settler there was David West, who came from Delaware in the spring of 1812. He was followed by Nathaniel Capell, Ananias Banum, William and Archelaus Lingo, James Shankland, Asa Barton, William Burcher and Thomas Cochran, all of whom came froth Delaware. In 1817 a number of Irish Protestants, fresh from the "Ould Sod," located on the site of Summerfield. They were attracted to that point by its being the crossing of the Sunfish and Zanesville and the Barnesville and Marietta roads. Moses Horton bought the land near the junction of these two highways and laid out some rots, predicting that in time a city would be built there. Rome of the early settlers were inclined to look with disfavor on the coining of this foreign element. Naturally Clannish, this opposition cemented themcloser together and led them to assist each .other more than they might have done under different circumstances. This, with .their native thrift and industry, brought them prosperity and the *The exact date of Ales' coming could not be ascertained but it is believed that he was the first inhabitant of the present township of Jefferson. 30 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE. "Irish Settlement" gradually worked its way into popularity. They believed in education, and one of their number, Hugh O'Neill, opened a subscription school soon after the beginning Of the settlement. This school—probably the first in what is now Marion township—was liberally patronized and was conducted for several years. Among the Irish settlers were a few Scotchmen, foremost among them being Robert and William Calland and Matthew Woods. Descendants of these early pioneers still live in the county and are among the most highly respected citizens; notwithstanding their ancestors were practically ostracized when they first came to the New World in search of liberty and a home. Friction sometimes occurred between the early purchaser of government land and some person who had settled Upon the same tract prior to the time of entry. A notable case of this kind happened in 1815 in what is now Sharon township. A year or two before this, Samuel Sailor came from Washington county, Pennsylvania, selected a likely piece of land a little south of where the village of Sharon now stands, built a camp and engaged in hunting. He did not go' to the formality f acquiring a title, because he did not think that any one else would want the land bad enough to dispossess him. In this opinion he was mistaken. Early in the year 1815 a man named Archibald entered the land upon which Sailor had attempted to establish "Squatters rights." Sailor made a, claim for his improvements, but Archibald considered his demand exorbitant and a lawsuit re, suited. The case was tried at Cambridge, as the territory was, at that time within the jurisdiction of Guernsey county. No road was at the time opened and, plaintiff, defendant, and their witnesses walked the thirty miles or more to attend' court. Each bore his trusty rifle and it was remarked that the expedition looked more like one of a military character than a civil process. After the adjudication of the dispute, Sailor settled farther west, near the present line of Morgan county. This time he entered his land in the regular way and lived upon the tract thus taken up until his death, which occurred in 1871. James Archibald, who entered the land upon which Sailor had "squatted," was in all probability the 'first permanent settler in Sharon township. The date of his arrival there is given as April 5, 1815. Other early pioneers in this section were William Boone, Alfred Smoot, James Kyle, Thomas Wiley, Peter Ackley, Thomas Boyd, William Wiley,* John Brownrigg, Lewis Shirley, Robert Lowe, William Bell and Samuel Long. Several German families located in this township at an early date, among them being the Anthonys, the Swanks, the. Pickenpaughs, the Harmons, and the Klingensmiths. The descendants of * William Wiley's death occurred in 1816 and his remains were the first to be interred in the old cemetery at Sharon. THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 31 some of these early families still reside in the county. Sharon township will remain distinguished among her sisters as the home of the first lawyer in Noble county. This was Isaac Parrish, who settled there in 1819, and who afterward occupied a seat in Congress. During the first quarter f the nineteenth century there was a steady tide of emigration from the older States to the Northwest Territory. By 1830. the region now embraced in the county of Noble contained a population of several hundred people, as shown by the tax records of the different counties, to which the territory at that time was subject. The life of the pioneer families of Noble county was not different from that of the people of other frontier settlements, Everybody lived in a log cabin, ate corn bread, and wore homespun clothing. Those who came first tried to find a suitable location convenient to a spring of living water, and when this was not convenient a well was dug, which was usually furnished with the sweep and .the "old oaken bucket" made famous in song. The log cabin of pioneer days is fast passing away. A few remain standing, here and there, like monuments to the memory of a bygone civilization, and these are fast crumbling to decay. Another generation and the log cabin will remain only in the history and traditions of the people. It is purely an American institution and the following description of the manner of its' construction may be interesting to the younger readers of this history, who have never had the pleasure of attending a "raising" : "When the settler had found a spot to his liking he began clearing the ground of the trees, reserving the largest and best logs to be used in constructing his cabin. For this, trees of nearly uniform size were selected and cut into suitable lengths, generally fifteen to eighteen feet. On an appointed day is many of the scattered neighbors as could be assembled gathered at the place to assist the newcomer in `raising' his house. After the ground-logs were laid, the others were raised to their places by the aid of handspikes. and `skidpoles,' and men standing at the corners notched them' as fast as they were placed in position., The place of 'cornerman' was one of distinction, and the men chosen for these positions were supposed to be particularly skillful in the use of the axe. "The cabin was usually raised to a height of seven. or eight feet, and then the laying of the gables. began. These 'were formed by shortening each log successively. and giving the ends the right slant. The gables were held in position and the framework of the roof formed by small, straight poles laid about two and a half feet apart, and extending from one gable to the other. These poles supported the Shingles or 'clapboards,' as they were called, forming the rof, and the clapboards were held in place by weight poles stretched across the roof in the same manner as the poles beneath the clapboards, and 32 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE.   secured by chunks of wood fitted closely between them at each end. The clapboards were usually about four feet in length, made from straight-grained oak, split in the requisite thickness. For the splitting an instrument known as a frow was used, which was merely a straight blade, fixed upright at right angles with its handle, and driven by a male. "After the cabin was completed and roofed, the walls were 'chinked an.d 'daubed' with clay or mud; and all holes through which cold or rain might enter stopped. The walls had to be rechinked frequently, as the rain loosened and washed out the filling. One or two small windows were made by cutting out a square hole in the walls. Across the window sticks were fastened, and to them greased paper was attached to admit the light and keep out the cold. A doorway was made. by cutting out a sufficient space in the logs if a saw was to be had—otherwise it was made by laying short logs on each side until a sufficient height had been reached, when the logs were laid extending the whole length of the front of the cabin. The door was made of splits or clapboards, fastened to wooden cleats by wooden pins. The hinges were also made of wood and fastened to the door in a similar manner. A wooden latch was then arranged on the inside of the door to be lifted from the outside by a leather string drawn through the door. When the string was drawn inside the door was securely fastened. From this manner of fastening the door arose the old, saying. The latchstring is always out,' synonymous with hospitality. "The chimney of the pioneer dwelling stood outside, at one end of the cabin. It was built either of stone or of sticks and mud. The fireplace was generally a huge affair. A space for it was left in the logs, or else one was cut for it after the walls were erected. The back and sides of the fireplace were made of large, flat stones ; the width was sufficient to admit a log six or eight feet long. In the fireplace hung a crane, with iron hooks (or wooden ones when iron could not be obtained), upon which the pots and kettles of the household were suspended. "The floor of the cabin - if it had one, which was not always the case —was made of puncheons, or boards split from logs and. hewed to the required thickness. * * * Over the doorway, in forked cleats, hung the pioneer's trusty rifle and powder horn." The furniture of the cabin was generally homemade. A puncheon table, sometimes having legs made of saplings, but more frequently built stationary against the wall, served both as kitchen and dining table. Puncheon benches took the place of sofas and three legged stools were more common than. upholstered chairs. Bedsteads were constructed by fastening a forked stick to the floor to hold one end of a pale, the other being supported in a crack between the logs. Across this pole others were laid crosswise to support the straw tick" that THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 33 took the place of a mattress. Sometimes a feather bed was placed on top of the straw tick, farming a comfortable if not luxurious couch. Cooking stoves and ranges were unknown. A long handled skillet, or spider, was used for frying meat and also for baking bread. A clapboard smoothed off served as a "Johnny-cake" board, the cake being baked by plastering the dough on one side of the board and propping it up before the fire. In the preparation of a meal the housewife usually wore a deep sunbonnet to shield her face from the fierce rays of the great fireplace. Think of a life like that, ye of the present generation, who live in steam-heated mansions with plate glass windows. The old fashioned spinning wheel that ornaments your parlor was to the pioneer damsel a necessary utensil in the preparation of the family's clothing, or perhaps her own trousseau. Flax was raised for summer wear and for table cloths and sheets. This must be pulled, bleached, broke, hackled, scutched, and spun before it was ready for the loom, and much of this work fell to the lot of the women. Wool was carded and spun by hand, dyed with a decoction made from the bark of trees, and both woolen and linen goods were woven on the old hand loom. Shoes were a luxury and even the ones they had were of the coarsest kind. Yet this existence was not without its advantages. If the pioneer lacked the conveniences of modern progress he was also without its drawbacks. With venison, wild turkey, and bear meat to be had almost for the asking he did not fear the clutches of the "Beef Trust." No board of trade could corner the wheat market so long as he had the old water mill in the neighborhood to grind his turn of corn. If all commercial transactions were in the nature of barter, he had but little use for money and was therefore not terrified by the thought that the failure of the bank might bring disaster. The problems of sanitation and water supply, that vex the city authorities of the twentieth century, gave him no concern. He had plenty of outdoor exercise, ate wholesome food at regular intervals, and as a result the indigestion and dyspepsia that follow late suppers, where wines and salads constitute the principal features of the menu, were to him practically unknown. On his hunting excursions he would throw himself flat on the ground and quench his thirst from some convenient pool or stream of water without the haunting fear of microbes or bacteria. The life was one of hard work, but it was not without its diversions. The men had their log railings, raisings, shooting matches, etc. The log rolling was a contest in physical strength from which as much real pleasure was derived by the participants as the later generations get from a prize fight, while the contests in skill with the rifle were occasions that were looked forward to with keen anticipation. Among the women the contests were with the spinning wheel and with the needle at the frequent "quiltings" that were held throughout the frontier settlements. To 3 34 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE spirt "six cuts" a day was an achievement of which any maiden could boast, and when this feat was accomplished in addition to doing the regular housework it challenged admiration. The young woman who could do this was looked upon as a desirable match for any thrifty young man that might be contemplating matrimony. Another popular amusement was the "house warming." When a new cabin was completed this ceremony was necessary to dedicate it to the use of its intended occupants. If there was a fiddler within reach, and there was usually one in every neighborhood, he was summoned, the young people gathered from far and near, and to the music of the solitary violin they danced the Virginia reel and the country cotillion with as much enthusiasm, and perhaps far more real enjoyment than the urban belle of today threads the mazy waltz to the strains of a five hundred dollar orchestra. Then there were the husking bees, where both sexes participated, and where the. mirth, ran high when some bashful swain found the "red ear." Hence, the life of the pioneer was not altogether cheerless. The frontier school, where the three R's constituted the course of study, turned out strong rugged men intellectually, and when the itinerant minister held divine services in some cabin, the hymns were sung with as much zeal and the prayers offered with as much sincerity as in a temple with stained glass windows and towering spire. Many of the streams of Noble county derive their names from some early settler or from some incident that transpired along their course. "Dye's Fork," took its name from Ezekiel Dye, the first settler of Brookfield township. "Reasoner's Ram," in Jackson township, was .named for the hunter and trapper from Guernsey county, who had a camp on the stream before any permanent settlers came to the locality. "Sailor's. Run," which flows into Duck Creek a short distance below Oarlisle, was named for Jacob Sailor, an early settler on the stream. "Whisky Run," in Beaver township, takes it name from the fact that in early days Jacob Clinedinst, Michael Upmeyer, George Peters, and James Eagon all operated distilleries along the course of the creek. "Opossum Run," in Seneca township was so named because the men engaged in cutting out the State road through the township killed an opossum on the banks of the stream. "Perry's Den," a curious natural formation near Ava, received its name from the fact that in former times a noted outlaw and horse thief named Perry used it for a retreat. Thus the early pioneers left their names to some of the natural features of the county as irrevocably as they left the impress of their character upon its institutions. * At a corn husking, or husking bee, as they were generally called, the finder of a red ear of corn was entitled to kiss the young lady next to him. If the finder was ayoung lady the privilege of bestowing the kiss fel. to the young man at her right hand. Chapter III. INDIAN RELATIONS—GENERALLY FRIENDLY NATIVES—LAST ACT OF HOSTILITY—EARLY ROADS—THE FEDERAL TRAIL—PETITION FOR A ROAD. IN SENECA TOWNSHIP—ROAD TO THOMPSON'S MILL —THE CENTER ROAD—FIRST ROAD TO CALDWELL—STATE ROADS—POST OFFICES—OLIVE—WHARTON— BATES' MILL - SUMMERFIELD—SHARON- New SKINSVILLE—EARLY MAIL CARRIERS —POST OFFICES' IN 1903—EARLY TOWNS AND VILLAGES - OLIVE—SARAHSVILLE—SUMMERFIELD—SHARON —HIRAMSBURG —CARLISLE —MOUNT EPHRAIM--- "MOSS TAVERN"—BATESVILLE —HARRIETSVILLE HOSKINSVILLE — ROCHESTER — MIDDLEBURG—WHIGVILLE- MATROM OR SOCUM—THE OLD VILLAGE OF LEXINGTON—EARLY INCIDENTS—A NOVEL MARRIAGE CEREMONY—A N ARTICLE OF AGREEMENT—WHISKY A NECESSITY —CIDER ON ELECTION DAY—A HARVESTING- INCIDENT—THE SLAVERY QUESTION. THE EARLY settlers of Noble county enjoyed one advantage not usually accorded to the inhabitants of the frontier. That was freedom from annoyance and the marauding acts of hostile Indians. For some time after the settlement of Marietta bands of discontented savages wandered over the lands of the Ohio Company threatening the settlers and occasionally killing some unfortunate individual, whom they found in a position where he could not offer resistance. The last o the hostile demonstrations at Marietta took place in May, 1794. At that time a man named Robert Worth was killed within a few rods of the fort. In the following February Jonas Davis was killed near Belpre, and in the spring of 1795 five young men, William Ford, Jacob Proctor, John Waterman, William Hart, and Sherman Waterman, were attacked not far from the old Waterford garrison. The young men had drawn donation lots on the south branch of Wolf creek, about three miles from the fort, and were at work clearing their lands when the assault was made. They had previously erected a small blockhouse and as soon as the Indians began their attack they made for its sheltering walls, though Sherman Waterman was seriously wounded. Once inside the blockhouse they succeeded in driving off the savages. This 36 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE. was the last act of hostility on the lands of the Ohio Company and occurred several years before the first settlement was established in the present boundaries of Noble county. For many years some of the Indians paid an annual visit to their hunting grounds, but on such occasions they refrained from any hostile demonstrations, sharing the game they killed with their white neighbors and eating at their tables. One of the greatest needs of the Noble county pioneers was that of highways. For several years the old Federal Trail, opened in 1791, was the only thoroughfare through this section of the State. It left the Ohio river at the mouth of Grave creek and crossed the western part of Noble county. Near the present village of Renrock the trail forked, one branch running through Morgan county and crossing the Muskingum river at Gaysport, and the other leading toward Chillicothe. An old Indian trail along the west fork of Duck creek was used for some time as a sort of a neighborhood road, finally broadening into a public highway. But time has wrought many changes. The road was straightened here and there to conform more nearly to the lines of the surveys, and all trace of the old trail has been obliterated. On September 3, 1810, a petition, signed by quite a number of the settlers along the proposed line of the road, was presented to the commissioners of Guernsey county, asking for the opening of a road, "to commence on the headwaters of the Seneca, and thence dawn the same, by Cornelius Bryan's, Jacob Yoho's, etc., to the town of Cambridge." The commissioners granted the prayer of the petitioners and appointed Elijah Stevens, John Carpenter, and Frederick Miller viewers, and Elijah Beall surveyor. The road was completed the following spring. The opening of this road stimulated the demand for another and on April 22, 1811, the commissioners Were made the recipients of another petition, this one asking for a road from Cambridge "to strike Buffalo Fork of Will's Creek at or near the mouth of Muddy Fork, thence on the same direction to strike the south boundary of Guernsey county, at or near the, center of the sixth township of the ninth range." James Cloyd, Daniel Bean, and William Talbot were appointed viewers, and the report returned to the commissioners was signed by them, and by George Archer and John Waller, as chain bearers, and by Lewis Waller as axeman. It set forth that the viewers had met "on the first Monday in May, at the house of Thomas Stewart, innkeeper, and proceeded without delay to view the .same." The next effort on the part of the settlers to secure a local road was in the spring of 1815 when a petition was presented to the commissioners of Guernsey county, for a road on Seneca fork, beginning at William Thompson's mill, but the records do not show whether the THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 37 request was granted. About that time, however, a road was cut out from the salt works in Olive township to Marietta. In 1816 a road was opened between Carlisle and Woodsfield. It had been "bushed out" some time before, as had also trails to the neighborhood of East Union, and to Bates' mill. The two latter trails were afterward developed into roads. What is known as the "Center road," running from McConnelsvile to Woodsfield, was opened through. Sharon township in: 1817. On October 26, 1818, Robert Caldwell, and a number of others, appeared before the board of county commissioners of Guernsey county and asked for the opening of a road "to commence at or, near the twelve-mile tree on the road from Cambridge to the Washington County line ; thence nearly a south course to Benjamin Thorla's, on Duck Creek ; thence to Robert Caldwell's to intersect the New Phila., delphia road, to the Washington County line near Captain Blake's. The commissioners appointed Martin Crow, John Keller,. and James Thompson viewers, and George Metcalf surveyor, and upon. the recommendation of these gentlemen the road was ordered to be opened.* In the meantime several roads, known as State roads, because constructed under the supervision and at the expense of the State, were opened through the Ohio Company's Purchase. The State road from Barnesville to McConnelsville ran through Batesville, Sarahsville, Belle Valley, Hoskinsville, and the Dye Settlement. That from Belmont county to Marietta ran via' Calais, Summerfield, and Carlisle. At Summerfield it was crossed by a road running from Zanesville to Sunfish on the Ohio river. As the development of the country proceeded other roads were constructed, but the ones named constituted the principal thoroughfares of the early inhabitants of Noble county. Along with the building of roads came the establishment of post roads and offices. For some time the infant settlements were compelled to go to Marietta for mail. Later post offices were established at Woodsfield and Cambridge, which brought the facilities of the post office department a little nearer, but the journey had to be made over roads that were sometimes almost impassable, and were never very good, so that a trip to the post office was no easy matter. The oldest post office within the county was probably the one established at McKee's store in Olive township, in 1820, with Robert McKee as postmaster. It was supplied with a weekly mail from Marietta, under the Star Route: system of delivery.. Upon the establishment of the Macksburg office the mail was brought from that point and the route was extended to Washington in Guernsey county. About the * This was probably the first road to come any where near the present city of Caldwell. 38 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE. year 1827 a mail route was opened from McConnelsville to Cambridge, a man named. Johnson being the contractor, and Jason Tilden the first mail earlier. Shortly after it was started, a post office named Wharton was established at Andrew Wharton's store, in Brookfield township, which was the second office of which there is any record within what is now Noble county. During the next two years several new offices were opened, viz..: at Bates' mill, with Timothy Bates as postmaster; Summerfield, with James W. Shankland as postmaster; Sharon, with Rev. Robert Rutherford as postmaster ; and at Hoskinsville, where Col. Erastus Hoskins had charge of the office. The office at Bates' mill was called Batesville, and was supplied with a weekly mail on the route from Barnesville to McConnelsville. It is said that Timothy Bates' report to the department at the end of the first quarter was "No letters, no papers ; hope for better luck next time." On the same route was the Hoskinsville post office. At the Sharon office two newspapers were taken, so that the weekly mail at that point was always certain to contain something, though it frequently happened for weeks at a time the mail contained no letters. The two papers were the London. Pall Mall Gazette, taken by Peter Ackley, and the Pittsburgh Christian Advocate, taken by John Lyons. Letter postage in those days was twenty-five cents, if the letter came any distance, and this no doubt had a tendency to discourage correspondence, especially as ready money in the pioneer settlements was somewhat scarce. Generally the recipient of a letter was looked upon as an important personage, and whoever received one nearly always shared the information it contained with his neighbors at his earliest opportunity. Sometimes the mail carrier was equipped with a tin horn, which he blew as soon as he arrived with hearing distance of the office to announce his arrival. Then all the neighbors within reach assembled at the post office, the small boys looking upon the carrier with much the same curiosity they assemble at the railroad station in the present generation "to see the train go by." Some of these old offices have long since been discontinued, but for every One that has gone out of existence a score of new ones has been established. In 1903 Noble county had forty post offices, viz.: Ava, Batesville, Belle Valley, Berne, Brookton, Caldwell, Claytonia, Cliffyville, Crooked Tree,* Dexter City, Dudley, Elk, Flag, Fredericksdale, Fulda, Gem, Glenwood), Haga, Harrietsville, Hiramsburg, Honesty, Hoskinsville, Keith, Kennonsburg, Kilmer, Leeds, Mc-, Cleary, Middlecreek, Mount Ephraim, Mount Zion, Nobleville, Olive Green, Renrock, Rich Valley, Ridge, Sarahsville, Sharon, South * In May, 1854, James H. Steadman laid out a village in Jackson township, which he named Jacksonville, but upon the establishment of a postoffice there it was given the name of " Crooked Tree" owing to a tree of a peculiar shape that, grew in the vicinity. THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 39 Olive, Summerfield and Whigville. Of these forty. offices Ava, Batesville Belle Valley, Berne, Caldwell, Dexter City, Fulda, Harrietsville, Mount Ephraim, Renrock, Sarahsville, Sharon, South Olive, Summerfield, and Whigville are authorized to issue and redeem money orders, and the daily business of any one of these offices, is more than that of all the offices in 1830 for a month. This shows the development of the county along commercial and industrial lines. With the opening of roads and the establishment of post offices there came naturally the formation of villages, some of which have continued to flourish, while the vicissitudes of civilized progress have doomed others to decay. The oldest village in the county was that of Olive, which grew up around Robert McKee's store, about three-fourths of a mile from where Caldwell now stands. After the location of a post office at McKee's in 1820 the business of that portion of the county began to concentrate there, though no plat of the village was filed until several years afterward. When the county of Noble was formed the first courts were held at Olive and it was a place of some importance. But when the county seat was located at Caldwell, some years later, the new town so completely overshadowed the old one that Olive gradually declined until but little of it remains except in the memory of the older inhabitants. In its palmy days it was an important center for the buying of leaf tobacco, which was hauled to the Ohio river for shipment. On June 19, 1829, according to the records of Morgan county, Benjamin Thorla, acting for John Devolld and Ezekiel Bates, surveyed the town of Sarahsville, and on September 28, of the same year, the plat was duly recorded. The town was named Sarahsville in honor of John Devolld's wife. About four years before the plat was filed Mr. Devolld had built a two story house on the site of the town. This was probably the first brick house in Noble county. At the time the town was laid out a few cabins stood near Mr. Devolld's residence. In one of these Devolld kept a small stock of goods, and he can therefore justly claim the honor of being the first merchant in Sarahsville. Additions to the original plat were afterward made by James M. Rowed, George Bell, and Samuel Aikens. Sarahsville was the first county seat of Noble county, and is still a town of considerable importance. Two years after Sarahsville was founded the town of Sharon was surveyed and platted under the direction of Robert Rutherford and Edward Parrish who owned the land upon which the village was located. A Presbyterian church had been erected there in 1823 and the establishment of a. post office contributed still further toward making a center of population. The original plat consisted of fourteen lots, not much of a city, but there was a time when Sharon was 40 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE. one of the most prosperous towns of the county. Among the early business enterprises conducted here was the pork packing business of John and Isaac Parrish and Reuben Israel. Sharon was also a great market for leaf tobacco. One of the first buildings erected in the place was a log school house, which stood upon the site afterward occupied by the Masonic hall. Thus Sharon early placed itself on record as the friend of education and in later years it maintained the reputation. Soon after Noble county was created Rev. Randall Ross founded a school here, known as Sharon College, which for many years was recognized as one of the best educational institutions in Southeastern Ohio. Summerfield is one of the oldest towns in the county and is one of those that was fortunate enough to be located where it came in contact with railroad communication in later years, thus retaining its prosperity. The first lots were laid off in 1817 by Moses Horton, but the official .plat of the town was filed in the recorder's office in Monroe county in. 1827. The town was named in honor of Rev. John Summerfield, a prominent Methodist preacher in early days. James W. Shankland was the first merchant in the place and David West kept the first tavern. Several additions have been made to the original plat. In 1836 Hiram Calvert employed. John F. Talley to lay out a village in Noble township. A plat was accordingly made, showing twenty lots, and filed with the recorder of Morgan county, of which. Noble township was then a part. The, town was named Hiramsburg, after its proprietor. Samuel Stevens had established a store there before the town was laid out. Asa Burlingame, was the first postmaster and also proprietor of the first hotel. One of the early businessmen of the place was Reason. Oalvert, who manufactured potash from wood ashes. He also manufactured linseed and castor oils. Carlisle (Berne post office), was laid out in the year 1838 by Richard Warfield, on the lands of John McBride and Enoch Archer. Before the village was founded James Tuttle had a small stock of goods there, and Solomon Wolf had conducted a blacksmith shop there for several years. In early days Carlisle was a great leaf tobacco market. The tobacco was packed and shipped to Baltimore. Contemporary with the founding of Carlisle the village of Mount Ephraim, on the. old Barnesville, and McConnelsville State road, was platted for Ephraim Vorhies, after whom it was named. For several years prior to that time Vorhies had conducted a tavern there. It was a large double log building, known far and wide as the "Moss Tavern" because moss had been used to chink the spaces between the logs instead of mortar. In 1839 Crawford Glover opened a store but in a short time sold out to Asbury Gardiner. One of the first tan- THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 41 neries in this part of the country was operated at Mount Ephraim by an Englishman named Henry Steel, who conducted his business successfully for more than a quarter of a century. Batesville was first platted for William Finley, and named Williamsburg, after its founder. The survey was made. by Lebbeus Fordyce and the plat recorded- with the authorities of Guernsey county in 1827. When the post office was established at Timothy Bates' mill, near the village., the name of Batesville was applied to the office and this name soon became attached to the town itself. The town was of slow growth, though in after years it became an important trading center. The year 1839 saw the projection of two new towns, Harrietsville, on the East fork of Duck creek, and Hoskinsville, in Noble township. Harrietsville. was surveyed and platted by Mitchell Atkinson, the surveyor of Monroe county, for Moses T. S:pencer. The village was named for Mr. Spencer's daughter Harriet; who was the first postmistress. Hoskinsville was platted by John F. Talley. for E. Parrish. The survey was made in February, 1839, but the plat was not filed with the recorder of Morgan county until October 22, 1840. The place was given the name of Hoskinsville in honor of Col. Erastus Hoskins, who. was the first postmaster. Rochester, also located in Noble township, was founded by Robert Hellyer in 1841, the survey and plat being made by Samuel Aikens. The town never met the anticipations of its founder. The post office called Nobleville is located here, though the only business is a. small country store. Other early villages are Middleburg, in Jefferson township; Whigville,* in Marion township; and Matrom, in Olive township. Middleburg was laid out in 1844 by Church Tuttle, who was the first merchant and postmaster in the place. In early years it was an important center, and has never lost all its popularity in this respect. The public schools of Middleburg have long been regarded as among the best in the county. The village of Matron, was laid out in the spring of 1846, Joseph Schofield being the proprietor and George Bell the surveyor. For a time it prospered but a half century after it was founded it consisted of only a few dilapidated houses. Of this village, Watkins says : "Even its name has pasted away; and, instead of high-sounding `Matrom,' plebian ‘Socum' has taken its place. `Socum.' is supposed to have been derived from 'soak 'em,' which title was fastened upon the place on account of the bibulous and whisky-selling habits of its inhabitants." But the first attempt to establish a village in what is now Noble county was that made by Thomas Emery and Jacob Young, when * Whigville was first laid out as Freedom in 1846 on lands belonging to William Leeper and Henry and Samuel Large.. The name was changed to Whigville by an act of the Ohio legislature, March 10, 1891. 42 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE.   they projected the town of Lexington in 1818. A town was duly laid out but the proprietors were unable to pay for the land, which proved a serious drawback for the embryo metropolis. Considerable was done there for awhile but the establishment of Summerfield a few years later attracted some of the merchants, and traders to that point and Lexington began to languish. In 1833 those owning lots in Lexington were Martin Grow, William Sutherland, William Caldwell, John Miller, William Sutton, David Sutton, William Shankland, and David Rose. About the year 1850 James W. Shankland acquired the title to all these lots and converted terstwhile cityity of Lexington into a farm.* During this period of development a number of interesting and amusing incidents occurred, that go to illustrate the character of the pioneer. population. Among the Irish settlers in Marion township was a man named Hugh Waybrant, who was one of the early justices of the peace. On being called upon for the first time to. perform the marriage ceremony his embarrassment was plainly visible. He was not thoroughly acquainted with the form of ceremony used by civil magistrates but he felt positive that some "swearing" must be done to make the marriage binding. When the happy couple 'appeared before him something like the following dialogue ensued: "Do you take this woman for your wife ?" "I doThenben, turning to the woman, "Do you take this man to be your husband ?" "I do," again came the reply. "Then, I'll be d---d if you ain't married." Although this novel ceremony was something out of the ordinary it has never been recorded that the couple were ever the worse off for it, and possibly many a marriage has occurred in some stately sanctuary, with all the adjuncts, such as orange blossoms and a wedding march pealed forth from a great organ„ that has not been productive of so much happiness, or in which the contracting parties have not felt half so much the solemnity of the obligations into which they were entering. The majority of the early settlers were men of limited education, and many were unable to read and write. Yet they were mostly men of staunch convictions of right and wrong—men whose word was as good as their written agreement. It sometimes, happened, in their dealings with each other, that one of the parties would insist on a written contract. One of these old documents has been preserved and is here subjoined as a literary curiosity. In reproducing it the original spelling, etc., has been followed as closely as possible. "An article of agreement made and entered Into by David Gorby of the first part of Noble Township Morgan County Ohio & Samuel * Several towns and villages founded after the organization of Noble county will be treated in the proper place chronologically. THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 43 Caldwell of the Second part of Olive Township & County & State as aforesaid. the Sd Gorby doath on his part agree to build the sd Caldwell A sow Mill and grist mill forebay he is To take the timber from the Stump The Timber is to be got out in first rate Stile, The poasts of the Lower part of the Mill to be 12 by 12 inches Squair, he is to Fraim the Mill & put in the running Geers in first rate. workmen Like manner. He further agrees to make a mill that will Saw as fast as anny other man can with the Same head of or if he dont he is to Have nothing for dowing Sd work, the Sd gorby is to have the timber hewed by the 25th of June next and the mill Fraimed by the first day of August next And The mill redy to Saw by the first of Nov. Next "the Sd Caldwell doath on his part agree to Pay The Sd gorby one hundred Dollars As, soon as the Mill performs as he has Agreed to make her perform the Sd Caldwell is to do all the hawling & to Furnish Plank for the forebay and other uses about the mill allso brases, 2 Shute Pieces timber for Saw gate We have boath hereunto set our Hand and Seals this 9 of May A. D 1836 David Gorby (Seal)  Samuel Caldwell (Seal)" This contract was witnessed by one William Lanam and it is said the mill "performed as he had agreed to make her perform," and that Gorby received his hundred dollars according to the agreement. Among the early settlers whisky was regarded as a necessity. Every neighborhood had its still, and often more than one. In 1830 five distilleries were in operation in Olive township. _They were conducted by Israel Spencer, Michael Shriver, Isaac Devore, William Free, and Israel Blake. No log rolling, raising, husking or harvesting been was complete without whisky. If one neighbor called upon another it was considered the proper thing to treat the visitor to a drink and any one refusing or neglecting to comply with the custom was regarded as being inordinately stingy. The price of whisky ranged from twenty-five to forty cents a gallon, and the farmer could take a. bushel of corn to the still and get it exchanged for a gallon of liquor any time. Notwithstanding the free use of whisky, intoxication was a rare thing and a habitual drunkard was almost unknown. Sometimes amusing incidents grew out of this general use of ardent' spirits. An election was held in 1816, at the house of a man named Jordan, not far from the present site of Hiramsburg. As this was the first election in that part of the country some of the pioneers deemed it a suitable occasion fora little celebration. They therefore sent to Marietta, secured a barrel of cider, and then "fixed" it by the addition of something stronger. Cider was a. scarce article in those days and the' voters partook freely of the doctored article which had been provided by their generous neighbors. By the time the polls 44 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE. closed a large majority were so far under the influence of the seductive drink that they were unable to get home. without assistance. Those who were sober enough set about getting the inebriated ones to their places of abode. All who could sit up were placed on horseback and those who were not able to hold up their heads were thrown across their horses, like sacks of grain, and accompanied by some more sober' neighbor set out for home. Aside from a headache, or a scolding from the "good wife," no evil results followed and the whole affair was treated as a good joke. In Seneca township, lived a man named Daniel Meade. He was a devout Methodist, and one harvest he announced his intention of having his wheat taken care of without the use of whisky. When it was about ripe he called on several of his neighbors to come on Monday morning to help him harvest it, at the same time telling them of his determination to have no whisky on the premises during the harvesting. What was his surprise, on rising on that Monday morning, to discover his entire field of wheat already "in the shock." His neighbors had gathered Sunday night, and having provided themselves with a generous supply of whisky, they had harvested the entire field by moonlight. Between the years 1830 and 1845 a number of Noble county pioneers were interested in the operations of the "Underground railroad" and many a negro, in escaping from slavery has received their assistance. Among the more active of these were Benjamin Hughes and William Steel, living near Stafford, Thomas Large, William Wilson, Alexander Franklin, Moses Horton, Nathaniel Capell, and John M. Rownd. The last named was in the merchandising business in Summerfield, and his place of business was a station on the Underground railroad. His son, James S. Rownd, was accustomed to tell a story of his experience on one occasion during his boyhood. Going to a rag bin in the rear of his father's store, to get some walnuts he had concealed there, he was surprised to find a big, black negro man concealed in the bin. Boy-like he rushed out and was about to give the alarm, when his father caught him by the arm and explained to him that he was not to say a word to any one of his discovery. Upon his return from school that afternoon he peeped cautiously into the bin, but the negro had been spirited away. John Lemmax, an old settler of Marion township, relates the following occurrence, which goes to show how high the feeling ran in those days : "In 1845, Peter M. Garner, Creighton Lorraine and Mordecai Thomas, while aiding some slaves to escape at Belpre on the Ohio, were surprised by a party of slaveholders just as they were getting out of the skiff. The slaves were returned to bondage and Mr. Garner and his companions arrested and placed in jail at Parkersburg, Va. THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 45 The claim was made that they were beyond low water mark, and therefore on Virginia territory. They were kept in jail for several months, and then the case was brought to trial. A verdict, however, was not reached, and they were again confined. Governor Bartlett, of Ohio, interested himself in the matter and asserted that their arrest was in violation of the constitution of the United States, and a scheme to kidnap citizens of Ohio, whom they thought to be abolitionists. They were again brought to trial, Ohio being represented by Hon. Samuel F. Vinton. The court held that they were on Ohio territory when captured, and therefore not amenable to the laws' of Virginia; they were consequently released." Chapter IV. FIRST COUNTIES IN OHIO-ADMISSION INTO THE UNION-FORMATION OF GUERNSEY COUNTY-:--MONROE-MORGAN-ERLY TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATIONS-A COUNTY SEAT WAR-AGITATION FOR A NEW COUNTY BEGUN-WHIG SENTIMENT- FIRST PETITION TO THE LEGISLATURE-HOWTHE COUNTY .WAS NAMED- DIFFERENT STORIES-MEMORIAL OF 1849—FULL TEXT AND NAMES OF SIGNERS-EZRA MCKEE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE-LOBBYISTS-PASSAGE OF THE ORGANIC ACT-FULL TEXT OF THE LAW -BOUNDARIES-FIRST ELECTION- LOCATION OF THE COUNTY SEAT-SARAHSVILLE SELECTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS- THEIR REPORT IN FULL-FIRST MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. THE DEVELOPMENT of Noble county as a separate political organism was something like the sculptor's statue concealed within the block of marble—a great deal of rough stone had to be broken off before the statue stood revealed. The first county organization, affecting the territory now comprising the county of Noble, was that of Washington county, which was established on July 26, 1788, by a proclamation of Governor St. Clair. By this proclamation the boundaries of Washington county were fixed a follows : "Beginning on the bank of the Ohio River where the western boundary line of Pennsylvania crosses it, and running with that line to Lake Erie; thence along the southern shore of said lake to the mouth of Cuyahoga River; thence up said river to the portage between that and the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum ; thence down the branch of the forks at the crossing place above Fort Laurens ; thence with a rawno be dcirawn westerly to the portage of that branch of the Big. Miami on which the fort stood that was taken by the French in 1752, until it meets the road from the lower Shawanese town to Sandusky; thence south to the Moto River; thence with that river to the mouth and thence up the Ohio River to the place of beginning." If the reader will take the trouble to secure a map of Ohio and trace these boundaries he will discover that the county of Washington, as first created, included nearly half of the present State of Ohio. THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 47 When Ohio was admitted into the Union of States, in November, 1802, it consisted of the counties of Washington, Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson, Ross, Fairfield, Trumbull,, and Belmont Of these counties Belmont was the only one, except Washington, that had any influence upon the section from which Noble county was afterward erected. Belmont county was created in 1801, being the last county established before the admission of the State into the Union. Muskingum was established in 1804, the territory comprising it being taken from Washington and Fairfield counties. Guernsey county was formed from parts of Muskingum and Belmont in 1810, the new county embracing a large portion of the territory now included in Noble. A generous slice was taken off the eastern part of Guernsey county in 1813, to become attached to the new county of Monroe. Four years later the creation of Morgan county still further reduced the size of Guernsey. Before the erection of Morgan county the eastern boundary of Guernsey was located near the center of the present township of Olive, in Noble county. From the earliest settlement until about the year 1820 the pioneers of Duck Creek and its tributaries had very little to do with civil organization of any kind. They were buffeted about by the organization of new counties, sometimes, to their benefit and sometimes to their disadvantage, but always without their being consulted as to the change. Several townships had been organized, the oldest of which are Seneca and Buffalo.* Seneca was organized by the Guernsey county authorities, April 23, 1810, and Buffalo on June 5, of the same ,year. Part of Seneca was taken to form the township of Beaver, June 3, 1816, the new township being also in Guernsey county. At the same time Olive township was created from part of Buffalo. After the erection of Morgan county, Olive township was reorganized by the authorities of that county in 1819. Brookfield and Noble townships were also organized by the Morgan county commissioners the same year. Another township created that year by the Morgan county authorities was that of Olive Green, so named from the stream that flows through it. The records of the county show that Jonathan Hughs was commissioned justice of the peace for Olive Green township, August 18, 1819. A few, years later the political complexion of the township was changed, General Jackson became the idol of the Democracy, and the name of the township was changed to Jackson. Enoch township was organized as a subdivision of Monroe county in 1822. Marion and Elk townships were organized at the same time, by the same county. No further township organizations were attempted until after the formation of Noble county in 1851. * The boundaries of both Seneca and Buffalo townships were materially altered by the commissioners of Noble county in 1851. 48 - THE COUNTY OF NOBLE. The first agitation for a new county, in the Duck Creek Valley, had its inception in the location of the county seat of Morgan county. Those living in the eastern part of the county were dissatisfied with the location of the county seat at McConnelsville, and immediately petitioned the legislature for the passage of a bill providing for a relocation. The petition was met by a remonstrance: from the citizens of the western part of the county * and the legislature declined to take any action in the matter. To offset this agitation, and to prevent a repetition of it, the people in the western part of the county secured the passage of a bill, on December 24, 1819, annexing townships six and seven of range eight, in which most of the recalcitrants lived, to Monroe. county. While this movement served to relieve the friends of McConnelsville of all further annoyance, concerning the removal of the seat of justice of Morgan county, it did not pacify those who had started the agitation. They interested others in their cause, and when, in 1845, the legislature took two townships from Athens county and annexed them to Morgan, the size of that county was so increased that those who had been attached to Monroe county by the act of 1819, together with some of their sympathizers in Monroe and Guernsey counties, began to advocate the erection' of a new, county. About this time the movement received an impetus from an unexpected quarter. After the annexation of the two townships (Homer and Marion) of Athens county to Morgan county the Whigs carried the latter, which prior to that time had been reliably Democratic. As the eastern part of Morgan was strongly Democratic many of the Whig leaders favored the organization of a new county, in which this portion of Morgan would be included, in order to retain their political power in that part remaining. The first petition was presented to the legislature of 1846, and it was in Connection with this petition that the county received the name of Noble. There seems to be some dispute as to why this name was selected. In an atlas of the county, published in the seventies, the statement occurs that the county was named in honor of James Noble, one of the, pioneers and a prominent citizen in early times. Another story is that when the petition was sent up to the legislature it contained no suggestion as to the name of the proposed county. Daniel Pettay, a lawyer of Sarahsville, who had charge of the petition, was asked to supply the deficiency and he gave the name which the county still bears. This story does not state how the name came to be selected by Mr. Pettay, but if it be true it was probably chosen with reference to the pioneer family of that name. Still another * It is said that this remonstrance contained " not only the names of all the inhabitants of McConnelsville and vicinity, but also the names borne on all the rolls of the militia captains of the neighborhood." THE COUNTY OF NOBLE - 49 account relates that when the petition was first presented to the legislature it was referred to the committee on new counties, of which Warren P. Noble, of Seneca county, was chairman. He was not very favorable to the scheme to create a new county, and in order to secure his influence, the friends of the petition gave the county the name of Noble, at the same time creating the impression that it was named in honor of the chairman of the committee. In view of the fact that one of the townships of Morgan county had been named Noble, some twenty-five years before, it is more than likely that the name of the county was selected with some reference to the family of Pennsylvanians, who settled on Duck Creek in 1812. No action was taken by the legislature of 1846, and another petition was presented to the sessions of 1847 and 1848, but without results. In December, 1849, the following elaborate memorial was prepared and again the matter was brought to the attention of the general assembly. "NEW COUNTY OF NOBLE: "Memorial to the General Assembly of the State of Ohio at its Forty-eighth Session. "The subscribers respectfully represent that they are residents within the territory that is sought to be erected into the new County of Noble; that they resided in the territory, as they now do, at the time the county of Morgan was erected in 1817 that by reference to the law creating the county (see vol. 16, p. 42) sand the map of the county, as described in the law, township 14 in range 14, now a part of York Township, was divided, and a bend in the Muskingum River in township 9 of range 11, now Windsor Township, embraced within the limits of Morgan County, forming irregular lines and extreme points south and west, against the ranges of entire townships on the east where the heaviest portion of the territory, population and taxpaying at that time existed. This was not necessary to form the lines or obtain the territory for the county. Without these extreme points and irregular lines, your petitioners being included in the aforesaid territory, there was a large surplus beyond the constitutional area. That when the general assembly appointed commissioners to fix the seat of justice (see same vol. 16, p. 198), your petitioners, with many others of the citizens who were taxpayers, believed that the seat of justice should be located near the center of the territory then forming the county, or towards the eastern boundary, to concentrate the greatest portion f the territory and population. A site in township 6 of range 9 was fixed upon for that purpose. "After viewing the site where McConnelsville now is, and the one in section 6, now Olive Township, a majority of the commissioners 4