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Mt Pleasant in 1776.
A COMPLETE HISTORY
- OF -
FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO,
- BY -
HERVEY SCOTT.
1795-1876.
SIEBERT & LILLEY, PRINTERS AND FINIERS. COLUMBUS, OHIO : 1877.
12183 . 02
YHA BLI 3HT
€
INDEX.
PAGE.
Bar of Lancaster.
16
Baptists, New School
120-
Band of Horse-thieves. 148
Births and Deaths. 157
Binninger, Philip.
160
Banks of Lancaster.
282
Commerce of Fairfield County.
Choruses
18 27 34
Carpenter's Addition.
County Jail.
36 52 59
Court of Quarter-Sessions
78 96
Catholic Church
138
County Officers.
144
Colored Citizens of Lancaster.
281
Cold Spring Rescue.
289
Conclusion
298
Dunker Church.
142
Enterprise
20
Episcopal Church
135
Emanuel's Church, St.
137
Evangelical Association (Albright)
140
First Settlement
4
First Born
7
First Mails and Post-route.
12
Fourth of July.
31
Finances of Lancaster in 1827.
32
Finances of Fairfield in 1875
36
Fairfield County in 1806.
36
Fairfield County in the War of 1812.
79
Growth of Lancaster
11
Ghost Story.
61
Grape Culture
68
General Sanderson's Notes. 98
German Reform Church
136
Court of Common Pleas
Canal Celebration.
County Fair.
iv
INDEX.
PAGE.
Gas-Light and Coke Company.
281
Governors of Ohio.
287
Horticultural Society
119
Hocking Valley Canal
150
Introduction.
1
Inscriptions in Kuntz's Graveyard.
61
Incorporation.
21
Judges of Court ..
278
Knights of Pythias
73
Knights of Honor.
73
Knights of St. George
75
Lancaster
6
Lancaster Gazette
58
Lutheran Church, first English.
136
Land Tax
160
Mount Pleasant.
10
Medical Profession
16
Miscellaneous.
21
Miscellaneous
65
Masonic.
69
Methodist Church
122
New Court-house
35
Nationality
156
Old Religious Stanzas
23
Old Plays
28
Ohio Eagle.
57
Other Papers.
59
Odd Fellowship.
71
Omish Mennonite Church.
139
Primitive State of the Country
2
Public Square
34
Physicians
59
Patrons of Husbandry
74
Political
120
Protestant Methodist
128
Pleasant Run Church.
129
Presbyterian Church
131
Public Men
152
Phrophesy
297
Presidents of United States
288
Ruhamah Green (Builderback)
8
Relics
56
Rush Creek Township in 1806
157
Refugee Lands. 80
Reform Farm. 80
V
INDEX.
PAGE.
Representatives in Congress.
82
Representatives and Senators, State Legislature. 109
Rebellion of 1861 112
Regular Baptist Church. 128
Railroads 285
St. Joseph's Benevolent Association
75
Statistics. 79
St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church. 135
Townships ..
82
Typhoid Epidemic. 152
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS AND PERSONAL
161
Ashbaugh, John.
177
Beery, George W.
173
Bope, Jacob.
199
Barr, Thomas 292
161
Carlisle, B. W
165
Cherry, Thomas
204
Crook, John.
209
Crumley, Daniel.
216
Courtright, John.
219
Cole, Thomas.
222
Ewing, Hon. Thomas
171
Ewing, Thomas E.
232
Fishbaugh, Mordecai.
211
Foster, David
238
Foster, F. A.
243
Griffith, Samuel.
276
Hunter, Hocking H
172
Harmon, George.
214
Hathaway, A.
248
Heyl, Christian
252 264
Jackson, Thomas.
196
Iric, John.
220 176
Kester, Samuel
296
Leonard, Henry
182
Leist, Michael 192
Leith, John. 158
Lyle, David. 228
Landis, Martin 237
McClung, William. 176
Murphy, William 203
.
Chaney, John
Hunter, Andrew.
King, Mrs. Flora
vi
INDEX.
PAGE.
Murphy, Theodore.
218
McClung, Mrs. Jane.
268
Peters, Wesley
230
Radibaugh, Mrs. Mary.
206
Rudolph, Christian.
241
Rutter, Mrs. Catharine
262
Ream, Jonas A
178
Reece, Thomas.
277
Sheaffer, Jacob.
207
Sites, Frederick
234
See, John.
255
Shawk, Charles
261
Sherrick, Elizabeth.
266
Stemen, Nicholas.
167
Sherman, Judge Charles.
172
Stewart, Levi
179
Van Pearce, Mrs.
242
Vandemark, Elias
245
Vanzant, John
271
Williams, John
173
Wiseman, Joseph
194
Young, Mrs. Rachel
258
ERRATA.
Page 282, last paragraph, for Judge Schofield read Philomen Beecher.
In the notice of Lancaster Drug Stores in 1876, page 19, for Wetzler read Wetzel.
On the 19th page, and seventh line from the bottom, read James McManamy.
On page 20, in list of practicing lawyers, five names were omitted, viz. : Tallman Slough, J. S. Sites, David Clover, New- ton Schleich and John McCormick. These are all practicing Attorneys in 1877.
Page 119, in second and third paragraphs from top, for John C. Boviny read John C. Rainey.
In State Legislature, years 1866 and 1868, page 110, read U. C. Rutter.
On page 128, second paragraph from bottom, for Rev. George Debott read Debolt.
Page 56, in "Gins.ng Wanted," read Daniel Arnold for Daniel Arnott.
SEE L.C.
C. (RECTIONS
LUCA NO.
241
PHYSICIANS.
In the enumeration of the physicians of Fairfield County, the following names were unintentionally omitted :
Dr. G. Miesse, Sen., will be remembered as a highly eminent practitioner of medicine in the neighborhood of Dumontsville for many years. About 1840, or a little later, he removed to Greenville, Dark County, Ohio, where he still resides, at the age of 70 years.
Dr. G. Miesse, now of Lancaster, is his son. Dr. Miesse, Jr., is known for his distinguished ability as a pianist and composer of music. He makes a speciality of treating chronic diseases.
Dr. M. H. Miesse is a physician of Royalton.
Dr. Jonas Wiest, now of Circleville, was formerly a practi- tioner at Dumontsville, this County.
Dr. Chas. Babcock and Dr. Barlow were former homeopathic physicians of Lancaster.
Dr. Lurch of Amanda is a physician of many years practice, and is extensively known.
Dr. Thomen, resident physician at Baltimore.
Dr. Rutter, medical practitioner of Clear Creek.
Dr. Thomas, resident physician of Rushville.
Dr. Hummel is a practitioner of Baltimore.
The difficulty the author has experienced in receiving re- sponses to inquiries, is the apology for these names not ap- pearing in the proper place.
Jacob Wiest emigrated from Pennsylvania and settled in Greenfield Township, this County, in May, 1822, where he con- tinued to reside untill the time of his death, on the 24th of Nov., 1872, at the great age of 88 years, 11 months and 9 days. He was the father of twelve children, of whom four have de- ceased and eight are living. There were also living at the time of his death, 96 grand-children and 129 great grand-chil- dren. Mr. Wiest was a soldier in the war of 1812. His tomb is near Dumontsville.
John Zeigler is almost the last surviver of the original settlers of Fairfield County. He settled on the place where he now resides with his son Noah, five miles north of Lancaster, among the very earliest of the settlers of the County. His age is 92 years.
Benjamin Wiest, still living at the age of 70 years, was an early settler of Greenfield Township.
Joseph Miesse, Sen., was among the early settlers of Green- field Township. The Miesse's of the County are his descend- ants. He died many years ago. He was the founder of Miesse's church near Dumontsville. This church is known as the "coal mine" church, from some tradition.
The following names are miss-spelled in the text, but are here rendered correctly :
In "grape culture," J. F. Bovring should be read F. J. Boving.
In "Knights of Pythias," page 73, read John A. Heim for John A. Hern.
Page 76, in "Constituent Members," the first name should be L. C. Buteh instead of D. C. Buteh. Also, on page 75, 2nd line from the bottom, read L. C. Butch for L. C. Butler.
Wherever the name Newton Selich occurs, it must be read Newton Schleich.
The name of the pastor of the presbyterian church at Lith- opolis was given to the author as Brown, and so written on page 135, top line. The correet name is Downe.
Abraham Seifert has served as County Recorder, Probate Judge and Member of the house of Representatives of the State Legislature. By some strange inadvertance his name appears variously spelled in the text, under the proper heads "Adam Seifert"; "Abram Seifert"; "Adam Syfert."
On page 144, in "Probate Judges," third line from the bot- tom, Wm. T. Rigley must be read Wm. L. Rigby. Also, on page 153, the name is spelled Bigby intead of Rigby.
The spelling of names, especially those derived from foreign languages, is sometimes various. It will be found however, that with the foregoing corrections, this volume will be com- plete, and it is hoped satisfactory.
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, O.
A history of Fairfield county in 1876, just seventy-six years subsequent to its first organization, has been no easy task; first, because the pioneers have nearly all passed away; and secondly, because there are no records of much that would be requisite to make up a complete history. This is much to be regretted. So far as they could serve me, how- ever, I have collected from state histories, and from state and county records, statistical and other matter. Beyond this I have collected from living witnesses who have been life-long citizens of the county, so much of personal history, and inci- dent, and anecdote, together with pioneer reminiscences, as it has been possible to do. Much of this, however, as above remarked, is lost, because those who first broke the forest and planted civilization and religion in the Hocking Valley, were dead before the conception of this work by the humble writer had been formed. This occasion is taken, however, to say, that the book is presented to the public as a pretty full and, as is believed, an entirely correct and authentic history. Nevertheless, brevity and condensation have been observed, because the author has desired to bring the work within the financial ability of every citizen, by producing a cheap book. But readers must excuse the limits of personal history, since, to write out even brief notices of all pioneers who deserve mention, would require several volumes.
Our history begins with the beginning of the white settle- ments in the Hocking Valley. Beyond that, through the ages of the unknown past, there is no vista for our eyes; nothing to count the centuries by; and imagination is content to picture an indefinite routine of years during which the awful solitude was only broken by the discordant utterances of wild beasts, and the scarcely less savage war whoop of the red man. Fancy runs wild in trying to conjecture what was
1
2
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
here before the tread of the Anglo Saxon race came, and the sound of the woodman's ax and the tinkling cow bell were heard. All is lost in oblivion.
In conclusion of these opening remarks, the compiler begs leave to say, that he was born in western Ohio in the begin- ning of the present century, and has therefore been identified with the country from the time when the first log cabins were built, and the first paths were blazed through the wilderness, and has been familiar with all the transformations. He has known the country in a state of nature; and has seen the wilderness become a garden.
PRIMITIVE STATE OF THE COUNTRY.
Marietta and Fort Harmer, at the mouth of the Musking- um, were the first settlements made by the white race on Ohio soil. Settlements were begun there about the year 1777, or 1778. Washington county, so named in honor of General Washington of revolutionary fame, was one of the four coun- ties into which the territory of Ohio was devided first, by proclamation of Governor Arthur St. Clair. Its boundaries extended north with the Pennsylvania line to Lake Erie, em- bracing all that part of the state known as the Western Re- serve, and extending down the lake to the mouth of the Cuyahoga river, where Cleveland now is; thence south on a line to the Ohio river.
Not long after the settlements at Marietta began, scouts from there penetrated the wilderness to the Hockhocking, and up that stream as far as where Lancaster now stands. At that time the Wyandot Indians occupied the valley of the Hocking, and held it as did all the aboriginal tribes of North America by the right of undisturbed possession for unknown ages. There were two Indian towns at that time within what is the present limits of Fairfield county. The principle one was Tarhe town, situated on the north bank of Hocking, and occupying the same grounds now owned and used by the Rail Road companies, on the south east borders of Lancaster. This town was governed by Chief Tarhe, who was said to be rather a noble Indian. The town was believed at that time to contain about five hundred inhabitants. There was an- other small village of the Wyandots' nine miles west of Tarhe
3
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
Town, near the present site of Royalton. This was Toby Town, and was governed by an inferior chief whose name was Toby.
At the close of the Indian wars of the north west, a general treaty was held at Fort Greenville, the present county seat of Darke county, Ohio. In this treaty the Wyandots surrend- ered their possessions on the Hockhocking, and soon after- ward removed to the Sandusky. There were however a few of their number who for several years afterwards lingered about the country, as if unwilling to leave their old hunting grounds and the graves of their relatives. They were for the most part peaceable, and gave little trouble to the white settlements, unless where they were misused. But at last, finding the game becoming scarce, they went away and joined their friends at the north. The treaty of Greenville was signed on the 3. of August 1795.
Fairfield county was first organized in 1800 by proclama- tion of Governor St. Clair. At that time it embraced nearly all of the present counties of Licking and Knox, with also portions of Perry, Hocking and Pickaway. Subsequently, as emigration flowed into the country, and new counties began to be formed, Fairfield was contracted to near its present outlines, and still later other portions were struck off to ad- joining counties, which will be noticed in the proper place.
In 1840 Fairfield county consisted of fourteen townships, viz : Amanda, Berne, Bloom, Clear Creek, Greenfield, Hock- ing, Liberty, Madison, Perry, Pleasant, Richland, Rush Creek, Violet, and Walnut. In that year the aggregate population of the county was 31,859, or 59 inhabitants to the square mile. Previous to 1820 no authorized enumerations were taken, consequently no populations can be given. In 1820 the first enumeration of the people was taken by author- ity of Congress, as a basis of representation, and thereafter at the end of each succeeding ten years. In 1820 the population of Fairfield county was 16,508; in 1830, 24,753; in 1840, 31,859; and in 1870 it was 35,456. Arthur St. Clair was appointed Governor of the territory of Ohio by General Wash- ington, then President of the United States, in 1788, and continued to fill that office until 1802, when the state was admitted into the union.
Fairfield county was so named from the circumstance of so
4
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
many beautiful champaign fields of land lying within its original boundaries. According to the best information deriv- able from existing maps of the old surveys, made previous to the beginning of the white settlements off from the Ohio river, the county seems to ly within that tract of country once known as the purchase of the Ohio Land company; but these maps are believed to be inaccurate, and therefore unreliable. This is a matter now however of little importance to history.
FIRST SETTLEMENT.
In the year 1797, one Ebenezer Zane entered into a con- tract with the government to open a road from Wheeling, Virginia, to Limestone, Kentucky, (now Maysville) over the most eligible route, including also the establishment of three ferries, viz. one over the Muskingum, one over the Scioto, and one over the Ohio. There are different statements as to what kind of a road it was to be. By some it is said it was to be a wagon road; others, that his contract embraced nothing more than the blazing of the trees, as a guide for travellers. The former is the reasonable conclusion, and is best sustained, as the mere blazes on ranges of trees would not constitute a passable road for travel, and therefore of no use for emigra- tion. The country was at that time an unbroken wilderness the entire distance of 226 miles, and the undertaking was at once arduous and perilous, as hostile bands of Indians were still more or less roving over the country. He however suc- cessfully accomplished the work, and the route was denomin- ated Zanes' Trace, and continued to be so called for many years after the state was settled. The route of Zanes' Trace lay through where Zanesville now is, and also through Lan- caster, crossing the Hocking two or three hundred yards south of the present Chillicothe pike, and about one half mile west of the crossing of Main and Broad streets.
The compensation which Mr. Zane received for this service consisted of three several parcels, or tracts of land, patented to him by Congress, and of the dimensions of one mile square each. One of these tracts he located on the Muskingum, where Zanesville stands, and one on the Hocking, embracing the present site of Lancaster.
Following is an extract from an address delivered by Gen- eral George Sanderson before the Lancaster Literary Society,
Photo Eng CONK
JOSEPH HUNTER'S CABIN. 1798.
5
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
in the month of March, 1844. General Sanderson was iden- tified with the very earliest times of Fairfield county and Lancaster, having come to the settlement at the beginning of the present century, in company with his fathers' family, and continuing to be a resident of Lancaster till the close of his life, in the year 1870. His contribution to the early history of Fairfield county is therefore most valuable, as there are few, if any of the earliest pioneers left to tell of the events and times now three quarters of a century past.
' "In 1797, Zanes' Trace having opened a communication be- tween the Eastern States and Kentucky, many individuals in both directions wishing to better their conditions in life by emigrating and settling in the "back woods", so called, visited the Hocking Valley for that purpose and finding the country surpassingly fertile,-abounding in fine springs of pure water, they determined to make it their new home.
"In April 1798, Capt. Joseph Hunter, a bold and enterpris- ing man, with his family, emigrated from Kentucky and settled on Zanes' Trace, upon the bank of the prairie west of the crossings, and about two hundred yards north of the present turnpike road, and which place was called "Hunter's settlement."-Here he cleared off the under-brush, felled the forest trees, and erected a cabin, at a time when he had not a neighbor nearer than the Muskingum and Scioto rivers. This was the commencement of the settlement in the upper Hocking Valley, and Capt. Hunter is regarded as the founder of the flourishing and populous county of Fairfield. Ile lived to see the country densely settled and in a high state of im- provement, and died about the year 1829. His wife was the first white woman that settled in the valley, and shared with her husband the toils, sufferings, hardships and privations incident to the formation of new settlements in the wilder- ness. During the spring of the same year, (1798) Nathaniel Wilson, the elder, John and Allen Green, and Joseph Mc- Mullen, Robert Cooper, Isaac Shæffer, and a few others, reached the valley, erected cabins and put in crops.
"In 1799 the tide of emigration set in with great force. In the spring of this year, two settlements were begun in the present township of Greenfield; each settlement contained twenty or thirty families. One was the falls of Hocking, and the other was Yankeytown. Settlements were also made
6
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
along the river below Hunters, on Rush Creek, Fetters Run, Raccoon, Pleasant Run, Toby Town, Mudy Prairie, and on Clear Creek. In the fall of 1799, Joseph Loveland and Heze- kiah Smith erected a log grist mill at the upper falls of Hock- ing, now called the Rock Mill. This was the first mill built on the Hockhocking.
"In April 1799, Samuel Coates, Sen., and Samuel Coates, Jun., from England, built a cabin in the prairie, at the "Crossing of Hocking"; kept bachelors hall, and raised a crop of corn. In the latter part of the year a mail route was established along Zanes' Trace from Wheeling to Limestone. The mail was carried through on horseback, and at first only once a week. Samuel Coates, Sen., was the postmaster, and kept his office at the Crossing. This was the first established mail route through the interior of the territory, and Samuel Coates was the first postmaster at the new settlement.
"The settlers subsisted principally on corn bread, potatoes, milk and butter, and wild meats, flour, tea, and coffee were scarcely to be had, and when brought to the country, such prices were asked as to put it out of the power of many to purchase. Salt was an indispensable article, and cost, at the Scioto salt works, $5.00 for fifty pounds; flour cost $16.00 per barrel; tea $2.50 per pound; coffee $1.50; spice and pepper $1.00 per pound."
Such was the beginning of the settlements in the Hocking Valley, where Fairfield county is situated, coeval with the commencement of the nineteenth century. It is proper to pause here and speak of the beginning of Lancaster, before further developing our history, because Lancaster was laid out before the county of Fairfield was declared, and two years previous to the adoption of the constitution of the state of Ohio.
LANCASTER.
Ebenezer Zane was the original proprietor of the town. It will be remembered that he was already the owner of one section of land at the crossing of Hocking. Upon that tract Lancaster now stands. In the fall of 1800, Mr. Zane laid out and sold the first lots. The rates ranged from $5.00 to $50.00 a lot, according to location. A large proportion of the first settlers of Lancaster were mechanics, who erected cabins
7
HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
with little delay, finding the materials mainly on their lots. To encourage emigration, Mr. Zane gave a few lots to such mechanics as would agree to build cabins on them and go to work at their respective trades; and it is said, that the work of organization went on so rapidly, that by the spring of 1801 the streets and alleys in the central part of the town assumed the shape they still retain. "New Lancaster" was the name first given to the place, in compliment to emigrants from Lancaster, Pa., who made up a considerable proportion of the first settlers. The name however was changed by the Legis- lature in 1805, to Lancaster, Ohio, to avoid confusion in the postal service. The title, New Lancaster, nevertheless con- tinued to be used for more than twenty years afterwards. We continue quotations from General Sanderson's address.
"About this time merchants and professional men made their appearance. The Reverend John Wright, of the Pres- byterian church, settled in Lancaster in 1801; and the Rev. Asa Shin, and the Rev. James Quinn, of the Methodist church, traveled the Fairfield circuit very early.
"Shortly after the settlement, and while the stumps re- mained in the streets, a small portion of the settlers indulged in drinking frolicks, ending frequently in fights. In the absence of law, the better disposed part of the population determined to stop the growing evil. They accordingly met, and resolved, that any person of the town found intoxicated, should, for every such offence, dig a stump out of the streets, or suffer personal chastisement. The result was, that after several offenders had expiated their crimes, dram drinking ceased, and for a time all became a sober, temperate and happy people.
"On the 9. of December, 1800, the Governor and council of the North Western territory organized the county of Fair- field, and designated New Lancaster as the seat of justice. The county then embraced within its limits all, or nearly all, of present counties of Licking and Knox, a large portion of Perry, and small parts of Pickaway and Hocking counties."
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