USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 34
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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY
Honse, from Adam Maine, who lived in Benson's. P. E. Runyan; No. 7, Possum, the immediate neighborhood. This house was succeeded by the present Emery . Chapel in 1853. It is located on the Yel- low Spring Pike, immediately south of the village of Beatty, and is built of brick. Services are still held here.
People living in the settlement known as Rockway built a church, which has been under the control of the Lutheran denomination and is still in active opera- tion.
In the present year, 1907. a denomina- tion calling themselves "Saints or Church of the Living God" have erected a church a short distance this side of Rockway Chapel on the National Pike, west of Springfield. Services were first held here on October 28, 1907. The structure is a frame dwelling and cost $2.500.00.
In 1888 Locust Grove Chapel was erected. This chapel is located on what is usually known as the Gillett Road, about three and a half miles southeast of the city of Springfield. Sunday school and occasional services are held here.
SCHOOLS.
Springfield Township has no high school. the pupils taking advantage of the Springfield city high school under the provisions of the Patterson law.
The following is a list of the teachers for the coming year:
Superintendent, J. M. Collins; super- visor of music, W. H. Lewis : No. 1, Ridge, Clara Kempler : No. 2, Reed's. John Cope- land; No. 3, Sinking Creek. Effie Valen- tine; No. 4, Congress, Bessie Umpleby ; No. 5, Cross Roads, J. M. Collins, prin- cipal; Maggie Hinkle, primary; No. 6,
Redmond Higgins, principal; Bessie Gar- rison, primary; No. 8, Mill Creek, J. W. Arthur; No. 9, Rockway, C. E. Collins, principal; Glenna Snavely, intermediate; Ella Kissell, primary; No. 10, Snow Hill, Pearl Weatherford, principal; Beatrice Kaufinan, primary; No. 11, Victory, Fay Stafford; No. 12, Locust Grove, Margie Black ; No. 13, Durbin, W. S. Maxwell.
Enumeration of pupils for 1907-Males, 450; females, 388; total, 838.
ENON.
Enon is the principal village in Mad River Township, and is located on the Springfield and Dayton Turnpike, seven and a half miles southwest of the city of Springfield. It was originally platted in 1838. the time that the Springfield and Dayton road was laid ont, and was at the intersection of the road leading from Xenia to New Carlisle. Elnathan Cory and E. D. Baker made the first plat of lands 1-60.
In 1842 Mr. E. D. Baker made a second plat, the lots in which were numbered from 6-79, and another plat in .1845.
In 1847 David Cross platted an addi- tion of lots 1-20, and in 1849 David Funderburg made an addition of lots which he numbered 117-135. There were settlements in this vicinity prior to its being platted as a village.
In 1812. William Donnels built the first tavern in the township about one and a half miles west of the village. It was known as the "Hickory Tavern." The first hotel was built in Enon by Franklin Cook in 1838. It was built of stone and rough cast and for three-quarters of a
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century was used for that purpose. A few years ago it was destroyed by fire.
The first church erected in this town was the Methodist Episcopal, the or- ganization being formed about 1840. Rev. Hamilton is now pastor.
The first schoolhouse was built on North Xenia Street. The next school- house was built on South Xenia Street. It has another church called the Chris- tian Church, of which Rev. Jones is now pastor ; two grocery stores, at present one conducted by A. B. Dunkle and the other by Aaron Dellinger. Peter Hardman is the present postmaster.
For many years .John Baney carried the mail between Enon and the railroad station.
The town enjoys the distinction of a fine 'Knights of Pythias hall, erected in 1889 by Adolphus H. Smith, Jr. The census of 1900 gives the village a popula- tion of 295, a decrease of 36 over that of 1890 and a decrease of 67 over that of 1880.
The village is thriving, however, and contains some very pleasant country homes. Immediately northeast of it is the celebrated Knob Mound, the most distin- guished mound in Clark County. The railroad facilities to this village are fur- nished at Enon station one-half mile to the north, where the Big Four and Erie Railroads parallel each other. The Day- ton and Springfield Traction line can also be reached on the Valley Pike one and one-half mile to the north. This village is located on or near the route that General Clark took on his way to the battle of Piqua in 1780, and it is said that his military staff reconnoitered from the top of the mound in this vicinity.
The first house was built by Jesse Rhodes. The first merchant was John R. Miller. He came here at an early date from Brottensburg. After him came Stephen Wilson from Hertzler's Mill. Other merchants were Melyn Miller, Conrod Kurtz, Robert Gaston, J. L. Conklin, afterwards in Springfield; he was burned out here. David Zigler, Smith and Ohlwine, John H. Littler, Anthony Beam, John Goodwin, Miller and Wolfe, H. Strauss, Jolin Wallace and others. Mr. Wallace Robinson, Kennedy and Miller Baker were tailors, Joseph Sipes Nelson Hardman, T. J. Barton, John Hall, Wm. Pottle and Franklin Roch were blacksmiths. James Vanostrain and Wm. D. Miller made the celebrated Miller plow. William Barton, Silas Chappell, Peter Miller, Edwin Barton and others ran a cooper shop. The first physician in the town was named "Hoylt."
HARMONY.
Harmony is situated on the National Road near the west line of Harmony Township, six miles from Springfield. It was platted originally in 1832 by Lay- bourn Newlove, lots 1-13, and in 1851 John Walker made an addition to the village on the north side of the road.
Joseph Newlove and Robert Black were early hotel keepers of this village. About the year 1835, Harvey Ryan built a tan- nery there. He was succeeded in busi- ness by F. & N. Schoenberger and they in turn by John H. Larimer. The works have now been abandoned.
The first schoolhouse was built here in 1835, John Newlove being the teacher. During the time that stage coaches passed
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over the National Road, the village had a tween it and Green Township. The popu- bright and stirring appearance, but after lation is about twenty-five. Its name does the railroads came, this kind of travel not appear upon the map prior to 1880. Mr. H. H. Turner is postmaster at pres- ent. ceased and Harmony lost much of its energy. About 1890 a postoffice was lo- cated at this place which was called Wise- LAWRENCEVILLE. man. This office was abandoned when the Rural Delivery was inaugurated. Re- cently the Springfield and Columbus trac- tion line has been built through this vil- lage and it has again assumed an air of some importance. Its population would not exceed seventy-five. The cholera of 1852 almost wiped this village out of ex- istence.
HENNESSY.
Hennessy is a station on the Pennsyl- vania Railway, in the southeastern part of Mad River Township, one-half mile north of the south line of Clark County, and the same distance east from the Yel- low Springs Pike. It is nothing more than a cluster of houses and a stopping place for trains on the railroad.
At what time it first received its name is not known, but as it appears on Colonel Kizer's map in 1850. it must have been shortly after the Little Miami Railroad was built.
HUSTEAD.
Hustead is situated on the Yellow Springs Pike six and one-half miles south of Springfield and it receives its principal importance from the fact that the post- office is located there and a small grocery store.
Lawrenceville is located six and one- half miles northwest of the city of Spring- field, in German Township, on the road leading from Springfield, known as the Coblentz Road. Its first plat of lots was made in 1843, numbered 1-15, by Emanuel and Margaret Circle. The place was then called Noblesville, and it continued to have that name until it acquired a post- office and then, it being found that there was another Noblesville in this state, its name was changed to Lawrenceville, after Judge Lawrence who was then a member of Congress from this district. A store was built in 1836 by Elias Over. A few years later three Germans, named Rice, Dipple & Rice built and operated a pottery. This industry has long since been abandoned.
In 1905 John Rust laid out an addition of lots numbering from 1-2. The S. T. & P. Traction line having in the year 1905 been built through this village, consid- erable stimulus has been given to its growth, and smaller tracts of land are of- fered in its surroundings for sale at this time. The high school built in 1874 for German Township is located here, as well as a Reformed church, designated as Mount Pisgah. This church was built by the Lutheran and Reformed denomina- tions in 1821. The town has never been incorporated. There are probably 150 people living there. It has one store and
The name is taken from persons resid- ing in the neighborhood. It is located in the Eastern part of Mad River Town- ship, very close to the border line be- blacksmith shop. James V. Ballentine,
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HIGH SCHOOL, SO CHARLESTON
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, SO CHARLESTON
FRIENDS' MEETING-HOUSE, SELMA
CHILLICOTHE STREET. SO. CHARLESTON
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eighty-four years of age, was born in its round offering for sale cranberries. vicinity and still resides in Lawrenceville. Beesley put up a carding and fulling- In 1907 the Traction Company built a station, in which Napoleon Wagner at- tends to selling tickets, cigars, etc., and C. H. Bailey conducts a general store. mill. During 1812 and 1814, Peter Ritt ran a distillery; it was built on the farm of J. T. Warder and run by M. Murray. On August 1, 1830, Jeremiah Warder pur- chased the village of Lagonda for three LAGONDA. thousand dollars. The old mill was used, but was soon turned into a distillery. Lagonda while still preserving its name, is fast losing its identity as being now a part of the city of Springfield; yet at one time it almost held the position of a rival to Springfield. In Edwards' His- torical Atlas of Clark County the follow- ing is given : Warder erected a large mill south of the creek, and built a dam, which supplied the water-power for saw-mill, factory, still, and grist-mill. The grist-mill had a large patronage and ran for forty years. John Hunt was storekeeper in 1828. Mulhol- land was a jeweler. C. MeLaughlin and George Warder were early storekeepers in a honse which finally took fire and was consumed. The first English school in the neighborhood was taught in a small log house about one and a half miles north by east of Lagonda, on Mr. Cra- bill's farm. Later the school was moved into the Baptist Church, half a mile north of the village. During 1845 Rev. William J. Shuey taught the first school in La- gonda, with thirty or forty pupils. Next year a three hundred dollar honse was erected by Nicholas Nimsgern. In 1858, a house thirty by forty-five was erected, at an expense of twelve hundred dollars. In 1867, a sixteen hundred dollar house was erected. A church was built in 1871. at a cost of thirty-five hundred dollars. by the W. B. C. membership, one hundred and twenty-five. Dr. William A. Need- hamn of Vermont. came to Springfield Township, and lived in a log house near Lagonda. in the year 1814. This person was well known and a popular physician of the times."
"From the manuscript of William H. Berger, the following facts have been compiled. The first building erected in Lagonda was abont 1800. James Smith was the first white man to pass through the valley, accompanying a party of In- dians. The journey occurred in 1760, and Smith saw elk and buffalo. Simon Ken- ton and others settled north of Spring- field in 1799. A mill was wanted; the Government offered thirty acres of land to any mill bnilder. Kenton built a mill, but got no land. Kenton's claim was deeded July 29, 1814, to William Ward, Sr. Caleb Tuttle, when a boy, took wheat to Kenton's mill, and, standing on a block, bolted the flour by turning the cloth with a winch. Kenton sold, December 5. one-fourth to William Beesley and Nicholas Ricket. The former erected a saw-mill with a butter-churning attach- ment, and both worked in unison. Ricket now built a frame mill near the old site. and put in two sets of burrs. Mrs. Tuttle ran this mill while her father was sol- diering to the northward. Indians came
Later there was a postoffice established
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there, with Henry C. Laybourn as post- of the Little Miami Railway. Today but master. This was abandoned when the little evidence of its old-time importance remains. corporation limits of Springfield were ex- tended in 1882.
Wm. H. Berger died in 1907 having spent his lifetime in the vicinity of Lagonda.
LIMESTONE CITY.
Limestone City is located abont three miles southwest of the city of Spring- field, immediately south of the Big Four Railway. It is not far from where Krebs Station was located in early history of this county. It was platted by George Sintz in 1886. It is principally occupied by persons working in the various stone quarries in that locality. The quarries accessible from this point are those of R. R. and William Mills, the Moores Lime Company and the W. D. Moores Lime Company. Its population is probably from fifty to seventy-five persons. It takes its name from its surrounding lime- stone quarries.
LISBON.
In 1820 there was a schoolhouse built at this place, and later on Isaac Chamber- lain kept a hotel here, and a grocery store was also once conducted in this place.
Nothing remains now but the black- smith shop and the schoolhouse. On the original plat there were fifty-six lots. The church in the neighborhood, known as the Lisbon Church, is of the Baptist denomi- nation, the Rev. David Kerr of Spring- field being the present pastor.
MEDWAY.
Medway is located on the Valley Pike, and is so called because it is nearly mid- way between Dayton and Springfield.
In 1807 Rev. Archibald Steele built a grist-mill near this locality, which was the origin of the village. Mr. Steele in 1816 made the only plat of lots that was ever made for this village. It consisted of eighty-nine lots on each side of what is now the Valley Pike, and the town has been built along these lines. It always has been a village of considerable pros- perity, as it is situated in one of the rich- est valleys in Ohio.
Lisbon is situated near the sonth line of Harmony Township on the road lead- ing from South Charleston to Springfield and is about ten and one-half miles from Springfield and two miles from South Recently the Springfield and Dayton traction line has been built through it, and they have erected here a power-house which supplies power for the entire sys- tem, being one of the largest power-house plants in the country. This has added considerable importance to Medway, as the car barns are located there and a num- her of men, working on the traction line as motormen, conductors, and in other Charleston. It is one of the oldest vil- lages in the county, having been platted in 1815 by Ebenezer Pattoch and James Cheneworth. The latter was a Virginian and settled there as early as 1803. At one time it promised to be a village of considerable importance, but later the drift of population seemed to be towards its successful rival South Charleston, and this became more so after the building capacities, have made their homes there.
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The traction line has also located one of its parks along this line, which is des- ignated by the name of Tecumseh, and is a frequent place for picnics and other ont- ings from the City of Springfield and Dayton. A branch line has been built leading to New Carlisle, so while the old , industries connected with the various mills upon Mad River located in this vicin- ity have passed away, a new and import- ant one has come, and Medway bids fair in consequence to become a village of con- siderable importance in the future. It has a graded school and two churches; Methodist and Mennonites. There are several stores which compare favorably with those carried on in villages of this ebaracter. It is not incorporated, but it is probably safe to say that it has a popu- lation of about 300. It is twelve miles from Springfield and is in the southern part of Bethel Township forming a precinet known as Medway Precinct.
The first house was built by Jacob Hershey, who was also the first post- master of the village; he was then the proprietor of the "MeOwen Mills." (See Mills.)
The Methodist Church was erected here in 1842. Newton Dunkel conducts a grocery and is postmaster at this time. William Lansinger is the manager of the blacksmith shop, Mrs. Zilkey conducts the hotel and Mrs. Heil the restaurant.
NEW CARLISLE.
LOCATION.
In the selection of the site for this pleasant village we have another illustra- tion of the influence that a running stream
had upon our forefathers a hundred years ago, but if this was a factor in the early location of this village it has long since ceased to be a useful one. However this may be, New Carlisle is located upon as fine a plat of fertile territory as can be found in the Great Miami Valley, and this no doubt had its influence upon the mind of the early settlers. Besides it is in all probability located not far from one of the Indian trails that lead from the old village of Pigna (New Boston) over to the Indian villages upon the main part of the Miami River.
Dr. Young in a former history of this county, says that the Indian village of Chinchima was located on the Smith farin immediately west of town. Honey Creek, a branch of the Big Miami, has its source north of the village some five or six miles, and meanders down and around the vil- lage going west into Miami County.
SURROUNDINGS.
New Carlisle is situated on a platean, some twenty-five feet above the bed of this stream, which affords to it excellent drainage. On this stream the original proprietor built a mill as far back as in 1836, but it has long since been a thing of the past. We have no particular ad- vice at this time that the lands surround- ing the village were in a condition other than is usually found in this fertile val- ley, and no doubt they were originally covered with walnut, oak, hickory and timber of like character. It has been pre- viously stated, in giving the history of the county. that probably the first set- tler was John Paul who afterwards built or located a mill situated a mile or three-
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quarters northeast of this village, but the founder of the town was William Rey- bourn.
WHEN LAID OUT.
It is said by Dr. Young that it was first laid out in 1810, and the first location was about 80 rods west of the present town (this was in the northwest corner of the Stockstill addition), and it was called York, and that in 1812 Reybourn made his plat and called it Monroe. This plat, however, does not seem to have been re- corded until 1816. In 1828 the name was changed to New Carlisle. This original plat of Reybourn's was lots from 1-54 and extended from the lower part of the town up along Main Street to Lincoln Street. One lot wide on the west of the street and two lots wide on the east. We do not know much about Mr. Reybourn, INCORPORATION. except that afterwards one of his descend- ants went east and was recently the mayor The village is about sixteen miles north- east of Dayton and twelve miles west of Springfield. It was incorporated in 1831, but not being fortunate enough to be lo- ented on a road that was traveled much by stage coaches nor railroad prior to 1881 its growth was necessarily slow. Its natural surroundings, however, were such that in early times its founders had hopes that it might ultimately be chosen as the county seat, but its location was not cen- tral enough to make it a formidable fac- tor in the final settlement of this ques- tion. It grew, however, and became noted as one of the most attractive villages in this part of the state, but the absence of railroad facilities after the railroads came was a serious drawback to its of Philadelphia. Afterwards, in 1833, John Hay platted lots numbering 55-74, this plat of lots running north on Main Street above Reybourn's plat to Lake Avenue and then south on Church Street to Washington Street. In the same year Elnathan Corry platted lots 75-133, lot 75 being on the southwest corner of Wash- ington and Church Street, and the plat ran from Washington Street as far west as Scott Street, south to Madison Street and some few lots further south along Church Street. In 1842 Corry made another addition of lots 134-181. This plat was west of Scott Street and he- tween Jefferson and Madison. For forty years there was no other platted addition made to the village. New life having been growth. It was strictly an agricultural infused into the community by the community. When the I. B. & W. was
building of what was then the I. B. & W. R. R. in 1881, in 1882 J. N. Stockstill made an addition of lots numbering 182-281 which includes that part of the village bound on the north by Lake Avenue on the west by Clay Street and on the south by Wash- ington and on the east by Church Street, further south by the alley between Church and Adams Streets. The same year Forgy & Mitchell made a plat of lots numbered 282-300, being the western part of the town south of Tippecanoe Pike or Jeffer- son Street. In 1884 Saralı Smith, in the west part of the town opposite to the Forgy & Mitchell addition, laid out lots 301-321. In 1887 B. H. Rannels laid out lots 322-359, this addition being north of Washington Street and west of Clay.
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. built in 1881 the people were aroused from their lethargy and built up great expectations for the future, which has in a measurable degree been fulfilled. The village took on new life, made extensive improvements and now is one of the live villages of the county, compelling South Charleston to put on her spurs to keep her rank as second in size among the vil- lages of this county.
POPULATION.
The population we find has increased but very little. Going back as far as 1880, we find that the census gave the village 872. in 1890, 958; 1900, 995.
When the Dayton & Springfield Trac- tion Line was built, a spur was con- structed from Medway to New Carlisle, and so the people now have good facilities for reaching either Springfield or Dayton.
EARLY RESIDENTS.
It is said that Jonathan Taylor and J. S: Mussey were early merchants of the place and that it had three churches, built as early as 1830, and that Dr. Robbins was the physician in that year.
Elnathan Corry was the grandfather of our fellow townsman .J. Quincy Smith and lived at this old homestead. The Corry family has been prominent in the affairs of the village from that date until the present. Among other old time residents may be mentioned Cyrus Lowman, whose father built the second stone house that was erected in Clark County. Cyrus lived in the vicinity of the village and during his entire life of more than fifty years was closely identified with its affairs. Legislature from 1871-1875, and conducted
Another old time settler and one of great prominence in the village was Dr. John N. Stockstill. He commenced the practice of his profession in this village in 1842. He has been dead some fifteen years. The old homestead still standing on Main Street in its day was one of the finest residences of the town. Another old time physician of the place who was here for a half century was Dr. Isaac Miranda, who came here in 1851. During his life- time he was prominent in township and village affairs. Another person who is well remembered by the oldest people of the village is E. T. Weakley. He was a Virginian. prond of his ancestry and strong in his Democratic principles, set- tling here in an early date, and posses- ing considerable wealth. The politics of the village are generally Republican, but Mr. Weakley and Dr. Miranda ably ad- vocated and maintained the principles of the Democratic party. Mr. Weakley as- sisted in the organization of the New Carlisle Bank. and was well known in this and surrounding counties.
Horace N. Taylor was a life-long resi- dent of this place. His father, Ezra G., came here in 1829 and from that time on until his death was one of the leading citizens. The younger Taylor for quite a while conducted a store under the firm name of Garver and Taylor. He was postmaster under Benjamin Harrison and for a long time was township clerk. He has been dead for some five or six years. Dr. Benjamin Neff was quite an active and distinguished citizen of this place from the time that he came here in the early 60s until his death in the early 90s. He represented this county in the state
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a drug store where T. J. Marinda is now continued pioneer pastorate in this vicin- located. His son Charles for some time was cashier of the New Carlisle Bank.
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