USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > A complete history of Fairfield County, Ohio > Part 24
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The company came down the Ohio to the mouth of Hocking on a flat-boat, then up Hocking in canoes to the falls. There their little stock of goods was unloaded, and a portion of them placed on "drags" (two poles framed together, the slim ends forming the shafts), and by horses pulled up to the destination west of Lancaster; the men, women and children walking through the wilderness. Some of their goods were left at a cabin near the falls, and were not brought away for several months.
James Hunter was a brother of John Hunter, and uncle of Andrew. He once taught school in a cabin that stood on the site of Steven Smith's blacksmith-shop, on Columbus street, Lancaster. He also taught west of Lancaster. Mr. Hunter said he went to school to his uncle one day, when he thinks he was about eight years old. It was the first time he had ever been in a school-house, and he kept his hat on. The scholars "giggled," and at last the teacher laughed, and then he got mad and gathered up the wooden poker from the chim- ney-corner, to make battle, and the master had to quiet him by telling him they were laughing because he had his hat on in school. But he would not go back again to that school.
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At Mr. Hunter's first recollection, the following were his father's principal neighbors: Nathaniel Wilson, Sr., Jesse Spurgeon, Joseph Work, John Scarl, Maurice Reece, Joseph Hunter, John Green, Mr. Vandemark, and old grandfather Hunter ..
Mr. Hunter referred to the great Indian scare, elsewhere re- ferred to in this volu.ne. Nathaniel Wilson's house, as being the best one in the neighborhood, was used for the fort, where the women and children were taken for protection. A neigh- bor (I think he said Jesse Spurgeon) took him and some other little fellows in charge to convey them to the fort, and was himself so frightened that he half dragged them along by the hands, telling them all the time that the Indians were coming. Mr. Wilson and another man rode to Lancaster to get the news about the Indians, soon returning to tell the people that it was a false alarm, and they might all go home.
Mr. Hunter remembered of riding on bags of corn to Hun- ter's mill when he was a very small boy. He also said the boys used to go in companies down to the mills on Kinnikin- nick, and all wait till they got their grists, and then return in a crowd, because they were afraid of the Indians. It did not occur to them that a couple of warriors could easily capture a regiment of them.
He related that a man by the name of Converse lived where Robinson Peters now lives, three-quarters of a mile west of Lancaster, and that the settlers at a previous day met there to the number of eighteen men, for the purpose of making de- fensive preparations against the Indians, of whom they were afraid. They had whisky, got drunk, and had bloody fights among themselves. This had been told to him, and he thought the occurrence took place about 1801.
Some of the early purchasers of land in the settlement were about to forfeit their purchases, and their lands were to be re- sold at Chillicothe. Ebenezer Zane came into the neighbor- hood and told the men to raise all the money they possibly could, which they did, and he took it and went to the land- office and succeeded in saving most of the purchases.
Mr. Hunter also related an amusing story of a fox-hunt, which he said he had heard a man tell. It occurred less than forty years ago, as he thought. The fox was so closely pressed by the hounds, that it took refuge in a meeting-house where
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the congregation was worshiping at the time, the door being open. The people were thrown into the wildest confusion, for no sooner had poor Reynard entered, and sought concealment under the benches, than in poured the hounds, followed by old Father Grabill, the great fox-chaser, who was the leader of the band, and so intent on securing his prey that not even the sanctity of the worshiping assembly stood in his way. The fox was taken, and the gravity of the congregation left to find its equilibrium.
RECOLLECTIONS OF MRS. ELIZABETH SHERRICK.
Mrs. Sherrick is a daughter of the late Daniel Arnold, of Lancaster, and granddaughter of George Arnold, who emi- grated from Pennsylvania and settled on Fetter's Run, in Pleasant Township, in this county, in the year 1801. Mrs. Sherrick was born in 1798, and has resided all her life in Fair- field County. Her grandfather, George Arnold, was the father of Daniel, Henry, Jacob and George Arnold, late of Pleasant Township. She preserves a good recollection of the state of the country in its pioneer age. The first school she remem- bers was taught by a Mr. Curtis, an emphatic and stern old Scotchman, who sometimes got drunk.
The place where they lived was what is still known as the Arnold farm, north of the Infirmary, and four miles north of Lancaster. She said the Indians came often to their cabin for something to eat. Her mother always set the table and gave them what she had, to keep them in a good humor. One of their peculiarities was, they would not allow her to cut the bread, but would themselves take the loaf and pass it round, each one cutting off his own slice. If they had anything left that was not eaten, they would tuck it under their blankets and take it away for their squaws and pappooses. She said they were always afraid of offending the Indians, and there- fore made it a point to do all they could to keep them in a good humor.
During the first years, grain and other feed was often scarce in the spring and summer, and they spanceled their horses
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by tying the fore-feet with ropes or hickory bark, and turned them out to eat grass, or to browse on the twigs of bushes when grass was scarce, usually putting a bell on one of their necks so they could be easily found. She stated, if any one took very sick in the night, or any accident occurred of a serious nature, a horn was blown, and the nearest neighbors went to see what was the matter.
At her first recollection there were but few cabins, and they were scattered through the forest, and blazes were made on the trees from house to house, which were followed until plain paths were worn. Her father, Daniel Arnold, was the first tanner; and she thought that when he opened his tan- yard there was no other nearer than Zanesville, on the Mus- kingum.
The first death she remembered that took place after they came there, was that of Katy Ditto, in 1806, she thought, for she was eight years old at the time. The Dittos lived on the site of the present Infirmary. The next death in the settle- ment was grandfather Fetters, who was the father of Jacob, Coonrod and Philip Fetters, early settlers on Fetter's Run, and fathers of the present Fetters men of the same neighborhood. They had to cut a road through bushes to get the wagon to the grave. This was in 1808, or about that time.
Grandfather Arnold built a mill on Fetter's Run, a few rods below the present crossing of the poor-house road. That was a great jubilee for the settlement, for previously they had to carry their grists all the way to Zanesville. (A grist is a sack of grain.) There was also a saw-mill built in connection with it, which was the first in the settlement. They have both long since disappeared.
The first preachers were Revs. Bennedum and Heistand, United Brethren ; and Revs. Bright, Charles Waddle, Cloud, Asa Shin, James Quinn and Jacob Young, Methodists. Meet- ings were held in the cabins of the settlers, and in the log school-houses.
The young people had their plays and usual sports of the pioneer age, but dancing was not allowed, on account of the religious conscientious scruples of parents. Every one had enough to do to occupy all the time ; and when the youngsters had a little time for play, it was by special permission. Mrs. Sherrick, when a girl, could spin her two dozen (cuts) of flax
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in a day, and sometimes thirty cuts of wool. At first the rolls were carded with hand-cards, and afterwards on carding- machines. She said her mother, in trying to show the girls how to use the hand-cards, did it so quick they could not learn.
They made all their clothing. Coffee was fifty cents a pound, and they put a couple of dozen grains with the burnt rye to give it a coffee flavor. Tea was $1.50 and $2.00 a pound. The substitute for it was spice-wood and sasafrass tea.
Ginsang was very plenty, and they dug the roots and dried them, and sold them by the pound, mostly for cash. The price was not remembered.
STATEMENT OF JANE McCLUNG, OF WEST RUSH \ ILLE.
I am the widow and second wife of the late Judge William McClung, and daughter of William Trimble, who was one of the first settlers of Fairfield County. I am above eighty years of age, and have lived here to see the wilderness become a garden.
My father, William Trimble, came from Cumberland County, Maryland, in the beginning of the present century, and settled five miles north-east of the present city of Lan- caster, where he continued to live until the time of his death, which, as I think now, was in 1829.
Among his neighbors at the time of my earliest recollection were : William Jones, Mr. Hammel, Frederick Harmon, the Roughs, the Macklins, the Hites, the Browns, and Thomas Anderson.
The first school I attended was half a mile from my father's cabin. I was then five years old. The teacher then was a Mr. Watsbaugh, and after him Mr. Irvin. The school-house was built of round logs, covered with clapboards, and had oiled-paper windows, and a stick and mud chimney. The benches were rough slabs, with wooden legs. The fireplace was just the width of the house.
The first place I attended meeting was a little south of the
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present turnpike-road, leading from Lancaster to Rushville. It was called " The Tent, " because the first meetings there were held in a tent. The place is still spoken of as "The Tent." The denomination that worshiped there was the Associate Reform Presbyterian. The society was organized about the year 1803, by Missionaries from Ken- tueky. The church has maintained its organization up to the present time, and is now known as the United Presby- terian Church. The first established pastor was the Rev. Mr. Craig. He was succeeded by Rev. Benjamin Waddle, and af- ter him Rev. Ebenezer Calderhead, who remained twenty-one years. The next pastor was Rev. Buchanan. This was in 1859 and 1860. The present pastor is Rev. Mr. Boyd.
There was a Presbyterian Church about the same time two miles south of West Rushville. We also attended church there. At this place the Rev. John Wright, of Lancaster, preached at a very early day. It was a hewed-log house, two stories high. The logs of this old church were many years ago taken down and removed to West Rushville, where they were re-erected on Main street, and the building is at this time being used as a mechanic's-shop.
The first death I remember as happening in my father's settlement was that of Maria Hite, who, I think, was about nine years old.
The first wedding I ever attended was that of Polly Rugh to Charles Baker. This was about the year 1814.
Upon my father's first settlement there, the whole country was in a complete state of nature. The little cabins of the set- tlers were scattered through the woods, and the paths between them were made by following the blazes on trees. We could hear the wolves howling almost every day and night in the year, and often in very close proximity to our cabin. It was difficult for a long time to keep sheep, for the wolves would take them sometimes very near the house. Wild-turkeys swarmed all through the woods. They were shot, and caught in pens. I saw my father shoot one while he stood in his door.
The family wear of the early settlers was entirely home- made. The women spun and wove flax and tow-linen, and linsey and flannels, and made up the garments. The color- ing was done with the bark from trees, such as oak, maple,
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hickory and walnut. Copperas (sulphate of iron) put into the "ooze" of these barks made a variety of colors, ranging from yellow to red and black, or brown.
The first mills were at Zanesville and Chillicothe, and the men had to pack their grain all the way to these places on horseback, and along the paths through the woods, to get it ground into meal or flour ; pack-saddles were used. The sup- ply of salt was brought from the works, on the Muskingum, and sometimes from the Scioto.
There was a camp-meeting established north of Rushville, at a very early day, and continued annually for many years. It was known as Stevenson's camp-ground. It was said to have been the first camp-meeting in Ohio. It was a Metho- dist camp-meeting, and was attended by the Finleys, Jacob Young, James Quinn, Charles Waddle. Asa Shin, and other pioneer Methodist preachers. It is still spoken of through the settlements as the "Camp-Ground." There is a grave-yard there now. It is believed these camp-meetings were estab- lished about 1806, or 1808.
My father was a 'Squire, and the first couple he was called on to marry was Edward Murphy and Sally Murphy, who were cousins ; but as my father had been newly-elected, they were compelled to wait a few days until his commission arrived.
There was a man by the name of Mike Rough living in the settlement. A few men who had been on an unsuccessful hunt, disguished themselves as Indians and went to his house in a menacing manner. In terrible alarm, he took his family and fled, spreading the word that the Indians were upon them, and for a couple of days the greatest consternation prevailed all over the country. The people in all the settle- ments forted themselves, and the fighting men prepared for the defense, but when the Indians failed to come, they went to Rough's cabin and found that the pseudo Indians had stripped it of all its little store of eatables, and disappeared, without doing any other mischief.
I love to think of those good old log-cabin times, when we were all friendly and contented, and all willing to do all we could to help each other. I love to think of the social " O sis- ter Phoebe," and " We're boldly marching to Quebec," and of the many ways we had to enjoy ourselves. But alas! my
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youthful companions are all gone, and all the bright, joyful scenes of youth have vanished, and now my eyes are turned toward my eternal home in heaven, where I expect to rejoin all I have loved below.
STATEMENT OF JOHN VANZANT, OF WEST RUSHVILLE.
Isaac, William and Thomas Ijams, brothers, came from Frederick County, Maryland, and settled immediately on the west of the present village of West Rushville, among the earliest settlers of Fairfield County, where they all three died at somewhat advanced ages. Isaac was the father of Isaac, John and William Ijams; William was father of Richard and Howard; and Thomas was the father of John, Joseph and Frederick. All of these eight sons have been known as citi- zens and business men in and about Rushville ; but they are all gone-most of them have deceased.
William Wiseman was also a Frederick County man, and came out with the Ijams brothers. He settled south and ad- joining West Rushville, where he died at an advanced age. Mr. Wiseman acquired considerable wealth, and dying child- less, willed it principally to the Catholic Church at Somerset, Perry County, of which church he was a member.
John J. Jackson, also a Marylander, came with the same company, and lived in the same neighborhood. His wife was an Ijams.
Father Wilson was a very early settler in the neighbor- hood of West Rushville. He entered a large tract of land lying north-west of the present site of the village. This con- stituted the Wilson settlement. His sons were William, Thomas, Joseph, Isaac and David, all of whom were formerly well known. The Wilsons were a stalwart class of men, of the true pioneer type. David is the only survivor of them all, and is residing in Illinois.
Jesse, Mordecai, Daniel and Edward Stevenson, brothers, were among the first settlers. They entered lands and settled
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north of Rushville, in Richland Township. They were from Maryland, and are all dead.
Arthur and Walter Teal came from Maryland, in about 1799, and settled in the same community. Edward Teal, a brother, went a little further west, and located two and a half miles east of the present Lancaster, on what is known as the old Rushville road. These brothers have passed away.
Edward Murphy came about the same time, and settled one mile west of Rushville, on the place now owned by his son, Theodore Murphy. The Murphys were Virginians.
Mrs. Vanzant said that when her mother first came to West Rushville, in 1823, there were but three houses in the place, and that there were a few houses on the east side. Nathaniel Wait, step-father of Mrs. Vanzant, was the first physician in West Rushville.
Emanuel Ruffner was a very early settler. He located north of the Wilson settlement, and immediately joining. Joseph Ruffner was his son, and died a few years since at a consid- erable age. Daniel Keller and Christian Baker married two of the daughters of Emanuel Ruffner.
The descendants of all these early settlers above-mentioned, more or less, are still citizens of the county.
William Coulson, of Rushville, was an early citizen, and died there recently at the great age of about ninety. His ca- reer there as a merchant and dealer in tobacco, as also that of John, Joseph and William Ijams, in West Rushville, will long be remembered. They are all dead, and the immense production of tobacco on Rush Creek, of former years, has almost entirely ceased, and not even a vestige of the trade is to be seen.
STATEMENT OF THOMAS BARR, OF AMANDA TOWNSHIP.
My father, Thomas Barr, with four of his brothers, came from Chester County, Pennsylvania, in about the year 1800, and settled in Amanda Township. The brothers of my father were-Samuel, James, William and John. They all located in the same neighborhood, about two miles west of the present
.
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village of Amanda. They have all five deceased. At the time of their arrival there were a few cabins on the Mudy Prairie, and perhaps two or three in the vicinity of Royalton, or Toby Town, as the locality was then called, it being a small village of the Wyandot and Delaware Indians, governed by a chief whose name was Toby. There were small mills erected soon after the settlements began, at the forks of Hocking (rock-mill), and at Kinnikinnick, to which the settlers carried their corn to be ground. There was also a horse-mill near where Tarle- ton now stands, owned by one Dilsaver, where grists were ground. I can remember when there were blazed roads through the woods. In emigrating west, the company came in wagons over Zane's trace, from Wheeling to the Hocking, at a time when there was no cabin between Zanesville and Lan- caster, and on the site of Lancaster not more than two cabins stood.
The first school of the neighborhood was on my father's land. It was a little log-house, with oiled-paper windows. The first man who taught in it was Thomas Magee. The next that taught after him was James Hunter. Thomas Moore and John Young also kept school in the same house.
The first meeting-house was built by the Lutherans in our neighborhood, and the first preachers were Revs. Leist and King. The Methodists and Presbyterians came in some time afterwards, the latter forming their first society where Amanda now is. The Rev. Mr. Jones was the first Presbyterian preacher there that I remember.
My grandfather, Andrew Barr, as also my grandmother, died about the year 1812 or 1813.
The first death that occurred in the settlement, that I can recall, was a neighbor of my father's, by the name of Christy. He was familiarly called "Father Christy."
When we came to have wheat for market, we hauled it to Circleville and traded it off for twenty-five cents a bushel. At a very early day I hauled corn to Circleville and traded it at sixteen cents a bushel. My father, with others of the neigh- bors, went to Zanesville for their salt, packing in out on horseback.
We had the usual log-rollings, corn-huskings, etc., of the frontier settlements at that time. Also the old-fashioned plays and dances of the young people. 18
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STATEMENT OF SAMUEL KESTER, OF AMANDA TOWNSHIP.
My father, George Kester, was one of the first settlers at Yankee Town, now Claypool's neighborhood, in Greenfield Township. He first settled on the Richard Hooker place. This was in 1799. Subsequently he bought land in Amanda Township, the same on which I now reside, three miles east of the village of Royalton, where he died in April, 1852, at the age of 72 years. I am his only surviving son. I was born in Fairfield County, and have lived on the same place all my life.
There was a little log school-house on Kemp's land, near our place. It was the first place I went to school. The first teacher I remember there was James Granthum. It was in 1852. The logs of that little school-house were removed and rebuilt on the Jesse Spurgeon place, two miles west of Lan- caster, near the Cedar Hill pike, where they still stand. The next school I attended was on the Hutchison farm .. A teacher there that I remember, was John Cunningham. The logs of that house are now used as a stable near the pike, three miles east of Royalton.
The first religious meetings I remember were held in a log school-house in Royalton, by the Lutherans. The Methodists had a society there. They sometimes held their meetings in barns. The United Brethren preached at the houses of George Grow and Jacob Bullenbaus. This was from 1828 to 1832.
The first funeral that took place in the Yankee Town settle- ment, was in 1801 or 1802; I have forgotten the man's name. He died on Black Lick, in what is now Licking County. He came out with the company that settled at the Claypool place, or was a relative, and they brought his remains down there for interment. There were no roads, and the body was brought by two horses, in the following manner: Two long poles were cut. A wagon-cover was made fast to them, after the manner of a hammock ; upon this the body was laid, and the poles suspended on the backs of the horses, which were pre- pared with pack-saddles, one horse before, and the other in the
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rear. The distance was several miles. There was neither planks nor cabinet-makers in the settlement, and a coffin was improvised with slabs split from large trees. The slabs were set in the dug grave, the body lowered, and a wide slab laid for the lid, upon which the clay was filled in. This statement I received from my parents.
The first wedding I remember was that of my uncle, Jacob Harrison, to Julia Ann Hanaway. She died six weeks after- wards.
Wolves swarmed all over the country at the beginning of the settlements, and for a number of years subsequently.
For some time after my father built his cabin, there was no door-shutter, and to close the opening, called the door, a wagon- cover was suspended in it. Wolves howled around daily. When sheep were first introduced, they were herded and watched through the day, and shut up in a strong log-pen at night, to preserve them from the jaws of the wolves. The first years in the Yankee Town settlement the ague attacked almost everybody, and that was the principal reason why my father moved further west.
The following were the principal first settlers of that section of what is now Greenfield Township: Father McFarland, who was the father of the late Walter McFarland; Mr. Cherry, and others I cannot now name. Our neighbors in Amanda Township, at my first recollection, were Tunis Newkirk, father of Jephthah Newkirk; Grandfather Kemp, Henry Kemp, Theodore Williamson, Henry Ingman, Henry Kiger, William Kiger, Richard Herrod, Widow Osborn, who was familiarly known as Granny Osborn. (She was one of the very first settlers.)
Deer and wild-turkeys were abundant; and occasionally a bear. Wild-cats were quite plenty ; hawks were very trouble- some in the destruction of chickens.
Our first grinding was done at the rock-mills. But in the very early times the men went all the way to Chillicothe to mill, packing their grists on horseback. Salt was first brought from Zanesville, on horseback. It cost from $3 to $5 for fifty pounds, which was called a bushel.
First roads were made through the woods by following the blazed trees from cabin to cabin. Dancing was practiced to
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some extent by the young people ; and we played the old plays of "Sister Phœbe," and kindred plays.
It was no uncommon thing for the young people to go to church, or "meeting," as it was called then, barefooted ; and older people too, in some instances. The reason for this was the scarcity of shoes, as well as the inability on the part of the people to always command the means of paying for them.
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