USA > Ohio > Adams County > A history of Adams County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, including character sketches of the prominent persons identified with the first century of the country's growth > Part 54
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Anecdote of an old Stage Driver.
David Bradford, who immortalized his name during the scourge of Asiatic cholera in West Union, was one of the daredevil jehus who drove a stage coach from Maysville to Chillicothe before the days of canals and railroads in this region. The Fristoe hill at the crossing of Ohio Brush Creek was the longest and steepest on the route, and was considered then a very dangerous place of descent with a loaded coach or wagon.
On one occasion, when there had been a heavy fall of sleet and the road was covered with a thick coat of ice, people in the vicinity wondered how Dave Bradford would get down Brush Creek hill; and, when finally he dismounted from the box at the village postoffice, at Jacksonville, he was admonished of the great risk of attempting to descend the hill with
*There is a version of this incident that Peter Shoemaker was shot in his cabin door by the Indians, and his wife and two children made captives. The wife becoming fatigued carrying her infant boy, she was tomahawked, and the child seized by the ankles and its brains dashed out against a tree. The girl was adopted by an Indian family and grew up and married an Indian by whom she had a girl child. She was afterwards discovered and returned to her relatives on Brush Creek.
After investigating all the known facts, the writer concludes that the cap- tivity of the Shoemaker children must have occurred before the family came to the Northwest Territory, for Peter Shoemaker, of Brush Creek, died in 1809, and left a will in Adams county. His wife may have been the girl cap- tured by the Indians; but if so it did not occur in Adams County, for he set- tled on Brush Creek in 1796. Or, it is probable that the version of the inci- dent is true that his daughter was captured in 1796, on Brush Creek and that she afterwards returned and married Samuel Bradford, in 1811. It is at least certain that the individual in question was not captured on Brush Creek in 1796, when a girl, then returned to her relatives and married to Peter Shoe- maker by whom she had a daughter who became the wife of Samuel Bradford in 1811, and who after his death, married Col. S. R. Wood. See sketch of Samuel G. Bradford in this volume.
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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY
his coach. But David seemed little concerned about the matter ; however it was observed that his drinks of "old double distilled" were larger than usual, and that at his departure he had taken an extra "bumper" with Matt Bradney, who had come to town the night before and was "weather- bound" at the village tavern. But the "bumper" with Bradney meant more than a nerve stimulant to Bradford. It was the seal of a solemn vow to Bradney that he would not again permit his "nigger," "Black Joe" Logan, to butt the life out of him as he had nearly done at the Noleman Camp Meeting the summer previous, when Bradney and "Big Dow" Woods had attempted to drive Logan from the camp grounds while he was peaceably caring for Bradford's team and carriage.
So, seating himself on the box of his stage, he cracked his whip and set out on a swinging trot for Brush Creek hill. On arriving at the point where begins the descent down to the valley of Brush Creek, he halted his team and unhitched it from the coach. Then he hitched a favorite horse to the end of the tongue, and mounting the animal began to ply the whip, and yell like an Indian, making the descent of the long and steep grade without a single mishap; remarking that it was "a d-d poor horse that could not outrun a stage coach."
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CHAPTER VIII.
MONROE TOWNSHIP
This township was organized from territory belonging to Tiffin Township, June 23, 1817. It was named in honor of President James Monroe. Its boundaries are: Beginning on Brush Creek at the upper corner of William Stout's farm; thence on a line to three mile tree below Kirker mill; thence on a divide line to Clark's Meeting House; keeping on a direct course to Sprigg Township; being bounded on the west by Sprigg Township line and Island Creek to its mouth; on the south by the Ohio River; and on the east by Brush Creek. The first election was held at the house of Arthur Ellison, the last Saturday in July, 1817.
Early Settlers.
John Yochum, whose name appears in the early land records as an assistant to Massie and other surveyors, settled on Gift Ridge in 1795. He cleared the first patch of ground on the Fenton farm, and while do- ing so lived under the shelter of two huge rocks, that are pointed out to visitors to this day as "Yochum's Hermitage." Following Yochum came the Utts, the Wades, the Naylors, the Washburns, and many other of the pioneer families of Adams County.
Zephaniah Wade, an associate of John Yochum in the frontier days, located on Gift Ridge and erected a cabin in the latter part of the year 1795, and there his daughter Christiana, the late Mrs. Trenary, of Man- chester, was born November 20, 1795. She was probably the first white child born in the county outside the Stockade at Manchester.
Nathaniel Washburn settled at the head of Donalson Creek, in 1796 and soon thereafter built a small mill, known as Washburn's mill for many years. Daniel Sherwood settled at the mouth of Ohio Brush Creek about 1795.
James Hemphill settled on Beasley's Fork in 1797 and it is said cleared the first ground on that stream where Newton Wamsley now lives.
The Grimnes family settled at the mouth of Ohio Brush Creek in 1796, where Noble Grimes, in 1798, laid out the old town of Washing- ton, for several years the seat of justice of Adams County. Here also were the Stephensons, the Bradfords, the Sherards, Faulkners, and many other early pioneer families.
Gift Ridge.
This is the name given to that portion of the highlands of Monroe Township where the first settlers of Manchester located their one hun- dred acre tracts of land given them by Nathaniel Massie after a residence
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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY
of two years at Manchester in accordance with the terms of the agree- ment made between him and them on December 29, 1790. Massie re- served one thousand acres on the high table-lands overlooking the Ohio River about one mile below Wrightsville. Here was built Buckeye Sta- tion in 1796, for a full description of which see this volume under the heading, "The Oldest House in Ohio."
Schools.
It is said that the first schoolhouse in the township was on the old Lewis Bible farm and was built in 1802. James Lane was the first teacher. The second one was on the farm of Arthur Ellison, where the first election was held, John Barritt, teacher. The township business for years was transacted here, and hence the name "State House" was ap- plied to it. There are now ten sub-districts with the following enroll- ment the present year :
No.
Males.
Females.
No.
Males.
Females.
I
19
15
6
19
28
2
20
20
7
35
32
3
24
24
8
28
19
4
25
20
9
30
21
5
26
19
IO
29
25
Villages and Postoffices.
WRIGHTSVILLE lies on the right bank of the Ohio River about six miles above Manchester. It was laid out by James Hobson, April 22, 1847, on a plat of 144 lots. The situation is pleasant and there is ample room for a city, but the place seems never to have flourished although it is the nearest shipping point from West Union to the Ohio River.
For many years during the bitter contest between West Union and Manchester over the county seat question, the West Union merchants shipped and received their goods via Wrightsville; and it would have become the permanent depot for West Union merchandise, but for the fact that in the location of the turnpike from West Union to Wrights- ville the Manchester people controlled the engineer and commissioners and succeeded in having the road made over a very long and high hill near Wrightsville which precludes the hauling of full loads over the road. Mules and bicycle riders have discovered what civil engineers of our pub- lic roads seem to be unable to comprehend: that it is nearer to go two miles round, than one mile over a grade.
The name of the postoffice at Wrightsville is Vineyard Hill. It was formerly called Mahala, in honor of a sister of Captain William Wade, an old resident of the vicinity and a son of Zephaniah Wade above men- tioned. It was established in 1848.
GRIMES is the name of a postoffice recently established at the mouth of Ohio Brush Creek, at the site of the almost forgotten town of Wash- ington once the county seat.
BEASLEY'S FORK is the only other postoffice in the township; it was established in 1857 with James Miller as the first postmaster.
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MONROE TOWNSHIP
Churches.
QUINN'S CHAPEL, Methodist Episcopal, is said to be the oldest church organization in the township, dating from 1805 when services were held by Rev. James Quinn at the house of William Lucas on Gift Ridge. The first house of worship was a hewed log structure built on the Fenton farm. Afterwards a frame was erected on the farm of John Pen- nywitt and called Quinn's Chapel, in memory of the pioneer circuit rider, Rev. James Quinn.
UNION CHAPEL, Methodist Episcopal, on Ohio Brush Creek near mouth of Beasley's Fork, was organized in 1856.
BEASLEY'S FORK CHAPEL, Christian Union, organized in 1864, and the present frame building was erected in 1871.
REMINISCENCES.
Monroe Township was the home of many old soldiers of the Revolu- tion. Among them was Henry Aldred who is buried in Beach's Cemetery on the McColm farm. 'He was wounded at the siege of Charleston by the British, which lamed him for life. He had an enduring hatred for everything English. Living in the vicinity of Aldred's home in Mon- roe Townshp was John Pike who had been in the English navy. At a log rolling at old Edward Hemphill's, Pike was relating his experience in the navy, and asked Aldred if he remembered what fine music they had as they marched into Charleston after its surrender. This so in- furiated Aldred, that, crippled as he was, it took several of the bystanders to keep him from striking Pike with a handspike.
Old Donald Sherwood, a relative of the wife of Stephen Beach, a pioneer on Bush Creek, was known as the "foolish Yankee." Among other things related of him is that while living in a cabin near the mouth of Brush Creek, before a settlement was made there, he tracked a large bear into a cave in the hills, and, Putnam like, with torch and gun, en- tered it and shot the bear which weighed over three hundred pounds.
Captain William Faulkner, or Falconer, a soldier of the Revolution and also of the War of 1812, was an early settler at the mouth of Brush Creek. He is buried in the old orchard on the Grimes farm. He was a Catholic, and it is related of him that when his wife died he had her buried at the chimney of his house. He then built a kitchen, adjoining and laid the hearthstone over her grave. He would enter this kitchen, sprinkle water over the hearthstone and exclaim: "You are well rid out of this hell's kitchen, my dear."
Henry Malone, who was born at Pleasant Bottoms on the Hemphill farm near the mouth of Brush Creek, Monroe Township, January 26. 1815, related to the writer recently that it was said by all the old Revolu- tionary soldiers in the vicinity that William Floyd, or "Flood," as he was sometimes called, was an illegitimate son of General Daniel Morgan. Floyd is buried on the hillside near Cedar College schoolhouse.
Mr. Malone said that when he was about eight years of age the Methodists held a meeting at the home of Stephen Beach who then lived on the opposite side of Brush Creek. One Monday morning a young man in company with Mr. John Brooks came to the ford and called to him to bring his father's canoe and ferry them over the creek. He did so, and
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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY
the young man gave him a six and one-quarter cents silver piece, which was the first money he ever earned. That young man was Henry Bas- com then preaching his first sermons in the pioneer settlements in Adams County. Mr. Malone said he gave that piece of silver to his mother to help keep old Abraham Jones from being sold as a pauper as was the law in those days, and remarked that although now eighty-five years old, he had been "keeping paupers" ever since.
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CHAPTER IX.
OLIVER TOWNSHIP
This township lies in the north central portion of the county and was organized from territory taken off Wayne, Scott and Tiffin, March 8, 1853. It is one of the two inland townships of the county, and its figure is that of an irregular oval. It was named in honor of John Oliver, a highly respected citizen, who was at the time a member of the Board of County Commissioners.
Early Settlers.
John Clark, who settled on the old Clark farm west of the present village of Harshaville in 1805, is said to be one of the first settlers of the township. Samuel Wright settled in 1806 where Harshaville now stands, and Robert Finley located on the Nathaniel Patton farm in the same year. James Hemphill settled near the mouth of George's Creek about the same date and operated a small mill and a still-house where a good quality of whiskey was made. The celebrated "Whiskey road" was cut from New Market to Hemphill's, as is told in the chapter on Roads and Highways in this volume.
Villages and Postoffices.
DUNKINSVILLE, near the mouth of Lick Fork on the West Union and Peebles turnpike, is the oldest village in the township. It was laid out December 14, 1841. Postoffice same name.
HARSHAVILLE is a little hamlet grown up about the celebrated Harsha Flouring Mills on Cherry Fork in the northwestern portion of the town- ship. The postoffice was established June 30, 1864, with George A. Pat- ton postmaster. ,
UNITY is a hamlet on the Harshaville and Dunkinsville pike near the center of the township. The name of the postoffice is Wheat, formerly Wheat Ridge, and was established in January, 1851, William B. Brown, postmaster.
Churches.
THE U. P. CHURCH at Unity was organized at the house of George Clark in 1846. The church building, a frame, was erected in 1847. The present frame edifice is a very comfortable building.
LICK FORK BAPTIST CHURCH was organized in 1840. The first building was a log structure which stood on the site of the present frame building which was erected in 1857.
There is an M. E. Church in Dunkinsville.
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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY
Schools.
No.
Males.
Females.
No.
Males.
Females.
I
15
15
5
24
9
2
15
23
6
14
14
3
17
23
7
28
20
4
21
9
8
20
12
REMINISCENCES.
Murder of the Senter Family.
Near the little hamlet of Unity, there resided in 1855, William H. Senter and Nancy, his wife, a daughter of Aaron Roebuck, in a little round-log cabin on the farm now owned by the widow of William Davis.
In the autumn of that year, Clinton Dixon, of Brown County, a rela- tive of the Senters, introduced to them Alexander Milligan, a native of England, who had lived, so he said, several years in Pennsylvania prior to his coming to Ohio. 'He had been employed as a farm laborer by Dixon for some months, and at this time said he desired to purchase a small farm, such as Dixon represented the Senter premises to be, and which had been offered for sale. This was about the first of November, and while at Senter's, Milligan bargained for the farm in the sum of $1,000 to be paid on the first day of December following, when the deed was to be delivered to him. The contract for the sale of the farm was drawn up by Willam B. Brown, then a merchant at Unity, and it was wit- nessed by him and Dixon.
It was agreed that Milligan should take with the farm the live stock, farming implements, and of the household goods and utensils such as would be necessary for his use in keeping a rude sort of "bachelor's hall;" and that he should be permitted to make his home with the Senters until he could make some collections due him to comply with the terms of the agreement for the sale of the farm.
During his stay with the Senter family, Mlligan familiarized him- self with the farm and its surroundings, formed acquaintances in the com- munity, and took a part in the social and friendly gatherings, such as choppings and huskings, occurring in the neighborhood. It is said of him that he was of rather .pleasing personality. He is described as being of good stature, fair complexioned with blue eyes, sociable, but quiet in his manners, with a broad Yorkshire accent in his speech, and seemingly intelligent in the ordinary affairs of life. He was at this time about twenty-five years of age, and had borne among the people with whom he had been associated in Brown County for the year and a half prior to his coming to Senter's, the reputation of being a quiet, hardworking young man. Nothing of his former life was ever learned excepting what has already been stated.
The fact of the sale of Senter's farm and chattels to Milligan soon became noised over the neighborhood, and George A. Patton, then a merchant in Harshaville, whom Senter owed a sum of money, upon in- quiry was told by Senter that the report of the sale was correct, and that on the first of December he would settle his account with him when he received the cash for his farm.
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OLIVER TOWNSHIP
Within a few days following this conversation with Senter, Patton learned that Senter and his wife had gone from the neighborhood without informing their relatives and friends of their intentions to leave. Ac- cordingly, Patton, somewhat annoyed about his claim, rode over to Sen- ter's place to make inquiry concerning the rumor of their departure. He found no one at the Senter residence but Milligan who said Senter and his wife had gone away without making him a deed for the farm; but, that he expected them to return the next day, December first, to comply with their agreement, as he had been to Ironton to collect his money and was ready now to make the payment for the farm and chattels.
Mr. Patton returned to the Senter residence the next day and found Aaron Roebuck and wife, parents of Mrs. Senter, there whom Milligan informed that Senter and his wife had gone "out among their friends some days before" and had not yet returned.
Two days later Patton went to West Union to take legal advice about his claim. Learning that Milligan had been to Squire William Stevenson's, of Monroe Township, a few days prior, he, on the next day, December fourth, went there and learned that Milligan had been to Stev- enson's and had represented himself as William Senter, and had had a deed written for his farm to Alexander Milligan. On the next day Pat- ton again went to the Senter home and saw Milligan, who informed him that Senter and wife had returned with the deed, that he paid them the purchase money, after which they again went away to visit some friends up the river. On being requested to produce the deed, Milligan said he had lodged it with James B. McClellan, and after much persuasion went there with Patton and others, when it was discovered that the alleged deed had not been acknowledged, Squire Stevenson having refused to certify the acknowledgment until Mrs. Senter came before him as he afterwards stated at the trial of Milligan for murder.
Strange as it seems, Patton, Brown, and McClelland all of whom Senter owed money, and whose claims Milligan agreed to secure, came to West Union that day with Milligan, where he gave notes and mortgages to the amount of $250 on the farm to secure the several amounts owed them by Senter. But when Brown returned to his home in Unity that night he found his shop and store crowded with people of the neighbor- hood who demanded that Milligan be put under arrest for murder. A. J. Roebuck, a brother-in-law of Senter, was sent for, but he refused to make the affidavit until Brown brought Patton who related the facts in the case to Roebuck as he knew them. Squire J. C. Milligan, of Oliver Township, was then aroused from his slumbers, and the affidavit was made and a warrant was issued to old Johnny Moore, the constable, to arrest Milligan on a charge of murder. Milligan was found eating his breakfast and refused to go with the officers until he finished his meal. By this time, a search of the premises was begun. Blood spots on the pillows and bed-clothing in the cabin were discovered. Then, some bloody clothing was found in some wheat barrels in the smokehouse. And finally the bodies of the murdered couple were discovered buried under some logs and brush in the spring branch below the cabin. They had been killed with an ax while asleep in bed, and then dragged to the spring branch, their hair being matted with blood, burrs and leaves.
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. HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY
Upon closer inspection, the poll of the ax yet had traces of blood on it, and bits of hair from the heads of the murdered pair, and there were marks on the joists of the cabin over the bed where the blade of the ax had struck when uplifted to crush the skulls of the victims. Yet in face of all this, Milligan declared his innocence of the murder, even when taken into the room where the deed had been committed and placed before the bodies of his victims with their ghastly wounds exposed to his view.
He had committed this horrible crime on Sunday night the twenty- sixth of November, and had slept in the bed in which he had murdered Senter and his wife, every night until their bodies were discovered on the sixth of December. And he had, in the meantime, entertained visitors at the cabin, and one young man, William Johnson, had stayed all night with him on December fourth.
Milligan was indicted for murder in first degree and was tried before Judge S. F. Norris and a jury in November, 1856. He was defended by James H. Thompson, J. R. Cockerill, Thomas McCauslen, and J. M. Wells. The attorneys for the state were J. W. McFerren, Joseph Mc- Cormick and T. J. Mullen. The trial consumed a week and after a day and night's deliberation the jury returned a verdict of murder in the second degree. Milligan was sentenced to the penitentiary for life where he died in a few years after his confinement.
The following named persons constituted the Trial Jury : George W. McGinn, Daniel Kenyon, Starling Robinson, Michael Roush, Simon Dunn, James Abbott, Samuel Phillips, James Vandegrift, John Scott, John Plummer, James Middleswart, and Joseph McKee.
While in the jail at West Union, Milligan attempted to escape Octo- ber 22, 1856. As the jailor opened the door of the cell in which he was confined, he rushed out past him, made his way through the house, got into the street, and was making off as fast as possible. The jailor pur- sued him, and after running a few rods, Milligan fell and he was secured and returned to the jail. He had been hobbled, but had cut his irons in two near one leg, and had fastened the long end of the chain up so as to enable him to run, but this came down and he tripped and fell. John Cochran was sheriff at that time.
While Milligan was being tried for murder, "Old Bill" Terry, a negro who had outraged Mrs. Morrison, of Manchester, was taken from the jail by a mob from that town, and hanged on the lower island. See Manchester Township.
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CHAPTER X.
SCOTT TOWNSHIP
It lies in the northern tier of townships bordering Highland County. It was formed from the north part of Wayne Township, February 25, 1818. Since then Manchester and a portion of Oliver Townships have been taken from its original territory. It was named in honor of Edwin Scott, an old and respected citizen.
Surface and Soil.
The western portion of the township is undulating and comprises some of the best farm lands within it. Along West Fork are very fertile alluvial bottoms, and bordering this stream are moderately high hills and table lands of marked fertility of soil. The northeastern portion is hilly and the soil for the most part is unproductive.
Streams.
The principal stream is West Fork which flows across the southern part of the township from the northwest. It is a beautiful stream and receives in the west, Buck Run which rises in Highland County, and in the southeast, George's Creek which rises in the east central portion of the township. This tributary was named from a family by the name of George, members of which settled below the present site of Tranquility in early days.
Flat Run, in the northeastern part of the township, flows east and is a tributary of East Fork of Ohio Brush Creek.
First Settlers.
John McIntyre and Willian McIntyre who settled on the lands re- cently owned by Hon. J. T. Wilson at Tranquility; Robert Elliott who settled on the A. C. Mccullough farm; John Hamilton who settled west of Tranquility; Reuben Smith, James Montgomery, George Secrist, and John Oliver on George's Creek were among the first settlers, who came about the year 1800. Joseph Gaston, David McCreight, Mathew Mc- Creight, James McCreight and their families came from South Carolina to George's Creek in the year 1802. The Williamsons, the Simmondses, the Martins, and the Mcculloughs came a few years later to the same vicinity.
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