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 55
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Mills.
The first mill was built by Peter Simmonds on George's Creek. Of the other early mills, were Smith's and McCormick's on West Fork, and Campbell's on Buck Run.
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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY
Villages.
TRANQUILITY, a hamlet on George's Creek in the central portion of the township, was founded by Hon. John T. Wilson. In 1832, Mr. Wil- son opened a small store on George's Creek at the house of John Smiley about a half mile above the present village, where he sold dry goods, groceries and whiskey, as was the custom in those days. Afterwards the store was conducted at his late residence. In 1861, W. A. Blair built a store room on the present site of Blair's store where the Wilson and Blair business has been conducted ever since. In the meantime a number of families built homes near Wilson & Blair's store and the place took the name, Tranquility, as suggested by Mr. Wilson to the postoffice de- partment when the office was established there in 1848. John McCreight was the first postmaster.
MAY HILL-This is not a regularly laid out village, but like Tran- quility grew up round a country store. It is located in the northeastern portion of the township on the border of Bratton Township, on high roll- ing land, and is surrounded by a poor hilly country. A postoffice was established there in 1850 with John A. Williamson as postmaster.
SEAMAN-This village was laid out after the extension of the Cin- cinnati and Eastern, now called the Cincinnati, Portsmouth and Virginia Railroad, from Winchester to Portsmouth. It is one of the new and thriving villages that have sprung up along the line of that railroad. It was laid out on the lands of Mrs. Ann Mower in 1888. A postoffice was established in 1880 with A. Day first postmaster. The first stone in the place was kept by J. Q. Roads. It now contains two dry goods stores, one hardware and implement store, one millinery shop, two blacksmith shops, one saw-mill, two hotels, two livery stables, and has a population of 175 inhabitants. It is one of the pretty, thriving villages of Adams County.
BUCK RUN-This postoffice was formerly located at Campbell's Mills on Buck Run, but in recent years has been kept at a private house. It is in the western portion of the township.
Schools.
The first schoolhouse was a round-log cabin erected in 1807 on the hill near the site of the U. P. Church at Tranquility. Here the children of the McCreights, the Glasgows, the Milligans, the Elliotts, the Mc- Culloughs, the Montgomerys, the Williamsons and the Beards were taught to read, write and cipher, by Samuel McCollister and James Mc- Gill.
The township at present is divided into nine sub-districts with the following enumeration of school youth :
No.
Males.
Females.
No.
Males.
Females.
I
13
12
6
22
14
2
18
15
7
14
13
3
20
25
8
35
29
4
19
21
9
23
19
5
19
17
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JAMES N. HOOK REV W. T. QUARRY
REV. JOHN P. VAN DYKE WILLIAM ELLISON
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SCOTT TOWNSHIP
Churches.
TRANQUILITY U. P. CHURCH-This is the oldest church organization in the township, and was formed in 1807, with John Milligan, John Mc- Cullough, James Montgomery, Alexander Mccullough, Robert Elliott, James Wright, David McCreight, Sr., David McCreight, Jr., Robert Glasgow and Joseph Glasgow and their families as members. The first church building, called "Hopewell Metting House," was a log structure, erected about 1810, and was used for a church house for this congrega- tion for forty years, when in 1853 it was supplanted by the present frame building. The congregation is a very large and wealthy one, and was originally known as West Fork Association. See history of U. P. Church under Wayne Township.
MOUNT ZION M. E. CHURCH-The congregation was organized in 1866 .. In 1868 a frame church building was erected on lands purchased from John Martin in the northeast corner of the township. After the village of Seaman began to grow, the building was removed from its former site to that village where it now stands.
MOUNT LEIGH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-This is one of the oldest congregations in the township. The site of the church building, a com- modious frame, is on the Buck Run Pike about one mile north of the village of Seaman.
FLAT RUN M. E. CHURCH is situated in the northeastern portion of the township on Flat Run near the Highland County line.
REMINISCENCES.
On the Criswell farm on West Fork at what is known as "Indian bottoms" was a village site of a tribe of Shawnee In- dians. Families of these Indians came here to camp as late as 1803. While in camp at this place a son of James Montgomery, a lad about six- teen years old, became acquainted with the Indian boys and joined them in their sports. He became so attached to his Indian friends and their mode of life that he ran away from his home and accompanied them to their villages on Mad River. He could never be induced to return to the home of his parents.
A Pioneer Nurseryman.
One of the most welcome comers to a pioneer settlement was the old- time nurseryman with his stock of apple, peach, and cherry trees. These he grew from the seed and grafted and budded the young trees himself and warranted each tree to be true to name. Under his methods apple trees lived and bore fruit for fifty or seventy-five years.
In the pioneer days of the township, David McCreight conducted a small nursery on his farm on West Fork near "Hopewell Meeting House" where he grew "ingrafted fruit trees," and warranted as genuine, such delicious old varieties as Belle Flower, Warner's Russet, Golden Pippin, Vendiver, Romenite, Cannon Permain, Nutt's Large Early and Butter apple.
An Object Lesson in Politics.
Near the village of Seaman in this township is the old homestead of the Silcott family where Craven Edward Silcott, once a prominent character in local affairs and county politics, was born and reared. He
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resided for many years at the village of Youngsville near his old home where he was engaged in merchandising and conducted a general store. While here he was nominated on the Democratic ticket for county auditor, in 1878, but was defeated at the election following, that campaign being regarded as the bitterest contest in the history of partisan politics in the county. In the campaign mentioned, one of his staunchest sup- porters was John P. Leedom, afterwards a member of Congress from Adams County. Silcott and Leedom became very close personal friends and when the latter was chosen Sergeant-at-Arms of the House after the expiration of his term as a member of that body, he persuaded Silcott to leave his business and took him to Washington and made him his cashier and chief accountant, a very responsible position. It was then the custom for the Sergeant to draw the salaries of members upon their vouchers, who checked on his cashier for funds. In this manner hundreds of thousands of dollars came into the hands of the cashier for temporary care.
But life at Washington under the baneful influence of "the lobby" had begun to tell on "the statesman from Adams" and soon it dragged down the "genial merchant ,from Youngsville."
They frequented the races, and, it is said, lost large sums of money. They became involved, and the cashier in 1889, fled the country, a de- faulter, or embezzeler rather, to the amount of $75,000. Many of Mr. Leedom's friends in Adams County had gladly gone on his bond when he was first chosen Sergeant-at-Arms of the House, and the news of Silcott's. embezzlement and flight, brought anxious days and sleepless nights to them, until an investigation revealed the welcome fact that upon his selection as Sergeant-at-Arms, for a second term, Mr. Leedom had not given a new bond, and the first was invalid.
Silcott fled to Mexico where afterwards his family joined him and where recently he died a dishonored, broken-hearted man. Leedom lost caste with his former friends and associates, separated from his wife, and' died penniless among strangers.
It has been said by some that Silcott assumed the disgrace and fled to shield his bosom friend Leedom. Others assert that Leedom was basely betrayed by Silcott whom he had so implicity trusted. Be that as it may, the awful fact remains that two bright and useful citizens of the county sacrificed home, family, friends, honor, all through the allurements. of modern politics.
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CHAPTER XI.
SPRIGG TOWNSHIP
This township was organized in 1806, and named in honor of Judge William Sprigg, one of the pioneer lawyers of Adams County, and after- wards a Judge of the Supreme Court of the State. Sprigg Township lies in the southwest corner of Adams County, bordering the Ohio River on the south and Huntington Township in Brown County, on the west. It is in the blue limestone belt and its soil is mostly productive of corn, wheat, and tobacco. Its surface is undulating, in places hilly, and it is well watered both from natural springs and with flowing rivulets and creeks.
Streams.
In the northwest portion, Suck Run, a rapid, rough little stream flows to the west and enters Eagle Creek near Neel's Store just over the Brown County line.
Rising in the northern portion and flowing to the southwest across it, is Big Three Mile, the largest stream in the township. Little Three Mile rises near the center of the township and flows to the southwest into the Ohio River. Isaac Creek, named from the first settler on it, Isaac Edgington, takes its beginning near Bentonville and flows south into the Ohio to the west of Manchester. And Island Creek, a small stream, named from The Three Islands at its mouth, forms a portion of the eastern boundary of the township, entering the Ohio a short distance above Manchester.
First Settlements.
The first settlers in what is now Sprigg Township were Isaac Edgington, George Edgington, William Leedom, son-in-law of George Edgington, who settled near Bentonville in 1796; Peter Connor, and Willam Robinson who kept a tavern on the old Zane Trace, settled on land purchased from Andrew Ellison, near Bradyville, the same year ; and the "Dutch Settlement" on Dutch Run was made by Michael Roush, Philip Roush, John Bryan, Peter Pence, John Pence, and George Cook. at this date; the Roush and Pence families lived in Manchester and raised a crop of corn on the Lower Island in 1795. Van S. Brady, a son of Capt. Brady, the noted Indian scout; Joseph Beam, Peter Rankin, John Stivers, Samuel Sterritt, Daniel Henderson, John McColm, Ellis Palmer and Thomas Palmer were among the pioneers of this portion of Adams County.
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Mills.
The first mill constructed outside the Stockade at Manchester was Massie's Mill on Island Creek. Then Michael Roush built a horse-mill on Dutch Run. And later what is known as Grime's Mill on Little Three Mile, a tub-mill, propelled by water, was erected. This latter was re- built and made one of the best mills in the township, for many years.
Early Taverns.
George Edgington, father-in-law of William Leedom, entertained travelers at his residence just south of Bentonville on Zane's Trace, as early as 1797. Further down the Trace below Bradyville, William Robin- son opened a tavern about 1800. Joseph Beam kept a tavern near the Brown County line on the Tomlin farm; The Little tavern, in later years, was near Bradyville; Ballard's tavern was on the Thomas farm near Liberty Township line, and the Brittingham tavern was on the C. E. Hook farm.
Churches.
The first church in what is now Sprigg Township was old Hope- well which stood near the present site of Hopewell Cemetery and School- house. It was a log structure and was erected about the year 1810. Rev. Abbott Godard, Rev. Robert Dobbins, and Rev. John Meek were the pioneer preachers at Hopewell. Rev. John Meek, in fine weather, would leave the church building, and take his position in the "bull pen," as some irreverent wag termed it, a natural ampitheater in the grove near the church, where he would preach to the multitude assembled about him. This remarkable natural amphitheater is pointed out to the passerby to this day, as the scene of the greatest religious revivals of pioneer days. The old log church was burned about the year 1840. A new building was erected but afterwards moved to the cross-roads about a mile north from its former site. Dissensions arose in the church, and the building was sold and removed for use as a barn. The cemetery at old Hopewell is well kept, and is the resting place of many of the pioneers of Adams County.
UNION CHURCH, near Bentonville, was organized in the year 1830 by Rev. Alexander McClain, a celebrated "New light" preacher for many years in southern Ohio. There were but eight or ten members in the first organization, but the membership increased rapidly under Elder Mc- Clain's ministry, and the next year a brick church was erected. At the dedication of this church Elijah Leedom and William Leedom were ap- pointed deacons, and James Lang, clerk, which position he retained until his decease, when Barton S. Lang was appointed to fill the vacancy. Henry Hutson was appointed deacon to succeed William Leedom, removed, which position he held for over forty years. In 1854 the old brick build- ing was replaced by the present frame structure, the lot occupied by the church and cemetery being at that time deeded to the organization by Asa and Mary Leedom, the consideration being "love and affection for the church."
In 1878 the organization was incorporated under the laws of Ohio, with Henry Hutson, Mahlon' Wykoff, Aaron S. Wood, James Froman
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and William Mckinley as trustees, and Elder J. P. Daugherty as chair- man.
The Southern Ohio Christian Conference met at Union in 1895, Elder Garroutte, presiding.
The pastors since the daysof Elder McClain have been : Elder Mathew Gardner, Elder Garroutte, Melissa Timmons, C. W. Wait, William Pang- burn, J. P. Daugherty, B. F. Rapp, Naaman Dawson, G. W. Brittingham, A. J. Abbott, A. S. Henderson, T. J. Bowman, Rufus McDaniel, L. M. Shinkle, C. C. Lawwill, and James Melvin.
This is the oldest organization of the Christian Church in Adams County, and a year older than Fellowship Church, on Hickory Ridge, just over the Brown County line.
Elder McClain's influence is yet felt in this community. The older residents love to relate how, on a Sunday morning, he would enter the pulpit, lay aside his hat, then take off his coat and roll up his shirt sleeves, and preach one of those remarkable sermons that left an impres- sion for life. He removed to the State of Illinois and died some years ago.
The officers of the church at present are Dr. John Gaskins, C. H. Thompson, and Thomas Shipley, deacons; William Roush, James Fro- man, and William Naylor, trustees; Mrs. H. A. Gaskins, treasurer; Isaiah Shipley, clerk, and Rev. James Melvin, pastor.
McCOLM'S CHAPEL is situated on Cabin Creek road, three miles west of Manchester, and was named for Mathew McColm, an old and esteemed citizen who deeded to the organization the lot on which the chapel stands. The organization is Methodist Protestant, and was formed in 1871.
RAVENCRAFT'S CHAPEL stands in the southwest portion of the town- ship on the Manchester and Aberdeen road. Methodist Protestant, for- merly Furgeson's Chapel, Methodist Episcopal. Present house erected in 1873.
THE BRITTINGHAM CAMP GROUND-Rev. T. S. Arthur, of the Cin- cinnati M. E. Conference, and his wife were the organizers of the Brit- tingham Camp Meeting near Bentonville. The meeting was held one year (1869) in the Wykoff grove west of Bentonville; and for thirteen years following at the Brittingham Camp Ground on the Maysville pike two miles south of Bentonville.
The first meeting had been long advertised, but when the time for it drew near, the weather was so dry and water so scarce that the directors thought it best to postpone or abandon the meeting; but Rev. Arthur called a meeting at the old M. E. Church in Bentonville the Sunday before the opening day of the camp meeting and announced that he was going to pray for rain; and while all indications were unfavorable for rain, before the people could get home there came one of the greatest downpours seen for years. This gave Rev. Arthur and the camp meeting great popularity which lasted for years, hundreds of people coming from a distance to see the man who was looked upon as a worker of miracles.
In 1870 the Camp Ground was leased for ten years and afterward bought by a company from Joseph Brittingham. The directors of the company were Joseph Shrivers, John P. Bloomhuff, Henry Gaffin, Samuel B. Truitt, and William Simpson. M. A. Scott, secretary.
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The meeting was conducted by Revs. T. S. Arthur, Granville Moody, Fee and Marsh during the time each was Presiding Elder.
Many other eminent divines took part in the meetings and families from Manchester, Aberdeen, Ripley, Winchester, West Union and other places came and camped for ten days or two weeks in temporary build- ings erected by the directors for that purpose.
The expenses of conducting the meetings were paid chiefly by charg- ing an admittance fee at the gate. When Col. Moody was in charge, he ordered the directors not to collect money at the gate on Sunday, that being the decision of Conference. As the company had been to so much expense they moved the treasurer's office down the road a hundred yards from the entrance and collected there within hearing of Moody's powerful voice and everything was thus made satisfactory. The last meeting was held in 1883 when the grounds were sold to A. V. Hutson.
There have been several attempts to organize other camp meetings there since, but it seems that Elder Arthur and Col. Moody did not leave their "mantles" as did Elijah of old, and the result so far has been a failure.
Three Old Roads.
The "Old Dutch Road" led from Ellis' ferry, up Big Three Mile to Nauvoo, thence over the hill to the Cropper farm, then out the ridge to Jeptha Shelton's and Alfred Pence's, and to Hopefell Church.
"Cabin Creek Road" wound up Little Three Mile past Grimes' mill, up the hill to Ginger Ridge, following the ridge for four miles past Mc- Colm's Chapel, crossing Manchester and Bradyville pike at Lafe Lang's; thence out past Brookover's, crossing the pike at Roush's schoolhouse, thence to old Union Church.
"Zane's Trace" entered Sprigg Township at the Tomlin farm, follow- ing the ridge to Little's; thence over the hill to Three Mile Creek at Nathan Ellis'; thence up Three Mile to Bentonville.
A Mysterious Murder.
In the autumn of 1867, Sanford Phillips, a notorious and dissolute character, about forty-five years of age, was murdered in broad daylight, within a few rods of the old schoolhouse in the north part of Bentonville, while school was in session, and persons were passing up and down the street; and yet the crime was not discovered until hours after it had been committed.
Phillips had gained control over Lydia Purdin, a young girl of sev- enteen years, daughter of a widow named Susan Purdin, and paid visits to her home when Mrs. Purdin and her son, a boy in his teens, were ab- sent. But L'ydia Purdin at heart despised Phillips, and on occasions be- stowed her smiles upon a young man named Burbage, living in the vicin- ity. This so enraged Phillips, who was insanely jealous, that he at one time gave young Burbage a severe beating, and threatened vengeance on the entire Burbage family.
One December morning, Phillips rode into the village, hitched his horse at the Purdin residence, and entered the house. It is said that Mrs. Purdin and her son were not at home at the time and that Lydia left the house about noon for an hour or more to call on a neighbor. In the mid- dle of the afternoon she came running from toward her home screaming
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"There is a man in the house with his head nearly cut off." People soon gathered about the house and found Phillips lying in a pool of blood murdered. He had been struck two fatal blows with an ax, one with the blade across the forehead, and the other on his neck, half severing the head from the body. He had seemingly been sitting in a chair when assaulted. and when discovered had been dead several hours.
Lydia Purdin was arrested for the crime, and although circum- stantial evidence was against her, yet popular feeling in the community was so bitter against Phillips, that she was not convicted.
A Murder Near Clayton.
In the days of flatboating on the Ohio, the locality known as Clayton had an unsavory reputation. It was the headquarters of many river char- acters, and drinking, card playing, and cockfighting was their pastime white awaiting a trip to "Orleans.'
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A pack-peddler, who made regular trips to this community, very mysteriously disappeared. As he had no fixed place of domicile known to the people, the matter of his sudden disappearance from the nieghbor- hood was discussed and then almost forgotten when a rough character named Goddard Pence displayed some laces and other articles such as car- ried by the peddler, and offered them in exchange for whiskey and tobacco at the little grocery store and saloon at Clayton. Suspicion at once pointed to him as having something to do with the disappearance of the peddler. He was watched and was seen to go to a hollow tree and take from it other articles such as the peddler had carried. Pence was not arrested but search was made for the body of the peddler, but it was never found. Another character named "Bill" Cook was suspected of having some- thing to do with the affair, and he afterwards said that he "played drunk" and watched Pence burn the body of a man in an old cabin on the Pence farm. After some investigation by the authorities, the matter was for- ever dropped, and Goddard Pence, whether guilty or innocent, lived to be a very old man, dying a few years ago in the Brown County Infirmary. The writer knew him in his last days. He was gray and stooped, suffer- ing with rheumatism and the infirmities of old age. He had been a most powerful man, over six feet tall, raw boned and muscular, and with a "fist like a maul." Few men were his match in a fight. It is a tradition that he and old Aaron Bowman cradled, bound, and shocked ten acres of wheat in one day, and drank two gallons of whiskey while doing it.
Murder of Nathan Bowman.
In 1839 there was living in Sprigg Township a man named Lemuel Glascock who belonged to the class of rowdies that infested the vicinity of Clayton. He married a daughter of Samuel Swearengen with whom he lived a stormy life. Nathan Bowman, a well-to-do farmer liv- ing just over the Brown County line in the Early neighborhood, was a brother-in-law to Glascock, they having married sisters. At a log-rolling some time previous to the killing of Bowman, he and Glascock had fought over some trivial affair as was the custom in those days, and Bowman in the contest put out or "gouged out" one of Glascock's eyes, although Bowman claimed it was accidental, that Glascock had fallen on his, Bow-
30 a
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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY
man's, thumb in the struggle, and Glascock bit away a portion of Bow- man's lip. Ever after this affair Glascock when drinking would threaten to take Bowman's life, yet at other times they were apparently on good terms.
In June, 1839, Bowman went to Glascock's to get him to repair a grain cradle for him as wheat harvest was near at hand. While there he and Glascock procured a jug of whiskey from one of the Croppers who kept it for sale, and while under its influence renewed their old grudge. Bowman, instead of returning home, stayed at Glascock's for the night. He was given a bed on the floor, and in the night was attacked by Glascock with a large bowie knife and stabbed in the bowels, his en- trails protruding through the wounds.
Bowman's cries aroused Perry Connolly, a little timid shoemaker liv- ing near, who feared Glascock would kill him if he interfered. Finally assistance came and Dr. Hubbard after examination pronounced Bow- man's wounds fatal. Joseph Darlinton and Thomas McCauslin, of West Union, were sent for to take the dying statement of Bowman before Squire Connor, of Sprigg Township. He lived until the next day.
Glascock fled the country. A reward of $300 was offered by Bow- man's widow and relatives for his apprehension and return. Glascock was found and agreed to return for trial without further delay if one hun- dred dollars of the reward were given to him. This was agreed to. and he took that amount and employed Hon. Thomas Hamer, of Georgetown, to defend him. He was sentenced to the Ohio penitentiary for life, but after the lapse of a few years was pardoned out. He went West and died some years ago.
Marshall-Mitchell Duel in Sprigg Township.
Elsewhere in this volume there is an account of a duel fought in Sprigg Township in 1812, between Thomas Marshalland Charles Mitchell. The same story was given the writer by Zilpha Reynolds, wife of Oliver Reynolds, of Brown County, and who was a daughter of Jacob Middle- swart, a Revolutionary soldier who settled at Logan's Gap then within the bounds of Adams County, in the year 1808. His daughter, Zilpha, was born on Yankee Run in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in 1800, and was twelve years of age when the duel between Marshall and Mitchell was fought. 'Her father was living on lands at Logan's Gap owned by Ignatius Mitchell, father of Charles Mitchell, at the time, and her state- ment to the writer fixed the place of the duel on Charleston Bar near Logan's Gap. The writer remembers Mrs. Reynolds' statement that a son of Ignatius Mitchell used to say that "Brother Dick killed a man in 'Orleans, and brother Charles hipped Tom Marshall on the bar, but for himself he would do his fighting fisticuffs."
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