USA > Ohio > Knox County > A history of Knox county, Ohio, from 1779 to 1862 inclusive > Part 21
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sides here ; also the Cassels, Swans, Pearres, John Lamb, and Henry Johnson. Benjamin Rush, of Morris county, N. J., with his wife, Margaret Lo- gan, also of said county, emigrated with their chil- dren, Job, Andrew M., Mary, Johannah and Mar- garet, to this township, from Morris township, Washington county, Pa. The two latter are dead ; other children, born in this township, were Eunice, Sarah Ann and Lucinda. Benjamin died in March, 1849, in his 80th year, and the old lady in October, 1858, in her 85th year. They were among the best citizens. Richard Ayres, John Erwin, and Mrs. Galloway, were also early settlers. Of these, the only remaining trace in this county, is Erwin's daughter, Mrs. Mary McFarland. John Wheeler, a carpenter, married a daughter of Mrs. Galloway, and moved to Sandusky, taking with him Mrs. Galloway and her son. John Sawyer, first black- smith at Clinton, and a good horse-shoer, emigrated to Indiana, and died. His only descendant in this county is Mrs. W. O. Johnson. In 1830, the pop- ulation of Morris was 812, and 13,066 acres of land were listed for taxation. In 1840, there were 1,079 inhabitants ; in 1850, 1,028; and in 1860, 1,013.
Of the fifty men who voted at the first election in Morris, James Loveridge is the only one living in this county.
The Clinton post-office was the first in the county. Its various postmasters were Samuel H. Smith, Richard Fishback, Ichabod Marshal and S. H. Smith. The last known of it, Andrew Clark was acting as deputy postmaster, in 1819.
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Smith's house was the first one erected in the village. Samuel Ayres and Amoriah Watson got out the timber, Loveridge and Douglass helped to raise it. They all boarded with Loveridge during the work. Douglass had Wm. McLoud put up the first stone house in the county. John Miller, the first dresser of buck-skin for breeches, hunting shirts, ete., married Patsey Zerrick ; she is living on the old farm with her sister Edna, the only rep- resentatives of the old Virginian Daniel, who died in 1851, aged 86.
SUCCESSIVE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
1812. John Trimble, Benjamin Barney, Joseph Coleman.
1816. Wm. Doulass ; re-elected in 1819.
1816. Jos. Coleman ; re-elected in 1819.
1819. James Dickson.
1820. Alfred Manning.
1822. Carey Cooper.
1823. Uzal Ball; re-elected in 1826.
1823. John Trimble ; re-elected in 1826.
1830. James Adams; re-elected in 1833 and in 1836.
1831. B. H. Taylor.
1832. Uzal Ball.
1835. B. H. Taylor ; re-elected in 1838 and 1841.
1836. Thompson Cooper ; re- elected in 1839, '42, '45.
1837. George Irwin ; re-elected in 1840.
1840. John Durbin.
1844. Alex. M'Grew ; re-elected in 1847.
1847. B. H. Taylor.
1848. John H. Winterbotham ;
1848. Wm. Bonar.
1850. Benj. B. Brown.
1851. Thompson Cooper.
1852. John Dwyer.
1853. Uzal Ball; re-elected in 1856. 1854. John McIntyre.
1855. B. F. Smith.
1856. Allen Scott.
1857. John MeIntyre. 1859. J. L. Jackson.
1861. John McIntyre.
1862. J. L. Jackson.
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KNOX COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
WAYNE TOWNSHIP.
ONE of the first townships was named for the distinguished, brave General Wayne, more gener- ally known by the sobriquet " Mad Anthony." In the general reorganization it was reduced to its present limits. The general appearance of the surface of the country is beautiful. It is well wa- tered, well timbered, healthy, and possessed of un- common attractions for a home. In 1830, it listed 16,258 acres of land for taxation, and contained 1,047 inhabitants; in 1850, 1,864; and in 1860, 1,789. We have given the officers and voters at the first election. In 1811, the Judges were Joseph Denman, Daniel Ayres, James Trimble ; Clerks, John Trimble and Wm. Johnson. In 1812, Henry Roberts listed the township. John Kerr, Samuel Wilson and Daniel Beers were then Judges ; Wil- lis Speakman and Joseph Townsend, Clerks. In the list of Justices and names heretofore given will be found most of the early settlers who exerted an influence upon the society of this section. It can not be expected that we shall enumerate all the good citizens of different periods ; the limits pre- scribed for our work preclude such an idea. The lands upon the South Fork and East Fork of Owl Creek are unsurpassed in fertility, and the water
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power thereon has been so improved as to give the producers every facility for acquiring a competency.
FREDERICKTOWN, the principal mart of business for the farmers of the north western portion of Knox, was laid out in 1807, by John Kerr, with its streets-"First or Donation," "Second st.," "Third or Sandusky st.," "Fourth st.," "Vine alley," " Chambers st.," "State road and Main st.," and " Strawberry alley." The original tract upon which it is situated belonged to Mr. Sullivant, of Frank- linton, who, with commendable liberality, gave John Kerr his choice of 50 out of 4,000 acres, in- cluding a mill seat, if he would settle upon and build a mill there. Accordingly, in the fall of 1807, he constructed a dam, raised a little log house and set one run of stone to grinding, or " cracking corn." On this 50 acres the town was laid out, and Kerr then bought 450 acres around it. W. Y. Farquhar was the surveyor, and the name of Fred- erick in honor of the old home, in Maryland, was given to this town in the wilderness. W. Y. Far- quhar erected and occupied the first cabin in Fred- ericktown ; it was a little stake and rider pen 18 feet square.
The next family to pitch their habitation within the plat, was that of Mrs. Ayres, and her sons, David and Abner, at once became leading men. John Milligan and Jeduthan Dodd, from Ten Mile, Pa., came shortly after, with their connec- tions, John and Jacob Cook and Jacob Haldeman. In 1809, Rachel Richardson bought out the little improvement of John Cook, and settled there with her family, consisting of William, Isaac N., Polly
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and Nancy, who subsequently married Samuel Watson and John Wright. Charles McGowan, a droll old Irishman, took a lease near by, and Tho- mas Durbin, Samuel Wilson and Thomas Towns- end, Quakers, and John Walker, who subsequently married a Shurr, came also. In 1812, within the town were nine log cabins and one frame building ; dwellings, shops, huts all told. Willis Speakman, Rachel Richardson, John Garrison, John Vennum, and the Ayres' families, at one time occupied all these.
Mr. Garrison opened the first store in 1812, and then dwelt in the only frame; it was situated where the Methodist Church now stands. He is the only one of the then settlers within the village now liv- ing, and has led a migratory life. He is a native of New Jersey; married near Philadelphia; moved to New York; thence to Knox county, where he sold goods for several years; thence to Mansfield; from there to Detroit; back again to Knox; off again to Chicago, Ill .; and now resides at Cedar Falls, Iowa. He has been merchandising at each point, and in his 91st year enjoys good health. Three of his children are in Iowa, one in Detroit, and another, Mrs. Richard Roberts, in this county. This year he visited this county, and saw his great- great-grandchild and many other descendants in Berlin and Wayne.
Nicholas McCarty was the second merchant. He moved from Mount Vernon to this place. In July, 1817, N. McC. & Co. closed up their mercantile business and left their notes and accounts with
22
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HISTORY OF
Abner Ayres, Esq., for settlement, and also a quantity of lake fish. The mother of Mr. McCarty died at Fredericktown ; he moved to Indiana, and for many years drove a prosperous trade at the State capital. In 1853, he returned to Frederick on a mission of filial affection, and erected a monu- ment at his mother's grave. In 1855, he paid the debt of nature, leaving a large family in prosper- ous circumstances. During his life he was a zeal- ous Whig, and represented the capital district in the Senate of Indiana, and was also the candidate of his party for Governor of the State. He had the respect and confidence of all, and well deserved the title he bore,-"Honest Nic. McCarty."
James Rigby, who so long and faithfully follow- ed merchandising here, is yet living in the enjoy- ment of good health, surrounded by his children and friends, one of the oldest inhabitants. George Girty was another merchant, who left this section about 1815 for other parts. Joshua Vennum, the first house-joiner, built the first frame house in the village. None of his name survive in this county.
Mrs. Wolf kept the first boarding-house. She is dead long since. Her oldest son, Peter, lived on a farm near the Burkholder flat, which he sold to Henry B. Carter, who was a brother to Jacob Cook's wife, and moved to Knox County in 1810. Samuel Wolf was a sterling man-lived in Rich- land, and served as Sheriff. When the county went wild for Jackson he was an Adams man, and con- sequently "done for politically." Her daughters have done well. Artemissa married lawyer May, of Mansfield; Eliza, as elsewhere related, Mr.
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Drennan, and Mary married and lived in the neigh- borhood of Lancaster. The first tavern was opened by Abner Ayres, and with a slight intermission during the war, when, for good and sufficient rea- sons, his brother Daniel took it; the same hotel was kept up for more than forty years. "Uncle Abner" was not any "great shakes" in the way of dancing attendance on guests, but "Aunt Amy" did know how to have the culinary department car- ried on ; and, we do affirm, that for making good brandy mince pies, and brandy peaches, she was unsurpassed by any of womankind since Eve eat the forbidden fruit. She knew just when, where, and how to apply the spirit to make it most palat- able, as all of the generation, who feasted there during sleighing excursions, well know. They have both departed to a better land, leaving the record of a life spent in contributing to the happiness of their fellow-creatures. Abner served as Captain in the war of 1812, as a Justice of the Peace fif- teen years, and Associate Judge seven years, a County Commissioner three years, and Postmaster near forty years. He was as quiet, unassuming and well disposed man as ever wore shoe-leather.
The first preaching was in the little school-house, heretofore spoken of as a Fort, etc. In it ministers of various denominations held forth at stated times. About 1820 the Presbyterians undertook to build a church, but, having started out on too large a scale, they were compelled to succumb, and the building, in its unfinished state, a mere shell, was sold to Absalom Thrift, who converted it into a ware-house, and it is to this day used as a livery
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HISTORY OF
stable. Some time after, the Universalists, who have ever been quite numerous in this locality, erect- ed a spacious frame church, which they have since occupied, until for a few years past the supply from some cause has ceased. The Presbyterians made another effort, and built the present excellent edi- fice ; and the Methodists and Baptists have also fine churches. The population is of a decidedly " go to meeting" character; they have also been noted for their zealous efforts in behalf of Temper- ance, and have kept up various organizations of a reform class for many years. -
The first blacksmith was Thomas Ayres, who went to work in 1808, and continued for many years. The first school was kept by Wm. Y. Far- quhar ; the first shoe-shop by Osgood Dustin. The first hatter was Celestial Le Blond, a little frisky Frenchman, whose vote, in 1811, is entered as "Celestial Light" on the poll-books. He was the son of a wealthy French gentleman, and had to flee from his native land in consequence of hav- ing killed an antagonist in a duel. He frequently received from his father remittances of $500, or so, but made very foolish bargains. With money once sent he bought a mill-seat, set about erecting a mill where Shalers now is, and "broke flat" by the time he got a saw-mill up. The premises were then sold to Christopher Brollier, and by him to David Shaler, an energetic millwright. Shortly after this Celestial received another remittance and moved to Bellville. In 1838 he went to France, obtained a considerable sum of money, and re- turned with a large stock of goods. He died at
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KNOX COUNTY.
Bellville leaving a very respectable family. An old man named MeCoy, a sort of cobbler, tried his hand at making cloth shoes for the women at an early day. The men then generally wore mocca- sins. A singular freak of another creature, in 1809, has been related to us. His name was Ebenezar Taylor, and he undertook to do work in the shoe line, but before he got fairly started an itinerant preacher came along, and Ebnezar was so taken with his discourse that he followed him off, leaving his kit of tools, and an estray animal, which he had taken up and advertised, and has never been heard of since. Speaking of shoemakers reminds us of a somewhat noted man in these parts, Jede- diah Peck, who attempted to get up a patent way of making boots, having last and tree all together, but found that it was easier to make them on than to get the boot off the tree, which, after vain at- tempts, he concluded to fasten to the house and hitch a mule to pull it off. His house was built around a walnut tree, and it was considerable of a curiosity to travelers to see a tree growing out of the top of a house. Jedediah and his wife died without issue, and his two pretty nieces, who dwelt with him, are gone also.
In 1815, Capt. John Williams, of Frederick, Md., bought out John Kerrs' mill property, and at the same time started a store in the village. He brought out $10,000 in money, and dissipated through the country. He was a man of talent, clever and sociable, and is spoken well of by all old settlers. He came to this county in 1814 with his family. His children are much scattered.
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HISTORY OF
William lives in Peoria, Illinois ; Thomas in Henry county, in that State, as also Rachel, wife of Col. Prather, in the same county. Eliza, wife of Mil- ton Bevans, in Fulton county, Illinois. Pendy died in Illinois, Abraham in this county, and Gist W. in Missouri, in 1852. His son States, now lives in Morris. But two of Capt. John William's family are to-day living in this county, Emaline, wife of Frank Wilkins, of Liberty, and Dan., who is living with States, his nephew, in Morris. Dan. was born in Frederick, Md., October 6th, 1792. His four sons are doing well. Clark and Charles reside in West Newton, Allen county, John and Milton B. in Berlin. Clark married Ellen Lane, and Charles her sister Jane. Milton married Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Roberts. The post office kept from its establishment by Abner Ayres, until in 1850, B. J. Lewis succeeded him ; in May, 1852, Thomas A. Reed vice Lewis, resign- ed; L. S. McCoy followed, and his successor was Geo. Ball.
In 1840, Fredericktown contained 500 inhabi- tants ; in 1850, 712; and in 1860, 790, of whom 16 were negroes. The place, some twelve years since, put on city airs, and with Geo. W. Woodcock as mayor, and T. A. Reed, Recorder, carried on a right sharp crusade against the "doggeries." The warfare was subsequently taken up by the Com- mon Pleas Courts, and for a time better "order reigned in Warsaw. Of late years, however, we have been informed that there has been "some- thing rotten in Denmark," and the spirits have assumed at times a very bold and threatening ap-
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pearance. Taken altogether, however, Frederick may be said, during its existence, to have been a model town in the line of "law and order." In 1816, the entire township cast but 81 votes.
The 4th of July, 1817, was duly commemorated at Anson Brown's, in Fredericktown. Daniel Beers was chosen Moderator, and Anson Brown, Clerk. The Committee of Arrangements consisted of Chris- tian Holderman, Job Allen, Munson Pond, Joseph Talmage, Jacob Young and Henry Markley. Mun- son Pond was Officer of the Day. Job Allen com- manded the volunteer company ; Jabez Beers was Reader; Truman Strong, Orator. Benjamin Jack- son, Anson Brown and Benjamin Jackson, jr., con- ducted the Singing. The Rev. John Cook and James Scott were present-and last, but not least, Alvin Bateman was Toast Master. A good dinner was caten, and all felt glorious. The McCutchens, Strubles, Cochrans, Cravens, Sagerses, Beerses, Leonards, Thrifts, Harters, Strongs and Corbins, were among the early settlers. Of the Cochrans, William and Samuel were young men of good mind. The former is dead, and the latter, a preacher of celebrity, in N. Y .; Josiah M. is quartermaster in 43d Reg't., O. V. Jabez Beers was one of the old settlers, and his son, Joseph, lived in Frederick at an carly day.
Dr. John Byers located here in 1812. He moved west about 1835, and is now living in Hardin co. His three sons emigrated to Arkansas; Thomas and John are both dead-William yet lives at Bates- ville, Ark. The boys acquired considerable dis- tinction as Attorneys. The old gentleman was one
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HISTORY OF
of the earliest practitioners of medicine in this township. Dr. David Wadsworth, another physi- cian, died many years ago: His son, T. B., dicd a soldier in the Mexican war; and his daughter, Eliza Ellen, Mrs. Struble, is the sole survivor of the family. The Bryants have been quite numer- ous in Wayne, and among them James has been prominent ; he was a very strict man, of the steady and straight "Sunday go to meeting" kind, and as his neighbors to the west did not walk in his ways, he called their settlement "Sodom," a name it has ever since borne notwithstanding that it has had in it many first rate citizens. ยท Nicknames, once given and received, are hard to be obliterated.
An old settler upon Granny's Creek is Truman Ransom, who with his family located, in 1824, where he has ever since resided. Mr. Ransom was a native of Connecticut, and, with his father's family, moved to this State in 1812, and settled on the Muskingum, near its month. He there mar- ried Miss Temperance, daughter of Thomas Lord, whose grandmother was a daughter of Col. Oliver, one of the officers in command at the time the Marietta settlement was attacked by the Indians. Her father was Judge of the Court of Washington county, and a prominent member of the "Ohio Company." Of Mr. R.'s seven children, one is dead ; Edwin and Albert are living in Missouri ; Thomas in Liberty ; Bryan, William Wallace and Robert Bruce in Wayne. Mr. R. has been a hard working man, and has met with various streaks of ill luck ; his losses have been heavy, by fire and water, and his escape from the jaws of death has
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been almost miraculous. His dwelling-house, with much furniture, was burnt up in the spring of 1852 -to his damage some $2000. In attempting to cross Owl Creek with a wagon and four-horse team he lost all, amounting probably to $800, and did well to get off with his "own skin whole." Having a small mill site on Granny's Creek, he erected, in 1828, a saw-mill, that is yet in oper- ation.
In the Granny's Creek school-house a Temper- ance Society was gotten up many years ago, and also a Sabbath-School, which has been well attend- ed. Regular preaching has been had also since 1830, by the Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian and other denominations.
But two men are now living in the neighborhood of Frederick who were young men grown in 1812 -Richard Roberts, of Berlin, and Jacob Mitchell. The first of these helped cut the first road out from Mt. Vernon to Frederick, under the supervisorship of Joe Walker; and the second rode express for General Harrison in the war of 1812. Then they were both boys full of mettle and spirit, and their fathers were among the old men of the settlement ; and now their fathers are dead, and they in turn are old men-heads of families-grandfathers- yes, great grandparents-and a new generation is upon the stage of action. What changes they have witnessed in their lifetime, little as we may be dis- posed to think things change before our vision in this fast age !
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SUCCESSIVE JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
1808. Wm. Y. Farquhar.
1809. Daniel Ayres.
1812. Abner Ayres.
1816. Abner Ayres.
1815. W. W. Farquhar.
1819. 66 66
1818. 66 66
1822.
1825.
1831. George H. Bull.
1821. Anson Brown.
1826. David Wadsworth.
1826. Byram Leonard.
1837. 66
1829. 66
1840. 66
1830. Michael Sockman.
1837. Byram Leonard.
1830. John Allen.
1840. John Lewis.
1836. Samuel Bryant.
1843. A. Greenlee.
1839. 66 66
1846. G. W. Woodcock.
1842. 66
1849.
1845.
1852.
1848.
1855. 66 66
1846. Peter Ink.
1855. W. G. Strong.
1849. J. B. Roberts.
1856. T. V. Parke.
1851. Mitchel Lewis.
1858. Henry Phillips.
1852. Geo. T. Potter.
1859. D. S. Beers.
1855. 66
1860. W. D. Bonner.
1857. A. Greenlee.
1862. D. S. Beers.
1860.
1862. Wm. Wyker.
1817. Daniel Beers.
1834. 66
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KNOX COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXXV.
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.
THIS township, as at present bounded, was cre- ated March 9, 1825, and, in a spirit of freedom, styled Liberty. In 1830, it contained 553 inhab- itants; in 1840, 1,205; in 1850, 1,320; and in 1860, 1,251. Mt. Liberty contains about 150 inhabitants. It occupies an elevated position, and being situated upon the State road to the capital, and in the heart of a productive country on Dry Creek, it has been a place of considerable business. It was surveyed by T. G. Plumer, and laid out by Samuel Thatcher and George Beardsheare, Oct. S, 1835. It has two stores, kept by E. D. Bryant and Judson Hildreth; a grocery, by Daniel Veatch ; a tavern, by John Thompson ; two cabinet shops, by S. Wilson, and by J. W. Jackson and C. K. Lineweaver; two man- tuamakers, Miss Samantha Severe and Miss Mary Veatch; the carpenters are John Inscho, Arthur Pratt, Joseph Crosby; shoemakers, Jas. Cleghorn, Wm. Cleghorn, Philip Crable ; wagonmakers, J. A. Mostetler, David and George Mosteller, and Daniel Burkholder; two mills are run by Young- blood and Weller, and Peter Shafer. There are two churches, Methodist and Disciple. The Hig- ginses, Coyles, Humphreys, Severes, Careys, Hol- listers, Magoons and Gearharts are among the ear- liest in this section, and their descendants are quite
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HISTORY OF
numerous. The most extensive families are the Brickers, Lewises, Ewalts and Rineharts. Of the old stock we shall give a brief account; as to the new, their name is "legion," and it would be too prolix for the general reader did we attempt to sketch them.
Lewis Bricker, Sr., of Greene county, Pa., had a very large family, and determined to distribute them in the western country, where lands were cheap and he could provide them with farms. Accordingly he bought 1,600 acres of land in this new country, and started the elder members of his family to it in the spring of 1810. Of the number were Peter Bricker, and George Lewis, his brother- in-law. They came out to this wilderness region, camped one night, and the next morning hitched in their teams, and by noon were on their way back. They reported the country wild, and they did not believe it ever would be settled. They saw many Indians, and heard the owls too-whooing and the wolves howling all night; and, unaccustomed to these things, they agreed with their wives to let the land go to the devil before they would risk their lives and their children in the Owl Creek regions, which they believed to be the next thing to, if not quite, the infernal regions. Their father, accustomed to frontier life, and knowing also the value of lands in this country, determined in the fall to make another effort at a settlement. Ac- cordingly he sent another delegation of his tribe, and continued the work until he got into this town- ship the following children : Peter, George, John, Jacob, David, Solomon, Lewis, Catharine, Rachel
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KNOX COUNTY.
and Mrs. George Lewis, who have in their own time peopled the wilderness region, felled the forest trees and cultivated the ground, multiplying the original by " the double rule of three." Peter Bricker had a dozen children, and George Lewis sixteen; George Bricker, eight; John Bricker, who came about a year later, six; Jacob, who came about 1813, five; David came about 1817, and had six; Solomon came out the same year, and added eleven children; Lewis came in 1819, he had six; Catharine married John Conkle about 1827, and had six children ; Rachel married John Pruner, and had seven. All of the original Brickers re- married in Liberty, except David, who is in Mor- gan township.
George Lewis is dead. Of his sixteen children, eleven are living, viz .: Jacob, John, George, Isaac, Ben, Peter, Solomon, Sarah, wife of Alex. Craig, Phebe, Susannah Gardner, and Rachel Burkholder.
The children of old George recollect when their father wont to Shrimplin's mill with a grist of corn, and left his wife and family alone, with nothing to eat, and the Indians prowled about the premises, and they feared they would not be found alive on his return.
Joseph Shaw, Zach. and Bazil White, John Hobbs, with their families, emigrated from West- ern Pennsylvania about 1834, and the Tarrs, Coleses, Crafts, and other good families have fol- lowed them, and the greater portion of those in the " Wolf Settlement," so styled for Christopher Wolf, Esq., are from the same localities.
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