USA > Ohio > Scioto County > A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record > Part 54
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UNION TOWNSHIP. 403
Rankin; Treasurer, Benjamin Feurt; Clerk, S. G. James; Overseers of the Poor, Philip Moore and John White; Fence Viewers, John R. Turner and Warren Johnston; Constable, William Howell.
The above are not the first officers but are the first that could be found as all the early records up to 1873 have been lost or destroyed.
Surface, Drainage and Productions.
The surface is very much cut up by Brush Creek and its tributaries. This creek passes by a winding course trom west to east through the town- ship and receives Bear Creek from the South, near Henley, and Mccullough Creek from the north. Before leaving the township, it makes a tortuous bend to the north, then to the southeast and then to the southwest. This is called the "horse-shoe bend." Bear Creek takes its rise in the southwest and flows northeast. Mccullough enters the township from the north by two branches called the east and west forks and flows south. These tributaries flow through narrow valleys and have in many places very rapid descents. The land along them is of average productiveness and most of it is farmed. The chief farming region of the township is the Brush Creek Valley which has an average width ot about a quarter of a mile, passing entirely across the township. All this valley has been cleared up and converted into farms. The soil is gravelly and loose and produces abundantly of corn, wheat, oats, potatoes, hay, tobacco, ctc. There is a region of good farm land about Lombardville known as the "flats" which was the first portion of the township settled. This is a high region, shut in by hills on all sides and drained by Pine Creek, a small tribu- tary to Bear Creek. Scattered over the township are good hill farms which are well adapted to fruit raising.
Twenty-five years ago this region was almost a wilderness of forest, and cven up to the time the Cincinnati and Eastern was built there were thous- ands of acres that had scarcely been touched by the woodman's axe. The same can be said of all the region watered by Brush Creek, west of the Scioto. The terminal of the Cincinnati and Eastern Railroad was at Henley in 1883; and the years following this witnessed the conversion of the forests into lum- ber of all descriptions and its shipment to foreign parts. There yet remain a few tracts of good timber in different parts of the township, the largest of which is known as the "Peebles Tract," and lies in the southwest corner at the head waters of Bear Creek.
The great industry for the future in this region, which is now but in its infancy, is the stone business. The whole township is underlaid with fine sandstone suitable for building purposes, and only lies waiting the advent of capitalists to open up the numerous quarry sites, many of which are conven- ient to the Norfolk and Western Railroad. For many years this stone has been used for local building purposes but not until 1890 was any extended ef- fort made to open up a large quarry. This year the Henley Stone Company was organized. It was composed of the following: John Peebles, Robert Pee- bles, Richard Peebles, President; T. N. Martin, Secretary and Charles Mc- Donough. The quarry was opened the same year and continued in operation until 1898, when the company suspended work on account of the failing health of Richard Peebles, its manager.
The Wellmann Stone Company,
composed of A. J. Wellmann, President and Manager; E. M. Wellmann, Seere- tary and Treasurer; Henry Wellmann, Edward Grieve and John Baron, was or- ganized and incorporated under the laws of Ohio in February, 1901, with a capi- tal stock of $25,000. This company immediately purchased stone land and open- ed up two quarries northeast of Henley, about a quarter of a mile. Though just beginning, it is working twenty ledges, ranging from one to six feet in thick- ness, and is shipping very rapidly. Its channelers, drills, etc., are manufactur- ed by the Ingersoll-Sargeant Company, and all the latest and up-to-date meth- ods are used in quarring. It has for hoisting purposes, large steam derricks, controlled wholly by the engineer. This point promises to have one of the largest stone industries in the county.
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404
HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.
Henley
is located near the junction of Bear Creek with Brush Creek, and is on the line of the Norfolk and Western Ry. Since the construction of the railroad it has been the shipping point for lumber and timber products of all kinds.
The first store was conducted by J. W. O'Brien in 1882. The same year Peebles, Terry & Co., came and opened up a general store, and dealt in lumber. Deitrich & Co. came at the same time, and had a general merchan- dise store. The post office was established in 1883, and J. W. O'Brien is post- master.
Lombardville.
The first settler in this vicinity was Benjamin Feurt, who built a still at a place called Stony Hill, and the country around was called "Feurt's Flats." This was about 1802. William Drake entered this land. Among the first settlers here were John McConnell and William Jewett. The place received its present name from Francis Lombard, who located there about 1862. The post-office was established in 1868. Julius Johnly built a cooper shop about . 1870 and ran it for sixteen years. The place was settled along in the sixties by French and Swiss people. Julius Johnly is the present postmaster.
Other postoffices in the township are Crabtree, Comstock, Free- stone and Arion. Glen Hunt, Mccullough and Arion are camping sites.
Churches.
As late as 1883 there were no churches or church organizations in the township, and the only meetings were held at residences mostly by local preachers. At present there are five churches in the township and several oth- er organizations have risen and declined in that time.
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church was built in 1902 at a cost of $800. It is situated on the west fork of Mccullough and is about four miles from Henley. There was a former church erected in 1876 on the same site. This church has 110 communicants and services are held three Sundays each month and Sunday School each Sunday. Rev. Joseph Mertian is the Priest.
Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church was built in 1854. Ferrole Levrey donated an acre of land for the location of the church and other members do- nated money. The house is a frame to which has been added two additions. Its value is about $700.00. For twenty years it had no regular minister. It is visited by a priest from Portsmouth, once a month during the summer sea- son, and sometimes by priests travelling. The incumbent priest is Father Joseph Mertian, who resides at Mccullough. The membership now is about twenty-four families, about one-half what it was twenty years ago, the others having moved to the City, or gone West, principally to Illinois. The Sunday School is under the supervision of the church directors, who appoint a teacher to teach the children. The trustees are Eugene Cattee, Julius Simon and T. J. Vernier.
Singer Chapel, Methodist Episcopal Church was built by Rev. A. D. Singer in 1889 at a cost of $450. The church is about three-fourths of a mile from Crabtree. The organization was effected in 1884. Rev. Singer was the first and last pastor. The membership was at one time thirty members.
Lombardville Methodist Episcopal Church-The building now used by this organization was built by the Brothers of Liberty, and was later used by the Farmer's Alliance and G. A. R. It was bought for church purposes in 1899. The first trustees were John Oney, David M. Jewett and A. J. Cooper. A. D. Singer is pastor and superintendent of the Sunday School. The mem- bership numbers 43 and the average attendance of Sunday School is about 30. The Baptist Church on Pond Creek, organized about 1880 under the leadership of visiting ministers, built a church on the farm of John C. Swords in 1891. The minister at that time and for about five years was Rev. Hack- worth. The building is a box frame in a fine location, put up by the mem- bers of the congregation, some furnishing lumber and money and others do- ing the work. It cost six hundred dollars. The present minister is Rev. A. J. Holly.
405
VALLEY TOWNSHIP.
Schools.
There are seven school districts in the township all with good school houses. The term of school averages about six months in each year and a uni- form salary of $35 per month is paid its teachers. The districts are No. 1, Pleasant Hill; No. 2, Arion; No. 3, Lombardville; No. 4, Pond Creek; No. 5, Henley, having the finest building in the township, costing about $1,000. No. 6, Comstock; No. 7, Laurel Point.
Cemeteries.
The only township cemetery is about one mile north of Lombardville on the Thomas Garvin farm and was given to the township by Mary Garvin. It is probably the oldest burial ground in the township and has interred in it some of the earliest settlers, most of whom have only rough slabs to mark their graves.
The Thornton cemetery is on Bear Creek, one mile southeast of Henley. Other cemeteries are the Sword, Mershon and the Catholic Cemetery on Pond Creek. Most of the earliest burials on Pond Creek have no headstones and are forgotten or unknown by those living there now.
In the Mershon cemetery are interred Henry Mershon, one of the pion- eers of Pond Creek, his son, Samuel, a soldier of the Civil War, and Robert Morehouse, an Englishman and a soldier of the Civil War.
The Holy Trinity cemetery is near the church of that name.
VALLEY TOWNSHIP.
Organization and Boundary.
It was formed June 4, 1860, from Jefferson Township and was so named on account of its location. Its territory was originally a part of Seal Township. In 1815, Seal disappeared from the map of Scioto County. On June 4, 1860, a petition was presented to the Commissioners favoring a separate Township to be called "Valley." The question had been voted on in the Spring election and the ticket favoring separation had carried, therefore on presentation of the petition by A. F. Miller, the following action was taken:
"It is now ordered, That a new Township be, and the same is hereby laid off and designated from the territory of the said Jefferson Township as prayed for in said application. And it is further ordered, That the said new Township be known by the name of and called "Valley." And it is further ordered, That the boundaries of the said new Township be recorded in the book kept for that purpose. And it is also further ordered, That an election be held at the tavern of John McCown, in the town of Lucasville, in said Town- ship, on Saturday, June 16, 1860, for the election of Township officers for the said Township of Valley."
The boundaries were: Beginning at the Scioto river where the County line between Scioto and Pike Counties strikes the said river; thence east on said County line between said two Counties to the section line between sec- tions 3 and 4 in Township 3 in said Scioto County; thence south on said line between sections 3 and 4 and between sections 15 and 16 to the southeast cor- ner of section 16; thence west on the south line of said section 16, to the splitting corner on the south line of said section 16; thence south on the north and south splitting line of sections 21, 28 and 33, in said township 3 and of sections 4 and 9, in said township 2 to the south line of said section 9; thence west with the south line of said sections 9, 8 and 7 to the Scioto river; thence north running with the meanders of the Scioto river to the place of beginning.
Topography.
Lying as it does almost entirely in the Scioto Valley, it is without doubt the best of all the townships for agriculture. There are no large streams
406
HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.
except the Scioto which bounds it on the west. Millar's Run crosses it from northeast to southwest near the center. Marsh's Run and Davis's Run crosses the township near the southern end. The eastern border is rough and some of the hillsides are too steep for cultivation. but the proportion of rough lands is smaller than in any other township in the county. The Scioto Valley con- tains the best corn land in the county, and seven-eights of Valley Township is of this quality of land.
The value of the Township real estate is $283,550; personal property, $175,601, and the total valuation is $459,151. Among the Townships it ranks eleventh in population; fourth in value of real estate; fifth in personal prop- erty; and fourth in total value of both. It is thirteenth in size and has an area of 15,560 acres.
Early Settlers.
Hezekiah Merritt was the first settler in Valley Township. He raised a crop of corn in the summer of 1796. He was the first Justice of the Peace, in Valley, (then a part of Seal), Township in 1804. Jacob Groniger came in 1798. Some others who followed in the next five years were: James O. and Isaac N. Johnson, William Marsh, A. F. Millar, Mark Snyder, Henry Spangler. Some
other old settlers were: Leonard Groniger, James D. Thomas, Joseph Brant, Sr., Jonh L. Jones, David Jones, Captain John Lucas, Charles T. Mastin, Reason Rouse, Benjamin Thomas, Jacob Thomas, Joseph Corns, Abraham Miller, Doctor Finley, Adron Lucas, Robert Buckles, Henry Jeffords, Dennis Hill (col- ored) and John Lancaster.
Lucasville.
In the first few years after its beginning, Lucasville promised to be a large town, thence the population dwindled until it was predicted that the place would be abandoned. This was at the time when the inhabitants were disappointed and disgusted at the canal being built on the west side of the river. Lucasville is now one of the best business locations in the County. Great quantities of lumber and cross ties are shipped from it, while the ex- cellent farming country around furnishes a good healthy trade for the mer- chants. Lucasville has an elevator owned by H. S. Grimes of Portsmouth, a steam flour mill and four general stores: Joseph Brant's, C. J. Moulton's, Martindale & Edmunds' and P. T. McClelland's. Mr. Brant has a stock of drugs besides his general stock and Mr. McClelland keeps the Post Office. There are two livery stables. W. J. Thomas keeps a hotel. It has two black- smiths, and two wagon makers, and one undertaker. The physicians are J. B. and C. M. Warwick and M. J. Beard. Lucasville was platted in June, 1819, by Colonel John Lucas from whom it received its name. The plat was recorded August 7, 1819. There were several houses and some business was done here before the town was platted. Colonel John Lucas lived here until his death, of a surfeit of green corn, July 31, 1825. The original plat contained 74 lots and 32 out lots, in all 88 acres. The James D. Thomas Addition made in 1880, contains 10 lots or 2 87-100 acres. The Charles W. Thomas Addition made in 1898, contains 11 lots or 3 1-10 acres.
The first officers of Valley Township were: Treasurer, W. A. Marsh; Clerk, Leonard Groniger; Justices of the Peace, John Wallace and A. F. Millar; Trustees, Clark Galligher, Mark Snyder; Constables, A. C. Turner and John Stewart. The first Board of Education was: Leonard Groniger, A. F. Millar, Mark Snyder, and James D. Thomas. The present officers are: Treasurer, Charles Martindale; Clerk, W. J. Thomas; Justices of the Peace, Adonijah Crain and Adam Turner; Trustees, Joseph Rockwell, James Appel, J. Bern- tholdt; Constables, James Crain and Charles Schoonover.
Churches.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Lucasville was organized in October, 1849, by Rev. Sheldon Parker and Rev. L. A. Atkinson, and a brick church built the same year. The lot on which the church was built was the gift of Doctor D. A. Belknap. His wife started the subscription for the building and secured most of the funds. The original Trustees were: William Marsh, James O. Johnson, and William Miller. The first Sunday School was organized in
407
VALLEY TOWNSHIP.
Lucasville in 1850. Mrs. Mary Moulton secured the money for the library, and was the first Sunday School Superintendent. The present trustees of the Methodist Church are: J. C. Mckinley, J. W. Rockwell, J. H. Finney, J. B. Warwick, C. J. Moulton and J. H. Brant. The membership is about 50. The pastor is Rev. John W. Morgan.
Schools.
Valley Township schools are among the best in the County. It pays fair wages to its teachers and has from 8 to 10 months school. The Lucasville school is a sub-district but arrangements are made by which the principal re- ceives better wages than the other teachers of the Township. Pupils from districts near attend the Lucasville school after finishing the shorter terms elsewhere, and the class is quite large for two or three months in the spring. in 1860, there were four organized school districts. In 1878, another was added. The schools are as follows: Sub-district No. 1, Johnson School; sub-district No. 2, Lucasville; sub-district No. 3, Cockrell School; sub-district No. 4, Marsh School; sub-district No. 5, Millar's Run School. The principal, C. D. Walden, receives $82.50 per month, the other male teachers receives $40.00 and the fe- males $35.00 per month. The average attendance is 30 pupils for each school. The school property is worth about $4,000.
Lodges.
Lucasville Lodge, No. 465, F. and A. M. was organized October 16, 1872. The charter members were: Leonard Groniger, A. L. Groniger, Isaac Fullerton, W. M. Thomas, Charles E. Wolf, J. Johnson, J. W. Wakefield, Jacob Fisher, John B. Warwick, M. J. Noel and Nathan James. The first officers were: Thomas J. Pursell, W. M .; A. L. Groniger, S. W .; J. W. Wakefield, J. W .; W. M. Thomas, Secretary and John B. Warwick, Treasurer. The first meetings of the lodge were held in a room over W. J. Thomas's store. In 1883, a two story hall was erected. The lower story is owned and used by Valley Township as a townhouse. The upper story was fitted up for a lodge room at a cost of $2,700. The membership is about 80. The officers: R. J. Smith, W. M .; Charles Wolf, S. W .; Milton Martin, J. W .; G. L. Bricker, Secretary; Joseph Rockwell, Treasurer; C. M. Warwick, S. D .; Jesse Pyles, J. D .; Tyler, L. J. Wood.
Reminiscences.
Charles F. Mastin kept a store in Lucasville in 1813. Peter Logan had a blacksmith shop in Lucasville in 1815. In 1813, Dennis Hill had a large tan- yard in Lucasville. Colonel John Lucas kept tavern in Lucasville from 1819 to 1825. In 1824, Reason Rouse kept tavern and sold liquor in Lucasville. Abraham Miller & Son, in 1824, started a large general store which was for a time the best in the County. In 1825-6 Joseph Corns kept a store and sold li- quor. From 1820 to 1826 Henry Jeffords conducted the stage line and kept tavern at Scioto Inn near Lucasville. In 1824, David Jones kept tavern in Lucasville. He also had a collection of fast horses, and a race track was built and regular races were had for several years. John Lancaster, in 1829, ran a carding machine in Lucasville.
John Dever from the west side, in 1824, rode to Lucasville and spent the day at the tavern. During the day the Scioto river rose rapidly. Mem- bers of his family went to the ford in the evening and waited for him to come. When he arrived they warned him not to venture. He said that his horse could jump Big Scioto any time, and he plunged into the water when he and the horse disappeared. The horse rose to the surface and swam out, when Dever's dead body was seen hanging by one foot to the stirrup of the saddle on his horse.
In 1821, a man by the name of Robert Buckles got into a dispute with Doctor Finley at Rouse's Tavern. Buckles had been drinking and Finley be- ing quick tempered struck him with a chair and followed up the blows after he had fallen, until his head was crushed to jelly. Finley was charged with murder, arrested and bound over to appear at the next term of court to answer the charge. J. O. Johnson and others were bondsmen for him. When released on bail he went to Texas, leaving his bondsmen to settle the score.
408
HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.
Before 1824, Abraham Miller and John Miller were engaged rather exten- sively in the distilling business near Lucasville.
In 1842, Mrs. Thomas, mother of James L., John and Jacob Thomas,
was burned to death at her home below Lucasville. When the fire was dis- covered, all the family left the building. Mrs. Thomas, thinking of some mon- ey which was kept upstairs, returned intending to save it. The fire cut off her retreat by destroying the stairway and it was impossible to rescue her. Near ner charred remains in the wreck of the building, was found a mass of melted silver weighing 28 pounds. A monument marks the spot where she met her deatlı. It stands near the railroad and to the right of the pike going north to Lucasville.
Lucasville Cemetery.
A few of the inscriptions taken from the gravestones are as follows: "In memory of Colonel John Lucas, who died 1825, aged 38 years." Was Colonel in the war of 1812. "In memory of Captain William Lucas, who departed this life, July A. D. 1814, in the 72d year of his age." (A Revolutionary Soldier.) "Susannah Lucas, wife of William Lucas, who departed this life May A. D. 1809, aged 64 years." "Rachel Kendall, wife of General William Kendall, de- parted this life in 1820."
A Remarkable Tree.
On the south bank of Millar's Run and immediately on the east side of the Norfolk & Western Railroad track, at the point where it crosses this Run, there stood at the incoming of the nineteenth century, a sycamore of probably two centuries growth. One might probably have searched in vain for another of such immense proportions east of the Sierras and the Cascades, "the land of the monster sequoia." When first discovered by white men, this tree was in a state of decay, with an immense cavity in the trunk extending from the root up into the diverging forks. It measured at the base twenty- one feet in diameter and sixty feet in circumference, and tapered abruptly up- ward. At a point five feet from the ground it measured forty-two feet in cir -. cumference. The opening of the cavity at the base was ten feet wide, at the height of five feet it was seven feet wide, and the top of the opening was nine and one-half feet above the ground. The fork was about eight feet from the ground. This enormous tree stood on the farm originally owned by Abraham Miller, later by Thomas Dugan, and at a point about two hundred yards above what is known as Dugan's Grove. It was a natural curiosity often visited by travellers and was the wonder and admiration of all the surrounding country. Many visitors inclined to literary diversion wrote accounts and descriptions of it for publication. One of these articles published in an old Cincinnati Al- manac in 1810 tells of a party of fourteen on horseback making a visit to this prodigy of nature and testing the capacity of its cavernous trunk, by all at- tempting to ride within. One after another rode in until it came the turn of the last of the fourteen. . It was said that he could have found room, but his horse, being a little capricious. could not be induced to enter. This took place June 5, 1808. Those who composed the company were: E. W. Hall and wife. William Trimmer and wife, William Headley, Elizabeth Miller, John Hayes and wife and Cornelius Millar. James Lane remained outside the tree with his skittish horse. The rest of the party were children who came with their parents. This tree stood until the farm fell into Thomas Dugan's hands. One of the large forks was broken off at the time of the incident related above. Dugan had it chopped down and a few years afterwards had the stump re- moved.
VERNON TOWNSHIP
is in the southeastern part of the County. It was organized in 1818, from land which had formerly been Upper Township. It is bounded on the north by Bloom Township, on the east by Bloom Township and Lawrence County, on the south by Lawrence County and Green Township, and on the west by Green
409
VERNON TOWNSHIP.
and Porter Townships. The first settlements were in Pine Creek Valley. Some of the first settlers were Shadrack Chaffin, David Salladay, Reuben Chaffin, Nathan Searl, Reuben Smith, Lemuel Cadot, Claudius Cadot, Timothy S. Hayward, Richard Malone, Edward Barklow, Francis Duteil, James Thomp- son and Lawrence DeLouder.
Officers.
The first Township officers were: Clerk, Reuben Smith; Treasurer. Moses Hayward; Justice of the Peace, James Thompson; Trustees, Edward Parklow, Reuben Smith and James Thompson; Supervisors, Richard Malone, William Munyon and Richard Sheldon; Constables, William Smith and Lawrence De- Louder; Overseer of the Poor and Fence Viewer, Richard Sheldon and Robert Thompson; Lister, William Smith.
Surface, Drainage, Etc.
The Township has considerable mineral wealth, but it is undeveloped. More than two-thirds of the land is tillable although the greater part of the township is hilly. Pine Creek enters the township from Bloom and runs nearly south across it east of the center. In the valley are found some fine farm lands, equal to any in the County. There are also some good farms in Lick Run and Turkey Foot Valleys.
Area, Valuation and Rank.
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