USA > Ohio > Highland County > A history of the early settlement of Highland County, Ohio > Part 33
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Runbels, came up from Chillicothe early in the spring of this year. John Tucker, also a brother-in-law of Shields High and Beech. Shields seemed de- -a carpenter to trade, came at the same termined that Beech street should go time. Shields had purchased the en- ahead of all the others, and thus far tire square north of the public square, he succeeded, for before the next win- lying between High and West streets, ter there were no less than six houses and south of Beech street. Ho and his on it west of High. He donated a part two brothers-in-law made a settlement of the square to a Methodist Church.
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
This was the corner on the alley oppo- The streets during this year were posite the present jail and part of the literally barricaded with fallen trees, lot now occupied by the residence of logs and brush. From Trimble's John A. Trimble, jr. On that ground blacksmith shop southwest over the was erected the first Methodist Church town plat, the road to New Market was in Hillsborough, which, was the first
so completely closed that a circuitous church building of any denomination route had to be made. This route pass- in the place. The church was a very ed cast of the clearings and chopped neat small frame and was built in 1810. timber and circling round the hill struck the road on the southwest. From the smith shop branched another road to the Fitzpatrick settlement. This road passed out southeast of the town plat and over the ridge avoiding
A large two-story hewed-log house was put up on the corner opposite the present Parker house, This building was, however, not completed that fall. The corner of High and Main streets the Rocky Fork hills. The old road was purchased at the sale of lots for from New Market to Clear Creek, pass- John Carlisle, of Chillicothe, and early ed down over the hills in nearly a in the summer of 1808 a large hewed- straight line a few rods east of where log two-story house was built and com- the Eli Glascock family lives, and on pleted some rods south of the corner. over the hill by the old Chancy place In this house Carlisle put a dry goods to the Rocky Fork at Joel Brown's, store during the summer, the first in where it crossed the creek. It then the town, and Benjamin H. Johnson passed on direct to the Eagle Spring- and Samuel Swearingen, his clerks, Iliff's settlement-thence in almost a
kept it. During the fall of this year direct line to the branch which crosses the south end of West street, which it struck opposite where a small cabin now stands. It then passed on over the hill a little west of where the Union school house now stands, and passed on through the public square near where the present jail stands. After it passed over the Academy hill Joseph Wright opened a small store opposite the public square on High street. On the south side of Main street, west of High, was built a small log house early in the summer and oc- cupied by James D. Scott as a kind of tavern. This closes up the building operations in Hillsborough for the year of 1808, with the exception of the north, it forked and one prong led to Court House.
Capt. Billy Hill's, and the other to the
Ponds and sink holes disfigured at Evans settlement lower down the that date, to some extent, the surface creek. The track of this old road is of the ridge on which Hillsborough yet visible in the wood lands south- was located. Indeed there were many west of town. At the time of which formidable sinks, particularly on the we speak, and indeed until the follow- outer slopes of the hill. There was a ing summer, these were the only roads large pond of water, standing the open through the town. Others it is greater part of the year on and around true were cut out to the vicinity of the the corner now known as Trimble's town limits but the obstructions corner. This pond was such an ob- caused by the clearings and cutting of timber, forced all into the open tracks, which were merely wide enough to ad- mit a wagon. struction that the Clear Creek road from New Market passed to the east of it for some time after the period of which we speak. The largest pond on
At the April election of this year, the town plat was on High street. It Enoch B. Smith, a carpenter, was clect- covered near an acre of ground and ed an additional justice of the peace was full of water the most of the year. for Liberty township.
There was an abundance of water, On the second day of May of this grass, flags, &c., growing in it, and it year, the Board of Commissioners met was the favorite home of a very large at John Campton's. The first business of this session was to fix the specifica-
community of frogs of all grades and tone of voice. During the spring of tions for the builders of the Court the year, they kept up an almost con- House foundation, which they settled tinual concert. Indeed the inhabitants should be made three feet thick. of these ponds were the only musicians "Ordered that the East part of Liberty in the seat of justice for many years, township and the north east of Brush- except perhaps Uncle Tom's fiddle, creek township be struck off to form a which, however, entered but slightly township of the name of Paint, and into competition with the full band, to be bounded as follows, to-wit: Be- thoroughly organized, which piped ginning at the mouth of Clear Creek and running northerly so as to go be-
from amid the tall grass of the pond.
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A HISTORY OF HIGHILAND COUNTY, OHIO.
tween the waters of Clear creek and of 1512, the details of which will be the waters running into the Rocky given in subsequent chapters. The Fork; Easterly to Anderson's road at Stitt's field, thence Northerly so as to include Richard Barrett's, and to the old township line, thence Easterly, in- cluding Nathan and Ileury Worley, thence with the dividing ridge to the mouth of Fall creek, thence dividing Rattlesnake and Paint creeks to the house in which he taught the school above named, stood on the land then owned by Samuel Gibson on the Mar- ble Furnace road. All was woods around this location, and the house was distinguished in nothing from the school houses of that day, being built in the same mode and furnished with mouth of the Rocky Fork, thence with. the absolute necessaries, in the same the county line to where it crosses the way. There is a most superb spring near the site of this early school hon-e. on the west side of the road, which was the inducement to build the house there. Stivers taught school at this honse about a year, during which time he married Mary Creed, daughter of old Matthew. Shortly after his mar- riage Stivers moved to Adams county. New Market road that leads to Brown's cross roads, thence a straight line to the month of Franklin's branch, and thence up the Rocky Fork to the beginning." These boundaries are at this day rather obscure, and we regret our inability to throw any further light upon the subject. At this same session it was further "ordered that the inhabitants of Paint township, Incet on the 14th day of May,(1808)to elect township officers." Board then adjourned to the first Monday of June.
During the time this school was kept by Stivers, most of the older sous and daughters of Gibsou, Kelly, Jolly, Creed, and others, were his pupils, many of them young men and women. Few, if any of them are now living in this region, and those who are, were grandfathers and grandinothers long ago. Many of them have pursued for- tune into the far West, and all are far
The Court of Common Pleas held a summer terin at Knox's tavern in Hills- borough, commencing on the 27th day of June, present, Belt, Evans, Berry- man aud Davidson. At this term Wil- liam Barnet was licensed to keep a tav- separated.
ern in the town of Hillsborough, and the last will of Hugh Evans admitted to probate. Considerable other busi- spring to Hillsboro in IS08, or the spring ness appears from the journal entries of the term, to have been disposed of by the Court, but none which would be likely to interest the reader. There was but one jury trial, and two present- ments on the criminal side, for minor offences. The court ordered at this It is not settled as to whether Richard Iliff moved his pottery from the Eagle following. This much is. however, known in regard to it. that he erected buildings for his residence and shop, during the summer and fall ot this year, and that he was the first to estab- lish in the town, a pottery. These buildings, as we stated in a former term that the township of Paint be an- chapter, were constructed of small logs thorized to elect two justices of the one story high, and stood to the right peace.
of the fill at the west end of Main street,
The first preaching in Hillsborough about where the railroad terminates.
was early in the spring of 1808. John Shields preached regularly every Sab- Commissioners, orders were issued to bath during the spring and summer of that year. His place of preaching was his own cabin principally. Occasion- ally meeting was held in the adjoining grove.
At the June session of the county
varions persons for killing wolves. Nineteen dollars were also ordered to Joseph Swearingen for nineteen days' service as Lister of Liberty township, and three dollars to Reason Moberly tor three days' service as House .Ap- praiser. for Liberty township. John
The first well dug in Hillsboro, was dug by James Hays, on the lot N. W. corner of High and Walnut streets, Roads was ordered seven dollars for This well was dug in the sunner of seven days' service as Lister of Brush- 1808 and is yet used by the owner of the creek township, and Martin Shoemaker lot and considered amour the best one dollar for one day's service as wells in the place. House Appraiser of Brushcreek town.
The first school taught on the Rocks ship. The Commissioners established. fork was in 1808. The teacher was at this session, the road leading from Samuel King Stivers -born in West- New Market to Morgan Vanmeter's ac- moreland, Pennsylvania, 1757 -came to cording to the report of the viewers ap- Kentucky 1505 and to Ohio in 150 - pointed the preceeding December. was present at the sale of lots in Hills- They also ordered that a road be view- boro, and a gallant soldier in the war ed by Enoch B. Smith, James Hays and
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
Robert Branson, from the south end of total loss of all their property. Noth- High street, Hillsboro, to Gibson's ing daunted, however, by their misfor- mill, and from thence to Countryman's tune, but most thankful for their own mill. John Shields was appointed the escape, they set out on foot, wet and surveyor of this road. Elijah Kirkpat- rick was ordered at this term, twelve dollars for twelve days' service as Lis- ter of New Market township, and Eli Berryman one dollar for one day's ser- vice as House appraiser in the same. It was also ordered that Evan Evans receive an order for twenty-eight dol- lars for twenty-eight days' service as Lister of Fairfield township.
On the 14th of June, 1808, the Com- missioners settled with John Richards, Treasurer of Highland county, at which time he accounted for "two thousand and forty-one dollars, ninety- eight cents, one mill and two thirds, re- ceived in ; and paid out seventeen hun- dred and fifty-four dollars and seventy- four cents. Ordered that John Rich- ards receive seventy dollars and nine- teen cents for his per cent on the mon- another, who soon cleared out a field eys paid out, and that there is a bal- ance due the county of two hundred dollars and five cents." The county tax was, at this session ordered as fol- lows : to-wit "That every horse, mare, mule or ass be taxed at twenty-two and one half cents per head, that is over three years old, and for every head of net cattle seven and one half cents." It was further ordered that there be a collector appointed for each township, and that wolf and panther scalps, that are' over six months old, shall be one dollar and fifty cents, and under that age seventy-five cents each. The rate of tavern licenses was also ad- justed at this session as follows, to-wit: "Every person obtaining a license or permit, within the county of Highland, on the College Township road, seven dollars. At the crossing of the road leading from West Union to Urbana and the College Township roads,. nine dollars, in the town of Hillsboro, seven dollars, and elsewhere in said county five dollars per year.
Benjamin Brooks, with his family, chiefly grown, emigrated from Penn- sylvania to the neighborhood of Chilli- cothe as early as 1800. They came down the Ohio to the mouth of the Scioto,
destitute, through the dense forest which clothed the banks of the beanti -. ful Scioto, for Chillicothe, where they arrived in the course of a few days, camping out of nights and depending on the guns of the young men of the party for their supplies of venison, which was their sole subsistence dur- ing the journey. The family halted at mouth of Paint and building a tempo- rary half-faced camp, huddled into it, making a bed of dried leaves, grass, &c. They were healthful, hopeful and in- dustrious. Such a family, of course, did not greatly suffer. It was late in the month of April when they found themselves at home in their camp at the mouth of Paint, and all hands went to work. There were two or three young men, James, Benjamin and
for corn, beans and pumpkins, which were planted in good season. The father and the girls stayed at home to "tend the erop" while the young men went out to work for the neighbors, at chopping, clearing land, &c. The fam- ily of Mr. Brooks only remained at this place about a year or two, when they moved up to the present county of Highland, and on a tributary of Fall creek, called Grassy Branch. From this time forward the Brookses became permanent residents of Highland. The girls married and became identified with the mothers of the county, and the young men took a prominent part in the necessary labors and duties of the. pioneer settlers. These young men were thoroughly inured to the hardships and toil of life in the woods, and not only 'as laborers, but as hun- ters and Indian fighters, were the peers of the worthiest men of the times. Capt. James Brooks was a remarkably bold, stout and energetic man. Ile was for some months, prior to the removal of his family to the North western territory, one of Gen. Massie's surveying company, as a hunter, in which capacity he had few rivals.
On one occasion, while acting in this which they attempted to ascend in a capacity, he was returning to the large canoe of their own construction, into which all their worldly wealth
encampment, on Sunfish. Pretty late in the evening he came suddenly upon a was stowed. But some unknown de- bear wallow, where more than thirty of these singular animals were assen- bled. They had apparently been en-
fect, either in the making or manage -; ment of the simple craft, caused it sud- denly to sink the same day it was gaged in the amusement by appoint- launched in the stream. With much ment and were gamboling with all the Whilst the company sat in a circle, one difficulty the family were saved, sev- grace and etiquette of a country dance. eral of whom were girls, but with the
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A HISTORY OF HIGHILAND COUNTY, OHIO.
or two couple would caper around the one hour. . The timber was beautiful ring in ground and loftytumbling. Soon bhe ash and the rails made on a bet the whole ring would pitch in, and after which some of his friends had made. a general frolic of rolling over and over One who witnessed this extraordinary in a grand muss, would resume their performance said the whole party of former position in the ring, when two or more of their minnber would renew the evolutions inside. Brooks, who told the story, said it was the most gro- tesque and laughable exhibition im- aginable, and much as he liked bear meat and anxious as he was for a shot, for he had had no luck during the hunt, he silently left the party and returned to the camp for Massie and the com- pany to go and witness the bear show.
choppers ceased work as soon as Brooks began. All eyes were upon him. No one spoke above his breath, until the rails were finished and counted, within the hour. Brooks did not appear to be excited during the time, nor did he exhibit any unusual hurry, but coolly and deliberately did he swing his heavy axe, never hitting a lick amiss, never making a false motion or in any way wasting time or strength. He used no iron wedge or manl, nothing but a small wooden glut and his axe. "I have," says one who knew Brooks well, "hunted with him in later years,
On another occasion, he waked one morning about day-light, at his encamp- ment in the silent woods, under the root of a large fallen tree, and the first object which presented itself to his and made several voyages with him eyes, was a large panther, crouched, its upon the Mississippi and always found tail in motion, and just in the act of him a warm and generous friend in springing upon him. He was bold and sickness and in health."
self-possessed for all emergencies It may be a subject of some interest which came in the way of a woodsman to the reader, to know that the first and hunter. He had his trusty rifle by his side and managed silently and with- ont changing his recumbent position to bring it slowly to his breast, and with a steady and sure aim, gave his enemy a deadly shot just as he was springing on him. The panther bounded past him ten feet or more and fell dead. couple married in the town of Hillsboro was Amariah Gossett and Lydia Evans, daughter of Evan Evans, a Virginia Quaker, who emigrated from Stevens- burgh in that State to the North-western Territory and settled in the present town- ship of Fairfield. on the banks of Lee's creek, near the Beaver Dam, as it was known many years ago, the first white
Capt. Brooks was a man of extraor- dinary muscular development, tall, sin- settler in that region. The Indians were ewy and tawny as an Indian -- he could then numerous all around here, and he travel farther on foot, than perhaps saw a hundred of them to one white any man in Ohio. Ou one occasion man. He was a neighbor and friend to Wa-will-a-way, named in a former chap- upon an alarm of an attack of Indians upon Chillicothe, he walked from ter. Evans was a most worthy man and Limestone, Ky., where he was at work, secured the confidence, friendship and in one day, from sun rise to sun set-a respect of the natives of the forest. They distance of seventy-five miles. The came to him for advice and favors, easiest part of the journey, hesaid, was always addressing him as the "goody over the Brushcreek hills, which he man-the Quaker." ascended in a quick step and descended in a run.
It seems the Indians, ever since the days of William Penn, have held in high confidence and love the peaceful and philanthropie dis- ciples of his example and faith. Lydia Evans was a very young girl when her father brought his family to their wil- derness home, and for some years after- wards her playmates were young savages, as the fastidious white man is pleased to term the lord of the sylvan groves of other days in our present culti- vated and beautiful country.
He was a fine specimen of the pioneer woodsman and hunter of the early days of the West, and was always a cham- pion at log-rollings, house raisings and musters. He could cut the timber and split more rails than any man he ever encountered. He once walked from home, three miles, to his brother-in- law's, who then lived in the Clear creek settlement, and made four hundred whiteoak rails, and in the evening This marriage was solemnized by Synire Enoch B. Smith, on the after- noon of Angust the 4th, Isos, in the little log cabin which then stood on the lot on which the Parker House now stands. The cabin was then owned and ocenpied as a residence by James D. afterwards, beat several of the most active of the young men of the neigh- borhood at hop-step-and-jump. On another occasion at a chopping frolic on Ash Ridge, in the present county of Brown, he out the trees down, logged them off and split one hundred rails in Scott. He was away from home, but
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
his wife, who was a very fine woman, sionally got hold of a note on an Fast. taking much interest in the young ern bank, but it was carefully handled couple, gave them quite a nice supper. and carried back by the first merchant They had, however, no party, and the who went over the inountains for goods. whole affair passed off very quietly and These notes were generally large and on without attracting any unusual atten- banks either in Pennsylvania, Maryland tion. Mr. and Mrs. Gossett, after raising or Virginia.
a large and worthy family, all of whom The county of Highland was, as we are married and gone, settled down in have before stated, much infested with their own quiet little home four miles south of Hillsboro, in the full enjoyment of robust health.
that most venomous and deadly of rep- tiles, the spotted rattlesnake. It was many years after the date of which we Alexander Morrow and George Sand- erson with his family, emigrated from Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, and settled in the town of Greenfield in the counter now speak, before they became so far exterminated as to remove from the minds of the people the dread of an en- with them in the woods. ·year 180S. Ann Sanderson, afterward Many dens of snakes were known to ex- the wife of Thomas Boyd, was then a ist in and around Hillsborough and per- little girl. Her sister Jane, afterward sons were often bitten. A place known the wife of N. Edwards, was born in as the Bald Knob, to the right of the Greenfield the following year. Before road to Marshall and about two miles her death Mrs. Boyd, in speaking of from Hillsborough, abounded in rattle- the early times (1808) when she first snakes. This seemed to be the head- came to the place a little girl, contrasted quarters, from which most of those that the mnode of living now with what she infested the surrounding county were remembered most vividly then. The believed to emanate. It was a place of
houses in the town as well as the coun- try, still continued to be very poor little pole cabins, with clapboard roof and could avoid it.
doors. An apology for fire places, made
much celebrity and no one ventured to approach its immediate vicinity if they
In the early part of the summer of of'a few stones and some mud, was visi- this year (1808) David Jolly sent his ble on the earth floor underneath a hole two daughters, then mere children, oui in the roof for the smoke to pass out. one evening to hunt up the sheep and For bedstead, a fork driven in the fetch them in for fear of the wolves. ground `on which rested small poles. The girls, one of whom was afterward The bed-tick filled with dry leaves from Mrs. R. Stuart. of this place, the other, the woods. Chairs were made of punch- her eldest sister Elizabeth, went on in eons, and tables also, with cross legs in- search of the sheep, and before they serted in angur holes. The baby was were aware of their exact whereabouts, rocked in a sugar trough. Clothing was they found themselves at the Knob, all home-made for the best of all reasons, then, however, not known to them as a that money could not be had to pur- snake den.
They saw a rattlesnake
chase anything else. The descendants which took shelter under the rocks of of the first settlers who are now in the the Knob. The custom of the people of full enjoyment of the fat of the land that day was never to let one of these their fathers and mothers cleared and reptiles escape. So they settled between improved, with all the comforts and themselves, being satisfied that they luxuries of city life, would almost feel it could not make the attack successfully, an insult to be told of the early struggles, that one should stay and watch, while privations and poverty of their parents. the other went home for their father to The truth is, there was no market for come and kill the snake. Accordingly the scanty products of the soil, which Mrs. Stuart went. Mr. Jolly soon came could pay money, except perhaps the and went to work. He found pretty skins of wild animals. All the money soon that he was- encountering a large of that time was the little brought by den of snakes, nineteen of which he new comers, and that, when circulated, would hardly suffice for the small snni of county and State tax, required from each householder.
The money of that time was almost entirely Spanish silver coin, frequently cut into halves, quarters, &c. A bank bill was a thing still inore rare than a round dollar, and gold coin was not known at all in the back woods of High- Jand. Some of the business men orca-
succeeded in killing. This place was afterwards fenced up tightly early in the spring to prevent the snakes from es- caping. When the warm suns of March induced the inmates to crawl out, sev- eral men and boys were in readiness to kill them, and vast numbers were thus destroyed. They also harbored jn rocky springs during the winter and were sure to be found in their vicinity in the spring. This same year upwards
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