USA > Ohio > Darke County > A pictorial outline history of Darke County, Ohio with portraits and biography of prominent citizens of the county, county and ex-county officials, attorneys at law, city officials, bankers, capitalists, business men, teachers, ministers, agriculturalists and notable citizens of the county > Part 5
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supplied to citizens at a very low rate, making this one of the greatest household luxuries of modern times. Thirteen free turnpikes enter the "city from all directions reaching an aggregate length within the county of about eighteen hundred miles. Darke county contains about 396,000 acres of land. and is one of the richest agricultural counties in the state. Its crops of most of the leading grains excel those of any other county. The Agri cultural Fair grounds adjoin the city, and in extent, beauty and convenience are not excelled in the state. The county fair is surpassed by only one other in the state. Free gas and other inducements are offered manufacturers and other business men who will locate in the city.
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NATURAL GAS IN GREENVILLE
S an agricultural county, Darke stands among the first in the state. It produces all those cereals that make the farmer wealthy and independent, but its mineral products, if any, are yet undeveloped. As yet natural gas has been found in but one locality in the county, and there not in quantity sufficient to pay the expense of procuring the same.
The development of this gas at Findlay and the sinking of wells for oil at Lima and other places in the state, and the success connected with experiments, created an interest among a large number of the citizens of Arcanum, Greenville and other places in the county, and by mutual consent, as it were, they determined to prospect. for oil and gas in these localities, Arcanum. succeeding to a limited extent, while Greenville, failing in her efforts here, had to look elsewhere for success. To make the necessary experiment in Greenville, a. subscription for that purpose was circulated, many citizens subscribing over two hundred dollars each, and when thirty two hundred dollars was thus.raised an organization was formed and it was determined to purchase the necessary machinery and apparatus to drill our own wells. These were procured at an expense of about eighteen hundred dollars; work was begun without delay, a location in the south-western part of Greenville was selected, the space was enclosed with a high fence and an admission fee of ten cents was charged, the belief being that the revenue thus obtained would greatly assist in defraying the expense of drilling; but this expectation was not realized, and in subsequent drillings this feature was abandoned.
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The sinking of the first well was remarkably slow work,
those employed being paid by the day; but in June, 1886, a depth of 1737 feet was reached and the 'salt" or "blue-lick" water ended operations there. No gas was found and the verdict was a "dry hole." The formations passed through (and they were similar in all wells drilled in the county), were as follows : Rock was reached . at "a depth of 'S9 feet, thus showing the thickness of the drift formation. The Niagara limestone extended from this point to a depth of 260 feet when the Niagara shale was reached. At a depth of 140 feet this limestone was mixed with flint, and at a depth of 153 feet dark shale, or drab limestone predominated; but at a depth of 175 feet this limestone was quite white and pure and much resembled marble. The Niagara shale is of light gray color and might be mistaken for the Niagara clay, and as it came from the well was quite pliable, being easily made into balls, the material becoming hard when dry and containing a great deal of grit.
From this point to 1134 feet, the drill passed through continuous shale of the Huron formation, but sometimes so dark that it might be classified with the Utica shale. This formation was not uniform in texture, but sometimes was quite compact and hard; at other times soft and porous, enabling the drill to make rapid progress.
At 1134 feet the formation changed to a lighter color, more compact, and contained much limestone. The first Trenton rock was reached at a depth of 1136 feet. The rock_ was darker than ordinary, quite compact, and with no flow of gas, though a little was found while passing through the shale. At 1148 feet the hardness seem to increase, and 1195 feet the limestone became whiter, but as hard and compact as before.
At 1210 feet it much resembled, in appearance, the forma- tion at 140 feet, though finer in texture and entirely destitute of the flinty formation. At 1570 fout it seemed, if possible, to be finer and harder than before, with a bluish cast of color; while at a depth of 16to feet coarse dark shale in loose layers again prevailed,
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accompanied by a very small. portion of the limestone. At: 1700 feet the limestone changed to its original white color and compact form, accompanied with sulphur; and at a depth of 1737 feet bitter water and brine were found, the water being blue in color and unpleasant in taste and odor; but after being exposed to the air for some time it became clear, the unpleasant smell disappeared and the saline or salty taste alone remained. We notice that the
Trenton was reached at 1136 feet. The surface at this point is about 1055 feet above sea level, so that the Trenton rock was here reached at a depth of Si feet below salt water. This places it much higher than at other points in this part of the state where wells have been sunk and gas obtained, and this fact, with the compactness of the rock, will show that gas cannot be obtained here. We know , of no other point outside the county where wells have been sunk, that the formations are the same as those here.
A second well was sunk in the northern part of the city with the same results as the first, though sometime after the well was abandoned it was noticed that gas was escaping, and in sufficient quantity to burn. This created quite an excitement, and it was determined to torpedo the well. The effort was made, . but the charge was exploded five hundred feet below the surface : a complete failure was the result and the well was abandoned.
A third well was sunk one-half mile north of the city. A small amount of gas was obtained, but the well was pronounced a failure and abandoned. A fourth well was drilled a mile south- west of the place, and a fifth about the same distance east of the city; the latter had a small flow of gas, about as No. 3. No other effort was made to torpedo either of these wells, and they were all abandoned. The organization then purchased eighty acres of land in Granville township, Mercer county, O., and sunk the first well in the fall of 1887. This well after being "shot" furnished about a half million cubic feet of gas per day, and the company immediately drilled well No. 2 about one fourth of a mile from the first. This proved to be a much stronger well.
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On the twenty-seventh of February, 1888, Prof. Orton, State Geologist, tested these wells with the following result: Well No. 1, 417.490 cubic feet per day; well No. 2, 2,698,600 cubic feet per day. Total capacity of the two wells 3, 116,090 cubic feet per
day. In shooting well No. 1 the fragments of limestone thrown out were found to be "true carbonate of lime of exceptional purity." The driller described this rock as being quite hard, containing no gas whatever, and believed it constituted the cap of the gas rock. Our people, deeming it desirable that the city of Greenville should pipe "natural gas" from the field into its corporate limits, made an effort to secure the passage of a law by our state legislature enabling our council so to do; but in this they failed. it was then believed that the general law of the state gave them that authority and proper steps were taken for that purpose, but these proceedings were stopped by the intervention of the Circuit court. A second application was made in the early part of 1889 to our state legislature, the result of which was that a law was passed, and under it an election was held by the citizens which resulted in a vote of 767 for, to 13 against the measure. With this vote of approval the city council appointed a board of gas trustees under the law; issued bonds to the amount of $125,000.00, and purchased the eighty acres of land upon which the two wells are located. The drilling machinery and apparatus for $5,600.00, being the actual cost of the same, although said citizens had expended about $10,000.00 in sinking the five wells in the immediate vicinity of Greenville which was a total loss. The said trustees purchased two additional tracts of eighty acres each in the same township, and leased other land in the immediate vicinity, so that they now control about eight hundred acres of good gas-producing territory and have sunk two additional wells, each producing as much gas per day as the second well. The rock pressure of these wells is about three hundred and sixty pounds to the square inch finished line of pipe new extends from these wells to Greenville, and in a few days all who wish can have the benefit of this, cheap fuel.
The united capacity of these four wells is over eight and a
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half million cubic feet of gas per day, one-fourth of which will supply all the wants of Greenville at the present time, and the query now does not seem to be whether the gas will hold out, but can it be confined in the pipes, the pressure being so great. Greenville is surrounded by a rich agricultural district; is well located for manufacturing industries; has a large area of unoccupied territory within her corporate limits; can furnish frec gas to any organization that wishes to locate here for manufacturing purposes, and for health and convenient location is not surpassed by any other city or town in Ohio or Indiana. She invites the man with capital, the mechanic, the artisan and the day laborer to make this city their future home.
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GREENVILLE CEMETERY.
REVIOUS to the year 1816 the inhabitants of Greenville suffered many . hardships .and were exposed to . many dangers, particularly from marauding bands of Indians that were almost daily to be seen in thar vicinity. A treaty with them had been made at this place in July, 1814; their great war chief, Tecumseh, having been killed in battle, settlers from various states visited Greenville, some with a view of locating here, others for speculative investments. These conditions existing, the Indians soon found their hunting grounds still farther toward the West, and in the year above named the settlers dwelt in comparative safety. In 1818 the "Old Graveyard" lot within the line of the fort was deeded to the Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in fec simple; the only reservation was about two square rods of ground in which several children had been interred, and while it was not deeded for cemetery purposes, by tacit consent it was used as a general burying ground by all settlers in this. vicinity.
Here lies the revolutionary soldier, over one hundred years old at the time of his death; here also lie three victims of the "Asiatic Cholera," who died in 1849, this being the only time that dreadful scourge ever visited this locality. Several soldiers of the Mexican war as well as of the late Civil war have found a last resting place within this enclosure. The lot was used as a burying ground umil 1853, when Dr. G. Miesse, Sr., deeded to William Collins, George W. Coover and John Tomlinson, Trustees of the Greenville Cemetery association, part of the north-east
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quarter of section thirty-four for the sum of four hundred and twenty-five dollars. These grounds were immediately laid off into lots of about twenty feet square.
No system seemed to govern in the selection and use of lots in the "New Grounds," and no record can now be found of the method adopted by the trustees for the care and control of the same. The first deed on record for a lot in this cemetery bears date of November 24, 1853, and it seems that lots were rapidly selected by persons, many of whom were not responsible, and much trouble was experienced in determining who had selected and paid for the same. Notwithstanding this lack of system and want of interest manifested generally, these grounds filled up rapidly: lots were selected by many from a distance as it became a burial place for the "general public," and in less than twenty years it became absolutely necessary to add other territory to these grounds.
The grounds already occupied, and the territory thus added will meet the demands of this community for years to come. In addition to the grounds thus condemned, the trustees purchased an adjoining lot with a commodious brick dwelling-house thereon in which the superintendent of the cemetery finds a comfortable home. The last grounds were paid for jointly by the trustees of Green- ville township and the council of Greenville, and under the law three trustees, two of whom are alternately elected from the town- ship and town, shall take charge of and manage the business pertaining to the proper condition of said grounds.
The first election for a board of trustees was held at the city hall, Greenville, O., on the first day of April, 1878, which resulted in the selection of Geo. W. Moore, J. A. Schmermund and Jahugh Compton. Said trustees and said board organized by electing G. W. Moore, president; J. A. Schmermund, treasurer, and J. A. Martz, secretary, the latter having served in that Capacity the eight previous years. It was also ordered by the board that the secretary make out deeds for lots only on presenta- tion of the receipt of the treasurer; that persons selecting lots
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shall pay for the same within sixty days from the date of such selection. On the ninth of February, 1884, I. N. Smith, Esq., of Waynesville, O., was employed as superintendent of the cemetery for one year at the rate of fifty dollars per month. his tone to commence on the first of April following. He has been retained by the board in that position continuously to the present time. Improvements on the grounds in systematic order was at once begun. Rules for the care and control of the same were at once adopted; a uniform grade was established, and the prices for work done on the grounds by the superintendent was, as far as possible, established. The superintendent is required to keep a record of all persons interred upon the grounds; also of all money received for work aforesaid, and report the same to the treasurer of the board. Streets of uniform grade have been made. Many of the lots in the "old plat" have been cut down to the established level and then sodded at the expense of the owners of the lots. Many lots have been sodded and. ornamented with costly monuments, vases and beds of flowers, so that the most fastidious cannot but be pleased with its appearance.
The trustees deeded to the county commissioners for the use of the "Grand Army of the Republic," twenty-four lots located in the east half of section six, upon which they wish to erect a monument at some future time to the memory of the fallen heroes who will be quietly sleeping there. This donation was made equally by said trustees and commissioners. Many soldiers have already found a last resting place in this cemetery, and every "Decoration day" tells of the many that are yearly added to this number of the silent dead. While they thus sleep may they ever be remembered by a grateful people. Our superintendent has been dilligent in labor and has shown much skill and progress in cultivating the æsthetic, and while he has thus brought out the science of beauty in nature, we notice this blended with the beautiful in art; and thus, even a cemetery may be shorn of those feelings of superstition and dread that so often impress the mind of the child or even the adult with a sense of the supernatural, While
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much has thus been done in the way of commendable improvement, much more is yet to be done, and that most needed is a large monument erected upon section six above mentioned, one of which the soldiers and citizens may well feel proud.
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EVAN. LUTH. ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.
HE Evangelical Lutheran St. John's church is situated in a beautiful four-acre grove two and one-half miles north of Greenville, O., on the so-called Versailles pike. Its congregation is one of the oldest in Darke county, and probably one of the largest, numerically, of any of the denominations represented in this History. The members comprise the largest portion of the German inhabitants of the west precinct of Green- ville township, extending as far as Richland, Brown and Adams townships, and a better class of agriculturalists, and more highly improved farms, barns and residences cannot be found in any portion of the county than those possessed by the members of the St. John's congregation.
This church was founded in the year A. D. 1851. The few families which at that time concluded to organize a Lutheran congregation, and to call a pastor to supply their spiritual wants, lived in rude log-cabins in the midst of dense forests. Gravel-roads were then unknown; even so-called mud-roads were in many parts a scarcity. and some of the early founders of the congregation were compelled to make use of trails over muddy swamps to find the stump of the tree from which the first sermon of the newly organizing St. John's congregation was preached. The founders of the congregation were very poor in earthly goods. They left their "old Fatherland" to seek a home, fortune and free citizenship under the stars and suites of a nation which they loved to adopt as their own, and to which they are always royal and law-abming. Though poor in earthly possessions, they brought with them a .
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Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Church, near Greenville, O.
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Progressive spirit, a will to increase their wealth, and hands accustomed to toil in the sweat of the brow, and better than all a love for their dear old Church; and hence, though they were surrounded by hindrances and embarrassments which hampered their efforts and retarded the rapid progression of their new undertaking, they labored on energetically and began a work in God's name of which to-day they can well feel proud,-not necessarily glorying in themselves, but rather in Him who gave them both the will and power to accomplish what they began in His name.
The names of the original organizers of the congregation are: John G. Deubner, (ex-county commissioner in 1880-83,) Carl C. Krueckeberg, Ferdinand Prasuhn, Frederick Meier, Frederick Dohme, Christian Krueckeberg, Ferdinand Krueckeberg, Henry Koester, Gan. Ruess, Frederick Krueckeberg and George Martz. The majority of these men were called by death from the Church Militant, and have entered, jas we trust, into the Church Triumphant, in heaven. Of the original organizers John G. Deubner and Carl C. Krueckeberg are still members of the congregation, and have since its organization been its faithful officers with only now and then a term intervening.
The first place of worship was a rude, unplastered log-church built in A. D. 1852. It still stands as a relic of the good old days. Years afterward it was weatherboarded to give it the external appearance of a frame-church.
The first .pews were not quite so comfortable and ornamental
as devout worshippers are accustomed to now; they were made of trestles and rough-hewn clapboards, with the smooth side up. Though the interior had no altar-niche, it had two sacristies made of lattice-work on either side of the globular-shaped pulpit, above which one of the venerable old pastors of the congregation, Rev. J. Lautenschlager, had affixed in a half-circle the inscription of Holy Writ: " Blessed are they that bear the word of God, and keep it." This old log- church was the place of worship for the Lutherans unlit 1876, and though it was but a rude tabernacle, visited by a plain. unpre- tentious people, it was the house of God, and a place where He . recorded His name, and the worshippers were happy in it and
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loved to meet and greet each other after the trials and tribulations of å week of hard labor: they felt God's nearness.
The first trustees were John G. Deubner and Carl C. Krueckeberg, who held this office for seventeen successive years. Since then the men who have. beside these two, held office the longest, are: William Schafer, (treasurer for many years,)
William Requarth. Christian Schafer, Christian Peter, Frederick Klopfer, William Schwier. Frederick Schater, Henry Koester, Lewis Prasuhn, Carl Meier, Henry Krueckeberg, George Stratner and Carl Krueckeberg. Besides these, many. have of course been officials, but these men have served in that capacity. oftener and longer. The first pastor called was Rev. Paul Heit. He served the congregation two years, and that he often did so under pecuniary embarrassments, and the hardships of an early settler's life, could not have been otherwise under the then existing circumstances. His successors were Rev. Gotthilf Reichert and Rev. Joseph Lehner, each having served the congregation faithfully for two years, not only "holding" the membership present, but making a gradual though slow increase.
Rev. J. Lautenschlager was the fourth pastor called. Like his predecessors, he was a faithful pastor, remaining in the charge eleven years. During all these years the congregation increased in numbers, not by "spasmodic efforts," (which soon show a like ratio of loss,) but gradually: by the mere innate power and efficacy of the Gospel of Christ, preached in the good old way. Though Rev. Lautenschlager was of a quiet and reticent disposition, his discourses were warm and fatherly, and he made friends every- where who to-day speak of him in warmest terms of love and praise. Rev. C. H. Althoff succeeded him. For eleven years he labored diligently and faithfully in the congregation. so that the old church soon became too small to entertain and seat all the members comfortably; hence efforts were made for a new one, and in the year 18;6 the above church was erected: a credit to the pastor and congregation, and the beauty of the surrounding Germin settlement. . Its dimensions are thirty-eight by seventy feet, with
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a tower one hundred feet high. The interior is handsomely and tastefully frescoed ; has a large altar-niche, with beautiful high-altar; two sacristies and side pulpit and organ loft with a richly toned and costly pipe-organ.
The present pastor, Rev. C. H. Mayer, was called to serve the congregation in 18So. During the ten years of bis labors the membership has almost doubled itself numerically. . Improvements have been made in every direction. The old church debt was paid, more land bought, a beautiful parsonage built which stands stately beside the church, and thousands of things done to beautify the location. Peace and harmony reign supreme, and there is constant progress and prosperity in every direction .. And now even the new church is getting too small, and it must either soon cease to increase in membership, or ere many years roll by prepa- rations must be made for a still larger, grander place of worship. The officers of the Council for 1889 were: Elders, Henry Koester and Lewis Prasuhn ; Deacons, Frederick Klopfer and Christian Schafer: Trustees, William Schafer, John C. Deubner. Carl C. Krueckeberg, Frederick Dismeier and Herman Schwier. The newly elected officers for 1890 are: Elders, George Stratner and Lewis Prashun; Deacons, Frederick Klopfer and Charles Meier; Trustees, William Schafer, John G. Deubner, Herman Schwier, Frederick Deubner and August Brand.
The following is a list of the communicant members of the congregation, which only includes the
CONFIRMED MEMBERS.
Carl B. Krueckeberg.
Charlotte
.
Alxdel Peter. Muinie Christian Koester,
Henry L. Prasuhn, Wilhelmine ..
Pauline
Carl 66
Sophia 66
Emma
Margaret ..
Herman 86
Fredericka Sauder.
William Hoelscher, ! Paulina
John 16
John Dohse,
6. ‹ haricotte 66
Henry Koester.
Charlotte @
Lewis .6
Mat Hla ..
Charlotte 0 Miss.
Louisa
Clara William ..
. .
Henry Shafer,
Minnie
Katharine .. Carl 66 Lewis
Carl Menry Koester. Minnie Peter Schilling,
Pandora Mergler, John
1
Lewis Hermou ( nationte Prasuhn.
Jewis Krueckebers. 1 ..
Anna . 6.
William Knaus. William s. Grote,
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CONFIRMED MEMBERS --- Continued.
Charles Schafer,
Molhe
Caroline .
Richard Gassmann,
Lonisa Emma Ida Mary 65
Wallant William Ro-e,
Christian Peter. Mary
I ora
Henry Hoffman, Dora
Simon Pollai.
William Hoffman,
Wilhelmine
Sophia
William Jr.
Matilda 6.
Henry Growe,
Henry Beisner.
Charles Grewe,
Wilhelmine Beisner.
Henrietta .6
John G. Donbner.
Enuna
William
Caroline 6.
Charlotte ..
Wilhelmine "
Louisa
Pant
Lizzie
Mary
Christian Sauder,
Simon Brand.
Anna 66
Herman Prasuhn.
Wilhelmine
George That.
farofine
Matilda 66
Frederika
William ..
Frank
John Ross.
Frederik
Hannah
Frederik Brand.
Heinrich:
Fre tenik schafer, Wilheimine -
Charies 4 .
Emma 66
Caroline 65 WAITV
August Brand,
Anna
Caroline .6
Minnie Meier.
Will am Brand,
Carl Lewis Prasubin,
Marzaret
Elizabeth Brown.
John Pfitzer,
Hatte
Josoph .6 William Strobel.
Catharine John 66
Edward
Lydia 66
Lonisa 6.
Emma
Henry Brand.
Mailla Seineile. Chrispan Schafer. .
Caroline . .
..
Wilbam
Tr.
Daniel ..
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