Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio, Part 10

Author: Harbaugh, T. C. (Thomas Chalmers), 1849-1924, ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 882

USA > Ohio > Miami County > Troy > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 10
USA > Ohio > Miami County > Piqua > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 10

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

While the Pecks and Thomases were the first pioneers to break ground in Concord Township, there were others who were contemporaneous with them. There were James Orr, James Youart, A. McCullough, James Marshall, John Johnson, Henry Or- bison and Joseph McCorkle. The majority of these men came from Kentucky, which section sent into Miami County some of its foremost citizens. When one looks back over the history of Concord Town- ship, much of which belongs to the history of Troy which is to be related hereafter, he must give unbounded credit to the men who overcame the difficulties of the wilder-

ness and brought order out of chaos. Let ns consider for a moment a few items plucked at random from the early chapters of this township.

Soon after the first settling of the town- ship came the war of 1812 with its attend- ant Indian horrors. The panic which grew out of the threatened danger spread along the Miami and for a season paralyzed the pioneer settlements of Concord. They were believed to be in the shadow of the toma- hawk, but fortunately the danger passed and peace once more hovered over the Miami frontier, guarding it as a mother guards her young ; the tide of immigration, halted by the war, revived and returned to its former sweep.

The progressive agriculture of the pres- ent day as seen in Concord Township was in its infancy a century ago. There was scarcely any market, not even for the small amount of grain raised by the settlers. Teams were almost unknown, fences had not come into vogue, and mills were few and far between. It did not require much corn to fatten hogs, as the woods furnished them with sustenance. Owing to a scar- city of fences all cattle were belled and hogs marked. The only market was across the river at Staunton and the produce, which consisted mainly of butter and eggs, was taken thither. Groceries were con- fined to those of the most simple descrip- tion and the pioneers of Concord Town- ship were often put to their ingenuity to supply their wants. Sugar was made from sap of the maple tree, sage and sassafras took the place of "Oolong," and browned rye was a substitute for coffee. Doctors had not invaded the neighborhood and home-made medicines, tansy and penny- royal, were the "cure alls" of that day.

SOUTH PLUM STREET, TROY

CHRISTIAN CHURCH, COVINGTON

RESIDENCE OF W. P. ORR, PIQUA

MAIN STREET, TIPPECANOE CITY

SITE OF FIRST FORT AND OF FIRST BIRTH IN MIAMI COUNTY (STAUNTON TOWNSHIP)

RESIDENCE OF L. M. FLESH, PIQUA

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

The harvests were cut in the simplest manner with the sickle. Corn huskings, which were great and jolly affairs, came into vogue in Concord as they did in other parts of the country. They put the corn in piles, with a rail in the center. Then two members of the party were selected to "choose up" and the liuskers were chosen. At a given signal all hands went to work and amid much merriment the work was completed. This was but one of the recre- ations of the first settlers of Concord Township. Everything was cheap then but the clothing which the pioneers were forced to buy.

Fine shirts were not known, because muslin was too high-75 cents per yard. The housewife spun for the family and linsey-woolsey dresses were the first seen in Troy. The Concord pioneers ent cord- wood and got it into Troy, where it brought thirty-seven and one-half cents per cord, which he could exchange for half a yard of muslin. Corn brought eight cents a bushel, wheat seldom more than twenty- five and oats six and one-fourth cents. The farmer of today will smile at these prices, but they were considered "pretty fair" by the men who broke ground here one hundred years ago.

The history of Troy will form a chapter by itself, hence nothing more concerning Concord Township need be written here. It is today one of the foremost of the twelve divisions of the county. It is richly supplied with turnpikes which enter Troy from every part of the county and steam and electric roads add to its wealth. Troy is the only incorporated town within the limits of Concord Township. Eldean is a hamlet on the Troy-Piqua turnpike and

the D. & T. electric car-line, about two miles north of Troy.

MONROE TOWNSHIP.

The most interest seems to cluster about the carly or pioneer history of any place. This is not only true of nations, but of smaller commonwealths, towns and cities. The coming of the first settlers has a charm which later history cannot take away. There is something in the carly mi- grations to this county that is still unex- plained. Several townships, notably those in the Stillwater region, were largely set- tled by people from the far south, from North and South Carolina. Why they se- lected one part of the county and not the other is still a mystery. Monroe Township was settled to a great extent by people from that section of the Union. Monroe is found in the southern tier of townships, bounded on the north by Concord, on the South by Montgomery County, on the west by Union Township, while the Miami sepa- rates it from Bethel and Elizabeth, which stretch away to the east. Its first settlers came from South Carolina and when they reached the fertile lands of Monroe they found the Indians in possession, living in the primitive villages that sheltered the red tribes of the forest.

Samuel Freeman seems to have been the first white man to break ground in Mon- roe, which he did in 1801. His habitation was the beginning of house building in the township. From North Carolina in 1802 came John Yount, who entered a choice piece of land at $2 per acre. Next came Michael Fair, who emigrated from Freder- iek County, Maryland, the home of Bar- bara Freitchie, and he was followed a little later on by John Clark, also of Maryland.

HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY

The Clarks were of good stock, sturdy and industrious, and produced a long line of descendants as notable as themselves. David Jenkins left his South Carolina home to begin a new life among the woods of Monroe and with him came Elisha Jones, another son of the Palmetto State. Jenkins being a man of some culture, filled various township offices, all of which he discharged faithfully, winning the respect of his neighbors.

Among the other pioneers of Monroe are to be found Thomas Pearson, his three sons Enoch, Jonas and Thomas, Jr., Sam- nel Pearson, John Jay, Paul Macey, George North, George Kerr, the Laytons, Ferguses, Westlakes, Puterbanghis, Shaf- ers, Furnaces, and a number of others whose name at this late day are not ob- tainable. The Maceys were from Tennes- see, the Norths from Georgia and the Kerrs from Virginia. All these hardy pioneers brought families with them, and these increasing as the years went by, pop- ulated Monroe Township with an excellent class of citizens.

In Monroe the settlers found land to their liking. Many settled on Freeman's Prairie, which was situated southeast of Tippecanoe City and opposite the mouth of Honeycreek on the west side of the Miami. The mills to which the pioneers had access were few and far between. They were very primitive as compared with the mills of the present day. Dr. Asa Coleman in his reminiscences describes one of these mills as follows: "These early erected mills were quite primitive in their struc- ture and material. The mill-stones were generally manufactured in the county, often in the immediate vicinity of the site where they were to be used, of single stones

worked out of the large boulders which are to be found on the surface in various parts of the county. Very little iron except the spindle gudgeons and a few bands were used, wood being exclusively used for all other purposes; iron being too expensive and difficult to obtain. These mills from these circumstances were very simple structures, calculated principally for the grinding of corn. The first grinding of wheat for flour was very imperfectly done. In some at first the bolt was turned by hand, a somewhat laborious operation, but wheat bread being a rarity the labor was willingly performed. At the time of the organization of the county there were six or seven of these milling establishments in operation. There were Mordecai Men- denhall's on Honeycreek, Henry Gerard's on Springcreek, John Freeman's and John Manning's on the Miami, Moses Coate's on Ludlow Creek, Mast's, Weddle's and Empre's on Stillwater." A number of these sawmills sawed lumber for the first frame houses erected in Monroe Town- ship.

Tippecanoe City, the principal town in Monroe, dates its incorporative origin in the year 1840. It was named for "Tippe- canoe," the sobriquet given President W. H. II. Harrison for his defeat of the In- dians at the battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. It lies in the eastern part of the township, its northeastern boundary being formed by the Miami River. For some years Tip- pecanoe City had no market facilities, but the building of the Miami and Erie Canal supplied this want and later the shipping facilities were further increased by the Dayton & Michigan Railroad and the D. & T. traction line. Tippecanoe City's first post office was called Hyattsville and

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Henry J. Hyatt was the first postmaster. Hyatt lived in a log cabin, where he was merchant, tailor and postmaster all in one.

It is said that a division of sentiment prevailed over the naming of Tippecanoe City. A Mr. Jay, who purchased the first lot, wanted the place to bear the appella- tion of Jaytown, while Mr. Clark wanted it called Sharpsburg after his home in Maryland, but the present name was se- lected and the discussion ended. The first tavern in the now prosperous town was built by Thomas Krise, who for some years furnished entertainment for man and beast, and he is said to have been an en- terprising landlord.

From the very first Tippecanoe City seemed to prosper, owing to the energy of its inhabitants, until now it has a popula- tion of almost 1,800. Its first official ros- ter is as follows: Mayor-Levi N. Booker; recorder-E. F. Shields; marshal-Eli Snell; treasurer-I. L. Wileox; council- men-Thomas Jay, Michael Shellabarger, Henry Krise. From that time to the pres- ent the mayors of Tippecanoe City have been I. K. Gilbert, H. H. MeCabe, C. W. Wheeler, John Mann, E. T. Shields, T. Kibby, A. H. Wesler, Levi Jay, A. E. Kerns, Ellis H. Kerr, W. G. Fritz, L. A. Sheets, S. E. Smith, B. B. Scarff, G. J. Smith, R. N. Eyler. Messrs. Shields, Wes- ler and Kerr filled the mayor's office at different times.

The present city officers are: Mayor- R. N. Eyler; clerk-S. O. Mitchell ; treas- urer-J. S. Pohlman ; solicitor-W. E. Ly- tle ; marshal-C. J. Frost; conneilmen- W. H. Clark, E. T. Davis, G. O. King, Will H. Long, D. W. Prill, L. L. Youart ; street commissioner-S. S. Westfall; police- Crist Eickhoff, J. H. Fener.

Tippecanoe is a noted manufacturing center, but this industry will be mentioned in a special chapter. It has two banks (see "Banks and Banking"), a fine public school, and excellent churches.

Ginghamsburg, a village of some local importance, is situated in Monroe Town- ship, with Fredericktown (Fidelity P. O.) and Coulesrille, the latter a cluster of houses on the Dayton & Troy Traction line.

UNION TOWNSHIP.

In writing the history of Union Town- ship one must go south to discover its fountain head. The tide of emigration that flowed northward from the Carolinas broke upon the shores of the Stillwater and populated Union. When that vast area lying west of the Miami and which for a time was known as Randolph Town- ship was ent up into five smaller divisions, Union became one of these about 1807. It is bounded on the north by Newton Town- ship, on the south by Montgomery County, on the east by Concord and Monroe Town- ships and on the west by Monroe Town- ship in Darke County. It is traversed by the Stillwater in the eastern part, while two branches of Ludlow Creek and other streams water its large area.

There being no finer land "out of doors" it is no wonder that the first white men who penetrated to this region conelded to make it their home. In the year 1801 Henry Fouts and the two Ellers, Leonard and Adam, settled in Union Township in the very heart of the "forest primeval." They had looked at other land, but found the region of the Stillwater to their liking. The next year came Caleb Mendenhall, with his family of six, and he was followed by John Mast and Frederick Yount. The

HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY

last named located a mill site and for a while supplied the settlers with flour and ground meal.

In 1804 David Mote, Sr., with five stal- wart sons, settled in Union. They chose the western part of the township, while east of the river received Leonard and William Fincher, William Neal, Benjamin Pike, Jacob Byrkett and others. The Motes led the vanguard of Quakers who settled in Union Township, a class of peo- ple who have given to this county much of the stability and prosperity it now enjoys. These people, quiet, unobtrusive and strict- ly honest, are found all over Union Town- ship, forming within themselves a class noted for its integrity. The descendants of the first Quaker residents have filled many positions of trust and are numbered today among the foremost citizens of the county.

The year 1805 found Samuel Jones in Union Township. He emigrated from Georgia, as did Abiather Davis, who brought with him to the fine lands on Still- water four sons and three daughters. In the same year Newberry District in South Carolina sent a little colony of Quakers into the township, among whom were Isaac, James, George and Nathan Hollingsworth. Elisha Jones, a chairmaker, came in 1807, having been preceded a year previous by Joel Hollingsworth, another Quaker. Joel was a man of both ingenuity and business, for he built flatboats upon Stillwater and transported his own produce to New Or- leans, making quite a little sum by the operation. It is stated that upon one re- turn trip Mr. Hollingsworth brought home a telescope, a wonderful thing in those days. Neighbors came from far and near to inspect the wonderful instrument and

for months it was the "newest thing under the sun."

One cannot help noticing the stalwart- ness of the first settlers of Union Town- ship. They were men of powerful phy- sique and people of more than the average culture and perseverance. For instance Isaac Hasket rode horseback from South Carolina, accompanied by his wife and child, and many others followed his exam- ple. He was a blacksmith whose forge was always aglow and his hands and skill turned out all sorts of farming imple- ments, including sickles in profusion. There were no keener sickles in the Still- water Valley than those he fashioned and the bearded grain went down before them in a marvelous manner. So rapid was the settlement of Union Township that it is asserted that two large Friends or Quaker settlements in Georgia and South Carolina were almost depopulated to furnish inhabitants in this section. The tide of immigration rolled resistless this way for several years or until Union Township was almost entirely populated with Quakers.

When the township came to organize itself into a body politic it chose Samuel B. Edwards as clerk. He was a man not calculated to make the best possible offi- cer, but something had to be done and he was selected. He served but one term and the people seemed glad to exchange him for another elector. John Coate is said to have been the first duly elected clerk.

Settled as it was by people of decided worth, Union Township soon became a rec- ognized branch of the county's existence, a position which it holds today. It is noted for its liberality in everything. for thrift and industry. Its principal town is West

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Milton, or Milton, as it was first called. The town was named for John Milton, the English poet, and it is said that "Paradise Lost" held such a sway over the mind of a fair daughter of Union Township that she managed to have its chief town named for her favorite author.

West Milton, with a present population of over 1,000, is situated on the west bank of the Stillwater. The site of the town was selected by Joseph Evans, who came from the Newberry District, South Caro- lina. He was so pleased with the location that he resolved to establish a village at this point. The first lots were sold in 1807. For years the village had a slug- gishi growth, and as late as 1825 but three families occupied the site, but in course of time the village took on new life and began to assume considerable proportions. Oliver Benton became the first postmaster of West Milton and added the occupations of merchant and justice to his other one. He owned the only store in the town and wagoned his produce to Cincinnati. As the town grew, manufacture was encour- aged, a carding machine was set up, and a woolen mill followed. Samuel Kelley was the proprietor of the mill, but in 1820 he sold out to David Thayer, who wove blankets there. In 1824 a seythe factory was established at West Milton and the manufacture of linseed oil became an in- fant industry there in 1819.

Not until 1840 did the town get an out- let by turnpike, when the one from Dayton tapped the place. Years afterward the railway came and now, besides this con- venience, West Milton is tapped by the Dayton, Covington and Pigna Traction Line. About 1834 the prospering town took out papers of incorporation and C.

W. Beebe was called to fill the first may- or's chair. To-day the town of West Mil- ton has two prosperous banks, a number of manufactories, a fine school, excellent and commodious churches, well paved streets and handsome business blocks and dwellings, all of which go to make it one of the foremost towns in the county. Its future is bright, for its citizens take an interest in everything that goes to make it prosperous and influential as a town.

The present official roster of West Mil- ton is as follows: Mayor-W. O. Martin- dale; clerk-Charles E. Fox; treasurer- Philip Yount; marshal-Cyrus Long; councilmen-David Stoltz, E. M. Crew, Oren Coates, A. G. Eidemiller, Smith Gas- sett, Cyrus Folkerth; board of education -Gainor Jennings, John Henderson.

The villages of New Lebanon and Laura are situated in Union Township. The former has a population of 250, the latter, 400. The picturesque hamlet of Ludlow Falls, near the beautiful cascade of the same name, is a promising place. New Lebanon, or Georgetown, was laid out in 1840. It has a German Baptist Church, and the postoffice is Potsdam. Laura, named for the daughter of its first post- master, was incorporated in 1892, and is a well conducted, thriving town. It is offi- cered at present as follows : Mayor-Rob- ert Wylie; clerk-Arthur Hess; treasurer -George Swisher; marshal-Milton North; councilmen-Ellis Lowery, Will- iam Coate, Charles Hall, Urias Netzley, Benjamin Welbaum, Hervey Cassell.

NEWTON TOWNSHIP.

Newton Township, the second of the three known as the "Stillwater town- ships," occupies the extreme western part

HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY

of the county. Newberry and Washing- ton bound it on the north, Union on the south, Concord on the east, and Darke County on the west. It is watered by the Stillwater and tributary streams, and the land is fair and fertile. There is no town- ship in the county that has better roads than Newton. These pikes, running in every direction, reach every section of the township, giving every inhabitant an ex- cellent ontlet everywhere.

The history of. Newton Township is con- temporaneous with the greater history of the county. The same class of people that poured into other parts of the Stillwater Valley gave Newton her share and estab- lished the division which bears her name. They came, many of them, from the South, from the Carolinas, from Georgia and ad- jacent states, and not a few had seen sery- ice under the banner of Washington. Hardy sons of the new republic were they, men inured to every danger, strong willed and capable of making a home north of the Ohio.

The first of these immigrants to Newton Township was Michael Williams, who had heard of the land from General Harrison. He came about 1799, and with his four sons, proceeded to build the new home in the Miami wilderness. In 1804 Marma- duke Coate, in spying ont the Stillwater Valley, entered Newton Township and be- came its second pioneer. This family be- gan at once to make an opening in the for- est which rang with the music of their axes and before long the sunshine kissed soil it had never kissed before. There was determination in everything the Coates did, and Newton Township owes much to- day to this enterprising family.

Thomas Hill seems to have been the

third settler to invade the township, which he did about 1805. Among other things, he is noted for having erected the first copper still ever seen in the township, and it is on record that he made the best of whiskey. After Hill came Thomas Cop- pock, the progenitor of one of the most noted families of the county. He, too, came from South Carolina. Coppock might be called one of the first abolition- ists, for he was opposed to slavery and was not loath to leave a section where the crack of the slave driver's whip rang con- tinually in his ears. He was a blacksmithı by trade and obtained coal for his forge by burning charcoal. He was one of the first men in the county to be elected county commissioner.

One year after Coppock's arrival Sanı- uel Teague, Benjamin and William Furnas took possession of Newton Township land and cleared the same. Jacob Embree fol- lowed the first newcomers, and William Long left Virginia to find a home in New- ton. Long was another good citizen, and his household, it is said, furnished the third preacher in the county. In 1807 Alexander Mills arrived to swell the little colony in Newton; then followed the Idd- ingses. Ballingers, Mileses, Leavells, Per- rys, Dicksons and others. Newton was in- creasing slowly but surely in population and it was of the best quality. There wasn't a drone in it. The Falkners, Renches, and Freshours added to the New- ton colony, and the Teeters and Deeters established themselves near the Stillwater.

Industries soon began to spring up, primitive, it is true, but it was a landable beginning. Embree erected a saw-mill with a corn-cracker attachment and the people rejoiced. Next Robert Dickson put

HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY

up a saw-mill on Panther Creek and George Freshonr went into the same busi- ness. Newton Township was surely "mov- ing along."

In the midst of these growing industries the War of 1812 broke out, and for a time business was stifled. A dark cloud hung over the township, but when it was dissi- pated by the sunshine of peace, business flourished again. There were now numer- ous openings in the township where the forest had been and on every side was heard the hum of prosperity. Homes sprang up in every direction, farms were cultivated throughout the township and villages began to spring into existence. Newton Township bid fair to outstrip some of her neighbors.

Pleasant Hill, or Newton, as it was first called for Sir Isaac Newton, the philoso- pher, was surveyed by James Hanks in 1843. I. K. Teeter laid it out. The town which now has a population of 700 souls is the only one in the township. When the postoffice, which was first kept some dis- tance from the town, was moved into it, John Whitmore became the postmaster. In 1866 the village was duly incorporated, its first officers being: Treasurer-Fred Deeter; marshal-J. G. Ritter; trustees- William Patty, M. D., John H. Williams, D. Minnich, John Whitmore and Joseph Pearson. The present official roster of the town is as follows: Mayor-D. M. Cop- pock ; clerk-C. Roy Coppock ; treasurer- D. E. Rothermal ; marshal-Sidney Strong; council-H. H. Coppock, president; J. C. Kriegbaum, Henry Martindale, Martin L. Gates, Daniel Hayworth, Jesse Berry; board of public service-Dr. A. J. Baus- man, G. P. Hoffman, Samuel Berger. In Angust, 1908, council passed an ordinance

anthorizing the sale of $16,000 worth of bonds for waterworks, which sold at a premium. Council also granted a fran- chise to a Covington firm to furnish elee- tricity for lighting purposes. Pleasant Hill has shown its loyalty and public spirit in numerous ways, among these be- ing the erection of a handsome monument in her public square to the memory of the heroic sons of Newton Township who went forth to do battle for the Union in 1861 and 1865. The township has one good bank situated in Pleasant Hill, where there are also one newspaper, several handsome churches, and up-to-date school building and several factories.

NEWBERRY TOWNSHIP.

Last but not least of the western tier of townships is Newberry. It occupies the northwest corner of the county and is bounded by Shelby County on the north, by Darke on the west, by Washington Township on the east and by Newton on the sonth. There is no exact data giving the organization of Newberry Township, but historians place it about 1810. The . nomenclature of the name Newberry is also undiscoverable. It is watered by the Stillwater and Greenville Creek, into which flow numerons tributaries that afford it excellent drainage. In the early days of the township's existence it was the abode of many poisonous reptiles which infested the stony banks of its streams, but the set- tlers made war on them and they were finally exterminated.

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Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio, Part 10

Author: Harbaugh, T. C. (Thomas Chalmers), 1849-1924, ed. and comp Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co Number of Pages: 882

Author: Harbaugh, T. C. (Thomas Chalmers), 1849-1924, ed. and comp
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 882