USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > Centennial history of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, Vol. I > Part 35
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PLEASANT TOWNSHIP.
First Settlers and Later Pioneers.
The settlement of this township began about 1803-4 on Darby creek near Georgesville, even before the township organization.
Among the earliest settlers were the families of Thomas Roberts, John Bigger, James Gardiner, Samuel Dyer, Samuel Kerr and John Turner. In 1805, Samuel Dyer erected a mill, which eventually passed to William Dyer, and was for half a century the only flouring-mill in the township.
Some of the Later Pioneers.
John Smith, Alexander Blair, Michael Dickey, Rueben Golliday, Jacob Gundy, John Topton, William Walker, Richard Heath, Henry Shenefelt, George W. Helmick, Zelotes G. Weddle, J. B. Mitchel, Rueben Chaffin, J. R. Sheeders, Titus England, S. Swisgood, S. H. Cobert, J. Fuller and John Snyder with their families. The township was organized by its present name in 1807, and then embraced a much greater area than at present. When Jack- son and Prairie were formed in 1819, its boundaries shrunk to their present limits. Pleasant township was so named because of the pleasant prospect it presented to the pioneer farmers when they came into this portion of the Scioto valley.
Pleasant Postoffice.
The first postoffice in the township was established in 1815, and named as above. The first postmaster was Thomas Roberts, and the postoffice was in his house. But ere long the beautiful and pleasant name of the postoffice was changed.
Georgesville Postoffice.
In 1816 Postmaster Roberts laid out the town of Georgesville, and in 1818 the name was changed from Pleasant to Georgesville, and Mr. Roberts continued on as postmaster until the month of September, 1828, when he was succeeded by Thomas Reynolds, who held the office until July, 1851, when he deceased, and his widow was retained in the office until November, 1851, when William Scott was appointed postmaster, who held until past 1858, being the last of the strictly pioneer postmasters.
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The Town of Harrisburg.
In 1836, Joseph Chenowith founded the town of Harrisburg, Frederick Cole, being the "surveyor" who laid it out. Originally Darby Cross Roads, a postoffice had been established at the same point, but when Harrisburg was established, the name of the postoffice was changed to correspond. The first postmaster was John Haines, appointed 1828, succeeded in 1833 by George Geiger and Abram Buckles, 1836; then followed Dr. T. Thompson, 1838; Henry Miller, 1841; J. W. Goetschius, 1841; and Henry Miller again who held the office to 1860, constituting the pioneer postmasters.
The Pioneer Mayors.
The legislature of 1850-51 passed an act, and the following were elected trustees: Henry Miller, J. Chenowith, O. T. Curry, L. W. Seifert and George W. Helmick. The pioneer mayors were J. Helmick, 1851-54; J. Seeders, 1855; J. Helmick, again, 1856; George W. Helmick, 1857-58.
As far back as 1836, Harrisburg was described as "a lively village," containing about thirty families, two taverns, four stores, two physicians, a church belonging to the Methodist denomination, and a postoffice. It is a somewhat larger village now and not at all sleepy at that. The popultion of Pleasant township in 1840 was eight hundred seven, estimated in 1908 at two thousand three hundred fifty-five. The population of Harrisburg in 1858 was one hundred fifteen; in 1900, two hundred fifty, and estimated in 1908 at three hundred.
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP.
In 1799, John Matthews, surveyor and civil engineer, on behalf of the United States government surveyed the lands comprising Hamilton township and the early records speak of it as "Matthews' Survey," a term still used in conveyance descriptions. These lands came into market in the year 1800, and in that year and the year following they were taken up in the usual form of "entries" in vogue in that date, and settlements began.
The Early Settlers.
Among the very earliest settlers were John Dill and Michael Fisher. Only a little later came Percival Adams, Thomas Morris, the Worthingtons, the Stewarts, the Johnstons, James Culbertson, the Stombaughs, George W. Williams, and Robert Shannon with his six sons named respectively, Samuel, Hugh, John, James, Joseph and William.
Hamilton township was formally organized in 1807, and at that time embraced within its boundaries the territory from which Madison township was subsequently erected. The township is about eight miles in length, north and south, and four miles wide, east and west, the width varying with the curving and meandering of the Scioto river. When the original division of
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the county was made in 1803, this territory was part in Liberty and part in Harrison township. It was also generally regarded as containing a greater proportion of first class land than any like quantity of territory anywhere in the county. Later, when the canal was located through it greatly enhanced its natural advantages, especially in water powers.
Milling Interests.
Shortly after the completion of the canal, the Hartwell Mills, at the Four Mile Lock was erected, and subsequently the Cottage Mills were erected in 1841 by Messrs. Hibbs and Dalzell.
Lockbourne and Shadesville.
In 1831, Colonel James Kilbourne, acting as agent for Joel Buttles, Demas Adams and others laid out the town of Lockbourne, which soon grew into a considerable village with good church building, school house, stores, warehouses with a population comprising about seventy families, two or three physicians and a like number of taverns, saw and grist mills, etc.
The Lockbourne postoffice was established in 1837 and Nathan G. Smith, 1837; Zebulon Marcy, 1838; John H. Stage, 1839; C. M. Porter, 1849; Dr. A. N. Boales, 1851; Dr. J. R. Marshall, 1853; John A Sarber, 1854; and J. H. Haire, 1856-58, were the pioneer postmasters. Lockbourne was incorporated by an act of the legislature in 1839-40, but the citizens never availed them- selves of its provisions.
Hon. Adin G. Hibbs laid out the village of Shadesville in 1853 and was made the first postmaster of Shadesville; the other pioneer postmaster, Joshua Hartzel, holding the position till past the half century.
Population Stationary.
The population has remained almost stationary since 1840. In that year the population, including the villages of Lockbourne and Shadesville was one thousand two hundred fifty-eight; in 1850, one thousand four hun- dred eighty-five; in 1858, one thousand four hundred ninety-eight; in 1900, one thousand five hundred; in 1908, one thousand four hundred ninety-three, estimated. The soil of the township is productive, the highways, as through- out the most of the county, are well kept and the farms bespeak care and thrift.
Among the Later Pioneers.
Among the prominent heads of families of the second growths, so to speak, of the pioneers may be mentioned, William Dunning, William Irwin, David Spangler, Thomas Morris, John B. Johnson, Percival Adams, John Stipp, George Hays, Joseph Murray, William Champ, M. Fisher, John Landes, William Jacobs, William Shannon, Z. P. Thompson, George Earhart, Patterson Harrison, Robert E. Shannon, Adin G. Hibbs, Rev. N. S. Ransom, Rev. J. D. Smith, Rev. Thomas Woodrow and Rev. W. Maynard.
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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
In 1809 this town erected and organized, being its present name and at that time comprised all the territory now embraced in the townships of Washington, Norwich and Perry and a part of Brown, and was made up of portions of the original townships of Franklin, Darby and Liberty.
In 1801 or 1802 (the date is not precisely fixed), a settlement was made at the place where the town of Dublin was subsequently located.
The Sells Family.
Among the first settlers was the patriarchal Ludwick Sells, a migrant from Huntington county, Pennsylvania, and his family of sons, Samuel, Peter, Benjamin and William. In 1808 another son, John Sells, joined his father and brothers, and subsequently in 1818 he laid out the town of Dublin, which grew and prospered rapidly, had a population of some four hundred, half a century ago and did much business in its stores, taverns, mills and shops of all kinds of mechanics, who produced cloth from the sheep's back, with tailors to make clothes, hatters to make hats, wagonmakers to make vehicles, shoemakers and the like, every growing community of that day attracting artisans from far and wide. In 1818-20 Dublin ranked Columbus, and was a strong rival of Worthington, and a few years previously came near being the state capital.
Borough of Dublin.
Dublin was incorporated in _1855 as a borough and organized by the election of officers, including Z. Hutchinson, as mayor, and Wm. Graham, as recorder. At the end of the first year the citizens threw off the burdensome machinery of borough government and declined to hold further elections thus, as a Hibernian politican of the day and place remarked, "putting a sud . den end to a number of promising political careers before they had begun." In 1850 the population of the township was one thousand two hundred eighty- two of which two hundred fifty were residents of Dublin. In 1858 the pop- ulation of the town and township was approximately one thousand three hundred. In 1900 the township and village had a population of one thous- and two hundred ninety-nine, the village population numbering two hundred seventy-five, showing that both held their own during the half century.
Dublin's Pioneer Postmasters.
Dublin was made a post-town in 1820, the first postmaster being David Wright who served from 1820 to 1826; Moses Davis, 1826-28; Isaac N. Walters, 1828-31; John Eberly, 1831-58 and beyond.
Early and Later Pioneers.
Among the pioneers, whose names have been handed down, and all of whom were the heads of families, and generally large ones, were Daniel
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M. Brown, Daniel Bruck, Robert Justice, Justice Miller, Simeon Wilcox, George Robert, Tracy Wilcox, Patrick Connor, David Smith, Chandler Rodgers, Alexander Bassett, William Kilbourne, Charles Sells, Brice Hays, David Bailey, Henry Coffman, Jacob Poppaw, John Eberly, John Uffner, James Howard, William Harris, Zenas Hutchinson, George Churchman, George W. Evans, Eri Douglass.
MADISON TOWNSHIP.
Madison township is the premier in size compared with any other town- ship in the county, being eight miles in extent north and south and seven miles east and west, save for a small jog in the southeast corner. It was organized as a township in 1809, having previous to that time been a part of Hamilton township.
Early Settlers.
The settlement of the territory had begun in 1802, one year before the admission of the state to the Union. In 1805 John Swisher, of New Jersey, settled here, but later located in Perry township. When Mr. Swisher came into Madison he found himself preceded by Isaac Decker; Elias Decker; Charles Rarey and his five sons, Adam, Benjamin, William, Charles and George, growing and promising boys; and a few others inhabiting the rich lands.
More Recruits Came.
It was only a little later when more additions were made to the com- munity, including John Kill and his large family, Matthew Taylor. Jacob Gander, George Rohr and six sons and as many other members of the family as well as an equally large family of the Ramseys, three of the Ramsey boys being Samuel, James and Robert M. Mooberry and family, Mr. Ball and family, Daniel Kramer, Matthias Wolf, Thomas Rathmell, Emmor Cox, James McClish, Philip Pontius, William D. Hendron, Philemon Medles and others.
The school sections (section 16) appropriated by the government for the aid and support of public schools for Madison, Hamilton, Montgomery, and Truro townships, were all located adjoining in Madison township. making a body of two thousand five hundred acres in the garden spot of Franklin county, all the other townships received a similar land grant.
Providing Daily Bread.
The first mill erected in the township was by Matthew Taylor on Alum creek near its mouth in 1808. It gave great impetus to the settlement. No vestige of this agent of civilization now remains, and the site is conjectural. In 1810-11 George Sharp erected mills on a Gahanna. They afterward passed into the ownership of John Sharp. They did a prosperous business in the mid-pioneer days, but they are gone leaving no monument behind them.
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A Solitary Grist Mill.
At the half century of history, 1858, there was but a single milling establishment in the township, and that was the Chaney grist-mill on the canal near Canal Winchester, and near by was a wool carding and fulling mill, also owned by the Chaneys. But Madison township has more than held her own in this and other respects between 1858 and 1908.
A Forgotten Town.
Middletown was the original name for a town laid out in 1817 in the township. The legislature of Ohio changed its name in 1830-31 and incor- porated it as Middleton. In 1829 the government established a postoffice there, and Dr. Thomas Hersey was appointed the first postmaster in the same year. In 1833, Isaac D. Decker, who had been appointed as Dr. Her- sey's successor, resigned, for the very excellent reason that the postoffice was removed.
Rival Port and Grove.
Il 1843 the western portion of what is now the pretty village of Grove- port was laid out as a town by Mr. Jacob B. Wert, and was modestly named by him Wert's Grove; he being naturally and patriotically one of the first settlers of the future emporium. In February, 1844, Mr. William H. Rarey laid out the eastern half of the present town, and being modest and likewise patriotic, named it "Rarey's Port." Thus it was that the Hocking branch of the Ohio canal played the role of the Rubicon with Rarey's Port on the east and Wert's Grove on the west bank thereof.
Both villages improved becomingly and satisfactorily to the respective proprietors. The proximity of the two rival municipalities at first confused strangers and later perplexed citizens, who happened to be out of evenings, and finally public opinion rose up and demanded a consolidation of the town and names. After divers and sundry conferences between the citizens and the proprietors it was decided to reduce the name of the west side town to "Grove" by striking out Wert's and reduce the east side metropolis to "Port" by striking out Rarey's and then joining them together make it Groveport, which it is even unto this day. The compact was ratified and sealed by the legislature in the session of 1846-47 in the form of a charter of incorporation. The first board of councilmen consisted of Samuel Sharp, E. M. Dutton, J. P. Bywaters, C. J. Stevenson and William Mitchell.
The Pioneer Mayors.
A. Shoemaker was elected the first mayor in 1847 and was followed by Henry Long, 1848-9; Z. P. Thompson, 1850-1; E. W. Edwards, 1852: Jere- miah White, 1853-4; T. P. Thompson, 1855-6; N. Steel, 1857; L. Sarber, 1858. With this the pioneer mayors ceased and determined, and the modern type became the vogue. Groveport was a business center for that period,
A TYPICAL FRANKLIN COUNTY PIONEER-DAVID TAYLOR, 1801-1889.
A FRANKLIN COUNTY PIONEER MOTHER, Margret Livingston Taylor, Wife of David Taylor, 1809-1895.
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1848-58; there being several stores, groceries, shops and the like, four or five churches and three physicians. The population in 1850 was four hundred thirty-eight.
The Pioneer Postmasters.
In 1844 the postoffice of Groveport was established. Mr. Jacob B. Wert one of the rival founders of the town was honored by being made the first postmaster, and held the office to 1848. He was succeeded by Edward Gares who held until 1854. In that year Samuel Sharp was appointed to the office and held it until 1858.
Canal Winchester.
When the six sections of land were annexed to the east of Madison township in 1851; it threw Canal Winchester, then of Fairfield, into Frank- lin county. Canal Winchester like Groveport lies on the canal; was in 1858 and previous thereto a place of considerable business especially in grain and produce. The town was laid out in 1826, by John Coleman and Rueben Dove, Fairfield county citizens. It resembled Groveport in most particulars and in 1856 had about the same population, each being approximately four hundred and nearly five hundred each in 1858. The total population of Madison township in 1850 was two thousand four hundred eighty; in 1900 three thousand two hundred seventeen. The estimated population for 1908 is three thousand three hundred fifty. Of late years Canal Winchester has increased most rapidly in population. Both towns are alike wide awake, however, and are situate in rich and well lying lands.
Some of the Later Pioneers.
Among the heads of families following the original migrants in Madison, were Ebenezer Richards, W. D. Hendren, Elijah Austin, James McLisle, Nicholas Goeches, William Godman, J. Gander, John Swisher, William Pat- terson, Alexander Cameron, W. W. Kile, James Pearcy, John Cox, William Mason, Joshua Glanville, M. Seymour, M. K. Earhart and John Helpman.
The first postmaster of Canal Winchester was Peter T. Krag, who was appointed in 1853 and held office for ten years, bringing him within the pioneer limit of office holding.
TRURO TOWNSHIP.
This township was erected and organized in 1810. In the first division of the county into townships, it was embraced in and formed a small part of Liberty. The first settlement was made in 1805-6.
The Early Settlers.
In 1806 Robert Taylor with his family, a part of which consisted of five stalwart sons, Abiather, Vinton, Matthew, James and David, removed-
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or rather were driven out of Nova Scotia and their property confiscated be- cause they took the side of the Colonists in the war of the Revolution, and landed at Chillicothe. In 1808 they came to Truro township, locating on Walnut creek.
Preceding Pioneers.
They found ten families, who had preceded them into the wilderness, three years previously, namely: Thomas Palmer, from the state of Maine; John Medford, Charles Medford, George Powell and Charles Chancy from Pennsylvania. In 1806 had come John Edgar and John Lynch from Penn- sylvania; and William and Benjain Connell from Virginia. John Long, a Nova Scotian, came in 1807, and in 1808 Robert Wilson from Pennsylvania, and Daniel Ross and a large family of sons from Nova Scotia; Zachariah Paul, of Virginia, and William Thompson of Pennsylvania, came in 1811; John Cambridge, of Pennsylvania, and Captain John Hanson, of Virginia, in 1812, and Elias Chester and Jeremiah Nay, of New York state, in 1814. When the township was organized in 1810, the head of the Taylor family had the pleasure and honor to name the township Truro after his native township in Nova Scotia, whence he was driven because of his love for politi- cal liberty and real manhood.
Reynoldsburg Laid Out.
In 1831 John French concluded to found a town, and so laid out his farm into lots, streets and alleys. A young man from Zanesville, named John C. Reynolds, had temporarily located at the spot with a small stock of goods, and the proprietor of the town unselfishly honored him and his enterprise by naming the town Reynoldsburg, whereas a more selfish man would have christened it Frenchtown.
In return Mr. Reynolds (afterward Gen. John C. Reynolds) married a young lady of the village and became the leading merchant and business man of that section of the county. He not only continued his store, but erected a steam mill in the town, and later removed to Carroll, Fairfield county, where he died in the fifties, a highly respected man.
At the time that Reynoldsburg was laid out the National Road was being pushed westward through Franklin county, and business naturally grew up in all directions and of various kinds contiguous thereto. In 1850 the town had a population of nearly six hundred. The callous-hearted editor of the Na- tional Census for 1900 figured it at three hundred thirty-nine, but in 1908 there are marks of a revival and it is estimated that the population has again reached four hundred.
Reynoldsburg Incorporated.
The town was incorporated by act of the general assembly of the state in 1839-40. The first borough election was held in the fall of that year and Abraham Johnston, D. K. Wood, Samuel Gares, John W. Thompson, Mark Evans, James O'Kane and Archibald Cooper were elected the first board of trustees.
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Pioneer Mayors.
The pioneer mayors, elected at the date preceding their names were: 1840, Abraham Johnston; 1841, Daniel Taft; 1844, Robert Shield; 1845, Archibald Cooper; 1846, James O'Kane; 1847-53, R. Shield; 1854-55, J. B. West; 1856, Richard Rhoads; 1857-58, J. B. West.
Among the Later Pioneers
may be mentioned George D. Graham, John Miller, R. S. Looker, Silas Howard, Hiram Sibel, H. M. Morton, William Boyd, C. S. West, J. C. Abbot, Jackson Clark, Orin Harris, Ebenezer Richards, Richard Suddick, John Stev- enson, James Taylor, John Long, Richard Cartright, Matthew Crawford, David Whetzel, Jonathan McComb, Joseph A. Reynolds, Sylvanus Baldwin, James Fancher, John Miller, S. Schultz and E. C. Green.
Pioneer Postmasters.
Reynoldsburg became a postoffice in 1833 and John C. Reynolds was the first postmaster, being appointed in 1833, serving for seven years. His successors were: 1840, Hiram Sibel; 1842, John C. Reynolds; 1843, E. G. Hardesty; 1846, John Miller; 1847, Lewis Sells; 1849, L. P. Rhoads; 1853, R. R. Johnston; 1855, John Cookes; 1855, H. E. Miller; 1856-58, John Wright.
Shortly after Reynoldsburg was established, Thomas sold some building lots on the National Road near the crossings of the Walnut creek and the place took, by common consent, the name Hibernia. No town was laid out, however. A postoffice was established in the burg in 1849, and Wm. F. Armstrong was appointed postmaster. He held the office until 1857, when he resigned and it was discontinued. In 1840 the population of Truro town- ship, including Reynoldsburg, was one thousand four hundred thirty-nine; in 1850, two thousand one hundred fifty-six; in 1858, two thousand three hundred fourteen; in 1900, one thousand eight hundred sixty-four; in 1908 estimated at two thousand.
PLAIN TOWNSHIP.
When Plain township was organized in 1810, it embraced fully twice and a half as much territory as at present. It was reduced to its present limits, five miles square, in 1815 and 1816 when the townships of Jefferson and Blendon were erected out of it and organized. It is township 2 of range 16, on the old time maps of the county, being a part and parcel of the United States military lands.
Revolutionary Soldier Lands.
The fourth quarter of the township, being the southeast quarter of the same was surveyed into lots of one hundred acres each for the benefit of
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revolutionary soldiers, holding one hundred acre land warrants, which they had taken in part as payment for their military services during the war for national independence. Upon the presentation of these warrants a patent was issued thereon. They were all taken up by the holders of such warrants. Quarters one and two of the township, being the north half thereof, were laid out in squares or sections of six hundred and forty acres each, and these were sub-divided into four quarters of one hundred sixty each and these quarters being divided into half quarters or eighths of a section, so that the government surveys gave: Section, six hundred forty acres; quarter sections one hundred sixty acres; eighths or half quarters eighty acres each. Under the land entry laws, they were disposed of to purchasers at $1.25 per acre in one or more of these units beginning with the lowest or next above.
The Woodbridge Patent.
The third quarter of the township being the southwest quarter of the township, containing four thousand acres, was patented by the United States government to Dudley Woodbridge in 1800. It would appear that Mr. Woodbridge had taken out his patent not so much for agricultural purposes. The grounds or consideration upon which the patent was issued is not avail- able, but presumably was upon a warrant or warrants issued in payment of military claims to citizens of Virginia most largely, during or after the close of the war of the Revolution.
One Gallon of Whisky per Acre.
According to the historical records of the period, Mr. Woodbridge, in 1802, sold his four thousand acres of land, taking in payment therefor four thousand gallons of Monongahela whisky-a gallon of whisky for each acre. Nor was this considered as anything but a fair and legitimate business trans- action in that day. The deed of conveyance however gave the consideration as "one dollar per acre," the price per gallon of whisky on board the flat boat at Marietta, Ohio, being one dollar per gallon. More than half the business transactions in that day being barter or exchange of goods. The scarcity of money in those days made the exchange of commodities, especially in large quantities, a necessity. The whiskey was delivered at Marietta be- cause that was the western shipping point to the southern and Mississippi markets, where it eventually went to the consumers, who paid in cash for the smaller quantities, which in turn, going back up stream in cash or money exchange reached the pockets of the original barterers.
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