USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > Steubenville > Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, 20th > Part 71
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settlers were John Naylor, Caleb Kirk, Thomas Carr, Richard Logan, John Cram- let and Nathan Cullom. Walter Francis settled near York in 1799 and Jacob Win- ters on the northeast quarter of Section 27 in the spring of 1800. The same year John Stoneman settled on the James Rus- sell farm near Adena, John Wallace on the George Hamilton, and John MeLaughlin on the Samuel MeLanghlin farm. Then we have James McGrail, Nathaniel Moore and Daniel Haynes; last but not least, Jacob Holmes, the Indian scout who had a gov- ernment grant on which Holmes M. E. Church was built. Daniel Haynes lived to the age of 101 years, and related to his descendants that about 1802 the family of John Jamison, composed of husband. wife and several children, the wife riding a cow with a babe in her arms, came from the Ohio River up Short Creek to near Adena, and squatted on his land. The settlers joint- ly built them a cabin and, according to custom, Jamison was permitted to crop all the land he could clear in order to give him a start. This was the beginning of the well known Jamison family, of Harrison Coun- ty. According to John S. Williams, who was editor of "The American Pioneer," published in Cincinnati in 1843, he came with a party of Quakers from Beaufort, South Carolina, in 1800, the party includ- ing his mother, sister and brother, Joseph Dew, Levina Hall and Jonas Small and families. On arrival at Redstone, Pa., they found several families starting on the re- turn, being dissatisfied with the new conn- try's prospect. Like some of the Israelites they concluded it more comfortable to con- tinue to endure the sight of slavery so ab- hored, than to found a home in the wilds of Ohio. The others came on, and were met at Steubenville by Horton Howard, who escorted them to the Short Creek and Wheeling Creek Valleys. They stopped over night at Warren ( Warrenton). A por- tion of the company of twelve families went from Warrenton to JJohn Leaf's, in the Concord (Colerain) settlement, where there was already a meeting, and Joseph
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Dew and Mrs. Hall to Mt. Pleasant, the others going to Smithfield.
The widow of John Sherrard (who was with the Crawford expedition) with four sons, including Robert A., father of the late Hon. R. Sherrard, came from Pennsyl- vania and settled in Smithfield in 1804, but soon after removed to Warren Township, and built a mill near the month of Rush Run.
SMITHFIELD VILLAGE.
As intimated, the village of Smithfield is older than the separate organization of the township, and gave to the latter its name. In 1800 Horton J. Howard and Abel Townsend entered Section 11, on which the present town is located, which they sold in small traets as follows: To James Garretson, forty-eight acres in the southwest corner, afterwards owned by William Naylor; north of this seventy-six acres, to Caleb Kirk, afterwards owned by Mathias Ong and W .. A. Judkins; farther north 100 acres to Joel Hutton and Cas- paris Garretson, afterwards bought by William and Samuel Naylor and subse- quently owned by William and Thomas Wood and heirs of the latter. A fraction still farther north was sold to William Wood, and subsequently to Benjamin Ladd and Hugh Hammond. James Carr bought the east half of the northeast quarter, and here on August 18, 1803, he platted a town, to whichi he gave the name Smithfield. Its origin reminds one of some of the med- ineval legends in regard to the selection of sites for religious houses. It is said that a surveying party from the Ohio River stopped here, and while taking a view of the landscape with the proprietor the lead- er of the company, remarked: "This is the finest situation for an inland town that we have seen since we left the river," wherenpon an arrangement was made for the party to stop and lay ont a town, which was expected to become a leading center of trade. There were ninety-four lots 75x150 feet each in the original plat. separated by South, High and North Streets, and in-
tersected by Front, Second, Third and Fourth. Lots one and two were reserved for public use, number three being after- wards substituted for the latter, bringing both on the same side of the street. A pub- lic square was provided at each end of the village, where now stand the public school building and hay scales. Mr. Carr laid out an addition to the village in 1805, and an- other in 1815. Since then there have been three others, by Isaac Lewis, Mr. Cheffey and M. W. Simpson, the two latter being outside the corporation.
The first house within the village limits was a log cabin on High Street west of the old Smithfield bank building. The lot was later owned by G. Washington Whitton. The next was built in 1804 by Mr. Griffith on the corner of Fourth and Main streets, opposite Litten's Hotel. He kept a tavern there a short time and sold to William Wood, who started a store in it, being the first in the place. The house was built of hewn logs and was occupied as a residence by William Wood's grandson, Henry, who moved to Steubenville a number of years ago. Isaae Lewis now occupies the prop- erty. The third was built by Josiah Glover in 1804, and when it was partly completed he returned to Maryland, his former home, and remained there until 1808, when he came back to Smithfield, finished the build- ing and opened a hotel in 1808. He con- ducted it until 1820, when he leased it to Mr. Duvall for a conple of years, when he again took charge and continued there un- til his death about 1850. His son, Cuth- bert, then continued the business until 1863, when he sold out to John Gilmore, wno ran it until 1864, when he sold to Jesse Litten, who took possession on October 1. who remained there for about twenty years. Although the house has had several additions the original log structure is an integral part of the building. Mr. Lit- ten's widow continued the hotel under the name of Litten House when at her death about 1900 it passed into the hands of W. B. Naylor and was converted into a private dwelling. The first frame house was built
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on the east side of Main street, opposite Charles Mathews's store. It was owned and occupied as a dwelling by M. H. Ong, and now by J. W. Jones, the druggist.
David Purviance built the first brick house in the township about one-half mile east of the village, John Duff being the mason, about the year 1809. The property is now owned by Galbraith and others. The second store was started by Thomas Flem- ing in the building afterwards occupied as the postoffice, moving there from Wells Township. William Matthews had the third on the corner of Main street, opposite the Grant House on the property afterwards owned by Mrs. Naylor. William Black- iston and Benjamin Ladd had a large mer- cantile house on a lot afterwards owned by Rezin Jones and Edith MeGrail. Black- iston lived near the store while Ladd re- mained on the farm outside of town. Pork packing became an important industry here as well as at Mt. Pleasant between 1815 and 1840, in which this firm was a leader; in fact, Mt. Pleasant had a greater busi- ness in this respect than any other place in the country. Richard and William Pur- viance carried on business in the building afterwards occupied by Shane & Bro., and now owned by Mrs. Ramsey. Finley B. McGrew kept a store in the house now oc- cupied by Mr. Thomasson and owned by T. W. Purviance. Thomas MeGrew is in the Mather property.
The extensive tanyard industry is described elsewhere; it added materially to the business of the bustling little village, which down to 1850 bid fair to realize the most sanguine expectations of its founder. William Burrell was the first physician, coming about 1806 and locating on High street on the property later owned by Evan Purviance. William Judkins was the next a few years later, followed by his brother, Anderson, and then William Leslie and son, John, who came between 1818 and 1820. Joel Hutton was the first shoemaker.
The village was incorporated in 1832, the following being a list of mayors since that time: William Blackiston, 1832-7; Charles
Barnes, 1838-9; Lonis Kinsey, 1840; F. M. Talbot, 1841; John C. Phipps, 1842; Jacob Ong, 1843; William Gassaway, 1844-6; Jolın Irvine, 1847; William Whitten, 1848-50; William Gassaway, 1851; John Gilmore, 1852; John Irvine, 1853-4; Wil- liam Matthews, 1855-6; John Irvine, 1857-60; D. M. Allen, 1861-4; William Ver- million, 1865; Cuthbert Glover, 1866; H. M. Sanborn, 1867; Jesse Litten, 1868; John Young, 1869; John Irvine, 1870; D. M. Allen, 1871-2; H. M. Sanborn, 1873; W. B. Whitten, 1874; G. W. Lee, 1875-7; John White, 1878-9; Dr. Walter Moore, 1884- 1894; A. J. Ralston, 1894-1909; Albert Barger, 1910.
The postoffice was established in 1805, with Abel Carey the first postmaster, suc- ceeded by the following: William Black- iston, 1829; Thomas Odbert, Geo. M. Flem- ing, two months; John Irvine, 1841; Charles Barnes, 1841-5; Robert Leslie, 1845-9; John Hobson, 1849-51; Charles Long. 1851-53; Jason Brown, 1853-61; James Watson, 1861-6; Jason Brown, 1866-9; Jonathan C. Harrison, 1869, suc- ceeded by Edward Trippen, T. B. Vermil- lion and George Pearce, the present incum- bent. The population of Smithfield was 425 in 1850, 515 in 1870, 559 in 1880, 639 in 1890, and 503 in 1900.
Smithfield Lodge No. 182, F. & A. M., was chartered October 15, 1849, the three principal officers being Charles Mather, W. M .; N. A. Adams, S. W .; John Gilmore, J. W. Smithfield Royal Arch Chapter was chartered October 17, 1859, the principal officers being Charles Mather, H. P .; Amos Jones, K .; George W. Drake, S. After running a few years it was consolidated with the other lodge. Smithfield Lodge No. 591 was instituted July 27, 1874, with the following charter members : John A. Penn, John M. Boyd, Win. W. McConnell, A. B. Conoway, H. O. Conoway, Jacob Barkhurst and John Heaton. It has since dissolved. Both Senior and Junior Order American Mechanics organized, of which the former is still in operation, and also a G. A. R. post.
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There was a bank at Smithfield early in the last century, but it was an unprofitable enterprise and went out of business. At the beginning of 1864 Joseph H. Cope, who had been connected with the Mt. Pleasant bank for twenty years, started to organize a national bank. The people were slow to respond, but finally an organization was effected, with a capital of $63,000, soon after increased to $100,000. On June 24 the stockholders completed their organiza- tion by electing as directors Joseph H. Cope, Charles Mather, Joseph Jones, Wil- liam S. Bates, Elisha Cooke, Jr., Nathan Hughes, H. S. Black, C. D. Kaminsky and Joseph Hammond. Mr. Cope was chosen president, and served until his death in February, 1879. C. D. Kaminsky was elected vice-president in 1871, and became president on the death of Mr. Cope, when H. S. Black was elected vice-president. Among other members of the early boards were William Sharon, Cuthbert Glover, James M. Newlin, John Cole, John Gal- braith, Mifflin Ong, William Vermillion. James C. Scott was elected cashier, but only served a few months when William Vermillion was elected his successor. Mr. Vermillion died suddenly at his desk, and was succeeded by his son, Edward B. J. B. Lowry is the present cashier, and John Galbraith, president. The Merchants and Mechanics' Bank organized a little over a year ago and purchased the William Jones property. Horace Cattell is cashier, and William Reynard, president.
That the town continues to maintain the enterprise manifested by its early settlers is demonstrated by its successful annual fair, the only one in the county, which is attended by thousands, many coming a considerable distance. The society is a joint stock company, incorporated in 1871 with a capital stock of $4,000, divided into eighty shares of $50 each. The object of the society is the improvement of agricul- ture, blooded stock, horticulture and me- chanie arts. A tract of twelve and one-half acres was purchased of Joseph H. Cope for $150 an aere, and necessary buildings
were erected in time for the first exhibition in September, 1871. The land lies inme- diately north of the village, and the grounds are beautifully located and fully equipped with halls, stalls, etc., for exhib- itors, including a good third of a mile driv- inig track. The annual premiums amount to about $1,600 and operating expenses $400 to $500 more, while the receipts run from $1,800 to $2,500, which keeps the books balanced on the safe side, and as the institution is for the benefit of the coin- munity and not for profit that is all that is needed. The revenues are also supple- mented by an allowance from the county treasury. There is an unusually large board of directors, composed of W. O. Rey- nard, president ; M. B. Cole, vice-president ; J. O. Hayne, secretary; Chas. Mckinney, treasurer; J. S. Vale, ticket agent; R. A. Hayne, J. P. H. Henderson, A. C. Vermil- lion, J. L. Welday, J. W. Polen, D. F. El- liott, Fred Scott, Robert Large. J. O. Nay- lor, Dwight Elliott, A. H. Mills, J. E. Gault, A. L. Sutherland, A. U. Moore, W. B. Mather, R. J. Henderson.
For quite a number of years the subject of a children's home has been agitated in Jefferson County, and from a beqnest left by the late Robert Speer and a gift by Mrs. Anna Brown a fund of $20,630.40 has been accumulated towards that object. The anthorities, however, did not see their way clear to the founding of such an institution, and the children entitled by law to become inmates of such an institution have been cared for in the homes of neighboring coun- ties. But the work which the public in its official capacity seemed unable to under- take was undertaken by an individual with a marked degree of snecess. Several years ago when the mine developments began at Bradley near Smithfield, Samuel T. Pur- viance had his attention attracted by a number of children in the hamlet whose parents were either dead or indifferent to their welfare, so that they were practically deserted. Moved by compassion at their misfortunes he gathered them into his own honse at Smithfield, where he and his wife,
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with the assistance of his father, looked after them. The institution naturally grew, until it was necessary to call on ont- side assistance, which was generously af- forded. A fund was raised with which a house and traet of thirty-eight acres were purchased from Naney V. and W. F. Bur- ris on April 19, 1907, for $4,400. The prop- erty is located about three-fourths of a mile from Smithfield on the Portland pike. and contains a good brick dwelling consid- erably enlarged and other ontbuildings. The tract was conveyed to Oliver Thomas, Evan H. Purviance, S. T. Porviance, Wil- liam W. Thomasson, Anna H. G. Brown, Martha Cope, Sarah Wheeler, S. G. Park and Calvin Shreve as trustees. The insti- tntion has been incorporated with Hon. R. G. Richards as president, and upwards of a thousand persons have subscribed from $1 per annum to a considerable smm to keep it in operation. Nothing is received from the county except payment for the board and care of such children as may be sent there by the authorities. There is a com- petent matron in charge, and the health, training, moral and intellectual develop- ment of the children are carefully looked after. At present there are thirty-one in- mates, and additional quarters are needed. Homes in families are found for children when practicable, and the management of the institution has been such as to commend it as a work of practical philanthropy. The title of the institution is The Children's Bethel. J. F. Masters is secretary.
York village was laid out by David Upde- graff in 1815 and a postoffice was estab- lished there in 1832, with Ambrose Upde- graff, postmaster. Among his successors have been Joseph Wallace, E. H. Kirk, James Hutton, A. J. Purviance. Robert Thompson, Henry Waddle, Jacob Peter- man, William F. Hooper, V. P. Gorby, W. D. Thompson and W. H. Calderhead. The census reports eighty-nine inhabitants in 1850 and the same number in 1870. It is about five miles southwest of Smithfield.
Adena is located in the southwest corner of the township directly on the Harrison
County line. It is a neat little village of about 600 people, and has built np consid- erable trade since becoming a station on the W. L. E. railroad.
Bradley is a new mining town abont two miles from Smithfield, which has obtained more or less notoriety through labor troubles.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
The first school in the township was taught by Mr. Shackelford in the village in 1802. He was followed by Miss Armilla Garrettson, who was peculiarly afflicted, being destitute of lower limbs below the knee and also of one arm, all from natural causes. Joel Hutton, the shoemaker, also tanght in the winter season. These schools were all held in the Friends' meeting honse. James Tolletson, an Irishman, was the next teacher, who taught in a log honse near the brick building of the old Smith- field bank. Shortly after the first school house was built on the same lot as the pres- ent school house. The second school house was built about 1839, which was used until 1858, when a third house was built. This was not satisfactory and was torn down lately, when the present structure. contain- ing four primary rooms and one high school room, was erected. Other school- houses in the township are located at York, Adena and Bradley, and in the following sections: 2 Barkburst, 7 Carson, 9 Bark- linrst, 15 Reynard, 20 Gosnell, 23 Thomp- son, 18 llammond.
The Friends or Quakers were first to form a religions organization in the town- ship, in 1802. Meetings were held in pri- vate honses until 1804, when a log building was erected in the village, where the pres- ent meeting honse stands. This was used until 1813, when it was replaced by a sub- stantial brick, which, with some repairs, lasted until 1879, when it was removed and a large frame house, costing $2,000, was It mp in its place. The building com- mittee consisted of Nathan L. Wood, Will- iam M. Cope and Evan Porviance. The lot contains ten acres and was deeded June
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7, 1810, by James Carr to George Ham- mond, Casparis Garretson, David Pur- viance and Nathan MeGrew as trustees for the society. It was originally called Plym- outh Monthly Meeting, but in 1818 the name was changed to Smithfield. Among the original members in 1802 were Benja- min Townsend and wife Jemima, Malachi Jolly, Richard Jelks, James Carr, William Kirk, George and James Hammond and David Purviance. The first marriage was Evan Evans and Mary Brighte, or Brite, on April 20, 1808. The first burial in the graveyard was a child of Malachi Jolly, and the first adult was Jemima Townsend. A Sunday school was started in later years. As elsewhere, in 1828 the Smithfield Friends divided into the Hicksite and Orthodox parties. The former organized a separate society in 1829 and built a house near the eust end of Fourth Street, where they worshipped until 1859, when, by deaths and removals, their number became so small that they dissolved their organi- zation and sold their property. Their honse, a brick building, was purchased by William Vermillion and the property is now owned by William Moores, the house having been removed. In 1854 came the Gurney-Wilbur division, in which the for- mer, being largely in the majority, kept the church building and the others withdrew and formed a separate organization. They met in private houses and never built a church.
Holmes M. E. Church is the oldest organ- ization of that denomination in the town- ship and has been claimed to be the first northwest of the Ohio, which, however, has heen disputed, probably with success, by Hopewell in Wells Township. It is, how- ever, indisputably one of the oldest. The original building was built on Short Creek, about five miles southwest of the present village, in 1803. It was called Holmes meeting house, after Jacob Holmes, a local minister, who owned the land. Concerning Holmes, Curtis Wilkin, a grandson, writes to the Steubenville Gazette that he was born December 8, 1768, in Rockingham
County, Virginia, and when a small boy his father moved to Bedford County, Penn- sylvania, then to Catfish, Pa., now Wash- ington, then to Buffalo Creek, near the river, where he grew to manhood. and in 1791 was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Michael and Hannah Doddridge Huff. Shortly after his marriage he was em- ployed by the United States government as an Indian scout, and in company with his brother-in-law, Kinsey Dickerson, and a man named Washburn, was thins employed for three years. For his services he re- ceived a tract of land on Short Creek, a few miles north of where Mt. Pleasant now stands. To this place he moved his family in the spring of 1796. He resided on this farm some twenty-five years, when he sold to a man named Comley and removed to the northern part of Harrison County, now in Carroll County. He resided here until 1832, when he again sold out and removed to Fairfield Township, Highland County. In the summer of 1838 he again sold out and bought a farm one mile north of Ken- ton, Hardin County, to which he moved in the spring of 1839, and there he died October 14, 1841. On October 30, 1840, he requested all of his children to meet at his home in a family reunion and take dinner with him. The children all met, except Mrs. Augustine Bickerstaff, of Steuben- ville, her health not permitting. Ex-Sheriff Ambrose Moore is a grandson of Holmes. The church was built of hewn logs and was about twenty-six feet long with a fireplace on one side, not less than seven feet in the clear. The story was nine feet high. with the joists close together and covered with clapboards, forming the ceiling. The roof was made of clapboards held down by heavy poles, the floor was of puncheons and the seats were made by splitting small trees in two pieces. The house was parallel with the creek, and the door fronted the sontheast. No money was spent in its con- struction, the people coming together and performing the necessary labor. Charles Moore, Richard Moore, Isaac Meek and Mr. Crane were among the originators. There
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had been preaching at Holmes's and house, costing $3,200. Over seventy min- Meek's before the erection of the building, but there is no record of any previous to 1800. Three of Isaac Meck's sons, John, James and Jacob, were preachers. Other preachers here at that time were Ellis Matthews, Asa Shinn, Cullison, James Riley, Jacob Young, Thornton Fleming. Burke, James Quinn and Bishop Asbury. While the latter was preaching a bench broke down, and he stopped and thanked God that there was a floor in the church to catch those who fell.
This church was abandoned in 1810, on account of the difficulty of reaching it when the creek was high or filled with ice. Bodies in the graveyard were removed to other cemeteries, but some were left to be carried away by the waters of the creek, which now flows through the place and across the ground where stood the church. The logs in the building were utilized to make canes and other mementoes. A new house was built in 1810 on higher ground about half a mile from the first building, which was deeded to Jacob Holmes, John Stoneman, William Storer, Jacob Jones, James Smith, S. Moore, E. Pierce. R. Moore and Jolm Barkhurst. Elias Crane preached at the laying of the cornerstone. The house orig- inally was a long, narrow building, with pulpit and door in the sides. The pulpit recess was formed by building a large pen of logs outside, connected with the main walls, and the same arrangement was made opposite at the door, forming a large vesti- bule and giving the house the appearance of an ark with large wheelhouses at the sides. For several years it had neither stoves nor chimneys; two fireplaces were made on the floor, of stones and mortar. and the house was warmed by burning charcoal on these elevations. The society flourished until 1829, when the usual divi- sion ocenrred, resulting in the erection of a Methodist Protestant Church about a mile distant. In February, 1874, it was deter- mined to build a new edifice, which was begun the following June and completed in November. This was a plain, neat
isters have preached to this congregation, among them being James B. Finley, J. B. Brooks, William Dixon, Daniel Townsend West, William and John Meek, John Gra- ham, Edward Taylor, David Merryman, Simon Louck, Walter Athey, William Tall- man, Kent Hanks, Samuel Worthington, Robert Hopkins, Israel Dallas, William Knox, John Spencer, Joseph Montgomery, Pardon Cook, J. N. McAbee, Hiram Gil- more, J. R. Brockunier, Simon Elliott, William Summers, William Tipton, C. A. Holmes, James Merriman, J. W. Shriver, Robert Boyd, George Crook, W. Cox, Will- iam Devinney, S. W. Bailey, Isaac Atkins, C. H. Jackson, Ludwig Petty, George Mc- Kee, T. S. McClure, J. D. Vail, George W. Dennis, James H. Rodgers, Henry Neff, J. S. Heagle, Homer J. Clark, John Huston, James M. Bray, J. McK. Garrett. D. L. Dempsey, Hosea McCall, George W. Baker, W. C. P. Hamilton, A. E. Hard, Jolin Con- ner, John Williams, J. S. Bracken, T. Storer, Rev. Limerick, Archibald McElroy, Calvin Ruter, William Savage, S. Adams, A. L. Petty, T. Winstanley, Rev. Clegg, J. W. Miner. It was a part of Smithfield cir- cuit until 1901, when it was dropped and is now without regular service.
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