USA > Ohio > Delaware County > Century history of Delaware County, Ohio and representative citizens 20th > Part 68
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Though the first purchase of land in Dela- ware Township was made by Abraham Bald- win as above stated, the first actual settler within the township's limits was John Beard, who took up land in the southern part of the township. December 2, 1807, he purchased of Benjamin Ives Gilman, of Marietta, Ohio. 624 acres in a square piece situated on the
west bank of the Olentangy River, its south- ern line forming a part of the boundary line of the township. After erecting a cabin on the bank of the river he brought his family there, and in the following spring commenced the erection of a log grist-mill. being as- sisted by Ira Carpenter of Liberty. He seems not to have been very successful as a pioneer settler, however, and in February, 1811, he sold his property to Colonel Forest Meeker, a na- tive of Rutland. Vermont, who had emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1797, and who had subse- quently resided for a time in Chillicothe, Ohio, and in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Colonel Meeker soon had plenty of neighbors, as later. in 1811, quite a colony came from Virginia and another from Pennsylvania, settling in his vicinity. Among the Virginians were Robert Jamison. John Shaw and Matthew Anderson, while the leading Pennsylvanians were Fred- erick Weiser. Robert McCoy. Joseph Cunning- ham. John Wilson and Andrew Harter. In the following year came Samuel Hughs from Virginia, in 1813 Elias Scribner, and in 1814 Reuben Ruby came from Kentucky.
This settlement being within easy reach of saw and grist-mills, furnished with prac- ticable roads, and with a regular mail ser- vice, grew and prospered. The best farming lands being found along the river were soon taken up by the settlers. About 1812 John and Henry Worline bought land on the east side of the river, but sold out in three or four years and moved to a more northerly part of the county. Albreight Worline came in 1814 with his family of four boys and two girls, the boys being each old enough to render assistance in clearing a farm. William Sweet- zer settled north of the Worlines on the same side of the river, coming from Dummerston. Vermont, in 1815, after a journey of forty days through the wilderness. He bought the prop- erty of John and Henry Worline. His family consisted of his wife, five boys and three girls, the youngest child being only six months old at the time of their settlement here. With them came Hosea Miller and family and two young men-Solomon and Wilder Joy. Ru- therford Hayes came in 1817 from Vermont.
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and bought land in the neighborhood but took up his residence in town.
After the War of 1812 settlements began to increase west of the river and along Dela- ware Run, the good farming lands being speed- ily taken up. The following names are taken from the Delaware poll-book of the first election held October 11. 1808, and are given in the order of their voting: Thomas Van- horn, Asahel Hart, John Aye, Pennsylvania, Jacob Filgey, George Soop. Moses Byxbe, Massachusetts, Peter Ealy, Silas Dunham, Rhode Island, Appleton Byxbe. Massachu- setts. Timothy Squire, Solomon Smith, Mas- sachusetts, Ira Carpenter, Pennsylvania, Solo- mon Finch, Roderick Crosbey, Moses Byxbe, Jr., Massachusetts, William Little, Connecti- cut, Noah Sturdevant, Jacob Drake, Pennsyl- vania, Nathaniel Little, Connecticut, Thomas Butler, Massachusetts, Salmon Agard, Penn- sylvania, Jeremiah Osborn, Azariah Root. Massachusetts, Nathaniel Disbury, Alford Carpenter. Clark Beebe, Charles Robbins. Alexander Enos, Noah Spaulding. Vermont. Daniel Munsey, Josiah Grant. and Reuben Lamb.
The rest of the history of Delaware Town- ship is closely bound up with that of the city and will be found as already intimated in the various chapters devoted to special subjects to be found in this work, and to some extent in the lives of prominent citizens herein given. The following are the township officers for the year 1908, as reported to the county audi- tor :
J. T. Hutchisson and William G. Gannon. justices of the peace: P. E. Davis and H. S. Breyfogle and F. E. McKinnie, trustees ; George J. Young, clerk; Edwin F. Young, treasurer: H. H. Sharadin, assessor: E. D. Rugg and W. D. Vest, constables; and W. H. Johnson, ditch supervisor.
GENOA TOWNSHIP.
Genoa Township is bounded on the north by Berkshire Township; on the east by Har- lem; on the south by Franklin County and on the west by Orange Township. It is five miles
square, and is in the territory known as United States Military Lands. The western half of the township was included in the original township of Berkshire, and the eastern half was in the township of Sunbury. When Har- lem Township was cut out of Sunbury, it in- cluded all of what is now Genoa Township. The present bounds of Genoa Township were established June 4, 1816. Its name was sug- gested by an early settler who wished to do honor to the birth-place of Christopher Co- lumbus. Running through the western half of the township from north to south, on the line traversed by the Cleveland, Akron and Columbus railroad, is a ridge which forms the water-shed between Big Walnut Creek on the east and Alum Creek in Orange Township. On either side of the ridge, the land is com- paratively level, although the surface is broken up considerably along the banks of the Big Walnut, and east of the creek is more or less rolling. The highest shale cliffs in the county are to be found in the northern part of the township, on what is known as "Yankee Street." about two miles south of Galena. Here as elsewhere along the banks of Big Wal- nut, are to be found outcroppings of fine Wa- verly sandstone. Here and there in the beds of shale a thin layer of an inferior limestone is to be found. Some of the early builders were tempted to use this because of the ease with which it can be quarried, but they soon had their labor for their pains, as this stone disintegrates when exposed to the air. The Big Walnut Creek, to which reference has al- reay been made, is the principal stream. It Hows in a sinuous course from north to south through the eastern half of the township. Originally its banks and the lands adjacent were heavily timbered with black walnut trees. The bottom lands along the creek are especially fertile, but these places are frequently over- flowed in seasons of freshet, causing the loss of a crop occasionally. All the older men now living here remember the freshet in Septent- ber. 1866, when cattle, sheep and hogs were drowned, and haystacks and small sheds and buildings were floated and carried down the stream.
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Jeremiah Curtis, a native of Hartford, Connecticut, was the first settler in this town- ship. He arrived in Berkshire in 1805. but soon after he purchased a section of land on Yankee Street from Colonel Byxbe, upon which he located in 1806. Ilis land was on the Big Walnut near the oxbow head of the creek. At that time Chillicothe was the nearest milling point, so Curtis built a mill, and still-house, which was a great convenience to the settlers. In 1811 he moved to Marietta, for the protec- tion of his family during the war which was impending, and which he believed was sure to come. He died June 21, 1813. Later his son, who became the Hon. John Curtis, came back with the family to the farm in this town - ship. He was ten years old when the family first came to Ohio, and became a prominent and influential man who was sought for po- sitions of responsibility. John Williams, who was a local preacher in the Methodist Episco- pal Church, came here and erected a cabin on the hill where the covered bridge crosses the Big Walnut, and the following summer brought his wife and ten children to their new home. He was a devout man, and like the apostle Paul, worked with his hands while he preached. His first sermon in this neigh- borhood was preached in Joseph Latshaw's cabin. He died five years after coming here his son William joined a part of the army, in 1812, that was on its way to Fort Meigs, and fought the British and Indians there under Harrison. When the war was over he re- turned to the township and settled near his father's farm. Thomas, another son, had a farm nearby on the Creek. His oldest son, James, was the first white child born in Genoa Township. A New Englander by the name of Joseph Latshaw came here in 1807 from Berk- shire Township. His farm was in the north- ern part of the township. southwest of Galena In the latter part of the same year, David Weeks emigrated from Saratoga County, New York, and located in the northern part of the township. William Cox, a Pennsylvanian. also came into the township that year. Ile lo- cated in the oxbow bend of the Big Walnut. where he resided until his death. The next
year, 1808, Marcus Curtis, a brother of Jere- miah Curtis, and Elisha Newell came with their families from Connecticut. Curtis bought 681 acres of land in the northeastern part of the township, on Yankee Street. He soon be- gan to make brick from the clay which he found on his farm, and erected the first brick structure in the township. He also introduced short-horn cattle into the township. He bought his brother's saw- and grist-mill and operated them both for a time, but as this ven- ture was not successful he disposed of the mill to Hezekiah Roberts. The same year. Alexander Smith came from Pennsylvania and settled in the central part of the township. He became a prominent citizen. He was a successful farmer, held township offices and was an elder in the Presbyterian Church.
In 1800 Elisha Bennett came here from Pennsylvania. When it was decided to set off and organize the present township of Genoa. it was he who suggested the name which was adopted. His farm was near Max- well Corners. One of the early settlers was Jonas Carter, but it is not known just when he came from New England. He settled on the Big Walnut, but after clearing a small part of his farm. he sold it to Jonathan Dyer and went to Indiana.
In the spring of 1810 Hezekiah Roberts came to this township from Pennsylvania and bought Joseph Latshaw's farm. He was a blacksmith, and he set up the first shop for that kind of work in this region. He was one of the first farmers to raise flax. He bought the old Copeland mill and moved it to the west side of the creek, where he ran it for a number of years. His son, later familiarly known as "Long John" Roberts, was the sec- ond white child born in the township. When his father was no longer able to follow his trade, John succeeded to the business, which he carried on for forty years. Fulrad See- bring also came to the township in 1810. His farm was located on the Big Walnut, about midway of the township from north to south. The same year Ary Hendricks located on a farm southwest of Galena, and Thomas Harris and his son-in-law Henry Bennett came here.
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They came here from Hocking County, to which they had emigrated from Pennsylvania in 1805. Three years later they settled in what is now Harlem Township, and in 1810 came over into this township, and located on Yankee Street. Thomas Harris lived to be one hundred years and six months old. His son Samuel was frozen to death in his wagon on his return from hauling provisions to the soldiers at the north. Byxbe Rogers, who had served during the entire seven years of the Revolution, came here in 1810, from Knox County, to which he had emigrated the pre- vious year from Pennsylvania. He was largely influential in bringing about the establishment of the township of Genoa. His death oc- curred in 1825. The first shoemaker in the township was Jacob Clauson, who came from the Keystone State in 1810. He found that there was not enough work here to keep him busy at his trade, and so after a short time he closed up his shop and went to Franklin- ton. While looking for work there, he as- sisted in raising the first log cabin upon the site where the city of Columbus now stands. He found work as hard to get in Franklinton as in Genoa, so he came back here, cleared a piece of ground and followed farming as long as he lived.
Johnson Pelton and Sylvester Hough came into this township in 1812, and settled just south of Galena. Another of the early fami- lies to come in here was the Mitchum family from New England. The husband and father died at Cadiz, Harrison County, Ohio, while enroute, but the family continued the journey until they reached Genoa. An interesting story is told of Hines Mitchum, one of the family. He was a very religious man, and used to journey to great distances, for the purpose of participating in the church exercises. More- over, he was an excellent singer, and his pres- ence was often sought, and always appreciated. There was a quarterly meeting (it will be seen by this that he was a good Methodist) to be held at the little town of Westerville, on a certain evening, and as the meeting was to close with singing and other appropriate exer- cises, he was cordially invited to attend, and on the afternoon preceding the evening of the
day on which it was to be held, he started for Westerville. At that time, a dense woods stretched away for miles in every direction, and there was not even an Indian trail lead- ing from the settlement on the Big Walnut, in Genoa Township, to the town of Wester- ville. But Mitchum, trusting in his knowledge of the woods, started in the direction of the town. Dusk found him quite a distance from his destination, and he was plodding along, unmindful of the shadows that were creeping down upon him, when he was startled by at long howl, which set the blood curdling to his very heart. He knew that sound too well to be mistaken. It was the hungry famished cry of the gray wolf. Soon he heard the same cry at the north, then at the south and from every direction. He knew that he was sur- rounded, that he had not a moment to lose, so, selecting a tree that stood near, he was soon hidden among its branches, and none too soon, for scarcely had he seated himself on one of the limbs, than, with a mighty bound, a huge wolf sprang upon the spot he had just vacated. In a short time, the entire pack assembled at the bottom of the tree, and expressed their disap- pointment in howls of baffled rage. Mitchum appreciated the fact that he was in rather an uncomfortable position. Night was fast ap- proaching, and the idea of remaining in that tree until the next morning was anything but pleasant. Suddenly the thought struck him that he would sing. The idea was certainly a novel one, but worth the attempt, so striking up one of his familiar airs, he poured forth the notes in his most melodious strains. He had sung but a short time, when he was sur- prised to find that the wolves had ceased howl- ing, and thus encouraged, he continued sing- ing, while they all sneaked off. Whether they left in disgust, or felt the overpowering influ- ence of his voice, he never said, but it is related that when he arrived at Westerville, just after the meeting closed. he gave an account of his experience by saying that he had just come from a praise meeting, where the voices were naturally strong, but needed cultivation.
About 1812 Lanson Gooding and Com- fort Penny located on the ridge. The former was from Pennsylvania and the latter from
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the East. Penny was one of the first teach- ers in the township. John Roberts settled on Yankee Street before the War of 1812. He served under Harrison at the siege of Fort Meigs, and returned to his farm on the Big Walnut at the close of the war. The first physician in the township was a Dr. Duell. who came at an early date. Dr. Skeels was another early settler. William Hall, a na- tive of the Green Mountain State, came to Ohio at an early date. He served in the War of 1812. and after his discharge, he married Polly Curtis, in 1815, and settled on the Curtis farm, where he spent the remainder of his life. Other early settlers were Joseph Linnabury. who emigrated from Pennsylvania and settled in the south central part of the township. From 1816 to 1819 a number of families came into the township, among whom we can men- tion Dr. Eleazer Copeland and George Cope- land, Diadatus Keeler, who introduced fine- wooled sheep and the China and Berkshire breeds of hogs into the township. Jacob Hart- burn, Abraham Wells, E. Washburn, Roswell Cooke and the Dusenbury family were among those who came about the period mentioned. Rev. E. Washburn, a Presbyterian minister, became universally beloved. The people of this township have continued up to the present time to keep abreast of the progress of the age, making Genoa Township the peer of any other township in the County.
Present Township Officials ( 1908) .- H. C. Young and D. M. Nedds, justices of the peace; G. A. Brehm and C. F. Freeman, trustees : G. M. Plumb, assessor ; P. P. Ingals. treasurer ; AAsa E. Ulrey, clerk ; A. E. McLeod and M. A. Fichtelman, constables; S. Bevel- hymer, ditch supervisor.
HARLEM TOWNSHIP.
(In preparing this sketch we have made free use of an article written many years ago by the late Hon. J. R. Hubbell. )
This township was named for that portion of New York City known as Harlem, which was given that name by the early Dutch set-
tlers of that region in honor of a prosperous city of that name in their native land. This township contains even 16,000 acres ot land, and is known and designated on the map of the United States Military Lands as Town- ship No. 3 and Range 16.
The origin of these Military Lands is ex- plained in the chapter devoted to the settlement and organization of the county. It is bounded on the north by Trenton Township; on the east by Monroe Township. Licking County ; on the south by Plain Township, Franklin County, and on the west by Genoa Township. Of the larger streams running southward through Delaware County not one touches Harlem Township, but notwithstanding this fact, this township is well watered. Large runs and brooks, supplied by springs and spring runs, flow from the east line of the township, in a south-westerly direction, to Big Walnut Creek. Among these we may men- tion Spruce Run and Duncan Run. A few rods distant from the north line and about a mile and a half from the northwest corner of the township, is located a sulphur spring, on a farm that was long known as the "Dustin Farm." The character and water of this spring have been declared by competent chemists to be strongly impregnated with sulphur and magnesia, and other minerals, and is very simi- lar in quality to the water of the White Sul- phur Springs of the Scioto, and the Sulphur Springs at Delaware. The land in this town- ship is almost uniformly level. Near the mouth of Duncan Run and the mouth of the Spruce, there is some rolling land ; but of the eighteen townships of Delaware County, this in the character of the soil is most uniform. The soil is a deep black loam, and very pro- ductive; the general yield of all cereal and vegetable products in this township is much above the average, compared with other town- ships of the county. There is no waste land in the township. The timber in its native for- est was luxuriant. Upon the high and rolling land was white oak, ash, sugar maple, hickory and beech, but the level lands were covered with burr-oak, white elm and black ash. Stock-raising has received considerable atten-
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tion here. Almost the entire population is engaged in farming. There is little if any manufacturing. There are no mines, no canals, navigable streams or railroads nor any important town. Along and near the lower part of Duncan Run there are extensive stone quarries, which produce Waverly stone of the very best quality, but on account of the lack of transportation facilities, they have been worked but little.
There seems to be more certainty regard- ing the early settlers in this township than of the settlers in most of the other townships in the county. In 1803 a man named Duncan purchased Section 3 from the patentee, but failed to pay the purchase money, and in 1807, the sheriff of Franklin County sold the entire 4,000 acres at public auction to Benjamin Cook, Esq., for forty-two cents per acre. An amusing incident, illustrating the shrewdness and caution of this early pioneer, is quite ap- propriate in this connection. Among the New England families who emigrated to Ohio in 1805-06, was Mr. Cook, who came to Gran- ville from Connecticut. While living there, he learned that this tract of land was to be sold to the highest bidder by the sheriff. He immediately prepared himself with the neces- sary funds, as he supposed, to make the pur- chase. The terms of sale were cash in hand. Ile was compelled to keep his money upon nis person, to be ready to make the purchase, in case he became the lucky bidder; and then again, he was going among strangers and was liable to be robbed. Ile dressed himself, for his own protection, in okdl clothes covered with patches and rags, permitted his beard to grow long, and put on a dirtier shirt than usual ; in short, he presented an appearance of wretchedness and poverty. Beneath his rags and patches he concealed his treasure. No one suspected that he had any money or was other than a beggar, and when he commenced to bid, the rival bidders ceased their compe- tition. They supposed his bidding was a farce, and that he could not pay for the land if it was struck off to him. In this shrewd trans- action, he illustrated the true Yankee char- acter, to the amusement of those he outwitted.
He paid the sheriff the purchase money, ob- tained his deed, and immediately moved by way of Berkshire onto his new purchase. He kept five hundred acres of this tract, selling the balance to Colonel Moses Byxbe. He was the first settler in the township, and when he moved upon his claim, there was not even a cabin upon it, and until one was built, his family occupied an Indian shanty. Mr. Cook died in 1839. He was the first justice of the peace of the township, and held other official positions with honor and credit. Calvin Tracy Cook was the first white child born in Harlem Township. His birth occurred in 1808, and he died in 1831. The oldest child of Benjamin Cook was Benajah S. Cook, who was born in Connecticut in 1794, and was brought by his father to Harlem, where he married and set- tled on a large farm near his father's home- stead. He was a great hunter in his day.
Stephen Thompson, who was a squatter, was the next settler in the township. Ile came here in 1808. He came with his parents when quite young, and before the American Revolution, from Ireland. The family settled in Pennsylvania. He was a drum-major in the Revolution. At about the same time, a num- ber of families came to this county from the same part of Pennsylvania-the Wyoming Valley. In 1800, Rev. Daniel Bennett and family settled in Harlem on a farm near the center of the township. He was a local preacher and led an exemplary lite. Ilis wife was a Miss Adams, the sister of Elijah Adams, who for many years was a squire. Rev. Adams's oldest daughter married B. Roberts, who settled in Centerville, probably nearly eighty years ago. Their oldest daughter be- came the wife of the late C. B. Paul, of Dela- ware. Mr. Paul filled several of the Harlem Township and county offices. Ile was the largest landholder in the township at one time. Before the Civil war, he served as county com- missioner, and the first year of the war he was elected county treasurer, and held this office four years.
Two brothers, Elijah and John Adams, came to Harlem in 1809. He bought a cabin of Stephen Thompson, west of the Bennett
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farm. He married Desire Cook, the daughter of Benajah Cook, and raised a large family. Ilis oldest son, Abraham Adams, was admitted to the Bar, but died soon after at his residence in Columbus. Another son, Elijah B. Adams, was graduated from Ohio Wesleyan Univer- sity, just previous to the war. lle enlisted as a private but soon rose to the rank of captain. Early in the war he had all the fingers on his right hand cut off by a sabre in the hands of a rebel officer. Unable longer to perform active service, he entered the invalid corps, where he remained until the close of the war. In 1872 he was elected county recorder and re-elected in 1875. He gave the people of the county a satisfactory administration of the office, and upon his retirement in 1879. he removed to Columbus. Another brother, John Adams, was a justice of the peace in llarlem, but re- moved to Colorado.
William Fancher, with his wife and a large famly, emigrated from Luzerne County, Penn- sylvania. in 1810. They bought about 1,000 acres of land in the southern part of the town- ship. He was a veteran of the Revolution. and a number of his sons served in the second war with England. The family was promi- nent and highly esteemed among the early settlers. About the same time, and from the same part of Pennsylvania, N. B. Waters and family came to Harlem Township. AAfter re- siding here for several years, they removed to Fairfield County, where they resided for about eighteen years. They then returned to this county, settling in the northern part of Radnor Township. Here Mr. Waters die1 in 1858. His wife was a Miss Cary, a sister of the wife of Squire Adams. His son, Benja- min C. Waters, married a daughter of Colonel William Budd, about 1846. Ile was a black- smith for several years in the village of Har- lem. He served as justice of the peace, and in 1860 he was elected sheriff, and was re-elected in 1862. In the latter part of the Civil war he was provost marshal for the county, and for several years United States mail agent on the route from Cincinnati to Cleveland. He was elected probate judge in 1872. Though not a trained lawyer, he had acquired consider-
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