Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 29

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1086

USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 29

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George Arthur was the Democratic nom- inee for Congress in this district in 1876.

The following is a list of some who have served as township officials :

Justice of the Peace-John Coffield, 1871-1874; T. J. Barton, 1871-1874; Aaron Morehouse, 1872-1875; D. S. Hustead, 1874-1877; O. F. Serviss, 1875-1878; Daniel Baker, 1875-1878; J. J. Arthur. 1875-1884, 1895-1904; Z. Taylor, 1876- 1879; David Hustead, 1878, resigned; Samuel Knott, 1879-1882, 1885-1888; Daniel Winget, 1879-1889, 1898-1901; A. E. McCain, 1882-1885; Geo. W. Coffield, 1882-1895; A. H. Smith, Jr., 1889-1892-

1898-1901; Edward Brantner, 1895-1898; Ralph Howell, 1897-1900; W. H. H. Turner, 1901-1904; Joseph A. Arthur, 1904-1907; Samuel A. Brantner, 1905- 1908; Samuel Winget (elect).

Township Trustees-A. H. Smith, Jr., 1882-1883, 1887-1898, 1902-1905; A. P. Miller, 1882-1882; Samuel J. McClure, 1882, 1884, 1886-1887 ; John Arthur, 1883; G. J. Kissell, 1884; Josiah J. Arthur, 1884-1886; George W. Coffield, 1885-1894; Ezra D. Miller, 1885, 1899-1901; Henry Hass, 1888-1889; H. L. Feirstine, 1890; S. W. Printz, 1891-1902; E. S. Beard, 1895-1897; J. E. Drake, 1898; John A. Miller, 1899-1900; D. B. Beard, 1901- 1907; William E. Rebert, 1903-1904; Wil- liam A. Layton, 1905-1907; C. R. Miller, 1906-1907; A. H. Smith, Hiram Lemder- muth (elect).

Township Clerks-Daniel Baker, 1882, 1884; A. B. Dunkel, 1883, 1887-1904, 1906; A. P. Kidwell, 1885; F. A. Duckwell, 1886; Dan Humer, elected, resigned and A. B. Dunkel reappointed, 1905; A. B. Dunkel, resigned and Kyle M. Dunkel appointed, 1907.

Township Treasurers-J. B. Dunkel, 1882-1894; J. S. Harshman, 1895-1896; Dr. Elwood Miller, 1897-1900; Dr. R. C. Hebble, 1901-1907.

Present Board of Education (1907)- J. H. Lindemuth, president; C. P. Johns- ton, clerk ; S. N. Miller, George W. Dilla- hunt and J. B. Smith.

CHURCHES.

Knob Prairie Church was the first one that was erected in this township. It was built in 1806 by the Christian denomina- tion on a tract of land donated by Judge Layton situated on a rocky bluff over-

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

looking the prairie on the old road, now vacated, leading from Yellow Springs across what is known as the "Broad Ford" on Mad River to New Carlisle.

Mr. Baker's description of this church, which follows, is a good general descrip- tion of the churches at that day :

"This church was built of hewed logs; was about 24x32 feet; the floor was laid with puncheon, and the door was also made of the same material. Puncheon was made by splitting a log into flat pieces. two or three inches in thickness, straightening their edges and facing their flat sides as in hewing. As the use of puncheon went out with the introduction of saw-mills, so also the term, which was only of local origin, became nearly obso- lete. The windows consisted of holes cut out through the logs, and, as glass was not then considered an absolute necessity, nor was it ever a procurable commodity, greased paper was pasted over the open- ing to admit the light into this primitive temple, where the early pioneers assem- bled to worship God, in a building erected for the purpose of protecting them from cold and storm, and not for style and vain show. This building was also furnished with puncheon seats, as it was considered a great step in advance for the worshipers to have a place to sit down during divine service. This period was many years be- hind the age of backs and cushions, which would doubtless have been regarded as a manifestation of wicked pride and luxu- rious ease incompatible with the rough and hardy customs made necessary by the exigencies of those times. The building was covered with clapboards, and was, when completed, an object of pride, and considered an achievement worthy of the

time and the occasion for which it was erected. The surrounding grove was once a great camp-meeting ground; the people came for thirty or forty miles, with tents, remaining several days to attend the meetings. This old log structure served its day and was replaced by a more commodious frame structure, with plas- tered walls and ceiling, panel doors and regular glass windows. This building has long since been torn away, the society having built a commodious brick building in the village of Enon."

When this church was abandoned the Christian denomination built a Christian Church in Enon, the first resident minis- ter being Elder Ladley. Rev. Mr. Jones is the present pastor.

The next church to be erected was near the Greene County line in 1816; it was afterwards torn down and a brick build- ing built upon the same location.

In 1840 the Methodist Episcopal organ- ized in a small log house which stood in a grove between Enon and what was then the residence of Ezra D. Baker. This house has long since disappeared and a church was built in the village of Enon, corner of Broadway and Pleasant Street. It is still occupied by them and has a flourishing congregation. The first reg- ular ministers of this church were Levi P. Miller and Noah Huff. The first local resident minister was Frederick Snyder.

SCHOOLS.

The schools of Mad River Township are abreast of those of the county gen- erally, the township having a high school department and employing a superintend- ent. The first schoolhouse in the town- ship was built in 1806, about thirty yards

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east of where Daniel Baker recently re- sided, near the old Dayton and Spring- field Road; and the first schoolhouse in Enon was built on North Xenia Street, of brick, one story, and is or was until a few years ago still standing and occupied as a dwelling house. The next schoolhouse was built on South Xenia Street, a two- story brick building, having three rooms, two below and one above. The schools of Enon are in the special school district.

The following are the teachers for the coming year :

Superintendent, J. R. Clarke; O. P. Hause was elected high school assistant and music supervisor; O. H. Rust, of Boone Station, was moved to the gram- mar grade of Enon in the position left vacant by E. C. Lohnes; C. S. Ryan, of Moorefield Township, goes to the gram- mar grade at Boone Station; Boone Sta- tion, primary, Gertrude Dillahunt; Enon, primary, Alma Nickle; No. 3, Blue Stem, Maud Sheley; No. 4, Maple Grove, Beatrice Jones; No. 5, Spread Eagle, Elizabeth Schulte; No. 6, Oakland, Mabel Dillahunt.

Mad River Special: Superintendent and music supervisor, O. P. Hause; Cen- ter, Sara Denlinger; Rocky Point, Wil- liam Pownell; Sulphur Springs, Flossie Lehman; Oak Grove, O. P. Hause.

Enumeration of pupils for 1907 : Males, 151; females, 147; total 298.

Mad River Special District: Males, 95; females, 71; total, 166.

MOOREFIELD TOWNSHIP.

BOUNDARIES.

Moorefield Township is immediately north of Springfield Township and is

bordered on the west by German, on the east by Pleasant Township and on the north by Champaign County.

I am not advised whether it had an ex- istence as a part of Champaign County prior to the organization of Clark County in 1818. At this latter date, however, it was organized with substantially its pres- ent boundaries, a corner being added afterwards in the southwest part, making Mad River the boundary line between it and German Township. It was named "Moorefield" after a place of that name in Virginia, from which a large number of the settlers along its central and east- ern parts came.

STREAMS.

It trenches into the valley of Mad River, the southeastern part coming into direct contact with the river and the northwestern part having the valley of one of its small tributaries called Moore's Run.

A short distance east of the center, Buck Creek flows through the township from north to south, and in the extreme southeastern part it is touched by Sink- ing Creek.

CROPS AND TIMBER.

These various streams make it a very well-watered territory, suited for grazing purposes, and it was largely devoted to that purpose by the early settlers, es- pecially those living in the Buck Creek Valley. Some of the land in these valleys was originally swamp, but is now mostly drained. The upland of the township is what is called oak land and was original- ly covered with timber of that and kin-

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

dred varieties. Practically all of the Virginians principally, and that part north land is tillable and fertile, producing the along the Urbana Pike by Kentuckians. The Virginia settlers were more of Eng- lish than of German descent. usual crops that can be grown in this climate.

The Foleys, Yeazells and Clarks have been from an early time extensive stock- raisers.

ROADS.

The Springfield and Urbana Turnpike extends through the western part of the township not far from its western line and the Clark and Union Turnpike leads north from Lagonda, following the val- ley of Buck Creek through the entire township.

Gravel being abundant, the roads are generally in good condition. Almost fifty miles of public roads are in this township. The Big Four and Erie rail- roads touch its western extremity, the stopping point being Bowlusville, and the Delaware branch of the Big Four leads up the Buck Creek Valley, stopping at New Moorefield. The township has three villages-Bowlusville, New Moorefield and Villa. (See villages.)

VOTING PRECINCTS.

It is divided into two voting precincts, east and west, one being located at New Moorefield and the other at Kenton School House on the Urbana Pike. By reason of the trade of the township com- ing to Springfield directly over the two pikes heretofore mentioned, not much in- tercourse is carried on between the people residing in the western part of the town- ship and those in the eastern. The town- ship is eight miles wide east and west and five miles north and south.

The Buck Creek valley was settled by

POPULATION.

Like other townships its population has been almost at a standstill for the last half century, it being 1,312 in 1850; 1,268 in 1870; 1,345 in 1880; 1,307 in 1890; and 1,435 in 1900.

ACREAGE AND ASSESSED VALUATION,

The following table shows the number of acres and the assessed valuation of the real and personal property in the town- ship and various school districts.

Acres

Real Estate

Personal Property

Total

Moorefield

.20,903 $782,110

$550,040 $1,332,150

M. & Gr. School

Districts

287

9,160

16,080

25,240

M. & Spr. School

Districts

286

10,430

2,800

13,230

M. & Spr. City

School Dist.

738

34,550

17,350

51,900

M. & Urbana

School Dist.

1,596

67,160

19,920

87,080

Total

23,810 $903,410 $606,210 $1,509,600

POLITICS.

As the settlers of this township came from a different part of the old dominion than those of German Township, it has followed that in political complexion the township has been different and at almost all elections, the majority vote has been against the Democratic party. In former times it was Whig, latterly Republican, generally in the neighborhood of one hun- dred.

OLD SETTLERS.

The township began to be settled in the latter part of the eighteenth century. In 1799, a colony of five settlers, with their

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wives and children, left their friends in Robinson had a family of fifteen children, Kentucky and settled in this township, along the Urbana Pike, which was then a cleared path cut through the forest. (See Roads.) Their names were Philip Jar- bow, William Ward, Simon Kenton (the renowned Indian fighter), John Richards and William Moore. Ward settled in sec- tion 32, on the place now occupied by Mr. Sultsbach, which is four miles north of Springfield. He brought his wife and fourteen children with him, but his wife dying, he married again, and had four more children born to him of the second marriage. Kenton was also married, and settled on land on the road adjoining Ward on the north. During the first year of their settlement here, Kenton dug a canal (where afterwards was Cassilly's saw-mill) intending it for a mill-race, but, on account of the water supply being in- sufficient, the project was abandoned, and no mill built. Jarbow settled in a dense oak wood, next to Kenton, where the trees were so thick that, tradition says, a man could go over the whole clearing without touching the ground, by stepping from stump to stump. This little band of em igrants seemed to be of an enterprising nature, for it is said that Jarbow, shortly after his settlement, constructed a "still" and manufactured whiskey for himself and neighbors, working on shares. This was probably the first spirituous liquor in the township. He continued business through his whole life, and thus disposed of the surplus corn of the neighborhood.

In 1802, some other families left their homes of ease and comfort in the "Old Dominion" to seek their homes in West- ern wilds. These were Richard Robinson, James Bishop and Benjamin Cornell.

and his wife Sarah. He settled on the farm now known as the "Yeazell place." Bishop also had a family of fifteen chil- dren, and his wife, whose name was Nancy. He settled on the farm afterward owned by James Foley. Cornell had a family consisting of his wife, Rose, and fourteen children. In the same year came Jonathan and James Paige, from Ken- tucky, and settled in the township. In 1803, James Foley, a native of Virginia, born 1779, came to the county, selected land in Moorefield Township, upon which he settled permanently in 1805. In 1808, he married Mary Marsh, also a native of Virginia, born in 1784, to whom were born Griffith, Catherine, Susan, John and James. Mr. Foley was one of the first county commissioners on the erection of the county in 1818, and served several years; was also in the Legislature two terms, and became one of the largest land owners in Clark County. He died in 1864, aged eighty-four. John Ward settled in the township about the same time as Foley. Judge John R. Lemon settled on Section 2, in the southeastern part of the township in 1808; he was also a Virginian. In the same year, David Crabill and his wife Barbara came from Virginia and settled on Buck Creek. They had born to them twelve children ; several yet survive, and are among the leading families of the county. David was a native of Virginia, and his wife of Pennsylvania; her maiden name was Bear, and he was in the War of 1812. Thomas Voss, a native of Virginia, settled where Nathan Marsh formerly lived, in 1808. Silvanus Tuttle and his wife, Mary (Brown) Tuttle, came to Ohio from Virginia ,in 1806, settling first in

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

Champaign County, close to Catawba Sta- tion, and, in the spring of 1808, remov- ing to the southeastern part of Moorefield Township, where both died, he in January, 1843, aged eighty-two, and his wife in May, 1848, aged eighty-five. Of their numerous family, Eunice, Thaddeus, Hetty, Thomas, John, Doras, Caleb, Zebedee and David, all are dead. The Tuttles incline toward the Baptist Church, and many of them are actively identified with that denomination.

In 1808, Charles Rodkin and John Run- yan settled in the township, and Jacob Richards a couple of years previous; all were from Virginia. In 1811, Horatio Banes came with his parents, Evan and Lina Banes, and settled in Section 10, where his father died in 1827, and his mother in 1836. They had three sons, all now deceased. Horatio was born in Virginia in 1791, and was married in this county in 1824, to Polly Miller, by whom he had nine children. He died in 1868. He was prominent in township affairs. Henry Bosart and his wife, Elizabeth, set- tled on Section 21 in 1811; his wife died in 1817, and he in 1841. His son, T. L. Bosart, became a well known and lead- ing farmer of his township, and his grand- son, Lewis W. Bosart, who lives in Spring- field, still owns the old homestead; James Clark was born in Virginia, and there married to Martha Davis, of that state, to whom were born Rebecca, John, Charles M., William, Ellen, Eliza, Juliana and Wallace. They came to Coshocton County, Ohio, in 1806, and about 1811 to this township, afterward moving to Cham- paign County, where they died. Mr. Clark excelled as a cooper. His sons, John, Charles M. and William, now deceased,

were well known and prominent citizens of Clark County. Seaton J. Hedges set- tled close to the Champaign County line at an early day. He married Harriet Miller, and was afterward remarried twice; he died on his farm. In 1810 Abraham Yeazell and his wife, Mary, na- tives of Virginia, who settled in Clinton County, Ohio, at an early day, came to this township, settling in the southeast- ern part. They had fourteen children. Mr. Yeazell died January 2, 1832, and his wife September 22, 1828, and the family is one of the best known and most ex- tensive in Clark County. Dennis Collins was born in Virginia in 1771, and there married to Mary Thomas, born in New Jersey in 1774. They had fifteen chil- dren-Dr. Collins, Sr., now deceased, of South Charleston, being one of the num- ber. In 1796 they moved to Kentucky, and in 1811 to Champaign County, Ohio, settling in Moorefield Township in 1813, where he died in 1826, and his wife in 1843. John Marsh was born in Virginia in 1794; came to this township about 1818; he was married, in 1833, to Maria Dye, to whom were born three children now deceased-Nathan, Mary J. and John D. He was a very successful farmer, and accumulated a large estate, dying in 1837 much respected.

In 1812, Ward, Banes and Foley went to Detroit to recruit Hull's army there. They must have gone with a large force of Kentuckians who passed through the settlement that year under Colonel Wick- liff, to re-enforce Hull's army, but they arrived just after Hull's cowardly and ignominious surrender. Ward and Foley busied themselves during their lives in amassing titles of lands, in addition to

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that of their first purchase. They would enter large tracts and make the first pay- ments ; then they held it until, by selling a part, they could with the proceeds pay the balance due. When Ward was first mar- ried, Moses Henkle, the minister, came to take dinner with him the first Sabbath after he had entered the hymeneal state. They only had one gallon pot in the house; in this they boiled the potatoes, and, after they were done, boiled the coffee in the same pot. Then they baked the bread on the lid of the pot, before the fire, and roasted the wild turkey, which they had saved for the occasion, on a spit in front of the fire, hanging it on a peg driven in the logs above the fireplace. They ate from a table made by sawing off one end of a big log and driving three pegs in it for legs. The chairs were made by Mr. Ward, being constructed in the same man- ner as the table, but minus the legs.

In 1807 Alexander McBeth, his wife Rachael, and eight children, came from Pennsylvania and settled on the old Col. Ward farm, more recently known as Frank Brook's place. In 1810 Mr. Mc- Beth built a brick house, which was the first one in the county, and probably in any county adjoining. We have very vague information concerning a man named McDaniels, who came into the township previous to 1806 but of his his- tory or family nothing can now be learned, all traces of him having long ago disap- peared. Moses Henkle, another early set- tler, came previous to 1810, and built a little log house near the former residence of Mariah Jones. He was of German descent, and came from Pennsylvania. He had two daughters and several sons, all of whom are now scattered and their

history lost. The father was buried in Pleasant Hill Graveyard. One of his fam- ily was the first county clerk of Clark County.

The first to bear the glad tidings to the people and disseminate the truths of the Gospel in the township was the Rev. Robert Miller, an American by birth, but of Scotch descent. His grandparents em- igrated from Scotland in 1738. His father served in the Revolutionary War, in which he lost his life. Robert was born in Prince George County, Maryland, August 19, 1767. He moved to Virginia in 1793 and in 1797 removed to Kentucky. He came to this state and township in 1812, and settled on land now occupied as a site for the new Moorefield Methodist Church. He was a Methodist preacher by profes- sion-one of those dauntless, energetic, Methodist preachers that characterized that denomination in early pioneer days. He was the prime mover in the organiza- tion of the Moorefield Church, in 1812, for which he preached a number of years. He was twice married, having four daughters and five sons (two of the latter afterward became ministers) by his first wife, and three boys and one girl by the second wife. In 1816, he built a large new log house, to which he added an extra room especially for church services, as they then had no meeting-house. This house stood where the residence of A. W. Mum- per is now located. When the project of building the first church was in debate, Mr. Miller donated the ground for church and graveyard, gave $100 (which was one- sixth of the whole cost), solicited the bal- ance, and afterward split the lath for the new building, and painted it when com- pleted. In 1834 he died, with this odd,

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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY

though characteristic, speech on his lips: had born to them nine children. For "I am going to heaven as straight as a twelve years after marriage, they lived on rented land, but in 1835 Mr. Arbogast bought the property in Section 21, where he subsequently resided. shingle." He was buried in the ground he had given to the church twenty-two years before for a burying-ground, where his body molders while his spirit is at rest. It will be well to mention some of EARLY EVENTS. his co-workers in the church work, as they One of the first births in this township was that of Margaret Ward, daughter of William, born in 1804. Eliza Foley was born in 1807. In 1810 Alexander McBeth just across the Champaign County line, along what is now known as the Urbana Pike, built the first brick house in this country. The first schoolhouse was prob- ably built in 1812, north of Springfield on the Urbana Pike, on what is known as the Frank Brook's farm. This house was built of logs. Probably the first dwelling house of the township was the one erected by Simon Kenton in 1799, on the Urbana Pike, close to the present Hunt residence. It is related that during the War of 1812 a large force of Kentuckians marched through the township under Colonel Wick- liffe to re-enforce the American army at Detroit. John Ward, Horatio Banes and James Foley went along with this delega- tion but arrived in Detroit too late, as Hull had already surrendered. were also early residents of the township. Among them were Saul Henkle, who, in 1818, when the county was organized, was the first clerk; Hector Sanford, John Clerigan and Dennis Collins. A com- paratively early settler, and one whose name is well known throughout the town- ship, was Judge Daniel Mckinnon, a Virginian, who came to this section in 1808, and settled on the ground where New Moorefield now stands, in Sections 3, 4, 9 and 10, corner. He had a family con- sisting of his wife, three girls and five boys, all of which children are now scat- tered over the country outside of the town- ship. The father died on the land he en- tered, and was buried in the old grave- yard. Michael Arbogast came to Moore- field in 1811, from Pendleton County, Vir- ginia, and entered a half-section of land on Buck Creek. He had five sons and two daughters, who were left fatherless by Mr. Arbogast's death, which occurred in 1813, two years after his entrance into The death of an old man by the name of McDaniels, in 1808, is the first re- corded. the settlement. His early demise pre- vented him from making the payments on Mills were erected on Buck Creek, and Kenton attempted to erect one on Moores Run. (See Mills.) his land, and his widow found herself very much in debt, but, by industry, economy and extreme frugality, she suc- ceeded in meeting all demands made. Her RECENT INHABITANTS. third son, Eli, was born in 1799, before they left Virginia. In 1823, he married Of those who were more recently active in the affairs of this township may be mentioned the following: Miss Nancy Henkle, also a Virginian, who was then twenty-two years old, and they

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James Clark, who was a life-long resi- dent of this township and for many years township treasurer, was a son of John D. Clark, who came to this county when but a child. He was born in 1838 and died in 1906. He was a noted stock-raiser, at one time being the owner of Mohawk whom he sold to his father for $25,000, and also of Fanny Foley, sold to John D. Rockefeller for a handsome price.

S. H. Bowlus came to this township, set- tling north near the county line, in 1853. He was born in Maryland in 1819 and died in November, 1896. Charles J. Bowlus, sometime mayor of Springfield, was his grandson.

Thos. C. Wilson was born in Kentucky, September, 1806, and came to this county with his parents about 1815, and in 1856 he bought the farm where they first lived, north of New Moorefield along the county line. He died in 1894. His son, James P., succeeded to the ownership of the home farm, he dying in 1903.

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Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th, Part 29

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co. Number of Pages: 1086

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1086