USA > Ohio > Coshocton County > Historical collections of Coshocton County, Ohio : > Part 19
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Bishop MeIlvaine preached in Coshocton in the old Pres- byterian church, standing on the square while it was not yet quite completed, 1835. Several unsuccessful movements have been made looking to the organization of a congregation of the P. E. church in Coshocton. For more than a year, preaching by a minister of that church was kept up in Ros- coe. Rev. C. Sturgiss lived for some time, about 1844, in Keene, conducting an academy and preaching to a little flock at " the Knob," in Millcreek township, where, through the influence of John Mitchell and others, a church was or- ganized about forty years ago. There is, at that place, a neat little stone church, but only a few members, and there has been no service for nearly two years.
A movement was made for a church of this order at Newcastle, and services were conducted for some time by the professors at Gambier, but little headway was made.
Rev. J. D. Nunemacher is preaching to a congregation (without organization) composed mainly of Lutherans, in Coshocton, following in a line of work carried on for twenty years. There is also a congregation of similar sort at Hel- mick, in Clark township.
At " Ramur Meeting-house," in Keene township, there is gathered a " Christian Union" church-a denomination growing out of the late war, proclaiming as one of its cardinal doctrines, " no politics in the church."
Another organization of same kind was organized in East Union, in 1866, and numbered over a hundred mem- bers. Still another church of this order is on Severns' Ridge in New Castle township.
UNITED BRETHREN.
Twenty-five years ago there was a considerable church of the " United Brethren" worshiping in the Ramur Meet-
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ing-house in Keene township, but during the late civil war it was so divided and distracted as to become practically extinct, and was supplanted by the " Christian Union " church, now worshiping in same building.
It is understood that there are two respectable congrega- tions of United Brethren in the east part of the county, one in White-eyes and one in Crawford township, but no de- tailed accounts of them have been obtained.
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CHAPTER XXIII.
BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Charles Williams, the first white settler in Coshocton county, was unquestionably one of the most remarkable of its citizens. He was born near Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1764. In his boyhood, the family removed to Western Virginia, near Wheeling. He married there Susannah Carpenter, "and moved to the neighborhood of the salt works on the Muskingum, ten miles below Coshocton, and subsequently to " the forks of the Muskingum." Of hardy stock, he grew up in the severest discipline of pioneer life. He was a successful trapper, hunter, Indian scout, and trader, and held every office (being almost all the time in some) in the county possible for a man of his education, from road supervisor and tax-collector to member of the legislature. He was famous as a tavern-keeper, and in that and other capacities became very popular. Clever, genial, naturally shrewd, indomitable in purpose, not averse to the popular vices of his day, and even making a virtue of profanity, he was for forty years a controlling spirit of the county, and for twenty-five, the controlling spirit. He died in 1840 (in his seventy-sixth year), leaving a considerable number of relatives, many of whom are still in the county. Two of his children were burned to death by the destruction by fire of the cabin built by him when he first settled at Coshocton. It is said that one of his daughters (the mother of C. H., Matthew, and Wm. A. Johnston), when twelve years old, was in the habit of doing the milling for the family, taking the grain on horseback to Zanesville, and bringing back the flour. The family was emphatically of the Pioneer sort.
Thomas L. Rue, appointed as clerk of the court in 1811, and candidate for the legislature in 1814, was the
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oldest son of Rev. Joseph Rue, of Pennington, New Jer- sey-a well-known Presbyterian minister. He came to Coshocton county in 1811 ; a little later, went to New Or- leans, coming back the overland route. He married Miss Fulton, and for some years gave himself to the manage- ment of a large tract of land (since known as the Rickett's lands) near Coshocton, acquired by that alliance. After- ward he was engaged in trade with C. Van Kirk. He died in Roscoe, February 17, 1871 (aged eighty-eight years), at the house of Dr. M. Johnson, who had married his only child. He was a brother of Joseph W. Rue.
James Renfrew, one of the earliest merchants in Coshoc- ton county, and for a few years county treasurer, and other- wise connected with public affairs, was born at Lisburn, county Antrim, Ireland, in 1767. He brought to America a healthy body, a strong mind, and a little of this world's goods, which were steadily increased until his death. He commenced keeping store in Coshocton about 1815. In 1820, while in Pittsburg, whither he was in the habit of going for goods, he married Mrs. Johnson, a widowed sister of old Dr. Kerr, of the A. R. Presbyterian church in that city. The children of this woman found in Mr. Ren- frew a most worthy step-father. IIe was an admirable counselor and helper while living, and a generous friend when dying. Both himself and his wife were most zeal- ous Presbyterians, and sought to have all connected with them honor the Lord. Beside the Johnsons (John, Jos. K., and Wm.), Robert Hay was an object of Mr. Renfrew's interest and business training, and always spoke in high- est terms of him. Wm. Renfrew (quite prominent as a merchant and otherwise) and James Renfrew, Jr., were children of Mr. Renfrew by a connection formed prior to his coming to Coshocton. He had no children by the widow Johnson. Mr. Renfrew died in 1832, being in his sixty-fifth year.
Abraham Sells was for more than half a century a resident of Coshocton county. His father's family located very early
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in the century near New Comerstown. Abraham learned his trade of cabinet-making at Marietta, and set up in Coshocton in 1814. He was for some time a justice of the peace, and also coroner of the county. He died September 22, 1869, in his seventy-sixth year. His widow, now about his age at death, resides in Coshocton with her son B. F. Sells.
Dr. Samuel Lee was for more than sixty years a resident of Coshocton. He was born, and spent his boyhood, on a farm near Pultney, Vt. Having studied medicine at Cas- tleton, Vt., he came to Ohio in 1809 on invitation of, and along with, Rev. Timothy Harris, of Granville, Licking county, who was then minister of the church of Granville, and had gone to visit his friends in the east, and act as a sort of emigration agent. The trip to Ohio was made on horseback. The Doctor was always specially interested in horses, and once remarked that the first thing he ever owned was a horse, and he guessed it would be the last thing he would give up. After he had been in Granville about two years (in which time he married Miss Sabra Case, who was an help-meet indeed, and who preceded him to the grave some three years), he came to Coshocton on the hunt of an estrayed or stolen horse. The town was then a mere hamlet, and wanted a physician, and he removed at once. Practice was then no play. A ride of forty miles in visiting a patient was of common occurrence. The perils and exposures of the new country gave the Doctor plenty of work, and his originally vigorous constitution and active habits were heavily taxed, and drafts made upon them bear- ing heavily upon his later years. For years before his death he was much crippled and very hard of hearing. He died at the house of his son, Dr. S. H. Lee, on the 19th of March, 1874, having completed within four days his eighty-ninth year.
Dr. Lee had undoubted adaptations for his time and place. The roughness and freedom and economy of pio- neer life did not misfit him. He was very genial; could tell a good story, and crack a joke with the jolliest of the
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men and women of his day. He used to tell with zest how he had taken aback some old ladies who had been sum- moned to attend a young unmarried woman who had been " unfortunate," and was then in straits, by proposing very gravely "a corn poultice," a favorite application of that day, and pretending that he did not understand the case, being misled by the fact that the woman was an unmar- ried one.
His patriotism and philanthropy are pleasant things in the remembrance of his friends. Although holding public office but twice-that of county treasurer, in very early days, and that of State senator in 1826-27-he was always interested in public affairs. While an intense hater of the system of slavery, he was anything but bitter to those who were entangled, by their birth and surroundings, in that system. There are abundant evidences of his friendly dis- position in his readiness to go on their official bonds, and otherwise stand for his neighbors. His conscientiousness and diligence in his profession none have questioned. He had a quick-wittedness and strong common sense that often stood in lieu of profundity of attainment. Among those with whom he had to do, he could, with a lancet and a lit- tle calomel, and jalap and a corn poultice, effect all that many now-a-days can do with the nicer instrumental appli- ances and amply furnished apothecary shops. He was not what might be called a scholarly man, but always the friend of intelligence. The first school-house built in Coshocton was on a site granted to Dr. Lee and his associates. By industry and economy he always lived comfortably, and at his death left a considerable portion.
He really reared two sets of children-his own and those of his daughter who married Robert M. Lamb-beside hav- ing some care over the children of another daughter, Mrs. Jamieson.
The Doctor, at an early day, owned almost the entire square bounded by Fourth, Fifth, Main, and Walnut streets. He had a farm just east of town ; but his residence was for the most of his life in the brick house at corner of Fourth and Main streets.
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His shrewdness and strict honesty in business transac- tions were prominent features in his character. His cred- itors were generally few, and debtors many.
Before leaving his New England home, Dr. Lee openly committed himself to the service of God, and espoused the religion that stood him in stead unto the last.
For adherence to his convictions of duty in a religious way, he was well known; and in exhibiting gave and bore much. For thirty-five years he was an elder in the Pres- byterian church.
Feeble in body and failing in mind, for some time in latest years, he never forgot the Bible and his family wor- ship, and wanted to be reckoned a child of God.
James Robinson came with his father's family into the locality now known as Franklin township, Coshocton county, then the Northwestern territory, in 1801. He was born in Clarksburg, Harrison county, Virginia, in 1787. He served one term as associate judge, and two terms in the legislature ; but he seems to have taken most interest in his broad acres, and to have been chiefly famed as a large land-holder and enterprising farmer. He was also very actively interested in the Methodist Episcopal church, being chiefly instrumental in the planting of the Bethany church, where his descendants still worship. He died May 7,1856.
Thomas Darling was born in Hardy county, Virginia, November 7, 1799. His father brought the family to the Walhonding valley (near Warsaw) in 1806. The journey was made on horseback, the mother having an infant on the horse before her, and the little boy, Thomas, holding on to her, as he rode behind.
His life was mainly given to farming. He was, however, a public-spirited citizen, and for a number of years served the county as a commissioner, the record of which service appears in another part of this volume. In later years, he was much interested in blooded cattle, and introduced some valuable stock into the valley in which he lived. He
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died December 27, 1874, being seventy-five years and about one month old.
He married Miss Demie Butler, and reared a considera- ble family ; and his family connections enter largely into the social fabric of the Walhonding valley, as well as ex- tending into other localities.
Benjamin Ricketts was born near Cumberland, Maryland. Learning his trade as a hatter in that town, he afterward opened a shop at Marietta ; still later, had one in Zanes- ville. Giving up his shop, he set up a store in West Zanes- ville. He commenced selling goods in Coshocton in 1818, and in the spring of 1820, brought the family to the town. His successful prosecution of business was most clearly ap- parent in the accumulations attending it. He became a large land-holder and well-known citizen.
He served one term as county commissioner. IIe and the opposing candidate were "tied " on the vote, and by lot the office devolved upon Mr. Ricketts. He was never much enamored of public office, and, it is understood, never held any except this one.
His church connection was with the Methodist Episco- palians.
Like many, indeed nearly or quite all, of the successful and prominent men of Coshocton county, Mr. Ricketts was greatly aided in all his life's work by his wife, who, at the good old age of nearly eighty-five years, is still living in Coshocton. She was from Hampshire county, Virginia; was married when about sixteen years of age, in 1807.
Mr. Ricketts died July 1, 1857. His descendants and connections are many, and few families have been better known " in the gates " than his.
John Carhart stood for more than half a century before the people of Coshocton county as a steadfast worker and zealous Christian man.
He was born near Dresden ; learned the tanner's trade in Zanesville; came to near Roscoe (one mile north) about 1821, and set up a tannery. He was also in mercantile line
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for a time-was one of the partners in " Union Mill; " lat- terly, gave whole attention to leather business.
Early in life, identified himself with Baptist church, and was steadfast in the faith. Was an enthusiastic Sunday- school man; and, as none of his own views were in the place, co-operated zealously with the Methodist Episcopal and Presbyterian schools.
He died December 6, 1873, being a little more than seventy-three years old.
James Le Retilley was born in the Isle of Guernsey, in 1788. IIe came to this country in 1806, settling in Guern- sey county, where was a settlement of people from the island of the same name. Removing to Muskingum county, at a point about ten miles below Coshocton, he engaged in the manufacture of salt, along with George Bagnall. They made about six bushels a day at three dol- lars a bushel, or exchanged a bushel for twelve bushels of wheat. Their salt was carried to remote points, some of it by canoes and pirogues up the Killbuck almost to Wooster. In 1825, the Kanawha and lower Muskingum salt coming into market, largely rendered the business of Retilley & Bagnall unprofitable, and they removed to Caldersburg (Roscoe). Retilley and William Wood set up a dry-goods store (in a log-cabin), the first in the place. After a few years Wood retired, and the firm became Bag- nall & Retilley, and for years was very prominent in trade circles, doing a very large business.
Mr. Retilley was one of the associate judges of the county, and an active adherent of the Methodist church in Roscoe. He died in December, 1850, aged sixty-two years. He was twice married. His second wife (the daughter of T. Emerson of Keene), now resides in Granville. His de- scendants are still well known in the land.
Thomas Johnson, by the documentary history of the county, and the concurrent testimony of survivors, was one of the most prominent and spirited citizens. He was born in the parish of Glentubert, Monaghan county, Ireland, on the 16th of March, 1783. Early in youth he manifested
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a great desire to go to America, and urged his father to emigrate. He, being a very quiet, unobtrusive man, with quite a family of young children, could not think of bring- ing them to the wilds of America. Thomas remained with his father until he was twenty-four years of age, and had brothers grown up. He then told his father he was deter- mined to go to the new world, and urged his suit with so much ardor that his parents could no longer withhold their consent. He left Ireland in 1806, and landed in New York with but one sovereign in his pocket. He there met with Jo- seph T. Baldwin, of Newark, New Jersey, who offered to em- ploy him. He remained with Mr. Baldwin for three years. In 1808, he married Sarah Parker. About this time his parents and three brothers, Richard, William, and Robert, and his only sister, Margaret, joined him in Newark. Thomas then determined that Newark was not the place for his father's family to settle, and in 1808 he and his father's family came to Coshocton county, where they bought a quarter section of land from Esaias Baker, on which now stand the old homestead and also the village of East Plainfield and cemetery, in which his first son, William, was the first to be buried. In 1812, he and his brother, Richard, were in the army under General Harrison. He held the office of justice of the peace, and was long an associate judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He and Jacob Waggoner built the first mill of any note on Will's creek, of four run of burrs, that tapped a radius of twenty miles. From 1820 to 1830, he ran several flat-boats to New Orleans and other points south. He nearly lost his life the first cholera season. In running the dam at Zanesville one time he and two of his oarsmen were thrown out of the boat by the oars striking the pier of the bridge. Mr. Rankin, being a good swimmer, got out, William Smith was drowned, and he was rescued from the water by the exertions of sher- iff Daniel Brush. Once, finding yellow-fever prevailing in New Orleans, and markets dull, he concluded to coast ont his load of provisions, and poled his boat up the Tennessee as far as Florence, where muscle shoals prevented his further passage. He had large contracts on the Ohio canal. Owing
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to the high banks and mud bottoms, there was a difficulty in fording Will's creek at his mills, and the commissioners being unable or unwilling to assist in bridging said stream, he petitioned the legislature, in 1834, to authorize him to build a bridge and collect toll. This was the first bridge span- ning Will's creek in Coshocton county, and remained a toll- bridge about twenty years, when his son made a free-will of- fering of the bridge to the county commissioners, they agree- ing to repair and keep it up. He was connected with the building of the bridges that span the Tuscarawas and Wal- honding rivers between Coshocton and Roscoe. From 1838 to 1840 he had heavy contracts on the Walhonding canal. In 1812, the pioneer Methodist preacher founded this settle- ment, and the Johnson family were the first to unite in church fellowship. Thomas was appointed leader of the class, and also steward, which office he held to the day of his death. His house was always the preacher's home. About 1835, he built the largest meeting-house in the vicin- ity, on his land and principally at his own expense, giving it by will to the trustees of Coshocton circuit, and their suc- cessors in office. After a protracted sickness, which first made itself manifest while attending court in Coshocton, he died, August 20, 1840, in full resignation and in great peace. .His widow survived him almost twenty-two years, dying at the old homestead, March 29, 1862. His father also sur- vived him eighteen days, dying September 7, 1840, in the eighty-first year of his age. Robert Johnson, his youngest brother, moved from near Plainfield, twenty years ago, and settled in Colwell county, Missouri, being in his seventy- eighth year, and the only survivor of the old stock.
Joseph Burns .- His father, Samuel Burns, removed from Waynesburg, Augusta county, Virginia (where Joseph was born), to Ohio, in 1815. The family were about a year in New Philadelphia, and then came down the river in a pirogue, or large canoe, to Coshocton, making their loca- tion in this county in 1816. Joseph was at that time about sixteen years old, having been born March 11, 1800. Fa- vored by nature with a good appearance and great affabil-
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ity of manner, and being skilled in the art of penmanship, he was soon a young man of note in the neighborhood. His first appearance in public capacity was probably in 1818, when he served as clerk at an election in Tuscarawas township, at which his father was one of the judges. In 1821 he was run by his friends for the office of auditor, and perhaps that time and once afterward, when he ran for a second term in Congress, were the only occasions in which he did not secure the coveted position. This work, under the heads of "County Officers" and "Relations to State and National Governments," will show the offices of public sort filled by him. Except a brief period in his youth spent in farming, and another in his maturer life spent in keeping a drug-store, his whole active life of more than fifty years was spent in public work. Never very exacting as to fees, and always free with his purse among his friends and fellow citizens, he left at the end of his days only a moderate por- tion. Many men with more of greed, or less honest or fru- gal in general habits, would have amassed great wealth with his opportunities. The affection of the large Virginia and Maryland elements in the population of the county for him was something worthy of study. The stock of which he came was the old Scotch-Irish, so largely prominent in the whole history of the country. His parents were Presbyte- . rians, and his philosophy and faith partook of the old Cove- manter cast. He always had some taste for military affairs, and was a major-general of the militia.
He was twice married-his first wife was Rebecca Price, and his second was Mrs. Alex. Hay. One of his sons was educated at West Point, and was during the war a briga- dier-general, and another was clerk of the United States District Court of Iowa for some years. He had in all six sons and two daughters, and these with his widow survive him.
His latter days were rendered distressful by the nature of his disease-dropsy of the chest; but he continued, until within a few hours of his death, to transact at his home such of the business of his office (that of probate judge) as must receive his personal attention. Rising from his bed,
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and essaying to take a few steps, he sank to the floor, and in a moment was done with the burdens and honors of life, which he had received so largely and borne so bravely. HIe was a little more than a month beyond his seventy-fifth year.
John Burns was born in Waynesburg, Augusta coun- ty, Virginia, in the year 1807. He moved with his father's family to New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas county, in 1815, and in April, 1816, they moved to Coshocton county, as has been detailed in connection with the sketch of his brother, Joseph Burns. He remained with his father until 1828, when he went to Chillicothe as a clerk with his brother-in- law, John Smeltzer, and remained there one year. He then came to Roscoe, and clerked in the dry-goods store of Jolin Smeltzer and his successors (Medbery & Ransom) until 1838, when he became a member of the firm, under the name of Medbery, Burns & Co. In 1840 he dissolved his connection with Medbery, and formed a connection with Samuel Moffitt for the sale of dry goods, under the firm name of Burns & Moffitt. IIe continued in said firm until 1845, when Moffitt retired, and the firm was changed to Burns & Retilley, and remained so until 1860, when he bought Retilley out, and continued in business in his own name until his death. He died July 31, 1871, aged sixty- four years.
IIis good sense and integrity were marked qualities. Thoroughly interested in public affairs, and always a zeal- ous partisan, and ready to help his friends to office, he never had any desires in that direction for himself, and it is believed never held any official position. He was a pains- taking and successful business and family man.
John Johnson was a prominent citizen of Coshocton county for nearly half a century. He was born in county Tyrone, Ireland ; came to America in 1816, and to Coshocton about 1820. Under the direction of his stepfather, James Ren- frew, and after the manner of his time, he learned the tan- ner's trade. IIe was a member of the well-known mer-
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