History of Clinton County, Ohio Its People, Industries, and Institutions, with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, Part 35

Author: Albert J. Brown (A.M.)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : W.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1108

USA > Ohio > Clinton County > History of Clinton County, Ohio Its People, Industries, and Institutions, with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families > Part 35

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In the spring of 1864. David F. Carter built a residence, and in March, of that year. I. W. Quinby purchased the corner lot of Asa Green, and moved a two-story frame building from Sligo to It. He used the lower story for a store room and the second story be fitted up for a residence. In October, of that year, he and Amos Huffman, under the firm name of Quinby & Huffman, opened a store. In 1864 Abraham Haney built a residence and various residences wore erected from time to time. Adam Oshorn built the first black- smith shop in 1864. Among the early station and railroad ngents were the following: John Marsh. Jacob Beard, Isnac Robertson, Huffman & Osborn, Jeremiah Kimbrough. George W. Owens and Clare & Colter. Among the early postmasters were Isaiah W. Quinby. David S. Osborn, Isaac Roberts, Isaiah H. Orborn, Samuel G. Green, George W. Owens, James E. Smith and Samuel G. Green.

CHAPTER XVIII.

CHESTER TOWNSHIP.

Chester township occuples the northeast corner of Clinton county. It is bounded on the enst by Liberty and I'nion and on the south by Adams townships, of this county. On the west It is bounded by Wayne and Massie townships, of Warren county, and on the north by Spring Valley and Caesar Creek townships, of Greene. It is four and eighty-seven hundredths miles in width from east to west and its length from north to south measures six and thirty-one hundredths miles. It includes within its bounds thirty and seventy-three hundredths square miles of land.

Clinton county, when first organized, in 1810, included but three townships, Chester. Richland and Vernon. Chester township was by far the largest in the area and popula- tion of the three. Its boundary lines at that time are lost in the dim vistas of the past and are impossible to locate definitely and accurately, but perhaps the following Is as nearly correct as can be ascertained at the present time: All of Liberty township, part of Wilson, then on a line south so as to include Wilmington, and to a point where a line drawn west would include the northern half of Adams township, then along the Warren and Greene county-lines to the beginning.

In 1813 Union township was formed from parts of Chester. Richland and Vernon townships. Hence its name. Liberty township, including the present territory included within Liberty township and the west half of Wilson, was formed from the territory of Chester township In 1817. In May, 1849. the southern part of Chester went to form the northern part of the newly-created Adams township. Since that date there have been no changes in the townships' boundaries.

TOWNSHIP RECORDS,

All the township records from the date of its organization, 1810, up to 1820. and from 1845 to 1564, have disappeared. It is not known whether they were lost by fire or were destroyed. Due to that fact. very little can be gleaned about the early history of the township.

At a meeting of the trustees at the residence of James Dakin on Saturday, April 18. 1829. a tax of three-eighthis of one mill was levied for township purposes, and the roads of the township were redistricted. In June, 1829, at an extra session of the trustees, the schools of the township were redistricted, "agreeably to the provisions of the law passed February 10, 1820."

STREAM8.

The streams of Chester township are small, none of the larger streams of the county extending within its limits for any distance. However, the tributaries of the farger streams are numerous and sufficient to give necessary and entirely adequate drainage of the land. Dutch creek enters the township from Union township, near the south end of the east boundary. flows across the southeast corner to empty Its waters into Todd's fork, just outside of the township. Anderson's creek finds Its source in Wilson township, meanders its way across Liberty to merely cross the tip of the northeast corner of Chester, before it passes on its way into Greene county, where it returns across the northwest corner of the township and joins Its waters with those of Caesar creek as they flow from the northwest, and quietly glides out of the township

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again, this time into Warren county. The tributarles of this stream are Buck run, Turkey run. Trace branch, Jonah's run and Layton's run. All these but Layton's run are tributary to Caesar creek. Buck run rises in Liberty township, flows in a westerly direction across the length of Chester township to empty into Caesar creek just above the point where the latter crosses the Warren county line. Layton's run is a branch of Dutch creek.

MIJ.I.B.

One of the first mills of the township was that of Robert Millhouse, at the mouth of Buck run, but operated by the waters of Caesar creek. This was originally a saw- mill, but later stone-burrs were put in and corn-grists were ground there. George Arnold erected a saw-mill on Buck rou, just above the Dakin Corner pike, which was kept in operation for many years. The Millhouses also built a candling and fulling.mill on Buck run, which was kept in operation until about 1828, when it was removed to the old David Jay farm and turned into a school house under the direction of the Caesar Creek monthly meeting of Friends. James Brown built a carding- and fulling-mill on Trace branch in a very early day. A snow-mill was afterward erected there also. All these mills have given up their duties decades ago. They, with their dams, have long ago crumbled into ruins and today, in most instances, their sites are in cultivation These little mills and their crude dams were built in the most humble manner and with the least possible outlay for expense. Their machinery was meager, simple in construction and brief in details. Their operation was often a side line with their owners and they were not infrequently operated only at nights, on wet days and during the winter months.

ROADS.

The absence of early records makes its difficult to locate the early ronds. There is a tradition that the first road of the township was one that run from Waynesville to Wilmington, that it passed north of where Harveysburg now is, north of the old Mcintyre tavern to Oakland, thence by way of Centre to Wilmington: that It was a perfectly straight line, blazed by an Indian, who received a gallon of whiskey for his services. There is some evidence that points to the conclusion that this trall was traveled as early as 1802. The Bullskin road started from the Ohio river, traversed the state due north to the lakes and was laid out in 1807. Another early road was the Jenkins mill road, that extended from Port William to Mt. Holy, on the Little Miami, crossing the Bullskin in the village of Burlington. Another started from the village of Clarksville, and Intersected the Bullskin Just south of where the latter village stands today. The roads of those days were mere trails, blazed through the forest and filled with stumps, logs, tree tops and sloughs. The toll roads that followed were a great improvement. but to get off of a toll road was to get into trouble. Then followed the plank roads of which but one was ever built in the township. It was on the Wilmington & Harveysburg road and was constructed in 1852. It was made of sawed onk plank, one and a half inches In thickness, eight or ten feet in length, Inid down on the ground. They were never a success and were often the source of grave neridents. It was later covered with gravel. About the year 1567 every road In the township was graveled and the result was a system of beautiful pikes,

BURIAL GROUNDS.

I'ndoubtedly the oldest cemetery in the township, if not in the county, is the old Jenkins graveyard. It is located three-quarters of a mile east of New Burlington, to the left of the pike leading from that village to Limberton. The Greene county line passes through it. It is upon lands in survey 571, entered by Albert Gallatin in 1787, and pur- chased by Aaron Jenkins in 1790. The land was set aside by the latter for burial purposes and has since borne bis name. Ilis was the first body to be buried there in

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1807, one hundred and eight years ago. It belongs to no sect nor church, but is kept np by Spring Valley township in Greene county and Chester in Clinton.

The first person to be buried In the cemetery at the Springfield monthly meeting house was Lydia, the wife of Isaac Harvey and who died on January 1, 1813. Many of the pioneers of this and Adams township found their last resting place here. -

In 1830 the Methodist Episcopal church organized a congregation at Mount Pisgah, in survey 3,908. A little graveyard was attached to their church building. Only a few graves are to be found there. Other burial places are to be found at the Jonah's Run meeting house and at the Caesar Creek monthly meeting bouse.

PIONEERS.

By the laws of the state of Virginia, two thousand six hundred sixty-six and two- thirds acres of land were to be the reward to James Robertson for his services as a Hleutenant for three years in the Continental regiments of Virginia. Philip Barbour was his heir-at-law and, in time. Albert Gallatin became the latter's assignee and, on October 18. 1787, entered survey 571, "situated on the lower side of Cæsar creek." and containing seven hundred sixty-six and two-thirds acres of land. Twelve years afterward, or in 1709. Aaron Jenkins came from Tennessee and purchased the entire tract of land. He erected thereon a hewed-log house, of the double pattern. Ilis family consisted of five children, three sons, Aaron, James and Baldwin, and two daughters, one of whom was named Lydia. He died in 1807. He was probably the first person to settle within the present confines of Chester township.

One of the most prominent of the early pioneer familles was that descended from Thomas Lucas, The members of this family originally came from New Jersey, where they were among the first settlers of that colony, receiving, with others, land grants from the English crown. A member of this family, at a very early date. emigrated beyond the Appalachian mountains, settled upon the Indian's "happy hunting ground" and saw the erection of the state of Kentucky. A son of his. Thomas Lucas, mentioned nhove, early left his parental fireside and moved to Cincinnati about 1875, where he remained for some years. He was the father of six sons, Thomas. Abraham, Ebenezer. John. Caleb and Francis. In 1802 Caleb Lucas purchased of Abijab O'Neal, a land speculator, of Lebanon, one hundred and fifty acres of land in survey 3.916, wholly within the limits of Clinton county. He moved upon his purchase the onme year. erected a hewed-log cabin. and began at once to clear his land. He was the father of the following children : Thomas, horn October 13. 1790: Sarah. March 29, 1802: Catherine. December 10. 1804: Elizabeth. February 7. 1807: Mary. March 18, 1809: Rachel. April 13. 1811; Frederick, February 22. 1814; Caleb, February 1, 1817; and Ebenezer. October, 1819.

Layton Jay, and wife, Nancy, came to Ohio from New Berry district, South Carolina, about 1804. They came by way of Tennessee and Kentucky, crossing the Ohio river at Clucinnati on a flat boat. the horses tied to It and swimming behind. They landed near the present site of Waynesville, and the family remained there in camp for some time, or until the husband and father could find a place of settlement. He finally took a lease on the lands of James Murray. or what was afterwards known as the Thomas Longstretch farm. His coming was contemporary with the arrival of Robert Eachus, Jacob Haines, Isaac Perkins, Mahlon Haworth and a few others.

Isaac Webb, who. for seven years, was a soldier in the Revolutionary army. received from his grateful country a warrant for two thousand six hundred sixty-six and two- thirds acres of land. One thousand of this he entered as a part of warrant No. 2.446, "on the upper side of Caesar creek." and was numbered survey 583, bearing the date October 17, 1792.

James Hawkins came from I'nion county, South Carolina, to Ohlo with the every- growing stream of emigrants in the year 1800 and settled in present Chester township.

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Dally, from 1806, the tide of Immigration flowed on unceasingly. From the hills of Pennsylvania and Virginia, the barren lands of the Carolinas, the dark grounds of Tennessee and Kentucky, from New York and far-off New England, they came. But the majority of the early emigrants were Carolinians, not all natives, but persons who came by that route from Pennaylvania and Virginia. Among the most prominent must be mentioned such names as the following: Henry Millhouse, Daiv and Clement Whit- son. John Furnas, George Arnold, James Craine, Preserved Dakin, Joshua Nickerson, Elijah Sabin, William, Enoch and Charles Haynes, Enoch Harlan, Nathan and Willlam Harlan, Jacob Hale, William and Deborah McMillan, William and Enoch Faversham, Job Jeffries, Daniel Birdsell, Robert Reese, Caleb Easterling, John Mills, Sr., Moses Mckay and John Buckley.

The following are the officers of Chester township in 1915: Trustees, T. C. Haydock, Clark Osborn und Alfred Van Tress; clerk, W. A. Bailey ; treasurer, H. L. Landy. Popula- tion, twelve hundred and nine.

NEW BURLINGTON.

The second village in point of age, but the first in point of size, in Chester township, is New Burlington. It is located in the extreme northwest corner of the township and the northern portion of the village extends into Greene county. It is located in Gallatin's survey, No. 570. The original purchaser of the land on which it stands was Aaron Jenkins, who, on his death, left the land to his son. Baldwin. About the year 1820 Baldwin Jenkins sold one hundred acres of his land to Edward Powers, who, lu the same year, built a log house on It and settled there. Shortly afterward Powers sold the hundred acres in question to James Jay, a native of Newberry district, South Carolina, who, in 1820. erected, in the northwest quarter of his land, a story-and-a-half frame dwelling, aud occu- pied it. Griswold B. Hawes, In 1831, rented this building of Jay, converted part of it into a building room and occupied it the same year as a dwelling and store. In the spring of 1833. Jacob Peirson, Sr., Jacob Peirson, Jr .. John Grant and John Morford, who were doing business at that time at Mt. Holly under the firm name of Person, Grant & Com- pany, came to New Burlington, purchased the stock of Hawes and opened a branch under the management of Jobn Grant. At the same time they purchased of Jay the lot just mentioned, with a frontage on the Bullskin road of thirty feet and a depth of twenty feet. and lot No. 1 in the northeast "square," which contained fifty-nine square rods. The consideration for this, including the building, was one buudred dollars. In this same year (1833) the above mentioned John Grant erected on the latter piece of land a substantial two-story frame building. This building stood for many years. James Jay erected Conger, a hewed-log house; William Osborn, a log house; William Hurley, a one-story two-story frame building the same year. Others who built homes this year were: Joel frame, and Jordan Whitson and Arza Gage, log dwellings.

The year 1834 saw the village in a flourishing condition. In that year came Ezra Smith, from Mt. Holly, and purchased lot No. 2, northeast square, and erected a one-story frame dwelling and shoe-shop. In the same year Samuel Weaver, a native of Hampshire county. Virginia, purchased lot No. 3. In the northeast square. He received a half acre for twenty-five dollars. He was a tailor by trade and opened a shop in his dwelling. Also, in this year, Aaron Hendley purchased lot No. 4, in the same square. With him onme William Hendley and his son. John M .. and their families. The son purchased land north of lot No. 4. and the father all the land belonging to Jay north of the village plat, namely. fifty-one and a half avres. John M. Hendley's land consisted of about four acres, on which he immediately erected a tannery. The first school in the village was opened in 1833, with Sarab Hollingsworth as the Instructor. On February 13. 1834, Isel Ellis purchased of James Jay, for thirty dollars. lot No. 2. in the northwest square, and a few years later erected a substantial two-story frame building. By the year 1534 the store of Mr. Grant was in a flourishing condition, and among the names to be found on his ledger of that year

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the following should be mentioned : Charles Mann, Asa Fisher, Henry Mann, Sr., Bellfield Jenkins, William Hurley, David Gaskill, Francis Mckay, William Ogborn, James Smith, Solomon Whitson, James Grant, David Mann, John Sanders, Aaron Collett, James Jenkins, John Arnold, Frederick Incas, Joel Ellis, Samuel Spray, Benjamin Hawes, Burgess Morgan, Alex Jay, Aaron Jenkins, Zebulon Dakin, William Arnold, Jordan Whiteon, Jacob Ellis, Jacob Peterson, John Spray, Robert Kelley, Joseph Michner, Daniel H. Collett, Allen Linton, John Wilson, Isalah Quinby, James Hawkins, Sr., Solomon Van Meter, Arza Gage, Henry Fletcher, Stephen Buckley and George Arnold. In 1835 James Jenkins erected a two-story building on lot No. 2. southwest square, which was occupied the next year by John Harrison, a native of England, with a general merchandise stock. Harrison remained in business until 1898, when be sold the stock to the firm of Harrison, Mckay & Com- pany, of which he himself was the senior partner. James Smith, a resident of Mt. Holly, came to the village In 1835 and opened a blacksmith shop. For many years he was associated with John Grant in the manufacture of carriages, wagons, buggies and general blacksmithing. He died in 1875, at the age of sixty-five years. Other early settlers of this hamlet were: Francis Moffet, a blacksmith : James Haydock, coming from New Jersey in 1838, a tanner by trade; W. B. Hamilton, from Maryland, a barnese-maker and a saddler. The postoffice was established in 1839. under the administration of Martin Van Buren. John Grant was the first postmaster, with David Hollingsworth as deputy. William Burr. a young man, and a nephew of Grant's, was the mail-rider, the route being from Burlington to Xenia.

By 1880 the village contained seventy dwellings, two dry-goods stores, three groceries, one saw-mill, two churches, one school, one undertaking establishment, one wagon shop. three blacksmith shops, two physicians and one carpenter shop. Its population at that time was about four hundred.

The history of this town would not be complete without a brief reference to the "underground railroad." which plied through this town in the early times. This important road had a track across Chester township, and New Burlington was one of the chief centers in this county, and which, during the time it was in operation, did a large business.

John Grant's house was the principal station in this township and was often filled with dusky passengers, fresh from the blue-grass country of Kentucky. They seemed anxious to try the experiment of a climate nearer the North star and under a different form of government. In Mr. Grant's house there was a hole to the garret, where the fleeing slaves were secreted : sheets were also hung along the side porch in order that the negroes could be taken down to their meals without any one seeing them.

There was also another station in this township, northwest of New Burlington, OB Cæsar's creek. This was the home of Stephen Compton. Mr. Compton's house was built with a cellar, but the opening to this was through a hole in the floor, which could easily be closed and even the most careful observer could not discern it.

The slaves were brought from Cincinnati by Samuel and John Compton and Levi Coffin and, after secreting them here awhile, they were taken to Monroe's, at Xenia. James Farqubar ran a "Liberator," which was a large covered wagon made for the purpose to Jamestown. The chief agents in this traffic were Peter Harrison, Allen Linton. W. B. Hamilton, Benjamin Farquhar and James Haydock.

The business interests of New Burlington at present consist of W. C. Smith's general store, feed barn, etc .; William Blair, groceries and notions; T. C. Haydock, Jr., grocery ; T. C. Haydock, shoes; Benjamin Lemar, grocery ; H. C. Corr. meat market ; W. H. Reeves, restaurant ; A. C. Blair & Sons, barbers: George Phillips and Charles Robinson, black- smiths; H. O. Whitaker and W. F. McCray are the village physicians, both of the "old school" of doctors; Frank Robinson owns a modern saw and planing-mill.

There are several noteworthy incidents and special features of the town, among which are the fact that the postoffice is at present located In Greene county. Marido

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Isenhower is the present postmaster. The room where W. C. Smith's store Is now located was an "underground station" and has been built some eighty years; James Haydock, who was the father of T. C. Haydock, Sr., ran a tannery in this town for fifty years and his son has kept a shoe store for thirty years. In the aggregate, they have been in the leather business in the same stand for eighty years.

New Burlington now bas a population of three hundred and fifty. It is a very modern little town. It has a good band of sixteen members, with good equipment and new uni- form&. T. C. Haydock, Jr., is the present director. The line of Greene and Clinton counties passes through the town and several of the different houses of worship, lodge bulldings, etc., are in Greene county.

OAKLAND.

The village of Oakland is situated in the southeast corner of Chester township, in Gates' survey, No. 2,230, on the highway that leads from Wilmington to Waynesville. It is undoubtedly the oldest town in Clinton county. Several of the oldest settlers of the county spoke of Oakland as one of the points in the county when they first came. One such mention is that of John Leonard, who spoke of Oakland and Waynesville as two points well known through which they had to pass in 1805 on their way from Cincinnati to the place of their settlement on Todd's fork.

'The original village plat was laid out by James Murray on December 27, 1806, with the hope that it would be adopted as a county seat. When this hope was disappointed on the organization of the county in 1810, it grew very slowly. The village took its name from the many giant trees of oak that stood thickly on the grounds of that locality. In this village the first brick house in the county was built by James Birdsall. William Birdsall came to the township in February, 1838, and purchased two of the farms that previously belonged to James Birdsall, his cousin. He laid out the present village plat of Oakland on the west side of the original plat.

Owing to the fact that it was merely a country village, with no railroad or natural advantages to further its growth, it has remained little more than a wayside hamlet. There are present some fifteen houses in the village. The professional interests consist of one physician, J. B. Mckenzie, and an apiarist, James Vineard.

KINGMAN.

This little hamlet lies at the west end of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton railroad. It was never platted and evidently its existence came about through the "stoppage" of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton railroad, which has its terminus here. The business interests of the town are taken enre of by H. W. Smith & Company, who have an elevator and general store in that part of the town known as South Kingman.

That part of the town which is off the railroad and evidently was laid out first is known as North Kingman. In this part of the town there are about twenty familles. The township house is located here. The business interests are William Hazard's general store and blacksmith shop and I. D. Fleming's snw-mill. The high school building burned on November 16, 1914, and a new building is in the process of construction. It will be an eight-room structure and will cost twenty-five thousand dollars. This is a consolidated school, with three rooms for the high school and four for the grades. The enrollment for this year in the high school was eighty, and the 1915 graduating class numbered eight. HI. HI. Smith is the principal.

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CHAPTER XIX.

CLARK TOWNSHIP.

Clark township is bounded on the east by Greene township, of Clinton county; on the southeast and south by Highland county ; on the west by Brown county and Jefferson township, of Clinton county, and on the northwest and north by Washington township. It is located in the southern part of the county and extends further south than any other portion of the county. It is very irregular in shape. A line drawn between the extremest points north and south would extend about nine miles and such a line across the center, east and west, would measure about six and a half miles. Its area includes about twenty-three thousand five hundred acres of land. This section was part of the Virginia military district and, prior to the organization of Clinton county In 1810. the eastern portion was included in Highland county and the western portion was embraced in Warren county, the line between the two being about one-half mile west of the present site of Martinsville. From 1810 to 1817, the portion east of this line was Included In Green township, that west of the line, in Vernon. A petitlon, signed by many citizens of this section of the county, was presented to the county commissioners on July 14, 1816, asking that a new township be organized with the boundaries as they are at present, except that it extended northward to Cowan's creek, thus including all the eastern portion of Washington township. It was reduced to its present confines by the establishment of Washington township in 1835.

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History of Clinton County, Ohio Its People, Industries, and Institutions, with Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, Part 35

Author: Albert J. Brown (A.M.) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : W.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1108

Author: Albert J. Brown (A.M.)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : W.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1108