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 40
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Entry No. 550, August 4, 1787. Richard C. Anderson and Mayo Carrington, four thousand acres of land on military warrant No. 856. Surveyed March 3, 1794, by John O'Bannon, district surveyor ..
Entry No. 098, Angust 8. 1787. Jonathan Clark, one thousand acres of land, part of military warrant No. 172. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 4, 1794.
Entry No. 727, August 8, 1787. Clement Biddle, assignee, one thousand acres, on several military warrants, Nos. 1,756, 1,906, 187, 1,801, 1,780. Surveyed by John O'Ban- non, March 7, 1794.
Entry No. 729. August 8, 1787. John Tench, assignee, one thousand two hundred acres of land, a part of military warrant No. 2.377. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 4, 1794.
Entry No. 730. August 8, 1787. Lieut. Nathaniel Anderson, one thousand acres of land, a part of military warrant No. 2,235, Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 4, 1794.
Entry No. 732, August 8, 1787. Capt. William Lindsay, one thousand acres of land, part of military warrant No. 1.199. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 8, 1794.
Entry No. 738. August 8, 1787. Capt. Nathaniel Burwell, one thousand acres of land, part of military warrant No. 2,133. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 8, 1794.
Entry No. 763, August 8, 1787. Lleut .- Col. Presley Neville, one thousand four hun- dred acres of land, a part of military warrant No. 18. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 8, 1794.
Entry No. 768. August 8, 1787. Lieut .- Col. Presley Neville, one thousand four hun- dred acres of land. part of military warrant No. 18. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 10, 1794.
Entry No. 887. Angust 9, 1787. Lieut .- Col. Presley Neville, one thousand four hun- dred acres of land east of his entry No. 766, but withdrew the entry and on May 7, 1784, he entered one thousand four hundred acres, part of military warrant No. 18. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, June 15, 1794. . Entry No. 854. August 10. 1787. Lieut .- Col. Thomas Posey, one thousand acres of land, part of military warrant No. 240. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 22, 1794.
Entry No. 855, August 10, 1787. Capt. Thomas Pemberton, one thousand acres of land, part of military warrant No. 398. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 19, 1794. Four hundred acres of this entry was withdrawn and entered in survey 274.
Entry No. 805. August 10, 1787. Lieut. William Whitaker, one thousand acres of land, part of military warrant No. 2.121. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 21, 1794.
Entry No. 801. August 10, 1787. Capt. Joseph Scott, Jr., one thousand acres of land, part of military survey No. 1.887. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 17, 1794.
Entry No. 900. August 10, 1787. Llent,Col. Edward Carrington, one thousand five hundred acres of land, part of military warrant No. 1,702. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, April 5, 1794.
Entry No. 932, August 11. 1787. James Galt, heir, one thousand acres of land, on military warrant No. 194. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 18, 1794.
Entry No. 1.061. August 13. 1787. Gen. Daniel Morgan, two thousand five hundred acres of land, on military warrant No. 19. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, April 1, 1794.
Entry No. 1.449, August 18, 1787. Col Edward Carrington, one thousand five hundred nres of land, which was withdrawn, and on March 13, 1794, he entered one thousand two hundred acres on military warrant No. 1,792. Surveyed by John O'Bannon, March 29, 1794.
Eutry No. 6.298, July 17. 1809. Thomas Bagwell and Agnes Lingo, representatives of Thomas Lingo. deceased, three hundred and nine acres of land on two military war- rants, Bagwell, two hundred acres on No. 5,579, and Mrs. Lingo, one hundred and nine acres on part of 5.589. Surveyed by John Galloway, Jr., July 20, 1809.
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In addition to these surveys, there are, jutting into the townshlp, small corners of T. Bland's entry. No. 885, Lieut. John Jameson's entry, No. 907, and Capt. William Lindsay's entry No. 963.
Owing to the fact that the early titles were very imperfect on the lands derived by the settlers, the early settlement of this township was greatly retarded. In quite a number of cases the settlers would purchase tracts of land, of varying extent, and, after clearing it and making improvements, would find that the seller bad no title. In conse- quence, they would have to pay for the land a second time, or engage in a useless lawsuit, which would invariably result in a judgment in favor of the new claimaut. People were, therefore, afraid to buy, and preferred taking the land direct from the government in regularly surveyed townships.
EARLY SETTLERS.
The honor which is always due the first settler or settlers In a new community can not be definitely placed in the instance of Richland township. Who the first settler of this township was, has long been a matter of doubt and the honor will have to be divided. It is the general belief among the older Inhabitants of this township that the first home was established in what is now called the Reed settlement. This was one of the three distinct settlements which was made In this county in the beginning. The Reed settle- ment was located on the Wimlington and Washington pike; the second was the Upper Prairie settlement, along Anderson's fork, and the third was the Palmer settlement, In the Teuch survey.
If we are right in order of settlement. then the honor is due Absalom and Samuel Reed, as they were the founders of the Reed settlement. They emigrated from Bourbon county, Kentucky, with their families, In 1803, and settled on land in the Lindsay survey. At the time when the Reed brothers settled here the celebrated Indian chief. Logan. with his band, is said to have been occupying this land. They were Joined by their brother, Cyrus, who had passed through the War of 1812. coming here in 1819. The next year, 1804, saw the second settlements by Thomas Stett. David Reed and Samuel Reed. All of these settlers were of Irish descent and were related. as Mr. Stett had mar- ried a sister of the Reeds. All of these settlers took up land, and being sturdy. Indus- trious men, contributed greatly to the early growth of the township. Thomas Hardwick was the next settler, coming to this county in 1805-06. Mr. Hardwick built the first horse-mill in the township. He was a respectable, honest, hardworking frontiersman. Ezekiel Spurgeon settled in Richland township in 1808. Other and later settlers who contributed to the early growth of the townsbip are. Levi Arnold, who came into the township shortly after 1807: William Cue, who took ont one hundred acres of land in the Tench survey and settled here in 1810: William Burris, who came to this township pre- vions to 1812: James Gallaher, who settled here in 1810; David Oshorn, Richard Thorn- burg. Richard Mills, Michael Myers and Henry Myers, all of whom settled on Rattlesnake and Wilson branch, north of Sabina, prior to 1813; Joshua White, who was one of the soldiers from New Jersey who helped to put down the insurrection in Pennsylvania ; after his discharge, he settled in Pennsylvania and came to this township In 1829; Joseph Roberds settled here in 1818 and located on the Posey survey: Mrs. Catherine Jacks came to this township in 1818, but her husband had settled here in 1810; John Jncks settled here in 18IS, but was one of the unfortunate who lost his land through defective titles; Mr. Jacks built a horse-mill in 1825, which was well patronized by the early set- tiers; Francis Wining came into the township in 1815; Edward ("Ned") Crabb was in this township as early as 1812 and was located in the Posey settlement. We close with this list, as the township was beginning to be pretty well settled by this time and the settlers experienced less difficulty and labor. on account of the drier condition of the ground and the convenience furnished by civilization. One more early settler should well be
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mentioned, namely, James Gillispie, who built the "Burnt tavern," and, In the fall of 1813-14, sunk a taunery on bis farm.
ROADS.
The first road of any kind in the township was a trail, called the "Miami" or "Chillicothe trace," which was a mere path cleared through the forest and is supposed to have been opened by the Indians. It extended from Chillicothe, through Sabina and down Anderson's fork to Oldtown. The Kenton trace is another such road. The Urbana road was the first regularly established highway in the township. Other roads followed soon after and have been worked out in detall in another chapter.
SCHOOLS.
The schools of this township follow along the general lines similar to those of other townships of this county. The log school house was the first seat of learning. There were schools in this township as early as 1814. James Ferguson, an itinerant school- master. was the first regular teacher in this section. He was followed by Bloomingdale . Daugherty. In 1815. This school house was in the Biddle survey, about half a mile west of the "Burnt tavern." Another early school was conducted by a man named Pelinm. in 1820-21. A subscription school was taught in the eastern part of the town- ship In 1817-18, being conducted first by Thomas Powell, but it was short lived. These log school houses continued until the year 1830, when a definite school system was inaugurated,
EARLY INDUSTRIES.
Among other Industries than those previously mentioned, was a distillery built by. William Spurgeon, in 1822. It operated for about five years and was then moved to the old "Cherry lot." but it only operated one year in its new quarters. The first brick yard was on ground which is now within the corporation of Sabina. This was started in 1×27, by William Lomax, who furnished the brick for many of the first brick houses in the township. The clay for the bricks was tramped out by oxen. The first stationary Aw-mill was built by James Spurgeon in 1836. The Orst steam saw-mill was built by A. C. Mills, in 1551. The first steam grist or flouring-mill was erected by Benjamin and James Jarolds, in Reesville, in 1861.
The following are the officers of Richland township for 1915: Trustees, W. A. Ewing, Peter Yowreil and Clyde Haines; clerk, Frank L. Johnson ; treasurer, Herman Gallaher. Population, two thousand six hundred and fifty-six.
SABINA.
The town of Sabina Is located In the central eastern part of Richland township. It was platted by Warren Sabin in 1:30 and the proprietor named it in his own honor. The land on which the town is situated is a part of survey 766 and was originally entered by P. Neville. The plat of the town was recorded on December 6, 1830, and contained thirty-seven lots, distributed along one main street, Howard, and one cross street. Washington. To the average person of the present time the width of the lots and streets and alleys may appear confusing. The description of the town on the plat book in the recorder's office at Wilmington says that the lots and streets are so many "poles" wide, which, in language of today, means so many rods, a "pole" being equivalent to sixteen and a half feet.
It is hardly necessary to state that the first building within the limits of the present town was a log structure. On the site of the town. Elisha Long built this first rude building many years before anyone thought of laying ont a town. Flijah Sabin built the first house in the town after it was laid out, In 1830. although it appears that he was really not the first nictual settler. This honor goes to Andrew Love, who was also the first postmaster and tavern keeper. a dual line of activity, which made him the most important man in the Infant village. Warren Sabin, the proprietor, and William
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McMillan were the first store keepers. For a decade they had all the mercantile business to themselves, but in 1841 they were compelled to share the trade of the community with Jacob Theobold, the third merchant in the village. Isaac Haines was probably the Arst blacksmith and, as may easily be imagined, he found all he could do.
It is not possible to trace the growth of the town in detail during the eighty-five years since its enterprising proprietor first placed it on the map of Clinton county. With the coming of the railroad, in the fifties, it took on new life, and its natural location in a fine farming section, has insured It a steady growth from year to year since that time. It may not be amiss to note the nature of the business and professional life of the town thirty-five years ago. Speaking of that time, it Is recorded that there were "three dry- goods stores, three drug stores, two hardware stores, three clothing stores, nine groceries, one furniture dealer and undertaker, two saddleries, two grain dealers, two butchers, two tailor shops, three shoe shops, two milliners, one baker and confectioner, one wagon- maker, one silversmith, three blacksmiths, two tin shops, two lumber dealers, two mantua makers, two stock dealers, two painters, three plasterers, three brick makers, five brick masons, eleven carpenters, one barber shop, one tile factory, one coal dealer. one newspaper, one real estate agent, two Insurance agents, a telegraph and express office, one bank, two ministers, three lawyers, four doctors. two hotels, two milliner shops, a brass band of fifteen members and three saloons."
In 1881 the town and township together built a large, two-story brick building, with a town hall in the second story and offices for the town and township officials on the first floor. The building also contains the village lock-up and the fire department. The fire department has a one-horse wagon, with ladders and all necessary equipment for a town of this size.
The finances of Sabina and the community are safely trusted to the careful manage- ment of the two banks. The First National, with a capitalization of fifty thousand dollars, bas C. R. Ellis, president : Lewis Whitnery, cashier ; William Snyder, teller, with Grant Martin, Truston Waddle, Oliver Waddle. C. R. Ellis and A. N. Haines, as directors. The Sabina Bank, organized in 1875, has won and held the confidence of the conservative people. E. A. Lewis is president ; G. A. Pavey, vice president. and W. B. Gallaher, cashier. This bank is the home of the Building and Loan Company. a prosperous organization that for twenty-seven years has not foreclosed a mortgage and has been the agency of financial growth.
Two hotels furnish homes for the traveling public as well as the home people. who live at these hostelries. The Haney hotel, near the railroad, is equipped with modern conveniences. Arch Brown is proprietor and B. Q. Brown, manager. The Rapp House needs no description of any kind. It has stood the test of time. For seventy years It has been the mecca for tired and hungry people. Today it is owned and managed by three of the Rapp sisters, the Misses Agatha, Allce and Kate. The Key boarding house is more private in its appointments, yet lays covers for scores daily.
The mercantile establishments are representative of Ohlo energy. and the merchants. to a man, endeavor to place honesty above gain. P. J. Curren, proprietor of the Old Home store, has been identified with Sabina's business perhaps as long and as antisfne- torily as any of the present merchants. In the dry-goods and ready-to-wear clothes emporiums. E. A. Thornhill's is the longest established, having been here since 1896. In the various departments of this store one will And up-to-date goods rivaling city stores. Rice Brothers, with George Shack, of Columbus, as manager, is a new firm, and the courteous treatment accorded each customer by the salespeople in this bnay store is drawing a large and deserved patronage. The Worthmore, with Louis Goodinan as manager, is worth more than a half dozen stores run on the usual sonle of villages. In Ort's department store, dry-goods, furniture, queensware, groceries and ruga are all disposed of to the satisfaction of the purchasers. The Spot Cash store and the National Ave-and-ten-cent
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stores are both enterprising concerna. In the hardware line there are four stores. Hargrave, near the railroad, has a full line of hardware and keeps men busy on the road all the year with the sale and delivery of Implementa. Smith Brothers, who have taken over the Pavey store, are more centrally located and are in the front rank with displayed goods. They also handle groceries.
Fred Dufau, since 1892, has served the people when they were in need of harness, leather goods and hardware. Recently, with no detriment to his harness interests, he has enlarged his hardware department and is now showing a complete line. Charles Robins & Son have, in connection with their hardware, a tin shop and plumbing office. This industrious firm sells furnaces and has installed many hot air, steam and hot water plants. H. C. Shoop & Company, successors to James B. Tener, have experienced workmen in their harness and saddlery departments. They also handle a line of trunks, suit- cases and handbags.
In up-to-date garages, Sabina compares favorably with other towns in southern Ohlo. The Auto Inn, E. R. Mills, proprietor, is so conveniently located that autos coming eitber direction on the state roads run in for a stop, whether or not they need repairs. The business of this garage bas so increased that it was necessary to build a new addition to be used for storage exclusively. The Sabina Motor Car Company, Harry Griffith & Sons, proprietors, also handle popular machines.
There are four first-class groceries, with a separate fruit store, owned by James Matthews. E. E. Beck and Ed Perrill handle the trade from the northern end of the town, and Q. C. Martin and the Farmers grocery, each have stores of quality. In the Martin grocery can be found rare and costly china and cut glass. James Rumyan and the Sparks Jewelry Company both handle splendid goods and each guarantees their repair work.
Two liveries lend their assistance, when solicited, to add to the pleasure of the people. James Richards attracts trade, as he holds friends, by his Integrity. Frank Reynolds, next to the postoffice, has, in addition to the usual country service, auto livery and is busy seven days out of the week. The Gaskins furniture store, with more than seven thousand square feet of floor space, is the rival of city stores. It is due to the proprietor, Henry Tenellyn, whose upright business dealings have put this store in the front rank.
There are four drug stores, that of John Spurgeon's being, perhaps, the most widely known. G. W. Dunn and Darins Welch have clean, fresh drugs with able pharmacistg The Sabina Drug Company, C. C. Best-Ishman, proprietor, is an up-to-date store. It's the only place of the kind with an ice cream parlor in connection with the fountain and the only drug store in the county not holding an internal revenue license.
Three restaurants cater to the hungry man: Swisshelm, in the Kennedy bullding; Webb's, with John Tewellyn, as the chef, and the Palace, where Sam Terry cooks and serves meals. Hyer's bakery is sufficient reason for the housewives not baking their bread and cakes Henry Adams the poultry man, averages two thousand dozen eggs per day and about three thousand pounds of poultry each week.
George Manmisel and Christ Shoop have ment markets, and W. D. Rapp & Son own and operate two grain elevators. They also have a coal yard. Stephen Thorne is the pioneer elevator man and wool buyer. Sam Moore, with his feed store, and J. I. Stover, with his feed and seed store, bandle only the best in their line.
Roy T. Curtis has, in connection with his big coal business, all supplies needed by builders. The two lumber firms also bandle coal. The Allen Lumber Company. R. W. Allen, manager, and the lumber yard of Samuel Plymire are two of the substantial organizations of the town.
Hill & Curtis for years has been the firm name of the book store and news-stand. Often have members of the firm changed, the older giving place to the younger, but the
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firm name and the Brm policy remain the same. Johnson Brothers, tailors, have a clientele of which any tailoring establishment might be proud. John R. Chance, the dry-cleaner, is kept busy and his shoe agency is making rapid sales. U. R. Day, E. Ewing, Charles Barnes, Betty Pettiford and Bert Moon, a former Wilmington boy, have sanitary barber shops. J. E. Allmon and George Frity look after the leather repairs. The Insurance Interests are looked after. by John Burris. Gallaher & Dakin and WHI Allen. Beautiful homes have been onrned by each of the four village smithies and there are no men of higher repute than Messrs. Varo & Mout. Dowden, James Maddox and Will Andrews.
Summer amusements are centered in the Airdrome and the Pastime theater. The opera house, a township bulking, has a seating capacity of eight hundred and is a hand- some addition to the town. It was built in 1894, at a cost of thirty thousand dollars, under the regime of John W. Moore, John P. Langdon and John J. Custis.
'The town lacks not for the arts. Prof. H. C. Halle, a Sabina boy, who studied under leading English masters in art, conducts classes and gives private lessons in his benuti- fully appointed studio. During his seventeen years in Canada be received Important publie commissions ; his mayoralty portraits are now hanging in the Kingston municipal building. He gained reputable standing as au Ivory miniature painter and taught drawing in the government art schools of Canada. He has passed the Royal College of Music examinations, studying with Dr. James Dickinson. He also sang in St. Michael's cathedral for eight years. Mrs. Leola Brown-Haines has large classes in music, both vocal and instrumental.
While both precinets defeated woman's suffrage, yet the voters take off their huts to their business women. Mrs. Winetta Thorpe-Smith has been very successful as the manager of the telephone exchange. The Miller studio is being managed by Marie Cohn. whose work is pleasing to the people. Four millinery stores, owned and managed by the following ladies speak well for the vanity of their sex : the New Idea, with Mrs. Hensley and Miss Williams. Dunn & Blakley, Rilla Haynes and Betty Henry,
Among the secret orders of the town are the Masons, Eastern Star. Odd Fellows, Rebekahs, Modern Woodmen and the Royal Neighbors, Besides a number of clubs, devoted to the furtherance of social affairs the town has the Thrice-Five Club and the Bay View Club, two literary organizations.
Both Mr. Littleton and Mr. Bottomfield are young men of sterling worth and capable funeral directors. Mr. Littleton has the only motor funeral car in the county. The Sabina cemetery is composed of twenty-five acres of naturally elevated ground and is a beautiful place. Reuben Merriweather. the caretaker, whose ability for years was aided by his work in a green house, is an artist, and the resting place for the dead is a pleasant. pretty spot. There are already four mausoleums, with three more to be erected in the near future. The cemetery board is composed of J. C. Burnett, A. N. Dowden, J. B. Wilson, John McDaniel and John Mathew. The clerk of the board is Howard Barns
Lewis Lewellyn is the music store man and places pianos in three counties.
The Ideal Pump Company is putting out cistern pumps that are popular and deservedly so. This company also makes a fruit dryer. The Clinton Manufacturing Company, owned by O. A. West, Is one of the money-making concerns of the community. The big tile yard, owned by the Darbyshires for a score of years, is situated just north of town and has now passed under the management of Peter Darbyshire, a graduate of the high school. class of 1915. Here drainage tile, ranging from four to ten inches, is made and finds a ready market. Spurgeon Brothers, with their skilled cement work. have done much in the work of Improving and beautifying the town.
The Custis Ice Cream factory runs throughout the year. and Clyde Custis. the young proprietor, is an artist in the business of making plain and fancy creams and ices. Daily he ships to Washington C. H., Wilmington. Bowersville and all the nearby towns.
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WATER AND LIGHT PLANT.
In 1808 the municipal water and light plant was installed, at a cost of thirty-five thousand dollars. At the time of its inception the present superintendent, O. T. Brown, was at the helm. At divers times changes have been made in the management, but again Mr. Brown is the superintendent. Electric service costs ouly six cents a watt, as cheap as can be secured in the state. The plant is located in the eastern part of town and three acres of ground is beautifully parked with flowers blooming to gladden the hearts of the many visitors, With a half dozen assistants, the superintendent leaves nothing undone. The service is second to none in the state and the water, which is brought from three drilled wells of one hundred seventy-five feet each, is chemically pure. This paying institution is managed by a board of public affairs, consisting of Jobn Mathew, James Runyan and Charles Custis, with George C. Barns as clerk. The clerk's office is in the city building, and here, again, the superintendent has shown evidence of his beauty- loving nature by surrounding the building with flowers and plants and a well-kept lawn. Here. too. is the Woman's Christian Temperance I'nion fountain, affording cool refresh- ment to the warm and thirsty public.
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