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 41
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Another of the larger concerns is the Swaim canning factory, owned by Charles W. Swaim, of Wilmington, and managed by Hoy Barlow, who, for the past ten years, has been very successful at the head of the concern. This factory gives employment to one hundred and twenty people from August 10 to September 20, putting in the hands of the laborers about one thousand two hundred dollars per week. The usual output each season is near one million cans of corn, and this year there has been installed another line of machinery. which will enable them to can pork and beans, pumpkins, etc. Not only are the village people proud and pleased with the factory and the opportunity thus given them for labor and its resultant advantages, but the farmers likewise are benefited. With an acrenge of six hundred neres, on which the yield runs from twenty-five to forty dollars per acre, the farmer is thus enabled to handle his money three months or more earlier than he would did he wait for the crop to mature.
Sabina has two railroads, the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern and the Cincinnati & Muskingum Valley.
The Newra-Record, with James F. Gaskins, editor, and the Sabina Tribune, owned and edited by Howard Barns, are both wide-awake, newsy papers, with moral men behind them.
Occasionally local mon receive government appointments. Such was the commission to P. Merrill Griffith as consul to Santiago, Cuba ; to M. D. Barns, for district assessor, and recently the commission coming to Prof. W. H. Cole from Governor Willis, appointing him trustee to the Ohio Archaeology and Historical Association, a position his learning qualifies him to fill with honor.
The physical well-being of the community Is in the hands of skilled and learned physicians. In the profession are Doctors Craig, Fisher, West, Lightner. Cole and Stuntz. In dentistry there are Drs. W. A. Burnett and J. L. Parrott. Drs. E. C. Langdon and Herbert Armstrong are veterinarians.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
The schools are in excellent condition. A commodious structure. well lighted. mod- ernly heated and ventilated, insures comfort to the three hundred and fifty pupils. Beside the eighth grade teachers, the high school. with ninety-five pupils, is under the enre of Professor Hannuin, with three Instructors and a special teacher in music. The coming year the increase of pupils will necessitate the addition of another room in the high school and one more teacher is to he added to the already efficient.corps. Outside pupils' tuition. under Professor Hannum, amounts to one thousand per year.
The spiritual welfare of the people is looked after by representatives of five different
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denominations, the Friends, with John R. Nelson in charge; First Methodist Episcopal, N. D. Stafford, pastor; Methodist Protestant, Dr. A. L. Reynolds; Church of Christ and African Methodist Episcopal. These churches are all handsome edifices, and each denomination has auxiliaries that are splendidiy helping in all good causes.
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
On August 9, 1878. the corporate limits of the town were extended to meet the growing population. The incorporation of the town dates from 1850, at which time Mr. Morris was appointed as the first mayor. He served about a month and then resigned, being succeeded by Jacob Theobold. Owing to the fact that the early records of the town are missing, it has not been possible to secure a complete list of the mayors of the town, but the following list is practically complete: M. Morris, Jacob Theobold, John Bridwell, Jacob Lair, C. P. Gallaber, David Giffin (died in office, 1881), W. H. Dakin, A. M. Griffith, J. L. Johnson, C. L. Galluher, Martin Kennedy, A. N. Dowden, Will C. Dakin. A. N. Dowden, George C. Barns and W. H. Dakin, the present Incumbent. The town council is now composed of Harry Ort (president), John Butterfield, Yeazle, William Pavey, Kyle Glass and W. H. Barlow. The other town officers are as follow : P. H. Sparks, clerk : Henry Lewellen, treasurer ; B. F. Hartley, marshal; Dr. F. G. Lightner, health officer.
REEAVILLE.
The town of Reesville, originally known as Cross Roads, was platted by Moses Reese in the summer of 1857. the plat being recorded on July 11 of that year. The town plat originally consisted of twenty acres and "seventeen and seventy-five hundredths poles" of Innd, divided into twenty-five lots, lying along the railroad, with the Urbana highway running through it as a cross street. The town is located in Richland township, two and a half miles west of Sabina.
A postoffice was established soon after the town was laid out, with J. E. Barr as the first postmaster. Jonathan and Henry Ruckers were the first merchants, having estab- lished a store here before the town was laid out, in 1857. Other early merchants were Samuel Reed, Baron Douglass, William Wilson and William Lyons Christian Rhonemus started a store in 1858 and members of this family were engaged in business in the town for many years. In 1858 Robert Mel'lellan, a tallor, established himself in his trade in the town, but evidently he did not stay long. No other man has ever ventured the establishment of a similar business. Alfred Bloone operated a grist-mill and Alexander Sellars a saw-mill for many years.
The town gradually grew in importance and, according to the census of 1890, was then a flourishing village of one hundred and fifty population. At that time the following enterprises were to be found : Four general stores, a drug store, two saloons, two black- smith shops, one shoe shop, postoffice, depot, one church, and one school building, In 1915 the village interests include the following: Heirominus & Son, general merchandise; John Weller, groceries; Auber Jenkins and Charles Kingery, barbers; A. A. George and Arnold Conklin, blacksmiths; Brindle & Ewing, elevator; E. T. Severs and James Craw- ford, carpenters and contractors; J. A. Hatfield, paperhangers and painters; L. J. Staubus & Sons, plasterers.
The postoffice is in the store of Helronimus & Son, and about seventy families now receive their mail at this office. The village enjoys six malls daily. The Methodist Protestants have the only church. the present pastor being Rev. John Mercer. A fine school building was erected in 1912 and four teachers are now employed. Two vans haul the children In from the surrounding community. The Junior Order of I'nited American Mechanics is the only fraternal order in the village.
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Reesville bas station stops on the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern and the Cincinnati & Muskingum Valley railroada.
MELVIN.
The village of Melvin is located on the Cincinnati & Muskingum Valley railroad, in the extreme western part of Richland township. It has never been platted. It came into existence after the railroad came through the township in 1883. Jacob Baker and Albert Haines opened the first store. Other merchants have been George Howard, Philip Cahill and Daniel Baker. It is essentially a shipping point for farm products, and the two elevatore take care of several thousand dollars' worth of grain and live stock annually. There are now three stores in the village, operated by J. W. Channel, F. W. Shrack and E. E. Howard, respectively. J. W. Channel also owns an elevator and deals largely in grain, wire fencing and posts, coal, etc. The firm of Ewing & Custis operate the other elevator and also deal in grain, fencing materials, coal, etc.
The largest industry in the town is the Melvin Tile and Brick Company, which was incorporated In 1909 and started business the same year. The principal stockholders are J. W. Channel, F. J. Pendry, Valentine Kaufman, C. E. Custis, Albert Custis, Gertrude Channel, Alexander Wilson and G. W. Wade. The capital stock of the company is ten thousand dollars and the annual output of the factory averages five thousand dollars. F. J. Pendry is president of the company and J. W. Channel is secretary-treasurer. J. W. and Gertrude Channel own ninety-three per cent. of the stock. C. E. Custis being the next largest stockholder. Walter Channel is the general manager of the factory. Tile comprises most of the output, only a small amount of brick being manufactured. Just as this volume went to press, information is received that the Melvin brick and tile plant was completely destroyed by fire on the night of August 9, 1915. The loss was fourteen thousand dollars, with Insurance of only two thousand dollars.
The postmaster is F. W. Shrack, who is also the station agent for the Pennsylvania. Henry Denica is the Baltimore & Ohle agent. The village blacksmith is James Wright, while John Ford is the only carpenter. The population is in the neighborhood of seventy-five.
CHAPTER XXV.
UNION TOWNSHIP.
I'nion township is bounded on the west by Chester and Adams townships; on the north by Liberty ; on the northeast by Wilson; on the east by Richland and Wayne; on the sontheast by Green; on the south by Washington, and on the southwest by Vernon.
East from Wilmington to the township line. the land is level. but the southeast portion of the township is somewhat undulating. Following the source of Cowan's creek southwest from Bortonville, the land is rough and broken. Between Cowan's creek and Wilmington, the land Is more level, but along Todd's fork. north and west of Wilmington, it is undulating and well-drained. For the most part, the soll of the town- ship is a dark Joam, extending to some depth. and is particularly adapted to the culture of grain and grasses. Along Cowan's and Lytle's creeks, the soil is of a mixture of dark and yellow loam and is especially good for wheat. Along Todd's fork the soil is a mix- ture of foam and clay, and the bottom lands, although small, are very valuable on account of the richness of the soll.
In its primeval state. the portion of the township east of WHmington was covered with a deuse growth of ash, hickory, elm. onk, some maple, beech and other woods. Along Cowan's and Lytle's creeks. the growth of timber was largely of walnut. poplar. ash, elm. oak. beech and sugar tree. The bottoms and hills along Todd's fork were originally covered with oak, walnut, cherry, linn. hickory, ash, sugar, hackberry and buckeye, with a dense undergrowth.
STREAMS.
Todd's fork. Dutch creek, Lytle's creek and Cowan's creek are the main water- courses of Union township, supplying a good drainage system and also good water for stock and other purposes. Lytle's creek flows in a westerly direction and Is just south of Wilmington, which is situated on its branches. Cowan's creek resembles Lytle's creek very closely as to soll and timber. Dutch creek is a small stream which empties into Todd's fork In Adams township and which runs across the northwest corner of I'nion township in a southwesterly direction.
Todd's fork is the largest and principal water course of I'nion township. Its bead- waters are mostly in the eastern and northeastern parts of Union township, although some are still farther north and east. In the early days the grazing along the streams was excellent on account of the thick growth of shrubbery and grasses. The bottomis were covered with spice bushes and pea vines, the former of which the pioneers used for ten and the latter for feed for the cattle and hogs. White clover was also very abundant and proved a great aid to the pioneers as feed for their stork. Todd's fork is the only stream in the township which produces any stone and from this stream it has been quar- ried for many years. The stone is of good quality and easily obtained and many of the early settlers used it for the rude chimneys on their cabins. It was later used for larger residences and outbuildings and also in the construction of roads.
In 1503 the Legislature passed an act establishing about sixteen or eighteen state ronds, but only a few of them had been opened up in 1806. Up to that time. no road had been opened into Union township. but each community had its own paths of travel. made by blazing or marking trees. One of the trails from Todd's fork to Chillleothe
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crossed that strenm near Center meeting house, passed through the woods to Van Meter's and thence to the Scioto valley. The township is now a network of excellent roads and the traveler today would little guess that they were at one time nothing but blazed trails through a dense forest.
PIONEERS.
One of the very earliest pioneers of Clinton county was Timothy Bennett, who came to the Northwest territory in 1800 and, In the middle of March, 1801, settled one and one-half miles east of where Wilmington now stands. He was born in New Jersey, near Philadelphia, on January 27. 1765, and little is known of his early history except that he was reared on a farm. After reaching maturity, he moved to Westmoreland county. Pennsylvania, where he was married, In 1780, to Elizabeth Hoblitt. the daughter of Michael Hoblitt, a native of Germany and the ancestors of the Hoblitts of Clinton and Greene counties. In the fall of 1789. Mr. Bennett, in company with his wife's father and family, went down the Ohio river to Limestone, now Maysville, Kentucky. Although the Indians were exceedingly troublesome at that time, the party managed to land in anfety. After exploring the country In various directions, they finally located at a point near the present town of Versailles, in Woodford county, and here Mr. Bennett lived for ten years. In the fall of 1790, Mr. Bennett joined the expedition of General Harmar, which rendezvoused at Cincinnati, then a small village, whence they marched north to old Chillicothe. Mr. Bennett was honorably discharged near this point and sent home. having become too Inme to travel on account of a cancer on his leg.
In the fall of 1799. Mr. Bennett purchased about two hundred acres of land between the Little Miami and Scioto rivers. The land was represented to him to lie between the Little Miami and Caesar's creek and he thought it to be a part of the country through which he had passed with Harmar about nine years before. Mr. Bennett at once began to make arrangements to settle the new land and, with his family, started from Ken- tucky in the spring of 1800. His family consisted of his wife and six children, two sons and four daughters. Their only means of transportation was pack-horses and these were provided to carry Mrs. Bennett and the youngest child, Nathaniel, the badding, wearing apparel, provisions, agricultural tools, cooking utensils and the small children who were unable to walk. The stock was driven behind the pack-horses by the larger children. Mr. Bennett carried a rifle and kept the family supplied with food during the journey.
I'pon arriving in the Centerville neighborhood, he found his brother-in-law, Sohoston Hoblitt. some of his old friends from New Jersey and some from Kentucky. It appeared. however, that none of these friends could guide him to his newly purchased land, and he was finally directed to a Mr. McFarland, who lived on the Little Miami and who was familiar enough with the lay of the land to serve as his gukte. After having found his land. Mr. Bennett returned to the Centerville neighborhood and, In January. 1801. he came with his brother-in-law. John Hoblitt. and his four eldest children, to erect his new home. He then returned for Mrs. Bennett and the other children and the family took up their new aluxle in the wilderness.
After a most eventful and successful epreer as a pioneer. Mr. Bennett prised away in 1827. after having made his will In 1823. He Is believed to have been twice elected to the office of county commissioner of Clinton county, but ceased to fill this position in 1815.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, twelve children were born, three sons and nine daughters. Michael, Phoche, Mary. Catharine. Sarah, Nathaniel, Amy, Margaret, Keziah, Eunice, -Jemima and Timothy.
George Haworth. another prominent pioneer of Clinton county, was born in Bucks county. Pennsylvania, in 1748, the son of James Haworth, a native of Pennsylvania, and the grandson of George Haworth, who came from Lancashire, England, with William
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Penn in 1899. George Haworth, the subject of this mention, moved with his parents to near Winchester, Virginia, where they lived on a mountain range called Apple Pie ridge. Here he grew to manhood and married Susannah Dillon. They moved to North Carolina, settling. on the Yadkin river near the home of Daniel Boone. Hearing Boone's fine description of Kentucky, Mr. and Mrs. Haworth joined his colony and, on September 25, 1771, left their homes and started from that state. Upon crossing the Alleghanies, the party was attacked by Indians and several of them slain. This so disheartened the remainder of the party that some of them went back about forty miles and settled on Clinch river, but Mr. Haworth and his brother returned to North Carolina, where they remained for twelve years. They then made another attempt to settle in Kentucky, but, finding the Indians still troublesome, they went south into Tennessee and built a new home in what is now Greene county in that state. The family lived here until 1803, when they moved to Ohio and settled on Todd's fork, where Mr. Haworth had purchased seventeen hundred and fifty acres of land. Mr. Haworth is said to have been the second settler in Union township and bere he built a grist-mill. Eight of his sons also cleared and opened up farms in this county. George Haworth continued to reside in this county until 1825. when, several of his sons having moved to Illinois, he also sold out and moved to that state, having settled at Quaker Point, near Georgetown, In Vermilion county. Mr. Haworth was a member of the society of Friends and, in the latter years of bls life, a minister in this society. About 1807 or 1808, he went on horseback to Baltimore, as a representative from Miami quarterly meeting, to attend the yearly meeting.
Nathan Linton was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, January 17, 1778, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth ( Harvey) Linton. Samuel Linton, the son of Benjamin and Jane (Cowgal) Linton, was born on December 17, 1741. in Bucks county, Pennsylvania. where he grew to manhood and learned the trade of a weaver. He was married on May 10, 1775, to Elizabeth Harvey, who was born on March 8, 1748, and to them were born six children. Samuel, Nathan, David, June and Elizabeth, twins, and James Nathan Linton visited Oblo in 1801 and, upon returning to Pennsylvania, Induced his father to emigrate. The mother and one son, Samuel, having died, the father and the other five children moved to Ohio in 1802, arriving In Waynesville on the last day of May. In 1803 Samuel Linton bought five hundred acres of land on Todd's fork and his two sons, Nathan and David, took charge of this land, while the father remained on the land at Waynesville. In 1805 all of the family moved to the Todd's fork farm.
Nathan Linton was married on January 31, 1806, to Rachel Smith, the daughter of Seth Smith, of Walnut creek, Highland county. The Smith family came from Greene county, Tennessee. To Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Linton were born twelve children, Eliza- beth, Abi. Samuel, Seth, David, James, Mary, Nathan, Benjamin, Cyrus, Ruth and Jane.
Nathan Linton began his career as a surveyor in Clinton county in 1803 and did much of the surveying between the Miami and Seloto rivers, also directing the claimants to their lands, At the organization of the county in 1810, he was appointed county sur- veyor, which position he filled for twenty years, refusing to be re-appointed at the end of that time. He was much interested in fruit growing and sheep raising. Mr. Linton was a member of the Friends church, to which the family bad belonged for many generations. His father was a well-educated man and a great admirer of Thomas Jefferson. After a long and useful life, Nathan Linton died at his home in Clinton county on February 11. 1858. in his eighty-first year.
Robert Eachus was born on November 23, 1763, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Robert and Mary (Griffith) Eachus, the former of whom was an Inn-keeper. They were the parents of six children, of whom Robert was the fourth. Robert Eachus, Sr., died when his son, Robert. Jr., was a mere lad and the boy was renred by some relatives in the country. Hle learned the trade of a wagon-maker and worked at this business for many years.
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On November 20, 1788, Mr. Eachus was married in Frederick county, Virginia, to Phoebe Thornburgh and, shortly after, they moved to Martinsburg, Berkeley county, Virginia, where he opened a wagon shop. In 1794, Mr. Eachus, with a companion, started west in search of a new location, but in western Pennsylvania they found them- selves in the midst of the "Whiskey Insurrection," and, thinking it unsafe to go farther, they returned home. In 1798 Mr. Eachus emigrated to Tennessee and settled in Wash- Ington county, where he resided for four years. In 1802 he started for Ohlo, arriving at Waynesville on June 1, of that year. He lived at Waynesville but a short time and then moved to Clear creek, in Warren county. In the fall of 1804 he moved to a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which he had purchased in the Center neighborhood. One of the terms of the purchase was that he should build a grist-mill upon the land. which he did and which proved of great benefit to the early settlers. He was elected justice of the peace in Warren county and filled this position until about 1806, when Clinton county was formed and bis land was in the new county. However, he was appointed one of the justices of Chester townshlp. Clinton county, and later, on March 28, 1810, be was appointed recorder for the county. In May, 1805, a meeting was held at the home of Mr. Eachus for the purpose of establishing a Friends church in the neigh- borhood. Accordingly, a house was built of unhewn logs, without floor or dust, and meetings were held there twice a week. This was probably the first house of worship in Clinton county.
Robert Eachus and wife were the parents of four children, three daughters and one son, Mary, Betsy. Julianna and David. Robert Eachus bad a birthright in the Friends church, but, on account of his fighting in the Revolutionary War, he was expelled from the church. However, some years before his death, his membership was restored. He died on March 24, 1829.
Mahlon Haworth, the son of George Haworth, was born In Frederick county, Vir- ginin, in 1775. He made an exploring tour of Ohio in 1800, and. being well pleased with the country, came in 1804 with his family and John and James Wright and their families, from Tennessee to southern Ohio. They stopped at Waynesville, which was then a popular stopping place for emigrants, and, in a very short time, settled on Todd's fork. They arrived late in the fall, but temporary shelters were put up to protect them from the cold until more substantial houses could be erected. Mablou Haworth and his wife were the parents of eleven children, Rebecca, George D., Ezekiel, Susannah, Mary. Phoebe. Mablon. John, Elijah, James and Richard, Eight of these children grew to maturity and were valuable citizens in Clinton county.
Mrs. Haworth was a devout member of the Friends church and Mr. Haworth was also possessed of a deep religious feeling. Many official positions were urged upon him. but he never accepted any. He dled on March 23, 1850, at his home in Clinton county.
Nathan Hines came to Ohio from North Carolina early in the year 1804 and settled on Dutch creek, where he had purchased land from James Murray. He set to work at once to build a cabin, which was twelve feet square, and into which he moved his family. When Hur Hodgson and his family came to this locality, not having a house bullt, they lived for several weeks in this small cabin with the Hines family, which shows the warm hospitality of the early settlers.
Stephen Mendenhall, an Englishman, bought one hundred and forty-two acres of land from James Murray on February 4. 1812, for two hundred dollars. He had three brothers. Aaron, Mordecni and Moses.
Isaac Perkins was born on June 30, 1762, and married Phena Leonard, who was born on March 14, 1763. In November. 1802. he started from North Carolina to Ohio with his family and arrived at Waynesville on January 8, 1809, settling In Clinton county on March 4, 1804.
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Hur Hodgson was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, May 16, 1767, and came to Clinton county in 1804. He was first married to a sister of Judge Isaac Thornburgh, and later to Achsah Dillon, the daughter of Jesse Dillon. He was the father of ten children, Mary, Isaac, Jesse, Jonathan, John, Elizabeth, Hannah, Ira, Nathan and Joel. He bought one hundred acres of land in 1801 from Miller & Studebaker. Francis Hester accompanied the Hodgson family to this county.
Dr. John E. Greer came to Waynesville in 1822 and remained there until 1837, when he moved to Indiana, where he died. He was married to a Miss Jeffries, sister of Job Jeffries, Sr.
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