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 43
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There are numerous threshing outfits that work out of this village, among which are A. T. Vandervort. Suttles Brothers, Ed Villars and two company machines; one of these is managed by Albert Pyles, and the other by Frank Beyan. The chief breeders of fancy Jersey cattle in this neighborhood are E. H. Urton. Earl and Myrtle Pyle and Lon Carson. Walter Richardson is a breeder of Shorthorn cattle. George Sabin is the only aplarist in this part of the county. The Oasis fruit farm, managed by George H. Anson, furnishes small fruit to the patrons of this county.
Pansy is the only other town in this township. This little hamlet, which Is located In the extreme southern part of the township, has never been platted and has never increased from a rural hamlet.
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CHAPTER XXVI.
VERNON TOWNSHIP.
Vernon township is located in the central western portion of Clinton county. It is bounded on the north by Adams township, on the east by Washington, on the south by Marion township and on the west by Warren county. It is one of the three original townships of which Clinton county was composed at the time of Its organization in 1810. At that time it Included also Marion and parts of Adams, Washington, Clark, Union and Jefferson townships. Todd's fork, a tributary of the Little Miami river, Cowan's creek, East fork of Todd's fork and Sewell's run, tributaries of Todd's fork. flow through the township, coming together, or nearly so. in the western. part, near the town of Clarksville.
FORMATION OF THE TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of Vernon township. as first organized, included all the territory south of Lytle's creek and south of a line from the month of Lytle's creek to the Warren county line, and extending east to the old Warren county line In the line of Richland township. The township was organized In 1810. The records of the township from its organization to 1826 are lost or have been destroyed and only the most meager details can he gleaned from scattered sources.
The commissioners' record, show order No. 7, to Elisha Cast, July 18, 1810. for the amount of fourteen dollars and a half. "for sitting as judge of election. delivering poll books and for assessing the township and making returns of the assessment." David Sewell was chosen as the first Justice of the peace. On October 17. 1810. Dantel Ball received an order for three dollars and seventy-five cents for five wolf scalps six months old. These records would seem to show that the first township officials were: Elisha Cast. John Sewell and Benjamin Smalley, trustees, and Aaron Sewell, clerk.
From the year 1826, the records as regards township officers and receipts and expenditures have been well preserved. The following is the clerk's statement for 1825. In full :
"Statement of receipts and expenditures of Vernon township from the 9th day of March. 1826. to the Sth day of March, 1827, Inclusive:
"RECEIPTS.
"Received of J. Biggs as security for T. Foreman $ 3.55
"Received of J. Harris. Esq., fines by him collected 16.0716
"Received of A. Tribbey. Esq., the amount of a note on J. Cox 7.68%
"Received of same on judgment of &. Brown 18.40
"Received of same on judgment on R. Stansbury 20.8716
"Total $67.54%
"EXPENDITURES.
"John Villars, Supervisor. for services $ 2.816
"W. Austin and E. Cast. Overseers of the Poor 1.50
"D. Wright, Supervisor. for his services 1.1215
"J. Baldwin, Supervisor, for his services 3.00
"W. Elzey, Supervisor, for his services 2.6215
"J. H. Marshall, Constable, for serving pauper's warrant .55
"J. Lawrence, for services as Trustee and Supervisor 3.00
"J. Tribhey, for services as Trustee and Supervisor 3.75
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"U. Biggs, Clerk, for services 6.9616
"Same for blank book for Clerk's office 1.50
"I .. Elzey, Supervisor, for his services 2.25
"J. Dalby and J. Conklin, late Overseers of the Poor. 2.00
"J. Garrison, Inte Constable, for summoning township officers 3.50
"J. Biggs, for a room to hold township meetings in 2.00
"Jobn Lytle, late Trustee, for services .75
"Total
$37.32% **
At this time Vernon township included Adams, Clark (or the greater part of what is now Clark), Jefferson und Marion townships, also part of present Washington town- ship, and enumerated two hundred and eighty-three householders for school purposes.
The following are the summaries of the statements between the years 1829 and 1836, Inclusive :
Yenr.
Receipts.
Expenditures.
1.829
$ 50.71
$49.93
1831
36.57
33.61
1833
90.921
35.37
1834
90.873 47.13
1836
122.879
98.064
From the year 1836 to 1862 the records are again missing. In the later year the following were the township officials: William Carson, J. W. Warner and W. B. Smith. trustees; W. H. Gardner, clerk; J. W. Compton, assessor; Albert Parker, treasurer, and John Dempsey, constable.
It was not until 1872 that the township began to take on anything like its present proportions. On April 1, of that year, the funds on hand were, cemetery fund. $84.81; abandoned grave yard fund, $107.97; poor funds, $426,27; townsbip funds, $324.94; road fund, $186.83; total, $1.130.82. The entire number of votes polled on that date was two hundred and eighty-six.
At the annual election beld April 5, 1875. the question of a special tax levy for a town- ship house was submitted to the voters of the township, with the following result : Yes, one hundred and sixty-two votes; No, one hundred and eleven votes. A special tax of two thousand dollars was levied and a neat and substantial building was erected for town- ship purposes.
THE, PIONEERS.
David Sewell was the first settler of Vernon township. He became the owner of the of Archibald Campbell's 'survey, No. 2250. early in the year 1798, on the East fork of Todd's fork, in what is now Clinton county, but was then known as Hamilton county, Northwest territory. He made arrangements to move upon It with his sons. John and Aaron, and his daughter and son-in-law. Hannah and Peter Burr. In 1798, in company with Isaac Tullis, Mary Hendricks and some of the Cowans. the Sewell family came by way of Pittsburgh in wagons and fathoats to the present site of Columbus, From that point they went to Bedell's station in the present Warren county. It Is probable that they found their land soon after. The Sewells came in wagons, cutting their way through the heavy virgin forest, and the trail they left is still known as the "Sewell trace." crossing Todd's fork near the town of Rochester and passing near where the old Nauvoo school house stood. At this time their were no nearer neighbors than Lebanon, fourteen miles away.
James McGee, In company with his brother-in-law, John MeGregor, came to this town- ship in 1803. and settled. They came from Loudoun county. Virginia. Jonathan Lawrence came in the year 1806. From North Carolina enme Thomas Austin in 1800. James Harris emigrated from Loudoun county, Virginia, in 1809, and settled near the present village of
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Clarksville. William Hadley came in 1810, from North Carolina, and settled on what was Jater known as the M. P. Marshall farm. William Austin came In 1811 and settled near the Mt. Pleasant church. James Villars settled in Vernon township in 1813. Josiah Biggs, Lemuel, John and Parson Garrison, David Ferris, Samuel Stabler, Dr. Asahel Tribbey, Ephraim Smith, James Marshall. Ezekiel Cast and Thomas Harden were all among the early settlers and pioneers of Vernon township.
SCHOOLS.
In those early days, when the country was so sparsely settled, there were no public schools, but the people supported by subscriptions and work such schools as they could afford. The first school house in this township was a log cabin bullt about 1812, and the tencher was Levi Garretson. The first division of the township into school districts was in August, 1826, by the trustees of the township. The districts were immense in size. Some of the early teachers were Robert Eachus, Nugent Ward. Caleb Smith, A. R. Sewell, George Athey, Noah Newland and others
ROADS.
The first roads of the new settlements were mere trails blazed through the great forest. Then the corduroy road, or causeway of logs, was considered a great improvement The log system of roadmaking, in regions where the soil was wet and timber abundant ou the spot, and only costing the cutting, was a very effective means of making the old trails passable. No doubt travel over some of those old log roads must, at times, have been more serious than amusing. The logs were usually of unequal sizes and transit over such a surface in a wagon without springs must have been far from comfortable. The first road laid out in the township was what was known as the College township road. The Sewell settlement and Morgan Van Meter's house. at what is now known as Snow Hill, were the most important points on it. It is hard to recognize these old roads now from the field notes given. they have been changed so often. The Columbus & Cincinnati state road crossed the township from east to southwest. A road that passed by Villar's chapel and on toward Blanchester was laid out at a very early date. The road from Lawrence's to Clarksville was laid out in 1836.
The first pike through the township was the Goshen & Wilmington turnpike. It was built of broken stone in about 1840, by a company, and was kept up as a toll pike until about 1880, when the commissioners of Clinton county bought it and improved it. About 1870 the College township road, from Cuba to Clarksville, was piked. The road-bed was made twenty feet at the top. thirty-four feet at the base, and two feet high from the bottom of side drains. The road-bed was covered with gravel twelve feet wide and sixteen and one-fourth inches deep. About the year 1876, the road from Villar's chapel, through Blanchester to the Brown county line, was piked In the same manner. In 1880 the Goshen & Wilmington pike was purchased by the county commissioners and improved, making it a free pike, About the same year the road from the Goshen & Wilmington pike near Clarksville to the Warren county line, In the direction of Harveysburg, was piked.
The following are the officers of Union township in 1915: Trustees, Arthur Leonard. Robert White and C. R. Van Tress; clerk. A. W. Doan; treasurer. C. L. Haworth. Population, including Wilmington, six thousand' two hundred and fifteen; outside of Wilmington, seventeen hundred and twenty-four.
The history of the towns of Union township will not require many words, as the history of Wilmington will be taken up In a separate chapter. There are three small hamlets marked on the county map. These are Deserted Camp, which has been taken up In detail in another chapter; Burtonville, which is situated on the Wilmington and Martinsville pike, and Clinton, which is a flag stop on the Midland division of the Baltimore & Ohio rallrond. None of these villages was ever platted and nt present they have no business or professional interests. Little Center Is the location of a Friends church.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP,
The location of Washington township is very central. It being one of the two town- ships in the county that do not border on the county line. It is bounded on the north by I'nion, on the east by Green, on the south by Clark and Jefferson, and on the west by Marion and Vernon townships. Cowan's creek and Silver creek, which, with their tributaries, drain the northern and central parts of the township, and the East fork of Tinid's fork, which flows through the south part of the townsbip, are the principal streams. The township presents a plain of gently undulating land. The capacity of the soil equals that of any part of the county in productiveness.
EARLY BETTLERS.
In Its session of 1802-03. the state Legislature provided for the opening of a state road lending from Chillicothe by way of Morgantown to College township in Butler county. This highway passed through Washington township and became the route by which the early settlers of this township were led to their home in the forest. Ianne Wilson. who came from Virginia and settled on the survey of Colonel Carrington in about the year 1803. was perhaps the first person to settle within the present bounds of Washington township. In 1805 came Thomas Thatcher, who located on a large tract of lund in Capt. John Steele's survey No. 1458, on the banks of Silver creek. Thatcher was born in Frederick county. Virginia, In 1700. He came to this state with a four-horse team and the typical Virginia wagon. following the usual route through Pennsylvania, and encounter- ing the delays, annoyances and vexations common to all of the early emigrants. He died in 1867. at the ripe old age ninety eight years.
On his arrival on Silver creek, Thatcher found Joseph Roberts, John Jack, Samuel Ruble, John Wright and Edward Powers, they having arrived a short time before. Very little is known of these men or where they came from. About the year 1807. Col. Samuel Martin, together with his son, emigrated to this township from western Pennsylvania and settled in survey No. 906. After some time, be found that the title to his land was worthless and he and his son resumed their westward journey. Tradition tells us that he was one of the lending figures in the "Whiskey Insurrection" that occurred in western Pennsylania during Washington's administration as President.
Peter Tomlin. another pioneer of what is now known as Washington township. was born in Culpeper, Virginin, in 1776. He moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1802, and from thence. In 1808, to Clinton county, Ohlo, settling on Captain Steele's survey No. 1458. where he reared a famHy of seventeen children. He was a man of great prominence in the affairs of the township and county and served as a captain in the War of 1812. He died in 1857, at the age of eighty-one, and was buried in what is known as the Lieurance cemetery, near his old home.
In 1806. Adon Clevenger came to this township and settled at Cross Roads, or what IR today known as Cuba. He was born In Frederick county, Virginia, in 1773. from whence he emigrated In 1804 to Waynesville, Warren county, Oblo. He opened and ran the first blacksmith's shop in the present town of Cuba. He plied his trade there for a couple of years. when he moved to Wilmington, and from there back to Cowan's creek, where he bought a small farm in Colonel Ridley's survey No. 2028, where he lived until his death, in 1858.
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CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO.
Very little is known of the early life of Peter Lieurance, who came to this county in 1800 and settled on Steele's survey No. 1458. He was born in Ashe county, North Carolina. In 1750, moved from North Carolina, in about the year 1800, to east Tennessee, where he resided a few years, and then removed to Washington township, Clinton county, Oblo. He was an enthusiastic member of the Baptist church and, as there was no church In the neighborhood at this time, meetings were held at bis house until 1819, when he donated a lot for a church and cemetery, upon which a log church was erected and the first perman- ent organization of Baptists in Washington township was effected. He continued on the farm which he had cleared until about the year 1840, when, at the age of eighty-one, he sold this farm and removed to the then new prairies of Warren county, Illinois, where he lived until 1863, dying at the remarkable age of one hundred and four years. The eldest son of Peter Lieurance was Elijah, who was born in Ashe county, North Carolina, and removed with his father to Ohio in 1806 He served in the War of 1812, returning afterwards to his home and residing in the township in 1886, when he removed to Warren county, Illinois.
David Huys, who came to Washington township in 1845, was born near the city of Wilmington, in the state of Delaware, in the year 1766. It was during the days of his boyhood and about his home that the war for American Independence was waged. In 1800 he moved to Frederick county, Virginia, where he married Mary Horsman in 1805. In the same year he removed to Harrison county, Ohio, where be resided until he moved to Wash- ington township and settled in John Steele's survey No. 1458, where he resided until bis death, in 1844.
David. Asa, Elisha and James Brown were the names of four brother pioneers of Washington township, who were born in Massachusetts during the days of the Revolu- tionary War, at the close of which they emigrated with their father to Owen county, Ken- tucky, where they grew to manhood. Between the years 1807 to 1810, they all removed from Kentucky to within the present confines of Washington township. They purchased land in the surveys of Steele. Carrington and Johnson.
David Clevenger was born in Frederick county. Virginia, about the year 1785, and moved to Ohio in 1808, settling in Dix survey No. 619, Several years later he moved farther west.
Jesse Graham came to this township in 1807 and bought and cleared a tract of land In Steuben's survey.
John Mitchell came in 1807; William Johns, William Baker. William R. Moon, William Biggs and William Biggs, Jr .. in 1808: Robert Athey, about the year 1813; Martin and Jacob Roop, about the year 1815; John Matson, in 1817; Thomas Woodmansee, 1813; George Byard, 1816; John Crouse, 1817; Oliver Whitaker, 1800; John Buck. 1807; James Wilson. about 1810: Thomas Johns, 1808; Thomas Pennington. 1813: H. M. Greeen, 1835; Jacob Mann. 1818: Joshua Lazenby, 1817: Henry Cowgill, about 1812. Others that should be mentioned are Daniel and Jacob Beales, Thomas and Israel Johns. Ebenezer Christopher and John Brown, William Mabury, James Haworth, Charles MeGrue. Jobn Jack, John Dale. Samuel Ruble. Thomas Ludington. George Shannon, Amos Hankins, Empson Wright and Walter Starkey.
FORMATION OF THE TOWNSHIP.
Washington township was formed by order of the commissioners of Clinton county, nt their regular session, In June, 1835, on a petition containing the following description :
"Beginning in the line of Union township, one mile west of the northwest line of Clark township: thence southward to Marlon township, where the township line crosses the road leading from David Wright's to Blanchester, and continuing same course one mile Into Marlon township: thence eastward to intersect the line one mile south of the north- east corner of sald township : thence across Clark township so as to include Samuel Batson ; thence to the road leading from Cuba to Martinsville, eighty poles to the north of Robert
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Green's house; thence to where the Wilmington and Hillsboro road crosses the College township road ; thence with the south side of said College township rond to the northeast corner of Clark township; thence westward with the line of Union and Clark townships to the beginning, containing twenty-four and one-third square miles of land."
MILLS.
James Wilson built the first mill within the present hounds of Washington township on the banks of Cowan's creek. As nearly as can be ascertained. this mill was built about the year 1810. It stood a few rods above the road leading from Wilmington to Cuba. In the parlance of the times and neighborbood, it was called a "corn-cracker." A few years Juter a distillery was also added and the plant was operated by Mr. Wilson as both mill and distillery until about 1826 or 1827. Thomas Thatcher built a saw-mill on the banks of Silver creek about the year 1818, which he operated for about twenty years, when it fell into decay. About the time of its discontinuance, perhaps 1840, James Carman erected a saw-mill on Cowan's creek in survey No. 2020. This mill had a corn-cracker attached and was operated for many years. The mill was sold a few years later to Abel Biggs. It became so badly damaged by freshets that Mr. Biggs rebuilt it in 1853, and operated it for six or seven years, when it was so completely damaged by high waters that it was abandoned and allowed to fall into decay. The first steam-mill in the town- ship was built by William B. Biggs in Cuba in about the year 1852. It also had a corn- erneker attachment, and was run for several years, burning down in about 1860. In 1853 or 1854, William R. Moon and John Mann built a saw- and grist-mill about one-half mile from Cuba, on the Martinsville road, which was operated successfully for several years. It was finally removed by Mr. Moon and sons to Cuba, where it became a first- class mill in every respect.
BCHOOLS.
The first school teachers of which we have any account were E. Hamilton, James Trimble, Benjamin Hunter, James Hamilton, Thomas Wilson, Robert Grant, John Mc- Kibben, George E. Honeycutt, Azariah Brown, Henry Lazenby and Elijah Hays, Of course the only schools these men taught were subscription schools.
Among the Arst regular physicians of the township may be mentioned Doctors Levacy. Smith, Miller, Bennett, Prewett, Moon and Briggs.
The following are the officers of Washington township In 1915: Trustees, Barney Oshorn. J. W. B. Crouse and L. M. Moon; clerk, A. M. West; treasurer, D. F. Brown. Population, one thousand and four.
CUBA.
Cuba was the first town laid out in Washington township and, perhaps, the second in the county. It was first called Paris. This village was laid out and platted by Jonas Seaman and James Archer on September 9, 1814. It was part of the James Blackwell survey No. 1.457. The original, as well as the present, number of lots was one hundred.
The first hotel was kept by Mr. Armstrong, who opened a house of entertainment here in 1805 or 1800. It was at that time known as the Cross Roads, being the point where the trace or trail from the south crossed the College township road. This rond was located and opened a few years prior, by an act of the Legislature of 1802-3. authorizing the laying out of various state roads, among which was the College township road. lead- ing from Chillicothe, by way of Morgantown, to the College township line, now in Butler county. This road soon became quite a thoroughfare and the emigrant's wagon was con- stantly in sight : hence the necessity for houses of entertainment. Armstrong entertained the traveling public for a number of years and then retired. He was succeeded by Jonas Seaman, who remained In the hotel until the close of the War of 1812. Seaman was succeeded by J. J. Lacey, who occupied the premises for a short time and then gave way
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to Matthew Callaway, who acted as innkeeper for many years, being succeeded by Col. J. Ward Jones. This was about the year 1826.
Since that time the Innkeepers of Cuba have been numerous and varled. This was a very profitable business until the opening of the railroad, causing the overland travel to give way to the more rapid transit by rail.
The Midland division of the Baltimore & Ohio raliroad passes through this village, and it was through the united efforts of Cuba, coupled with those of Wilmington and Sablua, that brought this road through Clinton county. This village donated her share for the building of this rond and too much praise cannot be given her. Since the opening of this line. Cuba has taken on a new aspect and is at present a very busy little town. The town has three general merchandise stores, owned by the following: H. D. Pennington, J. M. Uible and D. F. Brown. W .. R. Hughes & Son keep the blacksmith shop. The flour-zuill is owned and operated by C. W. Burton. H. R. Vance ls the agent for the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, and J. M. Uible is the postmaster. The population is approximately one hundred. The town is unincorporated and the limits are hard to detine for estimating the population.
MORRISVILLE.
Morrisville is the second town in Washington township, both as to age and size. It was laid out and surveyed by Nathan Linton on June 16, 1840, on Isaac Morris's survey No. 1.367, and was named In honor of Mr. Morris, who owned a large tract of Jand adjoining it. It is situated four miles east of Cuba, in a very fine farming district and consists of but a few lots. It has one country store, owned by Robert Green; William Hall keeps a blacksmith shop. The population at present is sixty-two.
Macedonia is the only other town in this township. It was never platted and at present is nothing more than a crossroads, with a few houses.
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CHAPTER XXVIII.
WAYNE TOWNSHIP.
Prior to 1837 Wayue township had been a part of Green and Ricbland townships. In that year this township was formally established by an act of the county commis- sioners. Wayne township is situated in the southeastern part of Clinton county and is bounded on the north by Richland township, on the west by Green township, on the south by Highland county and on the east by Fayette county. It is located in one of the most fertile districts of Ohio and the early settlers found this a very desirable place to settle. This township has an elevation of about one thousand two hundred feet above the level of the sea and, although the topography is marked, it is comparatively level. It was known for a number of years as "the flats," but, by judicious drainage, it has become one of the most healthful and desirable parts of the county. It Is very well watered and drained by several small streams and tributaries.
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