History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 43

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 912

USA > Ohio > Columbiana County > History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens > Part 43

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St. Clair was organized in 1803 as one of the original townships of Columbiana County, and had its boundaries fixed by the county commissioners March 5, 1805. From the terri- tory then set apart St. Clair was deprived in 1834 of sections 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, which, with fractional township 5, were in that year apportioned to the new township of Liver- pool. The township of St. Clair up to 1905 had no incorporated villages. . The hamlets in the township were Calcutta, Cannon's Mills, Sprucevale and Fredericktown. Calcutta, the, earliest settled and always the most important of the four, was the seat of the township au- thority. It had long contained a town hall, a good schoolhouse, hotel and two or three good general stores. At Cannon's Mills was a splen- did grist-mill and a general store. Frederick- town was laid out by George Frederick, in De- cember, 1833; there has always been a good country store, and for many years a grist-mill, tannery, sawmill, and cooper shops. Spruce- vale, never attained any special importance be- yond that of a quiet country settlement. Cal-

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cutta was for a time in the early days known as Foulkstown, in honor of William Foulks, an early settler, who built the first brick house in the village. But the place was originally laid out as West Union by William Foulks and Michael Shirtz.

The Long Run Presbyterian Church was organized in 1800. . When Revs. McCurdy, McMillan, Scott and Marquis, of Western Pennsylvania, were engaged in the great revi- val work in their own neighborhood, they vis- ited St. Clair township, and, where Calcutta later stood, held meetings in houses, in tents, and under the trees in the open air. The first sermon is supposed to have been delivered in 1800 by Rev. Mr. Hughes, of Pennsylvania, under a tree at the intersection of the cross- roads which were afterward the two main streets in Calcutta. The next sermon was preached on William Tucker's farm. Thence the place of public worship was changed to Long Run, a little more than a mile east of Calcutta, and here the Long Run Church was organized. The first elders were Samuel Mar- quis and Eben Miller. Services continued to be held in the cabins of settlers or in the open air. The first settled pastor was Rev. Clement Vallandigham, who was installed about 1806. About the same time he was pastor of the Presbyterian Church at New Lisbon, where he made his home. Mr. Vallandigham continued to serve both congregations until 1817, at which time he was engaged for his full time by the New Lisbon church. In 1808 the united membership of the two churches at Cal- cutta and New Lisbon was less than 50, but in 1817 the membership rolls of the two societies showed an aggregate of 261. A log church had been built on the Tucker farmi, but in 1810 William Foulks donated the land for the sec- ond log church, very near the site occupied by the church building erected later by the Long Run congregation. The second settled pastor was Rev. William Reid, who from 1821 preached alternately at Calcutta and New Lis- bon, his pastorate continuing 28 years. For ,some years the membership of the Long Run church outnumbered that of any other church in the presbytery. Later it lost many of its

members by transfer to the churches of Madi- son, East Liverpool, Clarkson and Yellow Creek. During Rev. Mr. Reid's time the log church was replaced by a small brick edifice, and this, in 1830, was enlarged by the addition of 40 feet to its length. Early members of the church session were: Nicholas Dawson, George Dawson, Herbert White, George Daw- son, Jr., Mr. Young, Mr. Foulks, Mr. Mc- Cammon, Dr. Samuel Quigley and John Mont- gomery. While Rev. Mr. Reid was pastor, some dissension arose over the display of some sacred pictures at a church entertainment, and as a result a number of members withdrew and organized an Associate Reform Church. In 1850, when Rev. Robert Hays became pas- tor there were but 30 members. However, at the close of Rev. Mr. Hays' pastorate of less than four years, the membership had increased to 90. Following Rev. Mr. Hays, Revs. Mc- Mahon and others served the congregation in later years. The brick church building still in use in 1905 was erected in 1868, and cost $6,000.

The Associate Reform Church of Calcutta was the outgrowth of the dissensions in the Long Run Presbyterian Church, the seceders about 1848 building a small brick church. Pre- vious to that and directly after the Long Run - church's trouble, ,Rev. Dr. Priestly, of the Theological seminary at Allegheny, organized the new church in the barn of John Rauch, on the farm later owned by Adam Hickman. The first and only pastor of the church was Rev. Samuel Clark, who ministered to the congre- gation until they joined with the United Pres- byterian Church of Calcutta. The latter con- gregation had been organized in 1815. Public services were held as early as 1812 in a grove near the site occupied later by the church build- ing. In 1815 Rev. Elijah N. Scroggs was in- stalled first pastor. Rev. Mr. Scroggs was also for some years in charge of the West Beaver and the Four Mile ( Pennsylvania) churches : but later devoted his entire time to Calcutta and Four Mile, remaining in charge until his death. December 20, 1851. He was buried in the cemetery near the Calcutta church. Rev. Mr. Scroggs' successor was

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Rev. Joseph Barkley, whose pastorate contin- ued four years, during which he preached also at Glade Run. Death ended in one year the pastorate of Rev. Thomas Andrews; and in 1864 Rev. John W. Martin was called to the charge of the united congregations of Cal- cutta and East Liverpool. In 1867 he relin- quished the charge of the Calcutta congrega- tion, and in May, 1868, J. H. Leiper, then a theological student, took charge of the congre- gations of Calcutta and West Beaver. He served both congregations until January I, 1876, when the Calcutta charge engaged him for his full time. The first house of worship was built about 1818, and the second (still in use in 1905) in 1865. The first elders of the church were John Stewart, John Ansley and John Smith. . The pastors after Rev. Mr. Leiper's time were: Revs. Gilfillan, McClin- tock, McKelvy, Campbell and W. H. Clark- the last named being pastor in 1905.

The Disciples Church at Fredericktown was organized in 1827 by Elder Walter Scott. The organization took place in the schoolhouse of District No. I of St. Clair township, and there public worship was maintained until 1829. The members of the church at the or- ganization were: John Jackman, Jacob Wol- lam and David Figley and their wives, and Mary Gaston and Rebecca Meek. The first house of worship was built in Fredericktown in 1829, and in 1853 a new church was erected upon a site about one and a half miles south of Fredericktown. This structure was removed in 1877 to Fredericktown, where it continued to serve the purposes of the society. Among the pastors of the church have been Elders John Jackman, Israel Benton, John Applegate, George M. Lucy and J. M. Davis. Elder Jack- man, the first pastor, continued to serve the congregation for many years. For some years up to 1905 the congregation had no settled pastor, the pulpit being supplied occasionally from East Liverpool.

The Methodist Church at Calcutta was organized in 1869. Rev. Alexander. Scott was the first minister. Before his death, in 1869, George Thompson bequeathed $400 to the vil- lage of Calcutta toward the erection of a public

hall, upon condition that it should be devoted, free of charge, to the use of any denomination desiring to worship therein. Previous to the erection of the Town Hall, which was in 1872, the Methodists worshiped in the Calcutta schoolhouse; but upon the completion of the .. hall they began to hold services there and continued to occupy it. Rev. W. B. Watkins, presiding elder, preached the first sermon in the hall during the ministry of Rev. William P. Turner, who was stationed at East Liver- i pool, and preached at Calcutta twice a month. Some of those who supplied the pulpit were: Ezra Hingely, William White, Cyrus Brough, Alonzo Shaw, S .. Burt and several others. After Rev. Mr. Hingeley's time, the church was made a mission.

One of the earliest school teachers, if not the very earliest, was Joseph Mckinnon, who taught very soon after the year 1800 in a log schoolhouse on what was later the East Liver- pool road, on a place subsequently owned by the McCoys. His successor was Samuel Polk, About 1810 John Quinn taught in a log school- house above where Dr. Calvin lived in, later years, and William H. McGuffey-later the well-known author of McGuffey's readers and spelling-books-taught in a frame building in Calcutta. Still later. Joseph Hoy taught in a log schoolhouse near the site in later years occupied by the Calcutta schoolhouse. Before the close of the century seven school districts had been established in the township, viz : Calcutta, Beaver Creek, Fredericktown, the Bell school, Mount Pleasant, Cannon's Mills and one on the Wellsville road.

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP

Was originally numbered 14 in range 4, but, by the accession in 1832 of a portion of Wayne township, lies now partly in range 3 .. Its boundaries are Center and Hanover townships on the north, Washington township and Car- roll county on the south, Wayne and Wash- ington townships on the east, and Carroll County on the west. The Cleveland and Pitts- burg Division of the Pennsylvania lines passes through the township diagonally from the

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southeast to the northwest, the two stations on the road, Summitville and Millport, being with- in the bounds of the township. There are several small streams, but so unimportant as to never have furnished a large amount of water power. The surface of the country is moderately hilly, and the soil is very fertile. The first settlements in what is now Franklin township were made on the eastern row of sec- tions, which were, however, not included with- in the bounds of Franklin township until 1833, being previous to that a portion of Wayne. In 1804 William King settled on section 7. But William Laughlin was the first settler in what was early known as Franklin township. He came from Pennsylvania in 1805 and located on section II, where William R .. Linn after- ward lived. The next settler was Philip Will- yard, who with his wife and two children set- tled .in November, 1805, on section 12, where his son John resided many years afterwards. On the place settled by William Laughlin, it is said, Gen. Anthony Wayne camped one night with his troops, and the spot whereon he pitched his tent, it is averred, is still pointed out, and the little stream on whose banks he rested with his men is called Camp Run. Thomas Ferguson, who located. on section 9 (now in Carroll County) was one of Franklin township's early settlers. Robert Smith also settled on the same section in 1815. A daugh- ter of Robert Smith, who as late as 1880 lived with the family of William Davis, on the farm settled by her father at that time, remembered distinctly early incidents. Their nearest neigh- bors were Hugh McElroy and his mother (a widow), who settled on section 9 prior to 1815. James McQuilkin was a settler on section 3. In the south, one of the earliest settlers was Jacob Marietta, who came from Maryland. John Morrison came to Columbiana County shortly after 1800, and located in Franklin township in 1814. James B. Morrison resided 25 years in Franklin township, lived subse- quently an equal period of time in Wayne town- ship, and later removed to and lived to a good old age in New Lisbon. In Franklin town- ship's early settlement, about 1814, may be mentioned William Loughlin, John King, Sam-

uel Brown, Adam Knauff, Adam Custard and Jacob Hackathron. Shortly after 1814, among those who settled were William Phillips, James Anderson, William Knepper, James Smart, Thomas Coney, Hugh Linn and Jabez Coul- son, the last named being one of the earliest justices of the peace. Samuel Brown settled in 1807 on the place on section 10 where afterward William Linn lived; James Anderson, in 1806, on the farm next north of the Willyards, and, north of that, William Knepper. Thomas Fife entered a quarter on section one and leased it to George McVey. Moses Gillespie entered a quarter on the same section; Adam Custard, from Maryland, settled on section 2; John Morrison on section 10, John Brannon on sec- tion 14, afterward, occupied by David Lock- ard, and James McQuilkin on section 3. Mat- thew McGuin entered section 2 in 1812, "be- cause," says an early authority, "at that time there was upon it a schoolhouse, which had been erected when the section was still govern- ment land, and McGuin thought it an easy way to get a house for nothing." Thomas Cooney located on section II at an early day, and on the same section John King entered the quarter afterward owned by John Cooney and sold it to Adam Knauff. William Laughlin the first settler, was also the first justice of the peace, and performed his first marriage cere- mony in the event where Henry Hull, of Wayne township, figured as the groom (the bride's name not being given in the authority from which this is quoted). Hull paid the 'squire three bushels of corn for performing the ceremony. John Willyard, it may be said in passing, servide as justice of the peace, with one intermission of but one year, from 1828 to 1875, a period of 46 years. Daniel and John Lindesmith and Mowrey Kountz, with several other citizens of Franklin township whose names are not at hand, served in the War of 1812, "John Clark," relates an authority al- ready quoted, "was an early settler who lived- on a fork of Yellow Creek, in a ravine, and. with his family found shelter one winter against a large log, over which they had spread a bark roof. This was their habitation until. spring and an uncomfortable one it was; but

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they struggled bravely through the cold season until spring set in, when a log cabin was built. Flint and steel served in those days the purpose of matches, and often settlers would go a long way to borrow a fire-brand from a neighbor to start a fire when flint and steel were wanting."

James McQuilkin, who learned his trade with David Ehrhart, of Hanover township. was the first blacksmith in Franklin township. Thomas Ferguson was the first shoemaker, and the families of Philip and Mary McQuilkin the first to use looms. John Morrison was the first house carpenter, and Philip Willyard, An- drew Sweeney, Hugh Brannon, it is related, "the first to make rye whisky."

Franklin township was organized in 1816. It then contained 36 sections, and was pre- sumed to have an area of six square miles. In 1832, when Carroll County was organized, Franklin was deprived of three rows of sec- tions on the west, and at the same time was partially compensated by an addition on the east of one row of sections, taken from Wayne township, leaving the limits of Franklin town- ship within an area measuring four miles from east to west and six miles from north to south, and containing 24 sections. The first poll- book was made out in 1816 by James B. Mor- rison, who was, at the first township election, 'chosen to the office of constable.

Franklin township has but two villages, Summitville and Millport, both being stations on the Cleveland & Pittsburg Railroad. Neither is incorporated. Summitville was laid out in March, 1853, by Peter Friedt, and so named because the site upon which it rests was supposed to be "the highest point of elevation between the waters of the Sandy and Lake Erie." It is situated in an excellent agricul- "tural district, by reason of which it has enjoyed a substantial though small mercantile trade.

Millport, about two miles north of Summit- ville, was laid out in January, 1853, by Philip Willyard and Hugh Laughlin. The place was orignally known as Franklin, but, confusion arising frequently from the similarity of name with Franklin Square, in the northern part of "the county, it was changed to Millport, as significant of the existence at that point of a grist-mill and sawmill.

Bethesda Presbyterian Church, in Franklin township, was organized in 1821, previous to which time, however, there had been Presby- terian services held in the township by Revs. Clement Vallandigham, James Robertson and others, chiefly in the barn and residence of Hugh Linn. Rev. Mr. Vallandigham preached about a year. The church was organized in the time of Rev. Mr. Robertson. In 1822 the first church building was erected, which was re- placed in 1855 by the structure still in use in 1905. The first session of the church was com- posed of Patrick McKaig, John Cameron, John Morrison and Hugh King. Successors of Rev. James Robertson (the first settled pastor) were: Revs. Josuha Beer, J. B. Graham, James Robertson ( for a second term), Robert Johnson, Robert Dickson, William Dalzell, David Miller, Joseph E. Carson, John R. Dun- dass, J. B. Miller, B. M. Price (1877-84), R. B. Love (1885-91), J. F. Kirkbride ( 1893- 03), and J. B. Black, who entered upon the pastorate in 1904. The elders in. 1905 were Robert Binsley, John M. Hull, H. J. Pelley, M. D., and John N. Blake.

Public worship, according to the Roman Catholic faith, was held as early as 1838 in a church built on the McAllister place, near the northern line of the township. It was known as the "McAllister Church," and was attended by Catholics from the townships of Franklin, Hanover and Center. Later, when the Catho- lics of Franklin township worshiped near Sum- mitville, the church at the north was abandoned and a new church built in Hanover township. In 1845 a log building originally erected for a store, near the site later occupied by the church at Summitville, was purchased by the Catholics of Franklin township and St. John's Church was established, as a mission point, where the priests stationed at other churches held occasional services. In 1848 a fine brick church building was erected at a cost of about $10,000, and, the congregation by that time having grown stronger, a priest was stationed there, since which time the church has flour- ished. The first pastor of the parish was Rev. James Conlon, and after him came Revs. Thomas Kennedy, Francis Stoker, Michael Prendegast, Thomas Welsh, D. Tighe, P. J.

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McGuire, D. A. Kelly, E. J. Murphy and others.

About 1818, there being in the township quite a number of families who belonged to the Society of Friends, a log meeting house was built in that neighborhood now included within the limits of East township, Carroll County. Among the leading members of the organiza- tion were Richard and John Battin, Stephen McBride, Jr., Isaiah Williams and Mordecai Saunders. The Friends worshiped there sev- eral years, but the gradual depletion of their numbers by removals led before very many years to the dissolution of the society.

. James Barr is supposed to have been the first school teacher in Franklin township. He taught in 1812 in a schoolhouse built by the settlers on section 2, while it was yet govern- ment land. After Matthew McGuire had en- tered the section, as already related, he tried to sell the schoolhouse with the site (which he had acquired with the title to the land) to the settlers for school purposes; but they refused to be parties to such a speculation, and proceed- ed to build a second schoolhouse on William. Laughlin's farm. This was soon after des- troyed by fire, and a third house erected near the same spot. William Kneppert and Patrick Smith taught in the new house. One dollar and a half was the amount paid per quarter for each scholar in those days; and, as 25 scho- lars were about the average number gathered at one time, a teacher's pay then was not calcu- lated to make a man wealthy in a very short time. Before the close of the century four dis- trict schools provided educational advantages to the youth of the township under the common school system of Ohio.

There have been few manufacturing or other industries in Franklin township aside from farming, except a few grist-mills, saw- mills and tanneries, which are referred to in another chapter of this work.

WEST TOWNSHIP.

According to the old surveys and allot- ments West township is township 6 north, range 5 east. It is bounded by Knox town-

ship on the north, Hanover township on the east, Carroll County on the south and Stark County on the west. The township is drained by the Mahoning River and its branches on the north and the Big Sandy and tributaries of the Tuscarawas on the west and south. The surface of the land is undulating and the soil is fertile, almost' all the land being susceptible of cultivation. A portion of the township fur- nishes the water shed between the Mahoning and the Tuscarawas Rivers, the greatest ele- vation being in the vicinity of Chambersburg, on sections 9, 10, 15 and 16. The township was organized in 1816 and contains full 36 sections. Pioneers began taking up land about the time the county was organized in 1803. Among the earliest pioneers in the north- ern part of the township was Michael Sanor, who came to West township in the spring of 1804. He had a family of II children. Sanor had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War. John Ruff also settled in the spring of 1804, on section 3. In the Ruff fam- ily were 13 children. Henry King settled on section 4, also in 1804, and David Smith en- tered and settled on section II the same year. The Smith family consisted then of the parents and 10 children-which may partially account for the plentitude of the Smiths in Columbiana County since those days of big families and the rarity of race suicide. On May 5, 1805, John Hahn located on section 8. It is related of Hahn that he brought with him a wife but no children. Nevertheless, after locating in West township, they were obedient to the Scriptural injunction, for they were fruitful and multi- plied to the extent of 14 sons and daughters. In 1806 Isaac Davis came to West township bringing his wife and four children. In 1808 William Harrison, John Freed and John Hahn, Sr .. located in the township, and the same year a number of other families located in various parts of the township. In 1811 Jehu Coulson, with a family of eight children, settled in the township, and in 1812 Nathan Pine, John Mess- more and Philip Wolf took up land. Philip Brenner settled in 1813; Isaac Willis in 1819, and about the same time Andrew Barnes, Jacob Lower, Henry Betts, John Zepernick, Henry

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Barnes, Jacob Redmond and John Foulks came into the township and took up land. Joseph Willis and Joseph Willis, Jr., his son, settled in West in 1822; Jacob Koffel in 1823, and Joseph Summers in 1825. John Clark and family settled on section 9 in 1831 ; Taylor Wooley came in the spring of 1833 with his wife and children, John Snyder in 1834, Eli Taylor in 1835 and Lewis McCoy in 1837.

The oldest hamlet in West township is New Alexander. It was platted about 1812. Originally it comprised about 20 acres of land, owned by David Smith. A hotel was built in 1818, which bore the sign of the Black Bear. It was kept for many years by John Ritz. The village was on the old stage line, and in the days of stage-coaches was a place of more note than it has been of later years.

Chambersburg was laid out December 20, 1828. the proprietors being Michael Coxsen, David Myers, George Ball and William Mc- Millan. Chambersburg is situated three miles west of New Alexander, and on the old stage road of nearly a century ago. An old hotel stood on the site of the village before it was laid out. It was kept Samuel Miller until it was destroyed by fire in 1830. J. D. Koffel then built a hotel which he conducted for some time. Chambersburg never grew to any im- portance as, a village after the days of stage- coaches.

East Rochester was platted in December, 1834, by J. G. Williard, under the proprietor- ship of Thomas Emmons and Isaac Davis. But on its site before it was laid out as a ham- let there was a postoffice known as Emmons Cross-Roads. Additions were made in 1854 and 1862 by George Sloan. The first store was kept by Jacob St. Clair, while yet the hamlet was known as Emmons Cross-Roads. Later Joseph Coulson was postmaster, and after the completion of the Cleveland & Pittsburg Rail- road through the village in 1852 Mr. Coulson also served as station agent.

The first plat of Lynchburg was made De- cember 4, 1834, the original land-owners being Eli Wickersham and Amos Preston. An addi- tion was made December 26th of the same year by Amos Preston, William Hall and Philip

Wickersham. The hamlet which was named in honor of Lynchburg, Virginia, owed its exist- ence to the construction of the Sandy and Beaver Canal and consequently its best days were its early days. From the time of the abandonment of the canal the hamlet began to decline. On May 6, 1845, on petition of Owen Stackhouse, the Court of Common Pleas of the county ordered that 46 lots, then within the vil- lage limits, be vacated as town lots.

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 43

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844 Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 912

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 912