History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 47

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 47

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In 1816 Saline township-a portion of which, on the erection of Carroll County in 1832, was set off to that county-was organ- ed. The name Saline was retained by the Car- roll County portion, and when in 1833 the por- tion remaining in Columbiana County was re- modeled by the county commissioners, it was renamed Washington. At the same time sec- tions 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 were taken from Wayne township and added to Washington.

COLUMBIANA COUNTY'S MINING CENTER.

Salineville is the only town of importance in Washington township. Highlandtown, the one settlement beside, is a small hamlet in the eatsern part of the township, which was, as al- ready noted, laid out in 1834 by Angus Mc- Donald. Alexander Chisholm opened the first store in Highlandtown, and was the first post- master. The post office has always been known as Inverness. Salineville was laid out by John and James Farmer in 1839 and in- corporated in 1848. It showed but little growth until the completion of the Cleveland & Pittsburg Railroad, and the subsequent de- velopment of the coal mining interests, which laid the foundation for its future prosperity. The life and career of James Farmer is so closely identified with the history of Saline- ville, especially in the first two or three decades of its existence, that an extract from his "Me- moir," by Lydia Ethel Farmer Painter, daugh-

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

ter of James Farmer, will not be out of place here. Mrs. Painter in her little volume says : "Our Grandfather Farmer came from Georgia, our Grandfather Butler from Pennsylvania, the one in 1805-(our father three years of age) -the other in 1811-(our mother six years of age)-and both families pitched their tents in well-nigh the same neighborhood. New Garden and Goshen are now as then small vil- lages, 110 long remove from the better known town of Salem, and it was in proximity to these, in the very heart of the forest, that the new houses were made; our mother remained in hers until she grew into the full strength of womanhood; and until the early autumn clay-the first of tenth month (October), 1834, on which she rode away horseback- light silk gown and all-because the roads were too bad for a carriage-and in the lit- tle, forest-environed meeting house, was mar- ried to James Farmer, our father. * * * They set out for their new home, some 25 miles away, among the wilder and more picturesque beauty of the hill country in Columbiana County. Our father had already made a goodly beginning during the years in which he had, with our grandfather, opened up and cleveloped the resources of those hills and val- leys through which the Little Yellow Creek took its way toward the Ohio River, and on whose banks our father had built the comfort- able frame house (still standing in 1905) to which, in the early autumn days, he journeyed with his bride. There it was their seven chil- dren were born. : *

* Neither grandfather nor father had gone into this wilderness for the sake of mere subsistence. Together they began the development of the resources of a country that in time yielded a rich reward. * * Settlers came, and the little hamlet grew, and in no long time was given the name "Salineville." Up to this time our grand- father and father had made their business ventures and successes together, but, about this time, our grandfather retired from active busi- ness life, leaving our father to carry forward the ever-increasing business interests single- handed."

The history of the salt and coal industries,

in which John and James Farmer were so prominently identified, in connection with the early mills, tanneries, and other industries with which they and other Salineville and Washington township men had much to do, is related in other and appropriate chapters of this work. The census of 1890 showed Saline- ville to have a population of 2,369, and that of 1900, 2,353. In the first five years of the new century the business of the town greatly im- proved over that of the 10 years preceding, and the estimated population was 3,000.

The officers of the village in 1905 were : Mayor, Frank Pumphrey; clerk, W. F. Burgett; marshal, J. Higgins; council,-W. A. Skinner, M. S. Schubert, H. S. McPherson, IV. P. Luton, E. A. Montooth and A. H. Rogers.

The Salineville Banking Company was the town's first banking institution. It was or- ganized in 1873, with J. G. Lacock president and W. T. Cope, cashier. It had a capital of $30,000, which in 1877 was reduced to $20,- oco. That concern was in 1880 succeeded by Cope & Thompson (W. T. Cope, later Repre- sentative and State Treasurer, and H. A. Thompson, who was still in 1905 in the bank- ing business). In 1887 the latter firm was succeeded by H. A. Thompson & Company, W. A. Thompson (afterwards-in 1905- county treasurer) having succeeded to Mr. Cope's interest, and this house was, in 1895, reorganized as the H. A. Thompson Banking Company. In 1902 another change occurred, when the concern became the Citizens' Bank- ing Company, with a capital of $50,000. In 1905 the officers of this company were; H. A. Thompson, president ; W. A. Thompson, vice- president ; W. A. McBane, cashier. A second bank commenced business in 1904, known as the People's Banking Company, with an au- thorized capital of $25,000, A. Lange being president and Mr. Lowry, cashier.

CHURCHES OF. SALINEVILLE AND THE TOWN- SHIP.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Sa- lineville was organized about 1840. The con- gregation enjoyed occasional preaching in a

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schoolhouse on "the hill." In 1850 a frame house of worship was built near the site of the brick structure, which in 1870 took its place. The latter building with the lot cost $10,500. In 1905 the membership of the church was something under 300. The pastor of the church then was Rev. S. A. Paragoy.

The Associate Reform congregation. which afterward became the United Presby- terian Church of Salineville, was organized in 1837 or 1838, at what was later known as Clark's Mills, in Washington township. James Martin and Daniel D. McIntosh were the first elders chosen. Services were held in private residences until 1846, when a modest building was erected. In 1866-the congregation in 1858 having changed its name to that of the United Presbyterian Church-took up the mat- ter of a new church building, but some differ- ences arising, a division occurred, one portion of the congregation going to Grant's Hill, and the other uniting with the Free Presbyterians at Salineville. The Free Presbyterian Church was organized January 28, 1850. John Thomp- son was chsoen ruling elder. Rev. James Ro- bertson was the first minister. Up to 1851 the congregation worshiped in the schoolhouse. In that year a frame house was built, which was used until 1866, when a brick building took its place. In 1869 the union of the Free Presby- terians and the United Presbyterians was ef- fected, and Rev. W. H. Jamison became the pastor, who in 1871 was succeeded by Rev. S. M. Coon. In 1905 the pastor of the church was Rev. F. E. Dean ; the members of the session, -H. A. Thompson, James McKenzie, William Dorrance, P. S. Hart and Alexander Hart, the membership being 118.

The Presbyterian Church of Salineville was organized May 19, 1864, with 26 mem- bers, when Joseph F. Williams and Edward Burnside were chosen elders. Rev. Robert Hays was the first pastor, and served the church from 1864 to .1874. Other pastors were : Revs. S. B. Stevenson, J. R. Dundas, D. D., J. Nesbit Wilson and J. L. Grimm. Services were held for some years after the organization in what had been the village schoolhouse. Later a comfortable frame house

of worship was built. T. E. Duffield, of the Allegheny Theological Seminary, was em- ployed as supply in 1905. The membership was about 150. The members of the session in 1905 were: J. H. Gilson, Elmer Henderson, Peter Ferrell, John Tobin and C. A. Prevost.

The Disciples Church of Salineville was or- ganized February 4, 1856, by 36 members who had detached themselves from the Berca Church. Benjamin Johnson, Jehu B. Milner and Nicholas Wirebaugh were the elders. The organization was always a flourishing one and in 1905 had approximately 150 members. Rev. H. E. Oldacre was then the pastor.

In 1872, under the direction of Rev. P. J. McGuire, the Catholics of Salineville organized and built a substantial brick church. In 1905 upward of 75 families were identified with the parish, under the ministration of Rev. John McMahon.

The Primitive Methodists had an organi- zation in Salineville from 1869 until some time in the '80's, when the society became practically disorganized by numerous removals from the town of its members.

A class of Methodists was organized in 1819 at the house of Jacob S. Desellem, in Wayne township, Mr. Desellem being chosen leader. Preaching was held in the schoolhouse and at the dwellings of members until 1841, when a church building was erected on Little Yellow Creek. in Washington township, on land owned by David Scattergood. The church was then in Hanover circuit; but in 1865 the Highlandtown and Salineville Meth- odist Episcopal churches became an inde- pendent circuit. In 1905 the church continued in a flourishing condition-the second church building having been erected at Highlandtown.

Washington township has always been ex- ceptionally well supplied with schools. In 1905 Salineville had three Union school build- ings-the "new" building, erected in the early '90's, with eight rooms ; the "old" brick school building on "the hill," with six rooms, and the small building in the west end. Frank Linton was superintendent.

Woodland Cemetery, Salineville's public burying-ground, occupies a pretty site on an

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

elevation north of town. The tract, which is about 10 acres in extent, was purchased by the town in 1870 for $600. The cemetery has been suitably improved.

WAYNE TOWNSHIP

Adjoins Center township on the south, and, containing but 25 sections, is only five miles square. The west fork of Beaver Creek flows through the township from the northwest cor- ner to the middle of the eastern boundary, and in the early milling days it furnished good water power. Coal beds are abundant through- out the township, but the lack of railway ship- ping facilities has largely prevented their de- velopment, except in a small way for home consumption. Limestone, fire-clay, iron ore, sandstone and flag-stone also abound, but the same absence of incentive toward development as in the case of coal has been true of these natural products. The land of the township is highly productive, and a somewhat rugged landscape outline renders the scenery very picturesque.

Aaron Hull, it is claimed, was the first white inhabitant of Wayne township. He lo- cated in 1802 on section 16, and it was not until the following year that other settlers be- gan to enter. Then Adam Poe, father of the Indian-fighting Poes; John T. Parker, who was the first justice of the peace in the town- ship; James Hoge, Patrick McKaig, the Thompsons, Armstrongs, Hutchinsons, Shee- hans and the Mclaughlins, settled within the bounds of Wayne township. In 1804 Gideon Gaver settled on a farm where later the Gavers post office was located; John Armstrong and William King located on that part of Wayne township which was later included in Franklin. In 1805 James Figley and James Donaldson took up land in the township. Section 7, which is now a part of Franklin township, was in 1804 settled by William King, who came with his wife, two daughters and three sons,-John, Hugh, and Thomas. After having entered other land, Patrick McKaig entered a part of section 7. When William King settled, it is declared there was not another settler on the

west between his place and the Tuscarawas River. John Fleming, who settled in Wayne in 1815, purchased the farm on section 9, en- tered by John T. Parker. His nearest neigh- bors were Gideon Gaver, on the east, on sec- tion 10; James Donaldson on the west, James. Armstrong on the north, on section 4, and James Hoge, who with Donaldson had located on section 8. William Grafton (who died in 1878, aged 94), with his brother William, set- tled, in 1813, on section 14, land that had been entered by one Leiper. Ensign's history, pub- lished in 1879, says: "Leiper owned a small tract of 22 acres, now owned by Rev. Robert Hays, and situated in Wayne township. This. he sold to George McLeest for a pair of ear- rings, McLeest, who was a dealer in jewelry, finding that method of payment more to his liking than the disbursement of money. Soon after the Graftons, came the Pattersons, Mc- Cords, Morgans, Desellems and McMillins. An early settler was Capt. James Wormington, who died at the age of 103, and who claimed that 60 years of his life had been passed on the sea. Gottlieb Northdurft and John Meister, natives of France, who were among the pioneers of Wayne township, boasted of having fought with the first Napoleon, Meister declaring that he had been in the retreat from Moscow.

It is related that. as late as 1832 John McLeest owned the only cart in his neighbor- hood, and that he also owned the first wagon ever brought into the township. William Grafton owned the first grain cradle to be brought into the township, and for the time it was an article greatly in demand.

Wayne was early known as a "dry" town- ship, the temperance sentiment always being strong within its borders. A township temper- ance society was early organized and about the same time one was formed also in con- nection with Bethel Presbyterian Church.

Wayne township was organized in 1806. The first justice of the peacee, as has been noted, was John T. Parker, who was elected upon the organization of the township. Patrick McKaig was elected in 1809 and Thomas Roseburg in 1812. The first tax levy. 1

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, LEETONIA

UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, EAST PALESTINE

EAST PALESTINE POTTERY, EAST PALESTINE

CONTINENTAL POTTERY, EAST PALESTINE

UNION SCHOOL, EAST PALESTINE

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in Wayne township was $28. In 1821 the levy was $53.75.

Wayne is strictly a rural township, there being no towns or villages within its boundar- ies. Prior, however, to the days of rural free delivery, Gavers and West Beaver were post offices.

WAYNE TOWNSHIP'S CHURCHES.

Bethel Presbyterian Church was organized in 1821, as a branch of the Yellow Creek con- gregation of Madison township. Rev. James Robertson had preached as early as 1818 within the bounds of what was afterwards Bethel con- gregation in Wayne township .. He conducted public service twice a month, occupying a tent in summer and holding meetings in winter in the homes of the people. The tent was at the first erected in a field on the place afterward owned by Rev. Robert Hays and later near where William Grafton lived. Andrew Adams, Thomas Patterson, James Welch and Richard Gilson were chosen elders at the organization. Soon after the organization, in 1821, Thomas Patterson gave two acres of land as a site for a church and graveyard, and a hewed-log house of worship was built upon the site oc- cupied up to 1905 by Bethel Church. On Octo- ber 22, 1823, by resolution of the presbytery, the Yellow Creek congregation was divided, and it was ordered that that portion of the congregation where the new meeting house was built "be known by the name of Bethel congre- gation, and that Rev. James Robertson be con- sidered the pastor of that congregation." Rev. Mr. Robertson was also instrumental in or- ganizing the Bethesda Presbyterian congre- gation, in Franklin township, and until 1827 preached to both that and Bethel congrega- tions. In 1825 the joint membership of the two churches was 202. Previous to that time there had been revivals in both these churches, and there were large accessions to the mem- bership. From 1827 to 1835 the church de- pended upon stated supplies for the ministra- tions of the Gospel. Revs. John Cook, Thomas, Hughes, Nims, Dunlap, Harper, John B. Graham, James Cahoon and others, oc-

cupied Bethel pulpit until 1848, Rev. Mr. Graham having served for 13 years. In 1843 Robert Travis and John McDonald were chosen as additional members of the church session. Following Rev. Mr. Graham, the pastors at Bethel were: Revs. M. E. Johnson, who labored from 1848 to 1849; Robert Hays, who was pastor for 33 years, from 1850 to 1883; C. S. Mcclellan, from 1883 to 1889; T. J. Gray, from 1890 to 1902; and H. C. Foster, from 1902 to 1905. The elders in 1905 were : J. C. Hays, D. Robinson, T. P. Mc- Kenzie, R. C. Grafton and W. A. Robinson. In 1852 the old church building was succeeded by the large and substantial frame edifice still in use in 1905.

An Associate Reform congregation was or- ganized in Wayne township August 12, 1831. The meeting was held in a grove near the home of Mrs. Fleming and was presided over by Rev. James Brown. From this beginning grew the Lebanon United Presbyterian Church. At the meeting for, organization, William Mil- ler, John Homer, Isaac Buchanan, John Walker and John Collins were elected elders. On August 15, 1831, John Jamison and Will- iam Armstrong were chosen additional elders. The first ministerial supplies were Revs. James Brown and James Walker, the first settled pastor being Rev. John Donaldson. The sec- ond stated pastor was Rev. William H. Jami- son, and succeeding him, among others, were : Revs. James Golden, I. N. White, H. H. Brownlee, R. B. Harsha, M. B. Patterson, J. W. Best and W. J. Stewart, who was the pastor in 1905. The house of worship still in use in 1905 was erected in 1858.

The appended sketch of the Pleasant Grove Methodist Episcopal Church is taken from En- sign's "History of Columbiana County." "In 1837 Joseph Paxton, a blacksmith of Elkrun township, began to preach occasionally at the house of Thomas Cross, in Wayne township, to a company of people who worshiped as United Brethren adherents. Paxton, Alexan- der Biddle and others preached at Cross' house about two years, and then changed the place of worship to the house of Peter Coss, who lived on the place afterward occupied by John

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Rule. Isaac Crubaugh was the first class leader of the United Brethren organization, which, not long after the transfer to the house of Peter. Coss, was reorganized as a Methodist Episco- pal congregation, with Peter Coss as class leader. A log church was built on the latter's farm, and there services were held until 1848, when the present church building was put up. Latterly tlie congregation has not met for wor- ship at the church, save at irregular and lengthened periods, owing to the difficulty of obtaining preachers." The first Methodist Episcopal preaching in Wayne township was in 1825, at the house of Gideon Gaver. There was preaching there every fortnight until about 1848, when the members of the congregation generally joined the Pleasant Grove congrega- tion.

YELLOW CREEK TOWNSHIP AND WELLSVILLE.

WELLSVILLE CHRONOLOGY.

Settled by James Clark .1795

First tavern built. 1800

Yellow Creek township organized. 1805

First grist-mill. 1806

First "turnpike" to New Lisbon 1814

First sawmill. 1815

Postoffice established 1816

First steamboat built. 1817

Town laid out and named "Wellsville" 1820

First three churches built 1833

First newspaper. 1835

First foundry 1836

C. & P. Railroad project launched. 1844

Incorporated as a village. 1848

First bank established.

1848

First railway train into town. 1852 Railroad shops built. 1856

First manufactured gas. 1872

Rolling-mill built. 187

First pottery built 1878

Water-works built. 1885

Great Ohio River flood. 1884

First daily newspaper 1885 Natural gas first piped. 1886 First trolley car 1891 New City Hall built. 1893

Oil field developed. 1899

Sheet steel strike . 1901

C. & P. Railroad double-tracked. 1904

Yellow Creek township is not vast in ex- tent, but it is rich in native beauty and his- toric association. It adjoins Liverpool to the southwest on the Ohio River; is very irregular in shape and contains but 23 sections. It re- ceives its name from the two streams which penetrate portions of its territory-Big Yellow Creek, which empties into the Ohio across the border in Jefferson County, and Little Yellow Creek, which has its outlet in the eastern por- tion of Wellsville. Its surface furnishes a diversity of rugged hill, fertile vale and rich alluvial bottom land along river and creeks, which render it one of the natural garden spots of the county. Moreover the mineral products of the township, consisting of coal, fire-clay, limestone and sandstone, with here and there strong indications and some realiza- tion of oil, gas and salt, are among its natural resources which have attracted attention from the earliest days. These have been referred to in detail in other chapters in this work. The township was organized in 1805, and originally possessed a row of townships on its southern border which, in the changes brought about at the time of the organization of Carroll County, were set off to Jefferson. The land now in- cluded in the township was surveyed under government authority, in connection with a number of other tracts, by Robert Johnston, prior to 1788. Johnston was to receive $6 per day for his services, and at the government sale of Ohio lands, held in New York in 1788, he took some of the lands in payment of his ac- count, which amounted to $600; and an old history says "he received about 30 townships in payment thereof, at the rate of 100 acres for $6." In 1895 James Clark, of Washington County, Pennsylvania, purchased of Johnston, at $6 per acre, 304 acres, upon which the town of Wellsville is now located. About that time Richard Vaughn and George Clark "squatted" upon a part of James Clark's purchase and built the first log cabin in the township (on what was later known as Sugar street, Wells- ville). In 1796 Clark transferred this land to his son-in-law, Williams Wells. At that time Mr. Wells lived in Washington County, Penn- sylvania, and in the spring of 1797 he took pos-

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session of his property on the Ohio. George Clark, who had "squatted" on a portion of the land it is said about 1796 for some reason killed an Indian, and fearing vengeance upon himself and family, he moved across the river and lo- cated temporarily in Virginia. He afterward returned and located in Jefferson County, four miles west of Wellsville, and represented his county for several years in the Ohio Legislature. After William Wells had taken possession of his land, he lived for some time in a block- house which stood where the Arbuckle (after- ward A. P. Howard's) home was located, on the Virginia side of the river. Thence with his oldest son James, then nine years old, he would cross the river in the mornings in a canoe, 'work his farm through the day, and return to his family in the block-house at night. Other early settlers in this part of the town- ship were James Watson and George Hill, the latter of whom was the father of 18 children. Neither Hill nor Watson remained long on their land, but soon sold their holdings and went to other parts. Jacob Nessly, of Virginia, was among the early purchasers of land on Yellow Creek, and Nathaniel Meyers settled in 1798. About that time Robert Martin be- came a settler, on a farm bought by Richard Vaughn.

A small portion of what is known as the "Scotch Settlement," which has been mentioned at.some length in another chapter, was in Yel- low Creek township. On this portion the early settlers were Andrew McPherson (who lived to be 99 years old), Alexander McBane and McLean "the Prophet." McLean was a Cove- nanter, and by the exercise of his energies as an exhorter it is related he "managed to divide the members of the 'Scotch Settlement' upon religious questions, and for a time the Covenan- ters and Presbyterians were stirred up by dis- sensions, the Presbyterians having the benefit of the religious teachings of Rev. Mr. Hughes." Andrew Smith, who was a justice of the peace, lived on the line between Yellow Creek and Madison. He was also a school teacher, and taught in a log schoolhouse on Little Yellow Creek. "Big Billy" McIntosh was an early settler, and was famous as a fighter. Daniel

Swearingen purchased considerable land in the township, and gave a tract to each of several sons. Abel Geer, an early settler, was known as the "cropped-eared Yankee." He lost one of his ears, it is said, in Connecticut, under a law of that State requiring a man's ear as the penalty for a certain misdeed.

THE FOUNDER OF WELLSVILLE.

William Wells, on July 15, 1797, received a commission as justice of the peace signed by "Arthur, St. Clair, governor and commander- in-chief of the territory northwest of the Ohio." Daniel T. Lawson, a pioneer citizen of Wells- ville-still living in 1905 at the age of 87- in 1873 wrote a sketch of the early days of Wellsville from which a' paragraph is quoted : "William Wells lived to see the town which bears his name enjoy a large and growing trade. He died in April, 1852, leaving a large number of descendants. For a number of years he lived in a log house that stood near the old stone mansion erected by him, and but recently torn down. He was a member of the justices' court that tried the lad Carpenter for the mur- der of the Indian chief, White Eyes, at West Point, about eight miles north of Wellsville. White Eyes, a Delaware chief, was a scholar, educated by the government. He understood Hebrew, Greek and Latin, and intended living . with the whites; but some time after receiving his education he attended a dance at George- town, D. C., at which he acquitted himself with extraordinary agility, which caused one of the ladies present to remark, 'Just see that yellow dog. Why, he is the best dancer in the room!' Overhearing this left-handed compliment, he felt insulted, and determined to rejoin his tribe, saying he 'would rather be a chief with his own people than a yellow dog among the whites.' The trial of the Carpenter lad took place while Mr. Wells resided in the block- house. At this time, and for many years after, he went to Georgetown, Pennsylvania, to get his blacksmithing, and to Cross Creek, about 12 miles from the river, to get his milling done. He took his grain in a canoe to the mouth of

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 47

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