History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 85

Author: Hill, Norman Newell, jr., [from old catalog] comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A. A., & co., Newark, O., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Newark, Ohio, A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 854

USA > Ohio > Coshocton County > History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881 > Part 85

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But one church edifice now graces the village, that of the Methodist Episcopal society, which was organized in 1843, by Rev. Mr. Thatcher; the presiding elder at the time being the Rev. Mr. Yoenm. For five or six years meetings were held in the old school-house, still standing on the hill. The first members were Langdon Hogle, Andrew Weatherwax and wife, Joseph Meggs and wife, John Hook and wife, William Pancake and wife. The church was built about five years after the society was organized; a frame building worth something over $1,000. Rev. Mr. Thatcher was followed by Rev. Finley Leonard, during whose ministry a great revival occurred, the result being an addition of some forty to the church. The number of communi- cants at this time is about fifty, and the church is in a prosperous condition.

Mohawk village, lying in the little valley of Mo- hawk run, from which it received its name, in the southwestern part of the township, was laid out in 1859, by William and James Thompson. Its. existence is due to the coal oil excitement which led to the occupancy of this part of the township. The cannel coal fields surrounded it on three sides and the demand for dwelling houses for the laborers employed in the works and for a trading center resulted in the establish- ment of the little village. For about eighteen months, until the coal oil bubble burst, it enjoyed a mushroom kind of growth; since then it has barely held its own. No houses were erected since 1860, until within a year or two. It now contains about seventy-five souls.

The first house was built by William McFar- land as a dwelling house and store-room com- bined. The storc-room is still occupied as such by D. E. Almack. Mr. McFarland was a cousin to the Moores, came from Virginia and after- ward returned there. A. Mr. Hodkins inaugu- rated mercantile business here. He kept a very limited stock of groceries and coal oil for a very limited space of time, and was followed by Zack Bush whose stock in trade consisted of groceries and liquors. Subsequently Newton Stilwell opened a "regular " store, keeping a full line of dry goods, clothing, boots, grocerics, etc. He was from Dresden and removed from Mohawk

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

village to Missouri. The present business of the village is as follows : D. E. Almack, dry goods; R. HI. MeFadden, dry goods; Will Wheeler, har- ness shop; Mahlon Schooley, shoe shop; J. H. Johnson, blacksmith and carriage shop.

The school-house is a creditable two-story build- ing, in which two schools are usually kept. Only one has been in progress during the last year, however, owing to an unusually small enumera- tion.

Mary McClure has charge of the mail. Pre- vious to the platting of the village, James Moore kept a postoffice a number of years, about a mile north of it.

Mohawk Lodge of the Independent Order of Good Templars, located here, was organized in February, 1869, for the purpose of counteraeting the influence of, and suppressing, if possible, a saloon which had recently flung its sign to the breeze. The mission of the lodge was speedily crowned with success. William Barnes, of New Bedford Lodge, and Deputy of the Grand Lodge, organized it. Among its twelve charter men- bers were Henry Metham, Robert Moore, Thomas Schooley, William Dearness, R. H. MeFadden, James Moore, Sr., James Moore, Jr., D. E. Almack and Robert Given. During its brief career, it has initiated about 300 members, a large number of whom have removed to other places. The society is in a healthy condition at present, contains 100 members, and is officered as follows: J. Q. Moore, worthy chief templar; Charlotte Metham, worthy vice templar; Grant Wheeler, secretary, and Mary Graham, treasurer. The village is noted for its sobriety and morality. Several times have saloons been opened here, but they have been as often closed, in a very short time. Not only is the popular sentiment opposed to the sale of liquor, but legal recourse may be had at any time. Within each orginal deed for the town lots was inserted a clause pro- hibitory of the sale of intoxicating drinks, under the penalty of forfeiture of property. The va- lidity of that clause has been tested in the courts and sustained.

Mohawk village is scarcely known by that name. It is universally called Jericho. The story goes that a noted Irish character living in this vicinity became greatly displeased at the

manner in which the school was conducted, and, meeting one of the Scotch school directors one day, berated him soundly about it. The wrath of the Scotehman, under the personal abuse heaped upon him, gradually rose to the point of ebullition, when it could contain itself no longer, and was vented upon the wordy offender, who presented a sorry spectacle for days afterward. The Irishman wrote an account of his wrongs, and had it read in a paper before the local lite- rary society. In it he described how, in going down from Jerusalem into Jericho, he fell among thieves and robbers. So pleased were the audit- ors with the production that this village was forthwith dubbed Jericho, and the name has elung to it ever since.

From 1845 to 1850, or thereabouts, a country postoffice existed in the southeastern part of the township, under the name of Rural Vale. The postmasters were John Eller, John Taylor, Mr. Lindersmith and John Williams, successively.

The Mohawk village church, located about a mile east of the village, was organized in the fall of 1840, at the Whittaker school-house, by Rev. Harvey D. Camp. In the preceding year a com- pany from Ireland had settled in the Mohawk valley, until that time a comparative wilderness. They were followed the next year by other fami- lies of the same connection. The first company embraced James Moore, deceased (father of Rob- ert Moore), James Moore, Jr., John Moore and William Moore. Those coming the next year, were William and James Given, William and James Thompson, and William Moore. And these families, with Thomas Tredaway and wife, composed the society at its organization. In 1841, there was an addition to the settlement, in- cluding, besides others, John Moore and family, and the well-known James and Robert of the day. For about a year from the organization, the meetings were held in the Whittaker school- house; then a school-house was built in the set- tlement and meetings held in that. In 1849, the church was built- worth some $1,500. Within a few years it has been repaired, and very much improved as to its interior. It stands near a re- freshing spring of water, and is convenient and attractive in all its appointments and arrange- ments. The minister first in charge was Rev.

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

Mr. Camp. Rev. Leonard Parker succeeded him, and Rev. Henry Whittemore succeeded Parker. Under his ministry, quite a noticeable number were added to the society. Rev. Homer J. Clark followed Whittemore. Then came Austin Cole- man, during whose ministry the church building was erected. Just prior to building the Metho- dist Episcopal church, he held a protracted meet- ing in the Baptist church, which had been built the year before. During this revival there was a great many valuable accessions. The history of the society has been marked by great prosperity. The number of members at this time is about 120. Rev. Philip Kelser is the pastor in charge.

A Sunday-school with a membership of 125, superintended by the pastor, assisted by Miss Effie Moore, and supplied with a fine library, has been successfully maintained for several years, summer and winter, having previously been held only during the summer.

Jefferson Presbyterian church is situated about a mile south of the village of Warsaw. Among those chiefly interested in the organization of the church were the Elder family, and the building was located on a site given for the purpose on the farm of John Elder. The church was organized August 19, 1837, by Rev. Nathaniel Conklin. A colony was sent out for the purpose from the West Carlisle church, with which it has nearly always been associated in making a pastoral charge. The early meetings were held in a school-house for a few years, then the congrega- tion erected the commodious frame now in serv- ice. The principal ministerial labor has been rendered by Revs. Matthews, Bomberger, John Moore and Fox. Rev. W. D. Wallace is the pres- ent pastor. The church, which had, at the outset, twenty-four members, has now about seventy-five.

Darling's run Regular Baptist church was or- ganized in 1866, with ten members. They ad- vanced for some years, but have now come to a stand-still condition, with a membership of a little over twenty. They have no house of worship, using a school-house for that purpose. They have had as pastors, Elder W. S. Barnes and Rev. H. Clark. They have no pastor at present.

Jefferson Regular Baptist church was organ-

ized May, 1840, by Elder B. White, with six men- bers. It grew rapidly, and, in 1846, its member- ship was nearly 100, and in 1850, 130. Subse- quently it began to decrease in numbers, caused mostly by removals west and elsewhere. Not more than ten years elapsed until it was but a weak church. Since 1860, it has not been able to sustain preaching, and, in fact, is no longer to be properly called a church. The ministers that have labored for this church are as follows: B. White, William Mears, L. Gilbert, J. M. Winn, R. R. Whitaker, S. W. Frederick, A. W. Odor, under missionary employ, and A. W. Arnokl. The old frame house of worship is almost a wreck.

The Zion Evangelical Lutheran and Reform church (German) is situated in the northeastern portion of Jefferson township. It was organized in 1844, by Rev. Frederick Minner. Preaching had previously been held at the house of Christ- ian Gamersfelter, of Clark township, and later in Peter Strome's house, in this township, as the greater number of the attendants settled in this vieinity. Other Germans came in, and in the above mentioned year a society was formed and a weather-boarded log meeting-house, which is still used, was built, by the personal labor of the members. Christian Shoemaker, Jacob Freder- iek, Abram Van Kennel and Christian Gamers- felter were the most active members at the time of the erection. The pastors in charge of this flock since Rev. Minner, have been Revs. Lewis Dhume, Holm Gosche Holm, Frederick Hunehe, John Bery and John Horn. At the termination of the pastorate of the last named minister ser- vices were discontinued for a while, but Rev. Bery has since been recalled, and is now serving this and two other congregations. The member- ship is very small.

The Tabor Evangelical church-better known as the Albright-was organized about 1850. Its organization was due chiefly to a dissention in the Lutheran church, which caused a number of its members to withdraw, and subsequently to organize this body. Chief among the little band of organizers were John Frederick, Earnest Myer, Joseph Speak, Casper Mingel, Henry Cor- rel and Jacob Heckelberger. Its first minister

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

was Rev. Monk. A log meeting-house, in the ex- treme northeastern part of the township, was soon built, and was used until the society disband- ed, in 1868. This dissolution was due to the building of the Hopewell Evangelical church, in Clark township, as a considerable number of the Tabor congregation, who resided in Clark town- ship, severed their connection with Tabor church and united with the Hopewell church, on account of its proximity to their homes.

The Bethel Evangelical church grew out of the Tabor church, might, in fact, be regarded as a continuation of it. About a year after services were suspended in the old Tabor church, those of the members who resided in this township erect- ed another building, about a mile and a half southwest from the old structure. Jacob Gam- ersfelter, Christian Kaser, Joseph Speek, William King, Christian Strome, Peter Haas and John Frederick were its main members at this time. Now the membership is nearly fifty. The pas- tors in charge of the circuit to which this con- gregation belongs, are Revs. John Smith and Frank Tohero. A flourishing Sabbath-school exists, with about seventy members. Jacob Gam- ersfelter has been superintendent for many years.

CHAPTER LVII.

KEENE TOWNSHIP.

Boundary-Streams-Springs-Soil-Military Land - Archæe- ology-Settlements-First Physicians -Mills and Distil- Ieries-Early Schools-" Lond School "-Early Preaching- Keene-Newport-Churches.

lets run through the township, one of them being designated Little Mill creek. Springs of a strong flow and an excellent quality of water are abund- antly scattered throughout the township, furnish- ing water at nearly every farm house. The sur- face may be described as rough and rolling, be- coming in some places hilly. In the southwestern corner, along the Walhonding, are a few hundred acres of rich, loamy bottom land. Except this the soil is generally a yellow clay, with a little sand, and produces good crops. It seems specially adapted to pasturage, as it produces bine grass in rich abundance. Oak, chestnut, walnut, beech, sugar, hickory and white ash are the principal varieties of timber; they covered the entire sur- face of the township before it was cleared by the woodman's ax.

Three-fourths of the township is military land, the first section, or the northeastern quarter of the township, being congress land. The second seetion, or northwestern quarter, was surveyed by the government into lots of one hundred acres each, which were entered severally from time to time, as they were demanded. The third section of the township, its southwestern quarter, belonged originally to Robert Underwood, his patent for the land being from the President of the United States, being dated March 29. 1800. Mr. Underwood was a government official in the treasury department at Washington, and never resided in Coshocton county. His section was located for him by J. Matthews. For his services in locating this section and several other sec- tions, Matthews received from Mr. Underwood a five hundred acre tract of land in the southeast- ern part of this section. This tract was shortly after conveyed by Matthews to Ebenezer Buck- ingham, and by Buckingham to Benjamin Bur- rell, who settled upon it. Underwood had his section surveyed into lots of about one hundred acres each, which he sold gradually to settlers coming in, until all were disposed of. The fourth section, or the southeastern quarter of the township, was granted May 16, 1800, by President Adams to James Hamilton, of Carlisle, Pennsyl- vania. He, too, was a non-resident of the county, and sold the land by parcels to settlers.

K EENE township is bounded on the north by Mill Creek township, on the east by White Eyes, on the south by Tuscarawas and Jackson, and on the west by Bethlehem township. It was organized as a separate township in 1824, pre- vious to that time having been a part of Mill Creek. The Walhonding river passes through the southwestern corner, cutting off' about a hun- dred acres from the main portion of the town- ship. Mill creek is the principal stream. It passes through the township from north to south, entering the Walhonding river a short distance Archæological remains are not numerous in below, in Tuscarawas township. Several stream- this township. In this county they are found usu-

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

ally in the broad valleys of the larger streams, and in Keene township the only valley of this kind is that of the Walhonding which merely touches the southwestern corner. Here, however, is found a stone mound situated on the farm of R. D. Miller several hundred yards from his house on the point of a hill that overlooks the valley. A large portion of the stone forming it has been hauled away. Before it was disturbed, it was about twelve feet in diameter, three in hight, and regular in slope. The stones were of various sizes, nicely fitted together like mason work. It has never been explored. About a mile southeast of this, just west of the residence of Saul Miller, on a nearly level ridge of land is a flat circular elevation, several feet high, covering about an acre. Mr. Miller, plowing at one side of this elevation several years ago, struck the plow against a layer of stone, some little distance below the surface, which seemed to be a pave- ment leading to a spring situated just below. Across the road from his house upon the top of a flat sand hill are a number of excavations in the sandy soil perhaps ten feet deep. When or why they were made it is difficult even to con- jecture.

The Underwood section was the first part of the township to be settled. One of the first at- tempts at mill building in Coshocton county was made in this section, on Mill creek. It was about the year 1801 that Ebenezer Buchingham, of Zanesville, had a dam for a saw-mill con- structed on his land in this section, within 200 yards of where M MeCarty now lives; but it was swept away the same fall during high waters, and the project in consequence abandoned. Ac- cording to another account, the work of building the dam was done by George Colver and another man, and before it was completed one of the men died from the effects of a rattlesnake bite. This caused the other to relinquish work and return to Zanesville. Benjamin Burrell, a few years later, about 1807, settled here. He was from Frederick county, Maryland, and died soon after the war of 1812.

county, Virginia, to this county. His father had served seven years in the revolutionary war as a sharp-shooter, under General Morgan. Nicholas lived two years with his uncle, Michael Miller, in Franklin township; then, in 1806, took up a resi- dence in Keene township, which was continued till his death. When he came into the township his entire fortune consisted of $36 in money and two axes. He first bought seventy-two acres from Mr. Underwood, paying for it in part by assisting in the survey of the section. Large ad- ditions of real estate were subsequently made to . this. Several years after he settled here he mar- ried Mary Darling, who, at the age of eighteen, in 1806, drove a four-horse team through from Virginia. Her brothers, William and Jonathan, were among the first settlers of Jefferson town- ship.

During the winter preceding Mr. Miller's ar- rival in Keene township, he was engaged in deadening the trees on the little tract he had bought, and instead of returning to his home in Franklin township, every evening, he made a cave-like excavation under a jutting rock, which served frequently as a sleeping place. He had retired here, one stormy evening, when he ob- served a bear approaching hin. The sight, at. first, frightened him, for he had no weapon at hand; but he raised a hideous yell, and the bear scampered away, Once, when bear hunting, he had shot and wounded his game, but not mor- tally, and he was in great personal danger. His trusty dog advanced upon the bear and attacked it. Bruin turned his attention from Miller to the dog, embracing the latler in a death-like hug. Miller, in the meantime, quickly loaded his gun, with powder and ball thrown in loosely, ran up to the bear and shot it dead in its tracks. The dog arose, walked a few steps, then fell dead.

Musters were held in Coshocton as soon as men enough to form a company could be col- lected. While Miller was attending one there,. an Indian attempted to steal his horse. Miller detected him in the act, and attacking him in true pioneer style, gave him a drubbing. The Indian threatened revenge after he recovered, but Miller was never disturbed by him.

One of the first men to settle on this sec- tion was Nicholas Miller, who, in 1804, came In 1806, Garrett Moore, a Virginian, also set- with his father, Henry Miller, from Hampshire ! tled on the Underwood section, on lot 13. Henry.

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

Murray, Van Emery, Jackson Baker, William Winton, Samuel Thompson and James McCul- lock came about the same time. They were either renters or squatters, and were only tran- sient in their stay here. Several years later, Elizabeth and George Emery, mother and son, settled in the extreme southwestern corner of the township.

James Oglesby, now the oldest resident of Keene township, became a settler in 1810. He was from Virginia, and came through to Coshoc- ton by team. He first leased a place from Isaac Evans, adjoining his present home, and afterward acquired considerable property in his own name. He served twice in the war of 1812, first about forty days in the vicinity of Mansfield, afterward a term of six months at upper Sandusky.

Four or five years later, George Titus emi- grated from Virginia, and located on lot 22. He was a blacksmith, the first to pursue that trade in Keene township. Cuthbert Milligan and his wife about 1815, crossed the mountains from Hardy county, Virginia, with a single horse; each of them would alternately ride and walk. Mr. Milligan leased the Worman farm for a num- ber of years, then purchased a portion of lot 22. James Mulford came about the same time.

In 1816, George Bible, another Virginian, en- tered the township and settled on the Underwood section. He was a famous hunter and devoted most of his time to this his favorite occupation. For a number of years, from 100 to 150 deer, bc- sides other game, were annually brought down by his rifle.

The year 1817 brought Charles Dusthimer to this section from the vicinity of Newcomerstown, to which place he had emigrated eight years before from Virginia. James O'Donnell came with him. Henry Preston purchased and settled upon lots 6 and 7; he subsequently sold them to John Kay, who came in 1817. Isaac Siphers came the same year. Shortly after the war of 1812, James Pew, who had been a soklier under General Harrison, settled on lot 11, where his widow still lives.

John Williams and William Livingston were among the earliest settlers of the Hamilton sec- tion. Livingston served for a number of years as justice of the peace.

The northeast quarter of the township began

to be settled about 1816. James Carson was among the carliest persons here. He located the northwest quarter of section 2. William Elliott and Andrew Neal followed soon after, the latter settling on the northeast quarter of section 8. Henry Barnes, about this time, owned the north- east quarter of section 9. John Daugherty and John Crowley were also carly settlers. George Shoemaker came from Rockingham county, Vir- ginia, in 1821. Jacob Bible, a brother to George Bible, accompanied him. He is still living just across the line in Bethlehem township. From 1817 to about 1822, settlers rapidly filled up un- occupied sections, and at this latter date this quarter of the township was probably entirely settled.

The northwestern portion of Keene township was settled principally by New Englanders, most of whom were from Cheshire county, New Hampshire. Among the earliest and best known were Timothy Emerson, Jacob Emerson, his cousin, Jesse Beals, Adam Johnson, Robert Far- well, Zopher Farwell, Dr. Benjamin Hills, Calvin Adams, John Burton, Henry Jewett, Samuel Stone, Jonas Child and Chauney Litchfiekl.

Timothy Emerson came in 1818, from Ashley,. Massachusetts, and settled on lot 12. The first Sunday-school in Keene township owed its ex- istence to his efforts. He died in Keene town- ship in 1873 at the ripe age of ninety-six, just as he was about to remove to Granville, where two children resided. The Farwells came in 1825, from Cheshire county, New Hampshire. Robert Farwell was instrumental in introducing the first fino sheep into Keene township. Adam Johnson came in 1819, also from Cheshire county, New Hampshire. He was a well educated man, for several years a justice of the peace in this town- ship, and withal a very active and prominent citizen. Dr. Benjaman Hills settled in practice here at the instance of his friend Adam Johnson, about 1820 or 1821, emigrating from the same place. He was the first physician in Keene township and one of the first in Coshocton county. For a while it is said he and Dr. Lee of Coshocton were the only two practitioners in the county. Although very young at the time. he had been in the revolutionary war in its last year I as an assistant to an army surgeon. He was quite

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

eccentric, it appears; rough in speech but kind of heart and especially tender toward the brute creation, horses, dogs, cats, etc. It is said that for a long time he fed daily a rattlesnake that had taken up its abode under his barn. In medicine he was a great admirer of the works of Dr. Rush of Philadelphia. His medical hobby was that all diseases were produced by miasmatic influence, His wife died in 1834, he returned to New Eng- land and died shortly after. Dr. Lewis Colby from Vermont, a well educated physician, located at Keene about 1828. His stay here was brief. A few years later he removed to Louisiana and died there soon after.

Bartholomew Thayer, a revolutionary soldier, settled on lot 2 of the southwestern section. He died in 1826, at the age of seventy years, and was buried on his farm. Courage and credulity were two elements of his character, as the following incident will testify: While Adam Johnson was surveying the town of Keene, a rattlesnake was seen by one of the men and killed. Thayer, who was present, was afflicted with an ailment of some kind, and had heard that the heart of a rattle- snake was a sure cure. Eager to test the efficacy of the remedy, he at once cut out the heart of the viper, and at a single gulp swallowed it.

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History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 85

Author: Hill, Norman Newell, jr., [from old catalog] comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A. A., & co., Newark, O., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Newark, Ohio, A. A. Graham & co. Number of Pages: 854

Author: Hill, Norman Newell, jr., [from old catalog] comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A. A., & co., Newark, O., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Newark, Ohio, A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 854