History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 88

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 88

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tution whose organization ante-dates the erection of the church.

A United Brethern society formerly existed in the southern part of the township, and possessed a small frame church, known as Clay Point church. It was built about 1843, when the society was in its infancy. Its early members were Samuel Wolfe, David Wolfe, David Jones, Isaac Doty and John Sicker, with perhaps some others. It never acquired any considerable strength, and perished during the early part of the late war.

Except West Lafayette, there is no village in the township. One called Birmingham was laid out in 1830 by Joseph C. Higbee, on the canal, in the extreme eastern part of the township. Mr. Higbee's residence and a warehouse were all the buildings it ever contained. Evansburg, which was laid out a few months later, in Oxford town- ship, grew rapidly at first and practically killed it.

One bridge spans the Tuscarawas river in this township about a mile north of West Lafayette. It is an iron structure, built in 1873. The stone work was furnished by N. W. Buxton at a cost of 86,290; the superstructure costing $8,746 was furn- ished by the Cincinnati Bridge Company, J. W. Shepman & Co., of Cincinnati, and the Coshocton Iron and Steel Works.

No important earth works have been left in Lafayette township to mark the dwelling here of prehistoric races. A circular fortification, en- closing about three acres, has been observed on Plain Hill north of West Lafayette, and several small mounds stood between it and the village, but they have now been obliterated by the plow. The railroad in its construction passed through a small mound on the Ferguson farm but noth- ing is known to have been discovered in it. A small one may be seen on Velser Shaw's farm in the northern part of the township; another stood on the old Higbee place but is now leveled to the ground. It was composed of sand, differing from the surrounding soil. The sand had probably been obtained in the river bed not far distant.

No Indian village is known to have been situ- ated here, though the plains were favorite hunt- ing grounds with the savages. An Indian trail extending from the river to the Indian town Lichtenau passed up Burt's run then down Rock run to the Muskingum,

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

True patriotism seems to have actuated the in- habitants of this township from its earliest set- tlement to the present time. During the war of 1812 and the Mexican war, a goodly number of its best citizens voluntarily took the field and faithfully served their country.

When the Northern frontier was considered in danger, in consequence of the Canadian rebel- lion, in 1839, a company of infantry promptly volunteered, and were armed and equiped by the State.

During the war of the rebellion, the full quota required by the government was promptly fur- nished at each and every call by voluntary en- listment and substitutes. Every person of suita- ble age and ability that did not volunteer, fur- nished a substitute or paid his proper proportion to procure the number required to fill the town- ship quota,

John Elson, Daniel Simons, Henry Babeock, Joseph Lacy, Thomas Foster, Jabez Norman, Francis McGuire, son of William, Thomas Owens, Richard Phillips, Daniel Easton, Thomas Wymer, Henry Hoagland, Thomas West, John Chamberlain, J. Snell, Cone Coulter, David Horn, David and James Robinson, and William Fowler were killed in battle or died of wounds and sick- ness in the service. All except Cone Coulter and John Chamberlain are buried on Southern battlefields and soldiers' cemeteries. John Elson found a grave in the Gulf of Mexico, having died on the passage of the Fifty-first regiment from Texas. Peter Chamberlain, Jerome Shaw, George Miller, Henry Garret and James Easton died soon after their return of wounds received and discase contracted in the service.

CHAPTER LIX.

LINTON TOWNSHIP.

Location-Name-Topography-Primitive Races-Indians- Doughty-Early Settlers and Settlements-Soldiers-Wills Creek-Early Navigation-Ferries and Bridges-Mills-Dis- tilleries-Salt-Tanneries-Schools-Churches - Villages- Population.

L INTON township lies in the southeastern corner of Coshocton county. It is indebted for its name to James Miskimen, one of the fore-

most settlers of the township, and, at the time of its organization, in 1812, a county commissioner .. He named it, it is said, in honor of the township in Virginia from which he emigrated. It is the largest township in the county, being five miles wide, north and south, and seven and one-half long, east and west, including township 4 of range. 5, and the western half of township 4 of range 4- the eastern half of this latter township forming a part of Wheeling township, Guernsey county.

The surface, away from the valleys that skirt the streams, is hilly. The opinion was rife among the pioneers in the bottom lands that the hills would never be settled, so ill adapted did they seem for purposes of cultivation ; and it was not until about 1840 that the land was all entered. The summits of many of the hills had been made bare by Indian fires, but the sides were covered with a thick growth of timber. Beneath this the- pea vine grew in rich profusion, and it afforded an excellent pasture for the cattle turned loose upon the hills to browse upon it.

Wills ercek is the principal stream. It enters. the township near the center of its eastern line, from Guernsey county, and passes out in the cx- treme southwestern corner. The distance by a direct course from its point of entrance into the township to its exit from the same is less than eight miles, but its tortuous meanderings make the actual length of the stream between these two points about twenty miles. By reason of these numerous windings the bottom lands in the township are rendered much more extensive than they would be were the creek more direct in its course. The valley varies in width from a quarter of a mile to a mile. Two well-marked terraces are observable in most places along the valley, the lower one generally narrow, the upper rising abruptly thirty or forty feet, then stretch- ing away to a considerable distance. White Eyes creek enters the township from Muskingum coun- ty, flows in a northwesterly direction about two . miles, and empties into Wills creek. It should not be confounded with another White Eyes creek, which is a northern tributary of the Tus- carawas river.

The soil is generally good. In the village it is. a rich, sandy loam, becoming in some places al- most a pure sand. Among the hills, in places.

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

where the limestone formation outerops, it is quite fertile. There was one locality that was not timbered when the first settlers appeared in the township. This was the level stretch of coun- try lying west of the village of Plainfield, being about a mile square in area. It was covered only with tall prairie grass, but shortly after a thick growth of scrub oak, or black jack, as it was com- monly called, sprang up and kept possession of the soil till uprooted by the mattock and plow.

The remains of the prehistorie dwellers in Linton township are not very numerous. There are, however, several low fortifications and a few small mounds along the valley of Wills creek. One of these fortifications is situated on the plains, about half a mile southwest from Plain- field, at the cross roads. It consists of four em- bankments, enelosing a square figure containing several aeres. At each corner of the square is an entrance. The embankment originally was perhaps six feet above the surrounding level, but it has since been almost obliterated by the plow. Another eireular embankment, enclosing about an aere, was found on the farm belonging to V. J. Powelson, in section 22, several miles farther down the creek. The outlines are now so slight as to be seareely discernable.

Near Plainfield, about 1840, Mr. J. D. Work- man opened a small earthen mound on his place. He found nothing except several stone relics. Another, about two miles below, was excavated some ten years later by Wesley Patrick. It con- tained a few bones belonging to the human skele- ton, including the skull, jaw bone and thigh. These were of an unusually large size and indi- cated the skeleton to be fully seven fect in length.

No Indian village is known to have been located in the township, but encampments for hunting purposes were frequently made along the banks of Wills ereek and its numerous small tribu- taries by these denizens of the forests. Game abounded, and, for a half dozen years after the arrival of the advance guard of civilization, it was hunted and killed in this vieinity by both pioneers and Indians. The relations between them were generally of a peaceful nature. Sev- eral times ripples arose on the placid sea of friendship and betokened a storm, but they were

happily averted. The Indians were a shiftless class. They would beg or thieve, or resort to any device to obtain what they wanted from the whites. They would often bring wild game to the cabins of the settlers and wish to exchange it for corn or something else. Requests of this kind were usually complied with, but the cleanly housewife would throw the game to the dogs.

Thomas Phillips relates that it was the custom of his father, George Phillips, to turn his horses out in the open woods in the evening to pasture, and that the Indians would drive them away to a considerable distance during the night and hide them; then the next morning they would appear at Phillips' cabin and, learning of the lost horses, offer to find them for a dollar. The little game was successfully played several times until Phil- lips suspected and aceused them of it. He was hunting one day and had brought down a fine deer; this he hung on a sapling and started in pursuit of another deer, in his haste leaving his hat behind. When he returned both deer and hat were gone. Some time afterward he reeog- nized a silver buckle belonging to the lost hat in the possession of the innkeeper at Cambridge. Questioning him about it, Phillips learned that it had been obtained from an Indian called Doughty, who had sold the buckle and kept the hat, but not daring or caring to wear it abroad had used it to sleep in.

James Miskimen onee had a little difficulty with this same Doughty, who was a noted Indian character, shortly after he (Miskimen) settled in this township Miskimen was a great trader, and would often barter trinkets, whisky, etc., with the Indians for hides and furs, disposing of these at Zanesville. He and Tom Addy were conveying a load in a canoe down Wills ereek, on their way to Zanesville. Doughty espied them and wanted to ride down the creek a distance with them. They stopped and took him in the boat. Having some whisky aboard, Doughty soon discovered it, and wanted some. Hle soon drank enough to make him ugly and boisterous. His conduet be- came disagreeable and they landed him. En- raged at this, he threatened to shoot them, as they shoved off the boat, but fortunately his gun was empty, it having been discharged a short time before by Miskimen, in shooting a turkey.

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

Doughty began to load his gun, and the men, now some distance away, seeing that he was in earnest, pulled for the shore again with the inten- tion of depriving him of the weapon. Miskimen rowed while Addy covered the savage with his rifle, determined to shoot first, if shooting became necessary. They reached the bank in the nick of time. Miskimen, who was a powerfully-built man. sprang ashore and knocked the inebriated Doughty to the ground just as he was in the act of shooting. In his anger he seized Doughty's gun and threw it out into the stream, where it probably still lies, several miles below Plainfield. Leaving the Indian senseless on the ground, the two men proceeded on their way. About ten days after, Miskimen was waited upon at his cabin by twelve Indians, who demanded that he replace Doughty's gun, and threatened to kill him if he refused. Miskimen at first rejected the demand, but at the solicitation of his wife finally agreed to settle the matter. He procured an old gun that had been offered for sale at the Fuller settlement, and delivered it to the Indian council, thus elosing the " deadly breach of war."

Doughty did not accompany his red brethren when they gathered up their tents in 1812, and stole away to the broad West, but frequented the old haunts and hunting grounds for several years after. It was his delight, when a little intoxicated, to visit the eabins of the settlers and seek to frighten the women and children by recounting blood curdling tales of savage cruelty. He at- tended log-rollings, cabin-raisings and various gatherings of this kind, but would never work, preferring the more congenial employment of drinking whisky and vagabondizing. He was finally murdered by a white man in Muskingum county, near Zanesville.

The northeastern part of Linton township, what is known as the north bend of Wills creck, was the first portion occupied by settlers. Here, as early as 1806, settled the Miskimens, McCunes, Addys and Joneses. In 1800, James Miskimen, then a young man, journeyed to Ohio for the purpose of selecting a site in the vast wilderness for a future home. He first visited a relative, named Young, who held a position in the land office at Chillicothe. While there, an old hunter

who was well acquainted with the wilds of Ohio, recommended to him the north bend of Wills creek. Miskimen traveled afoot up the Mus- kingum and Wills ereck valleys, saw the location and was pleased with it. Not having the means with which to enter land, he returned to his father's plantations in Virginia, on the banks of the Potomac, and there, in conjunction with his brother, worked his father's distillery for five years. By this means he accumulated the sum of $700, and in the spring of 1805, again set out for Ohio. He spent his first summer here in raising a erop of corn on Evans' prairie, in Oxford town- ship; returning to Virginia that same fall, he was married to Catherine Portmess, and returned at once to their future home. He first entered the northeast quarter of section 7; subsequently, the southeast quarter of the same section, the northwest quarter of section S, the east half of seetion 19 and other lands, becoming an exten- sive land owner in this township. He was a man of great force, possessed shrewd business quali- ties, and was strongly identified with the agricul- tural development of his township and county. His brothers, John and William, followed him to this township several years later.

John McCune was born in South Carolina. He served, during the war of the revolution, as captain in General Sumter's arniy. His property was destroyed by the tories during the war, and at its close he moved to Zanes Island, Penn- sylvania. From that place, in 1801, he emigrated to Oxford township, and there purchased a large tract of land ; but meeting with reverses he was obliged to dispose of his property. In 1806, he moved to Linton township, entering the south- east quarter of seetion 4, and the southwest half of section 3, both of range 4. He was twice mar- ried and raised a family of nine children. His death ocurred in 1811.

William Addy, on Christmas day of the year 1806, entered the southwest quarter of section 4, range 4. He was from near Harper's Ferry, Virginia, and brought with him five sons and four daughters. Malechi and Enoch Jones, two brothers, eame about the same time from Vir- ginia. They married two of the Addy girls and lived on their father-in-law's place.

In 1806, William Evans entered the first land

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

on Bacon run, the northeast quarter of section 2. Edward Wiggins, hailing from Brook county, Virginia, in 1807, entered the northwest quarter of section 11. The same year Esaias and Charles Baker, brothers, came into the township, the former entering the northeast quarter of section 10, the latter the southwest quarter of section 1. They had emigrated from Virginia, with lsaac and Henry Evans, to the plains in Oxford town- ship, as early as 1801. Rezin Baker, a nephew to Charles and Esaias, entered the southeast quarter of section 5, range 4, about 1808. 1fe was born near Little York, Pennsylvania. He came into the county as early as 1802, and remained until his death, in 1842. His father's family had re- moved from Pennsylvania to Harrison county, and Rezin, just as he had fairly attained his ma- jority, passed on out west and hired out with John Fulton, living near Coshocton, until he had earned enough to buy his farm in Linton town- ship. His wife was in Harrison county, and she and two children were removed by death, he afterwards marrying Mury Addy, daughter of William Addy. Other early settlers in this vicin- ity were Basil Baker, a cousin to Esaias, who entered the southeast quarter of seetion 10; Andrew Ferier, the northwest quarter of section 5, range 4; Martin Higer, the northwest quarter of section 5, range 4, and John Loos, the southeast quarter of section 1.

Farther down the ereek William Jeffries, from the Keystone State, was among the first to locate. He entered the northwest quarter of section 23, about 1806. John and David Arbuckle were also extensive land owners in this region nearly as early. They remained only a few years, remov- ing to Knox county. Richard Williams became a citizen of the township in 1808. He was from Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. He had traveled through the Scioto and Miami valleys in search of a suitable place to locate, but the settlers of those valleys appeared siekly to him ; coming up the Muskingum valley he noted the healthy appearance of the settlers and decided to " pitch his tent" here. He stopped on the Wal- honding river a few months and, while there, learned that William Jeffers, an old acquaintance of his, had settled on Wills creek. That brought him to Linton township. His first entry was the !

southwest quarter of seetion 18, adjoining Jeff- ers' place. Conrad Powelson, a Virginian, came into the county in 1808. He lived in Franklin township three years, then moved to this town- ship, entering the southeast quarter of seetion 18 and the southwest quarter of section 19. He died May 31, 1841. Two years later William Me- Cleary, from Fredericktown, Maryland, became a resident in this neighborhood. He located eighty acres in seetion 23. William R. Clark came from Washington county, Maryland, during the war of 1812, to Franklin township. A re- cruiting officer coming along, he enlisted in the army. At the elose of the war he returned to Linton township, entering the northwest quarter of seetion 19.

Richard Fowler became identified with Co- shoeton county about the year 1805. His former residence was in Brook county, Virginia. He moved from Virginia because of what he deemed its tyrannous laws, oppressive to poor men. He was a carpenter by trade, and stopped a short time at Zanesville; but finding no employment there, he came on to Coshocton. Here he was engaged by Charles Williams to roof a house. After the job was completed, he moved to the country and leased a piece of land in what is now Lafayette township, from Alexander Elson, also from Brook county, Virginia. He married Elson's daughter, Jane, February 5, 1807. He served during the war of 1812, as first lieuten- ant of a company raised in. this county. At its close, he removed to Linton township, and settled on Bacon run, becoming an influential citizen. He introduced the first sheep into this township. Wolves were still numerous at the time, and the greatest watchfulness was necessary in order to keep the sheep from the fangs of these old-time enemies. His house was a place of publie enter- tainment from 1830 to 1850. "Fowler's Stand " was widely and popularly known.

Mr. Fowler was an eye-witness to a township election in Coshocton, about 1805. Its modus operandi, as narrated by him, was as follows: The voters, perhaps fifteen in number, congregated, by special invitation, at the tavern of Charles Williams, who was the magnate of the village. The free drinks were then generously passed around, and liberal potations were indulged in

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

by all. When the proper degree of hilarity was reached, Williams made nominations for the various offices, and the assembled sons of liberty, with loud acclaim, expressed assent to those nominations. Fowler, on expressing to Wil- liams his surprise at this kind of election, re- ceived the reply that it was goood enough for them.

Francis and John Smith, from Pennsylvania, were early settlers on Bacon run; likewise John Wells and Daniel Dean, both of Virginia. On what was called Irish run, just below Bacon run, William and Alexander Love, great-uncles to Joseph Love, settled in 1810 and 1812, respect- ively. They were from Ireland William and Benjamin Williams also lived here in early times. Robert Platt entered the township in 1816, and settled in this vicinity. He had emigrated from Ireland to Newark, New Jersey, in 1809. Edl- mund Duling emigrated from Hampshire county, Virginia, in 1815, and entered the southeast quar- ter of section 3, range 5. The McClains are no- ticed in Lafayette township.

The only military land in the township is the 4,000-acre section, forming the southeast corner of the township. It was surveyed into forty lots of 100 acres each, and many of these were bought up by non-residents of the county, with an eye to speculation. Amos Stackhouse was the only revolutionary soldier known to have entered a lot in this section. He settled upon lot 14. John Lawrence was one of the carliest settlers on this section. John Phillips entered lot 18 as early as 1810; his brother George followed him soon after and settled on lot 15. They were originally from Virginia, but had lived a while in Kentucky be- fore they came here. George had been employed by Gumber & Beatty, of Cambridge, in building the first mill in that place. He was a skilled hunter and an unerring marksman, and spent much time in the forests. The products of the chase, such as hides and venison, he would take to Zanesville. Amos Devoir and a Mr. Hyatt were also occupants in this vicinity at an early day.

Joseph Heslip, one of the few pioneers that still survive the ravages of time, was the most ex- tensive resident land owner in this section and one of its widest known and most respected set-

tlers. His life, both preceding and following his connection with Linton township, had been un- eventful. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in March, 1793. His father, John Heslip, was the proprietor of an extensive shoe establishment in that city. A life on the ocean wave was the dream of Joseph's early boyhood, realized when he was ten years old, for at that age he became a sailor boy aboard a merchantman. He remained on the sea till he was eighteen, in spite of his father's opposition. In 1803, while at Liverpool, he was impressed into the English service, hurried to Plymouth and shipped aboard a man-of-war, bound for Spain. As an English sailor he par- ticipated in the siege of Cadiz, Spain. While there, he contrived to get his case before the American consul, and was soon after released. In 1811, he abandoned the sea and made a trip with his father to Linton township, for the pur- pose of examining 1,300 acres of land here, which his father had purchased two years previously with the hope that Joseph would settle here. They returned to Baltimore the same fall, and Joseph served as a militia man in the war that ensued. In the fall of 1814, he again came to Lin- ton township, this time permanently. Early in 1815, he married Eleanor Walgamot, of Holmes county, and in midwinter, moved into a dreary doorless and windowless cabin, in the midst of the solitudes of the forest. He had not been here a great while when his father, wishing to mitigate the hardships of his pioneer career, sent him a carriage. The vehicle arrived safely at Cambridge, but stopped there, as no road had yet been made from that place westward. In those days of stern trial, difficulties were met only to be overcome. A road was cut from Cambridge to Heship's place for the express purpose of bring- ing the carriage through Once at its destination, Mr. Heslip had the exquisite pleasure of taking his wife out in the carriage for a drive-through the cornfields, as there were yet no roads.

About 1815, Mr. Heslip indulged in a little speculation. He bought about 6,000 pounds of pork at two cents per pound ; dressed it and boated it to Cambridge in a large canoc. He employed teamsters going east for goods to carry it to Baltimore, paying them $2 per hundred. Their rates for bringing goods from Baltimore

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

was $10 per hundred. The pork was sold at Bal- timore for six cents. This occurred before pork was packed at Cincinnati.

HIc was one of the carliest justices of his town- ship. While serving in this capacity he tried a case once with rather unusual surroundings. Wills creek was not yet bridged, and the only means of crossing was by canoc. On the day set for the trial the stream was greatly swollen, and the witnesses were on the other side and could not be prevailed on to cross. The 'squire deter- mined the case should go on, and proceeded with it then and there; he on one side of the stream, the witnesses on the other, a roaring flood be- tween.

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History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 88

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