USA > Ohio > Coshocton County > History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881 > Part 90
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Photo Ex4 CON4.
FRANCIS M'GUIRE, JR.
MRS. FRANCIS M'GUIRE, JR.
CORA E. M'GUIRE.
FANNIE G. M'GUIRE.
FRANCIS MCGUIRE, JR.
FRANCIS MCGUIRE, JR., Lafayette township, farmer; postoffice, Coshocton; was born April 2, 1842, in this township; son of Francis McGuire, a native of this township. He was raised on the farm adjoining the home where he now lives. Mr. MeGuire has always taken great pride in dealing in the finest blooded stock possible to be obtained, and without doubt has the finest flock of sheep in this part of the State, having selected strains of blood from the finest of Lee Archer's noted sheep of Washington county, Pennsylvania. He has always taken an active inter- est in the agricultural development of the county, and at the present time is one of the Directors of the Agricultural Society of this county. He was married, March 29, 1871, to Miss Susan J. Russell, daughter of John N. Russell, of this township. They have two children, Cora E. and Fannie G.
RESIDENCE OF FRANCIS M'GUIRE, JR., LAFAYETTE TOWNSHIP.
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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.
ton, treasurer; V. E. Vickers, marshal; R. Mc- Clintiek, Alonzo Sibley, S. P. Woodward, Thomas Platt, Lewis Carhartt and C. W. Wilkin, couneil- men.
The village is compactly built and lies in the lower bottom land, close to the ereck. It is con- cealed from view in almost every direction by the' terrace which rises abruptly behind it. Its pres- ent population is three hundred. As a business center it is not excelled in the county away from Coshocton. If contains three stores, two mills, one drug store, two hotels, one saloon, one jeweler shop, two shoe shops, three blacksmith shops, two harness shops, one tin store, one wagon shop, one tannery, one tailor shop, two churches, and three physicians.
Plainfield Masonic Lodge, No. 224, was char- tered in 1852. The charter was destroyed by fire the same year and re-issued October 20, 1853. The charter members were Jacob Nichols, master; J. B. Ingraham, senior warden; P. Inskeep, ju- nior warden; J. R. Inskeep, John Baker, L. I. Bonnell, William White and A. J. Davis. The present membership is twenty-eight. The lodge is now officered as follows: S. P. Woodward, master; J. G. Powelson, senior warden; R. J. Sprague, junior warden; David Duling, clerk; T. J. Cook, treasurer.
During the summer of 1879 the township built a fine two-story hall, about thirty-six by fifty feet in size. Several township offices and a festival room occupy the lower floor ; the upper story is used as an audience hall.
The township cemetery adjoins Plainfield. It is beautifully located on a knoll of rising ground, the gift of Thomas Johnson.
The village of Linton, comprising 115 inhabit- ants, is situated in the southeastern part of the township on Wills ereek, at the base of a steep range of hills. It was laid out in 1849, by J. V. Heslip, the land which formed it being mostly in timber at that time. The first building was erected by Mr. Heslip, in 1847, and was used as a boarding house for the workmen employed by him in constructing a mill-dam. A saw-mill, grist-mill, distillery and tavern were built within a few years, all by Mr. Heship. A great amount of business was done in the mills formerly, but
they have lost much of their activity. The vil- lage contains two stores and the usual comple- ment of shops. Joseph Heslip was the first post- master, in 1847.
Bacon postoffice, situated on Bacon run, was established about 1858, with John H. Sicher as postmaster. A country store was started here several years after by William Fowler, and has been in operation most of the time since.
Maysville, situated in the southwestorn corner of the township, was laid out in 1837, by Alexan- der Ballentine. It never prospered, and for years . has fliekered between life and death. It possibly numbers a half dozen houses, one of which is used as a blacksmith shop.
The population of the township in 1880 was 1,918, an increase of 318 in ten years. The early settlers were principally from the States of Vir- ginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, with a fair sprinkling from the Emerald Iste. The hills in the western part of the township were settled al- most exclusively by German and French emi- grants. Descendants of most of the pioneer fan- ilies still reside on the farms which their grand- fathers wrestled from primitive wilderness, a fact which speaks well of the agricultural and social qualities of the township.
CHAPTER LX.
MILL CREEK TOWNSHIP.
Boundary- Streams-Survey -Organization-Settlement- Population-Postoffices-Mills-Schools-Churches.
M ILL CREEK TOWNSHIP lies in the northern tier of townships and is bounded as follows: On the north by Mechanie township, Holmes county ; on the east by Crawford town- ship, on the south by Keene, and on the west by Clark. Its name is derived from the principal stream within its limits, which enters near the northeastern eorner, and, pursuing an almost direct course, passes into Keene township, near the middle of the southern line. Several small branches unite with it in this township, and two or three others, flowing in a nearly parallel course with it, meet it in Keene. Walnut run, in the
23
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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.
northern part of the township, flows northwest- erly and reaches Doughty's fork in Holmes county. Narrow valleys border the streams, but beyond these the land is hilly throughout.
It was organized in July, 1817, and the first election of officers was held at the house of John P. Wilson, on the northeast quarter of section 21, near the southeastern corner of the township. This was then a central location, for in Mill Creek was originally embraced Crawford, White Eyes, and Keene townships. As it exists to-day, " it is the seventh township in the sixth range of "the United States military district, and should be five miles square in area, but, owing to an imper- feetion in the original survey, it lacks nearly a half mile of the requisite width. The first, sec- ond and fourth quarters consist of congress land, and were surveyed in 1803 by Ebenezer Buck- ingham. The third or southwest quarter is a military section, and was surveyed into thirty- four 100-acre lots, by William Cutbush, in 1808. Had the quarter been of full size, there would have been forty instead of thirty-four lots.
As the early records are lost, the first officers can not be given. Henry Grim, however, was the first justice of the peace, and Moses Thomp- son the first clerk. Philip Fernsler, who lived in what is now Crawford township, was at the same time elected to some minor office, but when called upon to appear before the justice and be sworn in, refused to do so on conscientious principles. Rather than violate his conscience he paid the fine of two dollars which the law imposed upon a citizen for refusing to perform the duties of an office to which he was elected.
Richard Babcock, in 1812, settled with his fam- ily upon the southeast quarter of section 18, and by so doing became the earliest settler in the township. For three years he was the only set- tler. He was originally from Vermont, but had come to this place directly from Harrison county. He was a successful hunter, and made a good se- lection of land for his future home, for the quar- ter is not excelled in the entire township. A trail leading up Mill creek, past his cabin, to the Car- penter settlement on Doughty's fork, in Holmes county, was for some time the only public way in the township. It was afterward replaced by a wagon road.
In the fall of 1815, while Mr. Babcock was yet the sole white occupant of the township, a band of wandering Indians encamped a short distance southeast of his land and made serious inroads upon his field of ripening corn, notwithstanding his remonstrances. Mr. Babeock, single-handed, was no match for the aggressors, and conveyed intelligence to the scattering settlers about Co- shocton, requesting assistance to drive the base intruders from the neighborhood. Accordingly, twelve men started from the river for Babcock's place, with this express purpose, but when they reached it, the Indians had flown, never to re- turn. They had probably been apprised through some source of the intended attack and, seizing time by the forelock, departed for regions un- known. Mr. Babcock was killed by a runaway team, about 1823. His widow died a few years later. His youngest son remained upon the home farm until his death, in 1874. His grand- son, Daniel Babcock, now lives upon the place.
The second settler was Solomon Vail, who in 1815 entered and removed to the northeast quarter of section 23, from what is now the John Lemmon place, in the northeast corner of Tus- carawas township, where he had been living for some time with his father, John Vail. The family had come to this county from Youngs- town, Mahoning county. Mr. Vail, in after years, removed with a large family to the western part of Illinois, where he died.
Moses Thompson was the third settler, coming into the township with his family March 27, 1816. He was of Irish birth and had been living in Jef- ferson county. In the fall of 1815 he removed to this county. He found a temporary habitation near the Tuscarawas river in the cabin of Robert Culbertson, who had died in 1815. During the winter he prepared the timber and with the as- sistance of the settlers gathered far and near reared his backwoods cabin on the northwest quarter of section 22. Here he remained until his death, which occurred in 1862. His wife had died in 1822. His son S. T. Thompson resided on the home farm for many years, but within a few years removed to Keene township, where he now resides.
In 1817 the pioneers began to enter this town- ship more rapidly. In that year Thomas Moore
557
HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.
settled upon the northeast quarter of section 22. He was born in New Jersey and at the age of six- teen ran away from home. He eventually made his way to Harrison county and from there here. He was a man of little education but was well liked by his neighbors. His father, years after- ward, came out and lived with him. Both died on the home place. Joseph Beach, a son-in-law of Thomas Moore came to the township with him and lived upon the same quarter. Henry Grim in 1817 settled upon the southwest quarter of sec- tion 21. He was of German extraction and a few years before had been living in Perry township. He afterwards became an associate judge of this county. From this place he removed to Owen county, Indiana. John P. Wilson in the same year settled upon the northeast quarter of section 21. He had married a sister of Solomon Vail and like him had come from Mahoning county. He first took a lease upon the MeGuire tract in La- fayette township, where he accumulated a little money with which to enter his quarter. He af- terward moved to Wells county, Indiana. About this time James Osborn, a New Englander, made his appearance in the township. He had been living on the Tusearawas river and had there married a Miss Cantwell. He bought ten acres from Solomon Vail and remained here but a short time, removing to Keene township. He was a ready workman and could make himself useful in almost any kind of employment. From Keene township he emigrated to Texas. Wil- liam Willis in 1817 settled upon the southwest quarter of section 12.
A little later, Luke Tipton and his two sons, Luke and Thomas, settled upon the southeast quarter of section 8. They were originally from Maryland, but had come to this place from Jeffer- son county. Mr. Tipton had been a soldier of the revolutionary war, and was an excentric character, very credulous in his disposition. He went to Holmes county and afterward to Ten- nessee, where he died.
John Williams, Sr., a brother of Charles Wil- liams of Coshocton, settled upon the northwest quarter of section 19, in 1817 or 1818. He was in the revolutionary war, and at its elose settled near Wheeling. He was also in the Moravian and the Coshocton campaigns. He removed to
Coshocton about 1812. From Mill creek, he re- moved to Keene township where he died in 1833, when about eighty years of age. He was a good man and highly esteemed by his acquaintances.
Among the earliest settlers on the military sec- tion were William Baldwin. Samuel Bice, Fred- erick Bentley, Charles Elliott, Amos Smith and Benjamin Workman. Mr. Baldwin was from New England and came about 1820 or earlier, settling on lot 9. He was an enterprising man and accumulated considerable property. Mrs. Baldwin was a cultivated lady and instituted the first singing school hercabouts. Samuel Bice, occupying lot 20, was here perhaps a little earlier, He died early in life, and the family soon disap- peared from the township. Fredereck Bentley owned lot 13. Two brothers also lived here for a while, but all moved West, Frederick going to Illinois. Charles Elliott lived upon lot 2, which was owned by his brother Aaron. He afterward moved to Clark township. Amos Smith settled upon lot 5 about 1818 and died not many years thereafter. Benjamin Workman was from Vir- ginia, and owned lots 26 and 27.
Other settlers who were in the township about or before 1820, were Daniel Weaver, who settled upon the northeast quarter of section 3; John Stonehoeker, the northwest quarter of section 19 (he died on the place several years later); Amos Purdy, a New Englander, who afterward moved, farther west, the northwest quarter of section 13; Henry and Adam Lowe, the former owning the west half, the latter the east half, of section 4; and Peter Harbaugh, the northwest quarter of section 2. John Mitchell, about the same time, settled upon the northwest quarter of section 21. He was from Jefferson county, and became a re- spected and prominent citizen of the township, serving as county commissioner from 1829 to 1832. He lived on the place he first occupied till his decease. Peter Sheplar, from Harrison coun- ty, about 1821, settled in the eastern part of sec- tion 8. He removed to Missouri, but returned to this township and died here. William Baird, from Jefferson county, and John Dickey, a brother-in- law to Mr. Stonehocker, came in about the same time.
Frederick Miser, about 1820, settled in the south half of section 1. He was a person of towering
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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.
stature and strength, and extremely fond of hunt- ing. He wore the usual hunter's garb, the skins of wild animals, and with his large fox-skin cap presented quite a formidable appearance. He was, however, kind-hearted as a child, and would never knowingly injure any one. When his rifle would bring down a deer it is related that he was accustomed to swing the game across his shoul- ders and continue the hunt till he had shot an- other. He would then fasten one to each end of a short pole, and with ease bear it home on his shoulder.
The earliest settlers were chiefly from New England, many of them having sojourned for a while in the castern counties of the State. Later, a German emigration to the township set in, and this people now forms the predominating ele- ment. In 1830 the population was 587; ten years later it was larger than it has been at any time since, 907; in 1850 it was 872; in 1860, 688; in 1870, still further reduced, to 586. The present tendency is again upward, the recent census ac- crediting the township with 626 inhabitants.
It is distinctly a rural district, as a town lot has never been surveyed within its limits. The nearest approach to a village is a solitary country store and postoffice, called Mound, in the south- eastern part of the township. The store was started by Daniel Babcock, in the spring of 1880, and the office established a little later. It is only an accommodation or branch office, however, the postmaster, Mr. Babcock, bringing the mail from Keene once a week, on Saturdays. Many years ago a postoffice known as Mill Creek, was kept for a while in the western part of the town- ship, by Jesse Patterson. It was then removed to Bloomfield. A Mr. Bennett provided “private entertainment," as the sign read, for the public, on lot 7, a long time ago, and was succeeded in this capacity for a few years by Mr. Patterson.
The first corn-grinding done in the township was done in a little hand-mill which Solomon Vail was fortunate enough to possess. Not satis- tied with this, he determined to build a power- mill, and with the assistance of his brother-in- law, Benjamin Firbee, accomplished the under- taking. It was a rude affair, capable of grinding nothing but corn. Thomas Elliott kindly con- sented to bring the stones for the mill from Mans-1 members. Rev. E. H. Dissette is the pastor at
field, and for his services was rewarded with a pair of " wedding shoes" which Mr. Vail, who was a "jack of all trades," fashioned for him. The water soon washed around the dam, and Mr. Vail afterwards built a larger mill a little farther down the stream-Mill creek. This latter one could grind wheat, but the flour must be bolted by hand at a separate mill. After this mill had subserved its intended use, it was replaced by a saw-mill which did not remain long in operation. Eli Steele erected a mill more than thirty years ago, on the southeast quarter of section 9. He sold it to A. Crawford, and it has long since ceased to exist.
Concerning the distillation of spirits, it may be said that Foster & Young, and afterward Mo- ses Thompson, were engaged in the business for a short time. Mr. Hartman ran a tannery for a. while on the southwest quarter of section 13.
The first school in the township was taught by David Grim, the son of Henry Grim, in 1816 or 1817, on the John Williams place. Mr. Williams had built his cabin in the fall, but did not intend to occupy it till the following spring, and allowed the school to be held in it during the winter. By the next fall he had a double cabin erected and the school was continued another term in one of these. Mr. Grim taught both terms. He was a paralytic cripple, unable to perform the. sturdy labor of pioneer life, and had attempted to gain a livelihood by teaching. He died soon after. Then there was no school in the township for years, till the country became more thickly settled. John Mitchell was among the next teachers.
At present there are regular services in only one church in the township-Elliott's chapel, a Methodist Episcopal church, located near the northwest corner of lot 28, in the southwestern part of the township. This meeting-house was erected in 1861, and dedicated in April, 1862, by G. W. Breckenridge, then the presiding eller of the circuit. It was built by John Elliott, is a frame about twenty-four by thirty-eight.in size, and cost about $500. George Elliott, Samuel Elli- ott and Albert Seward were the most influential
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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.
present. The membership, owing to removals, and the organization of the church at Bloomfield, has been greatly reduced and is now very weak numerically.
Preaching had been held in this neighborhood from a very early date, more recently at George Elliott's house, earlier in the school-house or wherever a suitable place could be obtained. An appointment was made for services one Sunday evening in the school-house. The time arrived and with it the preacher and his congregation, but the man in charge of the building came late with fuel and candles, but by a strange oversight, without fire. There were no matches, it was get- ting late, the night was very dark and the nearest house was a considerable distance away. Un- daunted, the good brother decided to proceed with the services. Bidding the people in attend- ance be seated, he found his way to the pulpit, ascended it and delivered a sermon with great power and unction to his invisible hearers.
St. Mark's Parish of the Protestant Episcopal church was organized at the dwelling of Moses Thompson in 1823, Bishop Chase officiating. The principal original members were John Mitchell, Moses Thompson, James Foster, Alexander Scott, George MeCaskey and William Elliott. Services had been occasionally held previously in the house and barn of William Elliott, of Keene township. The first church building was erected in the year 1824. It was built of hewed logs and without the aid of money, the members and neighbors giving labor instead. In 1859 the present church was built at a cost of $800. It is located in the northwestern part of seetion 22, on land donated by Moses Thompson. There have been no settled pastors, the church having been commonly supplied by professors and theological students from Kenyon College, Gambier. There are now no regular services. In 1825 or 1826, a Sunday-school was organized with Samuel Elliott as superintendent, and William Grim, assistant. It has been irregularly kept up since, though there is no school at present.
Elders Norris and Snow, pastors of the Disciple church, began to preach in this vicinity nearly fifty years ago, in houses, barns, the woods or
whatever accommodations for an audience might be obtained. Converts to the new faith began to increase, and, in 1848 or 1849, a house of worship was built near the northeast corner of the Babcock farm. Frederick Bentley, Luke Tipton, Sylvester Tipton, William Willis, Samuel Morrison, from Holmes county, and others early identified them- selves with this church, and it at one time pos- sessed considerable strength. Not long after the erection of the church, however, it began to de- cline, owing to the emigration of its members from the county, and in a few years the organi- zation expired. The building is still standing and is occupied as a dwelling house.
CHAPTER LXI.
MONROE TOWNSHIP.
Boundary-Topography-Population-Seltlers -- Mills-New Princeton-Spring Mountain-Churches.
M ONROE belongs to the northern tier of the townships of Coshocton county. On the north it touches Richland and Killbuck town- ships of Holmes county, on the east Clark town- ship, on the south Jefferson and on the west Tiv- erton. Owing to its location and topographical features it was probably the last township of the county to yield its pristine wildernesses to the subduing hand of civilization. Hemmed in on all sides by bold and rugged hills, the topography of its own territory from a picturesque point of view in places approaches the attractive elements of grandeur and sublimity, but seen from an ag- rieultural standpoint the view was not so entranc- ing, and doubtless deterred many settlers from taking possession of the soil. Very little lime- stone is seen in the township but sandstone rock, both massive and fragmentary, is scattered in rich profusion over many a hillside and crops out with uniform regularity in all parts of the township. The valleys were in early times decked with a thrifty forest growth, but the hill tops were usually bleak and bald or covered only with scantiest vegetation of shrubs and bushes.
Settlements in a new country almost invaria- bly follow the streams, and progress in settle-
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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.
ment is proportionate to the size and advantages of the streams and their valleys. In Monroe township the streams are inconsiderable in size, and did not offer to settlers the same induce- ments possessed by larger streams. Beaver run rises in the southern part and flows southcast- erly draining the southwestern corner of the township. It received its name from the fact that John Severns of Jefferson township was one of earliest settlers on its banks. He had emigrated from Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and on this account, to distinguish him from another John Severns, he was familiarly known as Beaver John. Big run has its source in the western part of the township and flows eastward, entering Killbuck creek in Clark township. With its little branches it drains most of the northern half of the town- ship. The ridge lands in the southern central portion of the township are undulating and af- ford locations for fine farms.
The third section, or southwest quarter of the township, is military land. It was surveyed into forty 100-acre lots, in 1818, by Alexander Holmes. The remainder of the township is congress land, surveyed in 1803, by Silas Bent, Jr. The town- ship was organized in 1824, and in its original extent embraced what is now Clark township, and probably other territory. The first justice of the peace was James Parker, who served fifteen ycars. Jeremiah Williams, William Estap and James Curtis followed him. William Hughes has now filled this office for about thirty years.
The population of the township, in 1830, was 120. The adjoining townships at this time con- tained about 250 cach, and the remaining town- ships in the county ranged from 400 to 800. In 1840, Monroe contained 557 inhabitants; in 1850, 750; in 1860, 868; in 1870, 832, and in 1880, 1,005.
The carlicst settlers were principally Penn- sylvanians, with a strong admixture, however, of Virginians. During the last twenty years, there has been a steady inflow of Germans, and this element is now of considerable strength. The early settlers, generally, were without much means, and many of them moved about, from place to place, a great deal. In 1827, the only resi- dent tax-payers in this township were Jeremiah Fetrow, lot 3, of section 3; Daniel Fetrow, lot 2, section 3; William Griffith, lots 4 and 5, same
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