USA > Ohio > Coshocton County > History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881 > Part 93
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An iron bridge was built over the Mohican, a little above Walhonding, in 1871. N. W. Buxton constructed the piers and abutments for $4,465, and the Massillon Iron Bridge Co. furnished the superstructure for $5,070.
The Walhonding canal enters the township from Jefferson, and closely follows the northern bank of the river in all its meanderings to the forks, then up' the eastern side of the Mohican valley into Tiverton township.
A school-house was built in the eastern part of the township, south of the river, about 1812, but before it had been used for school purposes, it was accidentally burned by a company of sol- diers, who, returning to Cadiz from the Western frontier, encamped in it one night. It was not rebuilt. About ten years later, however, another one was built in the same vicinity, on J. M. Rod- ger's farm, near where the present school-building stands. Isaac Richardson was the first teacher. Ile had a rough set of pupils to manage, who required and received frequent and vigorous ap- plications of the rod.
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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.
A school-house was built about a half mile west of New Castle, as carly as 1812. perhaps earlier, by Robert Giffen and his neighbors. It was a large log house, and seems to have been well at- tended. Mrs. Stuart states that as many as forty pupils attended school here at one time, before her father moved to Knox county, 1814. Rev. James Pigman, a noted Methodist preacher, taught the first school.
Only one church exists in an aetive working state in the township at the present time. This is the Methodist Episcopal church, located in the village of New Castle. It was organized prior to the year 1840; how long before is unknown, as none of the first members are now connected with the church, and no records, if in existence at all, are accessible. Among the early leading members, were Lyman Shaffer, Azuriah Fobes and Philip Morgan. The early meetings were held in barns, sehool-houses or wherever a place of suitable size could be procured. About 1840, a frame church was built, which stood about twenty years, then in 1859 or 1860, the congregation erected its present chureh edifice, a large and substantial frame, comfortably furnished within and surmounted by a bell. The membership ag- gregates about sixty-five. The church is served during the present year by Rev. Philip Kelser, who also has charge of congregations at East Union, Mohawk Village and Cullison's Ridge. A Sunday-school in a good, healthy condition, is superintended by F. M. Buxton.
An Episcopal congregation formerly existed in New Castle. It was organized about 1851, by Prof. George Dennison of Gambier College. The aetive eo-operators in maintaining its existence, were B. S. Lee, John Green and George Mc- Daniel. A building was ereeted soon after the organization of the church. The pulpit was sup- plied wholly by ministers from Gambier college, Prof. Blake having charge after Prof. Dennison. It's small membership became reduced by re- movals without compensating accessions, and about 1860, it disappeared, as an organization. The building remains, and is used as a warehouse.
A Christian church formerly stood in the southeastern part of the township, on Severn's
ridge. The society was formed, and the church building erected. about the year 1840. John Grove, who came from near Pittsburgh, Penn- vania, about 1814, and settled on the southeast quarter of section 19, near where the church was afterward built; James Cox, David Morrison, Thomas Kincaid and Robert Copeland, were chief among its supporters. Rev. David Rice was the officiating minister at the organization.
About 1865, the light of the church was extin- guished, caused by the death and removal of members, leaving an inadequate number to maintain the church.
New Castle was probably the second town laid out in Coshocton county, Coshocton being the first. It was laid out in 1808, by Robert Giffen, but did not thrive, for some reasons, remaining almost a nonentity for more than a score of years. The residence of Mr. Giffen, a comfortable log eabin, was located here, in 1811, and soon after, the land upon which the village was platted was sold to John Ely, who kept a tavern here for several years. In 1830, John Clark laid out a village adjacent to the old plat, and called it West Liberty. Determined to make the village a sue- cess, he himself erected four or five dwelling houses, one of them a brick. Several years later, he sold the town to George MeDaniel, who made an addition, and changed the name again to New Castle.
The village is pleasantly situated on high, roll- ing ground, and contains about 250 inhabitants.
George Lawrence sold the first goods here, about 1832. Three years later, Shaffer & Ringwald owned a store, and before 1835 Calvin Hill was running a good hotel. Years before this, about 1820, Joseph Butler was the proprietor of a pub- lic-house. A pottery was formerly very success- fully and extensively carried on here by the Riches and their successors, Collins, Butler and others, excellent materials being found in the vieinity. It ceased manufacturing several years ago. Another pottery on a somewhat smaller scale, was started about ten years ago, by Henry Lewis. It is still in operation. The wares are disposed of principally at Mount Vernon, Coshoc- ton and intermediate points.
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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.
Abram Dennis ran a tannery here many years; it closed up business about ten years ago.
There are in the village at present, three stores where a general supply of goods are kept, owned by Cochran & McKee, R. H. Cochran, and Wil- liam Butler. Thomas Hull sells hardware and groceries; two blacksmith, one wagon, and one harness shop are also found, and the traveler has his choice of two hotels.
Dr. Samuel Me Elwee, a native of New Jersey, has practiced medicine in the village and vicinity since 1849. He has recently associated with him Dr. John Snider, a young physician. Other phy- sicians, who by a long residence were identified with New Castle, were Drs. Willetts and Barger ; the latter was killed by the explosion of a boiler of a steamboat at Louisville, Kentucky, while on a trip to the West, in 1843.
The school building is a large, neat-appearing, two-story brick, which has been in service for more than twenty years. Messrs. W. T. Knight and A. L. Smith are the present teachers.
The village is the home of one of the profes- sors of the occult sciences, William Gorham, who claims to be able to discover hidden things, whether of the past or the future, and has some- times created a sensation in the classic Owl creek valley.
Walhonding was platted in the summer of 1841, its proprietors being William K. Johnson, G. W. Sullivan and T. S. Humrickhouse. It is situated on the north side of the Walhonding river, and doubtless owes its existence to the building of the Walhonding canal, which passes through it. The land upon which it is situated is rough, a fact which may have had an influence in keeping the population down to about eighty souls. The vil- lage had in its youth visions of a glorious future, and came very near realizing them, that is to say, a bill before the State legislature about 1847, for the creation of a new county, to comprise parts of Coshocton, Knox, Holmes, Muskingum and Licking counties, in which proposed new county Walhonding would have been centrally located, failed in passing by a single vote.
The village contains two stores, owned by Wil- liam C. Frick and George H. Rodehaver, two | cept several lots, twenty years ago.
blacksmith shops and one small foundry, which is owned by Edward Dorsey. George Humrick- house was the first store-keeper, James Gamble the first postmaster.
The main business of the village is done at Joseph S. McVey's flouring-mill, the water power for which is supplied by the canal. The mill was built shortly after the canal was constructed, by Albert and John Collins and James Gamble. In 1844, it was sold to J. S. MeVey and Edwin Lewis. The distillery which was formerly connected with the mill was abandoned in 1845, and the grist-mill which had hitherto done only custom work was enlarged, and the proprietors now be- gan to manufacture and ship flour extensively. In 1850, Mr. Lewis died of cholera at New Castle, and since then Mr. McVey has had sole owner- ship of the mill. He has since considerably en- larged the building, so that now a large amount of wheat can be stored in the building. It is forty feet long by thirty-six wide, five stories high, and with its four run of buhrs has a capac- ity of seventy-five or cighty barrels of flour per day.
A small Methodist Episcopal society existed here several years ago, and steps were taken to erect a building. When it was partially built the society perished, and it is unlikely the building will be finished.
Mount Airy was the title very appropriately bestowed upon a little village that stood on an elevated ridge of ground in the extreme south- western corner of the township. It was laid out in 1816, by Elijah Dillon. David Melick resided on the site of the village before this date. He subsequently sold out to a Mr. Tilton. A school- house was built here as early as 1820. Mrs. Kezia Alsach, the wife of a Methodist local preacher, was probably the first teacher. She was suc- ceeded by Arthur Scott, from Washington coun- ty, Pennsylvania, a better educated man than most people at that time. The village may have contained as many as twenty houses, including one blacksmith and one shoe shop. It is uncer- tain whether a store was kept here. It has long since come to naught, having been vacated, ex-
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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.
CHAPTER LXIII.
OXFORD TOWNSHIP.
Location-Physical Features- Organization -Settlement - Mills-Distilleries-Taverns-Bridges-Schools- Millsville -Evensburg-Orange-Postoffices-Churches.
XFORD township is situated in the eastern part of the county and bounded as follows: On the north by Adams township, on the east by Tuscarawas county, on the south by Guernsey county and Linton township and on the west by Lafayette township. The Tuscarawas river flows through the northern part of it from east to west. Several small streams enter it from the north, the most noticeable being Evans creek. There are no tributaries from the south. The level White Eyes plains having a width of from one to two miles stretch across the township just south of the river. South of this the surface is rough and the streams flow in an opposite direction from the river, to Wills creek. This latter stream in one of its tortuous meanderings enters Oxford township from Linton and cuts off fifteen or twenty acres from the body of the township. The soil on the plains is usually gravelly with a sandy loam in patches. A clay soil covers the southern hills while that of the river bottoms is the usual rich loam. The timber which grew upon the hills was vigorous and of varied kinds including sugar, oak, walnut, hickory, poplar and other less important varieties. Sycamore was the prevailing type in the lowest river bottoms while just above this was found the heaviest and best timber in the township. The plains as a rule were scantily timbered, if at all, and were doubt- less the haunts of the game-seeking red man. That they frequented the plains and the valley which skirts the river is made manifest by the numerous relies which have been found here. Tomahawks, bullets, stone mortars and pestles, various silver ornaments and pieces of pottery were often picked up by the early settlers. Small mounds, too, were scattered here and there along the valley, indicating that the pre-historic race also had dwelt here ages ago. One of these mounds, standing on Willis Richard's farm on the western side of the township, was about thirty
feet in diameter originally and eight or ten feet in height but modern cultivation has removed nearly every trace of it.
Oxford township was organized in the fall of 1811, very soon after the county was formed. Its original boundaries included a large portion of the eastern part of the county, but it was gradu- ally reduced in size by the organization of other townships until it reached its present limits in 1835. The first, second and third sections are military sections; the fourth or northeastern sec- tion consists of congress land, and was surveyed in 1803, by Alexander IIolmes. The first or northeast section was probably located by Matthew Denman, as he had possession of it very early and sold portions of it to incoming settlers. The original proprietor of the second or northwest section was William Steel, of Essex county, New Jersey, whose patent dates February 11, 1800. James Williams, of Annapolis, Maryland, was the original proprietor of section 3. His patent is dated March 21, 1800. None of these land owners became residents in the township, but sooner or later sold it to those who settled here.
There is no doubt that one of the first settle- ments in Coshocton county was made in Oxford township, yet it seems impossible at this time to determine definitely the date at which it was made. Hunt's Historical Collections says : " It is believed by some that the first settlement made in the county was made in this township. It would seem that, at all events, the same season Charles Williams was raising his corn on the prairie, Isaac and Henry Evans and Charles and Esaias Baker, all from Virginia, were raising a crop on the Tuscarawas, near Evansburg. Wil- liams had come up the Muskingum, and the four above named had come down the Tuscarawas." It is known that Williams was living on the prairie as early as 1801, and probably a year or two before. Charles Baker, a son of Esaias Baker, now living in Linton township, states that his father, his father's brother Charles, and Isaac and Henry Evans, came out together from Vir- ginia at a time when there was not a white man on the Tuscarawas river, but he is unable to give the year. Lewis Corbit, of Adams township, tells that his father, Robert Corbit, emigrated
.
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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.
with Isaac Evans from Virginia in the year 1804. Calhoun's Historical Sketches, written thirty years ago, states, that " In 1803 Judge Evans set- tled where Evansburg now stands. There were also others who settled around him soon after- ward, forming what was known at the time as White Eyes Plains settlement." These dates are irreconcilable, but it would seem that the Charles Williams settlement, on the Walbonding, was made first. The Evansburg settlement was prob- ably the second one made in the county. The two Bakers came out in the spring, planted and tended a crop of corn on the plains just south of Orange, then returned to Virginia, harvested a crop there, and in the fall of the same year moved out permanently with their families, cut their new erop here and erected cabins. Esaias Baker leased twenty acres from a Mr. Newell, in the western part of the township, on the farm which George Loos afterward purchased. Both Esaias and Charles, a few years later, moved to Linton township, becoming two of the carliest settlers there.
Isaac Evans was the central figure of this set- tlement, and was a man whose influence was folt in all parts of the county. Soon after he moved out he purchased a traet of land and built his cabin south of the river, close to the bank, just across from Evansburg. The high waters which rose and surrounded his cabin soon after, obliged him to move farther back from the river. He raised and commanded a company during the war of 1812, serving under General Harrison. He was also one of the early associate justices in the county. His brother Henry, who accompa- nied him here, purchased a farm adjoining hison the east, and being a bachelor, spent his days in solitude there, engaged in farming and stock raising.
Quite a colony of carly settlers were from near Carlisle, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. Per- haps the carliest of them was Philip Waggoner, who came to Oxford township in 1806. He died a few years later. Philip Wolfe came soon after, and settled at Wolfe's Corners. a little north of the center of the township, where Henry Wolfe now lives. He died in September. 1825. Still later, George Leighninger emigrated from the same place. He was a young man when he came, and
afterward married a daughter of Mr. Wolfe, who is still living with her son in Lafayette township, in the eighty-fifth year of her age. George Loos came in 1811. Like the others, he came over- land, moving in a five-horse team, and settling at Loos' Corners, in the western part of the town- ship. He purchased his farm from Robert Newell, who had been living on it and moved farther west after he had disposed of it.
John Junkins, an Irishman, emigrated to the township, perhaps as early as 1806 or 1808. He lived on the Cadiz road, at the farm now owned by F. Sergeant, about a mile west of Wolfe's Corners. He was the biggest man on the plains, and a genuine Irishman. Two sons, John and David, lived with him, also a son-in-law, Matthew Gray, who was of the same nationality. George Anspaugh, from near Carlisle, Pennsyl- vania, came about 1811, and settled on the place now occupied by Jacob Wolfe, a short distance west of Wolfe's Corners. Moses Morgan, another early settler, was a New Jerseyman, and settled about a mile east of Anspaugh, on the Cadiz road. He afterwards sold out and went into business at Evansburg.
John Mills, a cabinetmaker, lived where Jacob Starker now does, the southeast quarter of sec- tion 12. He once met with a mishap that might have terminated fatally. He was watching for game, at a deer-lick, one sultry day, concealed behind some bushes, and to drive away the pes- tiferous mosquitos that bothered him, was way- ing a brush about his face and head. Another hunter, approaching, perceived the stir, and mis- taking Mills for a deer, banged away at him with his rifle, and shot off his nose.
The Mulvains, Joseph, John and William, were here in 1810, and perhaps earlier. They settled in the eastern part of the township, north of the river. Joseph was the owner of a kecl-boat which plied between New Philadelphia and Zanesville, carrying all kinds of freight. The mode of loco- motion was by poling it. "Running boards " were attached to the outside, upon which about a dozen men would stand, with long poles, by the use of which they would make the boat fairly tly through the water.
Andrew, Ezekiel and Samuel Me Farland, came about 1812. William Welsh, joining George
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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.
Loos on the east, was here in 1811. James Lisk came about the time the Junkins did. He mar- ried a daughter of John Junkins and afterward a Miss Price, who is still living in this township. Mr. Lisk was an early school teacher.
Milling facilities were no better here in pioneer days than elsewhere on the frontier. In fact, this being one of the earliest settled districts, the first white men were obliged to travel further to get a little grinding done than the first settlers of most other townships, As late as 1812, Zanes- ville and New Philadelphia were the usual mill- ing points. Years before this, Esaias Baker and Isaac Evans, having heard that there was a power mill near Zanesville, loaded a canoe with corn and started for it. When they reached the mill they found it to be quite a patent affair. "Two canoes had been fastened just at a ripple in the river and a small paddle-wheel set between the two boats, and this, turned by the rippling waters, furnished the power to turn a large-sized hand- mill."
Isaac Evans erected the first mill in the town- ship. It was built about 1818, on Evans creek. It was a little affair, with one run of buhrs, but answered very well the purpose for which it was intended. A saw-mill stood at the same place. They changed possession repeatedly, and were abandoned about twenty-five years ago.
About twenty years ago a large grist-mill was built on the canal, about a mile west of Orange, by John Wolfe and Timothy Emerson. John Wolfe is the present owner.
George Loos erected a little distillery on his place soon after he moved into the township. He died in 1821, and his son, Christopher, ran it for many years. A number of years later Mr. Shank operated one for ten or twelve years, on the Susanna Appis place, in the western part of sec- tion 19. Another was built on the canal about 1848, by Patrick Tregent, an Englishman.
The Cadiz road was the first one constructed through the township, and, in early days, was a principal highway of travel and emigration, so much so that several taverns flourished here for awhile in close proximity to each other. The first one was Philip Wolfe's at the corners.
Daniel Loos relates that when his father moved out from Pennsylvania, in 1811, Mr. Wolfe came out a distance with a team to help him over some of the big hills in Tuscarawas county. He was keeping tavern at that time. His tavern sign was a picture of General Washington mounted upon a white horse, an emblem which then, doubtless, appealed loudly to American patriot- ism. George Leighninger tended bar here for a while, but afterward bought a farm close by and moved upon it.
John Jenkins soon after hung out a large wooden " blue ball " to the gaze of the passer-by, inviting him to partake of the entertainment provided within, about a mile west of Wolfe. This was an important place in those days. Jen- kins was postmaster for a great many years and also a justice of the peace, and the township elections were held here at his tavern.
Moses Morgan, about 1820, opened a third tavern about a half mile east of Wolfe's tavern. When he soll the place some ten years later, to Mr. Stewart, the tavern was abandoned.
A ferry was established very early at John Miskimen's place, in the eastern part of the township. It was kept for a number of years by Adam Fletcher, and afterwards by the father of Judge Burt. After Evansburg was laid out and became a little business center, a ferry was kept here for a number of years. Moses Morgan and John B. Stout were the chief manipulators of the ferry-boat at this point.
The first bridge built in the township was at Miskimen's. It was built about 1854, and cost $10,000. This was afterward disturbed and some- what rebuilt. The river having, in 1861, cut a new channel about three-quarters of a mile to the east, a new bridge became necessary, the cost of which was about $9,000. The bridge at Orange was built in 1870. The masonry, of which N. W. Buxton was contractor, cost $8,311; the superstructure (iron) was contracted for by J. H. Davenport. It cost $7,258.
The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Loius rail- road passes through the township, east and west, crossing the Tuscarawas river near the eastern line. It has one station in the township-Oxford, near the center of the township. The Ohio ca- nal crosses the township north of the river. In
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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.
its course it usually closely follows the river bed.
The second school in the county was probably taught here. Mr. Calhoun says: " In 1806, or thereabouts, Mr. Joseph Harris taught a school in the settlement, at Evansburg. This is the second intimation of the existence of a school which we have received. Here the widow John- son, wife of Adam Johnson, deceased, remembers being sent to attend the school." The first school which Mr. Calhoun speaks of was held three or four years earlier up the Walhonding. An early school- house was built about 1812, at John Junkins' place, in which James Lisk was one of the first teachers. George Leighninger afterward taught here.
The earliest attempt at town making was made by John Mills, who, in 1815, laid out a little vil- lage on the great bend of the Tuscarawas river, south of it. He called it Millsville. Several cab- ins were reared on the spot, but for some inseru- table reason the village failed to thrive, and soon passed from the knowledge of men.
Evansburg was surveyed September 4, 1830. Isaac Evans was the proprietor, and gave it its nane. The original plat lay wholly north of the canal, but two years later an addition of five lots was made south of it. For a few years it grew vigorously. Moses Morgan owned the first dry goods store. He died a few years after it was opened, and John Stout became the possessor of it. Joseph Watkins kept another store, and built a large warchouse, dealing extensively in grain. Philip Wolfe, Jr., ran a tannery here for a while. His father, Philip Wolfe, Sr., had built one about two miles south of this at a very early day, and Philip, Jr., operated it here for a time, then re- moved it to Evansburg. Isaac Evans, Jr., was the village inn keeper. The building of Orange about a half mile to the west gave Evansburg its death- blow. The river at Evansburg could be forded only with great difficulty, if at all, and a ferry must be kept here constantly, while the stream at Orange was easily forded. Mr. Watkins removed his warehouse, and the village speedily fell to pieces. Several dilapidated structures mark the site of the once flourishing canal port.
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