History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 98

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 98

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

That this burial ground belonged, in part, at least, to the Moravian mission at Lichtenau, is highly probable. It was so identified by a Mora- vian minister from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who visited Coshocton. His judgment in regard to the matter is entitled to some weight, as he is wholly familiar with the customs of the Mora- vians, and had in his possession some of the manuscript notes of this mission.

The Moravians do not bury in family groups, but according to age and sex. The old men are buried by themselves, the old women, young men, and young women, all in regular rows by them- selves. The part of the graveyard exposed may have been the part where the children were buried, a fact which would explain the uniform shortness of the graves. The Moravians in Beth- lehem, Pennsylvania, still bury in this way.

The graveyard was just west of the railroad and south of the lane leading east from Samuel Moore's residence. The mound, previously al- luded to, is about three-fourths of a mile south of this, and is the largest found in Coshocton county. It is of conical form, twenty-five or thirty feet in height, and about eighty feet in diameter at the base. It is covered by a few trees, and has never been excavated. By a recent change in the river road a portion of one side has been cut down. Close to this mound, in early days were two others of lesser dimensions, one probably ten feet high, the other still smaller ; both, however, have now disappeared from view under the oft repeated cultivation of their soil.

The Indians frequented the hunting grounds of the township in numbers up to the time of the breaking out of the war of 1812, and visited Coshocton as a trading post from miles around. Difficulties sometimes arose, but led to nothing more serious than an occasional fight. An Indian murder, however, occurred several miles from Coshocton, of which Mr. Calhoun gives the fol- lowing occount :

At an early period in the history of Coshocton occurred the aggravated murder of the Indian, Phillips, by another Indian, called Johnson. The locality of this bloody deed was a few miles east of Coshocton, on the old Massillon road, on what has since been called Phillips' Hill. Such con- tradictory statements are given of the whole affair, that we dare not follow any of them, and shall content ourselves with enumerating some of the contradictions which are current. According to some, the murder originated in an okl grudge of Johnson's against Phillips; according to others, they were out hunting bear, on Rocky run, and, having killed one, quarreled about dividing it. Phillips ran, pursued by Johnson, until he came to the hill, where he was overtaken and killed. According to another account, they were out cutting a bee tree, and, getting into a quarrel, Johnson killed Phillips. According to others, Johnson spent the night previous to this murder at Phillips' camp, to the east of the hill which now bears his name. In the morning they started to come to town together, and the deed was done on the way. By some it is said to have happened in the fall, by others in the dead of winter; by some in 1807, by others in 1803. There can be no doubt that Phillips was mur- dered, and was buried somewhere in Coshocton ; but no two persons agree in the place. There is much difference of opinion, also as to the man- ner of his burial, some affirming that he was buried after the Indian mode, with tomahawk and sealping knife, and tobacco, others denying it altogether. It is also affirmed and denied that his wife walked three times round his grave, but the fourth time round, she stumbled and fell, and that she only lived three years after. The murderer is also said to have wiped his bloody hands on a tree which stood near the place where Phillips fell, and though the deed was done on the 21st of December, and it was exceedingly cold, yet the blood was not frozen on Christmas morning.

Tuscarawas is a mining as well as an agricul- tural township, there being at present several large exporting companies operating here, be-

Another mound of considerable size, formerly stood in Coshocton, near the residence of Mrs. Hutchinson, corner of Fourth and Locust streets. | sides a large number of mines, which are worked

605

HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

chiefly for home consumption. A vein of coal very regular in thickness, from three feet eight inches to three feet ten inches, underlies nearly the whole township, and has proved to be of ex- cellent quality. In early pioneer times the method of procuring the coal was by stripping; that is, removing all overlying strata first. This was of course very laborious, and could be re- sorted to only when the coal was near the sur- face. As early as 1820, John Knoff was engaged in extracting the coal in this way near Coshoc- ton, and supplying the then exceedingly limited demand for this article.

The earliest mine of which any knowledge is had was in operation at " Hardscrabble " in 1833, on the land then belonging to Johnson, now to John G. Stewart. Amos Wilson was manager of it, but the amount of coal mined was not very considerable. Morris Burt, about 1835, opened a bank on the other side of the same hill, and worked it for a number of years. He con- structed a wooden tram-way part way to Coshoc- ton, and the coal was hauled the remaining dis- tance by wagons. There were few of the families in Coshocton at that time who did not burn wood as fuel entirely, so that it required but little coal to supply the needs of the village. After the distillery was started in Coshocton, it consumed coal as fuel, and in supplying it the amount of coal mined began to increase.

In 1856 Foght Burt opened a mine on his farm about a mile southeast from Coshocton, and made a four feet ten inch railroad to connect with the Steubenville and Indiana railroad, making the junction a little south of the freight depot. The rails were of wood, topped with plate iron. At first horses were used to haul the cars; afterward a small locomotive-" Little Giant"-J. H. Burt being the engineer. A considerable amount of money was put into the enterprise, and much effort made by Mr. Burt and his sons, R. W. and T. H., but the project was a costly failure, owing, it is said, to the failure of the railroad company to meet expectations of assistance in building the coal road and afterward in furnishing cars.

Mr. Shoemaker opened a mine on the Ricketts' farm, about one and a half miles northeast of Coshocton, and from it supplied the engines of the railroad with coal. About IS68, or later, the

Miami Coal and Mining Company began opera- tions on the same land, purchasing the lease from the Coshocton Coal Company. The company was a foreign one, and J. II. Carman was the manager. After several years the lease was forfeited and the mine was re-leased in 1873, by E. Prosser and J. W. Cassingham, who formed the Pen Twyn Company. They operated the mine until the spring of 1879, when the supply of coal was ex- hausted and the mines abandoned.

Beech Hollow mine, now opperated by Prosser & Cassingham, was opened about 1862, by E. Prosser, one of the present owners, and worked by him for several years. About 1868, through the efforts of Colonel J. C. Campbell and Albert Christy, the Coshocton Coal Company was organ- ized, with a capital of $125,000, mostly foreign. The interest and influence of A. H. Spangler was enlisted, and he became a holder of considerable stock. The company bought up the leases of the Beech Hollow mine, the Shoemaker mine, the mine afterward operated by the New York com- pany, two miles south of Coshocton, and other mines. Colonel J. C. Campbell was president of the company. The expenditures were heavy, and financially the company was a failure. It oper- ated the Beech Hollow mine until the fall of 1876, when the lease was forfeited and the property came into the possession of its present owners. It is now called the Coshocton Mining Company. The mine is situated about one and one-half miles northeast of Coshocton, and is connected with the railroad by an iron tramway, which reaches the railroad near the water tank just out- side the limits of the village corporation. From thirty-five to forty miners are here employed, and during the last three years 60,000 tons of coal has been mined. It is shipped principally to Newark, Mt. Vernon, Columbus, Piqua, Urbana and other intermediate points.

In 1870, the Home Coal Company was organ- ized by Frank S. and John A. Barney, D. L. Triplet, S. H. Lee, Edward Prosser, Thomas Denmead, W. W. Card and George W. Ricketts. Mr. Prosser soon disposed of his interest to Mr. Ricketts, and in a few years Prosser, J. W. Cas- singham and E. Thomas Dudley purchased the shares of the other six stockholders. Then after a time the property was transferred to George

606

HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

W. Ricketts and David Waggoner, who are the present owners. This mine does the most ex- tensive business in the township. About sixty miners are engaged. The mine is at " Hard- scrabble," about one and one-half miles east of Coshocton, and is connected with the railroad by a tramway more than a mile in length.

The New York Coal and Coke Company com- meneed operations about twelve years ago, by purchasing from the Coshocton Coal Company some territory two miles south of Coshocton. Robert Youart, of Troy, Ohio, was the superin- tendent. In a few years the property was trans- ferred to a company of Michigan men, and Col- onel W. S. Wood placed in charge. The name was changed to the Union Coal and Mining Com- pany. L. W. Robinson is the present superinten- dent. The yield of this mine has been about 1,000 tons per month.

Besides the above, there are quite a number of mines worked only for the home supply.

Coal mining in this township has only fairly begun. There are thousands of acres of land underlaid with coal of richest quality that has not yet been touched. A considerable portion of this has been purchased by operators, who will gradu- ally develope the almost inexhaustible store, as circumstances will permit. A principal impedi- ment to the more vigorous prosecution of the work heretofore has been an inability to procure adequate means of transportation.

Canal Lewisville lies partly in Keene and partly in Tuscarawas township. The dividing line passes diagonally through the plat, leaving the larger portion of it, and almost entirely the occupied part, in Tuscarawas township. It lies in the beautiful Tuscarawas valley, a short distance north of the river. The Ohio eanal passes through the village, and gave rise to its location and growth. It was laid out by the county sur- veyor, James Ravenscraft, July 2, 1832, Solomon Vail and Thomas B Lewis being the proprietors. Their expectations of its rapid development were genuine, if the size of the plat be any indication. It contained 220 lots, besides a number of out- lots. The village of Newport had been founded about two years previous, a half mile to the west, in Keene township. The road to Millersburg,

then a principal thoroughfare, passed through Newport northward, but shortly before Lewis- ville was laid out, the road was altered and made to pass through the site of the future Lewisville, and this fact more than anything else, induced the proprietors to lay the foundation for a town. It was designed from the first to be a shipping point for grain, and for a number of years an im- mense business was done here in this line. Be- fore the Cleveland and Mt. Vernon road was built through Holmes county, it was customary for the farmers as far north as Millersburg to haul their wheat to this place. The amount of grain transported from the three warehouses about 1847 was immensse.

The first grain dealer in the place was Arnold Medbery, of Roscoe, who erected a warehouse very soon after the town was laid out, at the southeast corner of Main and Pleasant streets. It is now operated by Henry W. Henderson. Mr. Medbery remained in possession of the building for a long time, but at length transferred the property to Samuel Lamberson, who, after operating here for many years, in 1872 disposed of the warehouse to Charles Burns. It was then operated by Burns & Haek until 1877, when it be- came the property of William Hanlon, and busi- ness was conducted by his sons under the name of Hanlon & Brothers. In 1880 the present owner came into possession of it. A large amount of grain is still bought here, but much less than formerly. From the first a general dry goods business has been carried on in connection with the warehouse.

Cotemporaneously with Mr. Medbery, Alexan- der Renfrew started in the merchandising and grain dealing business, erecting buildings for the purpose on the opposite side of Main street. The business was conducted by Renfrew & Wilson, and later by Finley Carnahan and John Best. It finally ceased to be profitable and was suspended. A few years ago the buildings were removed.

Jackson & Henry Hay followed the other two firms in a few years with a third warehouse. It, too, was situated on the north side of the eanal, corner of Washington street. After a time it was sold to Mr. Williamson, but in a few years re- turned to the possession of the Hays. Business was finally suspended, and about 1869 the old

RESIDENCE OF JOHN G. STEWART, MAIN STREET, COSHOCTON.

609

HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

building was torn down and removed to Coshoc- ton, where it now stands as a part of the Coshoc- ton planing-mill.

The first building in town was the north wing of the present two-story frame, located on lot 100, now owned by Charles and John Graham, and occupied by the dry goods store of Charles Gra- ham & Brothers. It was brought by T. B. Lewis, from Newport, re-erected and used first by him as a hotel. Then George T. Humriekhouse and William K. Johnson started a store in it. After the store had run its course, the building sub- served its original purpose for a number of years. Addison Syphert and Robert Andrews success- ively keeping tavern here. After being used for dwellings some time, David Markley purchased and repaired it, and let it as a tenant house until, in January, ISSI, it came into the possession of its present owners.

The frame building on lot 139, corner Main and Canal streets, was erected by Alexander Ren- frew, as a hotel. After many years he sold it to John Richeson, Richeson to Mr. MeClain, and from the widow McClain it was purchased by R. A. Wilman, who now keeps for sale in it a stock of family groceries.

The manufacturing interests of the village are, and always have been, exceedingly small. At present, there are two blacksmith shops and one shoe shop. Formerly a rectifier was in operation, on lot 128, under the control of Thomas Love. Archie Johnson afterward operated it for a while. The population of Canal Louisville, in 1880, was 252.

The present school building is a substantial, commodious, two-story brick, with two rooms, erected in 1879. E. J. Stiekle taught in the upper grade, during the first year, and Miss Wiggins in the lower. Byron Hinebaugh has been teacher during the year recently elosed. The old school building was a brick, containing but one apartment.

Samuel Lamberson was an early postmaster. His successors have be been Martin Hack, Ed- ward Ifanton and Charles Graham, the present incumbent. Dr. Hall is remembered as being the first resident practicing physician. Dr. Chapman, and many others, have followed him, usually for a brief period. The bodily ills of the

community are now attended to by Dr. T. J. Smith, who has had a residence here for six years.

The village contains two churches, a Metho- dist Episcopal and a Baptist. A society of the former persuasion was formed as early as 1835, with William Welch, of Keene, as elass-leader. It contained few members, among whom were Gabriel Clark and Mr. and Mrs. John Stone- hocker.

The meetings were held in the school-house and after a time the society disbanded. Then about 1860 the present society was organized by Rev. Gardner with ten or twelve members, among them David and Selina Markley, Minerva Mark- ley, Mrs. Mchitable Collins, Maria Craig, Saralı Day and Margaret Craig. The early meetings were held in the village school-house until the present house of worship was erected about 1870. It was dedicated May 7, of the following year, by Rev. Jesse Warner. The building is a neat, frame structure, surrounded by a cupola contain- ing the church bell, and cost about $2,300. It was built chiefly through the efforts of David Markley. The appointment is connected with the Keene charge and Rev. Dissette is the pres- ent pastor. The membership is now and always has been small. A flourishing Sunday-school is in operation under the superintendence of John Graham.

The Canal Lewisville Regular Baptist church worships in a modest frame meeting-house which was converted to this purpose from a dwelling house about 1875. Prior to that date services had been held in the school-house. The first meeting looking to an organization was held September 29, 1864, attended by Abraham Randals, Sr., and family, Hannah Grey and Barbara Moreland, but it was not until 1866 that the organization was in- stituted as a Regular Baptist church with a mem- bership of twenty. In that year Elder W. S. Barnes was made pastor. Those who have since served in a ministerial capacity are L. L. Root, Samuel W. Frederick, and James K. Linebaugh, who is the present Elder. The membership at one time increased to forty but has since been re- dueed and is reported to be twenty-two at pres- ent. A Sunday-school is held throughout the

610

HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

whole year, is superintended by John Cramlet and has a membership of sixty-two.

A Disciple congregation, years ago, conducted services for a short time in the school-house, but did not attain any considerable strength.

A Methodist Protestant society worships at Moore's or Pleasant Valley school-house, district No. 1, about two and one-half miles south of Co- shocton. It was organized at the old school-house in this district in 1845, by Rev. John Lamb, then ministering to a prosperous congregation at Co- shocton. The original class was composed of twenty-eight members, among whom were Sam- uel Moore and Susanna, his wife, his mother, Mary M. Moore, Richard Meek, James T. Morris and wife, Elijah West, William West and wife, Peter Moore, and John Peters and wife. The so- ciety enjoyed a vigorous and prosperous life, but its numbers are now very few. William Wells is the present pastor. Of its past ministers may be mentioned Joel Dolby, Zachariah Ragan, Rev. Wilson, Israel Thrapp, Joseph Hamilton, Jerc- miah Biddeson, William Baldwin, David Truman, John Baker, William Munhall, S. Robinson, Wil- liam Ross and Rev. Avery. No attempt has been made to crect a church building, owing to the proximity of the society to Coshocton, and also to the church in Franklin township. A Sabbath- school was started about 1845, and kept in con- tinuous operation until within a few years.

Chestnut Hill Regular Baptist church, located one and a half miles east of Coshocton, was or- ganized in 1875, with about twenty members. Services were held regularly in the district school-house, but for some time now they have been suspended. They were visited by different ministers, and for a while regularly supplied with preaching by Rev. II. Clark The establishment of the Baptist church at Coshocton has apparent- ly obviated the necessity of this organization.

CHAPTER LXVIII.

VIRGINIA TOWNSHIP.

Surveys-Organization-Description -- First Settlers -- Churches -Schools-Industries-Moscow-Willow Brook.

NE-HALF of this township, the first and third, or northeast and southwest quarters, was congress land. The second and fourth, or northwest and southeast quarters, are two mili- tary sections. The congress land was surveyed in 1803, by John Matthews. The northwest quar- ter, or second military section, was surveyed into forty 100-acre lots by William Harris, in the year ISII. The fourth quarter, or southeast section, was located by John A. Hardenbrook, a merchant of New York City, his patent for the land bearing date June 23, 1800. He sold it to Edward Mc- Carty, Sr., of Paddytown, Hampshire county, Virginia, July 16, 1812, for $4,045, or one dollar per acre. It has since been surveyed into thirty- five lots, ranging from 100 to 200 acres each and variously disposed of.

This territory belonged to Jefferson township, Muskingum county, prior to the formation of Coshocton county. It then became a part of Washington township, and so continued until 1828, when it was organized as a separate town- ship with its present boundaries. It was named Virginia after the State from which most of the early settlers had come.

The Ohio canal and the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis railroad cross diagonally through the southeastern corner of the township. The Muskingum river winds around this corner, as if avoiding the township, but from the south makes a small bend into the township, separating about twenty-five acres from the main part of it. Mill fork, with its numerous tributaries, drain the greater part of the surface. It enters the north- eastern part of the township from Jackson, and crosses into Washington township in the south- west. The soil along this creek and on many of

611

HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

the hills, is a limestone clay. Further to the cast it is sandy. White oak is the prevailing tim- ber, interspersed with other varieties, such as hickory, walnut, sugar, etc. The hilliest region is in the northern part. Toward the south the roughness breaks away, giving a more undulating appearance to the surface. In the southeastern portion of the township along the valley of the Muskingum, occurs "the plains," as it is called, a level stretch of country a mile or two in length, which was covered only with red brush when first seen by the settlers It was then thought to be worthless for agricultural purposes, and could have been purchased for fifty cents per acre. It is now very valuable. On these plains were found a few small mounds, but they are no longer visi- ble. It was probably a favorite haunt of the red man. Doughty, a noted Indian, had a lone camp on Mill fork, on the northwest quarter of section 16. Here he lived for a while with his wife and daughter, a young girl of great beauty, but being of a vagrant disposition, he never remained long in one place.

John Collins was the first white settler in the township, entering it about 1804. He was not a permanent settler, however, and did not own the land upon which he lived, the southwest quarter of section 16. It was owned by Lewis Cass, who afterward sold it to John Graves. Collins left the place about 1808, and removed several miles be- low Dresden. He had been a revolutionary sol- dier, and was wounded while in service. He came here from the south branch of the Poto- mac, in Virginia.

The earliest settlements were made along the narrow valley of Mill fork, beginning where the stream leaves the township, and continuing up the valley nearly to its source. Cabins were dot- ted all along this little stream before settlements were made in other parts of the township. Rich- ard Tilton was the first settler properly so called. He was born at Red Stone Fort, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1774, at a time when the region thereabouts was embroiled with a fieree Indian war. When a boy, he was captured by the Indians on Short creek, Jefferson county, Ohio. His home at the time was in Pennsylvania, · and he had crossed the Ohio to dig ginseng root, an article of great commercial value, which grew

there in rich profusion. He was taken to San- dusky, and remained a prisoner there six weeks, when he was released. He came to this county in the spring of 1805, settling first in Washing- ton township; but in the fall of the same year he moved to the northeast quarter of section 16, of this township. At this time he had four children, John, William, Elijah and Joseph. William and Elijah afterward moved to Illinois; John died in early life, and Joseph still lives in this township. Mr. Tilton was a justice of the peace for eighteen years. His wife died a few years after he settled here, and he afterwards re- married and had a large family. In 1850 he re- moved to Ogle county, Illinois, where he died fifteen years later, at the age of ninety-one years.

Joseph Wright and Joseph McCoy came to- gether into the township, December 24, 1806. Mr. McCoy settled upon the southwest quarter of section twenty-five-the southwest corner of the township-where he lived until he died. Joseph Wright was his son-in-law, and had one child, Willis, when he came to the county, who is now a resident of Coshocton. Both were from Vir- ginia. Mr. Wright lived with his father-in-law one year, then moved further up the creek to lot 3, where he lived during the remainder of his life. Probably no one in the township was more prominent than he. He died April 1, 1867, at the age of eighty-seven years.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 98

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