History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 99

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 99

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James Norris, also from Virginia, came in 1807, and settled upon the southwest quarter of section 14. The next year his brothers, Joseph, Daniel and William, and his father, William Norris moved out. The latter settled upon the south- cast quarter of section 14. Joseph occupied lot 16, just above. Joseph and James had married sisters of Joseph Wright, in Virginia. Daniel and William, Jr., married daughters of Joseph McCoy. These three families, the Wrights, Nor- rises and MeCovs, have intermarried in this township to a considerable extent, so as to render it impossible to determine the various relation- ships. Each member of each of these families in fact, sustains a number of relationships to each and every other member of the three families. The families are still numerously represented in the township. William Norris, Sr., was a soldier in the revolutionary war.

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

Henry Slaughter settled on the northeast quar- ter of section 8, in 1812. He died in 1858 in his eighty-seventh year. Alexander and Dr. James Slaughter are his sons. Patrick Miller, son of Michael Miller, of Franklin township, lived a while upon the McCarty section, then returned to Franklin township. Mr. McCarty was his uncle. Joseph Wagner, from Huntington county, Penn- sylvania, settled in the western part of the town- ship in 1810. He died in 1857 at the age of sev- enty-five years. Beall Adams, in 1812, settled upon the cast half of section 25. He died at an advanced age some years ago. John and Joseph Graves, two brothers, emigrated to the township from Virginia, in 1814.

The township settled up very slowly. In 1821, Otho Miller was living upon the southwest quar- ter of section 2, and at that time there were no settlers between his cabin and Roscoe. Joseph Ogle, from Maryland, was a comparatively early settler; also, Joseph Mossman, an Irishman. Joseph Thompson, who had been a drummer in the revolutionary war, came to the township from Bridgeport, Ohio, about 1826, and spent his declining years here. He was originally from New York.

Matthew Scott was born in county Donegal, Ireland, in 1795. He came to America in 1816, but lived at Cumberland, Maryland, until 1833, when he came to Coshocton county, settling in Virginia township, near Adam's mills. As the owner and cultivator of a considerable body of land, as a man of diligence and integrity, of more than ordinary intelligence, and of fair education, Mr. Scott was long held in repute in the region where he dwelt. As an enthusiastic son of Erin, and a most carnest and liberal adherent of the Presbyterian church, he was known by thousands. In 1856, he made a visit to the old land. He was for several years a director of the Western Theo- logical Seminary at Pittsburgh. He was a mem- ber of the general assembly of the Presbyterian church, meeting in Peoria, Illinois, 1863. He was always a warm friend of the colored people, and was chiefly instrumental in establishing a school for the education of colored girls, called "Scotia Seminary," in North Carolina. Having no children, and his wife having died before him, he gave almost his whole estate-of some $25,000 | liam Mears, L. Gilbert, T. W. Grier, L. L. Root,

-for educational, missionary, and other benevo- lent purposes in connection with the Presbyterian church, a large part going to the support of the little church in which he had long been an elder,. and in which his kindred hold yet a large place. For some time before his death, Mr. Scott had been in poor health. Early on the morning of the 13th of September, 1872, the family of the brother, with whom he had been staying for some days, were alarmed by his absence from the house and the appearance of his forsaken bed-room, and, search having been made, his dead body was found, after some hours, in the Muskingum river, which flowed through his lands.

The first church in the township, and one of the earliest in the county, was erected by a Bap- tist society in 1816 or 1818, on the southwest quarter of section 16. Elder Amos Mix, who had been a revolutionary soldier, and was living on the school lots in Muskingum county, was the first minister. Among its earliest members were the McCoys, James and William Norris, Henry Slaughter, and quite a number from Muskingum county. It did not survive, perhaps, more than ten or twelve years, for about 1830 there was a society of Baptists, including most of the names mentioned above, worshiping in the Union meet- ing-house (so called from the fact that it was built by the people in common for the use of all con- gregations), located on lot 14. About 1837 an- other society was organized at Henry Slaughter's house, by Elders William Mears and William Spencer. These two congregations were united under a new organization May 1, 1840, by Elders William Mears and L. Gilbert, with fifty-two members, and named Mill Fork Regular Baptist church. After the organization the church grew rapidly, and in a few years had over 100 men- bers. Having reached a membership of 140, the number ·decreased, and at present it has about eighty-five. Since 1850 this church has sent four of its members into the ministry, viz: J. W. Reed, E. B. Senter, F. C. Wright and A. W. Odor. The present pastor is Elder Lyman R. Mears, the grand-son of the first minister. The ministers who have served as pastors of this church from its organization are as follows: Wil- .

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

J. G. Whitaker, R. R. Whitaker, T. Evans, E. Smith, A. W. Odor, J. C. Skinner, S. C. Tussing. The house of worship, a commodious frame, erected in 1870, stands on lot 3, not a great dis- tance from the center of the township.

About two miles northeast of this church, on the same road, stands Christian Chapel, a house of worship belonging to a Christian congregation It was organized with five members, in 1832, by Elder J. W. Marvin, of Knox county, Ohio. These five members were John Housare, Mar- garet Housarc, Mary Housare, Elizabeth Wright and Miss Adams. They first met in Willis Wright's barn; then in the adjoining school- house. In 1844, a frame meeting-house, twenty- eight by thirty-two feet, was erected, which, in 1873, was replaced by a better and larger house of worship, at a cost of $2,000. The pastors of the church have been J. W. Marvin, James Hays, William Bagley, Jacob Hanger, A. C. Hanger, A. Bradfield, B. Rabb, William Over- turf, M. M. Lohr, E. Peters and John W. Wright. A. C. Hanger is now in charge. The present membership is 145. The total enrollment of members during the church's history is 300. A Sunday-school has been held from a very early date, during the summer. William McCan had charge of the school, in 1880, when it had an average attendance of about sixty.

The Moscow Methodist Episcopal church was organized about 1835, by Rev. Joseph McDowell, at the house of Joseph Wagner, on section 16. Its principal early members were Rev. John Cul- lison and wife, Joseph Wagner and family, Ben- jamin Howall, the . first class-leader, and wife, Rev. Thomas Perkins and wife, Mrs. Gordon and others, amounting to about twenty in all. The meetings were held at different dwelling-houses, and, for a time, in a little log-house in Moscow, until 1851, when the present frame church, thirty by forty, was erected, at an expense of $650, under the pastorate of Rev. T. H. Wilson. A few years ago, it was repaired, at about twice its original cost. The membership now is about sixty. The present pastor is Rev. Jones. A Sunday-school is a leading feature of the church work.

The Methodist denomination has also a flour- ishing congregation in the southern part of the township of recent organization. The church building, a substantial frame, was erected in 1876, at a cost of about $1,800. It was dedicated December 10, of the same year, by Rev. T. H. Wilson. The society had been organized several years before the church was built, the meetings having been held in a school-house. Joseph Balo and wife, David Balo and wife, Joseph Til- ton and Joseph Newcomb, were early members. The latter was the first class-leader. Rev. Basil Disney was the first minister, followed by Henry Whiteman. He was succeeded by Rev. Ash- baugh, during whose ministry the church was built. The membership is between fifty and sixty.

The earliest settlers sent their children to school in Muskingum county, which was settled and contained schools before Virginia had a suf- ficient number of families to support a school. The first building for school purposes in the township was erected about 1818, in the western . part of the township, near the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of section 15. It is de- scribed by the oldest resident of the township as having been a mere shanty, scarcely more than fourteen by sixteen fcet in size. A puncheon floor was laid in a part of this room, one end being left bare for a large fireplace. A rough back-wall of stone was built to keep the flames from the end of the building, and a large open- ing through the roof was an ample provision for the escape of smoke and thorough ventilation of the room. Richard Winn was the first teacher. He was from Pennsylvania, and had settled in Washington township.

The water power on Mill Fork was sufficient, while the country was yet covered with timber, to propel the different mills that were situated on its banks, but as the volume of water decreased, in course of time the mills were one by one abandoned or removed. Joseph Norris erected one upon his place in very early times. It had in it two run of stone and was counted an excellent mill. He afterward erected two distilleries, one adjacent to the mill, the other some distance

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

away, though on the same farm. In one of these two stills were operated, the other contained only one. They were haunted by a number of professional loafers, constantly engaged in “ sam- pling" the juice as it issued from the worm and pronouncing upon its good qualities. What re- mained after this important function was per- formed found a market in Coshocton and the sur- rounding country.

Hiram Darr erected a saw-mill a short distance above, in section 8 about 1840, and directly after- ward built a grist-mill, containing one run of buhrs. It did a flourishing business while it lasted, which was no great length of time. Mr. Darr moved to Livingston county, Missouri, and shipped the mill-stones to the same place. Jo- seph Parks ran a saw-mill for a number of years near the northwest corner of the township. An- other was afterward built in the same locality. Richard Tilton built one shortly before he moved west, but little or no work was ever done at it.

Moscow, the one little village in the township, is situated on lot 20 in the northwestern part of the township. It was laid out in March, 1835, by Lewis Wright, and consisted of 42 lots. Mr. Wright was both the surveyor and proprietor of the village. John T. Bowen kept the first store. It carried a very limited stock of goods, and Bowen retained possession of it as the only store until he enlisted in the service during the late war. Samuel Smailes started the next store soon after the war, and stills owns it. Shortly after another was opened by Henry H Mills, who retired from the business about five years ago. Mr. Hook has recently started a small store. The village is quite small. John Bowen was the first postmas- ter. The position is now held by his widow, Mrs. Rachel Bowen.

Willow Brook is the name of a postoffice in the northeastern part of the township. A store was opened here in the spring of 1873 by William Wright. In August, 1879, he sold it to H. M. Kendall, who now owns it. A blacksmith shop, owned by Lewis A. Reed, and a wagon shop, owned by Thomas J. Slaughter, are also located here. William Wright was the first postmaster, receiving the appointment about seven years ago. He was succeeded by Mr. Kendall.

CHAPTER LXIX.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

Early Settlers-Location -Topography- Early Justices-In- dian Camp-First Road-Mills and Distilleries-Wakatom- ica Postoffice-Schools-Churches.

THE first settler of the tract of country now composing this township, was John Har- desty. He was orginally from Maryland, and about 1804 came from Wheeling, Virginia, and settled on the southeast quarter of section 22, the quarter through which Mill fork flows into Muskingum county. He was a powerful man, physically, and his good dame was by no means diminutive in stature. Their family consisted of sixteen children, ten sons and six daughters, whose aggregate weight, it is said, exceeded 3,200 pounds. Mr. Hardesty was a regular frontiers- man, and kept moving with the tide of emigration westward while his years admitted. He sold his farm in this township to William F. Compton, and died some years ago in St. Louis. Most of his family preceded or followed him to the West. Two grand-children still reside in the township, Patrick Hunter and Mrs. Paulina McElwell.

Mordecai Chalfant was the second pioneer of the township. In IS03 he emigrated from Fay- ette county, Pennsylvania, to what is now Perry county, Ohio. He remained there about four years, and in March, 1808, he moved to this town- ship, settling upon the southwest quarter of sec- tion 20. This quarter had been selected by Rev. Ellington, of Muskingum county, with a view to settlement, but in a spirit of accommodation was yielded by him to Mr. Chalfant. His third son, John Chalfant, still occupies a portion of the sec- tion, and is the oldest resident in the township. He was born October, 1807, being four months old at the time his father came here. Mr. Chal- fant was a prominent citizen of the county in its earliest days. He was one of the first county commissioners, serving in this capacity seven years, and was an associate judge of the county for fourteen years. He died at Columbus in Jan- uary, 1846, aged sixty-five years.

Jacob Croy, from Wheeling, Virginia, soon after-in the spring of 180S-settled upon the southwest quarter of section 21. His descend- ants are still represented here.

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

George Smith, a Virginian, about 1810, settled upon lot 4 of the military section. About the same time, Frederick Woolford and Peter Lash came. The former settled upon lot 2, the latter upon lot 10. Francis Stafford, who had been liv- ing in Muskingum county, settled upon the southwest quarter of section 12 about the year 1810. Joseph Harris, a little later, settled on the southeast quarter of section 13. James Williams, settling upon the northwest quarter of section 10, and Bradley Squires, a Vermonter, were both here before 1811. In that year Edward Hardesty came from Maryland and located the south half of section 19. He afterward removed to Illinois, and there died. His son, Thomas Hardesty, still occupies the southwest quarter of this section.

On the tax duplicate for 1820, are the names of quite a number of resident land holders in this township, showing it must have settled up rapid- ly from 1812 to 1815. These, with the lands they owned, and date of arrival as nearly as it can be determined, are herewith given, excepting the families previously noticed.

James Aikens, from Pennsylvania, in 1815, settled upon the northwest quarter of section 22; Noah Cooper, the northeast quarter of the same section. Peter Camp, from Virginia, first owned this quarter. He emigrated about 1812, but af- terward sold to Cooper, and removed elsewhere. Solomon Exline owned the northwest quarter of section 5; John Kassner, emigrating about 1812, to the northeast quarter of section 23; Thomas and William Hunter, the southwest quarter of section 22; Ulysses Kinzey, the northeast quarter of sec- tion 18; Joseph MeMorris, the southeast quarter of seetion 21; Robert MeLaughlin, the northeast quarter of seetion 10; Eli McClain, a Virginian, about 1813, the southwest quarter of section 10; William McClain, part of the northwest quarter of section 19; John Mossman, who came from Pennsylvania about 1810, and died some thirty years later, at the age of seventy-two years, the southeast quarter of 20, and northeast, of 21; James McConnell, the southeast quarter of sec- tion 18; James Pieree, Jr., the northeast quarter of 14; Jonathan Phillips the southwest quarter of 3; Henry Rine, the northeast of 5; Joseph Slaughter, from Virginia, about 1812, northwest quarter of section 19. On the military section,

forming the southwest quarter of the township, were the following: William G. Conner, from Virginia, about 1813, parts of lots 2, 3 and 8; Wil- liam Downs, lot 23, and part of 37; Isaae Hollo- way, about 1813, lot 12; John Holloway, from North Carolina, lot 19; Daniel Johnson, a colored man, who had been a slave, and was brought here by his master, lot 28; David Meck, about 1814, south half of lot 2; George Meek, lot 24; Ann Meek, lot 38; William Ogle, lot 34; James and William Pieree, lot 7.

Washington was one of the townships existing at the time the county was organized. It was named by Mordecai Chalfant. It belongs to the southern tier of townships touching Muskingum county on the south. Bedford township bounds it on the north, Virginia on the cast and Pike on the west. That part of it which is congress land- all but the southwest quarter-was surveyed by John Matthews. The military section was surveyed into 100-acre lots by William Cutbush, in ISOS.

The general trend of the streams is southward. Sand fork and Paddy fork flow by irregular courses from north to south through the whole township. They meet near the southern line and a little lower down, though still in this town- ship, they unite with Mill fork, which enters from Virginia township. Lash's run is a tributary of Paddy fork in the southern part of the township from the west. The soil is chiefly of a clayey na- ture, the surface rough and rolling. Much atten- tion is given to peach culture by the farmers of this township. The land seems admirably adapted for their growth, and a large orchard may be seen on almost every farm in the town- ship.

The carly township records have seemingly perished. A list of the' justices of the peace, however, has been preserved, the earliest of whom were as follows: Mordecai Chalfant, elected April 11, 1811, resigned June 15, 1813; George Smith, elected June 26, 1813, resigned May 16, 1816; Jo- seph Slaughter, elected May, 1816, resigned the next year ; Samuel Hardesty, elected June, 1816; Richard Tilton, eleeted in 1817, 1820, 1823 and 1826; Bradley Squires, elected in 1818; James Pierce, elected in 1821 and 1824; F. A. Stafford,

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

elected in 1827 and 1830; Adam Exline, in 1827 ; Bradley Squires, in 1830 and 1833; William Downs, in 1833.

A little Indian camp, consisting of a few wig- wams, stood, when the first white men came to the township, in the northeast quarter of sec- tion 7, on the Hawthorn place, on the flat a short distance west of Mr. Hawthorn's house, close to Paddy run. Big Horn was the ruling spirit here, and the place was often visited by traders.

The first road through the township was the Owl creek road, which entered the township from Muskingum county, in section 22, and running northwest through the center of the township, crossed into Bedford township from section 4. Very soon after the Newark road was opened. It crossed the other road at Wakatomica, and the two roads thus cut the township into four nearly equal parts.

The first mill in the township, and one of the first in the county, was built by George Smith, on Paddy run, in lot 4, in the year 1812. It was a little affair, and remained in operation about twelve years, during which time it was patron- ized by settlers far and near. John Walmesley, from Franklin township, and others equally re- mote in other directions, were regular customers. Mr. Smith also excavated a race for a saw-mill, but before it reached completion the high waters during a freshet cut so deeply into the banks of the trench as to make it impracticable to restore it, and the project had to be abandoned.

Jacob Croy built the first saw-mill, about 1814, on Mill creek, in the southwest quarter of section 21. The location was a poor one, for the water washed around the dam and destroyed its power. It lasted but a year or two. Many years later he erected another further down the stream on the same quarter. It proved a success and was oper- ated for a long time. James Aikens built the second mill of this kind about 1815. It was situ- ated on Paddy run, northwest quarter of section 22. A few years after, he erected a grist mill at the same place and ran the two in conjunction for a number of years, then sold to Robert Moss- man, under whom they were suspended. As the township developed, other mills were started in Stewart McGinnis is the postmaster. different localities. William Bell, about 1839,

built a grist-mill up Sand Fork, on the southwest quarter of section 10. It had but one run of stone and, soon after it started, acquired an excellent reputation for the quality of its flour. Mr. Stan- ford and Mr. Parks each owned a saw-mill for a time. Peter Lash built a little mill on lot 9, about 1818, which lasted only a year or two.

William R. Thompson, on the southeast quar- ter of section 13, built a combined grist, saw and carding-mill. He sold it to Benjamin Slaughter, and he, in turn, to Newman Smith. Uriah Kinzey erected the first carding and fulling-mill in the township. about 1827. It did good work and was highly appreciated hy the people, who came a great distance to get their wool carded here. It remained running about fifteen years.

Probably the first still-house was set in opera- tion by William Hunter, about 1815, on the south- west quarter of section 22. It was kept up about thirty years. Somewhat later, William Thomp- son erected one on the southwest quarter of section eight. He paid a great deal of attention to the distillation of peach brandy, having a large peach orchard on his place, and converting most of the fruit into this beverage. Bradley Squires, about 1824, built himself a little distillery, and, during the ten or twelve ensuing years, manu- factured a considerable quantity of rye whisky.

The towhship contains no village and but a single postoffice. This is Wakatomica, situated exactly in the center of the township. Although no village plat was ever made of the land, there is quite a little chester of houses here, and it, per- haps, deserves the name of a village. A store has been kept at the place for about thirty years. It was started by Charles Houser, who retained it perhaps five or six years, since then it has been owned by a number of men successively. Isaac Piersel purchased it about two years ago and still has possession. The various industrial shops common to a small place like this may be found herc. A large building was erected by Darius Wright about 1857, and occupied by him for a blacksmith and wagon shop. The manufacture of wagons was carried on quite extensively for a while, but ten or twelve years ago Mr. Wright re- moved to Warsaw and the shop was closed.

The first school-house stood on the present

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

Lemuel Kinzey place, northeast quarter of sec- tion 18. It was a little cabin of the usual primi- tive style, built without nails or iron of any shape. John Hilliard, a Yankee, was the first teacher. His first term was held in 1811. He is described as an excellent teacher, one who took great pains to instruct his pupils in the rudi- ments of learning, and they advanced rapidly un- der his care. He was succeeded by Joseph Har- ris, another Yankee, whose instruction fell far short of the standard maintained by his prede- cessor. Schools at this time were held very ir- regularly. The next one of which there is any knowledge was held by Abraham McClain in a dwelling house about 1816. He was deficient in point of education and little progress was made by the children under him. Then a school house was built on the southwest quarter of section 19 east of the road and within a few rods of Thomas Hardesty's house. Bradley Squires, one of the first settlers, taught the first two quarters here between the years 1815 and 1820. He was well qualified for the position, possessing a good edu- cation and the art of communicating knowledge to his scholars. Peter Remington followed him. He was from Rhode Island; taught one term only, was a fair instructor, and prided himself on his mathematical abilities. Robert Recd, a Penn- sylvanian, came next. He was something of a fop and succeeded tolerably well in his pedagogi- cal capacity. Soon school-houses began to multi- ply and the schools were held with more regu- larity thereafter.

Chalfant Metho list Episcopal church is the old- est religious society in the county, and it erected the first church building within the limits of the county. It was organized on the Cass section, in Muskingum county, about 1808, by Rev. William Ellington, who became the first pastor. About 1811, it was determined to erect a house of wor- ship, and the site of the present church, in the northwest corner of Mordecai Chalfant's scetion, was selected as the spot whereon to build it. The contract for building it was let to William Barcus, who afterward removed to Roscoc, then living in this vicinity, and, in 1811, it was begun. Before it was finished, Mr. Barcus was called to serve his country. in the frontier army, and the

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History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 99

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