USA > Ohio > Darke County > History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume I > Part 13
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Just how long Azor Scribner occupied the old soldiers' cabin is not now known, but from circumstantial evidence it would appear to have been until after the war. From the testimony of his oldest daughter it was learned that he lived in a double log cabin on the northeast corner of Main and Elm streets. This cabin was constructed in such a manner that a team could be driven between the two lower sections of the building, while a loft or second story extended entirely across and joined together the separate cabins. The family lived in one end of the building and the store or tavern was located in the other end, while one of the rooms upstairs was used as a jail. It is probable that this was the building in which the first session of the Court of Common Pleas was held in 1817, as mentioned elsewhere.
At the outbreak of the War of 1812, Scribner enlisted in Captain Joseph Ewing's company, Lanier's Independent Bat- talion of Ohio militia. His service began Aug. 9th, 1812, and expired Feb. 8th, 1914. He participated in the important bat- tle of the Thames (sometimes called the battle of Fallen Timbers) in the fall of 1813, in which Tecumseh was killed and the British General Proctor, signally defeated by the Americans under Gen. Wm. H. Harrison. To General John- ston, of Kentucky, was given the credit of shooting the great Shawnee chief. However, it has been handed down in Azor Scribner's family that he himself shot Tecumseh from am- bush and refused to reveal the fact to anybody during his lifetime, except to his wife, whom he straitly charged with
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secrecy. He knew Tecumseh personally, having traded with him many times at Greenville, no doubt, and feared the con- sequences should it be revealed to his old dusky customers that he had done the awful deed. His wife, who survived him several years, revealed the secret after his death to her second daughter, Elizabeth, who in turn revealed it to her daughter, Mrs. Marcella Avery, now living at an advanced age with her son Ira and daughter Prudence on North Main street (Minatown) near the site of Scribner's first trading post.
Scribner seems to have made money in his traffic with the Indians, but after he opened his tavern competition arose and he had to be satisfied with his share of the trade. He died in 1822 in the prime of life, leaving a wife and several daugh- ters. Dr. C. F. McKhann, of Greenville, is a descendant of his oldest daughter, Sarah. He has numerous other de- scendants in Darke county today, who are numbered among her best citizens. (See sketch in Vol. II.)
Samuel C. Boyd has the reputation of being the first white man who settled with a family within the present limits of Darke county. He came in 1807, probably in the fall, and established himself on a knoll, on a branch of Stillwater, now known as Boyd creek, near the present site fo the Children's home in section 14, southeast quarter, Greenville township, on the farm now owned by Perry Bachman. Boyd was born in Maryland, but moved to Kentucky, where, it is supposed. he married. Later, it seems, he came to Ohio and stopped a year or two in Butler county, from which place he moved to Darke county as above noted.
The presence of Indians, the news of occasional murders, and the continual fear that distressed the exposed pioneers just prior to the War of 1812, caused Boyd's family first to find refuge in a blockhouse and later to return to southwest- ern Ohio. When the war was over they returned and im- proved their land. Mrs. Boyd died about 1816 and was buried in the old graveyard on East Water street, Greenville, being the first person interred at that place. Boyd died in 1829 or 1830.
In the spring of 1808 Abraham Studabaker came with his wife and one or two children and settled on the south side of Greenville creek (in section 25. Adams township) below the bridge at Gettysburg on land now belonging to A. M. Cromer. Mr. Studabaker was a striking figure in the early history of
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the county, as will be noted more fully in the sketches of not- able citizens.
John Devor purchased from the U. S. government the half section of land on which Fort Greenville had been located and together with his son-in-law, Robert Gray, surveyed and platted the original town of Greenville in the summer of 1808. This plat included the territory now embraced between Eln street and Ash street, and betwen Water and Fourth streets, being about half within and half without the old fort. The plat was executed on August 14th, 1808, and sent to Miami county, of which Darke was then a part, to be recorded. The principal streets in this plat-Water, Main and Third-ran practically northeast and southwest, be- ing approximately parallel to the general course of the creek. According to the custom of the times for county seats, a large space was set aside for a public square at the interestction of Broadway and Main street, near the center of the plat, in which space was reserved for a court of justice. Main street, which, no doubt, was intended for the main business thor- oughfare, was made six rods wide, and the other streets were all of ample width. The lots were six rods wide and ten rods long. The plat possessed many commendable features, and as a practical application of the old rectangular system to the peculiarities of the ground platted could scarcely be improved upon. Landscape gardening as applied to city plat- ting was not much in vogue in those days, however, and the remarkable natural beauty of the site was largely overlooked for purposes of expediency and utility. In these days we look at the beautiful high bluff facing the creek and prairie and regret that a driveway was not laid out overlooking the valley, with avenues leading at convenient, but regular dis- tances toward a civic center, and park spaces left at various intersections.
John Devor, like the practical pioneer of his day, was in- terested in cutting down the timber and making as large an opening for the sunlight as possible, and probably thought little and cared less for natural scenery and parks. He re- mained a citizen of Montgomery county, to which he had come from Pennsylvania, until 1816, at which time he moved his family to Darke county, and became an active citizen.
At this late date it is impossible to state the names of all the pioneers of Darke county and the order of their coming. Especially is this true of those who afterward left the county
Greenville
Creek
96
95
94
93
92
91
90
72
73
74
75
76
ST.
77
78
79
90
ST.
MAIN
ST.
64
63
62
61
60
59
58
57
56
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
THIRD
ST.
ASH
32
31.
30.
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22.
21
20
19
18
17
1
2.
3.
4
5
6
7.
8.
9
10.
12.
13
14
15
16
FOURTH
ST.
88
87
86
85
84
83
82
81
ST
65
66
67
68
ST.
69
70
55
54
53
52
51
50
49.
33
.34
35
.36
ELM
SYCAMORE
37
38
39
10
41
WALNUT
BROADWAY
ST.
ORIGINAL TOWN OF GREENVILLE, O.
SCALE I INCH= RO RODS
R. H. HORN.
WATER
89
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DARKE COUNTY
for more alluring lands farther west. Among those substan- tial emigrants who stayed were Thomas McGinnis and fain- ily, and his wife's stepfather, Barnabus Burns, all of whom emigrated from Tennessee and came to Greenville in 1808. They purchased a large tract of land on the west side of the prairie between Greenville and the recently abandoned Prophetstown.
About this time Enos Terry entered the quarter section northeast of Devor's town site and laid off another town plat which he called Greeneville. This plat comprised some twen- ty acres in the northwest corner of the quarter section. It was established as the county seat for a brief period, althoughi no one built a house within its limits at that time.
The Wilson brothers, William and Joseph, came in 1809. William located on a quarter section half a mile north of De- vor's town, and Joseph on a quarter section one mile further north. These men were natives of Ireland, but had emigrat- ed to Pennsylvania and later to the valley of the Little Miami from whence they came to Darke county, bringing families of children with them. On this account the vicinity in which they settled was long known as "Ireland."
Shortly after the laying off of the town plat of Greenville by Devor and Gray, the latter sold his interest to an aunt, Mrs. Rachel Armstrong, a widow with four young children, who removed to and settled in Greenville late in 1809. Mrs. Armstrong died in 1812, leaving an estate which remained in the hands of her heirs and descendants for many years, until after the Civil War-the Armstrong commons extended southward in an almost unbroken stretch from near the pres- ent location of Martin street, and a line extending to the in- tersection of Fourth street, near Sycamore, to the south line of section 35 (Sater street), and from the present location of Central avenue to the D. & U. railway, comprising 108 acres now entirely within the city limits, and almost solidly . covered with substantial residences, schools, churches, etc.
The creation of the county of Darke in 1809 seems to have stimulated emigration somewhat. Several families settled in Greenville and vicinity about this time, some of whom res mained but a short time, whilst others lingered a few years until attracted further westward by the promise of richer lands. These helped to clear the forests and open up the land for the permanent settlers, thereby contributing materially
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toward the early development of the country, but leaving 110 name or record for the chronicler.
Among the settlers of 1809-10 were Moses Scott and fam- ily, who purchased two lots adjoining the public square in Greenville and erected a two-story log house in which he conducted a first class tavern for twelve years or more. Scott and his son William were the first sheriffs of Darke county, filling the first, second and third regular terms of that office after the organization of the county. This family emigrated to Fort Wayne in 1824.
Charles Sumtion and family, comprising wife, two sons and four daughters, came to the county about the time of Scott's advent. Later he settled along Greenville creek in Wash- ington township and died in 1825 near the present site of Coletown.
The Rush brothers, James, Henry and Andrew, came from near Circleville, O., in 1810, accompanied by their brothers- in-law, John Hiller and Henry Creviston. James and Henry settled on and near the site of Prophetstown, probably be- cause they found several acres of land cleared for their com- ing. Andrew and Hiller settled on the West branch near what was later known as the Hiller settlement.
Shortly afterward Matthew Young came from Pickaway county, and in conjunction with Creviston, purchased a tract of land northeast of Coletown, where the latter resided until 1825, when he moved to Washington township. James Rush served as one of the first Associate Judges of the Common Pleas Court for fourteen years, being chosen by the legisla- ture in 1817 and again in 1824. He moved to Indiana about 1831, leaving a daughter, a Mrs. John Deardorff.
Henry Rush died in 1813, leaving a widow, three sons and one daughter. Mrs. Rush later married James Bryson, who has several descendants now living in Darke county. Andrew Rush was murdered by the Indians in 1812, as will be noted elsewhere.
Linus Bascom settled north of Greenville about 1811 and he opened a trading station. After the murder of An- drew Rush in the spring of 1812 he abandoned his store and came to Greenville. where he opened a store on the northeast corner of the public square, and became one of the prosper- ous citizens. (See sketch of J. L. Bascom in Vol. II).
Probably the most notable addition to the new settlement in 1811 was Abraham Scribner, a brother of Azor Scribner, the
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pioneer merchant of the town. He was about thirty years old at this time, almost deaf, and of a singular disposition. In 1813 he enlisted in the war and later participated in the battle of the Thames with Harrison. In 1814 he married John Devor's daughter. About this time he entered some prairie land near the mouth of Mud creek, erected a log house on it, and brought his wife up from her home in Montgom- ery county. In probably two years he traded his land to John Compton, of Dayton, for a stock of goods, estimated to be worth $1,600 at retail, and opened shop. He later built a small building on the southwest corner of West Main and and Elm streets, and still later purchased the brick build- ing on lot Number 59. With the exception of a few months' residence in Henry county, Indiana, he car- ried on business in Greenville until his death in 1846 or 1847. He was married three times and raised a large family includ- ing several sons. Prominent mention is given to his name as he was closely identified with the early life of Greenville, being especially active in party politics as the autocrat of the Democratic party for several years. Speaking politically, "Whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive."
We are now at the threshold of the War of 1812. At this time a stockade was erected at Greenville which was then a small outpost well known for its previous connection with the Wayne campaign from 1793 to 1796. It seems that four blockhouses were erected to protect the budding settlement ; one on the northern outskirts of the town, on the north side of East Water street between Walnut street and the ravine, formerly skirting the west side of the old cemetery ; one to the south near the present southeast corner of Wayne avenue and Armstrong street ; one on lot 59 West Main street (oppo- site the Wayne memorial tablet) ; another probably on West Water street just north of the intersection of Elm street, on the east side of the old ravine overlooking the old fording place. It was garrisoned first by a few men under Captain Wolverton and Lieutenant Fish, the soldiers being mostly from the neighboring counties of Miami, Montgomery, Greene, Warren, Butler and Preble, together with some who were prospective settlers. Later, Mayor Geo. Adams took command.
"Among these soldiers can be enumerated John and Sam- uel Loring, James Cloyd, David and Peter Studabaker (brothers of Abraham and John Studabaker, already men-
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tioned), Jacob Miller (who for many years was known by the cognomen of 'Proaps'), Joseph Gass, Asa Spencer, Thom- as Briggs, David Riffle, Hezekiah and Lewis Phillips, and John Ellis. Some of these men were married, but for the time being had left their wives and children 'below in the settlement,' as the common phrase then was, and others, either during the war or at its close married in the vicinity. John Loring had entered a quarter section adjoining Devor, as early as 1809, but had sold to John Stoner. A consider- able part of the Loring quarter section is now part of the town of Greenville. Sam Loring brought his family to Darke county after the war, and located on the quarter sec- tion on which a portion of the village of Palestine is laid out. James Cloyd, at the return of peace, married a daughter of Andrew Noffsinger, and remained a resident of German township, until his decease, some four or five years ago, at which time he was president of the Pioneer Association of Darke county. John Ellis was in St. Clair's army at the time of the defeat at Recovery, in 1791; was with Wayne from 1793 to 1796, and participated in the defense of Recovery, at the time of the Indian attack, and in the rout of the Indians at Rouge de Bout, in 1794. After the second treaty of Green- ville, in August, 1814, he brought his family and settled at Castine, where he resided for a number of years, and sub- sequent to 1840. he removed to Mercer county near Recovery, where, after some years' residence, he died, at the age of over ninety. Ellis, in his youth, had been a prisoner with the Indians, and exhibited, ever after through his long life, many Indian characteristics. David Studabaker was killed in the army, during the war of 1812. Peter Studabaker. between 1825 and 1830, removed to the Wabash, below Recovery, and some years later, farther down the river in Indiana, where his death occurred some twenty years since ..
"The Phillips brothers, about 1816, located on Miller's Fork, near the south boundary of Darke county, where both died in their old age. Joseph Gass, who was a near relation of the compiler of the journal of Lewis and Clark's expedition to the mouth of the Columbia river, at the commencement of this century, married a daughter of William Wilson, resided in several localities in Greenville township, until about 1833, when he left and went to Wisconsin. David Riffle, after the war. purchased land on Stillwater, above where Beamsville now is, and removed there in 1814, and after the lapse of a
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few years, died there about 1820. Thomas Briggs married the Widow Wilson, relict of the William Wilson who was distinguished by the name of "Little Billy Wilson." His un- cle, William Wilson, the father of the children murdered by the Indians, being known as 'Old Billy.'"
During the progress of the war emigration practically ceased and many of the early settlers returned to their former homes in the Miami valley. Block houses were erected in various parts of the county at about this time, among them Ft. Rush, near Prophetstown; Ft. Brier on the bend of the Stillwater in the southwest quarter of section 27, Richland township (probably named after Captain Samuel Brier, of Price's regiment of Ohio militia) ; Ft. Black (now New Madi- son) and Ft. Studabaker on the south of Greenville creek be- low the present site of Gettysburg. Besides these, Ft. Nesbit, a military supply station, was built in section 29, Harrison township. These afforded a measure of security to the scat- tered settlements, but the hostile Indians, for the most part, remained in the neighborhood of the lakes. A few lamentable atrocities occurred, however, which sent thrills of terror through the community. Accounts of these have been pre- served and serve to illustrate the temper of the time.
An Indian family comprising father, mother and a son about fourteen years of age, came from the direction of Ft. Recovery and camped at a spring (now on the Clate Rahn farm) about a mile northwest of the fort. Their presence was made known to the garrison by a white man who had traveled with them. Early the next morning Lieutenant Fish, with three or four men, stealthily approached the camp and shot the man and woman while engaged in preparing for the morning meal. The boy escaped after being wounded and the news of the cowardly act spread like wildfire among the Indians. As a result Ft. Meigs, in the northern part of the state, was beseiged by a large body of enraged savages before the middle of the following afternoon and fuel was added to the smoldering discontent of the northwest tribes.
A large body of friendly Indians, probably mostly of the Delaware and Shawnee tribes, were located on the Miami river above Piqua under the protection of the United States agent, Col. Johnston. These were supplied with white flags when desiring to pass outposts in safety. On one occasion a number of these Indians were fired upon while approaching a party of whites with unfeigned confidence. Two of the
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Indians were killed, one wounded, the rest taken captive and their property confiscated. Such dastardly deeds were, 110 doubt, largely committed by the rougher class of backswoods- men who thought that there was no good Indian but a dead one, and we are not surprised at the consequent reprisals by the savages.
About the last of April, 1812, Andrew Rush set out on horseback from his home on the West Branch for Terry's mill on Greenville creek at the bend above the present site of the Main street bridge. After getting his grist he started for home but lingered a while at the home of Daniel Potter and Isaac Vail, who lived over a mile up the creek on the north side. Here he was warned of the impending danger of savage depredations. Rush joked about their solicitude and proceeded on his way at about 4 p. m. It seems that the road or trail which he traveled lay between the present Union City pike and Greenville creek, following in and out along the bluff. Before he had proceeded half a mile further he was shot, tomahawked and scalped just above the later site of Rush's or Spiece's mill in section 28, Greenville township. His mutilated body was discovered by relatives on the fol- lowing afternoon lying on his precious bag of meal. The alarm was spread throughout the neighboring settlements, houses were barricaded and many found refuge in the block- houses. The news spread to Troy and Lexington, Preble county, and by the night of the third day two companies of militia were camped at Greenville. On the following day the Preble county militia advanced about two miles to the site of the tragedy and buried the body of Rush. After this they proceeded to Ft. Rush, to protect and relieve the families of the settlers who had taken refuge there, and to escort the women and children back to the older settlements, where they remained until hostilities ceased.
In the early fall of 1812 the garrison at Greenville was small, comprising but three companies of militia under Major Lanier. Several of the men had enlisted for service in the war with the British and Indians and were with the army waiting for orders to advance to the aMumee. At this juncture the Indians from the region of the Mississinawa became trou- blesome to the pioneer settlements of western Ohio, murdering any whom they found outside of the blockhouses and steal- ing horses and cattle. Combining various accounts it seems that on October 2d, Patsy and Anna Wilson, daughters of
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"Old Billy Wilson," living north of town and aged respective- ly fourteen and eight years, accompanied by an older broth- er, had gone to the woods on the north side of Greenville creek to gather berries or wild grapes. When near the pres- ent site of the pond in the Meeker woods the girls were at- tacked by two or three prowling Indians, within gunshot of Terry's stockade which was located on the opposite side of the creek. While the children were separated they were fired upon by the Indians, without effect. The girls became too terrified to make their escape and were soon dispatched by the tomahawk. The boy ran for Terry's mill pond, formed by the daming of Greenville creek near the foot of East Water street, whither he was pursued by one of the Indians armed with a tomahawk and scalping knife. One account says that the boy had laid his gun down and was unable to secure it; an- ther says that he had a shotgun with him, loaded with small pigeon shot, and that he wheeled and aimed at the Indian who instantly retreated, allowing him to swim the mill pond and spread the alarm. Abraham Scribner and Wm. Devor were attracted to the scene of the murder by the cries of the boy and the screams of the girls. Here they found the mu- tilated bodies, and carried them to the fort. The scalp had been taken from the head of the eldest and a long cut made on the head of the younger in an attempt to scalp her. Both. apparently, had been killed by the blows on the head with the back of a tomahawk. Their bodies were buried under a tree near the site of their murder, where they remained until July 4th, 1871, when they were disinterred and transferred to the new cemetery with imposing ceremonies, as elsewhere set forth in this volume.
In the summer of 1813 another tragedy occurred in con- nection with the military operations in western Ohio. It seems that one Gosbary Elliot, a private in Capt. Sunderland's company, Second (Price's) regiment, of Ohio militia, was carrying a dispatch from Fort Greenville to Major Price, who was stationed at Lexington (near West Alexandria) in Preble county. He probably followed the trace leading through Fort Jefferson and on in the direction of the present pike to Ithaca and Lewisburg, and when near Beech Grove was attacked by a roving band of Indians. Tradition says that he took refuge be- hind a beech tree and dispatched two or three of his assail- ants with a rifle, and when his ammunition was exhausted engaged in a hand to hand tomahawk fight until finally slain
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by one of the remaining redskins. His remains were interred nearby, but were disinterred some years later and placed in the old cemetery at Fort Jefferson, where they now lie un- der the shadow of the new M. E. church, unmarked save by a broken fragment of slate stone. The tomahawk marks on the beech tree behind which he fought could be seen from the road until the decay of the tree about thirty years ago. Elliot's army record is as follows:
"Commencement of service, Feb. 16th, 1813; expiration of service, Aug. 15th, 1813; term of service charged 4 months 29 days; for Andrew Zellar killed by the Indians July 14th, 1913."
One tradition is that Elliot was accompanied by John Stoner, who was chased some three miles further along the trace to the first crossing of Miller's Fork, where he also was slain. It is generally thought, however, that Stoner was slain later in the season. Stoner's army record shows that he served in Capt. Samuel Brier's company, Second regiment, Ohio militia, from April 12th, 1813. to Oct. 11th, 1813.
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