USA > Ohio > Darke County > History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume I > Part 50
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New Weston.
This is one of the new villages of the county and is located four miles north of Rossburg on the line between sections 3 and 10. Like Rossburg, its development was due largely to the construction of the Cincinnati Northern railway. It now contains a town hall, a postoffice, telephone exchange, public school, U. B. church, elevator, depot, livery, lodge and stores. The population in 1910 was 258, just three less than Rossburg.
Burkettsville (Gilbert's Station.)
This village is located one mile north of New Weston at the intersection of the county line and the C. & N. railway. It has grown up since the construction of the railway. It is built in a community largely Catholic, like the southern part of Mercer County generally, and contains a Catholic church and school, a town hall, station, elevator and Church of Christ on the Mercer county side, while on the Darke county side are located the postoffice, public school, hotel, elevator, stores and the Catholic cemetery. The total population in 1910 was 236.
Allen township has roads on most of the section lines, many of which have been graded and built up in recent years mak-
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ing fine pikes. The real estate was assessed at $1,757,390 and the chattels at $484,350 in 1913. The population in 1910 was 1,826.
Brown Township.
This township was organized in December, 1833, when it was taken from. Richland. As now constituted it comprises all of township 13 north, range 2 east, except one tier of sec- tions on the east, making it six miles north and south, and five miles east and west. It lies largely in the plain between the Mississinawa and the Union Moraines, mentioned in Chapter I, and is one of the most level townships in the northern part of the county.
Its territory is drained by the upper Stillwater and its branches which reach nearly every section of the township. The main stream enters the township near the northwest cor- ner, and flows southeastward to Ansonia, at the center of sec- tion 22, thence eastward, crossing the east line near the north- east corner of section 23. The main southern tributary is the Woodington branch, which rises in the northwestern part of Greenville township and flows in a northeast direction past Woodington and joins the main stream about a half mile west of Ansonia. The North Branch rises in the western cen- tral part of Allen township, flows in a southeast direction, and joins the main stream about a fourth of a mile east of An- sonia. On account of the level condition of the land and the large number of tributaries the upper valley of this stream, beginning a short distance above Ansonia and extending into eastern Jackson and southeastern Mississinawa townships, was originally subject to overflow after every freshet, and was known as the "spreads of Stillwater." On this account the land in this section was considered almost worthless in early days, and for probably forty years after the first settlement remained a morass, the last retreat of the wolves in the county. By extensive and systematic ditching, mostly in the "sixties and seventies," it became the most fertile and valuable tract in the township. Lands in this township sold in early days from $1.00 to $2.50 per acre-the former price prevailing in the vicinity of Ansonia. The original forest showed a diversity of fine hard timber, which, at first, was cut down and de- stroyed indiscriminately, but, upon the building of the rail- ways became a valuable asset to the landowners and supplied
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material for an immense business in the manufacture of hardwood hubs, spokes, staves, etc.
The trails of St. Clair and Wayne crossed the western part of this county, following the general course of the present Fort Recovery pike. St. Clair's army camped in the neigh- borhood of Woodington and made special mention of the heavy forest there. Signs of an extensive encampment on the higher ground of the Tillman farm in the southern part of sec- tion 20, were found in early days. The outline of a low em- bankment was distinctly seen and numerous relics were found here. Some fine springs are located here and today there is an artesian well of considerable strength. Wayne's army camped in the Stillwater at the crossing of the old trail, prob- ably near the southeast corner of section 6, on the evening of July 28, 1794, that being the first day's march northward from Greenville.
John Woodington was probably the first settler in the town- ship. He located along St. Clair's trail in the southern part of section 29. William Teegarden came in 1817, and located in the southwest quarter of section 20. His brother Abraham came in 1820, and entered the southeast quarter of section 18. Daniel Dewall settled in the east half of the northeast quarter of section 20, in the same year. Other early settlers were James Titus, Smith Marquis, James White, David and Silas Riffle and Thomas Marcum.
The first school house was a pole cabin built about 1827, in section 28. John Hoffman was the first teacher. There are now nine school houses in the township besides the one in Ansonia.
The first church was built by Abraham Teegarden in 1835, on the north side of the present Ansonia pike, a short distance west of the intersection of the Fort Recovery pike in section 18. It was a "Campbellite" church and has been discontinued many years. The present "Teegarden" Christian church is located about a fourth of a mile west of this site on the op- posite side of the road in section 19, and was built about 1881, as the result of the "splitting" of the original Teegarden church which stood at the southwest corner of the intersection of the Fort Recovery and Union City-Ansonia pike. The original church was built in 1862, and when the division oc- curred in 1881, the members living to the south organized the Christian church at Woodington and those living to the north the one above mentioned. The Teegarden church is now the only rural congregation in the township-a condition due
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largely to the proximity of various churches in surrounding townships.
Brown township is well supplied with railways. The C. C. C. & St. L. R. R. crosses in a straight line inclining south of east. It enters near the center of the east line of section 23. and crosses the west line at the extreme northwest corner of section 30. The Logansport division of the Pennsylvania rail- way cuts diagonally across the southwestern corner of the township. The Cincinnati Northern R. R. was the last con- structed through the township, being in a north and south di- rection through the second tier of sections from the east line, and has proven quite beneficial in affording larger market fa- cilities.
Ansonia.
The principal village is Ansonia (originally Dallas), which was laid out in 1845, near the center of the east line of section 22. In early days the location was considered unhealthy, but since the drainage of this section has changed materially in this respect. It is situated in the Stillwater bottoms and is about forty-five feet lower than the county seat. Being eight miles from Greenville, and about ten miles from Versailles, and Union City it makes a convenient trading point for a large section of surrounding territory, and has been a good com- mercial center for many years. The building of the "Bee line" railway in 1852 gave Ansonia enlarged commercial op- portunities and made it a center for the manufacture of hubs, staves and spokes for many years, until the supply of hard- wood in the neighborhood had been greatly reduced. The construction of the Cincinnati Northern railway some thirty years later made it a shipping point of importance and guar- anteed the future stability of the place. Besides several sub- stantial mercantile establishments, Ansonia now has a town hall, fire department, postoffice, two banks, hotel, public school, three churches, a newspaper, Masonic, I. O. O. F. and K. of P. lodges, two elevators, a tobacco warehouse, and a union railway station.
The M. E. church in Ansonia is the outgrowth of services held in the vicinity of the village in early days-probably from 1845 to 1850. Later services were held in a school house a short distance north of the village, and still later in the village sschool house. Regular services were held after the organi- zation of the Hillgrove circuit in 1863. Among those who
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preached prior to the organization of the Ansonia church werc H. O. Sheldon, J. T. Bower, H. Boyers, M. Perkey, A. Arm- strong, H. Burns. Some of the early pastors were Benj. L. Rowand, D. G. Strong, Henry Burns, Jason and William Young, Valentine Staley, James Jackson, P. M. Young, M. M. Markwith, R. D. Oldfield, and E. D. Whitlock, under whose pastorate a neat, brick church costing some $3,200 was erected on the northwest corner of High and Cass streets and dedi- cated in 1873. This structure served until 1902, when it was remodeled and furnished at a cost of about $4,200, giving in- creased and modern facilities for the Sunday school, and a better auditorium. Great stress is placed on the work of the Sunday school in which the enrollment is now about 100. The enrollment in the church is about 136.
The Christian church was organized in early days and built a place of worship on West Cross street. This denomination prospered and in 1894-95 erected a beautiful, modern, brick church on the southeast corner of Weller and Cass streets at a cost of some $5,000. A good congregation and a prosper- ous Sunday school assemble here from Sunday to Sunday.
There is also a substantial Lutheran church on South Main street, which has been supported by the descendants of the early German families for several years. The pastor of Grace church, in Greenville usually serves this charge.
Ansonia has taken great pride in educational matters for many years as shown by the fact that a commodious and substantial three story brick school house was erected on a two acre plat in Hulse's addition at a cost of some $10,000, as early as 1873. Competent instructors and a strong board of education have been important factors in maintaining a high standard of education in the village, which has been fortunate in securing services of such men as Professors J. H. Royer, P. C. Zemer and the present efficient incumbent, G. H. Garri- son, who has served as superintendent since 1904. The pres- ent school building was erected on the site of the above men- tioned structure in 1903 at a total cost of some $23,000, includ- ing the heating system. The building is of red pressed brick, two stories in height and has eight rooms. The schools have a well equipped library and a well furnished laboratory. Eight teachers are employed. The high school was organized in 1873, and the first class was graduated in 1877. It was raised to a first grade high school in 1907, at which time Messrs. G. M. Marshall, C. J. Stephen, J. F. Howard, E. E.
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Vance and James Fry were on the board. The enrollment for 1912 and 1913 was 135 in the grades and 102 in the high school. There were sixteen members in the class of 1913, making a total alumni of 193 members. The superintendents to date have been J. M. Syckes, John H. Royer, P. C. Zemer, William Beachler, D. D. Bates and G. H. Garrison.
Ansonia has been the home of some of the best known physicians in the county, among whom were Drs. Knouf, W. E. Hooven, L. C. Anderson and H. A. Snorf.
C. M. Anderson, one of the most brilliant attorneys Darke county ever produced, was a citizen of this place, and Dr. S. A. Hostetter, the president of the Second National Bank of Greenville and a man of unusual ability, was for years a physician and influential resident of this place.
This village has been a strong lodge center for years and the social life of the surrounding country has been materially influenced by the various fraternal and secret organizations. Ansonia Lodge F. and A. M. was chartered on October 21, 1874 with sixteen members by the Grand Lodge of Ohio and now has about 125 members, including many of the most con- servative and substantial men of the community. Ansonia Lodge, I. O. O. F. No. 605, was instituted on June 18, 1875, with sixteen charter members and now has about 110 mem- bers, including many representative citizens. In recent years this lodge erected a neat and substantial three-story brick building on the southwest corner of Main and Weller streets. The first story is occupied by a bank and the third story is used as a lodge room, being beautifully furnished and equipped for that purpose. The Daughters of Rebekah or- ganized on June 18, 1894, with sixteen charter members and now have about 120 members. The K. of P.'s also have a lodge here.
The principal streets are finely graded, and have curbs and cement walks, and the streets are lighted by electricity. The banks and newspaper are mentioned elsewhere in this volume. The enterprise of the citizens was shown by the erection of the first mausoleum in Darke county. This modern burial structure was built in the cemetery in 1911, under the direc- tion of J. P. Collett, a former resident of Brown township and a descendant of one of its prominent families. It is built of rock faced Bedford stone, lined with Vermont marble and contains a public receiving vault, one private tomb, and four
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family groups, and 140 crypts in all. An endowment fund of $240 is reserved for its support.
The population of Ansonia in 1910 was 636, and of the Brown township entire, 1,944. Earl Hostetter is mayor, and Hilton Millett is clerk of the village. The real estate of the township was assessed in 1913 at $2.492,830 and the chattels at $1.093,000. Willard Whitesell is the township clerk.
Greenville Township.
This township is the most central and by far the largest in Darke county, containing approximately sixty square miles of territory. At first it included the entire county. Twin town- ship was detached in July, 1817, and included all of the county south of a line running due east from the northwest corner of section 31, township 11 north, range 1 east. In the same month Wayne township was detached from the northern part and included all the territory north of a line running due east from the northwest corner of township 12 north, range 1 east, to the northwest corner of township 9 north, range 4 east, thence south to the middle of the latter township, and thence east to the county line. In March, 1819, all of Greenville township that lay in range 1 was taken into a new township called Washington, and in the same month Adams township was formed. containing all the land in the county east of a line running south from the northwest corner of section +, township 10, range 3, to the southwest corner of section 28, township 9, range 3.
In September, 1830, two tiers of sections across the north end of Greenville township were taken into a new township called Richland. In 1821, Neave township was laid out, tak- ing four tiers of sections from the south side of Greenville township.
The Union Moraine, which extends through the central part of this township in a general direction somewhat south of east, separates the drainage basin of the Stillwater on the north from that of Greenville creek on the south . As before mentioned Greenville creek skirts this moraine belt on the south and west and with its southern branches, West Branch, Mud creek, Bridge creek and Dividing creek and minor branches drains the southern part of the township, while the Boyd's creek branch of Stillwater drains much of the north- ern and northeastern section, and the upper waters of the
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Woodington branch, the extreme northwestern corner. The surface is somewhat rolling, especially along Greenville creek, and in the southern portion where the signs of glacial action are quite plain. The valley of Mud creek is an especially no- ticeable feature, heretofore mentioned. There is a diversity of bottom and upland suited to all kinds of crops raised in the county, and the soil compares favorably in productiveness with any section of equal size in the county.
This township is especially well supplied with pikes as most of the important roads of the county converge at Greenville, in the south central part. The Logansport division of the Pennsylvania railway crosses the northern part in a straight line in a direction south of east. The Indianapolis division crosses the east boundary on the south line of section 32, township 10 north, range 3 east, runs almost due west and keeps south of Greenville creek to the county seat. It then turns southwest, down the Mud Creek valley and crosses the southern line in the southeast corner of Section 9, township 11 north, range 2 east. The Dayton and Union Railway crosses the southern line in section 12, township 11 north, range 2 east, runs west of north to Greenville, and thence northwesterly on the north side of Greenville creek, crossing the west line in section 18, township 12 north, range 2 east. The Cincinnati Northern crosses the south line along side of the Pennsylvania, keeps parallel with the latter almost to Greenville, then turns northward and traverses four and a half sections of the northern part of the township in practi- cally a due north and south direction, crossing the northern line midway in section 3, township 12 north, range 2 east. The Ohio Electric railway comes in from the south on the Eaton pike which it follows to Greenville. From this point it follows the Union City pike and crosses the west line near the same point as the D. & U. above mentioned. On account of the diversity of surface and soil, Greenville township was orig- inally covered with a diversified growth of fine timber, includ- ing oak, beech, hickory and sugar on the uplands: elm, ash, walnut, sycamore and linden on the lowlands, besides a great variety of less common trees and bushes. The central loca- tion, attractive and fertile uplands and comparatively health- ful conditions led to the early settlement of this township as extensively noted elsewhere. The only villages in this town- ship, besides the county seat, are Coleville, Pikeville and Woodington. The former is situated in the northern part of
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section 19, township 12 north, range 2 east, and was platted in 1848. It is located on the north bank of Greenville creek on the Greenville and Union City pike, the D. & U. railway and the Ohio Electric railway. There is a general store, a school, Christian church and a station (Mt. Heron) at this place.
Pikeville was platted in 1866, at the intersection of the Beamsville pike and the P. C. C. & St. L. railway in the north- ern part of section 12, township 12 north, range 2 east. It now contains a general store, a school, a Union church build- ing, a station and grain elevator.
Woodington is located in the northeast corner of section 5 township 12 north, range 2 east, at the intersection of the Fort Recovery pike and the P. C. C. & St. L. railway. It was platted in 1871, and was probably named for John Wooding- ton or one of his descendants, who lived in this vicinity. Gen- eral St. Clair camped near this place on the evening of the first day's march from Greenville (October 30, 1791). The village now contains a general store, a school, a Christian church, a station and an elevator. From the writings of E. M. Buechly we gather the following facts concerning fruit cul- ture in Greenville township :
The first nursery in Darke county planted for commercial purposes was set out about 1832, by David Craig on the east bluff of the Mud creek prairie, in the southern part of section 10, Greenville township, on land recently owned by F. M. Eidson, and known as "Fruit Hill" farm; seeds of apples, pears and peaches were planted. The apples were afterwards top-grafted in the nursery rows with the leading sorts then to be had, but the planting was discontinued and the nursery rapidly declined.
"From what we have been able to learn from the earliest set- tlers now living, grapes were not yet planted until about this time, the simple wants of the backwoodsman being satisfied with the wild ones with which the woods abounded. Mrs. Craig, wife of the aforesaid David Craig, now living in Green- ville, told the writer that she gathered wild grapes by bend- ing down the saplings on which the vines clung, on the very spot where the court house now stands, in the very heart of the city. The early May cherry also dates not far from this time.
"In 1858 Thomas H. McCune and D. R. Davis, both of Green- ville, planted a nursery in partnership, north of the city lim-
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its. They had all grafted fruits, and were the first to attempt to keep a full line of trees, both fruit and ornamental grapes and other nursery stock. Planting was here continued some four years, when it was left to the fate of all the previous efforts to establish a permanent nursery.
From the time of the McCune and Davis nursery, in '62 or '63, until 1878 Darke county was again without a nursery. In that year E. M. Buechley planted some 5,000 apple root- grafts and other nursery stock on the farm of his father, Jeremiah Buechley, near Weavers Station, Ohio, at which place he continued in business until 1881, when he purchased a farm in the northwest corner of section 4, some two miles west of Greenville, on which he has continued and increased the planting of nursery stock and small fruit, occupying at present some ten acres. About 1887, Mr. Beuchley discov- ered a seedling strawberry plant, which bore very promising fruit. This proves to be the original plant of the variety which he later named "Greenville." This berry was placed on the market and had a good sale for several years. It is said to be far better than many of the new popular varieties offered today.
Mr. Jason Downing, a pioneer orchardist of Darke county, originated an excellent variety of the Fall Maiden Blush, which attained a national reputation, and was known for many years as "Downing's Winter Maiden Blush." Mr. Beuchley was largely instrumental in introducing this apple and at the suggestion of the American Pomological Society changed its name to the "Greenville" apple. However, the most valu- able addition to the list of fruits introduced by this nursery- man is the "Eldorado" blackberry. This fruit was found as an accidental seedling near Eldorado, Preble county, Ohio. It was first tested at the home of Albert Wehrly, of whom about 1890, Mr. Beuchley bought the entire stock of six hun- dred plants, and control the same, for $150. After over twenty years of public favor, this berry continued to grow in popu- larity and is said to equal any in hardiness while it excels most, if not all, other varieties in high flavor.
Other successful orchards have been planted from time to time, among which might be mentioned the Fletcher nursery. north of Jaysville; the Deeds nursery just north of Ansonia; the Butt's nursery west of Greenville, and the Martin nursery near Horatio. Mr. W. K. Martin, the proprietor of the last- named nursery, has taken a university course in horticulture
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and landscape gardening, and has been successful in securing some very large orders for nursery stock, one of which will require him probably five years to fill, requiring a large plant- ing in Missouri to hasten growth of the stock required. Mr. Martin has also grown some fine varieties of berries, which he markets under the "Climax" brand. Mr. Alfred Kissell has a strawberry nursery north of Horatio where he grows berries of select flavor and excellent quality.
Besides the staple grains and a large amount of Dutch, Spanish, and seed leaf tobacco, the farmers of Greenville town- ship have, in recent years, planted a good many acres of cab- bage, which is marketed at a local kraut factory. The great success of the beet industry in Paulding county has suggested the propriety of planting a large acreage here, especially in the Mud creek prairie, where conditions seem exceptionably favorable. Alfalfa, which has recently been introduced, is also making a good showing in Darke county. It has been said that Darke county recently stood third in the list of all the counties in the United States in the amount of agricultural products produced-Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and Mc- Lean county, Illinois, alone exceeding Darke county in this respect. Besides the products above mentioned, there has been a very remarkable increase in the amount of poultry raised, due largely to the enterprise of such dealers as Harry B. Hole, John Mong and others who have established poultry houses and gained a good reputation for the local product in the eastern market.
There are now twenty rural schools in the township. The only active rural churches in Greenville township outside of the county seat at this time are the Wakefield and St. John's Lutheran churches, already mentioned in Chapter X. and East Zion Reformed church. The latter church was originally established by the Lutheran denomination, being built by Rev. Alexander Klefeker in 1861, and called Zion's Evangeli- cal Lutheran church. Rev. Klefeker came from Pennsylvania in 1853, settled near Gettysburg, and served as pastor of the Lutheran churches then located at Ansonia, Beamsville, Dawn and "The Beach." He was later pastor of the Wakefield church. Because of the scattered location of these churches and the growing use of the English language, it seems, some of the Lutheran churches in the county were finally either discontinued or taken over by the Reformed denomination. which became quite active in the "fifties" and early "sixties."
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