USA > Ohio > Delaware County > History of Delaware County and Ohio : containing a brief history of the state of Ohio biographical sketches etc. V. 2 > Part 13
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The Baptist Church is the first regularly organ- ized society of that denomination in Concord Town- ship. It is situated on the pike, a half-mile east of Bellepoint, and was established in 1853. The following ministers have had charge of the soci- ety: Rev. Levi R. Jones, who officiated from October, 1855, to March, 1860; Rev. R. Gates, who held the charge from March, 1860, to March, 1865, when he joined the Christian Union Church. The church then accepted the ministrations of Rev. Seth Gates, his brother, who had just repu- diated the United Brethren Church. He offici- ated until 1869, when the church completely died out, and continued in a dormant state until 1879, and was then resuscitated. On the 24th of May, of this year, it was again opened for worship, and the day following, Rev. Isenbarger, of Delaware, preached an excellent sermon. Since that time, they have had their pulpit occasionally supplied by Pastors of other charges.
The Eversole United Brethren Church takes its name from old Father Eversole, who built it, and was long instrumental in keeping it up. As no records are to be found, an authentic history of it is not easily obtained. Its present Pastor is Rev. Mr. Bernard.
Many years ago, camp-meetings used to be in vogue in Concord, as they were in many other sec- tions of the country. The first of which we have any account was held at the house of Mr. Ever- sole, near where the United Brethren Church now stands. After a few years, the place of holding the meetings was changed to grounds near Riggers' bridge, which spans the Scioto where the Marys- ville pike crosses it. The bridge is now in Scioto Township, but at that time (about 1838-39) was in Concord. For a number of years, this was a I place of holding camp-meetings, and the scenes of
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
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much good and some evil, as we shall have occa- sion to notice before closing this chapter.
The first school in Concord Township was taught at the house of James Kooken, and the first schoolhouse was the old granary donated by him for church and school purposes. A few de- cades make wonderful changes in educational advantages, even of a township, and to-day nine brick schoolhouses, large and commodious, and located at convenient distances from each other, show the facilities of the township for educating its youth. The following statistics taken from the Auditor's books will be of some interest to our readers: Number of schoolhouses, 9; number of districts, 9; number of teachers, 10; number of teachers who have taught the entire year, male, 2, female, 5; average number of weeks taught, 19; average wages per month, male, $26, female, $22; number of pupils, males, 193, females, 177; aver- age monthly enrollment, males, 107, females, 101; average daily attendance, males, 81, females, 90; number of pupils enrolled between the ages of six- teen and twenty-one, males, 40, females, 38. Amount of money on hand, $1,059.69; State tax, $528; local tax for school and schoolhouse pur- poses, $1,537,36; total, $3,159.19; amount paid to teachers within the year, $1,814. Fuel and contingent expenses, 8354.46. The grand total of expenses, $2,168.46, leaving balance on hand, $900.73. Total value of school property of town- ship is estimated at 86,400.
The White Sulphur Springs, or Fountain, as it is called sometimes, as elsewhere stated in this work, is the result of borings made in early times by Davis, & Richards for salt. The well was sunk 460 feet, and, instead of salt, a great volume of sulphur water rushed out. The men, at what they supposed the failure of their efforts, left the well in an unfinished state. About the year 1842, a man of the name of Nathaniel Hart, believing there was money to be made by turning it into a watering place, bought the land from the owner, Christopher Freshwater, and put up one large building, and a number of cottages for the accom- modation of guests. Mr. Hart sold out to Andrew Wilson, Jr., who, in renting to seekers after pleasure and health, retained possession of the property until 1865, when he sold out to John Ferry. The latter gentleman enlarged, remodeled and refurnished the house. beside building an ad- dition, and put a great deal of money into it. In 1869, he sold the property to the State, and it became the " State Reform School for Girls," but,
by a special act of the Legislature, in 1872, the title was changed to" The Girls' Industrial Home." This project of a home for girls was the result of a petition to the Legislature by some of the pub- lic-spirited and benevolently disposed citizens of Delaware County, who, seeing the fine property going to ruin and decay, and taking a deep inter- est in the furtherance of any public project for the. benefit of unprotected girls, gave the subject their hearty support. The following is the act of the Legislature establishing the institution :
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A REFORM AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR GIRLS :
Be it enzcted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That there shall be established, on land conveved to the State for the purpose, & school for the instruc- tion. employment and reformation of exposed, helpless, evil-disposed and vicious girls, to be called the State Reform and Industrial School for Girls ; and the gov- ernment of said school shall be vested in a Board of five Trustees, to be appointed and commissioned by the Gov- ernor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, whose term of office shall be for five years, and until their successors are appointed, except those first appointed, one of whom shall hold his office for the term of one year, one for two years, one for three years, one for four years, and one for five year-, from the date of their appointment, and their terms shall be designated by the Governor; two of whom shall be residents of the county in which the school is located. If any vacancy shall occur in said Board by resignation or otherwise, during the recess of the General Assem- bly, it shall be the duty of the Governor to fill said vacancy by appointment, and the person so appointed shall hold his office until the next session of the Gen- eral Assembly, and for twenty days after the commence- ment of said session. The Trustees shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be paid their necessary expenses by the State Treasurer on the order of the Auditor.
SEC. 2. Before entering upon the discharge of their duties, they shall take and subscribe to an oath or affirmation, to obey the Constitution of the United States and of the State of Ohio, and faithfully to dis. charge the duties of their office, which shall be recorded in their journal. They shall organize by electing a President and Secretary, who shall be of their number, and a Treasurer. who may or may not be of their num- ber. The Treasurer, before entering upon the discharge of the duties of his office, shall give a bond in the sum of $10,000, with good and sufficient securities, to be accepted by the Governor and deposited with the Treas- urer of State, and he will properly account for all money that may come into his hands by virtue of his office.
Sec. 3. When the buildings are ready for occupancy, the Trustee shall give notice of the fact, and shall take charge of the general interests of the institution ; shall see that its affairs ary conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Legislature, and of such by- | laws as the Board may from time to time adopt for the
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
orderly and economical management of its concern : they shall see that strict discipline is maintained therein ; shall provide employment for the inmates, and bind them out, discharge or remove them, as is herein- after provided. They shall appoint a Superintendent, who shall hold his office for three years, unless sooner removed by them for cause, and such other officers to be nominated by the Superintendent as in their judgment the wants of the institution require, proscribe their duties, remove them at pleasure, appoint others in their stead, determine their salaries respectively, and exer- cise general supervision over the institution. A majority of said Board shall constitute a quorum.
SEC. 4. All salaries shall be paid quarterly on the certificate of the President and Secretary of said Board, by an order drawn by the Auditor of the State on the State Treasurer, and all money for building purposes and current expenses shall be drawn in like manner, but not more than $2,000 shall at any one time be drawn from the State treasury. No Trustee, Superin- tendent, officer or employe of said institution, shall be interested in any sale, trade, or business carried on in said institution ; and for any violation of this provision, such officer or employe shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100, nor more than $1,000.
SEC. 5. The said Board of Trustees shall receive and hold, or invest, all legacies, devises, bequests or dona- tions made to the school, of every description, in behalf of the State.
SEC. 7. Whenever any girl above the age of seven and under the age of sixteen years, shall be brought by any constable or police officer, or other inhabitant of any town or city or township of any county in this State, before any Probate Court of the proper county, upon the allegation, or complaint that said girl has committed any offense known to the laws of this State, punishable by fine and imprisonment, other than such as may be punishable by imprisonment for life, or that she is leading an idle, vagrant or vicious life, or has been found in any street, highway or public place within this State in circumstances of want and suffer- ing, or of neglect, exposure or abandonment, or of beggary, it shall be the duty of said Probate Judge to forthwith issue an order in writing, addressed to the father of said girl, if he be living and resident of the town, township or city where said girl may be found, and if not, then to her mother, or her guardian if there be one, else to the person with whom the girl resides, which order shall require said father, mother, guard- ian or other person, as the case may be, to appear before said Probate Judge to show cause. if there be any, why said girl shall not be committed to the reform school for girls established by this act; and upon the appear- ance of the party named in said order, or failure to appear, as the case may be, said Judge shall proceed to examine said girl and party, and hear such testimony as may be presented before him in relation to the case; and should it appear to the satisfaction of the Judge aforesaid, that the girl is a suitable subject for the reform school established by this act, he shall com- mit said girl to the same.
SEC. 10, The Trustees may bind out as an appren- tice or servant, any girl committed to their charge, for
a term not longer than until she arrives at the age of eighteen years; and the person to whom the girl is bound, shall, by the terms of the indenture, be required to report to the Trustees, as often as once in six months, her conduct and behavior, and whether she is still liv- ing under his care, and if not, where she is.
SEC. 11. A person receiving an apprentice under the provisions of the last section shall not assign or transfer the indenture or apprenticeship. nor let out her service for any period without the consent in writ- ing of the Trustees. If the person for any cause desires to be relieved from the contract, the T'rustees, upon application, may in their discretion cancel the indenture, and resume the charge and management of the girl and shall have the same power over her as before the indenture was made.
SEC. 12. If the person is guilty of cruelty or mis- usage to the girl so bound out to service, or of any vio- lation of the terms of indenture, the girl or Trustee may make complaint to the Probate Judge of the proper county, who shall summon the parties before him and examine into the complaint, and if it appear to be well founded, he shall, by certificate under his hand, discharge the girl from all obligations of future service, and restore her to the school, to be managed as before her indenture.
Ssc. 17. One or both of the resident Trustees shall visit the institution at least once a month, at which time the girls shall be examined in the schoolrooms and workshops, and the register inspected. A record shall be kept of these visits in the books of the Super- intendent. Once in every three months the school in all its departments shall be thoroughly examined by a majority of the Trustees, and a report thereof entered upon the record.
SEC. 18. The Salary of the Superintendent shall be at the rate of twelve hundred dollars per annum and of the principal matron four hundred dollars per annum.
SEC. 20. That said Board of Trustees, when ap- pointed and organized under the provisions of this act, is authorized, empowered, and hereby is directed forth- with to purchase from the proprietor the property known as the Ohio White Sulphur Springs, situated on the Scioto River, in Delaware County, containing one hundred and eighty-nine acres of land, with all the buildings and appurtenances to the same belonging. the title to be examined and approved by the Attorney General; provided, the consideration to be paid by the said Board of Trustees for the premises aforesaid, shall not exceed the sum of fifty-five thousand dollars : which sum shall be paid on the order of said Trustees upon the warrant of the Auditor of the State, out of moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated : and the sum of fifty-five thousand dollars is hereby appropriated for that purpose.
Signed F. W. THORNHILL, Speaker of the House of Representatives. J. C. LEE, President of the Senate.
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES,
Governor.
The law having passed. the following Board of Trustees were appointed, who elected Dr. John
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
Nichols, of Geauga County, to the office of Superin- tendent, F. Merrick (President), A. Thomson, M. D. Leggett, Clark Waggener and Stanley Matthews. The first report, November, 1869, shows an attend- ance of 6 girls. The next year, 1870, Stanley Matthews retired, and William M. Gravey took his place on the Board of Trustees. The report shows an attendance of 50. The next year, 1871, M. D. Leggett retired, and M. F. Cowdery was ap- pointed to his place; number in attendance 104. In the year 1872, there was no change made in the Board; total number of inmates, 162, In the year 1873, there was no change in the Board, but a serious calamity befell the institution on the 24th of February ; while a deputation from the Legislative Committee were making their annual visit to the house, and, while in the very act of expressing their opinions concerning the satisfac- tory workings and prosperity of the institution, fire suddenly broke out in the old mansion house, which was soon consumed, together with the chapel and Superintendent's home. The number of pupils this year was 185. In the year 1874, W. M. Gravey retired, and V. D. Stayman took his place. The number in the Home was 143. In the year 1876, J. K. Newcomer had taken the place of Clark Waggener on the Board; number of girls in attendance, 203. In 1877, Dr. Nichols retired, and Dr. Ralph Hills was appointed Super- intendent. The report of 1878-79 shows the following expenses : Current expenses, $21,579 .- 75; salaries, 86,048.67 ; ordinary repairs. 8634.88; library, 8257,95: grading at new building, 869 .- 43; new brick family building, 85, 578.64; furnish- ing new building; 81,200; building turnpike, 8500; pumps, pipes, boiler, etc., for water supply, $171.37; removing old frame building, 8300; gas works, 82,852.77. The report also shows that two of the Board, who have been with the institution from its beginning. retired, viz., Dr. Merrick and A. Thomson. The new Board of Trustees is as follows: F. A. Thornhill, President ; J. W. Watkins, Secretary; T. D. West, H. R. Kelley and R. R. Henderson. Dr. Hills, the Superintendent, died in October, 1879, and Rev. Dr. Smith was appointed to fill vacancy. Number of pupils in attendance, 227.
While the citizens of Concord Township, and the surrounding community, are moral and law-abining people. yet the township was onee the scene of a cold-blooded murder. The camp-meeting ground already mentioned was the place where it occurred. The circumstances are briefly these : On the 8th
day of September, 1838, in one of the small cabins which stood along the road from the grounds to the ford on the river, the Bowersmith brothers killed an Irishman with a club. The dif- culty arose out of a misunderstanding in regard to the hauling of some goods from Columbus for the Irishman to the camp-meeting grounds by the Bowersmiths. They demanded a cer- tain sum of money for hauling the goods, more, it is said, than he had contracted to pay them. High words ensued, when the broth- ers left the cabin in a rage, but one of them, Levi, returned again and struck the Irishman on the back of his head with a club, crushing the skull. He was taken to the cabin of Protus Lyman, which is still standing at the west end of the railroad bridge at White Sulphur Station, where he soon after died. The brothers were immediately arrest- ed, and, while in jail at Delaware awaiting trial. their mother died, and they were allowed to attend her funeral in charge of the Sheriff. Their trial took place at the May term following, and Isaac Bowersmith was acquitted, while Levi was sen- tenced to the penitentiary for one year. There were three of these brothers, George. Isaac and Levi. Isaac is a rich farmer in Union County ; Levi is a speculator in California, and George lives in Columbus.
The war history of Concord Township is similar to that of other townships, and of every other por- tion of the county. Some of the first settlers were Revolutionary soldiers, others served in the war of 1812, and the Indian wars of the period. In the Mexican war, the township was pretty well repre- sented. Among those who engaged in the con- test were Nathan Daily, James Cutler. Joseph Bergan, J. Riddile, Jacob Hay. Alvin Rose and George Taylor. Daily was killed at the battle of Buena Vista, Borgan was wounded, but recovered from it. The others all lived, we believe, and returned to their homes. In the late war, Concord, with the same zeal which characterized her people in these earlier «sars, sent large numbers of her best sons into the army of the Union. Their achievements receive full justice in another chapter.
Concord, since its settlement, in 1811. has been Democratic in politics. In 1840. in the great Harrison campaign, when " log cabins and hard cider " was the battle cry, the Whigs carried the township by ONE vote, but such a departure from Democratie principles has never occurred since. From the organization of the Republican party, Cou- cord has been as hopelessly in the minority. as in the
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
days of the old Whig party, and the township is still known as a Democratic stronghold.
The village of Bellepoint is pleasantly situated, in an angle formed by the junction of Mill Creek and the Seioto River. It was laid out by James Kooken in 1835, and was the result of a wild speculation. A few wealthy capitalists were going to slack the Scioto River, and thus subject it to steamboat navigation. These capitalists and spec- ulators were going to buy large tracts of land, and sell it out at immense profits, and so become mill- ionaires. Kooken, dazzled by these visionary schemes, was easily persuaded to come to this section and buy a large tract of land, upon which he laid out the town of Bellepoint, as above noted. It was in the form of a square, and consisted originally of 160 lots, which, for a time, went off rapidly at $50, and some as high as $75. Sud- denly came the news that the fall of the river, between the new town and Columbus, was so great as to render slack-water navigation wholly imprac- ticable. Land, which a few days previous had
been held at $14 per acre, dropped to $1.25, and the " corner lots " of Bellepoint could not be given away. Kooken and a few others, however, not in the least discouraged, continued to push matters at the " Point," and by every means endeavored to build up their town, but their enterprise availed nothing.
A post office was established at Bellepoint in 1836-37, with Walter Borgan as Postmaster. Francis Marley kept a blacksmith-shop very early. His shop stood, not " under the spreading chest- nuttree," but on the east side of the river. The first tavern was kept by Josiah Reece. The first church and schoolhouse, of which mention has already been made, were located.at this point, and the first school was taught by John C. Cannon in 1835. He died in an unused cabin in the neighborhood, of exposure, resulting from pro- tracted dissipation. The first sermon preached in the township. we are informed, was at the house of James Kooken, by Rev. Mr. Van Demem.
CHAPTER XX .*
RADNOR TOWNSHIP -SETTLEMENT - AN INCIDENT -THE WELSH LANGUAGE-SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES -VILLAGES.
"Yr hen Gymraeg iaith fy Mam."
A FTER the war of the Revolution and the passage of the ordinance of 1787, securing for freedom and free soil the vast domain northwest of the Ohio River, many emigrants from the principal- ity of Wales, in the kingdom of Great Britain, reached our shores. Large settlements were made in Oneida County, N. Y., and Cambria County, Penn. When peace was secured with the Indians on the frontiers, adventurous Welshmen found their way into the great Miami Valley, and com- menced a settlement in 1797. In the year 1801, a young Welshman naned David Pugh, from Faesyfed ( Radnorshire ), South Wales, after a peril- ous voyage of three months, landed at Baltimore, Md. Here he found employment, and acquired a knowledge of the English language. In 1802, he went to Philadelphia, where large numbers of his country-people resided. Here Mr. Pagh became acquainted with Dr. Samuel Jones, who held a
land warrant for 4.000 acres of United States mil- itary land, located in Township 6 and Range 20, of the United States Survey. Dr. Jones, recog- nizing the fitness of the young Welshman as a trusty, energetic and adventurous man, employed him to visit the new country, find the land he 'owned, and make a report. Early in 1802, David Pugh left Philadelphia on horseback, and in two months reached Franklinton, Franklin County. the nearest settlement to the land for which he was seeking. Guided by an old experienced backwoodsman. he left Franklinton, traveling northward through an unbroken wilderness. and in two days found the land called for in the warrants held by Dr. Jones. After ascertaining its bound- aries and carefully examining the quality of the soil, the timber and the water privileges, he left the wilderness, and in the early winter. returned to Philadelphia and reported the result of his mis- sion.
We may here add the following topographical and physical features as presumably embodied
* By Rev. B. W. Chidlaw.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
in the report to his employer: A region, for farm- ing purposes, unsurpassed in the State; rich and fertile land, well watered and timbered. The sur- face gently rolling or undulating, but not broken by rough and jagged hills or blutfs. Fine timber, such as oak, hickory, ash, walnut, hackberry, elm, sugar maple, etc., abounding in the greatest pro- fusion. Without large water-courses, except the Scioto River, which forms the western boundary line of the township, but with numerous small brooks originating in its own territory and flowing into the Scioto River, affording excellent drainage to the land, and an abundance of stock water.
On the 2d day of March, 1803, in the city of Philadelphia, Dr. Samuel Jones sold this quarter of a township (4,000 acres), which was the south- east quarter of Township 6, in Range 20, to David Pugh, for $2,650, reserving 50 acres given to David Lodwig (a Welshman then living in Phila- delphia), and 50 acres donated as a glebe for a Baptist or Presbyterian minister of the Gospel who would settle there. (See records Franklin County, book A, page 32.) On his return from the West, David Pugh met Henry Perry, of Anglesey, South Wales, and arranged with him to commence a settlement on the land which he had visited. Mr. Perry left his wife and several small children near Baltimore, and, with his sons Eben- ezer and Levi, aged fifteen and thirteen years, made the journey on foot, enduring many hard- ships. Late in the fall of 1803, Henry Perry and his sons squatted on this land, built a cabin, and, during the winter, cleared a few acres, which, in the spring, they planted in corn, potatoes, pump- kins, beans, etc. Their food, except venison, wild turkeys and fish, and the seed used in planting the clearing, they had packed on foot from Franklin- ton, a distance, through the unbroken forests, of over thirty miles. In the early summer of 1804, Mr. Perry left the boys in charge of the improve- ment, and, on foot, returned to the vicinity of Baltimore, and with his wife Margaret and the children, after a long and toilsome journey in a cart, arrived back at his new home in the wilds of Central Ohio. The heroic and noble boys were found all right, with a fine crop and a cheery cabin to greet the re-united family.
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