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 16
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
many fears and forebodings, toward their new home. There was ample cause for anxiety, for it had been but a very few years since " Mad " Anthony Wayne had gained his great victory over the Indians at the battle of the Maumee, result- ing in the treaty of Greenville with the blood- thirsty Shawanees, and warlike Wyandots, Senecas and Delawares. The thought that they were to settle right on the border, within two miles of the treaty line, and in easy striking distance of the Indians still smarting under their defeat, caused a feeling of anything but security. A new road had to be cut for the teams, and again the ax resounded in the primitive forests of the Olen- tangy. After great trouble, they reached the log cabin at the sugar camp, where both families resided until Brundige could buy some land and build a cabin for himself. He had been here but ; a very short time when he met Col. Kilbourn, who had begun to survey and lay out the town of Norton. Kilbourn told Brundige that he had a fine piece of land that he would sell for $400. Brundige paid the money, and Kilbourn imme- diately returned to Chillicothe, had the land en- tered in the name of Nathaniel Brundige, and cleared $200 on a piece of land that he had not located. This land is a part of the farm now owned and occupied by John Brundige, and upon which Nathaniel immediately put up a log cabin, and moved his family into it. The remains of the log cabin can still be seen just northwest of the residence of his son.
Wyatt, assisted by his wife and sons, succeeded by hard work in clearing quite a number of acres of land. The first clearing they planted in corn, but the crop was nearly destroyed by raccoons, which at that time were so numerous as to seriously interfere with the raising of grain. In 1811, Wyatt built the first brick house in Marlborough Township, the brick for which was made from elay on his farm. The structure was a massive affair, and, with its high walls and . husband that what she needed was some wheat gabled roof, was an object of much curiosity to the Indians. It was built for a tavern, and was the , or sixty miles, but from devotion to his wife, he first hostelry in the township, and, in its prime, determined to overcome all obstacles, and get the desired article. He took a bag of wheat on his back, went to Zanesville to get it ground, and then brought it back to his wife. William Brundige, the father of Nathaniel Brandige, did not come to this locality until 1808, when, accompanied by had a State reputation. It was situated on the old State road, and formed part of the celebrated Fort Morrow, the site of which, since the year 1848, has been in Marion County. Nathaniel Wyatt's son-in-law, John Millikin, was First Lieu- tenant under Capt. Drake, and his son William . his family, he came up the Whetstone to the set- was Ensign under the same famous commander. tlement. He is best known as Elder Brundige. He himself Ient aid to the expedition which re- ; and was the first Baptist preacher in Marlborough
sulted at first so ridiculously, and, in fact. nearly all the soldiers of the war of 1812 that had to pass his home on their way to and from the seat. of war, received aid and comfort from bim. Gen. Harrison tarried for a short time under his roof, while many a wounded soldier found sweet repose around the hearthstone of the old red brick tavern. He died in 1829, and lies buried in the Wyatt Cemetery, which is situated on the farm first set- tled by him, just east of the house of his grand- son.
Jacob Foust, with a large family, came to what is now Ohio from Pennsylvania as early as 1799. Upon his arrival at the Ohio River, he found it so swollen by rains that he was forced to camp until it subsided. Crossing near Wheeling and plunging into the forest, he started in the direction of Zanesville, at which place he arrived after count- less trials, and quartered his family in a black- smith-shop. In a short time, he moved to Ross County, where he remained until the spring of 1807, when he came up to the forks of the Whet- stone, and squatted on land belonging to the Campbell heirs. He immediately put up a cabin. and then set to work clearing his land, gaining material assistance from his four stalwart sons. The first season, they cleared some five or six acres and planted it with corn. Everything grew finely, and there promised to be a large yield, but the squirrels and raccoons which had gotten such a high appreciation of corn from the destruction of the crop of Nathaniel Wyatt, came down in great numbers and destroyed the entire growth. All his family are now dead. The following story, illustrative of pioneer life, was told by Foust to Judge Powell many years ago. Soon after he had settled and raised his cabin, his wife was taken with a severe attack of chills and fever, and from that cause, she became dyspeptic. They had an abundance of corn-bread in the house, but this, she said, did not agree with her. She told her bread. Foust knew there was no flour within fitty
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
Township. In 1810, when the few pioneers met for the purpose of organizing a church society, the first proposition, after the action of organization had been taken, was a motion asking the Baptist Church in Liberty Township to release by letter Elder William Brundige, whom they desired should preach for them. Immediately upon the receipt of the letter, Brundige handed it in, and was appointed Pastor in charge. He remained in this capacity for many years, and preached at the cabins of the early settlers. Upon his decease. his place was filled by Benjamin Martin. John Brundige came to the settlement with his father, Elder Brundige, and a few years after his arrival, William Drake and his family having entered the settlement, the daughter, Phoebe Drake, took captive the heart of John, and in a short time they were married, which was the first ceremony of the kind that took place in the township, and occurred about 1811. After Judge Drake had served his time on the bench, John Brundige was elected as his successor.
He married twice. His second wife was a Miss Elizabeth Taylor, who did not survive him. Mrs. Dudley, the eldest daughter of Nathaniel Brundige, is at present alive, and is one of the oldest pioneer women in this township; she came here with her father in 1806. Her first husband was Elder Samuel Wyatt, who died in 1842. Her second husband was the Rev. David Dudley, who died in 1867. At present. Mrs. Dudley spends part of her time with relatives in Richmond, and part with relatives in Waldo Township, Marion County.
Capt. William Drake was from New York, and came to Ohio in 1810, but unlike his friends from that section of the country, he came direct to Ohio, and did not take the roundabout way, settling first in Virginia. On his way to Ohio, and when near the mountains, as he had taken the southern route and had to pass the Alleghanies, he happened to meet Col. James Kilbourn, who, at that time, was on his way from Chillicothe to New York City. The Colonel, immediately upon an introduction, asked Capt. Drake to what point in Ohio he in- tended to direct his steps. The Captain replied that he was going to settle in or near a town called Norton, situated in close proximity to the Olen- tangy River, in the Scioto Valley. " Oh !" said Kil- bourn -- who had but just laid out the town some two or three years previous, in which at that time, there was. but one log cabin-" I congratulate you, sir, you are going to a perfect Eden. I am pleased that you have made such an excellent
choice," and with a hearty grasp of the hand and a kind farewell, they parted. Drake, very much elated at the words of recommendation of Col. Kilbourn, pressed forward eagerly, and soon reached the Olentangy River, which he crossed, and pass- ing through where the town of Delaware now stands, but which at that time contained but a few cabins, he hastened toward Norton. After going about seven or eight miles over hills and swamps. he suddenly came to an elevation somewhat greater than those he had crossed, beyond which he knew the "beautiful " little town of Norton was situated. After crossing the swamp which sur- rounded the base of the hill, and in the mire of which his team came very near being " stuck," he reached the summit and was rewarded by the sight of a little log cabin, on the side of which were stretched some half a dozen partially dried raccoon skins, and at the door appeared a man, brought out by Drake's frequent and forcible exclamations to his tired horses. " Where is the town of Nor- ton ?" inquired Drake. "This is all the town of Norton I know anything about." said Reed, the owner and inhabitant of the cabin, as he pointed with pride at his home. "Well," said Drake, who loved and appreciated a joke too well to get angry. " I must say that if this satisfies Kilbourn's ideas of Eden, I never want to hear his conception of h-1," and passed on to where the cabins of Wyatt and Brundige were situated, where he remained for a short time, and then bought land across the river opposite Brundige's, where he lived several years. It was while residing in his cabin on this farm that he organized the militia company whose " defeat " has given him such notoriety through- out the country. After the war of 1812. Capt. Drake in the succeeding years held several public positions of trust and honor. He was for a num- ber of years one of the Associate Judges of Dela- ware Connty. His eldest son, Reuben Drake, married Mary Brundige, who was born in New York on the 9th of August, 1794. He died thirty years ago, one mile south of the town of Wyan- dot. His wife is also dead. Uriah, another son of the captain's, was murdered by the Indians on his way home from Lower Sandusky (now Fre- mont), soon after the war of 1812. It is sup- posed he was murdered for a new fur cap which he had on. The body was found in the river be- tween two logs which were used as a foot-bridge across the stream. William Reed came to this lo- cality as early as 1807, and is said to have been the first settler in what is now the town of Norton, and
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
was the man who greeted Capt. Drake in such a cordial manner. He was born in Ireland, and was in the war of 1812. Capt. John Wilcox was a very old settler, and came to Marlborough before the war of 1812. He gained his title in the Rev- olutionary war, being present at the battles of Sar- atoga Springs and Stillwater. He was at the surrender of Gen. Burgoyne, and in the severe fighting that preceded that brilliant achievement of the continental arms. It was Capt. Wilcox, who. coming into Norton, soon after the news of Drake's defeat, and, seeing a pumpkin that some mischievous wag had placed on a pole, mistook the same for the head of the infant son of Nathaniel Brundige, and spreading that report gave addi- tional wings to the flight of the women and chil- dren who were hurrying South.
Faron Case, another pioneer, came to the settle- ment from the State of Connecticut, and after a wearisome and tedious journey, with the usual ac- cident of wagon breaking down, etc., arrived in 1810, and began putting up a cabin and clearing the property now known as the Grady farm, situat- ed on the pike road which runs from Delaware to Marion, through Norton. Thomas Brown came to Norton, and built a cabin near Reed's, in 1808. It was also a sort of tavern, but, being of such meager dimensions, it can hardly be dignified by that name. Brown was a blacksmith, the first in the township. James Trindle came to Marlborough Township in 1811, from the State of Virginia, He was engaged by Capt. Drake to haul provisions for his command, and was in the "defeat." It is said that he was the only man that stood his ground, and that if it had not been for the plunging of his horse, he would have killed Drake, by shooting him with his rifle, having fired at him under the supposition that he was the Indian chief. He married Anna Brundige, and by her had two daughters, Elizabeth and Sarah. The former married Joseph C. Cole, and the latter married Hugh Cole. John Brundige, son of Nathaniel Brundige, was born September 10, 1813. on the very day that Commodore Perry gained his great victory on Lake Erie. When he was a babe, his mother having gone a short distance into the woods to do some clearing, he was left in a trough, and while the mother's back was turned an Indian squaw seized the child and started toward the river. The mother, seeing her with the child in her arms, gave chase, but she was unable to over- take the fleet child of the forest until she reached the bank of the river, when an old Indian took the
child from the squaw and returned it to the mother with a gift of a quarter of venison, asking. in re- turn, for some bread. The mother retun.ed to the cabin and gave the bread, which they thanked her for, and then departed, having taken this strange course for the purpose of obtaining their object. John Brundige lives on the farm his father first settled upon, and the cabin in which he was born stands just northwest of his residence. Joseph and James Gillett came to this township in 1818 and 1819 respectively. They were brothers and emigrated together from Hartford County. Conn .. but James remained one year in the State of Penn- sylvania, while Joseph came direct to Marlborough Township and settled on a piece of land one mile south of Norton-the farm lately occupied by his son Herold. He was an old Revolutionary soldier, and died in 1836. When James came, he settled just west of Norton, on the farm now owned and oc- cupied by his son Harvey. As soon as their cabins had been built, they began to clear their lands, using oxen to pull out stumps and drag logs. Wolves were very numerous, and the few hogy and sheep had to be shut up every night to be kept from them. Herold was once attacked by them while returning from a fishing excursion. and had to take refuge in an old deserted log cabin. where he remained until morning. They generally suc- ceeded in clearing seven acres a year. after they got one year's deadening. Harvey Gillett cleared, for William Hinton, twenty acres at 83 per acre. He alone cut all the timber under eighteen inches, piled the brush and cut the logs for rolling in the short space of thirty-three days.
William Sharp was born, it is said, in Virginia, and from that State came to Ohio with his father, who settled at Marietta, in the beginning of the present century. A few years after, when Sharp had become of age, his father was very anxious that he should study medicine, and for that pur- pose he bought his son a large number of the medical works which were then authority, and. bringing them home, hoped to please his son. but William, to show his disgust for the science and his love for the woods, immediately shouldered his rifle and started for the Indian country. In the course of several months. in the mean time sub- sisting on the game he shot in the forest. he found himself near Norton; this was about the year 1809. He remained here for two or three years, and there joining the army went north to San- dusky. After the war, about 1814. he married Sarah Boyd, an adopted daughter of John Duncan.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
He now built a cabin for his wife, but, although attached to her, could not resist the temptation of going into the woods on a hunt, and often would, after stocking his cabin with provisions, go on a hunt and be gone for one, two and sometimes three weeks. He was reput- ed to be the greatest "bee-hunter " that was ever in Marlborough Township, and it was said that he knew the Indian language well. He allowed his roving disposition to control him for several years, but at last he bought sixty acres of land from Joseph Cole, and settled down to a life of domestic happiness. About this time, several rel- atives of his came to this part of the country and brought to him all the old medical books which his father had bought; he suddenly acquired a taste for the same, and began to read medicine. On entering the practice, it is said that he never would take pay for any service he might render. He has been dead for a number of years.
Allen Reed came to this township from Ireland and settled on a piece of land near Norton. He was in the war of 1812 and is now dead. Ariel Strong came and settled on the Olentangy River soon after Foust had built his cabin, as early as 1808. James Livington and wife moved up and settled on the river soon after Strong, and was fol- lowed in 1810 by William Hanneman, who came from the State of Kentucky. Both were in the war of 1812. Isaac Bush, Silas Davis, Joseph Curran, all came into what was then Marlborough William Brundige was the first minister in the township, and preached in the cabins of the first settlers. Drs. Spaulding and Lamb, of Delaware, were the first physicians that entered the settle- ment in a professional capacity. The first birth was William, son of Nathaniel Brundige, and took place December 3. 1808, and the first death was Ruth Wyatt, daughter of Nathaniel Wyatt. The first marriage was that of John. Brundige to Phobe Drake, daughter of the Captain. and occurred in 1811. The first school teacher was Robert Louther. A man by the name of Case, who was a son-in-law of Col. Kilbourn, and lived in Worthington, offered the first goods for sale in the township. He opened up in Norton and remain there until he had closed out his stock. Nathaniel Wyatt was the first Justice of the Peace, and the honesty and integrity with which he decided all his cases is well known even to the present day in this sec- tion of the country. Thomas Jefferies was the first Postmaster, and kept his office at Norton. The introduction of apple-trees into this township Township, prior to the war of 1812. They were practical, hard-working farmers, and contributed largely to the growth and improvement of the township. Joseph Cole, Levi and William Hin- ton, James Norris, Sr., and family, James Wilson, David Dick, James Duncan, Duval, Benjamin Mar- tin came to Marlborough and located in what is now Troy Township, and are noticed in the early settlement of that township. The Duncklebarger brothers were also old settlers. They came from Philadelphia, Penn., and settled just east of Nor- ton in the year 1815. Their names were Peter and Fred, and they were the first communists in a : small way in Delaware County, as they owned ev- erything in common. They each had half of the cabin, half of the land, half of the stock, and shared half the products. . When they first came to the township, they were both unmarried, but soon after Peter married. and this seemed to canse the first estrangement in the brothers' friendship. Fred still continued to board with his brother's family and everything at least appeared to run as . was brought about in rather a curious manner.
smoothly as of yore, until one winter's day the brothers, with their horses and sleigh, went to the mill at Delaware to have some corn ground ; while returning, they, from some cause or other, quar- reled and both got out, when Fred, taking up an ax, split the sleigh into halves, and each leading his horse and carrying his share of meal, started for home. Fred, soon after this, left his brother's home and built himself a cabin. It is told of Pe- ter that, after being married a number of years and having several children, he determined to have them baptized, and upon his invitation a minister by the name of Hinkle came up from Columbus for the purpose of performing the ceremony. His arrival at the cabin created a great consternation among the children, and they all took to the wood. Upon Hinkle asking Peter how they could be caught and brought into the house, Peter said he didn't know, unless he let his hounds loose and caught them in that way. He was about to carry this plan into execution, when he was stopped by Hinkle. The brothers are both dead, and Peter's family is scattered. Ezekiel Van Horn, another old settler. who did much to improve the township, was a member of the first grand jury. Quite a number came in during 1815 and 1816. Among them were Elisha Bishop, Adin Winsor, Joseph Bishop, Isaac Stratton, Henry Coldren, Elisha Williams, George Jefferies, Thomas Rogers and L. H. Hall.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
One day, Nathaniel Brundige and wife, having left the children alone in the cabin for a short time, an old Indian came to the cabin door, throwing the children at once into a state of great fear. The Indian, in his rude way, gave them to understand that he was a friend, and, putting his hand underneath his mantle, brought forth four apples and gave them to the children, telling them to save and plant the seeds. This was done, and from those seeds sprang up the first apple-trees in Marlborough Township, a few of which can be seen at this day on the farm of Mrs. Mary Wyatt. The apples are known as fall pippins.
The first road located through the township was the old State or military road. It rau along the west bank of the river, and cut the town of Norton east of where the present pike runs through. The old road was abandoned when the Columbus & Sandusky pike road was given a charter. but can still be seen in many places where it is used as a lane by the farmers. The old road, although used by the military authorities, was, nevertheless, built by order of the County Commissioners, and, on leaving Norton, took a northerly direction, pass- ing the cabin home of Nathaniel Brundige and winding around the knoll on which stood Fort Morrow, continued to Lower Sandusky. The first official record in Delaware County bears date June 15, 1808, and was the granting of a petition headed by Nathaniel Wyatt and others for open- ing this road. When the Columbus & San- dusky Pike Road Company obtained a charter, they ran the road a little west of the old military road, about where the present free pike road runs. The first bridge built in Marlborough Township spanned the Olentangy on the line which now separates the township from Marion County. The bridge was built by James Norris. After it had served its time, the present covered wooden struct- ure occupying the same spot was built. This bridge was put up by a man named Sherman. The new wooden-covered bridge which spans the river at Kline's mill was built about the year 1874.
The oldest mill erected in this township is the old saw-mill, which, to-day, stands just in the rear of Kline's grist-mill, formerly known as Cone's woolen factory. This mill is situated on the Whetstone River, in the southeastern part of the township, and was built as early as 1820, by Rob- ert Campbell, of Philadelphia. The mill is still in good order, and is said to be the best water saw-mill upon the river. About 1846, Luther
Cone, brother to J. W. Cone, of Thompson Town- ship, built the woolen-mill which stands just north of the saw-mill. This mill was run successfully for a number of years, and then purchased by Cline, who has recently remodeled it for the pur- poses of a grist-inill.
The old Baptist Church situated in what is now Troy Township, was the first to organize in Marl- borough. Its history will necessarily fall within the historical limits of Troy. The Lutheran Church is situated just across the Olentangy River, east about a mile from Norton. The congrega- tion used to worship in an old log schoolhouse. Dear where the present church now stands. Just when the organization took place cannot be ascer- tained, but the name of the first minister was Henry Cline, and it must have been at an early date. In the year 1852, from some cause a revolt occurred on the part of some of the members, the result being the organization of the German. Re- form Church. The Lutherans immediately set to work and built a new frame church, which was dedicated by Prof. Loy in the year 1853, and the German Reform congregation, not to be cutdone, put forth their energy and, in 1855, also succeed- ed in building for themselves a frame church ad- joining the Lutherans. It was dedicated the same year by J. G. Ruhl, who took charge as their Pas- tor, while the first minister in the new Lutheran Church was a man by the name of Gast. The little cemetery in the same lot in which the two churches stand is used conjointly by both congre- gations. The first interment in it was a man by the name of Snarr, who was buried there in 1835. He was poor and a stranger. The Baptist Church is situated in the village of Norton. The society was an offshoot from the Old Marlborough Baptist Church. The present building is a substantial frame structure, and was erected in 1859 and cost $1,200. It was dedicated in 1860 by James Harvey, who used to preach at Delaware. The following are the names of the ministers since its foundation : James Harvey. Thomas Jenkins, Mr. Weiter, C. King. Thomas Deal. Thomas Griffith. The Methodist Episcopal Church is a frame struct- ure situated in the village of Norton, and was built in 1855, and dedicated by the Rev. Pilcher. There was an organization in existence some two years previous to this date, originated by the Rev. Plumer, and the class used to worship in school- houses and other convenient places. The church cost $1,200. The pulpit has been supplied of late years quite frequently by students from the uni-
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