History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 101

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Ohio > Delaware County > History of Delaware County and Ohio > Part 101

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The first death recorded in Trenton Township was William Perfect, Esq., one of the first settlers. He died in 1812, about five years after his settlement. Since then many pioneers of Trenton have followed him to the land of shadows.

" The saint who enjoyed the communion of heaven, The sinner who dared to remain unforgiven, The wise and the foolish, the guilty and just, Have quietly mingled their bones in the dust.

" So the multitude goes, like the flowers or the weed That withers away to let others succeed ; So the multitude comes, even those we behold, To repeat every tale that has often been told."

But few of the early settlers of the township are still living. Most of them lie sleeping in the little graveyards. ' The first birth which occurred was that of Madison Williamson, who was born about the commencement of the war of 1812. He was a son of John Williamson, an emigrant of 1809, who, in 1810, was married to a Miss Ely, and was the first marriage, probably, to take place in the community. But the present popu- lation of Trenton is proof of how well the pioneers followed the divine command to " go and multiply, and fill the earth."

Van Dorn, as we have already stated, kept the first tavern upon the site where Mrs. Armstrong now lives. Silas Ogden, upon his settlement in the neighborhood, opened a tan-yard, the first of these useful establishments kept in the township. Perfect and Thomas, soon after their settlement, planted out orchards, which were the first ef- forts made at fruit-growing. The first post office was established by A. C. Leak, and was kept in a cabin about half a mile east of Van Dorn's tavern stand. But the name it bore, and the date of its establishment, we could not learn. George Aker-

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son kept a store in an early day, a little north of Condit Post Office. This post office is located at Condit Station, on the Cleveland, Columbus & Mount Vernon Railroad, and is the only station on this road in the township. Martha J. Culver is the Postmis- tress at Condit. Her father, B. Culver, also keepsia store. He succeeded Wayman Perfect as a mer- chant at that place. These are the only stores really deserving the names ever kept in the town- ship. Van Dorn kept a kind of grocery, on a small scale, at his tavern, but made no pretensions toward a regular store.

Trenton Township is well supplied with good building stone, and a number of quarries have been opened, which, since the building of the Cleveland, Columbus & Mount Vernon Railroad through the township, are growing into an extensive and profitable business. The first quarry, or the first stone quarried in the township, was in an early day by Mr. Allison. A large quarry was opened, some years ago, on the farm of Joseph and John Landon, on the Big Walnut Creek. Another large quarry was opened by Williams and Knox. A great many others have been opened in different parts of the town- ship, but principally for the use of those who opened them. But with the railroad facilities en- joyed, the stone business must necessarily prove very profitable to this section of the county.

The people of Trenton have always been the friends of education. In an early day we find the pedagogue among them, and, in the primitive schoolhouse of the pioneer time, with the youth gathered around him, he taught them the simple rudiments of "reading, writing and arithmetic." One of the first schoolhouses, perhaps the first in the township, was built near the Big Walnut on the Mount Vernon road, and about eighteen rods north of the bridge. It was of the usual pioneer pattern, a description of which will be found else- where in these pages. The first winter school taught in this humble temple of learning was by a man named Goop, and the first summer school was taught by Clarissa Sturdevant. These schools were before the day of free schools, and were taught by subscription, each family sending their children, and paying according to the amount of time sent. Illustrative of the marvelous march of education, we find in Trenton Township to-day seven school districts, all containing substantial and comfortable schoolhouses of an estimated value of $3,200. Other statistics of the schools are as follows : Balance on hand in 1878, $1,694.39 ; State tax,

$414 ; local tax for schoolhouse purposes, $822.53; amount paid teachers during the year, $1,308.60 ; wages per month-male teachers, $32; female teachers, $22 ; for fuel and other contingent pur- poses, $120.45 ; balance on hand September 1, 1879, $1,519.61. Teachers employed- malcs, 4 ; females, 7. Pupils enrolled-males, 159 ; fc- males, 109. Average monthly enrollment-males, 112; females, 91. Average daily attendance- males, 110 ; females, 85. Pupils enrolled between sixteen and twenty-one-males, 39, and females, 25.

Mr. Perfect, in his sketch of Trenton in the County Atlas, to which we have several times re- ferred, says : "The first saw-mill in Trenton was built by Middleton Perfect and Hazard Adams in 1835. There are no grist-mills in the township." Mr. Vaile, in his notes on Trenton, to which we have referred also, mentions several mills. Among them is one built by John Van Sickle, which is noticed as the "first grist-mill in thetownship," and was " built in 1835." It is described as having a " brush dam " when first built, but this was after- ward replaced with one made of planks. It was situated on Big Walnut, half a mile northeast of Sunbury. Van Sickle sold out to E. M. Condit, who operated it from 1855 until 1862, when he sold it to Jacob Boyd. The latter gentleman sold it to his brother, Henry Boyd, who had pur- chased the old Brailey mill. This mill was built in 1845, on the creek, half a mile below the Van Sickle mill. Some time after Boyd bought it, he bought the Van Sickle mill from his brother, as noted above, transferred most of the machinery from it to the Brailey mill, and so put an end to the Van Sickle mill. Another of the early mills was Stockwell's saw-mill, but of it little was learned. J. Condit had a saw-mill on Perfect's Creek, which did good service for a number of years. Alvin P. Condit also had a mill on the North Branch of Rattlesnake Run. Williams' saw-mill is situated on Big Walnut at the mouth of Rattlesnake Run, just on the township line. It was built by Crane at an early day, and is still in operation.

Politically, Trenton has always been Democratic, except in 1840, when the slogan of "log cabins " and "hard cider," carried the day for Gen. Harrison, and it may have been the strong Democratic sentiment of Trenton that caused the political somersault of Vice President Tyler after the death of Harrison. Anyway, from that day to this, it has kept the faith, and, when necessity

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

required, it has rolled up Democratic major- ities. In the late struggle between the North and the South, the township stood valiantly by the Union, and sent out many of her bravest and best to maintain its supremacy. Their deeds are faith-, fully recorded io another chapter of this history.

The early pioneers, as a general thing, were pious people. Although they would not have hesi- tated long about engaging in a rough and tumble fight, and did not hesitate to take a dram (we often hear old people say, however, that there were not so much infernal fire in the whisky then as now), yet they enjoyed themselves, religiously, quite as well as the most fastidious church-goers of the present day. The religious services were simple (and came from the heart), the church buildings were simple, the methods of conveyance to and from church were simple, and the manners, dress and intercourse of the people who attended church were simple in the extreme. But some of the old pioneers still assert that the natural organs of the voice, with which they praised God, were to be preferred to the organ now pumped by a cheap boy, and skillfully manipulated by a popular but not pious young lady or gentleman, robed in all the fashionable toggery of the day, instead of the good old linsey-woolsey or jeans. Let us not quarrel with them about the matter; they have sacrificed their preferences to our modern methods, and many, if not most, of them are praising Him on harps such as " eye hath not seen, nor ear heard."

The first church society organized in Trenton, we believe, was that of the Presbyterians about 1835-36. Among the original members were Sim- eon Condit, Silas Ogden, A. P. Condit, Robert Lewis, Squire Wheaton, Elizabeth Condit, Elizabeth Leak, Magdalene Van Dorn, Maria Condit, Mercy Wheaton, Mary Condit, Jane Ogden and Andrew Herrons and wife. The facts leading to the organ- ization of this church were something as follows : After holding a meeting in June, 1835, with refer- ence to the formation of a society, Messrs. A. P. and J. S. Condit were sent to Alexandria to con- fer with the minister of that place, but receiving no encouragement from him, they next visited the Presbyterian Church in Genoa Township. From Mr. Ransom, the Pastor of that church, they re- ceived but little more encouragement than at Alex- andria. He prevailed on them, however, to unite with the Genoa Church. In the September follow- ing these visits, a gloom was cast over the com- munity by the death of J. S. Condit. Mr. Ran- som being called upon to preach his funeral ser-

mon, took occasion to refer to the visit of Mr. Condit and the object of his mission to him some time before. He said upon further reflection, he had come to the conclusion that he had done wrong in discouraging their project, and believed the time had come for them to organize a church in their neighborhood. Accordingly, a meeting was called at the Ogden Schoolhouse to consider the propriety of at once organizing a society. At that meeting, A. P. Condit was appointed to present the matter to the presbytery, which body decided in favor of the movement, and Rey. Mr. Ransom was directed to establish a church. He was the first Pastor and preached to them for one year, for which he received the sum of $18.50, all that could be raised by the members. The second preacher was Rev. Mr. Allen for one year; the third, Rev. Ezra G. Johnson ; the fourth, Rev. Ahab Jenks. "But," adds our informant, "hc being a farmer, and Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, only a part of his time could be given to the church."

At a meeting held February 21, 1837, the prac- ticability of building a church edifice was discussed, and finally a resolution was passed to proceed at once with the undertaking. Soon after, their first building was put up, which served them as temple of worship until 1855. The following is a tran- script of the proceedings of a meeting held Feb- ruary 5, of this year : " At a meeting of the mem- bers of the First Presbyterian Church, of Trenton Township, Delaware County, a motion was adopted that a committee be appointed to circulate a sub- scription paper for the purpose of building a new meeting-house, and if a sufficient amount for the purpose is secured, they are authorized to act as a building committee, and to select a site and build the house." A. P. Condit, John E. Ketcham and E. M. Condit were appointed the committee, and the further duty imposed upon them of sell- ing the old church building. This they accom- plished April 1, 1875, selling- it for the sum of $100, to the United Brethren Church, for a house of worship. Mr. Miles and Mr. Skinner gave their obligations for the payment of the amount, and also agreed to either move the house or secure the lot upon which it stood for the benefit of their society.

The new building of the Presbyterians cost $1,000 and was dedicated by Revs. Warren Jenkins and John W. Thompson. This served the congrega- tion until a few years ago, when a new church was erected at a cost of $3,000, and was dedicated May 25, 1879, by Rev. Nathan S. Smith, of Del-

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593

aware, assisted by Rev. Carson, of Westerville. This church is in a flourishing condition, and has exercised a wide-spread influence in the entire community.

The Methodist Episcopal Church dates back al- most to the organization of the Presbyterian Church. Sometime between 1835 and 1840, a society of this denomination was formed in a schoolhouse, em- bracing in its original membership many of the early settlers of the township. The first minister who preached to the congregation in the little school- house was Rev. Curtis Godhard. Another of the pioneer preachers of this society was Rev. Mr. McDowell. The present church was built in 1855, and was dedicated by Rev. Samuel Lynch. The ministers who have officiated since that time are as follows, viz., Revs. John Mitchell, William Morrow and Alexander Blamfield. The church cost originally about $700. The present Pastor

is Rev. D. R. Moore. A Sunday school is main- tained most of the time. This church has been productive of much good in the neighborhood, and many souls, through its influence, have been brought home to Christ.

The Old School Presbyterians organized a society and built a church in this township, but did not exist any great length of time. In 1850, they built their church, but, after awhile, became lukewarm and sold out to the Methodists. This society moved over into Porter Township, and established what is known there as the Mount Pleas- ant Methodist Episcopal Church. It is more fully noticed, however, in the history of that township.

The United Brethren, we believe, have an organized society in the township, and a church building, but of it we failed to learn any particu- lars, and must pass it with this limited notice.

CHAPTER XXIX .*

HARLEM TOWNSHIP-TOPOGRAPHICAL-MILITARY LANDS-SETTLEMENT-A DESPERATE CHAR- ACTER-CHURCHES-A MURDER-PIONEER IMPROVEMENTS-SCHOOLS-VILLAGES.

"Happy is that nation whose annals are not tire- some."-Montesquieu.

T THIS township was organized in September, 1810, from territory that at that time be- longed to Sunbury Township. The name of " Harlem" is the name of an opulent city in the Netherlands, in Europe, of great antiquity, and from its vicinity there was, in the latter part of the seventeenth century, a great flow of emigra- tion to America. These immigrants established the first colony on the island of Manhattan, and gradually took possession of the Hudson and Mo- hawk Rivers, in the Empire State. This name is applied to a locality in the suburbs of the city of New York called the " Harlem Heights." Since the white population took possession of this township, Har- lem furnishes but little material for the historian. The major part of the history of all nations, both in the Old and the New Worlds, seems to be made up of recitals of wars and commotions, earthquakes and inundations, floods and fires. These calamities Harlem Township has escaped. Indeed, most happy is that nation, or that coun- *Contributed by Hon. J. R. Hubbell.

try, whose annals are brief. A prosperous and contented people pass peacefully along the seques- tered vale of life, but little observed. The first families, who commenced in the wilderness ncarly three-quarters of a century ago, and about whom more in detail will be written further along in this chapter, were noted for their industry, intelligence and morality, and they brought with them from their old homes habits of sobriety, and were a God-fearing people, deeply impressed with the convictions that to be good citizens, they must respect law and order. Their lives were so regu- lar and orderly, they furnish but little to condemn, but much to approve.

Of the four principal tributarios to the main trunk of the Scioto River, running north and south, through Delaware County, not one touches this township. The Big Walnut Creek runs west of the west line a distance of from one-half to one mile, through Genoa Township. Nevertheless, for most purposes, this township is well watered. Large runs and brooks, supplied by springs and spring runs, flow from the east line of the town- ship, in a southwesterly direction, to Big Walnut

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Creek. The first of these, to be noted in geo- graphical order, is the Spruce Run, with its north and south branches. The north branch heads not far from the northwest corner of the township, and runs west, bearing slightly to the south, a dis- tance of about four miles, to its confluence with the south branch, in Genoa Township, about one- half mile from the township line. The south branch heads farther south, near the east line of the township, and runs meanderingly through the township, until it intersects the north branch, at the point already named. These streams are well sup- plied with springs that flow the year round, from never-failing fountains. A few rods distant from the north line and about one mile and a half from the northwest corner of the township, is located a sulphur spring, on a farm that was formerly owned by Mr. Nathan Dustin, and is known, or has been known, as the "Dustin farm." It is now owned by Mr. John Edwards. The character and quality of the water of this spring have been tested by competent chemists, and it is said to be strongly impregnated with sulphur and magnesia, and other minerals, and is very similar in quality to the water of the White Sulphur Springs on the Scioto River, and the sul- phur springs at Delaware. The water from this spring flows to the north branch of the Spruce Run. The name " Spruce," is applied to this stream for the reason that its banks are skirted with spruce timber, and are quite noted for their picturesque scenery. Farther south is Spring Run, which flows in a westerly direction, and emp- ties into the the Big Walnut Creek. By far the largest and most important stream in this township is Duncan Run. It has various tributaries and two important branches, both of which rise near the east line of the township, but in Licking County. It traverses a distance, with its meanders, of about seven miles, and passes out of the town- ship about one-half mile from the southwest cor- ner, and empties into the Big Walnut Creek. This stream is well fed with springs and spring runs. The name it bears is taken from the origi- nal proprietor of Section 3 in this township, through which it runs. Rattlesnake Run, which heads in Licking County, runs in a northwesterly direction, through the extreme northeastern part of Harlem.

The land in this township is almost uniformly level. Near the mouth of the Duncan Run and the mouth of the Spruce, there is some rolling land ; but of the eighteen townships of Delaware County this in the character of the soil is the most

uniform. The soil is a deep black loam, and very productive, and the general yield of all the pro- ductions, cereal and vegetable, in this township, is much above the average, compared with other townships in the county. There is no waste land in the township, and scarcely an acre in it that is not tillable. The timber in its native forest was very luxuriant and heavy, and a uniform sameness over the township. Upon the high and rolling land there is some white oak, ash, sugar maple, hickory and beech, but the level and most part is, or was, covered with the burr oak, white elm and black ash. While the land in this township is tillable and produces wheat, corn, oats, rye and barley, the corn crop seems to be the most profit- able, and the soil best'adapted to its production. The land is well adapted to grazing and stock- growing. All the grasses grown in this latitude do well, especially clover, timothy and red-top. The farms are owned in large tracts and the owners have large flocks and herds of sheep and cattle, but hogs, as well as sheep and cattle, are bred and fattened for the foreign market, with profit to the farmer. The largest landholder in the township is C. B. Paul, Esq., who owns about twelve hun- dred acres in a body. Mr. John Edmonds owns about nine hundred acres, and John Cook, Esq., owns about six hundred acres. These large land- holders are extensively engaged in stock-raising. Almost the entire population of the township is engaged in the occupation of farming. There is no manufacturing to speak of. There are no mines, no canals, navigable streams or railroads, nor towns of much size. Along and near the lower part of Duncan Run there are extensive stone quarries. The stone these quarries produce is the Waverly stone of the very first quality, and these quarries are inexhaustible, but they, are so remote from the large towns and cities, and there being no railroad transportation at present they are not valuable to their owners. By reference to the map of Ohio, the reader will perceive that this township is situated very near the geographical center of the State. It is also situated near the center of population of the State. This township contains even sixteen thousand acres of land, and is known and designated upon the map of the United States military lands as Township No. 3, and Range 16. It is bounded as follows: On the north by Trenton Township, on the east by Lick- ing County, on the south by Franklin County, and on the west by Genoa Township. These lands being situated in the United States military

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. 595

district, the reader is supposed to understand their origin. They were set apart by act of Congress to satisfy warrants issued by the Government for military service. One incident may be of local interest with reference to the second section in this township, being the northwest quarter. Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Greene, of Revolutionary fame, and the most skillful and popular general in that eventful period of our history, next to Washing- ton, was a native of New England, where he re- sided until the close of the war. He then, with his family, emigrated and settled in the State of Georgia on the Savannah, where he died in the year 1786. The heirs of this renowned general and soldier became the owners of one thousand acres of land in this section. The parties in interest were so remote, the land was neglected and sold for taxes, but about thirty years ago the sur- viving heirs conveyed their interest to different parties, among others to the Hon. T. W. Powell, of Delaware. Mr. Powell's title was contested by other parties in the Common Pleas and Supreme Courts, but, after a protracted litigation, Mr. Powell's title was comfirmed by the decree of the court, and it is, on this part of this section the sul- phur spring, already described, is located. It may be gratifying to the vanity of some of the landed proprietors of Harlem to know they derive their titles from so distinguished a personage.

With reference to the early settlers in this town- ship, there seems to be more certainty than almost any township in the county. So far as there is any history to be obtained, either from public or pri- vate "records, as well as from tradition, it concurs with reference to the name of the first pioneer, also to the date of the first permanent settler in Harlem. A man by the name of Duncan purchased in the year 1803, from the patentee, Section 3, but fail- ing to make payment of the purchase money in the year 1807, the Sheriff of Franklin County sold, at public auction, the entire 4,000 acres, at the door of the court house, in Franklinton, to Benjamin Cook, Esq., for 42 cents per acre. An amusing incident, illustrating the shrewdness and caution of this early pioneer, is quite appropriate in this connection. Among the New England families, who emigrated to Ohio in 1805-06, was Mr. Cook. In 1805, he, with family, moved to Granville, from the State of Connecticut, and while living there, he ascertained that this tract of land was to be sold to the highest bidder by the Sheriff. He immediately prepared himself with the necessary amount of funds, as he sup-

posed, to make the purchase. The terms of sale were cash in hand. He was compelled to keep this money upon his person, to be ready to make the purchase, in case he became the lucky bidder ; and then again, he was to go among strangers and he was liable to be robbed. He dressed himself, for his own protection, in old clothes covered with patches and rags, permitted his beard to grow long, and put on a dirtier shirt than usual; in short, he presented a picture of wretchedness and prov- erty. Beneath his rags and patches he con- cealed his treasure. No one suspected that he had any money or was any other than a beggar, and when he commenced to bid, the rival bidders ceased their competition. They supposed his bidding was a farce, and that he could not pay for the land if it were struck off to him. In this shrewd transaction, he illustrated the true Yankee character, to the amusement of those he had outwitted. He paid the Sheriff the purchase money and obtained his deed, and im- mediately, by way of Berkshire, moved on to, his new purchase. Of this tract he retained 500 acres, and the residue he conveyed to Col. Moses Byxbe. He was the first settler in this town- ship, and when he moved upon his claim, there was not even a cabin upon it, and his family, until one could be built, were compelled to occupy an In- dian shanty. This was in the year 1807, and Mr. Cook, for all time, will be honored and his memory revered as the founder of another white colony in the wilderness of America. This pioneer was born in the State of "steady habits," and, as we have already stated, he died in the year 1839. The family was of good stock, and his ancestors emigrated from England to America soon after the Pilgrims on the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock.

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History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 101

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 818

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 818