History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 102

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

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Mr. Cook was the first Justice of the Peace of the township, and held other official positions with honor and credit. Calvin Tracy Cook was the first white child born in this township. He was born in the year 1808, and died in the year 1831. The oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Cook was Benajah S. Cook, born in Connecticut in the year 1794, and was brought by his father to Har- lem, where he married, and settled on a large farm near his father's old homestead. As a hunter, he was pronounced the modern Nimrod. Desire Cook died in Connecticut. Celina Cook died near Columbus. Miss Cassandra Cook married Mr. Converse, and died in the year 1873. The Hon. George W. Converse, now (1880) a Representative

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in Congress from the capital district in Ohio, is their son. Previous to his election to Con- gress, he served several terms in the State Legis- lature, and served one term as Speaker of the House of Representatives. James Barton Cook died in 1827. Lucy Cook is still living. John Cook, the only surviving male member of this family, now owns and lives on the old homestead farm of the family. He owns a large and well-im- proved farm, is an unobtrusive gentleman of good judgment, and for his many amiable qualities is highly respected by his neighbors.

In order of time, the next settler in this town- ship was Stephen Thompson, who settled as a squatter, in the year 1808, on land now owned by Mr. Adams. He was a native of Ireland, and brought by his parents to this country when quite young, before the American Revolution. The family settled in the State of Pennsylvania. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and was a drum-major. About forty years ago, he was found dead, under circumstances painfully distressing to his family and friends. He retained the habits of a soldier, but was regarded by his neighbors as a peaceable and harmless man. He was unfortunate in his family, and had a son who gave him in his lifetime great trouble, and at his death was charged with being guilty of his mur- der. The name of the son was Jonathan, and the grand jury of the county immediately upon his father's death (so suspicious were the circum- stances) found an indictment against him, charg- ing him with murder in the first degree. Upon this indictment he was put upon trial. His coun- sel made a vigorous defense. In addition to the plea of " not guilty," the defense of insanity was made. The witnesses were divided in their opin- ions, and the jury gave the prisoner the benefit of the doubt, which the law in its mercy gives every criminal, and he was acquitted. Soon after his acquittal, he was again arrested, to- gether with a notorious character by the name of Sam Black, on a charge of committing an assault upon Col. Budd, with intent to kill. Upon this charge he was indicted by the grand jury, tried, found guilty, and sent to the penitentiary for three years. He served out the term of his sentence, and was discharged. In 1846, he was again ar- rested, on the complaint of his brother, Stephen Thompson, upon a charge of committing an as- sault and battery on him, with intent to kill. Upon this charge he was again indicted by the grand jury, and put upon trial. He pleaded to

this indictment " not guilty," aud his counsel made the further defense of insanity. He had now acquired such a notorious reputation as a desperate and dangerous character that he had be- come a terror in the entire community where he lived. He was never married, and had his home, when out of prison, with an imbecile sister living in Harlem. The family connections and neigh- bors feared him as they would a wild tiger un- caged. His counsel made the best defense that could be made for him. The weight of evidence, undoubtedly, was that he was insane, and on his first trial the jury disagreed. Upon the second trial, the same defense was made, but such were the fears and prejudices of the jurors and wit- nesses that he was again found guilty, and sen- tenced to three years' imprisonment in the peni- tentiary. After serving out the full term of his sentence, and receiving his discharge, he was al- most immediately arrested upon a charge of out- raging his imbecile sister, with whom he lived. He was ably defended by Judge Powell and other counsel, but the defense made for him upon the charge of committing this unnatural and two- fold crime proved unavailing, and he was again found guilty, and again, and for the third time, sent to the penitentiary, where, in a few years, the troubled spirit of this most unfortunate man was permitted to return to that God who sent it into this world upon its sad and dreary pilgrimage. The author of this chapter, then a very young lawyer, was as- signed by the court to defend him when charged with the assault upon his brother. Profoundly impressed with the weight of his responsibility, he frequently conversed with him in his cell, and became satisfied that Jonathan Thompson was an insane man, and should be sent to the asylum in- stead of the penitentiary. His voice in its in- tonations was as innocent as a child's, and seeming- ly he was as meek as Moses-" as mild a mannered man as ever cut a throat or scuttled a ship." The brother, Stephen, Jr., is still living, and is a quiet and peaceable citizen.

About this time, a number of families immi- grated to Delaware County from the same part of the State of Pennsylvania-the Wyoming Val- ley. The Rev. Daniel Bennett, with his family, settled in Harlem, in the year 1809, on a farm near the center of the township. He was a local preacher, and lived au exemplary Christian life, and died about twenty-five years ago, upon the farm he had helped to clear up more than forty years before. His wife was a Miss Adams, the

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

sister of Squire Elijah Adams and Mr. John Adams. His oldest daughter married B. Rob- erts, a farmer, who settled in Harlem, at the "Center," forty years ago. He and his amiable wife are now both deceased. Their oldest daughter was the wife of C. B. Paul, Esq., now the Presi- dent of the First National Bank of Delaware, the largest landholder in the county, except one, and the largest landholder in Harlem Township. Mr. Paul has filled several township and county offices with both credit to himself and satisfaction to the public. Before the rebellion, he filled the office of County Commissioner, and the first year of the war, he was elected by a very large major- ity to the office of County Treasurer, which office he held by re-election for a term of four years. Mrs. Paul, of the third generation of Father Ben- nett's family in Harlem Township, died many years ago. Her husband has shown a tender regard for her memory by refusing further matrimonial alliance. Another daughter of Mr. Bennett mar- ried Jacob R. Fetters, a farmer in Harlem. He had two sons, Daniel, Jr., and the Rev. Russell B. Bennett, a Chaplain in the Union army in the late war. The family connection by marriage and otherwise was very extensive, and this wide circle of kindred and friends was greatly blessed by the Christian example and precept of this aged patriarch.

Elijah Adams and his brother John came to Harlem in the year 1809. John purchased of Stephen Thompson his cabin, situated on the west of the farm on which Mr. Bennett settled, where he resided until his death, which occurred more than thirty years ago. His wife was Miss Desire Cook, the daughter of Benajah Cook, Esq .; she died a few years ago at a great age. They raised a large family. Mr. Adams was a very industri- ous and worthy man, highly respected by neigh- bors and friends. His oldest son, Abraham Adams, Esq., was a lawyer by profession, resided in Columbus, but soon after he was admitted to the bar, he died of pulmonary disease, leaving a young wife, who still remains his widow. Another son, Elijah B. Adams, was a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University, just previous to the war, and on the breaking-out of the rebellion, he entered the army as a private, but soon rose, by his brave and gallant conduct, to the rank and title of Cap- tain. Early in the rebellion he was severely wounded and crippled for life by a fierce encounter with a rebel officer. All his fingers on his right hand were cut off by a saber, which compelled

him to leave active service and enter the invalid corps, where he remained until after the war. He was a brave soldier and a good officer. In 1872, he was nominated by the Republican party for the office of County Recorder, and elected by over 400 majority, and re-elected in 1875. As in the military ro in the civil service, he made a good officer. After he retired from the office in the spring of 1879, he removed to Columbus, where he is engaged in business. A brother of Capt. Adams, John Adams, was a Justice of the Peace in his native township, but he has recently removed with his family to Colorado. Silas Adams, a son of his, is still living in Harlem on the old Thompson farm, and is a prosperous farmer. The elder Adams remained but a few months in Har- lem, and moved into Radnor Township, where he improved a large farm, and resided on it for more than forty years. Like his brother and brother-in-law, Mr. Bennett, Squire Adams was an exemplary Christian and a good citizen. His wife was a Miss Cary and sister of Mrs. Waters, wife of N. B. Waters, who was one of the first settlers of Harlem. William Fancher, with his wife and a large family of sons and daughters, emigrated from Luzerne County, Penn., to Har- lem in the year 1810, and purchased a tract of about 1,000 acres of land in the south part of the township. He was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, but the particulars of his service are not known. He died over forty years ago. His wife survived her husband many years. Mr. Fan- cher and his sons cleared up a large farm. They were all industrious people. A number of the sons of Mr. Fancher served in the war of 1812. They were all patriotic and brave, and served their country faithfully, and all were permitted to re- turn at the close safe and sound. This family were so conspicuous and performed so important a part in the early settlement, that we regret that our limited facts compel us to be so brief.

In the same year, and it is believed at the same time, from the same part of the State of Penn- sylvania, Mr. N. B. Waters, with his family, moved into the township, lived here for several years and then removed to Fairfield County, where he lived for about eighteen years. He then returned to Delaware County, and settled in the upper part of Radnor Township, where he lived until his death, which occurred in the year 1858. His wife was a Miss Cary, and was the sister of the wife of Squire Elijah Adams. His son, Benjamin C. Waters, was born in Fairfield County, but when quite a

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young man he removed to Harlem, married the daughter of his father's old friend, Col. William Budd, about the year 1846. By trade he was a blacksmith, and for several years he followed the business in the village of Harlem, but he was an intelligent young man and was soon elected a Just- ice of the Peace. In 1860, he was elected Sheriff of the county, and in 1862 re-elected, and served in this office a period of four years. In the latter part of the war, he was Assistant Provost Mar- shal for the county, and for several years United States mail agent on the route from Cincinnati to Cleveland. In 1869, Mr. Waters was elected Probate Judge of Delaware County, and re-elected in 1872. Though not bred to the profession of the law, he had much legal learning, and his native good sense and judgment enabled him to discharge satisfactorily the responsible judicial duties of his office. Judge Waters, in all his official positions, had the reputation of being incorruptible and honest. He is now in poor health and living in retirement.

Among the early and most numerous of the pioneer families, is that of John Budd, who emigrated from the Wyoming Valley in the year 1810, and settled upon a large tract of sev- eral hundred acres, situated in the west part of the township, on Duncan Run. This family by mar- riage was connected with all the early families of this township. When Mr. Budd came to Ohio, he was considerably advanced in years, and all his sons were were young men grown. Their names were Benja- min, Eli, John and William. We may not give their names in chronological order of their births. Benja- min Budd settled east of his father, cleared up a farm, but in a few years afterward he sold his farm and moved to Indiana with his family and died there. His brother, Eli, settled on a farm further east, cleared it up, and about the same time sold out and emigrated to Indiana where he died. The elder Mr. Budd died on the old homestead, he helped to improve in the early days of the county, and his son William, by purchase and inheritance, became the owner of the old homestead property. His son John, or Dr. John Budd, the cognomen by which he was known, purchased from his father for $250, 100 acres of land, situated north of the village of Buddtown, as it is called, where he set- tled and lived until his death, which occurred in 1872. Soon after his father settled in Harlem he married Miss Mary Adams, the sister of Elijah and John Adams. The fruit of this union was several children, some of whom are now living in

the vicinity of Harlem. He was by profession a physician of the botanical school, and had never enjoyed the advantages of a collegiate education, but had practical common sense and never under- took to do in his profession a thing beyond his skill. He was amiable and kind hearted, and a good citizen, and at his death was eighty-seven years of age. His wife died some years before him. William, who will be remembered by those who knew him as Col. Budd, was something of a character. He had dash and enterprise, owned and run a mill, kept store, carried on farming on a large scale, dealt in stock, and had a taste for military and political life. He was Colonel of a regiment in the peace establishment, and had a great taste for litigation. He sometimes engaged in legal practice in the Justice Courts. His wife was Miss Adams, a sister of Elijah Adams and Mrs. Ben- nett. They raised a large family of sons and daugh- ers, and both died many years ago. He left a large estate. Upon his death, his oldest son, James Budd, became the owner of the " Old Budd Home- stead," as it was called, consisting of several hun- dred acres, to which he made additions by purchase until he became the largest landholder in the township, and one of the largest in the county. James Budd was very much a "chip of the old block." Like his father, generous and kind- hearted. For many years he was extensively en- gaged in the stock trade, and at the close of the war met with heavy pecuniary losses, sold his farm and moved West. The oldest daughter married Maj. Jesse C. Tull about forty-five years ago. He was a native of the State of New York, and, when a young man, came to Ohio and was em- ployed as a school teacher in Harlem. After his marriage to Miss Budd, he was an active business man in Harlem, dividing his time in agricultural and mercantile pursuits. He is now, and for many years past has been, engaged in the hotel business in Columbus. Another daughter, as has already been seen, is the wife of Judge B. C. Waters. There are still living in Harlem a num- ber of the descendants of this family.

Benjamin M. Fairchild immigrated to Harlem either in 1808 or 1809, the exact date is not known. He came from Bennington, Vt. For many years after he came to Harlem, he was em- ployed by Benajah Cook, to work on the farm and at other kinds of work. He was a millwright and mechanic by occupation, but possessed a ver- satility of genius that enabled him to take up and lay down at will, almost any trade he chose. When

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he came to Harlem he was unmarried, and lived for several years in the life of single blessedness in Har- lem, but being a Christian in his religious faith, he yielded to the Divine sentiment, "It is not good for man to be alone," and, about the commence- ment of the war of 1812, he married a wife, and sent for his brother, Shuman, who was married and had a family, and was living in Vermont, to join him with his family in Harlem. He had already, by his industry and savings, laid up money enough to purchase a farm from Mr. Cook, of about 150 acres. Mr. Fairchild was a very industrious and worthy citizen. He built several grist and saw mills, and opened up several stone quarries. He gave gratuitously the stone for the Central College. These quarries he bought from Col. Moses Byxbe, and were located on Duncan Run. He died in 1878, at an advanced age. His brother moved into the township in 1812, to Harlem, and lived on a farm south of his brother's farm and adjoining. He was liberal and charitable to the poor. He died without heirs, and left his estate to his wife and his brother's family, ex- cept $1,500, which he donated to the church.

One of the earliest and best examples of a pio- neer and backwoodsman is Mr. George Fix, who settled in Harlem Township over sixty years ago, on a farm of 100 acres, located near the southeast corner of the township. He raised a large fam- ily of sons and daughters, all of whom live un- married with the old people on the old homestead, and in their habits and manner of life are, for all practical purposes, hermits. The old gentleman, at the age of eighty-five, is stout and active. By

nature a stalwart, with a large and muscular frame in his younger days, he was capable of great phy- sical endurance. He is an honest, inoffensive man. His sons and daughters, in the character of their persons and habits, resemble their father in his eccentricities. Conrad Wickizer, a native of Berks County, Penn., settled in the southeast part of the township about the year 1812. He improved a farm and raised a large family ; many of them and their descendants are still living in Harlem, and the eastern part of the county. George Wickizer was well educated, and held several township offices. He was an honest and upright man. Mr. Wickizer died of cholera, which it was supposed he took from exposure. During the cholera sea- son in Columbus near thirty years ago, his son, who was living in Columbus, was attacked by this malignant disease and died ; the father conveyed the remains to Harlem for burial, and was soon

afterward attacked by the disease, and in a few hours died. There are quite a number of the fam- ily connection still living in Harlem. One of the early families in this township was the Mann family-Thomas Mann, Eleazer Mann, Abijah Mann and Gorden Mann. They intermarried with the early families and have left a large and numerous posterity, now much scattered. Some are still living in Delaware and some in Franklin County, and many have moved West. Daniel Hunt, Esq., a native of Washington County, Penn., im- migrated to Harlem, and settled upon a farm of 200 acres, about one mile east of Harlem Center. He cleared up his farm, and was an industrious man and very prosperous in his worldly affairs, but bail debts he was compelled to pay, and other misfor- tunes, very much embarrassed him financially, and, now over seventy years of age, the fruits of hard labor in his younger days have been taken from him to pay the debts of other people. He came to Harlem about the year 1835. He held the office of Justice of the Peace for several years, is a member of the Disciples' Church, or the Camp- bellite Church, and is an honest man. John Han- over and his family immigrated from Ohio County, W. Va., to Ohio, about fifty years ago, and settled on a farm in the southeast part of the township, where he cleared up his farm and raised a large family. He died about twenty years ago upon the homestead he helped to clear up and improve. It is now owned and occupied by his son, Mr. Ly- man Hanover, who is an Elder in the Baptist Church.

Between fifty and sixty years ago, Elam Blain, Esq., immigrated from Pennsylvania and settled on a new farm on Spruce Run. He was an intelligent but unassuming man, and reared a large family of children. For fifteen years, he was a Justice of the Peace of Harlem Township, and held other offi- cial positions. On a farm adjoining the farm of 'Squire Blain, on Spruce Run, a man by the name of John Miller settled, about sixty years ago. He was a hard-working man, honest, and was one of the pioneers who cleared up the township of Har- lem, and encountered the trials and hardships of life in a new country. He died ou the farm on which he had lived, only a few days before this history was written (March, 1880). He was, at his death, over eighty years of age, and left a large family of children and . grandchildren. About the same time that Mr. Hunt settled, his brother-in-law, Jonathan Bateson, a native of Washington County, Penn., settled on a farm of

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200 acres, on the north of Squire Hunt's farm. He cleared up a large farm, and was a very indus- trious man. He was for several years a Justice of the Peace, and was always highly respected. He and Squire Hunt married two sisters; their maiden name was McClelland. Nathan Paul settled upon a farm of about 400 acres, about one-half mile east of Harlem Centre, in the ycar 1839. He was an enterprising and intelligent mao, and, in a worldly point of view, was a thrifty man. His wife was a Miss Bell, who is still living. He died in the year 1850, at the age of forty-one years, leaving a large estate, and two sons and a daughter.

Among the prominent and leading farmers of this township, thirty years ago, were George Gard- inghout, Thomas Goosuch, Joseph Goosuch, David Goosuch, John Goosuch, and others. But the scope and purpose of this work is to write the history of the township and sketch the early pio- neers, and incidents connected with their descend- ants.

Late in the autumn of the year 1871, the quiet and peaceable community of Harlem was startled by the announcement that one of the most active business men of the township had been cruelly and wickedly murdered. Mr. Charles F. Garner, for many years a resident of Harlem, a, successful farmer and stock-dealer, by occupation had been for several years engaged in the business of purchasing, for the butchers and the Columbus meat market, fat cattle and hogs. On the 28th of November, he drove to Columbus a lot of fat cat- tle. After making sale and receiving his pay, amounting to several hundred dollars, he started, late in the evening, for his home in Harlem, with his money in his possession. On his departure from the city, and without his knowledge, a young man named Barclay, who had previously made his home with Mr. Garner, and had been in his employ, concealed himself in the rear part of his wagon. On reaching the covered bridge crossing Alum Creek, about four miles from Columbus, on the road from the city to his home in Harlem, Barclay struck him over the head with a club and broke in his skull. The blow, though not produc- ing instant death, so stunned him that he became unconscious. Barclay, supposing he was dcad, after robbing him of his money, left him in his buggy in the bridge, and made his escape. Garner soon rallied from his unconsciousness sufficiently to drive his team to a neighboring farmhouse, where he stopped and remained until his death, which occurred on the 3d of December, following.

The evidence of Barclay's guilt was only cir- cumstantial. He was arrested, near Summer- ford, Madison County, and was immediately in- dicted by the grand jury of Franklin County, for murder in the first degree, tried, found guilty and hanged. Whether the murder was committed for " hire and salary, and not revenge," or both, is known only to that tribunal before which all are to be tried, and that will commit no mistakes. Before his execution, the wretch made a full confession of his guilt, and then suffered the righteous punish- ment prescribed by that ancient law, " that whoso- ever sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed."

The first church or meeting-house built in this township was by the Methodists, in the year 1812, on the farm of Benajah Cook, Esq. It was a plain log house, small in size, and the first minister who officiated in it was the Rev. Daniel Bennett. For many years, there was regular preaching on " week days," once a month, and at first it belonged to the Columbus circuit, but afterward was attached to the Worthington circuit. The congregation wor- shiped in this log house until 1838, when a new church was built upon the present site, about one mile north of Harlem. It is a large and commo- dions brick structure. The dedication sermon was preached by the Rev. Uriah Heath, of Wor- thington. At Centerville, the Methodists have a church, an offshoot of the Harlem Church, which was built about the year 1845. At first the con- gregation worshiped in a schoolhouse just east of the village, and the Campbellites also worshiped in the schoolhouse on, alternate Sundays, and, on account of the difficulties that would sometimes occur between the respective congregations, it was called, in derision, " Confusion Schoolhouse." The present structure was built about 1855, at a cost of $1,600. The bell cost $372. This church was also dedicated by the Rev. Uriah Heath. The present minister is the Rev. Ralph Watson. The Disciples, or Campbellites, organized a church in this township, in the year 1840, at the residence of Jonathan Bateson. The first organization consisted of nine members, as follows, viz .: James Oglesbee and wife, Jonathan Bateson and wife, James Beauseman and wife, C. D. Clark and Daniel Hunt and wife. The present church edifice is located about one mile east of Centerville, and cost $1,500. In the year 1861, the Old School Predestinarian Baptists organized a church, and built the church edifice in 1868, the money to build the same having been donated by Mrs.

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History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 102

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