History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 85

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 85

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The Mill Creek Settlement, as it is called, was made on Mill Creek. One of the first settlers in this locality was Seburn Hinton, who bought 1,000 acres of land here and settled upon it at a very early date. Col. Hinton, who received his military title, we believe, in the peace establishment, like many of the pioneers, had experienced few oppor- tunities for obtaining an education, and was rather illiterate, but possessed excellent business qualities. He built a saw and grist mill on the creek, the first in the township, and did a large business in lumber ; also in rafting logs and lumber to Colum- bus, and even down the Scioto to the Ohio River. He kept a store at his mill, which was another of the pioneer institutions of the township. Just the date of the building of the old Hinton mill is not known, but in 1838 it was somewhat enlarged, and a few years later, on account of the increase of business, new machinery was put in it. However, it still contains one buhr-stone, which was put in it by Col. Hinton, and to this day it is moved and shifted in the old-fashioned way-by a crane. Col. Hinton knew nothing of figures, and used to keep account by means of characters that he him- self originated ; each character standing for a cer- tain sum of money. Although he did a large business, and, in its various branches, employed many hands, it is traditional of him that he was never known to make a mistake. In 1838, he sold out to Jabez Coles, and removed to Goshen, Ind., where he died some years ago at a ripe old age. Coles, who bought him out, continued the business as Hinton had begun it. He came from New York, but was originally from Connecticut. He married in New York, and his widow is still living in the western part of Delaware Township. She is eighty-seven years of age, and still persists in doing her own washing, regardless of the ex- postulations of her relatives, and, only a year ago, she spun a large day's work of wool, illustrating in a striking manner the energy of the pioneer ladies. After Coles had operated the mill for a few years, it became the property of Mr. Decker, who finally sold, it to Cruikshank. Several other changes were made in the proprietorship, when Dr. Blymyer

bought it. He made considerable improvements in it. Soon after it passed into the hands of Dr. Morrison, of Delaware, who still owns it.

Another of the early settlers in Mill Creek was William Smart, who came from Pennsylvania. He cleared and opened up a fine farm in this neighbor- hood, where he finally died, and was buried in the Mill Creek graveyard. Many of his relatives still live in this locality. Presley Said, another old settler, came from Bath County, Ky., in 1821. His son, Abner, is now Postmaster at Ostrander, but the old gentleman himself moved to Illinois some years ago. Daniel Robbins and Ran- dall Murphy are also old settlers in this section. Robbins came in early and settled a farm upon which he died several years ago. Murphy bought land from Hinton, but at present lives in Delaware.

The water privileges of Mill Creek are excellent. The mills built upon its banks are able to perform their allotted tasks long after those on the Scioto cease operations in the dry season. This fact ren- ders these mills of vast benefit to the surrounding country.

Among the early incidents of this township, we may mention that the first white child born was George Freshwater, who at present resides on Mill Creek. The first marriages were Christopher Freshwater and a sister of George Hill, and Joel Marsh, who married George Hill's daughter. Mr. Hill's mother was the first death. She was eighty years old when he determined to remove to the Western country, and, nothing daunted at the dan- ger of such a trip and the great distance, came . with her son to Ohio. She died in 1821, at the age of ninety years, and was the first burial in the Hill Cemetery-the first laid-out cemetery in the township. At her burial, many Indians were present, and looked on in great wonderment and curiosity at the ceremonies performed in the burial of the Christian dead.

The first road through Concord was the old military road, over which supplies were conveyed to our army at Fort Meigs. An Indian trail led up Mill Creek, and a pack-horse trail through the swamps to Delaware. But no township in the county is better supplied with excellent highways than Concord is at the present day. The first mill, that of Col. Hinton, has already been mentioned. The name of the first Justice of the Peace we were unable to learn. The first bridge in the township was built over Mill Creek, on the line of the old Sandusky Military Road, and was built by the peo- ple of the neighborhood. The first over the Scioto

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

River (in this township) was at the White Sulphur Springs. There was one built over the Scioto at Bellepoint, by Henry and Everet Sherwin. The span being long, however, and considered dangerous, it was taken down. A new bridge was afterward erected in its stead.

Upon the farm of Mr. Courtwright, about one mile below the Girls' Industrial Home, on the west side of the river, is a spot to which is at- tached a romantic legend; upon this spot stands the ruins of the " Haunted House." This ghost- like appellation long since became current among the good people of the township, and the county, for the matter of that. But the nursery stories told of this "haunted habitation " are too absurd for a work of this kind, and we leave them to newspaper reporters who wish to regale their read- ers with something to make their hair stand on end.

The first church building in Concord Township was an old granary, donated for that purpose by James Kooken. Soon after this, A. Depp (col- ored) put up a log-cabin church on his farm, as a place of worship for the colored Baptists. The Bellepoint United Brethren Church was formerly situated in close proximity to the old Oller Ceme- tery, about a mile below Bellepoint, on the east side of the river. The church was originally started by the Ollers, Jacob, Peter and George, and was a frame building. The early records are lost, and hence much of its history cannot be obtained. In 1864, being somewhat torn by internal strife and differences, some of the most prominent mem- bers left and formed a new society called the Christian Union Church. The frame structure, after existing for thirty-five years, was torn down, and the charge transferred to Bellepoint. The present church is a fine brick building, and is the first built at the village. It cost about $2,600, and the fund for its erection was raised by gen- eral subscription. It was dedicated by Bishop Weaver, of the Northern Ohio Conference, in June, 1873, and the first sermon preached in it was by Elder Long, a Christian minister. The names of the different ministers since its removal to the vil- lage are as follows : Revs. John V. Potts, J. C. Beady, D. W. Downey, J. B. Resler, J. H. Cray- ton, C. L. Barlow, C. F. Cinder, J. E. Hill and E. Barnard.

and the first sermon was preached by him. For several years, the society had no meeting-house. They made an effort to buy the old frame church, but owing to the high price they were unable to do so, and for a time their meetings were held in private residences and, when the weather would admit, in the groves, " God's first temples." After great exertions, they at length succeeded in build- ing a comfortable brick edifice, 40x30 feet, at a cost of $1,050. It was erected on the site occu- pied by the United Brethren Church. The follow- ing ministers have officiated since its formation : Revs. R. Gates, W. W. Lacy, George W. Higgins, Jacob Haskins, Levi Ely, Purdy King, William Davis and - Hawermalt.

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- The new Christian Church was formed of dis- satisfied members of the old United Brethren Church. The society was organized the first Sun- 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 day in April, 1864, at the house of Rev. R. Gates, | place of holding camp-meetings, and the scenes of

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

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, $354.46. 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 $6,400.

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 enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That there shall be established, on land conveyed to the State for the purpose, a 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 sball 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 years, 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, tbe Trustee shall give notice of the fact, and shall take charge of the general interests of the institution ; shall see that its affairs are 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 fiue 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 ot 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 Trustees, 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 he managed as before her indenture.

SEC. 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 onc 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, $6,048.67; ordinary repairs, $634.88; library, $257,95; grading at new building, $69 .- 43; new brick family building, $5, 578.64; furnish- ing new building; $1,200; building turnpike, $500; pumps, pipes, boiler, etc., for water supply, $171.37; removing old frame building, $300; · gas works, $2,852.77. 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 once 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.

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History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 85

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