History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 90

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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Joseph Cole, one of the earliest settlers of this township, was originally from New York. From that State he emigrated to Virginia, but the highly colored stories, told by his friends and relatives, of Ohio, determined · him to make that State his home, and in the latter part of 1808 he came hither, reaching the settlement on the Olentangy, near Norton, in December of that year. Soon after his arrival he purchased 640 acres of land in what is now the extreme northeastern part of this township, where his son, Joseph C. Cole, now re- sides, and upon this he immediately proceeded to erect a cabin. All the trials and hardships inci- dent to pioneer life surrounded him here. Often he was forced to leave his wife and family of little ones at their cabin home in the woods, while he made a trip to. Zanesville for the necessaries of life. The nearest grist-mill was at Franklinton, in Franklin County, and hither he journeyed to have his corn ground. He erected the first brick house in Troy Township on the spot his cabin occupied. The brick entering into its construction were burned on his place. Mr. Cole was elected Justice of the Peace in 1815, an office which he held for twenty-one years. In all this time, not a single decision of his was reversed by the higher courts. Often he would pay the constable his fee, and

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settle a case between disputants, without letting it go to trial. He was one of the original founders of the old Marlborough Baptist Church in 1810, and it was at his cabin that the first meetings of that society were held. He died in 1849, and sleeps in the graveyard adjoining the old church, of which he was a prominent member. His wife survived him and died in 1868, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. The only members of his family now living are Margaret, Hugh and Joseph. The latter, the youngest of the family, was born in what is now Troy Township. Mar- garet, the eldest child, was eleven years of age when her father's family came to this locality, and of necessity shared in the hardships that sur- rounded them. She it was who, when her father was away, had to go alone into the woods, and fol- lowing the sound of the tinkling bell, through underbush and swamp, find and drive home the cows. Many times, in company with Sarah Boyd, an adopted daughter of John Duncan and after- wards Mrs. William Sharp, she would go to the barn, put down a floor of wheat, jump on a horse and after treading it out separate the chaff from the grain by means of a sheet. She once made a trip with her mother through the woods to Frank- linton for the purpose of getting a set of dishes, but on arriving there they were unable to find two pieces of the same pattern, and so were compelled to return without them. When the alarming news came that Drake had been defeated and her father slain by the Indians, she bravely took her sister by the hand and, in company with little Hugh and her mother, went to Delaware. On the way, becoming very thirsty, she knelt down and drank water from a horse track. She mar- ried Eleazer Main, a soldier of 1812, and as his widow draws a pension. She still lives in the old brick house built by her husband, and is a silver- haired matron of eighty-two years.

Hugh Cole was a babe when his father came to this township, and the first event he distinctly remembers was, when about five years old he, in company with his two elder sisters, went over to the State road to see Harrison's army pass by. At the time of Drake's defeat, the family, having fled from their homes, were taken into a farmer's wagon, at the town of Delaware. Impelled by curiosity, young Cole drew aside the curtains of the wagon, at the end, and startled the rest by the cry of " Here comes Daddy," and sure enough, with his horse on the gallop, his father did come and soon proclaimed the hoax. For four years,

Hugh carried, on horseback, the mail from Dela- ware to Mansfield, commencing at the age of six- teen. During the service, he experienced some exciting adventures. At that time, the road to Mansfield was nothing but a pack-horse trail, and the trees were so close to it that one could touch them from his horse. Mr. Cole relates that upon one occasion he was riding along, utterly uncon- scious of any danger, when his horse suddenly stop- ped and seemed determined to go back toward Dela- ware. Following the gaze of his horse, he thought he discovered a man's arm protruding from behind a tree. He had heard there were highwaymen in the country, but never having been molested, he had paid but little attention to it. He felt for his pistol, and found to his dismay that he had left it at Delaware. What to do he did not know. His impulse was to take the back track. Turning his head, he saw the shadow of another man on the trail behind him. Seeing that there was but one alternative, and that was to push on, he leaned forward upon his horse as low as possible, and sinking the spurs into the animal, made a dash to pass the tree behind which the man was stationed. Just as he got opposite, the robber sprang forward and seized him by the leg with one hand, and struck at him with a dagger which he held in the other. On account of the rapidity with which the horse was going, the robber miscalculated, and the dag- ger sunk into the saddle, just back of its intended victim. Clinging tightly to his saddle, the mo- mentum of the horse tore him loose from the vice-like grip of the robber. Thus rescued, he reached Mansfield in safety. Shortly after this he married. At present, he is living in Ashley. David Dix, Sr., familiarly known as the "Green Mountain Boy," came from Vermont, and when ten years of age went with his father's family into Wayne County, Penn. His father was a militia man, and was with Washington at the siege of Yorktown. David remained in Pennsyl- vania until he arrived at his majority, and then started for himself. A few years subsequently, having accumulated some money, he came to Ohio, and settled on the Olentangy. in what is now Lib- erty Township, in 1807. He lived for a time when he first came to the county, with an old Quaker by the name of Mordecai Mitchner. Upon his arrival he began prospecting and looking for a suitable location, which he found at last in this township. The land is now occupied and owned by his son David Dix, Jr. In the fall of 1807, he returned to Pennsylvania, married, and in the

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spring of 1808 moved his family out to Liberty Township and into the cabin of the old Quaker. In the fall of 1808, with the assistance of two hired men from the settlement in Liberty Town- ship, he put up a small cabin, on the land he had located, a short distance from the present frame structure of his son. They passed the winter, however, at the Quaker's cabin, and in the spring of 1809 moved to their new home. At this time, their only neighbor was Joseph Cole, and it is said that the first knowledge Cole had of the new

arrival was through the sound of Dix's ax. After getting well settled in his cabin, Dix immediately began clearing, and in the following fall four acres of corn showed that he had not been idle. He was the first clerk of the old Marlborough Bap- tist Church, and held that position for many years. His death took place August 26, 1834, in the fifty-fourth year of his age. He was buried on the farm, not far from the site where his cabin was located. Among the next arrivals we find the Hintons and Duvals. Levi Hinton, a half-brother, and William Hinton, a full brother of Col. Hin- ton's, came from Kentucky and settled near the center of the township. They are both dead and their families are scattered, not one of that name now living in the township. Duval was a relative of the Hintons, and came with them from Ken- tucky. He settled on the farm now occupied by Charles Blymyer. John Duncan came to Troy Township from Virginia, as early as 1810. He was originally from North Carolina, and was a brother-in-law of Joseph Cole. At his death he left no children, and his wife also dying, not a rel- ative survives him. Comfort Olds came to this township at an early date, and followed the river up to the " Forks." The only cabins he passed were those of David Dix and Joseph Cole. Na- than Roath and Pierce Main came as early as 1810. The former settled on land near David Dix. His wife died soon after he came, and was buried in the little cemetery on Dix's farm. This was the first adult death in Troy Township. The latter came from Pennsylvania and settled on land in the northeastern part of the township. He has been dead a number of years, and lies buried in the Marlborough Church graveyard. Joseph Curren came to Ohio from the Old Dominion, and settled in Troy Township about 1812. He bought land from Joseph Cole, and, after building a cabin and clearing a few acres, sold out to James Norris, Sr., in 1814, and buying land in Marlborough Town- township, moved to that locality.

James Norris, Sr., came from Portsmouth, Ohio, to Worthington in 1811, and after having pro- vided his family with a suitable dwelling, he obeyed the call for troops, and joined Harrison's army, which was then on the march north to Fort Meigs. He was with that army when besieged at that place. After the siege was raised, he returned to his family, and in 1814, moved into what is now Troy Township, settling on land now known as the Shultz farm. At this time, William Nor- ris, bis eldest son, was eleven years of age, who still lives in the township, and can look back upon his past life with satisfaction as one of useful- ness and activity. He is popularly known as Judge Norris from having held the position of Associate Judge of the Common Pleas Court for six years from 1842. He was associated on the bench with Judge Swan, who has since gained a high reputation as a writer on law. It was while Judge Norris occupied this position that he, to- gether with Col. Andrews and Col. Lamb, built by contract thirty-one miles of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railroad. Many reminiscences which he relates of pioneer life are interesting. When a new-comer or some neighbor, ofttimes some miles away, wished to erect a cabin, it was customary for the men of the settlement to turn out and lend a help- ing hand, thus making short work of the job. The lack of markets made such food as could be raised by the settlers very cheap, indeed it- was years before there was a home market suf- ficient to create a reasonable demand. The trav- eler was always welcome, and found free and generous entertainment wherever he might stop, · and ever carried with him the good wishes of his host. It was necessary to go as far as Zanes- ville for salt, and to Franklinton to mill, while occasionally trips were made as far north as Lower Sandusky for the purpose of trading. The stock all ran unrestrained in the woods, and the clang of the cow-bell told where they were to be found, perhaps in the clearing, or browsing in the timber. A pig that couldn't outrun a bear had no show for an existence. The miasmatic fevers induced by the noxious gases arising from the decay of the over-abundant vegetation upon the woodlands long hidden from the rays of the sun, were combated by teas made from herbs, to be found in the im- mediate vicinity, and roots from the forest. Phy- sicians were rarely called, and then only in extreme cases. The inability of the settler to pay them when called, tended to disparage their settling in

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

so new a country. They were therefore "few and far between." James Norris, Jr., another son, was a mere child when the family moved into Troy Township. When he had grown to be quite a boy, he assisted Joseph Cole and others, in blazing the road through from Delhi to the old Marlborough Baptist Church. Some years pre- vious to his death, he constructed a small mill which was a novelty in its way. The grinding- stones were made from " nigger heads " found on the banks of the Olentangy, and a team of horses, hitched to a lever which was attached to a center piece of the top stone, was the power that turned the mill. "The meal was a little coarse " says an old pioneer, " but then it was better than nothing." Before leaving the history of the Norris family, it may not be out of place to mention the heroic death of Dr. James Busby Norris, who was a son of" Judge Norris. He, while located at the city of Chattanooga, Tenn., in the practice of his pro- fession, responded to the call for aid made by the yellow-fever stricken city of Vicksburg in 1878, and met his death in that city while battling with that disease. His remains lie interred in the Na- tional Cemetery at Chattanooga, an innovation the Secretary of War acceded to without objection.

Sabeers Main was born in the State of Connec- ticut before the Revolutionary war, and although never a resident of this township, or even of Ohio, yet he was represented with numerous descend- ants here, in the early settlement, and deserves a passing notice by way of introducing this numerons family. He was a little under age when the war for freedom commenced, but determined to enlist, which he did, and was assigned to the army under Gen. Greene. After being with Greene for some time, the regiment he was with was placed under Gen. Putnam. He served in the capacity of a spy, often penetrating the British lines for the purpose of gaining information for his command- ing officer. After the close of the war, he mar- ried Hannah Cole, a native of New York, and moved to Virginia, where he died. He left a widow and several children, all of whom were early settlers in this township. The names of his sons who came to this county are as follows : Timothy, Sabeers, Eleazar, John, Jonas, Thomas and Lyman, the latter being the only one now liv- ing. Eleazar Main was the first of the family that came to Ohio. He was induced to leave his home in Virginia by Joseph Cole, who had re- turned to that State for the purpose of moving his brother-in-law, John Duncan, to this country. It

was in the early part of the year 1813 that he reached the then little village of Delaware, and on learning that Gen. Harrison's army was besieged at Fort Meigs, he enlisted, and accompanied the detachment which went to its relief. . He re- turned and lived for a time with the Cole family, and marrying Margaret, the eldest daughter, soon after moved to the farm where his widow still lives. In 1824, he built a brick house, the sec- ond one of the kind put up in the township. The brick for the same were burnt from clay taken from the bank on the farm of Joseph Cole. For over half a century this old brick house has de- fied wind and weather, but it shows signs of de- cay, and erelong another old landmark will be numbered with the past. Eleazar Main gave freely to the support of the Marlborough Baptist Church, and when he died in 1871 was buried in the graveyard adjoining that church. Sabeers and Timothy Main were the next of the family that came to this settlement. , They arrived Au- gust 10, 1815. The former remained one year at Cole's, afterward removed to the farm now occu- pied by his son Jonas Main, and, putting up a cabin, began to clear the land. He died March 14, 1869. His wife was Sarah Wright, who moved into Virginia from North Carolina, and who died in 1859. Timothy and his family settled on the farm now occupied by Mr. Simpson. His demise took place a number of years ago, and his sons have moved from this locality. Lyman and Thomas Main came to this locality about 1815 or 1816, with their mother and sisters. When they arrived they were compelled to live for a short time in the cabin home of a relative, until they could rear one of their own. Their cabin was put up on the land now occupied by Mrs. Williams. Thomas was quite young when he arrived, and lived with his mother until he attained his majority. He then married Anna Russell, and moved to the farm upon which his son Ezra now resides, and which he had purchased from a man by the name of Wilson. He built a cabin and lived there for some time, and then built a frame house nearly opposite to where his cabin was located. He moved into it, where he died in 1867. Lyman in 1823 was married to Hannah Martin. The cere- mony took place in the cabin of his mother, and was performed by his brother Timothy, who was a Justice of the Peace. At this time, a great deal of sickness prevailed in the neighborhood, and of the guests who attended no less than seven were stricken down with the chills. Immediately

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after his marriage, he left his old home, and cut his way through the woods to the farm he at present. occupies. Here he built himself a cabin. He deserted this in 1835, and moved into a frame house that had been once used as a schoolhouse, and which he had bought, and moved to a short distance above the old log structure. A few years later, this home accidentally caught fire and burned to the ground. His present residence was its im- mediate successor. In his earlier days, he was a a great hunter, and among many other stories the following is related of him : One day, just as the sun was setting, he was attracted by the cry of his favorite hound, and from its tone knew it must be in trouble. Without stopping for his rifle, he hastened toward the spot from which the sound came, and found the dog in the embrace of a huge bear. Not thinking of danger, he grasped his hunting-knife and closed with the bear. Bruin with a stroke of his huge paw knocked the knife out of his hand, which compelled Lyman to seek safety in a rapid retreat to his cabin. Having gained that refuge, he took down his rifle, and the bear, which had now almost reached the door, was shot dead. Jonas Main and John Main seem to have been the last of the family that came to Ohio. Jonas, soon after his arrival, married Polly Cole, and settled near the " Horse Shoe," and has been dead a number of years. John settled just north of where Lyman Main lived, and the brick house now occupied by his son marks the site of his old log cabin. 1

Benjamin Martin, about 1811, emigrated from Virginia, a State which contributed largely to the settlement of this township. The family started in bad weather, in the winter, and at times were compelled to camp for a week, on the bank of a river, before they were able to cross. At one time, they had to sleep in an old still-house, and the baby nearly froze to death. At another time, the horses strayed away, and it was a week before they could be found. These delays postponed their ar- rival at Deer Creek, Ross County, where his uncle resided, until 1812, and, having stopped his wagon for the purpose of taking out his goods and placing them in his uncle's cabin, an officer came along and drafted him into the army. He was immedi- ately assigned to a detachment going to the front and marched with them to Sandusky. His uncle in the mean time placed the family in a small log house that had been used as a barn, and fixing it up made them as comfortable as possible. Mr. Martin remained in the army and in Ross County three

years, and in 1815 came to Troy Township, settling on the farm now occupied by his grandson, Nehe- miah Martin, and near Joseph Cole, who was his neighbor in Virginia. Soon after his arrival, he handed in the following letter to the Marlborough Baptist Church, and was admitted to fellowship and licensed to preach :

" To whom it may concern : Whereas, our beloved brother and sister, Benjamin and his wife Peggy Mar- tin, being about to move out of the bounds of our church, have made application to the church for a lettsr of dismissal, which letter was granted by us; we do therefore recommend them to the orderly members in full union, communion and fellowship with us, and where joined to any church of the same order and faith thsy will be considered as dismissed from us, and may the Lord make you all to be numbered among the jsw- els of Zion's kingdom, is the prayer of your unworthy brethren in Gospel bonds. Done at our church meet- ing for the transaction of business on Saturday October 5, 1816. (Signed ) PETER JACKSON.

After William Brundige had ceased to preach, Mr. Martin took his place, and was the first resi- dent preacher in what is now Troy Township. By his first wife, Margaret Wright, he had fifteen children, and after her death, in 1850, he married Mary Conger, who survives him. James Martin, his eldest son, was born in Virginia and came with his father to the settlement on the " Horse Shoe." In 1823, having married Dorcas; a daughter of Sabeers Main, he moved upon the farm he occupied until his death in 1880. It was at the raising of his barn that David Carter was killed. James Martin early took an active part in the Marl- borough Baptist Church, and has ever evinced the greatest solicitude concerning its prosperity. His remains find their last resting place in its graveyard. Samuel Wells, another old settler, came as early as 1811, and was in the war of 1812. He has been dead for a number of years. Jeremiah Williams came to this section from Vir- ginia, a short time after the Mains reached the settlement. He had been a school teacher for a number of years previous to his coming. Upon his arrival he bought land of Joseph Cole and built a cabin. Mr. Williams was the first man to introduce writing paper into the township. He died about 1819, and was one of the first buried in the Baptist Church graveyard. Henry Cline came in 1815 and bought land just north of David Dix's farm, where he died in 1875. He owned a Jarge tract of land, now the property of his sons. Henry Worline was a neighbor of Cline, and married his sister. Both families came to Troy

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

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from Fairfield County, Ohio, but were originally from Pennsylvania. Thomas Gill, a brother-in- law of Carter, came from Virginia in 1816. He settled on the farm now occupied by Cline, where he died. The Salisburys also came at an early date and settled on a farm near where Joseph Main now lives. The head of the family is long since dead and his relatives are scattered. George Hunt came previous to 1817 and was employed about the settlement as a hired hand, hut never contributed upon his own responsibility to the per- manent improvement of the township. At about the same time, Samuel Gilpin, a native of the State of New York, came and settled on the " Horse Shoe." He took out a contract to clear one hundred acres of what has subsequently been known as the " Brown Corn Farm." It consisted of two hundred acres of dense and tangled growth of underbrush, trees, driftwood, etc. And for this labor he received one hundred acres of the land. David Carter came about the year 1817. He was a stonemason by trade, and married a sister of Thomas Gill and through him was connected with the Mains. He settled, when he came to this locality, on the farm now occupied by Mr. Simpson. His unfortunate death caused profound sorrow in the community, and the circumstances attending it are remembered by many to the pres- · ent day. In 1823, James Martin had invited his neighbors to help him put up a log barn. Carter was among the number, and while assisting to place a log in position, it slipped and, striking him on the head, inflicted injuries from which he sub- sequently died. This accident cast a gloom over the settlement, and for some years afterward was wont to bring up sad memories at all similar gatherings.

Drake's defeat and the feeling of alarm and sus- pense necessarily arising from the war of 1812, caused a break in the line of emigration, and it was not until 1817 that the next influx occurred. There came about this time, the Crawfords, Ea- gons, Moses, Bushes, and somewhat later, the Williamses, Darsts, Jacksons, Cozards, Willeys, and Inskeeps. James Bishop came from Virginia in the year 1827. He held a captain's commission in the war of 1812. Having learned that his old friend Joseph Cole was doing well in the valley of the Scioto, he determined to come to this neigh- borhood. After trying in vain to enlist his father in the undertaking, he mounted his horse and started alone. Upon reaching Columbus, his horse gave out from exhaustion, and he was compelled

to continue his journey on foot. He stopped at Joseph Coles, where he remained for a short time, and then buying a piece of land in the neighbor- hood, erected a cabin. He is still living in the township.

The first minister that preached to the people was William Brundige, and the first after the or- ganization of the township was Benjamin Martin. The first physician came into the township at a later date. The only ones the settlers had access to at an early date, lived at Delaware, Delhi, Ash- ley, Norton and other neighboring towns. The first birth was Robert Cole, who was born Feh- ruary 8, 1810, but died soon after .. Rebecca Roath, wife of Nathan Roath, was the first called to seek the " undiscovered country," dying in May, 1810. Thomas Gill was the first blacksmith, and as business did not warrant him in locating per- manently, he used to shift his quarters as occasion required. Joseph Cole put up the first grist and saw mill, and he was also the first Justice of the Peace. He was elected to this office immediately after the organization of the township. The first marriage was that of Eleazar Main and Margaret Cole, and took place on the 24th of February, 1814. A small distillery, built and owned by David Bush, was one of the early institutions of Troy, but never amounted to much. Bush put up the first frame barn in the township, while Norris erected the first house of that character. In connection with the building of the first two brick houses in the township, the following inci- dent is related. The mortar for the same was being tramped by oxen, and Hugh Cole's sister, who was quite small, was sitting on the bank near by watching the operation, when from some cause one of the oxen became rampant, and making a dash toward the little girl, caught her clothes on his horns, and with a toss of his head landed her in the bed of mortar, almost under his feet. Hugh who happened to be standing near, seeing the danger his sister was in, leaped into the mortar bed, and, seizing her in his arms, rescued her from peril. The first bridge over the Olentangy in Troy was built by Joseph C. Alexander, at Cole's mills in 1840. The first or nearest approach to stores were trader's tents. These traders came up into the settlements with goods which they would dispose of to the settlers and the Indians. They generally came from Worthington or Chilli- cothe. There never was what might be called a store in the township. The first and only post office was at the house of Cole, and he was the

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History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 90

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