USA > Ohio > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Ohio : her people, industries and institutions > Part 7
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FORMATIONS.
In tracing the line of outcrop of the various formations from a point in the western point of Clinton county, where Todd's fork leaves the county, it is found that the strata of stone at the bottom proceeds to the east. If a well were dug at Washington C. H., it would cut through all the strata found to the west as far as Cincinnati. It would first penetrate the strata overlying those exposed at Rock Mills, and, passing through these, would reach the strata represented at Paint creek, below Rock Mills, and then would reach the stone so abundant on Rattlesnake, from the line of the Washing- ton and Leesburg road to the south. It would next penetrate the water- line building stone of Greenfield and Lexington and, going deeper, would penetrate the great Niagara system, about one hundred and seventy-five feet in depth. The next strata would be the Clinton iron ore and then the strati- fied stone of this formation about thirty feet in thickness, and then, after cutting through three feet of a ferruginous clay, would reach the Cincinnati group, or blue limestone, and in about one hundred and twenty-five feet would reach the strata which are seen in Todd's fork, where it tows out of Clinton county.
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FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO.
It has been stated that the average level of Fayette county is about two hundred feet lower than that of Clinton county, while numerous formations overlie in Fayette county those found exposed in Clinton county. This is explained by the dip of the strata to the east. The water-line building stone, as seen at Lexington and Greenfield. dips from thirty-five to forty feet per mile to the east, also a little to the north. In fifteen miles the dip would be about six hundred feet : subtracting two hundred feet, the difference in level. there would be left nearly four hundred feet to be made up in Fayette county by additional strata.
While the deposit of sandstone which extends almost from the very border of Fayette county to the south indefinitely and to the east, underlying the coal, was being made, the land to the north was above water, as well as when the deposits above the sandstone were made: at least, whatever mater- ial, organic or inorganic, was ever deposited here has long since disappeared. There is some evidence, however, that the slate which immediately underlies the sandstone extended somewhat farther north than the sandstone itself has been found. In Fayette county, near Rock Mills, about one hundred and twenty-five feet above the stream, also on several farms and near the south- ern line of the county, a slate formation is to be seen capping the highest point of land in the southern half of the county. The material must once have been continuous and may have extended farther than any traces of it are now found.
Throughout these stratas there is evidence of various denuding and eroding agencies, which have tended to wear down the rock and channel it.
THE DRIFT.
The old channels became silted up and other accumulations were made subsequent to the period of denudation. The surface of the land sank so as to be beneath the surface of the water. Every indication points to water as the medium by which the deposits were made. Upon the surface of the stone is everywhere found more or less loose material. The study of this material, or drift, makes known the fact that it is composed of clay, with varying proportions of sand and gravel, with occasional rounded blocks of granite rock, and with the remains of trees and sometimes of other vegeta- tion. The greatest thickness of the drift is in Clinton county, east of the "prairie," where a deposit of over one hundred feet is found. The clays of the drift are both blue and yellow. The blue clay, or. as frequently called. blue mud, is uniformly found, but there is no uniformity in the thickness of it. It ranges from two to forty feet in depth. It is generally inter-tra ined
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with sand and fine gravel, but sometimes no such stratification is seen. Water is found nearly everywhere within a very few feet of the surface of the earth.
There are found, scattered over the county, apparently belonging to the blue clay deposits, many boulders. In the extreme northern part of Fayette boulders weighing from twenty to thirty tons have been discovered.
GRAVEL AND SAND.
Mingled with the drift deposits is always found a considerable propor- tion of gravel and sand, but being scattered throughout the whole masses, or, at most, showing only a slight tendency to be distinct in strata, more or less mixed with soft material. For many years after the settlement of the county these gravel and sand deposits were not known. The demand for gravel in road making led to the discovery of their existence, and now there is material in plenty. People have learned where to find it readily. When the currents of water carried away the higher drift deposits, the heavier con- stituents were left behind. The highest land may be regarded as the lard level at the beginning. There was then a deposit of loose material, some times a hundred feet in thickness above the bedded stone. This material was manifestly deposited from water. The passage of glacier ice also is accountable for these deposits. When the water subsided new lines of drain- age appeared, depending upon the physical features of the country. The emergence of the land was gradual and the subsiding water stood for greater or less periods of time at different levels. During the emergence of the solid earth the currents of water carried away some of the material constituting the drift sediment of the former period. These channels of drainage mark the direction of the current. Within these channels the drift deposits were sometimes removed to the bedded rock. The varying force of the currents distributed the material as we now see it. Strong currents carried all before them; the weaker currents just the finer material.
The Niagara stone formation dips too far under the surface in Fayette county to be of use. but the lower Heidelberg group, or water line, on Rattle- snake creek, is about one hundred feet in thickness and is accessible. The exact location where the greatest thickness may be observed is on the Wash- ington and Leesburg road, west of Rattlesnake.
The locality of Rock Mills presents more points of interest to the geolo- gist than any other in Fayette county. There are numerous shale and clay stratas visible here.
CHAPTER III.
COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
In order to present the formation and organization of Fayette county properly. it is best to give a sketch of the territory from which it was taken.
On July 27. 1788. Washington county was formed under the territorial government, and included all that part of Ohio east of a line drawn from Cleveland, up the Cuyahoga, down the Tuscarawas; thence west to the road from the Shawanoes town on the Scioto to Sandusky: thence south to and down the Scioto to its mouth.
On January 2, 1790, Hamilton county was organized. embracing the territory between the two Miamis, as far north from the Ohio as the "stand- ing stone forks" of the Big Miami. On June 22, 1798. it was changed so as to include all that part of Indiana lying between the Greenville treaty line and the western line of Ohio and all that part of Ohio west of the Little Miami, to the lower Shawanoes town on the Scioto, and extending north to the southern line of Wayne.
The county of Wayne, created August 6, 1796, began at the Cuyahoga. ran up that river and down the Tuscarawas to the portage above Fort Law- rence : thence west to the east line of Hamilton; thence west, northerly, to the portage of the Miami and St. Mary's: thence west, northerly, to the portage of the Wabash and Maumee, where Fort Wayne. Indiana, now is. extending to the southern point of Lake Michigan: thence along its western shore to the northwestern part: thence north to the territorial boundary in Lake Superior, and with the said boundary through Lakes Huron. Sinclair and Erie, to the place of beginning.
Ross county was established August 20. 1798, "beginning at the forty- second-mile tree, on the line of the original grant of land by the United States to the Ohio Company, which line was run by Israel Ludlow." This forty-second-mile tree was forty miles almost due north from Pomeroy, on the Ohio river, and a little distance southwest from Athens, in Athens county. From this point it extended west into the western part of what is now Highland county, about ten miles southwest from Hillsboro; thence north to the southern boundary line of Wayne county, described above :
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thence east on said line to a point on the present southern boundary line of Wayne county, almost due south from Wooster, and a very little east of the eighty-second meridian west longitude; thence south to the place of be- ginning. The eighty-second meridian west from Greenwich is perhaps not more than a mile west of the original eastern line of Ross county.
It will be observed that the original east line of Hamilton was the Little Miami. Yet in the description of Wayne we find the words, "thence by a west line to the eastern boundary of Hamilton" ("which is a due north line from the lower Shawanoe town on the Scioto"). Also, that a portion of Hamilton, beginning at the mouth of Eagle creek, was attached to Adams.
Highland county originally began at the twenty-inile tree, due north from the mouth of Elk creek, on the Ohio; ran east twelve miles ; then north- cast to the eighteen-mile tree from the Scioto, at the intersection of Ross, Clermont and Adams lines; "then to the mouth of the rocky fork of Paint creek ; thence up main Paint to the south line of Franklin county (now Pickaway) ; thence with said line west to the east line of Greene county ; thence with said line south to the southeast corner of the same; thence with the south line west, to the northeast corner of Clermont (certainly Warren) : and from the beginning west to the north fork of White Oak creek; then north to the line of Warren county; thence with said line east to corner of Clermont and Warren."
Fayette county was created, from the counties of Ross and Highland, on January 10, 1810, the act taking effect March ist. Beginning at the southwest of Pickaway, running north "with the line of said county to the corner of Madison : thence west with said line to the line of Greene county ; thence south with Greene county to the southeast corner thereof; thence east five miles ; thence south to the line of Highland county ; thence east with said line to Paint creek; thence in a straight line to the place of beginning." All the lower portion was taken from Highland and the upper from Ross.
The county was named for the Marquis de Lafayette, the French soldier of fortune who so nobly assisted the American colonies in their struggle for independence.
ORIGINAL TOWNSHIPS.
The county of Fayette was originally divided into six townships, Jeffer- son, Greene. Wayne, Madison, Paint and Union.
Jefferson began at the north part of survey number 1093, on Paint creek, and followed its present boundary to the northwest corner of Jasper ; thence south along the present western boundary of Jasper to the southwest
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corner of the same; thence east five miles to the northeast corner of Clinton county : thence northwest to the north part of survey 899, to Sugar creek ; thence with its present boundary to the beginning, including. as will be seen, the principal part of the present territory of Jasper.
Green township began at Henry Snider's mill, on Sugar creek, thence up said creek with its meanderings to the line of Jefferson, northern part survey 899 ; thence southwest with said line to the northeast corner of Clin- ton county ; thence south with the county line to the southwest corner of Fayette county ; thence east with county line of Lemuel Hand's. Thence to Alexander Beatty's survey 3713: thence north, bearing west to Samuel Ed- ward's, north part survey 660: thence to beginning, including about three- fourths of the present territory of Perry, all of Concord and about a quarter of Jasper.
It appears that about 1818 Green was reduced in territory by the forma- tion of Concord, whose boundaries there is no means of knowing until March 3, 1828, when its lines are given. Green, at that time, was limited on the north and west by a line beginning at the mouth of Hankin's run on Sugar creek at the lower bend, eastern part survey 626, and running south- west to Samuel Stockey's, a little north and east of Staunton, thence follow- ing very nearly its present limits to the county line.
When Perry was first formed it further reduced Green to its present limits, save that portion north of a line extending from near Buena Vista to the mouth of Sugar creek, thence up Sugar creek to Hankin's run. the western portion of which was subsequently, March 3, 1849, joined to Con- cord and the eastern to Perry, thus leaving it in its present shape in 1849.
Wayne township originally included on the west all that territory not taken from Green in the formation of Perry and with her other lines nearly as they are now, except on the southeast corner of Union, at the mouth of Sugar, where we infer from the language used the line followed the creek (Paint).
Madison township originally included all the territory now embraced in Madison and Marion until June, 1840, when it was divided and the southern portion called Marion, and the northern retained the original name.
Paint township also was one of the original townships and has not been altered in its boundaries.
Union township has preserved its original lines. with the exception of a few slight changes near the old Snider mill on Sugar and extending a little farther into Wayne. so as to touch the corner of Bernard's survey 739. and following the meanderings of Paint creek above the Brannon farm.
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FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO.
PRESENT TOWNSHIPS.
On March 5, 1845, William Rankin presented a petition to the commis- sioners for a new township to be taken from Jefferson and Concord, be- ginning in the northwest corner of R. Clayborn's survey 889 and following the present boundaries of Jasper until it strikes the southwest corner of Jefferson on Sugar creek, thence northeast, following the present line of Jefferson and Union to Paint creek, thence up Paint creek to the dividing line of the Trent and White surveys 942 and 1205, thence west to the be- ginning, including, as will be seen, the southern point of Jefferson.
On the 2nd day of December. 1845. by petition of Joseph J. Parrott, Jasper township was reduced to her present limits and electors assembled April 7th at the house of John Andrews to elect officers.
The following record gives the dates of the organization of Concord : "Friday, May 1, 1818 .- It appearing to the court that a new township has been set off by the commissioners called Concord, it is ordered that there be one justice of the peace elected in this township, the electors to meet at the house of Edward Figgins on the third Monday of the present month for this purpose."
The boundaries at this date are not given. In 1828 its bounds were defined as beginning on the east at Hankin's run and following the line of Green to the northeast corner of Clinton county, thence northwest to Sugar creek and down to beginning. In 1848 the line was run between Concord and Green, beginning at Hankin's run, thence south thirty-six degrees, twenty-six minutes west, three miles and one hundred and twenty poles, crossing said run to a stake one-half pole on northwest side of a pile of clay, the remains of a chimney of John Draper's house : thence south sixty- three degrees, four minutes west, three miles and one hundred sixty poles. to a road near Jerry McFlay's house. crossing Rattlesnake at forty poles. Lee's creek at two miles and fifty-two poles, thence continuing same course south three degrees, four minutes, west one mile and forty-eight poles, to line of Clinton and Fayette counties, which distance eight miles and fourteen poles is well marked with a hand axe with three hacks on the side. March 3. 1849, this line was so altered as to run from the banks of Sugar creek where the lines of Concord and Green join, thence with the said line to the state road running from Washington to Leesburg, thence north eighty-five degrees, east to Perry township line, thence north with Perry and Green to Sugar creek, thence up the creek to the beginning, which portion was added to Concord for the convenience of schools and working the roads.
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FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO.
Marion township was, in June, 1840, began by a petition signed by the householders of Madison township, praying for a division of the same, so as to form two separate townships. This was presented to the county commis- sioners, in pursuance of which the board appointed Jacob Creamer county surveyor, to ascertain whether there was territory sufficient to warrant a division and, if so, to run a line through the center of the same, so as to make an equal division. The surveyor, upon finding sufficient territory, proceeded to divide the township as per instructions. The board being satis- fied that the interest of the citizens of the aforesaid township required a division, ordered the report of the surveyor to be placed on record and said township established as laid down in said plat.
"The northern part of the division shall be known as the original town- ship of Madison and the southern part shall be known as Marion township. That the electors of Marion township assemble on July 18, 1840, at the house of John McArthur on the Circleville road, to elect township officials, who shall continue in office until the next annual spring election."
Perry township .- On the 4th of June, 1844, a petition was presented to the commissioners by N. Rush, as attorney, praying for a new township to be taken from Green and Wayne, which was refused on account of a re- monstrance by L. V. Willard.
On June 4, 1845. a petition was presented by Robert Eyre and the new township was granted, called Perry. Beginning at a point where the state road leading from Washington C. H. to Leesburg crosses Rattlesnake creek, thence on a straight line to Samuel Briggs' mill, near the mouth of Sugar creek, thence down Paint creek to the Highland county line, thence west with said line to Rattlesnake, thence up said creek to the beginning, thus including a part of Wayne and Green. These limits, as will be observed, left out that portion north of the line, extending from near Buena Vista to the mouth of Sugar.
On June 14, 1845, a petition was presented signed by Wayman Stafford and a number of others protesting against the decision of the commissioners in forming a new township and finally an appeal bond was filed in the sum of five hundred dollars, with James Larkins and Anderson Rowe, securities. Notice was given of an appeal to the court of common pleas. Subsequently a decision was rendered favorable to its organization and that portion an- nexed north of the line from Buena Vista to Briggs' mill.
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CHAPTER IV
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
INDIAN INHABITANTS.
In presenting the early history of Fayette county it is necessary to give first a brief account of the first authenticated inhabitants of this portion of Ohio. These were the Indians.
The great Algonquin family, perhaps the largest Indian federation in, the United States at that time, were undoubtedly the first of the red men to inhabit Fayette county. There were many tribes composing this organiza- tion known as the Algonquins, but in the territory which later comprised Fayette county the Twigtwees, or Twightwees, called by the French Miamis, were the original possessors. It is said that at the time of the visit to them by Christopher Gist. the English agent for the Ohio Land Company, in 1751. they were superior in numbers even to the Huron Iroquois, with whom they were on hostile terms. Their country extended on the west as far as the Pottawatomie territory, between the Wabash and Ilinois rivers. On the north were also the Pottawatomies, who were slowly encroaching upon the Miamis, who. in turn, were gradually extending their territory westward into Ohio and absorbing the land claimed by the Huron Iroquois. According to the best authority. they were the undisputed claimants of the territory of Ohio as far westward as the Scioto river.
The Piankeshaws, or Peanzichias-Miamis, "a branch of the Algonquin family, were the men who first lived and hunted in Fayette county. They built their villages along the streams and spent their days hunting in the forest. The Wyandots, long before the coming of the English and the French, had resided in the territory now embraced by Ohio. In 1841-2 they ceded their lands to the United States commissioner, Col. John Johnston, and removed themselves beyond the Missouri. In about 1750 the Shawanoes came from Florida, under Blackhoof, and, as tenants-at-will of the Wyandots, took possession of the valleys of the Maumee, Scioto, Mad and Miami rivers.
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FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO.
FIRST SURVEYS.
The territory of Virginia, granted by the charters of King James I, was very extensive. Three separate charters were granted and in each the Missis- sippi river was made the western boundary of the British provinces. Thus restricted, the territory of Virginia included all of that territory occupied by Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, and all of the land northwest of the Ohio river. Other negotiations later restricted this bound- ary of the Virginia territory, although that state still held on to the North- west territory, comprising the present states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michi- gan, Wisconsin and the northern part of Minnesota. In 1779 Virginia opened an office for the sale of her western lands. Violent protest was made by other states and in 1783 Virginia passed an act allowing one hun- dred and fifty thousand acres of land on the northwest side of the Ohio river to Col. George Rogers Clark and his men, this land to be surveyed. The land embraced in this reservation was in the present state of Indiana and is largely in Clark county. Although this cession was made in 1783 it was not until 1824 that the definite boundary was established, by a decision of the supreme court. These lands were in the nature of bounties.
In the winter of 1787 Major John O'Bannon and Arthur Fox, two Kentucky surveyors, explored this Virginia reservation with the view of making entries as soon as the law would permit. The pioneer surveyor in the district of Fayette county was Nathaniel Massie.
The first portion of land entered within the territory of what is now Fayette county was a part of survey Nos. 243 and 772 in one tract, lying partly in Clinton county, extending in a triangle into Fayette, southwest of No. 6623 in the southwestern part of Concord township. The next is a part of No. 428, extending into the extreme southeastern part of the county, and the first survey lying wholly within the county is No. 463, in the north- ern and eastern part of what is now Madison township, surveyed for Thomas Overton by John O'Bannon, June 30, 1796: John Hamilton and Joshua Dodson, chain carriers, and Edward Mosby, marker. This tract contained one thousand three hundred and thirty-three and one-third acres and was a part of military warrant No. 44. It was located northwest of the Ohio on Deer creek, a branch of the Scioto, "beginning at three white oaks and an elm, southwest corner to James Currie's survey (471) running east three hundred and twenty poles, crossing Deer creek at one hundred and forty- eight poles to a hickory and two black oaks, southeast corner to Currie.
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thence south eight, west five hundred and ninety-seven poles, crossing the creek at one hundred and seventy-four poles to a stake, thence north sixteen, east six hundred and fifteen to the beginning."
This land was entered by persons holding land warrants issued by the state of Virginia to her soldiers in the continental army and in the army of Gen. George Rogers Clark. In the majority of cases the original owners did not themselves enter the land. but other parties purchasing them located them. These surveys were numbered in the order in which the tracts of land were entered, the survey taking its number from the entry. Thus it often occurred that a survey with a high number was surveyed long before one with a lower number. Also some surveys have several numbers. Again one entry maybe surveyed into two tracts. Thus entry No. 669. of one thousand acres, was surveyed into tracts, one of six hundred for Daniel Clark and the other of four hundred for James Dougherty, found in the southern part of Wayne township. These were surveyed by Nathaniel Mas- sie, both on the same day. March 13, 1795. returned to the land office. examined and recorded, the former July 3d and the latter July 4th, 1795.
EARLY SETTLERS.
John Popejoy was one of the first residents of Fayette county. He came to Washington C. H. in I811, purchased a lot and erected a log cabin He was afterward a justice of the peace. He was a native of Virginia. His death occurred in 1816 or 1817. He was an eccentric character and con ducted his legal business without a docket, simply keeping brief tab on a sheet of paper which he kept in the crevices of his cabin.
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