History of Greene County, Ohio, Part 4

Author: Robinson, George F., 1838-1901
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 934

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ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

the aforesaid date: Daniel Burrous, John Bozarth, Joshua Bozarth, David Brown. John Bergin. Benjamin Bloomer, Margaret Baal, William Burk, Isaac Bice, John Camp- bell. William Campbell. Benjamin Cutler. John Cullum. Andrew Cronk. Michael Casada, Joel Dolby. Andrew Douglas, Ed- ward Flood. Sr .. Jonathan Flood, Edward Flood. Jr., Upton Farmer. Jacob Follis, John Ferguson, William Ferguson, William Frasier. Mary Farmer, William Farmer. Frederick Goodheart, Angeline Gilmore, Abel H. Gibson, John Harrow, Samuel Herrod, Benjamin Harner, Alexander Irvin. . Arthur Johnson, David Johnson, Benjamin Johnson, Isaac Johnson, Reuben Johnson. James Junkin, William Junkin. Phillip Jack- son, James White, John Watson, Jr., John Watson, Sr., William Wilson. Eliza Young. Aaron Lambert, John Lambert. Chancey Laurence, John Mercer. William Miller, Wilson McDonald. Reuben McDonald, Rob- ert McFarland. Jacob Paullin, Rebecca Paul- lin. Alexander Rowen, Robert Ross, James Ross. Isaiah Sutton, Ammoriah Sutton, John Sutton, James Selby, Boncan Stout. Aaron Saunders. Samuel Sheley. David Sheley. Monnos Shook. John Shigley. Michael Spencer. Sr., Michael Spencer, Jr .. Francis Spencer, James Stanford. Thomas Stanford, Rev. Moses Trader. Samuel Teel.

VANCE TOWNSHIP.

At a court held at the court house in Xenia, on the 31st day of October. 1812, there being present Thomas Hunter, Peter Pelham and Benjamin Grover, commission- ers, it was ordered that Miami township be divided as follows : Beginning at the north- east corner of section 30, in fifth township

on the north side of Greene county line. thence south with the section line to the Miami river, thence to the northwest corner of Ross township: thence with said town- ship line to Greene. continuing thence with said county line to the place of beginning. The said new township shall be called and known by the name of Vance township. It was ordered that Samuel Kyle, Esq., do sur- vey and lay off Vance township, agreeable to the above order, and make report thereof to the next court of commissioners. It was further ordered that the first meeting of the electors in Vance township for the purpose of electing township officers shall be at the house of Adam Peterson in said township on the first Monday of November next.

On the 2d of January, 1812, Samuel Kyle reported as follows: "Pursuant to an order from the honorable board of commis- sioners of Greene county. I proceeded on the 31st day of December, 1812, to survey and lay off Vance township as follows, viz. : Be- ginning at a stake and white oak northeast corner to section No. 30 in township 5 and range 8, thence south with the line of this section ( crossing a branch at three miles and seventeen poles, and the north fork of the Little Miami three miles and 143 poles, again at three miles and 169 poles) four miles and 135 poles to the Little Miami river : thence south seventeen, east two miles, 202 poles to three elms and a burr oak. cor- ner to Ross township: thence east seven miles to three white oaks in the line of Greene county, corner also to Ross township. thence north ( crossing east fork of the Little Miami at three miles and 255 poles, and a branch at five miles and 129 poles) seven miles to a black oak, white oak and hickory. corner to Greene county: thence west

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

(crossing a branch at 136 poles, and the north fork of the Little Miami at six miles and 196 poles) seven miles and 242 poles to the beginning."

May 26, 1813, Jeptha Johnston com- pleted the work of taking the enumeration of the aforesaid township for taxable pur- poses, as follows: Charles Arthur, Charles Alsop, John Bacock, John Branson, George Buffenbarger. Mathew Bolen, John Briggs. Richard Bloxsom, William Brooks. Abra- ham Bash. Jacob Bowman, Isaac Cooper. Thomas Cooper, Lenard Cane, John Callo- way, James Curtis, Robert Davis, Peter De- witt, Elisha Dewitt, William Edgar, Michael Fallum, Alexander Foster, Daniel Griffin, William Gowdy, John Garlough, Sr., John Garlough, Jr., Prudence Gibson, George Hembleman, James Hays, William Harpole, George Humphreys. Richard Ivers, Jeptha Johnston, Jacob Knave, Christopher Light- foot. Thomas Mills, Lewis Mills, Jacob Mil- ler, George Miller, William Marshall, Will- iam Moreland, Robert Mitchell, George Nagley, Sr., John Nagley, Henry Nagley, William Paullin, Ebenezer Paddick, Solo- mon Peterson, Adam Peterson, Michael Pe- terson, John Pollock, Conrad Richards, Jolın Reese. Owen Reese, John Ross, Abner Rob- ertson. James Stewart, John T. Stewart, Samuel Stewart, Seth Smith, John Stand- ley, George Stepleton, Moses Scott, Joseph Thornbury Uriah Thornbury, William Thompson, Thomas Thornbury, Isaac Van- deventer. David Vance, Joseph Vance, John Vance, Ephraim Vance, William Vandolah, Richard Vickers, Robert Walburn, Merida Wade. John Willet, George Weaver, Sr., George Weaver, Jr., John Wilson, Anna Wilson. Joseph Wilson. John Walter.

AX OLD-TIME CONSENT AS TO MARRIAGE.

January 25th, 1816.

This may certify that John B. Law- rance, of Ross township. Greene coun- ty, applied to me for my "Consent" to join in matrimony with my Daughter Armelia Vickers, of Vance Township, County of Greene. I have therefore granted the above John B. Lawrance, his request, to marry my Daugh- ter in a Lawful manner agreeable to an act made and found for such cases. Therefore you may grant said License for the above named purpose, without any doubt of being called in question in any further period.

Given under my hand and Seal the day and year first written in pursuance of its be- ing done in Vance Township, Greene Coun- ty. RUTH VICKERS.

(Signed ) JOHN B. LAWRENCE.

CEDARVILLE TOWNSHIP.

Cedarville township was organized on the 6th day of December. 1850. It was taken from the townships of Xenia. Ceasars- creek, Ross and Miami; it was the first township organized with very irregular boundary lines, and therefore created corre- sponding irregularity in the boundary lines of the townships out of which it was taken. This township has been changed but little since its first organization.

In 1848, when an effort was made to form the township of Cedarville, some citi- zens of Ross objected to the measure, en- tering a vigorous protest against it. the parties making this protest saying to the commissioners : "Our reasons we will fully

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

set forth in your presence, only adding here that we are not willing to have any of our township cut off, which is already too small, to gratify the caprice or spleen of any."

The commissioners ordered a notice to be given in three different public places of an election of three trustees, a clerk and a treasurer to be held on the 21st day of De- cember, 1850, in the town of Cedarville, at the house of John W. Walker.

NEW JASPER TOWNSHIP.

New Jasper township was organized on the 9th day of June, 1853, being taken from the townships of Ceasarscreek and Xenia.

SPRINGVALLEY TOWNSHIP

Was organized into a township on the 3d day of December, 1856, being taken from Sugarcreek, Ceasarsereek and Xenia town- ships.

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP

Was organized on the 7th day of June, 1858, being taken entirely from Silvercreek town- ship. Previous to its formation there had been an election precinct at Bowersville. and the petitioners for the new township were mostly from that part. By the formna- tion of this, the last township in this coun- ty, Silvercreek was reduced in size about one-half.

JOJIN PAUL, THE FOUNDER OF XENIA, OHIO.

John Paul was clerk of the courts of Greene county from 1803 to 1808. It is a source of regret that more care had not been taken to preserve the history of the early

pioneers of our county of Greene. We have the statement in a few words. "John Paul donated to the town of Xenia and county of Greene the ground for the public buildings," and again in answer to the question "Who was the founder of Xenia?" the answer is, "John Paul sold to the proper persons, who had been appointed to receive it, the two hundred and fifty-seven and three-fourths acres of ground which constituted the orig- inal corporation of Xenia." But who was John Paul, where did he came from, and what became of him? The compiler of this sketch had thought there would be no doubt but what our honored old townsmen, Thom- as P. Townsley, could answer the aforesaid questions, but he said he could not. He said that when he made up his mind to marry he went to Pennsylvania and secured his "Paull." and that the founder of Xenia was no relation to his wife's people that he was aware of. he spelling his name Paul, whilst his wife's was Paull.

We gather the following from the rec- crds of Greene county : At the first organ- ization of the county John Paul was at that time a resident of Beavercreek township. and at the first meeting of the associate judges at the "house of Peter Borders" for the purpose of laying off the county into townships John Paul was appointed as clerk of courts. In the minutes of said court." which was held on the joth day of May, 1803. appears the following : "John Paul was appointed to act as clerk for said court. and took the oath of office." He continued to act as such until December 7. 1808. when we find in the minutes of a special court that had been called the following communica- tion from Mr. Paul: "To the Commission- ers of Greene County: Mr. Josiah Grover

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

will attend as clerk at your next meeting. and at the end of same you may proceed to choose another clerk in my place. Signed, John Paul."

Captain Benoni Nesbitt (now deceased) gives us a very interesting story of John Paul. He intimates that before the selec- tion of a permanent site for the county seat had been determined, Mr. Paul was then re- siding in a cabin "down on Beaver," and while there he learned that the point se- lected for the site of the county seat was at the fork of Shawnee creek. He forthwith closed his cabin, and was away to see the parties who were agents for the land that would comprise the new county seat, from whom he purchased two thousand acres, which would take in all, and more, of the aforesaid county seat. We find on an ex- amination of the records that the story of Captain Benoni has some foundation. In Vol. I, Records of Deeds, page 16, appears the following under date of June 7, 1803 : "Bought of Thomas Richardson and wife Elizabeth, of Hanover county, Virginia." and goes on to describe the tract. Mr. Nesbitt was mistaken in the name of the party to the story, calling him Jonathan (see history of Greene county, page 425) instead of John. "Jonathan Paul entered the land that is now called the Jolin B. Lucas farm (see Vol. No. 1, Deeds, page 542) and erected his cabin near where now the home of John B. Lucas stands. Jonathan Paul bought of Thomas Parker and his wife Sal- lie, of Frederick county, Virginia," and the deed is dated October 8, 1808. So it can readily be seen that John and Jonathan were not one and the same person. Jonathan was the youngest brother of Colonel John. Mr. Paul in his generous gift of the one and one-

half acres of ground to the town of Xenia and county of Greene for public buildings was not exorbitant in his price for the bal- ance of the land, which he sold to the parties representing the new county seat for the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars for the two hundred and fifty-seven and three- fourths acres which constituted the original corporation of Xenia. Yet while Mr. Paul was liberal, there is evidence to show that while he was a good clerk of courts for Greene county he was also a man of good business qualifications, and had an eye to reaping benefits in the future as the new town would grow and improve. We have evidence to show that he was what is called to-day in the west "a town boomer," and that he had much to do in having the county seat of Greene county located at this place.

In a map of Xenia which the compiler of this sketch has in his possession a num- ber of lots all over the town are marked as the property of John Paul. Josiah Grover, his agent, was his brother-in-law.

From the best information that can be obtained Mr. Ptul, soon after he resigned as celrk of courts of Greene county, re- moved to the present site of the city of Madison, Indiana, and became the founder of that city.

Among the records of this county is a transcript taken from the courts of Jeffer- son county, Indiana, in the year 1816, and certified to by John Paul, clerk of courts of Jefferson county, Indiana. In comparing the hand writing it is the same as our John Paul's, ex-clerk of courts of Greene county. In addition to this is evidence taken from the Cincinnati Gazette of some correspond- ent who had been a former resident of this county (and who does not give his name),

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

but does give some very interesting pen pictures of some of the early residents of Xenia. Of Mr. Paul he says : "He was the original proprietor of Xenia, Ohio, and also of Madison, Indiana, and that he was a pio- neer from Kentucky. A man of great en- terprise, and was for several years the in- telligent and active clerk of courts of Greene county, Ohio." He was also the father-in- law of Governor William Hendricks, who was an honor to the state in which he lived, and filled the office of a legislator, governor, representative and senator in congress with ability and rare integrity ; and who, with his pioneer father-in-law, John Paul, the pro- prietor of two flourishing cities in Ohio and Indiana, sleeps in death in the cemetery in Madison, Indiana.

Many of the early settlers of Greene county followed Mr. Paul to Madison and located there and in that vicinity. Major George Gordon moved him to that place in 1809.

In fixing the date when Mr. Paul first came to Greene county, Ohio, we quote from his family history: "In 1794 he was mar- ried to Miss Sarah Thomberry Grover. sis- ter of Josiah Grover, the second clerk of courts of Greene county, at Danville, Ken- tucky. They had four children, the first child, Mary Berry, dying when quite young. The next child, Ann Parker, was born in Kentucky ( Hardin county) March 18, 1799. John P., the next child, was born in what is now Greene county. Ohio, December 23, 1800, which is near the time he first came and purchased of the United States the land known to-day ( 1900) as 'Trebein's,' three miles northwest of the Little Miami river. And it was Colonel John Paul who was the

first to harness the waters of the aforesaid river to get power to run his grist and saw- mill at that point, and it was then known as "Paul's Mill." At the close of the year 1802 the territorial government was overthrown, and the state government established. Ac- cordingly representatives were chosen to formulate a state constitution, and take steps for admission to the union of states. Mr. Paul, then living in that part of Hamilton county which was soon to be Greene coun- ty, was chosen as one of the representatives, and helped to formulate the first constitu- tion of the state, under which we lived for nearly one-half a century. Colonel John Paul was also a member of the senate of the first legislature that convened at the town of Chillicothe, March 1, 1803. He had also a near neighbor of his in the house of the legislature in the person of William Maxwell, who was chosen as one of the first associate judges of Greene county." This brings his history down to the time he was chosen as clerk of courts May 10, 1803.

Colonel John Paul was the fourth child and second son of Michael Paul and An Parker, who were married at Germantown, Pennsylvania, about the year 1751 or 1752. Michael Paul was a native of Holland. The time and place of his birth are un- known, as is also the date of his emigration to this country, and the fact as to whether he came alone or with others of his family. However, it is known that he had two broth- ers who lived at the same place, German- town, Pennsylvania. He left Germantown in the year 1766 or 1767 and went to Red Stone (Old Fort) now Brownsville, Penn- sylvania. From there he went to what is

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

now West Virginia, and from there in 1781 to Hardin county, Kentucky, where he died in 1801.

Ann Parker, wife of Michael Paul, was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1724. She belonged to the order of Dunkards. She was a cousin to Rev. Samuel Davis, D. D., a noted Presbyterian preacher of that day. and president of one of the early theolog- ical schools of Pennsylvania or New Jersey, perhaps at Princeton. She died in Hardin county, Kentucky, in June, 1813, at the age of eighty-nine. They were the parents of seven children, John, the subject of this sketch, being the fourth. He was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, November 12, 1758, and died June 6, 1830, in Madison, Indiana. Ile went with his father to Browns- ville and to Virginia, and afterward to Ken- tucky. In the year 1778 he went with the expedition of Gen. George Roger Clark, in the campaign against the Indians in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The expedition went by boats from Louisville, Kentucky, to Kas- kaskia. Illinois. When they debarked at Kas- kaskia the soldiers had to walk for a good distance in water up to the armpits, carry- ing their guns and powder horns above their heads to keep them dry, before reaching the fort. In 1794 he was married to Miss Sa- rah Thomberry Grover, at Danville, Ken- tucky. She was born in or near Baltimore, Maryland, March 21, 1775, and went 10 Kentucky with her parents somewhere in the decade of 1780. They had four chil- dren, Mary Berry, the oldest, dying when quite young. In 1809 Col. Paul left Xenia and came to the Indiana territory, landing with his family at the point where Madison now stands, October 6, 1809. Previous to this he had gone to the "Vendue" of public

lands at Vincennes, where he bought the land upon which New Albany now stands. Upon this trip home from that sale he stopped at this purchase to fix a home, but concluding that it was an unhealthy locality he prospected along the river for a more healthy situation. He decided upon the present site of Madison as being the best suited to his wishes, and went home to Ohio to await the opening of the sales at Jeffer- sonville, where this land was to be sold.

In the spring of 1809 he went to the sale and bought the land, and returned home and arranged for the immediate removal of his family to this place, where he aferward lived until his death.

Colonel Paul was a man full of the milk of human kindness. His benefactions in the way of property for public uses are seen all along the pathway of his life. In Xenia, Ohio, he gave the site for the courthouse. In Madison, the ground for the old grave- yard, on Third street, the site for Wesley chapel, now the opera house. In Ripley county. Indiana, the ground for the grave- yard in Versailles, and ground for the academy.

He was a practical surveyor and a very good judge of the quality of the land, as is proven by the fact that a great many tracts of the best land in this county and Ripley were bought by him from the United States Government. He was a man endowed by nature with all of the elements of a leader among men, and he was one. In this day and generation he would have been called an athlete on account of his activity, strength and powers of endurance. He was tall, of fine, attractive physique ; he had a command- ing appearance : kind-hearted; he was gen- tle in manner to all, tender to those in dis-

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

tress ; magnanimous, he was generous to a fault, always a friend to the poor and help- less, and ready to lift up and help forward young men. He was beloved by his friends and respected by all who knew him, even by his enemies. for like all men of positive char- acter, he had them. He was an energetic business man, and engaged in farming, mill- ing and real estate business.

He was the first representative in the territorial assembly from a part of Clark county, Indiana, and was a member of the legislature after that county was organized. He was elected a senator from Switzerland and Jefferson counties, Indiana, to the first legislature of the state, which convened at Corydon, Monday, November 4, 1816. He was called to the chair of the senate as chair- man pro tempore, and was the first presid- ing officer of the senate. He was the first clerk and recorder of Jefferson county, In- diana, which office he held for many years.

Col. John Vawter, in a letter written in . 1850, says of Colonel Paul: "He was one of George Roger Clarke's men in the expe- dition against the British posts at Detroit, Michigan, and Kaskaskia, Illinois." He was at the capture of Vincennes, February 24, 1779.

At the time he located in this county his family consisted of himself, his wife, Miss Ruth Grover, who was a niece of his wife, and who made her home with them, and their three children. The eldest, Ann Parker, was born March 18, 1799, in Har- din county. Kentucky. John P., who was born in Greene county. Ohio, December 23, 1800, and Sarah G., who was born March 21. 1802, in Greene county. Ann Parker was married May 29, 1816, to William Hen- dricks. From this union were born nine

children. She died September 12, 1887, in the eighty-ninth year of her age. John Por- ter Paul was a graduate of Washington College and became a surveyor. He was married to a Miss Eliza Meek. He died in September. 1835. in Clark county, Indiana, in the thirty-fifth year of his age. Sarah G. Paul was married three times. Her first hus- band was Dr. Robert Cravens, who died leaving one son, Judge John R. Cravens, of Madison, Indiana, who is now deceased. Her second husband was Dr. Samuel M. Goode, who died leaving one son, now liv- ing in Madison, Indiana, and known as Dr. Goode. Her third husband was B. C. Ste- venson. a Methodist preacher. She died in September 14, 1877. Mrs. Paul, the mother of the family, died May 8, 1866, in the ninety-second year of her age.

GENERAL JOSEPH C. VANCE.

A SKETCH OF THE MAN WHO SURVEYED AND LAID OUT THE CITY OF XENIA.

An eventful life of usefulness, filled with exciting incidents. He was on; of those sturdy old Scotch Presbyterians, and pre- vious to emigrating to the Northwestern Territory was a resident of Washington county, Pennsylvania. A few years after the close of the war of the Revolution, he, with his family and property, embarked on a raft and commenced the journey down the Ohio. The trip was a dangerous one as well may be supposed. They were at times obliged to dodge the arrows shot at them by the wandering Indians, which came spin- ning over the water and fastened themselves

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

in the side of the boat. They frequently would wish themselves back in the old Key- stone State, but to return would be as dan- gerous as to go ahead, which they did, and the southern shore of Kentucky was finally reached, and here for a time he resided. The war whoop and tomahawk and scalping knife were the greetings the savages gave to strangers, and the warmth of their recep- tions was hardly such as to lend enchant- ment to the whites. The first matter to at- tend to on landing was the erection of a block house, and here the neighbors met whenever there was an attack by the red men, which was oftentimes the case. At such times the General's family would be enlarged by the gathering of his neighbors for refuge and assistance.

In the early spring of 1797 Daniel Wil- son (one of the early settlers in what is now Sugarcreek township, Greene county, Ohio), as he was returning to settle permanently on land near the village of Clio, which he had previously entered, overtook Joseph C. Vance and John Vance in the valley south of where Lebanon now stands. They were on their way to this locality, and hence were the first settlers where now is located the town of Bellbrook. Joseph entered the land extending along the east side of what is Low Main street, Bellbrook, being part of Sections 31, 32 (3.5). He erected a log cabin on the site that used to be occupied by Willoughby & Davis as a carriage manit- factory, on the southeast corner of Main and Walnut streets. This was the first building that was erected on the site now called Bellbrook, and it was built in the year 1797. It was the building which was to be- come historic on account of the use that was afterward made of it. This was the build-

ing that James Clancey a few years after- ward purchased of Joseph C. Vance, and ran his first tavern-the place whereon the organization of the county into townships was selected as the place of holding elec- tions, and where on the aforesaid occasions would assemble the pioneers, from one-half mile east of the present village of New Bur- lington to the Montgomery county line on the west to cast their ballots for the men of their choice for the different offices. And in that cabin was the place where Rev. Rob- ert Armstrong, the pioneer associate preach- er, preached the word of life in the fall of 1804, and on that occasion was for the first time sung the beautiful songs of the sweet singer of Israel, in that part of Greene coun- ty. Among the number on that occasion was Gen. Joseph C. Vance and family, John Vance, John and James McKnight (cousins of the McKnight's that came later) ; Will- iam and James Tanner, John Gowdy, Sr., and his son, Andrew, who was the father of Alexander, who is yet living ( 1900) on West Main street, Xenia: two Snod- grasses, two Snowdens (Jacob and James), Capt. Robert McClellan, John Torrence, John Hutchison, Abraham Van Eaton, Capt. Nathan Lamme, James Collier and others. In the first organization of the county into townships May 10, 1803, Joseph C. Vance was the first clerk of the Sugarcreek township. He was also one of the number that was selected to sit as a grand juror "on the body of Greene county," as the old records express it. All- gust 3, 1803, Joseph C. Vance was appointed to survey the county seat, and lay off the town of Xenia. This he did the same sea- son, and at the December term of the Court of Associate Judges received $49.25 for his

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History of Greene County, Ohio, Part 4

Author: Robinson, George F., 1838-1901 Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 934

Author: Robinson, George F., 1838-1901
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 934