USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County : together with historic notes on the Northwest, and the state of Ohio, gleaned from early authors, old maps and manuscripts, private and official correspondence, and all other authentic sources > Part 63
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
where he now lives and has since resided. He owns one hundred and seventy-seven acres of land, mostly in cultivation and well im- proved, making a pleasant home. He is connected with the German Reformed Church, of which he has been a member for a number of years. Politically he is a Republican.
John Turnbull, M. D., physician and surgeon, was born in Ced- arville Township, this county, March 10, 1840. His father, John Turnbull, sen., was born near Nashville Tennessee, February 17, 1801. His mother was the oldest daughter of Judge Samuel Kyle of Cedarville Township. She died when he was thirteen years old. His grandfather, William Turnbull, was born in Koxboroughshire, near Kelso, Scotland, October 29, 1757. IIe came to America, August 27, 1784. His grandmother, Elizabeth Turnbull, was for- mally Miss Elizabeth Marshall, was born near Nashville, Tennessee, November, 1766, She was married to grandfather, August 27, 1797, and located on a plantation near the Hermitage, the home of Pres- ident Andrew Jackson. He received his early education at the district schools. At the age of fourteen years, he entered the sel- ect and graded school at Cedarville; at nineteen was placed under the tutorage of Dr. John G. Kyle of Xenia. In 1860, attended lectures at Jefferson Medical College of Pennsylvania, returned home in 1861, and enlisted as a private in Company A, Seventeenth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, at the first call for troops in the late war. In April 1861, was promoted to the position of hospital steward of the regiment, engaged in the battles of Buchannon, and Rich Mountain, was mustered out of service at the expiration of enlist- ment, returned immediately into West Virginia, and assisted in caring for the sick and wounded, at the battle of Carnifax Ferry, and bringing hundreds of them down the river to Cincinnati. He acted as volunteer assistant surgeon of the Sixty-Fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, participating in the long and forced marches through Kentucky and Tennessee, and in the battles con- nected therewith. After a hard and laborious service of nearly a year, which he rendered gratuitously for his country, he returned home. In the summer of 1862, volunteered with the minute men of Ohio, went to Cincinnati, and North Bend, Indiana, after two weeks was mustered out, and returned to the Jefferson Medical College, in the fall of 1862. Graduated March, 1863, returned home, was ordered to report for medical examination for the position of assistant surgeon in the army, at White Sulphur Springs. Was
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SUGAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.
successful, and on the 29th, of June, 1863, was commissioned, and appointed assistant surgeon, One Hundred and Fifth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Joined the regiment in the front of General Rosecrans army at Tullahoma, Tennessee, was mustered into the service July 3, 1863, and assumed the entire charge of the medical department of the regiment, being the only medical. officer con- nected with it. At the battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, he had three bullet holes shot through his clothes. Two men were shot dead while he was dressing their wounds on the field. He was - taken prisoner while remaining with the wounded on the battle field of Chickamauga, and was paroled to take care of our wound- ed in the rebel lines. For three days and nights after this battle, he never closed his eyes to sleep, being kept constantly on the alert, amputating, dressing, and caring for the wounded and dying. Being overcome from exhaustion, on the fourth day after the bat- tle, he sank down to sleep among the wounded on the ground. He awoke in a few hours, and finding some old, musty, moldy, unsifted corn-meal, which he mixed with cold water, and baked it in a heap of ashes. This was the only diet for fourteen days. After the exchange of prisoners were made, and while on the way to Chattanooga to join our army, a squad of rebel cavalry halted them, stripped him of his clothing, watch, and all other valuables he had, with the exception of a little breath. In a week or two, he was able to return to the fragment of his regiment, and gnaw army beef, without even a hard-tack, coffee, corn, or a square of condensed vegetables. Participated in the battle of Lookout Moun- tain, and Mission Ridge. Was ordered to take charge of a ward of sick, in third division hospital, in connection with the duties of his regiment. Was relieved from his hospital duties to take the en- tire charge of the medical departments of the One Hundred and Fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and the Second Regi- ment Minnesota Volunteer Infantry.
Going home, on the 24th of May, 1865, he passed with Sher- man's army in review before the President of the United States, in Washington, D. C. This was his last act with the army. The One Hundred and Fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry was mustered out of service at Camp Cleveland, Ohio, June 3, 1865. After his arrival home he married his former preceptor's daughter, Miss Josephine A. Kyle. September 7, 1865, located in Monmouth, Illinois, where he practiced medicine for a season. Returned to
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
Xenia, Ohio, in the spring of 1866, and entered into partnership with Dr. John G. Kyle, his father-in-law, with whom he practiced medicine for a few months. June 28, 1866, he moved to Bellbrook, Ohio, and opened an office, where he has been giving his entire time and attention to the demands of a large and increasing prac- tice. Was chosen a member of the Ohio State Medical Society, June 18, 1863, in session then at White Sulphur Springs, Ohio. Is the father of two children: Jesse K., and Pearl A. Has been placed in nomination by his colleagues for the office of county coroner, and on two different occasions has received the nomina- tion for state representative. IIe has been elected and re-elected member of the town council; elected and re-elected member of the Bellbrook School Board, and now president of the same; and is president of the Bellbrook Library. He has a large library of medical and literary works, which has cost him near one thousand dollars.
Thomas White, farmer, was born in Kentucky, June 11, 1803, is son of Stephen and Mary (Bigger) White. His father was born in Ireland, 1768, his mother in Maryland, 1760. Our subject's father settled in Kentucky, in 1790, and in the year 1806, removed to Ohio, where he purchased a tract of land in Montgomery County, whereon subject was reared, and received his education on the farm. At the age of fifteen Thomas commenced hauling produce to Cincinnati, and from that time on, he had the management of all the business pertaining to the farm. Thomas frequently hauled flour to Cincin- nati, and sold it for $2.12} cents per barrel, and pork for $1.50 per one hundred pounds, and at one time, traded one bushel of corn for a gallon of whisky, hauled the whisky to Cincinnati, and sold it for 123 cents per gallon, taking five days to accomplish the trip. At the age of twenty-seven, our subject received all his father's pro- perty in his own name. He remained on the homestead till the year 1837, when he purchased a farm in this county, and removed to it, and rented the old homestead. He married Maria Bigger in 1837, to whom four children were born, Hannah J., now Mrs. Hop- kins, Mary E., Armanda, and James P. Mr. and Mrs White and family are members of the United Presbyterian Church. Mr White now owns three hundred and seventy-eight acres of land, all well improved.
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MIAMI TOWNSHIP.
This Township, one of the most fertile of the townships lying . along Clarke County, in the northern part of this county, is bound- ed on the north by Clarke County, on the east by Cedarville, on the south by Xenia, on the west by Bath and Beaver Creek Townships. In shape, it is very irregular ; the cause of which is given in another part of this work. The surface is undulating, the highest points being in the north, and sloping gradually to the south. The Lit- tle Miami River, from which the township derives its name, forms the boundary between Clarke County and this township, for a dis- tance of about one mile, thence flows southeastwardly and enters Xenia Township. A number of minor streams cross the various sections, and by the assistance of springs add to the fertility of the soil. For a full description of the springs, the romantic scenery, and the geology of this township, we refer to another part of the work.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
Lewis Davis, was perhaps the first settler in this township, as he came in the early days of this century. While at Dayton, then a small hamlet, he met an Indian just arrived from the Yellow Springs, by whom he was informed of the extraordinary natural advantages in its immediate vicinity. The savage further explained to him, that the springs were located near a branch of the Little Miami River. Accompanied by a friend, he followed the instruc- tions given by his dusky informant, and, upon the discovery of the spring, went to Cincinnati and entered the land. He was frequently engaged in surveying land, accumulated considerable property, and was considered an upright and enterprising citizen. Uunfortunately, he fell a prey to the wiles of king alcohol, and was completely ruined thereby. He finally removed to Bellfontaine, Ohio, where he ended his days. His last resting place is thus described, by one who discovered it accidentally. "On the left hand side of State
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
road, six miles west of Bellefontaine, in an open forest, is a sandy knoll, surrounded by a rail enclosure, and covered by an oval shap- ed bowlder, perhaps six feet in diameter; beneath this stone reposes all that remains of Lewis Davis, unhonored, unwept and unknown. For years, he had lived the life of a pauper, and when he saw the grim vision of death approaching, he expressed a desire that this spot should be his last resting place."
The Lawheads were early settlers, and at one time ran a carding machine.
James Johnson, sen., a Kentuckian, bid adieu to his native state in 1815, and accompanied by his wife, seven sons, and four daugh- ters, came to this township, settling in the eastern part, near the present village of Clifton, on a tract of land containing eighty acres; rented an adjoining farm, and, in addition to this, purchased an eighty-acre tract in Clarke County, just across the line. They paid six dollars per acre for the land, of which about ten acres were cleared. It was purchased of one Wells, having been rented by Thomas Beath prior to its sale. The latter had erected a small cabin, into which the Johnson family moved. Immigration to this country was gradual. Good land was sold at prices ranging from four to six dollars per acre, while lands were offered at a much lower figure in our sister State of Indiana, and thus the tide swept through Ohio and entered the portals of the hoosier state. After a lapse of a few years, less rivalry existed between the two states, and the population of this community increased more rapidly. Johnson's descendants still reside in. the neighborhood, wealthy and respected citizens.
John Graham, of Virginia, and his wife Mary, a native of Penn- sylvania, met in Kentucky, where they were married. In 1802-3 they came to this township, and settled on the Xenia road, two miles south of Yellow Springs. Graham died in this county; his wife in Illinois, whither she had removed, and lived with her youngest son. A daughter, Anna, born in 1804, is yet living in Yellow Springs, the relict of the late Daniel Pennell.
Another settler, who deserves prominence, was James Anderson, a native of Dundee, Scotland. With his family, consisting of his wife, three sons, and two daughters, he, in 1820, crossed the Atlan- tie, landing at Quebec; traveled to Buffalo, thence to Sandusky City, and in the spring of 1821 arrived at this township, near the Grinnell Mills, where they remained until 1826; thence removed
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MIAMI TOWNSHIP.
to Clarke County, where a farm containing one hundred acres was purchased at one dollar per acre, which his son James and daugh- ter Sophia yet occupy. Upon their first arrival in this township, they found it very difficult to gain a subsistence, the father being frequently compelled to wander about the country for two or three days in succession, and when fortunate enough to obtain employ- ment, would receive but thirty-seven cents per day for his labor.
J. B. Gardner was one of the early settlers, and attended the old school near the springs. He served his county in the legislature, - and occupied the responsible position of state printer for several years. When in this neighborhood he resided at the Neff House. His daughter is married to Hon. Richard Thompson, Secretary of the Navy.
On the road leading from Yellow Springs to Clifton, lived two men, each named James Miller. To distinguish one from the other, the one residing on the farm now owned by Arthur Forbes was given the cognomen of "Congress Miller," he being possessed of congressional aspirations ; the other, being a staunch, reliable citi- zen, was familiarly called "Stand-by Miller."
Gamaliel Garrison is an old settler of this neighborhood, though not of the township. His parents came to Clarke County, near the line of Greene, in 1808. He was born in 1800. Has been a resi- dent of Yellow Springs for about twenty years, and from him has the writer obtained much valuable information regarding pioneer matters. In 1808, Mr. Garrison's father began keeping a record of his business transactions with his neighbors. This is yet in the son's possession, and from the same have been obtained the follow- ing names of residents of this township at that time: Sebastian Schronfe was the first " squatter" in the township; came from Ger- many, with a large family, the descendants of which are still living in this township ; Davis Browrick ; Justus Luce, lived near Clifton, and engaged in buying and selling cattle; Erin Stevens, James Miller; William Anderson, near Clifton, where his descendants still reside ; Joel Van Meter, the first elder of the Presbyterian Church at Clifton, a man well and favorably known throughout the com- munity ; General Whiteman, a noted man, whose daring deeds during Indian oppression are still fresh in the memory of the sur- viving pioncers ; Owen Davis, the first owner of Clifton Mills.
The following sketch of an old resident of this township was published in the Xenia Gazette :
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
"Greene County can boast of an old resident, aged ninety two years. Last Monday, the 22d of November, the ninety-second birthday anniversary of Mr. David Dye, sen., was celebrated at his home, near this place. He was born near the county seat of Hun- sterdon County, New Jersey. At the age of seventeen he came to Ohio, then a vast wilderness, and settled near Oldtown, Ross Coun- ty. In 1813 he moved to Madison County, near Medway, where he lived until 1866, when he moved to Yellow Springs, his present residence. He lived through every administration from the inaug- uration of George Washington to the election of James A. Gar- field. At this ninety-second anniversary gathering, he was very spry, and talked and joked with all present. The occasion was closed with prayer by the Rev. Kalbfus, and by singing that old, familiar song, 'Together let us sweetly live.'"
EARLY CUSTOMS, AND OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST.
As to the general condition of the country, and the habits of the people of "ye olden times," we can scarcely improve on the follow- ing interview with A. C. Johnson, Esq .:
" There were but few roads, which were scarcely traversable, the state road from Columbus to Cincinnati, via Clifton, Yellow Springs, and Springfield, being used most generally. Our school facilities were very meager ; a child could not be accorded even a common school education. There were, perhaps, three school cabins within the township limits, wherein instructions, such as they were, were given to the youth about three months in a year. In this dis- trict-near Yellow Springs-we had a log building, and at Clifton there was a frame, 12x15. We traveled to church, by placing two or three children on a horse, while the father and mother did like- wise. When Van Meter, the tanner, and his family made their first appearance in the 'Dearborn wagon,' they were scanned by the whole populace. We traded chiefly at Springfield; obtained our lumber and flour from the Patterson water-mills, at Clifton. Game, such as turkey, deer, and squirrels, was plentiful, and occasionally a bear was killed."
Referring to the topography of the country, the gentleman says :
" The vast domain of land extending two miles west of the Neff House, was unimproved. Where now stands Antioch College, was then a dense, impenetrable thicket. The beautiful ' Oakwood Park,'
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MIAMI TOWNSHIP.
where is located the handsome residence of Mrs. Means, was cov- ered with water most of the time; frequently it reached a depth of three feet. When Judge William Mills took the steps preparatory to the erection of his dwelling, people ridiculed him for building in the water. To-day, the site is more elevated than the surroundings. Remember very distinctly, that a few years prior to the erection of the Allen mansion, north of Yellow Springs, its location was thick- ly covered with trees. At its completion, this was the most elegant building in the county, containing eight rooms, each twenty feet - square."
Speaking of a peculiar people, who formerly resided here, Mr. Johnson continues :
" Years ago, a peculiar class of people, called Owenites, or Com- munionists, lived near the springs. They were organized by Robert Owen, and in their creed and manners bore a striking resemblance to the Shakers, except that they married, while the latter did not. They occupied one large building, which, with its contents, was considered common property ; labored for the interest of the entire society, and divided the profits, if there were any, equally. The house stood in the ravine, near the cliffs ; was constructed of logs, which were set in close proximity to each other, the gaps being . covered with mortar. The rooms, which were partitioned by logs, consisted of a private apartment for each family, and one large dining-room and kitchen. As the party increased in number, new rooms were added. The building proper was one hundred feet long, and twenty-one feet wide. They were professed Christians, but I have often heard them uttering the most horrible oaths. The society met a premature death. Too soon did the majority assume to be leaders, and issue commands, while an insignificant minority did the work. Their existence ended in a law-suit. A few of them, and their descendants, yet live in the neighborhood, but the remainder are scattered profusely over the country."
CHURCHES.
Presbyterian Church at Clifton .- In the early days of the nine- teenth century, the beautiful and romantic tract now occupied by the Yellow Springs House could boast of but one unpretentious little cabin, owned and occupied by a widow, named Davis, who was a staunch Presbyterian, and frequently entertained at her house
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
the traveling ministers who chanced to pass. On these occasions, the few settlers of the neighborhood flocked to the house to par- ticipate in the services conducted by these traveling preachers- the first meetings ever held in the township. An organization was effected in 1812, and a rude log structure erected at what is now known as Clifton, Rev. Peter Monfort being the first man that ever expounded the gospel from the pulpit of this primitive structure; he was the unele of Monfort, editor of the "Herald and Pres- byterian." The old log soon proved inadequate to the demands of the rapidly growing congregation, and a brick was erected. A number of years after, the present substantial brick structure at the ontskirts of Clifton, was erected. Rev. Andrew Polk was the min- ister of this congregation for a period of twenty years, death severing the bonds that had so long bound him to his beloved flock. From this, the oldest church in the township, have 'sprung the va- rious Presbyterian organizations in this vicinity.
In the rear of the Clifton church is the first church cemetery in the township. - Johnson is one of the first persons buried here. David and Rebecca Garrison, parents of Gamaliel Garrison, pion- eers, repose in this ancient city of the dead.
Methodist Episcopal Church, of Yellow Springs .- Religion, the great moral guide, entered the wilds of Greene County hand-in-hand with the pioneers; hence, the introduction of Methodism dates back to the carly settlement of this community. For a number of years after the first occupancy of a portion of the lands in this township, her Christian inhabitants of Methodist proclivities, at- tended the services which were held in the adjoining county of Clarke. From the limited data at our command, we assume that in about the year 1837, a few men and women living in the imme- diate vicinity of Yellow Springs, organized a society, Daniel Pen- nell and his wife Anna, Mrs. Cox, and David Potter being among those who constituted the original organization. Meetings were held in houses, barns, and frequently in God's first temples-the primitive forests. They were conducted by Joseph Hill, the first Methodist minister that preached in this country, one Noosen, Robert Cheney, and others. The little band prospered, and in the year 1840 erected a neat frame church building on the site now known as the northeast corner of Dayton and Corry streets. The building was dedicated to Rev Hammeline. In 1845-6, Judge William Mills and A. B. Johnson, Esq., who owned the lots adjoin-
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MIAMI TOWNSHIP.
ing the church, wished to convert the entire tract into a business center, and offered to donate a lot and sufficient money to defray all expenditures attending the building of a new edifice. As the church was near the railroad, this liberal offer was accepted, and the present building, located on lot forty-seven, corner Dayton and Winter streets, was erected. A few years after the completion of the church, a parsonage was built on the adjoining lot. The church formerly belonged to the Jamestown circuit, but was afterward called " Yellow Springs station." Father Finley was the first station . minister. The following ministers have been in charge since 1851 : 1851, E. D. Roe, William D. Ellsworth, presiding elder; 1852, G. C. Townley; 1853, I. I. Beall; 1854-5, E. P. West, William Sim- mons, presiding elder; 1856-7-8, G. W. Harris; 1859-60, S. A. Brewster; 1861, John F. Spence, David Reed, presiding elder; 1862, S. D. Clayton, James F. Chalfant, presiding elder; 1863-4, G. W. Kelley, J. Ford Conrey, presiding elder; 1865-7, M. P. Gaddis, J. W. Weakley, presiding elder; 1868, G. L. Yonstee; 1869-71, J. T. Boyle, A. Lowry, D. D., presiding elder; 1872-3, James Ken- dall, A. Maharey, presiding elder; 1874, G. C. Crum, J. W. Casset, presiding elder; 1875-6, J. P. Shultz; 1877-8, H. M. Keck; 1879, T. De Witt Peak, present incumbent.
The station has had some very able ministers, but the following deserve special mention : James Kendall, a very remarkable man ; Dr. Lowry, a very firm expounder of the gospel; G. C. Crum, a man of more than ordinary ability. Rev. T. De Witt Peak is a clear and logical speaker.
The Methodist Church at Clifton was organized soon after the town was laid out. The society erected a brick building, which was sold, and occupied as a school-house some years later. Bates and Lewis presented a lot to the congregation, upon which they built the present building. The church enjoys great prosperity. Rev. W. I. Shannon is the pastor.
Presbyterian Church, of Yellow Springs. (By C. H. Chandler .- The first Presbyterian Church in Yellow Springs was of the Asso- ciate Reform Communion, and was organized about the year 1852. It built the house of worship now occupied by the Colored Baptist Church, but, as the Presbyterians never succeeded in paying for it, the house was sold by the sheriff. The church itself was short lived, its only minister being Rev. Alexander Nesbitt.
First Presbyterian .- The present Presbyterian Church was organ-
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
ized at request of Judge Mills, and under the direction of Dayton (New School) Presbytery, by Rev. Samuel D. Smith, February 3, 1855. The original number of members was fourteen, twelve being received by letter, and two on profession. Rev. M. Smith was in- stalled its first pastor, preaching one-half the time until 1858. The church was legally incorporated as the " First Presbyterian Church," January 19, 1859. Its house of worship was erected in 1859, and dedicated March 3, 1860. It is constructed of limestone, in gothic style of architecture, with enamelled glass windows. It is 40x62 feet in size, and furnished with open roof, giving a height in the center of forty-three fect.
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