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 71
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Public highways thread the township in every direction, forming an intricate interlacing, resembling an irregularly constructed spider's web, and during the summer months these roads are good, but woe to the teamster who is so unfortunate as to find himself in the sea of mud which prevails here during a "thaw out" in the winter or spring months. The appearance of the country at such times can
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be compared to nothing better than the Slough of Despond, so graphically described by John Bunyan; and to guard against the equilibrium of a man's better nature being suddenly overthrown, it would be a good plan not to venture into those unknown seas dur- ing the season when the thawing out process is at its height, which is generally in February and March. The Federal pike is the only one in the township. This was the first regularly laid out road through this part of the country, and was not made a pike till about the year 1870, when it was completed through here, after the expenditure of an incalculable amount of physical labor, as well as of a great sum of money. Some parts were built at a cost of about $1,500 per mile, while other portions cost as much as $2,000 per mile. It is as good a pike as any in the county, and, indeed, is not "excelled by many in the state. Several other roads have been piked for short distances, where at times they became impassable, and again others are being " talked up." The citizens of the town- ship try to content themselves, and forget the past, which has been so fruitless in this respect, by the buoyant hope that a better state of affairs is to prevail in the near future.
A projected railroad-the Cincinnati and Columbus-has been graded through here, crossing the central part of the township, from north to south. This, when completed, will be of the great- est advantage to farmers, who now have to haul all grain, and other superfluous farm products, in some instances, many miles to a shipping point.
GRAPE GROVE,
The only place in the township dignified with the name of village, is the point at which the contemplated depot will be built, and is situated about equi-distant from three shipping places, namely, Jamestown in this, and Solon and Salem in Clarke County, the three places being respectively about five miles distant. In about the year 1830, Andrew Fogg and William Lewis purchased the ground and planted a vineyard of some eight acres, expecting to make the cultivation of the vine a specialty, desiring, of course, to be remunerated pecuniarily for their trouble and expense. One or two small houses were erected near the spot, and the place soon be- came known as Grape Grove, which name it continues to bear, al- though the vineyard has long since passed away, and would have
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been forgotten years ago had not a post-office been established here with the old name, which it continues to perpetuate, and probably will retain centuries in the future. No lots were regularly laid off, but several parties bought little patches of ground here, and erect- ed upon them a few small houses, which to-day constitute all there is of the village. John Burteh purchased a lot, and erected a small store-room thereon, some eight years ago, since which time he has kept a stock of general merchandise, which is exchanged to his patrons for cash or farm products, as they please, and, for a coun- try store, this may be considered as one of the prosperous kind, as indicated by the fact that Mr. Burtch purposes erecting a new build- ing, on a more commodious and extensive plan, to meet the de- mands of his increasing trade. This store, however, is remarkable for nothing, save that it is the only establishment of the kind in the limits of the township. The only other building of a business character is a blacksmith shop, which has stood upon the spot many years. The present proprietor, a Mr. Snapp, is, however, a new citizen of the place, having only become possessor of the shop a few weeks since. This being the only smithy within a radius of several miles, usually is well patronized, and does a fair business for such an isolated place. Besides the two industries, to which refer- ence has already been made, the place boasts a carpenter, in the person of Mr. Kidwell, who is also the present clerk of the town- ship. A small frame office, now in a fair way for completion, is destined to be used as a "doctor's shop," and the population of the place will, in a few weeks, be increased by the advent of a dispenser of pills, who proposes to battle with ills to which weak humanity is at all times subject, and who will be remembered in years yet unborn as the first disciple of the Esculapian art who established himself permanently in Ross Township.
A post-office was established here some thirty years ago, and Andrew Fogg was the first postmaster in the township. He filled the position in a manner satisfactory to the government for a num- ber of years, and was succeeded by Maria Ritenour, who, after serving faithfully in this capacity a good many years, resigned the cares of the United States postal matters in this locality to the present incumbent, Mr. John Burteh, who unites the labors in this capacity with those of the mercantile business, both of which he manages to the satisfaction of all concerned. The mail is brought from Jamestown semi-weekly, by a carrier, the sight of whom re-
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
minds the observer that the "good old days" (as some are wont to term them), before railroads had been established in almost every township in the state, when the modes of conveyance were slow and difficult, and the manner of communication by no means rapid, have not entirely passed from among us.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Who was really the first settler in this township, is a question that cannot be determined with any degree of accuracy, as the old inhabitants are all dead, and tradition fails to inform us who was actually the first white man who established himself permanently in this township.
Probably, as early as any in the north part of the township, came John Harper, a native of Harper's Ferry, Maryland, from whose antecedents that place derived its name, who is supposed to have located here with his family, as early as 1804. He purchased one thousand two hundred acres of land, upon which. he erected the first round log cabin in that neighborhood. Mr. Harper was the head of a family of seven children, four of them being boys; so that in the work of the clearing, he was not single handed. There being considerable prairie land upon his farm, he was enabled with- out the labor of first clearing, to farm on what was then considered a large scale. George Harper, a son of John, and a resident of Cedarville Township, is the second largest land holder in Ross Township, being the possessor of more than seven hundred acres of first-class land.
Peter Huffman, a native of Hardy County, Virginia, immigrated to this township with his family of six children, about 1805, and purchased one hundred and twenty-eight acres of land, all, at that time, being heavily timbered. Being a man of energy and deter- mination, he applied himself vigorously to the work of clearing and bringing his farm under a paying condition, and the excellent crops he raised amply reimbursed him for his labor. After living many years in his log hut-with no mode of ingress or egress, but by an opening in the logs over which a large cloth hung for a door; he decided to build a more comfortable home, and in 1825, put up the first hewed log house in this part of the township. It was considered an elegant structure in those days, and is at the present time occupied as a residence.
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William Harpole emigrated from Virginia, to Ross County, Ohio, in a very early day, and coming to this county, located in Ross Township, about 1806. He was father of a large family, and upon his arrival here, purchased about two thousand acres of land, part of which was in Madison County. He built his little cabin, as had the others before him, and lived in it many years; but this house has long since moulded away, and not a log now remains to point out the spot on which it stood.
Joseph Butcher from Virginia, immigrated to this township, about 1806, with a family of three children. He at once purchased one hundred and eight acres of land, all of which was heavily timbered, upon which he erected a cabin, furnished as they usually were, with puncheon floor and split-slat-door, and in this house the family lived contentedly many years. Mr. Butcher resided here till his death, after which the farm fell into the hands of his son who con- tinnes to reside there.
David Larkin from Maryland, settled in the northern part of this township, in about 1806. He married a daughter of John Harper, and became, before his death, the owner of a fine farm in this locality, which is now under an excellent state of cultivation, being as productive, according to its size, as any farm in the township. The first brick house in the township, was probably built by Mr. Larkin, who erected a brick structure in 1827.
Josephus Atkinson, a native of York County, Pennsylvania, with his wife, a native of Tennessee, and two children, came to Clinton County, this state, in 1811. After remaining there four years, they removed to Cæsar's Creek Township, this county, where they re- mained till 1822, when he moved to this township, and located per- manently on three hundred acres of land, which at that date cost him about three dollars per acre. This land was what was then known as the Barrens, of which about one hundred acres was prairie, the remainder heavily timbered. Quite a number of log huts had been erected upon this land, by temporary dwellers therein, and into one of these Mr. Atkinson moved, and resided till after the birth of several children, of which he was the father of eleven. His farm at that date, was very wet, and the grass grew seven or eight feet high. Eight or ten acres was considered a big crop of corn, and even then, those who had a superfluity of this article found it difficult to dispose of it at any price. Mr. Atkinson dealt a good deal in stock, and frequently drove cattle and hogs,
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
through to Philadelphia and Baltimore; it requiring some six or seven hands to watch the stock, and about seventy days to make the round trip. Levi Atkinson, son of Josephus, also, in later years made several of these trips, and is now, doubtless, the only person in the township, who, from personal experience, knows the hardships to be encountered, and overcome by all those who at- tempted these journeys through the wilderness that existed along the route, between this place and a market, more that fifty years ago. These trips, however, proved highly remunerative to Mr. Atkinson, who, in time, became the largest landholder in the town- ship, as he possessed last spring some one thousand two hundred and forty-eight acres, part of which he has since deeded to his sons. The eight hundred acres that he still retains in his own name, makes Levi Atkinson the owner of more land than any other one man in Ross Township.
Probably the first permanent settler near the central part of the township, was Robinson Fletcher, who came from Virginia to this township, in about 1808, with a family of six children. He pur- chased three hundred acres of land, on what was known as the " Monroe Survey," all of which was densely wooded; however, by the assistance of his sons, he cleared a goodly portion of it and re- mained here till 1855, when he disposed of the old farm to Cyrus Little, who, in turn, sold it to the present proprietor, Daniel Little, about sixteen years ago.
Peter Woodring settled here, in 1808, on three acres of land, which he purchased of Fletcher, who was acting as agent to Mon- roe, who owned all the land in this vicinity. Mr. Woodring erected a little cabin, and remaining there till his family all died, when he removed to the southern part of the township, and purchased about one hundred acres of good land, which he lived upon and contin- ued to improve till his death, which occurred about 1860. .
Richard Beeson, immigrated here from Virginia, about 1808, and purchased fifty acres of land of Fletcher, for which he paid him at the rate of fifty cents per acre. Mr. Beeson built a small cabin, and did a little clearing upon the place where he remained till 1817, when he disposed of his farm and left the community.
Mitchell Insley, a native of Maryland, came to this township with his mother, in 1815, and took a lease of land from Fletcher. He was a bachelor, and never became a landholder, but after re- maining on Fletcher's land a number of years, he removed to another
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place, and continued to move-verifying the old adage that " a roll- ing stone gathers no moss"-till his death, which occurred some twenty years ago.
Allen Rickstraw, from Maryland, came to this township, about 1816, and also leased land of Fletcher, who continued to act as Monroe's agent in this locality. Mr. Rickstraw, built a small cabin in the woods, and went cheerfully to work, to hew his way into the wilderness of forest that surrounded him on every hand, and in a . short time had caused the aspect of things to change so materially that the original woods near him were hardly recognizable. In a few years, he lost his wife and two sons, and becoming discourged, and having nothing to keep him longer upon the spot which served to remind him daily of his misery, he abandoned the home where he had once hoped to pass his days, and removed to another township, where he died years ago.
The next settler in this part of the township, was Jacob Little, a native of Frederick County, Virginia, who immigrated here with his family, in 1817, and purchased fifty acres of land from Richard Beeson, at less than one dollar per acre. A few years later, he in- creased his farm by three hundred additional acres, which he pur- chased of Fletcher at the nominal price of one dollar and thirty- seven cents per acre. When Mr. Little moved upon the place, there was a little spot of the ground cleared, and the outlook for making a home, the least desirable in this locality was gloomy indeed ; how- ever, he determined to give up the prospect, only when he had tested and found it impracticable; so when he moved into the round log cabin with a single room, and that a small one, it was with the set- tled purpose of establishing himself permanently, and bettering his surroundings as rapidly as possible. At this date, deer, wild tur- keys, and wolves were abundant in the neighborhood. The fond- ' ness of these latter animals for mutton, made it almost impossible to raise sheep; it could be done, indeed, only by the closest watch- ing through the day, and by enclosing the flock with a high fence during the night. Squirrels were innumerable, and the deprada- tions committed by them upon the growing corn was enough to test the morals of the most patient. It is said that these animals would destroy the corn, even after it was eighteen inches high, unless means were adopted to keep them frightened from the fields.
Mr. Little put out an orchard shortly after moving upon his place, and in a few years had an abundant supply of what was then
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
first-class fruit. Part of the trees are still prolific. In 1825, he also erected a hewed log house, which was then considered the most pretentious residence within a radins of two miles. This house has long since been torn down, but some of the puncheons are still to be found, and have been utilized by his son, Daniel, in building a corn-erib. The old farm is now the property of this son, who is a prominent man in the neighborhood, and noted for the uprightness of his daily life, and the willingness with which he at all times takes in the poor wayfarer, and metes ont to him of this world's goods, after the good old-fashioned manner so preva- lent during the days of our forefathers. Mr. Little is also the largest land-owner in the township, and has an excellent farm of more than six hundred aeres in a fine state of cultivation.
David Little, with his family of eight children, came from Vir- ginia to this township, in 1820, and when he reached his destina- tion, the head of the family found himself possessed of just twelve and one half cents ; nothing daunted by the low ebb of his finances, he immediately bought of Jacob Little, one hundred acres of land at the rate of two dollars per acre, and for the first payment gave Jacob Little his two horses and wagon, and paid for the remainder of his farm by working for his creditor by the day. Besides pay- ing for his farm, he also cleared it to a considerable extent during his life-time, and erected buildings which, whatever may be said against them, were at least as comfortable as those of any farmer in the neighborhood.
Martin Little, came here from Virginia, in 1821, and John Little from the same state, in 1823. The former purchased two hundred acres of land, and the latter four hundred. Both farms were heav- ily timbered, and the trees cut to build cabins for these men and their families, were the first ones missing in the surrounding forest, save one here and there which had been felled by hunters in their quest for " coons," which abounded here at that date.
John Towel, with his wife and two children, came to this town- ship from Frederick County, Virginia, several years prior to 1820. Mr. Towel, had been a soldier in the war of 1812, and in this ca- pacity was noted for his bravery and the fearlessness of all his move- ments. The journey of this family from their native state here, was made on horse back and afoot. The backs of two faithful horses carried all they possessed of this world's goods, which con- sisted, principally, of two feather beds, which were packed, one, in
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each end of an empty tick, which also contained all their super- fluous clothing. Their cooking utensils, consisting of a skillet and a few pans, were also taken with them. The journey here was long and tedious, and one of their horses becoming disabled by tearing off its hoof in its efforts to extricate its leg from the logs of an old barn, where it had got entangled during the night, they were com- pelled to remain upon the spot six weeks, till the faithful animal had so far recovered as to be able to travel again; however, they . succeeded finally in reaching their destination in time to put out a small crop of corn, and build a rude cabin the same spring. Mr. Towel is described as having been a man of excellent parts, and just such a one as was needed to direct the chaotic state of affairs that then prevailed, into the channel which led to the present pros- perity enjoyed by all persons in the community, who were so for- tunate as to come within the circle of his goodly influence.
Among the oldest and most influential of the early settlers must be mentioned David Paulin, who immigrated to this township prior to 1810, and purchased a large scope of land, a portion of which is now owned by his son James. Mr. Paulin was the father of a large family, six of whom were sons, so that in the work of clearing he was not single-handed, and soon had a goodly portion of land in a suitable condition to be farmed, in which business he engaged, on what was then considered an extensive scale. Several of Mr. Paulin's sons are residents of the neighborhood in which their father settled, and are among the most prominent and influ- .ential men in the township. One of the sons, Enos, is the fourth largest land holder in the township. His farm contains about six hundred acres, in a fine state of cultivation.
Francis Brock immigrated to this township from North Carolina, about 1810, and purchasing a small farm of Mr. Insley, moved into · a round log hut, which had been built some time before his arrival ; he lived here some time, and built a hewed log house, in which he resided until he built the brick, which was the first in this part of the township, in 1839. At one time Mr. Broek owned about two thousand acres of land, only about half of which was in this town- ship. He remained upon the old homestead till his death in 1857. Mr. Broek was a prominent man in the community, and a leading member of the old Bethel Methodist Church, which he liberally supported till his death.
Zara Insley, one of the first settlers in the township, came, with a
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
large family, from Maryland, about 1804, and purchased one hun- dred acres of land, now owned by John Little. Mr. Insley was married twice, and had a family of twelve children, none of whom reside in the neighborhood of their old home.
In the southern part of the township John Campbell purchased sixty-five acres of land, about 1805, but did not move upon it; after passing through several hands, it was bought by Isaac Taylor, the present owner, in 1827, when he came to this township from Rock- bridge County, Virginia, with his wife and one child. Mr. Tay- lor's family was afterwards increased by eight more children. He built the brick home in which he now resides, in 1840, which makes it the fourth brick residence in the township, the third having been built by Jacob Paulin, a short time before. It is said the first brick chimney in the county was built in this neighborhood by Ephriam Simpson, who immigrated here from Pennsylvania as early as 1803, which, if true, would make him the first settler in this township.
Lyman Ballard was a native of Pennsylvania, from which state he came to Ohio previous to 1800, and located in Adams County, where he subsequently married. He came with his family to Ross Township in 1823, and bought land of William Frazier, who had purchased it years before. Mr. Ballard was the first man in the township who had a wagon and four-horse team, and he used to go to Clifton to mill with a load of grain for himself, and neighbors who had no conveyance, about two days being the usual time re- quired to make the trip. He was one of the leading men in the township, and frequently preached in the old Bethel Church, of which he was one of the most prominent members. His son, Jackson Ballard, resides upon the old place, and is one of the model farmers, having himself cultivated this year a field of corn con- taining thirteen acres, which is said to be the best in Greene. County.
Among the early settlers of this township, may be mentioned Levi Haines, from Kentucky, who came here about 1807, and bought one hundred acres of land. He was a carpenter by trade, and was killed by falling from a barn which he was building.
Jonathan Flood, from Virginia, settled here in about 1805, when he purchased sixty acres of land from Mr. Trader, who had entered a large tract here for grazing purposes. Mr. Flood was a radical Methodist preacher, and was also one of the early justices of the peace in this township.
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Joel Dolbey, another Methodist preacher, came here from Vir- ginia, with his large family, about 1808, and purchased sixty acres of land. He died years ago, and the members of his family have all left this township, and now reside in the west.
John Shiegley brought his family here from Virginia, in 1808, and purchased eighty acres of land, upon which he built a cabin, where he lived till 1828, when he disposed of his property here and removed to Indiana, where his descendants now reside.
James Johnson, William Miers, Charles Mahen, and George Junkins were also early settlers in this part of the township.
MANUFACTORIES.
The first thing in Ross Township that can be reckoned in this connection, was the blacksmith shop of Jacob Little, which he. built on the farm where his son Daniel now resides, immediately upon his settlement there in 1817. The demand for horse-shoeing was not then so extensive as at present, but this being the only shop within a radius of several miles, Mr. Little scarcely ever felt the want of something to do. Some of the plow-shovels made by him are still extant in the neighborhood, having been used, at intervals, for more than fifty years, and from appearances, will stand the wear and tear of another half century before becoming wholly unfit for service. The second smithy in this township was on Lyman Bal- lard's place, and was built by Olivet Mahen, about 1840, who worked here several years. After him, James McCord and James Glass worked at their trade here till about 1850, when the shop was vacated. In an early day George Junkins and Peter Shiegley also run shops of this kind here, but they have long since been va- cated, and now the only one in the township is in Grape Grove, the proprietor of which is said to do a thriving business.
The first saw mill in the township was built by George Junkins, about 1820, who did an extensive business till 1830, when he dis- posed of the property to a Mr. West, who continued to operate it some four or five years, when he gave up the business, since which time the mill has not been run; the old frame, however still stands upon the north fork of Massie's Creek, a rapidly decaying monu- ment of days long gone by.
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