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 72
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The second and only remaining mill in the township, was built on Mr. Gordin's place about 1830, by Jerry Dowler and Samuel
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Leffle. This mill was operated here for some time, water having to be hauled some distance for that purpose. In 1835 the mill was moved to Robinson Fletcher's land, where it was purchased by William Lewis and Andrew Fogg, who began grinding corn, and run it successfully for some time. The old building stands at the Grove, but is not used. It is now the property of John Towell.
The only manufacturing industry in the township now in opera- tion is the tile factory, which has recently been established in the northern part of the township, by Messrs. Strause and Reiber. They employ three hands, and make four different sizes of tiling, which, owing to the excellent quality of the clay in this locality, is a first-class article.
SCHOOLS.
The first school house in the township, of which any account can be obtained, was at what was called "Paddy's Crossing," on Mr. Harper's land, and was built in 1815. It was a round log house, with plank door ou wooden hinges; the floor was of roughly-split puncheon, and the light came in through a greased paper, which, pasted over a crack left in the wall, answered for a window. The first teacher here was Jerry O'Leary, a native of the Emerald Isle, who was also one of the first preachers in the township, and used to preach from house to house. Frank Crisman, Josiah Ballard, and Harmon Browder were among the earliest teachers here, and were pronounced good pedagogues, but very strict.
The first hewed log school house was built on David Paulin's land, about 1822. The ceiling was of puncheon, and seats of split logs. Pupils came here to school a distance of four miles. Josiah Ballard was also the first teacher here, and for his services he re- ceived about five dollars per month. A few years later a hewed log house was built on Jacob Little's farm, and soon there were quite a number of these primitive educational establishments scat- tered through the woods.
Among the earliest teachers, David Burley, Samuel Harvey, Sam- uel MeHatten, Isaac Taylor, and Thomas Loomis may be mentioned as men of considerable ability in their vocations. A teacher in those days who could take his pupils to the rule of three, and who clearly understood, and had the happy faculty of being able to cx- plain the mystery of common and decimal fractions, was considered
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a finished scholar, and his ability to fathom all questions requiring mathematical demonstrations was considered unlimited.
The report of the township clerk for the year ending August 31, 1879, shows a balance in the treasury of $1,884.13. The number of school houses now in the township is eight, the whole amount of school property being valued at six thousand dollars. The schools continue in session thirty-one weeks in the year, and re- quire the services of eight competent teachers, of which the average wages is thirty-nine dollars for men and twenty-seven dol- lars for women teachers per month. The total number of pupils enrolled this year was 274; of these forty-nine were between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one.
CHURCHES.
The first denomination of any kind in this township was the Protestant Methodists, who had preaching at different houses in the neighborhood prior to 1820. These meetings were frequently held in the little log cabin of Berah Orcutt, which contained only one room, and here the settlers would gather on preaching days, bare-footed and in their shirt-sleeves. Robert Dobbins was one of the first ministers who preached here, and while he expounded the scriptures, Mrs. Orcutt, in the same room, watched the boiling of the old iron kettle, which hung in the fire-place, and the baking of the corn-pone, with which the congregation were to be refreshed when the services were concluded. Rev. Z. Brown was also an itinerant preacher, who frequently stopped at Orcutt's and held meetings. The congregation built themselves a frame church, about 1830, called the Bethel Church, and meetings were held here many years : but the members finally became scattered, the old church was sold, and is now used for a barn.
The Wesleyan Methodists built the second church in the town- ship, on Daniel Little's farm, about 1850, and had services here till during the war, when the church ceased to exist as a separate congregation. The house passed into the hands of the Disciples, who held services in it till they built their present church edifice, in Grape Grove, in 1870. It is a neat frame building, and worth, together with the lot, about $1,200. At the present time they have no regular pastor, but expect to secure the services of one soon. They have a membership of eighty; and a Sunday-school, of
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which Asa Little is superintendent, with an average attendance of about fifty.
At the present time the Methodists have a church in the southern part of the township. The house has been built some years, and is worth about $1,200. They have a good congregation for a country church, and during the summer months sustain a good Sunday-school.
CEMETERIES. 1
The first regular grave-yard was established on Jacob Little's farm, before 1820, and here quite a number of the old settlers are buried. But this spot of ground has not been used for such pur- poses for years; and although the little lot is full of graves, but few head-stones are there to tell the name and date of the death of those who lie beneath.
. The second cemetery was also established on Mr. Little's farm, east of Grape Grove, about 1825, and this is still in use; and here many old settlers have been resting many years. Among others, good old Mr. Orcutt and wife, Jacob Little and wife, J. H. Patten and wife, and also the wife of Joseph Thomas, the famous " White Pilgrim," are, with the Insley's, remembered as being among the earliest pioneers of the township.
' The Bethel grave-yard is still in use, and was established about 1830. Perhaps more old settlers are buried here than in any other place in the township. Members of the families of Gordins, Walk- ers, Insleys, Tarkins, Millers, Ballards, Shigleys, Frasiers, Snod- grasses, and a host of others, are familiar to all persons in the township as having been influential persons in the community in which each resided. Requiescat in pace.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Levi Atkinson, farmer, Selma, is a native of this county ; was born December 5, 1818. July 27, 1848, he was married to Mary B. Phillips, by whom he has had six children: John O., Ann M., Laura, Charles F., Seth M., and Gwenn, all of whom are living, save Charles T., who died May 11, 1861, aged five years. Mr. At- kinson has been farming since 1848. Twelve years preceding that date, he was engaged in buying cattle in the western states, and
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driving them to Pennsylvania. There being no railroads from the place of purchase to the market, he was compelled to drive the stock through. He has a farm of six hundred and seventy-two acres. Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson are members of the Friends Church.
John O. Atkinson, farmer and minister, was born in Madison County, Ohio, April 21, 1849. At the age of four years he came to this county with his parents, and has resided within its bounds ever since. On the 24th of April, 1870, he was married to Alice Wise. They are the parents of one child, May Wise, born Sep- tember 21, 1871. Mr. Atkinson has a farm of two hundred acres, on which he lives. He farms to both grain and stock, and deals largely in sheep, In 1879 he sheared one thousand four hundred and seventy sheep, the wool of which weighed 9,828 pounds. During his feeding seasons, he feeds about nine hundred bushels of corn per month. Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was raised by Quaker parents, but feeling that he was unconverted, he sought forgiveness of his sins; found peace at a Methodist camp-meeting, held at Gravel Chapel, near Selma, 'and united with the church at that place, under the labors of Revs. J. Verity and A. W. Tibbitts. This conversion took place January 1, 1870. He immediately began work in the church, by holding prayer-meetings at school and farm houses. Mr. Atkinson is now preaching in the school-dis- trict where he held his first prayer-meeting. He received his first license to preach, July 20, 1872, and has been expounding the gos- pel ever since. By invitation of two non-professors of religion, he went to South Solon to preach; the result of which was the or- ganization of a church of eighty-one members, which is still flourishing. Rev. Atkinson has never received a dollar for his ministerial labors. He has been offered money repeatedly for his work, but declined accepting it, saying : "It is the cause of Christ that I am laboring for, and not for money."
James Ballard, farmer, Grape Grove, is a native of this county, where he was educated; was born May 21, 1836; married, January 12, 1861, to Deborah Gordon, who was born March 10, 1838, and four children are the result of their union, Anna May, Ella, Flora, and Paul H. Our subject has a farm of sixty-four acres, on which he lives. Mr. and Mrs. Ballard are members of the Christian Church of Grape Grove, he uniting with that church May 10, 1858, and Mrs. Ballard seven years previous. The school house in which
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Mr. Ballard first went to school was made of logs; the seats were made of elm poles, split in the middle, and pins put in for legs. The windows were made the full length of the house, and were twenty inches wide, under which the desks were placed, which were made of slabs, laid on pins. Mr. Ballard's parents, Josiah and Isabella (Miller) Ballard, were natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. Ballard died October 10, 1845, and Mrs. Ballard April 10, 1862.
Jackson' Ballard, farmer, Jamestown, is a native of Adams County, Ohio; was born October 25, 1822; came, with his parents, to this county when he was about four years of age, and has been a resident of this county since that time. Married Maggie Taylor, of this county, in May, 1851. Four children are the result of this union : Isaac T., Fannie, Rosa, and Minnie, three of whom survive. Isaac T. was called to eternity at the early age of seventeen years. Mr. Ballard has a farm of three hundred and thirty-five acres, well improved, and farms to both grain and stock. He is one of the most industrious and enterprising men of this county, as is evi- denced by his fine farm and excellent stock. He remembers dis- tinetly when this part of the country had no pikes, and when there were no grain reapers except the sickle. He was old enough to work in the harvest field when he saw the first grain cradle that was in this part of the county. The pleasure vehicles were com- mon road wagons and sleds. Turkeys and squirrels were very nu- merous when he was a boy. There were wild deer in the neigh- borhood when he was quite a large boy. The school house in which he obtained the early part of his education was a log struc- ture, with slab seats, and with writing-desks made of slabs, laid on pins driven into the wall.
J. H. Brotherton, farmer, Cedarville, is a native of Berkeley County, Virginia; was born May 14, 1825; came to this county, with his parents, October 18, 1835, and has been a resident ever since that time. Married Electa Jane Lawrence September 26, 1850, who bore him seven children, John W., Amelia Josephine, Eugene, Wilbur, Orville, Charles F., and Burt Earl, five of whom are living, John W. and Orville having been called from earth. Amelia J. is married, the others remain unmarried. John Broth- erton, father of our subject, died in Delaware County, Indiana, in 1863, and his mother died in the same county, in May, 1879. They were natives of England, and came to America in 1818, locating in Berkeley County, Virginia; left there for Ohio, October 1, 1835;
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arrived at their destination on the 18th of the same month, and re- mained in this county until 1849, when they went to Indiana. Our subject has a farm of two hundred and seventeen acres, well im- proved, and farms chiefly to grain at present, previously to stock. Was elected county commissioner in 1865, and held the office until 1871. The new infirmary, and many other county improvements, were made during his administration. He taught school in one of the old school houses, which has long ago given place to the new. He has been a member of the board of education for twenty years, - and has been clerk of his school district for the same length of time.
Frederick W. Carper, farmer, Grape Grove, was born in Vir- ginia, November 10, 1815, where he was reared. Married Miss Mariam Ritenour March 15, 1841, who bore him eleven children : Joseph R., Louisa, Scott, Taylor, Hall, Anna B., James M., Mariam, Mercella, Ella, and Lolie; eight living. Joseph died at Washing- ton, D. C., June 2, 1865, of a disease contracted by compulsory exposure, while in the service of his perishing country. Volun- teered in 1862; served in Company A, Ninetieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Anna and Mariam are also deceased. Mrs. Carper died February 2, 1871, aged fifty-two years. She was an exemplary member of the Disciple Church, in which faith she died triumph- antly. The surviving children, save James, Ella, and Lola, are / married, which leaves a small though pleasant family to cheer the father in his declining years. He farmed from early manhood till 1879, when he removed to Grape Grove, where he now lives.
George W. Conner, farmer, Jamestown, is a native of Fayette County. He was born August 24, 1830, and reared and educated in that county. Came to this county in 1856, and was married February 20, 1862, to Mary A. Atkinson, four children being the result of the union : James R. M., Charles E., Lyle Rose, and Paris F., who died June 4, 1871, aged eleven months. Mrs. Conner died October 26, 1872. She was a member of the Protestant Methodist Church at the time of her death-was formerly a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. She united with that church when about the age of twelve years, at which time she was soundly con- verted. She died of consumption. Regardless of her suffering she clung to her Christianity, and died triumphantly. Mr. Conner married Mary C. McMorrow May 6, 1873, who bore him three chil- dren, George F., Clara B., and Cordelia C. Of these, two survive.
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George F. died August 4, 1875, aged two months. Mr. and Mrs. Conner are members of the Protestant Methodist Church. Mr. Conner united with the church when about twelve years of age : his wife was about thirteen years of age when she joined. Although they were young, they have never regretted having taken that step in Christian life.
James K. Conner, farmer, Jamestown, is a native of Fayette County, and was born January 30, 1822, living in that county till 1847. Was married May 10, 1846, to Rebecca (Mercer) Conner, who bore him five children ; John W., Sarah E., James B., Orange M., and Eli R .; all living. She is a native of Frederick County, Virginia, but was reared in Ohio. Mr. Conner is a farmer, and has also given some attention to horticulture and bees. He has a farm of one hundred and seventy-five aeres, on which he now lives, and it is well improved. Mr. and Mrs. Conner are members of the Methodist Church, he uniting with the society in 1842, she about 1838. Mr. Conner's conversion was one of permanency and great comfort to him. He has seen times of spiritual darkness, yet he is pressing on to the end of the race, where he feels there is a crown of everlasting life for him. Mrs. Conner is journeying with him, hand in hand.
Thomas HI. Harper, farmer, Selma, Clarke County, Ohio, is a native of this county ; born March 17, 1834, and has been a resi- dent of this county all his life. Was married to Rilla (Herriman) Harper, January 16, 1865. They have three children living; two deceased; Idella, Ottis, and Henry, survive. Mary and William died at the early age of two years. Their children are all unmarried, and are at home with their parents. Mr. Harper has a farm of six hundred and fifty-six acres well improved; farms chiefly to stock. Mrs. Harper is a member of the Methodist Church. Thomas' father, was a native of Maryland, and came to this county about the year 1804; was married May 17, 1818, to Mary (Sirlott) Har- per; and lived in this county the remainder of his life; died Jan- uary 13, 1878. Mrs. Harper died April 6, 1873. Mr. Harper was a farmer, owning a farm of nine hundred and ninety-five acres. He had five children, William Harrison, Minerva Ann, George W., Thomas H., and Mary L., all of whom are living.
Walker G. Hill, farmer, a native of Virginia, was born January 4, 1842, was partly raised in that state, and came to Ohio with his parents in 1851, locating in the county and township where he now
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lives. He was married, February 18, 1868, to A. M. McFarland, who has borne him seven children : Minnie, Jessie, Edward, Anna, William, Minerva, and Charles; all of whom are living, save Jessie and Anna, who died at quite early ages. Mr. Hill's parents were natives of Virginia. Mr. Hill died in that state, in 1873. Mrs. Hill died in this county, April 13, 1875; she was visiting her son, Walker, when she was laid on her death bed and died at his house. Our subject and his wife are members of the Methodist Church .. His parents were members of the Baptist Church.
John Hough, farmer, is a native of this county, where he was reared and educated ; was born April 1828, and was married April, 1853, to Evaline (Mercer) Hough, of the same county ; no children. Mr. Hough has a farm of seventy-four acres where he lives; he raises grain and stock. Mrs. Hough is a member of the Protestant Meth- odist Church. Our subject's parents were natives of Virginia. Mr. Hough died in that state; Mrs. Hough in Fayette County, Ohio, in the year 1855.
John Hutslar, farmer and cooper, Grape Grove, is a native of Frederick County, Virginia, and was born April 2, 1830. Was twice married; first to Mary A. Gibbins, four children being born to him, James W., Emily, Mary F., and John Ollie, two of whom survive. John Ollie and Emily have been called to their eternal home. Mrs. Hutslar also died in 1862. Mr. Hutslar married Ruth M. Evans in 1864. Twelve children were born to them, all of whom are living except one, who died in his early infancy. Mr. Hutslar has a farm of one hundred and forty acres, on which he lives. He works at his trade a part of each winter. He and Mrs. ITutslar are members of the Christian Church. Six of the chil- dren are also members of the same denomination. Mr. and Mrs. Hutslar were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Virginia.
Givens Lackey, farmer, Jamestown, is a native of Rockbridge County, Virginia, and was born in June, 1826. He came to this county in 1829, and he has been a permanent resident since that time. Was married to Margaret Ann Turnbull, February 7, 1855. They have four children living: James Harvey, Cyrus C., William Hunter, Joseph Clarke; one died in his infancy. Mr. Lackey has a farm of one hundred and twenty-one acres, where he lives, and one of one hundred acres on the Charleston road, two miles from Jamestown. Farms to both grain and stock. Mr. and Mrs. Lackey
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are members of the United Presbyterian Church-Mr. Lackey uniting in the spring of 1855, Mrs. Lackey some time before. Mr. Lackey's parents were natives of Virginia, and died in this county. Isaac, Givens' father, died September 30, 1850. Mrs. Lackey died November 30, 1872. Mr. Lackey remembers when the wooden plows were in use, and when the mode of threshing grain was with the flail, or tramping it with horses. He also remembers seeing wild deer and turkey on the farm where he now lives.
O. Maurice Larkin, farmer, South Charleston, was born, reared and partly educated in this county; was principally educated in the Xenia, and Richmond, Indiana, colleges. Was married to Laura Atkinson, March 8, 1874, two children being born to him, Paul Penn and Mary Frances, both living. Mr. Larkin farms to both grain and stock; has a farm of two hundred acres where he lives, and one hundred and twenty acres in Lyon County, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Larkin removed to Kansas shortly after they were mar- ried, remained there until March, 1879, and then returned to Ohio, where they have since lived. Mr. Larkin spent two years in Ala- bama before he was married. He and his father took mules to the south for sale.
Jehu McDorman, farmer, Grape Grove, is a native of this county, and was born March 25, 1832. Was married June 6, 1861, to Mary E. Rogers, of Fayette County, who was born June 22, 1836, and by whom he had three children, Joseph F., Della, and Maud Belle, all of whom are living. Mr. McDorman has a well improved farm of one hundred and forty-four acres, where he lives, and one of five hundred acres on the county line of Greene and Fayette coun- ties. He remembers when this locality was a dense forest, and when the best school house of this vicinity was a log structure, formerly occupied by a negro family. His father, James McDor- man, is a native of North Carolina; was born September 25, 1800. Came to Ohio, and located in Fayette County, where Jeffersonville now stands. There were no white people nearer than thirty miles of that place then, except his father's family, and the families of Thomas and Abner. Mr. McDorman removed to Greene County in 1834, where he lived until 1875, when he went to Clarke County, where he now lives. John, James' father, died in Fayette County. When James came to this county, there were a great many Indians located near where Oldtown now stands. They would often pass his house in going to Chillicothe. He was married in 1828 to
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Susan Cooper. They have reared a family of eight children, all of whom are living, save Harrietta, who died June, 1877. Mr. McDorman's first school house was made of round logs, had no floor, and windows made of greased paper.
Jesse N. McFarland, farmer, Cedarville, was born November 10, 1819, and has been a resident of this county all his life. Was mar- ried to Mary A. Harper, September 8, 1842. Seven children are the result of this union : Louisa, Virginia, Anstace, George R., Alexander H., Charles O., and Laura A .; Louisa and Virginia de- ceased. The children are all married but Charles. Mr. McFar- land has a farm of three hundred and eighty-five acres, on which he lives. He rents most of his land, and does but little farming. Mr. and Mrs. McFarland are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Jamestown. They feel that when they are called from earth, they will reach the home of the redeemed on high.
Hugh MeKillip, farmer, Jamestown, was born in Fayette County, Ohio, December 25, 1820, and was reared in that county. Has been twice married; first, to Margaret Mills, April 10, 1846, and had three children by this union-Esther, Elizabeth, and John W., two of whom are living, Esther being called from earth at the early age of thirteen. Her mother departed this life in July, 1851. Mr .* McKillip was married to Mary Kiser, of Clarke County, April 12, 1865. Six children were the result of this marriage: Margaret, Harlow, Lucy May, Jacob, Rachel HI., and Effa, three of whom are living; Margaret, Harlow, and Rachel H. deceased. Our subject has a farm of three hundred and sixty-five acres, well improved, on which he lives, it being one of the desirable localities of the town- ship, and farms chiefly to grain, though handling some stock. Mrs. McKillip is a member of the Baptist Church society, near Selma.
William Mercer, farmer, Jamestown, is a native of this county, and was born September 22, 1835. Was married, April 4, 1860, to Nancy A. Skeen, of Highland County, who died March 23, 1878, leaving a family of three children, James A., Hattie B., and Emma. Mrs. Mercer was a member of the Protestant Methodist Church, in which she lived an exemplary life, having been thoroughly and soundly converted, and died in the triumphs of a living faith. James is a member of the church in which his mother lived and died. Mr. Mereer has a farm of one hundred and thirty-five acres, on which he lives, farming chiefly to grain. His children are all at home with him, and are a comfort to him in the lonely hours of deprivation of his loving wife's society.
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Uriah Paullin, farmer, Jamestown, is a native of this county; was born October 14, 1842, and reared and educated in this county ; was married to Avy Evens, June 11, 1868, and has two children, Frank W. and Fannie E., both of whom are living. Mr. Paullin has a farm of two hundred and thirty-five acres, well improved, on which he lives, farming chiefly to grain. His wife and himself are charter members of the New Light (or Christian) Church of James- town. Mr. Paullin had been a student of the Bible some years; and believing the Bible required it, he united with the church. He has been a reader of the Christian Herald for years, which paper was a weekly visitor at his father's house for years, and still con- tinues in his own family.
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