History of Hamilton County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 102

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp; Williams, L.A. & co., Cleveland, O., pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio, L. A. Williams
Number of Pages: 590

USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 102

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We, whose names are hereunto affixed, do promise to pay or cause to be paid unto Mr. John Schooley, Mr. William Preston, or Luke Fos- ter, the several sums annexed to our names in cash or labour, for the use of procuring a piece of land for a Graveyard and to defray the ex- pense of a temporary Meeting house for the Presbyterian Society in this township of Springfield on demand-this fourth day of April, 1796.

NAMES. LABOUR.

LABOUR WITH CASH.

DAYS. 2

TEAM.

John Schooley.

I IO 0

Levi Sayer.

, 2

0 15 O

Endorsed: "Subscription for the Grave yard and Meeting house."

This church, after its people had met for worship for some time at Foster's grove, two miles south of Spring- dale, under the ministrations of Rev. Messrs James Kem- per, Peter Wilson, and Archibald Steele, was regularly constituted by the presbytery of Transylvania, probably in 1796. It first appears upon the presbyterial records October 2, 1798, when "a written supplication was pre- sented from Springfield for supplies." Among the early preachers to the society, besides those before named, were John E. Finley, Mr. Dunlavy, John Thomson, who had gone into the "New Light" movement, but returned from it, Matthew G. Wallace, Benjamin Graves, Sayrs Gazlay, and William Graham. The later settled pastors have been Adrian Aten, 1833-41 ; J. M. Stone, 1841-9; George P. Bergen, 1849-57; T. E. Hughes, 1858-66; William H. James, 1866 to this time. Mr. Thomson, who served

the church over twenty years, was the father of four dis- tinguished sons, of whom the Syrian missionary and au- thor of The Land and the Book, Rev. William M. Thomson, D. D., is one. The first meeting-house-"a large frame building, nearly square, with galleries on the three sides, and the pulpit at the north end" was put up in 1801-2; the building now occupied, a spacious brick church, was erected in 1834. A notable revival occurred in 1802, and the next year the church numbered one hundred and three members, and was one of the strongest societies in Hamilton county, Cincinnati included. Among the early elders were John Watson, William Pres- ton, Moses Miller, Thomas McIntire, Abraham Lindley, James Andrews, Benjamin Perlee, Caleb Crane, and others.

In the winter of 1801-2 a remarkable religious move- ment, which took the name of the New Light, or Ken- tucky revival, spread into southwestern Ohio. It began in the Presbyterian churches of southern Kentucky, in 1800, and soon spread northward through that State, and finally into this, affecting chiefly the Presbyterians, but to some extent other denominations. . In the winter named two clergymen from Kentucky, John Thomson and Richard McNemar, before mentioned, preached often and very effectively at many points in the Miami coun- try. Their work was specially active at Springfield vil- lage, where Thomson ultimately settled as pastor, and at the Turtle Creek Presbyterian church, near the present Union village, or Shakertown, in Warren county, where McNemar settled.

The history of the Miami Baptist association, by the Hon. A. H. Dunlevy, to which we owe these facts, thus relates, and apparently without prejudice, the singular characteristics of this revival :

The effects of this revival can only be glanced at here. Indeed, the reality would hardly be credited now. New as the country was, congre- gations of one, two, and three thousand often collected at different points, and even evening meetings at private houses not unfrequently had such crowds that they were compelled to remain out of doors dur- ing the services. In cold weather it was not uncommon to build large fires around the house of logs, then very easily had, in order to the com- fort of those outside of the house.

At first the excitement was distinguished by the falling exercise. This was marked by loud breathing at first, growing more and more rapid until the subject of it seemed to swoon, then fall, and be appa- rently without breathing for some hours. Hundreds would thus be seen prostrated in a few moments, and sometimes nearly every adult in the meeting, preacher and all, would be down at once-some silent, with scarcely the appearance of life, others apparently recovering, and either crying for mercy or praising God, with loud voices. Even wicked men who went to scoff, I have known to fall like others, wholly unable to control themselves, for a longer or a shorter time. On the recovery of these they would be unable to account for the effect on them, and in some cases such persons thus fell without producing even seriousness, more than for a few minutes, or hours at the furthest. In most in- stances, however, this falling was attended with strong convictions of sin, which resulted in permanent conversion.

The falling exercise was succeeded by the rolling exercise, which consisted in being cast down in a violent manner, and rolling over and over like a hog.

The next in time was the jerks. These were attended by violent twitchings of the muscles of the neck, arms, and sometimes of the whole body. The head would frequently be thrown from one side to another, backwards and forwards, so forcibly as to appear to threaten dislocation of the neck.

A fourth exercise was what was called the barks. The individuat af- fected by this would bark like a dog, and often move about on hands

REEVES McGILLIARD, EsQ.

The parents of the subject of this sketch were John and Elizabeth (Campbell) McGilliard. The father was born in Pennsylvania in 1788, and at the age of eight years, in 1796, was brought to Springfield township by his parents, and spent there- mainder of his days there, dying in 1878, at the ad- vanced age of ninety years, He was a prominent man in local affairs in his day, filling at different times nearly every township of- fice-as trustee, treasurer, justice of the peace, con- stable, etc. Elizabeth Campbell, his wife, was born in 1784, and died in 1861, aged seventy-seven years. Among their chil- dren was one daughter, Mary, now widow of John Moore, and residing at Mt. Pleasant. There were three sons, Andrew, William, and Reeves, all of whom are still living in Springfield township. William is the subject of a notice in our pre- vious sketches.

Reeves McGillard, residing nearly two miles east of Mt. Pleasant, was born in 1809. He was married

in 1833 to Miss Sarah Gardiner, of this township. Their children were two, Esther and Eliza Ann, both of whom died in 1864-the mother having pre- ceded her chidren to the grave by four years. About two years thereafter Mr. McGilliard was married to Miss Sarah Brown. He has followed the business of farming during all his active life. For more than twenty consecutive years he was entrusted by his fellow-citizens with the responsible duties of jus- tice of the peace, which he discharged to the general satisfaction. He has also, from time to time, served as township trustee and school director. Himself and wife are both mem- bers of the Christian church, and have long been among its staunchest supporters. Mr. McGil- liard has passed the Psalm- MOSS I.VE SOM ist's limit of human life by almost two years, but retains considerable vigor of mind and body, and is regarded by his friends as a remarkably well-preserved old gentle- man.

JOHN ROSS FIELD.

The progenitors of Mr. Field in this country were of Scotch-Irish ex- traction. John, his great-great-grandfather, was the first of the name and family in America. He came from Bradford, Hertfordshire, Eng- land, and was in the fifth generation, in direct line, from John Field, the celebrated astronomer of the sixteenth century, who was born in 1525. The later John was born in England, May 15, 1659, and settled in Piscataway township, Middlesex county, New Jersey, in 1685, where his descendants reside so numerously that their residence district (now in Somerset county) along the Raritan river, has received the popular name of Fieldville. A paper read some years ago, before the Histori- cal Society of New Brunswick, concerning this family, says : "'The ruling characteristics of this branch of the family, and perhaps their greatest usefulness to the world, has been their example of earnestness in the common pursuits of life."

Jeremiah, son of John Field, born May 17, 1689, was father of Benjamin, whose natal day was February 19, 1725. He in turn was father of Jacob, born February 7, 1768, married Hester Ross, also of Middlesex county, December 25, 1790, and died on the farm now oc- cupied by his son, the subject of this notice. One of his brothers, Michael, uncle of John R. Field, was killed in action at the battle of Monmouth, June 27, 1778. The latter was the sixth son of Jacob and Hester (Ross) Field, and was born at New Brunswick, Middlesex county, New Jersey, March 13, 1810. At the age of two years he was brought with his father's family to Ohio, coming in wagons all the way with the Ross, Schooley, and Coddington families, all of whom were related. The Fields tarried for a while where St. Bernard now is, in Mill Creek township, and then, in 1813, came to the vicinity of the present residence of John R. Field, settling upon a farm just beyond the creek, between his home and Glendale. His father taught school for a short time, but devoted his attention mainly to the improvement of his place. About 1816 the family removed to the farm now in pos- sesssion of his son, one mile west of Glendale. Here died Jacob Field, April 1, 1842, aged seventy-four years, and Hester his wife, October 7, 1854, aged eighty-four years.

John's advantages of early education were but limited, being confined to the poor and widely scattered schools of that time. He remained with his father, engaged in the pursuits of the farm, until his twenty- fourth year, when he was united in marriage to Miss Harriet P. Perine, also of Springfield township, January 7, 1834, by the Rev. Adrian Aten, pastor of the Presbyterian church at Springdale. After the age of twenty-one, by reason of the increasing age and infirmities of his

W.M.& U.

MRS. JOHN ROSS FIELD.

father, the cares of the farm devolved upon Mr. Field, who at majority came into possession of the place. He took his young wife to the paternal home, where they have since resided. Their children have been: Jacob, born January 27, 1835, died in infancy at the age of but ten days ; Martha Anderson, born April 2, 1836, died Angust 7, 1858 ; Jane, born January 2, 1838, died June 27, 1841; Hester Ann, born July 27, 1839, died May 23, 1864; Elizabeth, born April 20, 1841, married October 29, 1862, to James W. Moore, a farmer residing near Mt. Pleasant; Charles Milton, born February 4, 1843, married Lydia A. Hough November 18, 1863, and resides as a farmer upon a place im- mediately adjoining his father's ; Sarah Isabella, born April 9, 1846, and still resides with her parents; Catharine Rowen, born February 6, 1848, died February 17, r86r ; Lydia Ross, born November 7, 1851, died November 21, 1877.

Mr. Field has been a quiet farmer, but little in official life, and not connected with any religious or secret society organization. He was formerly a Whig in politics, but for many years has cast his vote with the Democratic party. At the age of seventy-one years, he is naturally beginning to feel the weight of age, and for six or seven years has suf- fered the partial loss of his speech.

Harriet Porter Perine, now Mrs. John R. Field, was the second daughter of John I. and Jane (Van Tuyl) Perine. Her father was a native of White Creek, New York, and her mother of the adjoining town, Cambridge, Washington county. She was born at White Creek, November 13, 1813, and at the age of eight years came with her family to Ohio, her father dying soon after in Ashtabula county, where he meant to settle. The widow and her young family then came on to Springfield township, where her brother, Thomas B. Van Tuyl, was settled, his lands adjoining Mr. Field's on the west. In the family of this uncle Harriet was brought up. When ten years old she experi- enced her first great grief in the loss of an older sister, Mary Ann, residing in Hamilton as an attendant at school, who was killed with three others by one fell stroke of lightning, April 5, 1825. Her mother died in Cincinnati April 1, 1858, at the age of seventy-one, after a long struggle with feebleness and delicate bealth. When her daughter was twenty-one years old she was married to Mr. Field, as related in the previous sketch, and their histories have been since united through the long period of nearly half a century. She has been a faithful member of the Presbyterian church at Springdale since the age of sixteen, for now more than fifty-one years.

HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO.

381

and feet as if imitating that animal in its motions as well as in sounds. Another was the whirling exercise, spinning around like a top.

These all had their day, and passed off in a few years, except the jer's, which continued with some for many years. These exercises were considered by the New Lights as supernatural and intended to humble their natural pride of heart and debase, in their own estimation, the sub- jects of them. Though I give no opinion, they were sometimes diffi- cult to account for on any known principles of psychology. There were instances, and many of them, where persons would lie as if dead, with scarcely the slightest appearance of life, for days together, without mo- tion or any other signs of life, unless an almost imperceptible pulsation and breathing.

These people were called New Lights, because they taught "that the will of God was made manifest to each individual who honestly sought after it, by an inward light which shown into his heart; and hence they received the name of New Lights."

This revival carried off the great body of the Presbyterian church in the Miami valley, with a number of their preachers; as it did in Ken- tucky and Tennessee, southwest Virginia and northwest North Caro- lina. In 1803 they separated from all connection with the regular Presbyterial organizations, formed new presbyteries, and protested against the doctrines and government of the old ecclesiastical organiza- tion.

The Cumberland Presbyterian denomination took its rise in this re- markable episode of religious history, and its name from that presby- tery of southern Kentucky, in which the revival began. The Chris- tians, or Disciples, had the way prepared for them in many places by it; and the Shakers received many accessions, in Kentucky and the Miami country, by reason of its strange experiences. The church at Springdale was greatly affected by it for years, but finally recovered al- most entirely from its influence.

The Baptist church was also very early in getting a lodgment here. 'The Rev. William Jones was its local pastor in 1827.

MOUNT PLEASANT.

This village-which, like Springfield, has been forced by the post office department to take another name (Mount Healthy) for its postal arrangements-is situated in the southwestern quarter of the township, about two miles north of College Hill, at the corners of sections twenty-six and twenty-seven, thirty-two and thirty-three. It is also an old town, having been laid out in 1817 by John Laboyteaux and Samuel Hill. A Mount Pleasant Savings and Building association wasincorporated January 18, 1871. It had two hundred and nineteen inhabitants in 1830; eight hundred and seventy-one in 1880. On the Fourth of July, 1837, there was a rather notable celebra- tion at the Presbyterian church in this village, with Mr. Daniel Vanmatre for orator.

The neighborhood south of this place is on the Ham- ilton turnpike, principally celebrated as the early home of the Cary sisters, who receive due notice in our chapter on literature in Cincinnati. A highly poetic description of the old homestead here will also be found in that chap- ter; and we add here another poem by Alice Cary, in which there is much local coloring and some of the do- mestic history of the Carys:

MEMORY'S PICTURES.

Among the beautiful pictures That hang on Memory's wall Is one of a aim old forest, That seemeth best of all; Not for its gnarled oaks olden, Dark with the mistletoe; Not for the violets golden That sprinkle the vale below;

Nor for the milk-white lilies That lean from the fragrant hedge,

Coquetting all day with the sunbeams, And stealing their golden edge;

Not for the vines on the upland, Where the bright-red berries rest; Nor the pinks, nor the pale, sweet cowslip, Doth it seem to me the best.

I once had a little brother, With eyes that were dark and deep-

In the lap of that dim old forest He lieth in peace asleep;

Light as the down of the thistle, Free as the winds that blow,

We roved there the beautiful summers, The summers of long ago; But his feet on the hills grew weary, And one of the autumn eves

I made for my little brother A bed of the yellow leaves.

Sweetly his pale arms folded My neck in a meek embrace, As the light of immortal beauty Silently covered his face; And when the arrows of sunset Lodged in the tree-tops bright,

He fell, in his saint-like beauty, Asleep by the gates of light.

Therefore, of all the pictures That hang on Memory's wall The one of the dim old forest Seemeth the best of all

Mount Pleasant (or Mount Healthy) was a great place, many years ago, for holding political conventions, espec- ially of the Anti-Slavery or Liberty party. At one conven- tion held here, in May, 1841, the nominees of the Liberty party, at the National convention in New York the same month, for the canvass of 1844-Mr. James G. Birney for President, and Thomas Morris for Vice-President, both then or formerly of Hamilton county-were cordially sustained. This was before the organization of the Lib- erty party in Ohio. On the Fourth of July, 1842, another convention of Liberty men was held at Mount Pleasant, and the Hon. Samuel Lewis, formerly State superintend- ent of common schools, was nominated for the State senate. This was the first regular convention of the party in this county. It was crowded, and a very great interest was excited. The biographer of Mr. Lewis says: "One curious feature of the day was a discussion on the merits of the Liberty party and its claims to public favor, during which the gentleman who took the negative of the question labored hard to prove that slavery was an insti- tution of the Bible, and that God had sanctioned it. Such arguments were, of course, properly treated, by Messrs. Morris and Chase, who opposed his views."

St. Mary's Catholic Church is located there, with a parochial school of seventy pupils, and the St. Mary's and St. Stephen's confratenitics-all in charge of the Rev. Herman Johanning, pastor.

A writer in a recent number of the College Hill Moon, a paper prepared at one of the literary institutions in College Hill, contributes a long article descriptive of a visit to the home of the Cary sisters, from which we ex- tract the following :

A gray-painted, two-story, brick house, looking as if it had modestly stepped back from the road and drawn its leafy veil over its face as gently as a Quakeress of olden time, while its wide roof, sloping toward the road, made it look not unlike one who shades the eyes with the hand when wishing to look far off. In fact, all the air and bearing of the house gives you the impression of a person growing old, so busy

382

HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO.

with past memories that it seems never to realize or be a part of the present. On every side tall trees overshadow it; their long branches stretch over the roof; lovingly their shadows kiss it; house and trees lived, and growing old, and talking over their.secrets together, and though we heard the whisper of the leaves when they touched the gable, what they said I cannot tell, for poets only dare breathe such confi- dences. We open the gate, now held in place by a loop of rope, and pass inside the faded paled fence, and walk with reverent feet up the flagged walk, where moss and grass have grown all unrebuked between the stones. The front door at the end of this walk is in the centre of the house, and has a window on either side. We sit a while on the well worn door-step, and recall the time when many children clustered on and round it, to see the sun set, for the front faces the west, and Rhoda the child of promise, who died so young, told fairy tales, and from distant hill and gathering cloud made the children see turreted castle and lordly hall, and peopled them with great folk that came to life in her wonderful imagination. But we must follow a path that leads round the house. We find ourselves in the lane that passes the side of the house, at the end of which we see the barn, brown gabled, where the swallows still love to build. We note in passing that the rose bushes still grow luxuriantly over the fence that bounds this lane, making it look in June, when they are in bloom, like a spinster of fifty decked out for a queen of May. Tall trees line each side of this lane, so that at no time of day is there wanting cool, pleasant shade. No wonder the sisters look back lovingly to it. Here they built their play houses, and kept their pets, and romped and played in childhood, and, in later days, put out the milk pans to dry in shining rows.

The dining room and kitchen, with chambers over them, are in an addition running back, and have a veranda their whole length, the roof of which is supported by round brick pillars-a curious piece of archi- tecture we never saw before. At the end of this, close to the kitchen door, is the well. The sisters say they used to think that it went through to the other side of the world, and Alice says she loved it with the well sweep tall by her father's own hand reared, but that, alas ! has long since passed away, and the water, still as pure and cool, is brought up with pulley and bucket and chain.

HARTWELL,

a little northeast of Carthage, on the opposite side of Mill creek, and on section one, in the southeast corner of the township, and on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton and Short Line railroads, was laid out in 1868 by the Hamilton County Building association, and named from Mr. John W. Hartwell, who was vice-president of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad when its station was located there. It had a population of but sixty-seven in 1870, which ten years later had mounted to eight hundred and ninety-two, largely of persons do- ing business in Cincinnati and having suburban residences here. A Methodist church and a good graded school are located here. It was incorporated September 9, 1876.

WYOMING

is west of Lockland, on the other side of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad. It was surveyed in the fall of 1869, by Isaac Riddle, for the Lockland & Wyoming Homestead association; was incorporated for special pur- poses December 7, 1870, and for general purposes March 25, 1874. Its mayor, the latter year, was Mr. W. B. Teetor. It had eight hundred and forty inhabitants by the census of June, 1880. The Presbyterian church here is in charge of the Rev. M. Maxwell.

NEW BURLINGTON

has had, likewise for postal reasons, to change its name to Transit Post Office. It is an old place near the west line of the township, one and a half miles northwest of Mt. Pleasant. It was laid out May 31, 1816, by John Pegg. In 1830 it had sixty-two inhabitants.

GREENWOOD

is a village plat surveyed in 1858 by C. S. Woodruff, on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad, between Lockland and Wyoming, by whose growth and fame its own have become considerably obscured.

PARK PLACE,

on the same iron road, a little northwest of Greenwood, was laid off in 1877, by the Park Place Land and Build- ing company.

FOSTER HILL

is next north of Park Place on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad, east side, in the neighborhood of the first white settlements made in Springfield township.

WOODLAWN

is a short distance north of Foster Hill, on the same sec- tion, four, and the same side of the railroad, near the township line, not far from the south corporation line of Glendale.

ELLISTON

is a station north of Glendale, on the Cincinnati, Hamil- ton & Dayton railroad, laid out in 1868, by W. F. Much- more, and named from Mr. John W. Ellis, a resident of the neighborhood.

MAPLEWOOD

is another station and village on this railroad, platted in 1873, by Joseph F. Mills. It is now incorporated with Hartwell village in one municipality.

THE POPULATION

of Springfield township in 1870 was six thousand five hundred and eighty-four, and in 1880 had increased to seven thousand nine hundred and seventy-five.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

JOSEPH JACKSON.

The father of the late Joseph Jackson, of Mt. Pleas- ant, John Jackson, was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, December 8, 1775, and removed to Pennsylvania in 1812, three years thereafter to Cincinnati, and in 1819 to the Great Miami river, in Butler county, about two miles north of the Hamilton line. Here he conducted the flouring-mill long known as Jackson's, now Graham's mill. He was himself a millwright, and by and by built and ran a paper-mill at the same place and moved by the same power. This was also maintained until within a few years, when it was suspended. Mr. Jackson died October 30, 1857, at a farm a mile and a half from the mills, to which he had retired in his old age from the former business. His wife's maiden name was Annie Hough, also of a Virginia family. She was born Sep- tember 25, 1778, and they were wedded in May, 1801. Their children were: Anna, born February 22, 1802, died June 5, 1846; Elizabeth, born April 29, 1804, died May 31, 1868; Rebecca, born May 1, 1806; Samuel,

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History of Hamilton County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 102

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp; Williams, L.A. & co., Cleveland, O., pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio, L. A. Williams Number of Pages: 590

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp; Williams, L.A. & co., Cleveland, O., pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio, L. A. Williams
Number of Pages: 590