USA > Ohio > Hancock County > History of Hancock County, Ohio : containing a history of the county, its townships, towns portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, history of the Northwest Territory, history of Ohio, statistical and miscellaneous matter, etc > Part 48
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John J. Hendricks first settled in Amanda Township in 1826, and four years afterward removed to the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 8, this township, building his cabin on the north bank of the Blanchard. He entered this tract February 5, 1830. His wife, Eleanor F., was a native of Ireland, and a sister of Joseph C. Shannon, once auditor of the county. She was a very intelligent, well-read woman, thoroughly posted in the cur- rent topics of the day. Mr. Hendricks and family, after several years' res- idence here, sold out and went to Indiana.
Amos Bonham, a brother of Johnson, came from Muskingum County, Ohio, in 1830, and was one of the pioneer school teachers of the county. He was a bachelor and never had any permanent residence, but spent most of his time in Liberty and Findlay Townships, at the homes of his brothers, Johnson and Robert. He possessed a very fair education and was usually called upon to act as election clerk, as good penmen were then very scarce. He finally returned to his early home and there died.
Zebulon B., Jonathan, Solomon, James and Stephen Lee, came with their widowed mother, Sarah, from Franklin County, Ohio, in the spring of 1830, and settled in Sections 15 and 22, on the ridge road south of the Blanchard. The father, Jonathan, was a native of Wales, and the mother of Germany, and they were married in Pennsylvania, where some of the chil- dren were born. The family removed to Franklin County, Ohio, where the father died, and whence the widow and sons came to Hancock. The mother died at Benton, and Zebulon is the only one of the sons now residing in the
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
county, the others having moved away many years ago. After living in Liberty Township several years, Zebulon removed into Union and thence to Orange, where he is now living at the ripe old age of ninety years.
John Magee, a step-son of Meredith Parrish, married Eliza, daughter of Judge McKinnis, and settled on the east half of the northwest quarter of Section 9, which he entered June 1, 1829, and where they resided until their removal to Iowa about 1851. Meredith and Sarah Parrish located on the west half of the northeast quarter of the same section, entered Au- gust 21, 1829, and in 1834 sold out to John Fletcher and went to Putnam County. John Hubbs settled on the east half of the southeast quarter of Sec- tion 5, entered November 3, 1830, which land he sold to Daniel Cusac in 1839, and then moved to Indiana. Moses Predmore settled on Section 9, and James Caton on Section S. Both sold their farms and went to Iowa. All of the foregoing came about 1830.
George Chase came to the township in 1830, and cleared five acres on the west half of the northwest quarter of Section 10, entered by him June 13, 1825, which he planted with corn. He returned to Madison County, Ohio, whither he and his wife, Elizabeth, had emigrated from New York State in 1817, and in the spring of 1831 brought out his family and settled permanently on his land. The mother died in 1832, leaving a family of five children, all of whom grew to maturity, but only three of the number are now living. The father died in 1869, and Justus now occupies the old farm on which he has lived since March, 1831; Mrs. Miles Wilson, of Port- age Township, is the only member of the family, excepting Justus, living in this county.
William and Sarah Coen settled on Section 15, now known as the Sherrick farm, in 1830 or early the following year. Coen was one of the first active Presbyterians in the county, and assisted in organizing the first Presbyte- rian society in Findlay, and also the one subsequently organized in this town- ship. His wife died here, and he was again married. The family left the county many years ago, and none of his children are now residents thereof.
Benjamin and Mary Cummins, natives of Kentucky, settled on the southwest quarter of Section 9, in 1830. In 1831 he was elected justice of the peace (being the first justice of the township), and re-elected in 1834. He soon afterward moved into Pleasant Township. where further mention of him will be found.
James McCormick came about the same time as Cummins, entering the north half of the northwest quarter of Section 9, November 24, 1830. He left the county at quite an early day.
Job Chamberlin, Sr., settled in Findlay Township in February. 1822, where his wife, Deborah, died January 8, 1829. In 1830 he married Miss Sarah Criner, and the following year removed to this township, settling on the north- east quarter of Section 7. He resided here till his death; he died September 4, 1847, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. His widow survived him until December 28, 1854. Mr. Chamberlin was one of the very earliest settlers of the county, and is more fully spoken of in the sketch of Findlay Town- ship.
Henry Powell and Benjamin Mullen, and families, came into the town- ship in 1831. Both were natives of Pennsylvania, whence they removed to Ohio, the former coming here from Fairfield, and the latter from Franklin County, Ohio. Mr. Powell settled on Section 27, where his daughter, Mrs.
Um. 03. Miller
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LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.
Ann Preble, now lives, in the southeast part of the township, which he en- tered November 21, 1829. He was thrice married, and died upon the old homestead. The Mullens settled on Section 22, on the ridge road south of the Blanchard, and after a residence here of many years the parents re- moved to Benton, and died there. John, one of the sons, who came to the township in 1830, also died at Benton, while Thomas is now a resident of Findlay. Two of the daughters were married to Zebulon Lee and one to Jonathan Lee.
Richard Watson, a native of Maryland, with his wife and six children, came from Fairfield County, Ohio, in the summer of 1831, and rented the farm on Section 10, north of the Blanchard, previously improved by John Gardner, Jr., and William Moreland, Sr. He voted at the following October election, and in November, 1831, Mr. Watson purchased the Gard- ner farm of Joshua Hedges, agent for Mr. Gardner. Three children were born after settlement, and of the nine, four are yet living, residents of Hancock County. Mr. Watson died in 1848, and his widow in 1870. Both are buried on the old homestead, where they spent the declining years of their lives. William and George Watson, brothers of Richard, came after the latter. Both married here, and spent the balance of their lives in the township. George was drowned in the Blanchard, and William died upon his farm on Section 15. Four of William's children are residents of the county.
Abraham and Rebecca Beals, former a native of Maryland and latter of Pennsylvania, came from Stark County, Ohio, and settled on the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 3, which Mr. Beals entered April 17, 1832. They reared a family of thirteen children, eight of whom are yet living. Mr. Beals, who was a bricklayer, died in Portage Township, whither they had removed from Liberty, in 1855. His widow also died there. Many of their descendants live in the county.
William Fountain was a native of Caroline County, Md., of French an- cestry, born January 6, 1784. In 1809 he married Sarah Barton, also a native of Maryland, who bore him five children, only two of whom survive. Mrs. Fountain died in 1821, and he took for his second wife Mrs. Rebecca Smith. In 1824 he removed to Franklin County, Ohio, and in October, 1832, came to Hancock, settling on the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 3, Liberty Township, which he entered October 23, 1830. Here his wife died in 1862, leaving a family of two sons and three daughters, all of whom are yet living. Mr. Fountain died upon his farm June 14, 1878, in his ninety-fifth year. This venerable patriarch was familiarly known as "old man Fountain," from the fact that he was the oldest person in the township for a long period prior to his decease. He was of a quiet, retiring disposition, and mixed very little in public affairs, devoting his attention almost wholly to his home and family.
John Boylan moved here from Licking County, Ohio, in 1832, and set- tled on Section 10. He was one of the pioneer school teachers of the town- ship, and also a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was an uncle of D. B. Beardsley, Esq., a well known member of the Hancock County bar. Mr. Boylan moved into Blanchard Township, where he car- ried on a store for some time, and also served two terms as justice of the peace, subsequently removing to Indiana, and thence to Iowa. He was a very good man, but not a money-maker, and never accumulated much prop- erty while in this county.
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
Peter Treece and Isaac Comer settled here in 1832. The former was a native of Pennsylvania, but came to Hancock from Pickaway County, Ohio, settling in the south part of Liberty Township. Here he resided till his death, September 9, 1848, when his widow removed to Michigan. Isaac and Hannah Comer came from Fairfield County, Ohio, and located on the northeast quarter of Section 21, which he purchased of Robert L. Strother. Mr. Comer was a large, stout man, always in a happy mood, looking on the bright side of life, and strewing his pathway with kind words and generous acts. Comer's Run was named after him, his farm lying upon that stream. He was the father of one son, David, and seven daughters. David lives in Union Township, and some of the daughters also reside in the county. Mrs. Comer died March 21, 1851, and September 3, 1852, Mr. Comer joined her in the life beyond the grave.
James Jones and Allan McCahan moved into the township in the fall of 1833. Jones was a native of Pennsylvania, and his wife, Martha, of Mary- land. They came here from Perry County, Ohio, and settled on Section 4, where both died, he in 1845, and she in 1866. They reared seven children, five of whom survive. Mrs. Justice Chase, of Liberty, and Mrs. Jacob Cooper, of Portage Townships, are two of their daughters. Allan McCahan was born in Virginia, and removed with his parents to Ross County, Ohio. He first visited Hancock in 1829, coming again in 1831, but did not settle permanently till the fall of 1833, when he and his family located on Section 4, Liberty Township. After some years he moved into Findlay Township, thence to Findlay, where he is now living, at the advanced age of eighty- three years.
In 1834 John Price, Samuel Powell, James Cooper and Barna Beardsley settled in the township. Mr. Price was a native of Pennsylvania but came here from Wayne County, Ohio, and located on the northwest quarter of Section 3, where both he and his wife, Sarah, died. He was a shoe maker by trade, and a straightforward, honest man, who despised trickery or meanness. His son Eli owns the old homestead, but lives across the line in Portage Township. Samuel and Sarah Powell moved here from Fairfield County, Ohio, and both died upon the homestead, the latter in 1852 and the former in 1868. They had a family of eight sons and four daughters, of whom eight survive. Andrew lives on the old home place in Section 27, entered by Mr. Powell in 1829, and George W. and Solomon across the line in Findlay Township. James Cooper, familiarly called "Little Jim," accom- panied his brother John, from Perry County, Ohio, and settled on the northeast quarter of Section 5. He died on this farm, and his widow still resides upon it.
Barna Beardsley, a carpenter by trade, came from Licking County, Ohio, and with his wife, Mary, and seven children located north of the Blanchard on Section 10, where three children were born. He afterward moved into Findlay Township and bought a small farm. Here his wife died in 1847. He afterward married Mrs. Malinda V. Shannon, and died in 1881 in Put- nam County. Elmus W. Beardsley, of Portage Township, and Daniel B. Beardsley, Esq., a lawyer of Findlay, are two of their seven surviving children, and the only members of the family in Hancock County.
Among other early settlers were Thomas Cook, Rev. George Van Eman, Robert Sherrard, Joseph Morrel, John Povenmire, John Smeltzer, Samuel Sager, Levi Taylor, Robert Barnhill, John Bergman, Henry Fry and Daniel
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LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.
Cusac, all of whom came from 1834 to 1839. But the township was by this time pretty thickly settled, and the days of loneliness and isolation had passed away. These men, it is true, with many others who came with them, underwent some of the privations and hardships of pioneer life, but the hardest struggle was over ere their coming. Roads had been opened, mills and schools erected, and other concomitants of civilization had previously made their appearance in this portion of the county.
Justices .- The following citizens have filled this office since the organiz- ation of the township in 1831: Benjamin Cummins, Johnson Bonham, Levi Taylor, James H. Barr, Van Burton, Joshua Smith, William S. Burkhead, Aaron Hall, John Radebaugh, Thomas H. Taylor, Alexander Philips, John Hall, William H. Fountain, J. E. Dresbach, Joseph Wilson, John Reed, Henry Rudisill, R. W. Boyd, D. P. Haggerty and William Taylor.
Mills .- In 1832 John Byal erected a saw-mill on his farm in Section 11, Findlay Township, but in 1833 moved it across the line into Liberty. In 1834 he built a frame grist-mill close to the saw-mill, both standing on the south bank of the Blanchard and operated by water-power. This was one of the first frame mills erected in Hancock County, and is yet standing and in operation. A large wooden water wheel furnished the motive power during the earlier years of its history, and though the machinery was of the rudest sort in comparison with the mills of to-day, it nevertheless proved a great blessing to the struggling settlers for many miles around. Steam-power was put in a few years ago, and considerable grinding is still done in this old mill.
The next mill was built in 1844 by Miller Johnson, on Section 17, south of the river. It was first a saw-mill alone, but about ten years afterward a grist-mill was erected adjoining by Amos Hartman. These mills were final- ly burned down, and rebuilt by the Croningers, but were again destroyed by fire in June, 1881, and nothing but the blackened ruins now remain where they once stood. John Povenmire built a saw-mill in Section 21, on Comer's Run, which was operated several years, and no doubt other saw- mills have existed from time to time.
Early Schools. - It was not till 1832 that a schoolhouse made its appear- ance in this part of the county. A small log building was then put up on the southwest quarter of Section 9, and the first school was taught by Richard Wade. The McKinnises, Poes, Wilsons, Wades, Hamptons, Hendrickses, Fishels, Chases and Coens were the principal scholars when it first opened, though some other families may have sent children. Benjamin Cummins taught here quite early. Another schoolhouse was built and opened in the winter of 1833-34, near the east line of Section 10, north of the Blanchard. John Boylan was the first teacher, and the Chases, Bonhams, Watsons, Hamptons, Fountains, Hedgeses, Byals, Johnsons and Frakeses attended. A schoolhouse stood here for several years, the old round-log giving place to a hewed-log structure with plastered ceilings, which was regarded by the pioneer scholars as a very fine building-the most imposing some of them had ever seen. Other schools gradually made their appearance in different parts of the township, until all were supplied with some educational advan- tages. Liberty now contains seven school districts, and two parts of dis- tricts.
Religious Societies .- A class of the Methodist Episcopal denomination was organized at the house of Johnson Bonham as early as 1831. Among
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
the earliest members were Johnson Bonham and wife, Amos Bonham, Mrs. Meredith Parrish, Mrs. Addison Hampton, Nathan Frakes and wife, Mrs. Will- iam Fountain and Barna Beardsley and wife. The class was organized by Revs. Thomas Thompson and Elnathan C. Gavit. In 1851 this society built a frame church across the line in Findlay Township, which is still used by the Methodists of the neighborhood.
Rev. Peter Monfort, a Presbyterian preacher, organized a society of his faith in 1832, at the house of Ebenezer Wilson. Judge Wilson and wife, Jacob Poe and wife, William Coen, wife and two daughters, and Mrs. Rob- ert McKinnis were among the little band who met at that time. This society was a branch of the Findlay Church, and first held services in private houses and occasionally at the old log schoolhouse on Section 9. In the summer of 1841 Rev. George Van Eman reorganized the church distinct from that at Findlay, and was the first regular minister thereof. In 1854 the society erected a frame building on the northwest quarter of Section 8, where wor- ship has ever since been held. Other denominations organized societies at a later day. The United Brethren Church have two buildings in the town- ship, one on Section 22 and another on Section 27, the latter being the Powell Memorial Church, erected in 1883. The Evangelicals have a church on Section 15, while the Christian Union stands on Section 30. All have regular services and fair-sized congregations.
Alba Postoffice .-- Liberty has never had a village laid out within its pres- ent boundaries, and its nearest approach to such a convenience was the establishment of Alba postoffice at the house of Samuel Renninger, on Sec- tion 8, in 1857. In March, 1863, Mr. Renninger removed to Findlay, and appointed J. M. Moorhead to take charge of the office; but the latter went into the army in the spring of 1864, and the office was soon afterward abol- ished.
Cemeteries .- North of the Blanchard, on Section 7, is perhaps the oldest public cemetery in the township. Here, on a sloping hill overlooking the river, are buried many of the pioneers. Robert McKinnis and wife, Charles McKinnis and wife, Jacob Poe and wife, John Fishel, Sr., Job Chamberlin, Sr., and others of the very first settlers found their last resting place on this grass-covered hill. Another old graveyard is located on the ridge road in Section 21, where Isaac Comer, Peter Treece, Abraham Schoonover, John Povenmire and many other pioneers of Liberty Township and vicinity sleep their last sleep.
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MADISON TOWNSHIP.
CHAPTER XIX.
MADISON TOWNSHIP.
FIRST ATTEMPT MADE TO ERECT THE TOWNSHIP, AND ITS FAILURE-SUBSE- QUENT ERECTION-DERIVATION OF NAME, AREA AND POPULATION-SUR- FACE FEATURES AND STREAMS-FOREST AND SOIL-MILK SICKNESS-PIO- NEERS-JUSTICES-GRIST - MILLS - SCHOOLS-RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES - VIL- LAGES-PAST AND PRESENT OF WILLIAMSTOWN AND ARLINGTON.
A T a session held in March, 1840, a petition signed by Jacob Rosenberg, then sheriff of Hancock County, and others, was presented to the board of commissioners asking for the erection of a new township from parts of Eagle, Jackson, Van Buren and Delaware Townships, to be named Madison; but a remonstrance signed by Benjamin Sparr, John W. Williams, Sylvester Bell and many other citizens of that section of the county was filed against the proposed measure, and the prayer of the petitioners was denied. On the 1st of June, 1840, another petition was presented to the board signed by John W. Williams, Robert Hurd and others, praying that a township named Madison be formed from territory then embraced in Delaware and Van Buren, which was accordingly done, twelve sections being taken from each township in the erection of the new subdivision. The west half of Madison is in Township 2 south, Range 10, and the east half in Township 2 south, Range 11, the Bellefontaine road being the dividing line between the two ranges.
Madison Township was named in honor of James Madison, fourth Presi- dent of the United States. It lies in the southern range of subdivisions, with Hardin County on the south, Van Buren Township on the west, Eagle and Jackson on the north, and Delaware on the east. It embraces twenty-four sections, or an area of 15, 360 acres. In 1850 it contained 667 inhabitants; 1860, 844; 1870, 967, and 1880, 1,232.
The surface is generally level in the north part of the township, but slightly elevated, and rolling in the southern part, with a gradual descent from south to north, the natural drainage being all in that direction. The East Branch of Eagle Creek, rising in Hog Creek Marsh, strikes the south line of the township on Section 31, and taking a northwest course unites with the West Branch, near the southwest corner of Section 14. The West Branch flows in from Van Buren Township across the northwest quarter of Section 23, and, after uniting with the East Branch, the combined stream meanders northward along the west line of the township, passes into Eagle Township, near the northeast corner of Section 2, and thence northward to the Blanchard at Findlay. The southeast corner of the township is drained by Flat Branch, a sluggish tributary of the East Branch of Eagle Creek, into which it empties on the northeast quarter of Section 23. Buck Run heads in the east center of the township, and winding northwestward through Arlington strikes Eagle Creek near the line between Sections 1
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HISTORY OF HANCOCK COUNTY.
and 2. The head of Lye Creek is located in the northeast corner of the township, whence it passes into Jackson. Thus it will be seen that Madi- son Township is well watered, and favored with good natural drainage.
This portion of the county was originally very heavily timbered, every species indigenous to the soil being found here in great abundance. But most of the more valuable kinds have disappeared, though much good tim- ber yet remains. A rich vegetable loam, with a yellow and black clay subsoil, predominates, but in the bottoms along the streams the lands are usually composed of alluvial deposits. The upper strata on the flat or wet lands have been formed from the accumulations of decayed vegetation, and is a rich, black, sandy loam. Judicious drainage and tiling have rendered these wet lands very valuable.
Milk-sickness, or "trembles," was very prevalent in this part of the county during the earlier years of its settlement, and was much dreaded by the pioneers. Good medical authorities say that the disease came from the cattle eating a poisonous plant, which grew in moist places, such as white snakeroot and three-leafed poisonous ivy; while many intelligent farmers con- tend that the water contained the poisonous substance. Many deaths oc- curred from this disease before the physicians then practicing knew suffi- cient about it to overcome its deadly effects. Milk-sickness has not altogether disappeared from Hancock County, though it is now very rarely seen.
Pioneers. - The first settler of Madison Township was Simeon Ransbot- tom, a native of Virginia. He left home when but twelve years old, be- cause of his father's severity, and in 1812 joined Hull's army. He served throughout the war of 1812, and at its close settled in Logan County, Ohio, where he married Rebecca Tullis, a native of Ireland, who bore him seven children, two of whom are living in Allen County, and one in Dunkirk, Hardin County, the latter, Amelia, being the widow of Henry Helms, of Madison Township. In the fall of 1825 Mr. Ransbottom and family left Logan County, and "squatted" on the bank of Eagle Creek, in Section 23, subsequently removing to the north half of the west half of the south- west quarter of Section 11. He afterward sold this to John Diller, and in 1836 bought the farm of Jacob Bolenbaugh on Section 14, where he resided till his death, October 5, 1851. Mr. Ransbottom was twice married, his second wife being Mrs. William J. Greer, nee Miss Rosannah Elder, who bore him six children, only two now living, one of whom, Jasper, resides in Dunkirk, and the other, Mrs. Catherine Elms, in Findlay. His widow survived him many years, and became the wife of Joseph Helms. Mr. Ransbottom was one of the seventy-four electors who voted at the first county election in April, 1828; and was also prominent in the organization of one of the first Methodist Protestant Churches in the southern part of the county.
Abel Tanner was the second settler of the township, locating in the northwest quarter of Section 23, on Eagle Creek, close to the cabin of Simeon Ransbottom, in February, 1826. Mr. William Tanner, of Dunkirk, a son of Abel, says: "My parents, Abel and Polly (Kinion) Tanner, were natives of Rhode Island, and with their family immigrated to Darby Plains, Madison Co., Ohio, in 1820. In 1823 we left Darby Plains, and traveling northwestward finally halted on 'Lynn Ridge,' about three miles south- west of Fort McArthur, in Hardin County. Here we built a cabin and be- gan the work of opening a farm, but after remaining on Lynn Ridge till
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MADISON TOWNSHIP.
February, 1826, we left our improvement and settled on Eagle Creek in the northwest quarter of Section 23, Madison Township, Hancock Co., Ohio. We were 'squatters,' and Simeon Ransbottom had 'squatted' on the same quarter the previous fall, and the Ransbottoms were living there when we arrived. My father afterward entered this land, and Ransbottom settled farther down the creek on Section 11. I was born in 1819, and therefore was in my seventh year when we left Lynn Ridge and took up our abode on Eagle Creek; but I remember the time and circumstances of that settlement as vividly as if it occurred only a year ago. William McCloud and family were then living in one of the block-houses at Fort McArthur, and his sons, William and Robert, often visited our cabin before and after our removal to Hancock County." Two or three years after the Tanners left Lynn Ridge, John Canaan took possession of their vacated improvement, which is now in Lynn Township, Hardin County. Mr. Tanner voted at the first county election in April. 1828, and in February, 1833, died upon his farm in this township, his widow dying the following year. Of his children, Mrs. Eme- line Tullis, widow of John Tullis, resides in Forest, and William in Dunkirk, Hardin County, and Mrs. Adam Steinman in Van Buren Township, immedi- ately west of the old homestead. The first Methodist Episcopal class in the township was organized at his house, and the first schoolhouse in this local- ity was built and opened on his farm. Mr. Tanner brought the first stock of dry goods to Findlay, which he took to the house of John P. Hamilton, who then lived up the Blanchard from the village, and got him to sell the goods to the settlers. There was but a very small assortment, yet heartily welcomed by the few families then residing in Hancock County.
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