History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 105

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co.
Number of Pages: 1096

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lar vote was taken for State and county officers.

The following is a copy of the poll-book of this township, one of the most populous in the county :

Poll-book of an election held in the township of Wayne, in the county of Knox, and State of Ohio, the eleventh day of October, 1808, at the house of Daniel and Abner Ayers, in the town of Frederick. John Kerr, chairman, Nathaniel M. Young, John Cook, Henry Roberts, judges, and Jacob Young, William W. Farquhar, clerks of the election, were duly sworn as the law directs, previous to their entering on the duties of their re- spective offices.

Certified to by me, WILLIAM W. FARQUHAR, A. J.

Casper Fitting, Joseph Talmage, Amariah Watson, Abraham Lyon, Joshua Vennom, Samuel Wilson, Charles McGowen, Joshua Milligan, Reuben Skinner, Jacob Cook, Henry Roberts, John Kerr, Henry Markley, Nathaniel M. Young, John Walk_ er, William W. Farquhar, Jacob Young, John Cook, Richard Hall, Thomas Durbin, Samuel Durbin, Jeduthan Dodd, Thomas Townsend.

Samuel Huntington had at the above election, for governor, a majority of twenty-three votes (all the votes that were cast); Jeremiah Morrow, for Congress, received twenty-one, and Phil- emon Beecher two.

William Trimble and Jacob Burton had a majority of twenty- one votes each for the senate.

Hezekiah Smith had two votes for senator, and Elnathan Scofield two.

Alexander Holden, for representative, had twenty votes, and Jeremiah R. Munson two.

For commisioners, William Douglass had twenty-one votes, Calvin Shepherd two, Henry Markley twenty-three, Mathew Merritt twenty-one.

For coroner, John Merritt had twenty-one votes.

For sheriff, Silas Brown thirteen, Ichabod Nye nine.

John Harrod had two votes for commissioner, and Joseph Walker two.

Attest : WILLIAM W. FARQUHAR, JACOB YOUNG, Clerks.

An examination of the above list of voters, will give a pretty fair idea of the number and names of the settlers in Wayne township in 1808, though Wayne township then occupied a large territory, and only a portion of those named then lived with- in the present limits of this township. There was no opportunity then, and probably no inclination, to "bulldoze" the voters, stuff the ballot-boxes with tissue ballots, and miscount the ballots in favor of one party, as is done at this age of the Republic.

Roads were of primary importance to the first settlers of Wayne, as of many other townships not located on navigable streams. Preliminary steps were taken as early as 1809 to open the first regu- lar highway through this part of the county. On the twenty-third of January of that year "Mr.

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. HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

Holden presented to the legislature a petition from sundry inhabitants of Licking county; also a peti- tion from sundry inhabitants of the counties of Licking, Knox, and Richland, setting forth their remote situation from water carriage, and the ne- cessity of having good roads; that they have no road whereby they can receive letters, or any kind of intelligence, or any property from any part of the United States, or this State, except by chance or private conveyance, nearer than Newark or Zanesville, and praying for the establishment of a road from Newark, in Licking county ; thence to Mt. Vernon, in Knox county; thence to Mans- field, in Richland county, and thence to the mouth of Huron river, Lake Erie," etc.

The petition for this road was granted, and in March of the same year a portion of the route was surveyed by William W. Farquhar, and the road opened that spring from Mt. Vernon to Frederick- town and thence to Joseph Denman's, by James Colville and Matthew Merritt. About the same time a road was opened through the influence of the Youngs and Bryants, from Douglass,' in the present township of Morris, near the forks of Owl creek, to the Jersey settlement on the South branch. These two roads gave the people an out- let for their produce, and communication with the outside world. It was not, however, until 1811, that the north and south road was finished through to the lake.

Mills were a most necessary thing in the early settlement. Before the erection of the Kerr mill at Fredericktown, the settlers were compelled to get along with hominy blocks, horse-mills, and other crude structures, occasionally, however, packing their grist to Ten Mile, beyond Mt. Vernon, where the first mill in the county was erected; or over on the Mohican, or down on the Licking river. There were but few settlers in this township when Kerr built his mill in 1807-8. Subsequently many mills were erected along Owl creek and its branches, both grist- and saw-mills, for this stream furnished plenty of water for milling purposes-much more in those days than at present. Several mills were erected on the South branch, in Wayne township, also on Granny's creek in the southern part of the township; the saw-mills were especially numerous. But the days of the old water saw-mills are gone

forever, because they are no longer needed. Tim- ber is getting scarce and the saw-mills are now con- fined to the cities and larger towns, except in un- settled portions of the State. Probably the second mill in this township was the Young mill in the Jer- sey settlement. It was a primitive affair at first, like all other early mills-a mere "corn-cracker" --- but improved as the years went by; has changed hands several times, and is yet doing business. It is now a good-sized frame structure and owned by James Cunningham. A saw-mill was connected with it as long as there was sawing to be done.

The Lyons were early settlers in the vicinity of this Jersey settlement, and many of that name yet reside there. They were also, probably, from New Jersey. These go-ahead and enterprising Jersey. men, in addition to the grist-mill and several saw- mills, which they erected at different times, at- tempted the building up of a town, which they called Lucerne. Daniel and Jabez Beers owned the land and started this town about 1835 or 1840. John Beebe had previously located his saw mill there, and established a factory for making wind- mills. He sawed his own poplar lumber, from which the mills were made, and did, for some years, quite a business in that line. The Beers built a frame dwelling house and a woollen-mill, and for fifteen or twenty years, run a carding and fulling mill. These mills were very common in those days, but have long since disappeared. Messrs. Byrant & Leonard, probably fifty years ago, also erected a still on the creek near this place. Several dwell- ings were erected in this place, a blacksmith shop, a church, and for some years Conger & Lewis kept a small store. A post-office was first established at Young's mill, and afterward moved to the store in the village. Like so many other places, however, with bright prospects, it has almost disappeared. Four or five dwellings remain; the mills have gen- erally disappeared, as has also the business of the place. In 1812, when the war with Great Britain broke out, and an Indian invasion threatened, these settlers erected a block-house for the protection of their families. John Lewis now owns the land upon which this stood. It was built in a circular form, on a high bank above the creek, of logs set on end and standing fifteen feet above the surface of the ground, a stockade. It has long since dis-

VIEW OF FREDERICKTOWN, OHIO -FROM THE EAST. (Drawn by Francis Bodine.)

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

CHAPTER LXVI. FREDERICKTOWN.

LOCATION-LUCAS SULLIVANT-JOHN KERR AND HIS MILL -LAYING OUT THE TOWN-FIRST CABIN AND FIRST BRICK HOUSE-THE QUAKERS -- NAMES OF THE EARLIEST SETTLERS-THE AYERS -- APPEARANCE OF THE TOWN IN 1812-GARRISON AND HIS STORE-NICHOLAS MCCARTY -THE BUSINESS AND WHEREABOUTS OF A FEW OF THE SETTLERS-CAPTAIN WILLIAMS-FIRST FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION-THE BLOCK-HOUSES AND INCIDENTS CON- NECTED WITH THEM-"UNCLE ABNER" AND HIS "TAV- ERN"-HOTELS OF FREDERICKTOWN-THE MILLS AROUND THE TOWN-PRODUCE DEALERS-BANKS-NEWSPAPERS -MAYORS-A SUMMARY OF THE BUSINESS-SCHOOLS- CHURCHES.

It was once a city only in name, The houses and barns had not yet a frame, The streets and the squares no mortal could see, And the woodman's ax had scarce hit a tree.

(EVEN miles from Mt. Vernon lies the pretty, S quiet village of Fredericktown, situated on a bluff, on the west bank of the east fork of Owl creek. It is in the northeastern corner of Wayne township as at present defined, though when first brought into life, it was in the midst of a vast wilderness, and surveyor's lines were few and far apart. The foot of the Mound Builder had pressed the soil centuries before, and the red Indian had hunted through the silent forest for other interven- ing centuries, but the savage white man came at last, to destroy and build up, to sweep the ground of everything old, and build upon it a new civiliza- tion.

.This particular military section of four thousand acres was purchased from the Government by Mr. Lucas Sullivant, of Franklinton, and it may be of interest to the good people of Fredericktown to know something of the man who first owned the land upon which their beautiful village stands. Mr. Sullivant was born in Mecklenburgh county, Virginia, in 1765. He was well educated and adopted surveying as a profession, being employed in Kentucky in that business in early life, and afterwards in Ohio. He was appointed deputy surveyor under Colonel Richard C. Anderson, a distinguished officer of the Revolution, and sur- veyor-general of the Virginia Military Land district, of which a large part was in this State. The sur- veying operations of Mr. Sullivant gave him an ex- tensive knowledge of Ohio lands, and in 1797,

having possessed himself of lands on the Scioto, he laid out the town of Franklinton, opposite the present city of Columbus. He married Sarah Starling, daughter of Colonel William Starling, of Kentucky, and settling at Franklinton, remained there until his death. His descendants are yet living in that neighborhood. He died August 8, 1823, aged fifty-eight years. Among his early ac- quirements of landed property was the Sullivant section in Wayne township, lying between the south and east forks of Owl creek. Mr. Sullivant early discovered the excellent facilities for a mill seat, afforded by the east fork of Owl creek, on his land, and with commendable liberality, and a view to the enhancement of the value of his property, gave John Kerr his choice of fifty out of four thousand acres of land, including the mill seat, if he would settle there and erect a mill. Accord- ingly in the fall ot 1807 Mr. Kerr constructed a dam, raised a little log building, and set one run of stone to grinding or "cracking " corn. This was the beginning of the future village. Very few set- tlers had then penetrated the wilderness to that point.

The Jersey settlement, with Nathaniel Mit- chell Young at its head, had been in existence four years; there were a few settlers in the region further south, about Mt. Vernon and Clinton; but settlers were rapidly coming, the old Revolu- tionary heroes, with land warrants in their pockets, were seeking homes in the west, and Mr. Kerr knew that his mill would not be idle, and it never was idle; settlers came from far and near to pat- ronize it. For several years afterwards it was the main reliance for those pioneers north of it, in Richland county.

Upon the fifty acres given Kerr, and near his mill he laid out the town of Frederick, November II, 1807, and soon after, he purchased four hun- dred and fifty acres of land around it. William Y. Farquhar surveyed and platted the town, and erected the first cabin in it, giving it the name Frederick, in honor of his old home in Maryland. Mr. Farquhar afterward moved to Mt. Vernon, and became a prominent man in the county, holding many offices of trust and profit.

The first road opened through this place was the north and south road, in 1809, and has been

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

alluded to in the previous chapter. The original plat of the town was in the form of a parallelo- gram, the length being north and south, and greater by one square than the width. It extended from Mulberry street on the west to the present township line on the east, and from one square beyond Donation street on the north to Sixth street on the south, with an ample public square in the centre. Additions have since been made to the east and west; that on the east side extending into the present limits of Morris township. The streets were named First or Donation, Second, Third or Sandusky, Fourth, Vine alley, Chambers, State Road or Main, and Strawberry alley.

Mr. Kerr built his cabin upon the lot now occu- pied by Mr. Simons, the merchant; and upon this same lot Mr. Williams, who bought out Kerr in 1814, erected the first brick house in the village, and probably in the township.

W. W. Farquhar, a brother of W. Y. Farquhar, and a cousin, Henry Roberts, were very early set- tlers in this neighborhood. They were Quakers, and with some others comprised the first settle- ment of that society in this county. W. W. Far- quhar was justice of the peace in 1815 and 1818 in this township. He was subsequently a resident of Middlebury township, where some of his de- scendants yet reside.

Among the earliest settlers in Fredericktown are found the names of Abner, Thomas, and David Ayers, John Milligan, Jeduthan Dodd, John and Jacob Cook, Jacob Haldeman, William and Isaac N. Richardson, Samuel Watson, John Wright, Charles McGowan, Thomas Durbin, Samuel Wil- son, Thomas Townsend, John Walker, Willis Speakman, John Garrison, John Vennum, Nicholas McCarty, James Rigby, George Girty, Joshua Ven- num, Samuel Wolf, Anson Brown, Absolom Thrift, Osgood Dustin, Celestial LeBlond, Amariah Wat- son, Mr. McCoy, Ebenezer Taylor, Jedediah Peck, John Williams, and Dr. John Byers.

The next family to locate within the town plat after Farquhar and Kerr, was that of Mrs. Ayers; her sons, David, Abner, and Thomas, soon becom- ing leading citizens. There were quite a number of Ayerses, and some of them subsequently moved further north, into the northern part of Richland county, where, in connection with Abraham Trux,

they established the village of Truxville, since called Ganges. It was quite an important town in an early day, but has gone down.

John Milligan and Jeduthan Dodd were from Ten Mile, Pennsylvania, and came shortly after the Ayerses to Fredericktown, with their relatives, John and Jacob Cook and Jacob Haldeman. In 1809 Rachel Richardson purchased the little improve- ment of John Cook, and settled there with her family, consisting of William, Isaac N., Polly, and Nancy. The girls subsequently married Samuel Watson and John Wright.

In 1812 there were in the town nine log cabins and one frame building, and they were probably occupied by Willis Speakman, Rachel Richardson, John Garrison, W. Y. Farquhar, John Kerr, John Vennum, and the Ayerses.

Mr. Garrison opened the first store in 1812, and lived in the only frame house ; it was situated where the Methodist church now stands. He led a some- what migratory life; was a native of New Jersey; married near Philadelphia ; moved to New York; thence to Knox county, where he sold goods sev- eral years; thence to Mansfield; from there to De. troit; then back again to Knox; thence to Chicago, Illinois; and when last heard from resided in Ce- dar Falls, Iowa, in the ninety-first year of his age.

Nicholas McCarty was the second merchant, and came here from Mt. Vernon.

Mr. Norton thus writes regarding the early days of Fredericktown :

In July, 1817, Nicholas McCarty & Co. closed up their mer- cantile business and left their notes and accounts with Abner Ayres, esq., for settlement, and also a quantity of lake fish. The mother of Mr. McCarty died at Fredericktown; he moved to Indiana, and for many years drove a prosperous trade at the State capital. In 1853 he returned to Frederick on a mission of filial affection, and erected a monument at his mother's grave. In 1855 he paid the debt of nature, leaving a large family in prosperous circumstances. During his life he was a zealous Whig, and represented the capital district in the senate of In- diana, and was also the candidate of his party for governor of the State. He had the respect and confidence of all, and well deserved the title he bore-"Honest Nic. McCarty."

James Rigby long and faithfully followed merchandising here. George Girty was another merchant, who left this section about 1815 for other parts. Joshua Vennum, the first house-joiner, built the first frame house in the village. None of his name survive in this county.

Mrs. Wolf kept the first boarding-house. She is dead long since. Her oldest son, Peter, lived on a farm near the Burk- holder flat, which he sold to Henry B. Carter, who was a brother to Jacob Cook's wife, and moved to Knox county in 1810.

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

Samuel Wolf was a sterling man-lived in Richland, and served as sheriff. When the county went wild for Jackson he was an Adams man, and consequently "done for politically." Her daughters have done well. Artemissa married lawyer May, of Mansfield; Eliza, as elsewhere related, Mr. Drennan, and Mary married and lived in the neighborhood of Lancaster. The first tavern was opened by Abner Ayres, and with a slight intermis- sion during the war, when, for good and sufficient reasons, his brother Daniel took it; the same hotel was kept up more than forty years. "Uncle Abner" was not any "great shakes" in the way of dancing attendance on guests, but "Aunt Amy" did know how to have the culinary department carried on; and for making good brandy mince pies, and brandy peaches, she was unsurpassed by any of womankind since Eve eat the forbidden fruit. She knew just when, where, and how to apply the spirit to make it most palatable, as all of the generation, who feasted there during sleighing excursions, well know. They have both departed to a better land, leaving the record of a life spent in contributing to the happiness of their fellow-creatures. Abner served as captain in the War of 1812, as a justice of the peace fifteen years, and associate judge seven years, a county com- missioner three years, and postmaster near forty years. He was as quiet, unassuming, and well disposed man as ever wore shoe-leather.

The first preaching was in the little school-house, hereafter mentioned as a fort, etc. In it ministers of various denomina- tions held forth at stated times. About 1820 the Presbyterians undertook to build a church, but having started out on too large a scale they were compelled to succumb, and the building in its unfinished state, a mere shell, was sold to Absalom Thrift, who converted it into a warehouse, and it is to this day used as a livery stable. Some time after this the Universalists, who have ever been quite numerous in this locality, erected a spa- cious frame church, which they have since occupied, until for a few years past the supply from some cause has ceased. The Presbyterians made another effort, and built the present excel- lent edifice ; and the Methodists and Baptists have also fine churches. The population is of a decided "go to meeting', character ; they have also been noted for their zealous efforts in behalf of temperance, and have kept up varions organizations of a reform class many years.

The first blacksmith was Thomas Ayres, who went to work in 1808, and continued many years. The first school was kept by William Y. Farquhar; the first shoeshop by Osgood Dustin. The first hatter was Celestial Le Blond, a little frisky French- man, whose vote, in 1811, is entered as "Celestial Light" on the poll-books. He was the son of a wealthy French gentleman, and had to flee from his native land in consequence of having killed an antagonist in a due !. He frequently received from his father remittances of five hundred dollars or so, but made very foolish bargains. With money once sent he bought a mill-seat, set about erecting a mill where Shaler's now is, and "broke flat" by the time he got a saw-mill up. The premises were then sold to Christopher Brollier, and by him to David Shaler, an ener- getic millwright. Shortly after this Celestial received another remittance and moved to Bellville. In 1838 he went to France, obtained a considerable sum of money, and returned with a large stock of goods. He died at Bellville, leaving a very respectable family. An old man named McCoy, a sort of cobbler, tried his hand at making cloth shoes for the women at an early day. The men then generally wore moccasins. A singular freak of another creature in 1809, has been related. His name was Ebenezer

Taylor, and he undertook to do work in the shoe line, but before he got fairly started an itinerant preacher came along, and Ebe- nezer was so taken with his discourse that he followed him off, leaving his kit of tools and an estray animal, which he had taken up and advertised, and has never been heard of since. Speaking of shoemakers brings to mind a somewhat noted man in these parts, Jedediah Peck, who 'attempted to get up a patent way of making boots, having last and tree all together, but found that it was easier to make them on, than to get the boot off the tree; and after vain attempts, he concluded to fasten the tree to the house and hitch on a mule to pull the boot off. His house was built around a walnut tree, and it was considerable of a curiosity to travellers to see a tree growing out of the top of a house. Jedediah and his wife died without issue, and his two pretty nieces, who dwelt with him, are gone also.

In 1815 Captain John Williams, of Frederick, Maryland, bought out John Kerr's mill property, and at the same time started a store in the village. He brought out forty thousand dollars in money, and dissipated through the country. He was a man of talent, clever and sociable, and is spoken well of by all old settlers. He came to this county in 1814 with his family. His children are much scattered. William moved to Peoria, Illinois; Thomas to Henry county, in that State, as also Rachel, wife of Colonel Prather, to the same county; Eliza, wife of Milton Bevans, to Fulton county, Illinois; Pendy died in Illi- nois, Abraham in this county, and Gist W. in Missouri, in 1852.

The post office was kept, from its establishment, by Abner Ayres, until 1850; B. J. Lewis succeeded him; in May, 1852, Thomas A. Reed was acting postmaster, in place of Lewis, re- signed; L. S. McCoy followed, and his successor was George Ball.

In 1840, Fredericktown contained five hundred inhabitants; in 1850, seven hundred and twelve; in 1860, seven hundred and ninety, of whom sixteen were negroes, and in 1880, eight hun- dred and fifty. The place in 1850 put on city airs, and with George W. Woodcock as mayor, and T. A. Reed, recorder, carried on a right sharp crusade against "doggeries." The warfare was subsequently taken up by the common pleas courts, and for a time better "order reigned in Warsaw." In later years, however, the "spirits" assumed, at times, a very bold and threatening appearance; and in 1873 a second grand crusade was inaugurated, which had the effect of closing all the saloons. They have since opened out, but, taken altogether, Frederick may be said, during its existence, to have been a model town in the line of "law and order." In 1816, the en- tire township cast but eighty-one votes.

The fourth of July, 1817, was duly commemorated at Anson Brown's, in Fredericktown. Daniel Beers was chosen moder- ator, and Anson Brown, clerk. The committee of arrangements consisted of Christian Haldeman, Job Allen, Munson Pond, Jo- seph Talmage, Jacob Young, and Henry Markley. Munson Pond was officer of the day; Job Allen commanded the volun- teer company; Jabez Beers was reader; Truman Strong, orator; Benjamin Jackson, Anson Brown and Benjamin Jackson, jr., conducted the singing. The Rev. John Cook and James Scott were present-and last, but not least, Alvin Bateman was toast master. A good dinner was eaten, all felt glorious. The Mc- Cutchens, Strubles, Cochrans, Cravens, Sagerses, Beerses, Leonards, Thrifts, Harters, Strongs, and Corbins, were present. Of the Cochrans, William and Samuel were young men of good mind. The former is dead, and the latter became a preacher of celebrity in New York. Jabez Beers was one of the old set-

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

tlers, and his son, Joseph, lived in Frederick at an early day. Dr. John Byers located here in 1812. He moved about 1835 to Hardin county. His three sons emigrated to Arkansas; Thomas and John are both dead. The boys acquired consid- erable distinction as attorneys. The old gentleman was one of the earliest practitioners of medicine in this township. Dr. David Wadsworth, another physician, died many years ago. His son, T. B., died a soldier in the Mexican war; and his daughter, Eliza Ellen, became Mrs. Struble.

In 1812, when the Zimmer and Copus families were murdered by Indians on the Blackfork, and Jones was ambushed and shot near Mansfield by the same stealthy foe, the few settlers at Frederick- town, as well as along the entire frontier, were greatly alarmed, and immediately sought the pro- tection of block-houses. Three were constructed in Wayne township. The Lewis block-house, on the South fork, has been mentioned.

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History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 105

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co. Number of Pages: 1096

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co.
Number of Pages: 1096