History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 82

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

USA > Ohio > Knox County > History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present > Part 82

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YLAY township was created out of Morgan and C organized March 9, 1825. It was named after Henry Clay, the great Whig statesman. The first election after its organization was held the first Monday of April, 1825, in the village of Williams- burgh, now Martinsburgh, when the following offi- cials were elected: Rynard Reece, David Hann, and William Lyon, trustees; William Barton and Wash- ington Houck, constables ; William McCreary, clerk; James Elliott, treasurer; Ebenezer Brown, house appraiser; Robert Dillon and James Pollock, overseers of the poor; William McWilliams, lister ;. Abraham McLane and Arony Pierson, fence-viewers. The first settlement of the trustees with the treasurer was had March 6, 1826, when orders to the amount of twenty-six dollars "were lifted." The official records of that year show that the township clerk, trustees, treasurer, and the other township officers "charged the township nothing for the year 1825." Robert Dillon and William Dehart were selected for grand jurors, and John Reagh and Ebenezer Brown petit jurors for 1826.

Topograpically the surface of the country is un- even, with the exception of the northern portion of the township, which is a beautiful level prairie. The land is all tillable, and generally of fine quality. A branch of the Wakatomika crosses the northeast por- tion of the township, and the Big run the northwest. Paul's run traverses the southern part from east to west. In an early day the larger part of the town- ship was heavily timbered with oak and hickory, more especially oak, and at this date large forests of oak remain.

In the northern part of the township several mounds exist. The largest one is about two acres in area, and was covered with a dense growth of heavy timber when the first settlers came to Clay. This mound is on the farm now owned by Charles Murray. The smaller mounds have an area of from one-half to one acre. When the first settlers came to Clay they found wild game in great abun- dance. The first season that Levi Harrod lived here

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

he killed sixty deer and ten bears, and wolves were so numerous that he found it necessary to build fires at night to protect his flocks of sheep, which were in small enclosures near his residence. The southern parts of Knox county were the favorite hunting grounds of the Indians residing at Green- town and Upper Sandusky, and they annually en- camped here for several weeks at a time during the hunting season, and were generally successful in securing large quantities of game.

Levi Harrod was probably the first settler in the township. He came from Green county, Pennsyl- vania, to Knox county in 1804. He first settled in Clinton township, near the present site of Mt. Vernon. Mr. Harrod and family was one of seven families that settled permanently in Knox county in 1803 or 1804. The families were those of William Leonard, John Mills, Henry Haines, Wil- liam Knight, Levi Harrod, James Harrod, and Peter Baxter. They were all related to each other and lived very harmoniously together. These families all settled in Clinton township, in the same neighborhood. Levi Harrod removed to Clay township some years previous to the War of 1812. When he first came Clay township was an un- broken wilderness; the woods literally swarming with wild animals. Indians were quite numerous. He settled in the northeastern part of the town- ship on Government land. He went to work clear- ing his land, and in a few years became quite pros- perous. For several years after he first settled here he frequently found elk horns and Buffalo skulls on his farm and in other portions of the township, evidences that these animals at one time were numerous, but none were here at the date of the first settlement.

Steven Cook, an early settler, came from Wash- ington county, Pennsylvania in 1814, where he was born the nineteenth of August, 1789. He first settled in Morgan township. He partially cleared three farms after his removal to Knox county. He. was a prominent member of the Presbyterian church, and an elder many years. The religious element was strongly developed in Mr. Cook, being an earnest worker in the church and Sunday school. He was liberal in his donations to the church institutions and the poor. He was a be- liever in the power of prayer to secure temporal as

well as spiritual blessings, and the following anec- dote is related of him:

Having no pasture fields cleard, his horses, cattle, and sheep, ran in the woods, and to prevent their being lost, bells were fastened around their necks. At one time one of these bells was lost, and as there was no store nearer than Mt. Vernon, he was very anxious to find it. He prayed fervently that the Lord would assist him in finding it. As he was going through the wilderness to a neighbors one day-earnestly praying as he was walking along-he suddenly caught his foot in the mouth of the bell that was lost, That this was a direct answer to his prayers he did not doubt.

Mr. Cook continued to reside in Clay until his death, May 20, 1870.

Cornelius Barkalow, who was born in Virginia in 1801, came with his father to Knox county in 1804. His father settled near Utica, Licking county, residing there until 1812, when he removed to Clay township, locating on section fifteen. At that date but a very small number of settlers had as yet located in the township. Wild animals were still numerous; Indians were living in large num- bers, and Mr. Barkalow's playmates were Indian children. He still lives in Martinsburgh. Mr. Barkalow has lived to see Clay emerge from a wilderness into a thickly settled county.

John McWilliams came here in 1818 from Bel- mont county. He was born in Ohio county, Vir- ginia, in 1798. He first settled on Government land near the village of Martinsburgh, where he en- gaged in farming about half a century, when he sold his farm and removed to Martinsburgh. He has been an active member of the Presbyterian church nearly fifty years, and a deacon forty-one years.

Ezekiel Boggs, who died in 1853, was one of the early settlers of Clay, coming from Belmont county. He served as representative from Knox county in the Ohio legislature. His widow and his children still reside in the township, one of his sons, Coleman, being a very successful teacher, and a member of the board of school examiners.

Ziba Leonard came with his father from Green county, Pennsylvania, in 1804. His father settled in Clinton township. Mr. Leonard attended the first funeral in Knox county. He was also present at the first wedding in the county, the marriage be- ing that of his two sisters. One of the bridegrooms was Amariah Watson, who afterwards removed to Richland county, where he founded the village of

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

Lexington. Mr. Leonard worked many years at the carpenter trade, and a large number of the houses now standing in Martinsburgh were erected by him. Politically he was a Whig, afterwards a Republican, and is now a Prohibitionist. He has been a working member of the Presbyterian church of Martinsburgh a long time. Mr. Leonard has resided in Clay since his removal here in 1831.

James Cook has long been an honored and use- ful citizen. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1801. He removed to Knox county in 1817, locating in Clay township. He has been a prominent member of the Presbyterian church more than fifty years, engaging actively in the prayer meeting and Sunday-school. He is also noted for his great liberality in giving of his means to the various boards of the Presbyterian church. He has been elder in the church for many years and is still living at Martinsburgh.

The oldest person now living in Clay is James Sims, who was born in Maryland in 1792. He has been a resident of the township since 1835.

Of the earliest settlers, Ziba Leonard, Jacob Harrod, John McWilliams, C. Barkalow, James Cook, and James McKee are still living in the township.

The early settlers, in addition to those named, were: Abner Brown, Jacob Smith, David Harrison, James Pitney, John Huston, James Paul, Abram Day, James Larason, Nathan Veach, Samuel Por- terfield, Robert Dillon, Michael Mills, John Culp, Luther Brown, Samuel Ross, James Hays, William Henry, James Carr, John Williams, John Reagh, Johathan Curtis, Aaron Conger, and Philemon Pierson. They were from Virginia and western Pennsylvania, and generally of Scotch and Irish descent. Almost all of the early settlers are dead, and but a few more years will pass until all will be "consigned to the narrow house appointed for all the living."

Clay has not been as fortunate as many of the other townships of Knox county in securing rail- road communication with other places. Owing to the numerous hills in southern Knox and other reasons, there is no probability of its having a rail- road for many years at least. There are no streams of sufficient size for manufacturing purposes, and consequently there are no manufactories in the

township. Outside of the village of Martinsburgh there are no grist- or saw-mills to note in the his- tory of Clay, and it will in all probability remain as heretofore, an agricultural community. The church, school, and farm employ the time, talent, and labors of the people, and in these they find both profit and happiness. There are no very poor to be found within its borders, and the inhabitants are generally in very comfortable circumstances financially.

The first school was taught by an Irishman named Samuel Hill. The school-house in which this school was taught was a small log cabin with greased windows, similar to the cabins of a century ago in the frontier settlements. Reading, writing, and arithmetic were all the branches taught. But a small number of scholars were in attendance, prob- ably not more than six or eight. John Roy taught the second school in the township in a small log house near the present site of the Martinsburgh cemetery. Of the original scholars who attended these schools but two are now known to be living, Jacob Harrod, who attended the first, and C. Bark- alow, who attended the second. Both are still res- idents of Clay. In place of these rude structures are now to be found neat and comfortable frame houses, and the schools at present are taught by competent teachers, who, many of them, are able to instruct their pupils not only in the common but also in the higher branches of science.

This township has long been noted for the strong religious sentiment of the people, a large propor- tion of the inhabitants being connected with some church. At first the meetings were held at the res- idences of the pioneers, and no churches were erected until after the village of Martinsburgh was started. The Old School Presbyterians were the religious pioneers of Clay, and at one time the township contained more members of that denom- ination than any other township of the same popu- lation in Ohio. There are no churches in the town- ship outside of the villages of Martinsburgh and Bladensburgh, and the description of these churches will be given in another portion of this chapter.

The village of Martinsburgh proper was organ- ized in 1828. Prior to this year it was known as Williamsburgh and Hanover, the street running east and west dividing the place into two villages.

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

A consolidation was affected in 1828 and the name changed to Martinsburgh. James Pollock built the first dwelling-house in the village. The first mer- chant who established a store in the village was I. D. Johnson, who came from Richland county in 1818, and with a limited capital and a very small stock of goods commenced business. By aid of friends and dint of perseverance he succeeded in a few years in establishing such a business as was hardly equalled by any merchant in Knox county at that time. He purchased very large quantities of wheat, wool, pork, tobacco, and various kinds of produce and marketable commodities, hauled them to Newark and shipped to the eastern markets. He continued doing business on a remarkably large scale until 1837 when he failed, leaving eight of his friends, who had indorsed his notes, to pay thirty- two thousand dollars to eastern parties. He soon afterwards removed from Martinsburgh. Mr. John- son was considered the leading merchant of Knox county for many years after he first commenced business in the village and was a great help to the early settlers in enabling them to pay for their farms. He was a leading member of the Martins- burgh Presbyterian church and a very liberal sup- porter of the same. He died some years after his removal from the village.

The Beckwith Brothers opened a store about the year 1824, and were successful in doing a good business for some years, when they sold their stock of goods to other parties. The first hotel was kept by Solomon Cook on the corner where Bird's store formerly stood. The first mill was erected at a very early date in the history of the village by Enos Beckwith. It was operated by horse-power. The second grist-mill, run by steam-power, was built by Slocum Bunker. The exact date of the erection of these mills is not known. O. Drake was the first blacksmith.

The present population is about three hundred. The population of the village has not increased much since 1830.

At present there are two stores kept by the Cline and Tilton Brothers, respectively, a hotel by Isaac Simpson, one saddler's shop by James Snyder, three shoe shops by David Chandler, Sylvester Rouse and Samuel Hollabaugh, a butcher shop by Conn Simpson and Hugh Boyd, four blacksmith

shops by R. P. Gordon, Leroy Beeney, Henry Up- fold and Milton Mahaffy, one tailor shop by Elias Hardman, one barber shop by David Kidwell, one tannery by Charles G. Cromer. There are three physicians-Thomas B. Miser, N. S. Toland and John F. Shrauntz.

The post-office is kept by Miss Hettie Kerr.

Martinsburgh has long been celebrated for its edu- cational facilities. In 1838 the building known as the Martinsburgh academy was built. The first trustees were Hugh Elliott, Samuel C. Porterfield, Steven Cook, James Elliott, George McWilliams, Uriah Reece and Aaron Davis. Rev. Henry Her- vey was the president, Joseph Clingan, Rev. James Ferguson, David Elliott, Samuel McCreary, Rev. John Elliott, Dr. A. C. Scott, Rev. Israel Dodd, Robert McLoud, Patterson Reese and Alexander S. Berryhill were some of the students who attended the first session of this somewhat noted institution. Among the graduates of the academy who attended subsequent terms were Hon. William Windom, now of Minnesota, who has attained a national rep- utation; Hon. Judge West, of Bellefontaine; Rev. Alexander Scott, now a noted Presbyterian minis- ter in Iowa, and many others who became useful ministers of the Presbyterian and other churches. The academy was discontinued about 1860, and the building was purchased by the township board of education for the Martinsburgh district school. Owing to the loss of the records a full history of this academy cannot be given.

John Roy was probably the first school teacher of the village school. The union school of Martins- burgh is at present under the superintendency of Professor Ikes, who is assisted by Miss Anna Da- vis. The board of directors are Wesly Tilton, John Shrauntz, and R. H. Morgan.

Martinsburgh has been noted for religion, moral- ity and temperance. The temperance element is so strong that it is impossible for any vendor of intoxicating liquors to procure a foothold in the village ; all attempts to start a saloon have ig- nominiously failed, and no one can now be found who will brave public sentiment by making the experiment.

The Old School Presbyterians organized a church at a very early date in the history of the town. Rev. James Scott was the first pastor. He remained

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

pastor until 1827, when he resigned, and was suc- ceeded by Rev. John McKinney, who was suc- ceeded by Rev. James Campbell. Rev. Campbell officiated until the installation of Rev. Henry Hervey in 1830. When Rev. Henry Hervey assumed the pastorate of this church there were about one hundred members in good standing. His labors were greatly prospered, and at one time there were three hundred members in full connec- tion with the church, and sixty male members who could lead in prayer when called upon so to do. But three of the members who belonged at the time of Rev. Hervey's installation are now living, viz: Ziba Leonard, James Cook, and John McWilliams.

In this connection it would be proper to give a short biographical sketch of Rev. Henry Hervey, who so long "broke the bread of life" to this peo- ple. He was born in Brooke county, Virginia, November, 22, 1798. He graduated at Jefferson college, class of 1825, was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Washington in 1827, and or- dained to the ministry, and installed pastor of the Martinsburgh Presbyterian church, April 15, 1830. Prior to this date he had preached several months in western Virginia and eastern Ohio. In the early part of the year 1829, he came to Knox county, where some months afterwards he received a call from the church at Martinsburgh. He continued to be the faithful and honored pastor of the church until the eighteenth of October, 1867, when he resigned his pastoral charge on account of increas- ing years and failing health. His death occurred at Martinsburgh, February 17, 1872. The services connected with his funeral were held in the Pres- byterian church, March 20th, and an unusually large number of persons of all religious denomina- tions from Knox and Licking counties were present to pay their last tribute of respect to the loved and honored dead. Rev. N. C. Helfridge and Rev. Mr. Walkinshaw were the successors of Rev. Mr. Hervey. The present officers of the church are Elders John Lyon, Smiley Boyd and William Freece; Deacons Isaac Simpson, John McWil- liams, William Gilmore, Johnson Sims, and Thomas Stevenson; Trustees William Boyd, Isaac Simpson, and William Gilmore. The present pas- tor is Rev. Mr. Porter who is also superintendent of the Sunday-school.

The Baptists organized a church May 14, 1846, with a membership of twelve, viz: Elias Hardman, Jackson Clutter, Michael Cline, Joshua Conway, Nancy Hardman, Sarah Clutter, Jane Conway, Susan Perrick, Elizabeth Barkalow, Nancy Watson, Susan Cline and Eliza Waldron. Elias Hardman was the first clerk, and Michael Cline the first deacon. Rev. D. D. Walden was the first pastor, who was succeeded by Reverends Amos Pratt, Mr. Northrop, N. Martin, R. Lockhart, S. West, J. G. Tunnison, D. B. Sims, C. King, S. Yarnall, A. J. Wiant and S. Yarnell. who is the present pastor. The church is now enjoying a good measure of prosperity.

The Disciples, though not as early in the field as the other denominations, are quite prosperous. They organized a church June 19, 1876. Nathan Veach, H. C. Dicus and W. J. Denton were the first trustees, J. B. Wilson treasurer. Rev. James E. Harris was the first pastor. His successors were Elders Lyman P. Streeter, S. M. Cook and Philo Ingraham. . There is a flourishing Sunday school in connection with this church.

The Methodists have not been as prosperous here as the other churches. Their ministers com- menced to labor here in early times, and the denomination erected a large and substantial church building many years ago. . At the present date the society is very small, and as the official records of the church cannot be found, its early history can- not be given in this chapter.

The Free Presbyterians organized a society some time during the period of the great anti-slavery ex- citement, which swept over the entire north. They were seceders from the Old School Presbyterian church of Martinsburgh. Quite a large number of the members of the church, who were the most bit- terly opposed to slavery, seceded from the church and organized an anti-slavery society under the name of The Free Presbyterian church. They had a moderate degree of prosperity for some years when the church ceased to exist, the majority of the members returning to their former societies. All of the churches mentioned have neat and com- modious buildings.

The village has been a sufferer by two fires, the first occurring June 21, 1850, and the second in February 1854. In both cases business blocks

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

were consumed, and the village has never fully re- covered from the effects of the loss. But a small amount of business is now done in Martinsburgh, in comparison with that of fifty years ago. The village was incorporated some years since. R. H. Morgan is mayor at this date.

A small portion of the village of Bladensburgh is in Clay towhship, but as that village is fully de- scribed in the history of Jackson township, it need not be repeated here.

The following were the successive justices of the peace :

1827-James Elliott.

1854-Wallace McWilliams.

1830-James Elliott.

1855-Mercer McFadden.

1831 -- W. McCreary. 1857 -- Wallace McWilliams.

1833 -- W. Spratt.

1858-Isaac Bell.

1834 -- W. McCreary. 1860-Wallace McWilliams.

1837-W. McCreary.

1860-James Elliott.

1839-James Paul.

1863 -- Daniel Paul.

1840-W. McCreary.

1864-William McCammet.

1843-W. McCreary.

1866-T. F. Van Voohies.

1846-W. McCreary.

1867-A. S. Kerr. 1868-G. P. Porterfield.

1846-John M. Boggs.

1869-David Lawman.

1848-Wallace McWilliams. 1871-Samuel Fowls.

1849-John M. Boggs. 1872-David Lawman.

1851-Wallace McWilliams. 1875-T. F. Van Voohies.

1852-John M. Boggs.

1878-Frank P. Hess.

1878-R. H. Morgan.

CHAPTER XLVIII. CLINTON TOWNSHIP.

ORIGINAL DIVISIONS OF THE COUNTY-LATER MODIFICA- TIONS -- MOUNDS-ANDREW CRAIG-A TRAGEDY-BUT- LER'S VISIT-HENRY HAINES' INSANITY-JOHN MILLS -- OTHER EARLY SETTLERS-THE PIONEER MILL-OTHER MILLS-ROADS-AN INDIAN TRAGEDY-TOWNSHIP OFFI- CERS-JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

YLINTON is one of the four original townships C into which Knox county was divided by the commissioners, May 2, 1808. The order in refer- ence to Clinton township is as follows:

Ordered, That the following bounds be laid off into a separate township: Beginning at the northeast corner of Wayne town- ship; thence east to the west side of the eleventh range; thence south to the centre of the township; thence west to the west line of the twelfth range; thence south to the south line of the sixth towhship; thence west to the west line of the county, which shall be called by the name of Clinton township.

The township thus constituted included Bloom- fiield, now in Morrow county, Liberty, the north half of Pleasant, Monroe, Pike, and the south half of Morris. After various changes in the bounda- ries of the township the commissioners caused this entry to be made in their journal, March 9, 1825: "Clinton township shall be composed of the sixth towhship in the thirteenth range."

By this last order the area of the township was reduced to about twenty-five square miles of terri tory, which is well watered by Owl creek and its tributaries. The land is all tillable, and of good quality, a great portion of it being an alluvial de- posit, highly cultivated.

One haif mile north of the residence of Morgan F. and Gilman B. Stilley may be seen a mound about fifteen feet high and twenty five yards in di- ameter, built of the same material as the surround- ing soil. It was opened by Aaron Loveridge, but nothing of importance discovered in it.

To Andrew Craig belongs the honor of being the first white man to locate within the present limits of Clinton township. He came to Ohio from the mountain regions of Virginia. Like his native mountains, he was a rough, rugged, bold man, a regular frontier character, who took delight in hunt- ing, wrestling, and kindred athletic sports. The exact time of his locating on Owl creek is not known, but it is certain that he was in this section of Ohio when Ohio was in its territorial condition.

In September, 1801, Benjamin and John Butler went on an exploring expedition up the Kokosing as far as the mouth of Centre run, and camped over night about one hundred yards north of the creek bank, and about one half mile east of the present site of Mt. Vernon. There they found Andy Craig living in a little log hut, with a woman he had brought with him from the vicinity of Wheel- ing, Virginia. Not another white family at that time inhabited the entire country watered by the Kokosing and Mohican and their tributaries. An Indian chief and his tribe were encamped at the "Little Indian Fields" near by, and was having a grand pow-wow at the time. In the spring of 1805 Benjamin Butler returned to the country that had so charmed him in 1801, and found Andy Craig and the Indians still enjoying themselves. From long association with the Indians, and having so

1842-James Paul.

1865-John M. Boggs.

1845-Wallace McWilliams.

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

fallen into their customs and modes of life as to be almost identified with them, Craig could not brook the restraints of even such civilization as the white society of that day imposed upon him. So he cast his lot with his dusky friends, and in 1809 removed to Greentown.

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History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 82

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