History of Logan County and Ohio, Part 58

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin
Number of Pages: 798

USA > Ohio > Logan County > History of Logan County and Ohio > Part 58

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or his heirs. The first described lot in Sur- vey, No. 3,13%, was conveyed by Sullivant's heirs to Isaac Zane, so late as February, 1833.

Isaac Zane seems to have been a man of kind and genial disposition. Ilis house was much frequented not only by friends, but by strangers who chanced to come that way, and who were ever welcome to his hospitality. Mrs. Cynthia Smith speaks of often visiting there in the days of her childhood and youth, and of the pleasant recollections of his kind- ness and attention. And Mr. J. N. Dickin- son recollects his funeral as the first one he ever attended. He was buried under the boughs of an apple-tree a few rods from his residence, on the premises now owned and occupied by Mr. Ira Brown. No stone marks his resting-place, though it is very nearly indicated by a young apple-tree which grows within a few feet of the spot.

The improvements made on Survey No. 3,137 were nearly as follows: Isaac Zane, 2d. improved that portion of traet Nos. 1 and 2, lying west of the Sandusky road, and after his death, it passed into the possession of Dr. James S. Robb. East of the road, Joshua Folsom purchased thirty acres on the north, and John Bishop and Daniel Butler made the principal improvements on the remainder, the former where T. E. Pennock lives, the latter further east. Of tract No. 3, Lanson pur- chased the south half west of the road. The north was parcelled out to various persous. The greater part of the tract is now owned by Oliver Fawcett. Ebenezer Zane settled east of the road where John MeCormick re- sides, and parcelled his land out in small tracts to numerous individuals-John Bishop, Jona- than Thomas, Daniel Cowgill, Benjamin Smith and others.

Alexander Long settled on traet No. 4; laid out the village of Zanesfield, consisting of twenty-four lots, sold the part east of Mad River, with a part between the village and

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

youngest son, Charles, the homestead, consist- ing of 630 acres, and to llenry, his second son, the remainder.

Next to Isaac Zane, it is most probable the Marmons-Robert, Martin and Samuel, three brothers, from North Carolina-were the car- liest white settlers coming in 1805. Robert settled on the farm on which his son, Joshua, resided for many years, and which he sold some years ago to Omar Brown. He prob- ably purchased, in addition to the tract he set- tled on. all of Samuel Davis' Survey, No. 3.216, selling to Henry Newsom 105 acres off the rast end. to Aaron Brown 150 acres next to his son, Peter, the farm owned by John D. Elliott, and to his brother, Martin, the farm owned by David Springate, where he lived until his death. Samuel settled at the south side of the valley. in James Galloway's Survey, No. 3,618, where he spent the re- mainder of his life. His farm is now owned by Omar Brown.

the river, to Istar Rea, who sold it to Simon Konton, who in turn sold it to Ben- jamin Smith. It is now principally owned by S. L. Wonders. On this place Simon Kenton lived for a number of years, and near this was the scene of some of his terrible ad- ventures with his savage foes. Of tract No. 5. Lanson Curtis purchased, in 1819, all east of the spring branch running through the prairie, except a small strip at the east end, sold to Martin Marmon. The west end came into the possession of Robert Armstrong, who built a two-story brick house near where Mrs. Knight resides. Armstrong became bankrupt before finishing his house, and the farm was sold at sheriff's sale, and subsequently came into the possession of Zane McColloch. In the year 1831, Benjamin Smith bought the honse, pulled down the walls, and of the brick built the house occupied by Oren Out- land. Traet No. 6 was purchased by Martin Marmon, who sold the part west of the spring branch to his son, Robert M. Marmon. Encas The Marmons were men of marked influence in the early settlement and improvement of the country. They were members of the Society of Friends, and it is probable that it was in this sphere that Robert was most in- fluential. Quiet and unobtrusive in his de- portment, orderly in his daily walk, and liberalin his hospitality, he contributed larg ly to the encouragement and assistance of those less fortunate than himself. His son, Joshua Marmon, perhaps as well and widely known as any man who ever lived in the township, married about the year 1823. lived at the old homestead and took care of his father and mother during their declining years. He was intimately connected with the political history of the township, having served as Trustee probably oftener than any one that ever lived in it. In politics he was radically and enthusiastically a Republican in late years, as he was formerly a Whig. But not- Sullivant also obtained a patent for James Calderwood's Survey, No. 3,159, containing 1,500 acres, and sold it to Simon Hadley, who sold it again to Joseph Garwood, taking a mortgage to secure deferred payments. His . son, Jesse, built a cabin and made some im- provements near the grassy hillside, on the east bank of Sogar Creek, in the southeast part of the survey. Another son. Nimrod, settled on the left-hand side of the Harper road, near the head of the mill-pond, while his are-in-law. Thomas MeRay, settled where Ed- ward H. Knight lives. Garwood failed, how- "or, to pay for the land; the mortgage was for closed by Bennick and his administrators, who purchased the land at sheriff's sale, and soH it to Joslma Folsom, who commenced improviso in the year 1530. Previous to his dath, in Isto, he divided his land between has three aus, giving his eldest som. George. In deres in the northwest corner; to his . withstanding his strong party predilections,

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which sometimes amounted almost to bitter- ness, such was his genial nature and humor that he was highly esteemed even by his poli- tical opponents. He sold his home in 18;1, where he had spent sixty-five years of his life, and removed to Iowa, where he resided with his son until his death on the "th of last December. Richmond and Peter, elder sons of Robert Marmon, removed to the State of Michigan over fifty years ago. They are both deceased. Mrs. Jarvis Danghherty- mother of William and Zaccheus-the only daughter, died some thirty years ago.

Martin Marmon, who, as already remarked, settled where Mr. Springate lives, was much more intimately connected with the organiza- tion, growth and development of both the township and county than either of his brothers. Being a man of good business qualifications, and supplied with an inex- haustible store of humor and hilarity, his ser- vices and his social intercourse were alike over in demand. And these good qualities were supplemented by a kind and sympathiz- ing nature, that ever prompted him to relieve the wants of those who were in poverty or distress. In illustration of this, it is related by one who knew him well, that at a time near fifty years ago, during the first settle- ment of the northerly part of this and the ad- joining county of Hardin, breadstuff became so scarce as to cause absolute suffering, bor- dering on to starvation, many families being not only without grain, but destitute of any means to procure it. Fortunately, alike' for himself and for humanity, he had a large sup- ply of corn, which 'was greatly in demand. When called on for breadstuff, said our in- formant, the first question asked was, " Have you any money?" If answered in the affirm- ative, he was kindly informed of other places where his wants could be supplied. But if in the negative, he was promptly fur- nished with a grist of corn and sent on his

way rejoicing. And in speaking of it after- wards, the old man exultingly exclaimed, not a single man whose wants had been thus re- lieved failed to pay him so soon as his ability permitted him to do so. In addition to serv- ing twenty-five years in succession as Towil- ship Treasurer, he was the first County Treasurer serving four years in succession, while in the settlement of estates and transac- tion of other business where ability, taet and responsibility were required, his services were ever in demand. Of his sons, James W. will be noticed in the proper place as a physician. Robert M. married, settled and died in Zanes- field about thirty years ago. Samuel died perhaps ten years earlier, while Henry W., still living on his farm, has attained to a good old age. Ile is quite feeble in health, and of late years has suffered much from a cancerous affection. Of his daughters, Hannah married Zacchous Brown, died IS -. Susan married llenry Cowgill, father of Speaker Cowgill, of the Ohio House of Representatives; survives her husband. Polly died in Zanesfield many years ago. Susan, the youngest, married David Brown in 1844, and died a few months afterward.

Samuel had one son, Martin, and one daugh- ter, who married Jeremiah Reams. Martin was a Colonel of militia, and was Sheriff of Lo- gan County from 1835 to 1839. He acquired considerable property, but lost it dealing in stock. He removed to Hardin County, where several of his sons still live.

About the time the Marmons came, and perhaps with and from the same place, Wil- liam Reams came, bringing with him nine sons and one daughter, whose offspring have contributed to the population of this as well as one or two counties in Michigan. Of the father of the family, we learn but little except that from the organization of the township up to 1830 he scarcely ever failed to be elected Supervisor. Ile settled somewhere near Rush

HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

('reck Lake, probably where his youngest son, John Reams, now lives. Caleb, his second sou, made the first improvement on the farm, on which he resided till near the close of his lif. It is in James Galloway's Survey, No. 3,718, and is now owned by Josiah Reams. Jeremiah, the third son, made the first improve- ment on the farm where he now resides with It's son, Martin M. Reams. The situation has been remarked for the fine view it affords of the beautiful valley spread out before it. Silas, the fourth son, commenced the first im- provement where Hezekiah J. Reams lives, but emigrated to Michigan at an early day, together with a large number of the connec- tions, settling in what is now Cass County.

Aaron Brown bought of Robert Marmon in ISIS. Ile was from North Carolina, and rame north in the year 1800, stopping a short time at Redstone (now Brownsville) on the Monongahela, thence to Short Crock in Jef- ferson County, Oho, where he remained until 1 . bought the farm in the Marmon Valley, on which he lived until his death, in 1840. Bo- fore Leaving North Carolina, he married Anna, fourth daughter of Dr. Benjamin Stanton, and sister of (afterwards) Dr. David Stanton, of Steubenville, who was father of Secretary Edwin M. Stanton. He, with his family, be- lunged to the Society of Friends, and, in com- mon with the large family connection who came north near the same time, came partly to find a more fertile and productive soil, which could then be cheaply purchased, and more especially to give freedom to the slaves which belonged, by inheritance. to the family, and to create the blighting influence of slavery. On coming to Logan County, it is probable that he first lived in a cabin just at the ascent of the hill at the north side of the valley, near the west line of the land for- merly occupie l by his brother, John Brown. l' ig great energy and activity, and blessed with a robust family of sons, he soon

cleared and brought under cultivation the fertile land lying in the valley, and before he had lived on the place eight years he erected the very comfortable two-story brick develling in which he resided the remainder of his life, and in which his grandson, Thomas S. Brown, lives at the present time. He was a man of excellent business qualifications and habits, though it would not seem that he ever aspired to office, as his name is rarely found in the township records, but being a good scribe, an accomplishment by no means universal or even comnon, and possessing ready business tact and forethought, with general intelligence and pleasing address, he was well known and respected throughout the county. His wife was an excellent woman. She was respected for her sterling common sense, and loved for her kindness and gentleness. An old colored man who knew much of her private life not inaptly described her as a great big bundle of long. And truly her affections and sympathy were freely bestowed on all, especially ou those in sorrow and affliction. She survived her husband, dying in 1852. Aaron Brown had six sons, the children of his second wife, besides one Horton H. Brown, by a former wife, of whom we shall speak in another place.

Of the second set of children, Dr. B. S. Brown, the eldest, will doubtless occupy a prominent place in the medical department of this history. Zacchous married Hannah Mar- mon, and settled in Hadley's Bottom, on the road to North Greenfieldl. Ira married Re- becca Rea; died young, leaving two children, one of whom, a daughter. died in youth; the other, Ezra Brown, is one of the prominent farmers of the township, living near the upper end of Marmon Valley. Asa. the fourth son, married Hannah Sands, and settled, abent the year 1835, in the north part of the township, in Survey No. 3,137, on a farm now owned by Cyrus Wickersham. James, the fifth son,

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

married Elizabeth Willis, and settled on and cleared up the farm at present owned by George D. Adams, where he lived till about the year 1859, when he removed to Iowa, where he first settled in Warren County and afterwards in O'Brien, where he still resides. David, the sixth son, married, about two years after the death of his father, Susanna Marmon. Both died in less than two years after their mar- riage. The daughters were-Mary, who lost the use of one of her feet in childhood; she sur- vived both of her parents, making her home at the residence of her youngest sister, at whose residence she died in the year 1862. Anne, the second, who became the second wife of John Outland, of Perry Township, and died in 186 -. Martha, the third, who died single, at about the age of 28, and Elma, the youngest, who was married to Edward Ken- ton in 1845, and who now resides with her husband and three youngest children in La Porte County, Inl. The girls were bright and intelligent, and partook largely of the amiable qualities of their mother.

Among the early settlers of Marmon Val- ley, the name of Henry Newsom (colored) is worthy of mention. He, also, was from North Carolina, but was never held in slavery. Ile came at an early day, purchasing before Aaron Brown. Ile was well respected for his quiet demeanor and general upright character. 1lis grandson, Darius Newsom, is one of the lead- ing colored teachers of the county. The farm he settled on is now owned by Mrs. Ellen Coram.

John Taylor settled next, east of Newsom, in Survey No. 4,661. His wife was a Stanton, aunt of Hon. Benjamin Stanton. He died in carly life, leaving three children-Benjamin S., who married Martha Outland; Mary, who married Lemuel Watkins, and Sarah Ann, first wife of John Outland. After his death, his widow married Edmund Marmon, and had three children-Joseph, Martha and Amos

P. Marmon, all of whom married and settled outside of the township. After his mother's death, Benjamin occupied the farm during his lifetime, succeeded by his youngest son, Aaron Taylor, one of the leading farmers of the township.

Benjamin Zane made the first improvement where Albert Jacobs' lives, selling to Reuben Watkins in 1830, who died in 1835, leaving his farm to Joel, his youngest son, who mar- ried Margaret Fowler, now Mrs. Jacobs. George Witcraft settled where Elwood Brown lives, succeeded by his son, John; John D. Elliott, and finally by the present owner. In the division of the John Taylor estate, that part south of the road fell to Lemuel Wat- king, who, about the year 1828, commenced improving the farm on which Ezra Brown resides, first building a cabin down in the bottom west of the present dwelling. Peter Marmon, Joshua's brother, made the first im- provement where John D. Elliott lives. It was afterwards owned by Dr. J. W. Marmon, and later by Joseph James. Col. Martin Marmon made the improvement on the IIannah Wat- kins farm, now owned by S. P. Strong, and Benjamin Watkins improved the farm on top of the hill south of Josiah Peeble's residence. Daniel Butler, whose wife was a sister of Reuben Watkins, as was Martin Marmon's wife, came about the same time of the Mar- mons, perhaps later; bought of Isaac Zane a small tract of land, so described as to include the mill privilege, where the Baldwin mill is. It does not appear that he ever used the mill seat. Ile built a house, and lived a little north of where the mill stands until about 1833, when he sold to Daniel Hunt, and bought the MeAtee farm, now owned by W. J. Lyle, then unimproved. John Bishop bought immediately west of him, and made improvements, where T. E. Pennock now lives. In the year 1811, Joseph Dickinson came from Virginia. He lived two years in

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IHISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

a calin standing where Oren Ontland's house now is, in Zanesfield, and after that, one year near Bellefontaine. He then bought of Simon Kenton 160 acres in the southeast corner of Survey No. 3.139, and commenced improving, where J. W. Easton lives. After eighteen months, he learned that Kenton's title to the land was worthless. Ile fortu- nately recovered back his purchase money, but lost his labor in improving the land. Ho then bought of James C'atlet 125 acres in Dandridge's Survey No. 3.220, where John 11. Dickinson now resides. Shortly after this, Lot tiarwood bought immediately east in the same survey, and made improvements, where James K. Abraham lives; and about the year 1822, James and AArchibald Walker, from Dan River, in Virginia, settled immediately south. The land owned by the former is at- tached to the John H. Dickinson farm. Ed- ward Mason came from Kentucky a year or two earlier. Hle owned a large body of land in the southwest corner of the survey, and settled where his son-in-law, Jesse T. Grubbs, lives. Farther cast in the same survey, George Henry. Sr., and his son, William, bought 100 acres, about the year 1811, the former building on the south half, now owned by Isaac Rogers, but pretty well to the cast end of the farm, and the latter on the north half, where Newton Garwood lives. Abra- ham Painter bought 100 acres next north, and built where Phillip Crouse lives, James . Hemy and Samuel J. Costin bought the 100 acres next north of Painter's, the former taking the part south, and the latter the part north of the Bellefontaine road. The 100 acres north of the's remained unimproved until 1531, when Justis Camper bought it and improved it. The Hogares in the southeast corner of the Survey was covered by Gien. MeArthur to Robert Arm to me for showing the head spring of the - jothe River, thereby securing an ad- dition of many thousands of acres of land to

the Virginia Military Surveys, over and above what was included by the Ludlow Line. Of this 100 acres, William got a part, and Red- wood Easton a part. It is not certain where the former built, but the latter down in the hollow south of where Mr. De Witt lives. Isaac. after selling his little farm, east of Mad River, to Parkinson and Kenton, bought 100 acres next north of this, and subsequently acquired the principal part of this, also. Jonathan Sumner bought 100 acres north of this, about 1816, where he instituted a primitive tannery on a small scale -- the first in the township, possibly in the county. He afterwards sold to Justus Cooper, and he, in 1830, to Joshua Scott.

West of the Dandridge Survey, George Krouskop, father of David Krouskop, settled on the end now the William MeBeth farm, and Thomas Wilkinson built a mill ou Mle- Kee's Creek, as early as 1809, which was in running condition in 1835. South of Zanes- field, Solomon MeColloch, settled where Mrs. Lydia Daughherty lives in Survey No. 4,95 ;. and west of that George MeColloch settled, where he still lives with his son, in Survey No. 6,449; and north of that, in the same survey, his brother-in-law, Robert Breese. made the first improvement. East of that on Tharp's Run, William Tharp settled, where William Bishop lives, and north of that, in the same Survey, No. 6.117, Daniel Grubbs made the first improvement. In the north of the township, one of the first settlers was John C. Parkinson, who settled on the old Moses Brown place, east from Now Salem Chapel, in 1816. Hle did not romain long, being soon succeeded by Brown. He then settled on the Thomas Wickersham place. north of Jerusalem. Gen. Simon Kenton settled on the Lingrel place, at Jerusalem, but whether Lingrel immediately succeeded him or not is uncertain.

To the westward, near the lake, Haines

IHISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

403

Parker settled on the Shaots place. Dunston and Stephen Leas settled on the south and west of him, and still further west, McCoy made improvements; McCormick, the MeCoids and John Easton, further south on the waters of Mad River, followed lat.er by Joel Henry, Daniel Antrim and Robert Dickinson, who settled on the farm owned by Benjamin Plummer. On the East Liberty road, Thomas Dickinson made the first improvements on the western part of the farm owned by Benja- min Knight. The eastern part was improved by James Monroe, who bought it of Gen. Me- Arthur on the following terms: Having ob- tained a title bond, on making a small pay- ment on the land, he assisted McArthur as chainman in a pretty extensive job of survey- ing, and being in possession of a fine young mare (worth then, perhaps, $30 or $10) Mc- Arthur proposed to him that if he would carry his instruments home and let him have the mare, he would make him a deed for the land. The President, as McArthur always called him, accepted the offer, and they started. Getting as far as London, the General met with some of his old comrades, and became quito convivial. James, naturally anxious to have the, to him, important matter consum- mated, remonstrated against further delay, to which the General responded: "Never mind, President, you are making good wages." In due time, however, the President prevailed on the General to resume their journey, and, arriving at their destination, the latter fulfilled his prom- ise, and the President, shouldering his saddle, wended his way back to Logan County, a happy man, if not a wealthy one, and the pos- sessor of a warranty deed for 80 acres of land and a saddle.

It would be an interesting story, if we could describe the hardships and adventures con- nected with the journeyings of the sturdy pio- neer from his far-off home in the Carolinas or Virginia, or Pennsylvania, or the bleak hill-

sides of New England, to this new, strange land of promise. But, unfortunately, the ma- terial from which to weave this strange, roman- tic story is difficult of access. Our fathers wrote their history on the forest and the hill- side and in the fertile valley, in which, if they did not cause the " wilderness to blossom as a rose," they did compel the hitherto uneulti- vated soil to contribute its rich treasure to the sustenance and comfort of their dependent loved ones. They came and found a forest; they stamped upon it the trade-mark of civil- ization, and left, forgetting to chroniele their achievements.

We cannot tell how Robert and Martin Marmon gathered up their effects on the Ro- anoke, or where they scaled the mountains, or how they succeeded in penetrating the intri- cacies of the wilderness, or what were the inci- dents of their journey. These would have been interesting facts, that a few years ago might have been garnered up, but then their value was not appreciated. It is probable that the Marmons and Outlands and Reamses and Butlers, coming from the interior of the Old North State, crossed the mountains in Virginia, and reached the Ohio through the Kanawha Valley. While Aaron Brown and his large family connexion, coming from the region of Pamlico Sound, embarked at Beau- fort for Baltimore, and from there came in wagons, possibly by way of Cumberland. but more likely by way of Chambersburg, in Penn- sylvania, to Brownsville, the Masons came from Kentucky, probably crossing the Ohio in the region of Marysville, and it is altogether likely that the Walkers came from Virginia by way of Kentucky. The Lowes came from North Caro- lina, coming either by way of West Virginia or Kentucky, Mrs. Lowe making the entire trip on foot, in company with the wagon that conveyed their goods.

Having penetrated the wilderness and so- lected a stopping place, the first want that

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

claimed the attention of the settler, premising that he was in possession of clothing to supply his present want, and food to appease the de- mand of hunger, was a shelter for his family and his goods. To enable him to supply this want, nature had made a bounteous provision in the great variety and apparently inexhaust- ible supply of timber with which the hills and valleys abounded. This want supplied, the next that would naturally present itself would be meat and breadstuff, to replenish the constantly diminishing store. For the former he might, with some degree of assur- ance, look to the forest for an abundant sup- ply, and for the latter he might trust the fertile soil as soon as it could be reclaimed from a state of nature, and brought under cultivation. But the production of grain for bread suggested another necessity which was not overlooked-the creation of mills. As already noticed, Thomas Wilkinson built a mill on Mcker's Creek as early as 1809. This was certainly the first ever built in the township, and, in fact, the only one until so late as 1836, notwithstanding the several fine mill sites found within its limits. Previous to this, however, perhaps about 1805, the Gar- woods came from Virginia and settled on Otter Creek, at the present location of East Liberty, and immediately set about the con- struction of a mill, which, however primitive in its character, was an important factor in supplying the wantsof the people at that early time. Afterwards, but at a still early day, George Monts built a mill on Mad River, in Monroe Township, which did superior work. and which continued to supply the farmers of Jefferson Township to a very great extent until the very excellent mills near Zaneslich were fouil, thirty to forty years ago.

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History of Logan County and Ohio, Part 58

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; O.L. Baskin & Co Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin Number of Pages: 798

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin
Number of Pages: 798