History of Logan County and Ohio, Part 70

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 70

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Menror Township is without any largo thomas er slags, but one sin Il village being within its Toits. No railroads cross it's soil, nor any mujn'a tories, other than mills, with

their noisy machinery, are found here to dis- turb the quiet of its peaceful inhabitants. It is thoroughly an agricultural township. The population of Monroe, by the census of 1840, was 1.203; in 1850, it was 1.330; in 1860, it was 1.111; in 1820, it was 1.312, and in 1880 it was 1,304. Schools and churches abound and the citizens rank high as moral, educated and refined people,

Close in the wake of the retreating savages came the white people, and soon the pioneer's It dotted the landscape where but recently the " wigwam blaze had beamed on the tender and helpless, and the council-fire had glared on the wise and daring." The sound of the woodman's ax took the place of the Indian's rifle, and his voice lifted in praise to God was heard where erst had echoed the savage's war-whoop. To whom the credit should be given as the first settler of Monroe Township, is not known at the present day. Mr. Antrim. in his history of Champaign and Logan Coun- ties, mentions the following names as among the early settlers, and gives theydates append- ed as the time of their settlement. How nearly correct it is, in every particular. we are unable to say, and probably there is no one now liv- ing who can vouch for its perfeet correctness. It is as follows: Robert Frakes, from Ken- tucky, in 1810: Nathan Gilliland, from Vir- ginia, in Is10: Sammel Met'olloch,* in 1-03; Rov. George McColloch (his son), in 1503; Thomas Athy. in 1809 (was a drummer in the war of 1812); Zebedee Randel, from Now York, in 1810: George Moots, from Pennsyl- vania, in 1503; Conrad Moots, from samo place, in 1-09; Charles Monts from same place. in 1809; George Groen, from Kentucky, in 1810; William Williams, Heury Williams and Obadiah Williams, from Virginia, in 1814; Jacob Johnson, from Kentucky, in 1811 (he had four sons who were prevelers); Jacob,

Th mi) Met Much was a repres if tive in the Legisla- tor when Lacan was a part of Champaign c inty.

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IIISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

John and William Paxton, brothers, came about 1814; Err Randel came in 1810; Nich- olas Pickerel, first Sheriff of Logan County, came in 1813; Henry Pickerel came in 1813.

The above varies somewhat from the in- formation we have gathered in regard to the early settlement, but, nevertheless, may be substantially true. We will not presume to dispute any of the facts contained in it, but will give our information as we received it, leaving the reader to accept that which seems most likely to be correct. Many of the facts pertaining to the early settlement of the town- ship were received from " Uncle Jack " Enoch, a perfect walking encyclopedia, and who has been familiar with the country since 1812, and knows whereof he speaks.

Charles, Conrad and George Moots were brothers, but did not all come to Monroe Township at the same time. Charles came first-sometime previous to the war of 1812- and with his wagon and team was in Hull's surrender at Detroit. He lived about a mile above where Donn Piatt now lives. Conrad came about 1813, and settled on a place which had been occupied by a squatter named Race. George came in the spring of 1815, and was the last one of the three brothers to settle in the township. They were Germans and came from Chillicothe here, but Mr. Antrim says they were originally from Pennsylvania. They all died years ago, but George has two daughters living in the town of West Liberty, who are unmarried. Another daughter lives in Mingo, and another on the old homestead. A man named Soots, with two married sons and one that was single, came previous to 1812, and located on the place where Mr. Bradley now lives. Where they came from is not known, and after remaining a few years, they removed West.

The fall of 1811 witnessed the arrival of Robert Smith. He came from the " Old Do- minion," and was a man of some prominence;

at one time served as an Associate Judge of Logan County. A son, Robert, Jr., still lives in the township. The elder Smith built the first mill ever built on Mackachack Creek, about 1813. It was a small log structure, and used principally for grinding corn, but had a "hand bolt," and sometimes essayed wheat, though, as a flouring-mill, it was but a poor success. Zebedee Randel and his son, Err Randel, were among the very early set- tlers, but the elder Randel is long dead. Err Randel still lives just across the creek from where they originally settled. Benjamin Long came about 1814, and has a son still liv- ing in the township. Robert Frakes lived on the creek a little above Long. He was from Kentucky, and came previous to 1812. In 1830 he removed to Michigan and from there went to Missouri, where he died years ago. Nathan Gilliland was from Virginia and set- tled where Mr. Short now lives. He was a brother-in-law to Burnside, who was an early settler. He died of consumption, at Urbana, in 1825. He came to the township as carly as 1813.

The Williams brothers and Jacob Johnson were also from Virginia. Obadiah Williams settled just above Gilliland, where he died many years ago. Johnson was here as early as 1012, and is long since dead. Daniel Pur- dy was a squatter. and came previous to 1812, and has been dead many years. George Green and his father, whose first name is for- gotten, were from Kentucky, and came prev- ious to 1812. Both are dead. The Paxtons were believed to have come from North Car- olina about 1814. There are descendants of them still living in the county, though the original pioneers are dead. Obadiah Howell was here previous to the war of 1812. [Te had a son named Israel, and both died in this township years ago. Charles Fielder was also here before the war of 1812; he lived at the crossing of Mad River, at what was called the

HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

"State Brilgo." He was a blacksmith by tra le, and af erwar.I followed it as a livelihood, and kept the first shop in the township. The wol gentleman has been dead many years. Ih had a son named James-an only child, who died but a few years ago. Samuel MeColloch setthd about a mile from Fielder; he was an officer in the war of 1812, and had one arm off above the elbow. He died soon after the close of the war. His son George now lives in I. Nerson Township, and is said to be the old- est man living in this county. Solomon, a brother to Samuel, lived just above him, on the river. A man named Tittsworth was an old settler in the east part of the township, Int of him little is known. Samuel Scott came from Virginia about 1815, and settled in the southeast part of the township. Both he and he's wif . died on the place of original settle- ment. AA man named Stotts, and another by the name of ('ruizan, were among the earliest settlers. The former settled where the widow Noal now lives, and the latter on the place now occupied by Esquire John Kelley. . They are long since dead, and very few now living remember them, or are aware that they ever lived in the township. William McDonald settled on Mad River as early as 1812; he was from Kentucky, and has two sons still living on the old homestead. Henry Robin- son came about 1811; he was an excellent man, and was an early Justice of the Peace. Both he and his wife died many years ago. Jeph and Benjamin tox settled about 1513 14: Joseph moved West at an early day. and Benjamin went to Fort Findiay, in Han- cook County, abont ISIS, Nicholas Robinson itled where John Hunt now lives about 1-21; he had a brother named James, w so As I yan ar Probes. They were squatter, a ar a long since dra l.

That depi sa list of the early settlers, so far a cold be obtained. Many others came in aleit th tin r. Logan County was or- !

ganized, but our space will not allow such ex- tended mention of the mere settlement, and other objects of interest claim our attention. The country was to be improved by the pio- neers and carly settlers, the forests folled, cabins built to guard them against the inclem- encies of the weather and the encroachments of the wild beasts, and the erection of mills and the cutting out of roads. All this must be done by the settlers, in order that they might live in comfort, if not in luxury. A short sketch of how the pioneer lived follows appropriately the settlement of the township. Says a writer on the pioneer history of the country: " The construction of log cabins and the manner of living in them. are worthy of remembrance, for they have so nearly good out of date, that it will not be a great many years before the people will seareply know what they were. They were generally con- structed of round logs, one story high, por- cred with clap-boards, which were not nailed down, but kept to their places by weight- poles, laid lengthways across every row of boards. In fact, many very comfortable dwellings were built and lived in, without so much as a single iron nail being used in their construction. As there were no saw-mills in the country at its very early settlement, the floors of the cabins were made of what was called puncheons. They were made by split- ting large logs into slabs three or four inches thick, and by nicely howing. them on the up- per side, and neatly fitting the joints; they made a very permanent floor. The open spaces in the walls, between the logs, were filled up, and made smooth by ' chinking ' and danbing with clay inside and outside. The fireplace was at one end of the building, gen- orally outside, an opening being ent through the log wall for that purpose. The the was built up alove the comb of the roof, with what was called 'eat and clay' The fire-places were large, sufficient to take in back-logs from

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

twelve to eighteen inches thick, and four to six feet long. These buildings varied in size from fourteen by eighteen feet, up to eighteen feet wide by twenty-four feet long. A room of that size, and built in that way, was used for kitchen, dining-room, parlor and bed-room. The bed, and sometimes three or four of them, were placed in the back end of the room, and here the whole family slept. And when they had visitors, which was very frequently in those days, they were accommodated in the same way. Where the family was large, how- ever, the boys had generally to sleep up in the loft on the floor, which was laid with clap- boards like the roof. In order to get up to the loft, a ladder was placed close up in one corner of the house, usually in the end near the fire-place."

This description applies only to the very first settlers. They very soon began to add to these cabins such improvements as seemed necessary for comfort and convenience, but many well-to-do farmers still held on to the first comfortable log-cabin for many years. And even to the present time, we occasion- ally find some gray-haired sire, or wrinkled dame, who sigh, as they recall what they term the good old times.

In comparing the early days, the pioneer cabins, farms, the manners and customs, the pleasures and enjoyments, with those of the present time, the question will obtrude itself upon the mind, as to which is the best calcu- lated to promote real comfort, health and en- joyment-the old-fashioned cabin, customs and manners of those times, or the very dif- ferent ones of the princely palace-residences. with their retinue of servants, and the fash- ionable customs of the present time.

The ladies-the women. as they were termed in the pioneer days-bore as important a part in these carly struggles as did the men them- selves. They spun and wove cloth and made their own clothes as well as those of the men,

and bore their full share of every hardship. The modern housewife, with her sewing ma- chine and her washing machine, cook stove and other conveniences, knows little of her grandmother's trials and troubles. The music of the spinning-wheel and the weaving-loom in the cabin, has given way to the piano and organ of the splendidly furnished parlor. But as we advance in civilization and refine- mont, we come to enjoy these innovations on the " pioneer luxuries," and wonder how our ancestors got along at all-how, with fat pork, or wild deer meat. and " corn-dodger," and this often in limited quantities, they kept from starving to death. Our fastidious noses are elevated to an angle of many degrees, as we sit at our well-laden boards, and allow memory to wander back and dwell for a mo- ment on the frugal fare of our pioneer ances- tors.

This chapter would scarcely be thought complete without some mention of th > Piatts. Gen. A. S. Piatt, the soldier and politician, and Donn Piatt, the editor and poet, are resi- dents of this township. Both are mentioned in other portions of this work-the General in the war history of the county, and the lat- ter in the history of the press. They are scholars, and both are men of fine literary tastes and abilities, with wealth to fully satisfy their inclinations in this direction, Dom Piatt is known throughout the county as a newspaper man of high attainments. Miny poetical gems contributed to the press by him have received a wide popularity, both at home and abroad. Ile has a beautiful place on the Mackachack of almost baronial splendor, where he passes his time at ease and in the gratification of his literary tastes. Ilis brother, Gen. Piatt, lives near him, the owner of a fine property and an elegant home. The follow- ing of Gen. Piatt is from Antrim's History of Logan County: " Abram Sanders Piatt is more generally known to the military and

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

political than the poetical world. The two pursuits, so wide apart as they are, sekom center in one individual. Did Mr. Piatt se- riously follow either, this would not prob- ably be the fact in this instance. But, the happy possessor of broad acres-and beauti- ful acres they are-in the Mackachack Valky, Logan County, Ohio, he dallies with the muses and worries the politicians more for amusement than aught else. His leisure moments are given to the care of an inter- esting family, and the cultivation of his farm. No one of any refinement could long dwell in the Mackachack Valley and not feel more or less of the poetry that seems to live in its very atmosphere. So rare a combination of plain and hill, wood and meadow, adorned by the deep, clear, glittering stream that gives name to the valley, seklom greets the eye. There the hawthorn and hazel gather in clumps upon the sloping hillsides, or upon fields, while, like great hosts, the many-tinted forests of burr-oak, maple and hickory close. in on every side the view. Nor is the Mack- achack without its legends and historical associations. Men yet live, rough old back- woodsinen, with heads whitened by the snows of eighty winters, who will point out the precise spot where a poor Indian woman, seen lurking around the smoking ruins of the Mackachack towns, only then destroyed by the white invaders, was shot by a rilleman, who mistook her for a warrior. Near the Platt homestead may be seen the spot where Simon Kenton was forced by his cruel one- mies to run the gauntlet, where, between lake and river, lay a vast unbroken wilderness. It was near this that he and thirty, the rene- gade, recognized each other, and the hard heart of the murderer was touched at the sight of his old connade and friend, and he saved his life at a time when this bold act endan- gered his own. The family to which Mr. Batt belongs is one of the pioneer families

of the Mad River Valley, and has prominent associations with the literature and politics of the West. Mr. Piatt's poems have been published chiefly in the Cincinnati Commer- cial and in the Mackachack Press." His poem " The Dainty Bee," was very popular, and copied extensively in the press of the country.

The first mill in Monroe Township, and said to be the first ever built on the Macka- chack, was put up in a very early day by one of the pioneers of the township, Robert Smith. It was a small log building, and received its power from the Mackachack Creek. It was intended merely as a corn-cracker, but a hand-bolt was afterwards added, for the pur- pose of grinding wheat, when there was any to be ground. The large mill of Gen. Piatt was built originally about 1840, and is still in operation. A distillery was connected with it at one time, but was discontinued many years ago. The grist-mill, and a saw- mill in connection, are still running, and do- ing good work. Other mills, saw and grist, have been built at different times, and the township is now well supplied with these con- veniences.

The Mad and Mackachack Rivers, fed by the springs and drainage of the hills that make up the major portion of Monroe, are still valuable for milling purposes; every here and there are mills which look out of all pro- portion when compared with the size of the streams. But the character of the streams appropriately expressed in the name of one- the Mad-makes up in power what they lack in size. The power of the Mackachack is very strikingly shown where it crosses the farm of Mr. Long. Here, in ISa3, where was only a " dead-furrow," is now a wide guily. sixty feet wide, where the stream sometimes rushes along with fury enough to drown a horse.

The carly efforts to advance the cause of

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

religion are not so clearly related by the older settlers. Wherever a little colony was formed in the early day there was a center from w'ich went forth a religious influence. The people were God-fearing, and brought from their earlier homes the influence of a Christian education. Many of them were members of the different churches, and though deprived for a time of the advantages of older settle- ments, they did not allow their surroundings to interrupt their worship. For some years they kept the flame of truth alive by prayer meetings held in the different cabins about, and soon after the earnest pioneer preacher came and dispensed the word of life. Among the latter was Daniel Long, known in those days as a " New Light." Among the earliest organizations, perhaps, was the Mt. Pisgah Methodist Church. A class of ten or fifteen members was organized about 1830. Some six years later they erected a frame building, which served their purpose until about 1865, when the church died out. The principal cause of this result was the change in the neighborhood, the old families selling out and the Ormish taking their place. The old building stands unused, in the wood near the Undlow road, a decayed monument of the past.

In the southwest part of the township is a little log chapel belonging to the Catholic Church. It had its origin somewhat as fol- lows: When the Catholics first came to Cin- cinnati, the property-holders refused to sell them land, but Benjamin M. Piatt, who was a large property-hohler then, was less hostile, and notified Bishop Fenwick, that he could have a building site not far from his residence. The intercourse thus opened up between the clergy and the Piatt family, resulted after a while in the conversion of Mrs. Piatt from the Methodist to the Catholic faith. When the Piatt family came to Logan County, Mrs. Piatt persuaded her husband to donate five

acres to the church. One day, in his absence, Mrs. Piatt directed that the logs that had been cut and prepared for a workshop, shoukl be taken and put into a chapel. This was done, and Mr. Piatt found his workshop had been converted into a chapel, to his no small dis- gust. This was done about 1830, and it still stands, serving its purpose as well as ever. The wife of Col. Donn Piatt proposes in 1881 to erect a handsome stone chapel in its place. There are about 150 members, to whom the Bellefontaine clergy minister once a month. Near the center of the township is the Mack- achack Baptist Church. The first building was erected as a union affair for all or any denomination, on land donated by Benjamin Long. In 1868, however, a new frame build- ing was erected by a Baptist society that had sprung up in the meanwhile. Rev. George Lyon was instrumental in its erection, and took possession of the house, with about twenty members. There are now ninety-eight members, with Milton Squib as pastor.

The early community about Pickereltown was largely made up of Quakers, and, as is natural with this sect, they held meetings at once, for years occupying a pole-log school- house in the valley. Ab ot 1820 they put a better log building on the site of their pres- ent building, and in 1826 were regularly or- ganized as the Westland Meeting. In 1866 the old building was replaced by a neat frame building, where services are regularly held at this time. There are about ninety members. The only other church in the township is that of the Protestant Methodist. About 1820 a Methodist Episcopal Church was organized here, and for years had a thriving society, but it gradually passed away, until the Protestant Methodists entirely supplanted them, using their old building until 18:4, when they put up a new building at the other side of town. They have about twenty members, and Rev. F. B. Graham is the Pastor.

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

The earliest attempt at schools in the town- ship was by way of subscription efforts, and the teachers were the heroes of the hour. They wielded a power that none dared to dispute, and carried their instruction into the affairs of the family with the same arbitrariness that they exercised in the school-room. Among the earliest schoolhouses was the one men- tioned above, in the valley rear Pickereltown. llere old John Paxton taught, one of the gentlest and kindhest old men in the county. He used to get the little ones between his knees and instill into the young mind whole- some lessons of good while he taught the a, b, c's. John Garrison is another teacher of the olden times. He taught in a cabin that had but one window and a crooked log, through which a small boy could crawl. One Christmas the boys turned him out, but finally compromised on a quantity of apples. These were dumped in the middle of the floor for the boys to seramble for. Another of the early schoolhouses stood about a mile west of Mr. Long's. Here George Crosscup taught, and when locked out by the boys treated them with whisky, getting all the boys drunk, even to the smallest. But the establishment of the district schools in the winter of 1834-5 changed all this, and now Monroe rejoices in as good schools as any of her sister townships. The present status, gleaned from the records, is as follows : Balance on hand, September 1, 1818, $255.06; State tax, 8912; local tax, $1,864.20; amount paid teachers during year, $1,562; balance on hand, September 1, 1879,

$2,260.61; number of school districts, 9; total value of school property, $3,200; average enrollment-boys, 180; girls, 81; average attendance-boys, 96; girls, 52.

Pickereltown is a httle hamlet in the north- cast part of the township. It was never regularly laid out, but about 1830, it was talked of, and was divided into lots, taking a name finally from the oldest of those interested in the property. The lands of Henry Pickerel, Nathaniel Pope, Samuel Collyer and William Pearson came together where the roads cross in the middle of the village. No plat was ever made of the town, but by common con- sont quite a cluster of houses have gathered at this point. In 1825 Mr. Pickerel started a tan-yard here, and later George Williams put up a wagon-shop, which was followed by a hatter's shop by Jesse lyatt. The first store was started by Thomas Wilson, in 1841 or 1842.

The first name of the place was Frogtown, from the fact that, notwithstanding its general high altitude, several ponds contributed to the dis- comfort of the new village. It later took its present name, an appropriate one, to follow the suggestive one first given. Mr. Williams had some ambition to band his name down to posterity, in connection with the hamlet, but it did not get popular indorsement, and the project failed. A postoffice was established July 22, 1851, and that, with a small store, is the principal business outside of the black- smith shop, wagon shop and shoe shop. It is beautifully situated on a high ridge of land, overlooking a fine prospect of valley land.

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

CHAPTER XVIII .*

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP-INCIDENTS SETTLEMENT-PIONEER HARDSHIPS-CHURCHES, ETC .- THE LOST CHILD.

" Gather we from the shadowy past The struggling beams that linger yet, Ere o'er those flickering lights are cast The shroud that none can penetrate." Platt R. Spencer.

ITTHE carly settlers of this township, in common with all pioneers of the county, endured privations and hardships of which those of to-day can have but a faint concep- tion. Under the most favorable circum- stances their food was always coarse, often unsavory, and, if accident befell the sources from which they were supplied, scantiness as well as coarseness mingled with their meals. The two principal articles of food upon the tables of the early settlers, were bread and meat. If the bread chanced to be made of wheat flour, and the meat consisted of the flesh of domestic animals, then was the fare considered choice. If the bread was made of corn meal, and the meat was but the flesh of the deer, the bear, or the raccoon, there was no complaining, for in those days they were less concerned about the quality of the fond than they were about the quantity. Coffee was scarcely known, except by the name; and tea, if drank at all, was drunk about as fre- quently as it was by the Whigs of Boston im- mediately after that article was east into the harbor from the British ships. In respect to clothing, as well as other necessaries for which the settlers had to depend in whole or in part upon the market, they were about as well pro- vided for as they were in respect to tea and coffee. There were no stores in the vicinity, so that whatever was required beyond what "Contributed by Dr. J. H. Se Cheverell.

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History of Logan County and Ohio, Part 70

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