History of Logan County and Ohio, Part 74

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 74

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" We used to have spinning bees. A neigh- bor would send flax enough around the neighborhood to spin twelve cuts for each one, and send an invitation for us to attend on a certain day and bring our dezen of thread, and partake of a good dinner and a good time in general. The men would have log- rollings, house-raisings and corn huskings. We would have our wool-pickings and quilt- ings. We could and did ride on horse-back for miles to meeting or to market, or visiting. and thought it only a pleasant recreation."

Pigeon Town, an Indian village, was located on what is known as the old Dunn form. Here the natives remained for years after the whites feel settled all about them. After it j el into the hands of the whites. numerous wies were turned out by the ploughshares.

Mrs. Moore says : "Indians were plenty about here in the carly time, and often came into the settlement to trade their split baskets (which were very pretty, being colored black and red, and striped with the natural color of ash wood), dressed deerskins and moccasins, for four, a little corn-meal, or a piece of meat. They were very friendly with the whites, generally, if they were well treated.

" Meanwhile, the heralds of the cross were notable. Father Joseph Stephenson, than whom few could boast a finer physical organi- zation-tall, erect and well proportioned-he stood forth a giant for the cause of religion and morality, and, as the Good Master, 'went about doing good;" and, like the Apostles, ' preached from house to house.' Camp-meet- ings were quite common. One year there was one hell on the place of Lodman E. Spry, at which there was a large crowd of Shawnee and Delaware Indians, some all the way from Sandusky. Their encampment was back of the preacher's stand. They seemed to enjoy the meeting as well as the whites, and were quite as orderly. Some of them were beauti- ful singers, and would get very happy at the night meetings." Some of the earliest efforts were made by the Methodists at Messick's cabin, and for some time this was the only local preaching. About 1835 a little frame chapel was created on the corner of the lot owned by Mr. Beers, which sufficed until 1862, when the Lake Branch Chinch erected a frame building, at a cost of some $1,100, a mile rast of that point. The movers in this enterprise were Alexander Doke, Thomas Moore, E. C. Doke, William and John Carter, and J. L. Seegar. The organization is now in a flourishing condition, and holds regular services. In the southeastern part of the township is the Walnut Grove Demich Church. The Ormich seet is a division of the German Mannen to denomination, and have a follow- ship of about 100,000 in the United States.

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

A settlement of these people began to gather here about 1840. They soon got strong enough to erect a church in Liberty Township, which served until 18:5, when the present building was erected on land given by D. D. Yoder. This structure is a fine frame, neatly painted, with blinds, and is beautifully situated in a grove of walnut trees. It cost $1,153 in cash, besides such contributions as could be secured by "frolicks." There are about 150 mem- bers, with Dan. F. Yoder as deacon, David Plank and Samuel Headings as local preach- ers, and John Weary as Bishop. For some time this church used the building erected by the Presbyterians, near the centre of the town- ship. The latter organization has long since abandoned its organization. The church building is now occupied by the Christian church, who, for a while, shared it with the Ormish.

The Dunkards, or German Baptists, have had an organization in the northwestern part of the township for some thirty or forty years. For years they met from house to house, un- til, about 1852, they determined to build a place of worship. This stands near the farm of Raphael Moore, in the western middle part of the township. Their local preachers are Jacob Franz, Michael Swonger, Abednego Miller and Henry Garber. They have about 150 members.

In the matter of schools, Union Township was quite as forward as her sister townships, but the sparse settlement obliged the pioneers for some time to forego this establishment. There were the usual subscription schools, and among the early teachers in these institutions was Peter Knox. lle was unusually well educated for that time, and was, besides, a strict disciplinarian. His custom was to give the children tasks to commit to memory when he dismissed them on Friday night, and Mon- day was devoted to hearing them recited. An- other feature of this part of the exercises of

the school was the fact that the delinquents in these tasks received an admonishment with a rod that never failed to work good results in the matter of committing tasks. The school- house stood on Peter Detrick's place, the first. one of its kind in the township, and was a rude log affair. Three logs were sawed out of the side for light, and greased paper pasted over it to keep out the weather. Here the children of the pioneers, provided with the Introduction to the English Reader, a Testa- ment, unruled paper, several lead pencils, in- digo ink and quills, went through with their "reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic." The lead pencils were of home manufacture. The bullet lead, of which there was an abundance in every frontier cabin, was beaten into long, slender pieces and hammered to a point. With these the writing paper was ruled, and sundry hieroglyphics and inscriptions placed before an admiring crowd of young folks, much to the disfigurement of the schoolhouses and to the dissatisfaction of the graver part of the community. George Dunn was another of the carly teachers. He was not so well versed in educational matters. His certificate showed him to be qualified to instruct in "reading, writing and arithmetic to the rule of three." He was a slow-going sort of a man and greatly given to sleep. It is said that he frequently fell asleep in school, a fact of which the pupils eagerly took advantage to go out of the house to play. On awaking and finding himself deserted, he would summon them back again, only to relapse again. The rule of the rod in those days was supreme. Education was of no value unless cultivated and fixed by the rod. The principle seemed to be that it was better that ten inno- cent should suffer than one guilty one es- cape, and it often occurred, that for some misdemeanor perpetrated by an unknown pupil, all were made to suffer in a common cause. In the winter of 1824-5 the " district

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- school " system was established, Union Town- ship being divided into eight districts. With this change came a change of methods, until we have the present system. There are now but four districts, all provided with neat brick buildings, save one, which has a neat frame structure. All are provided with in- proved school furniture. Among the teach- ors of Union Township is John Carter, who has taught each year for thirty-five consecu-

tive years, and boarded at the same table- his own-all the time, a record which would be difficult to duplicate. The Auditor's re- cords make the following showing for Union: Balance on hand Sept. 1, 1848, $1.442.46; State tax, $405.00; local tax, $:93.62; total amount paid teachers this year, $1,105 ; value of school property, $2,000; average wages to gentlemen, $41 per month: ladies $23; average enrollment-boys, 86; girls, 18.

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXI .* WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP-INTRODUCTION-THE LEWISTOWN RESERVATION-SETTLEMENT- SCHOOLS-CHURCHES, ETC.

Where late the Indian wigwams stood, Deep in the unbounded range of wood; Where searce the sun Could penetrate the twilight shade, Now domes of science stand displayed. * * * * * Ilere dove-eyed peace, triumphant reigns, And, o'er the cultivated plains, In converse sweet gay nymphs and swains Delighted, rove. Pierce ..

It is less than half a century since the Red man held undisputed and peaceful possession of the territory now comprised in Washington Township. Forests, whose dense foliage so completely enshrouded the earth that scarce a ray of sunlight reached its virgin soil, covered the lands. Where now stands the thriving hamlet with its busy industries, its church and its school, was until a compara- tively recent date, but a meager collection of wretched Indian habitations. The sur- roundings, a wild wilderness, dense, gloomy and silent, save perhaps at night, when the fierce, piercing cry of the wolf, or the grim hoot of the owl made the solitude still less attractive. By the keen ax and the strong arms of the sturdy woodsman, a wonderful transformation has been wrought. Small tracts of woodland only now remain; smooth, well fenced and highly cultivated felds appear ; finely graded and graveled thoroughfares, thrifty patches of orcharding; substantial, and in some instances, elegant dwellings, and well kept schoolhouses are found everywhere. The slow, meek-eyed ox and the cumbrous

wagon of the pioneer time have well nigh departed from the face of the earth, and in their place we find the trim, fast-stepping horse, with his gold or silver-mounted trap- pings, and the stylish carriage, so delicately constructed that an hour's drive among the stumps and roots of a pioneer road would leave the occupant in much the same predica- ment as the deacon in his "one-horse shay." When it

" All at once, and nothing first. Just as bubbles do when they burst,"

resolved itself into its constituent elements. But. however pleasant this theme may be, -

space admonishes us that matters of greater import should occupy our page.

The lands now constituting the Township of Washington consist of fractions of Ranges 8, 9, 14 and 15, in Townships 2, 3, 6, t and 8, in the original Congressional division. The boundaries are, in general terms, as follows: north by the Lewistown Reservoir; south by Pleasant Township; east by the Townships of Richland, McArthur and Harrison, and west by Pleasant, Bloomfield and Stokes. In size Washington is of an average width of two miles, east and west, by about six miles north and south. The "Greenville treaty line," which is fully described elsewhere in this work, passes through the township in a northeasterly direction, cutting off about one- third of the south part. North of this line was the Indian Reservation, hence the only lands in the township subject to purchase or settlement prior to the removal of the Indians were to the southward, and the close proximity

*Contributed by Dr. I. H. Se Cheverell.

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

of the reservation prevented a rapid influx of the west a black loam is found to be almost settlers until after the year 1832.

The streams are: the Miami River, issuing from and forming the outlet of the Reservoir. From near the east township line the river flows southwest until reaching the northwest corner of Bloomfield Township, when it turns sontb. forming the boundary line between that township and the one under considera- tion. This water-course is now of little im- portance. Cherokee Man's Run flows from the east into the Miami river. Numerous small streams flow into the Miami from dif- ferent portions of the township. The largest of these is Inky treck, in the extreme south- orn portion of the township. None of these streams are of any value. save as furnishing an outlet for the superfluous moisture in the soil. "The Lewistown Reservoir" has its bulkhead in this township. Originally a large natural pond, called " Indian Lake," existed in this and the a ljoining townships of Stokes and Richland. The necessity of a reservoir to supply water-power to a branch of the Miami canal prostated itself several years previous to its improvement. In 1850 a re- solution to establish a Reservoir was report- el up m favorably by the Board of Canal Commissioners, and an act passed authorizing the sim . The" Indim Lake" and surround- ins lands were condemned, and the owners r mungrated. Nine years later an amenda- Ley act was passed, and the State entered into a contract for the enlargement of the nservoir. Subsequently, however, the State was released from the contract on payment of 1.000. The reservoir now covers an arca 13,0 00 acres, about BAND of which are in Washington Township. So says Thomas Ast Il, Government Superintendent of the

The soil of Washington Township is of two kind , tot in the pastorn portion Iming largely clay. with ocasional gravel, and in

the only variety. Wheat, corn and grass are the prevailing erops, and no better virkls are produced in this portion of the State. The nativo varieties of timber did not differ ma- torially from those of the surrounding town- ships, being chietly oak, beech, hard and soft maple, walnut, hickory, etc. Game of all kinds, but especially the deer and wikl tur- key, was abundant in the early settlement of the township. Wolves were numerous, and so destructive to sheep, that it was only by the most careful attention they were kept at all. Strong pens were built of logs, and in these the sheep were confined at night. It is said the howls of the wolves, as they tramped around these enclosures, were something ter- rible, and it was a long time before one could accustom themselves to sleep under the in- fiction. Occasionally a bear would pay a visit to the settlement; this was, however, by no means frequent, and usually a hunt ensued in which Bruin lost his life.

Prior to the year 1838 the territory now known as Washington Township was attach- ed to Bloomfield. The Miami River flowing between the townships, was usually swollen by the fall and spring rains, and being witl .- out bridges, the attendance upon elections was not accomplished without considerable danger to the dwellers on the eastern shore.

At last it was decided to make an effort to secure a separate organization, and accord- ingly a petition was presented to the Board of County Commissioners at their annual ses- sion in December, asking that the "territory to the east of the Miami River, be created a separate township" to be named in honor of the " Father of our Country." The prayer of the petitioners was granted, and early in dan- mary following (1839), an election for town- ship officers was hell, which resulted in the selection of the following: Jonathan Plumb, John Il. Renick and Daniel Downs,

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Trustees; John Hogge, Clerk; Isaac Phunb, Treasurer; Michael Il. Kaylor and William W. Rairden, Justices of the Peace. It was several years afterward before the population in the new township grew sufficiently numer- ous to warrant a division into road and school- districts. The township roster for the year 1880 contains the following: John Trout, Amos Cherry and Salathiel Prater, Trustees; John Ansley, Clerk; E. L. Ward, Treasurer; Lewis Martin, Assessor; W. T. G. Snyder and A. J. Monroe, Justices of the Peace.

The Indian Reservation previously men- tioned extended from the "Greenville treaty line " northward; its eastern boundary, the present township line; its western the Miami River, and thence northward; embracing an area of 40,300 acres. This reservation was granted at a treaty hekl at Maumee Rapids, on September 29, 1817, and was for the benefit of the Sencea and Shawnee tribes, who, in accordance with its provisions, soon estab- lished their residence thereon. They con- tinued upon the territory until the negotia- tion of another treaty for their removal, ou April 6, 1832, soon after which they took their departure westward. James B. Gard- ner, of Bellefontaine, was Commissioner at this time, and John Mellvain, successor to James McPherson, Agent. The transfer was made without difficulty, and the "exodus " produced general rejoicing amongst the set- tlers in the vicinity. The following, from Howe's Historical Collections, so fully illustra- tes the honesty of the average Aborigine, that it is reproduced in this connection: "James MePherson, the former sub-agent, kept goods for sale for which they (the Indians), often got in debt. Many were slow in making pay- ment, and one in particular was so tardy that Major MePherson urged him with consider- able vehemence to pay up. The Indian in- quired if he would take hides for the debt, and being answered in the affirmative, he

promised to bring them in about four days. Starting into the forest, he shot several of the government cattle, a vast number of which were scattered through the woods, and de- livered their hides punctually according to promise."

James MePherson was the proprietor of an extensive tract of land in the castern part of Washington Township, given him by the In- dians and, this is believed to have been the first lands owned by a white man in the township. During the residence of the In- dians in the township, as early as 1820, a man named Stewart lived in a little log cabin on the river, where John Moore now lives, and an- other, Benjamin Ray, lived on land now owned by Thomas Rithburn. These were among the very first white families who lived in the town- ship. They were doubtless squatters, and their stay brief, as no one knows anything of their subsequent history. In the summer of 1832, immediately following the departure of the In- dians, a few white families came into the township and began settlement. The names of these, who were the first permanent set- tlers in the township, are as follows: Henry Hanford, a native of New York, purchased 600 acres of land in and around Lewistown; a daughter, Mrs. B. F. Mckinnon, at present occupies a portion of this tract. Michael Carnes, a Virginian, owned a large traet of land on the eastern boundary line, adjoining the Greenville treaty line. His widow now lives in Harrison Township. William and Alexander Kirkpatrick purchased an extensive body of land along the Miami River. Wil- liam S. Lowry, settled a large traet in the north part of the territory. Abraham Cherry began settlement on a farm in Sections 14 and 23, now occupied by a son, Amos. James Renick purchased land adjoining Lowry. Joseph Kave, Isaac Cooper and John Hogge, settled abont Lewistown. Mrs. Plum came from Virginia, with five children, and located

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

on 160 acres of land southwest of Lewistown; but one son, Isaac, now resides in the town- ship. though numerous descendants live in the vicinity. James B. Mckinnon and family settled south of the " treaty line," on land he still occupies. Among early settlers were Alexander Trout, Joseph and David Dearduty, James Craig, John Williams, Samuel Fire- stone, Daniel Downs, Isaac Clemons, John and George Mefford, John Price, Daniel Mar- tin, John Parish, George Strickland, Dannis Moore, John F. Amos, John Bronson, Philip Shade and George Weaver.

From this period the arrivals in this section increased with hopeful rapidity-the era of prace and prosperity had surely arrived. Progress was slowly, surely made; the log Houses became more numerous and the clear- ings increased rapidiy in area. Frame build- ings began to appear; the pioneers, assured of safety, laid better plans for the future, re- sorted to new industries, enlarged their posses- sions, and improved the means of cultivation. More commodions structures took the place of the old ones; the large double cabin of hewed logs took the place of the smaller hut; log and frame barns were constructed. Next, socio's began to form itself; the schoolhouse and the church appen and though rude. unsightly and deztedy uncomfortable with- al, yet they were a long stride onward. Still there ren ford a vast work to perform. for as vetonly & beginning had been made in the Western woods, The brunt of the struggle, however, was part, and a way opened into the wilderness.

In this, as in all pioneer settlements, great inconvenience was experienced for the want at- by which to convert the grain into · blion saitable for bread-making. Fore- appliances for that purpose was "Importer;" following this was the nails low and tedious process of pre- " In hy bread," still it was an

improvement on its predecessor. Next came the grist-mill propelled by horse-power. or per- haps by the waters of some convenient creek, rude and far from perfect as compared to the mills of to-day, yet its advent was far in ad- vance of anything preceding it. The pio- neer mill in Washington was built in 1835, by E. G. Hanford, upon a small stream some three- fourths of a mile . east of Lewistown. This pioneer industry was a great convenience, and was widely patronized for some years, but has now gone to decay. Subsequently a steam saw-mill was erected by Hanford, Stamats and Conley, on the east line of the village, and to this, one run of stone for grinding corn was added. The present steam saw-mill in Lewistown was completed during the fall of 1843, and is now owned by John Rood and H. Clay. During the year 1802 Washington Township was blessed (?) with a distillery. Jacob Westenhaver was the pro- prietor of this questionable addition to the prosperity of the community. It subse- quently became the property of John and Jacob Hall, who failed to make the returns required by law, and the establishment was confiscated by the Government. This, with a tammery, not a vestige of which now re- mains, concludes the industries of the town- ship. The hamlet of Lewistown is said to have been named in honor of "Captain " John Lewis, " a somewhat noted chief of the Shawnee tribe, who was living within the recollection of the earliest settlers," in a log house standing on the site of the present residence of Dr. B. F. Mckinnon; in fact, a portion of this log house is now incorporated in Dr. MeKiunon's dwelling. This Lewis is spoken of as being fully as lazy and filthy as the average Aborigine: a white woman, named Polly Keyser, lived with him to " do his drudgery.

Quite a collection of log and bark huts stood along the bank of the small stream

HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

533

skirting the eastern portion of Lewistown, and possibly this suggested the idea of mak- ing a plat of the ground; at least the fact re- mains that in 1832 Harvey Hanford cansed a survey and plat to be made embracing twen- ty-five acres of land in the vicinity, and soon after Elijah Brunk erected the first building by civilized hands on the town plat. It was constructed of hewed logs, and became the home of the builder. The first frame house in the " village " was built by a man named Conly, who was the pioneer shoemaker in the place. A few years subsequent to the mak- ing of the plat Mr. Hanford erected a build- ing, and in this opened a stock of goods. A postoffien was next established, and he b. - came Postmaster. The mails were carried on horseback, arriving and departing once cach week, and as much oftener as the state of the streams and roads woukl admit. A semi- weekly hack-line now runs from Bellefon- taine to Anna Station, via Lewistown. J. Springer is the present postmaster. The pioneer " tavern" was under the manage- ment of John Pell, who began to " take in " the traveling public as early as 1840. The hotel building was of logs and frame, and stool on lands now owned by George W. Berry. The first disciple of Esculapins to find an abiding-place upon the historie soil of Lewistown was - Morehead. He did not remain long, and was succeeded by a Dr. Lowis, who, it is alleged, became connect " with a gang of counterfeiters-at least he eventually "took himself off" by suicide. Dr. Pollock came next, and he, in turn, gave place to B. F. MeKinnon, the only physician now in the township, and who is said to be a practitioner of more than average ability. Lewistown now contains one dry goods and two grocery stores, two blacksmith, one harness and one shoe-shop, a hotel. church and school. Situated immediately west of Lewistown is an ancient burial place, |

probably occupied for the purpose of inter- ment long before the white man gained a footing in this vicinity. The remains of Lewis McCauley were the first civilized inter- ment.

The first schoolhouse north of the Green- ville treaty line was located in Lewistown. It was of unhewn logs and rough in its con- struction, yet it is presumed the birchen rod ent as deeply, and the " young idea " learned as effectually "to shoot." within its bark- covered walls as in the more pretentious school buildings of the present day. This buikling was erected in 1833, and was occupied until 1840, when it gave place to a comfort- able frame schoolhouse. This is now the dwell- ing of Jacob Cro is ?. The Lewistown special school district was formed in 18;1, and the following directors elected: Jacob Harner, B. S. B. Stamats and Amos Cherry. A neat school building with two rooms was erected during the summer of 18;4, and the school organized with primary and grammar depart- ments. The writer has been unable to learn the date of the erection of the first school- house in the southern portion of the town- ship. Following are the school statistics for Washington Township, including the special district, for the year ending August 31, 1819:

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History of Logan County and Ohio, Part 74

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