History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Part 19

Author: Chester E. Bryan
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1207

USA > Ohio > Madison County > History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions > Part 19

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Digitized by Google

142

MADISON COUNTY, OHIO.

small sum with which to pay that tax than any tax he subsequently paid. Mr. Mitchell resided in this township for many years, finally removing with his family, into Cham- paign county, where he remained until his death, which came in his nintieth year. He was twice married. There were seven children born to the first union, Sarah, Lavina, Elizabeth, Nancy, Alvira, Chandler and Joshua. His second wife was Mary Ann Reed and to this union one child was born. The life of this early pioneer was one of honesty, Integrity and Christianity.

. George Van Ness, a native of New Jersey, married Eleanor . Van Lear, a native of Holland, and they emigrated to Ohio .prior to, its becoming a state. . They first settled in Butler county, but, in January, 1813 or 1814, they removed to Madison county and settled on the Little Darby, in the northeast corner of the township. He was a true pioneer and experienced the rough side of life. Indians at that time were his only neigh- bors, and deer, wild hogs and game of all kind were found in abundance. About 1820, Mr. Van Ness erected a grist-mill, which was a three-story frame, run by water-power. The mill only ran about three years, when the dam washed away and was never repaired or used afterwards. Mr. Van Ness served throughout the War of the Revolution, and was with General Washington at historic Valley Forge. He was the father of the fol- lowing children : John, Susannah, Catharine, George, Judith, Peter, Cornelius, Daniel and Mary.

: George Jones, a native of Virginia, settled in Pike township about the year 1815-18. He was a leading and active man in the Methodist church; was quite a politician, and after the Morgan trouble in New York he became an active anti-Mason. He served in the War of the Revolution. His children were the following : Elisabeth, who married Michael Roseberry ; William, who was a miller in Mechanicsburg for a number of years; Mason and Allen, who moved west ; Nancy, who married William Dockum and settled in the West, and Charles.

.. Henry King was a native of Pennsylvania and first settled near Chillicothe; thence, about 1818-20, removed to the west bank of the Little Darby, here he resided until his death. He was an intelligent and well-educated man, a wheelwright by trade and a skillful mechanic, and to this trade and also farming he devoted his life. He was a kind and worthy neighbor and always ready to assist in time of need. His children were, Joseph, who married Amanda Tarpening, and remained on the old home place; William, who married Miss Bigelow. daughter of Doctor Bigelow, of Plain City; Hannah, who married Daniel Brooks and settled in Darby township, where they resided until the spring of 1882, when they removed to Kentucky; Henry J., who married a daughter of John Mitchell and settled in Darby township, Union county, but later removed to Marysville; Benjamin, who married Miss Keyes and settled in Darby township, Madison county, where he died at an early age; Sarah K., who married Newton Hunt, and another daughter, who died young.

George Weaver also was a native of Pennsylvania and settled in this township about the year 1817-18. The deed record for his farm was dated in January, 1818. He was married to Elizabeth Hempleton. To this union were born the following children : Jacob. who married Polly Nagley, and' settled on the old home farm, where he resided until his death; Solomon, who married Lydia Niles, and settled near the home place, but later removed to Illinois and settled near Clinton; John. who married Elizabeth Morse and settled in this township; Elizabeth, who married John H. Surfus and settled here first, but later removed west and purchased land in Illinois; George, who married a Miss Morse and resided in Illinois; Joseph, who married a Miss Cobbler; Mary, who married John Sterritt; the three latter children all went west; another daughter married David Morris. Mr. Weaver, the elder, was an industrious, thorough-going Pennsylvania farmer.

Digitized by Google

143

MADISON COUNTY, OHIO,

who knew how to make money and invest all his surplus capital in good hands. and the result was that he became owner of three thousand acres of land.

Samuel Mann, a native of Vermont, settled in the southwest part of the township about the year 1814-15. He was a very successful farmer and a good citizen. He. raised a large family and was able to give them a good education for that day. His children were, Samuel, Reuben, Nancy, Benjamin, John, Alden, Lorenzo D., Leonard and Azro. Reuben and Leonard H. became physicians and Benjamin resided in Monroe township, where he held many offices of trust.

Abraham Johnson, a native of Virginia, settled in this township about the years 1814-15, as the records show the deed for his land to be recorded .in June, 1815. He was a good neighbor and a reliable citizen. In the early times it was the custom to bleed people in the spring of the year, to take away the bad blood, which had accumulated during the winter, and, although it was probable that he was neither a physician nor surgeon, yet he was skilled in the art of bleeding people, and many were accustomed to apply to him to perform the work, He married Hannah Roseberry, and resided in this township for several years, but he subsequently removed to Union county.

Andrew Alden, a native of New York or New England, settled in this township in the spring of 1817. He married Elizabeth Manville, to which union were born the following children : Chester, Elizabeth, Sarah, Lydia, Stanford, George, Eli and Prince, Mr. Alden was a very active, industrious man and a good citizen.

Levi Patrick, a native of Massachusetts, emigrated to Ohio and settled in Pike town- ship on Christmas day, 1817. He resided here until his death, February 22, 1855. He married Clarissa Patrick, who also was a native of Massachusetts, and who died on December 12, 1868. The following were the children born to this union: M. Young, who married Fodelia Cartmill, a native of Kentucky, and settled near the home place, where he resided until 1853, when he purchased a farm of his own; Eliza, who remained single, and died in the spring of 1881; Mary, who married Nathaniel Griffin; Levi M., whe moved to Missouri, where he married and settled; C. F., who remained single; John P., who married Emma Converse, and settled near the home place, but later removed to Union county ; Clarissa Ann, who died quite young, and Olive, who married Henry Brown and settled in Champaign county.

Michael Roseberry, a native of Virginia, settled on Spring Fork about 1822-24. He resided in this place for about ten years, when he purchased three hundred and fifty acres of land, where he resided until his death, about 1859. He married Elizabeth Jones, a native of Virginia, and the following were their children: Ellen, who married Ira Stacey ; Permelia, Sarah, Elizabeth, Julia, Joseph, Ebenezer, Hannah and Jane. Mr. Roseberry was a prominent, active farmer and stock dealer, had the confidence of the people, and filled many of the offices of his township.

Darius Burnham was born in Hampton, Connecticut, on May 10, 1791. He was mar- ried to Lucretia Hunt, September 12, 1819; emigrated to Ohio and settled in Pike town- ship, Madison county, in the fall of 1820, and here remained through life. Here he began life in a log cabin, in true pioneer style, and continued to live and prosper until his death, on August 10, 1846. To his first purchase of land he subsequently added from time to time, until, at his death he owned about seven hundred and ninety acres of good land. He became the pioneer settler of the land upon which Liverpool is now located, and laid out and platted the town, which was given the name of Liverpool and had the same recorded at London. Mr. Burnham's wife was born on February 18, 1798, and died on May 22, 1878. They bad eight children : John H., Henry, Anna L., Emiline S., Darius . D., Achaa M., Lucius A. and Flora E. Mr. Burnham was an active, stirring business man; he engaged quite largely in raising stock and in the dairy business and was a true, public- spirited man, kind and benevolent, ever ready to aid all enterprises and improvements for

Digitized by Google

144

MADISON COUNTY, OHIO.

the good of the general public. He served in nearly all of the offices of the township and was a justice of the peace for a number of years.

George Fullington, a native of. Vermont, was born on August 18, 1769. He mar- ried Rebecca Greeley and, in 1813, they emigrated to Ohio and settled in Union county, where they resided about eight years. They then removed to Madison county and settled in Pike township, where they resided until the death of Mr. Fullington, on July 24, 1835. His wife survived him several years. Their children were, Sarah, who married Alfred Carpenter; Moses, who married Harriett Guy and settled on the old Fullington place, in Union county ; Clarriett, who married William Guy, and died in 1827; Jefferson, who settled in Illinois, where he married Eleanor English; Adelaide became the second wife of William Guy; Mary, who married Truman Kimball; Abigail, who married Charles Phellis, Esq., and Selina, who married John Burnham, and resided in Mechanicsburg. Mr. Fullington was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and still followed his trade after settling here, but his main attention was given to farming and stock raising, which he carried on extensively. He was a man of substantial character and undoubted integrity, honorable in all his business transactions, a great friend of the poor and always ready to aid his friends in every way.

FIRST MILLS.

The first grist-mill erected in this township was in the northwest corner, on the Little Darby. It was built by George Van Ness, about 1820. This was an imposing frame structure, three stories high, and was run by water power. About 1825, Messrs. Lockwood and Nelson erected a grist-mill on the Little Darby, in the northeast part of the township. Subsequently, these men were succeeded in the ownership of the mill by James Snodgrass. It then passed into the hands of Albert Lombard and later to L. D. Mann, who was the last to run the mill, after which it stood idle and went to decay. About 1830-31, George Weaver and his son John built a saw-mill on the Little Darby ; this mill was run about ten years and was also left to decay.

The main pikes in this township are the London road and the Mechanicsburg and Liverpool pike. . The northwest corner of this township is crossed by the Springfield and Delaware branch of the Pennsylvania railroad, which has a length of about one-half mile within Pike township.

Digitized by Google

CHAPTER XIII.

PLEASANT TOWNSHIP.

Pleasant township fills the southeast corner of Madison county, being bounded on the north by Oak. Run and Fairfield townships; on the east by Pickaway county; on the south by Fayette county, and on the west by Range and Oak Run townships. It was organized in 1810, and was put into running order by an election held by order of the commissioners of the county at the home of Forgus Graham; but who the officers elected were is not known as all the records of the township prior to 1869, have been lost or destroyed by fire.

SURFACE, SOIL AND. STREAMS.

In its natural features, Pleasant township is much like the remainder of the county, since the general surface of the entire county is level. Nearly all the surface of Pleasant township, except along the creeks and other small streams, is one extended plain, and were the forests stripped from the face of the country, there would be great resemblance to the rolling prairies of the West. South and southeast marks the general course of all the streams and creeks of the township. Deer creek is. the principal stream of the township and enters the northwestern portion, courses south and southeast until it reaches the boundary line between this township and Pickaway county; thence it flows nearly south on the line for nearly a mile, when it re-enters Pleasant township, flows south and enters Fayette county, near the southeast corner of the township. Sugar run is its main tributary. It empties into Deer creek near the center of the township. Sugar creek finds its source near the western line of the township, by the junction of Mud run and Bradford's creek. These, with Duff's fork, in the south part of the township, are the principal streams. The soil is a rich loam and clay, very strong and productive. equally good for grass or grain. During the last few decades the land has been exten- sively ditched, tiled and drain. Large portions of the township were originally oak open- ings and prairies, of which the soil was remarkably deep and rich,. consisting chiefly of a black loam, with clay and disintegrated limestone subsoll. The timber upon these por- tions was principally bur oak, hickory, elm, black and red oak. Along the creeks and the northern and eastern portions of the township were heavy forests, consisting of the various species of oaks, hickory, elm and, on the creeks, considerable walnut; on the rolling lands, white oak. predominated.

THE PIONEERS.

Pleasant township was one of the earliest settled portions of Madison county. This. was undoubtedly due to its position geographically and its close proximity to the older counties, especially Ross county. Chillicothe, in Ross county, early became a sort of asylum and trading center for the pioneers and settlers in all the counties around. From the Ohio river up the valley of the Scioto, early settlements were made, and Chillicothe early became the principal trading point of the frontier. From this base of supplies, the pioneer and huntsman pushed up the Scioto and its numerous tributaries-Paint, Deer. and the Darby creeks-and it seems that the two last-mentioned streams were early visited by those in quest of game and a location, as it soon became known that along these streams were found, in plenty, herds of deer and immense flock of wild turkeys. and, what was more important than all, as good a body of land as the sun ever shone on.

(10)

Digitized by Google

146

MADISON COUNTY, OHIO.

The first settlers were James and William Hewey and David Martin, who built their cabins on the northeast bank of Deer creek in 1797. This afterwards became known as the Gabriel Alkire farm. They emigrated here from Kentucky, but are believed to have come originally from Virginia. To the southeast a short distance from where they built their cabin was an Indian camping ground and also a burial ground. James Hewey was married, but William remained single and lived with his brother. They erected a cabin, made some improvements and here they remained until their deaths. Nothing further is known of them. David Martin built his cabin on the same farm, a little northwest of the Heweys. He also came from Kentucky. Nothing further is known of either of these families of pioneers. No children were left to preserve their name or fame.

The next to venture into the wilds of the present Pleasant township was William Alkire. He had emigrated to America with his brothers, Monus, Michael and John, from Scotland before the outbreak of the American war for independence, and all four of the brothers served in that struggle on the side of freedom. They later all moved to Maryland, but finally Michael and. William removed to Kentucky, one of the others to Tennessee and the fourth remained in Maryland. William Alkire, son of the previously mentioned William, came with three of his sons to the Northwest territory in the fall of 1799 and purchased fourteen hundred acres of the Baylor survey, No. 464, on Deer creek, in what is now Pleasant township, Madison county. The sons erected a cabin and begun clearing the land that fall, while the father returned to Kentucky and in the spring of 1800 brought the remainder of the family to their new home. Mr. Alkire was the father of fourteen children, eight sons and six daughters, all of whom grew to maturity. The sons were Robert, Isaac, Abraham, Jacob, Monus, William, Joseph and John. Of the daughters, three married and moved to the West, one died, and Margaret and Lydia married and settled here. Mr. Alkire died in 1825.

Peter Long, of German descent, who settled in the northeast part of the township soon after 1800, was one of the earliest settlers of the township. Two of his sons, Jacob and John, never married and spent their days on the old home farm. One daughter married John Oglesbee and lived on a portion of the place. William Woods, a native of Maryland, born near Washington, D. C.,. married Elizabeth Dickinson and soon after- ward removed to Greenbrier county, Virginia; thence, about 1801, he came to Ohio and settled on Duff's fork in this township, and there resided until quite aged, when he removed to the home of his son, William D., who then owned a mill east of Mt. Sterling, and resided with him until his death. When he came to this county he purchased six hundred acres of land on Duff's fork, and during the War of 1812 the army opened a military road through his farm, known as the "Langham trace," over which the soldiers passed to join General Harrison's army in the Northwest. Mr. Wood was the father of the following children : William D., Anna, Jonathan, Phebe, Rhoda, John and Mary.

John R. Robinson, a native of South Carolina, settled on land in the southeastern part of the township about 1806, and became quite an extensive farmer and stock raiser. He was a prominent and reliable citizen, and served the township for several years as a justice of the peace. He was the father of seven or eight children.

John J. Smith married Rachel Alkire and, with his father-in-law, came to Ohio about 1805-6. settling in Pleasant township. Smith was a native of Kentucky. Mr. Alkire. his father-in-law, settled on the east bank of Deer creek, just in the edge of Pickaway county. and a few years afterwards, probably about 1810-12, built a grist-mill on the west bank of Deer.creek in this township, just opposite his tract of land. This mill was built of logs, with "raccoon buhrs," and was run by water power, with a bolting attachment that was operated by hand. This mill was operated by him for several years, when it came into the ownership. of his son-in-law. Later Mr. Alkire moved to Sangamon county, Illinois. Mr. Smith rebuilt the grist-mill and attached a saw-mill ; finally, he sold it to

Digitized by Google

147

MADISON COUNTY, OHIO.

Otho Williams and William Leach, who were succeeded by William D. Wood, and he by Elijah Atkins. This was one of the first, if not the first, grist-mill erected in the town- ship.

Forgus Graham, a native of Virginia, married Elizabeth Trimble and emigrated to Kentucky; thence, in 1806, moved to Pickaway county, Ohio, and in February, 1807, came to Madison county and settled. Here he lived between fifty and sixty years and then removed to Indiana, where he died at an advanced age. His wife died while living in Madison county. They had twelve children, one dying in infancy : James, Washington, Joseph, Walker, Jane, Margaret, Malinda and Eliza, all of whom married and moved to the West; the others, John, Polly and Robert, married and remained in this county. Mr. Graham was an earnest worker in the Christian church and a minister in that church for a number of years. He and George Alkire organized a Christian church in Pleasant township that was known as the Antioch church. Mr. Graham's house was a preaching place for several years prior to the building of the church edifice, and his "latch-string" was ever out for the admission of the ministers, brethren and friends of the Christian work. He began life poor, gave largely and liberally, and labored earnestly all his life for the Christian cause. He owned about five hundred acres of land.

William Creath, a native of Virginia, emigrated to Kentucky; thence about 1808, to Ohio and settled in this township, one mile north of Mt. Sterling, where he and his wife, Margaret, ilved and died. They were the parents of seven children: James, John, George, William, Samuel, Margaret and Jane M. James, the eldest, served in the War of 1812, while William, Margaret and James married and settled in this township. Thomas Anderson, also a native of Virginia, emigrated to Kentucky in an early day, thence, about 1805-6, removed to Ohio and settled on Oppossum run, in Franklin county, and, about 1811, removed to Pleasant township and settled near Mt. Sterling, on the Loveberry farm, where he devoted his attention to farming for the remainder of his life. He served as a lieutenant during the War of 1812. He married Rebecca Cochran, of Virginia, by whom he had eight children.

John Riddle, a native of Pennsylvania, born near Mifflintown, emigrated to Ohio and settled at Staunton, near Troy, Miami county. He was one of the pioneers of that county, and served during the War of 1812 as a teamster, being surrendered to the British by General Hull at Detroit; but he was afterward recaptured and his team returned to him. About 1815. he removed to Madison county and settled in Pleasant township, on land afterwards known as the Puckett farm, and a few years after moved to what is now the north part of. Mt. Sterling, on the London road. He remained a resident of this township the remainder of his life, and died at Mt. Sterling, on January 9, 1858. He was twice married; by his first wife he had seven children, and by his second wife, three.

Others that should be mentioned as early settlers and residents of this township are William Ware, E. Fitzgerald, George Kious, David Heath, John Puckett, Robert Abernathy and Isaac Moore, the Davidson family, Elijah Bragg, G. W. Ingrim, the Tim- mons family, Drs. Samuel and William Mcclintock. Dr. D. E. McMillin. These were hardly pioneers of the township, but were among its most prominent early residents and were founders and promoters of the progress and prosperity of the township.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.

Pleasant township was one of the original and first erected townships of the county. The boundaries of the township at that time were very much different than at present, as part of the territory which was at first embraced in this has been taken off to help form Fairfield and Range townships. The original boundaries are given in the following transcript from the commissioners' records under date of April 30, 1810:

Digitized by Google

148

MADISON COUNTY, OHIO.

"Ordered, that all that tract of country comprehended in the following boundaries compose a township to be known and designated by the name of Pleasant, and is bounded as follows:

"Beginning at the southeast corner of Union township, on the Franklin county line; thence to the corner of Pickaway county line; thence with the Pickaway county line to the corner of Fayette county; thence with the Fayette county line to the corner of Stokes township; thence with Stokes township line to the place of beginning." The erection of the townships of Union, Jefferson, Deer Creek, Stokes, Darby and Pleasant, although occurring on April 30, 1810, were not recorded for nearly five months, the day being September 4.

The first change in the township boundaries was made on June 1, 1818, when it was "Ordered, that hereafter the boundaries between Range and Pleasant townships be as follow, viz :

"Beginning on the North fork of Paint creek, at the Fayette county line, thence eastward along the said line to Duff's fork ; thence up said fork to the crossing of the Federal road; thence northward to the line between Union and Pleasant townships, 80 as to make the upper line of Range township one mile and one-half, extending along Pleasant township."

On March 2, 1824, a change was made in Pleasant and Range townships when it was "ordered by the commissioners of Madison county now in session, on petition being presented, that part of Range township be, and is hereby, attached to Pleasant township: Beginning at the county line between Fayette and Madison counties, where the same crosses Duff's fork, running west one mile with said line; thence in a north direction to where the Federal road crosses Duff's fork in the line of Pleasant township, all that part hereby stricken off of Range to be attached to Pleasant township. Again, on December 1, 1851, the line between Fairfield and Pleasant townships was, on petition, changed as follows : Commencing at that point in the county line near James Adams; thence south with the county line to the lower corner of R. Means' survey, No. 5,706; thence west with said survey line and the line of Edward Fitzgerald's land to the north- west corner of Henry Fleshour's survey, No. 5,190; thence to the northeast corner of the Hardin & Grady's survey, No. 5,799, and with the north line of said survey, No. 5,799, to the county road near. Levin Jones' house; thence with said road to Deer creek; thence up the creek to the present corner of Fairfield township."

MILLS.

The first mill in the township was undoubtedly that of John Alkire, which we have described above. Farther up Deer creek, just above where the cemetery is now located, at a later period William D. Wood erected a grist-, saw- and carding-mill. At just what date this was built is not known, nor just how long it was run. But it has long since passed out of existence and out of the memories of all but the very oldest residents of the county.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Part 19

Author: Chester E. Bryan Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1207

Author: Chester E. Bryan
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1207