History of Madison County, Ohio : its people, industries and institution with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families, Part 21

Author: Bryan, Chester Edwin
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : Bowen
Number of Pages: 1150

USA > Ohio > Madison County > History of Madison County, Ohio : its people, industries and institution with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families > Part 21

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William Pepper, a native of Maryland, settled here about the year 1810-12, as is shown by the township records. He was a supervisor in 1812. John Summers, a native of Virginia, who settled here about 1813, was a blacksmith by trade and perhaps the first to ply his trade in this township.

Shedrick Preston, from Greenbrier county, Virginia, settled on the tract of land

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purchased by John Arbuckle, about 1812-13, as in 1814 he served as township trustee. Subsequently he moved to the Big Sandy. Abner S. Williard was a native of Vermont, born in 1791. He emigrated first to Canada, thence to New York, and in 1812 came to Champaign county, Ohio; in 1815 he removed to Madison county, where he lived until his death. He married Hulda Colver, who was born on the banks of Lake Champaign, in New York state, in 1796. They were married in Madison county in 1817. He died on December 16, 1872, and his wife died on June 3, 1861. He was a man of undoubted character, and esteemed and respected by all who knew him. David Colver, a native of Virginia, settled in this township about 1815-16. In early life he was a sailor and traveled quite extensively. He was an active, industrious man, a good neighbor, and a firm. Universalist in religious faith.

John Barrett, a native of Maryland, was a brother-in-law of John Arbuckle, they having married sisters. He came to this county soon after Mr. Arbuckle and settled on the same tract of land. He died with that prevalent, yet much dreaded, disease, milk- sickness. Jacob Steele settled here about 1815. Thomas Taylor came from Chillicothe, Ohio, and settled on Deer creek, about 1815, where he lived about five years; thence settled on the old Columbus and Springfield stage road, and there kept a tavern in an early day. He made good improvements, was an excellent and intelligent man and a good citizen. Late in life he moved to the village of Summerford, where he died at the age of about eighty years.

Valentine Wilson, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1786, emigrated with his father's family, in 1790, to Clark county, Kentucky, where he remained a citizen twelve years; then, in 1802, he emigrated to Ohio and settled on the headwaters of Beaver creek, in Bath township, Greene county. In 1816 Mr. Wilson removed to Madison county and settled on the headwaters of Deer creek. He was married three times and was the father of nineteen children. He was first married in 1806, to Eleanor Judy, by whom he had six children. She died on the 5th of September, 1818. and in 1819 he married Mrs. Susanna Umble, who became the mother of four children. She died on August 18, 1825. and on June 18, 1827, he married for his third wife, Nancy Roberts, who became the mother of nine children. Of these nineteen children, all but one grew to maturity, and of the eighteen who arrived at maturity, all but one became the heads of families. Mr. Wilson died on July 2, 1855, on the farm where he first located in 1816. From a small beginning, on one hundred and sixty acres of land, bought of the man who had recently entered it, with Congress scrip, in the thirty-nine years of his after life he had accu- mulated nearly ten thousand acres of land, and died the wealthiest man in Madison county.

John J. Roberts settled here about 1817. He was the successor of Gabriel Markle to the grist-mill on Deer creek. Sutton Potee, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, emi- grated with his wife and three children, in the fall of 1817, to Ohio, and settled on the farm located near the National road, on Deer creek. He married Hannah Markle, by whom he had six children. Mr. Potee was a very active, stirring man, and devoted his whole business life to farming. He was cautious in all business transactions, of firm and undoubted character, and a life-long member of the Methodist church.

William and Charles Soward, brothers, settled on the James D. Statler land about 1817. The latter subsequently removed to Logan county. They were men of good character and great business ability. William started in life poor, but became quite wealthy. Amos Howard was born on Goose island, in the Connecticut river, Grafton county, New Hampshire, April 9, 1775. He married Miran Mills, who was born on March 18, 1774. They were married on March 22, 1796, and removed to Virginia in 1808. In 1809 he came down the Ohio river in a flat boat and evidently settled in Somerford township about the year 1817-18. He was burned to death in 1843. He came

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here a very poor man, but by industry, economy and close application to his business, he accumulated a good competency. His son, Amos J., settled ou the home place and lived there through life; he died April 16, 1882. The Howard family have ever been known as most worthy and respected citizens. .. 1 -

John Cory settled in the northern part of the township about 1818, and served as a justice of the. peace. Eli Williams; a native of Virginia. settled in this township about 1818-20. Thomas Orpet, a native of Maryland, married a sister of George Prugh, and settled on Deer creek, about the year 1818-19. He died about the year 1861. He was of German descent, uneducated, and would never allow his children the benefits. of educa- tion, believing it dangerous and injurious. Erastus Hathaway, a native of New York and a ship carpenter by trade. settled here with his family abont 1818-20, and lived and died in that township. He purchased his land of John Caperton, a native of Virginia, who settled here about 1814, but, in 1832, returned to his native state. Mr. Hathaway was a man of ability and character, and served as trustee and justice of the peace. James and Dwyer Brown, brothers, were natives of New York, but became residents of Somerford township about 1818-20. James was born on June 21, 1795, and died on March 13. 1875. He first emigrated to Canada and later te Ohio. His wife. Mary Ann, was born in Virginia in 1803, and they were married in Madison county. Dwyer Brown married Miss MeMullen, and subsequently moved west. James Brown was an excellent citizen and neighbor, a useful member of society, and was intrusted with many of the offices of the township. He reared a large family of children, whose character was above reproach.

Ansel Bates came to this township and settled just north of Tradersville, about 1818. His children were Asa, Ansel, Elijah, William. Sylvanus and Zenas. The last two were twins. The sons were quite prominent and well known in the affairs of the county, but the latter emigrated west. William Scott settled in this township about the year 1820. He married Betsy . Rigdon and subsequently moved to Pekin, Illinois, where he died. Charles Rigdon came here from Champaign county and settled about the same time-1820-21. Richard Baldwin came here, presumably from Chillicothe, and settled on surveys No. 9,285 and No. 10,626, about the year 1820, where he resided nntil about 1837. He then removed to Mechanicsburg. Samuel Houston, a native of Pennsylvania. settled here about 1820. He married Elizabeth Arbuckle. He was an intelligent and well-educated man and one of the township's best citizens. He taught school and was later township clerk. . Michael Statler was a native of Virginia and settled in this town- ship on the Urbana road. about 1824. He was accidentally killed in 1842 while cutting down a tree. which fell on him and crushed him.

Luther Newcom, a Yankee, settled here about 1820, and was among the first teachers in the township. William Harber, a native of Virginia, was the only surviving member of his father's family, the others having been killed by the Indians when he was but a child ; he escaped by secreting himself in the tall grass. He grew to manhood, married and, about the year 1825, settled in the northern part of this township. He raised a large family of children, but who, in later years moved west. Samuel Wilson came to this locality from Paint township, and settled in the west part of the township, in survey 6,078. about the year 1825. He remained here only five years, when he removed to Illinois. William Kirkley settled in the northern part of this township, on land owned by Thomas Bales, abont 1825-30. He married Mary Cowan, who was an excellent Christian woman. Peter Smith, who was a native of Clark county, Ohio, settled here about 1842. He was killed in 1880, when a train of cars passed over his body. Samuel and John H. Kennedy, a native of Virginia, settled here quite early, probably about 1815-20. The latter became a prominent and useful citizen, was justice of the peace forty years and probate judge from 1864 to 1876.

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Jonathan Markle, a brother of Gabriel Markle, came here and settled with his brother, Ezra Markle, of the same family. He was also an early settler, this family being among the true pioneers of the township. A few others who were here prior to 1830 were John Nagley, Asa Owens, George Vance, Bennett Warren, Benjamin Hull, Levi Umble, Jolin Osborn, Jolin Groves, Henry Groves, Noah Marsh, Newman Mitchell, Joseph Geer, James Geer and John Osborn.

Still later, from 1830 to 1840, the following settlers were prominently connected with the growth and prosperity of the township: Gardner Lewis and his son, Schuyler, who were natives of New York, but settled here in 1836; he died in 1862. Rev. Eli Adams, a native . of Maryland, settled in the extreme western part of the. township, where he died in 1870; he was a most excellent man and a minister of the gospel. A. J. Clingan, a native of Maryland, settled in Somerford in 1839. He was a tailor by trade and followed this profession while a resident of the latter town. He held the office of justice of the peace for a number of years. John M. Houston, a native of Kentucky, emigrated to Clark county, Ohio, in 1814, where he married Maria E. Cartmell, a native of Clark county. They settled in this township in 1837. removing to London in January, 1877, where he died on January 29, 1879. He served as justice of the peace and trustee for a number of years. He was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

TRADERSVILLE.

The map shows a hamlet in the northern part of the township by the name of Tradersville, but there are now only two or three houses in the place. At one time it was an important trading center, but it long ago gave up hopes of becoming an urban center. The only industry represented in the place now is a general store owned by H. A. Lewis. Several years ago there was a flourishing Methodist Episcopal church in the hamlet, but it has been discontinued for many years.

SUMMERFORD.

Summerford, the only village in Somerford township, was laid out on June 5, 1835. by Joseph Chrisman. The proprietor opened the first tavern and became the first merchant of the infant town. William Eaton was the first postmaster and G. W. Cartzdafner was the last man to hold the office. With the establishment of rural route No. 2. out of London, on September 2, 1902, the postoffice at Summerford was discon- tinued. The first physicians were Doctors Putnam and Crann. Among the merchants of the village in the past may be mentioned W. L. Clingan. M. V. Fauver and J. A. Evans, Owing to the fact that no railroad has ever come to the town it has never become a place of much importance, although the electric line which passed through the town in 1902 has been of great help in building it up. There is a two-room brick school building, three churches (Christian. Methodist Episcopal' and Dunkard) and a commodious town hall in the village. The Odd Fellows and Eagles have lodges in the town. The present population is about three hundred. The following is the business and professional directory for 1915: Barbers. E. P. Geer, Mrs. Stella West; blacksmiths, Clyde Gist, Edgar Bussard, W. M. Saffiey ; hotel, C. M. Buffington; ice cream parlor, Mrs. Stella West ; livery, C. M. Buffington ; merchants, G. W. Cartzdafner, C. M. Buffington, N. C. Pitzer ; physician, M. C. Sprague; pool rooms, E. P. Geer, Mrs. Stella West; wood work- ing shop, George Bussard.

The present officials . of Somerford township are as follow: Trustees, Stephen Bodkins, R. V. Wilson and Humphrey Nicewarner; school board, M. C. Sprague, Valen- tine Wilson, Clyde Gist, Prugh Ovetturf and N. C. Pitzer; health officer. B. F. Woosley ; clerk, Herman Soward ; treasurer, Clarence Potee.

CHAPTER XVI.

STOKES TOWNSHIP.

Stokes township is located in the extreme southwest corner of Madison county, being bounded on the north by Clark county and Paint township; on the east by Range township; on the south by Fayette county and on the west by Greene county. It was one of the original townships of the county and the commissioners' records have the fol- lowing to say about its erection :

"April 30, 1810, ordered that all that tract of country contained in the following boundaries be and the same is hereby laid out unto a separate township, to be known by the name of Stokes, and is bounded as follows, viz .: Beginning at the southeast corner of Champaign county. and running in a southeast direction, on the north side of Big Prairie, east of John Moxer's, to the head of the East fork of Paint creek, and with the said East fork, including the inhabitants on each side of said fork, to the Fayette county line ; thence west to the corner of Greene county; thence with the Greene county line to Champaign county line; thence with said line to the place of beginning, by order of the board."

The township election in 1810 was held, by order of the associate judges of Madison county, at the house of P. Cutright. There are no records available from which to find who were chosen to fill the various offices. All the township records before the year of 1833 have disappeared.

In the erection of Clark county in 1817, some of the territory of the township went to form that county. Again, in 1853, Paint township was erected and a part of the above-described territory embraced in Stokes township was taken to form a part of that township.

PIONEERS.

It is believed that Isaac Hudson, who located in this township in 1802, was the first white settler within the precincts of Stokes township. It was at his house that the commissioners and surveyors met preparatory to establishing permanently the boundary line between Greene and Madison counties, in September, 1810. He did not remain a resident of the township for a very long period of time afterward, but moved to Indiana and settled at Vincennes, where he was killed in the war that followed soon after.

Isaac Hudson was a son of Skinner Hudson, who was a native of England, but who, while quite young, left his native land, emigrated to America, settled in Kentucky, and in 1804 removed to Madison county, Ohio, settling near his son, Isaac. John K. and Austin, two sons of Skinner Hudson, were reared and grew to manhood in this township. John K. Hudson was born in Kentucky in 1799 and came to Ohio with his father. He married Hannah Mahaffey and they became the parents of twelve children. Mr. Hudson was a man of undoubted character and an active and useful citizen. He died in 1872. The Hudson family were ever first and foremost in the improvements and progress of the country. in the promotion of morals, education and Christianity. They were hospitable. kind-hearted and good neighbors, just such persons as were needed to open up a new country and lay the foundations of true principles which were to make the country pros- perous and happy.

James Curry. a native of Pennsylvania, married Isabel Roland and, in 1806, emi- grated to Ohio, settling in Stokes township, on what was later known as the James S.

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Moon farm. He remained a citizen of the township and county throughout his long and useful life. He was the father of eight children. He died on April 21, 1871. John Kelso settled in the township in 1808. Noble Ladd settled on Skinner Hudson's land about 1808, also. Andrew Rea, a native of Virginia, became a settler of Stokes township about 1808 or 1810, and located on land later owned by the Gordons. He had a large family of children, of whom were William, Robert, Thomas, Jesse and James.

John Moon, a native of North Carolina, made the entire distance from his ancestral home to the then frontier state of Ohio in a wagon and settled on land in the north part of Fayette county, near the Madison county line, in 1808, remaining there until his death. He was the father of ten children. Many of his children settled in Stokes township and his son, Aaron, served as a trustee of the township for twenty-five years and as its treasurer for twenty-six years. Jonathan, his second son, was a township trustee for twenty-three years.

Samuel Herrod was born in 1776 and became an early settler of Greene comity, Ohio. His wife, Mary, was born in 1790. They settled in Stokes township about 1814-15. sharing all the trials and hardships of the early settlers and pioneers. He died in 1857 and his wife in 1866. He became quite a large landholder.

Samuel Hornbeck, a native of Bourbon county, Kentucky, became a settler in this township about 1815 or 1816 and remained a citizen of the township until his death, July 26, 1868. He served during the War of 1812. He was the father of fifteen children. Jacob Selsor, a native of Virginia, came to Ohio in about 1815 and settled in Stokes township, and here he married Elizabeth McHenry, who was a native of Kentucky. He died in 1842 and his wife in 1864.

David Selsor was born in Virginia in 1806, a son of John and Mary Selsor, who also were natives of Virginia, and emigrated to Ohio when David was a boy, probably about 1815 or 1816, settling in this township, where they remained until their deaths. David, when but a boy of sixteen, commenced his career as a farmer and stock-dealer. exhibiting in his boyhood days that aptness and shrewdness as a trading man and financier which, in after years, won for him wealth and laurels. He was known from the Atlantic to the Pacific as one of the greatest stock dealers of Ohio, and perhaps second to none for fine-blooded stock. At the time of his death, January 12, 1882, he owned nearly three thousand acres of land, on whose broad acres roamed large herds of stock, many of which were of the finest breeds of blooded animals. In the summer of 1882. after his death, this stock was sold at public auction and many prominent dealers fron various states and Canada came to buy. -

George Linson, who was born in Virginia, January 7. 1790, married Elizabeth Hutsinpillar, who was born on December 24, 1792. They emigrated to Ohio and settled in Stokes township about 1815, where they resided until their death, Mrs. Linson dying in June. 1845, and Mr. Linson in April, 1855. Mr. Linson came to this portion of the state when it was new and almost a wilderness, and bore a good share of the pioneer privations, but he eventually became possessed of a fine farm and a large competency. He was a man of undoubted character and a highly respected neighbor and citizen. They reared a family of children, who grew up and became prosperous and honored citizens.

Isaac McHenry, who came to Stokes township when a boy, probably in 1816 or 1818. was born in Kentucky, June 4, 1801. He was married in Stokes township to Christina Selsor, a native of Virginia. She died in 1832, and he married; for his second wife. Nancy Flood, who survived him. He died in 1874.

Joseph Thomas, a native of North Carolina, settled in Paint township in the period from 1815 to 1818. "He was generally known as the "White Pilgrim." He made the trip (11)

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from North Carolina on foot, and soon afterward returned to his native state, where he married a Miss Ridenhour, and brought her to his new home in. the eastern portion of Stokes township. He was a preacher in the Christian church, and, shortly after locating here, had preaching at his home and soon organized a church, .. of. which he was for several years the pastor. He also traveled and preached at many other places over the surrounding country, being one of the ablest defenders of the doctrines of that faith who ever talked, in this part of the state. He was also an active worker and a prominent man in the Masonic order, and was finally sent into. the Eastern states to travel in the interests of that order; while there he took the small-pox, from which he died. Subse- quently some minister of the Christian denomination visited his grave, and wrote and published a very expressive and beautiful hymn on his life and character.

Lot. Bozarth was born in Virginia in 1792. and early emigrated to Stokes township, Madison county, settling on the land that is still known as the Bozarth farm. Here he married Nancy Rea, who was born in Maryland in 1802. They later removed to White county, Indiana, where they lived a few years, when they returned to Stokes county and here spent the, remainder of their years. He died on April 7, 1872, and his wife, March 12. 1878. Mr. Bozarth was a kind neighbor and a good citizen, and held several offices of trust in the township.

EARLY SETTLERS.

The above mentioned may be truly called the pioneers of Stokes township, but there remain a few sturdy sons and daughters who deserved an honorable mention, as they, too, bore a part of the brunt of developing the township. Jessie Pancake was born in Virginia in 1801. He emigrated to Ohio and settled in Ross county in 1812; thence. about 1820, or soon after, he located in this township, where he married Martha Cooper. who was born in this county in 1814, of a true pioneer family. Mr. Pancake spent his life in this community and became one of the honored and well-known citizens of this township, held many of its offices and was in every respect a most worthy citizen .. His wife died in 1839, just in the bloom of womanhood. He died in 1877. He made farming his business throughout life and became the owner of a beautiful farm of twelve hundred good acres in the township. He was the father of John Pancake, who also became an honored and respected citizen of the township. Thomas Cooper, a native of North Carolina, came to this township, perhaps as early as 1810 or 1812, and died about 1840. He possessed a very limited education, but had a sprightly, active mind and good business faculties. He died early in life, yet owned about a thousand acres of land, and donbt- less, had he lived, would have become wealthy.

Peter Slaughter, who was born in Virginia, moved to Highland county, Ohio, in an early day and, in about 1820-25, removed to Madison county, settling in Stokes township, on Paint creek. where he resided until his death, in the fall of 1864. He married Elizabethi Cooper, by whom he was the father of eleven children, of whom ten grew to maturity .. . Mr. Slaughter married, for his second wife, Anna E. Lynch, who was the mother of three children. He commenced life in very limited circumstances, but was possessed of great business tact, energy and resourcefulness. He entered largely into the stock business and became one of the biggest stock dealers of the county, being well known all over the state. He was possessed of an extensive acquaintance and an unlimited credit, which he maintained throughout life, and died wealthy, owning three thousand acres of land.

. Moses Thomas, a native of North Carolina, married Catharine Williams, a native of Virginia, where they were married; they emigrated to Fayette county, Ohio, in 1825, and soon afterward came to Madison county, settling in Stokes township, where they remained until their death. Two of their sons, Benjamin and William, remained resi- dents of the township and became among its most trusted and respected citizens. Will-

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iam Cooper, a native of North Carolina, emigrated to Fayette county, Ohio, when a young man; in 1828 he married Elizabeth Merriman and settled in Stokes township, Madison county, where he spent his life. His wife died in 1865. Jacob Smith was the eldest of six children of Mathias and Margaret Smith, who emigrated to Cincinnati in 1806, and in 1807 removed to Greene county, settling on Beaver creek, where they died. Jacob was born in Maryland in 1803; was reared in Greene county, Ohio; married Amanda Herrod; settled in Stokes township, this county, in 1836. Here he opened out in the woods and made considerable material progress. The west and north parts of the village of South Solon are built on his land. Joel Ervin, born in Ohio . in 1811, settled in Stokes township in 1830-35.

SURFACE, SOIL AND STREAMS.

Like the remainder of the county, the surface of Stokes township. is slightly undu- lating. The land has a gentle, gradual slope from the, northern to the southern boundary, such that all the creeks flow from north to south. There are. no large streams within the township. The soil is rich and very productive, and all the flat and more level portions of the township are composed of a rich, black loam, while the undulations and higher portions are a loam and clay, the whole being underlaid with a stratum of clay, and this, in turn, with a limestone gravel. The township is well watered and, with her clay subsoil, seldom suffers from drought. In her primitive condition, as the settlers found her, there were many acres of low, level portions in prairie, destitute of trees and covered with sedge, often six to eight feet high. Other portions were sparsely covered with trees, with a thick undergrowth of hazel brush. The timbered portions consisted prin- cipally of the various species of oak-white, black, red and burr-with some elm, walnut, hickory and maple, white and burr oak predominating.

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History of Madison County, Ohio : its people, industries and institution with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families, Part 21

Author: Bryan, Chester Edwin Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : Bowen Number of Pages: 1150

Author: Bryan, Chester Edwin
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : Bowen
Number of Pages: 1150