USA > Ohio > Morgan County > History of Morgan County, Ohio, with portraits and biographical sketches of some of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 65
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the subject of this sketch. He event- ually settled in Bucks County, Pa., where he lived and died. The Atkin- sons were a race of farmers. Joseph, father of Morris K., was born in Mary- land in 1800. He was reared in Bucks County, where he married Miss Leatitia Kitchin in 1821. In 1847 the family, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson, Morris K. and a daughter, Mrs. Asa O. Bartlett, came to Marion, where the elder Atkinson bought an unimproved farm. He was a Quaker, and an indus- trious, worthy man. He died in 1869. Morris K. was born in Bucks County, Pa., in 1827. He received a good com- mon-school education and began life as a teacher, spending his summer vacation on the farm. Ile had studied survey- ing, and in 1863 was appointed county surveyor, a position he held ten years. He has been a successful farmer. In 1885 he engaged in merchandising at Elliott's Cross Roads. In 1848 he mar- ried Miss Margaret Winner. She was born in Ohio in 1826. Three children have been born to them-Rebecca, Leatitia and Isaac. While Mr. Atkin- son is not one of the early settlers of the township, he has witnessed the greater portion of its development and has identified himself with all its inter- ests.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
BLOOM.
ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNSHIP-EARLY SETTLERS-A FARM FOR SALE CHEAP-FIRST ELEC- TION-SETTLERS OF 1819 AND LATER YEARS-SICK WHEAT-SQUIRREL MIGRATION-FIRST PEACHES-CHURCH HISTORY-A PUZZLED PARSON-LATER SETTLERS AND MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS-A GREAT RAIL-SPLITTER-THE MARTINS, MOCUNES AND JOHN F. TALLEY-FIRST IMPROVED STOCK-FIRST BRICK HOUSES-EARLY MILLS-VILLAGES: AIRINGTON, EAGLEPORT AND ROKEBY-REMINISCENCES-CLOTH "KICKING"-COST OF A PAIR OF BOOTS.
A FTER the establishment of Mor- gan County by an act of the General Assembly of Ohio, in 1818, it became necessary that the county should be organized with a court and by the appointment of certain county officers, creating of new townships, and the holding of elections. A part of the organization then consisted of the erection of new townships by the county commissioners and the ordering by the court of the election of justices of the peace on a certain day and in some instances designating the place. As has been stated elsewhere, the first court organized in the county convened on the 5th day of April, 1819. William Rannels, Sherebiah Clark and William B. Young were the associate judges of the court. The president judge, Ezra Os- born, of Portsmouth, Scioto County, did not put in an appearance until the March term of 1820. At the term July 7, 1819, the court caused the following order to be made upon their journal : " Whereas, it appears to the court that the commissioners of Morgan County have set off a new township by the
name of Bloom : Ordered, that said township be entitled to two justices of the peace, and that the qualified electors of said township be qualified to elect said justices at the house of Edward Nicholas, in said township, on Saturday, the 24th inst." The order being thus made, such of the qualified electors as were interested in the result did, on the 24th day of July, 1819, meet at the house of Edward Nicholas and organ- ized themselves for the purpose of elect- ing two justices of the peace. Jonathan Frisby, John N. Gibson and Zurial Sherwood were selected judges ; Will- iam Silvey and Win. Montgomery clerks. James Smith was the only justice elected who qualified.
Thirty-six electors voted at this elec- tion. It being a new thing to the pio- neers, it is presumable that they turned out in their full strength and that the following list gives nearly all the names of the pioneers of sixty-seven years ago. In making this list the writer is of course dependent upon the election re- turns. Some of the earliest pioneers were of foreign birth and could not im-
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BLOOM.
mediately engage in the political affairs of the township until after their natu- ralization. We have no knowledge, however, of any being disqualified for that reason :
PIONEERS IN BLOOM IN 1819 :
John Stutes,
Enoch Luper,
Z. Sherwood,
James Eveland,
James McElhiney,
Calvin Nott,
J. Frisby,
Samuel Hammond,
Michael Burns,
Thomas White,
James Rogers,
M. McElhiney,
Greenbury Caton,
William Huteheson,
J. Conaway,
William Briggs,
Daniel Weeks,
Alfred Martin,
James Frisby,
Daniel Eveland,
Dr. Samuel Martin,
George Martin,
Robert Slone,
David Smith,
George Jackson,
James Briggs,
John MeEveland,
Stephen Gates,
Peter Secord,
A. Whitaker,
J. S. Gibson,
James Whitaker,
James Silvey,
Joseph Smith,
William Eveland,
William Silvey,
Thomas James,
William Montgomery,
Daniel Swartz,
G. Mingus,
Nathan Smith,
Samuel McCune,
Robert MeCune,
B. Whipple.
In April, of the following year, the following named persons had become residents of the township :
Daniel Bean,
Andrew Clark,
Robert Longworth, Peter Landerman,
J. Spurgeon, Thomas Wells,
and in October following the following named old settlers had their names en- rolled at a justices' election :
James Stone, Zachariah Cuddington,
J. James, James Camp,
John Bowers,
Robert McCune,
Jonathan MeMullen,
J. Frisby,
Jacob Fouts,
John Clemans,
M. Wilson.
William Bennett.
Zachariah Lawrence, Russel Whipple.
In April of 1823 we find the follow- ing named ; although some of them had been residents a year or two before, yet this is their first appearance on the poll-books :
Abel Larrison, Samuel Shaw,
George Osborn,
Joshua Mummey.
Robert Ingram,
Mounts Nicholas,
John Hammond,
William Hammond,
Reuben Shilling,
Thomas Taylor,
William Shivel,
David Taylor,
Amos Nieholas,
John Seval,
Moses Sargent,
Isaac Hanes,
J. F. Talley,
William White,
Samuel Farra,
Daniel Lawrence,
John H. Livezey,
E. Nicholas,
Daniel Weeks,
Caleb Osborn,
Andrew McConelia,
David Edwards,
J. Stedman,
William Sherwood,
George P. Morris, Edward Morris,
Clement Pine,
William Dempster,
John Dingman,
J. N. Gibson,
Isaac Harris,
William Dusk, - Needham,
Gideon Mingus,
Daniel Petty,
Henry Priest,
David Swartz,
George Sheets,
John Sloan,
Amos Wells,
William White,
David Wilson.
At the April election of 1821, Ed- ward Nicholas, William Montgomery and David Smith were elected trustees, John F. Talley, clerk, and James Camp, constable. No aspirant for official honors at this time went to the polls without a large jug of whisky. Upon the opening of the polls he would call upon all of his constituents to come and take a drink, and a man who was too penurious or conscientious to furnish whisky was invariably defeated.
The first settlements in Bloom were on the west side of the river, near the county line. James Larrison lived on a farm just across the county line in Muskingum County in 1800. Shortly after this time his son, Abraham Larri- son, moved to the Siler farm in Bloom. While living on this place a hunter and trapper stopped with him a short time. llis gun and equipments were the finest Mr. Larrison had ever seen, and so anxious was he to obtain them that he offered to trade his farm for them.
G. Crow, John Dutro,
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HISTORY OF MORGAN COUNTY, OHIO.
The hunter informed him that he had all the land he desired for his business and did not care to purchase more. It is said that Mr. Larrison was much dis- appointed in not being able to make the trade.
James Briggs was the pioneer black- smith. He was one of the settlers of 1818. From an old day-book we find the names of many of the old settlers who are charged with work done by him during 1819-1820-1822. The fol- lowing memorandum shows that he had one customer he did not appreciate, July 5, 1822 :
"Then settled with W- A- W- from the beginning of the world to the end of time. JAMES BRIGGS."
The Briggs families were prominent Methodists and largely identified with the early history of the church in this township. At this time, 1886, Joseph M. Briggs is the only male representa- tive of the family living in the township.
Rebecca Briggs, daughter of James Briggs, married James Finney, who came to the township about 1825. They are the oldest people residing in the township. He is ninety years of age. Ilis wife is his junior by a few years. Both are remarkably well-preserved people.
In 1822 Ohio produced an excellent crop of wheat. In some sections of Morgan County, however, the crops suffered from a blight known to the early settlers as "sick wheat." Several farmers in the east portion of the town- ship suffered severely.
The berry was full and plump. The flour from it was white, raised well in baking, but when eaten it produced sickness, violent vomiting, so no use could be made of it. No animal could eat it without producing the same effect.
The cause of this has never been satis- factorily explained.
EARLY EVENTS.
1823 was noted for the invasion of squirrels traveling east. Black and gray, about equally divided, they came in countless numbers. They crossed the river and immediately attacked the fields of corn wherever found. Many farmers who were not able to watch their corn crop lost all their crop; and others with all the attention they could give saved only a small part of it. One farmer said, " I had nine acres of good corn that season and I watched my crop the best I could; I only saved enough for one horse and one cow for winter use."
William and James White killed enough of the marauders to fill two three-bushel bags at one place where they crossed the river.
The first peach orchard was set out by Caleb Osborn, in 1821. In two years he had a bountiful crop. A man wanted to purchase all he had, but he said, "My peaches are for my neigh- bors; I have none to sell." He dis- posed of his entire crop in this way, not receiving any remuneration what- ever. Farm produce at this time was very low.
From 1820 to 1823 good beef cattle weighing from 1,000 to 1,200 pounds sold for seven and eight dollars.
William Briggs, a settler of 1818, was hunting his horses along Oil Spring Hollow, when his dog chased a large bear under the ledge of a rock. The bear attacked the dog; they clinched and rolled down the steep hill, over Mr. Briggs, to the foot of the hill. Mr. Briggs followed as soon as possible and shot the bear.
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BLOOM.
RELIGIOUS.
Father Russell was the pioneer Bap- tist minister. As soon as there were a few settlers in a neighborhood he was ready to preach for them. IIe preached at the settlers' dwellings and they had great respect for him as a man and minister of the gospel. Rev. Henry Pringle, Baptist, often preached at the settlers' cabins and was always wel- come.
Revs. Levi Reeves and Alvin Fuller were the first Methodist ministers. The meetings were held at the settlers' cab- ins long before any house of worship was built. In the eastern part of the township preaching was at John F. Talley's and John Hammond's; in the Briggs vicinity the Briggs' cabins were the places of worship uutil 1836, when Revs. Pardon Cook and Henry Whar- ton were on the circuit of the M. E. Church. The house called " Free Grace " was built near the Briggs graveyard.
The Presbyterian denomination was represented by Revs. Samuel Baldridge, Ilunt and Baker as early as 1820. The following incident occurred in Rev. Baker's first visit to Bloom in 1820: Miss Sallie McCune had occasion to visit McConnelsville. At this time there was only a blazed bridle-path from her father's house to the village, nine miles, woods all the way. Jacob Adams kept a store on the public square. When Miss McCune had fin- ished trading butter at five cents per pound for calico at twenty-five cents a yard, Mr. Adams informed her that a Presbyterian minister wished to visit her father and other settlers in the neigh- borhood, and requested her to show him the road. Rev. Baker and Miss Mc- ('une were on horseback, and after riding a short distance he inquired,
"Where is the road ?" She pointed to the blazes (ax-marks) on the trees, and informed him, " this is our road and we are on the right track." Mile after mile was traveled along the bridle-path through the dense forest, until the sun sank behind the western hills. His reverence feared they would be lost. She comforted him, saying, "We are near home, and there is no danger of being lost." After they were safe at Mr. McCune's, the minister breathed easier, and informed her father what a fearful ride they had made, and that his daughter was a heroine.
As an illustration of pioneer times and the scarcity of money, the follow- ing is related of Mr. Daniel E. Chandler : He desired a pair of heavy boots, and to obtain them he cut forty-nine cords of wood for the salt-works in Bloom Township. The task occupied a half- month.
Abraham and Margaret Roberts came from Virginia and settled in Bloom in 1832. They had a family of eleven children. The former died in 1870, the latter in 1881.
John and Amanda Roberts were mar- ried in May of 1858. They had a family of eleven children. John Roberts died in December of 1882.
Daniel Lawrence was a native of the State of Maine, whence he emi- grated to Bloom Township, Morgan County in 1818. The entire journey was made by wagon, over mountains. fording streams, and through miles and miles of almost trackless wilderness. The journey was safely made, however, and the family, consisting of himself. wife and nine children, found a home on the southeast side of the township. Hle was the pioneer upon the farm which he improved and upon which he
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HISTORY OF MORGAN COUNTY, OHIO.
resided until his decease, which occurred in 1851. Daniel, Jr., married Miss Beth- any, daughter of Lovit Bishop, the pio- neer blacksmith of Bristol Township, and settled on the farm entered by Lemen Fouts. He died in 1884. He was a man highly esteemed, and took a prominent part in the early affairs of the township.
William Northup was one of the early settlers of the county. Simon, his son, was born on the old place, and married Eliza, daughter of Francis Greer, one of the old residents of Bloom.
James Whitaker, of Bloom, was one of the early settlers of Zanesville, where he resided from 1803 until 1816. In the early days of the city he operated the ferry thence to Putnam-then known as Springfield. In 1816 he lo- cated on the east bank of the river, a short distance below where is now the Rokeby lock and dam, where he lived, and where he died on January 13, 1844, an honest man, respected by all. If eulogy were requisite, the writer would ponder as to precedence to him or "Aunt Nellie," who shared with him the toil and privations of a pioneer life and survived him a few years.
Presbury Devol, aged ninety-two years, died at Rokeby January 27, 1862. He was born in Tiverton, Rhode Island, in 1770. He said he voted for Washı- ington at his re-election, and at every presidential election to that of Abraham Lincoln. At the time of his death Mr. Devol was the oldest man in the county.
In April of 1822 Joseph Devol and family came from Washington County, Ohio, and settled on section sixteen, Bristol Township. The family con- sisted of seven children : Nancy, Rich- mond, Philip, Deborah C., Rhoda and Loren. The latter is the only one of
the family now residing in the county. Hle was born in Washington County, Ohio, August 8, 1820. His father was a native of Rhode Island and was born in 1773. His grandfather, Captain Jonathan Devol, was one of the Mari- etta colonists, and aided in the con- struction of the Campus Martius. Loren Devol, one of the prominent and suc- cessful farmers of Bloom, was a resident of Bristol until about 1875. He was a member of Company C, 122d Regiment O. V. I., and served three years.
Theobald D. Weber was born in Bavaria, Germany, February 23, 1819. In June of 1832, with his parents, Jacob and Elizabeth Weber, and three broth- ers and his sister, he left the land of his nativity and arrived in New York City in August of that year, after a stormy voyage of forty-eight days. Previous to their emigration other rel- atives had settled in the township of York, and this fact no doubt induced the elder Weber to settle in the immed- iate vicinity of his people. He pur- chased a farm on Island Run, about three miles from Deavertown. Theo- bald remained with his father until his marriage in 1840 to Miss Phebe Weber, who came to this country from Bavaria, Germany, in 1834. After his marriage he was for a short time engaged in the manufacture of salt at Big Bottom, Bloom Township. He then kept a hotel until 1868, when he purchased the farın he now occupies. Of the family who came with him, the sister and one brother, John P., are yet living. At the time of " Morgan's Raid" through Morgan County in July of 1863, he suf- fered a considerable loss of property, he being at that time with the militia at Marietta, Ohio.
HIe reared a family of six daughters
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and two sons, four of whom are now living.
George W. Jones, son of Alonzo and Louisa (Miller) Jones, was born in Malta Township in 1837. His father was a farmer and an early settler of Morgan County and one of its reputable citizens.
George W. received a good common- school education and began life as a teacher. He followed this vocation but a short time when he began mer- chandising, in which business he has since been engaged. In 1865 he mar- ried Miss Lizzie, daughter of Theobald Weaver, one of the old settlers of York Township. Five children have been born to them, three boys and two girls. Mr. Jones is now (1886) in business at Rokeby Lock.
After Congress reduced the price of Government land, in 1820, from two dollars to one dollar and a quarter per acre, Bloom Township lands were rap- idly taken, and soon after settlers came more rapidly. In 1830 the land was settled and the population had in- creased to that extent that schools were found in every neighborhood.
Robert Ingram came from Chester County, Pa., in 1822. He had two sons, Harlan and Robert. They went to Philadelphia, where they studied law and did a large business. Harlan was a member of the Pennsylvania Senate. Ile represented a Philadelphia district.
Win. Peairs and his brother, Isaac Peairs, settled in Bloom Township be- tween 1825 1830. Both were promi- nent farmers.
William Lehew, in 1824, located on the farm where the Lehew road now crosses Meigs Creek. Hle erected a still- house and manufactured pure liquors for a number of years.
Clearing the heavy timber from the land, log-rollings and raisings developed the muscles, and many men of strength and activity were found in this town- ship. Jolm F. Talley was one, if not the greatest rail-splitter of his time. He chopped the timber and split four hundred and sixty-seven rails in one day. Four hundred rails was his day's work in good timber, he chopping the trees. On one occasion, on a trial at wood-chopping, at Dr. Martin's salt works in a contest with Thomas Carlin, they took from the stumps, sixteen and one-half cords of wood. Mr. Talley cut eight cords, but Carlin gained the contest by half a cord. These ac- counts are verified by many responsible parties.
Dr. Samuel Martin was the first phys- ician to settle in the township. He came from England, was a man of good education, a successful practitioner for many years. He was a great addition to the settlement of Bloom Township. He married Miss Sarah Montgomery. Some years before his death, he lived in Zanesville, where his widow yet re- sides.
His son Edward engaged in the mill- ing business, in the mill below the locks at MeConnelsville, in partnership with Eli Sheppard. They were very successful. Afterward Edward Martin engaged in steamboating, and he has been one of the successful men in busi- ness in that line, owning a number of the best boats on the Muskingum river. As a steamboat captain, he was a suc- cess and had the confidence of shippers and the traveling public. At one time he was cashier of the First National Bank in Zanesville. He has been suc- cessful thus far in all his business operations. At the present time he is
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HISTORY OF MORGAN COUNTY, OHIO.
one of the owners of three of the Mus- kungum River packets and the confi- dential adviser in the business of these boats.
Alfred Martin was partner in the milling business at Zanesville. The mill was at the foot of Main street, and for many years the firm of Cushing & Martin were the most prosperous in the flour trade of the Muskingum Valley.
Captain James Martin, a son of George Martin of Bloom Township, commands the steamer General II. F. Devol.
The history of Bloom Township would not be complete without more extended notice of Samuel McCune and John F. Talley, for the part they occupied in the first settlement of the township.
Samuel McCune, Sr., settled in Mus- kingum County in the year 1798, on the Muskingum River, near where the village of Gaysport is now located. A few years later he was living on the farm now occupied by the Morgan County Children's Home, in Malta Township. The exact date is not now known. His daughter, Nancy, was born at that place in 1812. She is now Mrs. Rutledge and lives on the " Mound Farm," Duncan's Falls. Mr. McCune lived on this farm until 1816, when he moved to Salt Creek Township, Mus- kingum County, where he built the mill, now known as the Burnt Mill, on the B., Z. & C. R. R. In 1818 he moved to Bloom Township, Morgan County, where he had purchased four quarter sections of land. He lived on one of these farms until his death, in 1829. After that time the farm was occupied by Mr. E. J. Harlan, who married his daughter Sarah, and since the death of her husband, the oldest daughter of Samuel McCune, Mrs. Sarah Harlan,
has occupied the farm. Samuel Mc- Cune, Jr., son of the above, was one of the most active men in the township for many years. He was enterprising, and anything for the good of the people always found in him a firm friend. He was a leading member of M. E. Church and many times carried the financial load and always had the deficiencies to settle from his pocket. The herd of cattle introduced in Bloom Township by Mr. Samuel McCune, Jr., is said to be the best thoroughbred Durham cattle in Eastern Ohio.
Another grandson, Wm. S. Harlan, enlisted as a private in Company D., 78th O. V. I., in 1861. By successive promotions he rose to the position of Major of the 159th O. V. I. He is now postmaster in Zanesville, O.
John F. Talley was born in Chester County, Pa., October 26, 1799. His father moved to the state of Delaware in 1806, and he remained in that state until April 24, 1820, when he moved to Blue Rock Township, Muskingum County, O. January 1, 1821, he came to his farm in Bloom Township, Mor- gan County, which he improved and lived upon for fifty-one years. October 26, 1882, he sold his farm and moved to Zanesville. He now resides two miles east of the city. The part taken in local affairs by Mr. Talley can not be given entire for the want of space, so we only mention a few facts. IIe was county surveyor eight years, and- one of the best Morgan County ever had; was justice of the peace for fifteen years ; in mercantile business at Airing- ton, bought large quantities of produce and sold a large amount of goods. In 1846 and 1847 he bought wool, which he shipped to John Brown (Ossawatomie Brown) & Sons, Springfield, Massachu-
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BLOOM.
setts. He says, " for fair dealing, John Brown & Sons were the most honorable men I ever met," and "John Brown was the best judge of wool I ever dealt with. I was with him twenty-one days in Springfield and I know of what I speak."
This is the evidence of Mr. John F. Talley, who was a life-long Democrat. Mr. Talley was the first man to engage in improving the native cattle in his vicinity. In 1836 he purchased an animal at Springfield, O., of one of the importers of Durham cattle, and it proved to be a fine animal. This animal was the first cross on the native cattle in that part of the country, and the improvement he made in the stock of the county induced another enter- prising farmer (Mr. S. McCune, Jr.) to engage in the business.
Brick was first made in the township by James Camp, on the river near Island Run, in 8820, for James Whitaker who built the house now occupied by Rich- ard McIlhiney.
The first brick houses built in the township were the dwellings of James Whitaker, built in 1822, and William Montgomery in 1824. James Camp made the brick for both buildings.
Samuel McCune, Sr., built the first frame barn in 1822. The carpenters were Russell Whipple and Gideon Min- gus. The following incident occurred about the nails used in this building. Mr. McCune borrowed two kegs of nails of a "Shylock " in the vicinity. Ile was to furnish nails or cash in a reasonable time when called on. On Friday afternoon, when he thought it too late for MeCune to get the nails he demanded nails or cash to be furnished on Saturday, not expecting the nails. Mr. McCune took two horses and the i
forewheels, of his wagon, went to Zanesville Friday night, and Saturday evening delivered the nails, to the dis- may of his hard-hearted neighbor. The nails were twenty dollars a keg at the time he borrowed them.
John Livezey and Thomas Hampton occupied the farms owned by Hays Barr and William James.
David Smith built a saw-mill on a branch of Meigs Creek, and Samuel McCune one on another branch of the same stream. These were the only saw-mills ever built in the township. After a freshet these mills could saw lumber if the dams did not break by the force of the water. Getting lum- ber at these mills was very uncertain. They repaired the dams when washed away many times, until at las they were abandoned. These mills were in operation fifteen years, commenc- ing soon after 1825. After the water mills were partly abondoned and mcertain, the whip-saw was used by many farmers in obtaining lumber for new buildings. Andrew Briggs, James Larue, Gibbons Harlan and James Singles were skillful hands at the whip- saw business.
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