USA > Ohio > Noble County > History of Noble County, Ohio: With Portraits and Biographical Sketches of some of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 50
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chusetts, located in 1819 on lands now owned by his son David. IIe was noted as a musician and a scholar. He taught several winter schools. He died in 1864.
William Bates, after whom the Bates branch is named, is believed to have been the first settler on the creek, preceding Muzzy, Rannells and oth- ers by a few years. He came from Pennsylvania and was a true woods- man. He was especially noted as a bear hunter and is believed to have killed more bears than any other pioneer of the neighborhood. He was rough in manner and not popu- lar among his neighbors. Claiming to be the oldest settler on the creek he sought to run the affairs of the neighborhood. Ilis mark upon hogs was to cut off both ears close to the head. Ile sold out to Elijah Collins in 1829.
Andrew Wharton, from Wheeling, W. Va., settled in the valley in 1816. He was a prominent man and was the first justice of the peace in Brook- field Township, holding the office from 1819 to 1822. He was also the first merchant and the first post- master. In 1820-3 he was one of the commissioners of Morgan County. He lived on the Harrah farm, now owned by William Stranathan. IIe died about 1835.
Russell Prouty came in the spring of 1816, settling on lands now owned by the widow Prouty. He was from Spencer, Mass. A peculiar industry was started by him -a mill for the manufacture of castor oil. Ile in- duced his neighbors to raise beans for him, and the business became so
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
In 1817 John Draper (father of Dr. Draper, of Cumberland) settled on a farm adjoining Prouty. Ile i made the journey from Massachu- setts in a one-horse wagon and was twenty-nine days on the way. Ile purchased a tract upon which a cabin -- and a small improvement had pre- viously been made by Rev. James Moore, a Presbyterian clergyman, and the first minister of the valley. In 1821 Mr. Draper erected a frame barn and in 1831 a brick house, both of which are still standing. In 1834 he brought the first Durham cattle to the township. He named Brook- field Township after Brookfield, Mass., where he formerly lived. He died in 1877 at the age of eighty-nine years.
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James Watson came from Massa- chusetts and settled in 1817 just be- low where the Baptist church now stands. He returned to the East after a brief residence.
John and James Ginn, Irishmen, came to the present Eakin farm early. They were weavers by trado. They moved west several years since.
The editor is indebted to Mr. O. L. Hunter for the following items of history relative to his school district:
The present Walter Downey farm was entered by Hlenry . Brindley,
who came from Virginia in 1815.
extensive that several hundred acres were planted annually. The in- After obtaining a title to the land dustry was profitable not only to he turned it over to his son Benja- Mr. Prouty, but also to those from min, who cleared and improved it. The latter was a peculiar man, and spent much of his time in hunting, in which he was quite successful. He died quite early and John Brind- ley took possession of the estate. whom he purchased the raw material. In 1844 be engaged quite largely in bee-culture. In 1853, on account of ill health, he revisited Massachusetts, . where he died soon after his arrival.
The John Hamilton farm was ยท entered by John Parkhurst. It was cleared and farmed for many years by Henry Teener. whose son Henry now lives in Caldwell. John Iam- ilton's father was a noted hunter.
The farm of William Jordan was first occupied by him, but he did not enter the land. A man named Dil- Jey, knowing that Jordan was mak- ing arrangements to secure it, went to the land office in 1832 and entered it. Jordan obtained the deed by selling a horse to Dilley. This was the last land entered in the district, and perhaps the last in the county.
The farm owned by Newton Alli- son was entered by Adam Jordan, who came from Greene County, in Pennsylvania. He lived upon the place until his death. after which the farm was sold to William Strana- than, and by him to Joseph Covert. On this farm was erected the first school-house in the district. The school was taught by John Hunter, brother of Samuel Ilunter. The windows were made of greased paper, and the door of clapboards. 'One end of the room was all taken up by a huge fireplace. That part of the farm lying north of the road was entered by Robert Lansing, from Vermont.
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BROOKFIELD.
The farm now owned by the widow Green was entered by Cyril Richardson, from Spencer, Mass. Here Clark Green lived and erected the earliest tannery in this part of the county. The farm now owned by Mrs. Glass was also entered by Richardson, and sold to Oliver Green. Thomas Connor, Dr. Stone, Esquire Worley, George Dickerson and Moses Glass afterwards owned the farm successively.
Eleazer Spooner entered land in 1816. (See notice elsewhere.) Mr. Spooner was a good citizen, and always took an active interest in public schools, churches and Sabbath schools.
The farm now conducted by Mr. Trott was entered by Thomas N. Muzzy in 1816. The farm known as the Thomas N. Muzzy farm was entered by him in 1814, and was the first land entered in the district. Mr. Muzzy came through from Massa- chusetts with a team, and after reaching Cambridge was obliged to cut a road the rest of the way, his wife driving the team, Ilis son Edwin bought the farm, sold it to Samuel Hathaway, and he to H. C. Hunter.
The farm of Jacob Archer was entered by James Marshall, from Pennsylvania. The farms of J. S. Morgan and II. C. Hunter were entered by Clark Green, from Massa- chusetts.
The Taylor farm was entered by James McElroy in 1815. He sold to his son William and from him it was purchased by John Taylor, the present owner.
The James IIunter farm was en- tered by a man named Clark, who soon sold to Jonas Beemis. Beemis sold to James IIunter and his heirs sold to the present owner. Henry Hunter came from Pennsylvania and entered a tract of land in 1814. IIe was one of the first ruling elders of the Buffalo Presbyterian church at Cumberland. When the Hunters came, the nearest postoffice was at Chandlersville. After the death of Henry Hunter the farm was sold to Samuel Hunter. IIe operated the first threshing machine in this sec- tion, and people came for miles to see the wonderful machine. Mr. Ilunter is still living on the farm and has lived in Muskingum, Morgan and Noble Counties without once moving from the place.
Judge Francis Scott was one of the prominent early settlers. In early years he was one of the three associate judges of Morgan County. Ile was born in County Donegal, Ireland, in 1781, and came to Penn- sylvania with his parents when young. He migrated west to Brooke County, W. Va, and was there married in 1809 to Miss Mary Meek. He came to Ohio about 1810 and located in Jefferson County, but returnel to West Virginia after a brief residence, and thence went to Washington County, Pa. In 1818 he removed to Brookfield Township, where he lived the remainder of his life. IIe was the father of six sons and two daughters.
Judge Scott was accustomed to market his oats in Cambridge at 12} cents per' bushel, carrying them
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
thither on a pack-saddle. He was remote from neighbors and all the surroundings were of the wildest character. He kept a few calves which he was obliged to fasten in a pen at night to keep them from the wolves. Often he went out to drive the wolves away. and was scarcely back to the house before they would return again.
John W. Scott was born on the farm where he now resides, Novem- ber 11, 1822. and has always lived in the township. He is one of the prominent and progressive farmers of the township. He is a member of the Methodist Protestant Church and has held the office of township trustee ; also, township treasurer. He was married in 1849 to Miriam Thompson, and is the father of six sons, all living but one. Mr. Scott was formerly a Whig and is now a Republican.
Sylvester Scott, son of Judge Francis Scott, was born March 29, 1825, on the farm where he now lives. He has followed farming as his principal occupation. In 1848 he married Susannah Thompson, a na- tive of Guernsey County. Three children have been born to them, of whom two are living, a daughter and a son. The oldest daughter married Edward Bartlett, and died in 1876. The second daughter mar- ried John Beckett, and lives at home. The son lives on a part of the old homestead. The family belong to the Methodist Protestant church. Mr. Scott was formerly a Whig, and is now a Republican.
Finley Collins, an early settler,
after coming to Ohio, first worked at the salt works near Chandlers- ville. A few years later came his father, Elisha Collins, and his twin brothers, Elijah and Elisha. They also had a half-brother named John. Finley Collins made a great deal of maple sugar in early times, which he marketed at a good price. In 1810 Finley Collins married Margaret Shull. Their children were Sarah, John C., Mary, Hannah, Michael, Maria, Ira, Jacob, Silas, William and Margaret. Sarah (Smith), Maria (McClelland), Ira, William and Mar- garet (Dunnick) are living. At one time Mr. Collins was in the service of the government against the Indians.
John C. Collins was born Septem- ber 4, 1813, on the farm now owned by William Collins. In 1848 he mar- ried Sarah H. McLees, a native of Muskingum County. They have had eight children. Margaret J. (McCleary), Hannah, Loudema (Trimble), Sarah E. (Miller) and Charles S. are living; Amanda A., Mary C. (Taylor) and John Frank- lin, dead. Mr. Collins died in 1883. He was a Universalist in religion, and was well posted on all current affairs. He was one of the early abolitionists of this region. Four of the daughters have been teachers.
George Ayers, a native of one of the Southern States, was born about 1811. IIe came to Guernsey County with his parents, and there married Nancy Brannon, who bore seven children, six of whom are living. He died in 1883, and his wife in 1870. David Ayers, son of George,
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BROOKFIELD.
was born in Noble Township in 1844. In 1869 he married Miss Alwild Willey. Their children are Luella and Willie. Mr. Ayers served in the late war in the One Hundred and Sixty-first and One Hundred and Ninety-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He is a successful farmer, and a member of the Methodist Protestant church. He has served as justice of the peace.
James Eakin was born near Get- tysburg, Pa., in 1807, and came to Ilarrison County, Ohio, in 1816. In 1830 he married Miss Elizabeth B. Foster, and in 1836 settled on his present farm. He has held the office of county commissioner six years, and was justice of the peace nine years. He has been a member of the Presbyterian church fifty-six years.
John Moore, the first justice of the peace in this township after the organization of Noble County, en- tered upon the duties of his office November 18, 1851.
Isaac M. Combs, a prominent farmer, was born in 1839 on the farm now owned by John M. Combs. In 1861 he married Agnes B. Squier. Children : Frank D., Odell S., John E., Estella F., Albert, Charles S., Cora M. and Fred. Mrs. Combs died in 1884. She was born in Penn- sylvania and in early life came to Guernsey County with her parents. Mr. Combs deals largely in stock and is prominently identified with the in- terests of the township. He is an active Republican.
Samuel Jewett was an early settler in the western part of the township.
He was a Yankee and removed to Iowa after residing here some years. Jesse George was a revolutionary soldier who settled and died in the southern part of the township. Presley George located near Thorla. He came from Massachusetts and married Mary, daughter of Hugh Nickerson. He emigrated to Iowa in 1840. Ilis son Melvin, then two years of age, is now a Congressman from that State.
Richard Thorla, one of the pion- eers of the township, was born in Newburyport, Mass., October 13, 1791. When he was a child his parents removed to New Hampshire, where he lived until 1815. In that year in company with William Mc- Allister and family he came to Mari- etta. In 1817 he married Camilla McAllister and settled on the Ohio River, about a mile above the mouth of Duck Creek. In 1818, with two of the McAllisters - William and his son James - he visited Illinois, going down the Ohio and up the Mississippi in a pirogue as far as the mouth of the Kaskaskia. They were not pleased with the country or the climate and started for home, cross- ing the Wabash at Vincennes and making their way toward North Bend. Before they reached the Ohio William McAllister died and was buried by his son and son in-law in Hartford, Ohio County, Ind. The younger McAllister and Thorla even- tually reached home, though suffer- ing greatly from disease caused by the malarious climate to which they had exposed themselves. In 1819 Thorla entered a quarter section of
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
land on Dye's Fork, in Brookfield, and in 1823 removed to it with his wife and family of two children. He died in 1859 at the age of sixty- eight; his widow died in 1878, aged eighty six. Their children were Elvira, who married Seth Andrews. and was the mother of Prof. Martin
George W. Gander was born in Muskingum County, January 6, 1836. His father, David Gander, a native of Virginia, came to that county quite early and died there in 1872. , . R. Andrews, of Marietta; Caroline, . In 1857 G. W. Gander married Miss
who married John Jamison; Mary, ' C'indrella Hicks, who was born in wife of Simon Nickerson, now living Guernsey County. They have six in Oregon ; F. W., who lives on the ; daughters and two sons. Mr. Gan- der located on his present farm in 1862. Hle is a successful farmer and stock-dealer. In 1864 he enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Sixty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry. and served until honorably dis- charged. Ile is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
home place; A. II., who married Martha Stevens; he enlisted in No- vember, 1861, in Company I, Sixty- second Ohio Volunteer Infantry and served three years. A. II. Thorla occupies a part of the homestead farm. His children living are Mag- gie, Minnie and Richard V.
F. W. Thorla, a farmer and distill- er, was born May 22, 1832, in Brook- field Township. He married Sarah A. Stevens and is the father of Silas, Ellsworth, Florence, Linda, George McAllister and Milo.
Thomas Thorla, the grandfather of F. W. and A. II. Thorla, was born in New England in 1748. Ile served as a soldier throughout the Revolu- tionary War. Three of his sons hav- ing come to Ohio, he followed them, arriving in Marietta with his aged wife about 1828. Ile lived at Olive some years and died in December, 1835.
John Murphy, son of Daniel Mur- phy, a native of Ireland and now a resident of Buffalo Township, was born in Buffalo Township in 1843. In 1869 he married Lena Gregg and in 1872 settled in Brookfiekl. Mr. Murphy is the father of three chil-
dren, one of whom is living. He is a farmer and a member of the Pres- byterian church.
Benjamin C. Lukens was born in Maryland in 1812. His father and grandfather lived in Harford County in that State. In 1833 he married Miss Louisa W. Smith, of his native State, and about six years later came to Brookfield Township, settling on an unimproved farm. Ile is the father of five children, four living- B. S., Cumberland, Ohio; John C., Kansas; Joseph F. (a graduate of Ohio University, Athens, 1866), superintendent of schools, Lebanon, Ohio; Lizzie II. (Arrick), Reinersville, Ohio. Joseph F. was in the late war, served under General Thomas and was taken prisoner at Harper's Ferry. Mr. Lukens is a Republican and a member of the Methodist Protestant church. He was living at Baltimore at the time the first railroad was put in operation be- tween that place and Ellicott's mills.
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BROOKFIELD.
. The cars were drawn by one horse, upon wooden rails.
John B. Dye, son of Thomas Dye, was born in Brookfield Township, March 20, 1832. In 1862 he mar- ried Margaret Elder. They have one child-Elmer N. Mr. and Mrs. Dye are members of the Methodist Protestant church. In politics he is a Democrat.
David Elder and wife (nee Eliza- beth Neil) came to the present Elder farm about 1840. His children were Mary A., Julia and Margaret, born in Pennsylvania, and David, Vance N. and Eliza A., born in Ohio. Julia and Mary are dead. Mr. Elder died in 1873 and his wife in 1881. They were members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Elder held the offices of township trustee, township clerk and justice of the peace.
Jason Tilden was born near Bel- fast, Me., in 1805. His parents settled in Muskingum County, Ohio, in 1817. Jason was brought up in the family of John Draper, an early settler and prosperous farmer in Brookfield. In 1830 he married Jane Richey, a native of Virginia. Both he and his wife died in 1883. They had eleven children, five of whom are living.
The first mail route between Mc- Connelsville and Cambridge was established in 1827 or 1828. Jason Tilden was the first mail-carrier. A man named Johnson was the con- tractor. There were then but five offices between McConnelsville and Cambridge. One of them (at Whar- ton's) was in Brookfield Township. The mail was carried once each week.
Eleazer Spooner was born in Oak- ham, Worcester County, Mass., June 28, 1794. A number of the early settlers of Brookfield were from the same county. In company with Clark E. Green, William Watson and Cyril Richardson, he came to Brook- field Township in 1816. He was a shoemaker, and brought the tools of his trade with him. He worked at farming in summer and at his trade in winter. He entered 160 acres on section 3, and in 1818 erected a cabin. In the following year he married Isabella Beach, who is still living at the age of eighty-six. They had one son and ten daughters; five of the daughters are yet living. Mr. Spooner sold a part of his farm quite early, taking his pay in install- ments, some of which were as low as twenty-five cents. He died April 19, 1884. He served as township trustee nineteen years.
James Bartlett and his wife, whose maiden name was Nancy Knowlton, removed from Massa- chusetts to Upsher County, W. Va., about 1810. After twenty years' residence there he removed to Brookfield Township. IIe died January 11, 1868, in Spencer Town- ship, Guernsey County. His widow died in 1876. They had ten chil- dren, most of whom were born in Virginia. Seven daughters are yet living. Henry D. Bartlett, born in West Virginia, came to Brookfield in 1830. In 1840 he married Sarah Throckmorton. IIe reared a family of ten children, eight of whom are living. In 1874 he removed to Washington County, where he died
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
March 23, 1886. James Bartlett was born in 1850 on the farm where he now lives. He has held the offices of township trustee and jus- tice of the peace. In 1872 he mar- ried Celinda Burlingame. They have six children - Sarah Alice, Fran- cis, Florence, Harriet, Susan and Edward Henry.
John Allison was born in Wash- ington, Pa., in 1810. In 1840 he removed to Cumberland, Ohio, and thence to the farm in Brookfield Township, where he died. In 1852 he married Nancy Johnson, who died in 1857, having born three chil- dren, two of whom are living. In 1862 he married Mrs. Rebecca Hat- ton .(nee Bartlett). Ile was a member of the Presbyterian church. Ile died in 1880. His sons, J. J. and J. F. Allison, are prominent farmers, and members of the Presbyterian church. J. J. Allison was born in Spencer Township, Guernsey Coun- ty, in 1853. In 1886 he married Miss Mary Green. J. F. Allison was born in Spencer Township in 1855.
Henry Hunter, a native of Ireland, was an early settler on the farm now owned by Miles B. Hunter. Five of his children are yet living: Samuel, Nancy, Margaret, William and Eben- ezer. The family came to the town- ship about 1814. Samuel Hunter was born in Butler County, Pa., in 1806, and has resided in the township since the family located here. IIe married Eliza Chapman and is the father of eight children, seven of whom are living.
Rev. Joseph Thrap, well known to old residents, was born in Baltimore
County, Md., October 16, 1776, and died, in Muskingum County, Ohio. May 12, 1866. He joined the Method- ist Episcopal church early in life. In 1792 his parents removed to the vicin- ity of Morgantown, W. Va. In 1796 Joseph responded to a call for volun- teers to protect the frontier settle- ments against the Indians, and served for six months under Captain Dent. For this service he received a land war- rant for 160 acres. In 1803 he mar- ried Jemima Van Camp, who died in 1867, in the eighty-fifth year of her age. In 1804 he came to Ohio, following an old Indian trail up the Captina, across Will's Creek and on to the Muskingum. He settled where Nashport now is and raised a crop of corn. The following September he brought his wife from Virginia and in 1805 removed to Licking County. In 1810 he settled in the southwest part of Muskingum County, where he continued to reside until his decease. For nearly sixty years he preached the Gospel without any fixed remu- neration. He was the father of twelve children, eleven of whom reached mature years, and eight are still living. Two are ministers of the Methodist Protestant church-Rev. Joel Thrap, of Adrian, Mich., and Rev. Israel Thrap, of Coshocton County. Rev. Joseph Thrap was licensed before leaving Virginia. In 1805 he helped organize a Methodist church in Lick- ing County and in April, 1806, the first quarterly meeting in that vicin- ity was held at his cabin. On the organization of the Methodist Prot- estant church he attached himself to it and adhered to it through life.
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BROOKFIELD.
John A. Thrap was born in Muskingum Township, Muskingum County, January 17, 1818. In 1842 he married Catharine, daughter of Judge Francis Scott, of Brookfield, and settled in this township in the following year. IIe is a prosperous farmer and a worthy citizen, a Re- publican and a member of the Meth- odist Protestant church. He is the father of two children, only one of whom is now living.
John Taylor, a native of Ireland, first located at Philadelphia, then moved to Holmesburg, Pa., where he lived four years in a house belonging to James Buchanan, afterward Pres- ident. He settled in Brookfield Township in 1838 and died here in 1862.
The first school-house in the town- ship was a log cabin on section 4. Among the early teachers of the township were Erastus . Hoskins, Mary Brown, Josiah Burlingame and Asa Burlingame.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY.
Brookfield Baptist Church .- This church was organized February 8, 1825, at the residence of Ezekiel Dye, Sr., Rev. James McAboy and Rev. William Reese, officiating min- isters. The original members were William Smith, Catharine Smith, Fanny Tilden, Sarah Dye, Harriet Swank and Charity Bond. During the first year the following persons joined : Ezekiel Dye, Sr., Augusta Green, Ruth French, John Braugh- ton, Elizabeth Bates, John Dille, Horace Blanchard, Clarissa Blanch- ard, Lenna Dalman, Rebecca Tal-
bert, Hannah Kirkpatrick, Mary Downey, Mary George, Michael Archer, Jacob Paul, Elizabeth Paul, David Green, Mary Ann Wharton, Lydia M. Moler, Caspar Moler, Eliz- abeth Moler, Jacob French, James L. Delong, Agnes Delong, Peggy Downey, Lucy Richardson, Mary Bond, Joseph Taylor and Prestley George. William Smith was chosen the first deacon in August, 1825, and James L. Delong church clerk. James L. Delong was clerk until 1856, and was succeeded by Edward F. Green until 1861, when David Delong was chosen clerk. The lat- ter holds the office at present. In May, 1826, Joseph Taylor was the first delegate to the Baptist Mission- ary Society, which met in Zanesville. A meeting-house about thirty feet square, of hewed poplar logs, was built on the site of the present house in the spring of 1826. The first annual meeting of the Meigs' Creek Association was held May 26 and 27, 1826, in this building, when it was only partly completed. The floor was not laid, and the sleepers served as seats. This association afterward met with the Brookfield church at the following times : August, 1831; August, 1838; August, 1847, and August, 1865. In 1871 the church was dismissed from the Marietta (formerly the Meigs' Creek) Associa- tion, and August 28, 1872, united with the Zanesville Association. The latter association met with Brookfield church in August, 1877 and 1886.
Brookfield church is the parent of a number of other churches. In
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
1839 a new Baptist congregation was organized on Dye's Fork of Meigs' Creek, three miles from the old church. This organization was short-lived, and many of its mem- bers returned to the parent church. In 1852 a branch was formed at Ifiramsburg, and a meeting-house built there, which has since become the property of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. About the same time another branch was formed in Meigs Township, Mus- kingum County. In 1865 twenty- four members withdrew to form an independent Baptist church at Cum- berland, Guernsey County. The pastors at Brookfield have been as follows : Rev. William Reese, 1825 -32; William Sedgwick, 1834-7; Robert II. Sedgwick, 1837-8; B. Y. Siegfried, 1838-40; Eber Crane, 1840-3; Henry Ward, 1843-9; Ben- jamin Thomas, 1850-3; Edward Jones, 1853-7; John W. Warwick, 1858; A. J. Buel, 1859 -- 62; Simeon Siegfried, 1862-4; G. W. Church- ill, 1865-8; Henry Ward, 1868-71; S. G. Barber, 1872-3; T. M. Erwin, 1873-80. The present pastor, Rev. E. W. Dannels, began his labors April 1, 1882.
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