USA > Ohio > Noble County > History of Noble County, Ohio: With Portraits and Biographical Sketches of some of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 54
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center table we found, beside the Bible, Darwin's complete works, a noted orthodox paper and the Boston Investigator. In politics he is a Repub- lican, yet charitable in his stricture upon parties and policies. Mr. Archer occupies the old homestead. the home of his father and grand- father, the buildings of which are in a remarkable state of preservation. though standing for half a century: by having good foundations and by a liberal use of paint they seem little the worse for wear. Ilis has been a busy and a useful life. Beginning as a poor boy, by industry and economy he has accumulated considerable wealth, and while his varied business transactions have brought him in contact with men of all classes, yet so honorable have been his dealings with his fellow-men, that he has the esteem and confidence of all who know him.
THOMAS MCGOVERN was born in County Cavan, Ireland, October 25. 1841. Ilis father, Patrick McGovern, came to this country in 1836. In 1839 he returned to his native country. but in 1842 he decided to make the United States his future home, and with his family came to Guernsey County, Ohio, where, in company with his brother-in-law, Peter Cornyn, he engaged in making macadamized roads. Iledied in Bellefontaine, Ohio, September 25, 1845, leaving his wid- ow, nee Mary McGuire, whom he married in 1831, in very limited cir- cumstances, with the care of seven children-Margaret, Bridget, Mary, Terrence, Thomas, Ellen and P. C. With her family she removed to
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what is now East Union, Noble County, where she died September 10, 1865. The early life of Thomas was attended with many hardships; his education was limited to a few weeks at the district school in winter. His twenty-first year he signalized -- by enlisting in Company D, Ninety- -- second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He participated in every battle and skirmish in which his regiment was engaged up to July, 1864, at which time his sight became so impaired that he was sent to the general hos- pital, where he remained until April, 1865, when he rejoined his com- pany. Ile was in the battles of Hoover's Gap, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Buzzard's Roost, Resaca and other minor engagements. He was mustered out of the service in June, 1865, and returned to his home For | several years he was engaged in THE BARNES FAMILY. farming, but owing to ill-health he abandoned the farm and in company with his brother, P. C., he went into trade. The brothers did a successful business. In 1887 the firm was dis- solved, P. C. retiring. In December, 1869, he was elected justice of the peace and has served continually ever since. November 30, 1865, he was married to Mrs. Mary A. Smith, daughter of Absalom Archer. By this union there was one child, Rhoda E. In 1872 Mrs. McGovern died, and in 1874 he was married to Mrs. Sarah B. Archer, daughter of Charles Price. One child was born to them, Homer, who died July - 30, 1876. In August following Mrs. ! McGovern died and in December, 1878, he was united in marriage with : John and Nancy Floyd. They have
Miss Mary, daughter of Andrew Mc- Intee, of County Cavan, Ireland. By this marriage there have been five children : Thomas W., Maggie A., Mary A., Martha E. and Clara E. In his religious and political convictions he is a Democrat and a Catholic. Two of his brothers, Terrence and Patrick C., were in the service, the former in the Twentieth Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, the latter in the Eight- eenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Ter- rence was captured at Atlanta, Ga., and for five months was a prisoner of war at Andersonville. P. C. was taken prisoner at Nashville, Tenn. He escaped by capturing his guard, whom he brought into camp. At the close of the war the boys re- turned to their home. Terrence is now a resident of Minnesota.
Abel Barnes, one of the early set- tlers of Noble County, was born in Freeport, Harrison County, Ohio, October 23, 1814. IIe was of English descent. His wife, nee Caroline Brown, whom he married in Sum- merfield, December 24, 1839, was of Scotch extraction, and was born near Culpeper Court House, Loudoun County, Va., May 31, 1815. They had a family of seven sons and two daughters - Nathaniel B., Adam, Peter F., George B., Allen W , James S., Abel W., Margaret A. and Rhoda E. Nathaniel B., the eldest of the family, was born in Marion Town- ship, near the village of Summer- field, March 28, 1844. In 1871 he | married Miss Sarah E., daughter of
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
two children-Edward W. and Nola; , Davis, a well-to-do farmer of Greene the former was born in 1879, the , County, Ind. They have four chi- latter in 1885.
Adam, the second son, was born in 1846. He was a member of Com- pany HI, One Hundred and Eighty- sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He married in Missouri, in 1873, Miss Nancy Garrett. a native of South , tics. For nearly five years he served Carolina. They have five children. He is a prominent business man of Mexico, Audrain County. Mo.
Peter F. was born in 1848. Hle married Miss Jeanette Dalrymple in Greene County, Ind. They have four children. George B , the fourth son. was born in 1850. Abel W. was born in 1853, and married Miss ; Ida Warren, of Washington County, Ohio. He is a farmer. Allen W. was born in 1856, and married Sadie E., daughter of B. F. Penn, in Feb- ruary, 1883. She died June 24 of the same year. James S. was born in 1859, and married Miss Kate. daughter of George and Jane Furches. IIe is one of the promi- nent business men of Pratt, Pratt County, Kan. He is a graduate of the Muskingum College, and for several years was a teacher. Ile was for some time county surveyor of P'ratt County. The eldest daugh- ter, Margaret, was born in 1841. She is now the wife of Bartholomew
dren. Rhoda E. married in 1865 J. F. Gant, and resides in Washing- ton County. They have a family of eight children. Nathaniel B is one of the representative men of Noble County. He is a Republican in pol.
his fellow-townsmen as trustee, and in 1885 was elected county commis sioner, which position he now holds In religious belief he is a Methodist. and has officiated as steward, dis- trict steward and trustee During the war he was a member of Com- pany D, Ninety-second Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, from which he was transferred to the Thirty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company H. He was in the service for nineteen months, and participated in all the engagements in which his regiments participated. He is a prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Post of Summerfield.
Mr. Barnes is the possessor of a fine farm near Carlisle, which is his home. He occupies an enviable position among the best men of the county, and is regarded by those who know him as a man of unim- peachable integrity, and is well qual- ified for the responsible position he occupies.
n.B.Barna
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
AS .. R LENOX AND TILDEN FOL NDATIONS R L
1
CHAPTER XXIII.
SENECA.
ORGANIZATION IN 1851 - SENECA AS A TOWNSHIP OF GUERNSEY COUNTY - RICHLAND TOWNSHIP - REAL ESTATE OWNERS IN 1830 - PIONEER SETTLERS - TIMOTHY BATES - HIS MILL AND DISTILLERY - HOW THE DISTILLERY SERVED AS A MEETING- HOUSE - REMINISCENCES - KILLING BEARS - AN EARLY SCHOOL - HOW A WHEAT FIELD WAS HARVESTED BY MOONLIGHT - WOLF SCALPS - SCHOOL SECTION -- FIRST STORE - SKETCHES OF THE PIONEERS - HUNTING AND GOING TO MILL - FIRST POST- OFFICES - ADVENTURES OF ABRAHAM RICH - FAMILY SKETCHES - MOUNT EPHRAIM -FIRST HOUSE, THE "MOSS TAVERN" - EARLY STORES AND INDUSTRIES- CHURCHES OF THE TOWNSHIP.
THE county commissioners, May 1, 1851, made the following order relative to this township:
" Seneca Township altered so as to include and be composed of the fol- lowing territory, to wit : Commenc- ing for the same at the southeast corner of section 36, in township number 8, range number 8; thence north along the seventh range line to the northeast corner of section 13 in said township and range ; thence west along section lines to the north- west corner of section 18 in said township and range; thence south along the range line to the south west corner of section 31, in said town- ship and range to the place of begin- ning, containing 24 sections."
Seneca was one of the five origi- nal townships of Guernsey County, erected by act of the county commis- sioners, April 23, 1810. No descrip- tion of its original boundaries can now be found, but it was doubtless very large in territory, including a considerable portion of the present counties of Noble and Guernsey. The
township was not in existence many years, new ones being organized from its territory under various names. It does not appear on the tax duplicate for 1830, but afterward a township called Seneca was organized, which appears on the tax duplicate for 1843. Richland Township, Guernsey County, was erected July 9, 1810, and an election for two justices of the peace and other township officers was ordered to be held at the house of Samuel Leath, on Saturday, the 28th of the month. What the town- shiporiginally included is not known, owing to the absence of any record. In 1830, Richland embraced town- ship 8, in range 8, and parts of town- ship 1, range 1, and township 1, range 2, of the military lands.
The owners of real estate in that portion of Richland Township now embraced in Seneca were as follows in 1830, as shown in the tax dupli- cate for that year :
Abraham Rich, section 30, 178 acres, value $230; same, section 31, 89 acres, $100, and 89 acres, $90;
30
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
Julius Rucker, section 23, 157 acres, $214; Timothy Bates, section 24, 160 acres, $291; same, section 13, 80 acres, $146; Ephraim Bates, section 14, 792 acres, $106; John Casner, section 14, 79 acres, $100; Daniel Craft, section 30, 178 acres, $243; Thomas Campbell, section 24, 158 acres, $179; Moses Campbell, section 24, 79 acres, $80; George B. Craft, section 13, 80 acres, $100; David Craft, Sr., section 29, 79 acres, $80; Samuel Danford, section 25, 80 acres, 891; Hiram Danford (still living), section 25, 80 acres, $91; James Findley, section 18, 160 acres, $218; same, section 17, 320 acres, $437; James Harris, section 13, 160 acres, $291; David D. Jennings, sec- tion 31, 89 acres, $90; same, 89 acres, $90; George Keller, section 28, 158 acres, 8179; John Kelly, section 21, 80 acres, $100; James Law, Jr., sec- tion 13, 80 acres, $146; John Mill- horn, section 14, 159 acres, ยง200; same, section 15, 79 acres, $98; Cable Murray, section 36, 80 acres, $100; Aaron Morris, section 32, 79 acres, $120; Jonathan Morris, sec- tion 21, 159 acres, 8217; John Miley, section 21, 159 acres, $200; Henry Morris, section 31, 89 acres, $90; Margaret Nicholson, section 25, 160 acres, 8291; same, section 30, 162 acres, 8221; George Secrest, section 19, 177 acres, $202; William Stran- athan, Jr., section 13, 160 acres, $182; William Stranathan, Sr., sec- tion 25, 160 acres, 8218; John Stevens, section 19, 88 acres, 8118; Joseph Torrence, section 13, 160 acres, $182; John Timony, section 20, 79 acres, $91; Jacob Thompson,
section 17, 320 acres, $437 : saukt. section 18, 176 acres, $200: Denns Timony, section 20, 79 acres, $91: Jacob Thompson, section 16. w. acres, $100; Aaron Vorhies, section 28, 158 acres, $180; Benjamin Wi .- son, section 13, 160 acres, $218.
One of the earliest settlers and most prominent men was Timothy Bates. Ile located in what is now Seneca Township about 1805, and was probably the earliest permanent settler of the township. His father. Ephraim Bates, and several of Tim- othy's brothers were pioneers in other parts of the county, and ant elsewhere mentioned. Timothy Bates and his brother Isaac came from Captina Creek, near the Ohio River. as soon as they dared venture into the wilderness, on account of the Indians, and entered land on section 24. They were probably here with their families in the year mentioned. Timothy Bates was born in Pennsyl- vania in 1778, and from his earliest years was familiar with the scenes of pioneer life. He built a mill soon after he came, in what is now Wayne Township, which was among the earliest in the county. He also had a distillery and did a thriving busi- ness. He lived to see the country. which he entered when it was a wil- derness, well peopled and prosperous. and departed this life June 15, 1869. Ilis wife's maiden name was Ruth Moore, a native of Pennsylvania. They reared a large family. The names of their children were Susan (Rucker), living; Polly (Rucker). living; Abigail (Stotts), deceased: Bethel, living; Lovina (Danford),
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Luana (Kent), Barua, deceased ; Anna (Moore), living ; Ruth (Bower- sock), deceased ; Timothy, living, and Lafayette, Elizabeth and Nancy (Hague), deceased. Timothy Bates, Sr., was an enterprising and success- ful business man, and by his indus- try accumulated a good property. In addition to farming, milling and distilling, he bought hogs, which he drove to Baltimore, making them swim across the Ohio River. He was a member of the Christian church and sometimes preached. His distillery was a large building, and in the loft among the whisky barrels, early religious meetings were held, the barrels of whisky serving in place of pews and pulpit. A strange place for divine services it would be in these days, but then the people saw no impropriety in bringing whisky and religion near together.
Hon. Bethel Bates, son of Timothy Bates, is one of the oldest native res- idents of Noble County. He was born March 12, 1809, on the same section of land where he still resides, and was brought up in the then thinly settled country after the manner of the children of the early settlers, wearing buckskin breeches, his feet covered by moccasins in winter and bare in summer. In early life he assisted his father upon the farmn and in the distillery. Since becom- ing of age he has followed farming and dealing in stock, and has been very successful in his various under- takings. In 1831 he married Mary Ann Meighen, daughter of John Meighen, an early settler who came
from Fayette County, Pa., and lived and died in Seneca Township. They have reared twelve children : Abraham, Hugh, Rebecca, Harriet, Simeon, Lewis, Patrick, Herman, Rosaline, Luana, Susannah and Bethel. All are living except Lewis, who was killed by a boiler explosion in a saw-mill at Sarahsville, in the spring of 1886. Four of the sons were in the service in the late war- Abraham, Lewis, Patrick and Her- man. The descendants of Mr. and Mrs. Bates are very numerous. They have 111 grand and great- grand children. Mr. Bates is well and favorably known throughout the county. Ile served as township treasurer and member of the school board many years: He was elected to the legislature in the fall of 1870 and served two winters. Ile was formerly a Whig and is now an earnest Republican.
When Bethel Bates was a boy he went with his father, his uncle Eph- raim and Benjamin Farley, who had discovered some bears in a hollow tree and wished to secure them. Bethel was assigned to the duty of holding a big dog by a strap while the others cut down the tree. The dog was very anxious to get away and when the tree fell the boy let him go. As soon as the tree fell a bear jumped out ; the dog attacked it, but the bear soon put an end to his an- noyance, striking him a vigorous blow with his paw and knocking him over into a hollow. Ephraim Bates then shot the bear. By the time he had his gun reloaded another bear crawled out of the trunk of the tree
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
and he also shot it. This took place near Mr. Bates' present home.
The earliest school-house in the Bates neighborhood was on the creek north of the present residence of Bethel Bates. James Tuttle was an early teacher there.
Timothy Bates' mill and distillery were visited by the early settlers for many miles around. The mill was in operation as early as 1815. Peo. ple came twenty and thirty miles to get whisky from the distillery. The method of hauling it was to harness a horse between two poles, or "skids," one end of which rested on the ground. The barrel of whisky was then rolled upon the poles, and held in place by wooden pins placed in auger-holes bored through the poles. This improvised vehicle was dignified by the name of cars.
To show the difference between then and now -in 1830, 160 acres of land belonging to Timothy Bates had an assessed valuation of $291. In 1886, 305 acres belonging to Bethel Bates, in the same section, were valued at 86,260; and thirty- six acres in an adjoining section of Marion Township, with the same owner, were valued at $1,020.
Daniel Meade and his wife Hannah were among the carly settlers of the township. They were Methodists, and were opposed to whisky drink- ing. Temperance men were rare in those days. Meade resolved one vear that he would have his wheat harvested without the aid of whisky. Ile therefore invited his friends to come on Monday morning and assist him in the work. Some of his neigh-
bors, hearing of his intention, got together on Sunday night, and by the aid of whisky, and the light of the moon, harvested the entire field before morning.
In 1811 the commissioners of Guernsey County voted to allow $2 for every scalp of a wolf over six months old. Many of the pioneers derived considerable money from the killing of wolves.
March 6, 1815, William Thompson presented a petition from residents of township 8, range 8, for the elec. tion of trustees for the school section. The petition was granted. "there being twenty electors in said town- ship. " This shows that the town- ships of Wayne and Seneca were considerably settled as early as 1815.
Prior to 1838 a small store was kept on Abraham Rich's farm by Abraham Brown. This was the first mercantile establishment in the township, and it was but a small affair.
Seneca Township abounds in good farms and comfortable homes. The land is well improved and product- ive. In 1870 the population was 982; in 1880, 1,004.
The State Road was cut out through this township by the Car- penters of Monroe County. Opos- sum Run was named by them from the fact that they killed an opossum on that stream.
Barnesville was the nearest trad- ing point in early years. Later the people went to Cambridge and Wash- ington to trade.
James Finley, a Pennsylvanian.
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was an early settler. He was an honest and worthy citizen. His grandson, Milton, lives on the old homestead.
An early school was taught in the house of Abraham Rich by Enoch Marpole. Levi Keller taught school when a young man on the west line of the township. On the present Craft farm was an early school-house. Another was built early on Opossum Run, in the present limits of Wayne Township. Enos Reinhart, Isaac Q. Morris, Moses Morris, Jeremiah De- bolt and James Mellon were early teachers.
There were several early horse- mills in the settlement. Abraham Rich and Jacob Thompson had saw- mills early.
Jacob Thompson came to the town- ship about 1815. His children were Robert, John, Elijah, Abraham, Jacob, David, Polly (Frame) and An- nie, wife of Abraham Rich. Jacob Thompson, Jr., settled and died in Seneca Township. The others lived in the vicinity.
Jonathan Morris, a pioneer of Sen- eca Township, was born in Greene County, Pa. He married Miss Ann Richards, and in the spring of 1817 settled in what is now Seneca Town- ship. IIe was largely identified with the early history of that section, and for twelve years was a magistrate. Ile had a family of seven sons and three daughters- Jonathan, Henry, Aaron, Moses, David, James, Isaac Q., Sarah (Moreland), Jane (Stevens) and Hannah (Moser), all of whom are dead except Isaac. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1816. IIe acquired
the trade of a tailor, but afterward turned his attention to teaching. He married Miss Catherine Kackley. They had a family of seven children. Mr. Morris was appointed the first clerk of courts of Noble County, and was subsequently elected to the posi- tion, serving three years. He was engaged in merchandising for eight- een years. Ile served as justice of the peace for twenty-one years. For a time he was heavily engaged in the tobacco trade. IIe has been a busy and enterprising man and a valuable citizen.
Abraham Rich erected a frame house in 1826. It was then the only building of the kind for miles. It is still standing, and is now occupied by his widow.
Soon after Abraham Rich came into the township a fat hog belong- ing to him wandered from home, and in the evening, attracted by its squealing, he went out and found it in a ravine, with a part of its fore- shoulder eaten off, but still living. Near the hog stood a large black bear. Mr. Rich had no gun, but he approached near to the bear; the two looked steadily at each other; then Mr. Rich moved off in one direction and the bear in another. The next morning he got the hog part way home, and the next evening, on going to the place, found the bear again. This time he was prepared for him, and as the bear was rearing to spring over a fallen tree, he shot him. The bear rolled over into a hole where a tree had been uprooted. Rich fired another shot, and on ap- proaching found the bear dead.
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
On another occasion, late in the fall, Mr. Rich tracked a bear into a hollow poplar tree, where the bear took up his quarters for the winter. Leaving the bear there till Christmas he went with Levi Keller and John Rich to secure him. They cut the tree, the bear sprang out unexpect- edly, and in their excitement all three fired at him without injuring him. Abraham Rich reloaded and fired a shot which injured the bear's back, and after a considerable fight the animal was killed.
The first postoffice (Batesville by name) was established at Timothy Bates' mill prior to 1830. There was a weekly mail carried between Barnes- ville and McConnelsville. The only paper taken in the vicinity of Mount Ephraim was the St. Clairsville Ga- zette, of which Levi Keller was a subscriber. He had a box nailed on a tree, into which the carrier dropped his paper. William Van Meter was the first postmaster at Mount Eph- raim.
Jacob Thompson, James Finley and the Morrises were among the earliest settlers. There were several families located on Opossum Run at an early date.
Levi Keller, one of the few pio- neers of Noble County who are still living, was born on Wheeling Creek, about ten miles from Wheel- ing, in 1795, on the 16th of Septem- ber. At the age of five years he came to Ohio, his father, George Keller, settling in Belmont County. He learned the blacksmith's trade in that county, and in 1820 came to what is now Noble County and en-
gaged in teaching school in Buffalo Township. In 1821 he erected a house on the Smoky Fork of Buffalo Creek, in Center Township. In 1827 he removed to the vicinity of Mount Ephraim, where he still lives. He has followed farming and black- smithing. At the age of twenty he married, in Guernsey County, Eliza- beth Shafer, a native of Loudoun County, Va., who is still living. Mr. Keller was the first clerk of Sen- eca Township, and has held other offices, including that of justice of the peace for six years. He reared a large family - Mary Ann (deceased), Dr. John Keller,* Jane (Vorhies) (dead), George, Isaac, William (died in the army at Cairo, Ill.), Margaret (Kackley), Caroline (deceased), Eliz- abeth, Levi, Simon (deceased).
Benjamin and John Keller, broth- ers of Levi, also settled in Noble County, the former in Seneca Town- ship and the latter in Center. They removed to the West.
A glance at the township records of the school section shows that in 1819 William Morrison, James Fin- ley and William Lowry were sworn into office as trustees of the school section in township 8 of range 8. The same records show the names of Archibald Mc Vicker, 1820; Matthew Scott, 1821; Richard Coen, 1821; John Vorhies, 1822 (a brother of Ephraim and Aaron); Jonathan J. Morris, 1823; Jacob Thompson, 1825, and others. Some of those named resided in what is now Wayne Township.
*See medical chapter.
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In 1821 Matthew Scott, John Meighen, Richard Coen and Jona- than Morris were the lessees of the school section.
The Rich family are among the early and prominent families of the township. For their history the reader is referred to the family his- tory in this chapter.
David Watson and family came from Fayette County, Pa., and set- tled in Noble County about 1810. Their children were Ann, James, John, Rebecca (Delancy), Sarah (Williams), Ann T. (Morris), Rachel (Yoho), Cynthia (Wilson), all of whom are deceased.
John, second son of David Watson, was born in Pennsylvania in 1791, and settled in Seneca Township with his parents. He married Ellen Yoho, and died in 1873. Children : David, Margaret (first married Wilson and then Yoho), Yoho, Rebecca (de- ceased), Mary, Rachel (Pethtel), Barbara (Stockdale) and Nancy (de- ceased).
David, oldest son of John Watson, was born in Seneca Township, August 15, 1815. In 1834 he mar- ried Charlotte Skinner, of Monroe County. Their children are John, Angelina, Emily J., Justus F., Will- iam, Clark M., George, Caroline, James R., Alonzo II. and Ulysses G. The family settled in 1852, on the farm which they now occupy. They are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, and Republicans. Justus F. Watson enlisted November 11, 1862, in Company D, Ninth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and was mustered out at the expiration of his
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