USA > Ohio > Noble County > History of Noble County, Ohio: With Portraits and Biographical Sketches of some of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 59
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born in Pennsylvania and came to Ohio with his parents. He was reared in Muskingum County and when a boy entered the employ of Chapman & Stevens, with whom he remained several years. In 1847 he came to Hiramsburg and engaged in merchandising under the firm name, Stevens & McClure. The firm did a successful business until 1855 when Mr. Stevens retired.
In 1869 he was succeeded by his son, George G. McClure, who has since that time done a highly successful busi- ness. George McClure was a thorough business man and a valuable citizen. IIe was twice married; his first wife was Miss Susan T. Gibbs. Two chil- dren were born to them : Francis L., who died young, and George Alonzo. Hle was born in Hiramsburg, October 13, 1851. He grew up in his father's store, and received a thorough educa- tion in books, and a practical busi- ness education. He is one of the rising young business men of the county, and is highly esteemed not only for his sterling honesty and business enterprise, but the advanced position he takes on all questions in which the moral or religious welfare of his community is involved. In politics he is a Prohibitionist, in reli- gion a Methodist. He married, in 1872, Miss Mary B. Davidson, grand- daughter of Philip Burlingame, a pioneer settler of Rhode Island; they have two sons and three daughters.
Steo a m.leture
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS B
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CHAPTER XXV.
WAYNE.
ELECTION - ITS BOUNDARIES DESCRIBED - TAXPAYERS OF 1830 -JOSEPH REEVES -JOHN VORHIES - THE FIRST PERMANENT RESIDENT OF THE TOWNSHIP -THE WARDS - BRYANS - BURSONS - YOHOS - CARPENTERS - LAWS - RICHEYS- LOWREYS - MENDEN- HALLS AND OTHER EARLY SETTLERS - THOMPSON'S MILL - EARLY RELIGIOUS MEET- INGS.
B EFORE the erection of Noble County, the territory of the present Township of Wayne was included in Richland, Beaver and Wright Townships, Guernsey County. It contains four sections belonging to the United States Military Dis- trict, which is all of the military lands in Noble County.
The township was erected by the commissioners of Noble County, May 1, 1851, with boundaries de- scribed, as follows :
" Commencing for the same on the seventh range line at the south- west corner of section 31, in town- ship number 8, of range 7; thence east along the south line of said township to the southeast corner of the west half of section 25 in said township; thence north to the cen- ter of sections number 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 to the north line of said township; thence west along the north line of said township to the seventh range line; thence south along said seventh range line to the northeast corner of section 20 in the first township of the seventh range of military lands in the Zanesville district ; thence west to the north- west corner of section 19, in said
township number 1 and range 1 as aforesaid ; thence south to the south- west corner of section 22, in said township number 1, range 1 on the Ludlow line; thence west along said Ludlow line to the northwest corner of section 6, in township number 8 of .range 8; thence south to the south- west corner of- section 7, in said township number 8 and range 8; thence east to the southeast corner of section 12, in said township num- ber 8 and range 8; thence south along the seventh range line to the place of beginning-containing 25 sections."
On the 3d of March, 1852, by act of the county commissioners, six half sections were taken from Wayne and annexed to Beaver Township.
June 19, 1851, the court of com- mon pleas for the County of Noble passed the following order:
"It appearing to the court that the Township of Wayne is a newly set-off township, and that it is with- out any justice of the peace, it is therefore determined by the court that two will be a sufficient number of justices of the peace for said town . ship; and the court do further deter- I mine that the voters of said township
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
proceed, on the 12th day of July, 1851, to elect said justices of the peace; and it is further ordered that the clerk of this court forthwith transmit a certified copy of this pro ceeding to the trustees of said town- ship."
In accordance with this order, an election was held, and James Rich and Abner Williams were chosen the first justices of the township. Rich qualified on the 1st of August, and Williams on the 7th of the same month, 1851.
The following owners of real estate within the present Township of Wayne were taxed on the Richland Township duplicate for 1830. This list gives the names of all land own- ers in the first twelve sections of township 8, range 8, at that date: Jesse Brown, section 8, 160 acres, valued at $218; Henry Cramer, sec- tion 3, 150g acres, $273; Joseph Fin- ley, section 7, 174 acres, $238; Will- iam Gladden, section 11, 158 acres, 8288; same, 158 acres, $288; Eliza- beth Hammond, section 11, 158 acres, $216; John Hague, section 12, 159 acres, $289; John Law, section 11, 80 acres, 8146; William Lowrey, sec- tion 8, 159 acres, $217; same, 159 acres, $517; Thomas Law, section 11, 80 acres, $146; John Mendenhall, section 1, 75 acres, $102; Isaac Men- denhall, section 1, 75 acres, $102; William Morrison, section 9, 157 acres, $178; John Millhorn, section 5, 157 acres, $214; same, 100 acres, $137; Albert Strong, section 5, 80 acres, $109; Thomas Stranathan, sec- tion 5, 80 acres, $109; Alexander Sprout, section 4, 151 acres, $276;
same, 1514 acres, $276; Robert Thompson, section 6, 177 acres, $403; same, 177 acres, $403 ; James Thomp- son's heirs, section 8, 160 acres, $255; same, section 7, 33g acres, $61, and 160 acres, $255; William Thompson, section 6, 88 acres, $120; same, sec- tion 5, 78 acres, $108.
Joseph Reeves was probably the first white man who made his home in the northern part of Noble Coun- ty. He came here near the close of the last century or about the begin- ning of the present. He remained but a few years when he was driven out through fear of the Indians. After the country became somewhat set- tled he returned and became a resi- dent of the township. It is said that he frequently went with the Indians on their hunting expeditions and that he had a personal acquaintance with Tecumseh, who gave him a powder horn ; this horn is still in pos- session of the family.
John Vorhies was the first per- manent resident of the township, and, if the date fixed by his descendants is correct, the first in the county. As nearly as can now be determined the date of his settlement with his fami- ly was in 1802. He located on land now owned by Millhorn and others. IIis children were Aaron, Deborah, Daniel, Isaac, John, William, Epb- raim, Dolly and Susan, all of whom are dead. Aaron and Ephrain were early settlers of Seneca Township. Mount Ephraim was named for the latter.
In the year 1807 Edward Ward and family came from Pennsylvania and settled in this township. He
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died in 1843 in the eighty-third year of his age. His widow lived to be nearly one hundred years old. With them came also their son John and his family. John Ward served in the War of 1812 as first lieutenant. He took several English prisoners near Sandusky, and among them was a silversmith who engraved Mr. Ward's name upon the hilt of his sword. The sword is still in posses- sion of the family. The guard of it is of silver. Mr. Ward died in 1818. His son Edward is among the old residents of Seneca Township. An- other son, Joseph, lives in Wood County, Ohio.
Cornelius Bryan and his sons, James and John, were among the earliest settlers. John Perry came a little later.
Joseph Burson was an early settler and a prominent citizen. It is said that Wayne Township was erected through his influence. Burson had a store upon his farm as early as 1825. He also had an early grist- mill.
" William Thompson's mill," on Seneca Fork of Will's Creek, is mentioned in a road petition to the commissioners of Guernsey Coun- ty in 1815, and was probably the earliest mill in the vicinity. He lived on section 6, in the western part of the township.
Jacob Yoho, whose descendants are still in the county, settled at the forks of the creek in 1805. A log house erected by him in that year is still standing with the date upon it.
Robert Carpenter, son of Joseph Carpenter, an early settler of Seneca
Township, located on Seneca Fork of Will's Creek, prior to 1812.
John Ferris was among the pioneers. The place on which he settled was afterward occupied by Amos Day.
James Law settled in this town- ship about 1809. He purchased 480 acres of land, on which he made a good improvement. He died in this township. He was the father of twelve children, who lived to mature years and had families, but only three are now living. David Law, of Beaver Township, married Maria, daughter of Amos Day, an early settler. They have six children living.
John Hague came to this town- ship as early as 1812, and died here about twenty years later. His son Joseph is still living. There were still some Indians in the country when the family came.
In 1809, Thomas Richey, with his wife and two children, settled upon 160 acres of land where his son An- drew now lives. Mr. Richey was a native of Ireland. He first settled in Fayette County, Pa., and thence re- moved to Jefferson County, Ohio. He died in this township at the age of seventy-four years. When he came the entire region was a wilder- ness. He was a leading farmer, and by continually adding to his land, at his decease he owned about six hun- dred acres. Ile was a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which his family also be- longed.
Andrew Richey was born in Sep- tember, 1821, on the farm where he
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
now resides. He is a prominent farmer and breeder of sheep. Mr. Richey was married in 1850, to Helen C. Hammond, of Jefferson County, Ohio. Six children have been born of this union : Melville, George M., Charles W., Carrie, Harry B. and Lucerne A. The family are all connected with some branch of the Methodist church. George Rich- ey, brother of Andrew, has been a minister for forty years.
William Lowrey came from Fay- ette County, Pa., in 1810 or 1811, and settled on a half section of land, where his son, Rev. William D. Low- rey, now lives. The family began housekeeping in a cabin without a floor, and with a table made of puncheons. In 1826 Mr. Lowrey built the house at present occupied by his son. He was a prominent citizen, and served as justice of the peace and county commissioner sev- eral terms. He was also an elder in the Presbyterian church until 1835, and afterward held the same office in the Cumberland Presbyterian church. He died in 1861, at the age of eighty- one years. He was an earnest anti- slavery man ; a Whig, then a Repub- lican.
William D). Lowrey was born De- cember 22, 1815, on the farm where he now lives. In early life he taught school and in 1846 was ordained a minister of the Cumberland Presby- terian church, and has been in the ministry of that denomination ever since. In 1848 he married Lydia Ann Vernon, of Monroe County ; children : Ezbon F., Catharine S., William C., Lydia A. and Tyndall W.
John Vorhies, Joseph Reeves and Jacob Yoho, were among the pio- neer settlers of the township. Jacob Yoho built a log barn in 1805, which is still standing, with the date upon it.
On one occasion, Daniel and John Vorhies, were out hunting for rac- coons with a dog and axe. They chanced to come across larger game and treed a large bear. One of the boys went to Joseph Reeves after a gun, while the other remained to keep watch of the bear. When the bear saw that he was guarded only by one boy, he endeavored to descend from the tree. The boy cut a withe, and by lashing the flanks of the bear succeeded in keeping him treed until his brother returned and shot him.
Timothy Bates hunted a good deal in early years. Once he shot a bear, removed the entrails, bent down a sapling and placed the bear upon it. The tree righted itself and the bear assumed a very natural position, looking as though he was alive and rearing upon his hind legs. Joseph Reeves' girls came across him while hunting for their cows and re- turned home much frightened.
Isaac Mendenhall was a pioneer settler. On one occasion he and another hunter were after a buck with dogs, wounded the animal and finally got him at bay. To get out of his way Mendenhall climbed a young tree. The tree was too slender to bear his weight, bent over and threw him upon the neck of the in- furiated animal. He clung to the deer and threw him down. Finally his companion came to his relief
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and killed the deer. Mendenhall's clothes were nearly torn from his body in the struggle, and he was severely injured.
The early religious meetings of the township were held in a double log barn belonging to John Vorhies. An old resident says he has often seen among the congregation half a dozen or more young boys dressed only in a linen shirt.
September 3, 1810, a petition was presented to the commissioners of Guernsey County for a road, "to commence on the headwaters of the Seneca, and thence down the same, by Cornelius Bryan's, Jacob Yoho's, etc., to the town of Cambridge." Elijah Stevens, John Carpenter and Frederick Miller were appointed viewers, and Elijah Beall surveyor.
HIon. Thomas C. Williams, the pres- ent representative of Noble County in the legislature, was born in Wayne Township, on the farm he now occupies, May 13, 1848. His father, Abner Williams, was a native of New Jersey, and one of the early settlers of the county. His mother was a native of Virginia, and was the mother of nine children: Alvin, Lydia B. (Day), Amy S. (Kinzie), Louisa M. (Brill), Edith G. (Stoneburner), Phebe E. (Stoneburner), Aaron W., Annie E. and Thomas C. Aaron W. was a member of Company G, Seventy- eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died in Memphis, Tenn. Alvin W. is a farmer of Wayne, and Amy S. and Annie E. are deceased. Thomas C. was reared on the home- stead farm and received a thorough common-school education. He read
law with the intention of making it his life's profession, but the death of his brother necessitated his return to the farm, since which time he has de- voted his energies to agriculture and politics. He has identified himself with all matters of public import and holds a foremost position among the best citizens of the county. In the legislature he is regarded as an efficient member. He married, in 1870, Miss Mary J., daughter of Will- iam Henderson, of Guernsey County, Ohio. They have a family of three children.
Isaac W. Danford, the present clerk of courts of Noble County, is a son of Eli Danford, and was born near Mount Ephraim, Seneca Town- ship, April 11, 1856. Adverse cir- cumstances gave him only small edu- cational advantages; he attended the common schools and worked on a farm to pay his expenses. For sev- eral years he was a successful teacher. He then turned his attention to mer- cantile business, and from 1882 to 1887 was a merchant at Kennons- burg. He served three years as post- master at Kennonsburg, and was township clerk for six years. In 1886 he received the Republican nomina- tion for clerk of courts of Noble County, was elected, and is now dis- charging the duties of that office. He married Margaret M. Stitts of Wayne Township. Her father was a soldier in the Union army in the late war and was killed at Vicks- burg. To Mr. and Mrs. Danford have been born five children : Carl S., and Charlotte, dead; Clyde F., Birdie May and Eli, living.
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
Charles Arndt came from Wash- ington County, Pa., in 1836 and set- tled near Sarahsville, where he en- tered 160 acres of land, to which he added eighty acres. He disposed of his farm and removed to Greenwood in 1861, where he died in 1864. He followed the vocation of a carpenter and cabinet-maker. He was an ex- emplary man and an elder in the Presbyterian church. David, a son, was born in Pennsylvania in 1831. Ile learned the trade of a car- penter, which, in connection with undertaking, he followed many years. 1859 he married Betsey, daughter of Edward Ward. They had four girls and one boy; a daughter, Alice, is a teacher of repu- tation.
Texana is a graduate of the deaf and dumb institute of Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Arndt, like his father, is a very reputable citizen. For three years he has been trustee of the township. In his religious belief he is a Presbyterian, in which he is an elder. His brother was a lieuten- ant in the Eighty-eighth Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, and died from disease contracted in the service. Charles, another brother, was a member of the Ninety-first Ohio Volunteer In-
fantry. The family are of German extraction.
Abraham Thompson was born in Guernsey County. In 1861 he en- listed in Company H, Seventy-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served until the close of the war.
He was wounded by a shot through the leg at Atlanta, and Gen. M. D. Leggett carried him from the field to the hospital, a distance of nearly two miles. Mr. Thompson is almost blind from the effects of dis- ease contracted in the service.
John Miley, a son of one of the Noble County pioneers, was born in Center Township in 1828. He is a Republican, a farmer and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1851 he married Mary Coen, of Seneca Township. Their children are: Martha E., Abraham V. (deceased), Richard B. (deceased), Charles W., and Eva L.
George W. Robinson was born in Beaver Township. In 1861 he en- listed in Company F, Twenty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until July 8, 1864, when he was dis- charged on account of disability. Ile was captured at Chickamauga and held a prisoner at Richmond and Dan- ville for over seven months.
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CHAPTER XXVI.
ELK.
ELK TOWNSHIP IN 1822 - TAXES IN EARLY YEARS - ORIGINAL EXTENT OF TERRITORY - ALTERATION OF BOUNDARIES IN 1851 - PROPERTY-HOLDERS IN 1833- PIONEER SET- TLERS- THE DAVIS FAMILY - FREDERICK MILLER - HIS ECCENTRICITIES - THE PRYORS-THE ENOCHS - MATTHEW GRAY - THE CRUMS -OTHER EARLY SETTLERS - FIRST GERMAN SETTLERS, 1836 - THRIFT AND ENTERPRISE- CRUMTOWN- HARRIETTS- VILLE-THE VILLAGE FOUNDED BY MOSES T. SPENCER IN 1889 - ITS PROGRESS AND PRESENT STATUS - SOCIETIES - CHURCHES.
E LK TOWNSHIP is first men- tioned upon the records of Mon- roe County in the year 1822, when Isaac Davis was appointed lister. The amount of county levy in the township for that year was $16. In 1823 Matthew Gray was col- lector for the township, and the tax amounted to $15.65. In 1824 the tax was $14.45; Matthew Rogers, collector. No description of the boundaries of the township is found except in the commissioner's journal for 1836, when they were as follows : Beginning at the southeast corner of section 13 in township 5 of range 7; thence west four miles; thence north six miles; thence east four miles ; then south six miles to the place of beginning. The township, therefore, embraced all of its present territory except the two northern and four southern sections. The two north- ern sections came off Franklin Town- ship, and the four southern ones were taken from Washington County.
The commissioners of Noble Coun- ty, May 1, 1851, altered the boun- daries of Elk Township, making them as follows : 33
"Commencing at the southeast corner of section 18 in township number 4 of range number 7; thence north along the section line across township number 5 of range number 7, to the northeast corner of section 13 in township number 6 of range number 7; thence west along the section line to the seventh range line; thence south along the seventh range to the southwest corner of section 36 in township number 4 of range number 7; thence east along the section line to the place of beginning-containing 32 sections."
This township formerly included sections 25 and 31 of Stock Town- ship, which were transferred to the latter by order of the county com- missioners, March 7, 1854.
Moses Spencer was the first justice of the peace in this township after the erection of Noble County. He qualified for entering upon the duties of his office August 23, 1851.
From the earliest tax duplicates found on file in the auditor's office in Morgan County-those for the year 1833-the following list of holders of real estate in Elk Town-
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HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
ship in that year is obtained. This is, therefore, an authentic record of nearly all of the pioneer settlers of the township, together with the number of acres owned by each, and the value of the same in 1833:
George Bonar, section 29, 162 acres, $182; David Bonar, section 23, 162 acres, $182; William Brown, section 23, 81 acres, $92; Shadrach Burton, section 36, 67 acres, $74; Jesse Dennis, section 32, 139 acres, $139; Enoch Enochs, section 36, 79 acres, $99; Matthew Gray, section 26, 157 acres, $216; James Lloyd and Joseph Pickard, section 32, 139 acres, $175 ; Frederick Miller, section 29, 161 acres, $200; Wine Rood, section 35, 146 acres, $182; Isaac Worstel, section 21, 80 acres, $100. Number of acres, 1,452; valuation, $1,731.
Among the owners of personal property in the township in 1833 are found the following names, which do not appear on the foregoing list : John Brown, David Crum, Jesse Davis, Kinsey Davis, Isaac Davis, Widow Enochs, Hiram Forshey, John Forshey, John Forshey (2d), Wealthy Ingraham, Francis Miller, George Miller, Michael Martin, John Pryor, Samuel Pryor, Seneca Fletcher, John Rake, Jacob Rake, James Sweeny, Moses T. Spencer, Philip Koon, Francis Ferrell, John West, Oliver Ingraham.
The total tax of the township was as follows: On real estate, $19.47; on personal property, $21.28; total, $40.75.
In the same year James Young, on section 13, of township 6, range
7, was taxed for 161 acres, valued at $227, in Franklin Township.
Prior to 1812 Jesse Davis and family, from Pennsylvania, settled in this township. His children were Isaac, Kinsey, Jesse, Nathan, Rebec- ca (Mrs. James Sweeny), Rachel (Mrs. Francis Miller), Polly (Mrs. Emanuel Hupp), Annie (Mrs. Henry Pryor) and Louisa (Mrs. William Enochs). The family became scat- tered, and now has but few repre- sentatives in the county.
Frederick Miller was a veritable pioneer - a backwoodsman and a hunter. He had served in the Indian War, and had the pioneer's hatred for the red race. He always wore a hunting-shirt, and carried knives at his belt. When he became too en- feebled to walk, he procured a mule, which he rode for years. He was very eccentric, and had an unvary- ing price for everything he sold, which was not regulated by the mar- ket quotations. He always asked thirty-three and one-third cents per bushel for corn, fifty cents per bushel for wheat and a " fi' penny " bit per pound for meat. He would sell only to those who needed supplies, and never to a speculator. He was the father of Francis Miller, who died in this township.
Samuel Pryor came to this town- ship at an early date. The Pryors were of German origin and had lived on Captina Creek before coming here. Samuel was the father of Eli- jah, John, Henry, William, Mary, Nancy, Sarah and Elizabeth. Henry is the only survivor. He lives in Minnesota. William died in this
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ELK.
township in 1886 aged sixty-eight years.
Isaac Pryor settled in this town- ship in 1827, near Harriettsville. He was the father of Margaret, Jane, Lila, Maria, John and Howard. John is still living
Moses T. Spencer, from Maryland, was one of the most prominent of the early settlers. He and his broth- er-in-law, Jonas Lovett, lived near Harriettsville and owned the land on which the town is situated. The town was laid out by Spencer and named for his youngest daughter. He built a saw-mill on the creek and afterward a grist-mill, the first in the township. Spencer and Lovett had more means than most of the early settlers. Both were leading Method- ists.
The Crums of this township are of German descent. William and David Crum were brothers and pio- neer settlers.
The Rake and Ingraham families were among the early settlers. None of their descendants are now here. The descendants of Jesse Dennis still live in Noble and Monroe Counties.
Enoch Enochs, a brother of Elisha Enochs, the pioneer settler at Carlisle, was among the early settlers of this township. His father, Enoch Enochs, Sr., served in the Indian wars and the War of 1812. He came with his son to this township and died here in 1835. Enoch, Jr., from his eight- eenth year to middle age was a keel- boatman and a steamboat hand on the Muskingum and Ohio. He was a large man physically and a thorough backwoodsman. He lived
in Noble County until 1878, when he removed to Tyler County, W. Va., where he died in 1886, at the age of eighty-five.
Matthew Gray was the pioneer settler where Harriettsville now is. The log house which he built is still standing. An elk was killed near the spot on the day of the raising. This circumstance is said to have giv- en the township its name. Matthew Gray sold out to Moses T. Spencer and removed to Pawpaw Creek. His son Jesse lived in this township sev- eral years.
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