History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 17

Author: Aaron R. Van Cleaf
Publication date: 1906
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 923

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HISTORY OF PICKAWAY COUNTY

one end of the building was the door, while in the other was the massive fire-place, which ex- tended the full width of the room and was fed with large logs, which were rolled in by means of handspikes, or drawn in by a horse. A log was cut out on each side of the building and strips of wood were tacked across the space thus made, forming a kind of lattice-work. Over these sticks oiled paper was fastened, which furnished the necessary light. Dr. Sam- uel Taylor was the first teacher in this school- house; he was followed by a Mr. Williams. The first frame schoolhouse was built on land owned by Adam Millar, in 1817, by William Millar, William Renick and Stephen Short. This school was taught by Joseph Olds and was supported by subscriptions.

The township has seven schools, including the one at Ashville. The Board of Education of Harrison township, elected in November, 1904, is constituted as follows: F. B. Peters, F. S. Baum and J. W. Hedges-four years; Henry Shannon and Edward E. Runkle-two years. J. W. Hedges is clerk of the board.

The South Bloomfield Special School Dis- trict has a brick school building of three rooms which was built in the '50's and is still in ex- cellent condition. It is valued at $4,000. J. M. Ater is principal, being assisted by Loutie Browne and Ida Calder. The total enroll- ment is 100. The high school department pro- vides a three-years course of study and is rated as a third-grade school. The Board of Educa- tion of this district, as elected in November, 1904, is as follows: William Millar, Sherman L. Rasor and Edward Roese- four years; Walter Rayman and Fred Roese-two years. Henry Roese is clerk of the board.

The Ashville village District has the follow- ing Board of Education, elected in November, 1904 :. Chester B. Hedges, William M. Miller and S. D. Fridley-four years; Dr. R. A. Postle and J. W. Snyder-two years. Ward B. Powell is clerk. In 1902 a new brick school building, furnace-heated, was erected at Ash- ville at a cost of $14,000, taking the place of a four-room brick structure which had been in service a long term of years. Five rooms are devoted to grade work and two to high school

purposes. The high school is conducted joint- ly by the boards of education of Harrison and Walnut townships and the Ashville Village District, acting through a committee of nine- three from each board-of which committee William M. Miller i's chairman, as well as be- ing president of the Ashville Board of Educa- tion. Prof. Stanley Lawrence is superintend- ent of the High School.

SOCIETIES.

Pickaway Lodge, No. 747, I. O. O. F., is 20 years old, having been instituted in 1886. It has grown steadily and has a present mem- bership of nearly 100. The lodge owns the Odd Fellows' Building, corner of Long and Bortz streets. The auxiliary organization, Linden Rebekah Lodge, was instituted six or seven years later than Ashville Lodge.

Palmetto Lodge, No. 513, K. of P., at Ash- ville, was instituted October 21, 1891, with 34 charter members. The lodge has at the pres- ent time a membership of about 100 and owns the building in which it meets, having pur- chased it recently. Frank Dumm is chancellor commander and Dr. H. J. Bond, keeper of records and seals.

Ashville Camp, No. 4,635, M. W. of A., has been established since February 15, 1897, and has a present membership of about 65.

A tent of the Knights of the Maccabees, No. 560, was organized at Ashville a little over a year ago. There are now about 30 members.

Ashville Lodge, No. 3,005, K. of H., was instituted September 25, 1883, with 16 char- ter members. It has a small membership.

Morral Post, No. 167, G. A. R., was insti- tuted as Morrison Post on December 2, 1881, with 25 charter members. Some years after- ward the present name of the post was substi- tuted. By 1888 the membership reached the high-water mark of 101 and then began to de- cline, deaths and removals rapidly depleting the post. There are now 16 members. Mc- Ilvaine Graffis is post commander and Lewis Stoltz, adjutant.

Morral Women's Relief Corps, No. 112,

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was instituted with 27 charter members on De- cember 29, 1885, as Morrison Relief Corps. The present name of the corps was adopted some years later. The membership is about 15. Mrs. Lettie Oliver is president and Mrs. Annie Finney, secretary.

Ashville Lodge, No. 490, I. O. G. T., was instituted September 29, 1892, with 21 charter members ; four years later, November 16, 1896, the lodge surrendered its charter.

For a period of some years, a branch of the Knights & Ladies of Honor, Union Lodge, No. 1795, flourished in Ashville. It is now no longer in existence.

Ashville has a strong and aggressive organ- ization of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union; Mrs. Lucy Kline is president of the local union. South Bloomfield also has a union, of which Mrs. Elizabeth Ater is pres- ident.

PHYSICIANS.

Dr. J. C. Thompson was one of the earliest physicans of Harrison township. He located at South Bloomfield about 1837 and practiced his profession with great skill for over 50 years, until his death January 7, 1889, lacking two days of being 78 years old. His name stands high among the members of the medical profession in Pickaway County and the State.

Drs. H. B. Smith and A. C. Kinnear also practiced at South Bloomfield. Dr. Charles E. Blacker was also located here for many years.

Dr. Charles Steward is the dean of the med- ical profession at Ashville, his period of prac- tice covering 30 years-practically the whole life of the town. In addition to his practice, he conducts a drug store and is the proprietor of the Opera House. Dr. Rowland A. Postle located in Ashville in 1891; Dr. William H. Silbaugh, in 1897; and Dr. George R. Gard- ner, in November, 1901. Ashville alone has a dentist-Dr. Harry J. Bond, who has prac- ticed his profession here. with good success since 1895.

BANKS.

The Citizens' Bank of Ashville was or- ganized in 1894. The original capitalization, $25,000, was increased to $75,000 in January,

1906. The deposits aggregate $250,000. The directors of the bank are as follows: James Ward, Sidner J. Ward, Thaddeus E. Cromley, T. W. Baum and William M. Miller. James Ward is president; T. W. Baum, vice-presi- dent; and William M. Miller, Cashier. The last named has been cashier of the bank ever since it was founded. James H. Valentine was president for the first two years of the Bank's existence, being succeeded by James Ward. who had been vice-president.

The Ashville Banking Company estab- lished the second bank at Ashville, which was incorporated June 22, 1906, with a capital stock of $50,000, of which $25,000 was paid up. The bank, which is located on Main street, was opened for business on August 23rd. The directors are : F. J. Peters, Samuel Hall, Wil- liam M. Wright. James H. Valentine, J. A. Baum, Irin F. Snyder, R. G. Peters. James M. Borror and E. A. Snyder. The president is F. J. Peters; vice-president, Samuel Hall; and cashier. E. A. Snyder.

ASHVILLE.

The land upon which Ashville is located was at an early day the property of Richard Stage, who started a small distillery here, which he operated for many years. finally sell- ing it to Mahlon Ashbrook. Mr. Ashbrook in- creased its capacity and did a large business. In connection with it, he built a grist mill on Walnut Creek, about 1845, and owned a large store for the time and locality. He finally failed in business. James Short, of Circleville, was in business with him for some time. The store was closed about 1855, but the distillery was run by other parties for a few years, when it, too, was closed.

Very little business was done at Ashville from the time of the closing of the distillery until 1874, when the building of the Scioto Valley Railroad (now the Norfolk & Western) through the length of Harrison township gave a new impetus to business. The depot of the road was located at Ashville in the following year, as was the postoffice, with George C. Morrison as the first postmaster.

Among the early business men were: Ed-

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ward Soper, who kept a general store on Main street for a number of years, dating from the early '70's; George C. Morrison, who con- (lucted a general store for many years and also served as postmaster for a considerable period; Samuel W. Miller, who was in busi- ness here for nine years; Robert Hughes, who operated the elevator now conducted by Tee- gardin & Taylor; Joseph Hedges, who had the lumber-yard now run by Edward W. Hedges; John Messick, William Ward and Peter Ar- nold, who had blacksmith shops; E. Manges, dealer in boots and shoes; Ezra Shuemaker, tinner ; Z. T. Baker, harness maker ; and Henry Cromley, boarding house and livery.

Ashville was incorporated as a village in the spring of 1880, the first mayor being W. R. Julian, who later became a resident of Columbus. J. W. Shuemaker was the first marshal and D. E. Julian, the first clerk. Mayor Julian was followed by Dr. Charles Stewart, W. H. Fortner, S. D. Fridley, Will- iam M. Miller, A. S. Longenbaugh, E. S. Hickman, G. A. Hook and Emmett E. Fraun- felter, the present incumbent. The following are the present village officials : Mayor, Em- mett E. Fraunfelter; clerk, Ward B. Powell; treasurer, Dr. H. J. Bond; marshal, Seymour Shook; Council-Enos Longenbaugh, A. C. Nothstine, Oscar Ward, Frank H. Hott, Stephen E. Selig and Christian C. Foor. The village has a first-class fire department, which is now operating under a new system, intro- duced some four or five months ago, by which the members, consisting of a chief, Ist and 2nd assistant chiefs, three firemen and three sub- stitutes, are paid for the time consumed in practice and in attending fires. This system gives every indication of proving an entire success. About 1890, when a volunteer fire department was established, a Howe fire en- gine and hose were purchased at a cost of $600, and cisterns throughout the town were Jwilt a few years later. Recently a chemical as added to the equipment. On ac- favorable location and the energy - Ashville is steadily growing The population in 1890 was

430; in 1900, 654; and in 1906 a population of at least 800 is claimed. Willis E. Payne is postmaster and Marcus W. Payne, assistant postmaster. One hundred and forty-four square miles of territory are served by the four rural routes running from Ashville. The Scioto Valley traction line was built through Ashville in 1903.

The sweet corn canning factory of the Scioto Canning Company, of Circleville, was built at Ashville in the spring of 1899 and has been in operation during every subsequent sea- son, giving employment to many hands and contributing in no small degree to the pros- perity and well-being of Ashville and the vicin- ity. The sweet corn canning season lasts about 40 days and during this period about 540 hands are employed. The daily capacity of the plant is 200,000 cans; and the annual output is about 200,000 cases. Not so much corn is being canned this year as previously, as the market has been over-stocked for the last two years. The corn used is raised by the farmers of the vicinity on contract, the company furnishing the seed. The company also has 655 acres of its own in corn. The company manufactures its own cans and runs the plant over 100 days to get the required quantity ready for the can- ning season, having a capacity for making 50.000 cans a day. Judge Festus Walters has been . president of the company from the date of its organization, January 30, 1899. Wayne Caldwell, who at first was vice-president, is now treasurer; S. P. Deeds has continued to hold the office of secretary; James Reichel- derfer was the first treasurer and Milton Mor- ris is the present vice-president.

Ashville has two grain elevators, which do a large business, also dealing in coal. cement, lime, fertilizers and seed. The oldest of these elevators was built in 1875 by William Morris and a Mr. Keyes, who sold it to Ezra Hughes, who in turn disposed of it to Robert Hughes. The last named conducted it many years. It finally came into the possession of Rockey & Teegardin, was later run by Ward & Tee- gardin until four years ago, when G. P. Tee- gardin took it and operated it alone until July

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VIEW ON LONG STREET, ASHVILLE

ASHVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH, ASHVILLE

SCIOTO VALLEY TRACTION COMPANY'S DEPOT, ASHVILLE

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1, 1906, when D. F. Taylor was admitted to partnership under the firm name of Teegardin & Taylor. The elevator was burned about May, 1900, and was rebuilt. It has a capacity for storing 26,000 bushels of corn and 6,000 bushels of wheat. From 250,000 to 300,000 bushels of grain are handled annually.

The elevator of C. E. Groce, of Circleville, was built by him about six years ago. Its capacity is 30,000 bushels. Flour is also handled.

Between Ashville and South Bloomfield is located the Ashville mill, which has a daily capacity of 50 barrels and is operated by Ed- ward Campbell. This mill was built in 1833 by William Foresman, who conducted it many years, disposing of it in 1879 to Samuel Camp- bell. Lewis C. Hoover has a sawmill in oper- ation at Ashville. Samuel M. Lewis, of Circle- ville, has a brick-yard here and also manufac- tures cement blocks.

The commercial interests of Ashville are further represented by the following business houses : George A. Hook, Hoffhines & Hoover and Smith & Hickle, general merchandise; Dr. D. H. Squire & Son, general merchandise and drugs; Edward E. Runkle and S. D. Fridley, groceries; Ebert & Bowers, groceries and boots and shoes; Markley Brothers, meats; the Hott and Cottage bakeries; Dr. Charles Steward, drugs; Clyde Brinker, confectionery; Charles Strauss, shoe shop; John C. Welton, pianos and organs; G. W. Jennings, millinery and wall-paper; G. H. Kraft & Son and Peters & Brinker, hardware, agricultural implements, carriages and harness; Joseph R. Hedges and S. C. Allison, agricultural implements, car- riages and harness; Frank Klouse, photog- rapher; Charles E. Blakely, undertaker; John Roese and William C. Hoover, tinners; Longenbaugh & Purcell and Harry M. Black, blacksmiths; J. S. Roof, wire fencing and plumbing; Edward W. Hedges, lumber; Lane Brothers and Christian C. Foor, livery; and Conrad Dolby, feed barn. The Ashville Hotel, which has been conducted by Christian C. Foor since 1904, is a two-story brick building, erected in 1880. Steward's Opera House, a neat two-story brick, 40 by 80 feet in dimen-

sions, was erected in 1886 by Dr. Charles Steward; it has a seating capacity of 500. The Odd Fellows' Building-a three-story struc- ture-was erected in 1889 by J. P. Rockey. In 1893 were built the Citizens' bank and the Valentine Block. The town has one lawyer- G. W. Morrison; four physicians-Drs. Charles Steward, Rowland A. Postle, William H. Silbaugh and George R. Gardner; and one dentist-Dr. Harry J. Bond.

Ashville has one newspaper, the Home News, a weekly, with a circulation of 500, which is owned and edited by R. W. Kraft. It is the successor of a number of enterprises that have occupied the newspaper field. The Enter- prise, the first venture, which issued its first number on December 21, 1882, was a 4-page, 7-column weekly. It was consolidated on October 23, 1896, with the Recorder, a 4-page, 5-column newspaper, whose first number had been issued on October 2, 1896, and which was then owned by J. W. & W. E. Shuemaker; at the time of consolidation Emmett E. Fraun- felter was the owner of the Enterprise. The new publication, known as the Enterprise- Recorder-a 4-page, 7-column sheet-was published by the Ashville Printing Company about one year. The Advocate, under Emmett E. Fraunfelter, succeeded the Enterprise- Recorder, and continued until about Novem- ber 1, 1904. About 1898 a man named Stoltz established the Pickaway County News at Ashville, which ran for six years. In Febru- ary, 1904, S. D. Fridley purchased the Pick- away County News and changed the name to Home News. On November .1, 1904, Messrs. Fraunfelter and Fridley combined their of- fices; the Advocate was discontinued and the Home News was issued by the partners until November 1, 1905, when the partnership was dissolved. Emmett E. Fraunfelter then pur- chased the job department, and on December I, 1905, R. W. Kraft purchased the newspaper.

SOUTH BLOOMFIELD

Has a history that spans a period of over 100 years. The town was laid out in 1803 by David Denny, who employed Gen. James

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Denny, later of Circleville, to make the survey. The plat embraced 40 acres of land in the southeast part of section 10 and was divided into 80 lots. The hopes of its founder, that South Bloomfield would become the county seat, failed of realization. During the early years of its history it was a place of some im- portance, being on the regular line of the stage- coaches, running between Chillicothe and Co- lumbus. With the withdrawal of the stage coaches, the town subsided into a fairly quiet existence. It has lacked adequate transporta- tion facilities; the Ohio Canal was built a mile to the east, and the Norfolk & Western steam road and the Scioto Valley traction line were constructed two miles to the east.

The first store in South Bloomfield was opened soon after 1804 by Hugh Creighton, an early justice of the peace, who also kept a tavern here in the year mentioned. William and John Bradshaw started the second store, in which the first postoffice was kept. It was established about 1810 and it is thought that William Bradshaw was the first postmaster. The mail route through the town was estab- lished preious to 1812. Henry Nevill, who laid out the town of Jefferson in Pickaway township, started a branch store in South Bloomfield at an early date. George Donald- son established the first blacksmith shop here in 1806; John Motherspaw was another early blacksmith. Col. John Cochran built a store here after the War of 1812 and conducted it many years.

The town was incorporated by special act of the Legislature in 1833. Its first officers were : President, Thomas Burrell ; clerk, Henry N. Hedges, Jr. ; treasurer, John Cochran ; mar- shal, Samuel Goreley. The present officers are : Mayor, Robert S. Thompson ; clerk, Her- man Peters; treasurer, Henry Roese; marshal, Charles Cook; Council-W. R. Brady, John Jones, John H. Roese, F. E. Bezold. Willis Green and one vacancy. George T. Thompson is postmaster. The town has both the Bell and the Citizens' 'phones and is lighted by

seven patent gasoline lights. The population of the village in 1900 was 223.

The business of South Bloomfield is con- ducted by the following persons : R. S. Thomp- son & Son, Chris. Roof and F. E. Bezold, gen- eral merchandise; M. W. O'Day and William R. Brady, groceries; Ed. Mithoff, meats; Dan- iel F. Bock, shoemaker; Milton Croman, shoe -. maker and harness and leather worker; Jack- son Gusman, Jonathan Gusman and Charles Cook, blacksmiths; Henry Roese, undertaker; N. L. Darling, veterinary surgeon; and Strade Brothers, feed stable.

MILLPORT,

Located on the Ohio Canal between Ashville and South Bloomfield, is a small settlement of some 20 or 25 families that has seen its best days, which were during the period when the Ohio Canal was an important means of trans- portation. As early as 1810 Stephen Short erected a distillery and a mill at this place. The town was laid out in lots about 1837 by Richard Stage, who erected a number of dwell- ings and established a pork-packing business, which flourished for some years. He also set up his son-in-law, Francis S. Burt, in business. About 1850 a warehouse was built near the canal, for the purpose of receiving and stor- ing grain; a small grocery was established in the building to furnish supplies for canal men. At the present time Millport has three groceries, run, respectively, by Ed. Toole, John Burton and Taylor Ward.

DUVALL,

A station on the Norfolk & Western Railway in the northern part of the township, has a pop- ulation of about 50. John W. Teegardin and daughter, Florence, have a tile factory here and T. W. Baum, a grain elevator, also deal- ing in coal and wood. A. E. Oman sells gen- eral merchandise: Frank S. Baum deals in hardware and agricultural implements; Lafay- ette Dolby runs a blacksmith shop.

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CHAPTER VIII

JACKSON TOWNSHIP

Jackson township was first settled in 1798. In 1774, however, John Joliff, a private soldier of the army of Lord Dunmore, then at Camp Charlotte, made a survey of a choice tract of land in this township, embracing some 4,000 or 5,000 acres and lying west of Circleville. The survey, whose regularity was afterward confirmed by the courts, was made, it is said, without compass or chain and was likely the first survey made in the State. Small bands of Indians were in evidence here for some years after the first settlement, but they were of a peaceable disposition and seldom committed any serious misdemeanor.

The township lies west of the Scioto River and east of Muhlenberg and Monroe town- ships. It is traversed from northwest to south- east by Darby Creek, along whose banks a number of grist and sawmills were operated at an early day. The township was organized after the erection of Pickaway County. The early elections were held in the log house of Anthony Hall. near the mills that were oper- ated by him. The first justice of the peace was William Florence. The present officers of the township are as follows: Trustees-Albert F. Krimmel. William Dewey and H. J. Shook ; clerk. Wayne A. Hoover; treasurer, John S. Neff : assessors-South precinct, Charles Jus- tice-North precinct, M. E. Dean: justices of the peace-Seymour F. Ridgway and David Adkins. The population, as given in the cen- sus of 1900, is 1,205.

EARLY SETTLERS.

As Jackson township was included in the Virginia Military District, many of the early settlers were from the Old Dominion. The Renicks were the first family to become estab- lished here. Jonathan Renick, from Hardy County, Virginia, came to the township in 1798 and settled on Darby Creek, having pur- chased the Dade tract. A few years later he was joined by his father, John Renick, and other members of the family. The Renicks are widely represented in Pickaway County and are among its most prominent citizens.

Shortly after the arrival of Jonathan Renick, William Marquis located on Darby Creek, where. soon after, he built a log grist- mill and also a sawmill, which he sold a few years later to Anthony Hall. who came to the township about 1800, and who operated these mills until his death, in' 1825. Both Marquis and Hall came from Virginia.

In 1801 Anthony Caldwell, Sr., a native of Ireland, who had located in Circleville town- ship prior to 1800. settled in Jackson.

Henry Slyh, Sr., settled pern:anently in Jackson township in 1802; George Glaze, in 1807: John Baer. about 1809: James R. Hulse, in 1811: John Fisher, in 1815: and Andrew Whiteside and Jonathan W. Huston, in 1828. Other early pioneers of the township were the following : Robert Martin. Melchior and Peter Staley, James Hemphill, Samuel Hunter, Jo-

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seph and Ebenezer Petty, Horace Keyes and the Sudduth and Barnes families.

FIRST MAIL ROUTE.

The first road opened in the township was the old State road running from Franklinton to Chillicothe, over which route the first mail was carried through Jackson township. A weekly mail left Franklinton each Friday, stopped at Marquis' mill on Darby Creek over night, reached Chillicothe the next day and returned to Thompson's on Darby Creek; thence home on Sunday. When the route was established, there was no postoffice between Franklinton and Chillicothe, but one was soon established at Westfall and, a short time after- ward, another at Marquis' mill.

CHURCHES.

Florence Chapel .- This church formed an independent organization in December, 1877, with seven members, having formerly been a branch of the Central Presbyterian Church, of Circleville. For some time the Presbyterian minister at Commercial Point officiated here, but of late years services have been held only occasionally. A church structure was erected about 1842 ; before this date Presbyterian serv- ices in Jackson township were held in homes of residents. The present church building, on the Florence Chapel turnpike, is about 20 years old.

The first meetings of the Methodists in Jackson township were held at the cabin of John Rush on Darby Creek and at the home of William Littleton, on Lick Run. Subse- quently they were held in a schoolhouse until the erection of the frame church of the so- ciety, in 1864, at a cost of about $600.

The Renick M. E. Church, about seven miles from Circleville on the Florence Chapel turnpike, was organized in the early '80's. The present frame church building was erected about 20 years ago at a cost of $2,500. The pastor of the South Bloomfield M. E. Church conducts services here. The Sunday-school superintendent is E. E. Spence.

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History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 17

Author: Aaron R. Van Cleaf Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Number of Pages: 923

Author: Aaron R. Van Cleaf
Publication date: 1906
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 923