History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 25

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

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The township lies west of the Scioto River and north of Ross County and is bounded on the north by 'Jackson township and on the,west by Deer Creek township. The Scioto River forms its eastern boundary, dividing it from Circleville and Pickaway townships. Plum Creek, the most important water course travers- ing the township, has its source in Jack- son township, enters Wayne near its north- western corner, flows in a southeasterly direc- tion across the township and empties into the Scioto River at Westfall. The southwestern portion of the township is watered by Yellow Bud and Wolf Creeks. The Ohio Canal crosses from the east to the west side of the Scioto River in the northeast corner of the township, opposite the city of Circleville, and then con- tinues through the township along the same course as the Scioto River. Several miles be- low Circleville in Wayne township, the State constructed important works in connection with the Ohio Canal. These consisted of the State dam across the Scioto River and the large reservoir, which was used as a feeder for the canal.

For the most part the surface of the town- ship is level. Along the water-courses it is rolling. The soil is adapted to the raising of wheat and corn and is of a variable character, consisting chiefly of sand, gravel and clay.

Wayne township is one of the original townships, having been formed prior to the erection of Pickaway County. The early town- ship records were destroyed by fire many years ago, so little is known as to the first officials. The township officials for 1906 are as follows : Trustees-William Cross, John Shaw and Jonathan Pontius; clerk, William Barthelmas; treasurer, George Dungan; assessor, D. R. Knowles; justice of the peace, George Dun- gan.

EARLY SETTLERS.

The settlement of Wayne township by the whites began about 1798. One of the first set- tlers, who may with propriety be called the pioneer, was William King, a Pennsylvanian, who early in life removed to Bourbon County, Kentucky, where he married Sarah Green. He and his wife came to Ohio in December, 1798, and located at Westfall in Wayne township among the Indians. Both Mr. King and wife were of Quaker ancestry and lived among their red-skinned neighbors without friction. In after years he established a ferry at West- fall. It is said that William King was the first justice of the peace of Wayne township. He had five children, of whom Jemima married Titus Dungan, son of John and Mary (Titus) Dungan.

John Dungan, who was born in Pennsyl- vania, near Philadelphia, became in early life a resident of Loudoun County, Virginia. There he married Mary Titus. Afterward, in the fall of 1802, he came to Wayne township and lo- cated on Yellow Bud Creek. His grandson,

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George Dungan, who is an honored and well- known resident of Wayne township, has held the office of justice of the peace for many years.

Henry Kirkendall, who was a Virginian, came to the Scioto Valley in 1798 of 1799 and located on Evans Prairie. James Thompson from Hampden County, Virginia, and Fergus Moor came here about 1802. The latter, who was an Irishman, came to America before the War of the Revolution and immediately en- listed with the Americans. He fought some five years and at the close of the war located at Chillicothe. He is said to have laid the first shingle roof in that city, using wooden pins to fasten the shingles in place. While there, he bought some property surrounding the village of Westfall and in 1802 moved upon the prop- erty. Thomas Wiggins, William Owens, Cle- ment Thomas, John Fleming, J. W. Brown and the McCollisters were among the early settlers, while John Darby, George Barthelmas and the Mays came a little later. Other early settlers in the township were the following: Andrew Ducks, William Oliphant, Thomas McDonald, Balithe Lynch, Huldah Smith. James Quick, John McFadden, Cloudesbury Warren, Daniel and Powell Lane, Abraham Leonard, James and William Curry, John Crull, David Evans, Derickson Waples, Fielding and William At- chison, Isaac Williams. John and George M. Peters, Josiah Bivens, Isaac, John and Joseph Pancake, Daniel Whitesel, John Chipman, Philip McNemar, John Bond, Samuel Orison, Isaac Bowen, John Hubbard, Pritchard Mills, Stephen and Arterbridge Horsey,. Abraham Stipp, Thomas and Henry Bowdell, Jacob Thorp, Samuel Smith, James, David and John Sisk, Robert and William Campbell, Aaron Sullivan, William Foreman, Dr. Prentiss Park, Dr. Potts and Theophilus Williams.

Caleb King, the son of William and Sarah (Green) King, was the first white child born in Wayne township. The first brick building was erected by Samuel Smith. The township was without a postoffice until the establishment of mail service on the C. & M. V. R. R. Dr. George W. Hurst was commissioned postmas- ter. The office, which was called Wayne Sta- tion, was discontinued in 1858, since which

time until the present date the township has been without a postoffice. The township has had two physicians, namely: Dr. Potts, who came about 1800 and located at Westfall, where he died several years later; and Dr. Prentiss Park, who came about 1820 and prac- ticed until his death a short time afterward. Two towns in Wayne township were platted at an early date-Westfall and Montgomery. Neither amounted to very much, although Westfall at one time had hopes of rivaling Chillicothe.

CHURCHES.

A Methodist Episcopal class was formed in Wayne township at a very early date. Some of the early ministers of this denomination who preached here, chiefly in the home of John Hubbard, .were: Revs. Samuel Parker, Henry B. Bascom and Charles Wattle. In 1830 a. frame building, 30 by 50 feet in size, was built on the homestead of John Hubbard for church purposes. In this meetings were held until the. completion of Union Chapel.

The Union society was organized on May 6, 1855, under the pastorate of Rev. Zachariah Wharton, of the Williamsport Circuit, the orig- inal members of the class being as follows: David and Elizabeth Terwilliger, William, Sarah and Julia Knowles, Jacob H. and Eliza- beth Schryver, Mary A., Tacy A., Mary E., Amelia and Edward L. Hall, Margaret and Elizabeth McCollister and Dr. George W. and Catherine Hurst. In 1859 a beautiful frame- church building five miles west of Circleville on the Washington turnpike, was erected at a cost of $1,600, and was dedicated by Rev. Fel- ton on January 1, 1860, as Union Chapel. Union Chapel is a charge of the Williamsport Circuit and its ministers may be found in con- nection with the history of the Methodist Epis -. copal Church at Williamsport, of which Rev. J. W. Blair is now pastor. The class has a membership of 15. The Sunday-school which was established prior to the formation of the church, has a membership of 35; Miss Bertha Jones is superintendent.

In 1818 a Baptist society was formed at: the schoolhouse of District No. 3. Meetings were held for only a few years.

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SCHOOLS.

The first school in Wayne township was held in a five-cornered log building in 1814 and was taught by a Mr. Hunt. The structure was indeed primitive, the children using for seats the timbers intended for the support of the floor. In 1817 a movement was set on foot to erect a building designed solely for school purposes, and the following year witnessed the erection of the pioneer schoolhouse. This was occupied until 1860 when it was torn down and a brick school building, known as the West- fall school, in District No. 3, was erected on the site. The township now has six school buildings, all of which are brick structures. The township Board of Education, elected in the fall of 1904, is constituted as follows: Mil- ton W. Peck, Andrew Hoffman and George Wardell-four years; E. T. Tootle and S. P. Probst-two years. The clerk of the board is William Barthelmas.

DISTILLERIES AND MILLS.

At an early day there was quite a number of distilleries in this township, among which were those of Abraham Stipp, a Mr. Hamilton, John Fleming and Steely & Morris. The first two mentioned were in operation before 1810. About 1828 a small carding establishment on the canal was put in operation by a man named Sanford from Chillicothe. William Fleming purchased the property some years later and put in machinery necessary for the manufac- ture of cloth. The building was destroyed by fire not long afterward. A horse mill for the grinding of coarse feed was built at a very carly date on the Chillicothe road. In 1817 or 1818 Henry Nevill, the principal business man of the town of Jefferson, built a large flouring- mill on the Scioto River, near where the State dam is located. This was an extensive estab- lishment, having quite complete machinery for that day. It was discontinued before the State built its works here. The venture proved a costly one for Mr. Nevill, the frequent break- ing of the dam causing heavy expense. In 1812 a flouring-mill was built on the west bank of the Scioto in Wayne township, opposite Circle- ville, by William and Philip Foresman (the

grandfather and great-uncle, respectively, of William Foresman, of Circleville). They en- tered into an agreement with George Renick, by the terms of which the latter agreed to the construction of a dam on his land, adjoining the Foresman land, in connection with the mill race. Philip Foresman died in a few years and his interest passed to his brother, William. The ownership of the mill property continued in the Foresman name until six years ago-a period of 88 years. In 1839 William Foresman and his son, Robert A., to whom he had transferred an interest in the mill property, began the erec- tion of a new and larger mill, which was com- pleted the following year. The contractor and builder was Henry T. Schopp, of Lancaster. In a few years Robert Fores- man became sole owner and continued as such until 1869, when he sold out to William Foresman, of Circleville. The late George P. Foresman, a brother of William, later acquired an interest and the firm of Fores- man & Brother greatly improved the property and later built a grain elevator. New and mod- ern machinery and fixtures were placed in the mill in recent years. In 1900 William Fores- man, the surviving partner, sold the property to Thomas W. Brown and William A. Bazore. In less than a year Thomas W. Brown be- came sole owner and from that time operated the mill until it was totally destroyed by fire, on July 27, 1905. The property was then known as the Pickaway mills. The mill was one of the oldest in the county.

WESTFALL.

· The settlement of Wayne township was be- gun at this point, and only two other town- ships within the limits of Pickaway County were settled at an earlier date. Abel West- fall laid out the town and the plat of the village was recorded at Cincinnati, the county seat of Hamilton County, in whose territory this sec- tion was then included. Although at one time Westfall had every promise of becoming a good-sized place, the location was found to be unhealthy, and little by little the town decayed. Another town that has disappeared is Mont- gomery, which was located a mile south of Westfall on the canal.

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CHAPTER XIX

ROSTER OF COUNTY AND OTHER OFFICIALS

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

Five citizens of Pickaway County have served in Congress, viz. : Francis S. Muhlen- berg, elected for an unexpired term in 1830; Elias Florence, elected in 1842; Augustus L. Perrill, elected in 1844; Edson B. Olds, elected in 1848, 1850 and 1852; and Ansel T. Wall- ing, elected in 1874.

Among the prominent men in adjacent counties, who were elected to congress from districts of which Pickaway was a part, were: William Creighton, Jr., of Chillicothe; William Medill, of Fairfield, afterward Governor of the State; Samuel Galloway, of Franklin; Sam- uel S. Cox, of Franklin, Pickaway helping to elect him in 1856, 1858 and 1860; William E. Finck, of Perry; Philadelph Van Trump, of Fairfield; George L. Converse, of Franklin; Joseph H. Outhwaite, of Franklin; and J. Warren Keifer, of Clark, present representa- tive of the Seventh District, composed of Clark, Fayette, Madison, Miami and Pickaway counties.

In the General Assembly of Ohio, the rep- resentation of the county has been as follows :

SENATORS.

The first Senator elected from Pickaway County was David Shelby, in 1812, the county having been made a senatorial district. Mr. Shelby was one of the Representatives from Ross County in the General Assembly, which passed the act creating the county of Pickaway,

and was instrumental in securing the new coun- ty. His home was in Pickaway township. Mr. Shelby served in the Senate nine years, until 1820, when, Pickaway and Hocking counties having been joined as a senatorial district, John Barr, of Pickaway, was elected Senator and served two years. In 1823, David Shelby was again elected Senator, serving two years, and in 1825 was succeeded by John Barr, who served two years. In 1827 Joseph Olds, then and for years thereafter a prominent lawyer of Circleville, was elected to represent the dis- trict and served two years. The district hav- ing been changed to Franklin and Pickaway counties, Mr. Olds was elected in 1829, served two years, and in 1831 was succeeded by Wil- liam Doherty, of Franklin, who served two years. In 1833 Ralph Osborn, of Pickaway, was elected, and two years later was elected Auditor of State. Elias Florence, of Picka- way, was elected in 1835, to succeed Osborn in the Senate, and served two years, being suc- ceeded in 1837 by John L. Green, of Pickaway, who was Senator four years. In 1841 the dis- trict was changed to Fairfield and Pickaway, and Samuel Spangler, of Fairfield, was elected the first Senator from the district. Nelson Franklin, of Pickaway, was elected in 1842, served two years, and was succeeded in 1844 by John Cheney, of Fairfield, who served two years. Edson B. Olds, of Pickaway, was elected in 1846, and was chosen Speaker of the Senate. He served two years, and in 1849, the district having been changed to Ross and Pick- away, Chauncey N. Olds, of Pickaway, was

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elected Senator; after serving one session, Mr. Olds resigned and at the election in October, 1850, Joseph H. Geiger was elected for the unexpired term.

The new constitution of the State, ratified by the people in 1851, in the arrangement of the senatorial districts constituted Franklin and Pickaway as the 10th Senatorial District, which has elected Senators as follows :

1851, John Cradlebaugh, of Pickaway ; 1853, Samuel Bartlit, of Franklin; 1855, Al- fred Kelly, of Franklin; 1857, Augustus L. Perrill, of Pickaway, reelected in 1859 and 1861; 1863, George L. Converse, of Franklin; 1865, Ansel T. Walling, of Pickaway; 1867, Robert Hutcheson, of Franklin; 1869, Adin G. Gibbs, of Franklin; 1871, John G. Thomp- son, of Franklin, reelected-in 1873, resigned in 1874, and William Miller, of Franklin, elected for the unexpired term, and reelected in 1875; 1877, Charles F. Krimmel, of Pickaway; 1879, Aaron R. Van Cleaf, of Pickaway; 1881, Horace Wilson, of Franklin; 1883, Aaron R. Van Cleaf, of Pickaway, reelected in 1885; 1887, William T. Wallace, of Franklin; 1889, William T. Wallace, of Franklin and Aaron R. Van Cleaf, of Pickaway, the district having an extra Senator for the first time; 1891, Aaron R. Van Cleaf, of Pickaway; 1893, Moses B. Earnhart, of Franklin; 1895, Thad- deus E. Cromley, of Pickaway, and Nial R. Hy- sell, of Franklin; 1897, Thaddeus E. Cromley, of Pickaway, and John C. L. Pugh, of Franklin; 1899, Edward D. Howard, of Franklin; 1901, William M. Thompson, of Franklin, and Bal- lard B. Yates, of Pickaway; 1903, Thomas H. Ricketts, of Franklin, and Renick W. Dunlap, of Pickaway; 1905, Benjamin F. Gayman and U. S. Brandt, of . Franklin. Mr. Van Cleaf represented the district 10 years and since 1840 is the only person who has served five terms in the Senate.

REPRESENTATIVES.

The first representative elected from Pick- away County were Richard Douglas and John Emmett, in 1812 ;. 1813, John Emmett and Valentine Keffer; 1814, Valentine Keffer and

James Renick; 1815, Valentine Keffer and John Emmett; 1816, John Barr and William Florence; 1817, William Florence and Valen- tine Keffer; 1818, Valentine Keffer and Sam- uel Lybrand; 1819, Valentine Keffer and John Cochran; in 1820, Hocking County having been attached to Pickaway, John Barr and Samuel Lybrand were elected; 1821, Caleb At- water and Valentine Keffer; 1822, Samuel Ly- brand and Valentine Keffer; 1823, Valentine Keffer and Samuel Lybrand; 1824, Joseph Olds and Jacob Lindsey; 1825, Jacob Lindsey and Joseph Olds; 1826, Jacob Lindsey and Guy W. Doane; 1827, Francis S. Muhlenberg and Valentine Keffer; in 1828, Hocking County having been detached, Pickaway elected Val- entine Keffer; 1829, Elias Florence and James Moore; 1830, Elias Florence and Samuel Lutz ; 1831, Samuel Lutz and John Cochran; 1832. John Cochran; 1833, John Shoup and Elias Florence; 1834, John Cochran; 1835, Samuel Lutz and Thomas J. Winship; 1836, Thomas J. Winship; 1837, William B. Thrall; 1838, Thomas J. Winship; 1839, Augustus L. Per- rill; 1840, Elias Florence; 1841, Joseph Olds; 1842, Edson B. Olds; 1843, John E. Van Meter ; 1844, John E. Van Meter; 1845, Edson B. Olds; 1846, George Tallman; 1847, Thomas Huston; 1848, Ross and Pickaway, Chauncey N. Olds and John Foster; 1849, Ross and Pick- away, Milton L. Clark and Samuel Lutz; 1850, Ross and Pickaway, John Cochran and Mat- thew H. Cook.

The constitution of the State, adopted in 1851, placed Pickaway in the list of counties entitled to one Representative each, and since that time the representatives elected have been as follows: 1851, Felix Renick; 1853, Jesse D. Courtright; 1855, Nelson Franklin; 1857, . Peter Rose; 1859, Joseph G. McSchooler; 1861, Isaac N. Ross; 1863, James Reber; 1865, Augustus L. Perrill; 1867, Ansel T. Walling; 1869, William T. Conklin; 1871, Aaron R. Van Cleaf; 1873, William T. Conklin; 1875, Charles F. Krimmel; 1877, Aaron R. Van Cleaf; 1879, David R. Yates, reelected in 1881; 1883, Wesley Work, reelected in 1885; 1887, Thaddeus E. Cromley, reelected in 1889; 1891, Daniel Haas, reelected in 1893; 1895,

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Andrew .R. Bolin, reelected in 1897; 1899, Barzillai Adkins, reelected in 1901; 1903, James D. Miller, died in 1904; 1905, George W. Bowers, whose term will expire with the .close of 1908.

THE JUDICIARY.

Pickaway County has never furnished a judge of the Supreme Court of the State, and not until 58 years after the organization of the county was its bar of able lawyers honored by the selection of one of its number as common pleas judge. Under the constitution of 1802, judges of all the courts were elected by the two houses of the General Assembly in joint meeting.

The first presiding judge in Pickaway County was John Thompson, who continued until 1820, and was succeeded by John A. Mc- Dowell, who presided three years, followed in 1823 by Gustavus Swan, of Columbus, until 1829, succeeded by Frederick Grimke, of Chil- licothe, until 1836; then John H. Keith, of Chillicothe, until 1859, followed by Henry C. Whitman, of Lancaster, until 1852, the last under the old constitution.

There were also three associate or lay judges in each county. The first in Pickaway were Thomas Barr, William Seymour and Jacob Shoemaker, elected by the General As- sembly, February 14, 1810, for the term of seven years. There was not any change in these associate justices until 1825, when Wil- liam Florence and Daniel Kinnear were elected; 1830, Thomas Renick; 1831, Samuel Lybrand; 1838, John Entrekin, William Mc- Arthur and George Tallman; 1842, William Gill; 1845, William B. Thrall and John E. Van Meter; 1847, Matthew McCrea and W. W. Bierce; 1849, Jacob D. Lutz, the last three continuing in office until it ceased to exist with the passing of the old constitution.

Common Pleas Judges .- The constitution of 1851 reconstructed the judicial system of the State, creating judicial districts, divided into sub-divisions, and provided for the elec- tion of the judges of all the courts by the vote of the . people. Pickaway was placed in the

Third Sub-Division of the Fifth Judicial Dis- trict, with Franklin and Madison counties. At the first election, in 1851, James L. Bates, of Franklin, was elected as common pleas judge for the sub-division, and was re-elected in 1856 and 1861. His successor was John L. Green, elected in 1866; he was then a resident of Co- lumbus, but had been a resident of Pickaway from 1830 to 1845, moving to Chillicothe, where, in 1851, he was elected common pleas judge, in the Ross, Fayette and Highland sub- division, serving one term. In 1868 the Gen- eral Assembly provided for an additional judge in the sub-division, and Joseph Olds, of Pick- away, was elected at the April election, and was the first resident lawyer of Pickaway elected as common pleas judge. Judge Olds, at the close of the five years, declined a re- election. Edward F. Bingham, of Franklin, was elected as his successor, was re-elected in 1873, 1878 and 1883, and resigned in 1886, to accept an appointment by President Cleve- land as one of the judges of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, and is now on the retired list for judges of United States courts. In 1875 the General Assembly made Madison and Pickaway counties into a separate sub-di- vision and Samuel W. Courtright, of Picka- way, was elected; near the close of the term, the Supreme Court held that there could not be more than three sub-divisions in a judicial dis- trict, and Judge Courtright finished his term as a judge in the Third Sub-Division. In 1889 Isaac N. Abernethy was elected judge, in the succession of the judgeship created in 1868. In 1894 the General Assembly trans- ferred Madison and Pickaway counties from the Third Sub-Division to the Second Sub- Division of the Fifth Judicial District, making this sub-division to consist of the counties of Fayette, Highland, Ross, Madison and Picka- way, and providing an additional judgeship, to which Festus Walters, of Pickaway, was elected at the November election in 1894; he was re-elected in 1899, resigning in February, 1903, to accept the position of circuit judge, to which he was elected at the November electic. preceding. Charles Dresbach was appointed by Governor Nash to fill the vacancy, was elected

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AMERICAN STRAWBOARD WORKS, CIRCLEVILLE Largest in the World.

PICKAWAY COUNTY INFIRMARY Washington Township

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GROUP OF INMATES OF THE CHILDREN'S HOME

PICKAWAY COUNTY CHILDREN'S HOME Washington Township

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for the unexpired term, at the November elec- tion, 1903, and elected for the full term of five years, at the November election, 1904, and is now the presiding judge in the county.

Probate Judges .- The constitution of 1851 providing for a Probate Court in each county, W. W. Bierce was elected the first probate judge of Pickaway County, at the October elec- tion in 1851 ; was re-elected in 1854, and re- signed before the completion of his second term, Seymour G. Renick being appointed for the unexpired term; 1857, Frederick Cogs- well, re-elected in 1860; 1863, John Walke; 1866, William C. Finkel, re-elected in 1869; 1872, James Taylor-he died in August, 1874, and William C. Finkel was appointed by Gov- ernor Allen to fill the office until the next elec- tion, when John Walke was elected for the unexpired term; 1875, Henry N. Hedges, Sr., re-elected in 1878 and 1881; 1884, Albert H. Roose; 1887, Daniel J. Myers; 1890, Jacob P. Winstead, re-elected in 1893; 1896, Aaron R. Van Cleaf, re-elected in 1899; 1902, George H. Pontius, re-elected in 1905, who is the pres- ent incumbent.

The roster of county officials, from 1810 to date, is as follows :

SHERIFFS.

James Renick was the first sheriff of the county, from April 21, 1810, to the close of 1814. His successors were elected as follows : Samuel Lybrand, in 1814; Charles Bodkin, in 1816 and 1818; Francis Kinnear, in 1820 and 1822; Joseph Hedges, in 1824 and 1826; John Shoup, in 1828 and 1830; Jonathan Ellis, in 1832, who appointed as deputy sheriff, Augus- tus L. Perrill, who conducted the office for the term and in 1834 was elected sheriff; Michael H. Alkire, elected in 1836 and 1838; Jerome Wolfley, in 1840 and 1842; Michael H. Al- kire, in 1844 and 1846, dying in a few weeks after his re-election, David Ensworth, the cor- oner, filling the office for the unexpired term; Henry H. Howard, elected in 1848, dying of cholera during the epidemic in the summer of 1850, and John Boyer, the coroner, filling the office until the end of the term; John Boyer,

elected in 1850 and 1852; Jacob H. Carper, in 1854 and 1856; Andrew Poulson, in 1858; Patrick H. Delaplane, in 1860 and 1862; Wil- liam E. Bolin, in 1864 and 1866; Caleb Hall, in 1868 and 1870; Isaac M. Griest, in 1872 and 1874; Charles F. Hartmeyer, in 1876 and 1878; John P. Bolin, in 1880 and 1882; Wil- liam Schleyer, in 1884 and 1886 ;- James T. Wallace, in 1888 and 1890; Henton M. Dun- nick, in 1892 and 1894; John Henry, in 1896 and 1898; Lewis C. Hoover, in 1900 and 1902; and Henry W. Schleich, in 1904, now serving his first term.

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History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 25

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