USA > Ohio > Preble County > History of Preble County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches > Part 24
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Isaac Banta, from Virginia, was a settler in Eaton prior to the War of 1812. He died in the village in 1819. William S. Henderson, the second physician of the village, came in from Kentucky in 1813. Henry Monfort, from Warren county (formerly from Virginia), arrived in 1814. He died of cholera in 1849. Hugh Andrews, a "New Light" or Christian preacher, came the same year, and lived in the village until his death in 1820.
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Lemuel Jamieson, a carpenter, came in 1813, and about 1830 removed to New Paris. Thomas and Sam- uel Abbott came the same year. They were shoemakers; and the elder brother was also a Baptist preacher. John Gardner was another accession to the population in 1815. John Acton came to the village in 1816, bringing with him his wife Nancy (Buchanan) and children. Acton was born in Maryland, but came to Ohio from Rock- bridge county, Virginia. He died in 1849, and his wife in 1854. Their children, Mary R. (Robertson), John P. Acton, and Isabella (wife of Lieutenant Hubbell), are all living. Thomas Morgan, a very ingenious mechanic and cabinet-maker, whose handiwork is still to be seen in many of the older homes throughout Preble county, settled in Eaton in 1816, and lived here all of his life. A son, Robert W., and daughter, Julia (Foos) are resi- dents of the town. The same year as the above, Wil- liam Kline came to the village from Pennsylvania. He was a resident of the town until 1844, when he removed to Logansport, Indiana, where five of his children now reside. He died in 1855. Jacob Kline, twin brother of William, came to the village a year after the arrival of the former. The brothers carried on wagon making and did a large business, a portion of the time singly, but for many years in partnership. The Klines were born in 1795. Jacob died in 1875, and his wife in 1879. They had four children, Mary E. and Margaret, deceased, Wil- liam H. and George, now residing in Eaton.
Ludwell G. Gains, a Presbyterian preacher, who spent much of his time in teaching school, and who is chiefly remembered for his extreme cruelty to his pupils, came to Eaton in 1818.
William Rossman, father of James Rossman, came in 1819; John R. Weldon and Paul Larsh, the same year; the latter resided three years, and was sheriff
Samuel Tizzard and wife Elizabeth (Brackin), who had settled at Chillicothe in 1814, came to Eaton in 1820, and established the Register. Mr. Tizzard was born in 1787, and died in 1844.
David McKemy and his wife, Nancy Davidson, came in 1821 from Rockbridge county, Virginia, and located next north of town. Mr. McKemy followed coopering. He was born in 1791, and died in 1826; his wife was born in 1789, and lived until 1863. They had four children, R. G. D., William, Elizabeth and John A., of whom the first mentioned is the only one living. R. G. D. McKemy was born in 1817, and married Kate Mc- Fadden. He has been a prominent citizen of Eaton, engaged in various business enterprises, etc. ; was justice of the peace for twelve years.
The same year as the above, John L. Dickey located in Eaton, coming from North Carolina with his wife, Martha (Adams), who is now living at Camden with her son-in-law, George W. Jones. Dickey was employed much of his time upon county affairs, as tax collector, appraiser, etc. He died in 1848.
Judge William Curry, who was born in 1792, in Bed- ford county, Pennsylvania, came to this county in 1808, and to Eaton in 1824. He has ever since been a resi- dent of the village.
LATER SETTLERS AND OLD RESIDENTS.
Jonas Albright, son of John Albright, a very early set- ler in Harrison township, came to Eaton in 1826 and lived here until 1845, when he moved to Indiana, where he is still living. He had been married in Harrison to Margaret Myers, by whom he had ten children, of whom W. T. Albright, owner of the Register, was the second. Philip, a brother of Jonas Albright, came to Eaton in 1827, and after a short time moved to Darke county.
Thomas Nation and his wife Anna, who is still living, came also in 1827.
David Brown and his wife, Mary Hubbell, came to Eaton from Springfield, Ohio, in 1826, and remained until 1831, when they went to Texas. Brown was en- gaged in the dry goods business and later in pork pack- ing, being the first who carried on that industry.
Mrs. Jane Hubbell, widow of Jacob, came to Eaton in 1828, and with her came several sons and daughters, (brothers of S. H. Hubbell). Jane (Hathaway) resided here but a short time; William T. died in Eaton; Sarah (Sweeney) and Lydia (wife of Joseph S. Hawkins) are also deceased; and Jacob R. is living in Dayton. S. H. Hubbell preceded the rest of the family, arriving here in 1827. He was born in 1808 in Clark county, Ohio, and as he is still living, is seventy-two years of age. He went into business for himself in 1830, and in 1842 be- came a partner of John M. Gray, with whom he contin- ued for twelve years. At the expiration of that time he went to Cincinnati, and in 1865 returned to Eaton and resumed the business he is now engaged in. He mar- ried Isabella H. Acton, and they have four children: Clara H. Richey, in Indiana; William, in Cincinnati; and John A. and Jacob in Eaton.
Josiah Campbell came to this county the same year as Mr. Hubbell (1827). His father, William Campbell, came in 1828 and lived here until his death in 1836; and his brothers, William, Samuel, John and Ebe, all arrived in the neighborhood prior to 1830. They were from Sussex county, Delaware. Josiah Campbell mar- ried Sarah, daughter of Judge Curry.
Benjamin Lockwood, his wife, Mary (Robison) and several children came to Eaton in 1829 from Sussex coun- ty, Delaware, and two sons, U. R. and William S. came in 1839. Benjamin Lockwood was born in 1790, and died in the year 1860; his wife was born in 1789, and died in 1870 Their children were, Joshua R., N. R., and William S. deceased, S. H., in Colorado, E. P., G. R., John S., Mary A., and Samuel, now resident at Eaton, Charles W., in Muncie, Indiana, and Jonas deceased.
John V. Campbell removed from Lanier township to the county seat in 1834. As a full biography of Judge Campbell appears in the chapter upon the bar, we make, in this connection, only the foregoing brief mention.
Alfred Denny, born in Butler county, Ohio, in 1819; located in Eaton in 1835. He has followed the drug bus- iness and other branches of merchandizing, and in 1844 his health having become poor, he went into the employ- ment of the American Fur company, with which he re- mained until its failure in 1857. He was Indian agent for the Upper Missouri country, under Lincoln, and has
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held other government appointments, being employed at the United States Senate, etc. During the war he served as quartermaster. He married Frances B. Holliday.
Jacob Chambers of Hanover, York county, Pennsyl- vania, came to Eaton Monday, September 14, 1835, at one o'clock, and has ever since been a resident of the town, and nearly all the time in active business.
J. R. Brookins, M. D., originally from Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, came to Eaton in 1847, and after practicing medicine for about ten years, abandoned his profession and gave his whole attention to the drug bus- iness, in which he had engaged when he first came to the village. His son, W. C. M. Brookins, was associated with him as early as 1853, and, on his death, became his successor. Mr. Brookins was married to Margaret Mac- Clay. Both died in 1878.
Benjamin Hubbard and his wife, Minerva Morey, came to Eaton in 1846 from Butler county, where their parents, respectively from New Jersey and New York, had settled in 1810 or 1811. Mr. Hubbard's mother al- so came to Eaton with him, and died here at the age of ninty-nine years, eleven months, and ten days. Mrs. Minerva, wife of Benjamin Hubbard, died in 1872, and the latter is still living. His only son, A. Edgar, is as- sistant cashier of the First National bank.
INTERESTING INITIAL ITEMS.
The first wedding which took place in the village was celebrated in a cabin on the west side of Beech street, between Main and Somers streets. This cabin was used as a barracks during the War of 1812, and was known by the name of "The Old Barracks" for years afterwards. A part of the building is still standing, though covered and concealed by modern improvements. The high contracting parties alluded to above, were John Harbison and Mary Brown. They were married December 1, 1807. The license was obtained at Dayton, the county seat of Montgomery, of which nearly all of the territory now included in Preble was a part. The newly married couple built a cabin for themselves and commenced housekeeping the spring following their union. Their home was on the northeast corner of Barron and Israel streets, which property has ever since been known among the older people as the Harbison property.
The first child born was Polly, daughter of John and Mary Mills, who were said to be the very first persons who came to the site of Eaton. She was born May I, 1806.
A little daughter of Daniel Eaton (or Heaton) was the first person who died in the village: She died of whooping cough in September, 1806, and was the first person buried in Mound cemetery. Before there were any settlers in Eaton, or upon its site, in the year 1805, an infant daughter of Samuel Brannon died near the present limits of the town, and was buried in a lot on North Maple street. This was very likely the first death in the township of Washington.
In the summer of 1810 Alexander C. Lanier built the first frame house in Eaton, which was the wonder of the
time. It was located on the northeast corner of Main and Cherry streets (where the Odd Fellows building now stands). After it was raised and roofed it was blown down by a violent storm, but was rebuilt.
The first brick house was built in 1815 by Benjamin Byram. It stood on the north side of Somers street, between Barron and Cherry. Many of our readers will remember that fine old brick house with its dingy walls and curb roof. The house was torn down years ago, but some of the bricks that entered into its composition are preserved in the walls of the building now standing upon its site. The house which succeeded the first brick is now occupied by Mrs. James Sampson.
Another brick house was put up in 1815, on the south side of Main street, between Barron and Beech, upon the lot now owned and occupied by Mr. H. B. Van Ausdal. This house was built by Alexander C. Lanier. James Holladay performed the carpenter work.
The first religious meeting was held in the house of David E. Hendricks, in the winter of 1807, by Elder Smith, of New Christian (New Light) faith.
David E. Hendricks dug the first well and the first cellar in the town-where M. S. H. Hubbell now lives.
A Mr. Brown brought the first stove ever seen in Eaton. He came to the settlement in the spring of 1807, but the stove which he imported was not brought to the town until many years later.
THE VILLAGE IN 1824.
The honorable Judge William Curry came to Eaton to reside in 1824. He says that he thought himself at that time quite an old man, his youngest child being two years of age. As a matter of fact, he was himself just thirty-two years of age. But Judge Curry coming to Eaton in 1824 found several of the present aged inhab- itants of the town, mere children. Dr. Stephens was then a young boy (six years old) playing about the streets; R. D. G. McKemy, Robert Morgan, John P. Acton, and William B. Tizzard were also of tender years. If Judge Curry in 1824 began to feel himself quite an old man, how must he now feel when he sees these gray headed men upon the streets whom he remembers as children, and recalls to mind their cotemporaries and companions, who have passed away themselves, ripe with years.
Judge Curry found Eaton a very small hamlet, indeed. It consisted of forty or fifty houses, a few of them small frame structures, but the majority log cabins. The old brick court house stood on the ground occupied by the present edifice, and Cornelius Van Ausdal had just erected the three-story brick building on the corner of Main and Preble streets, into which he had moved his goods, but not his family. The "town" was confined, mostly, to Main (then called Preble) and Barron streets. There were no houses at all on the bottom except one small cabin used as a hat shop. Mr. Avery bought of Matthew Harbison the property where Mrs. Cunning- ham now lives, on Barron street, which was then the extreme outside limit of the village. Nor did the little cluster of houses extend farther north than the site
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of the town hall. A small, one-story frame stood on the corner now occupied by that building, and there was another across the road from it, while all around ex- tended a grove of maple and beech trees. On Main street there was a row of houses, mostly of either rough or hewed logs, and they were most numerous about where the Reichel house now stands. Henry Monfort was keeping a tavern about where Jacob Chambers' store and residence now is, and John Hawkins another where the Union house at present stands. There was another tavern, kept by one Warrand, on the south side of the street, and on ground now covered by some of the buildings in commercial row, and the log house built for a tavern (the first in town) by David E. Hendricks, now occupied by S. H. Hubbell, was the most conspic- uous building on West Main street. There were a few other buildings scattered along the street, principally upon the north side, and a one-story house upon the ground now included in H. C. Hiestand's door yard. "The public church" had just been erected.
The principal amusement of the men as well as boys in those days, was playing "town ball," and for this pur- pose they repaired quite frequently to the commons- the cleared bottom lands adjacent to the village. Satur- day afternoons was the favorite time for the practice of this game, quoit pitching, and indulgence in various other athletic sports and pastimes.
This year, 1824, a Fourth of July celebration was had on the spot where Dr. Small's house now stands, then covered with a fine growth of trees, forming a very beau- tiful grove. A dinner was served, speeches made, and the customary amount of patriotic noise making indulged in. It is remembered that Cornelius Van Ausdal's big musket was discharged prematurely as he was loading it, and that the iron ramrod was fired through a bystander's hat. In after years the Fourth of July celebrations were held on the public ground adjoining the court house, and at "the old garrison."
EATON IN 1839.
Warren Jenkins' "Ohio Gazetteer," published at Col- umbus in 1839, has the following in regard to this village:
"Eaton, a post town and seat of justice for Preble county. * * * It is handsomely situated on the east bank of St. Clair's or Seven-Mile creek, three-quarters of a mile east of old Fort and St. Clair and near the center of Preble county. The creek immediately at the town has a fall of about twenty feet in eighty rods, thereby affording, in proportion to the quantity of water (which is rather light of a dry season), one of the most valuable sites for mills and machinery within this section of country. This water power is to some extent improved, there being one grist-mill, one saw-mill, one fulling-mill, one carding machine and one machine for manufacture of gun barrels, erected on and propelled by it." There is also one extensive steam grist-mill erected and in suc- cessfull operation in the town. Eaton contains about one hundred and forty-five dwelling houses, fifteen of which have been erected the pre- ceding season ; about thirty mechanical shops of the various denomi- nations, three taverns, fifteen stores and groceries, two school-houses, one Methodist, one Presbyterian and one public meeting house, a court house, three public offices, a jail, two tanneries, four pork houses, one printing office, from which is issued a weekly paper, three lawyers and three physicians. The number of inhabitants may be safely estimated at one thousand. * + * Eaton is supplied with mails by daily lines of stages-from the east by Dayton, west by Richmond, Indiana, from the south by Hamilton, and from the southeast via Lebanan, etc., weekly, on horseback."
RELIGIOUS HISTORY. THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
The pioneer religious organization of Eaton, and, for that matter, of Preble county, was that of the Christian church. The Eaton church of this denomination was first organized at the house of Nathan Sellers, about one mile south of the village, in the year 1807. The organ- ization grew out of a camp meeting held on the premises of Mr. Sellers and conducted by Reuben Dooley, Barton W. Stone, David Purviance and William Kinkade. El- ders Dooley and Stone had at this time just commenced their labors. The following, from Stone's Biography, affords a glimpse of the manner of religious work then carried on and the difficulties which had to be surmounted. Stone says :
"We preached and baptized daily in Eaton for many days. No house could contain the people that flocked to hear. We had to preach in the open streets to the anxious multitude. At night, after service, the cries and prayers of the distressed in many houses around were truly solemn. Almost the whole town and neighborhood were baptized and added to the Lord. We left this place and preached and baptized in many others. We were poorly clad and had no money to buy clothes. Going on at a certain time through the barrens, a limb tore Brother Dooley's striped linen pantaloons very much. He had no other, nor had I a pair to lend him. We consoled ourselves that we were in the Lord's work and that He would provide. He tied his handkerchief over the seat, and we went on and preached to the people. That night we lodged with Brother Samuel Wilson, whose wife presented Brother Dooley a pair of home-spun linen pantaloons."
Soon after the organization was effected in Eaton the public church was built in the southwest part of the vil- lage. That structure, which long remained standing, and became widely known as "the old Public church," was used by the Christian church in common with other religious organizations. The church appears to have prospered for the first fifteen years of its existence, and to have numbered among its members many of the pio- neer families of Preble county, among whom may be named the Sellers, Dooleys, Crawfords, Bruces, Bruba- kers, Hardys, Duggins, Bantas, Shidelers, Flemings, Bai- leys, Bloomfields, and Vanausdals. The early ministers of the church were Reuben Dooley, William Kinkade, David Purviance. John Hardy was pastor of the church at the time of his death, in 1819.
About the year 1823 the peculiar doctrines of Alexan- der Campbell were first preached in this county. As Mr. Campbell's system made immersion a test of fellow- ship its introduction caused a serious division in the church, which finally resulted in the abandonment of the organization.
The church was reorganized in 1841 upon the fourth Sunday of October, and since then has led an interrupted career of activity. At the time of the reorganization, or very soon afterward, Nathan D. Sellers "was appointed, set forward, and ordained as deacon." Elder P. Banta was chosen as pastor and had pastoral charge of the church at Eaton from that time until 1845.
The pastors of the church since 1841 have been Peter Banta, J. F. Sloan, E. W. Humphreys, J. T. Linn, T. M. McWhinney, J. D. Lauer, Levi Purviance, James Ma- ple, Z. T. Sullivan, and C. W. Garoutle, the present in- cumbent, who took the charge in 1877.
The first mention made in the church records of the
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movement towards building the house of worship now in use, occurs under date of June 23, 1860. At that time E. W. Humphreys, Samuel McClane, and Joseph Donahoe were appointed and authorized as a committee to circulate a subscription paper, to ascertain how much money could be secured for the proposed work. A building committee was also appointed, consisting of N. Lockwood, Charles Street, James F. Sloan, and Jos- eph W. Quinn, treasurer. Setting out to build a church upon the subscription plan, all went well for a time, but at last the committee found it impossible to raise any more money, and the amount seemed wholly inadequate to the purpose. Affairs looked rather gloomy, but the deadlock was broken by the late Cornelius Van Ausdal, who came forward and donated the balance that was needed, about fourteen hundred dollars. The church thus built is the brick structure on Beech street. It cost between four and five thousand dollars. The first meet- ing was held in this church on the second of Janaary, 1862, and the dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev . J. T. Linn.
The organization has now about one hundred and fifty members, and is in a flourishing condition, owning in addition to its church property a substantial and com- fortable brick parsonage. The officers of the church are -- trustees, William Bloomfield, William A. Coovert, Joseph Quinn; deacons, Joseph Quinn, William Bloom- field, Wilson Clawson; clerk, William A. Coovert.
THE METHODIST CHURCH.
The introduction of Methodism in Eaton was the preaching of the Rev John Holmes, of Baltimore con- ference, in a small log cabin occupied by William Castor, in the spring of 1811. The house stood on the lot since owned by William A. Bloomfield. From this time onward there was preaching in the village for a number of years, services being held in the court house, in David E. Hendricks' tavern, and in private houses. Among the preachers of this period were Moses Crume, John C. Brooke, Russel Bigelow, and John P. Durbin, all good men and the possessors of those peculiar quali- ties which were indispensable in the pioneer days of religious work. These . services were held irregularly and it does not appear that a class was organized until 1824, at which time the Eaton class was reported as having paid twenty-five cents quarterage, at a conference held in Darke county. This class was within the Green- ville circuit, of which John Strange was the presiding elder, and J. Murray, and S. Calvin the preachers. The num- ber, few and poor at Eaton, were led as a class by Jacob Middleton, and were under the care and supervision of the preachers of Greenville circuit. A prayer meeting was established in the old jail and afterwards moved to the house of Class Leader Middleton. After several years residence in Eaton, during which he labored most zealously, and, according to all testimony, with very great good effect, Mr. Middleton removed from town, and after that prayer and class meetings were most com- monly held at the house of William D. Stephens, and preaching was listened to every Sunday at what was
called the Preble meeting-house. About 1828 the mem- bers of the Methodist church began to feel the need of having a house of worship which they could call their own, and the subject being discussed, William Arrasmith proposed to furnish the necessary timber, William D. Stephens to make the framework, Jonas Albright to do the plastering, while Daniel Black volunteered to do all the necessary teaming, and Peter Longnecker and others agreed to furnish labor and money. A little church was nearly completed before the summer of 1829, which answered very well the needs of the small society, and remained in use for many years.
The first quarterly meeting held at Eaton was in 1830, January 9th. From the entire receipts of the circuit at this meeting Elder Wright reserved four dollars and fifty cents, and Elder Reeder twenty-three dollars and thirty- one and one-fourth cents, the total receipts being twenty- seven dollars and thirty-one and one-fourth cents, and Eaton, standing at the head of the list of contributors, credited with the sum of one dollar and eighty-seven and one-half cents. . Only the year before the total receipts were two dollars and seventy-five cents. It is recorded that of this sum thirty-seven and one-half cents was paid for sacramental wine. It was then moved that twelve and one-half cents be paid Elder Wright, and the re- maining two dollars and twenty-five cents be given to Elder Reeder. Upon this a brother in the "amen corner" rose up and remarking that it was a positive shame to send the elder away with so small a sum, moved as an amendment that he be allowed the sum of twenty-five cents. The amendment was unanimously adopted and "the brother" went away with his quarterly salary donated. Preachers in those days did not live in luxury. At another quarterly meeting held in Eaton in the fall of the same year as the above, the conference appointed Henry Eidson, William D. Stephens, and Daniel Seas a committee to estimate the amount neces- sary to furnish fuel, house rent, table expenses, etc., for the circuit preacher. This committee afterwards re- ported an allowance of sixty dollars per year, and of this amount preacher John A. Baughman really received only nine dollars and twelve and one-half cents.
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