USA > Ohio > Richland County > History of Richland County, Ohio, from 1808 to 1908, Vol. I > Part 37
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"Seth !"
"What is it, John?"
"I want to get married."
"Well, tell me about it," said Mr. Cummings.
John, who was a widower, went on to explain that he had brought his prospective bride with him, and that she was waiting at Scattergood's store while he came to Mr. Cummings for advice-to know if he could get married 011 $5 (all the money he had) and have some left to buy groceries, with which to commence housekeeping. Mr. Cummings assumed an air of dignified seri- ousness and stated that upon such an important problem he preferred to have a consultation of the firm, and the Hon. C. E. McBride was called into Mr. Cummings' room and the case stated to him. As the bride-to-be was in waiting, Mac told the expectant groom that while he had not time to look up the authorities, he thought he could help him out in a business-like way. Mr. Cummings went for the license and Mr. McBride for a magistrate to perform the ceremony. Within half an hour everything was in readiness and a client who had dropped in was invited to be one of the witnesses.
The company stood and the magistrate, who was somewhat excited, told the bride and groom to hold up their hands, and began :
"Do you, and each of you, solemnly swear-"
"Hold on," said Mac, "they are not making affidavits: they want to be married."
'Yes, yes," said the officer, proceeding with :
"When in the course of human events it becomes necessary
"He's reciting the Declaration of Independence," said one of the spee- tators.
McBride, acting as stage prompter, again called a halt. The officer then commenced on different lines, saying :
"In the name of the benevolent Father of us all
"Dictating a will," exclaimed several voices.
"They do not want to make a will, but to get married," Mac again exclaimed.
"Yes, yes," the magistrate said, "I understand. They are married now."
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waving his hands. He then turned to McBride and said, "Give me $2." But the astute attorney cut the fee in two on account of blunders made. The account then stood: License, 75 cents; marriage fee, $1; leaving $3.25 of the five-dollar bill. With this balance they bought groceries and wended their way to Sandusky township, happy and with hopeful thoughts for the future. These attorneys often laugh over this amusing episode, for "a little fun now and then is relished by the wisest men."
WELLER TOWNSHIP.
Weller township was created in 1846 from Franklin and Milton town- ships upon the organization of Ashland county. The land of Weller embraces every variety of soil, well adapted for the production of grain and grass, as well as for all varieties of fruit and vegetables. The Blackfork, with its numerous curves and loops, courses diagonally over the township, from a mile south of its northwest corner to its southeast corner, and in the past furnished power for several grist and saw mills. The Brubaker creek, coming in from the southwest, enters the Blackfork at Oswalt's, in section 11, and the Whet- stone, coming in from the north, confluences with the Blackfork two miles south of Olivesburg.
The Charles mill dam, where the Mansfield-Olivesburg road crosses the Blackfork, was the cause of a long and expensive litigation about forty years ago. There is but little fall to the Blackfork, and the mill dam backed water three miles up the stream, overflowing banks and backing water into lowlands and marshes. A Mr. Lee, father of the late John 1. Lee, brought suit against Mr. Charles for damages, and endeavored to have the mill dam obstruction to the stream removed, claiming that the miasmatic condition created by the overflows was unhealthful. The litigation resulted in the verdict that the dam be lowered a foot. Even this small lowering of the dam bettered the condition of the country lying above very much.
In 1818 Elijah Charles built a sawmill upon this Charles mill site, and in 1835, Elijah Charles having died, his son, Isaac Charles, erected a grist mill, and for the quarter of a century following ran both grist and saw mills successfully, notwithstanding the litigations in the courts. The mills are now numbered among the "has beens." In 1868 Isaac Charles removed to Bluff- ton, Allen county, where he was murdered some years later. His son Isaac was convicted of the crime and was sentenced to the Ohio penitentiary for life.
The first grist mill in the township was built by Benjamin Montgomery on the Whetstone at Olivesburg, in 1817. Mr. Montgomery was elected a justice of the peace in 1816. The eastern part of what is now Weller was then Milton township. The first schoolhouse was built on the west side of the Big Hill in 1816, and James Mahon was the first teacher.
Among those who settled in Weller township in 1814 may be named the following: Benjamin Montgomery, Elijah Charles, Jacob Osbun. In 1815, A. A. Webster, Levi Stevenson, George Hall, John and James Ferguson, James Mahon, John Dixon, James Haverfield, Henry Wikoff, William Holson, Francis Porter and Peter Pittenger. In 1816-19. Simon Morgan, Moses Modie,
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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
Joseph Ward, James Grimes, Charles Palmer, Charles Stewart and John Palmer.
For a number of years after the township was settled there was but little market for the products of the country, and money was scarce. With wheat 25 cents a bushel and calico and muslin 50 cents a yard, corn and oats 15 cents a bushel, and salt $25 a barrel, and coffee 50 cents a pound, conditions confronted the pioneers of which the people of today know of only in an his- torical way. But the pioneers with steadfastness of purpose worked out their problem of civilization-a civilization that brought the markets of commerce in its train-markets that made a demand for farm products and reward for farmers' toil.
A description of the country in pioneer times says the valley of the Black- fork was very densely covered with a low, matted growth of small timber, while, close to the creek, the ground was rankly covered with long grass, and the interlacing vines of wild morning glory, plumy willows and the dark, thick growth of alder. The hills were covered with giant oaks, and the fra- grant winds were healthful as the breezes of the ocean. Wild game abounded, even great, ferocious wild hogs, with their white tushes gleaming out and looking frightful.
In the years that have intervened, civilization transformed the wilderness into farms whose fields reward the labor of the husbandman. General Reasin Beall, in marching his army to the protection of the frontier, in September, 1812, encamped for a short time near the present site of Olivesburg. and called the place "Camp Whetstone."
Inasmuch as Weller township adjoins Ashland county, a story is given of how Robert Newall, a pioneer justice of the peace, sometimes decided cases according to his own views of equity, without regard to either law or precedent. 'Squire Newell was one of the earliest settlers in Montgomery township (then in Richland county), and his cabin was burned by the Indians during the war of 1812. Andrew Clark wished to bring suit against one Martin Mason for a balance claimed for work performed on a mill-race. It was against pioneer ethics for a justice of the peace to encourage litigation, and 'Squire Newell endeavored to effect a settlement between the parties without resorting to the law, but, being unable to do so, he issued a summons to Constable Kline against the said Martin Mason, the writ being a verbal one, and his mace of authority was a buckeye club, with which he was instructed to belabor the said defendant over the "head and shoulders" until he would consent to accom- pany the officer to the court room of the justice. Force, however, was not required in this case, as Martin recognized the potent power of the constable's club, obeyed the summons with apparent willingness and was soon arraigned before His Honor, who required that plaintiff and defendant each make a statement of his side of the case, and after this was done the court decided that "Mason should pay to Clark two bushels of corn. Clark being a poor man, and having no horse, you, Mason, shall deliver the corn at Clark's house. Forever after this you are to be good friends and neighbors, and if either shall ever fail in the least particular to obey this order, I will have the offender before me and whip him within an inch of his life. As for myself, I charge
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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
no fees. Not so with Constable Kline, his charge being a quart of whisky, which plaintiff and defendant will see is brought into court as promptly as possible, for the use of all present." And the arret of the court was obeyed.
The Big Hill forms a prominent feature in the topography of Weller township. It has an altitude of about one hundred and fifty feet and is four miles in circumference. It is more or less abrupt on its several sides, and on top there is a stretch of tableland embracing a number of valuable farms. Upon this hilltop plain stood the Robinson castle, and a few years after it was erected, although the brick and stone masons had been brought from England to build its walls, the foundation spread and the building fell into ruins.
Thomas Robinson, the builder and owner of Robinson's castle, was an Englishman, and, on account of his aristocratic ways, was called "King Tom." He settled on the "hill" in 1820. A brother, Francis Robinson, married a Miss Dixon, who was called "Aunt Jane" by her relatives. Francis Robinson and wife were the parents of William Robinson and of General James S. Robinson, both of whom are deceased. "King Tom" was wealthy and was a widower when he came to America. After getting a farm cleared he re- turned to England, as he stated himself, for a wife. He was gone seven years and was married just prior to his return. The cause of his long absence he never explained, and no one dared to question concerning the delay. This wife lived about eight years after coming to America. Her remains rest in the Milton cemetery. Robinson returned to England in 1843, where he died the year following. In past years parties frequently visited the ruins of the Robinson castle, on account of tales-absurd though they were-connected therewith. Boys were usually hired as guides. Upon one occasion, as a party stood gazing at the ruins, one of the number remarked, "Down in that vaulted cellar is where old 'Bluebeard' Robinson buried his wives." "No," said the guide, with an eye to business, "no one is buried there. 'King Tom' cremated them, and if each of you give me a quarter extra I'll take you to the exact spot where their bodies were burned into ashes." The extra quarters were paid and the boy conducted the party to a ravine on the east side of the hill, where stone quarrymen had had a fire a year before, and. pointing to the place, exclaimed, "This is where he cremated his wives, and here are the ashes of their remains." One of the men took a small quantity of the ashes away with him. The boy afterwards boasted of how he had "worked" the party for extra quarters. Other guides have done the same, telling tales to suit the occasion, and in this way many very absurd and erroneous stories originated and were circulated about "King Tom," who, although peculiar in some things, was a benefactor in his way, for he gave employment to many people, and always paid them in cash, which was quite a consideration in those days, when money was so scarce that the settlers were glad of the opportunity to dig out stumps for "King Tom" to get money to pay their taxes.
The Holstein witch story has also been told before, and, in brief, is that in about the year 1831, a Mrs. Holstein, then living west of the Richland infirmary farm, was accused of being a witch, and a meeting of people of that neighborhood was held to devise ways and means to get rid of her. It was proposed to make a dough image of the alleged witch and shoot it with a silver
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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
bullet. All of which was done, with the result, as the story goes, that Mrs. Holstein died the next day from the effects of a wound in her breast, like unto the one made in the dough image by the silver bullet.
The Richland county infirmary is situated on section 25, in Weller town- ship. In 1846, in accordance with an act of the legislature, proceedings were instituted toward establishing an infirmary, and a farm of 160 acres was bought of the heirs of Nathaniel Osbun for that purpose. The county com- missioners had charge of the matter, and William Taggart, William B. Ham- mett and John McCool then constituted the board. Colonel George Weaver, a soldier of two wars, had the contract for the building, which cost $4,500. The first directors of the infirmary were Richard Condon, Christopher Horn and Samuel Lind, and Lowrey Sibbett was the first superintendent. The building was destroyed by fire in 1877, and the year following a new building was erected at a cost of about $40,000.
Samuel Robinson, whose death occurred July 27, was the last of the generation of Robinsons which came from England and settled on the Big Hill in Weller township in an early period of Richland county's history.
Thomas Robinson came from England in the year 1820, and entered a tract of land on the Big Hill. He was a man of wealth, and his views differed widely from those held by the average pioneer. He was aristocratic in his ways, adhered to the old English style of dress, wore knee-breeches and was called "King Tom." He was peculiar in some things, but was a benefactor in his way, for he gave employment to many people in clearing his land, and always paid them cash for their work, which was a great consideration in those days when the circulating medium was so scarce that the settlers often did not know how to get money to pay their taxes, except to go and "dig out stumps for Robinson." He kept from ten to fifteen men in his employ the year round and paid them in gold. He had not the patience, like the other settlers, to wait for stumps to rot, but had them dug out in clearing his land, and, paying liberally for the work, caused fabulous stories to be told as to his wealth.
Thomas Robinson was a widower when he came to America, but after getting his land cleared he returned to England to marry again. He was gone seven years. Upon his return he was accompanied by his wife, but gave no explanation as to the cause of his long stay. They brought a boy with them, aged about four or five years, who was the Samuel Robinson whose funeral occurred from Oakland church.
In 1836, Robinson built a large brick building for a residence, which on account of its style and the aristocratic manners of its owner was called the "castle." It stood upon the most commanding site of the summit of the hill. Beneath the building were cellars with arched ceilings of stone work. The castle seemed to be doomed, for in about two years after it was built a wind- storm wrecked part of the building, and Samuel Robinson, then a boy seven years old, was taken from the debris after the storm abated. A few years later the arched foundation began to give away, and in time the building fell in a mass of ruins, remnants of which yet mark the place where the old castle once stood.
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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
Thomas Robinson's wife died after having been here about eight years, and he returned to England, where he died a few years later.
Francis Robinson, younger brother of Thomas Robinson, came to Amer- ica a few years after his brother had located on the hill. He resided with his brother for some time, but later removed to a farm near the State road, north of Mansfield. Francis Robinson married "Aunt Jane" Dickson. They were the parents of two children-William and James S. William Robinson be- came the owner of the Thomas Robinson farm, and there he passed the greater part of his life. He is now dead. The other son was the late General James S. Robinson, who served with honor through the Civil War, as he did later in civil capacities-as a member of congress and as secretary of state.
The late Samuel Robinson was an industrious man and an exemplary citizen. He was a hard worker and accumulated much property. He added farm to farm until he had one each for his five children. He was best known perhaps as an auctioneer. He was also very successful in the berry-raising business. About six years ago he built a fine residence on what was formerly known as the Hetler farm, on the Olivesburg road, five miles north of Mansfield.
Samuel Robinson's seventy-four years of life covered a period which was noted for its effectiveness in the advancement of civilization. The people were frugal and industrious, and the lesson of their lives might be studied with profit by the present generation.
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP.
Springfield township is bounded on the north by Sharon and Jackson; on the south by Troy; on the east by Madison, and on the west by Sandusky. At its organization as a township in 1815 Springfield was twelve miles in length from east to west, and in width was six miles from north to south. In 1818 its territory was delimitated to its present size of six miles square. The name "Springfield" was taken at the suggestion of Mrs. Coffinbury, on account of the springs of water that abound in the township, notably those known as Palmer's, Preston's and Spring Mills. The Palmer spring, on section 8, is the fountain-head of the Sandusky river, and water is piped from it to Crestline for the waterworks of that town. The spring is 123 feet higher than the town. In fact, it is one of the means by which Crestline is able to maintain its posi- tion as a division terminal of the Pennsylvania railroad. Formerly the water supply of the town was insufficient and of poor quality ; was not conducive to the generation of steam ; was corrosive to metal, rendering it unfit for engine use. Fearful of the removal of railroad shops and divisions terminal, Crestline put in an admirable system of waterworks, piping the water from the Palmer spring. Although litigations ensued, costing thousands of dollars, the benefits Crestline derived from the works far exceeded the cost of the plant, with the litigations added.
At the Preston spring, a mile northeast of Palmer's, the Purdy mills were built in the pioneer times, and were operated for many years. Earthworks on the dam and race can yet be seen.
A L.RNIT
ICE CREAM SOO
5
WEST MAIN STREET, SHELBY
EAST MAIN STREET. SHELBY
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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
The spring at Spring Mills has furnished water-power to operate mills there for eighty years, is still flowing and "tarries not the grindings." A fuller history of this mill, with sketches of the Barr, the Welch, the Wentz and other prominent families of the locality, will be given hereafter in a chapter entitled "'Spring Mills."
Springfield has a number of small streams, which, seeking outlets in dif- ferent directions, supply a considerable portion of its area with water for stock and agricultural purposes. The sources of both the Sandusky and the Mohican rivers are in this township, and the Blackfork and the Clearfork branches of the latter have their origin from the same spring or lake, at Five Corners.
Springfield is situated on the watershed between Lake Erie and the Ohio river, the "divide" passing through the township from east to west, at varying altitudes, the highest being 832 feet above Lake Erie. This point is on section 16. Geologists call such elevations "knobs." These "knobs," which are found along the summit of the "divide," present a difficult problem in surface geology. In some respects they resemble the Kames of the British Isles, and it has been suggested that they may have been formed of shore-waves, when the lake-basin was filled to the brim and they were islands or shoals. They occupy the summit of the water-shed, and in their stratification and the round- ing of their pebbles show water action. A half-mile north of this knob there is a gap in the ridge of the "divide" through which the Blackfork flows to the north. The depression is called Shafer's Hollow, and, since the completion of the Mansfield-Crestline-Galion electric line, which crosses the Hollow, the place has come to public notice as picnic grounds.
Agriculturally considered, the land of Springfield compares favorably with the general average of other townships. The soil over the greater part of Richland county rests upon the unmodified drift clays, and takes its gen- eral character from them. It contains a large quantity of lime, derived mainly from the corniferous limestone, fragments of which are mingled with the drift. The clay in the soil is also modified and tempered by the debris of the local rocks, and is mostly silicious. This character, combined with a high elevation and surface drainage, furnishes a soil which renders the name of the county-Richland-appropriate, and secures a great variety of agricul- tural products. While all parts of the county are well adapted to grazing, the land is especially fitted for the growth of wheat and cereals, and to the production of fruits.
Newton Y. Gilkinson has for years been planting and cultivating a for- estry park at Millsborough, in which he aims to have every kind and variety of trees native to Ohio. This is a commendable work, and Mr. Gilkinson's effort should be appreciated, for forestry has been too much neglected. The late Dr. James W. Craig, father of Dr. J. Harvey Craig, once offered $200 towards buying ten acres of land at Hemlock Falls for an historical and . forestry park. But as no one seemed to join him in the matter no action was taken. The trend of civilization has been to destroy the forests, as was necessary to a certain extent, but the time has now come to cultivate instead of to destroy. Colonel William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) recently made an earnest appeal to President Roosevelt in behalf of American forests. An
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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
interesting branch of the science of forestry teaches the relations of forests to the earth's surface, and the important part forests have in retaining and in distributing the rain and snow which moisten and refresh the earth. Since such vast areas of forests have been destroyed the volumes of water in springs and streams have diminished and the climate has become less equable.
Among the olden-time families of Springfield township the following are prominent: The Seward, the Douglas, the Dille, the Trimble, the Ricksicker, the Sewell, the Fraunfelter, the McConnel, the Patterson, the Wentz, the Crooks, the Leppo, the Davidson, the Nazor, the Kirkland, the Webber, the Rank, the Ralston, the Dougal, the Cooks, the Ashbaugh, the Sheppard, the Roe, the Shafer, the Stewart, the Ringer, the Reinhart, the Miliken, the May, the Woods, the Walker, the Wark, the Craig, the Marshall, the Marlow, Hout, Freed, Ferguson, Day, Brandt, Au, Andrews, Neal, Chambers, Carter, Wil- liams, Crim, Bell, Hackedorn, Hartupee, Moorhouse, Purdy, Sanders, Lari- more, Stentz, Roasberry, Myers, Wise, O'Rourke, Musselman Sanderson, . Mitchell and others. Others equally notable will be given in succeeding chapters.
The first settlers located in the northeast part of the township, coming on Colonel Crawford's route, which was the only road through that part of the county at that time. Among the first settlers was George Coffinberry, who came in 1814, and settled on the southeast quarter of section 1. Coffinberry had served in the War of the Revolution. Richard Condon settled on the northeast quarter of section 2 in 1815. About the same time the Welch family settled on section 1. Jesse Edgerton and Uriah Matson came in 1818. At the organization of the township, April 15, 1816, twenty-five votes were polled. Richard Condon was the first justice of the peace. The Finneys came in 1820.
The first school in the township was taught by John C. Gilkinson, on the southeast quarter of section 1, southeast of Spring Mills.
The Presbyterians had church and Sabbath school organizations in Springfield as early as 1822, and built a church at Five Corners, a mile north of Ontario. About the same time the Methodists built a church about a mile south of Millsborough, which was called Taylor's meeting house. Bigelow chapel, in the Jaques settlement, two miles north of Ontario, was built in 1837. It belonged to the Methodists. In 1844, a Baptist church was built in the same neighborhood. The Reformed and Lutheran denominations built a church on the Mansfield road, south of Spring Mills, and the Methodists built another near Carter's Corners, but nearly all of these have passed away, and handsome church edifices have been built instead at Ontario.
An account of the "underground railroads" for which the township was so noted in slavery days was so recently given in a rural route article that it seems useless to repeat it here. "Uncle" John Finney, one of the most promi- nent actors in assisting runaway slaves to Canada and freedom, was the step- father of Dr. S. N. Alban, of Mansfield.
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