History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 86

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060

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In the natural course of human events, all things must have a beginning, and the con- tinnation of the human race in Osnaburg Township began in the family of Jacob Kitt. Not only the first white child born in the town- ship. but the first in the present County of Stark. was a daughter, "born," as it is reported. "to Jacob and Barbara Kitt." She is still living, and is the wife of Squire Doll, of Osna- burg village, and is still, as her friends say,

as " pert as a cricket." She was born September 7, 1806, and is now, 1881, seventy-five years old. The next birth in the township, and which proved to be the first male child born, was George Latimer, son of Robert Latimer, and was born a few months after Mary Kitt. Ile died in 1873, in Ashland County, from injuries sustained in falling from a load of straw. The first death was that of a Mrs. Milligan, and occurred in 1811. Her cotlin was a rongh box, and as there was no minister present at the funeral, a Mr. Hutchinson, a school teacher, sang a few verses of a hymn, and offered prayer. which comprised the funeral ceremonies. Since that first funeral. the " pale horse and his rider" have made numerous visits to the township. as the several graveyards will attest. The first marriage is thus described by a local historian of the township, in the columns of the Canton Democrat: "The first marriage of which we have any account was mixed with a bit of romance. There were a Mr. and Mrs. Anderson living in Osnaburg, who had two children. Anderson was a drunken loafer, who would do nothing for the support of his family, and, as a consequence, Mrs. Anderson had to work out. She was a good spinner, and went from house to house, taking her children with her, earning about a $1 a week, beside their board. \ man by the name of Ihry, a German, proposed to marry her, and was accepted, although she was not divorced from Anderson. Mr. Kitt brought the couple to Canton, and they were married by Squire Coulter. They lived together for three years, when Ihry died, leaving his wife a comfortable homestead. This pioneer wedding was followed by many others, as the present population of the township clearly in- dicates."

In the early days of Osnaburg, the people went to Steubenville to mill. This was a great inconvenience, and took up considerable of their time. This difficulty was, to some extent, obvi- ated by Mr. Kitt, who built a little mill. a few years after his settlement. It was what was known as a " tread wheel mill," and oxen were used to furnish power. This was a great im- provement on grinding corn in a coffee-mill. or of spending a week going away to Steubenville. Peter Boyer built a grist-mill in 1811, and shortly after Daniel Laird built one on the Little Sandy. Abraham Bair built a saw-mill about this time, which was the first in the

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

neighborhood ; and previous to its erection, the | teacher of Osnaburg, and "taught the young people used puncheon floors in their cabins, if they had any floors at all. Christian Harsh- barger built a grist-mill on Little Sandy, south of where Mapleton now stands. John New- man also built a mill on Little Sandy, two miles northeast of Mapleton. There are no grist-mills now outside of the village. The first goods were sold in the village of Osnaburg. which is one of the oklest towns in the county. The first tavern was also kept there, and the first blacksmith shop, etc. In fact all of the - interests of the township, in early times, cen- tered in the little village.

The early settlers of Osnaburg were a God- fearing people, and at an early day religious societies were organized in the township, and religious services held at the people's cabins. Among the early messengers of glad tidings was Rev. William Mitchell. a Methodist circuit rider, who preached in the neighborhood as early as 1812. Rev. Edward Otis was a Bap- tist minister, and preached once a month at Michael Engle's cabin. A church society was organized in 1820 by Rev. Mr. Weir, a Luth- eran minister, and Rev. Mr. Faust. a German Reformed minister, with about twenty-five members. The first sermon by either of these denominations was preached in 1814, by Rev. Mr. Lambrick, a Lutheran, at the house of Mr. Minnich. As early as 1827 a Sunday school was organized in the neighborhood of Mapleton. Alexander Cameron was the first Methodist class-leader, and his class comprised four families. There are three church edifices in this township outside the villages. On Sec- tion 36 a German Lutheran and German Re- formed Church are located, not half a dozen rods apart. The two denominations originally occupied the same church, but could not agree very well, and finally the German Reformed congregation sold their interest to the Luther- ans and built a new church in the immediate vicinity. It is a frame building and quite a tasty edifice, while the old building is a sub- stantial brick. The Disciples have a church on Section 28, which was built some twenty or twenty-five years ago, and is a handsome frame, beautifully located on the brow of a hill, even as Solomon's Temple adorned the brow of Mount Moriah.

So far as reliable information could be ob- tained, John Augustine was the pioneer school

idea how to shoot " as early as the winter of 1818. Previous to that year, the few children in the township went to school on the Aultman place, in Canton Township. During the winter of Augustine's school, snow fell to the depth of three feet and lay on the ground for several weeks. A few days later, it rained and froze, forming a hard erust on the snow that would bear up a man. Many deer were caught by the school boys which were unable to make their way through the deep snow with much speed. Among their captives was a large buck, which they kept in a pen at the school house, but as he refused to eat they turned him loose again. William Hutchinson was an carly school teacher. Abraham Bair also taught as early as 1822. These were followed by teach- ers in different parts of the township, and as the country settled up schoolhouses were built in each neighborhood until the final develop- ment of the present school system. From the last report of the Board of Education we extract the following statistics for Osnaburg. which are of interest :

Balance on hand September 1, 1879 $3,366 85 State tax. 955 50

Irreducible fund. 144 09

Total. $4,466 44

Amount paid teachers .. .$1,794 16

Fuel and other contingent ex-

penses 201 21

Total

$1,995 37

Balance on hand September 1, 1880. $2,471 07

Number of schoolhouses in the township 10

Value of school property. .. $12,000 00

Teachers employed-males 14

Teachers employed-females. 8

Total

Number of pupils enrolled-males 291

Number of pupils enrolled-females. 216

Total 507

Average daily attendance-males. 160

Average daily attendance-females 130

Total 290

Almost the entire township of Osnaburg seems to be underlaid with coal, and a large number of mines opened, but hitherto, for the lack of facilities for transportation, they have not been developed to any great extent. Now, however, with a railroad passing through the

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township, a full development of this interest may be looked for. Samuel Montgomery has recently soll his land at $200 an acre, and measures are being taken for mining coal on it. Several mines are already opened on this land. and every means will be used to facilitate the work of mining and shipping.

For the war of 1812. a little unpleasantness that took place some thirty years after the close of the Revolution, between the I'nited States and England, this township furnished a number of men. some of them volunteers, and some drafted men. The names of many of these old heroes have passed away with the heroes them- selves. Among the few still remembered. how- ever. are the names of Peter MeCane, Peter Moretz, Edward Strickland. Adam and Jacob Anderson, and Richard Byles, who went as a substitute of Jacob Kitt, the latter having been drafted. In the Indian wars of the early period many of them also participated. Joseph Ander- son, a brother to Adam and Jacob, mentioned above, fell at the battle of Tippecanoe, in 1811. Indeed, Osnaburg has ever been patriotic and true to the Government. In the war of the Rebellion, she did her duty, and turned out volunteers by the score. as will be seen in another chapter on the war history of the county. After the close of the war of 1812. under the old militia law of the State, which continued in force for a number of years, all the able-bodied men between eighteen and for- ty -five years of age were compelled to attend the regular military trainings, or general mus- ter, as more commonly called. where they had to undergo military drill and inspection. The usual places of meeting of these troops of the " peace establishment," were at Canton, Kon- dal (now a part of Massillon), Loutzenheiser's (where Lonisville now stands), and Osnaburg. These occasions drew out large crowds of the young and old. male and female. for many miles around, and the scenes and incidents of the day - the parade. the sham battle. the personal encounters were long afterward the subject of fireside gossip. As if by common consent. all sectional disputes and neighborhood quarrels were "readjusted " on these training days. Each party to a feud had their friends and backers, who were particularly careful to so engineer matters as to end the business with a fight. If the question was one of great impor- tance (!). others became involved, and more

fights followed. to the great delectation of the crowd. It was on an occasion of this kind, that the fight occurred already alluded to in this chapter. But we will not dwell further upon this subject.

The first roads in Osnaburg Township were the Indian trails. These were cut out by the settlers to suit their convenience, until public highways began to be ordered by the County Commissioners. The first of these was a road from Pekin to Congress Furnace, and was granted by the Commissioners in response to a petition of Samuel Mobley. in 1815. Other roads were made soon after, from different points, as necessity demanded them for the ben- efit of the people The roads of the township at the present day. while as good. in a general way. as those of any part of the county, yet. owing to the hilly nature of the country, are extremely crooked and zigzag in their course. After the settlement of the township by white people. Indians frequently made excursions into the neighborhood, hunting. but were friendly. and never known to do any harm to their white friends. They would often beg for something to eat. and what was given them they would either eat or carry away. Their village, or camping grounds, were west of the Tuscarawas River.

Osnaburg Township has two villages, viz .. the village of Osnaburg and the village of Mapleton. Osnaburg is an old place, and started out in its career with the laudable intention of becoming a great city, and with hopes shining brightly through the expectation of finally win ning the seat of justice of the new county all knew must soon be formed. It was supposed that the county would be formed around it as a natural consequence, and from the incipient city rays of wisdom would diverge and penetrate to the uttermost parts of the new district. I'n burdened with the weight of its lofty aspira tions, for a time after its birth, it stood proud as Rome upon her seven hills, and serenely awaited its coming greatness. But at length the new county was created. and Osnaburg failed to be made its seat of justice. This was a severe blow to her anticipated greatness. Her aspirations withered prematurely. and her

" lopes departed forever."

Like the Eternal City, even down to the present day. " The spider weaves his web in her palaces.

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

the owl sings his watch-song in her towers." After three-quarters of a century, she is an in- significant village of a few hundred inhabitants, while Canton, " the beautiful city of the plain," 1

wears the glory Osnaburg once fondly dreamed would be her own.

The village of Osnaburg was laid out in the latter part of 1806, by James Leeper, a native of Washington County, Pennsylvania, and one of the early settlers of the township. It is located on Section 8, and is about six miles east of Canton. Leeper erected a one- story log cabin, and in this limited edifice opened a hotel. His mode of keeping a tavern may be gathered from the personal experience of one John Larwell, as he told it to a corre- spondent of the Canton Democrat: "Larwell's house was at Fawcettstown (now East Liver- pool), on the Ohio River. In March, 1807, 1 he was sent with provisions to his brother, Joseph Larwell, then in Government employ, surveying lands west of the Tuscarawas River. Ile went by an Indian trail lead- ing from the Ohio River, crossing Sandy Creek near the mouth. Having heard of Osnaburg, he concluded to return that way, as the distance was about the same. Leav- ing the camp of his brother in the morn- ' ing, he reached Osnaburg in the evening of the same day. Riding up to the most preten- tious house of the village, Mr. harwell halloed. and out came Leeper, the landlord. He in- quired if he could stop with him overnight, and receiving an affirmative answer, he wished to know what accommodations he had for his horse. Leeper pointed to a beech tree that had just been cut down, saying that the horse could be tied to a top limb and feed upon the twigs. As there was not a stable in town, Mr. Larwell bad no alternative but to submit to such ac- commodations for his jaded horse. The tavern was a log structure, the whole con- stituting a single room, which was made to answer the purpose of kitchen, dining- room bed-room and sitting-room. The floor was of puncheons, and the chimney of sticks and mud. It had evidently been on fire at some time, as there was a considerable hole burnt through, near the ground. The supper consisted of a pone' and fresh pork. While the pone was baking on the hearth, a pig came through the hole in the chimney, snatched up the pone and carried it out the same way he

came in. Mrs. Leeper gave chase, recovered the pone, replaced it upon the griddle and watched it until the baking was completed. Mr. Larwell remarked that he enjoyed the supper, as it was seasoned with hunger. For a bed, be had his choiee of the floor below, or on the loft. As the night was growing cold. he preferred the former, and with his feet toward the fire, his clothes on, and a blanket, he had a tolerably co : fortable night. Ilis breakfast was the same as bis supper. Over a foot of snow fell during the night, to which his horse was exposed. For these limited accommoda- tions, his bill was 75 cents."

Leeper is represented by those who knew him as a man of considerable energy and enterprise, and who worked industriously to build up his town. lle was a good talker, and as he kept the only tavern for many miles around, bis house was the general stopping-place of those who came west in search of land, and he in- duced many to select homes in the vicinity of Osnaburg. He also induced many mechanics to settle in the village, and used every exertion to promote the prosperity of the place. But the great evil that has wrecked so many lives was stealing upon him, as a thief in the night. He was of a social disposition, and in his zeal to build up a town, contracted the habit of drinking. ITis dissipation grew upon him, un- til in a case of delirium tremens he escaped from his house in the night. and was found the next morning in a pond, where he had drowned himself. But for his dissipated habits, which made an unfavorable impression upon strangers, it is still believed by many that Osnaburg would have acquired such a start over Canton, which was not laid out until sometime after, as to have eventually made Osnaburg, and not Canton, the county seat of Stark County upon its organization. But the character of Mr. Wells, the original proprietor of Canton, and the influence he exerted in behalf of his town, more than overbalanced the start Osnaburg had in the race for the seat of justice.

The first store in Osnaburg was kept by one John McConnell, who opened a small stock of goods in 1807. Ile kept but a few articles, and these were such as were mostly in demand in a new country. McConnell, according to the gossips of the town, was a man not of the high- est moral rectitude. Some little indiscretions on his part excited such strong feelings of

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OSNABURG TOWNSHIP.

1 indignation against him as to necessitate his abrupt departure from the town, between the setting of the sun and the rising of that lumi- nary. The next tavern in Osnaburg after Leep- er's was kept by William Nailor. Jacob Kep- linger is noted in both town and township as a model landlord. The village at present con- tains two hotels, presenting to the traveling public good accomodations for a town of its size. An early institution in Osnaburg was a hatter shop, kept by Updegraff & MeGuggin, who manufactured headpieces for the neighbor- ing gentry. The present business of the village is as follows : Two general stores : two grocery stores ; two blacksmith and wagon shops ; one harness-shop; one mill ; two hotels ; three churches, and an excellent school build- ing. The mill was built about four years ago by Sheatsley & Stump, and is now owned by Sheats- ley & Miller. They have an excellent building, containing four run of buhrs, and do a large busi- ness. The mill originally cost about $15,000, and is still in a good state of preservation. The Connotton Valley Railroad passes through the village, and has a comfortable depot and freight buildings. The churches are German Luther- an and Reformed, Albrights, or Evangelical, and Methodist. All have good church edifices and are well supported. The schoolhouse is a spacious building, well furnished and adapted to school purposes. Osnaburg forms a special district, and the school is divided into three departments, but is ungraded. Prof. G. 1. Wise is Principal ; Mr. Deffoff, teacher of the intermediate department, and Miss Joetta Whiteleather, teacher of the primary depart- ment. The average attendance is about 150 pupils.

One of the most prominent business men ever connected with the history of Osnaburg village was Christian Kountz. Hle was for many years a successful merchant of the place, and an enterprising gentleman, who fostered every good work, and supported every enter-

prise for the benefit of the town. The follow- ing extract from a publication concerning him is appropriate in this connection : " Mr. Kountz was born in Saxony, where he learned the trade of a lace weaver. He came to this country when a young man, and on landing in New York, all the money he had was three kreutzers, about two cents of our money. He immedi- ately sought work, but, unable to obtain employ- ment at his trade, he engaged in anything that offered. Having accumulated a few dollars, be was induced, by a fellow-countryman, to engage in peddling. With his limited means hie com- meneed with a small bundle of notions : then, with a paek which he carried upon his back, and finally he made a raise of a horse and wagon. lle prospered, and in the course of time was advised, by a Pittsburgh merchant, to settle in some town and open a store. He lo- eated in Osnaburg about the year 1825. He was a man of strict integrity, would never him- self, nor permit an employe to, take advantage of or deceive a customer. His word was as good as his bond, and he raised his family to the same principles of integrity, and to industry and economy. lle accumulated a handsome fortune, and died in 1866, at the age of about seventy years. His sons have added to their inheritance, and are successful business men."

Mapleton is a small place, and is located on Section 27. about a mile from the Connotton Valley Railroad. Its business consists of one store, one hotel, one grocery store, two shoe- shops, two carpenter-shops, one blacksmith and one wagon shop, one post-office with daily mails by Connotton Valley Railroad at " Maple- ton Crossing," one physician, a schoolhouse built in the summer of 1880, and two churches, viz .: Lutheran and Immanuel's Church of the Evangelical Association. The latter was built in 1867, and the former in 1855. Both are in a flourishing condition, with Sunday schools and good membership.

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXII .*

PLAIN TOWNSHIP -OUTLINE OF PHYSICAL FEATURES - VALUABLE STATISTICS FROM OLD RECORDS-LIST OF LANDHOLDERS OF 1828 - PIONEER IMPROVEMENTS AND IN-

DUSTRIES-GROWTH OF VILLAGES. SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.

"They shunned not labor when 'twas due, They wrought with right good will ; And for the homes they won for them, Their children bless them still."

PLAIN TOWNSHIP was among the five that were created at the time the county was organized in 1809. It was a common thing, in early years, for the townships to have within their jurisdiction a large scope of country, which, as time passed on, and the land became settled by scattering pioneers, was created, piece-meal, into separate townships. This was the case with Plain Township. On the 16th of March, 1809, at the first meeting of the County Com- missioners, Plain was created, with the follow- ing boundaries : "Beginning at the northeast corner of the 12th Township, in the 8th Range ; thence south to the southeast corner of the 11th Township. in the 8th Range; thence west with the township lines to the west boundary of the county ; thence north and east with the county line to the place of beginning." Why the township received the name it now bears in an unsolved question. It is said by some that in one part was an open tract of land, or a plain, and the township derived its title from this circumstance. Other reports are that some of the first settlers were from a township in the East called Plain, and in remembrance of their old home bestowed that name upon the new township. The next historian may solve this mooted question. When the township was created by the Commissioners, they ordered an election of officers to be held at the residence of George Harter, on the first Monday in April, 1809. Pursuant to the order, the election was held, with the following result, as nearly as can he remembered, in the absence of the carly re- cords : James Gaff and George Wyke, Justices of the Peace; Abraham Van Meter, Clerk ; Jacob Warshler, Treasurer, and Henry Friday, Constable. It must be understood that the

territory within what was Plain Township then included the present Lake. Lawrence and Jack- son Townships, in Stark County, and Green and Franklin Townships, in Summit County, in all, six townships. But, at that time, only a few settlers liad yet located in any part of this territory, except the present Plain Township. The balance was an uninhabited wilderness, filled with fierce animals that afforded rare and dangerous sport to those who were daring enough to hunt them. This class of men was not wanting among the first settlers. They had come into the forest prepared to bravely meet its dangers and hardships, and the mobile characteristic of human nature to derive pleas- ure from any and every surrounding asserted itself, and gave to the pioneer a comparatively happy lot. After they became accustomed to the trails of their surroundings, and inured to the loneliness and danger, backwoods life was not so bad after all. Question an old settler on this point and he will tell you that, although he had to work hard and deny himself many comforts, yet, after all, he enjoyed life first- rate. He had descovered the philosopher's stone-contentment.

The following is quoted from the historical sketches of Stark County by Dr. Shusser, of Canton : "The first white man who settled in Plain Township was Henry Friday. He was a Hessian, taken prisoner at the battle of Trenton and paroled. He had a wife and three children, and, in 1805, came in a rickety cart drawn by an old horse, to Section 30, where he " squatted." It being early in the summer, he cleared a small patch, which he planted in corn and potatoes, and until the crop matured, the family lived on wild meat and berries. His special occupation was that of well digging, but until he found em . ployment in this line he cut and cured grass on the " wild meadows" in the southwestern sec- tion of the township, for which he found a ready sale to emigrants. He must have lived

* Contributed by W. A. Goodspeed,

John Pontius

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PLAIN TOWNSHIP.

like a Digger Indian, for it is said that in the year in which the locusts appeared. he had a pie made of them, which he ate ; and in speak- ing of it, he would remark. " Es ist der besht poy es mer mache kan." After five or six years he moved to Jackson Township. where he died. Hugh Cunningham, an Irishman, came during the summer of 1805. and located in Section 34. His daughter, whose birth occurred the follow- ing year, was the first white child born in the township. It is said that when the draft for the war of 1812 occurred. he became so much alarmed that. to escape the service. he shot himself through the foot. During the autumn of 1805. George and John Harter built their houses in the township. but the families ro- mained at Beaver until later. George Harter. the next year, brought with him two cows and a sow with eight pigs. The sow was kept in a pen for a short time, after which a bell was put on her. and she was permitted to run in search of food. She had not gone far from the cabin when the family heard her squeal; suspecting the trouble. Mr. Harter snatched up his rifle. which was always kept loaded, and made haste toward the locality from where the sound came, on his way ramming down a second bul- let. He had not proceeded far when he dis- covered a huge bear dragging the sow by the back of the neck, through the bushes. The sound of his approach attracted the attention of the bear, which dropped the sow, stood up on its hind legs and looked fiercely at the approach- ing settler. Harter took deliberate aim at the chest of the bear and fired : the bear fell over. but as Harter was suspicions that it might not be dead, and knowing that it woukl be dangerous to go within reach of the animal if it was only wounded. he re-loaded his rifle. and. approaching within a few rods, took care- ful aim and shot it through the head, when it turned over, gave a feeble kick, and was dead. The bears and wolves carried off all his pigs but two. He constructed a trap. in which sev- eral were caught, as was also, on one occasion. a large turkey buzzard."

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History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 86

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1060

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060