USA > Ohio > Wayne County > History of Wayne County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 37
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The first settlement was made in 181 1 by Michael Thomas with his wife and seven children. He emigrated from Washington county, Pennsylvania. and located on the southwest quarter of section 33. Following him came in Thomas Boydston and wife, who settled on the same section. For three years these were the only settlers in the township. In 1814 Lorenzo Winkler and family came in from Virginia, settling on section 22. Until 1815 emi- gration to this part of the county was very limited. Among those who soon found their way to this township, and became permanent settlers may be mentioned George Boydston, Thomas Hayes, David McConahay, David Boydston, David Antles. Thomas Dawson. John Wade, George Smith, Thomas Smith, Jacob Breakfield. John Harris, Douglas Wilford, Barter Har- ris, James Sparks. John Hobbs, Francis Shackler, Isaac Robins, Phineas Burrwell, Thomas Johnston, John Bigham, Robert Calvins, Jacob Cook, Charles Kelley. Will Ruffcorn, George Carson, Jacob Breakbail and Thomas Alison.
By 1817 the township had a population of one hundred and forty-seven souls, of which twenty-six were legal voters. In April, 1817, the first elec- tion was held at the residence of William Barnett, on section 21.
The first birth in the township was a daughter of Michael Thomas, born September 25, 1812; the second was that of Richard Antles, February 3, 1813.
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The first marriage in the township was that of Liverton Thomas and Anna Wade, by "Priest" Jones, in 1815.
The first saw-mill erected was by Thomas Smith, on a site where Smith- ville now stands.
The first frame building was constructed in 1822, on the farm later owned by Cyrus Hoover.
In the autumn of 1815 John Wade built a hand-mill to crush corn for family use; this was situated upon the farm later owned by D. L. Kieffer.
As late as 1819 there were visible indications of the old Indian village situated on section 21.
The first warrant was issued for the arrest of John Treasurer, for as- sault and battery, upon complaint of Cephas Clark. Treasurer was a "fortune teller," and Clark had his fortune told "on tick": the teller proved to be a liar, and Clark "bucked" and wouldn't pay. whereupon Treasurer got him "in chancery" and drafted "sirloins on his frontispiece." Both were citizens of East Union township.
The first sermon preached in Greene township was undoubtedly in 1812, by Reverend Gray at the house of Mr. Thomas.
The first school was taught by Peter Kane, a student of Oxford, Eng- land. The pioneer school house was a log cabin eighteen by twenty-two feet, on the northwest quarter of section 23.
The first death in the township after its settlement by the white race was on December 27, 1817, and occurred at a raising on the old Ruble farm, the victim being Christian Partshie, who was killed by the falling of a stick of timber.
This township has been the site of several towns and villages, including Smithville, Orrville and Weilerville.
The schools and churches of this township will be treated under their respective headings in another chapter.
The present business interests of Smithville is represented as follows : Postoffice, S. B. Norris, postmaster, W. H. Hutchison, assistant; hardware, Hartzler & Gerig and E. S. Brenneman; grocery, John Swanger and Hous- ton ; grocery and drygoods, J. J. Schrock; exclusive grocery, Blough & Com- pany ; shoe store, Isaac Deahuff ; grocery and produce, Kohler & Hilty ; drugs, T. A. C. Pontius. The trades are as follows: Blacksmith, Clyde Mertz, Charles Everett, Nicholas Curie ; grist-mill, John B. McCollough ; warehouses, H. S. Rutt, handling all kinds of produce and coal ; lumbermen, E. E. Gilber, C. G. Miller (with a planing mill) ; butchers. A. E. Bechtol, J. B. Sheller,
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wholesale and retail; hotel, W. G. Coulter; bank, Farmers and Merchants. The professional men were, at the same date, Drs. W. G. Zimmerman, H. M. Yoder, H. A. Schollenberger; attorney, Joseph Gallagher.
The banking business is carried on at this point by the Farmers and Merchants Bank, with W. H. Zaugg as its president and E. U. Burkholder as its cashier.
BAUGHMAN TOWNSHIP.
This is on the east line of Wayne county and the second from the north line of the county. It derived its name from John Baughman, who was the grand father of John W. Baughman, of Wooster, who was the first settler within the township, which civil sub-division of the county was organized March 5, 1816. In 1870 it had a population of two thousand and sixty-seven, but according to the federal census of 1900 it contained a population of two thousand four hundred and ninety-seven.
Among the earliest settlers in this township may be named the Fore- man family, the Harkins family, Robert Taggart, Samuel Taggart, Lewis McKean, Sr., John Campbell, Valentine W. Ault, John Sickman, John Wil- son, Benjamin Weygandt, John Douglas and others, whose sons and daugh- ters reside in the county at this time.
This is a rich and well-developed agricultural district and the towns of the township are Marshallville and Burton, while a part of the town plat of Orrville is within the borders of this township.
MARSHALLVILLE.
This town is located in the extreme northwestern portion of Baugh- man township, on section 5. It was laid out by James Marshall, February 7, 1817, the same being the next village platted after that of Wooster was laid out. Mr. Marshall was an excellent man, a sturdy member of the old Seceder church of Dalton. Marshallville was named by and for Mr. Marshall and in 1834, when Martin Weimer came to the place, there were but ten houses, and there were occupied by Elijah Dancer, Calvin Brewster, James and Joseph Hogan, Enoch Mofitt, James Marshall, John Roch and Dr. Comstock and two shoemakers named Ellingham and Scotton.
The town was legally incorporated as a municipality February 10, 1866. Its first officers were Charles Schlutt, mayor; C. L. Gehres, recorder; Martin Weimer, George Reinoehl, Benjamin Carrel, John Pfunder, William Pinkley, councilmen. The population of Marshallville in 1900 was three hundred and fifty-seven.
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The banking business here is carried on by the Marshallville Banking Company, with I. W. Beery as its cashier.
FAIRVIEW, OR BURTON CITY.
The village of Fairview was surveyed by John Brinkerhoff, December 14, 1850. A postoffice was, however, established there, known as Burton City, first being called Baughman.
Flouring mills were erected here in 1858 by Benjamin Coe, the same having a capacity of forty barrels a day. Besides supplying a large home trade, the product of these mills was shipped to Philadelphia.
The Burton City Woolen Mills were established in 1860 by Isaac Van- guilder. There were produced cloths, cassimeres, blankets, jeans, satinets, stocking yarns and a large variety of flannels.
On June 9, 1874, the steam grist-mill of C. G. Binkley was blown up, suddenly killing George W. Henshaw, of Wooster, and causing the death of Mr. Binkley within a few hours.
SUGARCREEK TOWNSHIP.
On the east line of Wayne county and the second from the south line is found the civil township of Sugarcreek. It was organized April II, 1812, and contains thirty-six sections of land, being six miles square. Its population increased from two thousand six in 1870 to two thousand two hundred and seventy-four in 1900.
John Kinney and John Goudy were the first settlers in Sugar Creek township, and John and James Goudy were the next, and after them came Peter Cox and Samuel Cook, William Homan, and Rev. James Adams, who was the first preacher in the locality. William Homan was the first justice of the peace, elected about 1826. At an early day an election was held where Sugarcreek, East Union, Baughman and Greene corner, and every man who attended it went home with two offices. The first school house in the township was built on the farm owned later by Jacob Cox, and Sam- tel Cook was the first to teach in the township. It was a subscription school and the rates were fifty cents a pupil for each month's schooling, and in the absence of money almost anything else was received for pay. The first school house erected in Dalton was where later the cemetery was laid out ; the first teacher was Peter Vorrhes. The first church ( Presbyterian) was built near the southwest corner of the quarter later owned by S.
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Snavely ; Rev. James Adams being the first minister. This was the earliest church building in the township or town.
William Goudy built the first grist-mill, three miles southwest of Dal- ton. It was constructed of logs, had one run of buhrs made of "nigger- heads," the neighbors helping to dig the race. This mill was built in 1823-24.
James Goudy came to what is now Sugarcreek township as early as 1809, settling near Dalton. His brother John had effected a settlement in the neighborhood even prior to his settlement. The father, John Goudy, was in St. Clair's defeat, November 4, 1791, where he was wounded in the right groin, which, but for the thickness of his clothing, would have caused death. After being shot he traveled eighteen miles, when he paused by the wayside and ate the flesh of a dead horse, which later he declared was the best meat he had ever eaten. He carried the bullet in his flesh many years and finally died from its effects.
TOWNS AND VILLAGES.
Of the town of Dalton it may be recorded that Rev. James Adams had the town of Dover surveyed October 16, 1817, by A. Porter, and it em- braced forty-six lots. Sharon was surveyed March 29, 1828, by C. W. Christmas, and that consisted of thirty lots. The entirety of these towns, together with that of Middletown, laid out by Jacob Switzer, in 1828, ceas- ing to exist as plats, the village of Dalton sprung up on the same ground. In 1821 Dalton contained but one house, and a man named Freeman kept the first tavern, where afterwards the Eagle House stood. The first physician of the place was Doctor Watson, and the first store was kept by Mr. John- son. The first church of the village was the Presbyterian.
Dalton of today consists of a place having a population of six hundred and sixty-six, and has several good business houses, carrying the goods usually kept in towns of its size, and the farmers find here an accommodat- ing class of dealers and ready sale for the products of their farms and gardens. For church and other interests see special chapters elsewhere in this volume.
The banking business of this place is well cared for by the First Na- tional Bank, with a capital of twenty-five thousand dollars. Its present officers are W. H. H. Wertz, president; T. C. Hunsicker, cashier. Their deposits are (September, 1909) $162,000.
Moscow was laid out by Joseph H. Larwill, Josiah Crawford and John
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Larwill, April 16, 1815, but it never materialized to the extent of its san- guine proprietors' hopes.
"Sonneberg Settlement" was so named for a settlement in Switzerland, its population being chiefly from the canton Berne, in Switzerland. The following was written of this peculiar people in 1878.
"They enumerate ninety-eight families and have two hundred and fifty- eight members. The sect was founded by Menno, surnamed Simmons, in 1536, who commenced life as a Roman Catholic. The modern Mennonite as a rule does not pretend to know just what the history of his sect is, or just what he now believes. They know they are opposed to war and going to law. They follow farm life as a rule, and are very industrious. In this township they introduced the painting of dog-houses and the manufacture of apple-jack. The first of this stock, all from Berne, to come into Wayne county were Isaac Somer, Uhlrick and Peter Lehman and David Killhover, the latter bringing the regular John Rogers family. Their first place of rendezvous was in a school house four miles east of Wooster, when they moved to 'Switzerland No. 2,' and in 1820 organized a church."
EAST UNION TOWNSHIP.
This township was formed September 5, 1814, and was named by Simon Chaffin, Sr., who was a native of Union, Maine. It is the second township from the east and south line of the county and is six miles square.
The following is a reminiscence on the early times by Simon Chaffin, Jr .: "The first white man who died in East Union township was Vesta Frary, who was buried on the John Ramsey farm with thirty or forty others. Mr. Chaffin cut musket balls out of trees, shot there by members of Beall's army. On Amos Walter's farm was erected one of the first churches, called the Ebenezer church. The Methodists soon after organized in the town- ship. The presiding elder was Rev. Henry O. Sheldon, who was a strong man and could carry a barrel of salt or cider with ease. Two drunken men on one occasion disturbed a camp meeting when he was present, and he choked them into silence. The Indians had a sugar camp on land later owned by John Lang, also there were two huts there. The first school house was upon land then owned by Anson Sillson, built in 1814. The teacher was a Mr. Pratt and he spelled door 'dore.' The first justice of the peace was Andrew Lucky, who kept a tavern."
The first permanent settler in this township was Simon Chaffin, Sr .. a native of Lincoln county, Maine, who was born in 1765 and removed to
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Ohio in the fall of 1811, coming in a four-horse wagon, traveling a distance of more than a thousand miles, occupying fifty-seven days, never unloading the wagon until he arrived at Poland, Trumbull county, Ohio. He moved to East Union township, Wayne county, in the early spring of 1813. His wife and six children accompanied him; his brother-in-law, Obediah Luce, came at the same time. He entered lands, but his regular occupation was that of a scythemaker and hoemaker.
Frederick Brown, a native of Pennsylvania, moved to Wayne county, Ohio, in the spring of 1814, but had been in the county with his son, John J., in 1812 and improved a piece of land on a twelve-hundred-acre tract he had secured from the government. He was the first of the name Brown to locate in Wayne county. The subjoined reminiscence will tell the story of early-day Indian scares and narrate many other interesting points connected with the settlement of this township and Wayne county, in general :
"This will narrate an incident that occurred in what was called Smith's settlement, near the present site of the county infirmary. One afternoon two of the Smith women heard what they supposed to be guns firing in the direction of Wooster, 'at the rate of five hundred a minute.' The neigh- borhood, numbering about forty persons, soon assembled, men, women and children. There were but eight guns in the party. One of these belonged to John J. Brown, then a boy and small for his age. After consultation it was decided that James McIntire should approach Wooster cautiously to ascertain the exact state of affairs there, and that the balance of the company should set out for Steubenville, by way of the old Indian trail, the women and children on horseback and the men on foot with their guns. Young Brown's gun was transferred to an older man, and two children committed to his care, Waits Smith, a small boy whom he carried behind him, on a very spirited horse, and Jonathan, a younger boy, who was placed in his arms.
"The party traveled in silence during the entire night, not a child giving the least sign of fretfulness. In the morning they were overtaken by Mc- Intire, who brought the welcome news that Wooster was resting in quietude and that the noise heard by the two women was one made by men cutting straw with axes in a trough for feed. At this news the main company of fugitives returned, hungry and weary, to their cabin homes in the forest. A few, however, continued on in their flight to the old settlements in Penn- sylvania.
"Nevertheless, this stampede of the pioneers was not without thrilling incident. When the party in its flight was crossing the Big Sugar creek they discovered a campfire close to the trail. The Indian dogs barked and
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immediately the Indians raised a whoop. At this the company took shelter in the brushwood as best they could. All became quiet in a short time, when those with guns began to scout around to learn the character of the Indians in the camp. They proved to be Chief Johnycake and his tribe. The story the whites told alarmed them and they said they would also flee the country, as they were friendly Indians and equally in danger of being hurt by the hostile tribes, but that they must first have their supper, then roasting on the campfire. Afterwards McIntire passed their encampment. He was blowing a large tin horn and riding at full gallop to overtake the flying settlers and apprise them of their groundless apprehension. Johnycake and his braves became greatly alarmed and fled supperless, as on the returning day the settlers who wended their way home found the camp entirely deserted. The deer was suspended over the smouldering embers, burned to a crisp. Johny- cake and his people were never seen again in that settlement by the whites. They had before that time been very familiar and friendly."
The following interesting notes were written on the recollections of pioneer Noah Brown :
The first election was held in section 16, at Smith Orr's house. Andrew Lucky was elected first justice of the peace. The first school house was built on section 21, although a log house built before that for the Presby- terian church to hold services in was used for school purposes. The earliest teachers were George Hackett and George McConnell. The first burial was on the John Ramsey farm, and two were buried on the Smith Orr place, a Mr. Miller and a child that was scalded to death. Old Aaron Rambo had the first grist-mill in this township, near the residence of David Carr, and the bolt was turned by hand. After Rambo, Garret Albertson erected an- other mill. South of Cross Keys at a spring a Mr. Pratt had the first distillery. At the head of Apple creek there was an Indian camp. Mr. Brown had a grindstone which was bought at Canton, Ohio, as the family came to the country, and it is said that it was used by many neighbors from long distances away.
Herr Driesbach, the famous lion tamer, lived and died in Wayne county. He was born in Sharon, Schoharie county, New York, November 2, 1807, his grandparents coming from Germany. His father died when eleven years of age and the boy soon drifted to New York city, where he worked in the Zoological Gardens, and soon, youth as he was, made a reputation for control of wild animals, he being the first person to make a performing ani- mal of the leopard. In 1830 he connected himself with the traveling menag- erie of Raymond & Co., and soon went to Europe with Raymond, meeting
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with much success as a tamer of wild beasts. He traveled through England, Scotland and Ireland, then in France, Germany, Holland and Russia, exhib- iting before all the crowned heads of Europe. About 1840 he returned to the United States, having established a world-wide reputation, and was of the states of the Un'on until 1854, when he was united in marriage to the foremost man in his profession in the world. He made his annual tours Sarah Walter, daughter of John Walter, of Wooster township, and settled down to the peaceful life of a farmer. In 1875 he opened a hotel at Apple- creek Station. Here, after but two days' illness, on December 5, 1877, he died, leaving a widow and one son. His was a very interesting life, full of events which after his death were compiled in book form and sold ex- tensively.
The Cheyney family was one of striking prominence in Wayne county, and descended from the Revolutionary stock of the same name, of which Thomas, the father of John, who settled in Wayne county, was famous by reason of his first discovering, for General Washington, that the British forces were on the same side of the stream as the American army at Chad's Ford, near Brandywine, Chester county, 'Pennsylvania, and through this intelligence the American army was saved a defeat, as is recorded in the history of our country.
Old Squire Cheyney was a most useful and powerful man in the settle- ment of Wayne county. He built the first mill in East Union township, and within the space of thirteen years built six grist-mills and nine sawmills in Wayne county, Ohio. His early neighbors were John Knight, Jacob Tracey, George Basil and others. He occasionally received visits from old Johnny Appleseed, whom Richard Cheyney frequently saw. His remains were buried in the Edinburg cemetery.
TOWNS OF EAST UNION TOWNSHIP.
Edinburg was laid out by William Thomas and John L. Cheyney, Au- gust 16, 1832. Ira Pratt started the first store and .was the postmaster in Edinburg. Prior to the appointment of Cornelius Smith the postoffice was kept at the old town, and after that at Applecreek Station.
Applecreek Station, which is of more recent origin, was caused by the building of the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon & Columbus railway. Andrew Wood- ruff, a blacksmith, erected the first house in Applecreek Station. John Hind- man owned the land on which this village was platted. David Clark, later of Wooster, started the first hotel. A new school building was built in 1874. Messrs. Eberly, Holcomb and Caldwell were the first three teachers.
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In 1909 the village of East Union was but a mere hamlet with one firm-Carver & Eshleman-handling drygoods, groceries, notions, hardware, boots and shoes, cigars and tobacco. They also operate a grain elevator and warehouse.
WOOSTER TOWNSHIP.
This sub-division of Wayne county was named in honor of Gen. David Wooster, and was organized April 1I, 1812, along with Sugarcreek, Mohican and Prairie townships. It had a population of one thousand one hundred and forty-five in 1870 and by 1900 had increased to seven thousand one hun- dred and sixty. This is the township in which the city of Wooster is situated, and as now divided contains only twenty-one sections. Franklin township is on its south while Plain is to its west, with Wayne township north and East Union on the east. Being situated as it is (surrounding the city of Wooster), its history is largely found in the city history given elsewhere in this volume. Benjamin Jones was one of the first settlers, and the follow- ing are some of his recollections concerning early times here :
In 1814 Mr. Jones went on horseback to Coshocton, accompanied by William Totten, to buy flour, bacon, salt, dried fruits, ets., for the early settlement, which commodities he placed on a pirogue and with the help of a few stout men paddled the rude boat to the waters of the Killbuck and up through the drift of that sluggish stream to the mouth of Applecreek, and thence up that creek to where the old Robison's Mill stood, within the incorporation of Wooster. This exploit of inland navigation was heralded with acclamation by the inhabitants of Wooster, who rushed to the boat to obtain their supplies. He built the first bridge that was ever laid across the Muddy Fork, and constructed the road extending from Reedsburg across the quagmire to what was known as the "French Miller" property. He had sixteen men employed on the contract, and at night one-half of the number guarded the others while they slept. During this work one of his laborers was killed and literally mangled by the Indians. There were at this time but three houses between Wooster and Jeromeville. Several weeks were employed on this contract, Mr. Jones doing the cooking for his men in the woods and performing his duties with true early-day skill.
Mr. Jones constructed the first bridge on the Killbuck, on what was known as the Columbus Avenue road. He aided in securing the charter for the turnpike running from Wooster to Cleveland, and was a director and stockholder in the same. He exerted himself both in and outside the State
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Legislature in behalf of the choice of the Killbuck route for the Ohio canal. In 1816-17 he built the first jail in Wayne county, constructing it cheaply from the old logs of the block house erected by George Stidger in 1812.
On July 4, 1824, Mr. Jones and wife, then keeping the Wooster Hotel, roasted an ox and prepared a grand dinner for the occasion. The tickets to this banquet sold at fifty cents and there were over three hundred sold. The ox was roasted among the elders and brush in the rear of Lindell Sprague's residence. Many distinguished men were present, including Con- gressman John Sloan, Brigadier-General Beall, Judge Ezra Dean and others. After the dinner was over, Mr. Jones invited the children of the town to a free entertainment.
On one occasion Mr. Jones went to Morgan's, down the Killbuck, to get provisions, and among other things Mrs. Morgan gave him some fresh meat which she put in a large gourd of the capacity of a half bushel. The wolves, scenting the meat, pursued him with fierceness and angry demon- strations, when several times he thought he would have to throw everything away and try to save himself.
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