History of the Ohio falls cities and their counties : with illustrations and bibliographical sketches, Vol. II, Part 78

Author: Williams, L.A., & Co., Cleveland
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : L. A. Williams & Co.
Number of Pages: 680

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out the United States. He became noted as a man of strong passions, but of generous heart. He speaks with much pleasure of his milling experience and the achievements which he has made during his eventful life. Daniel, his elder brother, was by nature of a more retired disposi- tion, but' none the less characteristic. Both these brothers live at the head of Fourteen-mile creek; Joseph resides in the west; Lydia and Sarah are married; the remainder of the family are dead.

Jacob Ratts, an old settler, came from Wash- ington county, Indiana, more than fifty years ago. He married John Fouts's sister, and has re- mained in this township ever since.

John Russell lived in Washington village in 1811. He was a Revolutionary soldier, and died many years ago.

Henry and William Robinson canie from Nel- son county, Kentucky, in 1814, in company with father, mother, five brothers, and three sisters. The former was born December 31, 1803; the lat- ter February 9, 1806. The family settled on the road leading from New Washington to Beth- lehem on their arrival. Since this time they have been residents of this township. At times they were citizens of New Washington village and deal- ers in groceries and dry goods, and then again farmers. Both have retentive memories, and re- late many incidents with pleasant recollections.

Jesse Henly was one of the wealthiest men in the township in 18rr. He bought this land in most instances from the Government. At the time of his death he owned twenty-one hundred acres.

William Montgomery, a man who took much interest in all township questions, was the father of ten sons and three daughters. A large number of his descendants are now living in this county.

Joseph Robinson, a powerful man, six feet tall and two hundred pounds in weight, belonged to the early settlers.

The Foutses came from North Carolina; their descendants are scattered in many parts of the United States.

There has been a marked change in Washing- ton township within the last fifty years. The men and women, who did so much in clearing off the forest and preparing the way for the present gen- eration, have nearly all died. The gray-headed men of to-day were boys when the above men-

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HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

tioned reminiscences were present facts. The time will soon come when old pioneers will be no more ; when old mills, still-houses, tanneries, tav- erns, and all those things which made up the ear- ly history will pass away.

CHAPTER XXVII. WOOD TOWNSHIP.

ORGANIZATION.

Wood is a township which lies in the ex- treme western side of the county. It is bounded on the north and west by Wash- ington county; on the east by Carr township, except one tier of sections along the north side, which lies adjacent to sections in Monroe; and on the south by the county of Floyd. The township was established in 1807, the date of the first settlement, but it was not till 1816 that the boundaries were set forth as follows, as recorded in the report of the county commissioners:

Ordered, that a township be struck off, commencing on the Grant line where 250, 235, and 234 corner; thence south forty degrees east with the line of Charlestown township; thence with the line of Jeffersonville township to the top of the knobs; thence with the knobs to where the lines of Washington and Clark county intersect ; thence with the said line crossing to the line crossing the road leading from Charlestown to the town of Salem, in Washington county, via Jonathan Watkins; thence with the road aforesaid mentioned to the township line of Charlestown, which shall compose and form one township, called Wood.

The township, as it was bounded in 1816, dif- ferred much from its present size and shape. From its east side Carr township has been taken off almost entirely. Since the county lines have been straightened up, especially that one described as following the "knobs to where the lines of Washington and Clark county intersect," a much better understanding has been had in reference to the general lie of the country.

TOPOGRAPHY.

This township has nearly all kinds of soil, ex- tremes of warmth and cold, hills and valleys, tim- ber, and wealth hidden among the bowels of the earth. Says the Geological Report of Clark and Floyd counties:

The New Providence valley, lying at the base of the tall,

cone-shaped knobs, which were called "Silver Hills" by the early settlers, extends from hill to hill in graceful curves. This valley is about eight miles long and one or two wide. In this valley may be recognized two distinct deposits. The older layers belonging to the Champlain epoch originally gave the valley an elevation twenty to twenty-five feet above the present level. The more recent deposits are from the shifting of the streams and washings from the side hills. A section of the older deposits taken from the surface would be as fol- lows: First, alluvium soil; second, ochreous beds of many colors; third, fine-grained sand, suitable for colored glass; fourth, coarse gravel and sand, with fossils and limestone.

The bed of Silver creek, in this valley, was at one time on a higher level than at present, and has shifted its course and cut down the clays of the valley to its present position. The weathering of the knobs, shales, and sandstones has fur- nished pebbles which have been borne down by the floods from the hills, and, filling the bed of the creek, has altered its course from time to time. The spurs at the foot of the knobs, called points, indicate the former level of the valley and the course of the lateral washings. The shifting of the creek has thus created a rich surface loam, enriched by the decaying leaves and other vegetable matter from the hillsides with a deep subsoil of gravel. This soil is well suited to the growth of all the staple farm products, and the growing crops are not materially affected by drouth. Apples do well, and strawberries grow to great perfection, as well as all other small fruits. The water in the streams and shallow wells of the valley is noted for its softness. It does not decompose soap, and is as much used as rain-water for laundry purposes,

The forest growth of the valley comprises the red mulberry. the white mulberry, the pawpaw, the persimmon, sugar maple, and sugar-tree. Among the original growth of timber of the valley was walnut; of the hills chestnut, which was very abundant, and the nutting time of the year was a real harvest. But now, on account of the waste of timber, the chestnut crop is small. We hope the time is not far distant when the ruthless hand will not lay waste the noble forests as formerly. There were found also white and blue ash and prickly ash, beech and wild cherry, elm, sassafras, sycamore, and many other species.

The timber of the hills consists of chestnut oak, white oak, red oak, black oak, post oak, pine, black hickory, white hickory, dogwood, poplar, water maple, gum, and sumach.

STREAMS.

The Muddy fork of Silver creek is the princi- pal stream in the township. Its tributaries are the Dry fork, Giles branch, Morris branch, and Kelleys branch. Mr. Bellows says:

Once thick woods bordered the banks of these streams, woods almost impenetrable ; and once, too, the settler dared not venture upon them after nightfall, lest a wolf, or bear, or catamount, or wild Indian might pounce upon him too sud- denly to admit of defense; or, perhaps, a coiled serpent might be in waiting for him in the rank weeds that carpeted his pathway. When I see no more the herds of deer which once pastured upon these hills and in this valley, making great roads to the licks and springs, I am astonished, lost, can scarcely believe in its reality. Likewise I am astonished that the stream which winds its way down our valley ever received the appellation of Muddy. One thing is certain, it deserves not the epithet. Its waters are pure and silvery and no stream can boast of purer water.

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HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

SETTLEMENTS.

The exact date of the first permanent white settlement in the township is uncertain-at least we have no satisfactory record by which it can be determined. Whether George Wood was the first white man who settled in the township we cannot say; but it is quite certain he was among the first. Wood emigrated north in 1802 and set- .tled near Charlestown, where he resided till 1807. - He then removed to the Muddy Fork valley, and settled for life one and a half miles below where New Providence was afterwards lo- cated. George Wood was a native of South Carolina ; he died ten or twelve years after re- moving to this township.

Soon after Wood came John and Robert Burge, James Smith, Matthew Barnaby, Moses Harman, Elijah Harman, James Warman, and Simon Akers. To protect themselves from the savages, a block-house was erected on George Wood's farm in 1808. After this means of defense be- came generally known, John Giles, Jonathan Carr, and Samuel Harrod came, accompanied by their families. In 1810 John Mckinley, of Shelby county, Kentucky, settled in the same valley; in 18rr Samuel Packwood came from Shenandoah county, Virginia. The Burges, Harmans, Smith, and Barnaby emigrated from North Carolina; Giles and Akers were from Kentucky; likewise Warman and a man named Frederick Gore and others. Carr and Harrod were from Pennsylvania. Harrod had two sons, William and Henry. The former was by trade a miller, and for many years owned a notable mill on Silver creek. Henry for several years was clerk of Clark county.

Again in 1813 came James McKinley, brother to John, whose name we have already mentioned. William Packwood, brother to Samuel, came in 1819. These were the parents and grandparents of many sons and daughters now in this region, and well known far and near.

We also mention others who acted their part well. Of these we will name Charles Robert- son, James Baker and brother Jesse, Micah Burns, Thompson Littell, William Kelly, Michael Borders, Christopher Morris, William Gibson, James Johnson, and brother Lancelot, James Brown (who came from North Carolina in 1824 at six years of age and settled in the Silver Creek valley with his father's family), John Bell, George

Brock, Isaac Baggerly, Cyrus Bradford, George Goss, and David his brother, John Goss, Mat- thew West, Thomas Halow, mostly from the South. Robertson was from Virginia, and the Bakers from South Carolina; Burns was from Vermont; Littell and Bradford were from New York State; the remaining ones whose names have been mentioned, were from North Caro- lina

Esquire Samuel Hay, grandfather to Miss Ada Hay, a well-known school mistress of Clark county, settled in the Dry Fork valley, near the confluence with Muddy fork. He was the first magistrate of the township, who, by the way, while hearing charges against offenders, sat on a large beech stump in front of his house, which he denominated the "seat of justice." The Gosses settled on the hills some three miles west of the - block-house. The Packwoods settled principally in the valley of Muddy fork, but two or three miles above the block-house ; Messrs. Littell, Warman, the Baker brothers, Robertson, John Burge, and Burwell Gibson, with several others, from one to two miles below the block-house; the Mckinleys, Bells, John- sons, Akers, Bradford, and a few more, on the hills some two miles south of the central point.

Elijah Harman was bitten by a rattlesnake near Fowler's gap, where he was found dead, and was here buried. Samuel Harrod died soon after his arrival in the county. His grave is one mile above New Providence, on the hill east of the barn and near the base line on the farm now owned by J. D. Hurn. Giles settled on that tributary of Muddy fork called Giles branch, after whom it was named. When settlements began to increase he, having a roving disposition, " pulled up stakes " and went farther west. A few others of like disposition followed.

Morris settled on the branch bearing his name, where also he lived to a good old age, leaving many children and grandchildren. Kelley set- tled on the hill at the source of the branch bear- ing his name, where, also, not far below the house in the valley he had a salt well, from which for several years, though weak in minerals, he made salt. The well at present is filled with debris, as it has been since the death of Kelley, many years ago.

The tributary called the Dry fork was so called on account of its almost destitution of water in

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HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

summer. Frederick Gore settled on the hill near its source; so also did others, and several immi- grants in the valley.

Many of the early settlers were of a roving disposition. After the township had filled up so as to have from three to five hundred citizens, the emigration fever overtook them, and many were induced to remove further west.

John Borden, his brother Stephen, and Henry Dow took the lead. The Bordens were from Rhode Island ; Dow from Connecticut. This was in the spring of 1817, soon after the Terri- tory of Indiana had been admitted into the sis- terhood of States. The Indians, too, had taken up their line of march and found a home further west. Block-houses were therefore now no more, nor of any serious consequence. Dow purchased land; so also did John Borden. Dow returned to his home in Connecticut. Borden having laid out the town of New Providence, naming it after Providence, Rhode Island, returned home also. In 1818, leaving his children, two or three in number, with relatives in his old State, ac- companied by his wife and Joseph Cook-a young man of influence and respectability, and by trade a blacksmith -he removed to this so-called land of promise. Dow came in 1819, bringing with him John Fowler, a son-in-law, and an unmarried daughter, also two sons unmar- ried, and Henry, a son who was married-alto- gether about sixteen men, women, and children. William Brannan, a man of wealth and respect- ability, with a large family, came soon after Dow, from New York. Banannel Shaw and family from Rhode Island, soon followed Bran- nan. Then came Thomas Bellows. His family was composed of his mother, then a widow; two sisters, Lydia and Laura; a brother, David; and of course his wife and children. The com- pany in which the Bellowses came was composed of Samuel Hallett and Silas Standish, with their families; Joseph Durfy and Peleg Lewis, with- out families, all from New London county, Con- necticut.

IMPROVEMENTS.

Roads abound, as do meeting-houses and schools. Outside of these, says Mr. Asa M. Bellows, we have very little of which to boast. Churches were generally erected by individual donations; school-houses by a provision made by law for appropriating a limited per cent. of the

State school fund to this use. School-houses in early times were constructed of round logs; sub- sequently of hewn logs, and finally of sawed lumber, framed. The first school-house built in the township was of round beach logs, erected in New Providence in 1818, on the public square. The second school-house in the village was put up in 1827, and the third in 1868.

Roads are established chiefly by the county authorities, under the regulations of the State "laws for the establishment and support of pub- lic highways." Originally these highways were mainly bridle-paths. One was a State road, rough and stumpy, leading from Jeffersonville through New Providence to Salem in Washing- ton county. Until some time in the forties, when our Legislature gave it to the railroad company, it was of almost infinite value. Subsequently it has been of very little worth, the railroad having monopolized the travel and transportation of almost every article of trade.

George Wood was the proprietor of the first grist-mill. It was known as a draft corn-mill, and was built in 1808. The second was a tread-mill, built by Henry Dow in 1828; the third, a steam- mill, built also by Henry Dow, Sr., in 1833; to it was attached a carding machine. In 1868 Christopher Fisher built a first-class steam flour- ing-mill, which at present belongs to James A. Burns.

The first saw-mill in the township was erected by Henry Dow, Sr., in 1820. It was of the over- shot pattern, and was erected on Kelley's branch, about one mile and a quarter from its confluence with Muddy fork, at New Providence. A good steam-mill is at present the property of James A. Burns.

POST-OFFICES.

The New Providence post-office was estab- lished in 1826. Tilly H. Brown was the first postmaster. Mr. Brown was a Presbyterian minister, a man of respectability and many fine natural abilities. His attention was turned in this direction, and through his efforts the office was secured. Brown's term of office lasted for one year, at the expiration of which Samuel Hal- lett became postmaster, serving until 1829. Joshua W. Custer came next, who probably served until 1837. Then came Isaac Shaw, who served until 1853. Maxwell Littell and James McKinley followed, each serving about

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HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

four years, or until 1861, when Mr. Shaw re- ceived the appointment again. He served till 1863. Charles Robinson and Samuel Day fol- lowed, and in 1867 T. S. Carter, who served about four years. Mr. Carter delivered his office to Prosper. Henry, who served until 1876, when he turned it over to Thomas A. Myers, who is the incumbent, January 1, 1882.

TAVERNS.

As pertains to tavern-keeping Mrs. Lydia Borden, consort of John Borden, deceased, took the lead. From 1824, the time of her husband's decease, she continued the business under her own auspices until her decease in 1851. Subse- quently traveling by horseback and in vehicles has been almost entirely superseded by railroads, and tavern-keeping rendered a nullity.

STORE-KEEPERS.

The first store-keeper was John Borden, Sr., who when he came from the East in 1818, brought goods with him, and for several years supplied the citizens with such articles in the dry-goods line as they needed. Isaac Shaw fol- lowed, with a few others from time to time, but Shaw held the ascendency and maintained his position. Although himself poor, beginning with a mere pittance, compelled to purchase very few articles at a time, only what he could bring from Louisville on horseback in a pair of saddle- bags, he became at last a trader of very large experience and of considerable wealth. Mr. Shaw died in 1868, in his sixty-eighth year. At present there are two dry-goods stores-one kept by T. S. Ransom, the other by H. Shoemaker; also a first-class provision store, kept by George W. Miller, a drug store by Drs. Stalker & Jones, and a shoe-shop by Edward Mckinley.

SALOONS.

Once, says another, it was thought that man could not live and be a man without the use of whiskey; consequently whiskey shops were li- censed for man's sake. Of late, however, our citizens have been trying the experiment of living without saloons. The names of licensed dealers we dare not mention.

COOPERING

has ever been a leading trade in this township. Thomas Goss is now prominently engaged in making barrels, and ships extensively to Chicago and other points.

& TANNERIES.

Samuel Packwood, Sr., was the first tanner in the township. This was in the year 1812, or soon after. In 1823 a regular yard was opened by John Borden, Sr., with Butler Dunbar as principal workman. Soon afterwards it passed into the hands of James McKinley, who carried on the business several years. After the elder Mckinley came John McKinley, Jr., and finally Samuel Mckinley, who is at present carrying on the tanning business quite extensively.

BLACKSMITHS.

William Howard and Joseph Cook took the lead. John Akers, Wesley Breedlove, and Elihu W. Daskies followed, but we have no reliable data by which to determine when or how long each one served. At present (1882), and for several years past, John K. Vance, William H. Mayes, and Thomas Bell have been serving the people. Vance and Mayes have connected with their shops, wagon and carriage-making depart- ments.

PHYSICIANS.

Mr. Bellows says :

No physicians of note ever came among us to settle as practi- tioners untill 1860 or thereabouts. About that time came Drs. Francis and M. Mitchell, both of New Albany. Prior to that time the people when sick were compelled to send to Green- ville, in Floyd county, or to Martinsburg or Salem, in Wash- ington county, the distance to the former being eight miles, to Martinsburg five miles, to Salem twelve. Mitchell having remained with us about four years, returned to New Albany, and Dr. William Bright of Martinsburg took his place. Dr. Bright remained a short time, returned to Martinsburg, and in 1866 was succeeded by Dr. Christopher C. Clark, of Washington county. Clark, having remained with us several years, became desirons to go west. He sold out to Dr. Ben- jamin F. Stalker, of Washington county, who in company with Dr. Cadwallader Jones, of Washington county, has opened a drug store in our village.

MISSIONARIES.

The Rev. Mr. Dickey, a minister belonging to the Presbyterian church and a resident of Charlestown or vicinity, was the first, or among the first of these, his labors dating from 1819. Others followed, ministers of different denomina- tions, among whom were William Shanks, of the Methodist Episcopal church; Elder Thompson Littell, who at that time was a Missionary Baptist ; Revs. Aaron Farmer, Benjamin Abbott, Thomas Ellrod, and others of the United Brethren church; James Blackwell, John A. McMahan, George W. Edmondson, and others, of the Cum- berland Presbyterian church-all residents of

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HISTORY OF THE OHIO FALLS COUNTIES.

Indiana, and all, or nearly all, now gone to their reward. But their labors followed them. The bread cast upon the waters returned in due sea- son. Many professed their faith in Christ, and hence sprang up regular church buildings.

CHURCHES.

The Baptists took the lead in time and men- bers, and with Elder Thompson Littell as preacher, it thus continued for twenty years, or until 1832, when the reformation under Dr. Alexander Campbell carried it, as if by storm, to utter extinction. The organizations made up of United Brethren and Presbyterians, not being able to support a pastor, have finally become ex- tinct. The Methodists and Missionary Baptists each have a small house. The Baptists have for their preacher Elder William McCay ; the Meth- odists are supplied by itineracy or circuit preach- ing.

The Reformers or Campbellites have three large congregations in the township-one at New Providence, with Elder Enoch Parr pastor; one at Pleasant Ridge, two miles south of New Provi- dence, without a regular pastor; and one at Mud- dy Fork, three miles below, with Elder Absalom Littell, Jr., as pastor. In early times, or during the pioneer age of this church, Thompson Lit- tell, Absalom Littell, Sr., John Wright, Jacob Wright, and Lemon Martin distinguished them- selves as "wise master builders," or what they called the church. But long since they left the field.

Mr. Bellows says of the Sunday-schools:

The first Sabbath-school was founded here in 1824 or 1825 -a long time ago, when we were ten years of age. For our school-room we had a house of round beech logs. Mrs. Sarah White and Miss Laura W. Bellows were teachers. Both were Presbyterians Having the love of God in their hearts, they were induced to gather together the urchins of the village and teach them how to live and how to die. Thus a nucleus was formed, a kernel, which has already produceda tree of ample dimensions, which is destined to flourish yet for generations. Rev. Tilly H. Brown, of the Presbyterian church, who came here in 1826, took charge of the Sunday- .school during that year. He also took charge of our district school, and preached for $100 a year, wood and provisions found. And to encourage the pupils red cards were pur- chased, also a library. Red cards were valued at a cent each, blue ones at six for a cent. Six verses, memorized from the Bible or sacred poetry, entitled the pupil to a blue card. Six blue cards would entitle him to a red card, with which, when he had a sufficient number, he could purchase a book. But this system gave the preference to the large scholars, the small ones not being able to compete with them ; hence it was abandoned. At present the international system is fol-

lowed. Subsequent to 1826 the school flourished, but al- ways under adverse circumstances. At intervals it was necessarily suspended. In 1850 I became surperintendent, and conducted it some three years almost alone. Among the Christrian fraternity of those times there were many to op- pose. Subsequently, or from 1854 to 1856 or thereabouts, Professor W. W. Borden took the lead as superintendent and teacher, with myself as assistant. Then fof a time John A. Littell, followed by Dr. Benjamin F. Stalker, who up to 1882 is vet serving.

SCHOOLS.

Parents, even in those early times, believed that the best legacy was a good education. Hence, in after years, when settlements were add- ed and neighbors settled in close proximity to each other, the spirit of the age was largely in favor of schools and school-houses. It affected the whole country; therefore the present genera- tion have benefits, privileges, and suitable text- books, which their grandparents and parents knew nothing about.

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History of the Ohio falls cities and their counties : with illustrations and bibliographical sketches, Vol. II, Part 78

Author: Williams, L.A., & Co., Cleveland Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : L. A. Williams & Co. Number of Pages: 680

Author: Williams, L.A., & Co., Cleveland
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : L. A. Williams & Co.
Number of Pages: 680