USA > Ohio > Knox County > Past and present of Knox County, Ohio, Vol. I > Part 31
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The reason this township was separated from Pleasant township was on account of its being unhandy for the settlement to go so far to vote. The petition to the Legislature to have this made a separate township was dated December 21, 1838, at least that was when the first election in the new pre- cinct was held, at the house of public entertainment in Gambier village, kept
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by Mordecai W. Vore. The early elections were attended by from twenty to thirty voters, the major part of whom were connected as officers and teachers of the college. G. W. Meyers was one of the earlier settlers in this township and was elected treasurer of the same, after it had been duly or- ganized. He was a printer and book-binder and he it was who contributed much towards the preserving of records and sustaining the library established at the college. For many years he was associated with the Acland Press. The printing office was the generous gift of the liberal and enlightened English Protestants to Bishop Chase, in 1825, and received its name in honor of Lady Acland, the fair donor who started the subscription. Upon this have been published various literary and religious articles calculated to advance the cause of learning and religion.
VILLAGE OF GAMBIER.
This is the only town within the limits of College township and is a college village pure and simple. It was laid out in 1845, long after the good Bishop departed, but there had been several attempts at conducting stores and shops there before that date. The old college mill erected by Bishop Chase went into decay and a new, very superior mill was placed on the site of it by Daniel S. Norton, known as the Kenyon mills, which were situated on and derived power from the Kokosing river. Bishop Chase succeeded in having a postoffice established at Gambier in 1832, the earliest postmaster being M. T. C. Wing, who kept it many years. Other postmasters and post- mistresses have been Benoni Elliott, a student from the District of Columbia, was appointed in 1846, served three years, when Wing again received the appointment, and was followed in 1853 by James Young. E. J. Riley was appointed in 1857, and in 1861 came Joseph Leonard, who in turn gave way to Mrs. Fearns, who was still in charge of the postoffice in 1881. Since that date have been the following : Edward Riley and Joseph Leonard (before the Civil war), Mrs. L. Andrews, Mrs. S. J. Fearns, Mary Trimble, E. O. Young, E. P. Webster, H. M. Jacobs.
The rural routes were established as follows: No. I, in December, 1900: Nos. 2 and 3, in October, 1902.
The postoffice was burglarized in July, 1905, and in November, 1910. There are six daily mails each way at Gambier. The amount of business transacted at this office (other than money order work) was three thousand three hundred dollars.
The Gambier Observer was established in 1838. In later years it was known as the Western Episcopalian and was purely a church and religious organ.
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The first religious services in Gambier were held by Bishop Chase, under the broad and spreading branches of native forest trees, and most of these present were in his employ. Harcourt parish (named for an English noble- man) was organized in June, 1827. See church history for more along the line of early and present churches here, especially of this Episcopal denom- ination. A Congregational church was formed here in 1867; a Methodist church in 1832, or earlier.
The population of Gambier village in 1910 was 548, two hundred less than in 1900. The population of College township in 1900 was, including Gambier, 983, but its enumeration of 1910 shows but 769.
The present business of Gambier is in the hands of the following per- sons : Hotel, the Kenyon, by Mrs. H. Wellman; gentlemen's goods, A. R. Martin; shoes, L. A. Jacobs : drugs, C. R. Jackson; general dealers, C. G. Scott & Son, S. R. Doolittle; groceries, G. W. McNabb, Purdy & Striker; meats, O. G. Rowley ; restaurant and bakery, Jacobs & Snow ; physicians, Dr. John Claypool, A. D. Welker, Joseph Wagner ; merchant tailor, C. G. Singer ; blacksmiths, R. D. Woolison, H. J. Woolison, William Beeman ; undertakers, S. R. Martin; livery, L. Vernon; lumber and grain, Thompson Bros .; hay, grain and coal, A. L. Blue.
The churches of Gambier are the Protestant Episcopal and the Methodist Episcopal.
While Gambier never has aspired to being a hustling, busy commercial mart, it has, and does still, boast of being one of the finest spots in all Ohio for a quiet home, a place in which to rear children and educate them for useful calling in life. It was over eighty-six years ago that Bishop Chase selected this beauty spot in Knox county for college purposes. He was loca- tion seeking and on the afternoon of July 22, 1825, stood on the trunk of a fallen tree and said, "Well, this will do." At that instant was fixed the destiny of Kenyon College, which during all of these four score and more years has blessed the whole world with the students who have been trained here. Many of the great men of the nation have gone forth from the build- ings of this college.
The grounds of the large campus are indeed charming to behold, be it whatever season one visits the place. In summer the grass-carpeted lawns, the native forest kings, the thick wooded spots, the gravel and cement walks, the style of architecture, all proclaim beauty and purity.
CHAPTER XXVII.
HARRISON TOWNSHIP.
The date of organizing Harrison township was March 9, 1825. It was named in honor of that illustrious general and statesman, William Henry Harrison, who made it possible for this whole northwestern country to be- come settled by white men, he being an Indian fighter and peacemaker with tribes thus disposed. It is in the second tier of townships from both the east and south lines of the county. It is bounded on the east by Butler, on the south by Clay, on the west by Pleasant and College and on the north by Howard township.
Its population in 1890 was, according to United States official returns, 622 ; in 1900, it was 588 and in the last federal census ( 1910) it was placed at 575.
Once heavily timbered, it has now been largely cleared off and culti- vated. The farms are excellent and of high price. The township still has a large amount of good timber, of the best Ohio species. It is a well watered township, having many small streams and springs within its borders. There are none of the Indian mounds found in some of Knox county's townships. Its northwestern corner is crossed by the Kokosing river, while Indian Field run is counted the main stream. This takes its source in Butler township, runs west to near the center of Harrison, flows north into the Kokosing river. At the mouth of this stream the Indians had cleared a large tract of timber land, on which much corn was raised annually, and the stream was so named for this fact. In the northwestern portion is Barney's run, which flows north to Howard township and falls into the Kokosing river. As late as 1880 a small beaver dam was to be seen spanning the Indian Field run, on Simon Dudgeon's farm. The northwestern part of this township is traversed by the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon & Columbus railroad.
When the first white men came in the Indians were numerous, and for a number of years after that they would come from Greentown and Upper Sandusky to hunt. The old Indian trail from Greentown to the Wakatomika passed through Harrison township, and bands of Indians were frequently seen passing through, after the ending of the war of 1812-14. It was also much traveled by white men before better highways were made. It was over this route that Gen. Lewis Cass passed after he was made governor of Michi-
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gan territory, on going from his home in Muskingum county to Detroit. Once he is known to have halted for the night, with three other gentlemen, at the home of Simon Dudgeon, a pioneer of Harrison township.
It is believed that Andrew Casto was the first man to take up his per- manent abode in this township. He entered government land in the west part of the township.
It is claimed by others that Jeremiah Biggs was the first to locate here. It is certain that he settled in the township in 1808, on section 16. He said when he came, "Deer were as plentiful as sheep, the wolves made night hideous and the Indians still lurked in the dense forests." He reared a family of eleven children, one of whom, a son, was born in this township in 1812. When this pioneer man moved here he used to receive letters from his old home in Pennsylvania, addressed "To Jeremiah Biggs on Owl Creek, State of Ohio." One of these messages was still in the possession of John Biggs, a son, in 1880. The father died in 1844. The Dudgeons were a stalwart Irish family, who emigrated from Ireland, where Simon was born, in 1776. He sailed for the United States in 1801, having but a single English shilling for a start in the New World.
Another prominent pioneer was John Schooler, a Pennsylvanian, born near Carlisle, in 1770. He moved to Beaver county, that state, in the year he became twenty-six years old, coming to Harrison township, this county, in 1818. In 1822 he entered over four hundred acres of land here. In 1831-32 he was a member of the Ohio Legislature from Knox county. In the latter part of the eighteenth century he partook of all the hardships of a soldier in the Indian warfares and finally enlisted in the American cause in the war of 1812-14. He was a noted hunter, a brave soldier and laid down the burdens of life in 1853.
The Harrods were also noted pioneers, being among the very first to settle in Knox county. Michael Harrod moved to Harrison township soon after the first white men entered the township.
About 1810 came Arthur Fawcett, a native of Ireland, and settled in what was then a dense wilderness in Harrison township. He met with a singular loss by secreting a thousand dollars in his milk-house loft, for safe keeping, but, alas, one night a thief took it and he was never caught, or even known.
A Pennsylvania Dutchman, named Daniel Ullery, born in 1790, located in the township in 1817.
George Lepley, another Pennsylvanian who aided in the first work of development here, was the only one from that part of the East who settled here, living in 1881. He came from Somerset county in 1807. settled
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in Butler township and moved to Harrison in 1812. He served through the war of 1812-14.
William Green, an early pioneer in Ohio, settled in the south part of Licking county in 1804. and in Harrison township in 1824. He died in 1855.
The Horns are another numerous family in this section. Benjamin Horn came from Pennsylvania in 1818 and Joseph in 1820. The family was noted for their longevity and thrift.
In 1815 came Nathaniel Ross, from Greene county, Pennsylvania, and it is believed that he was the first man in Knox county to advocate the aboli- tion of slavery, hence met with bitter opposition. He was also among the first to adopt the religious views of Alexander Campbell. At that time it was as much of a stigma and disgrace to be known as an advocate of Camp- bell's doctrine as it was to be an abolitionist. But times have materially changed-the slaves are all free and the Disciples church, founded by Camp- bell, is among the strongest in Ohio.
The great "Burlington wind storm" of May 18. 1825, passed through this township and destroyed much property for Mr. Ross, among others, in Harrison township. Again on September 2, 1846, another terrible wind. taking on the proportions of a tornado or cyclone, destroyed some of his out- buildings, and a log falling upon his daughter, Rachel Ann, a young lady of sixteen years, caused her instant death.
The Lybarger family, though not early in this section of the county, were prominent in the day in which the township was being really developed from its wilderness state. They came from Bedford county, Pennsylvania, locating here in 1819.
Others whose names should go down in history as early comers in Harri- son township were Isaac Coan, Hugh Miller, Paul Welker, Silas Ralston, Wendell Melker, John Wolf, John Troutman, Israel Dillon, Benjamin Ellis. Jacob Hayes, Marvis and Asa Freeman, all, or nearly all, from Pennsylvania.
FIRST EVENTS.
Nathaniel Ross built the first brick house in Harrison township. The first road worked in the township was the highway leading from Mt. Vernon to Coshocton, which was laid out in 1808-9. The Gambier and Martinsburg road was surveyed out and worked several years afterwards.
The first saw mill was constructed about 1833, by William Lepley, on Indian Field run. Here Mr. Lepley met his death.
Simon Dudgeon erected the first and only grist mill in this township and this was on the same stream.
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About 1842 was established the first postoffice in Harrison township. It was known as Wolfe's office, after pioneer George Wolfe, the first postmas- ter. It was discontinued after ten years' service. In the seventies another office was established in the more central part of this township, known as Pipesville, established by Warren Pipes, who died and his daughter Anna Bell was appointed postmistress.
Concerning the schools and churches, an account of these will be found in the general chapters treating on such topics.
Union Grove cemetery was established in 1823, when the first burials occurred.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
HOWARD TOWNSHIP.
Howard, originally a part of Union township, was made into a separate township March 9, 1825. For many years after the formation of the town- ship government in this sub-division of Knox county the officers donated their services to the public.
The township is situated in the second tier of townships from the north and the second from the eastern line of the county. The Pennsylvania sys- tem of railway runs through this township, cutting it into two right-angle triangles. with Howard village as a station point in about the center of the township. The surface of this township is generally rolling and somewhat broken at the ravines. Much of the soil is a heavy, yet quite gravelly, loam. The bottom lands, especially along Owl creek and the Big and Little Jelloway streams, produce immense crops of both corn and wheat. Timber still abounds, which has been left from the once great and almost universal for- ests of Knox county.
The principal stream is Owl creek, passing through the territory from about the center of the south side and courses through Howard north and east, leaving the township near the southeast corner. Big Jelloway creek enters the northeast corner of Howard from Brown township, flows south- westerly, empties into Owl creek, near the village of Howard. Another stream is Little Jelloway (both named for the old Indian by this name), which comes in from the northwest and joins Big Jelloway near its mouth. Then there are Barney's run and Schenck's run. tributaries of Owl Creek. These streams make Howard township one of the best watered and drained sections of Knox county. There is one small Indian mound in the town- ship, situated on the old farm of Worthington Shipley.
There was found by the pioneer band, a permanent Indian camp in this township. at the mouth of Indian Field run. Here the Indians had years gone by cleared away the timber and annually raised corn, and continued to after the settlement was effected a year or so. The two Jelloway creeks and Owl creek made it a desirable camping and hunting place, and none were quicker to recognize this than the red men. There was a noted Indian, a sub- chief of the Delawares, named Tom Jelloway, who remained in the county several years after the other members of the tribes had gone from the coun-
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try. He became much attached to the white settlers and adopted their man- ner of dress and modes of living, as far as possible. He made his living mainly by selling brooches and other Indian-made trinkets to the whites. The Critchfields and Walkers bought many of his wares, and this gave him some money and provisions. Critchfield was a "mighty hunter" and it is told of a truth that one night he heard a fat hog squealing in the thicket near his house, and upon seizing his gun and going to the spot found the hog in the tight embrace of a large bear. He had to shoot three charges from his gun before the bear was silenced in death. His carcass was rendered out and produced ten gallons of oil.
On another occasion Benjamin Critchfield and brother Isaac were out hunting wild turkeys. They heard the cry of a panther, which was in the top of a tree, near where they were standing. They each dreaded to fire the first shot, but it was finally agreed upon that Isaac should shoot first, who, as he was an excellent marksman, rarely missed his shot. He deliberately aimed and fired. The ball penetrated the animal's brain and he fell from the tree dead. He proved to be one of enormous size, measuring seven feet from tip to tip. This is said to have been the only panther ever killed in Knox county by a white man.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Concerning the first whites to penetrate this township with a view of effecting a settlement, it is believed that Abraham Welker came in prior to any other person. He emigrated from Harrison county, Ohio, in 1806 or 1807, locating his farm on the Indian fields, near the stream of the same name. From all appearances this land had been cultivated many generations by the Indian tribes, in their most approved methods, which were indeed a shiftless way to farm. He was thus saved much hard work in the clearing off of the timber, as other settlers always had to do in this county before they could raise a crop. When he came there were but three or four families living on Owl creek, in Butler township. The Indians were encamped near his cabin. His younger children were more used to seeing Indians than they were white men, and seemed afraid when a white person approached the premises. Mr. Welker died in the township in 1820.
Paul Welker, another early settler, came but a little later than Abraham to the township, and settled in the south part. When he came, so thinly set- tled was that part of Knox county that he believed himself almost "monarch of all he surveyed," and was out one day in the timber chasing a deer into a swamp, when he was startled by the sound of an ax. Not deeming it possi-
(21)
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ble that a white man was there he quietly made his way to the spot where he believed an Indian was hacking away at a tree, when lo and behold it was pioneer Simon Dudgeon, of Harrison township, whom he had never inet before.
No other family in the township, if indeed in Knox county, were so numerous as the Critchfields. There were five brothers in one family, Na- thaniel. Isaac, John, Joseph and William, who emigrated from Maryland to this township in 1807-8. Several had been soldiers in the Revolutionary war, hence were well fitted to endure the hardships of opening up a farm in a heavily-wooded section of the country. Today their descendants can be num- bered by the scores in this and adjoining counties.
Joseph Critchfield came here a single man, but soon went to Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and there married, procured two horses, one for him- self and one for his bride, packed a few (very few) articles of furniture and cooking utensils onto the horses' backs, and started for their new home in the wilds of Knox county, Ohio. Thus it was ordained that the Pennsylvanians should subdue and make to blossom like the rose what was then but a wilder- ness.
Coming in then, and a little later, were such men as Isaac Dial, Uriah and Marvin Tracy, James Logue, James Wade, Benjamin Ellis, Philip Dial, George Lybarger, Jesse Enlon, John Stedman. Then in the thirties came John Hull, Henry Eckenrode, George McFarland, John Durbin, Thomas Mc- Elroy, John Cassill, Martin Engel, Amos Workman, H. H. McArtor and James Berry. Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and New England furnished almost all of this hardy pioneer band who took the first steps toward making Howard township what it is today.
DISTILLERIES OF THE TOWNSHIP.
Every one drank whisky in those times-almost every one! All well people did and most of the invalids took a "little for the stomach's sake." At one time there were no less than nine distilleries in Howard township. One was owned by a Mr. Hawn and the building, which stood not many years since, was near Milwood and used for a barn. Much of the whisky was con- sumed at home, while if any was to be spared, it was sent by wagon to Newark and Mt. Vernon and shipped to other points. This was then a very respect- able line of business and ministers of the gospel all took their drink before engaging in service, as it "braced" them up for a hard day's work. Vast indeed is the change since the first workings of the old Sons of Temperance in this state and this year 1911, when all one hears is "wet" or "dry" counties.
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The first bridge to span the waters of Jelloway creek was constructed in 1830.
The first saw and grist mill was put in operation in 1815 by Nathaniel Critchfield. It was on the Little Jelloway creek, whose waters were then sufficient to propel the saw and turn the buhrs for grinding corn.
Stephen Workman was first to operate a threshing machine in the town- ship, this being either 1838 or 1839.
Benjamin Critchfield made the first brick residence in the township.
The church and school history of Howard township appears in the gen- eral chapters of this volume and are well worth the reader's perusal.
In 1910 there were reported 875 people in Howard township, which was about one hundred less than in 1900.
VILLAGE OF HOWARD.
Howard is the only village in the township. It was platted in 1836, and named Kinderhook. Henry Warden erected the first house and Ross Arbuckle was the first hotel keeper. Some were added to the trading place, until the census of 1880 gave it as having a population of one hundred and fifty. A mutual fire insurance company was formed here in 1863. It was made a stock company in 1868, with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, but in the latter part of the seventies it was compelled to close up its business, for lack of support among the farmers, in whose interest it had been started.
The present status of Howard may be summed up as follows: The postoffice here was established in about 1840 and made a money order office in 1886. A free rural delivery route was established in April, 1902. another about the same date, and route No. 3 in 1904. The office was robbed in 1904 of about six hundred dollars, which the government lost. The rob- bers unlocked the front door and entered and then blew up the safe. The same time others were robbed in the county. The store in which the office is kept was robbed three times after this. The amount of business done in this office in 1910 was one thousand two hundred and twenty-five dollars and forty-one cents. There are three mails each way, daily. Among the post- masters here may be recalled Jesse Henry, James Penhardwood, F. J. Critch- field, W. H. Ralston, 1885, E. A. Wolfe, appointed 1890 and succeeded by Joseph Critchfield, who held till March, 1894, and was followed by E. A. Wolfe, who resigned in favor of J. W. Humbert, who commenced in May, 1897, and continued until May, 1901, when came into office Joseph Critchfield, the present incumbent.
The present business interests are as follows :
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General dealers, Eli A. Wolfe, J. H. Westrich & Company, J. W. Hum- bert; grain, seeds and flour, Wolfe Grain and Seed Company ; blacksmiths, C. J. Penhorwood, James V. Lantz; livery, Norrick & Wolfe; undertakers, Wolfe & Critchfield: hotel, John Ralston; physicians, Coleman & Buxton; cement block work, William C. Ely; building contracting, Clinton Purdy ; meats, J. H. Norrick. The gas pumping station for the Mohican Oil and Gas Company is located at Howard and is among the largest in the country.
The Howard Cereal Mills, a roller process milling plant, is only about one mile outside the village. It is on the waters of the Little Jelloway creek, which is dammed by a concrete or cement dam.
The public schools here are excellent. They have a three-course high school grade. The building has four spacious rooms. It was erected in 1905 at a cost of six thousand dollars. The district was bonded for this amount, but all told the building cost seven thousand, one hundred dollars.
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CHAPTER XXIX.
HILLIAR TOWNSHIP.
In the extreme southwestern part of Knox county is what is known as Hilliar township. It was created from territory formerly a part of Miller township, and the change was effected August 28, 1818, as shown by the county records :
"Ordered that a new township be, and hereby is formed as follows : Beginning at the southwest corner of said county of Knox and running east on the line between Knox and Licking counties, seven and a half miles; thence north five miles to the line dividing the fifth and sixth townships; thence west seven miles and a half to the west boundary of Knox county ; thence south five miles to the place of beginning; which shall be known and called Hilliar township.
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