Past and present of the city of Zanesville and Muskingham County, Ohio, Part 38

Author: Sutor, J. Hope, 1846-
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 898

USA > Ohio > Muskingum County > Zanesville > Past and present of the city of Zanesville and Muskingham County, Ohio > Part 38

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

205

PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

The first class of what is now known as the Blue Rock M. E. church, was formed by Rev. Samuel Hamilton, and the first meeting house, 20 by 25 feet, was built of hewed-logs, in the southwest portion of the township, between the forks of Blue Rock creek, and in 1852 it was replaced by a frame, 26 by 30 feet, on the same site.

Methodist Protestant. In 1842, Rev. Nathan- iel Linder preached in the woods on the banks of the Muskingum, and organized a class of fif- teen or twenty persons. In the following year Revs. J. Huntsman and J. Winn conducted a revival and the membership increased to II2, and a meeting house 24 by 28 feet, was erected, about the center of the township; in 1869, it was re- placed by a frame, 24 by 38 feet, at a cost of $1, 100.00, and dedicated in May, 1870.

Evangelical Lutheran. April 11, 1878, the St. John's church was organized by Rev. Andrew Birch with fifty members, and in October a lot was bought in Taylorsville and the following spring the corner-stone of a frame structure, 36 by 50 feet, was laid, and the building completed at a cost of $1,000.00, and dedicated September 28, 1879. The dedicatory sermon, in German, was delivered by Rev. H. Cramer, of Zanesville, and in English by Prof. M. Loy.

HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP.

March 7, 1814, the journal of the Commission- ers reads : "A petition was presented by a num- ber of inhabitants of the northeast division of Muskingum county, praying that the fifth and sixth ranges, thence south to the line that divides the first and second townships, east to the county line, thence north to the place of beginning, may be incorporated into a new township by the name of Highland," a name selected on account of the elevation of the section. The tract included what is now Adams, Salem, Monroe and Highland townships, and the journal records, under date of the 8th, that the commissioners "Then took into consideration the petition from the inhabitants of the northeast sec- tion of the county, taking in the fifth and sixth ranges and the third and second town- ships, which was granted and incorported and named Highland." An election was ordered at the house of Wm. Denison, who lived one and one half miles south of Adamsville, on the first Mon- day in April, but no record exists of the election then held. By the formation of the other town- ships the area has been reduced to the present limits, the last amputation occurring July 2, 1819. Highland is a full township of the original sur- vey of the United States' military lands, five miles square, and is bounded north by Monroe township ; cast by Guernsey county ; south by Union township and west by Salem township.

The earliest recorded settler is Mathew Trace, in 1808, in section eleven, and shortly after Lot Wortman, on section sixteen and James Honnold on section fifteen, who engaged also in black- smithing. Between 1810-12, Peter Bond settled on section thirteen and brought the first wagon to the township ; he was buried in 1853 in private ground, and when his remains were exhumed in 1878 for reinterment in the Bethel cemetery, they were found to have been entirely petrified. Dur- ing 1813 the settlers were Thomas Rambo, on section nineteen ; Alex. Mayes and J. K. McCune, on section twenty-two; John, Casper, Peter and William Bradford, on section eight; David, Benjamin, John and William Davis on section seven.

Frame houses, of the balloon pattern, were erected in 1835, but the first actual frame house was erected for Samuel Scott in 1845, and the first brick house for Thomas Roberts, near Beth- el, in 1850. The first blacksmith was Robert Baxter ; David T. Bigger was the first tanner, in 1835, and Dr. E. S. Wortman, the first physi- cian in 1839; Joseph Graham was the first mer- chant, in 1853. The first saw mill was erected by Noah Decker in 1815, in section fourteen, and soon after it was converted into a distillery, a pair of buhr stones having been brought from Phila- delphia to macerate the grain. John Geyer erect- ed a grist mill at an early date, and 1830 James McMichael operated a grist mill with an over- shot wheel and two runs of buhrs, in section twenty-one, but the water supply was insufficient and the enterprise was abandoned in 1842. In 1833 John Reynolds operated a saw mill on White Eves creek, and in 1857 John Bell intro- duced fine wool sheep and later, short horn cat- tle.

The original site of Bloomfield was owned by David Rankin, but November 8, 1853, Thomas Clegg laid out seven lots, Wm. Wevlie six lots and Daniel McLane three lots, and an addition was made in March, 1873, and in September. 1879. The cemetery has been in use since 1818 but in 1879 Walter Hogseed deeded three and one half acres in perpetuity.

SCHOOLS.

The first school was held in a round log cabin. 24 by 24 feet, in section eleven in 1818, with Lo- renzo Dow as teacher, who died in the same year and was the first person buried in the Bloomfield cemetery. The school house was also used for religious services. The township is now divided into six school districts with six houses contain- ing seven rooms of an aggregate value of $5.000 : four male and three female teachers are en- ploved, the enrollment being sixty-seven boys and eighty-five girls.

206

PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

Bloomfield College. In 1862 Rev. Wm. Bal- lentine tendered his service to several young men as tutor in a theological course, and the number multiplied until his study was too limited and the meeting house was used as a class room, and the school became known as the Bloomfield High School ; in 1866 the synod recognized the school and named a board of trustees. In 1869 the Bloomfield Academy was incorporated and a house was purchased for the students ; soon a col- lege building became necessary and the founda- tions were laid during the fall of 1872. The col- lege term began April 3. 1873. in the basement, the college having been chartered February 12. 1873, and clothed with university privileges, with Rev. W. Ballentine, A. M., president : James Hindman, A. B., vice president ; R. C. Kerr, A. B .. professor of languages.

CHURCHIES.

Bethel Methodist Episcopal. A class of six was formed in 1816 and in 1820 was about doubled ; in 1828 a hewed log building, 30 by 40 feet, called the Honnold meeting house, was erected on a lot deeded by Lot Wortman and a Sunday school organized ; in 1830 it was replaced by a brick, 35 by 45 feet, which was burned in January, 1854, when a new frame, 40 by 50 feet, was erected at a cost of $1,251.00 and named the Bethel.

Bloomfield United Presbyterian. January 10, 1818, a sermon was preached at the home of David Duff and five families were organized into a congregation at the same place March 20th and called the Bloomfield Associate Presbyterian, which rapidly increased in membership. The first services were held in a tent, which was erected where desired, until the erection of a log meet- ing house, 24 by 24 feet, in 1822, on the east side of the graveyard; in 1831 a hewed log house, 25 by 40 feet, with two wings, each ten feet square, was built and in 1847 a frame building, 50 by 60 feet, was constructed at a cost of $1,300.00. In 1858 the Associate Presbyterian and Associate Reformed Presbyterian societies amalgamated as the United Presbyterian church, and this congregation affiliated with the new au- thority.

Bloomfield Associate Presbyterian. The union of the societies as just mentioned was not con- curred in by about twenty of the old congregation and June 12, 1858, they held a meeting at which they declared they would "stand firm to the doc- trine held to and witnessed for the Associate Church of North America," and declared them- selves to be the Associate congregation of Bloom- field, notwithstanding that their late pastor and the large majority of the members had gone into the union and the church building was held by

the majority; further, the Muskingum presbytery had joined the United Presbyterian, and there being no authority to appeal to in the state they applied to and were supplied from Indiana, and in 1863 the congregation erected their own build- ing.

SOCIETIES.

Camp No. 3890, Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica, at Bloomfield, was chartered May 19, 1896, and instituted May 23 by R. E. Cornelius, with fourteen beneficial members. The first officers were C. M. Trace, venerable constil; J. J. Camp- bell, worthy advisor; Hugh Given, clerk; G. C. Watson, eminent banker and physician; J. B. Smock, escort; J. H. McCloud, watchman ; J. T. Bell, sentry; J. R. Trace, Z. D. Lovejoy and J. B. Cochin, managers.

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP.

A petition was presented to the commissioners, March 3, 1812, for the formation of a township to be known as Hopewell, and at the same time a remonstrance was presented, which the com- missioners disregarded, and decided to comply with the request and ordered an election for town- ship officers, at the home of John Colvin ; Septem- ber 1, 1817, all of the first township of the ninth range of military lands included in Falls town- ship was annexed to Hopewell township, and February 22, 1819, so much of Hopewell town- ship as was east of the Licking creek was re- annexed to Falls township, and the boundaries now are: north by Licking township and the Licking creek; east by the Licking creek and Falls and Springfield townships; south by New- ton and Springfield townships and Perry county ; west by Licking county.

It is extremely difficult to determine the earliest settlers, and the evidence points to Wm. Hamil- ton and Rev. Robert Manley, very early in the last century ; during or prior to 1806 the settlers were John Carr, Joseph Jennings, Samuel Bona- field, and Hinton, Faid and Hensley. In 1812 Peter Crumrine was working as a blacksmith; Dr. Dusenbury was teaching school and practic- ing medicine, and a man named Shinn was oper- ating a distillery on Kent's run. Wmn. Heath, as first carpenter, appeared in 1814, in which year the first saw mill was in operation on Kent's run by one Reese.

In the early twenties pottery was made by one Burley, near Mt. Sterling and others were soon in the same line of manufacture; in 1825 buhr mill stones were quarried by Samuel Drumm, from Flint Ridge buhr and hauled to Nashport and shipped by canal to all points in the country. Francis Tresize opened the first store with a small stock of goods, east of the bridge over

207

PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

Kent's run, on the Thornville road, and in 1827, when the National road was built, moved to Mt. Sterling. In 1828 Dr. E. B. Bain became first resident physician, near Hopewell, and during 1830 a tannery at Mt. Sterling and one at Gratiot were started, but neither were remunerative and were soon closed down.

Hopewell was laid out in 1829, by John and James Rickey, and in the same year Mt. Sterling was laid out, one mile distant, by Nathan Wilson ; the first postoffice was opened at Hopewell, but was soon moved to Mt. Sterling where the former name was retained.

SCHOOLS.

The first school was opened in an old cabin in 1814, and in 1815 a log house was built, and a new house in 1854 ; old cabins and churches were used in new districts until school buildings were constructed; at present the township is divided into ten districts, with ten buildings containing eleven rooms, of a total value of $10,500.00, and employing one male teacher, in high school branches, and seven male and three female in the elementary ; the aggregate enrollment is one hun- dred and sixty-four boys and one hundred and nineteen girls.

CHURCHES.

Details respecting churches have been very dif- ficult to collect and merely an enumeration can be made : Timber Run Predestinarian Baptist, erected in 1832; Round Top Baptist, Pleasant Valley ; Beulah Baptist, Cottage Hill ; Disciple, Cottage Hill; United Brethren, on the Ridge; Methodist Protestant, Gratiot; Free Methodist, Coal Dale ; Union church, Hopewell Methodist Episcopal, Tanner's chapel; Mt. Sterling; New Macedonia ; Oak Grove and Mt. Olive.

SOCIETIES.

Hamilton Post, No. 311, G. A. R., is established at Gratiot.

Camp No. 8296, Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica, at Hopewell, was chartered June 20, 1900, and instituted June 25th, by Charles P. Gooding, with thirteen beneficial and two social members, the first officers being: J. H. Sniff, venerable consul ; W. H. Fink, worthy advisor ; T. P. Krea- ger, clerk; J. R. Allison, eminent banker ; C. I. Kreager, escort; E. W. Van Allen, watchman; J. W. Varney, sentinel ; Dr. J. M. Shrader, physi- cian ; C. Johnson, W. E. Fink and W. D. Ekmann, managers.

JACKSON TOWNSHIP

was named for Andrew Jackson and that fact indicates the sterling democracy of the majority of the resident voters of the time. The commis- sioners' journal of June 6, 1815, states that "A petition to the commissioners by a number of the

inhabitants of Licking township praying that the said township be divided agreeable to the fol- lowing boundaries : Beginning at the county line at the southwest quarter of the third section (township), thence east to the township that divides the eighth range, thence with said line north five miles to the county line, thence with the county line west to the county line five miles, thence with the county line south five miles to the place of beginning; ordered that the aforesaid boundaries be set off in a new township to be called Jackson township and that they hold their election at the house of Thomas Blizzard, on the last Saturday in July, 1815." Whether the elec- tion was held is unknown and the probabilities are it was not as on July 2, 1819, the commissioners ordered "The third township in the ninth range to be Jackson township." Jackson is a full town- ship of the United States military lands, five miles square, and is bounded north by Coshocton county, east by Cass township; south by Licking township and west by Licking county.

The only village in the township is Frazeys- burg, the site of which was owned by Clark Hol- lenback and was surveyed June 6, 1827, by John Roberts for the owner, and called Knoxville; in 1828 Hollenback sold the platted land to Samuel Frazey, who changed the name to Frazeysburg, when the postoffice was opened in 1828-9, there being a Knoxville already in the state. In 1868 the town was incorporated and L. W. Doane was the first mayor ; subsequent additions have been made until the town plat has an area of 312 acres.

In 1811 Samuel Mendenhall entered thirteen hundred acres one and one-fourth miles west of Frazeysburg and built a cabin, and Richard Men- denhall located near by. During 1815 Col. Wm. Blizzard located in section twelve. Wm. McClin- tock on the site of Frazeysburg and Thomas Wil- kins in the southeast corner of the township ; and in 1816 Joshua Bennett was a settler. In 1819 Samuel Mendenhall built the first saw and grist mill, with two run of stones, on Wakatomaka creek, and in 1820-22 Clark Hollenback was oper- ating a saw mill; the first surveyors were John and Charles Roberts, in 1822; the first blacksmith was Henry Shephard, in 1827, and 1828 the first store was opened in Frazeysburg by one Whitney. In 1820 Charles Morrow, John Ruckles and Samuel Mills, carpenters, were located ; in 1827-8 Samuel Mills opened the first tavern at Frazeys- burg. It was a saying in those days that a dis- tillery could be found on every run in the county, and in 1832 Samuel Mills operated one three- fourths of a mile south of Frazeysburg, and in 1843 a large distillery was conducted in Frazeys- zurg, which the whigs of the day alleged was a powerful factor in increasing the democratic vote for Polk and Dallas in 1844. The first frame building was erected by Joshua Bennett and the first brick for Wm. Blizzard, in 1830.

208

PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

In 1871 the township erected a two-story brick building, in Frazeysburg, at a cost of $3,300.00, of which amount the Masonic lodge contributed $800.00 and was given a ninety-nine year lease upon the upper floor for lodge purposes.

SCHOOLS.

The first school was held in 1822 by James Morgan in a log house about half a mile north- east of Frazeysburg. At present the village con- stitutes a special school district with a six-room building valued at $8,000.00, in which are em- ployed one male high school and two male and three female elementary teachers, the enrollment being one hundred boys and one hundred and thirty-one girls. The remainder of the township is divided into three districts, each with a one- room building, of a total value of $2,000.00 and employing two male and one female teacher, with an enrollment of seventy-seven boys and seventy- five girls.

CHURCHES.

Some time prior to 1820 David Evans donated land and assisted in the erection of a small cabin for religious purposes, which was known as the Evans church and was the first building, for re- ligious uses in the township.

Frazeysburg Methodist Episcopal. In 1815 a class was organized at the house of Zachariah Bonham and meetings were held there and at the residences of R. C. Mendenhall and John Wim- mer, with an occasional one at other homes, until houses became too small to accommodate them and the school house at the north end of town was used. R. C. Mendenhall built a large barn in which services were occasionally held and in it in 1839-40 a very successful protracted meeting was held and the congregation was financially able to erect a plain church, in 1840, at a cost of $1,000.00, which was used until 1878, when a frame was built at a cost of $1,800.00.

Mt. Zion Christian congregation was organized in 1832 with eight members, and meetings were held at George McDonald's house until 1845, when a frame building was erected two miles north of Frazeysburg, at a cost of $500.00, seat- ing four hundred persons, and in 1881 a Sunday school was organized.

Frazeysburg Disciples, or Church of Christ. There are no records of the origin of this con- gregation and the only known facts are that it was organized in 1843 and held meetings at pri- vate houses ; in 1880 interest was awakened and a church was built at Frazeysburg.

Frazeysburg Presbyterian. An organization was effected in 1876 with thirty-four members and a brick church was erected at a cost of $2,370.00 and dedicated September 8, 1877.

SOCIETIES.

Frazeysburg Lodge, No. 490, F. & A. M. A dispensation was issued July 4, 1874, to J. George Hagerty, worshipful master; David Jones, senior warden, and Joshua B. Bennett, junior warden, to open a lodge at Frazeysburg, and July 21st the first meeting was held. October 21, 1874, a char- ter was issued to the same officers and Jasper Corn, T. J. Patterson, Albert Norris, J. B. Pier- son, C. M. Bell, I. B. Bard, Isaac Pryor, Philip Nethers and J. H. Hamilton.

Glendale Lodge, No. 649, I. O. O. F., was in- stituted July 25. 1876, with L. E. Karnes, noble grand; H. L. Sherman, vice grand; Samuel Austen and I. C. Franks, secretaries ; T. H. Hol- man, treasurer, and C. H. Wire, Howard Norris, Lyman Fulk, Samuel Hunter, Hugh Brown, Joseph Noland, J. C. Furguson, R. E. Finley and James W. Finch.

Griffee Post, No. 331, G. A. R., maintained its camp fires for the boys in blue, and Council No. 79, Junior Order American Mechanics was or- ganized in May, 1890.

Camp No. 7902, Modern Woodmen of America, was chartered October 28, 1901, and instituted November 2d by C. D. Alward with eighteen members, the first officers being M. Mathews, venerable consul; George Mortimer, worthy ad- visor ; F. Hamilton, clerk; Dr. W. E. Boyer, eminent banker and physician; John Untied, escort; P. McKee, watchman; Charles Molter, sentry ; B. M. Sobel, S. Harrah and E. Mortimer, managers.

JEFFERSON AND CASS TOWNSHIPS.

So far as preserved records reveal Jefferson township is as old as the county; the commis- sioners' journal for the first three years does not exist, but there is a record of an election for township officers on the first Monday of April, 1805, which indicates that it was not the first for such a purpose. The original area has been re- duced by the formation of other townships, but the history of Jefferson and Cass is so inter- mingled that it must be considered together.

The commissioners' journal of September 6, 1853 states that they "resumed the consideration of the matter relating to the erection of a new township, out of the territory comprising Jef- ferson township, and order that a new township shall be created out of said territory, to be known by the name of Cass township, and to contain territory agreeably to the petition in relation to the same; which petition included the whole of Jefferson township, except the district included within the following boundaries, viz: Commenc- ing on the Muskingum river, below Dresden, at a point where the southeast corner of Charles Dick-

SUSPENSION BRIDGE DRESDEN ,O.

SUSPENSION BRIDGE, DRESDEN, OHIO.

2II

PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

enson's land, and the northeast corner of Thomp- son Ferrell's land unite, being on the east boun- dary of Jefferson township, running thence west on the line between said Dickenson and Ferrell's land, to the southeast corner of George W. Lane's land, being lot number seventeen; thence north to the center of Wakatomaka creek; thence down said creek, in the center thereof, to the eastern boundary of Jefferson township; thence along said eastern boundary, down the Muskingum river to the place of beginning."

The commissioners sent written notices to James Morgan with instructions to place them in three of the most conspicuous public posi- tions within the new township, appointing the 19th of September for the election of the first officers of the new township.

The first settler is unknown but Major Jona- than Cass became one in 1799, in which year he located four thousand acres of land, and in 1801 brought his family; he died August 4, 1830, aged 77 years, and was buried in the family bury- ing ground on the Cass farm, but in 1875 the remains were removed to the Dresden cemetery, and the Cass monument, erected by his grandson, Dr. Edward Cass, was inscribed: "He was a soldier at the battle of Bunker Hill ; an officer of the Revolution, and of the army which, under General Wayne, gave peace to the frontier. From New England he emigrated to this part of the wilds of the Northwest Territory. On the mili- tary land he purchased he lived a peaceful and quiet life thirty years until death claimed him for a victim."

Seth Adams was also a settler in 1799 and is said to have cultivated the first tomatoes in the county from seed received from New Orleans ; he was among the first to plant apple trees and was the pioneer in introducing full blooded Merino sheep into the United States. In 1804 he had a "corn-cracker" mill on Wakatomaka creek ; George Wilson operated a saw mill early, and in 1801 a flour mill was conducted by E. and G. Adams at Preston; the first efficient grist mill being soon after erected near the Adams' by George Gertie.

Isaac Cordray and son, George; Mordacai Ogle and George Dowell were settlers in 1804; Wyllys Silliman operated a saw mill and grist mill on Wakatomaka creek, near the railroad bridge, in 1806, and at an early day engaged in the Utopian occupation of acquiring wealth from the manufacture of salt, which was done near his mills. Otho Miller and Jacob Houser were the first blacksmiths ; Judge Stillwell operated a ferry in 1812 and in 1815, Joseph F. Monroe conducted a distillery on his farm about four miles above Dresden, on the Muskingum. He was among the first to plant peach and apple trees, and the dis- tillery was discontinued after the completion of the Ohio canal.

E. and G. Adams had a store at Adams' Mills in 1830 and a few years later operated a store and grain warehouse at Webb's Port, where Benjamin and Nathan Webb had a large grain warehouse. The first public house in the township was kept by John Parker, at Preston, and Thomas Smith had a tavern at Webb's Port in 1830. Hugh F. Hogan built a saw mill and grist mill four miles west of Dresden, in 1832, in the Frazeysburg road, which was later known as the Lovett mill and Prior mill, from the owners, until demolished in 1875.

Dresden Junction was surveyed by Joseph Taylor in 1873-4.

Dresden was laid out in 1817 and was incorpor- ated March 8, 1835, and its limits now embrace the territory of Jefferson township. A postoffice was established early, but the allegation that it occurred in 1800 is entirely unfounded; the records of the postoffice department contain no indications of such service, and an office was not opened at Zanesville until 1801 ; the first mail was carried on horseback, weekly: semi-weekly service was later furnished and in 1832 it was made tri-weekly, developing into daily in 1843. A telegraph line from Zanesville to Wooster passed through Dresden in 1848 and an office was opened, but it was discontinued a number of vears before the Western Union opened its office in 1868, with T. B. Dorsey as first manager.

The first birth in the township is said to have been Dr. B. F. Lemert and the first physicians were Benjamin Webb, in 1819, and Francis Fowler, in 1823. The pioneer merchant was Laban Lemert who began business in a log house in 1817, and John Cordray opened a tavern in a log cabin about one year later. Peter D. Rea- soner was engaged in tanning in 1818, and a weaver bearing the alliterative name of Morgan Morgan, from Maryland, practiced his trade at an carly day. The ubiquitous distillery was con- ducted by Laban Lemert in 1822, and in 1833 Henry and Benjamin Roop were engaged in the same business. The first castor oil mill west of the Allegany mountains was erected at Dresden by Dr. Nathan Webb and son, who came in 1821 and cultivated the bean.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Past and present of the city of Zanesville and Muskingham County, Ohio, Part 38

Author: Sutor, J. Hope, 1846- Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 898

Author: Sutor, J. Hope, 1846-
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 898