The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 38

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1880
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051

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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).

The various branches of commerce are carried on here by two dry-goods stores, one drug store, one grocery store, four blacksmith-shops, two shoeshops, one furniture store, two milliner-shops, one hotel, one tin and. stove store, one barber, two grain warehouses, two physicians, one dentist, one dealer in patent medicines, two stock dealers, and one harness-shop.

The officers of the corporation are, Mayor and Justice of the Peace, Michael Duncan ; Clerk, J. G. Simmons ; Treasurer, W. A. Lewis ; Marshal and Supervisor, John Robbins ; Councilmen, A. Mcclintock, C. W. Crebors and J. P. Coffield.

MANUFACTORIES.

Probably the first distillery in the township was built and operated by Nich- olas Platter, who erected a copper still in 1820, which he worked for about ten years, and is said to have manufactured a superior article of whisky. He dis- posed of his place, which was on the southwest quarter of Section 31, to a. Mr. Hamilton, in 1830, who carried on the business in his stead. The second distill- ery in the township, was built on Section 25, by Daniel Newcomb, in about 1821. His business in this line was not very extensive, but he did considerable work for his neighbors, for many years, and is said to have produced an excellent quality of whisky. The first blacksmith-shop in the township, was kept by Benjamin . Bowersock, as early as 1814. It was situated on the southeast quarter of Section 19, on land entered by Benjamin's brother David. Benjamin Bowersock subse- quently purchased eighty acres of land for himself, and then built the second smithy in the township.

The third blacksmith-shop in the township was built in 1828, by Joshua Duer, who operated it several years. Owing to the fact that not much work in this line was done in those days, those who worked at this trade found it neces- gary to combine it with farming, in order to make both ends meet at the end of the year.

The first saw-mill in the township was built by John L. Malloy, on the banks of a small run which passed through Section 25, where the mill was built. This was about 1821, and, at that date, people in the vicinity began using sawed boards, instead of roughly-split puncheon, for flooring purposes. Mr. Malloy also con- nected with the saw-mill a corn-cracker, at the same date, which was the first and only grist-mill in the township till steam mills were introduced. He devoted himself to these industries very successfully for many years, when he disposed of them and removed to California, where he died years ago.

The second saw-mill in the township was built and worked by David Gray & Porter, in 1830. It was situated on Big Lost Creek. They had operated this but a few months when John D. Hendley built the third saw-mill in Brown Township, on the same stream, about half a mile east from Gray & Porter's mill. However, there was plenty of work for each mill to do, and the whirr of the saws, as they

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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.

rapidly converted logs into fine boards, might be heard at a considerable distance, from early dawn to nightfall.

The first steam saw-mill in the township was the one owned by Harrison Lou- . denback, near Conover, which he began operating about the time the railroad was completed through the place; after operating it some time, he disposed of the property, since which time it has passed through several hands, and is now owned by J. W. White, who is doing quite an extensive business in that line.

The first steam grist-mill in the township was the property of Benjamin F. Shattuck, who erected it in Fletcher in 1849. He operated it successfully about four years, when it was destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt.

In about 1857, Mr. Shattuck put up another mill near Fletcher, at the rail- road, but, in a short time, this also was destroyed by fire and was not rebuilt.

The Coppock Bros., who have been dealing in grain a good while, and have been doing a large business, which is constantly increasing, this year added a steam grist-mill to their business, which will, doubtless, not only prove advanta- geos to them from a financial point of view, but will also prove a factor of no small importance in making Fletcher the business center for all the surrounding country. The grain warehouse near Lena has been in operation about twenty-five years. It is now the property of L. W. Colvin, who, being a man of good business ability and unswerving honesty, is almost constantly handling large quantities of grain. The only tile factory in the township is the property of H. S. Carmony, who has been running it since 1872. The work is done by a Penfield machine, which was purchased by the proprietor for $450. The buildings are substantial and commodious, the pressing shed being forty feet square ; the drying room is 180x18 feet. A third room, made wholly of iron, is 17x24 feet. The kiln, 12x15 feet, is the second largest in Miami County. Two kilns, containing 700 rods of tile, are burned every two weeks. Eight different sizes of tile are manufactured here, and three men employed in the work, which is all disposed of near home, the demand for the article up to the present time exceeding the supply.

CHURCHES. -

The first regular congregation in Brown Township, was the Methodists. They built their first church in Fletcher, in 1820, on land donated by Alexander Oliver ; it was a brick building, and the first brick house of any kind in the township. Owing to the fact that the records of the church have been lost, nothing can be said of its early history, save that its members have always been forward in good works. Among the first ministers, James B. Findley may be mentioned. The old church has been torn down many years, and some of the lumber used in the making of the pulpit in 1820 is now in the possession of a lady in Fletcher, who has had it converted into cupboard doors, in which capacity it has served, and promises to serve, many years. The church was rebuilt some twenty-five or thirty years ago, and at the present time the property is worth about $3,000. Services are held every two weeks. Sunday school is held every Sabbath morning, the average attendance being sixty-five. G. W. Gillmore is the Superintendent. The Method- ists also have a church in Lena, worth about $2,500, which is in a prosperous condition. George Malloy is remembered as having been one of the pioneers who preached for this congregation in its infancy here.

The Baptists are as old a denomination as any in the township. Traveling ministers preached for this branch of the church in the house of Mr. Kiser as early as 1809. Their first brick church was built on the farm of Edmund Yates, in 1830. This has ceased to exist long ago. The Baptist, in Fletcher, was organized Tues- day, January 29, 1861, at which time there were fifteen members in the congrega- tion. David E. Thomas, from Piqua, served as minister here till his death, in 1864. E. D. Thomas, of Illinois, was then called to the pastorate, over which he presided one year, and was succeeded by Elder Daniel Bryant, who served three years, when J. W. Weatherby, from New York, took charge of the congregation for a single year. George W. Taylor, the next minister, preached two years, after which

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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.

William S. Kent, from Virginia, served the same length of time. Joseph N. Scott from Pennsylvania, then took charge of the congregation, over which he has presided ever since. The church, a frame structure. 36x46 feet, was completed in 1862, at a cost of $1,500. In the winter of 1867-68, Rev. Daniel Bryant. assisted by Elder Shepardson, of Piqua, had quite a revival, thirty-two persons uniting with the church. Other revivals, conducted by different ministers. have taken place at dif- ferent times. Since the call of Rev. Scott, the congregation has been increased by thirty-one persons uniting with the church. The present membership is ninety- nine. Church property is valued atabout $2,000. Wilber Higgins is Superintend- ent of the Sunday school, which has an average attendance of sixty persons.

The Presbyterian Church in Fletcher was organized in the fall of 1837 by Revs. James Coe and Samuel Cleland, who were deputed to act in that capacity by the Presbytery at Sidney .. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. Cleland, from Romans, eighth chapter and first verse, and the congregation was named the " Newton Presbyterian Church." Previous to the organization of the church here, Rev. F. A. Hemper, a licentiate minister, had preached for the people here. The congregation at first consisted of twenty members. The first ruling elder was William Brown. Matthew Dinsmore and James McQuillen were ordained elders, by Rev. Coe, at William Brown's schoolhouse. January 27. 1838. Rev. D. H. Green, formerly of Delaware, Ohio. the present pastor, resides in New Paris, and preaches for the people here every two weeks. Robert Scott is Superintendent of the Sunday school, which has an average attendance of forty. The church edifice is of brick, the whole property being worth about $4.500.

The Baptist Church at Lena is a branch of that denomination at Honey Creek, and was organized as a separate congregation June 23. 1855. with forty-four members, all of whom had applied for and received letters of dismissal from the Honey Creek Church. The first officers of the organization were : Moderator, William Fusan ; Clerk, William J. Wolcott; Deacons. Jeremiah McKee and James Wilson ; Singing Clerks, John R. West and William J. Wolcott. The first sermon after organization was preached by Rev. Matthews, on July 21, 1855. Rev. David Scott. the first min- ister, served the church six years, and Rev. William Matthews the same length of time ; T. N. Frazee served during the war two years, and was succeeded by T. J. Price, who preached here four years ; James Randle then took the charge for three years, after which James Simpson served the congregation six months, till the arrival of the Rev. Nixon, the present pastor, during whose time of service about one hundred and fifty persons have united with the church. B. B. Wheaton, George L. Wolcott and A. L. Brecount have labored as volunteer ministers at different times. The church property is valued at about $3.000.

The Universalist Church at Conover was organized at Lena, by Rev. E. Moore and T. S. Guthrie, the first Sunday in February, 1868, with a membership of thirty- two persons. First officers were, Trustees Dr. W. S. Cox, J. A. Hill and J. Abott; Treasurer, Dr. Cox ; Clerk N. W. Cady ; first Deacons were, Calvin Hill and Moses Benham. Rev. E. Moore, the first pastor, served three years, and during that time received thirty-seven members into the church. J. D. Lauer succeeded him, in 1871, at which time, the church at Conover being completed. services were subse- quently held there, and the name of the organization changed from Lena to Con- over. Rev. Lauer preached for the congregation till the 1st of March, 1879, having during that time received one hundred and five persons into the church. J. H. Blackford, the present minister, has been preaching for this people since the spring of 1879. Besides these regular Ministers the church has been favored at differ- ent times by the presence and assistance of Revs. S. P. Carlton, I. B. Grandy, T. S. Guthrie, H. F. Miller, E. Dick, C. N. Dutton and W. Woodley. One hundred and seventy-two persons in all have united with the church since its organization. Between 75 and 80 members now compose the congregation. The present brick edifice was erected in Conover in 1870-71, at a cost of $3,700. Present officers are, Trustees, Dr. W. S. Cox, B. H. White, and A. L. Brecount ; Treasurer, Alfred Morris ; Clerk, Joseph Johnson ; Deacons, J. Abott and W. S. Cox, M. D.

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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.

SCHOOLS.

The first schoolhouse in Brown Township was built in 1810, on Section 36. It was of round logs, and so low that a tall person found it necessary to bow the hcad in entering this place of learning. The seats were of split logs with wooden pins for legs. The door was made of a split slab, and was so narrow that only one could pass through it at a time. The window was a nicely greased paper pasted over a hole sawed in the logs. The first teacher in this old style academy was " Aunt Sallie Tucker," a spinster, who made it her business to teach the young idea how to shoot. The second teacher in the township was old " Aunt " Patty McQuillen. The third was probably Aras Denman and the fourth George Layman. The second schoolhouse in Brown Township was on William Manson's farm, and was built in 1818. Joseph Rollins was the first teacher in this school. Scholars came here to school through mud and snow a distance of four or five miles. Probably the third schoolhouse in the township was on Section 11. John Ding- more taught here as early as 1828.

The special district of Fletcher was organized in 1874, when, the old house having been sold for $90, the present building of two rooms was built, at a cost of $4,500, the whole property is now worth $5,000. The enumeration of the district 1879 was 163. The teachers have been as follows, viz., 1874, N. W. Cady Prin- cipal ; Rebecca Wharton Assistant ; 1875 the same teachers were employed ; 1876, William McFarland, Principal ; Rebecca Wharton, Assistant ; 1877, A. Mcclintock, Principal ; Ella White, Assistant ; 1878, the same ; 1879, D. B. Earhart, Principal ; Mrs. Ella Brown, Assistant part of the year, and Albert Lane the remainder of the year. They have school during nine months of each year, and pay the Principal for his services $50 and the Assistant $30 per month.

The following report of the Clerk for the year ending September 1, 1879, shows the condition of the township schools at present :

Balance on hand September 1, 1878.

$1,980 16

Irreducible funds.

421 50

Township tax for school purposes.

3,190 50

Total receipts

$5,918 33

EXPENDITURES.

Amount paid teachers

$2,310 21

Amount paid for sites of buildings

700 00

Amount paid for fuel, etc.

242 76

Total expenditures.

.3,252 77

Balance on haud September 1, 1879

.$2,660 36

Number of schools in the township

Number of different teachers employed.

Average wages, male ...

.. $

39 82

Average wages, female ..

80 00

Number of weeks school is in session.

Number of different pupils enrolled.

398

Average monthly enrollment ..

218

Average daily attendance.

217

Enrollments between sixteen and twenty-one years old.

SECRET SOCIETIES.

Masons in Lena .- The charter for Social Lodge, No. 217, was issued October 22, 1852, by the Grand Lodge, at Chillicothe. "The charter members were as fol- lows, viz. : G. C. Smith, George Throckmorton, J. W. Kelly, H. S. Carmony, J. W. Loy, D. C. Larone, N. Jackson, A. G. Boyd and Amos Flowers. First officers : N. Jackson, M. ; G. C. Smith, S. W., and J. W. Kelly, J. W. There are forty-three members at present. The officers now are J. J. Leedom, W. M .; L. F. Wolcott,

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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.

8. W .; W. L. Graham, J. W .; E. A. Brecount, S. D .; J. G. Wright, J. D .; W. S. Cox, M. D., Treasurer ; J. F. Collins, Secretary ; E. F. Davis, T .; S. L. Abiover and B. H. White, Stewards. The oldest living member of the lodge is Squire Throck- morton ; the youngest, James Wright. Joseph Frazier and James Wilson are both upward of sixty years of age. The property of the lodge is worth about $1,000.

I. O. O. F. at Lena .- Industry Lodge, No. 256, received its charter from the Grand Lodge at Zanesville, Ohio, February 23, 1854. The charter members were James Griffis, Joseph Eichelbarger, Joseph Reeder, John Miller and G. P. Holloway. There are now thirty-nine members, of which the following are the present officers : 8. S. Yates, N. G .; E. H. Stith, V. G .; John M. Stith, Secretary ; Caleb Williams, Per. Secretary ; James M. Griffs, Treasurer ; Jared Wolcott, W .; David F. Lane, C .; Noah B. Wells, I. G .; J. W. Domyre, O. G .; W. Williams, R. S. N. G .; W. Roberts, L. S. N. G .; John G. Wolcott, R. S. V. G .; Scott L. Allen, L. S. V. G .; Thomas Wheaton, R. S. S .; Isaac J. Merritt, L. S. S. They built their first hall in 1854. This was sold in 1876, and the present hall, thirty by fifty feet, was completed in the summer of 1877. The property is worth $1,000, for which amount it is insured. The old- est member of the lodge is E. W. Yates, who joined the 13th of December, 1856. James Carter is the oldest person in the lodge, and Jared Wolcott the youngest.

I. O. O. F. in Fletcher .- Taylor Lodge, No. 322, received its charter from the Grand Lodge of Ohio, convened at Mansfield May 14, 1857, the officers of the Grand Lodge at that time being W. Chidsey, M. W. G. M .; Hiram Viele, M. W. G. D. M .; C. J. Pardee, R. W. G. W .; Alexander E. Glenn, R. W. G. Sec .; William F. Slater, R. W. G. Treas. The charter members were James Griffis, T. M. Beamer, I. M. Jackson, Joseph Reeder, Oliver Toms, Emanuel Toms, Daniel Brelsford and N. I. Finch. The present officers are A. Mcclintock, N. G .; G. F. Fryling, V. G .; B. F. Sim- mons, R. S .; W. A. Lewis, P. S .; E. F. Drake, Treasurer ; Dr. J. B. Beamer, C .; J. H. Newman, W .; W. T. Shanks, R. S. S .; H. G. Kemp, L. S. S .; W. I. Kiser, R. S. N. G .; V. B. Sanders, V. G. R. S .; J. C. Wones, V. G. L. S .; W. R. Luce, G .; L. Davis, S. V. G. At this date there are sixty active members in the lodge. J. Sanders and Charles Search are the oldest living members of the lodge, both being upward of sixty. The latter is the second oldest in membership of any member of any secret organization in Brown Township. The building in which they meet is the property of the society. The lower floor is rented to the Kiser Brothers, who carry on the mercantile business here. The whole property is probably worth about $1,200.

SPRING CREEK TOWNSHIP.

The wheel of time has made some eighty annual revolutions since the first permanent white settler entered within the limits of what is now Spring Creek Township. To the youth eighty years seems a long time, but to him who has reached the age of four-score years the scenes of his boyhood's days seem but as those of yesterday, and it is difficult to realize that in so short a space of time such great and important changes have taken place.

Spring Creek Township is bounded on the north by Shelby County, on the east by Brown Township, on the south by Staunton Township, and on the west by Washington Township.

The superabundance of wood and water in this township were circumstances by no means inviting to the early settlers ; but they had heard the story of the first settlers in our county and had seen the forest disappear before the wood- man's ax, and knew that in order to make homes as pleasant as any in the older States, required only a determined will and muscular activity. Those natures that had in their composition a liberal allowance of these essential elements, were the proper persons to lay the foundations of new settlements and to begin develop- ing the immeasurable resources of wealth to be found in the West. Accordingly,

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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.

as the tide of immigration poured into Miami County, it is not to be wondered at that Spring Creek Township, situated, as it is, in the most productive part of the Miami Valley, should have been chosen as the abode of the first permanent white settler in the county. The township receives its name from the most important stream within its boundaries, which in its turn was so called because it has its source in, and all its additions to its waters are made by, the numerous springs along its route. It enters the township at the northeast quarter of Section 3, and, deflecting southeast in its course, makes its'exit at the southwest quarter of Section 11. The most considerable branch of Spring Creek in the township is Bee Run, so named by the pioneer settlers on account of the numerous and well- filled bee-trees formerly found upon its banks. It has its source in the northwest quarter of Section 12, and, taking a generally southerly course, adds its waters to those of Spring Creek just before it enters Staunton Township, at the northwest quarter of Section 10.

Several other tributaries of minor importance flow southeast and increase Spring Creek by their waters ; two of the most important have their source in Sections 2 and 7 respectively.

The chorography of Spring Creek Township does not differ materially from that of the surrounding townships. An inconsiderable ridge rises in the north- eastern part of the township and extends northeast and southwest through Sec- tions 3, 8 and 13, causing the streams east of it to flow southeasterly, while those of the opposite side take a southwesterly direction and some of them a very tortuous course before emptying their waters into the Great Miami River. The surface of the remainder of the township is slightly undulating, sloping gradually to the southwest. The most important branch of the Miami River in Spring Creek, is Rush Creek, a stream of considerable usefulness in draining the northern part of the township. It rises in the northeast quarter of Section 14, and flows directly north, then west to the northwest quarter of Section 21, where it takes a southwesterly course to the southern part of Section 32, where it again bends in its channel and flows southeasterly, emptying into the Miami at the southeastern quarter of fractional Section 31. Shawnee Creek, a stream of some importance, rises in the southwest quarter of Section 8 and flows in a generally southwesterly course, pouring its waters into Rush Creek just before it empties into the Miami River. Besides the streams of which mention has already been made, there are quite a number of minor importance, which are branches of these, and several others, which, having their source in Spring Creek, flow through Staunton Township before losing their identity by being merged into the Miami, which is the common reservoir for all the surplus waters, not only of this town- ship, but for all the others in Miami County. Orange, one of the southern town- ships of Shelby County, bounds Spring Creek Township on the north. Brown, the northeastern township of Miami County, bounds it on the east, Staunton Town- ship on the south, and the Great Miami River separates it from Washington Town- ship on the west. It embraces twenty-one full and seven fractional sections ; the latter, situated in the western part of the township, are made so by the tortuous course of the river in this part of the county. The Cincinnati, Columbus & Indiana Central Railroad enters the township at the central line of Section 6, and passes directly east and west through the township till it reaches the central part of Section 30, when it assumes a direction slightly northwest before it passes into Washington Township. The Dayton & Michigan Railroad enters Spring Creek Township at the northwest quarter of Section 21, and passes southwest to the central part of the township, where it takes a southeasterly course, leaving the township at the southeast quarter of Section 29. The township is crossed in almost every direction by a venous interlacing of free pikes; of these the oldest is the Piqua and Urbana pike, which passes directly east and west through the township. These pikes were built at an average cost of about $1,200.

Taking into consideration the many advantages hitherto enumerated, Spring Creek Township will readily be seen to possess facilities for carrying on the

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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.

various enterprises of life. excelled by none, and equaled but by few townships in Miami County. An excellent system of draining has been introduced and extensively used by a majority of farmers in the township, so that the bottom lands, which, three-quarters of a century ago, were considered utterly worthless and fit only as a home for the wild denizens of the forest, have not only been reclaimed from their original worthless condition, but have been brought to the highest degree of cultivation, and to-day are the most productive farms in the township. Had it ever entered the heart of man to predict, in the days of the township's infancy, that by the time their farms had been cultivated seventy-five years, the owners would be able to command the then fabulous sum of $100 per acre, he would have been considered by the settlers as a person whose predomi- nant passion was an inexcusable proneness to exaggeration, and yet there are now many farms in the township that could not be purchased for that amount of money per acre, and but very few of the land-holders in Spring Creek would dispose of their highly productive farms for a less price than this. Almost every species of forest tree indigenous to American soil were found here in such abun- dance as to impress the early settler with the thought that even old Nature either forgot or saw no reason why she should economize in the materials provided for her use, and, apparently in a mood of apathetic indifference, grew extravagantly profuse both in regard to the kind and quality of these gifts which she scattered so indiscriminately over all parts of this township. The kinds of timber most abundant when the first settlers came here were the oak, beech, maple and ash. while walnut, elm, hickory and basswood were found in quantities by no means inconsiderable. The greater portion of these spontaneous products of the soil have long since passed away, and now but a comparatively small portion of the township is timbered, and these wooded parts that still remain have been so thinned out for building purposes, as well as for fuel, that, instead of the wild appearance it originally presented they have been converted into beautiful groves, which, threaded by murmuring streams of pure water, afford an inexhaust- ible quantity of excellent pasturage. Great quantities of the most durable lime- stone are to be found in many parts of the township, and, from the quarries now being operated, not only is enough material for the stone-work of all buildings within the township obtained, but there is also a considerable surplus over what is needed for home consumption, which is shipped, not only to different parts of our own State, but also the demand from other States proves so extensive as to be highly remunerative to those who engage in this traffic.

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The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 38

Author: W. H. Beers & Co. Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1051

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1880
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051