The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 48

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

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The primary rooms being greatly crowded, a new building of four rooms, costing nearly $10,000 was erected in the eastern part of the town, on Franklin street, in 1874. The primary grades are thus doubled, the children 'east of Mar- ket street going to the new, or Forest building, those west of it attending the old building, named, by common consent, the Edwards Schoolhouse, in honor of the first Superintendent. About fourteen years ago, the board erected a building for the accommodation of the colored youth ; previous to this, the colored pupils had school but for three or four months in each year. All the schools now continue in session for ten months. The first term, being the longest, begins on the first Monday in September, and continues sixteen weeks ; the remaining two terms continue twelve weeks each.

The men elected members of the Board of Education have discharged their duty with great fidelity.

Among these Barton S. Kyle was Lieutenant Colonel of the Seventy-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Shiloh, in 1862 ; W. H. H. Dye served as a member of the board for many years.

Robert Furnas was deeply interested in the schools, and, since his removal to Nebraska, of which State he afterward became Governor, has occasionally sent back valuable contributions to the school cabinet.

The different teachers employed for the year 1879-80 were as follows: John W. Dowd, Superintendent ; Miss Dora J. Mayhew, Principal.

Teachers in Edwards School : Miss Estella Parsons, Bertha McCorkle, Kate Milan, Alice Heckerman, Mary S. Bennett, Mary Kelly, Mattie Telford, Flora M. Fairchild, Mrs. Clara Temple.

Forest School : Misses Christie Balheim, Lida Defreese, Joy Kyle and Rhoda Denman.

Lincoln School, for colored youth : C. A. Napper, Principal.

Mr. Dowd has superintended the schools since 1875, during which time Miss Dora J. Mayhew has held the position of Principal. The schools were never more prosperous than at present, and, under the care of the efficient corps of teachers now employed, there is for the schools of Troy a glorious future, when they will have attained a degree of excellence even much beyond the elevated standpoint they occupy at the present time.

STAUNTON TOWNSHIP.

Inasmuch as Staunton was the first place of settlement permanently main- tained in this county, and the nucleus around which all subsequent settlements clustered, and, by natural sequence, the starting-point and reservoir from which the greater portion of the earlier county history has been drawn, it was, therefore, unavoidably blended and absorbed in the same, leaving facts for an individual his- tory almost as anæmic as King Psammis' mummy, in Caesar's reply to Clodius, over the Greek girl, Zoe. Staunton should not, therefore, be jealous or feel slighted if she loses the luster of individual history in the more exalted flame of the initial point of county history.

Aside from this, Staunton possesses several features taking precedence over all others in Miami County. She has the greatest length of territory, the longest sea shore, the first plotted town, the first seat of justice, the oldest graveyard, the County Infirmary, all of which are good cause whereof to be proud. Her infirm- ary, as a county institution, has been fully represented in the county history. The

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little " Dutch Station," the embryo settlement of the now noble county, has been given a prominent place in the general history. Her noble pioneer fathers-the Knoops, Gerards, Hamlets and Tilders, of 1798-these brave men pushed their way through an unbroken wilderness, amid all the dangers of wild beasts and wilder Indians, established a little cluster of cabins, cleared out each a patch of ground, went out armed to the prairie near by to cultivate a little crop of corn, and anxiously watched and waited for the tide of immigration to flow toward them, which hope was realized in the following spring by the advent of John, Abner and Nathaniel Gerard, Joseph Coe, Uriah Blue and Abram Hathaway, who increased the strength, comfort and social elevation of the little forest settlement. As the Indian retired and apprehensions caused by his presence subsided, settle- ments sprang up, clearings were made, crops put out and improvements carried on. The soil, once cleared of its heavy timber, was admirably adapted to the growth of all the cereals necessary to the support of an increasing population.

Game of all kinds was abundant, and, indeed, some of the smaller kinds, such as squirrels and coons, abounded in such profusion as to be a great annoyance to the small farmers, frequently destroying half the crop. Wolves, also, were bold in their attacks upon the few sheep the pioneers brought with them for the pur- pose of manufacturing home clothing. In 1800, a number of Canadian French- men came to Staunton, or, by some authorities, they were said to have been in this locality previous to those first mentioned. We know that the French were in equivocal possession of all this country since 1749, and it is quite likely that these' were stragglers of that nationality, and the fact that Peter Felix, one of them, was an old Indian trader, strengthens the hypothesis, and this, carried out, might estab- lish the settlement of Staunton Township to still more remote antiquity. Simon Landry was also of this number. Felix subsequently became the first tavern- keeper in Staunton, having made enough money off the Indians to build a good house. It is related of him that he demanded for one needle the price of a coon skin, equal to $1, which, if true, explains his wealth and the means of obtaining it. Levi Martin and family, whose wife was scalped by the Indians, a full account of which is given in the county history, was an early pioneer here, and, as might be supposed, cultivated no warm feeling for the red man. During the year 1807, Amariah Smalley entered one quarter of Section 15, erected a cabin, cleared out a garden spot, put up a blacksmith-shop, and pounded on, through life, until his last fire went out, at the age of eighty. John Defrees entered 160 acres in Section 28 in 1806. He left the old State of Virginia to seek a home and wealth in the for- ests of Ohio, and lived, for a great number of years, on the farm that his own labor wrested from the woods. During the same year, Henry Marshall came from Kentucky to this place and lived here till over eighty years of age.

William McCampbell, a Virginian, and weaver by profession, located on the northwest quarter of Section 22 in 1807. He was of great benefit to the surround- ing settlements in furnishing wearing material ; and, in appreciation of his services, and the good impression he made, they elected him Justice of the Peace in 1809, which office he filled thirty years.

In 1807, Jacob Riddle entered Section 10, and by hard labor, combined with economy, succeeded in wringing a fortune from the soil. Sections 4 and 16 seem not to have pleased the eye of the early pioneer, for, while all others were taken up, they remained under forest primitiveness till 1820. William and James Clark came from Virginia and entered Section 27, in 1808. Nine years after, John Gilmore entered the northwest quarter of Section 21; the northeast quarter was taken up by F. Hilliard, of Virginia, in 1820, who lived upon the old homestead until more than fourscore. The southwest quarter was purchased by John Julian, of Mary- land, in 1806. Section 9 was taken by John Deweese, of Pennsylvania, in 1806.

In 1807, Uriah Blue, Richard Winans and Rev. David Clark settled on Section 14. William Jones antedated this nine years in settling on a part of Section 18. During the same year Lewis Deweese selected a part of Section 8, cleared out a patch of ground, built a cabin, and erected a log tannery, and, perhaps, started

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the first tannery in the county, a very necessary element, too, of comfort, as leather was high and was mostly purchased at Cincinnati.

As has been said previously, the first settlements in Staunton Township were made by the Knoops and Michael Carver, who came from Pennsylvania in 1799. One year later, Carver purchased a half-section of J. C. Symmes, at $2.50 per acre. At this period, civilization had not yet reached this region, which for miles was one vast forest, inhabited only by straggling bands of Indians. There was a great spirit of rivalry manifested between this portion of the county and the upper part, in the location of the seat of justice, which was carried to such an extent as to sever the social ties in great part.

We shall give two or three interviews with old settlers, as they tell it, some- what, so that it may savor of their own individuality and carry the reader back to them.

Gen. John Webb : "I was present at the first court held at Staunton. The first schoolhouse was located where the Piqua road crosses Spring Creek."

Isaac Rollins : "During the war of 1812, a fort was built on the farm now owned by myself, which was often resorted to by the neighbors for protection. Father (Jonathan Rollins) bought this farm in 1815, at which time there were no meeting-houses in the township. Among the early preachers were Nathan Wor- ley, of the Christian denomination, Samuel Deweese, Presbyterian, and Abbott Goddard, a Methodist. Raper Chapel was built about thirty-five years ago. In early times, they would hold meetings wherever there was a large log-house. The Orbisons and the Frenchs were our nearest neighbors. Father came here from Vermont during the popular cry, ' Go to Ohio.' One day father sent me after the horses, which had strayed away, when I saw about ten deer in the meadow. Being but a small boy, I was very much alarmed, and ran back to the cabin and told father and mother about the animals with big horns that I saw. In those days, the game we killed furnished the most of our living. There were some bears, for I remember having seen one. It is generally supposed that at one time there were plenty of buffalo in this county.

"Two-thirds of the old pioneers wore buckskin pantaloons. I remember Tom Rogers, the great hunter, who lived in two sycamore trees in the woods. He wore long gray whiskers, a skull-cap and buckskin breeches. Rodsy Church was built over fifty years ago. I remember the high pulpit, which was first painted green."

Mrs. James Dye (now living in Troy): " I am a daughter of John M. and Eliza- beth Dye. The Cumminses, Morpheys and Metcalfs were among the early settlers of Staunton Township. I was born in 1800, and married in 1818, and settled near the Elizabeth Township line, on land now owned by Mack Hart. The Indians often came to our cabin, but never disturbed anything. We made our own sugar, and would often take sugar-water, yeast, sassafras and spices and make beer, which was a favorite beverage of the Indians. At one time, my father-in-law, Stephen Dye, obtained a half-barrel of cider from a man living below Dayton, which was, perhaps, the first ever brought to this settlement, and possibly, to the county. I remember once, while my husband, myself and children were returning from & visit to his father's, we were attacked by wolves. We were on horseback, and the wolves were very close to their heels, and my husband barely succeeded in getting into a place of security. When he returned with a gun, they had given up the chase and skulked away. I can remember well when calico was $1 a yard."

: In early times, the squirrels were very troublesome here, even destroying the corn crop ; sometimes the shocks of corn would seem almost alive with them, and well-beaten paths would be made through the fields, and from the shocks to the bordering forest, to which the provident little animals would carry the ears of corn for future use. If a man could make a living and pay taxes, he was consi dered very fortunate. Cincinnati was the nearest market, to which wheat and pork , were taken by wagon, over the mud roads through the woods. The nearest mil" was Freeman's, below Tippecanoe, and Dye's, near Casstown. One of the old spinning- wheels is now in the possession of Mr. Ramsey, with which their home-spun cloth-

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ing was made from flax and wool. They would buy leather in Cincinnati, and traveling shoemakers would go from house to house and make up the stock. Some- times the early settlers would drive horses as far as South Carolina, in order to get money to pay for their land. At other times, they would build flat-boats, load them with produce, and float down the Miami, Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans, sell their produce, dispose of their boat and walk back. Children of course went barefooted ; they hardly knew what shoes were made for.

As has been noticed, the Knoops and Carvers were among the earliest settlers here ; the Carver family were much annoyed by the Indians. Once, while Mr. Carver was hauling wood on a sled, a drunken Indian came along, who, by his peculiar gestures and capers, so frightened the horses, that it was by the utmost endeavors they were restrained from running away. The Indian seemed to enjoy it immensely, which so exasperated Mr. Carver that he struck him with a stake, knocking at once all the whisky and romance out of him. Indians frequently camped on Carver's place. Once they came with a white woman they had captured when a little child in some place in Pennsylvania. This woman refused to leave the Indians, married one of them, and brought up a family of red-skins. The Indians in the neighborhood would do nothing but hunt, and beg bread and whisky from the whites.

Joseph Skinner came here in 1806, and, being rather ingenious, and seeing the necessities of the people, built one of those original machines called a corn- cracker. While this was a source of some emolument to him, it was a great accom- modation to his neighbors, as corn bread was really the staff of life ; and this, with pork and beans in connection with milk, make a meal, which, as Isaac Walton would say, " Is too good for anybody but honest men." Section 4 was early settled by the Knoops, and has remained with the same since, now a very fine piece of land, transformed from the dense forest out of which it was literally hewn into its pres- ent beautiful fields of waving grain. C. and D. Lefevre came from Pennsylvania and cleared up a home on Lost Creek, and have ever since been worthy and useful citizens of this township. William Shell located on Section 10, in 1812. Daniel Nowland on Section 13, 1821. The following year, J. L. Meredith settled on Section 17. Immigration from this on, poured with increasing rapidity. We shall there- fore advert to other features that should be brought into clearer relief.

Bounded on the west by the Miami, whose rich basin furnishes the richest and most fertile soil, it naturally follows, that numerous tributaries penetrate its borders, chief among which we may mention Lost Creek and Spring Creek, the former of which enters the township near the center of Section 4, passing diago- nally through the southeast corner of the same, enters Section 3 near the center, flowing southwest to near the west side thereof, when it flows a little east of south out of the township.

Spring Creek enters near the center of Section 10, north, flows nearly south to the lower border of Section 9, thence southwest, emptying into the Miami in Section 19. In addition to these there are, south of Staunton, three considerable streams flowing into the river; above Staunton, there are six, all forming rich bottom lands. Thus we observe that. with the whole western border laved by the Miami, and otherwise intersected by ten streams, Staunton possesses very fine natural resources in the direction of pasturage and agriculture, indeed, second to none in the county. Her crops of corn, wheat, oats and barley, consequently, are very heavy, and her citizens prosperous.

To afford facilities for the transportation of her produce, and inter-commercial elations, she has transformed the old blazed path and corduroy bridge for excellent ikes, roads and bridges, along which the traveler can pass the darkest night, and luring the wettest season, with ease and safety.

Running along the dividing line between Staunton Township and Spring reek, we have the free pike, named after these townships, intersecting the pike om Staunton to Piqua. One mile south and parallel with the former, is the Piqua and Lost Creek pike, extending the full width of the township.

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Still lower down is the Troy and Urbana pike, running from Troy in a broken line northeastwardly across the township. Again, on the south, extends the Troy and Casstown pike, intersecting the township transversely near the center, and passing through the town of Staunton. Still lower down passes the Troy and Springfield Pike, running through the lands of J. and J. H. Knoop and the Enyeart's. Passing from the lower end, on the east side comes the Troy and Dayton Pike, running nearly north, bearing west to intersect the former pike on the lands of Abner Enyeart, and pass over the river on the bridge near Benjamin Enyeart's.

The Dayton & Michigan Railroad enters the township from the north, in the extreme northeast corner of Section 28, and passing in a straight line a little east of south, until near the river, when it deflects to the southwest, crosses the same and passes through Troy, and on down to Dayton, connecting with railroad for Cincinnati and all other important points north and south.

The churches of Staunton Township, which formerly consisted of log huts, have been replaced by more modern structures, and the routine of transition and improvement is so generally alike in all townships, that it is not necessary to par- ticularize. Some of the old churches have been mentioned in the interviews with Mrs. Dye, John Webb and others, and our information being limited in regard to both church history and schools in this township, we are obliged to omit a more extended notice of them in this connection. The old Staunton Cemetery, formerly situated where the Eastern School building now stands in Troy, was abandoned and most of the bodies exhumed and re-interred in the Riverside Cemetery, north of Troy, on a beautiful spot fronted by a high-rolling ridge sloping from the river toward the north. Stones may be seen of plain and unpretentious design, record- ing deaths as far back as 1810, when the lonely pioneer watched alone by the bed- side of his wife or his child, or the mother pillowed the head of her only child as it breathed away its soul, and as its spirit took its untrammeled flight to the source from which it emanated, the grief-stricken parent watched alone the little piece of clay until it was forever laid away. We next introduce the old Baptist Church at Staunton.

"To-day, while the knell of the bell assembles a congregation of church-going people to the worship of God according to the dictates of their own conscience, where there are none to molest or make afraid, let us remember the days of our Miami, our mater familias, where the only sanctuary was the hearth-stone of a log-cabin, and worship was conducted at the peril of life. For it was amidst cir- cumstances like these our ancestors planted the first Gospel church of Miami, and raised the banner of Immanuel at Staunton, which place afterward became the temporary seat of justice for the county.

Henry Gerard, of Pennsylvania, in connection with four others moved near the present site of Staunton in the spring of 1798, and established there a station, for the security of their families. In the following year, Nathaniel Gerard and wife moved to this settlement from Pennsylvania, where they held their membership in the Red Stone Baptist Church. In 1801, Mr. William Knight, and his wife Priscilla, moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio, and settled on Lost Creek, near this station. Ir the spring of 1804, Moses Winters moved his family from North Carolina to Ohio and settled on Honey Creek not far from this little village. In 1801, Mr. Stephen Dye, and Mehitable his wife, came from Pennsylvania, where they were members of the Red Stone Church, and made their home on the Miami within the boundary of the station.

These God-like men of yore, though few in number, were strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. The Christian religion preserved in its pristine purity and honored in its efficacy, imbued their hearts and minds with a deep sense of their obligations to the Church of Christ, and their duty to propagate the Apostolic doctrine. Without consulting secular interest they felt that the cause of Christ must be sustained, and, therefore, with all the fortitude of a Christian hero, they went forth boldly and magnanimously to plant the first Gospel seed in & hitherto barren land. They left their own pleasant homes and social circles, to go

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into a land of nought, and to worship God upon the evening air. No frescoed walls or gas-lit streets adorned our pilgrim fathers' home ; would that some to-day knew the deprivations and sacrifices of their predecessors, but "behind a frowning providence, God hides a smiling face." In the midst of nocturnal darkness, lo ! the morning star appears. It was a bright Saturday morning on the 3d of November, 1804, in a country new and wild, when the last standing oak, the one that shel- tered the old cabin door, rustled its autumn leaves in silent memory of the past, and the only dayspring to usher in a new era, was the distant, mournful cooing of the turtle dove, that a little band of seven believers met as Christian sentinels, with muskets by their side, to constitute a Baptist Church. The place selected was the house of Stephen Dye ; the people present to organize a church were Moses Win- ters, Nathaniel Gerard, Stephen Dye, William Knight, Elizabeth Winters, Mary Gerard, Mehitable Dye. This band of believers became a church with all the power and authority delegated to the chosen people of God. To them, what a day of joy was this ; when the hallowed shrine of Christianity was again accessible ; when the halos of better days encircled them. Two ministers being present, Elder Joshua Carmon and Elder John Smith, a feast of fat things was enjoyed.

We stop here to give the minutes of the church after its constitution.

Staunton Baptist Church, Saturday, December 1, 1804. Church met accord- ing to appointment, and after services, proceeded to business. Chose Bro. William Knight as Moderator, and Bro. Henry Gerard for Writing Clerk. Thus the church was formed, and is now in running operation. The Apostolic rule of church government was theirs. Upon the basis of the primitive Christian church, theirs was built. They had the Bible for their guide, and, no doubt the Word of God was precious in those days, and good sermons were appreciated by unbelievers. But it was not without difficulty that services were conducted, for the few lonely cabins were scattered over a large area of country, and the senti- ment of the red man was :

.. ] scorn your proffered treaty Your pale face I defy."

But they went forth in the name of the Lord of Hosts and claimed the vic- tory, and victory came. The Lord blessed them day by day, until their little dwellings were not copious enough to entertain the crowds that came, and they began to contemplate the conveniences and appropriateness of a sanctuary.

But at this time they were unable to make any advancements toward the building of such a house.

It appears that Elders John Smith and Thomas Childers had supplied the church with preaching occasionally. since its organization, but the books do not show that they ever received any compensation for their labors.

In 1806, the church was visited by Elder John Thomas. We presume this visit was not to secure a pastorate, but a mere gratuitous call, something not unusual in those days.

Staunton being the seat of justice, naturally constituted the Baptist Church, the grand metropolis of evangelization throughout the whole region round about. At one of the regular meetings about this time, Bro. H. Stites, was, by his own request, granted the privilege to act as missionary for the church. By virtue of a request presented on February 23, 1811, by the members residing near the Wilson settlement, (now Lost Creek) the church concluded to strike them off as an arm of Staunton, and allow them the privilege of transacting their own business, providing it be done according to the rules of said church. In June, 1816, Lost Creek was con- stituted a separate church.

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The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 48

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