The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Part 55

Author: Warner, Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017

USA > Ohio > Tuscarawas County > The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio > Part 55

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).

Perhaps no name is so closely identified with the pioneer history of Dover Township as that of Christian Deardoff. James Morrison, of Lexington, Ky., by deed dated February 17, 1806, conveyed to Christian Deardoff. of Penn- sylvania, and Jesse Slingluff, of Baltimore, Md., the south part of the third quarter of Township 9, Range 2, 2,175 acres, for $4,622. Charles Boehn, of Baltimore, soon after became a partner in this tract, but a little later disposed of his interest again to Deardorff & Slingluff. Christian Deardorff was born in York County, Penn., in 1781. In 1802, it is said, he, in company with Jesse Slingluff, made a trip through Ohio on horseback, and on the journey visited the Tuscarawas Valley, and was greatly impressed with its many ad- vantages. In 1806, after his extensive purchase had been consummated, he emigrated to the land. He built a little cabin on the hillside, near Sugar Creek, about three-fourths of a mile west of Dover, and there kept bachelor's hall, in the wilderness, for about eleven years. He at once erected a grist and saw mill on Sugar Creek, about half a mile from its mouth, and on the site of the pres- ent salt works. Except an old horse mill at Gnadenhutten, this was the first mill in Tuscarawas County. It was visited by the settlers in the valley for many miles, and proved quite a boon to them. The mill remained in opera-

Digitized by Google

529

DOVER TOWNSHIP.

tion until, at the construction of the Ohio Canal, a dam was built across the mouth of Sugar Creek, to form a feeder for the canal, thereby destroying the water power of the mill. As a recompense for this loss, the State granted to Deardorff & Slingluff a perpetual lease of water power on the canal, and, in consequence of the rights thus obtained, Mr. Deardorff erected the Dover Mills, afterward known as the Cascade Mills.

William Butt was one of the foremost pioneers of Dover Township, as well as one of its most extensive land-holders. He purchased 1,200 acres of land in the second quarter of Township 8, Range 2, from the executors of Dr. Felix Lynn, July 1, 1809. However, in 1806, he had emigrated to it from York County, Penn. He pitched his tent by the side of a gushing spring, and at once erected a large cabin, 24x30 feet in size, consisting of a single room, which answered all domestic purposes. The cabin stood about two and one-half miles south of Dover, on the farm since known as the Swinehart place. Mr. Butt was well advanced in life when he came, and his large family had mostly grown to maturity. His children were Mary, who married Rev. Wolgenmode for her first, and John Hildt, Sr., for her second, husband, and died without children; Sarah, who married Conrad Roth; Susan, who died unmarried; William S., a local minister of the Methodist Church, who died in Lancaster, Ind .; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Jacob Welty; John, who resided afterward in New Philadelphia; and Elizabeth, who married Christian Deardorff. Mr. Butt was an earnest Methodist, and his cabin was a customary place for preaching. He retired from active farm life a few years prior to his death, which occurred in 1824 in the seventy-fifth year of his age.

His son-in-law, Conrad Roth, a surveyor, farmer, local preacher and school teacher, accompanied him to Dover Township, from York County, Penn., in 1806 and purchased and settled on a portion of his tract about four miles south from Dover. The wife of Mr. Roth died in 1815, and soon after he provided homes for his four little girls, Mary (Pritchard), Catherine (McMeal), Elizabeth (Blickensderfer) and Sarah (Hayden), sold his farm to Martin Muma, and became an itinerant Methodist minister.

When Mr. Deardorff arrived, in 1806, he found near the McLean stone quarry a squatter named George Harbaugh, who was then the only settler west of the river in Dover Township. Harbaugh was a German. His son Frederick afterward purchased a small tract of land near by, and remained a life-long resident of Dover Township.

Christian Wolgemuth came about. 1808 or 1809. He was a Pennsylvania German, and very religious. He settled on Crooked Run, and died in the township in old age.

Elias Wade was a Virginian, and came early to a western home for the purpose, it is said, of removing his boys, who were inclined to dissipate, from temptation. He purchased 266 acres in the second quarter of Township 8, Range 2, and became a permanent settler of Dover Township.

Gabriel Cryder, about 1811, emigrated in company with several other fam- ilies from York County, Penn. He settled above Dover, but several years later purchased a large farm in Goshen Township, and removed thither. In 1823, he took up a residence in New Philadelphia, having been elected County Treasurer, and remained there till death.

The early settlers of Dover Township were principally Pennsylvania Ger- mans. They remained citizens of the township, almost without exception, through life, and the descendants of many still dwell in the abodes of their ancestors. In later years an almost purely German stream of emigration has been filling the hills and vales with citizens; so that at this time the prepon- derating element of population is of this nationality.

Digitized by Google

530

HISTORY OF TUSCARAWAS COUNTY.

Among other early pioneers who arrived prior to 1812 and located in western part of Dover Township, may be mentioned Mathias Burcht Christian Noftzinger, Abraham Overholt. John Burkholder, Jacob Crites, ] ry Kretzer, Isaac Thomas and John Wible. Christian Noftzinger entered, occupied until his death, the southeast quarter of Section 18, Townshi Abraham Overholt owned the northwest quarter of Section 12, Townshij and Mathias Burchfield the east half of Section 11, Township 9. These t families were related, came from Pennsylvania. and one winter lost el members from typhoid fever. John Burkholder entered and settled on southeast quarter of Section 22, Township 9. Jacob Crites, a German, his two sons, Andrew and Jacob, owned the south half of Section 10, To ship 8. Henry Kretzer was the first individual owner and settler on the nc east quarter of Section 8, and Isaac Thomas of the northeast quarter of tion 10, same township. John Wible, a Pennsylvanian and member of United Brethren Church, settled in the southwestern portion of the towns

Other settlers, who came a little later and also founded homes in the v ern portion of Dover, were Benjamin Hostetler, Christian Kohr, Adam Sny Jacob Smith, Edward Wolf, in Township 9, and Benjamin Baer, J Haverstock, John Muma, George Pollins, Jacob Shoup, Frederick Sw hart, John Jacob Shoup, Joseph Shrock, Michael Welty and Peter Walte Township 8. Benjamin Hostetler settled on the southeast quarter of Sex 21. Christian Kore entered, and resided until death, upon the south quarter of Section 13. Adam Snyder, a Lutheran, entered and occupied southeast quarter of Section 20. Jacob Smith settled on the southeast qui of Section 12, where he died. Edward Wolf lived in the southwest qui of Section 11. Benjamin Baer, a Pennsylvanian, was the possessor of northeast quarter of Section 2, Township 8; Jacob Haverstock, the north corner of Section 3; John Muma, the northeast quarter of Section 1; Ge Pollins, part of the southwest quarter of Section 9. Jacob Shoup and his John Jacob, Winebrennerians, owned and occupied the northwest quarter Section 9; Joseph Shrock, the northeast quarter of Section 13. Michael W and Peter Walter owned the northwest quarter of Section 11. Frede Swinebart, a Lutheran, entered and farmed the southeast quarter of Sec 9. He was a life-long resident of the township.

Richard Burrell, Philip Baker, Jacob Welty and others, settled fur east.

The proximity of the Goshen Moravian Indians, only eight or ten n distant, made them frequent and familiar visitants at the pioneer cabins. latch string was always out, and it was no uncommon occurrence for a fa: to awake in the morning and find stretched out on the floor with feet tov the fire a party of Indians who had quietly entered and taken possession ing the night. They were always welcomed, and brought wild honey venison to their white friends. The unconverted red man of the forest, } ever, was no stranger in this land, and his presence in the neighborhood often signalized by the absence of some valuable article. Mrs. Roth in manner was deprived of a gold watch chain and & silver "scissors cushion " chain. Little John, a vicious Indian, was accused of the thef Mr. Roth, and confessed and promised to restore the articles in three under his accuser's threat to shoot him if he did not. He returned withir specified time and reported to a member of the family that they had been veyed to Sandusky by a squaw. He then disappeared and was seen no I Philip Konochie was also a noted Indian character of pilfering procliviti

Wild game was abundant at first, and bears and wolves sometimes so to cultivate a too intimate acquaintance with the white man's domestic

Google

Digitized by

X. B. Manhis

Digitized by

Google

- -

Digitized by

Google

538

DOVER TOWNSHIP.

mals. Catherine Stickle, a young woman working at Mr. Roth's cabin, soon after her arrival, while all the other members of the family were absent one day, heard the only pig of her master squeal, and going to the door saw, as she supposed, a large black dog biting the animal. She rushed out and dealt the intruder a blow across the head with a club. It released its hold of the porcine victim, which immediately ran into an adjoining old cabin, where Miss Stickle securely fastened it. She turned about, and, to her amazement, saw-not a dog, but a huge bear quietly munching the morsel of pork it had thus feloniously obtained. This finished, it leisurely sauntered off to the forest. Incidents of a similar kind were of frequent occurrence.

On Brandywine Creek, in the northern part of Section 1, stands an old frame Union Church, which was built about 1844, through the combined efforts of the Lutherans, United Brethren, Dunkards and Winebrennerians, and for a time all these denominations held services here. Among the citizens who assisted in the erection were the Mumas, Kohrs, Baers and Helwigs, Lutherans; the Shoups, Keplingers, Hineys and Thomases, Winebrennerians; Blubaughs and Scinks, Dunkards; and Stauffers and others, United Brethren. The Lutherans and Dunkards no longer hold services here. The church is about 40x44 feet. The United Brethren congregation at present numbers forty- seven members, and is ministered to by Rev. A. R. Bower. Among its early members were the Mumas, Stockdales and Casebeers.

On.Crooked Run, three miles west of New Philadelphia, is a frame Union Church, 35x40 feet, which was rebuilt in 1862. A United Brethren congrega. tion of fifty-eight members worship here under the pastorate of Rev. A. R. Bower. Its early members were the Weibles, Hildts aud others.

A German Lutheran Church stands on a school lot in the northern part of the township, where in former times a strong congregation worshiped.

The Dover Salt Company was formed in 1867, and a well drilled about two and a half miles up the Tuscarawas Valley from Dover. At 900 feet a strong vein of salt water was struck, and works were erected which have been oper- ated continuously and successfully since. About seventy barrels of salt are produced per day, and a considerable amount of bromine. The officers of the company have been John Hildt, President; U. C. Deardorff, Secretary and Treasurer; D. G. Hildt, Superintendent; E. C. Deardorff, Assistant Superin- tendent.

The Sugar Creek Salt Works were erected in 1869. David Thomas, years before, had drilled a hole 550 feet in depth in search of mineral deposits. After the Dover Salt Works proved successful this opening was remembered, a com- pany was formed, and the well sunk to a depth of 900 feet, when an abun- dance of salt water was found. C. W. Bodey is now sole owner. The prod- ucts are about eighty barrels of salt and seventy pounds of bromine daily.

"Blicktown" is a hamlet of greater notoriety than size. It consists of four or five dwelling houses, a grist-mill and a lime kiln; and is situated on the canal about one and a half miles south of Dover.

In the extreme northwestern part of Dover Township, on the southeast quarter of Section 13, stands a little village now called Winfield, having a pop- ulation in 1870 of 126, and in 1880, of 115. The village was formerly known as Mechanicsburg, and under that name William Haverstock, in 1849, laid out eleven lots, all situated on the south side of Main street. An addition of sev- enteen lots north of Main street was made the same year by Eli Booth. In November, 1853, James Delany platted eight lots in the same locality and gave to them the title of Winfield. Eli Booth in the following March, made an addition of nine lots on the north. Michael T. Kohr built the first house in the place. It was a small log cabin, and is still standing The village is R

Digitized by Google

534

HISTORY OF TUSCARAWAS COUNTY.

a small country trading place, and contains one store and several small indus- trial shops.

The United Brethren is the only church in the village. It is about 40x50 feet in size, surmounted by a bell and belfry, and was erected in 1855 at a cost of $2,000 The early membership included the Kohrs, the Keplingers nnd the Rosenbergs. The present membership is fifty six. Rev. A. R. Bower is minister.

DOVER.

Dover is one of the leading towns of the county. Originally called Dover. the prefix "Canal" was added to distinguish it from a village of the same name in another part of the State. It is located on a plateau, or second bottom, on the west bank of the Tuscarawas, and commands a beautiful view of the sur- rounding diversified country. The Ohio Canal and three railroads, the Tus- carawas Branch of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh, the Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling, and the Marietta & Cleveland, afford excellent and ample means of communication and commerce with the outside world. The town is dis- tinctively German in its population. A large proportion of the people are na- tives of Germany, and many others are of German extraction. The Teutonic language is largely used in trade and conversation, and of the seven churches five are either German or of German origin.

Dover was a candidate for the seat of justice for Tuscarawas County, and it was probably with that end in view that its proprietors in 1807 made its original plat of goodly size. The location was a most eligible one, but New Philadelphia, its rival, already fairly started as a town, plucked the prize. For ten years after its location, Dover was little else than a village on paper. The needs of a commercial or business center at its site was not felt, for the county seat was only three miles distant. No public interest seemed to demand its existence, but the village was destined to thrive. Its first period, covering a space of about twenty years, or until the building of the Ohio Canal, was one of sickly growth. The village lay on the large tract of land purchased by Boehn, Slingluff & Deardorff, and was by them platted. Two of these pro- prietors were non-residents of the county. In 1817, ten years after the town was laid out, one of the proprietors, Christian Deardorff. removed from his farm nearly a mile distant, and cast his life and fortune with the little town that owed its birth to his endeavors. He had several years before built a tavern on Lot No. 1, and at its lowly board several men had successively dis pensed hospitality to the traveling public. John Zigler was probably the first, and in addition to performing his duties as inn-keeper, he kept a ferry over the Tuscarawas. A Mr. Wampler, of whom no recollection remains save his name and occupation, that of miller, was also a probable resident prior to 1817. He is said to have built the Deardorff Mills.

In 1818, according to the remembrance of Mrs. Mary Pritchard, there were four or five buildings in Dover, the Deardorff residence, the old tavern, at that time kept by Elias Wade, two other taverns, of which William Henderson and Abraham Shane were the respective proprietors, and the residence of William Bowers, a tanner, operating his trade in conjunction with Christian Deardorff. Christian Stout had preceded Wade as tavern keeper. He was a cabinet maker by trade, had been an early resident of New Philadelphia, and removed from Dover to Shanesville, where he died. In the possession of the first tavern, Mr. Wade was succeeded by C. Ritter, and he in turn by Stuffel Ecker. In a few years the old building was demolished and a new tavern constructed on the adjoining lot, No. 2. Anna Stokes, a widow, whose husband had died at Cadiz, came to Dover prior to 1825, with three children, George W., Emma and Eliza.

Digitized by Google

535

DOVER TOWNSHIP.

When Christian Deardorff removed to the village in 1817, he secured a post office and became Postmaster, and also started the first store in the front part of his cabin on Lot 8, Front street, now the residence of Ferdinand Brooks. He remained the sole merchant of the village until about 1825. George W. Slingluff then built a brick store on Front street, on the site of the Iron City Hotel, purchased Deardorff's stock of goods and became his successor. Jacob Blickensderfer soon after became his partner. Following these early merchants were Joseph Tolbert and Dr. Hoyt, Benjamin Pritchard and a Mr. McCombs.

The census of 1820 accredited Dover with a population of forty-six. Jesse Deardorff thinks that in 1824 there were but ten houses in the village. 'The construction of the Ohio Canal between the years 1826 and 1830, gave the first stimulus to an active and vigorous growth. Fortunately for Dover's wel- fare, the canal was located on the west side of the river, for this brought it to the very gates of the town plat and gave it a leading position in the traffic of this then mighty highway. Dover at once became a center of trade and com- merce. Constant streams of grain and other farm products flowed into its capacious warehouses to be shipped to the Eastern market. Men of superior business ability were attracted by its advantages. and ten years after the com- pletion of the canal, or in 1840, Dover was the first town in the county in point of population and importance. The canal trade gained for it a notice abroad, which far eclipsed that of the county seat. But the era of this high- way passed away and railroads became the lines of travel and traffic. By en- couraging various industrial enterprises, however, the town has constantly grown in size, and in 1880 reached a population of 2,208.

The original plat of Dover, as founded by Boehn. Slingluff & Deardorff in 1807, was exactly square, and contained 256 lots. The streets extending northeast and southwest were Front, Second. Third and Fourth; those extend- ing northwest and southeast were Race, Market and Walnut. Market and Third are ninety-nine feet wide; the others sixty-six. In the center of the plat was a square, 18x18 rods, designed for a court house. Lots 253-256 inclusive, were gifted in fee simple for German religious societies, and lots 225-228 for English religious societies; Lot 181 was donated for a German church and schoolhouse, Lot 170 for an English church and school- house, Lot 234 for the Moravian society, and Lot 108 " for the county gaol." The lots are three rods wide and twelve deep.

The first addition was made in 1826, by James Scott; it consisted of thir- ty eight lots, facing on a northeast extension of Front street. Jesse Slingluff and Christian Deardorff, in 1831, made an addition of thirteen lots, numbers 257-269 inclusive, on Factory and Front streets. In 1838, the heirs of Jesse Slingluff made an an addition on Factory and Commerce streets of sixty-six lots, 270-335 inclusive. In 1843, they made a second and a third addition, the second including eight lots (336-343) on Front street, and the third com- prising seventeen lots (344-360) on South, Third and Fourth streets, and seven- teen outlots. Joseph Slingluff, in 1846, made his first addition, consisting of eight lots (361-368) on Factory street. In 1866, he laid out his second addi- tion, comprising six outlots, and in 1872 an extensive addition of fifty-three lots, 369-421 inclusive, on Factory, Center, Seventh and Eighth streets. In 1865, Lots 24-30 inclusive, of Scott's Addition, were vacated. In 1870, G. W. Schilling and others made an addition of twenty-four lots in blocks of eight lots each, adjoining Dover on the northeast, and located between exten- sions of Second and Third streets. In 1870, Frederick Crater made an addi- tion, including fifty-eight lots (1 to 58) and the Union School grounds, between Third and Front streets extended, and on George street, Johnston and Lincoln avenues. George Betscher, in 1872, made an addition of four lots immediate-

Digitized by Google

536

HISTORY OF TUSCARAWAS COUNTY.

ly north of Schilling's Addition and west of Second street. In 1873, he made a second addition, consisting of eight lots, between Third and Second streets, northeast of his first addition. In 1880, he laid out a third addition of eight lots, between Third and Fourth streets, and in 1881 a fourth addition, com- prising eight lots, located between Third and Fourth streets, and immediately northeast of the original plat. Jacob Sterling, in 1873, made an addition of four lots, southeast of Scott's Addition. George B. Deardorff, executor, in 1880, laid out an addition of thirteen lots on Race and Center streets. Betscher, Schilling & Hostetler, in 1882, made an addition of thirteen lots. between Fourth and Fifth streets, and on opposite sides of Cross street. They made a second addition of eighteen lots. 14-31 inclusive, the same year on Cross, between Fifth and Sixth. C. H. Slingluff, in 1882, laid out Slingluff's Fourth Addition, consisting of seven lots (422-428) on Factory street. James A. Slingluff's Southwest Addition on Water street, consisting of five lots, was surveyed in 1882.

Dover was incorporated as a village about 1842 by the legislature, in response to a petition presented by the citizens. Dr. Joseph Slingluff was an early Mayor, and John J. Burress was elected to this position in 1843. Jesse S. Deardorff, Henry Torrey and Augustus Wilhelmi also served as Mayors. but in a few years the people of the village had tired of incorporation. The inefficient and expensive method of collecting the taxes was one of the prin- cipal causes that led to this result. Accordingly, Mr. Crater was nominated by the party that was in favor of permitting the charter to lapse. He was elected, and for almost a score of years Dover was without a village govern. ment.

In 1867, the necessary steps were taken to revive the dormant incorporation. and, September 16 of that year, the following officers were elected: Simpson Harmount, Mayor; George W. Schilling, Recorder; John J. Robinson. John Cox Jones, Andrew Berndt, David King and David Miller, Trustees. Since then, the Mayors of the village have been John G. Croxton, 1868-69; Edmund Burnett, elected in 1869, but refused to serve, and John G. Croxton filled the vacancy by appointment; J. Cox Jones, 1870-71; Philip Miller, 1871, resigned in August, and Christopher Sheeler was chosen his successor at a special election; David King, 1872-73; Christopher Sheeler, 1873-78; C. Helmrich. 1878-79; Christopher Sheeler, 1880-82; John A. Hostetler, 1882-84.

The village possesses a good town hall, erected about 1871, and an excel- lent fire department, which was organized in 1873.

The first teacher known to have wielded the birch at Dover was George W. McConnell. He was an intelligent New Yorker, married and blessed with a family; but was somewhat inclined to the popular vices of the day. He was in after years a " boss" on the Ohio Canal. The building in which Mr. McConnell taught stood on Front street, near the present site of Hoffman's grocery. After several terms were taught by this primitive pedagogue, Miss Mary Roth, now Mrs. Mary Pritchard, of Dover, a venerable but yet active old lady of nearly eighty years, succeeded, and held a three months' term, in 1826 or 1827, during the temporary indisposition of Mr. McConnell. She states that for her labors in the school room she received $1 per week, and boarded herself. Probably twenty or twenty-five pupils were intrusted to her care, among whom were three children in Elias Wade's family, three belonging to George Wallick, three of the Deardorffs (Jesse, Isaac and George), George Bowers, and Dr. Hoyt's three children. Having been told that the impres sions of the first day's school upon the pupils would have a controlling influ- ence in making the school orderly or disorderly, Miss Roth prepared for con tingencies, by taking with her to the school room a huge " cowhide," and

Digitized by Google

537

DOVER TOWNSHIP.

placing it conspicuously in sight. The effect was salutary, and no difficulties arose. Following this school, Mr. McConnell resumed sway, continuing for several terms; next Mr. Burnham, who was called a lawyer, and was regarded with suspicion by the citizens, taught a term or two. Cyrus Blanchard, Ben- jamin Pritchard and Bower Seaton successively followed. Other early teachers were Seth Hunt, Edmund Burnett, Rev. George Warren (a Baptist minister), Harmon V. Beeson, George W. Smith, Miss Cook, Miss Elliott, Daniel Glon- inger and James Moffat. About 1827, a schoolhouse was built in the midst of the woods, or brush, on the south side of Fourth street, near the cemetery, and occupied for purposes of instruction until 1844, when the little brick schoolhouse was erected on the southwest side of Fourth street. It is now owned by Joseph Stout, and occupied by a tenant as a dwelling house.

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.

The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Part 55

Author: Warner, Beers & Co. Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1017

Author: Warner, Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017