The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Part 68

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

USA > Ohio > Tuscarawas County > The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio > Part 68

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Port Washington became an incorporated village in 1868. Dr. David Nelson was elected the first Mayor, but he resigned at once, and L. A. Cornet was elected to the vacancy. Those who have since filled this official position are W. J. Haskinson, H. H. Porter, Rev. Edward Bache, A. H. Price (resigned) Benjamin Ross, Thomas H. Moore and Hy W. Davis. A town hall was erected by the vil- lage in 1878-79, at a cost of about $3,500. It is a substantial brick structure, 32x60 feet in size and three stories in height, the upper of which is owned by the Masonic order. . The second contains a large audience hall and the first floor is divided into Mayor's office, prison, also hall for fire department, which con- sists of hook and ladder, engine and hose companies. The fire engine was purchased in 1877. The hook and ladder company has existed for many years

The public union school system was adopted by popular vote at Port Wash- ington about 1857, and two years later the frame two-story building. 42x44 feet, still in use, was erected. It contained three apartments. In ISS2, an addition, 32x42 feet and two stories in height, was made. The building now

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contains five rooms, four of which are occupied. The first term in the present building began in September, 1860. Samuel Miller was the first Principal, serving one year. His successors have been H. H. Porter, 1861 to 1864; Fred- erick Link, 1864 to 1866; Mr. Wettock, 1866-67; Sylvester Henderson, 1867 and 1868; George D. Hill, 1868 to 1870; William Hill, 1870 to 1873; Rob- ert W. Lyons, 1873-74; John Figert, 1874 to 1876; J. H. Dodd, 1876 to 1880; Charles Haupert, 1880 to 1882; George E. Campbell, 1882-83. The present School Board is composed of Richard Burrell, President; H. H. Porter, Secretary; Thomas J. Stucker, Treasurer; Frederick Ludwig, Dr. D. M. Kinsey and George Fidler. Before the present building was erected, a one-story frame schoolhouse was used. which stood on the lot now occupied by the German Church.

In 1837, there were at Port Washington flourishing societies of both the Methodist Protestant and the Methodist Episcopal denominations. Services were held in the schoolhouse until about 1840, when a frame meeting house was erected and occupied by the two congregations. Of the former, Medad Vinton and Thomas Taylor were leading members ; of the latter, John Newton and Mr. Lukens. Both societies declined from 1845 to 1850, and the Meth- odist Episcopal first became extinct. The surviving organization then held sole possession of the property till it, too, passed out of existence, when the church was sold. The Evangelical English Lutheran Church has had a con. gregation of more than a score of members here, but it is now defunct. At present the only two religious societies now active in the village are the Ger- man Lutheran and the Moravian congregations.

The German Evangelical or Lutheran Church, at Port Washington, was organized in 1851. Rev. Carl S. Doeppenschmidt was the first minister. Rev. Carl Aulenbach succeeded, serving from 1852 to 1860. Rev. John Zwolenck was here in 1861, and Rev. Englebach, who closed his pastorate in 1867. F. W. A. Reidel was in charge in 1867 and 1868, and Rev. Neuschmidt followed. Fred. erick Nestman terminated his Jabors in 1875. Then came Rev. G. Kottler, from 1875 to 1878; Rev. A. Merkle, from 1878 to 1882; and Rev. J. Linden- meyer, the present pastor, in 1882. The church edifice, an old frame build- ing, was erected by the English and the German Lutherans conjointly, but the latter became, by purchase, sole owners. The present membership is ninety families, composing about two hundred individual members.

The Port Washington Moravian Church is a recent organization. Rev. J. H. Clewell began preaching there in November, 1881, and March 5, 1882, or- ganized a congregation of twenty-eight members, composed as follows: D. M. Kinsey, A. Demuth, John Roenbaugh, Charles Haupert, Aquilla Carr, George Ross, Peter Uhrich, Thomas Huff, and their wives; Peter Petry, Welsch Sper. ling, Mrs. Mary Ludwig, Mrs. Sarah E. Hill, Miss Mary Lanzer, Mrs. Paulina Mowi, Mrs. Anna Reed, Mrs. Caroline Hawthorn, Mrs. Clarissa Ross, and Mrs. Margaret Wemgart and two daughters. Rev. Clewell is still pastor, and the membership has increased to about eighty-one, thirty-six of whom are commu- nicant members. Meetings have been held in Union Hall, but a handsome, frame church building is now being erected on Lots 1 and 4 of Slade's Addi- tion, Main street. The corner-stone was laid October 18, 1882, and when completed the building will be one of the prettiest in the county. Its cost will be about $5,000. Its erection is due to the exertions of some of the leading men of Port Washington, who realize the need of an English church edifice in the village.

Port Washington Lodge, F. & A. M., No. 202, was instituted August 14, 1851. Its charter dates October 28, 1851, with the following membership: Dorsey Wilson, Joseph S. Burr, John Knight, George P. Campbell, William

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Simeral, William Russell, B. Hare and Charles Wilgus. The first officers in- stalled were Dorsey Wilson, W. M .; Joseph S. Burr, S. W .; John Knight, J. W .; William Simeral, Treas .; William Russell, Sec .; James S. Early, S. D .: Thomas J. Gibbons, J. D .; John Hare, Tiler. Of these Dr. Burr is the only survivor. Meetings were held in a hall over Thomas J. Gibbons' blacksmith shop until 1862. In March, 1863, the lodge took possession of a room on the third floor of John Knight's warehouse. In 1879 and 1880, the lodge built at a cost of about $1,600 a new hall, which was dedicated July 20, 1880. The present officers are W. J. Haskinson, W. M .; S. Slade, S. W. ; J. A. Haw- thorne, J. W .; William Anderson, Treas .; A. G. Nelson, Sec .; E. H. Burrell. S. D .; James Leach, J. D .; H. Chapman, Tiler. During its life of thirty-two years, the lodge has had 177 members, 14 of whom have died. The present membership is 54. The lodge meets Friday, on or before the full moon, and two weeks thereafter.

Port Washington Lodge, No. 694, I. O. O. F., was instituted July 3, 1880, with the following charter members: Philip Barth, Robert Nelson, Theodore Lanning, Peter Ulrich, John Price, Jacob Kinsey, J. A. Hawthorne, Peter Lamberty, Frederick Ludwig and Abraham Salchli. The present membership is about thirty-five. The officers are John Price, N. G .; Darius Hefling, T. G .; Philip Barth, Rec. Sec .; Andrew Gray, Perm. Sec .; Peter Ulrich, Treas. Meetings are held every Wednesday evening.

Dr. David Nelson came to the village in 1842, and commenced a prac- tice of medicine which he continued until 1868, when he retired. When he came, Joseph Burr and Richard Hewitt were engaged in the practice. Drs. Simon B. Emerson, Knight, McCall, Wallace, Mckinsey and others have since engaged in the profession here. At present there are three medical practi- tioners in the village: J. A. Hawthorne, Daniel M. Kinsey and F. G. Helms H. H. Porter is the only attorney.

The village contains two flouring mills; one owned now by Barney, Demoss & Co., of Coshocton, is located on the canal, does an extensive merchant business, and was erected many years ago by J. & J. Bremer. M. J. Wheel- and, in 1882, built a steam flour mill which has a good custom trade. A planing mill is owned and operated by Frank Gross, who built it in 1879. The steam saw mill just northeast of the village was erected by Edward Stucker, and is now owned by Amon Huff. John Kilgore operates a tannery built by John Miller about thirty years ago, and Adam Cappel owns another which he himself erected. A. Schneider & Sons are the proprietors of large carriage works which they built in 1882. Slade & Co., in the summer of 1882, started a creamery, which averages about 250 pounds of butter per day. A distillery is owned by J. R. Lingan. Lesser industrial shops include two blacksmith shops, one cooper shop, three shoe shops, and two harness shops.

The mercantile business is represented by four dry goods stores, two hard- ware stores, one drug store, one furniture store, three groceries, a jewelry store, two millinery stores, two meat markets and one tailoring establishment. The village also contains one hotel, two saloons, three restaurants, two barber shops and a livery stable.

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Jacob Manter

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CHAPTER XV.

SANDY TOWNSHIP.

ORGANIZATION-PHYSICAL FEATURES-CANAL AND RAILROADS-LANDS-PIONEERS -SCHOOLS AND INDUSTRIES -- SANDYVILLE-MINERAL CITY-VAL- LEY CITY-CHURCHES-JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

YANDY TOWNSHIP was erected by the County Commissioners June 2, S 1817, and its electors were directed to meet at the house of Moses Ayres, in the town of Sandyville, on the 17th day of June following, to elect the proper township officers. Its original territory was Township 10, of Range 1, all of which it still retains, except a small fraction off the southwest corner, west of the Tuscarawas, which is now a part of Lawrence Township. It is located in the northeastern corner of the county. Stark County bounds it on the north and Carroll on the east; on the south are Fairfield and Warren Townships, and on the west Lawrence. The surface features are as varied as any portion of the county of equal size. Sandy Creek, from which the town- ship derived its name, is the principal stream. It crosses the northern por- tion of the township from east to west in an irregular course. Nimishillen

Creek, flowing southward, enters Sandy Creek in the north-central part of the township. The Tuscarawas River forms the southwestern boundary for a dis- tance of nearly two miles, and One Leg Creek, in one of its erratic move- ments, breaks over into Sandy from Fairfield, and after wandering aimlessly about for a mile or two returns to Fairfield, and soon after reaches the Tus- carawas. Huff's Run is, perhaps, the most important smaller water-course. It drains the south part of the township and is a tributary to One Leg. With its various streams, Sandy is well supplied with fertile valleys. The hill lands, in many places, have gently sloping surfaces, which form excellent farms, but in other localities they possess a ruggedness which may be viewed to better advantage from a picturesque point than from one of utility.

The Beaver & Sandy Canal in years agone, it was thought, would prove a boon in the development of Sandy's resources, but its inglorious failure de- prived the township of this expected advantage. Three railroads, two of which are of very recent construction, now pierce the township, and bring it into active relation with the outside world. The Tuscarawas branch of the Cleveland & Pittsburgh road enters from the northeast down the valley of San- dy Creek, and crossing to the hillsides of Huff's Run through a deep tun- nel, in the eastern part of the township, continues southwesterly to Zoar Sta- tion. The Wheeling & Lake Erie road crosses the southwestern corner of the township, along the Tuscarawas Valley, and the Valley road crosses from north to south by a winding course through the central part of the township. Along the first and last mentioned roads, a number of mines are in operation, which export a large amount of coal. The Tunnel Mines have been the most exten- sive. They were opened soon after the Tuscarawas branch was built, and have been in operation since. One hundred tons are daily shipped. C. E. Hol- den has recently opened a mine near Mineral City, and about a half-mile to the east the Block Vein Mine has been operated for years. On the Valley road, about a fourth of a mile north of Mineral City, Ridgeway, Burton &

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Co., ship 100 tons per day. Farther up the road is the mine of the Akron Strawboard Company. The coal is of an excellent quality, and is found in veins about four feet thick. Iron ore is mined, but not so extensively as in former years. Fire-clay is found in considerable quantity, and much is con- sumed at the Mineral City Fire Brick Works.

The northwest quarter of the township is Congress land; the north- east quarter is a military section, divided into forty 100-acre lots; the southeast quarter is a Western Reserve School Section, containing twen- ty-five lots; the southwest quarter is the greater part of a military section, the third quarter of Township 10, Range 1, which was entered by Godfrey Haga in 1800. In 1805, he sold 1,000 acres, the southwest portion, to Godfrey Huff, and north of this, the same year, 350 acres to John Colver, and 150 to Abraham Romig. In 1810, Haga sold 1,000 acres to Peter Wolf, of Allegheny County, Penn. In compliance with the terms of the will of Peter Wolf, his executor, Christian Wolf, in 1812, subdivided the tract into ten 100-acre lots. The remaining 1,500 acres Haga sold, in 1818, to Jo- seph M. Bimeler. Five hundred acres, located in the northwest part of the quarter, the Society of Zoar still owns; the remaining 1,000 acres, the eastern part of the quarter, was surveyed for the society by H. Roby in December, 1832, into twenty fifty-acre lots, which were then sold.

The recognized first settler of Sandy Township was Godfrey Huff. The records show that he was from Bedford County, Penn., and that in May, 1805, he purchased from Godfrey Haga, for $1,062.50, a tract of 1,000 acres in the southwest corner of the third quarter of Township 10, Range 1, or the south- west corner of Sandy Township, embracing also the corner of Lawrence, across the river. The year 1803 has been assigned by old settlers as the date of his emigration to this tract, but we have found evidence that he was here in 1801. Mr. Huff was a man of large frame, and wore the broad-brimmed hat and the garb of the Dunkard sect, of which he was a member. He is said to have raised many hogs on the river bottoms, driven them to Detroit, Mich., for sale, and with the proceeds paid for his land. He had five sons-Michael, Henry, Samuel, Frederick and Andrew. Most of the boys subsequently emigrated to Iowa. Godfrey Huff lived and died in Sandy Township, his death occurring about 1825.

The second settler, Philip Farber, pitched his tent in the extreme north- eastern corner of the township and county, on Lot 8. He hailed from New York, and came about 1806, remaining a lifelong resident of the township. He was a Presbyterian, and later in life a Lutheran. His son, John Farber, who settled soon after on the adjoining Lot 7, farmed and operated a distillery there, but, becoming an advocate of temperance, is said to have been the first settler in the neighborhood who cut his wheat without the aid of whisky.

James Eakin, the third settler, in the fall of 1806 journeyed from his home in Beaver County, Penn., to the northern part of Military Lot 24, in this township, and built himself a cabin. The next spring he brought his family to the new home, arriving April 7. That year he cleared four acres, and planted it in corn. He was a hunter, and for seven years the meat on his table was wild game only. His religious belief was of the Presbyterian school. He was a sub-contractor during the construction of the canal, and died while there engaged. He had nine children, one of whom, Squire John Eakin, a hale and hearty old gentleman of eighty one years, still lives in the township, its oldest resident.

Among the next settlers were John Kline, Abraham Cazier, Michael Flick- inger, John Harbaugh and Benjamin Jackson, all of whom were probably here when the county was organized. Benjamin Jackson, a powerfully-built Vir-

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ginian, and a cousin of President Andrew Jackson, came to the Western wilds in the spring of 1807, built his cabin on Military Lot 23, in the northeast part of Sandy, and brought his family of grown sons and daughters to the new land in the autumn of the same year. Mr. Jackson owned a considerable tract of land, and his children-Francis, Mary (Hatfield), Joseph, Elizabeth (Miller), Thomas, Nancy (Eakin), Edward, Rebecca (Hill) and William -- were soon comfortably settled on adjoining farms. They were of the Presbyterian faith. Benjamin Jackson died in his forest home, and most of his sons, with the true pioneer spirit, emigrated further West. None now bear the name in Sandy Township. John Kline, of Westmoreland County, Penn., entered the northwest quarter of Section 15, on the western line of the township, jour- neyed to it in the fall of 1807, built a cabin and made a little clearing, then brought out his family the following spring. He was a Lutheran. His chil- dren were Jacob, Henry, John, Philip, Daniel, Elizabeth (Snelbaker), Cathe- rine, Eva (Flickinger), Hannah (Keller) and Margaret (Burns). Mr. Kline died on the farm; his descendants are widely scattered. Abraham Cazier came probably, in the autumn of 1807, and settled on Military Lot 26. The first Methodist meetings within the limits of the township were held at his house. The name of the first minister is forgotten. Rev. Travis was the second and James B. Finley the third. Mr. Cazier, later in life, removed to near Sparta, Stark County, where he died. John Harbaugh was one of the earliest settlers in the county. He located first in Dover Township, then settled in Sandy. He was a blacksmith from Frederick County, Md. Isaac Harbaugh, one of his sons, also settled early in what is now Sandy. Michael Flickinger came from Pennsylvania, and settled on the northwest quarter of Section 6 about 1808. He was a well-to-do farmer, and owned also the east half of Section 6. He died on his farm.

Other early settlers on the Congress land were Peter Fulk, Philip Swank, John Sweaney. Andrew Sheas and Hugh Russell. Peter Fulk was a Pennsyl- vania German, made his home on the southwest quarter of Section 6, owred considerable land in addition, came before 1815, usually wore buckskin pants, was a successful farmer and died in 1823. Christian and Philip Swank were here before 1815, emigrating from Huntingdon County. Penn. Christian came first, and afterward moved to Stark County. Philip settled on the north- east quarter of Section 5, afterward on the southwest quarter of Section 7. He moved to Livingston County, Mo. John Swaney, from Frederick County, Md., entered and settled on the northwest quarter of Section 14 prior to 1815. He died near Sandyville. Andrew Sheas came in 1816, from Pennsylvania, and purchased the northwest quarter of Section 3, which had been entered by John Burk. He was an Albright, and services of this denomination were held for a time in his barn. His father, Peter Sheas, crossed the Delaware with Gen. Washington, and resided for a short time in Sandy. Hugh Russell, a miller by trade and occupation, came from Maryland to Stark County, Ohio, in 1814, and to Sandy Township in 1817, settling on the northwest quarter of Section 4. He died in May, 1825, and his son, Hugh, is now the only member of his family in the township. Mr. Russell is seventy-four years of age, and one of the township's most respected citizens.

The carly pioneers of the military lots in the northeast quarter of the township included John Barr, John Burk, William Baird, John Exline, Laza- rus Holmes, Wallen Miller, Jacob Laffer and John Ritter. John Barr was a Revolutionary soldier, and witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis. He came early from Washington County, Penn., and was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church, and located, settled and died on Lot 36. William Baird purchased and occupied Lot 4. John Burk came from New Jersey, owned Lots 34 and

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35, and died in Delaware County, at the astounding age, it is said, of one hundred and eighteen years. John Exline came from Huntingdon County, Penn., with his family, by a toilsome wagon journey, about 1816, and made his presence known by stopping at Mr. Jackson's cabin and asking for a fire. He was surprised the next day by the neighbors, who flocked in at his camp on Lot 13, and completed a cabin for him before daylight closed. Mr. Exline was a Presbyterian, and died on his farm. Lazarus Holmes was an Irish Pennsylvanian. He settled on Lot 16, but not liking the country returned to the State whence he came. Wallen Miller came, a single man, from New Jer- sey, married the daughter of Benjamin Jackson, settled on Lot 23, accumu- lated property and died in the township. His father, Benjamin Miller, a soldier of the Revolution, died at his cabin. John Ritter settled on Lot 14. He was an early blacksmith and sold iron ladles to his neighbors. Jacob Laffer, a young man, cousin of Henry Laffer, came about 1817. He owned a part of Lot 34.

In the southwestern part of the township other early settlers were Peter Andrews, Michael Burroway, Abraham Hufnagle, George Winkelpleck and Christian Wolf. Peter Andrews came about 1817 from Stark County. Mi- chael Burroway was the son of one of the earliest settlers at Gnadenhutten. Christian Wolf sold his farm and removed to the West.

The southeast portion of the township, which is Western Reserve School Land, was not permanently settled until after 1830.

The Cogans were early settlers. John Snelbaker was here before 1812, and in 1816 is said to have shot and killed an Indian, Beaver Hat, who, while under the influence of whisky, boasted at a house-raising of the many scalps he had taken, and thereby provoked the ire of Snelbaker. The irate settler followed nim with the above stated result.

The few settlers who were here before 1812 felt the dangers of the fron- tier, and several returned to the Eastern States, unwilling to incur the risk of an Indian massacre. No Indian depredations, however, are known to have been committed. Once, during early hostilities, a woman rode frantically through the settlement in the northeast portion of the township and reported that 600 hostile savages were at Bethlehem, Stark County, and would soon be upon them. The settlers hastily rendezvoused at Abraham Cazier's cabin, and James Eakin reconnoitered as far as Bethlehem, and established the falsity of the rumor. Among the settlers who served in the war of 1812 were John Snelbaker, Philip Swank, James Eakin, Thomas Jackson, Michael Burroway and Edward Jackson. George Barnett, who settled in the township in 1827, had been a soldier in the war of 1812, and also in the Revolutionary struggle. He was buried in Sandy Township with the honors of war.

The first white child born in the township was James Farber, Bon of John Farber, in the spring of 1808. Nancy Eakin was the second. She was born in the autumn of 1808. The first marriage was that of Rebecca Flickinger to Mr. Kline. Sally Farber, of the township, however, was married earlier to John Price. There being no Justice in this township at that time, a Squire was sent for from Canton. He came to the county line, near Farber's cabin, and was there met by the expectant couple. William Lee, who was teaching school in the neighborhood, marched his pupils out to the forest altar to wit- ness the ceremony, then solemnly returned with them to the schoolroom and re-commenced practicing ithere the art of education. Indians occasionally visited the schoolroom. They would enter noiselessly, remain quietly for an hour or two, perhaps smoke with the teacher, then as quietly again take their departure without uttering a syllable. The Indians would visit the earliest settlers in bands of perhaps ten or twenty, and refuse to leave the cabin of the

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white man until the cravings of the inner man were satisfied, even if it re- quired the settler's whole stock of provisions. Many distilleries were operated in the township in the early days. Rev. J. B. Morrow organized the first tem- perance society, near Sandyville, about 1831. Peter Andrews, about 1832, built a grist mill on One Leg Creek, in the southwestern part of the township. It was afterward rebuilt, and burned a few years ago.

Sandyville is a little village located in the pleasant valley of Sandy Creek, a short distance below the mouth of Nimishillen Creek. It was laid out in 1815 by Henry Laffer. The plat shows that there were originally eighty-six lots, all of which are three perches in width, and west of them twelve perches in length. Main and Front streets cross at right angles and run with the cardinal points of the compass. At their intersection is a "public square," eight perches in width and ten in length. In 1839, Daniel Becket made an extensive addition on the north, consisting of fifty-one lots, thirteen of which are of large size, the others building lots. In 1843, the administrators of Henry Laffer made an addition of forty-seven lots, extending west as far as Sandy Creek. The proprietor, Henry Laffer, was one of the most prominent men in the county. He emigrated from Westmoreland County, Penn., to New Philadelphia about 1806, and kept a tavern at the county seat for several years. From 1810 to 1813, he was Sheriff of the county In 1815, he pur- chased from Joseph Eakin the northeast quarter of Section 8, and founded Sandyville. This quarter had been entered by Joseph Eakin and Jonathan Skyhawk. They erected a saw mill, and soon after Eakin obtained sole pos- session. Both were from Beaver County, Penn., emigrating to Tuscarawas about 1809. In 1815, Joseph Eakin returned to Pennsylvania. Mr. Laffer engaged in various public enterprises to advance the interests of his commu- nity and county, was quite popular, became a Major General of the militia, a State Senator, and filled other positions of trust and honor. He died at San- dyville in March, 1835.

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The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Part 68

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

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