The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record;, Part 103

Author: Durant, Pliny A. [from old catalog]; Beers, W. H., & co., Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1254

USA > Ohio > Union County > The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record; > Part 103

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).

WILLIAM WINGET, deceased, was born in Pennsylvania in 1797, and was a son of Stephen Winget, who settled in Madison County, Ohio, in 1802. Our subject was reared in Madison County, where he passed his early life. After his first marriage-to Tabitha Gill, au old settler

216

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

-he removed to Champaign County, where he lived for about ten years, and then bought land where his family now lives, which was then all in woods, and which he cleared up. He pros- pered in life, and at his death owned nearly 200 acres of land. One child by his first marriage died in childhood. llis first wife, whom he married in 1820, was born in 1801, and died October 29, 1856. On July 9, 1857, he married Sarah J., daughter of James Reed, of whom mention is made in this work, and by her had three children-William, de- ceased July 1, 1861, aged nearly three years; Anna W. Baldwin nee Winget, and Phehe. Ile also adopted four children, viz .: Luther Winget, William Winget (deceased), Catherine and Elizabeth. Mr. Winget served as Trustee of his township, and as a member of the School Board. fle was a man of a religious turn of mind and contributed freely to the church and ministry. Ile died April 5, 1874. Mrs. Winget was born in this township November 24, 1825. James Reed, her father, was born in Pennsylvania in 1794, and died January 29, 1870. Ile married Anna P Robinson, of an old and much respected family of the county, who was born April 23, 1804, and died August 15, 1850. They had fourteen children, viz .: James R., Samuel L., John M .. Sarah J., Elizabeth, Lucinda A .. William M., Mary W., Malinda, Emiline, Cyrus, Euphemia, and two that died in infancy. Of these, eleven were raised, and six now reside in this county.

LUTHER WINGET, farmer, P. O. Milford Center, was born in Maryland in 1823, and is a son of William and Mary (Tumbleson) Winget, natives of the same State, who settled in Madison County, Ohio, in 1838. At an early age our subject went to live with William Winget, a rela- tive and a resident of this township, with whom he remained until 1848, at which time he was married to Martha J., the daughter of Elisha Reynolds, after which he settled where he now resides, owning in the aggregate 700 acres of land. He has made life a great success, and is fully entitled to the confidence and respect reposed in him by the people. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and has always given liberally to the poor. William Valentine, an adopted son of Mr. Winget's, was born in Hardin County, Ohio, in 1842. On February 10, 1862, he enlisted in Company 1, Eighty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and for meritorious services and bravery on the field of battle, he rapidly rose from the ranks. He became Second Lieutenant of Company E, June 1, 1863, and was severely wounded at Gettysburg, Penn., July 1, 1863; was promoted to First Lieutenant of Company I, December 20, 1863, and afterward promoted to the Captaincy of Company K. He was mortally wounded at Bentonville, N. C., and died in Fayetteville, N. C., March 27, 1865. His remains were interred in Kenton County, Ohio.

ELIJAH WITTER, JR., farmer, P. O. Milford Center, was born in Ontario County, N. Y., in 1807. His father, Elijah, was a son of Elijah, who was a son of Joseph Witter. Joseph was a son of Ebenezer, who was a son of Josiah, whose father, William Witter, came to America with his daughter and the widow and two children of his son William, who died on the passage over, in 1640, and settled at Lynn, Mass. He lived to a ripe age. At one time the Revs. Obediah Holmes, John Clark and Crandall met at his house to hold religious services. and on proceeding contrary to the Puritan doctrine they were arre ted by the town constable. Crandall was fined 5 &, Clark 20 £, Holmes 30 €., the latter not being able to pay the fine, receiving thirty lashes. The family was numerous and largely scattered over the New England States, in which they made their homes for many years. The father of our subject settled in Ontario County, N. Y., where he died. His grandparents lived on the Susquehanna River in Penn- sylvania, and were driven from their homes three times by the Indians, and house burned, but escaped each time without injury. Our subject was reared in the wilds of his native county, and in 1829, when a single man, he came to this county, where in 1830, he married Amy Ann Ballou, a daughter of Martin and Betsey (Lyon) Ballou, who settled where Mr. Witter now resides, about 1820. After marriage, he located on land where the infirmary now stands, which he sold two years afterward and moved to Madison County, where he farmed eighteen years. He then returned to this county and settled on the place where he now resides. He came from his New York home, with a rifle in his hand and a pack on his back, walking from Cleveland ; and now he owns 500 acres of land in this county, and 600 in Madison County, all made by his personal efforts. Ilis wife inherited 187 acres of land. lle and his wife are mem- bers of the Baptist Church, to which he has belonged since nineteen years of age. lle has had tea children born to him, viz .: Lucy A., Elijah M., Betsey, Rev. Ilenry H., a Baptist minister, Dr. Alfred A., Albert B., Ezra E., William, deceased, aged three years, Marvin, deceased, aged seven years, and Maria, deceased, aged twenty-one years. One child resides in Jamestown, Ohio, one in Madison County, and the rest in Union County. Martin Ballou and wife came to Ohio in 1817, and settled in Columbus, where they remained three years. Ile was a native of Rhode Island, and she of Boston. In 1820, he settled where Mr. Witter now resides, clearing the land and residing on it through life. For sixteen years he was engaged in driving cattle over the mountains for the Eastern markets. Ile at one time owned about 1,000 acres of land. They had eight children, four of whom grew up, but only Mrs. Witter now survives. The others were Lucy, David, llenry, John, Alfred Ilorace, Clarissa. Mr. Ballou died in 1870, aged eighty-nine years ; his wife in 1851, aged seventy-two.

A. A. WITTER, farmer and proprietor saw mill, P. O. Milford Centre, is a son of Elijah Witter, whose sketch appears elsewhere, and was born in Madison County in 1845.

217

DARBY TOWNSHIP.

His early life, after he was seven years of age, was spent in this township, where he attended the district schools, receiving the rudiments of an education that was completed at Nelson's Commercial College at Cincinnati. On August 9, 1861, he enlisted in Company B, Thirty-second Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and after a month's drill was sent to the front where he saw service until disabled in West Virginia, while assisting in building block-houses, after which he was honorably discharged. Returning home, he took a regular course of study in and grad- uated from the Cincinnati Eclectic School of Medicine and Surgery. He spent two years prac- ticing his profession in East St. Louis, and one year in Southeast Missouri, after which he returned to Ohio and remained several years. He then went to Texas, and spent one year in Austin and two years in Rockdale, after which he was obliged to abandon the practice on account of his health, and has since been farming. In 1867, he married Almira J. Sanderson, of Illinois, by whom he has had three children-Elijah, Anna and May. Ile is a member of Milford Lodge, No. 636, I. O. O. F. He began operating a saw-mill in 1881, running it by steam. ALBERT B. WITTER, farmer, P. O. Milford Center, is a son of Elijah Witter ; was born in Madison County, Ohio, in 1840. He was married in 1867 to Susan, the daughter of Solomon Bland. by whom he has had four children, viz. : Effie M., Jesse V., Don D. and Lou. Mr. W. owns 140 acres of fine land, and has recently built one of the finest country residences in the town- ship, at a cost of $4,000. Mrs. Witter is an acceptable member of the Baptist Church.

SAMUEL WOODS, deceased, was born on the place where his widow now hives, August 26, 1810, and was a son of Samuel and Margaret (Power) Woods, the former born in Westmoreland County, Penn., January 25, 1779, and the latter January 15, 1789. In 1807, they settled in this township. He was the first Presbyterian preacher in this township, and died in 1815 Five children were born to him, one living, viz , James F. The deceased were John P., Eliza Samuel and the late Judge William Woods. Samuel, Jr., was twice married, first to Lydia A. Hathaway, nee Burnham, November 2, 1848, who bore him two children, viz .: Leon and Clara A. Mrs. Woods died July 2, 1855. His second marriage was celebrated March 15, 1859, with

Maria E. Stokes Mr. Woods was a successful farmer and a much respected citizen, and de- parted this life March 3, 1880. He owned nearly 300 acres of excellent land.

A. A. WOODWORTH, farmer, P. O. Irwin ; was born in Connecticut September 9. 1804, and is a son of Jasper and Betsey (Reed) Woodworth, natives of New England, where he (Jasper) died in 1811. Mrs. Woodworth was again married to Erastus Burnham, and in 1817 they came to Ohio, and located on the line between Union and Champaign Counties, where they bonght 200 acres of land. To Jasper Woodworth and wife were born three children, viz : Charles, Sarah and A. A. By her second husband, she had four children, viz .: Mary, Tater R, and Olive, twins, and Philo. Mrs. Burnham died in 1856. Mr. B. died in 1826. Both be- longed to the Christian Church. In 1832, our subject was married to Hilah, the daughter of Elijah Reynolds, after which he bought 200 acres of land, where he now resides, at $5 per acre ; he now owns 500 acres of land. Sixteen children have been born to then, eleven of whom are living : Lucina A., deceased ; Imogene, Orentha, Elisha R., deceased ; Mary E., J. C., Sarah E., Hilah A., deceased ; Asahel A., Lewis C., deceased ; Fremont, William, Charles, Bennett, Alonzo and Reuben. J. C. was a member of the One Hundred and Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer In- fantry ; enlisted in 1862, and was discharged in 1865. Elijah and Mary (Witter) Reynolds, the parents of Mrs. Woodworth, settled in this township in 1815, on 700 acres of land he pur- chased. Ile was born in Maryland, and she in New York. He died in 1842; the in 1838. Nine children were born to them, viz : Sarah, deceased ; Elizabeth, Mary, deceased ; Immer, Ira, Delilah, Miles, deceased ; Hilah and Lewis. By his second wife, Sophia Burnham, he had one child, viz .: Martha J. He (Mr. Reynolds) was a soldier in the war of 1812.

CHAPTER III.

DARBY TOWNSHIP.

Darby Township was formed as a part of Franklin County May 10, 1803, at a meeting of the Associate Judges of that county, held at Franklinton. The boundaries as originally established were as follows: "Beginning on the west bank of the Scioto River, one mile in a direct line above the mouth of Roaring Run; from thence on a direct line to the junction of Treacle's Creek with Darby Creek, which is frequently called the Forks of Darby; thence south into the line between the counties of Ross and Franklin; thence west with said line until it intersects the county line of Greene; thence with the last-men- tioned line north, and from the point of beginning up the Scioto to the north-

218

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

ern boundary of Franklin County." The point of beginning was near what is now Dublin, Franklin County, and the stream then called Roaring Run is now Hayden's Run. Treacle's Creek enters Darby in what is now Union Town- ship, Union County. The name of Darby Township was derived from the stream which courses through its territory as now defined. Darby is conse- quently the oldest township in what is now Union. It was one of the three townships which formed Union County the first year of its existence, and by the successive erection of new townships inroads were made upon its once ex- panded limits until reduced to its present size. After its organization as a part of Union County, in 1820, the first election was held October 10 of that year, for State and county officers. Frederick Sager, Samuel Robinson and James Boal were the Judges; Clark Provin and Aaron Fossey, Clerks. Forty- nine votes were cast. James Ewing received 47 for Sheriff; James Kennedy 42 for Coroner; Robert Nelson 44 for Commissioner; Ethan Brown 44 for Governor; Nicholas Hathaway 45 for Representative; Joseph Foos 40 for Senator, and Joseph Vance 31 for Congressman. Darby is the central one of the three southern townships of Union County. On the east is Jerome and a corner of Mill Creek, and on the west Union; Paris on the north; Madison County bounds it on the south. Its outlines, which are made to conform to survey lines, are very irregular. The surface may be described as slightly undulating. Big Darby Creek enters from the west and flows south- easterly, leaving the township near its southeast corner. Buck Run, a streamn of some size, flows south along the northwestern line of the township till it reaches Big Darby. Robinson's Run is north of and nearly parallel with Big Darby. It enters that stream in Jerome Township. Little Darby Creek forms the boundary line for a short distance in the southwestern corner. The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad crosses the township in a north- westerly and southeasterly course.

South of Big Darby, most of the land in this township is a part of what was known as Darby Plains. The plains extended far down into Madison County, and were so named from the scanty forest growths that were found here. Small patches of timber of various sizes, consisting principally of burr oak and young hickory, covered perhaps one-half the surface. Thick- ets of wild plum trees, which produced a luscious variety of fruit, were clus- tered in places, with hazel bushes, jack oak and various other species of un- dergrowth. The prairie or open land was believed by the early settlers to be worthless for agricultural purposes and was the last to be entered and occu- pied. It was also low and wet, and the malaria engendered caused it to be shunned. The soil, however, was black and rich. Corn and hay were the only crops raised until thorough systematic drainage was introduced. Since then wheat has been produced in goodly quantities. This land was valued at from 50 cents to $2 an acre, while wild land north of the creek commanded $3. It was thought by the first settlers that this land could be used by them for pasture for a life time, as they supposed farmers must shun it as they had heretofore done. It now comprises the best land in the township. The northern part of the township was densely wooded with sugar, white ash, elm, walnut, white oak, hickory, and a profuse growth of underbrush, iron and dog wood, sassafras, hazel, etc. The soil here is a limestone clay. The surface is usually level, but slightly broken along the streams.

INDIANS.

At the time the earliest settlers took possession of their farms in this re- gion, Indians were numerous. They lived farther north and only descended to Big Darby to engage in hunting and fishing. They encamped here and

H. SP. Goff

221

DARBY TOWNSHIP'.

often remained for several months at a time. The site of North Liberty was one of their favorite tenting grounds. When the war of 1812 opened, apprehensions of trouble with these Indians were entertained, but they remained friendly and no hostilities or difficulties arose to mar their peaceful relations. Some of the rougher class of settlers were on intimate terms with the Indians and would go to their camps and join in the convivial feasts that were held there. The children of the earliest pioneer were for a time in mortal dread of them, and it required a long time before they could become accustomed to their presence.

James Robinson had one of the earliest orchards in the vicinity, and after the trees approached the age of bearing, he was greatly annoyed by the birds that had a strong liking for his choice fruit and manifested the design of in- dulging their appetite before it was ripe enough to pluck. Some Indian lads, belonging to several families encamped near by, were very expert in shoot- ing birds with their small bows and arrows, and Mr. Robinson agreed with them, by mean of signs, that for each bird they would shoot in the orchard he would give an apple. It happened that the following day was Sunday, and as Mr. Robinson, who was a devout and God-fearing Presbyterian, was en- gaged in the usual morning prayers, the Indian lads rushed in with a bird they had killed. The conscientious pioneer could not tolerate the idea of profaning the Sabbath by this unhallowed sport and by shaking his head and gestiluating, intimated to them that they must not engage in it that day. They departed highly incensed. thinking he had withdrawn from his agree- ment, and after the old folks had gone to church that day the Indian youths amused themselves by pointing their weapons at the children left at home, who fled to the house for protection and remained within with bolted doors till their parents' return.

When the troubles of 1812 had commenced, it was several times rumored that the Indians had taken up arms and were preparing to make a raid up- on the settlement. Many families, panic-stricken, deserted their homes and fled farther south. At one time, a party of the settlers, including Moses Mitch- ell, then a lad of sixteen years, fearlessly marched to the Indian villages far to the north to ascertain if they had concluded to put on the war paint and make the rumored attack. They found the Indians sitting in council, but with no hostile intent. The band of whites remained with them all night, then returned to their friends and quieted their fears. Game of various kinds abounded in the forests for many years after the work of clearing and tilling farms began. A favorite mode of hunting deer was the following: In the low country along Big Darby, mosquitoes were as great a pest to beast as to man, and in warm weather, to escape them, the deer descended into the water after nightfall, and remained there for hours at a time with only the nose above the water. The hunter approached in a canoe, a torch or candle fastened to his hat and by bark so placed as to light up the surrounding gloom but conceal himself and his canoe from sight. He thus approached within a few feet of the deer, dazed by the light, and easily killed it.

EARLY SETTLERS.

From its somewhat diversified topography, the settlements of the township may be divided into certain tolerably well-defined limits and periods. The earliest pioneers here, as elsewhere in other parts of this and surrounding counties, were chiefly immigrants from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. They settled in the valley of Big Darby, as this was deemed the most valuable land. These settlements began in 1798, and continued till about 1812. The plains to the south, extending far into Madison, were peopled chiefly by New Englanders, most of whom hailed from Vermont. They began to arrive about

222

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

1810, and the following decade was the strongest period of their emigration. The rolling land in the northern portion of the township was occupied very largely by a class of squatters and hunters who depended chiefly upon the gun for support. The land here was not very productive, and land purchasers were not strongly attracted to it. Shortly before 1840, a German element gained a foothold, and by successive arrivals almost the entire northern por- tion of the township is now owned and occupied by citizens of this nationality.

The first settlement in Darby Township was of brief duration. It was made by James and Joshua Ewing in 1798, on the site of the village of North Liberty, which had been recently laid out in the southeastern part of the town- ship. Joshua Ewing purchased a lot and built a cabin, and it is probable that James, his brother, lived here with him for a short time. As no effort was made by the proprietor of the village, Lucas Sullivant, to improve the to wn, the Ewings soon abandoned their home here and settled in Jerome Township.

The next settlement in Darby, after the transient stay of the Ewings, was made by the Mitchells in 1799. This little colony consisted of an aged farm- er, Samuel Mitchell, his wife, Margaret, four children-two sons and two daughters-and their families. A third daughter came also, but died unmar- ried. The four younger families were those of Samuel Mitchell, Jr., who, however, came several years later than the others. David Mitchell, Samuel Mccullough and Samuel Kirkpatrick. They purchased the Lucas Sullivant survey, of 1,000 acres, No. 2,879, north of and bordering on Big Darby, in the western part of the township Mr. Mccullough occupied the northwest- ern part of the survey, now the farm of Lewis Strange: Samuel Kirkpatrick owned and lived on the adjacent tract on the southeast, now the property of Sextus Kendall and J. S. Kliber; Samuel Mitchell, Jr., possessed the next farm, recently owned by Rebecca McDowell and Philip Rausch; David Mitchell's place was still southeast of this, and has for many years been the homestead of John C. Mitchell. Samuel Mitchell was too far advanced in life, when he came, to engage very actively in labor. He built and occupied a little cab in, located between the farms of his two sons, where he lived until the decease of his wife. He then made his home for the remainder of his life with the Kirk- patricks. These pioneers all came from Pennsylvania. They had first deter- mined on settling in Kentucky, and the young men made a trip to that terri- tory to make a suitable location. They were dissatisfied with the land there and happily fell in with Lucas Sullivant, who gave them a glowing descrip- tion of Central Ohio, and offered them a choice of location on Darby Creek or the Scioto. They visited this region in the summer of 1799, selected Survey 2,879, made a little clearing and planted corn. They then returned home, and in the fall of the same year brought their families by a long and tedious journey to their new home. Their worldly effects were placed in three large wagons, and from Deer to Darby Creek they were obliged to cut a roadway through the thick, tangled forest.

David Mitchell was not only one of the first but one of the most promi- Lent citizens of Darby during its formative period. He was a life-long mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church, served his township for many years as Justice of the Peace, and under the old State Constitution was one of the Associate Judges of Union County. He was intelligent and well educated, and was uni- versally known as Judge Mitchell. He was thrice married. His first partner was Martha Black, and by this marriage he had ten children, who, in the or- der of their ages, were, Moses, Samuel, George, David, Margaret, Martha, Jesse, Elizabeth, Dixon and Aaron. Martha became the wife of Robert Nel- .. son; Margaret of James Boal; and Elizabeth married John Robinson. The seventh child, Jesse, was the first white child born in what is now Union

223

DÁRBY TOWNSHIP.

County. The date of his birth was November 4, 1790. A brief sketch of him may be found in the history of Jerome Township, where he settled upon at- taining maturity. The second wife of Judge Mitchell was Rebecca Nelson, who died soon after her marriage. By the third marriage, to Hannah Cald- well, there were two children-John C., now residing on the home place, and Alexander R., who died in California. Samuel Mitchell, Jr., had married Elizabeth Robinson in York County, Penn .. and removed to Darby with his family a few years after his relatives settled here. After his emigration, he continued his residence upon the place until his death, which occurred about 1820. He built the first wool carding machine within the bounds of Union County, and operated it in connection with farming. He was an earnest Cov- enanter in his religious belief. His children were Sarah, who married Robert Maze; Margaret, who was the wife of John Crawford: Samuel, who removed to Iowa; James, an old bachelor, and David, both of Washington, Iowa; Jane, Betsy and Eleanor, married and residing in Iowa.

Samuel Kirkpatrick was a stanch Presbyterian and an active, industrious farmer; he remained on his farm in Darby until his death, which occurred about 1824. His wife, Jane Mitchell, survived him several years. They had two daughters, Peggy and Betsy. The latter married John S. Irwin.

Samuel Mccullough did not long survive his settlement in this new and wild country. He died in the spring of the year 1800, and his was the first death of a white person in the territory now comprising Union County. Scarcely more than a half-dozen families then lived here. Mr. McCullough was, at the time of his decease, a young man, who had been married only two or three years. His two children were Alexander, who died recently in Paul. ding County, and Samuel, a posthumous child, who died a wealthy and re- spected citizen of Jerome Township. Mrs. Elizabeth (Mitchell) Mccullough, the widow of Samuel Mccullough, Sr., afterward married John Taylor, one of the earliest settlers of Madison County.

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 Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record;, Part 103

Author: Durant, Pliny A. [from old catalog]; Beers, W. H., & co., Chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1254

Author: Durant, Pliny A. [from old catalog]; Beers, W. H., & co., Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1254