The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record;, Part 32

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 32

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"The salaries paid teachers in this county will compare favorably with our sister counties, yet there is a vast difference in the wages paid teachers in the several townships within the county, and as a consequence the best salaries always draw the best teachers. The Teachers' Institute was well attended this year [1882], there being 122 teachers enrolled. The Institute is one of the best helps, especially to the young and inexperienced teachers. and all felt this year that their time and money were well spent. The educational depart- ment introduced two years ago in our county fair is gradually growing in favor, and the exhibition this year was much better than last. Premiums were awarded as follows:

First-Examination papers

Second-Letter writing.

Third-Book-keeping.

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

Fourth-Map drawing.

Fifth-Specimen drawing. Sixth -Declamation. Seventh-Essay writing. Eighth-School showing greatest number of visitors.

Ninth-Daily programme.

Tenth-Geological collections and Indian relics.

Eleventh- Best collection of grasses. Twelfth-Best collection of postage stamps.

Thirteenth-Best collection of pressed flowers.

Fourteenth-Best specimens stuffed.

Fifteenth-Best specimen painting.

" The graded schools of our county have done much to promote emulation with our better class of teachers. The interest in the graded schools of Marys- ville and Richwood has been fully maintained during the past year. The public rhetorical exercises given semi-monthly in the hall of the Marysville schools, by the pupils of the several grades, continue to be very popular and draw crowded houses. During the past year the pupils of the several grades have studied some particular author, which had been previously assigned, and the subjects for essays, etc., related to the author, and the selections for declamation were selected from the writings of the author. These studies have proven very profitable to the pupils, giving them a considerable knowl- edge of the literature of our language, and the methods pursued seem to be at least a partial solution of the vexed question, 'How shall young people be taught to read ?' The entertainments have been of a high character, and have also been very interesting and pleasant.

" There has been no very startling improvement in the reports of Town- ship Clerks, as in many instances I am compelled to write for the report of the Board of Education and the enumeration report, and then in some cases the balances do not correspond with the balances of their own Township 'Treasurers and the books of the Auditor; and this is one of the evils of so often changing Clerks. But thus will it ever be until we have some kind of supervision."

UNION COUNTY IN 1837.

The following description of Union County appears in the Ohio Gazet- teer, compiled by Warren Jenkins, and published in Columbus by Isaac N. Whiting, in 1837:

"Union, an interior county, bounded on the north by Hardin and Marion, east by Delaware, south by Madison and Franklin, and on the west by Champaign and Logan Counties. It is twenty-seven miles long from north to south, and eighteen broad from east to west, containing 450 square miles .* It is divided into the eleven townships of Allen, Claibourne, Darby, Jackson, Jerome, Leesburg, Liberty, Mill Creek, Paris, Union and York. It has five post offices, viz. : Coberleys, Darby Creek, Marysville, Milford Center, Rich- wood. It also contains the towns of Marysville, the county seat, Milford and Richwood. It is watered by Darby, Mill, Boke's and Rush Creeks, all of which rise in Logan County and run into the Scioto River, affording sufficient water- power for mills a considerable part of the season. The land adjacent to these streams is generally very fertile and pleasant; but it is supposed that not more than one-eighth part is under cultivation. The face of the country is generally level, interspersed with gentle slopes or ridges, admirably adapted to grazing. Of the different religious denominations in the county,

" Overestimated, as seen by figures elsewhere in this volume.

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

the Methodists are believed to be the most numerous; but the Presbyterians and Unitarians are thought to be nearly equal to them. There are also some Baptists, Seceders, etc.

" The county was organized in the year 1820, but the settlement com- menced in what is now Union County in the year 1799. The names of the settlers were George Reed, Samuel Reed, Samuel Kirkpatrick, Samuel Mitch- ell, David Mitchell, his brother, Joshua Ewing, James Ewing, his brother. They purchased their lands of Lucas Sullivant, formerly a great landholder, in the year 1797, on Darby Creek. They were all natives of Pennsylvania. In 1801 or 1802, several other persons emigrated from Pennsylvania, among whom were Samuel Reed (brother to the above-mentioned George Reed), William, Richard and John Gabriel, brothers-the two last named were twins-all purchased their lands of said Sullivant. Population at the last census [year 1830], 3,192."

MISCELLANEOUS.

Among the papers belonging to Richard Gabriel,, who was County Clerk in 1822, were found old documents of which the following are copies:

TO THE CLERK OF UNION COUNTY, STATE OF OHIO:

Sir-Please to accommodate the bearer, Michael S. Wood, with license to marry with our daughter, Eliza Thayer. As we believe all parties are agreed to the match, we send you these lines. So doing, you will oblige, yours, etc., etc.,

URIAH WOOD, ROBERT DODGE,

DIMES WOOD, MERCY DODGE.

DERBY TOWNSHIP, July the 12th, 1822.

You, Daniel Black, do solemnly swear in the presence of Almighty God, that the scalp now produced by you is the scalp of a wolf that was killed or taken in this county, by you, within twenty days last past, and you verily believe the same to be over the age of six months, and that you have not spared the life of any bitch-wolf in your power to kill, with design to increase the breed. His DANIEL X BLACK. mark.

You do, William Cummins, solemnly swear that the scalp now produced by you is the scalp of a wolf that was taken and killed by you within this county within twenty days last past, and you verily believe the same to be over the age of six months, and that you have not spared the life of any she wolf in your power to kill, with design to increase the breed. WILLIAM CUMMINS.

Attest: RICHARD GABRIEL, Clerk.

In the year 1870, there were in Union County on the 1st of June, 331 people of the age of seventy years or over, distributed among the several townships as follows: Jerome, 22; Paris, 55; Darby, 16; Allen, 25; Union, 30; Mill Creek, 18; Claibourne, 34; Taylor, 22; York, 19; Washington, 6; Jackson, 16; Dover, 17; Leesburg, 24; Liberty, 27.

The following is a copy of a military commission issued by Gov. Thomas Corwin, in 1841, the man to whom it was given having been a resident physician in Union Township, Union County :

IN THE NAME AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF OHIO.

§ COAT OF ARMS THOMAS CORWIN, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of said State,

1 OF OHIO. to David HI. Silver, greeting:

It appearing to me that you are duly appointed, on the twentieth day of June, 1841, Surgeon of the First Regiment of Infantry, Fourth Brigade and Thirteenth Division, in the militia of this State:

Now know you, That, by the power vested in me by the constitution and laws of said State, and reposing special trust and confidence in your courage, activity, fidelity and good conduct, I do, by these presents, commission you as Surgeon of said regiment; and hereby authorizing and requiring you to discharge, all and singular, the duties and services apper- taining to your said office, agreeably to law, and to obey such instructions as you shall, from time to time, receive from your superior officer.

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my name, and caused the Great Seal of the State of Ohio to be affixed, at Columbus, the fourth day of June, in the [STATE SEAL] year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-one, and in the sixty-sixth year of the independence of the United States of America. THOMAS CORWIN.

By the Governor:

J. SLOANE, Secretary of State.

STATE OF OHIO, UNION COUNTY, SS.

Before the subscriber, William Orr, Colonel of First Infantry Regiment, Fourth Bri- gade, Thirteenth Division, Ohio Militia, in and for said county. Personally came the with- in named D. H. Silver, who, being duly sworn according to law, did promise to support the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the State of Ohio, and to dis- charge with fidelity the duties belonging to Surgeon of said regiment. As witness my hand this 9th day of August, in the year 1842. WILLIAM ORR, Colonel.

CHAPTER V.

CIVIL ORGANIZATION OF UNION COUNTY.

ITS PEDIGREE-ACT ORGANIZING AND FACTS CONNECTED THEREWITHI-ITS DIVISION INTO TOWNSHIPS-LOCATION OF THE COUNTY SEAT- COUNTY BUILDINGS.

TT is interesting to trace the line of descent of the county of Union. By careful research it is ascertained that the territory now included within its boundary lines formed portions of nine, and perhaps ten, different counties be- fore it was finally set off as Union. The first two counties organized in the Northwest Territory were in that portion now forming the State of Ohio. Washington County, erected by proclamation of Gov. Arthur St. Clair, July 27, 1788, included all that portion east of a line passing from the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, up that stream to the portage between it and the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum: thence across the portage and down the Tuscarawas to the site of old Fort Laurens, at the north boundary of what is now Tuscarawas County; thence west on a line identical with the subsequent Greenville treaty line to the Scioto River, and down that stream to the Ohio. It is thus seen that the county of Washington as originally formed included about half of the present State of Ohio. Hamilton County was next organized. by the same authority, and included the region between the Miamis as far north as a line drawn due east from the standing stone fork of the Great Miami to the Little Miami; this was January 2, 1790. There is nothing to show that its limits were ever extended to the eastward, yet in the description of Wayne County, as formed by proclamation of Gov. St. Clair, August 15, 1796, it would seem that Hamilton had been extended to the Scioto; if so, it included what is now Union County, and from that date (1790) should begin the exis- tence of an organized county of which Union formed a part. Wayne County, organized at the date above given, undoubtedly included the northern portion of Union, as the description will show: "Beginning at the mouth of Cuya- hoga River upon Lake Erie, and with the said river to the portage between it and the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum; thence down the said branch to the forks at the crossing place above Fort Laurens; thence by a west line to the east boundary of Hamilton County, which is a due north line from the lower Shawnee [Shawanese] Town upon the Scioto River *; thence by a line

* This town was a short distance below what is now Circleville, Pickaway Co., Ohio. A due north line from that point would pass considerably to the east of Union County.

FIRST UNION COUNTY COURT HOUSE & JAIL BUILT AT MILFORD.

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

west-northerly to the south part of portage between the Miamis of Ohio and the St. Mary's Rivers; thence by a line also west-northerly to the southwestern part of the portage between the Wabash and Miamis of Lake Erie, where Fort Wayne now stands; thence by a line west-northerly to the south part of Lake Michigan; thence along the western shores of the same to the northwest part thereof, including lands upon the streams emptying into said lake; thence by a due north line to the territorial boundary in Lake Superior, and with the said boundary through Lakes Huron, St. Clair and Erie, to the mouth of Cuyahoga River. the place of beginning." This was the most extensive county formed in the Northwest Territory. After the treaty of Greenville, the limits of Hamil- ton County were extended westward to the boundary line designated by that treaty, which extended from Fort Recovery, in what is now Mercer County, Ohio, directly to the Ohio River at a point opposite the mouth of the Ken- tucky River. The seat of justice for Washington County was at Marietta; for Hamilton County at Cincinnati, and for Wayne County at Detroit, and these conditions remain unchanged to the present, except in the extent of territory in each county.

July 10, 1797, St. Clair issued a proclamation forming another county. and calling it Adams, the boundaries of which were as follows, and, as seen by noting them carefully, included nearly the whole of Union County: "Begin- ning upon the Ohio River, at the upper boundary of that tract of twenty four thousand acres of land, granted unto the French inhabitants of Gallipolis by an act of the Congress of the United States bearing date the 3d of March, 1795; thence down the said Ohio River to the mouth of Elk River (generally known by the name of Eagle Creek*), and up with the principal water of the said Elk River or Eagle Creek, to its source or head; thence by a due north line to the south- ern boundary of Wayne County, and easterly along said boundary so far that a due south line shall meet with the interior point of the upper boundary of the aforesaid tract of land of twenty-four thousand acres. and with the said boundary to the place of beginning."

The counties thus far mentioned were organized before the sound of the settler's ax had echoed in the forests of Union County. The next county, Ross, was organized in the same year settlements were begun here-August 20, 1798, and was the last one under Territorial government. Its boundaries were de- scribed as follows: "Beginning at the forty-second mile tree, on the line of the original grant of land by the United States to the Ohio Company, which line was run by Israel Ludlow, and running from thence east until it shall in- tersect a line to be drawn due north from the mouth of Elk River (commonly called Eagle Creek); and from the point of intersection running north to the southern boundary of the county of Wayne, and from thence easterly, with the said boundary of Wayne, until a north line to be drawn from the place of beginning shall intersect the same; and if it should be found that a north line, drawn from the place of beginning, will not intersect the southern bound- ary of Wayne, then an east line is to be drawn from the eastern termination of the said boundary, until it shall intersect the aforesaid north line to be drawn from the place of beginning." Ross County included a large part of Adams, with all the portion thereof embracing most of what is Union County.

March 24, 1803, Greene County was erected by act of the State Legisla- ture, from parts of Hamilton and Ross, and possibly included a narrow strip on the west side of Union. The following were its boundaries: "Beginning at the southeast corner of the county of Montgomery ;; running thence east to

# This stream enters the Ohio in what is now Brown County, a short distance above Ripley, and is generally known on the maps and by the people of that region as Eagle Creek.

+ Formed by the same act from a part of Ilamilton, as were also Butler and Warren.

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

Ross County line, and the said course continued eight miles into the said coun- ty of Ross; thence north to the State line; thence westwardly with the same to the east line of Montgomery County; thence bounded by the said line of Mont- gomery to the beginning."

A few days later, March 30, 1803, Franklin County was formed as follows, including a considerable portion of Union: " Beginning on the western bound- ary of the twentieth range of townships east of the Scioto River at the cor- ner of Sections number twenty-four and twenty-five in the ninth township of the twenty-first Range surveyed by John Matthews; thence west until it intersects the eastern boundary line of Greene County; thence north with said line until it in- tersects the State line; thence eastwardly with the said line to the northwest cor- ner of Fairfield County; thence with the western boundary line of Fairfield to the place of beginning." The county of Fairfield at that time extended north to the State line. February 20, 1805, the western portion of what is now Union County became a part of Champaign, the latter county being created that day including the following territory: "Beginning where the range line between the eighth and ninth ranges, between the Great and Little Miami, intersects the eastern boundary of the county of Montgomery; thence east to the eastern boundary of the county of Greene, and to continue six miles in the county of Franklin; thence north to the State line; thence west with said line until it in- tersects the said eastern boundary of the county of Montgomery; thence to the place of beginning."

Delaware County was formed February 10, 1808, and embraced a large portion of Union. It was bounded thus: " Beginning at the southeast corner of township number three, in the sixteenth range of the United States military district; thence west, with the line between the second and third tier of town- ships, to the Scioto River, and continued west to the east boundary of Cham- paign County; thence, with the said boundary, north to the Indian boundary line; thence eastwardly, with said line, to the point where the north and south line between the fifteenth and sixteenth ranges of the said United States mil- itary district intersects the same. thence south, with the said last mentioned line, to the place of beginning." By an act of February 17, 1809, all that part of Franklin County lying north of Delaware was attached to the latter.

February 16, 1810, Madison County was formed, " beginning at the south- . west corner of Delaware County, thence east, with the south boundary of the said county line, to a point that a line running due south will be the distance of twelve and one-half miles west of the county seat of Franklin County; thence on a straight line, to the northwest corner of the county of Pickaway; thence with said line south until it intersects the line of Ross County; thence west with said line, to the line of Greene County; thence north with the line of Greene to Champaign County line; thence with Champaign line to place of beginning." The limits included the southern part of what is now Union County.

Next in order was Logan County, formed December 30, 1817, with the fol- lowing boundaries: "Beginning on the east line of Miami County, between sections number thirty-three and thirty-four in the third township, thir- teenth range, and running east twelve miles, with the sectional line between the third and. fourth tier of sections; thence south one mile; thence with the sectional line between the second and third tier of sections in said range, to the line between the United States and Vir- ginia military land, and thence east to the line of Champaign County; thence north with said line to the Indian boundary line; thence west to a point so that a line drawn from said point due south will strike the Indian bound- ary line at a point where the line between the counties of Miami and Cham-

309

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

paign strikes said line; thence south, with said line, between the counties of Miami and Champaign, to the place of beginning; and also including the United States reservation at the rapids of the Miami of the Lake." Logan County, as thus formed, included a strip off the west side of Union, running north from Champaign.

James Curry, whose home was in Jerome Township, then a portion of Mad- ison County, was the Representative in the Legislature, in the session of 1819-20, from the district in which that county was included, and through his efforts an act was passed January 10, 1820. entitled, "An act to erect the county of Union." The text of this act is as follows:

SECTION 1. Be it enacted, etc., that so much of the counties of Delaware, Franklin, Madison and Logan, and also so much of the territory within the limits of this State laying north of the old Indian boundary line as comes within the following boundaries, be and the same is hereby erected into a separate and distinct county, which shall be known by the name of the county of Union, to wit : Beginning on the north boundary line of Delaware County, on that part known by the name of the Old Indian or Green- ville line, at a point three miles west of the Scioto River : thence due south fifteen miles ; thence east four miles ; thence south unto the north boundary of Franklin County ; thence south two and one-half miles into Franklin County ; thence west to the east boundary of Madison County, and to continue west unto the east boundary of Champaign County ; thence north to the northeast corner of said county ; thence west three miles ; thence north so far that a line due east will strike a point three miles north of the beginning ; thence south to the said place of beginning.

SEC. 2. That all suits or actions, whether of a civil or criminal nature, which shall be pending, and all crimes which shall have been committed within the limits of those parts of Delaware, Franklin, Madison and Logan Counties, so to be set off and erected into a new county previous to the organization of the said county of Union, shall be prosecuted to final judgment and execution in the counties aforesaid, in the same manner as they would have been if no such division had taken place ; and the Sheriffs, Coroners and Constables of the counties aforesaid shall execute all such process as shall be neces- sary to carry into effect such suits, prosecutions and judgments ; and the collectors of taxes for the aforesaid counties shall collect all such taxes as shall have been levied and unpaid within the above described parts of the counties of Delaware, Franklin, Madison and Logan, previous to the taking effect of this act.

SEC. 3. That all Justices of the Peace within those parts of the counties aforesaid, which by this act shall be erected into a new county, shall continue to exercise the duties of their respective offices until the term of their service expires, in the same manner as if they had been commissioned for the said county of Union.

SEC. 4. That the electors within the fractional townships that may be set off by the erection of the county of Union shall eleet in the next adjoining township.

SEC. 5. That on the first Monday of April next the legal electors residing within the county of Union shall assemble within their respective townships, at the usual places of holding elections, and shall proceed to elect their usual county and township officers, who shall hold their several offices until the next annual election.

SEC. 6. That courts of the said county of Union shall be holden in the village of Milford until the permanent seat of justice is established for the said county of Union.

SEC. 7. That Commissioners shall be appointed, agreeably to the provisions of an act entitled, "An act establishing seats of justice," to fix upon a permanent seat of jus- tice for said county of Union, and make report thereof to the next Court of Common Pleas to be holden in and for said county, agreeably to the provisions of the above recited act ; and the Commissioners aforesaid shall receive a compensation for their services out of the treasury of the said county of Union.

SEC. 8. That so much of the territory lying north of the county of Logan as is con- tained within the following boundaries, to wit : Beginning at the northeast corner of Logan County, thence running north five miles; thence west to a point from which a south line will strike the northwest corner of said county ; thence south to said corner ; thence east with the line to the beginning, shall be and it is hereby attached to the county of Logan, and shall hereafter form a part of said county.

SEC. 9. That so much of the county of Franklin as lays within the following boundary, to wit: Beginning on the line between the counties of Franklin and Madison, at a point two and one-half miles south of the north boundary of said counties ; thence east two miles ; thence south four miles; thence west two miles ; thence north to the place of be- ginning, be attached to and hereafter considered a part of the county of Madison. This act shall be in force from and after the first day of April next.

February 12, 1820, an act was passed erecting fourteen counties out of "all that part of the lands lately ceded by the Indians to the United States,

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

which lies within this State." These counties were Van Wert, Mercer, Put- nam, Allen, Hancock, Hardin. Crawford, Marion, Seneca. Sandusky, Wood. Henry, Paulding and Williams. February 4, 1825, the Legislature passed an act authorizing William Wilson, of Clark County, to run the line between Madison and Union Counties, commencing at the southeast corner of the lat- ter and running due west to the line of Champaign County. He was to re- ceive $3 per day and the markers and chain-carriers 75 cents per day for the time necessarily employed in such survey. January 29, 1827, another act au- thorized Jeremiah McLene, of Franklin County, to run said line, beginning at the same place and running in a direct line so as to strike a point in the eastern boundary of Champaign County, two and one-half miles south of the line formerly run between the counties of Delaware and Madison. The same compensation was allowed as by the previous act. January 18, 1828, an act was passed establishing the line between Madison and Union Counties accord- ing to the survey made by Levi Phelps in 1820. February 4, 1828, another act authorized Silas G Strong, of Union County, and James Eaton, of Dela- ware, to locate and establish the line between those two counties. Mr. Eaton was a very careful engineer, but used the magnetic needle, and as a conse- quence the line was somewhat crooked. In 1SS1, the permanent line between these two counties was run by F. J. Sager, Surveyor of Union County, and stone monuments were set at prominent stations; a transit instrument was used, which insured accuracy. The survey was made by Mr. Sager, as being best qualified to do the work, although the adjoining counties in this and other in- stances shared the expenses and appointed men to assist in the matter. Mr. Sager was one of five persons who organized the State Association of County Surveyors in 1879, and is the present Chairman of the Association.

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The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record;, Part 32

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