The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record;, Part 79

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 79

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).

Several victims of the great and bloody civil war found a resting place in this cemetery, principal among whom is Col. Joseph G. Hawkins, killed at the battle of Stone River, Tenn., December 31, 1862. A neat monument was erected as a "tribute of respect by the officers of his regiment and his fellow- citizens." Col. Hawkins was only one of many who fell in that terrible four years' struggle, and who, in the sleep of patriot martyrs, "look proudly to heaven from the deathbed of fame."

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

" Rest on, embalmed and sainted dead, Dear as the blood ye gave ; No impious footsteps here shall tread The herbage of your grave ; Nor shall your glory be forgot While Fame her record keeps, Or honor points the hallowed spot Where Valor proudly sleeps.'

PARIS TOWNSHIP.

Paris Township was constituted by act of the Commissioners of Union County, March 12, 1821. Its bounds were then defined as follows:

"Beginning at the northeast corner of Darby, running west three and one-half miles; thence north to the north boundary of said county; all west to the line of Union Township to be known by the name of Paris." As thus created, Paris included a large portion of the county, but by the formation of new townships its limits have been gradually contracted, until it now posses- ses little more territory than the average of the fourteen townships of this county. It is favorably located, in the south central portion of the county, and probably contains the center of population within its limits. Marysville is situated a little south of its center. The Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railroad enters from Dover Township on the east, pursues a westerly and southwesterly course, and leaves the township near the southwest corner. Mill Creek is the only stream of note. It enters from the north, flows almost directly south, to near the center of the township, and, by an ever-tortuous course, proceeds eastwardly to Dover. The surface is usually level, and the soil of an excellent clay quality. The entire surface was densely timbered with the prevalent types of forest growth in this region at the com- ing of the pioneers, such as sugar, hickory, oak, beech, elm and walnut. The roads in this township are unexcelled in the county, and probably in the State. A dozen well-piked roads lead from Marysville in all directions.

EARLY SETTLERS.

The most important early settlement in what is now Paris Township was made in 1817, by Abraham Amrine and his sons, in what is still known as the Amrine settlement, about two miles northwest of Marysville. So far as known, it was the first settlement made; assuredly the first permanent settle- ment. A few squatters may have preceded the Amrines, in the occupancy of the soil of this township, but if so, all traces of them are lost. The Amrine family still has in its possession a considerable quantity of the survey upon which the original settler of this name settled sixty-six years ago.

Abraham Amrine was born in Pennsylvania in the year 1761. His an- cestors had emigrated to America from Switzerland about the beginning of the eighteenth century. In 1785, Mr. Amrine married Mary Wolford, and in 1801 removed from Pennsylvania, to near St. Clairsville, Belmont Co., Ohio. In 1817, he purchased from Samuel Davis, of Franklin County, the John Overton survey, of 750g acres, No. 4,066, which, however, contained nearly 1,000 acres, paying for it $2 an acre. This was at that time a high price for wild land, but the survey was located on a bend of Mill Creek, and the rich bottom lands it contained enhanced its value above that of land less favorably situated. The same year he removed to it from Belmont County, with his six sous-John, Andrew, Moses, Frederick, Jeremiah and Abraham, Jr .- four of

PARIS TOWNSHIP.

whom were married, and brought their families with them. Mr. Amrine's family consisted of seven sons and one daughter, the eldest of the family. The other son-Henry -- subsequently removed to Paris Township; the daugh- ter married Joseph Worley, and lived near Wheeling, W. Va.

Mr. Amrine built his log cabin on the hill west of the Newton pike, where the bend is made in the road. To each of his boys he gave 100 acres of land, and the work of clearing the farms was at once commenced in earnest. They had few-if any-neighbors at first, but formed quite a colony among them- selves. They were a rugged, hardy people, fully fitted to cope with the diffi- culties and endure the hardships of their wilderness homes. They were relig- . ions, frugal and industrious, and soon had fruitful farms, while on all sides, for miles, was yet one deep, dense forest. Abraham Amrine, Sr., died No- vember 14, 1849, at the ripe old age of eighty-eight years. His wife, Mary, had preceded him to the grave many years. She died in September, 1823, only six years after their removal here, at the age of sixty-three years.

John Amrine, the eldest son, was born in 1787. In Belmont County, he married Drusie Worley. She died before the removal to Paris Township. and he was again married to Nancy Miller. By the first marriage his children were Andrew, Wesley, Willam, Sarah and Mary;, by the second, John, Julia Ann, Alexander, Maria, Harrison, Sylas and Roxa. 'He was a lifelong farmer of this township, and died September 15, 1864, aged seventy-seven years. His wife, Nancy, died July 31, 1861, aged seventy-five years.

Henry Amrine, the second son, was born in 1789. He did not move to this township till the fall of 1820. His father desired that he should live in the same settlement with himself and his remaining sons, and offered him, as an inducement to move, 100 acres, upon which was a good mill site. He built his cabin in the green woods a few rods west of where the residence of Mrs. Elizabeth Amrine now stands. In 1822, he built the saw mill on the exact site of the present mill. It was one of the first mills erected on Mill Creek. In 1825, the grist mill was added. These mills remained in the possession of the Amrine family for more than fifty years. Henry Amrine had married Mary Powers, who was born near Richmond, Va., September 2, 1785. Their children were John, Elizabeth. Josiah, Susan, Abraham, Mercy, Henry, Smith and Andrew. The first six were born in Belmont County, the last three here. Four are still living-John, in Piqua, Ohio; Susan, who became the wife of Samuel Reed, in Missouri; Henry and Andrew, in Paris Township. The wife, Mary, died in 1851, at the age of sixty-five years. Henry survived until the seventy-sixth year of his age. His death occurred August 12, 1864.

Andrew Amrine, the third son of Abraham, was born in Pennsylvania in 1791. He married Mercy Westlake, and had but one child, Sidy Ann. He was for many years Justice of the Peace, was a man of profound religious character, and possessed more than ordinary intelligence. His earthly career was closed November 2, 1859, at the age of sixty-eight years. His wife, Mercy, died in 1864, aged seventy-one years. The only child, Sidy Ann, the wife of Zephaniah Reed, died in 1851, aged thirty-seven years.

Moses Amrine, who was born in 1797, married Elizabeth Watkins. Their children were Mahala, Nancy, Sarah, Washington, Polly Ann, Annetta and Melissa. Moses Amrine remained a resident of Paris Township through life, and died November 6, 1874, at the age of seventy-eight years. His wife, Elizabeth, died in 1854.

Frederick, Jeremiah and Abraham, Jr., the three younger boys, removed with their families to the West. Frederick married Rachel Burris, and their children were Keziah, George, Amos, Maria, Nancy and James. . His wife, Rachel, died in 1827, at the early age of thirty-two years.

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

Jeremiah Amrine married Mary Shearer. Their children are Valentine and Polly Ann. The former of these resides in Troy, Ohio; the latter, now the wife of John Bellville, resides in Iowa.

Abraham Amrine, Jr., was married to Catharine McAdams, who died young. He then removed to Illinois, where he was killed by a heavily loaded wagon running over him.

The Amrines were among the best, as they were the first, citizens of Paris Township. They nearly all lived to a good age, and have left an impress upon the community for good, which cannot be effaced for a long time to come. . They were earnest and consistent members of the Methodist Church, and the founders of religious life in this locality. In politics, they were strongly Whig; the descendants, it is said, without exception, are now Republican.

Hezekiah Bates, a blacksmith, hailing from New Jersey, came about 1817, and settled on the W. H. Robb place, just north of Marysville. He resid- ed here for many years, and cleared up a portion of the farm, besides work- ing at his trade. He then removed to Madison County, Ind., where he died.

John Donly was from Belmont County, and came to Paris Township with the Amrines, or soon after. His wife was Elizabeth Miller. He set- tled on the Amrine tract, east of the creek, and died years afterward in the township, leaving a posterity which is still represented here.

A settlement was made about 1817 or ISIS, on the site of Marysville and just north of it, by Jonathan Summers and Nathan and Eli Lundy. They came together from Fayette County. None of them purchased land. Mr. Summers built his cabin and cleared a patch for corn in what is now Marys- ville. He taught school a term about three-fourths of a mile to the west. In a few years, he returned to Fayette County with his family, and there died. Nathan Lundy selected a spot for his cabin just north of Marysville, and lived there six years; he then returned to Fayette County. Eli Lundy was a nephew to Nathan. He was born in Washington County, Penn., and came here from Fayette County with his wife, Phoebe (McVay), and two children. He built a cabin on what is now the Clement place, just northwest of Marys- ville, remained here about five years, then removed further east, near the fair grounds, where his uncle had lived. Four or five years later he came to Marys- ville, and for a time was engaged in keeping hotel. In 1844, he emigrated to Iowa, where he died. At the time of his departure, he was the happy parent of eleven children, who accompanied him to the West.

Abraham Steiner came in 1819. He was born in Pennsylvania, and there acquired the weaver's trade. He lost his father when he was quite small, and moved to Chillicothe, Ohio, with Col. Ambrose Meeker. He lived with him till the opening of the war of 1812, when Col. Ambrose went to the front, and Mr. Steiner removed to Madison County. He had married Elizabeth Lewis about 1807. While in Madison County, he received the false impression that by settling in Paris Township, and clearing a tract of land, 100 acres would be deeded to him. Acting on the information, he entered the township March 25, 1819. He remained a week in a sugar camp on what is now the John Weaver place, south of Marysville, where James Beatley and Levin Gibson, then of Madison County, were engaged in boiling sugar. He then continued eastward a few miles to Dover Township, and took up his abode in the cabin of Stephen Dysarit until June 19 following, by which time, with the assist- ance of the scattering settlers in Dover, he had built a cabin on what is now known as the Hawley place, nearly two miles east of Marysville, on the Dover pike. He at once moved into it, and remained there for twelve years, except two years spent at Urbana, engaged in clearing the land and in weaving. He then removed to Knox County, where he purchased a farm, and eight years

PARIS TOWNSHIP.

later to Clayton County, Iowa. He died there at the age of eighty-four years. He raised six children-Christian, Joseph, Mary (Sager), Catharine (Myers), Eliza Ann (Coulter) and Abraham. Only two are now living in Union County-Christian in Dover Township, Catharine at Peoria. Mr. Steiner was a Democrat in politics, of German descent, and for a time a Methodist, after- ward a Baptist. When he came. in 1819, no cabin stood between his and Jonathan Summers' at the site of Marysville, and the few scattering settlers were all squatters, except the Amrines.

At various points along Mill Creek, cabins were erected, and small clear- ings made, by persons called squatters, who settled upon the land only tem- porarily, and without any intention of acquiring a title to it. This class of settlements was almost the only kind for some years. The sojourn of the squatters was usually brief. They enjoyed best that free and easy life to be found on the extreme frontier, where their wants were few and easily sup- plied, and as incoming settlements encroached upon their freedom, many of them took up their few worldly effects and sought new homes deeper in the solitudes of undisturbed nature. Their stay was generally so transient that few traces were left of their occupancy. Their politics was generally Demo- cratic: their religion, not strongly marked. A few squatters afterward pur- chased land here and became permanent settlers.

Levin Gibson, in the fall of 1819, settled on what is now the John W. Robinson place, just northeast of Marysville. He was born in Virginia, mar- ried Rachel Insley, of New Jersey, at Chillicothe, and removed to Madison County, whence he came here. He had six children-Ruth (Steiner), Lydia (Wilmuth), Robert of Marysville, Susan (Little) and Sarah (Snodgrass), of Marysville, and William, who died in the army. Mr. Gibson was a lifelong farmer, but did not acquire any land in his own name.

Joel Hinkle, about 1818, brought a drove of hogs from Clark County, to . range along Mill Creek. They belonged to Henry Van Meter, of Springfield, and Judge Reynolds, of Urbana. He built a cabin on the Robinson place, northeast of Marysville. but remained in it only a year. Elijah Holloway, from Ross County, then took possession of the cabin and occupied it for a short time, but, tiring of this county, he returned to Ross. Lemuel Godfrey was the next temporary occupant of the little cabin. He, too, hailed from Ross County, and after tarrying here for a few years, departed for the State of Iowa. William Shelpman, from Ross County, in the fall of 1819, settled on Mill Creek and died there. William Worley, from the same county, was another squatter. John Streets lived for awhile in the bend of the creek, just north of Marysville. Sampson Hubbell, lived for a few years, commenc- ing about 1820, two and one-half miles west of Marysville. He owned no prop-

erty, and moved West. Joseph Bell built a cabin on the Robert Belt farm, northeast of Marysville. He was from Ross County, and stayed only a short time. George Cline, from Madison County, about 1821 settled on the Daniel Longbrake farm. The locality was known in early times as "Cline's Bottoms." He remained till the land was sold, then returned to Madison County. James Bradley, a local Methodist preacher, came from Ross County in 1819, and took possession of a cabin site in the eastern part of the township, but acquired no property there. He afterward moved to Hardin County, and bought a small farm, on which he died. His son, Martin, married Elizabeth Wilmuth, and moved to Missouri. Joseph Russell, in 1819, settled on the John B. Weller place, on the eastern line of the township. He emigrated from New Jersey to London, Madison County, there married Mrs. Nancy Reeves and came here. He afterward removed to the West.

John Barker, about 1818, settled in Survey 4,074, three or four miles

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

northwest from Marysville. He was originally from Virginia; had married Mary Hoyt in Pennsylvania. Some time after he came, he sold 100 acres on the north side of Mill Creek to Samuel Westlake and removed to the Amrine farm. His wife died October 28, 1853. Mr. Barker died near Lewisburg in 1870, aged seventy-three years. He had a family of twelve children, some of whom still reside in this township.

Jonathan Brooks was one of the earliest citizens of the township. He owned no property, and resided on the Amrine settlement. He was an earnest Methodist and a well respected man.

George Westlake, a native of Maryland, came, with his wife Mercy, from Belmont County in 1821. He was at this time well advanced in life. He had raised a large family of children, most of whom had married before he removed to this township. His daughter Mercy was the wife of Andrew Amrine, and he lived on his farm. Another daughter, Mrs. John Elliott, afterward removed to this township. Mr. and Mrs. Westlake were members of the Methodist Church, and both died in extreme old age at their home in this township.

Samuel Westlake the son of George and Mercy Westlake, moved from Belmont County in October, 1826, and settled on a small farm of fifty acres in the southeast corner of Survey 4,074, several miles northwest of Marysville. It was wholly covered with forest when he came, and a spot was cleared as a site for the little cabin, which he at once built and moved into. Afterward, when he was felling the timber, close by, it became necessary for the safety of his family that they leave the cabin, as there was danger of trees falling across it and crushing it in. Mr. Westlake was a farmer and a shoe-maker, and pur- sued both avocations. He was a Methodist and a Democrat. His wife was Elizabeth Reed, who died in 1851. Mr. Westlake attained the age of eighty- five years. He had eleven children, two of whom remained in Belmont County after his departure, but subsequently followed him to Paris Township. They were: Josiah, of this township; Nancy, wife of Henry Jordan, of Allen Town- ship; Samuel, of Kansas; Zephaniah, who died here: James, of Delaware County; George, who died in Missouri; Elizabeth, wife of Wesley Amrine, of Marysville; Mercy, who died unmarried; Richard, of Missouri; Mary, who married Thomas Peacock, and is now deceased: and William, of Missouri.

John and George Howser, brothers, from Licking County, were among the earliest settlers. They occupied farms on Survey 5,138, north of the Am- rine settlement. After a residence here of considerable length, they removed to Hardin County and purchased land on which Kenton has since been built.

Lemuel, Joseph and William Wilmuth, three brothers, were early settlers. William Wilmuth was born in Maryland, and emigrated to Ross County, Ohio; thence he removed to Paris Township, in 1820 or 1821, and settled on Mill Creek, northeast of Marysville. He was a farmer, but owned no land here. His wife was Susan Carr, who bore him a large family of children. His brother-in-law, Reuben Carr, accompanied him here from Ross County. He was a bachelor, and made his home with the Wilmuths until his death, about 1840. Soon after, Mr. Wilmuth removed to Hardin County, and bought a farm close by Kenton. Later in life, he moved to Missouri, where he died. Lemuel and Joseph Wilmuth settled south of Marysville. Lemuel died in Hardin County. Joseph moved to Missouri, and finished his earthly course in that State.

Adam Wolford, in 1821, settled north of Marysville, near the fair grounds. His boyhood was spent in Guernsey County. He removed to Knox County, and there married Catharine Wolford several years prior to his re- moval to Paris Township. By trade and occupation he was a carpenter, and

Sco. M.M & Pick

PARIS TOWNSHIP.

soon settled in Marysville, where he died June 10, 1863, aged sixty-five years.

Elijah Wolford, distantly related to Adam Wolford, moved to the town- ship a few years later, from Belmont County. He was a farmer, and first set- tled in the Amrine neighborhood; then two and one-half miles north of Marys- ville, on the Pharisburg road, where he died.

Jacob Parthemore, about 1820, shortly after his marriage to Sarah Thorn- ton, settled in the extreme southwestern part of the township He is of Ger- man descent, and formerly resided in the southern part of the county.

Tobias Bigler came to the township in 1825. He was born in Berks County, Penn., in 1805, of German parentage. In 1809, he emigrated to Lick- ing County with his parents, and the year following they removed to Fairfield County, where Tobias remained until he came here. In January, 1827, he married Miss Sarah Amrine, the daughter of John Amrine. He purchased 100 acres of woodland northwest of Marysville, paying for it $450. As this was cleared, he added more to it. After the decease of his wife, he was re-united in marriage with Nancy Burrows. By his first marriage he had twelve chil- dren, eight of whom are now living-Samuel, Mary A., Andrew, John, Eliza, Daniel, Harrison and James M .; by the second he has but one child, Nelson H. Mr. Bigler is still a resident of the township.

In 1828, John Elliott became a citizen of Paris. He was born in Mary- land, and previous to his settlement here had lived in Belmont and Adams Counties, and had married Hannah Westlake. Within a few years after he came, he was the owner of a farm of 200 acres in the northwestern part of the township, where he passed the remainder of his life. In earlier life, he was an ardent Methodist, but he afterward was one of the prime movers in the organization of the United Brethren Church. His politics were Democratic. Mr. Elliott was twice married. By the first marriage he had two children, by the last ten, many of whom still live in Paris Township.

About 1827, William Gregg, of Ross County, purchased and settled on a small farm in Survey 1,913, now owned by Tobias Bigler. He died at Marys- ville.

Hezekiah Burdick was an early settler on Mill Creek, in the eastern part of the township. He afterward removed to Richwood, opening the first store in that village.

David Dickson was an early settler in the eastern part of the township. He had previously lived in Mill Creek Township.

James Richey, John Sovereign, Coats Thornton, William Wells and Will- iam Youst were also early settlers. Mr. Richey was a Virginian. He located east of Marysville, on the farm now owned by Harvey Wood. He removed to Delaware County, near Millville. John Sovereign came from Madison County. He lived, for a time, northeast of Marysville, on the Robinson farm; then re- moved to Leesburg Township, where he purchased land and died. Coats Thornton was from Virginia. He afterward resided in Marysville. Mr. Wells came from Belmont County about 182S. He bought and occupied a small place on Survey 1,913, and afterward removed to Marysville, where he died. William Youst was a squatter, and came here very early. He was a Virginian, and had lived in Greene County before coming to Paris Township. He occu- pied a place north of the Amrine settlement, but soon departed for parts unknown.

THE BLOCK-HOUSE.

On the Powers place, in Survey 5, 736, a block-house was erected in 1812, by the settlers in the southern part of what is now Union and those in Madison County, as a defense against threatened Indian attacks from the north. It

HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

stood east of Edward Powers' residence, near the west bank of Mill Creek, in the path of an Indian trail, which passed north and south. The block-house was made of hewn logs, and its dimensions were probably fifteen by twenty- four feet. It was two stories in height, and on all sides were small port holes, about four inches square. For about two weeks after this means of defense was hastily constructed, it was strongly garrisoned by the settlers from below, as it was believed the expected Indian descent would be made by way of this trail, which was their . usual route in traveling south. At last the rumor gained currency that the savages were about to invade the settlements below from another direction, and the occupants of the fort precipitately left it and returned to their defenseless families. No hostile Indians, however, ever ap- peared in this vicinity. The block-house was afterward occupied as a dwel- ling.

CHURCHES.

" One of the greatest sources of anxiety to the older Amrines was how to bring up their children surrounded by proper religious influences. It was finally resolved to organize a church here in the woods, and in 1821 the Amrine Church was organized. They had been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Belmont County, and for several years they were about the only members of the church here. Andrew was the first leader and steward, and was a leader almost continually to the time of his death. John and Jeremiah were also leaders for many years. This point was at first a part of the London Circuit, and its pastors were Rev. George W. Maley and Rev. Aaron Wood. Afterward came Richard Brandriff, Rev. Shaw and many other circuit riders of pioneer days, when a circuit was two or three hundred miles around, and the preachers traveled on horseback with the old saddlebags behind them, and when, in their lonely travels, they were often soaked by the drenching rain, pelted by the rattling hail, or blinded and frozen by the driving snow; when the hungry wolf often gave him chase, and the growling bear was heard by the way. Often, very often, when the preacher was expected, has the good woman of the house sat up till late in the night, to have ready for him a warm supper after the weary day's journey."

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 79

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