USA > Ohio > Noble County > The county of Noble; a history of Noble County, Ohio, from the earliest days, with special chapter on military affairs, and special attention given to resources. > Part 4
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26
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THE COUNTY OF NOBLE.
neries in this part of the country was operated at Mount Ephraim by an Englishman named Henry Steel, who conducted his business successfully for more than a quarter of a century.
Batesville was first platted for William Finley, and named Will- iamsburg, after its founder. The survey was made by Lebbeus Fordyce and the plat recorded with the authorities of Guernsey county in 1827. When the post office was established at Timothy Bates' mill, near the village, the name of Batesville was applied to the office and this name soon became attached to the town itself. The town was of slow growth, though in after years it became an im- portant trading center.
The year 1839 saw the projection of two new towns, Harrietsville, on the East fork of Duck creek, and Hoskinsville, in Noble township. Harrietsville was surveyed and platted by Mitchell Atkinson, the surveyor of Monroe county, for Moses T. Spencer. The village was named for Mr. Spencer's daughter Harriet, who was the first post- mistress. Hoskinsville was platted by John F. Talley for E. E. Parrish. The survey was made in February, 1839, but the plat was not filed with the recorder of Morgan county until October 22, 1840. The place was given the name of Hoskinsville in honor of Col. Erastus Hoskins, who was the first postmaster. Rochester, also lo- cated in Noble township, was founded by Robert Hellyer in 1841, the survey and plat being made by Samuel Aikens. The town never met the anticipations of its founder. The post office called Noble- ville is located here, though the only business is a small country store.
Other early villages are Middleburg, in Jefferson township; Whig- ville,* in Marion township; and Matrom, in Olive township. Middle- burg was laid out in 1844 by Church Tuttle, who was the first mer- chant and postmaster in the place. In early years it was an im- portant center, and has never lost all its popularity in this respect. The public schools of Middleburg have long been regarded as among the best in the county. The village of Matrom was laid out in the spring of 1846, Joseph Schofield being the proprietor and George Bell the surveyor. For a time it prospered but a half century after it was founded it consisted of only a few dilapidated houses. Of this village, Watkins says: "Even its name has passed away ; and, instead of high-sounding 'Matrom,' plebian 'Socum' has taken its place. 'Socum' is supposed to have been derived from 'soak 'em,' which title was fastened upon the place on account of the bibulous and whisky-selling habits of its inhabitants."
But the first attempt to establish a village in what is now Noble county was that made by Thomas Emery and Jacob Young, when
* Whigville was first laid out as Freedom in 1846 on lands belonging to Wil- liam Leeper and Henry and Samuel Large. The name was changed to Whig- ville by an act of the Ohio legislature, March 10, 1891.
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THE COUNTY OF NOBLE.
they projected the town of Lexington in 1818. A town was duly laid out but the proprietors were unable to pay for the land, which proved a serious drawback for the embryo metropolis. Considerable was done there for awhile but the establishment of Summerfield a few years later attracted some of the merchants and traders to that point and Lexington began to languislı. In 1833 those owning lots in Lexington were Martin Crow, William Sutherland, William Cald- well, John Miller, William Sutton, David Sutton, William Shank- land, and David Rose. About the year 1850 James W. Shankland acquired the title to all these lots and converted the erstwhile city of Lexington into a farm .*
During this period of development a number of interesting and amusing incidents occurred, that go to illustrate the character of the pioneer population. Among the Irish settlers in Marion township was a man named Hugh Waybrant, who was one of the early justices of the peace. On being called upon for the first time to perform the marriage ceremony his embarrassment was plainly visible. He was not thoroughly acquainted with the form of ceremony used by civil magistrates, but he felt positive that some "swearing" must be done to make the marriage binding. When the happy couple appeared before him something like the following dialogue ensued: "Do you take this woman for your wife?" "I do." Then, turning to the woman, "Do you take this man to be your husband ?" "I do," again came the reply. "Then, I'll be d-d if you ain't married." Al- though this novel ceremony was something out of the ordinary it has never been recorded that the couple were ever the worse off for it, and possibly many a marriage has occurred in some stately sanctuary, with all the adjuncts, such as orange blossoms and a wedding march pealed forth from a great organ, that has not been productive of so much happiness, or in which the contracting parties have not felt half so much the solemnity of the obligations into which they were entering.
The majority of the early settlers were men of limited education, and many were unable to read and write. Yet they were mostly men of staunch convictions of right and wrong-men whose word was as good as their written agreement. It sometimes happened, in their dealings with each other, that one of the parties would insist on a written contract. One of these old documents has been preserved and . is here subjoined as a literary curiosity. In reproducing it the original spelling, etc., has been followed as closely as possible.
"An article of agreement made and entered Into by David Gorby of the first part of Noble Township Morgan County Ohio & Samuel
* Several towns and villages founded after the organization of Noble county will be treated in the proper place chronologically.
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THE COUNTY OF NOBLE.
Caldwell of the Second part of Olive Township & County & State as aforesaid. the Sd Gorby doath on his part agree to build the sd Caldwell A sow Mill and grist mill forebay he is To take the timber from the Stump The Timber is to be got out in first rate Stile, The poasts of the Lower part of the Mill to be 12 by 12 inches Squair, he is to Fraim the Mill & put in the running Geers in first rate workmen Like manner. He further agrees to make a mill that will Saw as fast as anny other man can with the Same head of or if he dont he is to Have nothing for dowing Sd work, the Sd gorby is to have the timber hewed by the 25th of June next and the mill Fraimed by the first day of August next And The mill redy to Saw by the first of Nov. Next "the Sd Caldwell doath on his part agree to Pay The Sd gorby one hundred Dollars As soon as the Mill performs as he has Agreed to make her perform the Sd Caldwell is to do all the hawling & to Furnish Plank for the forebay and other uses about the mill allso brases, 2 Shute Pieces timber for Saw gate We have boath hereunto set our Hand and Seals this 9 of May A. D 1836
David Gorby (Seal) Samuel Caldwell (Seal)"
This contract was witnessed by one William Lanam and it is said the mill "performed as he had agreed to make her perform," and that Gorby received his hundred dollars according to the agreement.
Among the early settlers whisky was regarded as a necessity. Every neighborhood had its still, and often more than one. In 1830 five distilleries were in operation in Olive township. They were con- ducted by Israel Spencer, Michael Shriver, Isaac Devore, William Free, and Israel Blake. No log rolling, raising, husking or harvest- ing bee was complete without whisky. If one neighbor called upon another it was considered the proper thing to treat the visitor to a drink and any one refusing or neglecting to comply with the custom was regarded as being inordinately stingy. The price of whisky ranged from twenty-five to forty cents a gallon, and the farmer could take a bushel of corn to the still and get it exchanged for a gallon of liquor any time. Notwithstanding the free use of whisky, intoxica- tion was a rare thing and a habitual drunkard was almost unknown. Sometimes amusing incidents grew out of this general use of ardent spirits. An election was held in 1816, at the house of a man named Jordan, not far from the present site of Hiramsburg. As this was the first election in that part of the country some of the pioneers deemed it a suitable occasion for a little celebration. They therefore sent to Marietta, secured a barrel of cider, and then "fixed" it by the addition of something stronger. Cider was a scarce article in those days and the voters partook freely of the doctored article which had been provided by their generous neighbors. By the time the polls
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THE COUNTY OF NOBLE.
closed a large majority were so far under the influence of the seductive drink that they were unable to get home without assistance. Those who were sober enough set about getting the inebriated ones to their places of abode. All who could sit up were placed on horseback and those who were not able to hold up their heads were thrown across their horses, like sacks of grain, and accompanied by some more sober neighbor set out for home. Aside from a headache, or a scolding from the "good wife," no evil results followed and the whole affair was treated as a good joke.
In Seneca township lived a man named Daniel Meade. He was a devout Methodist, and one harvest he announced his intention of having his wheat taken care of without the use of whisky. When it was about ripe he called on several of his neighbors to come on Mon- day morning to help him harvest it, at the same time telling them of his determination to have no whisky on the premises during the harvesting. What was his surprise, on rising on that Monday morn- ing, to discover his entire field of wheat already "in the shock." His neighbors had gathered Sunday night, and having provided themselves with a generous supply of whisky, they had harvested the entire field by moonlight.
Between the years 1830 and 1845 a number of Noble county pioneers were interested in the operations of the "Underground rail- road" and many a negro, in escaping from slavery has received their assistance. Among the more active of these were Benjamin Hughes and William Steel, living near Stafford, Thomas Large, William Wilson, Alexander Franklin, Moses Horton, Nathaniel Capell, and John M. Rownd. The last named was in the merchandising business in Summerfield, and his place of business was a station on the Underground railroad. His son, James S. Rownd, was accustomed to tell a story of his experience on one occasion during his boyhood. Going to a rag bin in the rear of his father's store, to get some wal- nuts he had concealed there, he was surprised to find a big, black negro man concealed in the bin. Boy-like he rushed out and was about to give the alarm, when his father caught him by the arm and explained to him that he was not to say a word to any one of his discovery. Upon his return from school that afternoon he peeped cautiously into the bin, but the negro had been spirited away. John Lemmax, an old settler of Marion township, relates the following occurrence, which goes to show how high the feeling ran in those days :
"In 1845, Peter M. Garner, Creighton Lorraine and Mordecai Thomas, while aiding some slaves to escape at Belpre on the Ohio, were surprised by a party of slaveholders just as they were getting out of the skiff. The slaves were returned to bondage and Mr. Garner and his companions arrested and placed in jail at Parkersburg, Va.
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THE COUNTY OF NOBLE.
The claim was made that they were beyond low water mark, and therefore on Virginia territory. They were kept in jail for several months, and then the case was brought to trial. A verdict, however, was not reached, and they were again confined. Governor Bartlett, of Ohio, interested himself in the matter and asserted that their arrest was in violation of the constitution of the United States, and a scheme to kidnap citizens of Ohio, whom they thought to be abolitionists. They were again brought to trial, Ohio being represented by Hon. Samuel F. Vinton. The court held that they were on Ohio territory when captured, and therefore not amenable to the laws of Virginia ; they were consequently released."
Chapter IV.
FIRST COUNTIES IN OHIO-ADMISSION INTO THE UNION-FORMA- TION OF GUERNSEY COUNTY-MONROE-MORGAN-EARLY TOWN- SHIP ORGANIZATIONS-A COUNTY SEAT WAR-AGITATION FOR A NEW COUNTY BEGUN-WHIG SENTIMENT-FIRST PETITION TO THE LEGISLATURE-HOW THE COUNTY WAS NAMED DIF- FERENT STORIES-MEMORIAL OF 1849-FULL TEXT AND NAMES OF SIGNERS-EZRA MCKEE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE-LOBBY- ISTS-PASSAGE OF THE ORGANIC ACT-FULL TEXT OF THE LAW -BOUNDARIES-FIRST ELECTION-LOCATION OF THE COUNTY SEAT-SARAHSVILLE SELECTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS-THEIR REPORT IN FULL-FIRST MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
T HE DEVELOPMENT of Noble county as a separate polit- ical organism was something like the sculptor's statue con- cealed within the block of marble-a great deal of rough stone had to be broken off before the statue stood revealed. The first county organization, affecting the territory now comprising the county of Noble, was that of Washington county, which was established on July 26, 1788, by a proclamation of Governor St. Clair. By this proclamation the boundaries of Washington county were fixed as follows :
"Beginning on the bank of the Ohio River where the western boun- dary line of Pennsylvania crosses it, and running with that line to Lake Erie; thence along the southern shore of said lake to the mouth of Cuyahoga River ; thence up said river to the portage between that and the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum; thence down the branch of the forks at the crossing place above Fort Laurens ; thence with a line to be drawn westerly to the portage of that branch of the Big Miami on which the fort stood that was taken by the French in 1752, until it meets the road from the lower Shawanese town to Sandusky ; thence south to the Scioto River; thence with that river to the mouth and thence up the Ohio River to the place of beginning."
If the reader will take the trouble to secure a map of Ohio and trace these boundaries he will discover that the county of Washington, as first created, included nearly half of the present State of Ohio.
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THE COUNTY OF NOBLE.
When Ohio was admitted into the Union of States, in November, 1802, it consisted of the counties of Washington, Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson, Ross, Fairfield, Trumbull, and Belmont. Of these coun- ties Belmont was the only one, except Washington, that had any influence upon the section from which Noble county was afterward erected. Belmont county was created in 1801, being the last county established before the admission of the State into the Union. Mus- kingum was established in 1804, the territory comprising it being taken from Washington and Fairfield counties. Guernsey county was formed from parts of Muskingum and Belmont in 1810, the new county embracing a large portion of the territory now included in Noble. A generous slice was taken off the eastern part of Guernsey county in 1813, to become attached to the new county of Monroe. Four years later the creation of Morgan county still further reduced the size of Guernsey. Before the erection of Morgan county the eastern boundary of Guernsey was located near the center of the present township of Olive, in Noble county.
From the earliest settlement until about the year 1820 the pioneers of Duck Creek and its tributaries had very little to do with civil organization of any kind. They were buffeted about by the organiza- tion of new counties, sometimes to their benefit and sometimes to their disadvantage, but always without their being consulted as to the change. Several townships had been organized, the oldest of which are Seneca and Buffalo .* Seneca was organized by the Guern- sey county authorities, April 23, 1810, and Buffalo on June 5, of the same year. Part of Seneca was taken to form the township of Beaver, June 3, 1816, the new township being also in Guernsey county. At the same time Olive township was created from part of Buffalo. After the erection of Morgan county, Olive township was reorganized by the authorities of that county in 1819. Brookfield and Noble townships were also organized by the Morgan county com- missioners the same year. Another township created that year by the Morgan county authorities was that of Olive Green, so named from the stream that flows through it. The records of the county show that Jonathan Hughs was commissioned justice of the peace for Olive Green township, August 18, 1819. A few years later the political complexion of the township was changed, General Jackson became the idol of the Democracy, and the name of the township was changed to Jackson. Enoch township was organized as a subdivision of Monroe county in 1822. Marion and Elk townships were organ- ized at the same time, by the same county. No further township organizations were attempted until after the formation of Noble county in 1851.
* The boundaries of both Seneca and Buffalo townships were materially al- tered by the commissioners of Noble county in 1851.
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THE COUNTY OF NOBLE.
The first agitation for a new county, in the Duck Creek Valley, had its inception in the location of the county seat of Morgan county. Those living in the eastern part of the county were dissatisfied with the location of the county seat at McConnelsville, and immediately petitioned the legislature for the passage of a bill providing for a relocation. The petition was met by a remonstrance from the citizens of the western part of the county* and the legislature declined to take any action in the matter. To offset this agitation, and to pre- vent a repetition of it, the people in the western part of the county secured the passage of a bill, on December 24, 1819, annexing town- ships six and seven of range eight, in which most of the recalcitrants lived, to Monroe county. While this movement served to relieve the friends of McConnelsville of all further annoyance, concerning the removal of the seat of justice of Morgan county, it did not pacify those who had started the agitation. They interested others in their cause, and when, in 1845, the legislature took two townships from Athens county and annexed them to Morgan, the size of that county was so increased that those who had been attached to Monroe county by the act of 1819, together with some of their sympathizers in Monroe and Guernsey counties, began to advocate the erection of a new county. About this time the movement received an impetus from an unexpected quarter. After the annexation of the two town- ships (Homer and Marion) of Athens county to Morgan county the Whigs carried the latter, which prior to that time had been reliably Democratic. As the eastern part of Morgan was strongly Democratic many of the Whig leaders favored the organization of a new county, in which this portion of Morgan would be included, in order to retain their political power in that part remaining.
The first petition was presented to the legislature of 1846, and it was in connection with this petition that the county received the name of Noble. There seems to be some dispute as to why this name was selected. In an atlas of the county, published in the seventies, the statement occurs that the county was named in honor of James Noble, one of the pioneers and a prominent citizen in early times. Another story is that when the petition was sent up to the legislature it contained no suggestion as to the name of the proposed county. Daniel Pettay, a lawyer of Sarahsville, who had charge of the petition, was asked to supply the deficiency and he gave the name which the county still bears. This story does not state how the name came to be selected by Mr. Pettay, but if it be true it was probably chosen with reference to the pioneer family of that name. Still another
* It is said that this remonstrance contained " not only the names of all the inhabitants of McConnelsville and vicinity, but also the names borne on all the rolls of the militia captains of the neighborhood."
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THE COUNTY OF NOBLE.
account relates that when the petition was first presented to the legislature it was referred to the committee on new counties, of which Warren P. Noble, of Seneca county, was chairman. He was not very favorable to the scheme to create a new county, and in order to secure his influence, the friends of the petition gave the county the name of Noble, at the same time creating the impression that it was named in honor of the chairman of the committee. In view of the fact that one of the townships of Morgan county had been named Noble, some twenty-five years before, it is more than likely that the name of the county was selected with some reference to the family of Pennsylvanians, who settled on Duck Creek in 1812. No action was taken by the legislature of 1846, and another petition was presented to the sessions of 1847 and 1848, but without results. In December, 1849, the following elaborate memorial was prepared and again the matter was brought to the attention of the general assembly.
"NEW COUNTY OF NOBLE.
"Memorial to the General Assembly of the State of Ohio at its Forty- eighth Session.
"The subscribers respectfully represent that they are residents within the territory that is sought to be erected into the new County of Noble; that they resided in the territory, as they now do, at the time the county of Morgan was erected in 1817; that by reference to the law creating the county (see vol. 16, p. 42) and the map of the county, as described in the law, township 14 in range 14, now a part of York Township, was divided, and a bend in the Muskingum River in township 9 of range 11, now Windsor Township, embraced within the limits of Morgan County, forming irregular lines and extreme points south and west, against the ranges of entire townships on the east where the heaviest portion of the territory, population and tax- paying at that time existed. This was not necessary to form the lines or obtain the territory for the county. Without these extreme points and irregular lines, your petitioners being included in the aforesaid territory, there was a large surplus beyond the constitu- tional area. That when the general assembly appointed commission- ers to fix the seat of justice (see same vol. 16, p. 198), your petitioners, with many others of the citizens who were taxpayers, believed that the seat of justice should be located near the center of the territory then forming the county, or towards the eastern boundary, to con- centrate the greatest portion of the territory and population. A site in township 6 of range 9 was fixed upon for that purpose.
"After viewing the site where MeConnelsville now is, and the one in section 6, now Olive Township, a majority of the commissioners
4
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THE COUNTY OF NOBLE.
decided upon townships and established the county seat at McCon- nelsville. To justify this and reconcile the eastern portion of the county, it was held out as an inducement, that the territory which is now sought, and which should be erected into Noble County, was sufficient to create a new county, and that it would be done at no very distant day; and your memorialists, with respect, but positively, allege that the idea of creating a new county in this territory not only materially influenced the determination to fix the seat of justice at McConnelsville, but was still more material in reconciling your memorialists and others to the location of the seat of justice so far from the center of the territory and population. That after the county was organized and taxes levied, of which your memorialists paid their proportion, to defray the expenses of organization and the erection of public buildings, in 1819 (see vol. 18, p. 4), a portion of the eastern part, including two entire townships on the eastern side of Morgan, were by your honorable body attached to Monroe County. At the time of this annexation, as well as at the erection of Morgan County and locating the seat of justice at McConnelsville, General Robert McConnel was the proprietor of the tract of land adjoining and on which the town of McConnelsville was located, re- siding in the County of Muskingum; and adding the aforesaid town- ships to Monroe County, already large in territory, was to more ef- fectually divide the territory that should be included in the County of Noble between the Counties of Morgan and Monroe, and weaken the claims and increase opposition to the new county. And although it is most apparent that in forming the original boundaries of Morgan County, the location of the seat of justice, and in transferring a part. of the territory of Morgan County to Monroe, there was much fore- cast and sagacity, yet it operated unequally and unjustly on the population of that territory, and still continues to do so. The subject of the new county to be formed of this territory, from that time to this, has never been lost sight of by its inhabitants. It has continued to increase in wealth and population ; embracing a small part of the south side of Guernsey County, the eastern part of Morgan County, the western part of Monroe County, and a small part of the most northern part of Washington County.
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