USA > Ohio > Champaign County > The history of Champaign and Logan counties : from their first settlement > Part 32
USA > Ohio > Logan County > The history of Champaign and Logan counties : from their first settlement > Part 32
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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 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
The Big Spring, three miles north of Rushsylvania, was a noted place long before Rushsylvania was thought of. One Lanson Curtis, who used to be a prominent business man in Zanesfield, made the first improvement at the Spring. It is said that Curtis started in busines on a cargo of tinware which he borrowed from an East- ern capitalist, in rather a novel manner : He was employed in the East to peddle the ware, and in one of his circuits he became be- wildered, and after traveling for several days, found himself with his cargo in the wilds of Logan county, where, by "Tin Panning," he soon became a leading spirit in commercial and financial de- partments of our new county, and gained many devoted, ardent admirers, who were much astonished when he afterwards was called upon to return the original "loan" (?)
The earliest improvement in the vicinity of Big Spring, was just South of the old tavern stand-on what was originally known as the "Shepherd farm,"-now owned by the widow Brugler. A man by the name of Shepherd first settled here, and his location was the first of any northwest of Rushsylvania. He had his leg and thigh mashed by the falling of a log in raising a barn on the Stamats farm, near Cherokee. This accident caused his death. Dr. B. S. Brown, then a young man, was present when his leg was amputated, several days after the accident.
While North wood established the principal depot on the line of the underground railroad, Rushsylvania, in an early day, ever stood ready to bring abolitionists to grief should they intrude
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their odious sentiments on her community. Eggs, tar, feather .. and rails were spoken of in connection with temperance and abo- lition lecturers. Whether these articles were ever used as "regu- lators" and protectors of the public weal, I leave for others to say, whose experience might enable them to speak more positive, con- tenting myself with the narrative of the following incident is an index to public sentiment thirty-five years back. In the North- west corner of Rushcreek Township, in the vicinity of "White Town," on the Miami, the following incident occurred :
Two men from Bellefontaine pursued a couple of runaway slaves into Hardin county, where they arrested them, and started back. When they arrived at Israel Howell's, where Wm. Stewart now lives, they halted and staid all night. In the more. ing one of the negroes took up a cane belonging to one of the captors, and struck one of the white men a blow on the head, shivering the cane, a piece of which flew and struck a little girl of Mr. Howell's in the eye, as she lay in the trundle-bed, destroying the eyeball entirely. The negroes both broke and run ; one tak- ing up the river and the other down. Both white men started in pursuit of the one who had taken up the river, learning by this time that difficulties attending negro catching, demanded at least two white men to one negro. Thus we see that not only Rush- sylvania, but even Bellefontaine, was afflicted with the manis of negro catching at that day. The little girl spoken of, who lost her eye in that fray, is now the wife of Peter Fry, near Rushestva- nia.
Another incident connected with negro catching happened late. A man by the name of Covert kept the Big Spring Tavern; he had a log rolling. Jesse Bryant, the first military captain in Rush- creek Township, was among the hands. Three runaway slaves came along the road, and the "Big Captain" ( Bryant) organizari a force and arrested them. He, with his accomplices, started with their black prize to Kentucky. When they arrived at Weet Lib- erty, some of the citizens there demanded of them their authority for holding the negroes in custody. Bryant replied that the ne- groes had acknowledged they were runaway slaves, and on this acknowledgement they held them. This did not satisfy the in- pertinent citizens of West Liberty, who obtained a warrant and had Bryant and his company arrested on the ground of man. stealing. And while they were held in custody, the negroes got
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away, and the company lost their prize. Bryant and his com- pany were detained until they could have witnesses brought from home to establish their innocence.
In concluding this article, I will give the names of the first set- tlers of the Miami, and dates, as far as I have been able to learn them : 1823, the Israel Howell farm, now Wm. Stewart's, was first settled by Calhoun, who was succeeded by Simeon Ransbottom- next by Israel Howell, who held the first post-office there, about the year 1825, or 1826. The Crawford farm was settled by Young, in 1827 ; the Hopkins farm, by Hazard Hopkins, 1828; the Dun- lap farm, (formerly White Town) by Wm. White, 1829; the Her- vey, or old Irvin farm, by Wm. Patterson, 1828; the Clark farm by Win. Holt, 1828; The Laughlin farm by Hiram Hukill, 1829 ; the Anderson farm, by John B. Anderson; the farm of W. K. Newman, by Silas Thrailkill, 1826-succeeded by Arthur Roberts, 1828; the K. H. Howell farm by Wm. Patterson, 1829; the Richey farm by James Stephenson, 1827-succeeded by Wm. S. Johnston, 1830 ; the Simon Ensley farm, settled by Abnond Hop- kins, 1828-succeeded by Moses West, Win. Creviston, Linus Cut- ting, John Roberts, and Simon Ensley ; the Wm. Roberts farm, settled by Henry Fry, 1828; Melcher Crook settled the Thomas farm, 1830; Ben. Carson settled the Hume farm, 1829; Jonas Fry settled the farm west of Joel Thomas, 1829 or 1830; the farm of John Kerns, by Jacob Kerns; the Beaver farm, by Mr. Bower, 1832. Besides the above names in this locality, we have the Der- westers, or Whacters, as they were familiarly known. Among them the noted Ben. Whacter, whose muscular strength was that of a giant ; and who came to his end by a blow inflicted with a pair of fire tongs, by the hand of a female whom he had underta- ken to abuse.
I will mention some incidents connected with the first school taught by the writer, 1837-38. The school-house on the south-east corner of Jerome Musselman's land, in District No. 5, Rushcreek township, has long since disappeared, and was rather a rude struc- ture when new; yet I confess that could I see it to-day as it was in the fall of 1837, when I first engaged in the responsible occupation of instructing the youth in that locality, it would be of far more in- terest to me than the most costly and well-arranged school-house that has been built in our township since that time. Its rude floor, clap-board roof, mud and stick chimney, six foot fire-place,
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bench seats, slab writing-desks, paper windows and rough door hung on wooden hinges are all treasures in memory, and, viewed through the lapse of nearly forty years, they -cem more vivid than scenes of but yesterday. But who lived here then? Henry Rosbrough lived on the Jerome Musselman farm, in the old house which stood near the old log meeting-house, near "Ir. Ticen's. Rosbrough sent three children to school, John, George, and little Mary. To say they were good children is certainly due to the memory of their sainted mother, "Aunt Peggy," as we were wont to call her, who has since then taken her place in the mansion- above. Old man Richardson settled on the farm where Ro- brough then lived, sometime between 1820 and 1825. On the form of William Stephenson, lived the old widow How -: John Wolf was the first there.
The widow Hews was a pious Presbyterian Fuly, corre in her deportment. Hiram and Perry, her two sons, young met at the time. and Phebe and Eliza, her two daughters, young women were with her. Perry and the two girls came to school. : 1 1 0 is but just to say my acquaintance with this family is a soures of many pleasant reflections on the scenes of olden times, when they. bore a part with us in them. On the Barney Kintamm farm, pl Jamie McAmis, who married the widow Rosbrough, wher first husband, Hilkiah Rosbrough, first settled this farm "The Big Spring" here is the source of Millcreek ;) lived with Aunt Surle. Here was little George Rosbrough. Pete, Mike and Tom, hill pupils in the school, good fellows, and ever dear to memory and hope. A little to the east was old Benny Hodge, and Abraham Deanilurff, Bill Hodge, Jesse, Jim, Henry, and little Betty all pupil in che school. And again, Abe Deardorff, John and Susan ; count them also. A little nearer the fallen timber on the King firm, we find old Jake King, six feet high, of at least two-hundrel pound. avoirdupois, and as terrible as he was big. Here were his fou oldest children-Julia Ann, Nancy, Martha and Bill-the two former nearly grown. None could fail to see the parental unkind- ness had so discouraged them, that youth was but a dreary bondage. only endured by the hope that some day they would be free from the galling parental yoke. They came to school. That the Kescher was "partial" to those children is not unlikely, yet all others would say such partiality was demanded in the case and none felt that it was wrong.
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Near the line of Bokescreek township, old Hezekiah Starbuck lived. He had his second wife ; his step-children, Eliza and Da- vid Adams, came to school. Eliza was nearly grown, David younger. They were pleasant in their disposition and highly es- teemed in school. But close to Starbuck's was found Lawson Rut- dasill. He came from the high hills of Old Virginia, and settled in the level country. He was a school director, and rather a well informed man to be found so far out in the woods. Religiously, they called him a "Campbellite" -- not a very great compliment at that day. Wesley and Winfield, two of his boys came to school. I always loved them for their independence and dignity, and as I was teaching for ten dollars a month and boarding with the schol- ars, I often went home with these boys. It was here and about this time that I concluded to engage in a new enterprise. This Rudasill had a girl at home that he did not send to school; she was perhaps seventeen or eighteen years old-born and reared on the high hills of Old Virginia. It looked rather hard that she should wear out her life amid those "gloomy swails," and there- fore, for these and other considerations which may be guessed by the reader, I persuaded her to accompany me to a more elevated locality. This arrangement was consummated during the stormy scenes of "Tippecanoe and Tyler too ;" and as my old friend (silver- smith) John Miller was a very acceptable "Campbellite" preacher at that time, his services were solicited and thankfully received on the occasion, and though he has wandered far from where he stood then, I must confess that he did a good strong job-tied a knot that has held for more than thirty years, and I have no longer to go from home to find a school, as we have now one of our own that requires most of our attention. John Miller claims rank among the progressive "Spirits," and I shall not here call in question what he assumes or claims in this respect.
On the farm now owned by William George, on Rushcreek, old man Rodaker settled. He was the first 'Squire in Rushcreek town- ship. An incident connected with his official duties is worthy of note: About the year 1833, the trustees of the township sued some man on Taylorcreek on account of some stray animals those men had taken up. Suit was brought before Rodaker; Anthony Casad was engaged as counsel for the defendants. After the evidence pro and con had been heard, Casad arose to make a speech. "The 'Squire told him he would allow no "speechifying" in the case, remark-
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Old Billy Rubart succeeded Rodaker on this farm, and buil' as grist mill on Rushcreek, perhaps the first grist mill built in Rush- creek Township. This Rubart did not find his "affinity" in hi- first wife, and after raising several children, left her and so iglit s more congenial spirit.
In reviewing the series of Pioncer Sketches which I have writ- ten, I find some errors, and withal, a want of systematic irr oge- ment in noting the early settlers of the locality for which I am writing. And should the pioneer book be published it is de-ir Me that it should be as correct in its details as our freilities for cool- lecting material will allow. Although born and reared in the woods, I will say with William Hubbard, that I am - rody JM enough for a correct reminiscent, especially so far as Log un anty is concerned, as my location here was fifteen years toblith tw mont 1 experimentally the scenes and incidents of olden times. Trav, 1 could tell something about Logan county forty years au, when Zanesfield and Bellefontaine would almost have envie ; Hopt, es she is now, for her magnificence and grandeur; w'
wood kept the tavern stand in Zanesfield, where S. y. L owns. It was there we stayed all night, in the fall of 1511, de cy father with his family moved from Clinton C gnity, Ohio, MA ing
something ween- present home on Rushcreek. I could speak teel and aristocratic Lansing Curtis, who k
then. I could tell how this dignified per
ag them money at too mas- father, and other new comers, by loani' erate and charitable rate of twenty-fi' .e per cent. internet. tell about hump-shouldered Charles Amy, who clerkel te therslire
,but I rather liked bitw, and elu of Curtis; some said he was lazy.
not hand down to posterity so JAious an impression. Lot gering- gest to those who may still r. member his sleepy man erst getting around, that perhaps after all "he was only born tir 1." Tomuhk tell of Dr. Crew. He w. s here then, and also Dr. Marnier; sol with the old doctors of Bellefontaine, Brown, Lord and HLongys whom to the old se+ dlers, whenever the names of love por physicians are me ationed, there arises in the heart amollnne ud
veneration and ? gratitude, for their vigilance and faithful minden tions when dis case and suffering fell within the forest hems. Anl while those 1 who knew them not then, may pass them by today with seemi' ag indifference, as though the world was no better off
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by them having lived, we can never, never be so inconsiderate. They have reared a monument of affection and gratitude in the hearts of those who shared with them the toils and privations of pioneer life that will outlive the wastes of time and the ravaging scenes of death.
I could tell of Col. Mart. Marmon, as he was mounted on his noble charger, in full uniform, as he, with stentorian voice, gave command at general muster at Zanesfield or Bellefontaine, on the third Friday of September. I could tell of old Billy Henry, who was riding around among the citizens, listing their personal prop- erty for taxation, when the uniform price of horses was forty dol- lars per head and colts thrown in, and cows eight dollars per head. I could tell when the roads on the east and west of Mad River, leading north were only narrow cart ways, walled in on either side by mighty forest trees for miny miles. I could tell when the head of Mad River near the Jerusalem pike was a lake, when "dug- outs" were rowed over it, but now its bed is cultivated by Mr. Eas- ton. I can well remember seeing Jack Parkinson, who first settled on the farm where Simon Kenton was buried. And also Jim Parkinson, who first settled on the Sabert Wren farm. Old Jamio Watkins lived on the Lloyd farm. Henry and William Watkins, his sons, and Harriet, his daughter, were well known then. Old Billy McGee with his young folks, Joab, Sally and Jane all come up in memory as but of yesterday. Old Ralph Low, and that oddity of a Sam Surls, is still fresh in memory. Also Joe Collins, Sam and Jonathan Pettit, with George Parker-four rather adven- turous spirits, who were permitted to occupy the old county jail for a period of ten days, in consequence of having disturbed the slumbers of old Stephen Leas at an unseasonable hour. There was Brice Collins, also, who once built a house on Rushcreek Lake, but was so haunted by the "chills," despite the whisky he sold, he abandoned the enterprise in disgust.
On the farm of Jacob Rudy, we find Nicodemus Bousman, 1826 ; on the farm of Oliver Corwin we find my grandfather, John Rob- erts, 1830 ; also a little later we find James Logan, 1832. Old Joel Thomas, father to Joel Thomas of Rushcreek Township, was tho first settler ou grandfather Roberts' land in 1824. Enoch Lunda was there about the same time. Wm. McAmis settled in this neighborhood on the McAmis farm in 1830. On the farm of Jacob Arbegast, old John McClure settled, about 1824. His son Jacob
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was on the Grimes farm. Old John Wilson first settled on the Jasinsky farm about 1824; Thomas Dickinson settled the Dickin- son farm in 1830 and 1831; Benjamin Butler, the Nieper farm ia 1832; Robert Dickinson, the Wm. Wren farm in 1833; Joseph Tenry first settled the Brockerman farm where Isaiah Corwin now lives, in 1832; Tenry was succeeded by McNeal. Robert Wilson settled on what was once Downingsville, and kept a =n all store there, perhaps the first store in Rushcreek Township, in 1542 or 1833; Wm. Roberts and Andrew Roberts first settled Wilawn Mo Adams' old farm in 1830. The old Pugh farm was settled by Joha Prater, 1824 ; the Johnson Ansley farm by W. Smith, 125; the George Ansley farm by Mr. Keneda, about 1829 or 1830; the farm of Martin McAdams by Conrad Collins, 1826. This mansie fint settled on the farm of Mr. Barber, 1832. The fann where David Pugh now lives, was settled by the Baldwins in 1532; the Johnson farmt was settled by Jacob Johnson, in 1832; the firm of Peter Kautzman by Nelson Tyler, in 1828; the farm of Matthew Hale by Wm. Riley, in 1828; the farm of Nathan Hocket by Abraham Deardorff, in 1828; the farm of Clark Williams by Sun- uel Ruth, in 1825; the farm of Martha Bronson by Benjamin Green, in 1823. Walnut Grove was first occupied by William Trent, in 1836. He did not succeed in finding his "affinity" when he married his wife, but lived with her near twenty years before he met the congenial spirit. Elijah and Jesse Faweet sitiled on Millcreek about the year 1833 or 1834. Andrew Roberts -ettb 1 oa the farm of W. W. Sutton, about 1838. Old Natty Mouros settled on the Monroe farm about 1831. Old Sterling Heathcock, the first colored resident in Rushcreek Township, settled on what is known as the Sterling farm, in 1833.
RECOLLECTIONS OF MY CHILDHOOD.
My memory wanders hack over the path of life fifty years ago, and finds me a small boy, located near Mount Tabor, Champaign County, Ohio.
Memory-that inestimable faculty of the mind, without which, all the past would be a blank-with what tenacity it preserves and how vividly it retains the impressions of by-gone years! How we love to linger among scenes of our childhood ! How enchanting the view ! In memory we live our life over again. Oh ! peaceful, happy days, with what reluctance we leave you! But time, the inexorable tyrant, compels us to leave you. We drop a tear of sorrow and so bid you good bye.
I see I am wandering from my purpose, for I propose to give a sketch of pioneer life, scenes and incidents fifty years ago. Let us ascend some prominent point where we can have a command- ing view of the surrounding country. Having gained our posi- tion, what do we see? Away in the distance it appears to be an unbroken forest, as far as the eye can reach. The lofty tops of the majestic trees, with their rich foliage seem to blend together form- ing a vast sea of the purest green. Taking a nearer view, we see the landscape more diversified. Here is hill and dale, and be- neath our feet runs the far-famed Madriver and Macacheek. Along the banks of these streams are spread out in quiet beauty those prairies with their carpets of green, bespangled with a pro- fusion of the richest flowers; and as if to beautify the landscape, you see small groves of timber closely clustered together in the midst of these beautiful prairies, inviting to their peaceful and cooling shade the nimble and graceful wild deer that has been cropping the luxuriant grass along the banks of those limpid
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streams that slacked their thirst. How lovely the scene! How inviting the clime ! No wonder that as soon as this country wir known, the hardy sons of toil of the older States flocked by scores to these rich valleys, for they are all they were ever represented to be.
In this carly day the streams were alive with fish, and it is said that nearly every hollow tree was filled with bees, gathering their rich store from the abundance of flowers that grew with such lux- uriance all over the country. The forests were alive with the deer, the turkey, the pheasant, the quail and the squirrel-all fur- nishing the most abundant and richest meat for the table of the hardy pioneer.
Nor is this all. We call the attention of the horticulturist to dame nature's garden. See with what munificence she supplies all the wants of her creatures, even in the wilderness. The pio- neer gathers in a supply of the richest of fruits-the grape bower extends over hill and dale for miles around-I might say all over Ohio, and plums of every hue from the white transparent to the orange and the red, with a variety of favor that would satisfy the taste of the most fastidious epicure. What shall 1 more say ? Time would fail me to speak of blackberries, straw her- ries and cranberries that were abundant in the north-east of Legan County. Those unacquainted with the primitive state of things in this country may think I am romancing, but the old pionen know that I have not exaggerated.
But now listen! We hear the sound of the woodman's ax, and anon the crash of the sturdy oak that has detied the stories of ages. Again we hear the bark of the sturdy mastiff or the rear of the hound as he is in hot pursuit of his favorite game, the fox. And here and there we see the smoke of the log cabin us it ascends in graceful folds from the humble dwelling of the binck words- man.
But I now leave this rude and imperfect sketch of natural scenery as it presented itself to the spectator in the early day, and attempt to give you some incidents in the life and manner of the first settlers.
I might speak of the flax-pullings, where young gents and la. dies, side by side, taking the flax by the top, pull it up by the roots, thus working all day in the hot sun, pulling acres of fax and setting it in bunches; the log rollings, and the danes bt night.
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which all took muscle; and that they had, for it was their entire capital.
I now introduce to you one of those pioneer young ladies. She lived near Mount Tabor, about fifty years ago. She was about eighteen years old. Her name was Polly Latty. Though but a small boy, I remember her personal appearance. She was about the medium size, dark hair, black eyes that sparkled like dia- monds, with a figure that a sculptor would be glad to take for a model. With all these personal graces, united with a lovely dis- position, and with an intellect of the highest order, and with some degree of culture, it is to be expected that she would be a subject of admiration by the young gentlemen, and of envy by some of the young ladies. Withal, Polly was smart at anything she undertook to do. Spinning flax was one of the common employments of that day. Polly had said she had spun a certain amount in a day, (I forget now exactly how much). It was disputed, numbers saying they could spin as much in a day as she could, and they, though they did not like to dispute her word could not spin that amount. Polly did not like to be charged with misrepresenting, and quite a feeling was aroused in the neighborhood. A proposition was made 10 test the matter. A number of young ladies entered the list as competitors. I do not know what the prize was, but I am informed that James Wall, then a young man, but now deceased, told her that if she would spin the amount she claimed she could he would get her the best dress in Champaign county. The day arrived for the trial. It was at Colonel David Kelley's house, or rather his barn, where the spinning was done. Mrs. Archibald Hopkins was to reel the thread. She reeled for Polly that day forty-eight cuts, spinning several cuts more than she had agreed to spin. I would here say that she held her flax in her hand, and not on a distaff, as was the general custom.
.It is natural for us to desire to know the end of so brilliant a be- ginning in life. As was to be expected, soon after this she married and "done well." She emigrated with her husband to some dis- tant portion of the country, but I am not able to ascertain where ; and so far as I know, she is still living. And if this sketch of pio- neer life meet her view, I hope she will excuse the liberty I have taken with her name in connection with these reminiscences of my childhood.
For the above facts, I am mainly indebted io John Thompson, Miss Ann Cowgill, and Mrs. Randall-the daughter of Col. Kelley.
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* POLLY LATTY-NEWS FOR MR. ANTRIM
MESSRS. EDITORS :- Little did I expect, after being the It from your county for the term of thirty-two years, that when 1 returned here on a visit I should be induced to make my appar- ance in your columns; but in looking over your issue of the 7th inst. the other evening, and discovering a quotation from the runinis- cences of Mr. Joshua Antrim, published from the Bellefontaine Press, I am impressed that I would not be doing respect to Mr. Antrim, to the many readers of your valuable paper, to Polly's many friends and acquaintances, and to her sacred memory, if 1 did not continue the narrative some further and remove the gloom submerged in it.
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