The history of Champaign county, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; history of the Northwest territory etc, Part 51

Author: Ogden, J. W. (John W.); Beers (W.H.) & Co., pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : W.H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 926

USA > Ohio > Champaign County > The history of Champaign county, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; history of the Northwest territory etc > Part 51

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).

It was customary among the early settlers to inter the dead on their farms, yet, several graveyards of considerable age are within the township. The one where the old Salem Church stood, now known as the Evangelical Lutheran and German Reform Cemetery, was used for that purpose as early as 1815, in which year was there buried Samuel Judy. David Berry assisted in digging the grave. The burying ground at Mount Pleasant Church, in Section 20, was established some years later, but prior to 1820. The latter church, of Baptist denomination, was organized prior to 1840 ; a small body in the neigh- borhood being of that persuasion, assembled at their various residences and in the barn of one Groves, and, at times, in the woods, and invited ministers from Myrtle-Tree Church to preach for them. Of these, the names of Revs. J. Ebberd and D. Runkle are remembered as the first. The society increased in numbers and about 1840 a large, hewed-log church was erected. At this date the mem- bership was twenty-four. The first Deacons were Samuel McMorran and Isaac

450

HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.

Brubaker. Their first Pastor was Dr. Scott. In 1857, the present frame church was built. The Revs. Newton Frazee and Samuel Brower also served this church. Present minister in charge, Rev. James M. Kite; membership, eighty. A carding machine was built in 1827 by David Berry, the first in the neighborhood. It was operated for a time by Berry and sold to a carder by the name of Ford. The first grist-mill in the township was built on Mosquito Creek, at the mouth of the lake of that name, by William Hill, in the year 1823. The carding machine stood near the first schoolhouse. The first saw-mill was built on Mosquito Creek near the lake, by Henry Long, in the year 1820. Samuel McCord, of Urbana, built the first steam saw-mill. No churches were built other than those in St. Paris and Millerstown. In 1824, the school law for districting the township was passed, but it was many years thereafter before the schools were supplied by public funds. Section 16, reserved for school purposes, was never used, and, in 1828 or 1830, was sold and the proceeds went to the school funds. There are now nine school districts and as many houses in the township, costing, on an average, $1,000 each, and $2,600, annually, to keep them in operation.

TOWNSHIP BOARD OF EDUCATION.

District No. 1, Eli Pence; District No. 2, C. W. Reed; District No. 3, D. Snapp ; District No. 4, S. M. Slusher ; District No. 5, S. Long ; District No. 6, W. W. Kite; Districts No. 7 and 8, Amos Norman ; District No. 9, Jacob Huffman ; District No. 10, Ed Buck. President, D. Snapp ; Clerk, E. D. Hawke. Average length of school year, eight months.

One of the practicing physicians of forty years ago was Dr. John Baker, now a resident of St. Paris, then residing near Millerstown. His practice took in a wide scope of territory, and many of to-day will remember the German Doc- tor as he rode through the wood on his " fiery steed," for he was partial to a good horse. The following joke has been told at his expense, and it is really too good to keep. It runs in this wise : One of the pioneers in the neighborhood had felled a tree and caught several coons, and gave the Doctor one, which the latter had taken home and tied or fastened up. On the following day, as the Doctor was making a professional visit, he saw crossing the path in the distance a small animal, which he supposed to be a coon. He hurried to the spot, and, dismounting, knocked the animal over, and, to his surprise and sorrow, had killed it. It was his desire to capture it, but alas ! thought he, it was dead. He picked it up, thinking it was a coon, yet he observed its tail did not resemble that of the coon at home ; but a coon it must be, said he, and so accounted for the difference in the tail that a portion of it had been lost in some scuffle. He carefully placed it on the back of the horse in an erect position, and buckled it to the saddle. He mounted, and off he rode, somewhat jubilant over the curi- osity he was to show at home. He had not ridden far when his horse lunged and kicked at a great rate, and broke into a rapid run. The Doctor was fright- ened and greatly amazed at such capers, and could not account for them, but in looking behind him all was explained, as the animal was clawing the horse's back. As soon as was possible, the Doctor was off, and again killed the animal and fastened it as before. He had not rode long before the first programme was repeated, and again the animal was killed and placed as previously, for the Doctor was determined to carry his booty home. Again he was compelled to murder the animal, but this time his horse had become so frightened and frac- tious that he would allow neither the Doctor nor animal on him, so he

451

HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.

threw the coon, as he still supposed, along the path, marking the spot, think- ing he would go home and return on foot for the animal. He finally succeeded in mounting his horse, and home he rode, and returned, as he had planned, but alas ! no coon was there. "Imagine the Doctor's surprise." It was some days before he had learned the name of his coon. He was not contented until his adventure had been imparted to his colleagues, and at the time of his telling the story Judge Taylor, of Urbana, was present, whose eyes (as the Doctor tells) he thought would pop from their sockets, so hard did he laugh. Suffice to add that the Doctor soon knew what a "possum " was.

The old records of the township have been destroyed, and the pioneer offi- cials cannot be given. Great is the change from the little settlement on the head-waters of Nettle Creek sixty or seventy years ago, where were a few log cabins, occupied by hardy pioneers, widely scattered upon wild lands, without any of the facilities of travel or transit to the township of Johnson to-day, con- taining a flourishing town and village, and dotted with large cultivated farms, upon which are fine residences and large barns, with its railroad facilities, tele- graph communication and free pikes.

ST. PARIS.

The flourishing and enterprising town bearing the above name is prettily situated, in a basin as it were, on a very high elevation of ground. It was named after the metropolis of France by David Huffman, who laid it out in 1831. On learning of a "New Paris" in this State, he prefixed to it the Saint, to avoid any difficulty that might occur in mail matter. The lots were surveyed by the old pioneer surveyor, John Arrowsmith. The first house in the town was built by David Huffman ; a hewed-log house, standing on the northwest corner of Springfield and Main streets. It was a very neat piece of work, carefully made by Huffman himself, and was the pride of the neighbor- hood. The first frame house of any note was built by John Falkner, soon after the town had been laid out. It is now the American Hotel, on Main street. Huffman was the first merchant, inn-keeper and Postmaster. William Rosebro was one of the early tavern-keepers, occupying the house known as the old La Rue Tavern. Jacob Protsman was the first blacksmith, and occupied a log shop on Main street. Dan Putman was an early grocer, located on West Main street. The town grew quite rapidly, and in the year 1845 it numbered nearly twenty houses. In 1846 or 1847, the Columbus & Piqua Railroad was built throught St. Paris, which gave it great advantages over neighboring villages, and it began steadily to increase, until it is now known as one of the live towns of Champaign County, and bids fair to rival others, its seniors in years. Some twenty-odd additions have been made since the original plat, and through the efforts of its many enterprising citizens it has become a town of fair popula- tion, studded with numerous churches, fine residences, business houses, banks and a good school. It also supports several manufacturing interests, among them carriage manufacturing, a tile factory, steam saw-mill, grist-mill, etc., and and with its railroads and telegraph facilities, is in daily communication with the world at large. It has its three grain warerooms, where 300,000 bushels of grain are annually shipped to the markets of the country. The American House and " U. S. " are the hotels of the town. The proprietor of the former is Joe A. Hellings. We were unable to get at the exact date of its incorpora- tion as a town, but the year 1858 will not miss it far. Its first and present Mayor was and is John F. Riker, but many others have served in that

452

HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.

capacity. The present council are E. V. Rhoads, Ezra Pretzman, David Strock, Joseph Bownfield, J. C. Tomlin and T. F. Woods. The Postmasters have been as follows, and in the order named : David Huffman, Jesse Long, Francis Wert, B. W. Perrine, J. Q. Baird, Mrs. Henrietta Scott and the present incumbent, G. W. Kelly. It was made a money-order office in the fall of 1875. There are now some six practicing physicians in the town ; but few lawyers. The town and township have been heard from in public affairs, hav- ing been represented in the State Legislature by Solomon G. Brecount, Dr. J. J. Musson and S. T. McMorran. Probably the greatest production of the township is Gen. John Jones, of Delaware, now in the State Senate, and for- merly a member of Congress from the Ninth District. Johnson has also been twice favored in county offices, namely, E. V. Rhoads in the Treasurer's office, and M. A. Jordan, the present Recorder. The population, as shown by the census of 1880, is 1,068. In politics, the St. Paris precinct is Democratic.

SCHOOLS.

The public schools of St. Paris are excellent. The school building is a three-story structure, built of brick, in 1867, containing five rooms, two on the first and second, and one on the third floor, the latter used as a chapel. James Davis, Samuel Bowersock and Dr. J. J. Musson were the School Directors and acted as a building committee at the time the building was erected. The first school was opened in it September 5, 1868, under the following corps of teach- ers : Principal, J. G. Blair ; Grammar School, Miss Mary Woods ; other rooms, Miss Sarah Armstrong and Miss Drury. Present Instructors-Arthur Powell, Principal ; Miss Clara Harrison, Grammar Department; other grades, W. A. Gibbs, Mrs. M. A. Owens and Mrs. A. A. Roberts. Total enrollment, 312-males, 159 ; females, 143 ; colored, 10-four males and six females. Prior to the opening of the schoolhouse above mentioned, school was held in the old Odd Fellows building. The first school of the town was kept in the house of David Huffman, then in a log schoolhouse standing in the old graveyard on the east side of the road, just north of town. Next in a frame schoolhouse now used as a dwelling.

CHURCHES.

The First Methodist Church of St. Paris was organized in a frame school- house that stood on Springfield street, by Rev. J. G. Black, of Addison Cir- cuit, in the year 1851. Benjamin F. Kizer, Jacob Rhoads and wife, Samuel Overhulz and wife, Malab Malan and wife and Daniel Wert were the original members. For several months prior to this time, the preacher from Addison Circuit would hold services in private houses and in the schoolhouse. In 1852, the church, as a society, was attached to Tremont Circuit, and in the fall of the same year, the erection of a church-building was commenced, which was com- pleted at a cost of $1,000, and dedicated in June, 1853, Rev. Granville Moody officiating. At this time, George W. Harris was the minister of the circuit. He superintended the building of the church, and became the first regular min- ister after it was built. He was followed by W. N. Williams, and he by E. H. Field. In 1855, the society was changed to Fletcher Circuit. In the fall of 1870, Revs. W. F. Wolf and J. B. Sullivan were preachers on this circuit. The old church was sold in February, 1880. A new one was built in 1875-76 at a cost of $10,500. S. Hanneford, of Cincinnati, was employed to draw the plans and oversee the building. It is a one-story brick building, built in

453

HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.

Gothic style, and so constructed within that it can be thrown into one vast auditorium, or divided by folding doors into class-rooms, etc. It was dedicated by Bishop Bowman, February 11, 1876. The audience room proper has a seating capacity for about five hundred people. The bell, which was taken from the old church, is suspended in a cupola 115 feet high. The church now num- bers about one hundred and fifty-two members. The present Pastor, Rev. Frank Leever, succeeded F. S. Davis, and he was preceded by M. Dustin.

The First Baptist Church .- This church is the result of a meeting held in the old Methodist Church building August 13, 1874, of which Elder William R. Thomas was Moderator, and J. F. Riker, Clerk. Nineteen members pre- sented their letters from other churches, and with these the church was organ- ized. Tho first minister called was Elder E. B. Smith, who served until 1879, when the present Pastor, J. W. Scott, was called. As soon as the church was organized, they set about building a church. The present site was purchased of Samuel Bowersock, and a two-story brick of imposing appearance built thereon for $6,000. It contains the usual small rooms on the first floor, which is not yet finished, and an audience-room upstairs capable of seating 400 peo- ple. The church has a tower seventy feet high, in which there is a town clock and an excellent bell, the gift of Isaac Brubaker, which was cast in Baltimore at a cost of $335. It weighs 1,009 pounds, and has the date of presentation and the donor's name cast in it. There is now a membership of one hundred in the church.

Reformed Church .- This congregation worshiped in the jointly-built church known as the Salem Church (a history of which is given in the town- ship matter proper) until their present church was erected in St. Paris, in the year 1852, when Jesse Steiner served as Pastor. He was succeeded by Rev. Jesse Richards, who served nearly twenty years. Both served the church the second time. The last minister was Rev. W. M. Andrews. The church is now without a Pastor.

Lutheran Church .- The organization and early history of this church is that of Salem Church, contained in the township history. In 1865, the present Lutheran Church was erected on the corner of Elm and Church streets. It is a frame structure with spire and bell, and the ground upon which it is built was donated by Henry Apple. There is a parsonage to the church, built in 1868. Rev. Enoch Smith was the Pastor at the building of the church, and his successors have been Rev. H. A. Becker, Rev. J. O. Hoffman, Rev. J. Manning and Rev. J. O. Miller, the present incumbent.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church (Zion's Church) is a split from the Lutheran Church, taking place under Rev. Hursh, it going to the General Synod, and was the origin of the General Synodism in this part of the country. Organized by Rev. George Klapp in 1844 or 1845, with twenty-eight members. Prior to the building of the church they now occupy, built in 1854, they wor- shiped in an old frame church which stood in the Lutheran and Baptist grave- yard. The church was re-organized in 1848 by Ezra Keller, D. D., first President of Wittenberg College. Prior to this date, the church was known as the German Lutheran denomination. At the re-organization it adopted the constitution of the General Synod. Present membership, 124; Pastor, Rev. E. D. Smith.

A Universalist Church was organized here in March, 1880, by residents and members of the Millerstown Church, the latter having sold their church for the purpose of starting one here. They purchased the old Methodist Church

454

HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.

for $400, and called Rev. James Lower to the pulpit. On the 12th of May, 1880, the dedication services were held, Rev. S. P. Carrolton, officiating. Rev. Lower served but a short time, when he was succeeded by Rev. B. Blackford, the present Pastor. The church is still small, but much interest is manifested, and with the growth of the town it promises to increase in membership.

The Catholics of St. Paris have no regularly organized church. They hold meetings on the last Sabbath of each month, in Bowersock's Hall, with the priests of this diocese, Father Henry and Father Donahue, officiating. They first commenced meeting thus about twenty years ago. There are between seventy and eighty of them in all. They have a lot purchased and paid for, in the southern part of town, and contemplate building them a church as soon as the state of their finances will permit.

The colored people of the town are gathering in strength, and hope soon to form themselves into a church and erect a house of worship. They are led by Rev. - Marshall, of Piqua, who preaches for them from time to time.

THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK.

This bank was organized July 15, 1880, with the following board of officers :

Lambert Pond, President ; E. V. Rhoads, Cashier; Henry Sayler, Vice President ; John Poorman, G. W. Kite, William Michael, H. Sayler and L. Pond, Directors. The charter bears date of August 2, 1880. Paid-up stock, $52,100. They commenced doing business in their handsome new building, on Springfield street, November 8, 1880.

A private bank was opened in 1866, by Isaac Brubaker and S. T. McMor- ran, which was succeeded, in the year 1877, by the private bank of Bowersock & Son, now in operation.

THE PRESS.

The first newspaper started in the town was the St. Paris Independent, a weekly, published by Vaughn Brothers for fourteen months, from the spring of 1870, after which the office and materials were removed from the town. The village was then without a local paper until June, 1872, when O'Haver & Stawn commenced the publication of the St. Paris Informant. In December of the same year, they sold it to Mussen & Taylor, the name, in the meantime, having been changed to The New Era, and, in the month of April following, Taylor took entire control and continued the publication until November, when he sold it to Mussen & Co., who, in their turn, sold it to H. H. Hall, in Janu- ary, 1877. In May, 1880, the present proprietor, C. R. Mussen, took charge of it for the third time. The files and records were all destroyed by a fire on October 28, 1879. The paper has always been Democratic in politics, with the exception of the time Mr. Hall had control, when it was Independent.

Another Democratic weekly, called the St. Paris Enterprise, was started August 9, 1878, by C. R. Carlow ; but, in the January following, the publica- tion was discontinued.

ST. PARIS LODGE, NO. 246, I. O. O. F.

This lodge was instituted May 10, 1854, by Especial Deputy C. F. Waite, with eleven members and the following officers: E. Pretzman, N. G .; W. Overhulz, V. G .; G. W. Flowers, Sec .; E. A. Stockton, Per. Sec .; I. Batdorf, Treas. The present number of members is seventy-three active and sixty-four dormant.

455

HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.

Their officers now are: F. E. Bull, N. G .; Jacob Judy, V. G .; A. E. Pond, Sec .; J. Huffman, Treas. The lodge owns a fine two-story brick, which they built at a cost of $5,000, their lodge-room occupying the second story.

RUSSELL ENCAMPMENT, NO. 141, I. O. O. F.

This lodge was organized July 19, 1871, with a board of officers con- sisting of E. Pretzman, C. P .; D. H. McDaniels, H. P .; E. V. Rhoads, S. W .; Tra Wiant, J. W .; J. F. Riker, Scribe, and Jacob Huffman, Treas., and sixteen charter members.

There are now forty-four active and eight dormant members. The offi- cers now are : C. A. Robinson, C. P .; Caleb Jones, H. P .; L. W. Gibbs, S. W .; E. D. Hasok, J. W .; H. C. Gibbs, Scribe; Jacob Huffman, Treas. They meet in the hall of the lodge, No. 246.

PHAROS LODGE, NO. 355, A., F. & A. M.,

was instituted October 16, 1865, with sixteen members and the following board of officers : John E. Finneman, W. M .; G. T. McMorran, S. W .; E. R. North- cutt, J. W .; E. H. Furrow, Treasurer ; H. H. Long, Secretary ; J. J. Mus- son, S. D .; W. F. Furrow, J. D .; Joseph Comer, Tiler ; John Slonaker, Jacob McMorran, Stewards. The present officers are : E. V. Rhoads, W. M .; S. T. McMorran, S. W .; John Poorman, J. W .; J. K. Furrow, Treasurer ; E. D. Hawk, Secretary ; J. T. Kite, S. D .; J. N. Smith, Tiler ; T. J. Kite and J. B. Kizer, Stewards. The lodge has a nicely furnished hall in Bowersock Building, where their meetings are held.

ST. PARIS CHAPTER, NO. 132, R. A. M.,

was constituted by Companion James Nesbit, Grand Secretary of the Grand Chapter, R. A. M., of Ohio, October 30, 1872, with eleven charter members. The first officers elected were : S. T. McMorran, H. P .; W. S. Cox, King; G. R. Kizer, Scribe. The chapter now numbers twenty-two members. They oc- cupy the hall with Pharos Lodge. The following are the present officers : Emmet V. Rhoads, H. P .; G. D. Graham, King; W. F. Furrow, Scribe ; B. F. Baker, Captain of H .; S. T. McMorran, P. S .; John Poorman, Treas- urer ; A. S. Brecount, Secretary ; W. S. Hunt, Guard.

YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.

The Young Men's Christian Association of St. Paris is the result of a meeting. held for that purpose in the Baptist Church, November 7, 1876, F. M. Porch acting as President of the meeting and G. W. Kelley as Secretary. November 7, 1876, one week later, the association was regularly organized with a board of officers consisting of E. S. Faucett, President; G. W. Kelley, Vice Presi- dent; John McMorran, Secretary ; William Henderson, Treasurer. They rented a room, held their stated meetings, and for a time promised to become a body of some power in the community, but the members began to tire of it and one by one dropped from the ranks, until, in July, 1880, they were obliged to relin- quish their room from lack of funds. This seems rather strange, when their books are seen showing a membership of forty-three, originally, increased to. one hundred and four, which was the number at disbandment. But of these one hundred and four,, only seven were active members. The last board of

456

HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.

officers were : W. N. Reinhard, President ; James Brokaw, Vice President ; J. N. McAllister, Secretary ; Augustus Leedom, Treasurer.

GRAVEYARDS.

There are two of these ancient hallowed spots in the northern part of the town, and a beautifully laid out cemetery comprising eight acres of ground. The latter is known as Evergreen Cemetery and was laid out in 1877, the ground having been purchased by John McMorran for the sum of $200. Few interments have as yet been made. The grounds are being improved and beautified, and will doubtless soon be in keeping with the cemeteries of the day. The other two are situated opposite each other, the one on the west side of the road, known as the Methodist and Reform, was never laid out into lots. Peo- ple began burying there on account of the high elevation of the ground. The other, known as the Lutheran and Baptist, had its origin in the same manner, but in later years was regularly laid out in family lots. We have been unable to fix the dates when these yards were first used for burying purposes.

MILLERSTOWN.

This beautiful little village, of some two hundred inhabitants, is situated in the eastern part of the township. The land on which it stands was, at one time, the farm of Casper Miller, after whose death it fell it to his son, Christ, who, in connection with a cousin, John G. Miller, had the ground laid out into lots. The surveying was done by John Arrowsmith, in the year 1837. Christ built the first house, which was of brick. He lived in it, and there opened a grocery and tavern. The first Postmaster was Isaac Ammon. It can boast of two churches, Reformed and Baptist, and a schoolhouse; also of a number of neat and pretty residences. It is supplied with three stores, a shoe-shop, two blacksmith-shops, a saw-mill, and last, but not least, a hotel, the Valley House. Dr. Comer administers to the sick. The school is taught by S. D. Harman. The first named church was organized in 1821, and worshiped in the jointly- built church at the Salem Graveyard, a history of which is given in the town- ship matter, where they continued to worship until the church was built in Millerstown, Rev. J. Steiner serving as the first Pastor in 1852. He was followed by Rev. Jesse Richards, who remained their Pastor nearly sixteen years. The Baptists have no regular organized church. The building was bought from the Universalists in 1879. Rev. I. R. Randell, of the Myrtle- Tree Church, preaching for them occasionally. A Universalist Church was here conducted through a period of nineteen years. It was organized in Sep- tember, 1860, by Rev. T. S. Guthrie, with a membership of twenty-six. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. S. P. Carlton. After disposing of the church in Millerstown, that denomination purchased the old Methodist Episcopal Church building in St. Paris. Politically speaking, the inhabitants of the village are pretty generally Democrats, there being, at the November election in the precinct, but twelve Republican votes cast.

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 Champaign county, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; history of the Northwest territory etc, Part 51

Author: Ogden, J. W. (John W.); Beers (W.H.) & Co., pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : W.H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 926

Author: Ogden, J. W. (John W.); Beers (W.H.) & Co., pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : W.H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 926