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 65
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The district is well watered by the following streams : Big Darby and Spain's Creek, flowing, the former across the northeast corner and the latter across the northwest portion of the township, and by Pleasant Run, passing from west to east through almost the center of the township, and Proctor Creek with its tributaries traversing the township from west to east through its southern
562
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
portion. The first stream mentioned is the largest, and is most likely indebted for its name to the Indians. Spain's Creek, next in size, is so styled from the numerous settlers on its banks by that name. It is a pretty little stream whose quiet murmur can in no wise molest the inhabitants of the town of North Lewis- burg, through which it wends its peaceful course on it way to the bosom of the deep. Pleasant Run is another beautiful stream, running nearly parallel with Spain's Creek, deriving peculiar significance from the fact that it forms the dividing line between North Lewisburg and Woodstock precincts.
The northwest corner of the township is crossed by the New York, Penn- sylvania & Ohio Railroad, formerly the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad, which passes through North Lewisburg. The township is again crossed a little south of the center by a railroad, this being the Pan Handle Railroad, and running through the village of Woodstock furnishing the people with excellent and ample facilities for marketing their products. The township is traversed in almost every direction by good pikes, rendering the county seat of Cham- paign and the adjoining counties of easy access. A feature of these worthy of mention is that they are all free.
The people are mainly engaged in agricultural pursuits, corn and wheat being raised in great quantities, and, necessarily, much pork is fattened for the markets.
In the northwest corners of the township is situated the town of Lewis- burg, and the little village of Woodstock is located southeast of the center of the township. The origin of the name Rush in its application to the township is shrouded in oblivion. We have interviewed many of the old settlers and have signally failed to get an intelligible solution, save from Willis Spain and John B. Cranston, the former of whom giving as his opinion that the name originated and was applied to the township from the swamps covered with rush heretofore spoken of, while the latter is impressed with the idea that the title came from one Rush, a man of prominence in Pennsylvania. We incline to the latter belief, for history records that there was a Benjamin Rush, an Ameri- can citizen, who was born near Philadelphia in 1745, and died in 1813. This statesman and patriot was a member of the Continental Congress and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was also Surgeon General of the army and Treasurer of the United States Mint. It is more than probable that the township was named in honor of this man.
The territory now comprising Rush Township was, prior to the year 1828, a part of Wayne Township, at which. date it was made a separate township. It embraces thirty-six square miles of territory, and is in Township 7, Range 12, and is in point of situation the northeast corner of the county, bounded on the north by Logan and Union Counties; on the east by Union county ; on the south by Goshen Township and on the west by Wayne Township. It lies wholly in the Virginia Military tract.
In our search for material relative to the early history of the township, we ran across the following, which was published in the Ohio Gazetteer of 1837, and here reproduce it verbatim, as it is short and contains information of in- terest :
" Rush ; a post township in the northeast quarter of Champaign County, in which the towns of Lewisburg and Woodstock are situated, the first having a post office of the same name. It was constituted in 1829 [1828], and at the census of 1830, contained seven hundred and seventy-five inhabitants. Tax- able land, 18,610 acres."
563
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
EARLY SETTLERS.
The earliest settlers of the township of whom we have any account were William Pickerill, William Martin, William Elder, James Merryfield, Emanuel Merryfield and John Rogers, who came from the State of Virginia in the year 1800, and effected a settlement, which, however, was only temporary, as John Rogers was the only one of the number who remained a permanent settler. The others evinced a desire to live a nomadic life, and as settlers came pour- ing in they "pulled up stakes " and removed further into the interior. All were men of families. Rogers did much toward developing the resources of the country. While these men could safely be termed "squatters," making little improvement, obtaining their living from the forest and their clothes from the backs of animals, it is due William Pickerill to state that he erected the first grist-mill of which we have any knowledge in the township. This was built in the year 1803, on the outlet of Rush Lake. It was not very extensive, having no bolt and only one run of buhrs. He remained the proprietor about ten years when he sold to John Richardson, who carried on until competiton drove him out. Some time between the years 1800 and 1807, the following named persons come to this section, but were not permanent settlers, only re- maining a short time: Francis Owen, Robert Bay and James Stover. We have no knowledge as to the part of the township in which these first families settled, but judging from the site upon which the mill was erected it is quite probable the first comers dwelt in the neighborhood of Brush Lake. In 1805, Hezikiah Spain, J. P. Spain, Jordan Reams, Hubard Crowder, William Spain, Daniel Spain, John Preston Spain, Jr., Thomas Spain and John Crowder all came from Dinwiddie County, Va., and settled in what is now Rush Township. William Johnson and Jonathan Cheney also came in 1805, but from whence we we do not know. In 1807, followed, from Virginia, Thomas Goode, Joshua Stephens, Daniel Spain and Edwin Spain.4 Soon after the year 1807, came James De Vore, from Pennsylvania. Willis Spain, son of Hezekiah, above mentioned, came with his father in 1805, and is now the only one of those who came at that time, living. Samuel Black and his son, Peter Black, arrived in the year 1810. These families effected permanent settlements in the northern part of the township, and many of them in the neighborhood of the present site of North Lewisburg, where many of their descendants now re- side. Some years later the following-named persons, principally form the New England States, arrived and settled in the vicinity of Woodstock: Thomas Erwin, Reuben, Henry and Jacob Fairchild, Erastus Burnham, Anson How- ard, Pearl Howard, Sylvanus Smith, John McDonald, Stephen Cranston and Ephraim Cranston. In 1815, came John Cranston and his son, John B. Cran- ston, and in 1817 came Andrew Kimball from Virginia. John Owen is another of the early settlers. The first settlers in the southern part of the township were chiefly from Virginia and Kentucky, but unlike those, in gen- eral, previously mentioned, were a wild, reckless people, joyous and free- hearted, who loved to drink alcoholic stimulants and have a good time generally ; were fond of dancing and games which frequently encroached on the church, and when such became too frequent whole squads were brought up before the church for trial, and after promising to do better with blessings following them if they would go and sin no more. They were not in a sense quarrelsome, but a good fight would occasionally occur, but on the following day all was forgot- ten, and the belligerants would meet at a barn or cabin-raising and be as social and friendly as ever.
564
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
Early in the fall of 1815, John Cranston, in company with a number of others, started from Rice City, R. I., to make a home in the then Far West. The little band numbered twenty-four souls in all, the most of whom, as well as Mr. Cranston, were natives of Connecticut, but had gathered at Rice City as a rallying and starting point. They were just six weeks on the road, and experienced the usual vicissitudes of emigrants. The roads over the mountains were in places almost impassable, and, in descending them, they had at times to chain the wheels of their wagons and let them slide along for quite a distance. One among the not least discouraging of their numerous difficulties was met and overcome in the following manner, at what was then called Big Belly Creek, near Columbus, Ohio. On reaching this stream, it was too much swollen to admit of fording, and they at length enlisted the services of a man with a canoe, who first ferried over the people and then their goods. They then swam the horses across, unpacked the bedcords, tied them to the wagon tongue on the opposite side of the creek, hitched the horses to the cord and then drew them over.
John Cranston died at the age of seventy years, leaving six children as his immediate descendants, only three of whom are now living, viz., Stephen, Edward and John B., the latter being seventeen years of age when his father came to Ohio, and to whom we are indebted for much of the early history of the township. They all three, with numerous descendants, occupy farms in the immediate vicinity of the first Cranston settlement.
There remains near the present residence of John B. Cranston, the log cabin built by him nearly half a century ago, which aptly illustrates the prim- itive manner in which our forefathers lived.
Among the early reminiscences of frontier life, as related by Mr. John B Cranston, we quote the following: It seems that at some place between Me- chanicsburg and Springfield, there was a small settlement of people, who either came from Virginia ox Pennsylvania, and who evinced a decided horror of Yan- kees, as they termed all those who came from the New England States. One day John went with his father to the settlement spoken of above, for the pur- pose of paying for and bringing back with them some cattle which his father had bargained for some days previous. On arriving at their destination, the old gentleman found the cattle as represented, and proceeded to count out the money, but, by some mischance during the operation, disclosed the fact that. he was one of the terrible sect called Yankees. Upon hearing this, the man of whom they had purchased the cattle declined to have any dealings with Yankees, and absolutely refused to let them have the cattle under any circum- stances, and they were obliged to return without them.
Most of the early settlers in the central and southern parts of the township were from the New England States, while those who first occupied the northern part were mostly from Virginia and some from Pennsylvania.
The New Englanders who settled in the low, wet prairie lands of the lower part of the township, supposed that it could never be drained, and that they and their children would always occupy it for grazing purposes. Time has proved how greatly they were mistaken, as these lands are now the most val- uable in the township for farming purposes.
EARLY ROADS.
Speaking in regard to the roads that ran through the settlement at an early date, Mr. Cranston said that he once started to Cincinnati in a two-horse
1
565
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
wagon with a small load of cheese for market. The roads were very bad, and the end of the first day's journey found him at the small lake just north of Mechanicsburg, only about ten miles from his starting-point. Taking the horses from the wagon, he returned home that evening and went back next morning with a yoke of oxen in addition to his horses, and in this manner- made the trip, consuming just two weeks time in the journey and sleeping most. of the time in his wagon.
THE CURRENCY
of that period consisted principally of what was known as "wild-cat money " and shinplasters, issued by private parties, with a small amount of silver and a smaller sprinkling of gold. Most of the wild-cat money was at a discount, and. could only be passed in the immediate vicinity of the banks which issued it, while most of the shinplasters never were redeemed. For change, it was cus- tomary to cut a silver dollar into nine triangular-shaped pieces, with the longest. point tapering toward the center of the coin. This money, when so cut, was. called " sharp-shins."
THE SHAKERS.
About the year 1828, the religious sect called Shakers gained a partial,. though not lasting, foothold in the Cranston district, on Pleasant Run, and held their meetings on Joseph Johnson's farm, now owned by Enrique Miller.
In their peculiar mode of worship they exercise both soul and body. There · is usually an address by one of the Elders upon some doctrinal subject or some. practical virtue, after which they sing a hymn ; then they form in circle around a band of singers, the two sexes opposite each other, to whose music they " go. forth in the dances of them that make merry." They were led by one McNemo, who was their leader and preacher. He was soon ably assisted in his work by a Mr. Burlinghame, a former Christian preacher, who became a convert to- their religion. He married a Miss Burnham, of the district, and was a. bright and shining star among the Shakers during their stay, and when they left the country he joined his fortune with theirs, and took his departure- with them. Samuel Rice was also one among their. earliest converts to the religion, and deserves more than passing notice. He was a man of superior- intelligence and considerable ability, and in his younger days was a noted gam- bler. In late years he reformed, joined the Christian Church and maintained. his integrity as a Christian until after his arrival to this county, in 1815, and up to the time he joined the shakers. He afterward returned to the East, and spread such glowing accounts of the new country as to induce a large number to emigrate to this county. A number of families joined the Shaker, and they vainly endeavored for some years to effect a permanent settlement, but failed in so doing, and finally "shook " the dust of Rush Township (if any there was at. that date) from their feet, and returned to Stillwater and Lebanon, from whence- they came.
METEOROLOGY.
The following is an abstract of meteorological observations made at Lewis- burg, Ohio, latitude 40° 11' north, longitude 83º 35' west; prepared for his- tory of Champain County by H. D. Gowey, Voluntary Observer at Signal Service Station, from Record of Reports to Signal Service Office at Washing- ton, D. C., and other records :
EXPLANATORY.
The observations were made in accordance with the rules of the Smithsonian Institution and Signal Service Office.
The hours for observation are 7 A. M., 2 P. M. and 9 P. M.
566
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
Thermometer .- Record in degrees, and mean for day calulated from } (7+2+9+9).
Barometer .- Record in inches and fractions of an inch, and true height by proper reduc- tions from tables furnished by Signal Service Office.
Snow and Rain is given in inches and fractions of an inch. The column of rain-fall includes the snow melted.
THE RECORDS OF THE THERMOMETER, BAROMETER, SNOW AND RAIN-FALLS FOR TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS TO JANUARY 1, 1880.
THERMOMETER.
BAROMETER.
SNOW.
RAIN-FALL.
Minimum.
Maximum.
Mean.
Minimum.
Maximum.
Mean.
No. of Days
Quantity of
No. of Days
Quantity of
Water.
January.
-223
66
28.35
28.50
30.00
28.75
6
9.00
6
3.80
February.
-13
64
20.65
28.40
29.86
29.13
8
8.00
5
2,75
March
-10
72
38.60
28.42
29.75
29.08
10
7.00
9
3.15
April.
12
81
50.35
28.25
29.80
29.02
4
1.00
9
3.80
May
29
88
61.50
27.95
29.34
28.65
1
.50
9
2.88
June.
45
97
69.40
27.70
29.20
28.45
11
5.50
July.
50
100
73.50
27.90
28.86
28.38
10
4.60
August
47
96
71.00
28.00
29.00
28.50
9
3.70
September
31
89
62.70
28.20
29.37
28.78
8
4,10
October
20
84
50.65
28.42
29.75
29.08
1
1.00
7 3.40
November.,
- 2
70
39.65
28.43
29.90
29.16
3
2.00
10
2.20
December.
-18
65
29.75
28.50
29.95
29.22
5
6.00
6
2.80
Means.
50.70
...
28.85
38
34.50
104
40.00
SNOWS AND RAINS.
SNOW.
RAIN.
LIME.
Depth.
Amount in
45.00
47.00
1862, December 30 ...
6.75
40.00
42.00
1863, January 16 ..
12.50
47.00
47.00
1864, January 19 ..
8.25
35.00
32.00
1865
20.00
April 11.
5.00
46.00 In three hours.
1866.
23.0( June 16, 17.
2.00
49.00 R-ined 26 hours without intermission.
1867, February 9 ..
6.75
59.00
31.00
1868, January 20.
11.25
38.00
46.00
1869, February 18 ...
5.25
55.00
42.00
1870, January 2.
9.00
44.00
32.00
1871.
23.00
30 00
1872, January 19 ..
8.10
45.00
28.00
1873.
37.00
37.00
1874.
26.00
34.00
1875.
30.00
43-00
1876, March 21
8.50
41.00
40.60
1877.
13.00
33.06
1878, January 31
15.00
39.00 July 26.
2.25
41.45
1879, March 3 ..
13.00
59.00 January 17 ...
4.80
48.45
-
1855, January 20.
9.50
Year.
TIME.
Depth.
Amo'nt dur-
ing Year
REMARKS.
The following is a list of township officers, from the first election, which was held in 1829, up to the present time:
1829-Trustees, Jordon Reames, Thomas Irwin, Christopher Cranston; Clerk, Elba Burnham ; Treasurer, Anson Howard ; Justices, Sylvanus Smith, Thomas Spain.
MONTH.
Snow.
Snow.
Rainy.
567
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
1830-Trustees, Thomas Irwin, Nathaniel Kidder, Samuel Reed ; Clerk, Elba Burnham; Treasurer, Anson Howard.
1831-Trustees, Thomas Irwin, George Gideon, Jerry Colwell ; Clerk, Harvey Cushman ; Treasurer, Anson Howard.
1832-Trustees, Thomas Spain, George Gideon, Thomas Irwin; Clerk, Isaac W. Marsh ; Treasurer, Anson Howard.
1833-Trustees, Henry Fairchild, Isaac W. Marsh, William Audas ; Clerk, Samuel Williams ; Treasurer. Anson Howard.
1834-Trustees, Henry Fairchild, John N. Williams, Sylvanus Smith; Clerk, Christopher Cranston ; Treasurer, Bela Kimball.
1835-Trustees, Henry Fairchild, Sylvanus Smith, William Milligan ; Clerk, Oziel Lapham ; Treasurer, Bela Kimball, Justices, Guy Gary, William Audas.
1836-Trustees, Henry Fairchild, Sylvanus Smith, Stephen Spain ; Clerk, Oziel Lapham ; Treasurer, Bela Kimball.
1837-Trustees, Elba Burnham, William Milligan, David H. Hall ; Clerk, Isaac W. Marsh; Treasurer, Bela Kimball; Justice, Ira C. Johnson.
1838-Trustees, Elba Burnham, David H. Hall, William Audas; Clerk, Isaac W. Marsh ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith ; Justice, William Audas.
1839-Trustees-Elba Burnham, William Snuffin, Melvin Sprague ; Clerk, Isaac W. Marsh ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
1840-Trustees, Elba Burnham, John B. Cranston, Edwin Spain ; Clerk, Amos Stephens ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
1841-Trustees, John B. Cranston, H. Hall, Jacob Ellsworth ; Clerk,. Amos Stephens; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
1842-Trustees, David H. Hall, Jacob Ellsworth, Christopher Cranston ; Clerk, Amos Stephens ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
1843-Trustees, David H. Hall, Christopher Cranston, Jacob Ellsworth ;: Clerk, Amos Stephens ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
1844-Trustees, Harvey Cushman, Joseph Johnson, Joseph P. Smith ; Clerk, Henry H. Kelsey ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
1845-April 7, Trustees, Elba Burnham, Joseph P. Smith, Joseph John- son ; Clerk, Henry H. Kelsey ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith. April 12, Jus- tice, Harvey Cushman.
1846-Trustees, Elba Burnham, Joseph Johnson, Truman M. Kimball ; Clerk, H. H. Kelsey ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
1847-Trustees, Oris Fairchild, William Audas, T. M. Kimball; Clerk, H. H. Kelsey ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith. .
1848-Trustees, Elias Smith, William Taylor, William Hoisington ; Clerk, Jennison Hall ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
1849-April 2, Trustees, William Hoisington, William Taylor, R. T. Burn- ham. May 27, Justice, Russel B. Spain.
1850-April 1, Trustees, R. T. Burnham, Robert Elliott, A. N. Howard; Clerk, H. Smith ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith. November 2, Justices, Har- vey Cushman, Jesse Smith.
1851-Trustees, R. T. Burnham, C. P. Morse, Elias Smith; Clerk, H. Smith ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
1852-Trustees, Elias Smith, Charles Lincoln, C. S. Hyde; Clerk, S. G. Smith ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
1853-Trustees, Truman M. Kimball, Jesse Smith, John Hunter; Clerk, S. G. Smith; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
568
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
1854-Trustees, Jesse Smith, S. M. Kimball, R. Jennings ; Clerk, S. G. Smith ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
1855-[No Record].
1856-April 7, Trustees, Philo Burnham, T. M. Kimball, Henry Winder ; Clerk, C. W. Smith; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith. April 19, Justices, Levi Smith, S. G. Smith.
1857-Trustees, T. M. Kimball, Philo Burnham, Henry Winder ; Clerk, B. S. Bennett ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith ; Justices, Harvey Cushman, Joseph Black.
1858-Trustees, Philo Burnham, T. M. Kimball, Henry Jackson ; Clerk, Azro Smith ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
[June 19, to fill vacancy by resignation of J. Black, Justice, H. Jackson].
[September 25, to fill vacancy by resignation of H. Jackson, Justice, Aaron Winder ].
1859-Trustees, Philo Burnham, J. D. Cranston, Levi Kirk ; Clerk, Azro Smith ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith.
1860-Trustees, Philo Burnham, J. D. Cranston, Levi Kirk ; Clerk, B. S. Bennett ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith ; Justice, George F. Bennett.
1861-April 7, Trustees, J. D. Cranston, Frank Pearl, Levi Kirk ; Clerk, Azro Smith ; Treasurer, Sylvanus Smith ; Justice, Harvey Cushman. Novem- ber 5, Justices, Frank S. Pearl, Levi Kirk.
1862-Trustees, Levi Kirk, J. D. Cranston, A. Russell ; Clerk, B. S. Ben- nett ; Treasurer, E. M. Bennett
1863-Trustees, N. P. Cone, Philo Burnham, E. Callendar ; Clerk, F. H. Clark ; Treasurer, E. M. Bennett ; Justice, Azro Smith.
1864-April 4, Trustees, Levi Kirk, D. Kenfield, N. P. Hewitt ; VClerk, Azro Smith ; Treasurer, C. F. Wait; Justices, G. S. Marsh, J. S. Crawford. May 23, Justice, H. Cushman. December 2, Justice, H. D. Gowey.
1865-Trustees, Levi Kirk, D. Kenfield, C. L. Winget; Clerk, Azro Smith ; Treasurer, Joe Chamberlin.
1866-[No Record].
1867-Justice, Ora Fairchild. January 7, 1868 (special election by resigna- tion of O. Fairchild), J. D. Marsh. January 20, 1868, Justice, J. T. Davis. January 27, 1868, Justice, H. D. Gowey.
1868-Trustees, D. Kenfield, J. D. Cranston, Levi Kirk; Clerk, J. F. Gowey ; Treasurer, J. Chamberlin.
1869-Trustees, D. Kenfield, Charles Lincoln, W. D. Sibley ; Clerk, J. Frank Gowey ; Treasurer, J. Chamberlin ; Justices, Geo. Riddle, S. G. Smith.
1870-Trustees, David Kenfield, J. A. McDonald, C. G. Bullock ; Clerk, J. F. Gowey ; Treasurer, J. Chamberlin.
1871-April 3, Trustees, W. H. Wagstaff, W. D. Sibley, Azro Smith ; Clerk, J. F. Gowey; Treasurer, J. Chamberlin. April 7, Justice, Henry Bishop.
1872-Trustees, S. D. Fairchild, W. H. Wagstaff, N. P. Cone; Clerk, J. F. Gowey ; Treasurer, J. Chamberlin ; Justices, S. G. Smith, George Riddle.
1873-Trustees, D. Kenfield, Joseph Miles, Ed. O. Miller ; Clerk, J. F. Gowey ; Treasurer, J. Chamberlin.
1874-Trustees, Joseph Miles, R. C. Moulton, William H. Miller ; Clerk, J. F. Gowey ; Treasurer, J. Chamberlin ; Justice, H. Bishop.
1875-Trustees, J. Miles, W. A. Gunn, Abram Colwell; Clerk, L. C. Her- . rick ; Treasurer, J. Chamberlin.
569
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
1876-Trustees, J. Miles, Abram Colwell, P. A. Smith ; Clerk, L. C. Her- rick ; Treasurer, J. F. Woodard.
1877-Trustees, H. Wright Spain, J. D. Cranston, Ora Fairchild ; Clerk, William Hunter ; Treasurer, W. S. Cushman ; Justice, A. N. Hurd.
1878-April 1, Trustees, J. D. Cranston, William Dolan, J. Chamberlin ; Clerk, William Hunter ; Treasurer, E. S. Callendar; Justices, S. G. Smith, John Clark, Jr. June 17, Justice, W. A. Gunn.
1879-April 7, Trustees, J. D. Cranston, E. P. Black, George Lincoln ; Clerk, M. C. Gowey ; Treasurer, R. J. Eason. October 14, Justice, Eli Sher- rett.
1880-Trustees, George W. Lincoln, P. A. Smith, A. M. Spain ; Clerk, M. C. Gowey ; Treasurer, R. J. Eason.
LEWISBURG.
This beautiful village is situated in the northern part of Rush Township and near the Logan and Union County lines. It is on Spain's Creek, in a level, fertile and populous part of the county, and is noted for its healthy situ- ation and the enterprise and intelligence of its inhabitants.
Lewisburg, consisting of Maple and Sycamore streets, was laid out in 1826, by Gray Gary, on a high point of land on said stream, and near the big spring. The lots were sold at auction-the northeast corner lot, where the Partridge House now stands being sold for $18. The village was incorporated by act of the Legislature in 1844. The officers were a Mayor and five Trustees. The first Mayor was Russell B. Spain. Trustees-Joseph F. Gary, William Milli- gan, C. F. Bowron, Aaron Winder and Abner Winder, Jr. Harmon Limes was appointed the first Marshal ; William Reames, the first Treasurer, and John Winder the first Rocorder-all of whom are deceased except William Reames.
Joseph F. Gary was elected Mayor in 1845; R. B. Spain, 1846 ; Royal Jennings, 1847; Caleb Hopkins, 1848 and 1849; Theodorick Spain, 1850 and 1851; Cyrus S. Hyde, 1852; H. D. Gowey, 1853 to 1858; Caleb B. Winder, 1859; Levi Kirk, 1860 and 1861; Aaron Winder, 1862 to 1865 ; C. G. Bullock, 1866; H. H. Wolfe, 1867; J. H. Bullock, 1868 to 1870 ; Milo H. Mumford, 1871 to 1875 ; A. N. Hurd, 1876 and 1877 ; John Clark, 1878 and 1879; H. M. Bush, 1880-the present date.
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