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 68
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).
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 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121
Good hay ranged from $7 to $10 per ton delivered: In a few cases, for extra good, a little more might have been paid.
FIRST SETTLEMENTS, SETTLERS AND THEIR CONDITION.
About the years 1805 or 1806, the first settlers made their appearance within what is now the territory of Goshen Township. A few years ago it
587
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
possibly might have been discovered exactly when the first settler came, and who he was; but, after diligent inquiry, the writer has not been able to fix the time or person to a certainty. The land at that time was held, mostly in large tracts, by grant from the State of Virginia, to persons, none of whom lived here. These persons held the land for sale, which, being an unbroken wilderness, was sold at a low price.
The first settlers came as squatters, and settled upon land where soil and locality best suited them. Some squatted for a short period and then moved on, their object being to get a living in the easiest way. It is a mistaken notion to think that the men, seventy-five years ago, were so much different from those of the present day ; many sought to live easy then, and many are seeking the same thing to-day. The first settler, having selected a location, squatted and went to work to erect his mansion. Out of the abundance of materials all around him, this was no long task, but, in a few days, he had his house com- pleted. The unhewn trees of the forest made the sides ; long shingles split out of logs, laid on the top and held down by long poles laid on them, formed his roof; mud and sticks stopped the cracks between the logs; sticks laid up out- side the house, plastered with mud, formed their chimney ; windows without glass, floors without boards. Thus his mansion was without beauty, but pos- sessed the merit of meeting his necessities, protecting and making him com- fortable.
Settlers in our new country now are far differently situated than were the first settlers of this region. Railroads carry all the elements of civilization to their very doors, almost ; most of the advantages of an older society accompany them, or are brought within their reach by the railroad and telegraph; everything they can raise has a fair cash value almost without leaving their farms ; inform- ation from the world at large reaches them almost daily, while they have the improved machinery of an advanced age to aid them. Not so our first settlers. The locomotive and telegraph made not their appearance among them for more than forty years after ; what they had could not be sold for money without transporting a long distance through roadless forests ; for years there was but one wagon in the whole settlement. Wagons could not be used to any advantage in their situation. They were in a pathless forest-no roads, no bridges, noth- ing more than mere trails through the woods, over hill and valley, which sufficed for the animals they rode or led. This region was almost entirely cov- ered with woods, all except a few wet places and small open prairies in which the wild grass grew higher than a man's head.
Our settlers then settled in the woods and opened their farms by clear- ing away the timber on the land. The first intimation sometimes that a settler would have of the coming of another would be the clear ringing of his ax, as, having squatted, he was felling trees to build his cabin. Generally, how- ever, the previous settlers would welcome a new-comer by meeting on a day, cutting down timber, building up the sides of his home the first day, the next putting on the roof; and thus in two days the new-comer would be safely housed and prepared to live. Our modern women take a week after a house is entirely finished to fix things up before they will acknowledge it is fit to live in. Truly, our happiness ought to be greater than theirs, but ask those old ones and they will answer nay.
Our squatters then, having opened their farms, soon, or in a few years, bought or contracted for the land they wanted, and thus advanced a step from squatter to proprietor ; or, not wishing to buy, they, in course of time, gave way
588
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
to those who did, while themselves moved on to squat elsewhere, or stayed to rent of the owners.
In 1805, Jacob Hazle, from Washington County, Penn., came and selected 324 acres of land in the northeast corner of the township in Virginia Military Sur- vey No. 5,042, granted by Virginia to John Cole, who assigned to James Tow- ler ; of Towler, Mr. Hazle bought some time after 1805, getting a deed in 1812. Having selected his location, Mr. Hazle went back to Pennsylvania, and returned in two or three years, and settled permanently. In 1806, Henry Hazle, father of Jacob, and Thomas Lawson and wife, sister of Jacob, came and occupied the land selected by Jacob Hazle.
In 1806, Joseph Cummings, born in Massachusetts, settled on the north side of Little Lake, about two and a half miles a little east of north of Mechanics- burg. About 1806, Hugh Bay also settled a short distance north of Cum- mings. In the same year, John Brittin settled a little more than a mile north- east of Mechanicsburg, near what is now the Milford Pike; the northwest and west portion of the township, at this early day not being disturbed by settle- ment. Theodorick Spain, in 1808, settled about one mile and a half south of Mechanicsburg, near where Thomas Wren now lives. About the same date, Jonathan Brown, John Pepper, John Cowan and William Frankerberger set- tled in the southeast part of the township, along or near what is now the Me- chanicsburg and London Pike. In 1808, Richard Corbis moved from Buck Creek and located near Theodorick Spain, Corbis being the first settler on the farm now owned by Samuel Engle. Corbis had the only wagon in the settle- ment for quite a number of years. About the same time came also William Burnside. Joseph Porter also settled at an early day near Joseph Cummings, and was the second (the first not known) person buried in the Brittin grave- yard, about a mile from Mechanicsburg, on the Brittin farm. The slab to his grave is still there. His death was in September, 1809. The first schoolhouse was built in that graveyard. The foregoing, if not all the first persons that settled here, are among the very first. Within a year or two others came quite frequently, until, within a few years, numerous settlements dotted the eastern part of the township.
When one contrasts our situation with that only seventy years ago, the dif- ference is something wonderful. In 1812, there was not a road opened over which a vehicle could pass, except it might be a trail from Columbus to Urbana, which passed about a mile and a quarter south of Mechanicsburg, in the neighborhood of the Spain settlement. At that early time and for years after, ladies did not luxuriate in their silks or calicoes even. They were content to dress in goods of their own manufacture and make. If they wished to appear nice on a Sun- day or at a rustic gathering, they made an extra dress by coloring a yellow or other striking-colored stripe down their goods. Neither did they use from fifteen to forty yards, but the amount which would make a plain, straight skirt. We do not find that their plain style interfered with a true womanly character. They were as sincerely religious as their sex now is, and died with as good a hope of heaven ; they loved as strongly and as truly as now ; their morality was as good, and their lives, on the average, of as much value to the world as those of the present day.
Those families were acquainted with the Indians, in their natural state, as they roamed the forests on their hunting expeditions. They were, however, peaceable Indians, and offered no special violence to the whites. There was no Indian town or permanent camp in this neighborhood, although some of them
Anos. J. Howard
GOSHEN TP
591
/
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
had a camp over near the Spain cabin, where they would frequently stop for a few days at a time, and cure the meat they had killed in the hunt. They would frequently visit the cabins of the whites and ask for a little corn bread, salt or whatever they needed, being apparently as fond of good living as the whites, giving occasionally deer meat in return. The whites were careful to accommo- date them when they could. By the year 1813, what is now the township had received quite a considerable accession to its population, many families having settled here.
The war with England having broken out, army operations were carried on in the northwest border of the State. The settlers here and farther west and north feared a raid by the Indians, who were incited by the British to attack the settlements. For their protection, a company of militia under Capt. Abner Barret was called into Governmental service, and went up into what is now Logan County and occupied Menary's block-house. While this company was there, two men, father and son, named Thomas, were killed by the Indians and brought to Urbana and buried. This was in July or August, 1813. Belong- ing to this company were a number of the settlers here, among whom were Joshua Shepherd, Hugh Bay, John Frankerberger, Jacob Hazle, William Burnside, William Kelley, Nelson Lansdale and perhaps others. These men were at the block-house about a month. While they were away, there was an Indian scare among the settlers, and those in that part of the township moved near to John Frankerberger's, for mutual protection, whence, in a few weeks, they returned to their own places.
Near Frankerberger's is the earliest burial-place for the pioneers in that part of the township. There many found their last resting-place, and there their mortal parts have mouldered away to dust forever. Having cast off mor- tality they have put on immortality, glad that no more shall they be cumbered with these poor, frail bodies. Nearly the last mark of a burial-place has been obliterated ; a few years more, and the remembrance will be gone, but the old pioneers are not there. How gloriously heaven opens out to our prospect, when, having done life's duties as best we could, we all lie down at the end to sleep.
Those were primitive times in the woods and clearings here. Stoves were not known ; a large fire-place served for warming and cooking. A pot, a skil- let, frying-pan and a Dutch oven, made their stock of cooking utensils. Not a house had a window-glass ; a hole in the wall, or at best, a greased paper over it, served as a window. What are now considered as necessaries of life but are really luxuries-they did without. Tea and coffee were not used, and they depended for sugar on what they could make from the maple trees. Some of the children had some schooling, and some not any. The school law hadn't got around yet, and what little was had was a subscription school. They were not neglected, however, as to one matter, for which, no doubt, many are even now in their eternal home, giving thanks. The Methodist preachers kept pace with the settlers, and were up with them in their cabins, encouraging them on in the "good old way." Preaching was had pretty regularly every two weeks. Before churches were built, meetings were held in their cabins.
As has been stated, the soil through most of the township was strong and rich. The kind of timber which grew on it demonstrated that fact. In addition, the land adjoining, extending for miles into what is now Madison County, was also rich, and, being mostly a rich dark soil, slightly rolling, offered to settlers a good home for the future, and farming land of great and permanent value. These
-
592
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
considerations led to a rapid settlement of the township for those times. It was not a time in which railroads went in advance of settlement and civiliza- tion, as is the case in so much of our western country now ; but settlers rode on horseback or trudged along on foot, and railroads brought up the rear forty years after. Thus, in six or eight years from 1805 or 1806, the first settle- ment, the settler was no longer alone, but could rejoice in having neighbors quite numerous. As a further help, Urbana had become a point of some promi- nence by 1813. It was a point of rendezvous for troops, and the point from which military expeditions started in campaigns against the British and Indians in the Northwest. In fact, it was the frontier town, and the last town between the settlers here and the enemy. Beyond was almost an unbroken forest, save the path the army made, and blazed ways through the forests. And when, in the summer of 1813, the settlers became afraid of an Indian incursion, their militiamen were sent beyond Urbana, into what is now Logan County, to defend the extreme frontier.
Affairs continued to improve in this part of the wilderness until 1814. The possession of a little water-power within what is now Mechanicsburg, led to the making of a small mill there. This mill shortened the necessary journey by ten or fifteen miles to many families, and made it a natural point of meeting for several miles around, and hence was suggested the idea of laying out a vil- lage. Men then, as men now, enjoyed taking a vacation once or twice a week, and, meeting together, having a talk or engaging in various exercises, more of an athletic kind than at the present day. Then wrestling, running, jumping, ball playing, and sometimes fighting; now nothing of the former is ever seen on our streets or in the town, and fighting is considered disgraceful, and not an exhibition of manliness, courage or test of strength.
When Mechanicsburg was first laid out, there was plenty of game running through the forests. Hunting then was a reality, and its fruits a help to the support of the family, instead of being, as now, mostly an unnecessary destruc- tion of a few innocent creatures, whose slaughter is so often a real loss to man. Deer were plenty. There were no fences, and but little underbrush to hinder their running ; but, unimpeded and free, with the branches of the noble old oaks waving majestically above them, they snuffed upon the air the spirit of liberty, and had a chance for their lives. They were frequently found in herds of consid- erable numbers, and the hunter who caught them unawares was shrewd indeed. Bears were sometimes seen, while wolves were abundant, making the woods echo with their yelps. Pigs were carried off by them, and sheep and lambs were secure of their lives only by being penned at night. Other smaller game was abundant.
MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, BUILD A MILL.
The people, getting a little more numerous, now began to cast about to see how they could add to their conveniences. They had to go a long journey to mill to get their corn ground. From several miles south of Mechanicsburg, they had to go to Kingston, above Urbana. This was at a loss of time, and inconvenient, although frequently children would be mounted upon their horses with their corn ; and, accompanied by a man, a number would make the trip at the same time. About the year 1812, the settlers concluded they could have a mill much nearer. A small mill was built within what is now Mechanicsburg, about a hundred yards back of the house now owned by Mr. William Wilkin- son, near the railroad. The people volunteered, and dug the race, and did most of the rough work on the mill. This was a small affair, but served to grind the
593
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
settlers' corn. Flour was not made, for there was no way to bolt it. When a settler wanted something extra, he had his wheat ground in the corn buhr, and sifted it himself to get out the bran. After, in 1818, a new one was put up, adjoining the east side of the old one, by Andrew Staley as millwright. After- ward, in 1840, Mr. Staley built, a short distance east of the old one, the mill now standing and in operation, named Goshen Mills. Mr. Staley owned this mill from its building to his death, in 1875, when it passed to his son, S. S. Staley, who now (1880) owns and runs it.
The flouring-mill now called Hunter's Mill was built in 1823 by Jonathan Cheney.
FORMATION OF TOWNSHIP, ELECTIONS, ETC.
By the year 1815, a good many families had been added to the township and village. Living within the village of Mechanicsburg, or within a mile or two of it, in 1815, in addition to those already mentioned, might be named Will- iam Woods, John and Philip Winans, Christopher, Henry and George Millice, Benjamin Griffin, Jonathan Doty, Thomas and Richard Landsdale, Alexander McCorkle, Insine Mitchell, Samuel Mars, John Sherry, Ferrel Baker, William Cheney, and perhaps others. Uncle Claudius Mitchell, as he is familiarly called, settled in this year on the Liverpool Pike, near the present township line. William Woods was a local preacher, and Alexander McCorkle an exhorter, the latter possessing great power over the people in awakening them to a sense of their spiritual needs, of whom more will be said in noticing the rise and prog- ress of the church in the village.
Previous to 1810, the whole of what is now Champaign County was included in two townships-Mad River and Salem. In March session, 1810, the County Commissioners divided Salem Township, and made Union Town- ship, which embraced what is now Wayne, Rush, Union and Goshen Town- ships. Between October 11, 1814, and June 24, 1815, Goshen Township was formed out of a part of Union.
On June 24, 1815, an election was held in Goshen Township to elect three Justices of the Peace. This was probably the first election had in the new town- ship. At that election, 31 votes were cast, of which John Brittin received 21 votes, John Owen 30 votes, William Bay 31 votes, and those three were declared elected Justices. The Judges at this election were James Owen, Ben- jamin Brown and John Armstrong; the Clerks were John Corey and John Kain.
October 10, 1815, an election was held for Senator and Representative. Total votes cast, 60. John Brittin, William Mars and John Cheppen, Judges; John Owen and William Peppers, Clerks.
October 8, 1816, at an election for Governor, 56 votes were cast. Thomas Worthington received 49, and James Dunlap 5. John Brittin, John Cowan and John Kain, Judges ; John Owen and Theo. Spain, Clerks.
MARRIAGES.
The following are among the earliest marriages of the settlers of the town- ship : John Frankerberger to Elizabeth Pepper, March 17, 1808, by Rev. Ben- nett Maxcy ; John Owen to Jane Minturn, September 27, 1808, by John Thomas; John Thompson to Polly Frankerberger, November 20, 1809, by Hiram M. Curry ; Daniel Rutan to Mary Riddle, February 15, 1810, by John Thomas, Justice of the Peace ; William Kelley to Rebecca Martin, September
594
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
3, 1811, by Benjamin Cheney, Justice of the Peace; Jacob Hazle to Jean Bay, April 30, 1812, by Samuel Woods; Jesse Frankerberger to Rachel Cheney, February 3, 1814, by Benjamin Cheney, Justice of the Peace ; Isaiah Cheney to Jane Corbus, March 10, 1814; William Kelley to Rachel Barnes, June 16, 1814; Ferrel Baker to Sarah Owen, March 28, 1816; John Mars to Polly Pepper, November 14, 1816.
POPULATION AND WEALTH.
The following is the valuation of Goshen Township for the years stated (Mechanicsburg not included). The valuation of earlier years cannot be stated, as the duplicates were not kept by townships.
1881
1880
1871
1870
1866
1865
1860
1840
1826
No. of Acres.
22,718
22,485
22,475
22,465
22,385
23,077
23,041
22,380
18,2224
Real Estate. Chattel.
$952,750 $
902,580 $ 875,790|$540,340 $530, 740 $573,680 $562,040 $79,337 $24,662
316,227
271,976
278,391
213,936
231,609
162,980
9,416
Total Valne
$1,218,807 $1,147,766|$818, 731 $744,676 $805,289 $725,020
$34,078
It was decided, in 1865, to increase the corporation of Mechanicsburg to a mile square. The reduction in value consequent appears in 1866.
The valuations of 1870 and 1871, 1880 and 1881, are given to show the alterations in valuation by the appraisements of 1870 and 1880, which appear in the succeeding years respectively.
Of the above land for 1881, 11,181 acres are plow land, 5,852 are meadow and pasture, and 5,685 are woods and uncultivatable ; value of buildings, $64,100; and land without buildings, $888,650 ; value for 1881, as equalized by County Board.
The following is the population of the township for the years named :
1880
1870
1860
1850
1840
1830
1820
White
986
973 52
1116
1252
1384 23
996 4
11
Total
1092
1025
1121
1261
1407
*1000
911
*1830 and afterward, village of Mechanicsburg not included. The colored votes in the township and town cast October 12, 1880, were 102.
We insert the population of the whole county by way of comparison. In 1810, the county included what is now Clark and Logan to the lake. In 1817, Clark and Logan were struck off, thus leaving, in 1820, what is now the county of Champaign. The figures for 1880 are taken from returns of census enumerators to the County Clerk, and may vary very slightly from the figures which will be published by the General Government when the census is fully compiled, but these figures are practically correct :
1880
1870
1860
1850
1840
1830
1820
1810
White. Colored
26,170 1,627
23,078 1,110
21,910 788
19,288 494
16,393 328
11,924 207
8,330 149
6,238
65
Total
27,797
24,188
22,698
19,782
16,721
12,131
8,479
6,303
900
Colored.
10€
5
9
595
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
MANUFACTURE OF WHISKY.
By the closing of the war with England, all fear of Indians was removed, population increased and improvements commenced. All early township records have disappeared, if any ever were kept by the officers. Back further than twenty-five years, we have been unable to find the township records. We have a few facts and scraps of knowledge of those days, gathered mainly from personal recollections and scattered documents. In those early days, after the close of the war, about 1817, Goshen Township boasted of a distillery. Not such an one as at the present day, of huge capacity, produces a vast amount daily, but a modest one, suited to the wants of the times. This still-house was built four miles south of Mechanicsburg, on the farm now owned by Joel Burn- side. After it was built it became quite a place of resort. People came to exchange corn for whisky, getting one gallon of whisky for a bushel of corn. The still was built and owned by Eli Baldridge and - Merril, after owned by John Sherry. The still was abandoned about 1824.
The drinking of whisky and its manufacture and sale were not regarded as at the present time. Although their results were as destructive as at the present day, yet the eyes of the people had not been opened to their debasing effects. Nearly every one drank more or less then, saint and sinner, in the church and out of the church, preacher and layman. Nearly all of the best men of the day drank, such men not frequently to excess, but still they used it, and by so much upheld its use by others. A Methodist exhorter, William Bay, was at one time a partner in the business. We are sometimes referred back to old times, "when whisky was pure," as proof that the use of whisky had effects different from now, or, rather, had no effect; but the evidence is conclusive, that whisky drinking, in every generation, has always had the same result, drunkenness, degradation, ruin, death.
WOLF HUNT.
About the year 1819, word was given out that there would be a great wolf hunt. There were settlements south and southeast of Mechanicsburg about four miles, beyond there was a vast territory with scarcely any settlers in it. It was arranged to take in about ten miles in diameter of this territory. Hunt- ers should start from the circumference of the agreed area on the same day and hour, all directing their course toward a common point agreed upon. The company were not allowed to take fire-arms, but were armed with pitchforks, clubs, etc., except certain selected men who were to go within the circle as hunters. There were horns in the company, blown at intervals so that the positions of the hunters might be known. The hunters gradually approached each other, until they came together, but not a wolf was killed or seen, but many deer were seen.
When the hunters all came together, there was a large company. At the spot where they met, a man who went by the name of Col. Rathburn, had a large supply of whisky to encourage the drooping spirits of the unsuccessful hunters, which was sold and issued to the hunters as fast as he could deal it out. One Col. Bond claimed he had paid for a quart, which was denied by Rathburn, at which the lie was quickly passed and the two were at once ready for a fight. The whisky soon began to have its usual effect upon the hunters, to such an extent that it was not long before nearly the whole company were engaged in fighting, or encouraging it. In 1821, there was another similar
596
HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY.
hunt north of Mechanicsburg, but no wolves were killed-different, however, from the other in having no general drinking of whisky ; hence there was no fighting.
MECHANICSBURG LAID OUT.
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.