USA > Ohio > Clark County > The history of Clark County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men, V. 2 > Part 17
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687
GERMAN TOWNSHIP.
old place. John Beamer came from Virginia in 1816, settling on Section 13. His wife was Elizabeth Mulholland, and they had three children, viz., Thomas. Valentine and Eliza, the latter now the wife of Dr. MeLaughlin, of Tremont, being the only survivor. Mr. Beamer . and wife died on the old homestead. Another family well worthy of mention is that of William Ballentine, a native of Ireland, who came to Ohio in 1831, and, in 1832, settled in German Town- ship, where he died in 1851. His wife was Nancy Nail, also a native of Ire- land, where they were married and of which union were born twelve children. five of whom are living. viz., Robert, Margaret, David, Elizabeth and James T., the latter being one of the present Justices of the Peace of German Township, and who perhaps has done as much as any other man in the township to build up its material resources, and who has ever taken a deep and active interest in all public measures, whose object was the benefiting of the community at large. There may be others who would be called old settlers and whose names we would have been glad to mention. but we have given all whom we could hear of in a careful canvass of the township, and if any have been left out it is the fault of those pioncer families who have taken such little interest in handing down to posterity the records of those brave men and women who built and developed the county.
Among the first marriages in the township were those of Thomas Pence to Mary Ross in 1801, and of Isaac Turman to Margaret Rector in the winter of 1802.
Many of the pioneer families as, doubtless, has been observed. were of the Methodist persuasion, yet there were some of other denominations. and at first it was expedient to unite, irrespective of sect, and worship harmoniously together. Dwellings were freely opened, and those little bands would worship together until each acquired sufficient strength, then societies were organ- ized. For many years the houses of Jerry Simms, William Ross. Charles Bee- tor and others were the preaching-places, schoolhouses being sometimes used. The Methodists of the locality built in 1820, a log church or meeting house just over the line in Champaign County, where persons for miles around wor- shiped. While this church was out of our territory, most of the early settlers of the township were closely identified with it, and in justice to the few pioneers now living, and to their descendants, many of whom now attend services there. this mention is made. The land upon which it was built was donated by Charles Rector, whose name it adopted. Conway Rector was the prime mover in its construction. At this time Rev. Arthur Elliott rode the circuit. The Presiding Elder of the district in which this circuit belonged in 1800 was Rev. Daniel Hitt, and the preachers were Rev. Joseph Rawen and John Collinson. Later ministers were Revs. McGuire, Robert James. Findley and Collins. The Rec- tors, Charles and Conway, were early Class-leaders. At this church is an old burying-ground, where peacefully sleep the bodies of many of German's pio- neers. In the year 1SOS or 1809, or thereabouts, the Methodists in the south- ern part of the township organized a society at the house of Peter Sintz, Sr .. in Springfield Township. They erected a log meeting house in 1832, on ground given for that purpose by Robert Hays. Rev. Joshua Boucher was then in charge. Several of the first families belonging to this organization were those of Peter Sintz, Sr .. Jerry Simms. Benjamin Morris, Thomas Hays, the Leffels and Samuel Meranda. The present brick church is known as "Simms' Churel." built in 1854. and was dedicated by Rev. M. Dustin. then Pastor of the High Street Methodist Episcopal Church of Springfield. The present membership is about forty. Rev. C. H. Calbus in charge. There is a graveyard at the church in which the first interment was made in 1840, it being the body of Mrs. Margaret M. Pearson. The Lutheran and Reformed people of the township
688
HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.
built a Union church at Lawrenceville about the year 1821. They continued to worship in this jointly built church until 1844. In a year or two the Luth- erans built the Mount Zion Church and there worshiped. Among the early Lutherau iditistel. wete Rers. Heinicke, Philip Pence and Klapp, and those of the Reformed Revs. Peter Dechant and John Pence. The latter is still living. being a resident of the township and is strictly one of the pioneer preachers. He has passed his fourscore years and is yet hale and hearty, though more than a half century ago he rode the circuit of the church embracing a distance of forty miles in either direction, and has ever since served this people in his call- ing. In 1827 or 1528, Mr. Pence commenced occasional preaching at the house of Widow Caffelt, and out of this grew the Jerusalem Congregation, a church having been built in 1832, This was a hewed-log building, which gave way to the present brick in 1853. The pioneers gave early attention to the training and education of their children, for as early as 1803, a schoolhouse was built on the Ross farm. Peter Oliver, a Kentuckian. was the schoolmaster of that day. He was succeeded by William Nicholson, who was later known as the first sing- ing teacher in the township. In the early history of the township, the schools were carried on by subscription, which schools continued in vogue for many years, despite the several school laws passed looking to the establishment of the common school system. However, the educational interests of the township have always received that attention from the people that their importance demanded, and were early advanced to a flourishing condition. There are now ten school districts with a good and substantial school building in each, and a high school, in addition to these, located at Lawrenceville, and in all twelve teachers are employed, teaching from six to eight months during the year. The cost for carrying on the schools for the year 1879 was $4,328.77.
At this date, the deserted frame structures of former large distilleries stand- ing on the banks of Mad River, evidence the early activity and later decadence of that traffic in this vicinity. Prior to 1810, Charles Rector built a small distillery at the mouth cf Storm's Creek. Later he put up a grist and saw mill near by. Chapman erected the first grist-mill in the township, on the stream bearing his name. Philip Kizer built a mill on Mad River in 1810, and later added a still. Messrs. Kiblinger & Kneisley built a mammoth distillery, grist and saw mill on Mad River near Tremont in 1839, the deserted remains of which loom up to the approaching traveler reminding him of the "haunted house of legends old."
About the year 1SOS, Jacob Kiblinger built a saw and hemp mill in Sec- tion 8, upon Mad River, which were used for many years, and, about 1820. Adam and Daniel Kiblinger and Ira Paige built a grist-mill at the same point, which they operated until 1$32, when Merriweather & Clark bought it, the former remaining as proprietor until about 1837, when he sold it to Adam Baker, who was succeeded by Baker & Haroff, who sold to Kiblinger & Stoner, whom Bryant & O'Rork bought out, and they were followed by Messer & Bry- ant, who disposed of the property to S. H. Hoekman, the present owner, who is doing a very successful business. At an early day, a small saw and grist mill was operated in Section 23, upon Chapman's Creek, in the northern part of the township, and, about twenty years ago, Jacob Dibert erected a large flouring- mill upon the same site, which he operated until the spring of 1881, when he leased it to Blose & Weaver, Many other mills and distilleries were built and run upon the streams of German Township, which have long since been aban- doned or removed.
In 1836. upon the site of the Seitz Mill at Tremont, there was a small carding machine, and that year John Ross erected a small distillery, both kind of neighborhood affairs. About these had clustered several families. Ross owned land there and began to sell small lots, and shortly the whole gave a
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689
GERMAN TOWNSHIP.
village-like appearance. Further lots were sold and soon a survey was made and a village platted. The plat was recorded in 1838. This became the village of Clarksburg. In 1836-37, the Rosses, John and William, kept a store (in the dry goods line) ou the Caffer corner. In 1837, a hotel, or tavern in those days, was opened by John Hupp, the Rosses retiring. Where now stands the Hotel Fennimore stood a one-story frame building almost at right angles with the street occupied by William McKinley, who boarded Elias Darnall, the school- master, William Ross the Clerk, John Ballantine the Constable, then as busy as any Sheriff, and Dr. A. C. MeLaughlin the physician, busy too. the place being dead ripe for a doctor. Oh! yes, we must not forget Gabriel Albin the carpen- ter, who.constituted one of the boarders. One door east of the boarding-house, Mckinley had a dry goods store, and on the opposite side was the blacksmith- shop of Elias Heller. This was Tremont in 1836-37. The post office was established there in 1839, with Dr. MeLaughlin as Postmaster. The name was then changed to Tremont, there being another town in the State of the name of Clarksburg. Benjamin Turman made an addition to the town in 1840. Sev- eral additions have since been made. To-day this is a flourishing little village, beautifully located in the Mad River Valley, having a population of about three hundred. It has two good church buildings that would be a credit to any city, and several fine stores; three blacksmith-shops and as many carriage shops. A steam saw-mill and a mammoth grist-mill, four stories high, in which are three sets of buhrs-two wheat and one corn-having a capacity of making ten barrels of flour per day. This mill was erected at a cost of $5,000, and is oper- ated by Andrew Seitz. The village, has also a good hotel, and the proprietor, John Fennimore, has the happy faculty of making his guests feel at home. The school of the village is held in a substantial two-story brick building, and is in District No. 3. The number of scholars in attendance, in ISSO, were ninety - nine, sixty-four in the lower room, taught by Alfred Blose, and thirty-five in the upper room taught by J. E. Smiley. Prior to 1838, the Methodists wor- shiped at Rector Church, and in that year they erected a brick building, which, was replaced by the present fine edifice in 1880. It is a large one-story build- ing in the shape of a letter T, with a tall spire, containing a sweet-toned bell taken from the old church. In style, of Gothic architecture. The auditorium will seat 450 people. It has a reed organ. The church is nicely frescoed, and heated throughout by hot air furnaces. The dedicatory sermon was preached April 18, 1850, by Dr. Payne, President of the Ohio Wesleyan University. The minister in charge is Rev. MeHugh. The cost of the building was about $10,500. The German Reformed Church was organized in 1863, under the administration of Rev. Jesse Richards. The present building was erected in 1865, at a cost of about $4,000. While the new church was building, the con- gregation returned to worship in the oldl log structure which they first used, and had abandoned forty years before. This is an incident seldom or never occurring in the annals of church history. It stands on a hill overlooking the village. Present membership about one hundred and twenty-five. At this church is a regularly laid out grave-yard.
Besides those cemeteries mentioned, the one at the German Reformed Church at Lawrenceville is one of the earliest burial places in the township, and has always been used by all who desired to bury there. It is in good repair and has many handsome momuments. At the old Mount Zion Church, upon Section S. is a cemetery which was laid out many years ago, and is yet in use. At Jerusalem Church. in Section 35, is a graveyard; also a very old one at Simms' Church, in Section 23: one upon the farm of Jacob Ream in Section 32, and quite an old one on Section 24. near the Clark and Miami-Pike: also a small cemetery upon the farm of Jacob Flick in Section 33.
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690
HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.
Upon the site of the village of Lawrenceville, a store was built in the woods by Elias Over about 1836, he having cleared out a patch upon which his building was erected. And a few years later three Germans named Rice, Dipple & Rice built and created a pattory at the same point, employing a number of hands in the manufacture of crockery ware of all kinds. The present town was laid ont by Emannel Circle, and placed upon record in 1849. He called it Nobles- ville after a town of that name in Indiana, which he fancied, and the original number of lots were fifteen. The post office was established in 1375. and the name was then changed to Lawrenceville, there being another Noblesville in the State. The first Postmaster and present incumbent is Alexander Michael. The high school heretofore mentioned, and also the Reformed Church, Mount Pisgah, are located here. The new church building was erected in 1852. There is one store, a shoe-shop, one blacksmith-shop and a wagon factory in the village.
From the first organization of the township until the present, the following Justices have watched over the legal interest of the citizens of German: John Goble, Hugh Il. Frazier, John McCauley, Philip Kizer, William Enoch, Peter Min- nich, George Michael. Joseph Underwood, Elias Darnell, Samuel Bechtle, J. C. Gard, Thomas Elliott, Michael Bowman, Jacob Argobright, Peter Mclaughlin, William W. Loe, Eli Kizer, Alexander Michael, L. Bechtle, James V. Ballentine J'AI More, the let the being the present incumbents. The growth and development of German Township has kept well apace with the other town- ships of the county: its people have ever been industrious and peace loving within its borders the promoters and abettors of the late rebellion found little sympathy, and the Union was upheld by all. The moral teachings of the pio- neers have taken deep root, and the churches, as well as schools, are in a flourish- ing condition.
David Kizer was born in Shenandoah County, Va., December 20, 1779. Married to Eva Nawman, June 23, 1806; died December 31, 1847, and was buried in Green Mount Cemetery. His wife was born July 11, 1787, and died September S, 1869.
Mr. Kizer came to Clark County in the year 1809, and settled on Section 7, Town 4, Range 10, M R S, in what is now German Township (it was then called Boston), and took an active part in the public affairs of that day. He was chosen Justice of the Peace in 1811; was "out" in the war of 1812. and. upon the establishment of this county in ISIS, was appointed its first Recorder. to which office he was several times re-elected.
A man of undaunted courage and great strength of character, combined with a powerful frame and a good constitution, he was a superior representative of that old class of Virginia pioneers which contributed so much to the settle- ment of the West, and the establishment of American independence. He was what was called a good scholar in those early days, and taught school in Virginia before he became a pioneer. In 1820-21, he conducted a school in Springfield. which employment helped to piece out the scanty income of the Recorder's office.
The first of the above schools was held in a building which stood on the site of the present residence of Edward P. Torbert. The second was in the front or "office part" of what was "Jake Lingle's pottery," on the northeast corner of Spring and North streets.
Mr. Kizer brought a small library of books with him, and, being inclined to scholarly habits, his house was the headquarters of the literary element of its neighborhood.
The children of this pioneer were Phoebe, born May 20, 1807; Rebeca, born May 20, 1809; Lydia, born April 15, 1811; Thomas, born December 16, 1512; Susannah, born August 17, 1815: Eli, born January 25, 1823.
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Presley Jones MADISON TP.
691-692
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PIKE TOWNSHIP.
693
PIKE TOWNSHIP.
BY MADISON OVER. 0
The township bearing the above name was formed on the organization of Clark County in the year ISIS, when, at the June session of the Commissioners, the county was divided into ten townships. The boundary lines of Pike were then designated, viz .: Beginning on the line of Miami County at the northwest corner of Section 36; thence east with north line of Clark County to the line dividing Townships 3 and 4; thence south with said line to the line dividing the fifth and sixth tier of sections in Range 9; thence west with said line to Miami County; thence north to the place of beginning. Elections to be held a the house of William Black.
The geographical location of this township is in the northwest corner of the county. It is in the form of a square, and is the fonly township in the county which is exactly six miles either way. The land is generally level, being slightly hilly along the streams, especially in the south and west. The soil is generally fertile and tolerably well drained naturally. The artificial drainage, however, of the last fifteen years, has worked a vast and beneficial change in the face of the country as well as in the average of the crops. The wet and unpro- ductive spots being transformed by the laying of tile into the most fertile lands in the township. In fields where thirty years ago the gathering of a crop depended altogether on the rainfall, and was considered a matter of luck, good crops are raised almost without a failure. As in almost all the territory between the Miami Rivers, timber, stone and water are abundant. The prevailing timber is beech, sugar maple, ash, hickory, poplar, walnut and the different varieties of oak. The finest trees have disappeared from our forests however, having yielded to the storms of heaven, the necessities of the settler or the temptations offered by the timber speculator, until now there is rarely found in the township a piece of timber land well enough preserved to contain any specimens of the fine old yellow poplars or black walnuts of fifty years ago. It seems that there should be some means adopted whereby a few at least of the old monarchs of the forest would be preserved for the purpose of showing tho futuro generations the quality of the timber which once covered the now fertile farms of Pike Township. The prevailing timber in regard to the number of trees is undoubtedly beech, and that is fast disappearing. It is a timber which, apparently, cannot endure civ- ilization, and shows a tendency toward dying at the top when it is at all inter- fered with. In the western and southern portions of the township, limestone crops out at the surface. A good quarry of building stone is now being worked on the East Fork of Honey Creek by Peter S. Zinn, one of the present Trustees of the township. The stone, excepting in the bed of the creek, is deeply cov- ered by a clay drift, and the quarry is worked at a considerable expense. Quan- tities of lime have frequently been burnt in the township, but this industry is mostly monopolized now by the immense kilns in the neighborhood of Spring- field. The township is well watered, the streams running iu a general southerly direction through the township. The following are the names of the principal streams: Donnel's Creek. Jackson Creek and the East and West Forks of Honey Creek. Formerly there was good water-power on most of the streams, which was utilized to a vast extent in sawing the timber and grinding the grain of the early pioneers, but the clearing of the country of 'the forests, and the better
694
HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.
draining of the lands both by open and tile drains, together with a probable diminution of the rainfall during the summer months, have rendered these creeks almost valueless as to furnishing motive power to machinery. This loss is, however, more than compensated by the marvelous improvements in the steam engine. When a farmer now wishes to build a barn or house, or have a lot of timber sawed for any purpose, he engages a man with a portable steam saw-mill who brings his machinery to the timber, instead of bringing the timber to the mill, and saws it. and moves on to another job. Formerly a great deal of saw- ing was done on Donnel's Creek, there being not less than three saw-mills in operation on that stream, besides several on either branch of Honey Creek in the township.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
Unlike the neighboring townships, Pike was not settled comparatively speak- ing, until a later day. It was not until the year 1805, that we have any trace of a settlement in what now comprises this subdivision. This year came from Virginia two brothers, Andrew and Samuel Black, who together selected and later entered Section 25, dividing it between them, the former coming in pos- session of the southern half. They returned to their Virginia home where Andrew had left a wife and one child. Samuel was an unmarried man. The wonvwing year ( 1900), after due preparation had been made, Andrew, accompa- uied by his family and brother, again turned his course westward for the chosou spot of their future home. Upon the southern half of Section 25, was erected the first cabin in the township it was the rude log pole cabin of the day. The work of the pioneer here began. Soon the space of five acres was deadencd and the underbrush cleared, and the first crop of corn planted, which was carefully cared for by these first comers, but the squirrels were so numerous that, despite the effort on the part of these men, the entire crop was almost consumed by them, however, the gathering season came, and as the result of their labor but three bushels wore gathered, this was garnered up in the bin (then the loft of the cabin), for future use. The season 'for its demand soon approached, and Andrew contemplated a journey to the mill, but imagine his surprise on looking for the treasure to find that the entire yield had been destroyed by mice. So much for the first settlement and first crop. These men were both natives of __ Montgomery County, Va., Andrew being born March 6, 1783, and was united in marriage, December 20. 1804, with Susannah Ross, who was also a native of Montgomery County, Va., born December 7, 1781. They were the parents of the following children: Samuel A., Mary, James, William, Thomas, Jane, An- drew. Edward and Susannah. Father and mother Black died on the homestead October 18, 1854, and September 25, 1845, respectively, and their remains rest in what is now known as the Black Cemetery. The brother Samuel died in the year 1814, and was interred in the same burial-ground. He served as Captain in the war of 1812, where he contracted the fatal disease of consump- tion, which temainated in his death. Andrew also performed some service as a scout in that war. The next settlement of which we could gain any knowledge was effected in Section 19, by Adam Verdier, some time during the year 1806. Mr. Verdier was a man of family, having married Elizabeth Mercer. Both were natives of Jefferson County, Virginia, where they were married and whence they emigrated to the township of Pike. They left Virginia as early as 1804 or JS05, but stopped for a while in what is now Montgomery County, this State. The southeast quarter of Section 19, was entered by Mr. Verdier. In later years he became quite a heavy land owner, possessing nearly five hun- dred acres in Champaign County, and a half-section in Shelby County. The mother died in 1858, and the father some years prior. Both are buried in the
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PIKE TOWNSHIP.
695
Black graveyard. For a few years immediately following the coming of the above-mentioned pioneers, we have little knowledge of settlements made, and of these making of them. William Simans and Samuel Brandenburg, the latter from Kentucky. entering land in Section 18, were early settlers of Pike, but as the dates of their coming and further knowledge of them we have been unable to obtain. In the year IS11. the little colony was increased by the arrival of Thomas Stafford and family. They, too, hailed from the State late known as the " Mother of Presidents." coming from Giles County, Va., and entering the northwest quarter of Section 31, and there beginning the work of the pioneer. Mr. Stafford was a native of Ireland, and, at the age of teu years, arrived in - Virginia, in which State he married Catharine Williams, a native thereof. This couple, with three children-Peggie, Nancy and George W .- emigrated to this vicinity on horseback. making the journey in twelve days. In after years, there were born to the parents the following children: Elizabeth, James, Melinda. Thomas, Susan, John. Henry, Joseph, Catharine. William and Lucinda. The father reached the age of eighty-two years, and the mother fifty-four. They lived and died on the homestead. and are buried in Miami County. The former served as a scout in the war of 1812. Ralph Stafford, a brother of Thomas, accompanied the latter but entered land in Miami County and in later years came to Pike Town- ship and here died. During this same year (1811), came from Virginia James and John Black, brothers of Andrew and Samuel Black above mentioned. James made a temporary stay with his brother Andrew; then entered the southeast quarter of Section 20, on which land he resided until his death, in the year 1853. He was born August 17. 1789. His wife's name was Catharine. They were the parents of ten children, all of whom were born in Pike Township, namely, Mary, Matthew. Susannah, Catharine, Dorcas, Joseph, Samuel. James, Julia and John A. John was united in marriage with Elizabeth Ross, and they were blessed with eight children, five of whom are now living. He entered the northwest quarter of Section 19, and there lived and died. A little later came William Black, Sr., and uncle of the Blacks just spoken of. He was from the same part of Virginia-was quite an old man when he came out. He entered the northwest quarter of Section 13, and there ended his days. About the year 1813, anothe . of the Stafford brothers, George by name, came from the Stafford neighborhoou in Virginia, and entered the west half of Section 31. His wife was Catharine Fair. They reared a large family of children. This same year (1813), James Fuller with his family left Montgomery County, Va .. stopping one year in Kentucky, thence proceeding to the vicinity of New Carlisle, in Bethel Township, where he remained about two years, and thence into Pike Township, entering the west half of Section 21, for which he paid $2 per aere. His children were Ellen, Sarah, James C., Moses, Bradley' and Rhoda, of whom James C. is now residing on the old homestead. The mother died in 1814, and the father in February, 1572, the latter in his eighty-fourth year. Both are buried in the Black graveyard. Northrup Fuller, the father of James, settled in Section 22, a little later entering the southeast quarter Besides the son mentioned there were the following children: John, Moses, Obadiah, Will- iam, Robert and Sarah, all settled in Clark County, and the greater part of them in this township. In the year 1812, Benjamin Carmin and family came from the State of Maryland and entered land in what is now Pike Township. where he resided until his death. which occurred in the year 1527. Mr. Carmin was a native of Blackford County. Md., and his wife of Virginia. About the year 1816, Jacob Frantz settled in Section 7, the northeast quarter of which had boen ventered by one Hanline, at least the patent was granted to Mr. Frantz as the assignee of the Hanline heirs. At any rate, the person entering it was not able to meet the payments, and the land was purchased by Mr. Frantz, and the grant
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