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 20
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The Baptist Church in New Carlisle is in the same condition as most of the early church organizations. The first records are lost, aud there is nothing to indicate when it was instituted. The first records to be had commence in 1834. The history of the church from the above date discloses nothing of interest to the general reader. At one time, it was one of the strongest and the most in- fluential in the Mad River Baptist Association, numbering over three hundred members. The records show that about twenty persons were ordained to the ministry. The church has a comfortable brick meeting-house, erected in 1850. In 1864. the German Baptists purchased the Old-School Presbyterian Church, and refitted it for their own worship, it being nearly equal distance from the Donnel's Creek branch and the Hickory Grove branch. It is used with somewhat remote appointments by both branches, and when traveling ministers are present.
The school interests of New Carlisle have always been well cared for. Prior to the enactment of the first school law, in 1821, subscription schools were supported in the village; after, it was a distinct school district. In 1838, a very commodious schoolhouse was built of brick; though thought to be ample for the accommodation of the district for all future time, a few years proved it to be insufficient, and other rooms had to be found for the primary classes. In 1865, the district was organized, under the Akron law, into a separate school district, containing four sections, with additions of farms outside. Soon after this ar- rangement, the district purchased the Linden Hill Academy building, this building giving ample accommodations for the pupils of the district, a high school was immediately organized, with a curriculum. for all the grades, extend- ing over eight school years, thus preparing the pupils for a college course. The school has given satisfaction, and is patronized outside of the district.
About 1850, the Rev. Berger, now of Dayton, started a select school, which continned two years with good success. In 1852. the Rev. Thomas Harrison came from Springfield to Carlisle and arranged with Mr. Berger for his interest in the school. The facilities of the school were extended somuch that Mr. Har-
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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.
rison two years after erected (to which the citizens contributed largely) the Lin- den Hill Academy building. A large number of pupils already in attendance. the curriculum, was extended. embracing the classics. Mr. Harrison proved to be an earnest and successful educator. To-day, many of his former pupils are oc- cupying honorable positions in many parts of the country. The present graded school in New Carlisle, with the high school department, offers such facilities for educational purposes as are seldom found outside of colleges.
New Carlisle Lodge, No. 100. A., F. & A. M., was chartered January 3. 1831; meets Saturday night, on or before the full moon. An incident con- nected with this lodge may be of interest to members of the order. About the vear 1832, the opponents of the Masonic fraternity brought such a pressure on the members of the lodge that they dcemed it best to refrain from meeting for a time. They did so. and for several years no meetings were held. In the meantime, the jewels were safely secreted in a sand bank beside Honey Creek, not far from the village.
New Carlisle Chapter, No. 57, R. A. M., chartered November 5, 1868, meet Saturday night after full moon.
New Carlisle Council, No. 30, R. S. M .. meets second Saturday night after full moon.
Caritas Lodge, No. 505, I. O. O. F., meets every Friday night; instituted January 11, 1872.
New Carlisle Encampment, No. 222, instituted November 9, 1SSO, meets on second and fourth Wednesday nights.
BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH.
A few persons holding the doctrines as taught by Baptist Churches. living in Bethel Township, near the branches of Donnel's Creek, were desirous of being formed into a Baptist Church. According to the custom of the denomination, a council was called, consisting of messengers from other churches, including Elders Joseph Morris, William Sutton and Luke Byrd, who were among the earliest Baptist preachers in Western Ohio, convened, on the 20th day of April, 1822, and there. Jonathan Lorton, James Lorton, Elizabeth Donavan, Sarah Stephens and James Key were regularly constituted as the Donnel's Creek Reg- ular Baptist Church. The first meetings of the church were held in the cabins of the members, but mostly at the house of Mrs. Donavan, who lived ou the land now owned by Thomas McKee, until July 20, 1522, when they met in the log schoolhouse erected on the corner of the cemetery ground adjoining the present church building. Elder William Sutton was the first Pastor. The records show that Elders Joseph Morris, James Buckles and Chandler Tuttle frequently visited and preached for the church. In September, 1823, the church joined and sent messengers to the Mad River Baptist Association. The minutes of the proceedings of Bethel Baptist Church have been so carefully kept that they are a complete journal of the business of the church since its constitution. Of course, much of the records, though important to the church, would be of but little interest as a matter of general history. The church of course has had her difficulties to contend with. All was not always harmonious: members would be in conflict with each other; then came the duty of reconciling the adverse par- ties, by advising. rebuking, reproving, and finally excluding the incorrigible. This is all faithfully recorded. This church early took a decided stand against intemperance in the use of ardent spirits, though the practice of using spirits was so universal, extending to all classes of society, and no moral pressure against it in those primitive times, the records, quite early in the history of the church show a number of cases where her authority had been interposed to re- strain those who indulged too freely. Benjamin P. Gains joined the church in
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BETHEL TOWNSHIP.
1823, and was made permanent Clerk. Hezekiah Smith was ordained October 16, 1824, and became Pastor of the church. which position be held, assisted at times by Elders Joseph Morris. James Buckles and Chandler Tuttle, until 1526, when Elder John Guthridge became Pastor, serving the church until October, 1828. September IS, 1827, Jonathan Lorton was licensed to preach. Elder Guthridge was succeeded by Elder William Tuttle, who was called to serve one year at a salary of $24; he served two years.
October 30. 1830. Elder T. J. Price was called to the pastorate of the church. Elder Price visited the church in 1824. Elder Price continued until October. 1832, and asked to be released from the care of the church. His request was granted. Elder Abram Buckles assumed the pastorate for one year, salary, $12 per annum. Elder Willis Hance became. Pastor in November, 1533; February, 1836, a delegation of messengers, consisting of Brothers Miller. Donavan, Lawton and Gains, were sent to assist at the constitution of the church in New Carlisle. At this time, viz., 1836, the church began to consider the expediency of building a house of worship; here again domestic troubles set in: some of the members opposed the movement; a large amount of bitter feeling was indulged in. and threatened the existence of the church. but the efforts to conciliate. made in true Christian spirit, prevailed. The minutes of the church faithfully record these adversities, as well as their prosperous times. The new building was completed in 1837, and all was lovely again. The ground, one acre, was donated by Daniel and Henry Miller, for church and cemetery purposes. This building cost about $700. Elder Hance's pastorate continued until the end of December, 1843. During this time, the minutes show the church was visited by Elders J. L. Moore, Enos French, H. D. Mason, William Fuson, John Ebert, John Kingham, who held, in connection with the Pastor, protracted meetings, at each of which were accessions to the church. The labors of these pioneer preachers was of the severest character; very few churches were able to have preaching more than one-fourth of the time, and none more than one- half of the time, consequently, many of those preachers would serve four churches. often at very remote distances from each other, and they sel- dom failed in meeting their appointments. This, with the meager salaries re- ceived-seldom over $100 a year --- and being compelled to labor when at home, to live, they performed an amount of labor that would appal the modern min- ister. These men were peculiarly fitted for the times; little or no education, possessed of few books other than the Bible and hymn books, earnest piety, hard sense and vigorous physiques enabled them to bear the hardships self-imposed. Many of them possessed a large degree of native oratory, seldom surpassed at the present time, which compelled attention to the solemn, earnest messages they presented to the people.
In January, 1844, Elder T. J. Price was again called to the pastorate of Bethel Church, which continued until August, 1876, when the infirmities of old age compelled him to give up all of his ministerial duties. During Elder Price's pastorate, the record shows that the church had been visited and protracted meet- ings held by Elders Daniel Bryant. William Sym, John Hawk. W. Martin, William Fuson, J. Lyon. D. Runkle, N. Colver and Harris. During this, there were many additions to the church. The present Pastor, W. R. Thomas, was called in 1876. In 1879, deeming the old church building too small, and need- ing much repair, the church determined to build a new house. The liberal sub- scriptions of the members of the church and well-wishers outside resulted in the erection of the beautiful, commodious structure now occupying the site of the old building. The new house was dedicated January 25. 1550. Elder J. B. Tuttle. of Springfield, preached the dedicatory sermon. A collection was given amount- ing to $99.60. Several hundred persons have joined the Bethel Church since its constitution; the present number is about seventy. B. P. Gains was Clerk from
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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.
1823 to 1854; his son, Aaron Gains, to 1878: since that time, Kemp Gains has filled the office. The Clerkship of the church has been an heirloom in the Gains family, and well have they done the work. The writer must express his thanks to Mr. Kemp Gains for the cordial manner in which he furnished facilities for composing this history. On the roll of Bethel Church are found many of the pioneer settlers in Bethel Township, embodying some of the best men and women of the region of the church.
THE OLD-SCHOOL MENNONITE CHURCH.
David Neff, John Neff and their wives had been living in Bethel Township for a number of years; became desirous of joining this denomination, and, no organization existing in their neighborhood, Henry Huber, who was a member, sent to Jacob Bowman, a Mennonite minister, living at Winchester. Franklin. . Co., Ohio, to visit and form a church, and receive the Neff's into the connection. Mr. Bowman, not having full authority, sent for the assistance of John Brenne- man, of Allen County, Ohio, who came to John Neff's house in the spring of 185S. These ministers held a meeting of days, during which David and John Neff and Ilnie wives vere baptized, and they, with Michael Kaufman. Christian Mumma. John M. Crider and Henry Huber, and Elizabeth Kaufman, who were already members, were organized into a Mennonite Church, consisting of twelve mem- bers. The church held meetings at somewhat long intervals, being supplied with preaching by ministers from other churches. This continued until Decem- ber 20, 1862, when John M. Crider was set apart and regularly ordained a min- : ister. Mr. Crider has served the church as Pastor up to the present time, preach- ing every two weeks. From the organization of the church, they worshiped in the schoolhouses in the neighborhood until the fall of 1867; they built a meet- ing-house on the farm of Henry Huber, on the New Carlisle & Dayton Pike. Mr. Crider was consecrated Bishop in 1872. Present number of members. twenty-four.
CEMETERIES.
The first cemetery in the township was in Section 3. It was begun in 1797, by the burial of Lettice Lowry, followed in 1800 by that of her husband. It is now known as the Minnich Graveyard. The land for it was donated for burial purposes by David Lowry, who owned the farm at that time. Many of the pioneers lie sleeping here, with but a rough stone at their head and feet to mark their last resting-place on earth.
The Boston Graveyard, in Section 27, on the Valley Pike, was one of the earliest in the township, but is now a dense thicket of weeds and trees. The Lamme Cemetery, in Section 14. is quite an old one, and there is also an old burial-place in Section 10, close to Donnelsville, now known as the Brandenburg Graveyard.
The cemetery on the land of Daniel Funderburg was given for burial pur- poses by Peter Heck (who then owned the land) in ISIS. The first use was early in 1819, by Mr. Heck burying a daughter. Many of the pioneers lie there. A few years ago, the cemetery was deeded in trust to several members of the Ger- man Baptist Church. By that denomination the ground is now principally used. This cemetery is on the northeast quarter of Section 22.
A small burying ground on the land owned by John Garver in Section 17 was set apart for that purpose early in the settlement of the country; the exact date is lost. It contains the remains of a number of the first settlers; among them are the bodies of the parents of the present owner. It is not used now as cemetery.
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BETHEL TOWNSHIP.
The cemetery adjoining Bethel Church was set apart for private burial pur- poses in 1821. The first body laid there was that of Frederick Miller, in 1822. Since that time, it has been the burial-place of most of the inhabitants dying in the vicinity. in 1887, Que sound was deeded to Trustees, to be kept forever as a place of sepultore. These grounds have been kopt, and are now, in the best of order, except the south side, which has been seriously injured by grad- ing down the pike, even to the extent of exposing some of the graves.
A small graveyard on the farm of Leonard Haines has been used for fifty years; also the one on the farm of Jonas Haines is an old family cemetery.
In the last few years, & graveyard has been opened in Section 4, north of Donnelsville, known as the Donnelsville Cemetery.
The Reformed Mennonite Cemetery is on Section 30. It was begun about 1849, and now contains three acres. It is used by the whole neighborhood.
The New Carlisle Cemetery Association was organized October 3, 1856, under the State law regulating cemetery associations. Honey Creck Presbyte- rian Church, at its institution, appropriated two acres of land for burial pur- poses; on the same their first church was built: this continued until the organ- ization of the association, at which time the land was turned over to the asso- ciation, who added four acres to the plat. A farther addition of nearly seven acres is now being negotiated for by the association. The care given, and to- gether with the large quantity of valuable marble it contains, makes this ceme -. tery truly a beautiful " city of the dead." Mr. John Garst is President, and Dr. B. Neff, Secretary of the association.
Bethel Township has the advantage of the best of roads, sufficient to meet the business necessities of the people; they are generally in the best possible condition. The National road, now the property of a private company, bisects the township into two nearly equal parts from east to west. The Valley Pike. along almost all of the entire southern border. affords easy transit to Springfield or Dayton; a free pike from Carlisle to Springfield along the northern border gives easy access to Springfield; a free pike running across the township in the west- ern part intersects the Mad River Valley Pike at the southern boundary. The township has but very little road that is not well graveled.
MILLS.
The first mill built in the township was erected on Donnels' Creek by Jona -... than Donnels. about 1504, or perhaps earlier. It was swept away by a freshet. It was a rudely constructed building of logs, and was used as a saw-mill. Mr. Donnels had bought 160 acres in Section 3 for mill purposes, and in ISOS David Lowry built a grist-mill south of the site of Donnels' mill, on the same stream. in Section 9. The buhrs in this mill were made from what are known as " nig- ger-heads." Mr. Lowry put up a dam for his mill, which backed the water onto Donnels', who sued Lowry for damages, claiming that he was injured by not be- ing able to get at his stone in the creek. The suit was tried in Urbana, and Donnels recovered damages, but the two old pioneers still remained good friends. Mr. Lowry added a frame saw-mill in a short time afterward, and in 1820 he put up a frame grist-mill, in which he put the buhrs of his old mill. This mill he ran until 1846. when the dam was washed out and he retired from business in favor of his son, David W .. who continued it for about five years, when he quit, since which time it has never been in operation. It is now a wreck, the old frame yet standing on the road opposite to Mr. Lowry's house --- " a reminder of days gone by, and the haunted house of old."
Archibald Steel built a mill where Medway now stands, in a very early day, and a man named McQueen built a race and a saw and grist mill in Section
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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.
19, which was afterward owned by Jacob Hershey, who extended the race. This was also burned down about 1532. and never rebuilt.
John Shartle built a grist-mill in Section 30, known as the Woodbury Mills, to which was added a distiflory. On this site the Woodburys are still in opera-
-tion, and doing a good business. In 1536, John Reyburn built a saw and grist mill on Honey Creek, in Section 29. where there is now a saw-mill in operation. Maj. Abraham Smith built a saw-mill in Donnelsville about 1529, where there is yet a mill. Archibald Lowry also ran a saw-mill at Medway in an early day. George Croft built a grist and saw mill and distillery on a raceway close to Mad River, which was dug by him about 1530. Mr. Croft. with his sons, John and Jacob, ran this mill and distillery for years. It is now run as a saw and grist mill by Martin Snyder. A mill was built on Section 33, on the Crain farm, which ran for a few years, and a saw-mill was run by John Detrick for several years on his farm.
PHYSICIANS.
It has been something difficult to get the names of the first physicians who practiced in Bethel. Among them are, in New Carlisle and vicinity, McPher- son, McCann, Robbins, Stephens, Hood, Haynes. Adams, Farquar. E. Garst. M. Garst, Hornbeck. Bull. V. Smith, Winans, Foster. Stockstel. Meranda, Neff, Young, Nesbet, Hensley; at Medway. Shackleford, Barr, Stonebarger and W. F. Meranda; at Donnelsville, Wood, Ferguson, Lindsay, Patton, Baker, Markwood, Pollock, Meyers. Dr. C. Smith lived near Donnelsville.
AN INCIDENT.
In the history proper of the county, mention is made of a boat taken from here to Cincinnati by David Lowry in 1800. A similar incident in the history of this township is well worthy of meution. John Jackson, who married Nellie Lowry, built a flat-boat about 1825. on the north bank of Donnels' Creek, about thirty yards south of where David W. Lowry now lives. He launched the boat in high water, and. taking three or four of his children. floated down to Mad River. thence to the Miami. thence to the Ohio and Mississippi. settling in Ton- nessee, where he died. . His wife and one or two of his children remained with the Shakers in Montgomery County, Ohio, this sect being the cause of the family's separation.
Of the Bethel Township men who served in Stato and county offices are found Rouben Wallace, who was a member of the Ohio Legislature from Chami- paign County when Clark County was included in Champaign, and did much toward the establishment of this connty while there.
William G. Seniss was Associate Judge. Joseph Tatman was Associate Judge and member of Legislature. Dr. B. Neff was a member of the Sixtieth and Sixty-first Legislatures.
Gen. J. W. Keifer, the present member of Congress for the Eighth District of Ohio, who also served in the Legislature, is a native of Bethel Township.
John E. Layton. Sheriff of Clark County from 1556 to 1560, was a native of the township.
Samuel B. Williams, when elected Treasurer of Clark County, was a resi- dent of Bethel. William E. Lannoo served as County Commissioner.
Of natives of Bethel Township who are now holding honorable positions outside of the township are Ed H. Funston. who has served four terms in the Kansas Lower House of Legislature, two as Speaker: is now member elect of the State Senate; John S. Reyburn, member of Assembly several terms in Penn- sylvania, is now member elect to the Senate.
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MAD RIVER TOWNSHIP.
H. H. Williams. Common Pleas Judge, of Miami County.
Elihu Williams was a member of the Legislature in Tennessee.
Ed F. Taylor was a member of the Legislature in California; is now Re- ceiver in the Land Office et Sacramento.
Williama MeClure is now Treasurer of Allen County, Kansas. Samuel Daily was Treasurer of Boone County. Indiana: his brother, Calvin Daily, served in the same office in the same county. - - Warwick, Common Pleas Judge in Iowa. Mention has been made in another place in this history of a select school taught in New Carlisle by the Rev. Thomas Harrison. It is but just to say that all of the above-mentioned natives of the township were pupils of Mr. Harrison. Many other of his pupils are filling responsible positions in the several States of the Union
MAD RIVER TOWNSHIP.
BY DANIEL BAKER.
One hundred years ago, an Indian trail from old Piqua to old Chillicothe was the only highway this locality could boast of.
A mere pathway, wide enough for one person, or one horse single file, now winding around a precipitous hill, now passing around the border of a swamp. now taking a straight course for the shallow fording of a river. such were the public highways one hundred years ago. And going back in imagination to a period of which we have no historic record, we find here and there evidences of a race of people prior to the red men, and altogether different in their habits and modes of life. They are by some writers called the Mound-Builders, and one of those large cone-shaped structures is about all the proof they have left in this locality to tell us they ever existed. Some antiquarians infer that these people, whoever they were, were fire worshipers, charcoal and appearances of rude altars being found in excavations made in those mounds; and who knows but in that unknown period, even before the war whoop of the Indian had ever been heard in these primeval forests-that even right here in Mad River Town- ship, and on the Knob Prairie Mound, was heard the agonizing cries of little children whom mistaken parents compelled to pass through the fire to appease the ire of their offended God?
Mad River Township possesses, in common with the county of which it forms a part, many natural advantages not accorded to all other locali- ties of like extent. A gentle, rolling upland of deep, rich soil, a second bottom level black, loamy soil, a prairie naturally wet in places, and in places swampy, but easily drained, excellent for pasture or meadow. An abun - dance of building-rock of excellent quality, inexhaustible quantities of excellent lime-rock, also here and there a specimen of fire-proof rock of a dark grayish color, soft and free from sand or grit, very durable for furnaces: abundance of gravel dispersed at convenient points, easily accessible and good quality for roads; abundance of water for stock. having on the north Mad River, a tribu- tary of the Great Miami; toward the center flows the Muddy Run. a tributary of Mad River, and other smaller living streams interspersed at various points: also, large never-failing springs in many places, as the Layton Springs, situated on what is now known as the Rubsam farm --- a spring that in former time- was utilized for milling purposes, and forms a tributary of Mad River, empty- ing into that stream at the head of the Republic Paper-Mill dam, and contrib-
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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.
utes largely to the power used for propelling the machinery attached to the Republic Works at Enon Station; the Partington Spring, a beautiful, never- failing spring flowing from the rocks on the side of a very steep bluff, and hav- ing about twenty five foot fall, and forming a power that, in former times, drove the machinery for a woolen factory; the Galloway Spring, on what is now the Frank Johnson farm, a large spring on the side of the hill overlooking Muddy Run bottom; the Indian Spring, near the present site of Enon, on the north side of Cox's Grove (since the ditch has been made, this spring boils up in the center of the ditch). This spring was once an Indian rendezvous, a regular camping-ground when on their hunting expeditions, and many other springs of more or less notoriety. The timber is of medium growth, principally oak of the different varieties; one variety, however, is likely to become extinct -- the black oak, which, for years past, has been dying off rapidly; also hickory, some walnut, and along the bottoms are poplar, beech, ash and some other species; and now, looking back one hundred years, we behold all those materials which nature has furnished, and which are so necessary to the development of a civil- ized state of being. in possession of a race who appreciated a forest only as a retreat for game, and as a place of concealment from enemies; who regarded the steep cliffs along the Mad River, which are now being rapidly transformed into find and building material, as nature's breastworks for the protection of the red man, and as barriers to the progress of his enemies. And now, to contrast the present condition of this region of country with what it was one hundred years ago, it is evident that some powerful agency has been at work to transform this once howling wilderness into fruitful fields: to replace the narrow, serpentine trail of the savage by the broad public highway: to replace the little hut by d stately palace; to supersede the traffic in hides and pelts by horse and foot, by mammoth cargoes of produce and merchandise, live stock and human freight. borne forward with the speed of the wind by methods unknown one hundred years ago. The agencies that have brought about this wonderful transforma- tion will occupy an important place in the subsequent part of this historic rec- ord. First comes the backwoodsman with his ax, and levels the forest, and, with the aid of his oxen, breaks the soil and cultivates his crops. Next, or sim- ultaneously, comes the mechanic, with a few rude tools; the minister of the Gospel, the school-teacher, the merchant and the medical practitioner follow, fine artisans, skilled mechanics, statesmen and lawyers bringing up the rear. Mad River Township has for its northern boundary, its entire length. the Mad River, the general direction of this line being from northeast to southwest. On the east it is bounded by Springfield and Green Townships. On the south it is bounded by the Greene County line the entire length, commencing at the south- east corner of the township and running due west four sections, thence due north one section, thence west to Mad River at the western limit of the township. The entire length of the township from east to west in a straight line is about nine miles. The length of the boundary line on the north, without including the meanderings of the river. is between ten and eleven miles. The width of the township at the widest point is about six and a half miles, and from the de- scription it will be seen it runs to a mere point at the extreme west end, and contains about thirty-three square miles.
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