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 22
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MAD RIVER TOWNSHIP.
have the honored disciples of Esculapius been able to reap large harvests here from the ills that flesh is heir to in less favored localities. This place is also favored with convenient railroad, mail and telegraphic facilities.
The first-house in the village. was erected by Jesse Rhodes. The first mer- chant was John R. Miller. He came here in an early day with a stock of goods and the post office, he having been previously established in Brottensburgh, where
was located the first post office within the township. After Mr. Miller, Stephen Wilson came from Hertzler's Mills, now known as the Bank. or Snyder's Sta- tion, with a stock of goods. In those days, our merchants usually went twice a year to Philadelphia or. New York to lay in a stock of goods. They went by stage, canal, and sometimes a portion of the route by steamboat, it requiring several weeks to make the journey, and still longer for the goods to be trans- ported to their destination. Opening out a lot of goods, then being only a semi- annual occurrence, and not daily. as now, was an occasion of universal interest to the people generally, and especially to the ladies. who are always interested in the very latest New York and Paris styles. Other merchants were Melyn Miller. Conrad Kurtz. Robert Gaston, who came with his two sisters and uncle from Ireland and bought out the stand formerly occupied by Stephen Wilson. Taylor and Gardner were for a time engaged in the business hore; their store- room was on what has long been known as the burnt corner, being at or near the northeast corner of Mr. Hagar's lot: the establishment was burnt out. supposed. to have been by an incendiary. J. L. Conklin afterward established a store in the village, and was also burned out. David Zeigler was also engaged in the business; Smith & Ohlwine. John H. Littler, Anthony Beam, John Goodwin, Miller & Wolf. H. Strauss, John Wallace, and others.
Enon has been favored with quite a line of citizen tailors. Among the num- ber were Mr. Kennedy. Miller Baker. Mr. Robinson and John Wallace.
Among the blacksmiths, Joseph Sipes was the first; after him was Nelson Hardman. T. J. Barton, John Hall, William Pottle, Franklin Roch. James Vanostran, who was also a plow-maker, was for a time engaged with William D. Miller in the village in the manufacture of the well-known "Miller plow." The first resident shoe-maker was Mr. Weaver; after him, J. R. King. Davidson Maple. J. Blackert. J. Hammond. William Maple and others. Cabinet-makers, the first was Hitchcock; after him. Conrad Kurtz, who also for a time engaged in the undertaking business. At that time. it was common to run a hearse with a single horse. Mr. Kurtz followed the usual custom in this respect. Among the early residents in the cooper trade were William Barton, Silas Chappell, Peter Miller, Edwin Barton and others.
The first trial. either civil or criminal, we ever witnessed was held in the old schoolhouse, and the case. as near as memory serves, was this: William Barton, with a hand, were working in the shop together, disagreed and came to blows. and the hand struck Mr. Barton near the shoulder blade with a cooper adze. penetrating almost to the lungs, inflicting a dan- gerous wound. A charge for assault and battery with intent to kill was brought. the party was arrested, brought before Squire Coffield; the trial was held at night. in the old brick schoolhouse in Enon. then occupied in day-time for a common school. and taught by Blair Wilson, afterward Col. Wilson, of the Forty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, who was then a young man teaching school and studying law.
Spirited arguments were made on both sides; the defendant was sent to jail. but. the wound not proving serious. as at first supposed, he was finally released. About 1505. a friendly Indian. encamped on the head-waters of Mill Creek, near the present site of Emery Church, was visited by three men from this township. The visit was made in the guise of friendship; they were kindly received and
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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.
entertained; they engaged the Indian in shooting at target, and, taking advan- tage of him when his gun was empty, shot him down without any other provo- cation than the fact that he belonged to the hated Indian tribe. One of the par- ties to this transaction. Maj. Bracken, met a sudden and tragic death the same year, under the following circumstances: He had a financial difficulty with a man by the name of Roberts, and, to simplify the question and bring it to a speedy termination, he notified Roberts to leave the settlement within a specified time or he would terminate his earthly career. Roberts, not daring. under the circumstances, to resort to law, had about completed his arrangements to leave. He was staying then at Parmer's, whose house stood a few rods north of the Stil- well Springs, and just across a ravine north from the former site of the old log schoolhouse of District No. 6. The dwelling was a log building, and the spaces between the logs above the upper floor were not filled and plastered. but were left open. When Roberts was about ready to leave, Bracken made his appearance. with two other men. Jacob Robinson and another person, two of them armed with guns, the third with a heavy club. They approached the house by a nar- row path, single file, Bracken in front. Roberts, seeing them coming, and know- ing their errand, ran up to the loft, and. taking a loaded gun, placed himself at an opening covering their approach, and, allowing them to advance within easy rango, he took deliberate aim and hired. The charge entered the right breast of the leader, Bracken, who, turning round to his comrades, exclaimed. "I am a dead man! " and fell, bleeding profusely. He was carried into the house and soon expired. The settlers were speedily notified, and gathered to the scene. Ezra D. Baker, then a boy, remembers seeing him, his breast stripped open where the ball entered, the blood oozing from the wound, and Judge Layton wiping away the crimson fluid from the ghastly opening. His wife reached the scene after he had expired, and her first view was the fatal blood-stained open- ing in the bosom of her dead husband. A son, born about three months after- ward, carried the mark of that fatal wound on his right breast to manhood, and. if living, can doubtless still exhibit the same proof of his father's tragic fate. When Bracken's two comrades saw their leader was fallen, they fied. Roberts took another loaded gun -- Parmer having no less than five or six-and, mount- ing a horse, bade a final adieu to this settlement. Bracken's residence was at Brackensford, on the north bank of Mad River, at the mouth of Donnels' Creek. About the first death known to have occurred in this settlement was a Mrs. Broadus, from Kentucky. She was buried in the Knob Prairie Graveyard, and. on account of rocks, a sufficient depth could not be reached until they had tried three different locations for the grave.
The young men in those days who were the best marksmen were depended on to supply the table with wild game, such as deer, bear and turkey. Among those who were considered good in those times were the late Daniel Baker, who died 1868. He shot the last bear known to have been killed in the settlement about 1810 or 1811. In Kate's Bottom, near the Jacob Kissler spring, on the David Funderburgh farm, one exploit of his he used to relate, although the result of accident rather than skill, was the killing of four deers at a sin_le shot. The object aimed at was a doe: beyond the doe was a yearling; the ball passed through the doe and brought down the yearling; with the doe were two unborn twins, making in all four at a single shot; the last wolf known to have been killed in the settlement was killed by Thomas Drake, in the Killdigan woods. An object of curiosity and of unknown origin is the Knob Prairie Mound, an artificial elevation. originally about forty-nine feet in height, and covering about an acre. Among its early attractions was a wolf's den. An indentation on the northwest side indicates the place of entrance to their quarters in the interior of this mysterious structure. This mound was, in the early settlement of this place,
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James huberson GREEN TP.
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MAD RIVER TOWNSHIP.
covered with forest trees of the ordinary size and kind found in this localitv. It lay immediately on the line of march of Gen. Clarke's troops on the way to the memorable battle of Piqua. the centennial of which was celebrated in August, Isso, on the ground where the battle was fought. A portion of Gen. Clarke's light horsemen rode to the top of this mound as they were on the march to the battle, from which they obtained an extensive view of the surrounding country. But this tower of observation was not elevated enough to give them a view of . the village, about two miles away, that was so soon to fall before their superior powers. Their line of march lay from this point along the line dividing the lands of Susan Funderburgh and William T. Hill, and thence along the foot of the bluff at the head of the prairie, thence to the Mad River at or near Snyder's Station. Mad River, which embraces the smallest area of any township in Clark County, furnished her full quota of men for the army during the great rebellion. No drafted men were sent to the army from Mad River, nor has she ever sent .a representative to the Ohio Penitentiary. And when we come to make up a list of men of note, we can point to this and to that man and say, "He was born in Mad River." Among those who have gained a national reputation. we claim the Hon. Samuel Shellabarger, who was born and raised on his father's farm on Muddy Run: was educated at Oxford; studied law and entered the legal profession; soon rose to prominence. One of the cases that engaged his carly attention was the noted Randolf will contest in Greene County. He was twice elected to Congress, where he soon became a leading character.
William S. Furay was born south of Muddy Run, in the Hagan settlement; was educated at Wittenberg and Antioch Colleges; engaged in journalism, and was, during the war, one of the most noted war correspondents, being then en- gaged with the Cincinnati Gucette, under the title of " Y. S."
The Hon. George Arthur was one of the leading attorneys of Springfield, was born on the farm now owned by A. Dillahunt: was educated at Gambier and Antioch, Ohio, and Union College, New York, and was once a prominent candi- date for Congress on the Democratic ticket against the Hon. J. W. Keifer, Re- publican.
The Hon. John H. Littler, for several terms Probate Judge of Clark County, was for a number of years a resident of Mad River.
F. M. Hagan, a rising attorney of Springfield, was born and raised near the same locality, a self-made man.
John B. Hagan, born near the same place, received a college education: his father designed him for the ministry, but, being inclined toward the legal pro- fession, he embraced it, located at Cincinnati, where he died some years ago. He was at one time Principal of the Western School, Springfield. He was Ad- jutani of the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Regiment Ohio National Guards.
John Patten, raised in Mad River, was educated at Wittenberg, studied law in Springfield, removed to Indiana; was Captain of an Indiana cavalry company, and was killed in battle.
Politically, Mad River is, and has been for some years. Democratie, although about all the national parties, and those which aspire to nationality, have had representatives among us; even the old and now extinct Abolition party had its representatives here among some of our best citizens. The old revenue tariff and internal improvement Whig party embraced nearly half the balance of our citizens. The oldl anti-revenne tariff, anti-internal improvement Democratic party comprised the other half. Thus we were politically until the disrup- tion of the Democratic party in the National Convention at Charleston. S. C., in 1560. Then we had Douglas Democrats, Breckenridge Democrats, Republicans and Ball and Everett Conservatives, with Lincoln and Douglas leading candi- dates.
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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.
Our people are slowly but surely learning that in local polities, when no great national principles are involved, that experience, honesty and executive ability are more important requisites in a candidate than a Democratic or Republican pedigree, although it reach back in an unbroken line for generations.
An event, the remembrance of which was indelibly' impressed upon the memory of those who witnessed it, was the great hurricane of April 11, 1533. This terrible storm was preceded by an exceedingly hot, clear day. A few in- cidents of the storm in this vicinity are still vividly remembered.
At the residence of Ezra D. Baker, now John Hamaker's, at Enon, a traveler stopped soon after noon of that day, and asked the privilege of remaining a few hours, until after the hurricane, which he assured them would be along that afternoon, as he professed to be acquainted, in a more Southern latitude, with the indications preceding such terrible exhibitions of atmospheric phenomena. Mr. Baker was hauling stone about half a mile distant, with oxen; the stranger told him he had better put away his oxen and be ready, as the storm would likely be on soon. He also advised the family to make their arrangements to repair to the cellar on the approach of the storm. Mr. Baker had no cellar under his dwelling house, it being a log structure, but had an outhouse with a cellar. When the storm came in sight. he took his family into the cellar, where the stranger also took refuge, and Mr. Baker stood outside and watched the movements of the funnel-shaped cloud, which seemed to be coming in the direction of his house, but it passed about a quarter of a mile south, and between his residence and that of his brother, Melyn Baker. The cloud is described by those who saw it as an awful, black, funnel-shaped cloud, the smaller end extending to the ground,. the larger end extending outward and upward into the atmosphere to a very great height.
After the storm had passed, the neighbors soon gathered to take an inventory of the damages. The house of Dr. Bessey, which stood near the present residence of David E. Shellabarger, but on the opposite side of the road, was swept clear to within one log of the lower floor, and everything in the house was swept away except a jug of "No. 6" the Doctor had for use in his practice. Himself and family escaped in a marvelous manner. The Doctor had just returned from visiting a patient; he was sitting in the house reading; his wife was ironing. All at once 'it grew dark. One of the family observed what a curious-looking cloud was coming: the Doctor went to the door, and, taking in the situation at a glance, he turned and picked up one of the little children, telling his wife and family to follow, which they did, and as they vacated the house, the storm took it up and scattered the logs of which it was composed to the four winds of heaven. One of his little boys was bounced up and down and carried some dis- tance by the storm, but was finally dropped without serious injury. Another house about a quarter of a mile northeast of the Doctor's was also carried away without fatal results.
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GREEN TOWNSHIP.
BY PERRY STEWART. .
This township lies immediately south of Springfield Township, and its en- tire southern line borders upon Greene County; on the east lies Madison Town ship, and on the west Mad River Township. It is composed of fractional Town- ship 5, Range S, of lands between the Miami Rivers and six sections of Town- ship 4. Range S. and also of nearly 4.000 acres of the Virginia Military Reser- vation, and contains in all about 23.200 acres.
It was formed in 1818, upon the organization of the county, and takes its name from Greene County, of which it was originally a part, and was then called Bath Township. At the time the change was effected, the southern line, beginning at the half-mile jog north, one mile west of the Madison Township line, ran due west to the southwest corner of Section 32, then north two miles lo the section corners of 33. 34 and 4, then west to the southwest corner of Sec- tion 10, on the Mad River Township line. Shortly after the organization of Clark County, Gen. Benjamin Whiteman, with a. few others, desiring to remain citizens of Greene County, petitioned the Legislature to have the line changed, which was done. and it was made to run in a northwest course to a point on the west line of Section 32. one-third of a mile north of the original corner, the house of Gen. Whiteman remaining south of the line, in Greene County.
PIONEERS.
If we would take into consideration the history of Green Township as it was first formed, Mr. O. Davis, who built the mill on the Miami where Clifton is now located about 1800, and Gen. Benjamin Whiteman, who married a daughter of Davis, would be the pioneers of the township; but as these gentlemen were citi- zens of Clark County only until they succeeded in getting the line changed, the honor of being the first settlers cannot justly be accredited to them.
It is supposed that settlements were made in Green Township as early as 1800, but there is no evidence of any permanent settle.nent until 1804, at which date Abraham Inlow settled on Section 6. Township 4, Range S. He was born in Maryland March 25, 1777, and, in 1804. came with his father, Henry Inlow, to Donnelsville. where he remained a short time, then came to Green Township, his parents returning to Kentucky, whence they had come, and there died. Mr. Inlow was married twice; had born to him four children by first marriage. all of whom are dead; his second wife was Margaret Foley, who had eight children. Jemima, Catherine, Anna and Margaret grew to maturity, but Anna is now the only survivor. Mr. Inlow died October 4, 1840, and his wife, who was a native of Kentucky, and the daughter of Daniel and Catherine Foley, died November 7, 1872.
In 1805, Thomas Luse and his parents, Justice and Mary Luse, came to this township and settled on Section 32, where Justice and wife died. Thomas was born in Kentucky in 1797: was married to Nancy Funston. a native of the township, born in 1516, and who is yet living here. They had eleven children, nine of whom are yet living. Mr. Luse died in 1575. much respected.
Ebenezer Wheeler settled on Section 12, Township 4, Range S, in 1506. He was born in New Jersey September 15. 1752; came with his father to Cin- cimati in 1800; married Joanna Miller in 1803; in 1810 or 1S11, removed to
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HISTORY OF CLARK COUNTY.
Urbana, Ohio; thence, in 1815, to Indiana, returning to his farm in this town- ship in 1520, where he died in 1862, in his eightieth year.
Jacob Hubble settled on the same seetion as Mr. Wheeler in 1806. In the same year, Samuel and John T. Stewart settled on Section 15. Township 5, Range S, where they bought and improved 500 acres of land. They were na- tives of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The former was born in 1775, and was married in 1807 to Elizabeth Elder; was at Hull's surrender as a Captain of a militia company, and died on his farm in this township in 1854. John T. was born in 1751; was married in 1815, to Ann Elder, who had born to her ten children, nine of whom are living. He died in April, 1850, and his widow in September, 1850.
In 1808, James B. Stewart, a brother of the former two, settled in Section 6, Township 5, Range S. He was also from Pennsylvania, born in 1777; was married to Anna Beaty in 1807, in Butler County, Ohio. He lost his eyesight while a young man, and died in 1923; his son, John B., resides on a part to the farm.
In the same year as James B. Stewart came, the whole of Section 1S was purchased by John H. Garlough, a native of Germany, who emigrated to Mary- land, there married. and with his wife came to Ohio about 1790, and to this township in 150>. His descendants still own nearly all of his purchase. He was killed in 1920 by a vicious bull while engaged in building a grist-mill. His son Jacob fell heir to the homestead; he was born in 1796; married Nancy Luse, daughter of Justice Luse, about 1821, and died in 1878, aged eighty-two, leaving many descendants, who do credit to his name. The family are noted for longevity, all living to ripe old age, much beyond the allotted time of man. Samuel Kelly and Timothy Stratton came in 1803, the former settling on Section 30, Township 5, Range S, and the latter on Section 20.
Gabriel, George and William Albin came about 1810, settling in the west- ern part of the township. George was in the war of 1812, and died in 1572; his widow is yet a resident of the township, and draws a pension for her hus- band's services during the national peril.
In 1811, Seth Smith located on Survey 615. His son Seth was born in Tennessee in 179S. and died on the farm his father purchased seventy years ago. in 1876, leaving four children. The whole family were peace-loving Friends, and did much for the moral welfare of this community, of which their descend- ants are now prominent in social and business circles.
Arthur Forbes, a patriotic Irishman, who fled from English oppression. set- tled on Section 27 about 1811, raising a large family and living to a ripe old age, dying about 1848. and, like all Irishmen, he loved liberty and hated tyranny.
Thomas Mills settled on Section 23, where his son John now resides. in 1812; he was born in Virginia in 1785, and in 1790 came with his parents to Kentucky, where he was married, thence to Ohio at the date above mentione i, dying in 1865; he was prominent in township affairs at an early day.
Early settlers in this township were William and John Goudy, who came in 1808; they were natives of Pennsylvania. who first settled in Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1803. whence they came to Clark; many of their descendants are living throughout the county.
Robert Elder. Sr .. came from Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, in 1813. and bought from Mr. Funk fractional Section 10, which contained about six hundred acres, on which he and family settled: this land is yet owned by the family. Mr. Elder died October 3, 1525, and his wife September. 20, 1827. Two of his sons yet reside in the township -- Robert and John, the former being in his eight- ieth and the latter in his seventy-fourth year, and the name is largely repre. sented by worthy descendants.
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GREEN TOWNSHIP.
James Stewart, a consin of those previously mentioned, came in 1813, and bought the land upon which his sons. Elijah. James F. and David, now live. He was born in Pennsylvania about 1782, and there married to Jane Elder, a sister of Samuel and John T. Stewart's wives, and died on the homestead in Green Township, in 1852. aged seventy.
In 1816, William Estle settled in the township; he was born in New Jersey in 1791, and there married in 1513, eight children being the fruits of this union. He died in 1859, and his widow in 1877.
Stephen Kitchen, a native of Pennsylvania, settled in Warren County, Ohio, at an early day, and in 1$18 came with his famliy to this township, settling on the farm where his son Abraham has resided for more than half a century. Ste- phen went to Illinois, and was there drowned in the Illinois River.
James Todd came in ISIS; was married, in 1819, to Betsy Garlough, of which union four sons and five daughters are the fruits; the sons are John H .. W. Brand. Samuel A. and James, and the daughters are all living near the old home. Mr. Todd was born in Pennsylvania in 1797, and his wife in Maryland in 1799; he came with his parents to Ohio in 1806. settling on a stream in War- ren County which has since been known as Todd's Fork, and from there to this township. where he was married. and settled on Section IS, in the northern part of the township. dying in 1863; his widow, in her eighty-third year, is yet liv- ing on the old homestead. He was a soldier in the war of 1812; was a mill- wright and carpenter, and had an extensive acquaintance.
Thomas Tindall was born in England in 1786; came with his family to Green Township in 1819. where he died in 1856. his widow dying in 1872. They left a large family of children, who are well known in the county.
In 1824. James and John Anderson. natives of Scotland, but claiming no relationship, came here from Greene County, where they had settled in 1819. James settled on Section 33. and John on 28, both living to a ripe old age, leav- ing large and prosperous families. James died in 1864, aged eighty-four; his son, "Squire " James Anderson, is yet residing in the township, and is a man of moral worth and strict integrity.
Among the other early settlers of Green were William Barnes, on Section 23; George Weaver and George Hempleman. on Section 10: David and Thomas Littler, Robert Laing, Lewis Skillings (who lived but a short time in this town- ship. moving across the line to Springfield Township), John Baldwin. Gideon and Charles Bloxam. Josiah Bates, William Marshall, John Wade. Wesley and Jackson Allen. Jolin Nagley and James Mason. nearly all of whom were from Virginia, and came for the purpose of making a home in the then dense forest of Ohio: Those men must have had rare courage, to undertake such a task, and posterity will ever honor their memory.
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