USA > Ohio > Clinton County > The history of Clinton County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; history of the Northwest territory, Volume 1 > Part 31
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rison, our forces bogan to break and retire.
But he stood his ground so stead- ily and bravely as to check an advance of the British forces with which he was engaged. * * * We put up for the night at the solitary cabins of a Mr. Haynes, long resident at the crossing. His good wife set before us a liberal supper, consisting chiefly of venison steak and corn bread, with, perhaps, coffee and butter added. Our hotel consisted of two medium-sized cabins joined together by ends, with a door to pass from one room to the other. At bed-time, the family retired to a smaller room, used as a kitchen, leaving our party in possession of the other room, used as a parlor and dining-room by day, and a bedroom at night. In this, the best room in the house, a bed, large enough for all, was made on the floor. Bed clothing was spread down as some protection against the hard puncheon floor of the cabin, reserving a rather thin supply of quilts and blankets to be drawn up over at our pleasure. A rousing fire, made of large logs in the ample chimney, kept our feet warm through the night. By a skillfully managed arrangement, William Hadley took one flank of the company in the bed and Mr. Morris the other, and be- tween the two Mr. Linton, Mr. Hale and I lay like sardines in a case. Men accustomed to sleep on soft beds, when forced by circumstances to take a bed upon a hard floor, seldom lio abed late in the morning. Our company was no exception to the general rule. Wo were up carly and had an carly breakfast, very like the suppor of the previous ovening. Tho vonison steak, it is believed, was prepared and brought to the table on special request. We had fourteen miles of travel yet to accomplish before Columbus would be reached. The country was mostly unimproved, the land and the road without drainage; ton miles of the way was through a denso forest, without a single house or track for footstep, except the one, and, as it was very bad, we were compelled to travol slowly, so that it was almost night when we reached a hotel in Colum- bus."
Esquiro Ephraim Kibby and wife, of Wilmington, gave a dinner to the pioneers of the vicinity on the 11th of December, 1869, the published account of which was as follows:
" The dinner to the pioneers and old residents in Wilmington and vicinity, given on Saturday, December 11, 1869, by Esquire Ephraim Kibby and wife, of Columbus street, is an event which will be well if not long remembered.
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The principal occasion for the entertainment was that Sunday, the 12th, was the seventy-fourth anniversary of the birthday of Mr. Kibby, a native born citizon of Ohio, but another, and hardly loss prominent object, was the bring- ing together in a social way of the old residents of the town. In order that the quiet of the Sabbath might not be disturbed, they determined to celebrate the day on Saturday. The day was quite unfavorable for a meeting of aged people. There was a sort of drizzling rain falling all day, with an occasional shower by way of variety. The pavements were wet and there was mud every- where, especially in the streets and on the street crossings. Butsuch rain and mud had been encountered many times before by the old folks, and did not in the least arrest the assembling of the guests. About 12 o'clock-the old pio- neer dinner hour-groups of venerable men and women were to be seen wend- ing their way toward Columbus street, and by 1 o'clock, all were assembled at the hospitable residence of Esquire Kibby. The number, little less than fifty, of various ages, ranging from sixty to eighty-soven, sat down to dinner with a sharp relish for the good things spread before them. Those present were Sarah Haworth, born in Wayne County, Ga., July 7, 1802; George D. Hn worth, born in Greene County, Tenn., May 20, 1797; Samuel W. Frazer, born in Augusta County, Va., August 15, 1805; Nancy Frazer, born in Hampshire County, Va., April 11, 1808; Henry Kline, Hampshire County, Va., Decem. bor 4, 1801; Sarah Kline, --- County, Ky., June, 1807; Justus Taylor, Hampshire County, Mass., April 8, 1809; Cynthia Taylor, Hampshire County, Mass., May 9, 1811; Samuel Cromwell, Westchester County, N. Y., Novem- ber 12, 1793; Sarah Cromwell, Little Falls, N. J., August 25, 1796; Eber Patrick, Albany, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., December 28, 1797; Delilah Patrick, Chillicothe, Ross Co., Ohio, October 6, 1802; Eli McGregor, Berkeley County, Va., January 1, 1798; Maria McGregor, born in Hendricks County, Va., May 26, 1797; William Pyle, Chatham County. N. C., March 11, 17SS; Lydia Pyle, Dutchess County, N. Y., August 15, 1806; Matilda Foland, Miami County, Ohio, February 11, 1807; Sally Palmer, Sterling County, Conn., April, 1797; Richard Peirce, Wilmington, Del., May, 1783; Mary Peirce, Fayette County, Ponn., September 12, 1787; Mary Collett, Loudoun County, Va., December 11, 1789; Nellie Wilson, Scott County, Ky., September 22, 1800; Elizabeth Shepherd, Monongahela County, Penn., June 14, 1792; Sarah Livsey, born in Chester County, Penn., September 3, 1792; Elizabeth Marble, Clinton County, Ohio, Sep- tember 21, 1809; Jesse Doan, Chatham County, N. C., July 8, 1796; Rebecca Doan, Frederick County, Va., April 1, 1799; David Marble, Fayette County, Penn., January 10, 1806; Daniel Jones, Chatham County, N. C., March 12, 1797; Elizabeth Jones, Clairborn County, Tenn., June 6, 1796; Virgil M. Di- boll, Rensselaer County, N. Y., January 31, 1791; Tamson Kibby, Highland County, Ohio, September 23, 1822; Ephraim Kibby, Columbia, Hamilton Co., Ohio, December 12, 1795; William Hale, Randolph County. N. C., Septem- der 2, 1790; Maria Hale, Dutchess County, N. Y., March 3, 1797; Dr. Joseph H. Sparks, Newberry District, S. C., July 10, 1790; Abi Sparks, Clinton County, Ohio, November 28, 180S; Jacob Hadley, Chatham County. N. C., March 3, 1801; Lucinda Hadley, Highland County, Ohio, December 26, 1811; Dr. Amos T. Davis, Ross County, Ohio, November 15, 1803; Robert Way, York County, Penn., July 17, 17S8; Samuel H. Hale, Randolph County, N. C., February 14, 1787; Mary Hale, Randolph County, N. C., December 27, 1797; Elizabeth Kelly, Fayette County, Penn., November 15, 1802; Margaret Treusdell, Fishkill County, N. Y., December 9, 1795; Rhoda C. Morris, War- ren County, Ohio, November 14, 1799."
The following, published in the Clinton Republican of May 6, 1SSO, is from the pen of Amos Hockett, of Wilmington, and was by him "dedicated to our fathers of 1820."
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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
A HOME IDYL.
Of business cares grown tired and weary, Upon a day when feeling dreary And longing for a life more cheery, Free from bustle and din- Out-doors the sun was shining brightly, The birds were singing gaily, sprightly, And southern breezes blowing lightly- I left the gloom within.
I stole me out through Clinton's meadows, And sought her fields and forest shadows, Where wild bird's note or squirrel's tread is The soothing only sound. Ah, have you not here found a pleasure Which thronging crowds can never measure, That in your inmost heart you treasure 'Bove all the joys around ?
I strolled o'er brooks and hillock's shoulder, Where fallen trees decay and molder. At length upon a moss-grown bowlder I sat me down to muse. A spreading beech was o'er me drooping, And maples, hornbeams round me grouping, And fantasies came to me trooping, And memories profuse.
The grove spread out in forest tangle, In native wildness every angle, While far apart " plantations" spangle The hill-tops and the vale. The log-built mansion and the stable, With " clapboard " roof and clumsy gable, Far as the eye to reach was able, Stretched sylvan hill and dale.
Here Todd's Fork rolled her limpid water (And Anderson, till Cæsar caught her), Bold Cowan's purling billows brought her, And East Fork's rippling tide. Here Rattlesnake went smoothly creeping, In grassy prairies slyly keeping, Or in dark pools so soundly sleeping Some gray old tree beside.
Here Leescreek sprang with current slender, To call her small I'll not offend her, But gurgling on her way I'll send her With Rattlesnake to Paint. And as she grows improve in feature. If rude Miami now should reach her With His east arm, the modest creature, I rather think would faint.
West Fork, from out her swamps and sedges, Comes forth to leap o'er rocky ledges ; And Stone Lick starts with many pledges Of making quite a stream ; And " babbling brooks " of small dimensions All running on with good intentions, Branches and creeks, without dissensions, Their sparkling waters gleam.
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Primeval forests, grand and solemn, Far reaching bough and stately column, A roof of leaves in mighty volume Spread open to the sky. "No thoroughfare," with noise and lumber, Disturbed the calm of Nature's slumber. Beast, fowl and fish, in countless number, Fled not the human eye.
Along the "ridges " were some " traces ;" The trees there bore upon their faces The marks of hunter's ax in " blazes," To mark the lonely way. Mosquitos, beetles, round were humming ; A pheasant on a log was drumming,- When lo ! I saw some one was coming "Near by " to me that day.
The " figure" came on-closer, closer. To understand it was a poser. Was I not alarmed ? Oh, no, sir, No cause at all for fear. The form erect, the step was stately ; He moved among the shadows greatly. I have not seen a man " here lately " With brow and eye so clear.
Dressed in homespun, rough apparel, And in his hand his "trusty barrel," For use in case of sudden quarrel With wolves or prowling foe- Or in defense of ch ld or woman And for the rights of any human, The name he gave me-gave this trueman- Was "Sixty Years Ago."
When he had stood and silence broken His words were well and fitly spoken, Which I repeat in feeble token And awkward rhyme, Of Clinton's early days and people, When not a church spire or a steeple, In all her townships, now grown triple, Rose in that olden time:
These are the scenes of Eighteen-twenty, For all our needs we then had plenty (Not such as in these days content ye) ; Our homely fare was plain ; Each cabin was its owner's castle ; No landlord held his pliant vassal- Truckling, obsequious and facile- Ilis patron's smile to gain.
Wild game and fish supplied hns larder; The corn-field with its " ;ruck patch " border- Where, though compelled to labor harder From "pilfering crows " to guard- The virgin soil, unused for ages And cleared by slow, successive stages, In which the pioneer engages, Gave bountiful reward.
The " settler," with his ax and rifle, Had neither time nor taste to " trifle;" No morbid thoughts had he to stifle, No selfish schemes to hide;
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Jacob Theobald
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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
No ruling, sordid, base ambition To use his neighbor's "ammunition " Or " fire him off " in bad condition, With "powder badly driea"-
But industry and honest dealing, And neighborly, fraternal feeling. "Cheating," " going back " and "squealing" Were scarcely known. "Careful to entertain the stranger," His table and Ins well-filled manger He offered to the way-worn ranger, And helped him on.
Our social joys were then worth praising: " Log-rollings " now, and now a " raising,' And " quilting bees"-it was " amazing What jolly times we had. The county over we were neighbors, And cheered each other in our labors, And laughed to see all glad.
Then on the body of a fallen tree, O'ergrown with moss and cushioned well. He sat down, dream-like, and to me Of his old comrades he began to tell, Naming from memory the parent stock, Whose scions are our men to-day. Who found not here a " barren Plymouth rock," But fields inviting, where they came to stay :
Adams, Austins, Antrams, Atkinsons and Andrews, Bennetts, Bashores, Ballards, Babbs and Bortons, Lintons, Lewises, Leonards, Leekas, Lundys, Millers, McKibbens, McKensies, Mendenhalls and Mortons.
Bosworths, Birdsalls, Bettertons, Bentleys, Browns and Barkleys, Betts, Biggs, Bangham, Burroughs, Buckleys, Brewers, Baileys; Cowgills, Coxes, Clevengers, Coulters, Carters, Colletts; Dakins, Drakes, Douglass, Dillons, Davis and Daileys. Clines, Castos, Carpenters, Carmans, Conklins, Connells, Crouses, Christys, Conners, Crossons, Casts and Doans; Dwiggins, Evans, Eachus, Elliott and Edwards; Ireland, Johns, Johnson, Jefferis, Jenkins, Jones. Fallis, Frazier, Fuller, Fisher, Fletcher, Furnas, Florea, Floyd, Frye and Farquhar:
Vestal, Vandervort, Vantress, Vanderburgh and Villars, Welch, Wire, Woodmansee, Whitaker and Walker. Green, Grffith, Gaskill, Grice, Gilpin, Gaddis ; Morris, Mills, McGregor, Mathews, Moon and Mitchell; Thatcher, Taylor, Thomas, Trimble, Tribby, Tomlin, West, Woolry, White, Woolard, Wright and Whitsell. Haworth, Hughes, Hodgson, Haws, Hines, Hester; Noble, Fordyke, Nichols, Nelson, Nickerson ; Sharp, Shields, Stephens, Spray, Stackhouse, Sewell, Whinery, Wilson, Wall, Woodruff and Wickersham.
Gallaher, Gallimore, Garrison and Garner; Howell, Hays, Hiatt, Hibben, Horseman, Hankins,
Pierce, Patterson, Peelle, Pyle, Perkins, Pendry ; Routh, Rannells, Rees, Rulon, Rankins,
Polk, Puckett, Pearson, Pennington and Palmer, .
Dickey, Dever, Dixon, Downing, Dale; Huls, Hoskins, Hunt, Harlan. Hockett, Howe, Hadley, Haines, Hunter, Hale. Hoblit, Holiday, Hawkins, Hollingsworth and Haynes, Harvey, Howland, Hinman, Hundley, Harris; Roberds, Rhonemus, Ruse, Ratcliff, Reed,
Richards, Roberts, Potter, Peterson, Paris.
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Me Whorter, Moore, Millikan, Mann, McMillan ; Osborn, Oxley, Oglesbee and Oren; Miars, Martin, McDaniel, MeIntire and Maddern; Stanton, Stout, Sabin, Stratton and Van Doren. Lucas, Lieurance, Lazenby. Ludington and Laymon, Longstreth, Lindsey, Lytle, McCoy and Moorman; Treusdell. Terrell, Yeo, Yeazel, Smith. Spurgeon,, And Starbuck, Spencer, Shepherd, Simcox, Sherman.
These mentioned slowly, with a word of praise To each for virtues shown in rural life, In toils and travels of those " early days;" The grace and patience of the frugal wife, The pranks and frankness of the sturdy boys, The pretty girls, so modest, blushing and shy, Give vivid color to the hopes and joys That blest the "settler " as the years went by.
ITis voice was hushed -- I must have slept, And seen this vision in a dream. A sense of terror o'er me crept, And I awakened at a scream Of fiery monster whistling by, In clouds of smoke and blinding steam. The " car of progress " I descry- And gone the idyl of my theme. Sons of those fathers! In your veins Flows blood as true as ever sword has spilled ;
Be proud of Clinton and her fair domains, And love the fields your fathers' hands have tilled.
Their sterling virtues ever emulate, And in your memories their names embalm.
When "sixty years " have fallen to your fate, May retrospection yield a peaceful calm.
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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
CHAPTER VI.
CIVIL ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.
LOCATION OF THE COUNTY SEAT-COURT HOUSES AND JAILS-COUNTY INSTITU- TIONS AND SOCIETIES.
O N the 19th day of February, 1810, the General Assembly of the State of . Ohio passed an act entitled, "An act establishing the county of Clinton," which was as follows:
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That all those parts of the counties of Warren and Highland, within the following bound- aries, be and the same are hereby erected into a separate county, to be known by the name of Clinton: Beginning at the southeast corner of Greene County, running east five miles; thence south to Highland County line; thence west with said line within four miles of the eastern line of Warren County; thence southwardly so far as to intersect a line one mile cast from the southeast corner of Warren County; thence west, and from the beginning west so far that a line south will leave Warren County a constitutional boundary.
The name Clinton was conferred upon the new county in honor of George Clinton, a distinguished citizen of the State of New York, and at that time Vice President of the United States. The territory forming the newly orectod county was taken in about equal portions from the counties of Warren and Highland, the division lino passing through what is now the town of Wil- mington.
The Constitution of Ohio then contained a clause* as follows: "No new county shall be established by the General Assembly which shall reduce the county or counties, or either of thom, from which it shall be taken, to less contents than 400 square miles; nor shall any county be laid off of less con- tents." Through some error in measurement or estimate, however, the area of Clinton County fell short of the requisite 400 square miles, and the defi- ciency was finally discovered, though it is not known at exactly what time. The Legislature took it in hand, and, on the 4th of February, 1813, passed an act as follows, entitled, " An act to attach a part of Highland County to the county of Clinton."
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That all that part of Highland County, within the following boundaries, be and the same is hereby attached to and shall remain the county of Clinton: Beginning at the south- east corner of Clinton County, adjoining Fayette County; thence running a line in a southwesterly direction to strike the line of Clinton County at such a point as to include four hundred square miles in the county of Clinton.
SEC. 2. That the County Surveyor of Ross shall, within thirty days after being duly notified by the Commissioners of Clinton County, proceed to survey said county of Clinton, and annex thereto so much of the county of Highland as shall make said county of Clinton contain four hundred square miles, agreeably to the provisions of the first section of this act; and said surveyor shall take to his assistance chainmen and axmen' who are not inhabitants either of the counties of Clinton, Warren or Highland, and who have no interest therein, who shall be duly sworn as the law directs; and said surveyor shall make out two accurate surveys, or plats thereof, one of which he shall return to the Court of Common Pleas for said county of Clinton, who shall record the same in the records of the court of said county, and the other he shall deposit in the office of the Secretary of State, who shall preserve the same with this act; which survey, when made and recorded, shall be the perpet- ual boundaries of said county of Clinton, and said surveyor shall receive $2 per day,
* First Constitution of Ohio, Article VII, Section 3.
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and said chainmen and axmen shall each receive $1 per day for all the time they are respectively employed in such service, to be paid out of the treasury of the county of Clinton.
We quote from the Harlan manuscript: "The records of the Commis- sioners of Clinton County show that in conformity to the above act, they did, on March 3, 1813, issue a notification to the surveyor of Ross County to pro- coed and survey the county of Clinton, and annex thereto so much of the county of Highland as would make the county of Clinton contain the requisite number of square miles.
" John Evans, Esq., the surveyor of Ross County, on the 6th day of April, 1813, proceeded to make the survey required by the above act, and July 10, 1813, returned to the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Clinton County, a report of his proceedings under said act. In this report he says that on the 6th of April, 1813, he proceeded to survey the county of Clinton, agreeably to the provisions of the act of February 4, 1813. He began at four gums, two elms, two burr oaks and one maple, a corner of Clinton and Highland and Clin- ton Counties, standing north 891º east, one mile from the northeast corner of Clermont County; thence with the line of Highland and Clermont Counties south 892° west nine miles and two hundred and sixteen poles, passing the corner of Highland County at one mile, with the variation of 45' from the cardinal point, to a red elm, two maples and a white oak, a black oak, and thorn bush, southeast corner of Warren County, as it was then run to contain its constitutional bounds; thence with the line of Warren County, allowing the aforesaid variation of 45' west, twenty-one miles and one hundred and fifty-eight poles to a large ash tree, two sugar trees, and two thorn bushes, northeast corner of Warren County, and in the line of Greene County, which was formerly run and marked; thence with said line east twenty miles and two hundred and thirty-one poles, passing the corner of Fayette County at fif- teen miles and two hundred and thirty-one poles, to a large maple tree, marked as a corner and with the letters C. C. F. C., boing a corner of Fayette County; thence with the line of said county south eleven miles and ninety poles to two oaks and an elm in the line of Highland County; thence I run a line to attach a part of Highland County to the county of Clinton, viz., south 4º 45' west fourteen miles, two hundred and twenty-three poles to the first place of be- ginning, being the most eastwardly end of the line of Clinton County called for in the first section of the aforesaid act (February 4, 1813), in which bounds there is only contained 385 square miles and 622 acres. Therefore, I find it impossible with all the provisions of the aforesaid law; for, by striking or in- tersecting the line of Clinton County a deficiency of fourteen square miles and eighteen acres exists; and to include 400 square miles in the county of Clinton, the line strikes a point considerably to the cast of the line of Clinton County, which the aforesaid law contemplated for the line to strike. I then run and marked the following lines, which includes the constitutional bounds in Clin- ton County: Commencing at the same corner from which the aforesaid line is run; thence south 40° west twelve miles and one hundred and ninety-seven poles to two jack oaks, hickory and gum, all marked as a corner; and this line is represented on the plat as running from A (east corner of Clinton County), to C, two miles and three hundred poles, the beginning corner of Highland and Clinton Counties, in which is contained 400 square miles. Finding this conflict in the law and the express provision for including 400 square miles in the county of Clinton, I perceive no better mode to reconcile the difficulty than the one adopted, which shows the relation which each of these lines bears to the law under which I am bound to act."
"The same day on which Mr. Evans filed this report, he produced to the
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Commissioners of Clinton County, his account for his servicos as such surveyor, amounting to the sum of $72.50, and also an account for the services of chain bearers and marker upon said survey, amounting to the sum of $66, which ac- counts, after being inspected, woro allowed July 10, 1813; vouchers 514, 515, 516, 517, 518. The chainmon wero Abel Crossloy, Philip Hartman and Will- iam Clevenger.
" To make up the deficiency thus ascertained, the Legislature on Janu- ary 30, 1815, provided that olevon square miles of the territory of Warren County lying upon the eastern boundary of the county of Warren, and extend- ing parallel to the said eastern boundary lino along the whole length of it from north to south should be and the same were thereby attached to and made part of the county of Clinton; and it was made the duty of the surveyor of Ross County, within thirty days after being duly notified by the County Com- missioners of Clinton County, to proceed and survey and set off to the county of Clinton the elovon square miles as aforesaid, by running a straight line from north to south through the county of Warren, parallel to the eastern boundary thereof, a strip about ono-half mile wido, so as to include the eleven square milos aforosaid. The act also prescribed the manner in which the sur- vey should be made, the qualifications of the chainmen and axmen, with other necessary details.
"By the same act (January 30, 1815), Section 4, it was provided that three square miles and eighteen acres of the county of Highland should be 'and the same were attached to the county of Clinton: 'Beginning where the lino run by the surveyor of Ross, as described in the foregoing section, crosses the East Fork of the Little Miami River, and extending down the said East Fork until a line due west to the line of the county of Clermont, between the counties of Clermont and Highland, will include in the county of Clinton three square miles and eighteen acres of land, as aforesaid,' and the same was directed to be surveyed and laid off by the surveyor of Ross County, in the same way pre- scribed by the second section of the act to attach part of Highland County to the county of Clinton (February 4, 1813).
"In the month of October, 1817, Moses Collier, Surveyor of Greene County, made a survey of the three square miles and eighteen acres of land off from the county of Highland to become a part of the county of Clinton; sinco which time said three square miles and eighteen acres of land have been a part of the territory of Clinton County, and the county invested with her constitutional number of square miles.
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