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 2, Part 10

Author: Durant, Pliny A. ed; Beers (W.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : W. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1410

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 2 > Part 10

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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what cows and other stock they brought with them. It is said of Mahlon Haworth that he rode the wheel-horse and drove the team over Clinch Mount- ain, carrying an infant in his arms. This child, then near two years old, was his daughter Susannah, who afterward married Marmaduke Brackney (late of Clinton County). Besides Susannah, he brought to Ohio his three children older than she-Rebecca, George D. and Ezekiel.

This little company of emigrants made choice of the lands on Todd's Fork for their settlement, north of where Wilmington now is. Mahlon Haworth purchased his land of a man by the name of Tolls. It is now owned by Will- iam Walker and lies on the Jamestown road, two miles north of Wilmington. It is said that these four families-George Haworth, Mahlon Haworth, James and John. Wright-were among the first white families to settle in Clinton County north of Wilmington, though several others came in soon afterward. One son of Mahlon Haworth says they arrived at their new home the 27th day of October; another says it was the 2d of November. Their arrival was so late in the sea- son that it was impossible to build comfortable houses, but they immediately began the arduous task of preparing a home and opening up a farm in the wilderness. A temporary shelter for the family was the first structure, and was made of round logs or poles, with the cracks filled with moss. This was the work of the first day, and without having time to make a floor, fire-place or shutter for the door, the family moved in, making a fire in the center of the house and letting the smoke pass out at an opening left in the roof. A bed- quilt supplied the place of a shutter to the door. In the night the horses were heard in motion so much, restlessly shaking their chains and moving from place to place, that Mr. Haworth arose from his couch and went out to see what was the matter. . Upon looking out and seeing the prospect, he called to his wife and said: "Phebe, there is hard times at the door." A deep snow had fallen and it continued to fall until it was two feet deep. This cabin - stood on the hillside, about half-way between where the road now runs and where they afterward erected their dwelling, the same that is now standing; the brick house, however, was preceded by a log house, but the brick house has been standing there for considerably more than fifty years.

In the bottom, on the opposite side of Todd's Fork, was a camping- ground of the Indians. In the seasons when they occupied the ground, the lights of their camp were plainly seen from the pioneer's cabin. Indians were not unfrequent visitors at the cabin. They gave the children a great many frights, but they always seemed to be friendly. The writer has heard Mahlon Haworth say that the Indian Logan had often been at his house. Some think he referred to Logan, the famous Mingo chief, but it is probable that it was Logan, the Shawnee chief, though they both doubtless roamed over the hunt- ing-grounds in this part of the country, as the celebrated speech of Logan, the Mingo chief, was delivered not more than forty miles from here. One even- ing, Indian meal mush had been prepared for supper, and, just as it was be- ing placed upon the table, an Indian came in. Mr. Haworth invited him to eat, and, sitting down, he took a spoonful of hot mush in his mouth, which caused him to spring up very angry, believing he had been made the butt of a joke. But Mr. Haworth showed him by signs how to cool the mush by putting it in the milk, when he soon became pacified and resumed his repast. Once when the father was from home, a large Indian came, and, lifting the quilt that filled the place of a door, peeped into the house, then leaving his gun on the out- side, walked in, seated himself on a stool and deliberately took his butcher- knife from his belt and commenced scraping the Spanish needles from his leggings. Then in broken English he asked for food. After being supplied with a hearty meal, he quietly departed. The same day, three bears came

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within a few feet of the house. Such were some of the early experiences of that little family in their snow-bound home.

Soon after their arrival, Mr. Haworth exchanged a horse, which he had brought from Tennessee, with Timothy Bennet for 100 bushels of corn, a small lot of hog meat and a small hog. This, with wild turkey, bear meat and veni- son, was all the meat they had until they could raise it. For some time they ground corn for bread with a hand-mill. . Aside from this, their breadstuffs were procured from the Miami near Waynesville, and this was packed home on the backs of horses. Can we of the present generation have any idea of the trials our forefathers endured before our new greatly blessed country was brought into its present prosperous condition ?

In this rude cabin and during this cold winter weather, a daughter, Mary Haworth, or Polly, as she was called, was born. She grow so beautiful that she was the admired of all the surrounding country; but, in the midst of her loveliness, in her early womanhood, she was called away. Mahlon and Phebe Haworth had also born unto them upon this farm other children, as follows: Phebe, Mahlon, John, Elijah. James and Richard. Rebecca died in early womanhood; John and James in infancy. The remaining eight children all lived to be respected and influential citizens of Clinton County, and heads of families.

At the close of the war, there came to Mr. Haworth's house a company of Light Horse, as they were then called, who had been in the service during the war of 1812. The horses were nearly dead; they were poor, with sore backs,. and their legs terribly swollen with "the scratches." He took them all in, fed them and helped to doctor them for some weeks, until they were well and able to travel, with the exception of one horse that died and was hauled out into the woods. The howling of the wolves around its carcass at night was hideous and terrified the children so they could not Zleep.

During the month of December, 1804, Mordecai Walker and his son Azel came up from Waynesville to see their lands, which they had purchased ad- joining and in the neighborhood of the Haworths; and Mahlon and his brother James went to pilot them to and show them their lands. On their return, about where the residence of Mr. Dryden now is, they came upon an immense bear, which they shot and killed. It was so heavy that they had to call for the aid of a horse from home before they could get it there. There are many other circumstances related of Mahlon Haworth killing wild animals. He had a firm, steady nerve and was a good shot. He was a man of strong intellectual powers, possessed of an extraordinary memory. It never lost aught that he had ever seen, or heard, or road. He was an active, useful man in everything that related to the advancement of the people and the good of the country. High official positions in the State were offered and urged upon him by influ- ential friends, but he declined in deference to the feelings of his wife. She was a Friend of the most conscientious type. She accepted the Apostle James' illustration of pure religion literally, and believed there was a great danger of persons in public life being overcome by temptations, and, as we read in the parablo, like the soed which fell among thorns, after "they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection." His friend, Isaiah Morris, in writing of him, said: "He was a kind and affectionate husband and father, esteemed by all his neighbors, and enjoyed the confidence of his fellow-citizens, having filled for many years after the organization of the county a very responsible county office, the duties of which he discharged with the strictest fidelity and appro- bation of the people. The writer enjoyed an intimate acquaintance, marked by an uninterrupted friendship with him for forty-eight years, and can duly

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appreciate his many virtues. He had the privilege of visiting him a few days before his death, found him in great affliction of body, but tranquil and. peaceful in mind, imbued with that spirit which breathes good will toward all mankind, and enjoying consolation which the world can neither give nor take away. In view of this eventful life and peaceful and happy death, the writer was brought to realize the expression, 'let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his.'" Mahlon Haworth was born in Frederick County, Va., in 1775, and died March 23, 1850, in the seventy-fifth year of his age, at his residence where he first settled when the country was almost an unbroken wilderness.

Nathan Hines came from North Carolina to Ohio in 1804, early in the year, and purchased land of James Murray. Many of the emigrants of that .. early period started on their journey early in the spring in order to have the benefit of the early grass for their stock,' as grain was costly and scarce along the road. It is said that he arrived on Dutch Creek before many emigrants, from North Carolina, who started before him. The reason of this was that they stopped for some time at Waynesville, while he came directly on without making any halt. On his arrival, he at once set to work to build a cabin to live in. He soon had one erected twelve feet square; into this he moved his family, which was by no means small. In a few weeks, Hur Hodgson arrived with his family, corresponding in numbers with that of Hines. He also took up his quarters in the cabin, and both families occupied it together in great harmony for several weeks.

Stephen Mendenhall bought of James Murray 142 acres of land in Survey 2,248, in the northwest corner. Date of the deed, February 4, 1812; consid- eration, $200. Stephen Mendenhall was an Englishman. His brothers were Aaron, Mordecai and Moses. He was the father of John Mendenhall, who had the following children: John, Maris Howell, Nathan, Isaac, Sarah (who mar. ried Jeremiah Kimbrough), Rachel, Hannah, Stephen, Mordecai, Thomas and James. Murray had sold a lot to Daniel Linton, a distant connection of Na- than Linton, the old surveyor and early pioneer. Ezekiel Leonard was de- ranged for some time before going West, and one of his sons became deranged and died so. Thomas Leonard purchased land in Duvall's Survey, thirty-one acres, one rood and thirteen poles, which was surveyed for him by Nathan Linton September 10, 1824.

Isaac Perkins, was born June 30, 1762. His wife, Phena Leonard, was born March 14, 1763. He started with his family to Ohio from North Caro- lina in November, 1802, and arrived at Waynesville January 8, 1803. He came to what is now Clinton County on the 12th day of March, 1804. Phena Perkins was wont to boast, especially in hay harvest, that she pitched nine tons of hay for three haystacks, each of three tons, on the day she was married.

Hur Hodgson came to Ohio and to Clinton County in 1804. He settled where John L. Thompson afterward lived, south of Joel Hodgson's present residence. His first wife was a sister of Judge Isaac Thornburgh, Associate Judge of Clinton County. His second wife was Achsah Dillon, daughter of Jesse Dillon. Hur Hodgson was born in Guilford County, N. C., May 16, 1767, and was the father of the following children: Mary, Isaac, Jesse, Jona- than, John, Elizabeth, Hannah, Ira, Nathan and Joel. Mr. Hodgson bought 100 acres of land of Miller & Studebaker, believed to be in 1804, part of Sur- vey No. 2,248.

Francis Hester lived un the farm formerly owned by Samuel Myers, south, or & little east of south, of the Myers house. He came with Hur Hodgson in the fall of 1804.

Dr. John E. Greer bought out Francis Hester. He moved to Waynesville

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in 1822, and remained there till 1837. He removed to Indiana and died there. His wife was a sister to Job Jeffries, Sr.

Samuel Vestal was born October 26, 1796, in Chatham County, N. C. His father, John Vestal, came to the neighborhood of where Portsmouth now is in the spring of 1799, and raised a crop there. How long he stayed there is not known, but he was at Waynesville in the spring of 1803, and soon after came to Todd's Fork and cleared a few acres, nine or ten. But he did not live long to enjoy his new home. While living on the Scioto, he had been greatly afflicted by diseases arising from stagnant water and decaying vegetation, and, although he sought relief in the new location in Clinton County, the disease had too firm a hold upon him, and he died. in the fall of 1804. His burial was the second in the old graveyard at Centre. He was a brother to Jemima Doan, wife of Joseph Doan, one of the proprietors of the land on which the original town of Wilmington was laid out. Samuel Vestal was the only son of John Vestal, who settled on the Thomas Whinery place, near the spring, but west of the deep hollow. The hurricane passed when the corn was about knee-high. It took off the top of the house down to the square, and the chim- ney down to the mantel-piece. Edith (Ballard) Vestal, wife of Samuel, came to Ohio with her parents in 1803, when she was but three months old. Her father shot a wolf on the lot in Wilmington on which the jail now stands. Samuel Vestal and Edith were married April 3, 1825. John Vestal made his will on the 10th of July, 1804, and appointed James Moon and William Jay his executors. He divided his land among his five children. To Samuel, his son, he gave 200 acres on the north end of his tract of 690 acres, and the rest of his land, after his debts were paid, he divided among his four daughters- Jemima, Rachel, Mary and Elizabeth.

James Odle bought land of James Murray, in Survey 1,558, on the 13th of December, 1803; number of acros, 159. This he sold April 16, 1810, to John Lowis for $750. Spencer Ballard was the son of Moorman Ballard, who was born May 15, 1747, and died April 27, 1821, agod nearly seventy-four ,.when years. Spencer Ballard was born August 20, 1771; he married Rebecca Ha-sewy worth, daughter of George Haworth, December 7, 1796, and she bore him the Blinca following children: Amos, Benajah, Lydia (who married Jesse Doan), Edith Fragen, (who became the wife of Samuel Vestal), Minerva, John, Olive, Jordan, Phoebe, dr. Rebecca, Mary and an infant unnamed. Spencer Ballard left, among other things in his memorandum book, these entries: "In the year 1813, I was Rebecca . Sama . drafted and fined $120 and property taken to the amount of $249.75 and sold for $150. Demand $120." "In the year 1812, harness, chains, back and belly-bands and blind bridles, worth $5, were taken for military fines, the de- mand $2." "For demand of $3.94 was taken one mattock, one clevis, one pair of horseshoes, one sledding bar, worth about $6, in the year 1813."

David Ballard, Bowater Sumner and William Hiatt came with Thomas Bales in 1775 to what is now the State of Ohio, on a visit to the Indians. David Ballard was a brother of Moorman Ballard, who owned a part of the farm formerly owned by Brazilla Leonard, and uncle to Spencer Ballard. He bought 1224 acres of land, part of Horatio Gates' Survey, No. 1,556. It was laid off in the southeast corner of the survey, and was run off to him by Nathan Linton, December 21, 1809. Simeon, son of Moorman Ballard, moved to Illi- nois about 1821, and settled in Vermilion County. John Ballard bought seventy five acres of land, in H. Gates' Survey, No. 1,556, adjoining David Ballard on the north and Henry Babb on the east. The land was run off to him by Nathan Linton December 21, 1807. He owned the John Hendricks farm.

John Stout arrived on Todd's Fork with his family November 4, 1804.

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He bought part of Gates' Survey, No. 1,556; sixty acres of Samuel G. Martin and 105 acres of the estate of John Vestal, who had died two weeks before. The two purchases made up the farm now owned by Franklin Mitchell.

Daniel Dillon, the senior member of the Dillon family, was a cousin to Susannah Haworth, the progenitor of the Haworth family of Clinton County. He came to Todd's Fork in 1804, and bought and settled on 100 acres of land, mostly in Murray's Survey, No. 2,248, with a small part in No. 1,558. He sold the land to Samuel Stanton before receiving a deed. The conveyance was made by Murray to Samuel Stanton, the well-known Quaker preacher, June 19, 1807; consideration, $200. He bought 300 acres of George Haworth and his son James. The land was the Brackney farm on Todd's Fork. His son' Jesse owned the Levi Smith farm and sold it to Smith. He had a large family of children. His son Walter owned the home place of Elijah Haworth; Thomas, the John Peoble's farm. Nathan Dillon married a Hoskins. He was a Justice of the Peace in Greene Township. He moved to Illinois and served

as Justice there. William Dillon bought land in the Hoskins neighborhood, and lived there in early times. He, too, moved to Illinois. Absalom and Jo- seph also went West. One of his daughters married Daniel Hodgson. Jane was James Fife's first wife and the mother of his children. Ann married . Michael Bennett. Jesse Dillon, brother of Daniel Dillon, settled on and im- proved the Denver farm. He bought the whole of the Heath Survey, on Todd's Fork, No. 1,085, containing 1,292 acres. The land was surveyed for him by Nathan Linton September 28, 1815. His oldest daughter, Achsah, married Hur Hodgson. Susan married Gayer Starbuck. Martha married Dora Fisher, who owned the William Rannells farm. He sold that and afterward owned the David Bailey farm. He removed to Illinois. Sarah married Robert Dwig- gens, Sr. Hannah married William Wright, who owned a part of the Jacob Jenkins place; this he sold to Joseph Oren, and Oren, in turn, sold it to Isaac Wright, William's brother, both sons of James Wright. Abigail married Isaac Wright. Jonathan Dillon owned the farm known as the Zimri Whinery farm, near Gurneyville. There were about 290 acres in the farm. It was part of the Banks Survey, No. 2,279. It was run off' for him by Nathan Linton Au- gust 18, 1809. Luke obtained the Denver farm and sold it to George D. Ha- worth; he removed to Illinois; his wife was Charity Wright, a sister of Isaac Wright.

Joseph Doan arrived in Clinton County November 4, 1804; he came in company with John Stout, from Chatham County, N. C., by the Flower Gap. John Vestal, his wife's brother, died before they arrived on Todd's Fork. January 22, 1805, he bought 238 acres of land in Posey's Survey, No. 1.057, at $1.50 per acre. He paid in hand $357-$300 to Posey and $57 to Nathan Linton. November 27, 1806, he paid on his land $100. December 4, 1807, he paid on the same $100. Joseph Doan was born October 23, 1759, and died May 28, 1838. Jemima Vestal, his wife, was born May 8, 1762. His children were: Thomas, John, Ruth (who married Joseph Haines), William, Elizabeth, Joseph, Jesse, Jonathan, Jacob, Rachel (who married Isaac Hines), Elisha and Mary. He could not have been on the land long before, according to all accounts; he was succeeded by Stephen Mendenhall, one of the family who settled at an early day and built one of the first mills on Todd's Fork. He died on these premises, and is said to have erected the first brick house in that part of the country.

Ezekiel Leonard came to Waynesville in the fall of 1803, and to Clinton County as it is now, the following year. His wife was a sister to Daniel Hodgson, the step-son of Nathan Hines, and a daughter of Thomas Hodgson, . deceased, brother of Hur Hodgson. After the death of Thomas Hodgson, his .

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widow married Nathan Hines. . Hines' wife was a daughter of Jesse Dillon, ; father of Luke and the sister of James Fife's first wife. Ezekiel Leonard sold out to Thomas Hibben, and went to Illinois with the Haworths and Dillons. Leonard had 107} acres of land, part of Survey No. 2, 248.

Jesse Hughes, Sr., one of the first Associate Judges of Clinton County, and a native of Berkeley County, Va., removed with his parents at an early age to Chester County, Penn., and subsequently (1784), when seventeen years of age, was taken by his father's brother to Jefferson County, Ky. This uncle was one of a colony which made the first settlement on the site of what is now Louisville, the place being long known as Hughes' Station. Young Hughes became, like all frontier residents of that day, an Indian fighter and a soldier, and served under Gen. George Rogers Clark in 1786. He was married, in 1790, and, in March, 1805, came to what is now Clinton County and settled with his family two miles southeast of Wilmington, having to cut his own road through the heavy timber. In 1810, upon the organization of Clinton County, Mr. Hughes was elected by the General Assembly as one of the three Associate Judges of the Court of Common Pleas, and the first term of said court was held in his barn, in the spring of that year. He was re-elected to the same office three successive terms, filling the position for a continuous period of twenty-eight years. \His death occurred August 9, 1853, when he had reached the ripe old age of fourscore and six. He was married, in Ken- tucky, to Elizabeth Drake, a native of that State, who bore him nine children, as follows: David, Delilah, Jesse, Jr., Catherine, Jemima, Eliz- abeth, Charles D., Mary and Morgan, all of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, and became the heads of families, except the last mentioned, who died in infancy. Of this well-known family but two are now living-Mrs. Elizabeth Smart, of Greenfield, Ohio, and Charles D., who is en- gaged in the dry goods trade in Wilmington. After the death of his wife Elizabeth, Judge Hughes was again married, his second wife surviving him. Few of the early settlors wielded a wider influenco for good than this old pio- neor, who passed away nearly thirty years ago.

Joseph, or, as he was generally called, "Squire". Roberds, was an early, well-known and much-respected citizen, being one of the first Justices of the Peace and the second Sheriff of Clinton County. He was born in Union Dis- trict, South Carolina, on the waters of Broad River, on the 4th day of Febru- ary, 1766. At the age of twenty-two years, he was married, in his native State, to Anna Randall, with whom he lived in great harmony for about sixty- two years. Mr. and Mrs. Roberds were members of the Society of Friends, but their marriage was not consummated according to the custom and rules of that society. This violation of rules in that day was regarded as a far more serious matter than it is at present. The transgression, if one it was, was brought before the meeting, and no satisfactory acknowledgment being made for it, the offending parties were "disowned." Some years afterward, Mrs. Roberds attached herself to another branch of the Christian Church, and re- mained a member in good standing until her death; but Mr. Roberds, al- though holding sound religious views, and having an experimental knowledge of sins, forgiven, never afterward became a member of any religious society.

In 1804, Mr. Roberds left South Carolina, on account of slavery, and took up his residence in Ohio. His way West was through the States of North. Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky, by the Cumberland Gap, the Crab Orchard, near Danville, and Lexington, Ky., to Cincinnati. Much of the country through which they came was sparsely populated, and the residue, with slight, exceptions, was an out and out wilderness, broken by a succession of lofty mountains and interspersed by deep and rapid streams, which they generally

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bad to ford in the absence of bridges, ferries or even canoos. His first settlo- ment north of the Ohio River was on the Little Miami, near Waynesville, Warren County, a place where many emigrants made short halts for the pur- pose of viewing the country before locating. At this place it is supposed that he tarried long enough to raise a summer crop. In 1805, he removed to a point on Lytle's Creek, about three miles below where the town of Wilmington now stands. At this place, he raised his second crop in Ohio. The following spring, having purchased a small tract of land in the green wood, on the south side of Cowan's Creek, he removed to it and commenced an improvement. His cabin and other buildings stood about forty rods nearly due east from the. present residence of Thomas Custis.

From the spring of 1806 to 1810, he appears to have engaged industri- ously in opening his land to the sun, erecting buildings and cultivating crops. Early in 1810, Clinton County was created. At first it was divided into three townships-Chester, Vernon and Richland. To each township was given the election of three Justices of the Peace. The first election for filling that office in Clinton County was fixed by Judges Hughes and Hinkson for April 21, 1810. Mr. Roberds' residence was included in Richland Township. Mr. Roberds, Absalom Reed and William Venard were returned as elected for Richland. In 1813, Mr. Roberds was elected to the same office. April 3, 1813, he was appointed by the County Commissioners Collector of the State revenue and county tax for Clinton County. April 8, 1814, he was re-appointed by the Commissioners to the same office. At the election on the second Tuesday in October, 1814, he was elected Sheriff of Clinton County, succeeding Jonathan Harlan, the first Sheriff of the county, who, having served two terms, was in- eligible to re-election. In 1816, he was re-elected to the office of Sheriff; his term expired in 1818, and he in his turn became ineligible to re-election. His successor in office was Joel Woodruff. On the second Tuesday in October, 1819, Mr. Roberds was elected County Commissioner for Clinton County. At .. the same time, the electors of Union Township, which had been created in Au- gust, 1813, elected him to the office of Justice of the Peace for that town- ship.

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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 2, Part 10

Author: Durant, Pliny A. ed; Beers (W.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : W. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1410

Author: Durant, Pliny A. ed; Beers (W.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : W. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1410