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 12

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 12

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).

Alexander Brown

573

UNION TOWNSHIP.

eighteen families made improvements on Todd's Fork. Jonathan Dillon, Isaac Perkins, Peter Rightman, William Jay, Ezekiel Leonard, Samuel Stan- ton and Michael Moderman were among those who built cabins in 1804 and 1805. On either side of Todd's Fork the settlement continued for some miles up and down the creek. Perhaps fewer changes have taken place in the man- ners and customs of the Todd's Fork settlements than in any other locality of Clinton County.

John Leonard, another of the pioneers, was born in Guilford County, N. C., and, in 1805, was married to Lydia Starbuck. In the beginning of 1806, with one child and a small outfit, they left their native State for Ohio, and, after a long and weary journey through Tennessee and Kentucky, crossed the Ohio River at Cincinnati; finally locating on Todd's Fork in Union Township, Clinton County, Ohio, where some of their friends had previously settled. Mr. Leonard was a man of herculean frame, great physical strength and well fitted for pioneer life. Early in 1806, he selectod land, built his rudo log cabin and united his'destiny with the other colonists. He went to work with vigor and soon had a patch cleared off and his first crop in Ohio planted, while in the meantime he obtained corn-meal for bread at the mill of Robert Eachus, which had previously been erected on Todd's Fork. Mr. Leonard says, in an interview with him, written and published by Dr. A. Jones: "In the early part of 1806, when I arrived at the settlement on Todd's Fork, I found but one sheep, as it was impossible to keep them from being killed by the wolves, which in- fested the whole country." As to their clothing, it was all made by hand. Flannel and linsey were used in winter, while flax and tow linen were worn in summer. All the fabrics in the manufacture of clothing were prepared by hand from the raw material, as no fulling-mills existed at that period in this locality.

Mr. Leonard was well pleased with his new home, and says: "We found the lands undulating and well drained by the creeks and their branches. No. country ever presented greater variety in timber growth. The bottoms, as well as the hill lands, were heavily timbered. From the richness of the soil, it yielded finely and without much labor." In speaking of the early settlers, Mr. Leonard said: "There was not much contention among us. In physical devel- opment, we had many stout men. In muscular power, we seldom met our equals. By strength of arms I could raise a barrel of whisky and drink from, the bung. Few men had the strength of arm to do so." To John and Lydia Leonard were born fourteen children, thirteen of whom-seven boys and six girls-grew to manhood and womanhood and became the heads of families, leaving the aged parents the sole tenements of the home where they had lived since 1806. John Leonard died December 7, 1870, aged eighty-eight years one month and eleven days. His wife survived him nearly four years, dying May 30, 1874, aged ninety-one years, seven months and twenty-one days, and their remains lie side by side in the cemetery at Centre. Thus passed away this aged pioneer couple, who lived to see the country converted from a wil- derness into a garden of agricultural prosperity.

In 1807, George McManis, Sr., emigrated from Kentucky and located about three miles southeast of the site of Wilmington, and, upon the organiza- tion of Clinton County in 1810, he was appointed as one of the Associate Judges of the county. Judge McManis was a farmer all his life and a gentle- man of fair literary attainments and high moral character. His eldest son, John, was appointed at one time to perform the duties of Auditor and Recorder of Clinton County, and was a man of fine ability and good reputation. His 'other son, George, was one of the Associate Judges of Clinton County, was strongly imbued with a living faith in Christianity, and spent some of his later

٩ ١ساحة الـ

574

HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

years in preaching the Gospel. The daughters of Judge McManis were women of fine personal appearance and all made good marriages. The Judge died as he had lived, without a stain upon his character, and, after the customs of Kentuckians, he was interred upon his farm, which he had passed his days in clearing and cultivating.

The settlement in the southeast part of Union Township was made in 1804 and 1805. John McKenzie and the Spencers were the first to locate here, building their cabins on Cowan's Creek. They had previously come from Ken- tucky to Warren County, Ohio, whence they removed to this township. Though the families of Mckenzie and the Spencers were unfriendly, yet it became a necessity with them to assist each other in raising cabins and log-rolling. At this period, a number of Indian camps still remained along the brow of the hill facing the creek, where Mckenzie and the Spencers were making their im- provements, but they were friendly to the whites, whose children often visited the Indian wigwams. Hunting parties of the Shawnee tribe made annual visits to their old camping-ground on Cowan's Creek, until 1811, when, on ac- count of the approaching troubles with the whites, their hunting expeditions ceased.

There were several of the Spencer family who settled adjoining Mckenzie. The grandfather, "Bill," as he was called, was a wild, reckless man, defying the civil law and disregarding good morals. The others were James, Peter, Thomas, William and Joseph, the last of whom attained considerable celebrity as a fighter. He was the most reckless of the family. At one time, he was confined in the old jail for offense against the law, and whilst in prison he burned the lock off the door, came out and let the jail burn down without giv- ing any alarm or trying to save the building. This family, however, with all their recklessness, were industrious, and, in the Indian war of 1811, James served as Captain of the Pack-Horse Brigade, under Gen. Harrison, carrying provisions for the use of the army.

About the same time that Mckenzie and the Spencers came, Isaac Wilson emigrated from Kentucky and built his cabin on the north side of Cowan's Creek, about two miles northwest of the site of Burtonville, and is said to have been the first to settle on the north side of the creek south of Wilmington. His farm was on a small stream since known as Wilson's Branch. In the fall of 1804, or early in 1805, other emigrants from Kentucky settled near to Wil- son, viz., John and Charles McGrew, Thomas Wright and others. From 1805 to 1810, there were but few settlers from Wilson's to the western line of Union Township.

At an early period in pioneer history, probably during or soon after the war of 1812, Nathan Stalker, Isaac Stout, Adam Reynard, Caleb, Joshua and Haines Moore located in the southwestern portion of Union Township, building their cabins along and south of Lytle's Creek. The lands of some of those set- tlers are now in Adams Township, while the township line runs through the lands of others. This portion of Union was soon dotted over with the cabins of the pioneer, and small improvements made. Along Cowan's Creek and In- dian Run, in the immediate vicinity of Burtonville, emigrants from Virginia settled, among whom were J. J. Lacy, John Jacks, John and Samuel Martin and perhaps a few others. Thus it will be seen that most of the earliest set- tlers of Union Township were natives of the Southern States, who brought with them into their new homes the manners and hospitable customs of the Southern people. Here and there settled some of the sturdy, go-ahead Eastern people, who infused into their Southern neighbors some of the vigor, vim and shrewdness for which the Yankee is characterized. Alongside of those settled . the warm-hearted, genial, brave and witty Irishman, and the mixing of those

20181 to

575

UNION TOWNSHIP.

races by intermarriage has produc od a people second to none in this broad land.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.

Union Township was organized at a special meeting of the County Com- missioners August 21, 1813, from the three original townships into which the county was divided, namely, Vernon, Chester and Richland. It was formed . from land lying in the center of the county, and received the name of Union from its formation of the union of those subdivisions. Its boundary lines , were described as follows:

"Beginning at an elm in Enos Clevenger's lane, marked threo hacks and a blaze; thence running east three and one-half miles to a black ash marked for a corner as before, oasterly corner of said township; thence north three and one-half miles to a large hickory, corner of the division line between Richland and Green Townships; thonce samo course four and one-half miles to two olms, northerly corner to said township; thenco west sevon milos to a large beech, westerly corner to said township; thence south eight miles, southerly corner to said township; thenco east three and one-half miles to the place of beginning. The first election ordered to be held September 10, 1813."

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

The following are the names of the persons commissioned to the office of · Justice of the Peace in Union Township, with the time of service in most cases:

Eli Gaskill, October 3, 1813, to 1816; Joseph Robords, October 3, 1813; William Venard, October 3, 1813, to 1816; Thomas Wright, 1815; Joel Wood- ruff, April, 1816, to December 9, 1820; Daniel Radcliffe, 1819, 1822, 1825, 1828; Jesse Dillon, February, 1821, to February, 1824; William Millikan, 1824, to 1827; Lewis McCoole, June 3, 1828; Amos T. Sewell, January 31, 1829, 1832, 1835, 1838, 1841, 1843, 1853; Samuel McCuno, May 31, 1829; re-elected June 1, 1837; Georgo B. Moore, April 16, 1832, to 1834; George Bruce, Septombor 3, 1826, to 1829; Boboe Treusdell, October 25, 1835, July, 1838, 1841, 1844, 1847, 1850, 1853, 1856, 1859; Jacob Taylor, June 19, 1841; August 7, 1843; Charles N. Osborn, 1858; February 20, 1862; James Killin, April 7, 1843, to 1846; Junius Carpenter, April 25, 1867; Thomas R. Thatcher, April 3, 1861; William B. Fisher, April 5, 1855, 1858, 1861, 1864, 1867; Andrew H. Chapman, April 5, 1855, 1858, 1861, 1864; Henry S. Doan, April 10, 1862, 1865, 1868; Junius Carpenter, April 5, 1867, 1870, 1873, 1876; I. W. Quinby, April 5, 1867, to 1870; W. H. Grantham, April 9, 1870, to 1873; M. L. Ent, April 9, 1870, to 1873; L. J. Walker, April 9, 1870, 1873, 1876; C. W. Swaim, April 8, 1876, 1879, 1882; term expires April 14, 1885; C. B. Dwiggins, April 8, 1876, to 1879; Z. G. Haworth, April 10, 1879, to 1882; J. V. Ellis, April 14, 1880, to 1883: C. N. Osborn, December 13, 1881; term ex- pires 1884.

SCHOOLS.

Schools were established in Union Township almost as soon as a neighbor- hood settlement had been effected. The clearings of Todd's Fork had scarcely been made and cabins erected, when an effort was made for a school. In 1803, ground located in Survey No. 1,558, in the northwestern part of the township, was conveyed by James Murray, of Annapolis, Md., to Nathan Linton, James Moon and Isaac Perkins, Trustees of the Society of Friends, for a meeting- house and schoolhouse. Just what time this settlement built a cabin for school purposes, we cannot say; but, from the following statement of the late John Leonard, given to Dr. A. Jones in an interview some years before his

سيحق العامل

Mint jud ,

576

HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

death, it is evident that the house was built prior to the year 1806. In speak- ing of the settlement on Todd's Fork, Mr. Leonard says: "When I arrived at the settlement, the Society of Friends had erected a small log house at Centre to hold their meetings in, and near the creek, on the east side of Eachus' Mill, .. had a small log cabin to teach in-a schoolhouse." Mr. Leonard settled on . Todd's Fork in the early part of the year 1806. At a pioneer meeting held in Wilmington October 9, 1875, Jesse Doan said: "I came to Clinton County in 1804; was born in 1796. P. Dicks taught the first school at Centre, and Gideon Tizer taught the second; I went to both."

There was a schoolhouse on what is now the Samuel Walker farm, situated about one and one-half miles north of Wilmington, in which school was taught by Thomas Powel, probably in the fall and winter of 1809-10. According to the recollection of William Walker, the first term continued six months. Powel was an Englishman, who had served in the British Navy, and, at the time he was teaching here, it is thought he was living in the northeast part of the county. After his first term bere, he went to Center and taught one term, then he returned and taught a three months' term on the Walker place. Among the pupils in this first school were William (son of Azel) Walker, and the children of Mahlon and James Haworth, Daniel Dillon, James Wright, Shubael Ellis, Henry Babb, Timothy Bennet; also Joel (son of Conrad) Hayes, who resided some distance away on what was known as the " Crane Pond," David Hughes, Jesse Hughes, and Moses (son of Ezekiel) Frazier. In the same old log schoolhouse, the site of which Samuel Walker still points out, the teachers were Joel Pusey and Jerry Armstrong. After this building had been in disuse some time, another log schoolhouse was built about a third of a mile farther south, on the same farm, the site of which is still plain, although the building is not in existence. There is evidence that school was in session in this latter structure February 7, 1822, and the term had probably commenced in the fall of 1821. The first man who taught here was Amos T. Sowell, succeeded by his brother Peter, William Crumly (who was teacher in December, 1823), and possibly a man named Miars.

John Mc Whorter, from Loudoun County, Va., came to Ohio with his family in the fall of 1809, and remained until the following spring, at "Highbank Prairie," on the Scioto River. He was a native of Wilmington, Del. In the spring of 1810, he removed to Union Township, Clinton County, and lived in the old schoolhouse on the Walker place a short time, while erecting a log house for himself on the place a short distance east, now owned by Zimri Dwiggins. McWhorter sent children to Powel's second term of school, at the Walker Schoolhouse. He was a member of the Society of Friends; died De- cember 24, 1856.

As early as the year 1813, a schoolhouse stood in the northwestern part of the township, and was called Dutch Creek Schoolhouse. Here Robert Way commenced teaching in November, 1813. Another schoolhouse of "ye olden times" was built by Robert Eachus and his neighbors, on Stony Ridge, some two miles northwest of Wilmington. A more lengthy account of these schools is given further on, in the biography of Robert Way, a well-known pioneer school-teacher in this section of the State. About the year 1818, Nathan Lin- ton built on his farm, situated in the western part of the township, a two-story milkhouse, and gave the upper story for the use of the neighborhood as a schoolroom. We learn from Mr. Seth Linton, who attended school here, that only two or three schools were held in the milkhouse, and they were taught by a Miss Catharine Saxton. A writer in the Republican in 1872 gives the fol- lowing interesting sketch of the early schools of Union Township:

הפה

en d

٠٠٠

577

UNION TOWNSHIP.

"Schools were necessarily very primitive. The teachers were neither taught in Normal schools, nor trained in institutes, but were of the rough, pio- neer sort. One qualification for a good teacher was great physical strength; an- other, his ability to manifest stoicism in his countenance, so that he might strike terror into the big and unruly boys. The rod was often and freely used; in fact, the schools were generally governed in the old Southern slavery style. Their sports were mostly of the rougher kind; wrestling, jumping and foot- racing were indulged in, and possibly a little fighting now and then to make the occasion spicy. Instead of Christmas holidays, it was enjoined upon the teacher to treat to a bushel or two of apples, or a bucket full of cider, and woe be unto the teacher that would dare to refuse or neglect to comply with this imperious custom. If he did, the big boys would conceal themselves in the schoolhouse on Christmas Eve, or come very early on Christmas morning, and when the teacher arrived he would find every entrance to the house completely barricaded, with the scholars inside, complete masters of the situation. Gen- erally, when he found he was 'barred out,' he would succumb and give the customary treat. Now and then one would resist this kind of treatment, climb upon the roof, cover the top of the chimney, and smoke his scholars out; then he would often have to be fleet of foot as well as strong of muscle, or be caught and carried to the nearest water and 'ducked ' until he would have to yield at last.

"The branches usually taught were spelling, reading, writing and arith- metic. Instead of using the Federal money of our day, all their lessons were taught in pounds, shillings and pence. If a scholar mastered the primary and compound rules of arithmetic and understood the ' single rule of three,' he was quite an adept at calculation; and if by his own exertions or in any other way he should go through vulgar fractions and master the square and cube root, he was a prodigy indeed. The girls seldom studied arithmetic, for many of the mothers in those early days, in all their innocence, believed it was not necessary for 'gals' to learn to 'cipher,' for if they could become good spin- nors and weavers, and were adepts at housekeeping, they were quite accom- plished young ladies (and in the latter they judged rightly, too).

"John Haworth exercised a squatter's right and built a log house on the banks of Todd's Fork, near the gravel pit on Denver's farm, but soon left it. Daniel Dillon taught the first school that was ever taught in the neighborhood in that house, and if tradition tells us rightly, Cupid threw his arrows and love glances were exchanged in those days as well as now; for at that school, a sprightly girl, in half playful earnest, carried a bashful boy's hat home with her one evening. As hats were expensive in those days, he had to go after it. This visit was but the forerunner of another, and another, until the first mar- riage in the vicinity had to be celebrated.

"The next school the Dover boys and girls attended was kept in a house on the lands now owned by Samuel Walker, by a man by the name of Powel. Dover meeting was now established-of which I will speak more by and by- and the meeting-house was used for school purposes; and my informant re- marked that 'such a school was never seen by mortal. man before nor since.' The teacher was rather effeminate, and the scholars would play ball, wrestle, and even throw their feet over the joist and swing head downward, all while school was in session.

" One more move and Dover school became a permanent institution. A lot was purchased where the present schoolhouse is located, and, in order that the children who attend that school now, and other children, too, may know what kind of a house their grandfathers and grandmothers received their edu . cation in I will attempt to picture it. The walls were made of round logs,

د لى أحمد

ofdog

Us ml

578

HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

slightly hewn after being raised; the floor and door were made of puncheons; the roof of clapboards held on by weight-poles. Nearly une entire side of the house was made into a fire-place, and a stick and clay chimney carried the smoke away. It was lighted by cutting one log out the entire length of the building, and covering the opening with greased paper. The desks were made by placing wooden pins in the wall and nailing boards upon them. The seats were benches made of puncheons, and they sat with their faces to the wall. The above is no fancy picture, but a true description of the first schoolhouse built . at Dover. They procured their drinking-water from a brook near by, little dreaming then that the great wealth of chalybeate water that has since been discovered was so near the surface of the earth."

Robert Way," an early pioneer teacher of this State, and probably the most widely known educator of Southern Ohio for nearly sixty years, was born at Newberry, York Co., Penn., July 17, 1788. In 1794, his parents re- moved to St. Clair Township, Bedford County, Penn., where his father built a mill on Bobb's Crook. Hero Robert grew up to manhood. An old friend of Mr. Way speaks of five of the Way brothers whom he knew in Pennsylvania, David, Robert, Samuel, James and Thomas, and says that one of his earliest recollections is of seeing the Way family riding by his father's house to Qua- ker Meeting. Robert Way went to school at Ellicott's Mills, Md., and after- ward taught school in Bedford County, Penn. In the early part of October,- 1813, in company with Joseph and Thomas Whinery, he came to Clinton County, Ohio, and, in November of the same year, began teaching on Dutch Creek, near Azariah Wall's residence, three or four miles northwest of Wil- mington. Among his pupils here were Judge Abner Haines, late of Eaton, and the celebrated traveler, Jeremiah N. Reynolds. . The former thus describes the schoolhouse where Robert Way taught his first term in Ohio: "It stood on the east bank of Long Branch, and on the south side of the Wilmington road, about half a mile southeast of where Azariah Wall formerly resided. It was quite a primitive structure, built of logs and covered with clapboards sustained by ridge and held down by weight poles. The old neighbors, Azariah and John Wall, Amos Lundy, John Lewis, Anthony Stanley, Jonathan Dillon, John, Jacob, Joseph and Job Haines, and others met in the primitive forest and agreed on the site. In two days they cut the logs, hauled them together, reared and inclosed the house. Azariah Wall, Amos Lundy, Anthony Stan- ley and Job Haines notched the ends of the logs and carried up the corners in cabin style. Jonathan Dillon rived the clapboards, and Joseph Haines did the carpenter work. Thomas Whinery superintended the stick and clay chimney. .. The house was about 18x20 feet, with a puncheon door on the south side. Two logs were removed on the north and south sides, nearly their whole length. These spaces were cross-barred by small oak stiles, to which paper was pasted, and oiled with opossum or coon grease, for the purpose of letting in the light. West of the house about one hundred and fifty yards, was the spring used by the scholars for water. Near by the spring stood a smooth beech tree which bore the name of Jeremiah N. Reynolds, and in a line just below that of Robert Way, elegantly carved in the bark by a knife. The scholars used to discuss the respective merits of these autographs, and were much divided in opinion as to which was the most elegantly executed."

Mr. Way returned to Pennsylvania and spent the summer of 1814 with his friends and relatives, but came again to Ohio in the fall, and again taught during the winter of 1814-15 a six months' term at the Dutch Creek School- house. Robert Eachus, who was a warm friend of Robert Way, with the as- sistance of his neighbors, built a schoolhouse about two miles northwest of

* This sketch was furnished us as it appears by the widow of the late Judge R. B. Harlan.

ப. ரவீணி حاولون عمان

579

UNION TOWNSHIP.

Wilmington, on Stony Ridge, which Mr. Way called Todd's Fork Schoolhouse. Here Mr .. Way taught two years, during 1816-17, and again went to Penn- sylvania, where, in the winter of 1817-18, he taught a six months' term at Dunning's Creek, in that State, and afterward a three months' term in Warren County, Ohio, near the residence of Isaac Wales. In the winter of 1818-19, he taught a quarter school at Springboro, Warren County. In 1817, a Masonic Lodge at Wilmington was established by a dispensation charter from the Leb- anon Lodge, and Arnold Truesdell inade Worshipful Master. About this time, Robert Way took the first three degrees of Masonry at Wilmington, and he re- mained a member of the order up to the time of his death in 1871. He was consequently one of the oldest Masons in Ohio.

In 1819, he went to the Ohio University at Athens, accompanied by Arnold Truesdell and his former pupil, Jeremiah N. Reynolds, to take a course of study. He remained there until January, 1821, when he again visited Penn- sylvania, and taught at Dunning's Creek until the following September, when, in company with his old friend, Edwin A. Vickroy, who had formerly been his pupil in Bedford County, Penn., ho returned to Springboro, Warren Co., Ohio. They made the journey from Bedford County to Pittsburgh on foot, and in the latter place purchased a skiff, in which they descended the Ohio as far as Belpre, stopping first at Wheeling, where Nathan Hammond, who had accompanied them thus far, left them. After spending a few days in Wheel- ing, they continued the journey to Marietta, where they spent a few days visit- ing at the houses of Mr. Skinner and Mr. Putnam, son of Gen. Rufus Put- nam, whose sons had been college mates of Mr. Way at Athens. They next visited Belpre, stopping at the home of Squire Browning, who also had a son a stu-

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 12

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