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 14

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 14

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Some thirty years ago, there existed in the eastern part of the township a religious society of the Christian denomination. The church building occu- pied by them is still standing, but it has been used for other purposes for a number of years, and the meeting is numbered with events of the past.

Beech Grove Meeting. - Meetings of the Friends of Beoch Grove neighbor- hood, some three miles southwest of Wilmington, were held as early as 1858 or 1859, yet it was not established as a meeting of worship until the 23d of 5th month, 1861. Their house of worship was built in the fall of 1860, on ground deeded by Isaac R. McElwoo to Franklin Spencer, Azel Walker and Samuel H. Hadley, Trustees of the society. and the amount paid for it was $75. The date of the deed is December 26,1864. The only recorded minister the society has had was Peter Osborn. The heads of families originally comprising this meet- ing were William Osborn, Peter Osborn, Rowland Green, Azel and Asa Wal- ker, Harlan Madden, Charles Osborn, Eli Hadley, S. H. Hadley and perhaps others, nearly all of whom are now dead.

For a number of years past, the Methodists residing in the northeastern part of the township have held services in what is known as Dutch School - house, and in February, 1882; an organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church was effected, which is a part of the Bowerville Circuit. Mrs. Sarah Hawes has been active in the interests of this society, and, mainly through her efforts, a subscription has been raised and a one-story church edifice commenced, located on ground donated by John R. Pendry.

The Gaddis Graveyard, situated about three miles northeast of Wil- mington, on the Prairie road, is of uncertain age. It is on land for- merly owned by Col. Thomas Gaddis, and is almost, if not quite, as old as the village of Wilmington. Timothy Bennet, Union Township's first pioneer, was buried here, and, among other pioneer families, we find recorded on the cold marble the following names: Sewell, Custis, Ford, Shinn, Carroll, Russell, Rannells, Parrott, Mc Whorter, Gaddis, McCool.

In wandering through these old burying-grounds and looking upon the moss-covered and almost defaced memorials, we notice that many of the ten- ants have occupied these tombs for more than half a century-surely long enough to fulfill the great truth, "Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return. "

MILLS.

The first mill in the township, and, most likely, the first in the county, was the Eachus Mill heretofore mentioned in the sketch of that pioneer. It stood on Todd's Fork, in the Centre neighborhood, in Survey No. 1,558, and was built by Robert Eachus in 1805. The mill has long since disappeared, and no other has been erected in its stead. Traces of the old dam and race are still discernible. For further particulars concerning this mill, the reader is referred to the account given of the pioneer, Robert Eachus.

Mahlon Haworth built and operated a grist-mill on Todd's Fork. It was run by both water and horse power, and was erected about the year 1805 or 1806.

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George Haworth also built a grist-mill at an early day, which stood on the same stream as those above described, just west of where the Xenia pike crosses the creek, now the site of the Cline Mill.

During the war of 1812-15, William Butler, then residing on a farm west of Wilmington, built a small saw and grist mill on Lytle's Creek, one mile. from the village. The mill passed from the hands of Mr. Butler to David Stratton, then engaged in the mercantile business in Wilmington. Under his ownership the mill was operated for fifteen or twenty years, when the dam was destroyed by high water and the buildings were suffered to decay; and in after years, every particle of the mill and dam were swept away, and now not a ves- tige of the enterprise is traceable. At that period in the history of the county, the streams were full throughout the year, and mills were operated from eight to ten months. Dr. A. Jones, who gives the above information, relates the fol- lowing incident in connection with it: "On a Sunday evening in 1825, Will- iam Halo and ourself walked down to the old mill-dam, and there witnesed a. most exciting scene-a young man in the act of drowning. A number of young men and boys were bathing, and among them was one who boasted greatly of his power as a swimmer. The company soon wearied of their sport; all came out of the water but the swimmer, who had ventured too far and was in the act of sinking. Elisha Doan went to his relief, and, in taking hold of the man, Doan was drawn under by him, and both were in great danger. 1 line of assistance was formed, and both were drawn out on the bank. The ex- pert swimmer was, to all appearances, dead, but in a few moments, however, he was resuscitated, and able to speak, and his first words were, 'Darn you, boys, you like to let me drown!' The fact was evident that the boasting swim- mer could not swim in deep water."

About the year 1815, Nathan Stalker built a small grist-mill on Lytle's Creek, not far from the line now separating Union and Adams Townships. After carrying on the milling business for some years, he sold his land and mill to Joshua Moore, who operated it for a period of years, when it was pur- chased by his brother, Haines Moore, who is yet in possession of the premises, although the old mill rotted down years ago.

In 1825, Nathan Linton built a saw-mill on Todd's Fork, near the Waynes- ville road, about three miles northwest of Wilmington, and, about the year 1841, on the same stream and site, he erected a large four-story grist-mill, forty-four feet square. This mill was destroyed by fire during the late war.

Peyton Burton, a millwright of some note in this section of the country, built and remodeled a number of the mills of Clinton County. He erected a steam grist-mill just south of Wilmington, which, though not large, did an ex- tensive business, as there was no mill then in operation in Wilmington. He next built another grist-mill, run by steam, on Cowan's Creek, near the vicinity of the present settlement of Burtonville, and, later, erected a grist-mill, with a water-power, on the site of the present mill at Burtonville, which was sold to Thomas Custis, and later was destroyed by fire, and the present mill erected about 1840 by Mr. Custis. It is the property of William Schofield.

TILE FACTORY.

An important industry of the township is the tile factory of John A. Sprowle, one mile east of Wilmington, where are manufactured all kinds of round tiling for drainage purposes. The works were built in the spring of 1881, by the present proprietor and J. G. Starbuck. The dry house is sixty by twenty-five feet, and. the mill has a capacity for making 2,000 feet of four inch tile per day.

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

CONCLUDING NOTES AND INCIDENTS.

A writer in the Republican in 1872 gives the following interesting sketches pertaining to the early history of the township of Union:

"Although our county has no old ruined fort or battle-field to give it no- toriety, there are two or three places in it which, in early times, were known to the settlers for quite a distance in the surrounding country. The Deserted

Camp, at Starbucktown, is one of them. What circumstance gave it that name is not positively known to me, the accounts being somewhat conflicting; but, from the best information I can get, an army, during the Indian wars in the last century, had its encampment there, and its guide deserted and notified the Indians of its approach. Whether the army now became panic-stricken and deserted its camp, or whether the circumstance of the guide deserting gave the name to the location, I am unable to tell; but it was undoubtedly one or the other." After this it was the headquarters for surveying parties, and survey lines extend from this point to a great distance in almost every direction.

"Down the creek a short distance from the Deserted Camp is a piece of bottom land, now owned by Andrew Gaddis, that the people used to call Lo- gan's Bottom, and tradition points to it as once the home of Logan, the Mingo chief-the same Logan that made the speech to Lord Dunmore, which almost every school boy and girl has read.

"The 'Fallen Timber' was another place of notoriety, and to this belongs a tale: About the year 1806, a terrible tornado passed through Dover neigh- borhood, entirely destroying the timber for a distance of forty or fifty rods in width. Its track is plainly discernible to the present day. Upon the day it occurred, Timothy Bennet, who then lived upon the farm now owned by S. R. Glass, and his son Michael, were following the Indian trace from Xenia, or Old Town, to their home, and were overtaken by this terrible storm at a point near where John Prebles now resides. They found it impossible to escape; so, with an humble prayer to God for their preservation, they were compelled to face the war of elements. The most vivid flashes of lightning and deafening peals of thunder burst upon them, and a roar as if the foundations of the great deep were breaking up; then came a whirl as the fiercest typhoon that bent and broke even the strongest oak to the earth. Thus the storm passed by -- but where were our friends ? Standing there unscathed; no hair of themselves or their horses had been hurt, but they were standing with fallen timber on every side of them; all of a heavy forest had been thrown around them. They cut their way out and went on their way home, with their hearts raised in thank- fulness to the Lord that their prayer had been answered.

"Another instance, which I have often heard one of these old patriarchs relate, in which he thought Providence had a guiding hand, I will give: It was late in the fall, and he was on one of those dreary trips to Waynesville, to mill, on horseback, with a sack of corn, also with his cache of furs, which he in- tended to trade for either cash or merchandise. He had to stay all night, and, in the morning, found the wind had shifted to the northeast, and was blowing a fierce gale. He was thinly clad and without an overcoat, but was away from home and must return. So, mounting his horse, on his sack of meal, and with his package of goods in his naked hands, he started. As he crossed those bleak Miami hills in a drizzling rain that froze to his thin garments, he thought he must perish; but the Father that 'tempers the wind to the shorn lamb' was not unmindful of him, for, after traveling some distance, he chanced to look into the woods some distance from the path, and saw a little smoke. On ap- proaching it, he found the smoldering ashes covered a splendid fire that some

*See account in general chapter.

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roving band of Indians or white hunters had left. He dismounted, thawed and dried his thin garments, warmed his chilly person, then struck into the deep woods and came safely home. I have often heard this worthy father ro- late this incident, and tears of gratitude would roll down his furrowed cheeks as he would express his thankfulness to the Lord for his preservation.

"A settler, perhaps more enterprising than some others, penetrated the forest in the dry season of the year, into the swamp known as the 'Crane Pond,' and built a cabin not far from where ex-Sheriff Stamats now resides, and, before he made any-or but little-improvement, the rains came on and raised the swamp until his house was almost surrounded by water. While things were. in that condition, two men on horseback, in search of stray cattle, came slashing through the pond and came suddenly upon this cabin. The occupants saw them stop, and one in surprise threw up his hands and exclaimed to his com. panion, 'My God! somebody lives here!' The other replied, 'God help the man that lives here!'"

Some time in 1809, Caleb Perkins, a son of Isaac Perkins, while out early in the morning hunting, treed a raccoon, and Richard Henderson, a neighbor, was called to the spot with his gun. After firing away all his ammunition without bringing the animal down, he finally felled the tree. A branch of the falling tree struck Caleb Perkins, mortally injuring him, and, although his death did not occur until eleven months later, during all of this time he was a great sufferer.

On the 28th of August, 1840, a young man named Calvin Rees, living in the family of James Moon, on Todd's Fork, blew into the muzzle of a rifle to see if the weapon was loaded. He discovered that it was, but lost his life upon making the discovery.

The following is Dr. A. Jones' account of the cyclone which caused the windfall known as the " Fallen Timbers:" "Soon after the beginning of the settlement on Todd's Fork occurred one of the most extensive and widespread cyclones that ever passed over the Miami Valley. Its starting-point was in the locality between the villages of Sligo and Clarksville, passing north and northeast over the country traversed by Todd's Fork, running generally on the south side of that stream. It was very 'irregular in width, contracting and widening frequently, while its estimated length was from ten to twelve miles. As to the date of this atmospheric phenomenon, some differences of opinion still exist, but the best authenticated accounts give the summer of 1806 as the correct date."

Eli Harvey, one of the earliest settlers on Todd's Fork, in an interview with Dr. Jones, says: "This storm occurred late in the summer of 1806. I had erected my cabin on the west side of Todd's Fork, in the dense forest. When the wind storm began, I was but a short distance from my cabin. The force of the storm was truly terrific; all the large and small timber from my standpoint to my cabin was blown down, and when the cyclone had passed over, my little dwelling could not be seen. When the storm commenced, my family were in the house; when it ended, to my eye they were covered up by the fallen timber. Approaching my cabin by climbing over the brush and fallen trees, I saw the little log house still standing, and to my loud calls my wife answered. This to me was indescribable joy, and I hastily extricated my family from their imprisonment, thanking God that they were safe and unin- jured."

To many of the early pioneers, the "Fallen Timbers" storm was familiar, as its great extent was unusual and an unshapen mass of trees was thrown and , twisted into every form. Where the trail of the cyclone was narrow, the fallen

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trees and brush were the highest. At that period in the county's history, wild animals were numerous, and the "Fallen Timbers" afforded them a fine hiding- place from the keen eye of the hunter. Here they sought concealment and made the night hideous with their fierce cries. More than three-quarters of a century has come and gone since this cyclone swept over Todd's Fork, but in later years we have a vivid recollection of our amazement on viewing the effects produced upon the forest by this wonderful combination of the elements .*

1*Dr. Jones.

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BY HON. I. W. QUINBY.

A DAMS Township has an area of 14,200 acres, a fraction over twenty-two square miles. It is one of the smallest in the county. It was the twelfth township established in the county. It was named for and in honor of John Quincy Adams, who had died the year before its formation at Washington City, being stricken with paralysis while in the discharge of his duties on the floor of the House of Representatives, as a member of Congress from Massachusetts.

Its surface is diversified and undulating. Along the water-courses there aro considerable stretches of rich bottom land of like kind and quality to that of the Miami bottoms. This bottom land is flanked on either side by low lines of hills that lead to the higher table-lands above. West and north of Todd's Fork, there is a gently rolling upland of deep rich soil, in places black and loamy. East and southeast of Todd's Fork, the upland is loamy, well adapted to the growth of wheat and the tame grasses. It is also fine grazing land, the grasses grown upon it being highly nutritious.

STREAMS.

The two principal water-courses are Todd's Fork, a tributary of the Little Miami, and Lytle's Creek, the latter of which empties its waters into the for- mer about one mile southwest of Sligo. Lytle's Creek was named for Gen. William Lytle, of Cincinnati, who was one of the pioneers of Hamilton County, and a distinguished citizen. He was a land surveyor, and was often employed by those holding military land warrants to locate and survey their lands. In 1802, Ambrose Dudley employed him to make a survey, known as Dudley's survey, No. 2,789, containing 2,660 acres, for which and other services rendered, Dudley deeded him 700 acres off the north end of the survey. Asa Green has in his keeping now the original deed from Dudley to Lytle for this 700 acres. It is dated on the 3d day of June, 1802, the consideration in the deed being stated as follows: "In consideration of locating 2,660g acres of land, lying and being in the county of Hamilton, and territory northwest of the River Ohio, on the waters of Todd's Fork, a branch of the Little Miami."

Ambrose Dudley lived at that time in Fayette County, Ky., where he con- tinued to reside as late as the year 1820. The perils, privations, and the ex- posures incident to making a survey of land at this early day were so great that Lytle, no doubt, well earned the tract of land with which he was reward- ed for his services.

Lytle's Creek enters the township near the middle of the eastern boundary line, and flows almost due west until it debouches into Todd's Fork.

Todd's Fork was probably named for and in perpetuation of the memory of Col. John Todd, an early settler in the vicinity of Lexington, Ky., who was a noted Indian fighter. In 1782, with the rank of Colonel, he was in command . of the militia around Lexington and with a portion of his command participat- ed in the disastrous and bloody battle of the Blue Licks August 19, 1782, where he was killed while in command. In this battle Daniel Boone had a son killed, and came near being captured himself by the Indians. It flows in a south- westerly direction through the township, entering it at 194 poles east of the southwest corner of the township.

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

About one-half mile east of Ogden, there is a small stream that flows into Lytle's Creek from a southerly direction, known by the name of Indian Branch. Prior to the first settlements, a portion of a tribe of Indians had made their home upon its banks at times, probably while away from their villages on hunting excursions. Within the memory of some now living, the stumps of the trees and saplings which had been hacked down with their hatchets could yet be seen, and a small patch of land in the richest bottom cleared by the Indians; hence the name Indian Branch. About a third of a mile from the mouth of Ind.an Branch there is another stream that puts into it from an easterly direc- tion, known as Jess's Run.

Dutch Creek is the name of a tributary of Todd's Fork, that flows into it from a northeasterly direction. The north line of the township crosses it not far from its mouth. Little Creek is the name of a stream that flows in a southerly direction through the northeast portion of the township and empties into Todd's Fork about a mile above the mouth of Lytle's Creek. There is another small stream that has its head near the southern line of the township and flows in a northwesterly direction and empties into Lytle's Creek, about one mile below Ogden.

MILLS.

In the earlier days, these streams afforded an abundant water supply. The dense growth of timber prevented the sun's rays from reaching the ground and the water that fell in the form of rain and snow did not evaporate rapidly, but was carried off slowly by the natural channels on the surface. The decay- ing leaves, the prostrate timber, the rotten logs, and the driftwood, tended to prevent the rapid drainage of the water from off the surface of the ground. In the year 1805, a man by the name of Mordecai Mendenhall bought a part of the Gates survey of James Murray, in whose name the survey was patented, and built a grist-mill on Todd's Fork, about one mile above the mouth of Dutch Creek. It was probably the first mill built on Todd's Fork .* March 15, 1800, he sold it with 140 acres of land to Jonathan Wright, who owned it until 1814, when he sold it to Richard Fallis. Fallis refitted and enlarged it and kept it running until 1826, when he sold it with a tract of 256 acres of land to his nephew. Jonathan Fallis. In 1830, Jonathan Fallis sold it with forty-seven acres of land to Josiah Townsend. Townsend afterward died, and in May, 1837, his administrator deeded it back to Jonathan Failis, by order of court and in payment of an unpaid balance of the original purchase money. Fallis immediately deeded it to John Hadley, who owned it until 1841, when he sold it to Stacey* Haines, who kept it until 1854. It was afterward owned by Thomas Kimbrough, Jeremiah Kimbrough, his son, William L. Hadley, Thomas Hazard, A. U. Hadley, and again by William L. Hadley. It having fallen into disuse and decay about the year 1867, he took it down.

In 1808, Eli Harvey and John Hadley, brothers-in-law, built a grist-mill on Todd's Fork about one mile below Springfield Meeting-House. It was after- ward owned by John Hadley, and became widely known as Hadley's Mill. His sons, Isaac and John, afterward owned it for a time, and about thirty years - ago it was purchased by Jesse Thatcher. Soon after, it caught fire and burned down. Thatcher built another mill on the same site, a large, three-story build- ing, and for some time it had considerable custom. About ten years ago, he ' took it down and moved it to Wilmington.

In 1818, John Holladay built a saw-mill on Lytle's Creek, near where Ogden has since been built, and three years later built a grist-mill. About 1846, the saw-mill was rebuilt. The grist-mill some time afterward was en -

* Robert Eachus built a mill on Todd's Fork in the same year, in the Centre neighborhood, in what is now Union Township. -

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larged, refitted, and steam power attached. This mill property has had var- ious owners. Both the mills are still standing, but are no longer in use as such. The old mill-race has become filled up and put in cultivation with ad- joining land, but it is still remembered by many who skated upon its smoothly frozen surface when boys.

It hardly seems credible that such a small stream as Little Creek now ap- pears to be once afforded sufficient water-power to run a mill; but such is the fact. In the year 1811, Caleb Harvey built a carding and fulling mill on his farm on said creek that was kept running for many years. It was largely pat- ronized, the early settlers coming for many miles to get their wool carded and rolled into rolls, and their blankets and jeans fulled. So crowded was it with work that it was sometimes kept running nights. A man by the name of Alex- ander Montgomery was its proprietor for a long time. It stood a few rods up the creek from where the Lebanon road, now a pike, crosses the stream. Several years lator, farther down the stream, a saw-mill was built. It has re- cently disappeared also.

About the year 1842, William B. Andrew built a saw-mill on Lytle's Creek, about a mile and a half above its mouth. It was kept running much of the time for many years, but fell into decay, and is now a thing of the past. All of these mills, with the exception of the one at Ogden, have disappeared. It still stands as a memento of the sturdy pioneers. If standing and in running order as of yore, but little grinding could be done upon them, owing to the lack of a supply of water. The rainfall annually is as large, perhaps, as it was then; but it runs off quickly, the streams rising suddenly and the water running swiftly. In those days the farmer took his wheat to the mill and stored it in a granary set apart for him by the miller, to be ground into flour as needed for family use. Now, the steam-mills do most of the work. The mill-stones used for grinding the grain were quite small, the first used being only eighteen or twenty inches in diameter, and made from pieces broken from large rocks.

TIMBER.

The whole of the territory now embraced in Adams Township was, at the date of the first settlements within its borders, a vast, unbroken forest. Great, stately-looking poplars, like giant sentinels on guard, stood on every slope and hill-side, nodding to each other as the wind swayed them to and fro, while, on the bottom land, rich in alluvial deposits, the black wainuts reared aloft their spreading branches as if courting recognition as the kings of the forest trees. Nor were the white oaks and wide-spreading elms wanting. It was not uncommon to see trees of the species of poplar, oak, and walnut, that were from four to five feet in diameter, and devoid of limb or branch to the height of sixty feet. The timber that then stood upon certain acres of land that at that time might have been selected, would, if standing now. as it stood then, be worth hundreds of dollars per acre, while as a whole, if now standing, it would be worth vastly more than the cleared land is now worth, rating lumber at the present prevailing prices. Yet the timber could not be spared, for the early settlers, as well as those who were to come after them, must have homes and farms, and to have these, the timber must be cleared away, and the farms must be opened up for cultivation. In making the clearings, the trees were first girdled with the ax, or "deadened," as it was generally called, and then left standing until the branches and bodies became somewhat decayed. They were then felled to the ground, rolled into great heaps, and burned, except such as were fit for making into rails for fencing.

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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 14

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