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 20
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It remained in this form until the year 1813, when Union was established
1 from Chester, Richland and Vernon; hence the name. In 1817, Liberty, and the now west part of Wilson, were taken, to be followed in May, 1849, by the southern part of Chester, going to form the northern part of Adams; since then no further change in the territory has been made.
Of the larger streams or water-courses of the county, none extend for any distance within our corporate limits. The waters of Dutch Creek coming in below the center of our line on the east, flow but a few miles southwest, then join with those of Todd's Fork, just without our borders. Anderson's Fork, in its long, zigzag wanderings across the plains of Richland, Wilson and Lib- erty, to enter our borders on the east, stops but briefly to lave the soil of Ches- ter, and then glides into Greene, re-entering inside the lines, however, in time to flow southwest across our northwest corner, and unite with the waters of Cæsar Creek as they enter northwest and flow southeast. 'Then these two jour- ney on for a short distance only, when they by a southwest departure, disap. pear into Warren. But the tributaries of these streams are sufficient and pro- portionate to the drainage necessary for the lands, the principal ones of which are Buck Run, Turkey Run, Trace Branch, Jonah's Run and Layton's Run. These, with the exception of the latter, are tributaries of Cæsar Creek, the for- mer of which rises in Liberty Township on the lands of Allen Hiatt and flow westerly through the former into the latter, entering Cæsar Creek at the point where it departs into Warren. The directions of the three remaining tribu- taries of this stream are from east to southwest, with, however, one exception, and that the latter, which has a northwest by west course until after passing out of the township, when it assumes more of a northwest course. Layton's Run is a tributary of Dutch Creek, and rises on lands now owned by Newton McMillan and the heirs of Job Jeffries, flows southeast, and enters the lands of Emma Buckley.
As I said in the beginning, the lands of Chester were covered with a dense growth of forest trees, the following in part being the species to which they be- longed: Oak, beech, cottonwood, black walnut, hickory, buckeye, butternut, elm, ash, sassafras, gum, thorn, ironwood, honey locust, hornbeam, maple and poplar; and while these species of the flora of our land were not confined to any one section of it, yet some grew more numerous than others, and the ex-
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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
ceptions I shall note are the oak, maple, beech, hickory, poplar and sycamore. Of these, the former grew in all its majesty and beauty in the neighborhood of Oakland, the maple over all the territory, the beech likewise, as well as the hickory, while upon the water-courses we find the sycamore, and on the hill- sides and adjoining, the poplar.
The surface of our township can be divided into two classes, viz., the northern half undulating, but not so as to seriously interfere with its cultiva- tion or allow of lands that cannot in some manner be utilized. The southern half has, properly speaking, more of a level cast, and in the early days was somewhat retarded in its settlement and cultivation. The soils of the town- ship are well adapted to all kinds of small grain, and, in fact, to the various kinds of agricultural pursuits. The principal crops are corn, wheat, oats, flax, hay, and Irish potatoes, while in some localities rye and barley are raised every year; they are not, however, considered in these statements as belonging to our crops. The breeding and raising of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs are also engaged in quite extensively, and many fine animals of each breed are to be found in our township.
The lands in Chester, as indeed all those in the county, are of a class known as "the Virginia Military Lands," and were surveyed, entered and patented for and by the soldiers of the Continental establishment of Virginia, in the war for independence, or their heirs-at-law. Virginia had in that war two classes into which her troops were divided. First. the Continental, or, under the National Government; second, State troops, or militia. Virginia, as you are already informed in this volume, claimed under three separate charters from the crown of England, bearing date April 10, 1606, May 23, 1609, and March 12, 1611, all the lands then known as the "Territory North- west of the River Ohio," which, on March 1, 1784, she conveyed to the National Government, through her Delegates in Congress, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, Samuel Hardy and Arthur Lee, reserving, however, so much as would become necessary to discharge a debt then existing against her, and going to her soldiers who had enlisted under certain acts passed by her, and by which they were entitled to lands for their services. To this the National Govern- ment consented, and by so doing brought into history the lands referred to. The territory set apart consisted of a tract of land of 6,570 square miles, or 4,204,800 acres, situated between the Scioto and Little Miami Rivers, with a frontage on the Ohio River covering that distance. It then extended north until the head-waters of all south-running streams were reached; hence, Clin- ton County is one of the counties embraced therein.
In Chester there are eleven complete and eighteen fractional surveys, cov- ering 20,123 acres; and, while it is not my intention to go into a full and de- tailed history of the original settlement of each survey, I propose to occupy considerable space in that direction, for I am frank to acknowledge that the searching out of these early, and in fact, earliest settlers, has been to me a source of peculiar compensation; and I am fully persuaded by the hearty co-operation I have everywhere met with throughout the length and breadth of our township, that the plan will be met with general satisfaction by all. These patents, then, open the history of our township, in the earliest days of the present century, and, as my pen takes up the thread that will weave into history the lives and life-work of those noble heroes and heroines who cut from out their primeval covering the fine farms that now bask in the sunlight and thrift of the prosperity everywhere manifested within our borders, I cannot but feel that to other hands should this task have been given-hands far more efficient, minds with far larger capacities and talents than mine own. Realizing then, as I do, the great labor before me, and that where weeks have been employed, months
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should have been consumed in the work, I reluctantly accept the trust, and enter upon it with the intention of giving, as far as I go, a true narrative of the events surrounding the settlement of our township.
WARP AND WOOF.
James Robertson was a soldier in the war for our independence, a Lieu- tenant for three years in the Continental establishment of Virginia. By the laws of his State, 2,660g acres of land were his. He did not return, but his life went out, as did thousands of others in the grand struggle wherein, upon the one side was engaged a monarchy with all that the name implies; and on the other a people whose chiofost desires were civil and religious freedom, equal and exact liberties. Philip Barbour was his heir-at-law. Albert Galla- tin in time became the assignee of Barbour, and on the 18th day of October, 1787, entered Survoy No. 571, "situated on the lower side of Caesar Creek," and containing 7663 acres of land. A patent did not follow until the 3d day of April, 1804, two years after the Territory had been made a State, seventeen years after the entry had boon made, and five years after it had passed from the hands of Gallatin and boon settled upon.
James Jenkins was a native of Redstono, Fayette Co., Penn., and was dur. ing the Revolutionary war a most bitter and uncompromising Tory. He left Pennsylvania soon after peace was declared, for the reason probably that peace to the country was but the beginning of war to him-in other words the re- turn of his neighbors to their homes after months of. privation and suffering (battling for their country), surrounded him with anything but a social and friendly atmosphere. His destination was Tennessee, which he reached, and where he died.
Twelve years after Gallatin entered Survey 571, or in the year 1799, Aaron, a son of James Jenkins, came from Tennessee and purchased the entire tract of land. He was accompanied by his wife and a part of his family. He erected thereon a howed-log house, of the double pattern so common in those days. His family consisted of five children, three sons and two daughters, namely, Aaron, James, Baldwin, Lydia and - He died in 1807. To his sons Baldwin and James, he gave all of the survey, excepting fifty acres off the southeast corner, which he gave to his daughter Lydia. To his son Aaron he gave lands he had purchased near where the village of Port William is to- day. No record is given of his last child. The survey was situated partly in Greene and partly in Clinton, and while the settlement of this man then as now was wholly without the province of Clinton County, the children arriving at manhood and womanhood, with one exception, became settlers in Chester Township.
Charles Scott was a Brigadier General, and, under warrant 815, entered 11,6663 acres of land in the "Territory Northwest of the Ohio River." On the 5th day of September, 1800, he entered Survey No. 3,916, consisting of 800 acres, and adjoining Gallatin on the east. The patent followed July 18, 1801, in the name of Nathaniel Massie, and was signed by Thomas Jefferson as President of the United States.
George A. Mann and his wife Elizabeth were of German descent, though natives of Pennsylvania, the former born in 1727, the latter in 1746. In 17-, they emigrated to Rockingham County, Va., where they remained some years, and from there they went to Nicholas County, Ky. They had eight children-John, Peter, Jacob, Henry, George, Elizabeth, Charles and David. While yet in Kentucky, George Mann purchased of his son-in-law, Adam Shillinger, 200 acres of a 400-acre tract of land he owned in 3,916, situated on the waters of South Fork (now Anderson's Fork). The consideration was $4
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per acre, and the purchase was made for his youngest two children, Charles and David. The others had married, and were settled in Kentucky. Early in the month of March, 1801, Charles and David Mann, the former twenty and the latter eightcon years of age, left their father's house in Nicholas County, Ky., for the "Territory Northwest of the Ohio," and for the further pur- pose of finding and settling upon the lands last mentioned. The understanding had between the father and sons was that he, in company with the mother, his son-in-law, Schillinger, and his family, would follow in the fall of that year, or the spring of 1802. The boys were upon horseback, and carried with them such articles as were of the utmost importance, and at the same time of the most convenience to carry, such as axes, a few cooking utensils, some provis- ions, but above all the constant companion of the early settlers, their guns. At about noon of a day in the latter part of that month, they landed at their destination and immediately set to work to prepare some kind of a shelter. They felled some mulberry trees, which they split into slabs, and with these slabs erected a rude structure somewhat similar in pattern to an Indian wig- wam. Into this they carried their effects, and in it they spent their first night on the "farm." The morning must have been to them a dreary one indeed, for a snow lay deep on the ground. Without doubt, as they looked out upon it and the scene before them, they longed for the pleasant fireside of the father and the warm meal there being prepared by the loved and loving mother. Few boys of this day would care to undergo such hardships; but the day came and went, to be followed in turn by others, until the time arrived when the crop for the coming year must go in the ground. The boys had labored hard; and why not? They were working for a home. The cabin was already up, land had been partly cleared, and ground was as rapidly as possible being prepared for the planting, when a morning came to them that caused them to feel that the last straw had been applied. They awoke to find that during the darkness of night their horses had either strayed or were stolen. A decision was soon reached. Charles would go on the hunt for the missing animals; David would remain behind and await his return. Hastily bidding each other farewell, they separated, the former on the trail of the horses, the latter to his daily toil. The day went by; a week followed, and months rolled away before these two boys again met. David planted that season three acres of corn, going to a settler named Price, near where Paintersville now stands, for his seed. Spring passed, summer had ended, his crop ripened and was garnered, and yet no word from Charles, nor the loved ones at home. But he must remain where he was. His nearest neighbors were Aaron Jenkins, Peter Price (where he got his seed corn), and a settler where Waynesville now stands. The latter had a corn-cracker that turned by hand, which he had brought with him from Virginia the year before. An incident occurred during the summer that I will mention here: One day, when the corn was in fine condition for roasting, six Indians came down the creek (Anderson's Fork), and went into the corn patch. Husking off an arm load of ears apiece, they carried them down to the banks of the creek, where they started a fire and had a feast. David was a spectator to the scene, and, while he did not like to see the fruits of his labor going to fill the bellies of a half-dozen dirty, lazy savages, he did not say so to them, but allowed them to eat and depart when they felt ready. In the fall, David would shell a grist of corn, put it in a linen bag (brought from home), then on his shoulder, gun in hand, would trudge through the woods to the settler with his corn-cracker, and, when done, home again the same way, a distance, going and returning, of nearly twenty miles.
Charles followed the horses day after day, until he reached the river, op- posite Maysville, at which point he learned that animals answering his descrip-
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tion had swam the river at that place and had gone in the direction of Nicholas County. Ho crossed the river and followed on until his father's house was reached, when he there found the objects of his search. On his return home, all thoughts of waiting until spring were abandoned, and preparations were at once begun for an immediate romoval to the new home. September found them on the way, and October safely landed in this State. Here they remained; here the boys grew to manhood; here, under the sturdy strokes of these brave men grew one of the finest farms in the settlement; and here, on the 4th day of May, 1821, at the age of ninety-five years, George Mann passed to his rest, to be followed, at the age of eighty-four, in January, 1839, by Elizabeth, the wife and mother. Thus passed from earth to eternity two of those noblo souls who were so largely instrumental in preparing the way for succeeding generations. And now, while, as in the case of the Jenkins family, their settlement was without the county, yet their lands extended over, and all but one of the family became residents of Clinton. Charles Mann married Lydia, daughter of Aaron Jenkins, and settled in the stone house on the place now owned by Volcah Weaver. He was a . member of the first jury that ever sat in a Stato case in Clinton, it being the State of Ohio against Cornelius Quick. Horse-stealing was the charge upon which he was found guilty, and the sentence of the court was "That he be whipped on his naked back fifty stripes, on Saturday, October 27, at 2 o'clock P. M."* He was the father of several children, and died December 24, 1865, aged eighty-three years eight months and twenty-three days. His wife, Lydia, died April 5, 1838, aged fifty-two years. David Mann married Rachel Irvin; they had several children, but one of whom came into the township; he died June 29, 1856, aged seventy-two years five months and nine days; his wife, Rachel, died August 7, 1873, aged seventy-three years four months and twelve days. Two of the sons remaining in Kentucky afterward came out, Henry and Jacob. The former purchased the fifty acres owned by Lydia Jenkins Mann, and set- tled upon it, where his son John now lives. This was in the year 1809. Jacob came and settled upon a part of this place, but soon after purchased land in what is now Washington Township, near Cuba, and remained there. The George Mann now living in that township is his son. Henry died February 4, 1858, aged nearly seventy-nine years; his wife, Rachel, died March 25, 1862, aged seventy-six years eight months and twenty-eight days. John, now an old man, occupies his father's homestead, and ere many years he, too, will be called to his rest.
THE LUCAS FAMILY.
The members of this family originally came from New Jersey, where they were among the earliest settlers of that colony, receiving with others land grants from the crown. The elder Lucas of those I shall mention removed. from New Jersey in the eighteenth century, and settled in Kentucky. Thomas Lucas, a son of his, had six children, all sons, viz., Thomas, Abraham, Eben- ezer, John, Caleb and Francis. He left Kentucky in a very early day, and came to Fort Washington, now Cincinnati, probably in 1785, ; where he remained some years. While here, his son John enlisted under Gen. Har- mar, in his campaign against the Indians, in which it was supposed he lost his life, as he never returned from that ill-fated expedition. Caleb, another son, accompanied Gen. Wayne as far as Greensville, Darke Co., Ohio, in his expe- dition against the Indians, in the capacity of a teamster. The family then came to Columbia, and from there to Lebanon, where the parents died. In 1802, Caleb Lucas purchased of Abijah O'Neal, a land speculator at Lebanon,
* Soe Chapter on Courts.
t As Fort Washington was not erected until 1789, the next year after Cincinnati was settled. probably it. was not earlier than 1789 .- P. A. D.
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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
150 acres of land in 3,916 adjoining on the south the lands of George Mann, , and wholly in Clinton County (then Warren). He came here the same year, settled and built upon it a hewed-log house, the consideration being fully ex- plainod by tho following, now in the possession of the family:
Received, August 6, 1804, of Caleb Lucas, at the hands of Samuel Martin, the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, it being one-half of the price of one hundred and fifty acres of land, which the said Lucas purchased of me, the said lands being the property of Col. Massie, the other half payable in twelve months from this date, said lands lying on Ander- son's Fork, adjoining Aaron Jenkins.
Witness : JOHN HAINES. SITUAH RICHARDS. Signed :
ABIJAN O'NEAL for
I NATHANIEL MASSIE.
He began at once to clear his land. Before coming here he had, however, married, about the year 1797, Mary Price, who was born in Rockingham County, Va., February 8, 1782; he, October 26, 1776. Nine children were born to them, as follows: Thomas, October 13, 1799; Sarah, March 29, 1802; Catharine, December 10, 1804; Elizabeth, February 7, 1807; Mary, March 18, 1809; Rachel, April 13, 1811; Frederick, February 22, 1814; Caleb, Febru. ary 1, 1817; and Ebenezor, October, 1819. He, soon after settling here, sold to his brother Ebenezer fifty acres off the east side of his place, part of lands now owned by Levi D. Shambaugh. At the time of his settlement here, the Indians were quite numerous, though not troublesome. Among the many who at that time were frequent visitors to this settlement was Roundhead, a chief of the Wyandots, and, being an excellent marksman, never failed to call up- on Mr. Lucas for a test of skill in the use of the rifle at a mark. He was al- ways made welcome by Mr. L., and many times their shots were placed side by side at a distance of 100 paces. His neighbors at this time were George Mann, Aaron Jenkins, his brother Ebenezer, and a few others, The nearest mill was the corn-cracker referred to, at the place where, as I said, Waynes- ville now stands. The nearest trading-place was Lebanon, and that through an' almost unbroken forest.
But the peace and prosperity of these settlers was not long to continue, at least not for many years. In 1811, war again broke out over the frontier and these brave men had to look the danger squarely in the face and prepare for it. In 1812, Caleb Lucas was elected Captain and I feel that the follow- ing will not be out of place at this time:
In the name and by the authority of the State of Ohio, Return Jonathan Meigs, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of said State.
To CALEB LUCAS, EsQ., GREETING :
It being certified to me that you are duly elected Captain of the Fourth Company, Sixth Battalion, Third Brigade, First Division of the Militia of this State :
Now KNOW You, That by virtue of the power vested in me by the Constitution and Laws of said State ; and reposing special trust and confidence in your courage, integrity, fidelity and good conduct. I do, by these presents, commission you as Captain of said Company, hereby authorizing and requiring of you to discharge all and singular the duties and services appertaining to your said office, agrecably to law, and such instructions as you shall from time to time receive from your superior officers.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the great seal of the State of Ohio to be affixed, at Chillicothe, Ohio, the third day of July, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and twelve, and in the thirty sixth year of the independence of the United States of America.
By His Excellency's command.
JOHN MCLEAN, Secretary of State, RETURN J. MEIGS, Governor.
On the back of this was:
September 12, 1817. This is to certify that the within named Captain, Caleb Lucas, has resigned the within commission, in consequence of his having served five years. DAVID HUGHES, Adjutant. SAMUEL COX, Major.
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Among the many old papers now in the possession of his son, Ebenezer (who yet resides on the old place and until but a few years ago, in the old house, and who married a daughter of David and grand-daughter of George Mann), I copy the following:
October 8, 1804, then received of Caleb Lucas 44 cents for his county tax. PETER PAPENOE, Collector.
This 22d day of September, 1807, received of Caleb Lucas 1 dollar and 33 cents, it being in full for the present year for county and State tax.
GEORGE HAWORTH, Collector.
Received of Caleb Lucas, for his State and county tax, 1 dollar and 34 cents, this 18th day of October, 1809, by me.
JONATHAN HARLAN, Collector.
Lebanon, Ohio, May 15, 1810. Received of Mr. Caleb Lucas cash in full for the Western Star to this date.
CRANE & MCLEAN, Publishers.
Mr. Lucas passed his life on this farm, lived to see his children grown to inanhood and womanhood, grandchildren around his knees, and died April 26, 1851, aged seventy-four years six months and four days. His wife fol- . lowed him September 1, 1863, aged eighty-one years six months and twenty- two days. Ebenezer Lucas (as I said, his youngest son) has many articles of interest to the historian and antiquarian of to-day, among them a corner cup- board of whose age no person now living can tell, a kitchen table brought to · Ohio by Jonathan Garwood prior to the settlement of Caleb Lucas here in 1802, a volume of Watt's hymns and psalms in verse, printed in 1720, or 162. years ago, a large iron pot or kettle, once the property of James Jenkins. and taken by him from Pennsylvania to Tennessee, and brought to Ohio by his son, Aaron Jenkins, in 1799. Its age can only be conjectured. A volume of the Analectic Magazine, by Thomas, Philadelphia, A. D., 1812, the Political Magazine, London, England, three numbers, April, May and June, 1781, the property of James Jenkins, Sr., and finally, a copy of Volume I of the Cincin- nati Enquirer.
Horatio Gates was a soldier in the Continental establishment of Virginia -a Major General with whose record every reader of American history is familiar. As to the number of acres to which he was entitled my informant does not say .* This much I do know, that twelve surveys in Clinton bear his name, of which five are in Chester Township. On the 5th day of March, 1793, 1,000 acres were surveyed for Gen. Gates, in virtue of part of Warrant 804, and became Survey 2,230. Patent followed September 17, 1796, in the name of James Murray, physician, and signed by George Washington, as President of the United States of America.
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