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 27

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 27

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"Honor and shame from no condition rise, Act well your part, there all the honor lies; Worth makes the man, the want of it the fellow."

With this principle as a foundation stone, let us who enjoy our enlarged privileges, comforts and luxuries of life as the fruit of our forefathers' earn- est toil and sturdy principles, commemorate their humble but heroic lives upon these pages, and cherish in our hearts the recollection of their virtues, while we endeavor to work out in our lives, and by the upbuilding of a moral, en- lightened and enterprising community, a monument to their memories more enduring than any of brass, marble or glittering granite. Then, although

" No loud brazen trump of worldly fame, Shall thunder down to distant times, their names ; Nor shall they figure on that lengthened scroll, Where warriors blazon on the war-stained roll .. No pompous pillar, pointing to the skies, O'er their much-honored bones shall proudly rise ; Nor shall their statue, finely chiselled, stand To prompt the applauses of a wondering land."

But theirs shall be triumphs of a higher sort. Instead of the "brazen trump," their names will be fondly cherished around the hearthstones of the present and future homes of those whom they lived to bless. Instead of the " lengthened scroll" and the warrior's fame, their names are enrolled upon the brighter scroll of "fond recollection," and theirs were not deeds of carnage and bloodshed, but such as " scatter peace and plenty o'er the land." Instead of the "pompous pillar," the church and school shed abroad their benign in- fluences to lead beyond the skies, and instead of the statue of stone or brass, they have left us the more enduring one of devotion-to the principles of truth and honor, coupled with lives of industry and steady purpose.

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CLARK TOWNSHIP.

The benefits and enjoyments of the present are the result of about eighty years of toil and development. When the present century opened it found the section embraced in Clark Township, and for miles beyond its present lim- its, covered by one vast unbroken forest, across which now and then a traveler from one distant settlement to another passed, or the hardy hunter rambled amid the solitudes. The haughty storm-king tossed, or the gentle zephyr swayed the giant branches, while to the one responded only the whoop of the savage or the scream of wild beasts, and to the other only the notes of warb- ling bird, chirping insect or purling brook. But the wigwam of the savage had almost disappeared. Here and there still remained an isolated camp, and now and then, for a few years after the first settlement, a lonely procession of dusky forms might be seen wending its way single file, sadly and silently yielding to the fate that drove them from the hunting-grounds of their fathers. Ere the last of these had left, the unwelcome ring. of the ax sounded as a death-knell in their ears, and the curling smoke of the white man's cabin arose and vanished as soon they should before the approaching tread of civili- zation.

. The early settlers found a heavy growth of oak, hickory, maple (hard and soft), gray and blue ash, walnut and beech, covering almost the entire surface. Under the thick shade of these had sprung up an undergrowth of spicewood and papaw, while a dense mat of wild pea-vines covered the ground so com- pletely that man or beast could be easily tracked through the forest. At inter- vals, this undergrowth would disappear, the ground rise in a gentle swell from all directions, forming a beautiful knoll, carpeted in its season with a soft, velvety grass, interspersed with wild flowers of loveliest hue. It would seem that in such spots Nature had poured out her beauty with lavish hand. The tow- ering trunks of the forest trees, stretching upward like the giant pillars of some vast cathedral, with open vistas between, stretching away in the distance, beneath the leafy archway far above, like the corridors of some grand edifice, while through and around them the shadows flitted and played like things of life. Above, and so far away as to seem to mingle with heaven's ethereal blue, and interspersed with glimmerings of golden sunlight, the ever-varying tints of foliage were spread out, far outrivaling in beauty any work of fresco or mo- saic. The giant oak trunks, with their massive boughs, were emblems of strength and excellence. The shimmering sunlight that broke through the leafy thickness diffused a sweet influence of blessing, while from every side Nature's choir of songsters mingled their notes in sweet accord with murmur- ing strains of whispering breezes or warbling brooks, and poured forth music of sweetest melody, that rose and swelled and died away in the forest depths. Happy and fortunate the pioneer whose taste and circumstances led to the se- lection of such a spot for his future home, for from such influences the soul gathers strength and beauty, and is instinctively led to rise above the low and groveling.

Through the "deep-tangled wildwood" the deer bounded unscared until he learned to fear the unerring aim of the pioneer's rifle. Occasionally, "Old Bruin" made a prowling visit to observe the changes taking place in his forest solitude, while panthers, wild cats and wolves often made night hideous with "music of melancholy sort," and for some years were the terror of the sheep fold. Squirrels were the pest, of corn-fields and too common to be thought of as an article of food. Wild turkeys abounded, and turkey and venison graced the board of the early settler, whose appetite, whetted by honest toil, craved no richer dainties.

Upon arriving and selecting a location for a home, the first work was to erect a cabin. During this time, the families of those who came first must

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

make a home in their wagon-or wagons-as they had done on the journey, or, in some instances, in a tent. After the first settlements, new-comers were always welcomed by the older settler, whose latch-string always hung out, and who, although crowded closely in the one small room of his cabin, could always accommodate any who needed his hospitality. These cabins were structures peculiar to the times, and such as the implements and time of the settler per- mitted him to erect. They were often made of round logs, sometimes hewn off some after the walls were raised. The family frequently occupied them be- fore floor, windows or door-shutter had been provided. Many were never sup- plied with other floor than the ground, a trench being dug around on the out- side and the dirt thrown up against the walls to prevent the water from flood- ing the room. Generally, however, a puncheon floor was made. A door was made of clapboards pinned to a frame and hung by inserting each end of an upright piece into the logs at the top and bottom. A window was obtained by sawing out a portion of a log or two in the wall. The roof was made of clap- boards weighted down with poles to keep them in place. A chimney of sticks and clay, built upon a large fire-place of clay, held in its place by split pieces of timber which projectod from the wall on the outside, into which they were fastened, and which inclosed the jambs and backwalls, completed the dwelling. .

As soon as opportunity offered and necessity required it, another cabin, of sim- ilar structure, was erected adjoining or near the first, and thus a home was provided which, although rude in structure, was often the sacred spot, around which clustered the substantial joys of life, and back to which the memories of age loved to revert. Let us here introduce to the reader those who passed through these experiences, and, as nearly as can be ascertained, the date and place of settlement within the present limits of our township.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

It is generally supposed that Thomas Johns was the first to settle within the present limits of the township. He located upon the East Fork, about three miles southeast of the present site of Martinsville. Nothing is known of his nativity or date of settlement.

In 1801, Isaac Miller settled about three miles east of Martinsville. Shortly after settling, a hoe was needed. To obtain one, Mr. Miller was obliged to make a journey on foot through the forests, to New Market, in High- land County, a distance of sixteen or eighteen miles. About the same time, Joseph Mckibben settled near the same place. 5.CI

In the year 1800, John Wright, of North Carolina. settled upon land from which the larger part of the present site of Martinsville was taken, buying the land at $2 per acre. Mr. Wright was mainly instrumental in the laying-out of the village, and erected the first house within its limits. Two sons of Mr. Wright are still living within the limits of the township, a daughter being the first person interred in Friends' Graveyard, at Martinsville.

By the year 1808, in addition to the above, Samuel McCulloch had settled upon the East Fork, four miles southeast of Martinsville, and Isaac Van Meter and John Jores near the present site of Lynchburg.

In the spring of 1808, Daniel and Joseph Moon, brothers, came from Jef- ferson County, Tenn., with their families, and settled about one mile east of Martinsville. The following autumn, another brother, Samuel, and John Ruth, a brother-in-law, husband of Jane Moon, settled in the same neighbor- hood. In the spring of 1809, Joseph Moon, Sr., father of the above, with his family and two sons, William and Jesse, with their families, and accompanied by John Moon, brother of Joseph Moon, Sr., joined the others in the new set- tlement. In the year 1811, another brother-in-law, James Garner, husband of

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Mary Moon, settled in the same limits. The whole number of this connection now included fifty-four persons-thirty- four males and twenty females -- of whom nine males and two females were living in 1877. Among the settlers were those who could employ themselves as carpenters, coopers, harness and saddle makers, hatters, cabinet makers, chair manufacturers, shoe makers, gunsmiths, locksmiths, blacksmiths, brick and stone masons, plasterers, in fact, mechanics of every calling, though nearly all, upon settling here, turned at- tention chiefly to farming. Samuel Moon purchased sixty acres of land of Gen. William Lytle, of Cincinnati, for which he paid $2.75 per acre. Joseph " Moon, Sr., remained a resident of the township until the time of his death in 1834, at which time his descendants numbered over four hundred. He died at the age of eighty-four, the last twenty-five years of his life having been spent in this locality. 1

In 1810, John Beales, of North Carolina, settled about one mile northeast of Martinsville. About the same time, Christophor Hiatt, of Virginia, settled one mile wost. In the same year, James Puckett, of North Carolina, settled two miles south of oast of Martinsville, of whom two descendants are now liv- ing in the township. At the same time came Daniel Puckett, from the same State. He was a minister of the Gospel, a member of the Society of Friends, and was one of the first to proclaim the Gospel in the new settlement. He re- mained but a short time, then removed to Indiana. In 1811, William WYest settled one-half mile north of Martinsville. Quite a large number of descend- ants, the children of five sons and one daughter, are at present residents of the township. In 1814, Joseph Mills, Sr., of North Carolina, with four sons and two daughters, settled about one and a half miles northeast of Martins- ville. Two of these sons were residents of the township from this time until the death of each, Joseph's occurring in 1877, and John's in 1880. (For a short period, John and family were residents of another township.) Ten de- scendants are at present residents of the township. In the same year as the above, David Hockett, Sr., of Virginia, settled one mile northeast of Martins- ville. There were two sons -- Nathan and David-and two daughters-Agnes and Ruth. David Hockett, Sr., died in 1842, aged seventy-seven years. Jon- athan Hockett, a brother of David Hockett, Sr., of Virginia, settled one-half . mile west of Martinsville in 1816.

In the same year (1816), Jacob Hunt and family, of Virginia, consisting of five sons and three daughters, settled about half a mile north of Martins- ville. Jacob died in 1844, and his wife, Lydia, in 1858. Of the children, Reuben, the youngest, purchased the original homestead, where he resided from the date of settlement until his death, in June, 1882. Another son, Jesse, re- sided in the township until his death, in 1851. Rebecca, a daughter, resided in the township nearly all her life, her decease occurring in 1879. Nathan, the oldest son, is a resident of the township at present, several years having been spent in Highland County. Only eighteen or twenty descendants now reside in the township.

In 1817, Thomas Hunt, a brother of Jacob, settled adjoining. Of this family of five sons and one daughter, three have resided during life in the township since the settlement. John has been a resident of Martinsville for a longer period than any other citizen, having located in the limits of the village in 1833.' Two others, William and Mary Ann (Smith), are citizens of the township. Jonathan resided here the greater part of his life. Twenty-four or twenty-five descendants remain.

In 1819, Aaron Betts, of Virginia, settled about one mile west of Martins- ville, purchasing a large tract of land. Of the family, there were two sons and two daughters, none of whom are now resident in the township, and only one is

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

living. Christopher resided in the township until his death, in 1869. The others removed to the West in 1867 and 1868. Ten descendants remain in the township.

Of the following. no authentic information was obtained-or was obtained too late to insert in the proper place. Among those who should have been placed with the earliest settlers are John Lytle, who settled about half a mile southeast of Martinsville. For a number of years he lived alone. Two daugh- ters are at present residents of Martinsville. The only son, Thomas, removed some years ago to Hillsboro. William Nixon settled very early on the farm purchased in 1817 by Thomas Hunt. In the eastern part of the township, and from whom a large number of descendants are still living, may be named Aaron Ruse, William and Richard Owsley and Joshua Betterton. Prior to 1809, Daniel Nordyke had settled about one and a half miles southeast of Martinsville. Jacob Jackson settled just south of Martinsville prior to11810. He was the first minister of the Gospel, as far as known, who came to the neighborhood. He came to Highland County, from Tennessee, in 1802, and lived there until probably 1808, when he romoved to this township. He was a former resident of North Carolina, and a native of Pennsylvania.

Very early in the settlement of the country, Owen West, Sr., settled on the East Fork, southeast of Martinsville. A large number of descendants are liv- ing. Among others should be given the names of Isaac, William and Robert Jones, who settled on the East Fork. At the time of Isaac Miller's and Joseph Mckibben's settlement, in 1801, that of Gideon Mckibben's should have been mentioned. Others prior to 1810 are Thomas McLin, William Chalfont, Will- iam Davis, Ashley Johnson and George Shields. Later, but prior to 1820, are William Patterson, who settled on the East Fork of Todd's Fork, northwest of Martinsville. He was the first Justice of the Peace after the organization of Clark Township. Prominent among the names of this period should be given that of James Hadley, who assisted in securing the organization of the town- ship, and who rendered important service in the settlement of difficulties aris- ing from looseness of land entries, interference of surveys, and from older claims. No doubt there are other names that should be included in this list, and it is regretted that circumstances have made it impossible to make it com- plete.

CUSTOMS AND INCIDENTS OF EARLY HISTORY.

When the early settlers came, as soon as shelter had been provided for the family, the next work was to clear away the heavy timber and prepare a " patch " for corn. In those days, "a man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees " (Psa. Ixxiv, 5), and no doubt, from the amount of prac- tice required in this respect, "there were giants in those days," so that, as each year passed by, the area of cleared land steadily increased. "Log-roll- ing" and "brush- picking " called into requisition every hand old enough to bear any part in the toil. When the settlement had increased in numbers, the " log-rolling " became an occasion of merriment that made the forests echo and . re-echo with peals of laughter that took off the rough edge of the severe toil. The surprise party of that day was not the celebration of a wedding or birthday anniversary, but a company would collect, and, under cover of the darkness, while the owner enjoyed the sweet repose of slumber, the merry party would -roll and pile the logs ready for burning. When the merry springtime brought the gay songster, and the music of early birds filled the forests with melody, and the wild flowers peeped forth, then began the earnest labor of preparing the ground for planting. The old wooden mold-board among the roots pre- sents a picture of difficulty and rugged toil vastly different from the same la- bor of the farmer to-day. From the time of planting until harvest, a contin-

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CLARK TOWNSHIP.

ued warfare had to be maintained between the farmer and the squirre,s and blackbirds. The cultivation was done with the " single-shovel " and the hoe Corn was the chief breadstuff for many years, wheat bread appearing on the table only occasionally, as a rare luxury. The " patch " of flax was a part of every farmer's crop. In the winter and spring, the nice days were employed by the men and boys in dressing it. Then the women spun and wove it into cloth, from which the various articles required in the family were made. Thus, not only the clothing, but the bedding also, was manufactured at home. Among the early settlers were Nimrod Dickey, John Ruth and Isam Good, who manufactured wheels, reels, chairs, tubs, buckets, etc. Girls were employed at 50 cents a week to spin, but, in order to get full wages, were required to spin twelve cuts of flax per day, or six cuts of tow (coarse part of flax). Weaving was worth 8 cents a yard. These products of home manufacture could be ex- changed in Hillsboro or Wilmington for calico or muslin at 50 cents a yard. A calico dress of the present day would therefore be equal to the wages of a . girl for three months in those days. As to the clothing of the men, buckskin pants, with tow hunting shirts for every-day wear, and sometimes linen shirts and cotton coats for extra occasions, was the gonoral custom. After a few years, when the wolves had been sufficiently destroyed to allow sheep-raising, woolen garments took the place of the above. The preparation of buckskin for wearing was an art peculiar to the times. First, the door-skin was soaked until quite soft, then the hair and grain were cut off with a sharp piece of steel. The skin was then dried. The brains of the animal ware put into a cloth and worked through it until the substance had the appearance of soap- suds. Next, the skin was soaked in this fluid until it was well saturated and had become perfectly soft. It was then worked over the sharp edge of a board until well dried. This process was repeated until the skin was perfectly pliant and would remain soft upon becoming wet. After each washing it was smoked. In these primitive times, it was not uncommon for the boys to go bare-headed until ten or twelve years of age. In summer, straw hats of home manufacture were worn. Frequently, the boys of the family were taken to Hillsboro or Wilmington, each head measured, and wool hats made to order, generally of wool brought by the farmer.

The man who wore a pair of boots was regarded as an aristocrat, though shoes of leather tanned at home, and especially moccasins, were very common. Not one man in ten owned a wagon, and only one now and then could pur- chase a barrel of salt. In 1809, Samuel Moon and a neighbor took a horse apiece and rode to the Scioto Salt Works to procure a supply, carrying it home in sacks on the horses. A few years later, it could be obtained at $18 per bar- rel at a small store near the present site of New Vienna. At one time, a day's work was worth 50 cents; later, only 31 cents, and even 25 cents. A day's work was frequently given for two bushels of corn. Twenty-five cents a cord was paid for chopping. A bushel of wheat would bring 50 cents. About 1815 or 1820, Jonathan Hockett took two bushels of wheat to Wilmington and exchanged for one pound of powder in order to obtain a supply to kill the squirrels and save his corn.

Hogs were driven from this section, sometimes to Cincinnati and some- times to the East. As the hogs had the entire range of the woods, it was nec- essary that a certain day should be fixed upon by the neighbors and the pur- chaser, when the animals should be collected and confined in a lot or field, where a horseman would chase them several times around in order to weary them, as otherwise they would be able to escape the swiftest riders, through the woods and brush. When collected, the first work was to weigh a few out of each man's lot, from which the average could be obtained. In order to

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

weigh, a post and pole were erected in the manner of a well-sweep. To the end of the pole a large pair of steelyards was attached, then, one at a time, the hogs were caught and suspended by straps from the steelyards. A hog two or three years old, weighing 200 pounds, was considered extra good, and was worth, in early times, $2.50 per hundred. In 1820, pork was worth only 1 cent per pound. In 1815, the tax on personal property, as required by the' County Commissioners, was 25 cents on each head of horses three years old and over, and 8 cents on each head of cattle over three years. At the same time, a bounty of 50 cents was paid by the county for each wolf-scalp brought in.

The cooking for the family was done by the good housewife and her daughters, before the large open fire-place. The bread-generally consisting of "corn pone" or "corn dodgers"-was' baked in a " skillet," or "Dutch oven,'' or the " johnny-cake" on a smooth board before the fire. In the same manner the meat was cooked in vessels on or before the fire. When the meal was proparod, the family gathered around a tablo, constructed by taking a broad slab or slabs, split from the trunk of a largo tree and hewn down to the proper thickness, and attaching legs, as in making an ordinary bench. The first square tables known in the neighborhood were made by Joseph Moon and John Ruth, by hewing the material from the trunk of a walnut tree. The queens- ware in cominon use consisted of pewter plates, and the rest chiefly of browu carthenware, Milk was the common beverage, although much danger was thus incurred from the prevalence of milk-sickness, several deaths occurring in the early settlement from this cause. Spicewood and sassafras tea were fre- quently used. With many, wheat bread and coffee were used on Sabbath mornings.

Fortunately for the early settlers, the sugar tree grew abundantly, and in the early springtime, the "big kettles" were brought out and hung beside a log or placed in ourthen furnaces, the trees tapped, the horse and sled for hauling, and, in fact, the whole force of the family often employed in trans- forming the rich treasure of sweetness from its watery form into one suitable for use, when it was stored away. Kettles for boiling being in demand at this time, a resident of Hillsboro brought a number to the neighborhood, which were rented to those needing them, the rent being a certain number of pounds of sugar for each year's use. They were kept until the rent exceeded the cost of the kettles, after which neither rent nor kettles were ever called for.

In these early times, no time-pieces were in use in the neighborhood. Oc- casionally a sun-dial was constructed, but generally a sun-mark was the only means by which the time could be known. It was not until 1816 or 1817 that the first wooden clocks were brought around. The first were without cases, and were attached to the wall, the pendulum and weights hanging below from which the name of " wall-sweeps " was derived. The clocks in this condition cost $20. In a few years, cases were furnished at $16 each, making the total cost of a time-piece $36. In the early settlement of the township, the meal for bread was ground on a hand-mill owned by Joseph Moon, Sr. Israel Nordyke owned a horse-mill five or six miles from the Martinsville neighborhood. The next opportunities were to take two or three bushels on horseback to the mills on Cowan's Creek or the East Fork. When the water was too low for these to run, a journey of three or four days was required to reach the mills on the Miami. Within the limits of the township, the following mills have been built: First, William Leagitt built a saw and grist mill on the East Fork, followed by Isaac Jones near Lynchburg, and the third was built, by Aaron Ruse, on. the same stream, between Leagitt's and Jones'. Next, William Patterson built one on the East Fork of Todd's Fork, half a mile northwest of Martins-

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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 27

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