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 39

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 39

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

in 1849, there was a neat frame house erected, 30x40 feet, which superseded the old house.

William Austin's family are all dead but David S., and all lie buried in the graveyard at Mt. Pleasant. They were all for many years members of the M. E. Church, and nearly all raised large families. William Austin died Jan- uary 15, 1860, in the eighty-sovonth year of his age, his wife having died April 27, 1848, in the seventy-third year of her ago.

An early settler of Vernon Township, and one of its solid, reliable men, was Samuel Stabler; he was born in Loudoun County, Va., in 1799, and was the son of John Stabler, who came from Germany about the time of the Revo- lutionary war, and served as a soldier in the army. He leased a tract of land in Loudoun County, Va., afterward paying the required sum and receiving a title for it.

Samuel, the subject of this skotch, came to Vernon Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, in 1820, in company with Dr. Asahol Tribboy and William Cook, his brother-in-law, who lived where James Floyd now lives. Mr. Stabler bought a part of Survey No. 793, and, young and strong, ho wont to work to clear out a farm where there was not a stick amiss. Ho erected his cabin near where his son Isaiah now livos. August 14, 1823, he was married to Mary Harris, daughter of James Harris, Esq., and they lived happily together until Mr. Stablor's death, in 1868, a period of forty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Stablor raised a family of nine children, five sons-John, James, Isaiah, Samuel and George-and four daughters-Priscilla, Martha, Elizabeth and Catharine, all of whom arrived at the age of manhood and womanhood, and all reside in the neighborhood where raised, oxcopt James, who lives in McDonough County, Ill. Priscilla married James Hall; Martha married William M. Rooder; Elizabeth married Thomas Zillefrow, and Catharine married Aaron Biggs. The sons are among the solid and reliable men of this township; all own good- farms, are steady, careful, honost-their word as good as their bond.

Mr. Stabler was a member of the M. E. Church from 1824 to his death; was an active and zealous member. He was a farmer by occupation, always diligent in business and prosperous in his undertakings. He cleared out his land and made solid and permanent improvements, adding to his original pur- chase so much that at his death each of his children inherited a good farm, on ' which they now reside, living in well-to-do style. . Mr. Stabler was tall, well formed, with fair complexion, light hair, blue eyes, of good, sound constitution and generally enjoyed good health; he was even-tempered, of a retired dispo- sition, with correct business habits; was fair, honorable and upright in his dealings. He held no office for the pay or honor of the office, but was ready to serve when called on as Supervisor of Roads or School Director. He took great interest in the improvement of roads, schools, etc. He was public. spirited in regard to all improvements calculated to develop the resources of the county and add to the comforts of the community. To such men as Samuel Stabler we are indebted to a great extent for the comforts we now enjoy. His widow, an estimable lady, lives with her son George at the old homestead. She is of a bright and lively disposition, and enjoys good health. She delights to talk of early times, and kindly furnished the material for this brief sketch of her husband and family.

Ephraim Smith, an early settler of Vernon Township, and one who was closely identified with the affairs of the township, was born April 7, 1778, in Hunterdon County, N. J .; was married to Sarah Higgins in 1804. Mr. Smith emigrated to Ohio in 1815, and settled on the farm on which Villars' Chapel stands. He bought the farm of Oliver Whitaker, Sr. He was a wagon-maker by trade and kept a tavern for many years; he had twelve children by his first

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VERNON TOWNSHIP.

wifo, who died in 1825. In the year 1826, he married Rebecca Dalby; by this wife he had six children, one of whom died in childhood. Mr. Smith died in 1838, leaving a large family, all of whom married and nearly all raised large ,families. The only members of this extensive family now remaining in Ver- non Township are Lois, wife of David S. Austin, and Jane, wife of James A. Losh.

Mr. Smith's second wife was the daughter of Abel Dalby, who emigrated from Bucks County, Penn., to this State in 1818, and settled on the farm after- ward owned by Ezra Sewell. Mrs. Rebecca Smith died December 18, 1874, in the eighty-first year of her age. Mrs. Smith was a remarkable woman. Left a widow with a large family of her own, and stop-mother to a still larger family, she did her whole duty in this trying situation, and has been pointed out as a model step-mother. My pen fails to give an adequate description of her many virtues.

James Marshall came to Vornon and first lived on the Sewell land near whore Samuel Kizer now lives; he came from Ireland. Two of the older sons, Thomas and William, were with Gon. St. Clair and Gen. Wayne. Thomas never returned, but William came back safely. Ho afterward fought a duel in Kentucky, killing his man. Anna, one of the daughters, married Eber Ho- man and lived nearly all her life in Vernon Township. They raised a large family. The boys were gamey, active fellows, ever ready for a fight or a frolic. Only one, the youngest son, John, lives in Vernon Township; he lives on the farm adjoining that where his father lived. George, the youngest son of James Marshall, married Miriam McGee, and lived in Vernon Township until his death, in 1881.

Ezekiel_Cast, one of the early settlers of .Vernon, lived on a farm now owned by E. H. Villars. We have failed to get data for a sketch of this old pioneer, but will give his family as nearly as we can. Mr. Cast raised a large family, several of his descendants still living in Vernon Township. The boys were Horatio, Aquilla and Isaac. Of the girls, one married Caleb Smith, one Abner Smith, one John Berkley and one Firman Casto. All of these men have been prominent and well-known men in Vernon Township. Caleb Smith lived for many years on a farm near Clarksville, now owned by William Sco- field; he raised a large family, moved to Clarksville after his family had all left him. Abner Smith lived for many years near Morrisville, in this county. He was a son of Ephraim Smith, one of the early settlers. John Barkley lived for many years and died on a farm in Warren County, near Spring Hill. Fir- man Casto lived for many years on the farm where C. P. Richardson now lives; he moved to McDonough County, Ill., and is still living; he had a large fam- ily, several of whom died of cholera in the year 1852.

Thomas Harden, an early settler of Vernon Township, some of whose de- scendants still live in Vernon, settled near where the brick-kiln is, in Villars' field; he was a soldier of the Revolutionary war. While in the war, he was made prisoner and was confined in an upper story of a building in Philadel- : phia, from which he made his escape by sliding down a rope, holding the rope in his hands, the friction burning and searing his hands so that he carried the marks to his grave. His sons were John, Samuel and Thompson. Samuel married a daughter of Judge Peter Burr. The issue of this marriage was one son, Peter, an eccentric character.

Rev. David S. Austin is a son of William and Elizabeth Austin, and was born on the farm where he now lives June 3, 1816; he was the youngest of seven brothers. There on the old farm, with its hills, bottom land and Cow- an's Creek flowing through it, his early boyhood days were spent; in fact, all his days were spent there, never having been absent more than a month at a

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

time during his whole life. In the winter of 1822, when Mr. Austin was six years old, he was sent to school for the first time, to John Villars, in a log schoolhouse near where Mt. Pleasant now stands. The schoolhouse had a fire- place in each end large enough to take in wood eight feet long. A log was cut out of each side and greased paper put over the aperture for windows. He next attended school at Hopewell Schoolhouse, or "the frame," as it was called. The house stood on the opposite side of the road from where the present building stands, on the lands of M. E. Harden. Caleb Smith was the teacher. In the summer of 1825, a schoolhouse was built on lands of O. Whitaker, now owned by Abigail Kibbey. Caleb Smith taught in this house four terms, and Mr. Austin attended. The only books he had to use were the old elementary spelling-book, the Old and New Testaments and Pike's Arith- metic. Mr. Austin worked on a farm, going to school about two and a half months in the year, until he was sixteen years old. The last school was on Wilson's Branch, where he had to go three miles, and he says he was often there by sunrise. His school days then closed, and in that time he had learned to read, write, spell and cipher through Pike's Arithmetic. After this, Mr. Austin bought a geography and Kirkham's Grammar, and studied when he had spare time; instead of attending places of amusement, he spent his leisure time in reading good books, and especially the Bible. On his father's farm he learned to work, and the kind of work necessary at that day embraced a great many kinds not required now -- dressing flax, etc .; he had reaped with a sickle as many as eighteen days in one harvest, made rails and learned to tako care of all kinds of stock. In 1838, he married Sarah R. Woodmansee, who died in 1848, leaving four children-(one died in infancy) John Wesley, Sam- uel Milton and Sarah R. In 1850, he was married to Lois Smith; by his last marriage, le has eight children, four boys and four girls. Mr. Austin has been a farmer all his life. In 1843, his father deeded him about 200 acres of land, nearly half of it being swamp; he gave his note for half of it, payable at his father's death, but he paid the interest annually. Since his father's death, he has paid more than $12,000 for land, besides his first purchase. Mr. Austin owes his success as a farmer to the observance of the following rules, which he kindly gave me, viz., close attention to business; seeing that work was done at the proper time and in good order; fences kept up and all kinds of farming implements kept dry when not in use; by perseverance in business, not changing from one thing to another; by using economy, not going in debt beyond his ability to pay; not buying anything he did not need because it was cheap, and not going beyond his means in buying to keep up with the fashion» or be like other people; by always buying the most substantial things and keeping the. best of help on the farm.

Mr. Austin has spared no pains in the education of his sons and daugh ters; he was taught in early life to love and serve God, and, in September, 1826, in company with Mrs. James Villars, then unmarried, Maria Elzey and Susan Lewis, he joined the M. E. Church at Mt. Pleasant, where he has hold his membership ever since. We quote from his letter: "I did not enter into the full enjoyment of religion until my nineteenth year. At a camp-meeting on the Jenks farm. I was brought fully into the liberty of God's children." At that meeting, he offered his first public prayer. The next year, he was leader of the, society then meeting at Cuba. From that time until 1813, he labored as an exhorter. At that time, he received license to preach. He has labored diligently in the southern part of Clinton County and has often preached at Spring Hill, Rochester and other places until his health failed. The whole time which he has been officially connected with the church is fifty-six years. Mr. Austin never was an office-seeker in church or public affairs: he was ready

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VERNON TOWNSHIP.

to serve the public when elected to office, as a duty. In this sketch we present a life worthy of imitation, diligent and prosperous in business, adding to his property by economy and honest and manly labor, tilling the soil, getting nothing by speculation or by any illegitimate means, wronging no man out of a dollar; he did his whole duty as he understood his duty to be, to his county, his township, his neighbors and his God: economical and careful without being penurious; diligent in his business without being a slave to business; his religious life has been such that no scoffer can point to him and say religion is a failure. After a busy and useful life, he has settled down to enjoy life's sunset in peace and quiet, surrounded by his family.

Aaron R. Sewell was born in Vernon Township, near where C. L. Sewell pow lives, in 1811; he is the youngest son of Judge Sewell, one of the first three settlers of Vernon Township. Aaron R. had three brothers older than him- self-Ezra, David A. and John, and is of an entirely different disposition from his brothers; he did not take very kindly to hard work while young, but had a taste for books and public business; he attended school while very young at an old log cabin on the farm now belonging to Mary Fordyce, used as a school- house, and when a young man taught school at various places in the township. There are several men of over fifty years of age living in this township who were his pupils at an early day. When quite a young man, he was elected Jus- tice of the Peace. The office was at that time of great importance, and was generally bestowed upon elderly men and the most substantial citizens. As early as 1835, he was Township Clerk, and the books he kept would do no dis- credit to any of the Clerks of the present day; he served three years as County Commissioner, being elected in 1862; in 1853, he was Real Estate Assessor in a district composed of Vernon, Adams, Washington and Marion, making the first plats of the farms by surveys found in the Auditor's office. Mr. Sewell has little taste for financial matters, and cared little for the accumulation of : property, though he has been able to add to the original amount of land given him to the extent of about 200 acres. He has been twice married; his first wife was Lydia J. Stansbury, by whom he had seven children, three of whom are still living; his present wife was Mary M. Lazenby, by whom he has six children, four still living. Mr. Sewell has always lived on a farm, though he has little love for the occupation; he would have made an excellent lawyer or a good public officer in almost any capacity where honesty and ability are re- quired; he is not a member of any church; his integrity is unquestioned; his moral character pure and unblemished; he lives near Clarksville, in this town- ship; is at present Justice of the Peace; he has always been a strong, rugged man, and has generally enjoyed good health; he is now seventy-one years old, but gives promise of being spared to many years of usefulness yet to come.

ORGANIZATION AND TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.

The first boundaries of Vernon Township included all the territory south of Lytle's Creek and south of a line from the mouth of Lytle's Creek to the Warren County line, and extending east to the old line of Warren in the line of Richland Township. The township was organized in 1810. The records of the township from its organization to 1826 are lost, and all we can get re- lating to its early officers during that time has been gathered by fragments from other sources.

David Sewell was the first Justice of the Peace. The first order allowed by the County Commissioners was Order No. 7, to Elisha Cast, July 18, 1810; amount, $14.50, " for sitting as Judge of Election, delivering poll books and for assessing the township and making returns of the assessment." An order

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

was allowed William Jones, amount $1, for return of poll book of an election hold April 21, 1810. October 17, 1810, Daniel Bails received an order for $3.75 for five wolf scalps six months old. An order for $1 was allowed John Sewell for Judge of Election in October, 1810. Also, Benjamin Smalley re- ceived $1 as Judge of Election in April, 1810. We judge from these orders that Elisha Cast, John Sewell and Benjamin Smalley were the first Trustees of Vernon . Township, and that Aaron Sewell was the first Township Clerk. Peter Burr and Isaac Rea, or Reed, also received orders as Clerks of Elections held in Vernon Township in 1810. June 10, 1811, John Berkley was paid $11.25 for listing the township of Vernon and making return of the duplicate. In 1811, John Sewell, Benjamin Smalley and James McManis were Judges, and Aaron Sewell and John Mitchell were Clerks. In December, 1811, "Ben- jamin Smalley was Viewer of a road beginning at John Berkley's, running past Smalley's mill and intersecting the State road at Oliver Whitaker's, where said road crosses the old road leading to the Wilson settlement." In 1811, John Berkley was Lister of Vernon Township, and was allowed $7. At this time, Daniel and Jacob Bails were doing quite a business in wolf scalps, ro- coiving $1 each for wolves over six months old and some less where six months or less. David Ferris was appraiser of houses in Vernon Township in 1811. In 1812, John Mitchell, Benjamin Smalley and John Sewell were Trustees, and Aaron Sewell, Clerk Jonathan Lawrence, Samuel Cox and Thomas Aus- tin were Judges of the Election in 1812. In 1813, William Biggs, John Sewell and Benjamin Smalley were Trustees; Aaron Sewell, Clerk, and Josiah Biggs, Lister. In 1814, Thomas Austin, William Johns and Ezekiel Cast, Judges or Trustees, and Aaron Sewell and Oliver Whitaker, Clerks; Jo- siah Biggs, Listor. In 1813, the townships of Union and Greone were laid off, and the boundaries of Vernon were changed. It embraced all the territory on the north side of the State road from Wilmington to Lebanon, following said road to the Union Township lino; thence with the Union Township line eight miles to the corner of Union; thonco oast three and a half miles to Enos Clevenger's lane, in the old Warren County line.

From the year 1826, the records of Vernon Township as regards township · officers and receipts and expenditures have been well preserved. The first elec- tion we have a full record of was held April 3, 1826, at the house of Josinh Biggs (the Morgan House, Villars' Chapel), and the following officers were elected: Trustees, Jonathan Tribbey, Josiah Biggs and John Saulsbury; Clerk, Uriah Biggs; Treasurer, Horatio Cast; Constables, Jacob Garrison, Joseph Blancett; Overseers of the Poor, Horatio Cast, Jacob Garrison; Fence Viewer, John Morrison, William Crosson. Horatio Cast and Jacob Garrison refusing to serve as Overseers of the Poor, William Austin and Ezekiel Cast wore ap- pointed. The Supervisors elected were John Hadley, George Liston, John Smalley, Ephraim Smith, John Doughty, James Harris, Leaven Elzey, David Wright, John Stevens and Benjamin Daniels. Uriah Biggs was qualified by Asahel Tribbey, Esq. At a meeting of the Trustees in August, 1826, they proceeded to lay off the township into school districts agreeably to the fourth section of an act entitled "An act to provide for the support and better regula. tion of common schools,' passed February 5, 1825. The districts as laid off were of immense size. The country was sparsely settled and every one could not have a schoolhouse at his own door. For example, what is now No. 4-Hope. well: The Sewell Schoolhouse extended from Jonathan Lawrence's (Sever's) to William Austin's (Mt. Pleasant), and from Ditto's (Batten's) to Nicholas Burns' (Second Creek, we believe). For the purpose of comparison and to show how we have improved in the art of spending money, the Clerk's state. ment for 1825 is given in full:

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VERNON TOWNSHIP.

Statement of receipts and expenditures of Vernon Township from the 9th day of March, 1826, to the 8th day of March, 1827, inclusive.

RECEIPTS.

Received of J. Biggs as security for T. Foreman. $ 3 55

Received of J. Harris, Esq., fines by him collected .. 16 97}

Received of A. Tribbey, Esq., the amount of a note on J. Cox. 7 68%

Received of same on judgment on S. Brown ... 18 46

Received of same on judgment on R. Stansbury 20 87}

Total.

$67 544

EXPENDITURES.

John Villars, Supervisor, for services. $ 2 81₺

W. Austin and E. Cast, Overseers of the Poor 1 50

D. Wright, Supervisor, for his services. 1 124

J. Baldwin, Supervisor, for his services. 3 00

W. Elzey, Supervisor, for his services. 2 62}

J. II. Marshall, Constable, for serving pauper's warrant. 3 00

J. Lawrence, for services as Trustee and Supervisor 3 75

J. Tribbey, for services as Trustee and Supervisor. 6 961

U. Biggs, Clerk, for services.

Same for blank book for Clerk's office. 1 50

L. Elzey, Supervisor, for his services .. 2 25

J. Dalby and J. Conklin, late Overseers of the Poor. . 2 00

J. Garrison, late Constable, for summoning township officers. 3 50

J. Biggs, for a room to hold township meetings in. 2 00

John Lytle, late Trustee, for services .. 75

Total. $37 324

At this time, Vernon Township included part of Adams, Clark (or the greater part of what is now Clark), Jefferson and Marion Townships, also part of Washington, and enumerated 283 householders for school purposes.

The spring election of 1827 resulted in the election of the following offi- cers: . Clerk, Nugent Ward; Treasurer, Ephraim Smith; Trustees, Jonathan Tribbey, Melzar Stearns, Jonathan Lawrence ; Constables, Jacob Garrison, John Stewart; Overseers of the Poor, Aaron Sewell, William Hadley; Fence Viewers, Joseph Hale, Reuben Gillis.

Jeremiah Rowan was elected Justice of the Peace April 2, 1827. The three Justices at that time were James Harris, Asahel Tribbey and Jeremiah Rowan. May 28, 1827, the Trustees levied a tax of three-eighths of a mill on the dollar, for township purposes, and one- fourth of a mill for the support of the poor, and issued an order to the County Auditor to cause the same to be assessed. In settlement .with the Treasurer, there was a balance in the treas- ury of township fund, 15 cents; poor fund, $14.37.

In 1828, same officers elected except Thomas Woodmansee, Trustee in place of Melzar Stearns; Jonathan Baldwin and Nathan Beals, Fence Viewers; and Firman Casto, Treasurer. The election was held at the house of William Cook (now J. H. Floyd).

In 1828, we find the following pauper warrant, viz .: THE STATE OF OHIO,

CLINTON COUNTY. VERNON TOWNSHIP, S 88.

TO JACOB GARRISON, CONSTABLE OF SAID TOWNSHIP, GREETING: You are hereby commanded to warn Eleanor Wiley to depart and leave the town -. ship, and of this writ make legal service and due return as the law directs. Given under AARON SEWELL,

tur hands and scals this 11th day of April, 1828.

WILLIAM HADLEY, Overseers of the Poor.

This looks to us as a pretty severe way to deal with paupers, but it may prive more effective than the plan adopted by some of the Trustees of the pres- entday-a plan which encourages paupers to locate in a township where they will be well fed, well "doctored," and have plenty of whisky and tobacco as luxwies.

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

The receipts for the year ending March 2, 1829, were $50.71. Of this, $36.21 was received of Daniel Radcliffe, County Treasurer. The expenditures for the same year were $49.93.

In 1829, Eli Helmick, John Villars and David Fisher were Trustees; Nu- gent Ward, Clerk; Firman Casto, Treasurer; Isaac Tyson and John Stewart, Constables; James Morrow and David Hadley, Overseers of the Poor; Benja. min Ross and Joseph Burnett, Fence Viewers. This election was held at the house of Lemuel Garrison. In the year 1829, David A. Sewell gave bond unto William Cook, Ephraim Smith and James Dalby, Directors of School District No. 2, as Treasurer of said district. During that year, the districts were again changed, and the enumeration of householders was 284. In March, 1830, three paupers woro warned by the Constable to depart the township, by order of James Morrow and David Hadley, Overseors of the Poor. In 1830, Nugent Ward, still Clerk; Trustoos, Eli Helmick, James Villars, John Mitchell; Treas. urer, Firman Casto, Constables, William Thompson and John Stewart; Fonce Viewers, Amos T. Davis and Moses Tullis.

Statement for the year ending March 1, 1831: Receipts, $36.57; expend- itures, $33.61.

Statement for the year 1833: Receipts, $90.021; expenditures, $35.37. Statement for year 1834: Receipts, $90.873; expondituros, $47.13.

In 1835-Allowed Alexander S. Black $9 for supporting a pauper; and Dr. John Gardner, $3 for professional attendance upon a paupor-which is the first bill paid a doctor for attendance on a pauper. How this method of spending public money has grown, and what immense proportions it has as- sumed at the present time, will be seen by the Clerk's statement for the year 1880.

We find recorded, in 1835, an article of agreement between William Aus- tin and Joseph Miller, whereby Alexander S. Austin was apprenticed to Joseph H. Miller to learn "the art or business of salesman or clerk in a store. "

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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 39

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