USA > Ohio > Darke County > The history of Darke County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; > Part 56
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Evangelical Church .- Originally the Greenville appointment belonged to the Miami Circuit. Ohio Conference. At first, there was no regular preaching, but ministers visited this section from Dayton. Cincinnati and other places, and preached in private houses. A small class was formed in 1842. Peter Roth, afterward minister on this circuit, became the leader. Among members of the class were M. Kline, Renssellaer, Leetz and Koenig. The present church, a medium-sized brick structure, with a seating capacity of about three hundred, is located on the southeast corner of Fourth and Ash streets, was the first one built. The work was done in 1858, and the sermon of dedication was preached by Bishop Long, Revs. Platz being Presiding Elder, and B. Rush, circuit preacher. Indebtedness was paid off at this time, and later a comfortable parsonage was erected on the same lot. The following have been Presiding Elders from 1842 until the present : Revs. Censor, Schaffer. Kopp. Fry. Dreisbach, Platz, Fisher, Myer, Fuehis. Krueger and Baumgartner. The preachers have been Abra- ' ham Schaffer, Philip Por, Eli Kliplinger, Lewis Einsel, Jacob Keiper. John Hoff- man. John G. Censor. B. Rush, Peter Roth, John Nikolai. C. Glaus. B. Uphaus, George Holley, Peter Getz, Christian Heim. A. E. Dreisbach. Ph. Schwartz, Charles Schamo, George Nolpert, Edward Evans, E. R. Troyer, Renben Reigel, George Klepper, E. R. Troyer. E. T. Hochsletler and F. Lanner. Greenville has not yet been made a station, but is still an appointment, with preaching once in two weeks. The membership of the circuit is 243, and of the town is 28.
German Methodist .- The first preaching in Greenville by a minister of this denomination was by Rev. William Floerke. October 2. 1852. who remained two years. Services were held in dwellings. Some of the original members of the society were J. W. Fischbach, Charles Bittermire. Charles Klarig. Loveroy, Klarig, Fred Steinramp and J. G. Martine. The second minister was J. A. Schmeremund, under whose administration the present church was built in 1855, at a cost of about $900. The parsonage was bought for $350 in 1857. It has been materially enlarged and improved. The lot. the site of church and parson- age, is located on Ash street. between Main and Water streets. The entire prop- erty is valued at $2,500. The Sabbath school was established in 1850. and has been
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kept up ever since. There has also been regular preaching. The membership is small. Old members have died, new ones have moved away. The proportion of English-speaking Methodists has inereased, and there is little numerical gain. It forms a part of the German Central Conference. Presiding Elders have been William Ahrens, M. Collander. J. A. Kline, Conrad Ghau, Jacob Rothweiler, G. C. Fritche, E. Reimschneider and L. Olinger. The pastors of this congregation have been from the first as follows : William Floerke, J. A. Schmeremund, William Ahrens, Conrad Bier, Charles Helwig, Henry Fuess, Paul Brodbeck, F. Severing- haus, John Leppert, L. Dunker, Jacob Gabler, Adam Weber, John Ficker.
The German Reformed Church .- St. Paul's congregation. The division of the Dallas charge by detaching the congregations of Beamsville and Gettysburg, gave rise to the organization of a central congregation on a new charge. In Sep- tember, 1864, the Rev. T. P. Bucher, of Dayton, preached in Greenville, in the Old School Presbyterian Church, to a large congregation. Revs. W. McCaughey and A. Wanner preached here subsequently. Sufficient interest seems to have been awakened to provide for the formation of a society, and, September 19, 1864, this was effected. Six members of the German Reformed Church were present at the meeting, and the names of five others were presented. The following names were entered-Philip Hartzell and wife, Mrs. Clem Barthing, S. Creager, Mrs. E. C. Baer and Mrs. Margaret Webb. The meeting was held in the dwelling of Mrs. Barthing. On March 12, 1866, Rev. W. MeCaughey was still Pastor. A month or so later, a building committee was appointed, and, in September, the church owned by the Christians was rented for six months from October 14. November 1, 1866, the Committee on Location reported a lot on the corner of Third and Vine streets, owned by John Harper. In the spring of 1869, the church became very dilapidated, and the house of the Old School Presbyterians was purchased for $4.000 cash. The funds were secured by borrowing $3,600 of Mr. Alter, of Cin- cinnati, but owing to the desire of the Presbyterians to wait for the union of the two schools, action was delayed. In February, 1870, the property was sold at auction, to Turpen, Benham & Co. The Harper lot was sold, and a purchase made of part of a lot from Dr. T. J. Kindlesberger, for $1,000, on May 30, 1870. Church building was pushed, and, in 1874, the new St. Paul's Reform Church was dedicated. The Pastor, Rev. W. MeCaughey, was assisted by Rev. David Winters, D. D., of Dayton, and others. The entire cost of the building was about $5,400. In speaking of it a local paper said : " The church, a model of neatness and beauty, is pronounced the finest in the county, will comfortably seat about three hundred persons, is well ventilated, and is heated by a furnace. The walls and ceiling are beautifully frescoed, the design and finish of the windows really imposing, the pulpit tastefully constructed, the aisles carpeted, and the congregation have the handsomest house of worship in the town." The first communion season in the new church was held February 16, 1873. Rev. MeCaughey, who had been with the church since its origin, tendered his resignation and preached his final sermon on the evening of September 6, 1874. The pulpit was for a time supplied by R. B. Reichard, who, resigning in the fall of 1876, was succeeded by Jesse Steimer, who came in the spring of 1879, and remained till the fall of 1879.
January 1, 1880, Rev. Samuel Mere, D. D., assumed the pastorate. and is the incumbent. The membership is now about seventy-five. The Sabbath school con- nected with this church was organized in the spring of 1867, and numbers fifty-five.
The Baptists had an organization at Greenville at an early day, and erected a frame church, but it has gone down.
The United Brethren had a church prior to the war, which was sold at auction, and bought by Prof. Martz, and used as schoolhouse ; then sold to Catholies about 1862, who greatly improved it.
The Catholics have a popular and faithful priest. and here, as elsewhere, that ancient society gains ground.
It is notable in the foregoing history of the city that few persons are found
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constantly in the foreground of very prominent interest, social, financial, educa- tional and religious. while their following is stanch and confident. In this we may learn the influence of energy, wealth and publie spirit in developing and making attractive a village or a city. Greenville has fine buildings. private and public. Her interests are in safe hands. and the city offers many indneements to a residence there ; not alone in the sociability of the citizens, but in the influences of public institutions and prevalence of progressive and elevating tendencies.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
This township was organized in March, 1819, and embraced what is now con- tained in both German and Washington Townships. In December. 1833, the north tier of sections of Township, 11 north was taken into the township, but a year later a subdivision was made, the southern part taking the name of German, thereby leaving a small indebtedness incurred in opening roads, for the old township to pay.
The township as now organized contains 20,982 acres of land, and at one time was heavily timbered. It is well watered by springs and by streams flowing over the surface. The soil is unsurpassed by any in the county for the produc- tion of all the grains and grasses adapted to this county, and for health none excel it. The facts of the history which follow are supplied by Joseph Cole, a native of the township, and now fifty-five years of age. He speaks from personal experience, and of his own knowledge, when he says: "The task the pioneer farmer had in subduing the forest for his first crop was, to say the least, a very arduous undertaking, when with his own hand he grubbed, chopped, picked and burned all the undergrowth-that is to say, all what was called a foot and under ; and then. having the larger trees girdled, he was ready to commence plowing. or rather digging among the roots. A team of horses or cattle, harness, and a plow of a very rude structure, was his outfit to commence the task of preparing for a crop, and by diligence he usually raised a fair yield of corn, pumpkins, beans, potatoes and all kinds of garden vegetables. The first season, a small field was thus cleared and tilled. This ground was usually sown to wheat in the corn ground. or after the corn was cut up. And when the wheat was matured, it was gathered by hand with the sickle, hauled in and stacked. In winter it was either beaten off with the flail, or tramped off with horses, when the grain was separated from the chaff by running through the windmill. This was not always practicable, for it sometimes occurred that the poor man had to eleanse his grain by fanning it by hand, using a linen sheet. or by throwing it from one side of his dirt floor to the other, repeating the operation until it was sufficiently clean for milling or sowing.
" Field after field was added yearly until the farm was opened up, until. of the 20.000 acres of forest, more than 14.000 are now under a fair state of eultiva- tion. There was a steady adherence to the same rotation of erops as fields were added, giving fair yields for the labor ; and, with what wild game could be killed, furnished the settler with provisions sufficient for himself and family, and a sur- plus to divide with the new-comer as he dropped in. And this hard way in this wild wood seemed not to depress, for the settlers were apparently the happiest people on the face of the earth. Thus all erops were raised, the entire work being done by hand ; and but little more was produced than home needs required. Prices were very low. Wheat was sold at 3 and 4 shillings per bushel. Day- laborers got from 2 to 3 shillings per day. or $7 to $10 per month ; but how dif- ferent now after the lapse of half a century. The farms are cleared of stumps and stones, and much of the work is done by machinery, horse-power and steam supplanting the sinewy arm and strong hand that handled hoe, sickle, cradle and
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HISTORY OF DARKE COUNTY.
flail. The grain is easily raised, and prices are greatly increased. Financially the first settlers were all poor, having gone into the unsettled part that they might obtain homes at the Government price. They understood fully the advantages of co-operating by mutual aid in raising cabins, and other efforts ; and as long as one had bread or seed, he divided with his less fortunate neighbor. Many lived to good old age, and beyond the allotted threescore and ten, relics of the past. observers of the future, whose changes they could not have foreseen.
The first to locate in the township were Martin and Jacob Cox, from Penn- sylvania. They settled on the right bank of Greenville Creek. on October 16, 1816, the former on Section 13, the latter on Section 14; there they made permanent homes, upon which they passed their lives. Jacob died in 1842. leaving his farm to his children; Martin occupied the farm about forty-two years, and made many im- provements. An only child inherits his estate. James Brady and Samuel Cole, the two next settlers, came from Sussex County, N. J., in March, 1817. Brady located on Section 26, and thereon passed his life, dying at the age of fifty-one. in the year 1838. His widow, at the advanced age of ninety, still lives on the farm with her son, J. M. Brady. Samuel Cole settled on Section 27, where he remained till 1824, and here it was where the first white child was born within the township. Jane Cole was born April 20, 1817; she is now the widow Wintermote, and resides in Greenville Township, to which Mr. Cole moved and settled on Section 19. where he died February 21, 1866, aged seventy-nine. Samuel Cole, Sr., came in 1818. and lived with his son until his death in 1829, at the age of seventy-nine. Levi Elston from the same county and State as the above, settled in 1818, on Section 26, and made some improvements, but did not live long to enjoy them, but the farm remained in the hands of his widow and children for nearly half a century. In May following, John Snell and Daniel Shively both settled on Section 27, and cleared up lands bordering on the second branch of Greenville Creek; with the others that gathered in, there was formed a Dutch settlement, thereby giving to the second branch the name of Krout Creek. Snell. after getting his land in a fair state of cultivation, sold and went to Missouri in 1839, but Shively remained on his farm until his death in 1841, aged forty-nine years. Others here were Peter and John Heck, the Mill- ers, the Raricks, and Clapps from Pennsylvania. In 1818. a number of families from New Jersey settled here, forming what was called the Jersey settlement. William Martin entered a part of Section 25, made some improvements, but did not live long to enjoy his labors ; a part of the farm is still owned by his son, John H. Martin. John Chenoweth located on Section 32, in 1819, and erected a cabin, cleared land and gradually made extensive improvements. He raised a large family, and after a sojourn of between forty and fifty years, sold and moved to Illinois, where he died at an advanced age. He was frequently heard to remark that he could start at the Scioto, his native home, and travel all the way to Iowa with a team, and stay every night with some one of his connections.
From different States, the families continued to arrive during the year 1818. There was John Clapp, from Maryland, who settled on Section 34, cleared up his farm, and in 1823, built a mill, hereafter noted. He died here at the age of seventy, in the year 1846. Philip Rarick, from Pennsylvania, occupied part of the same section, raised a large family, and in time died. Joel Cosad, from New York, settled on Section 35, and in 1833, removed to Dayton. Nathaniel Skidmore and Jeremiah Rogers, both of New Jersey, entered portions of Section 28; the former cleared a large farm, upon which he resided until 1855, when he died, aged sixty- six years. Rogers died some years earlier. Samuel and Peter Kimber, from New Jersey, settled on Section 23, improving the same, and living there until 1852, when Peter sold out, but still resided in the neighborhood until his death in 1870, at the age of seventy-nine. Christian Miller, came in 1819, and built on Section 22, and there passed his life. Clearing was continued by Jonah Miller. who occupied until 1867, when he went to Wabash County, Ind., where he died in 1878.
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HISTORY OF DARKE COUNTY.
Henry Creviston, even in boyhood, was known at old Fort Greenville, during the war of 1812, and for some time after. About 1830. he made settlement in this township, on Section 9, and on this farm remained until his death. It was said by the old settlers, familiar with the old rough times, in and about the fort, that there was no one came to the fort his equal in activity and muscular strength. Igna- tius Burns first located on Section 24, but soon sold. and Philip Manuel was acknowledged as the first to make permanent improvement on the same. He was from Kentucky, and died in the township on his farm, aged seventy-eight. in the year 1871. Moses Crumrine entered part of Section 22, made considerable clear- ing, and now, aged seventy-five, is still hale and hearty, and bids fair for many years. Jesse Gray, a noted hunter, settled on the border of Section 5, but the rifle, not the ax, was his weapon, and he moved westward to Jay County, Ind., where he died at a very old age ; and there was Jacob Chenoweth, a wolf trapper, who occupied a rude cabin on Section 19, and at length, at a ripe age, died. There. too, was Joseph Cole, Sr., a settler on Section 21, in 1826. He was noted, not only as a farmer, but as a first-class country blacksmith. He is still living on the old home- stead, although past his fourscore and four years. Those named were not all, examples only of the many. There were Conrad Harter. Charles Sumption, Sol- omon Harter, Joseph Dixon, L. D. Wintermote, Hezekiah Fowler, all early settlers, who helped in the great task of subduing the forest. And there, too, were David Wasson, John S. Hiller and Isaac Vail, and besides. there were Thomas F. Cheno- weth, a settler on Section 23, where, at the age of seventy, he has lived nearly sixty years ; and Aaron Hiller, a farmer on Section 36, where he died, aged seventy. A single additional name is given, that of Johnson Deniston, who settled on Section 23, about the year 1825. It was on his farm that the boys met to enjoy the lioli- day of all holidays-the annual muster of the militia. This took place one week before what was called the Big Muster in Greenville, which was once each year. Mr. Cole says : "Well, it was just about as much as a boy could stand, to hear the martial music, especially when John and Israel Cox were the fifers. as both were capital players, and Israel, especially, was excelled by none ; to see Capt. Marquis in his gay uniform, and hear his shrill command, and to see William Scott beat the tenor-drum. It was good enough for any boy of the day to see and hear. but big musters in regimental drill, with officers in full dress. mounted. was as much as the boy nature could endure."
It would not be true to say that these first settlers found the country just as the red man left it, for he had not gone. He was friendly, molesting neither man nor beast, and frequently called at the cabin door for food. It is not enough to say of these pioneers that they were farmers, for they were mechanics, teachers and preachers, as well. They tanned their own leather, made their own shoes. did their own coopering and blacksmithing, taught their schools. and had, in the per- son of John Wintermote, what has been called a " Hardshell " Baptist preacher- the first minister to locate in the township.
Of the improvements of Washington Township, it is hard to tell where to begin, as it was an unbroken wilderness. The first road or trace to this settlement from Greenville was to cross Greenville Creek, just above what is now known as George Van Dike's ashery ; then by the D. Irwin farm. winding up the north side of Greenville Creek, by Dean's mill, to what was then known as the Byram cabin, about where A. Hays now lives, and crossing Greenville Creek just below the Murphy graveyard ; thence by D. Williamson's and Daniel Potter's. The next road was what was called the Jersey road, crossing Greenville Creek at the same point ; thence, recrossing at Tecumseh's Point ; thence. keeping south of the creek. crossing the west branch north of George Fox's mill. and so on west to the Jersey settlement and Krout Creek.
The first grist-mill erected within the township was built by John Clapp, in 1823, on the second branch, on what is now known as the Bartow farm. It was a very rude structure. but as good as the times and financial conditions would permit,
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although the greater part of the work on the dam, digging the race and putting up the house, was done by volunteer work. The next, in the way of mill improve- ments, was a saw-mill, built by Jeremiah Rogers. on Hoover's Branch. on the farm now owned by Peter Skidmore, which was of service many years ; but of these two old mills, only the landmarks are left.
Soon after these mills were built, David Clapp, early in 1832, commenced to build a flouring-mill on the second branch. The same fall, a saw-mill was running. The grist-mill began to run in the following year. The race was dug nearly half a mile through the roots of the primitive forest. Samuel Hatter and Joseph Rarick took the job for $100, and they hired William Baldwin, William Dennison, John Dixon and George Young to assist them. These men worked at prices ranging from 2 to 3 shillings per day. Andrew Bickel was also employed. Being consid- ered rather an extra hand, he was paid 43 cents per day. the understanding being that he should keep the fact of greater wages to himself. Prior to the erection of this mill. the people here were used to going to a small flouring-mill near Cole- town. The year 1832 was marked by a severely cold winter, and the mill froze up. Mr. Bickel tells of working, in company with two others, nearly all day to get the ice cut out, and all the grinding done by night was a half-bushel of corn- meal. This they divided between them, in shares proportioned to the size of the respective families. There are now four water and two steam saw-mills in the township. MeClure's mill is run by water and by steam ; it has been repaired and rebuilt, until it is now a first-class flouring-mill. and is worthy of the patronage given.
These enterprising pioneers soon began to want a little nicer and safer chim- ney than the one of mud and sticks, so, with John Snell at the lead, they in com- mon set to work to burn a brick-kiln, but in order to succeed they were obliged to go over to Greenville Township to call upon Hiller to assist in the molding and burning. They did good work, as some of the old chimneys will yet testify. James Brady and John Chenoweth were the first to burn brick and to build brick houses, but Joel Cosad was the first to build a frame house. It was about 18x20 feet base and one story high. One fact in this connection is worthy of note, that is, but few ever left the county who once settled in it; they were either satisfied with the country or were else too poor to get away. As we have indicated, there are quite a number that have lived in the township from fifty to sixty years. In early times, there was a struggle for village notoriety between Nashville and Hill Grove, but long ago Nashville yielded the contest and not a building is left to mark the site of the would-be village, and Hill Grove came very near being absorbed by Union City. In this connection, it is well to recall Colona, a village located on December 31, which bloomed and died in a brief time. A few lots were laid out and sold, and a few dwellings were erected, but it soon became apparent that there was nothing to incite effort or induce settlement, and the vestiges of occupation soon disappeared, and few, if any, of the citizens of the township in 1880 remember or ever knew that the village of Colona ever had existence. It, like Nashville, was laid out on the old State road, and afforded a halting place to movers and travelers, where they might rest and might obtain food for themselves and for their teams.
The village of Hill Grove is situated at the northwest corner of Section 4. It was laid out in 1848, by W. McKee. The population numbers about two hundred persons. It is distant from Union City but little more than two miles, and from Greenville nine and a half. The Greenville & Union pike and the Dayton & Union Railroad run through it. It contains three churches-the German Reformed, United Brethren and Methodist Episcopal. The former was originally built by the Old School Presbyterians, and purchased by the society named in 1876, and Rev. J. Stuck has been Pastor ever since. It was rebuilt during the sum ner of 1879, and is a neat brick structure, pleasantly located on the north side of Liberty street, in the northeastern part of town. The United Brethren
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HISTORY OF DARKE COUNTY.
Church is a neat frame, medium-sized building, near the township line, and built in 1878. The Methodist Church is situated over the line a short distance. in Jackson Township, in the northwest part of the village and near that end of Main street. The schoolhouse, which has a school enrolling ninety-four pupils, is located on Main street, opposite the southeast end of Locust street. On the cor- ner of Cherry and Liberty streets stands a two-story grist-mill, originally built as a warehouse when the railroad was put through. It has two run of buhrs, and is employed exclusively in custom work. Its present owner is Louis Limperd. and it is run by Samuel Limperd. J. A. Bickell's general store is located on the south- east corner of Main and Liberty streets. On the opposite side of Main street, but farther south, on Lot No. 27, is a blacksmith-shop, built by J. Conspue in 1857 ; the old part was built by Wash. McKee about 1834. Mr. McKee kept the first store in Hill Grove, but a short time before there had been a trading station run by Charles Sumption. Herman Searles was among the early storekeepers in the township, and George Clapp built the first blacksmith-shop; it was located about half a mile southeast of the present village. As to the schools, they were generally taught in old deserted cabins until the settlers saw fit to select some convenient site and unite on some day to build a cabin ; afterward a teacher was hired by the process of joint subscription.
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