USA > Ohio > Licking County > Granville > The history of Granville, Licking County, Ohio > Part 6
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Sometimes a pet bear was seen. Jimmy Johnson generally had one chained to his cabin ; catching a cub and keeping him until he would weigh two hundred pounds, when he was ready to be slaughtered. One of these pets showed a fond- ness for wrestling with little boys, but he had so much de- pravity that he must always throw the boy, or he would get mad.
The trees that yielded their treasures for the use of the settlers and that were made to feel the thick strokes of their axes, were white oak, chestnut, walnut, butternut, beech, sugar, soft maple, ash, poplar, basswood, cherry, elm, syca- nore, dogwood, hackberry. Wild grape vines ran luxuriantly among the tree tops. Pawpaw bushes were plentiful.
As rapidly as any ground could be cleared and spared for the purpose, fruit trees were obtained from the nursery at Bowling Green, or that of Cunningham. Some of the immi- grants brought apple seeds with them and soon started nurs- eries of their own. The first orchards bore only natural fruit.
The second birth in the township was that of John Lewis.
The first birth in the town was that of Maritta, a daughter of Timothy Spelman, now Mrs. Langdon Atwood. The second was a daughter of Hugh Kelley, now Mrs. Sutton.
The first male child born in the Granville Company is said to have been William, son of Levi and Polly Rose, now Deacon Wmn. Rose of the Baptist Church, October 23, 1806.
73
ANNALS, 1806.
CHAPTER XIII.
By this time there were thought to be five hundred voters within ten miles of the incipient village. The importance of their position-a lone church in the midst of a large des- titution-burdened the hearts of the leading men of this en- terprise. They longed for the presence of a pastor with the church. It was more than two years, however, before they obtained one. Meantime they had occasional sermons from ministers who came, some of them quite a distance, to preach to them. Rev. S. P. Robbins of Marietta preached for them several days and administered the Lord's Supper, the first time they had enjoyed that privilege since leaving Massa- chusetts, and the only one during the year. Rev. (Since Dr.) Moses Hoge of Columbus also visited them. Rev. Cyrus Riggs who met them on their arrival and preached to them the first sermon in their new home, visited them again a few months later. Messrs. Eaton, Bracken, McDaniel, Woods, Noble, Scott, George, and Jones, successively visited and preached to them, all probably within the year.
A military company was formed almost immediately as the following paper shows :
"Capt Guilman Sir you will ples To hould your Self and Company In rediness on the Last fryday in may 1806 At Nie- wark as the Batalion muster will Bee there
(Signed) John Stadden mag of The 3 Bat"
A third saw mill was erected by Augustine Munson dur- ing this year on Raccoon Creek about two and a half miles east of town, having a capacity of 4000 feet per day.
At a meeting of the company held Friday, March 7th, it was decided to call the town Granville.
Several new members were received during the year: Wm. Reynolds in one of Zadoc Cooley's rights ; Thos. S. Sill in one of Levi Hayes' rights; Helon Rose in place of Levi 10
74
INCORPORATION.
Cooley ; Joshua Linnel in place of Asa Seymour, and James Thrall in place of Wm. Cooley, Jr.
The Fourth of July was celebrated by a patriotic gather- ering on the village square, an oration being delivered by Jeremiah R. Munson, Esq., standing on the aboriginal mound, near the center of the square. Young America found exercise in splitting stumps with powder.
Monday, May 5, 1806, the following action was taken :
"Voted to chuse a Committee to petition the Honorable Commissioners of the County of Fairfield to incorporate this Settlement into an Election District or Township."
"Timothy Spelman
"Wm. Gavit
"Justin Hillyer
Chosen for Sd Committee "
October 20th, the subject was brought up again.
" Voted to take measures to be incorporated into a body politick & Voted to chuse a Committee to adopt Some plan for the purpose "
"Timothy Spelman
"John Duke
Appointed Sd Committee "
" Hiram Rose
" Voted that Lemuel Rose Make Application to the Next Court for a Town Meeting to Elect Justice & Other Officers if they think best "
Thursday, November 27th, Timothy Rose was appointed to " forward a petition for the Corporation of the town of Gran- ville to Mr. Beecher," probably Hon. Philemon Beecher, the Representative fromn this district.
"Dec. 8th Voted that Jeremiah R. Munson forward the peti- tion to the General Assembly"
"Dec. 12th, Voted that Lemuel Rose Request the court to Appoint A Meeting to chuse two Justices of the peace in this Township "
An order from the County Court was finally obtained, or- ganizing the township and directing the electors to meet, the first day of January, 1807, and choose officers.
Another effort was also successful. While yet in Massa- chusetts, they had appointed Job Case, Timothy Rose and Slyvanus Mitchel a committee " to receive subscriptions for
75
LIBRARY - DEATHS.
the encouragement of a library and to draw up and form a constitution for the said Library Co."
On the 17th and 24th of November, officers were appointed for this association, Elias Gilman, Timothy Rose and Tim- othy Spelman being Directors; Samuel Thrall, Treasurer, and Hiram Rose, Librarian.
Through the efforts of Jeremiah R. Munson, Esq., a char- ter was obtained for this society early in 1807. It was couched in such terms that the Society afterward established a bank under its provisions.
Sometime in the fall of 1807, the books were purchased in the east and brought out by Samuel Everitt, Jr., and being of a high order they were a source of improvement to their many readers for succeeding years.
Several deaths occurred in the settlement during the year. The first was an infant son of Ethan Bancroft, who died April 6th, and for his grave the first ground was broken in the new burial lot. Two other children died : Eliza Messen- ger, daughter of Grove Messenger, August 10th, aged four- teen months, and George Gavit, son of William Gavit, Octo- ber 4th, aged four years.
The autumn proved to be a sickly one, and two adults died : Gideon Cornell, August 22nd, aged forty-five, and George Avery, September 29th, aged forty-seven, both hav- ing been members of the Licking Company, and Mr. Cor- nell being one of the five men sent out to plant corn and make other preparations for the colonists.
During the year, Mr. Thomas Philipps and his son, John H., returned. The father established himself in his new home, where he remained until his death, in 1813. The son taught school and was otherwise employed until about the time of his father's death, when he removed to Cincinnati, where he resided until his death, in 1832.
Of Urias Philipps, a scion of this family, it is narrated that he used to go barefoot to school through the snows of winter. He would take a heated board under his arm and
76
PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE.
run until his feet were cold, and then stand on the board until they were warm again, and then renew his pursuit of knowledge. When the board was cold, he was welcomed at any neighbor's on his route to re-heat it. This sufficiently in- dicates not only the difficulties to be contended with in early times, but also the love of education which was cherished in the Philipps family.
There were now two strong nuclei on the Hills; the one the Rees settlement, in the angle of the northeast section of the township, nearest the Granville center; the other the Philipps settlement, just north. Each patriarch gathered around him his married sons and daughters, with their grow- ing families, making an inviting opening for others of their nationality, who were not slow to accept the advantages offered and to enter in and subdue the land.
77
ANNALS, 1807.
CHAPTER XIV.
In the following year, John Spragg was received to mem- bership in the Licking Company, in place of Benjamin Reed, Samuel Clark in place of S. B. Dean, Grove Messenger in place of George Cooley, and Samuel Bancroft in place of Benjamin Waters.
The Book of Records for the Township of Granville, County of Fairfield, and State of Ohio, opens with the fol- lowing entry :
" this township was incorporated in the Autumn of the year of our Lord 1806 and on the first day of January in the year 1807 in obedience to an order from the Honorable judges of the County Court the free Electors of s'd township assembled at the school hous to Elect three Magistrates when it apeared from the Pole Books that Timothy Spelman Elias Gilman and John Duke were Electted by a Clear Majority "
The bounds of this township ran far to the west and north of its present limits.
"at an Election Legally warned and held at the School hous in Granville on the 6th day of April in the year AD 1807 for the purpos of chosing townships offisers the Number required in Law having asembled the hous proceded to chose a Chair- man and too judges of the Election
" Silas Winchel chosen chairman
" Isriel Wells judges of the Election
" John Edwards
" Justin Hillyer
" Elkanah Lennel
clerks of the Election
" these being quallified acording to Law the hous proseded to Ballot for one township Clerk three trustees two overseers of the poor two fenceviewers two apreisers of houses one of wich to serve as a Listor four supervisors of highways two constables and one township treasurer "
"at the hour of five o clock the same day the Election being Duly Closed it apeared from the pole Book that the following gentlemen were Elected to the Respective offeces of the town- ship that are set to their names by a clear majority
78
FIRST TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.
Wm Gavit Clerk Israel Wells Jesse Havens Silas Winchel Job Case Phineas Ford James Johnson Joshua Browning John Edwards Hiram Rose John Edwards Augustin Munson Ethan Bancroft Jacob Goodrich Elkanah Linnel
Trustees
Overseers of the poor
Fence viewers
House appraisors, John Edwards being Listor
Supervisors of highways
Constables
George Stone Levi Hayes Treasurer
"on Monday April the 13th two of the gentlemen trustees Mess Isriel Wells and Silas Winchell met at the inn hous of Deac Timmothy Rose and took a surity of Joseph Linnel of four hundred dollars Conditioned on Elkanah Linnel faithfully proformance in the offis of a Constable in the following word and forme viz "
Then follows a record of the note duly signed and attested. At their next meeting the Trustees divided the township into five highway districts. Further security notes are re- corded. A book for the township records was bought at a cost of two dollars, three-fourths to be paid for by the town- ship and one-fourth by the clerk with the privilege of using the back part of the book "for Recording of Earmarks Brands Castways &c."
The business of the year was duly closed, no officer inak- ing any charge against the township for his services except Lemuel Rose, whose service was probably of a nature requir- ing an outlay of money. His bill of $2.00 for making a re- turn of the magistrate election was allowed and an order on the treasurer given him.
On Thursday, the 28th of May, the first wedding in the colony was celebrated. Samuel Bancroft and Clarissa Rose,
79
PONDS.
daughter of Deacon Timothy Rose, were married by Rev. S. P. Robbins of Marietta. On the 24th of May, the first baptism occurred; that of Francis, infant son of Jeremiah R. and Jerusha Munson, and the same day Mrs. Jerusha Munson was received to church membership, the first addition after reaching their new homes.
The public roads were a constant care to the company, first to lay them out on eligible and satisfactory lines, and next, to open and work them. Much time, labor and money were spent for this object.
In January, 1807, a committee was appointed, being Jus- tin Hillyer, Lemuel Rose, and Joseph Linnel, "to Raise Money to build a Bridge over the Crick," and to " take Meas- ures to fill up the pond hole on the publick Square." The bridge was probably one on the Lancaster road. The bridge succeeded but the pond remained to trouble the next gener- ation. There seem to be spots of quicksand underlying parts of the town, and if water accumulates on the surface until it finds free passage below, the sands washı out and the surface sinks. The sink on the public square, being twelve or fifteen rods across, was one of the most conspicuous. When the foundation of the Town Hall was laid, a portion of it at the northwest corner sank down into a cavity several feet deep. There was another depression just west of the Congregational Church, only three or four rods across, but it has afforded jolly skating for little boys. Another very large one was at the intersection of Bowery and Green streets and on the lots lying southwest. It was deep enough sometimes to swim a horse. A fourth lay at the intersection of Broad and Case streets, and on the lot to the southeast. It was six rods across. Such a sink began in after years on the lot southwest of the intersection of Broad and Mulberry streets. The surface sank quite preceptably, and water sometimes stood there. Another similar one is seen in the Granger ad- dition east of Morning street and north of what would be an extension of Bowery. There was a swampy spot near the
80
FLOODWOOD.
northeast corner of Broad and Rose and on the adjoining lot, and a similar one on the lot south of Broad and about mid- way between Main and Liberty.
Soon after the " Lancaster bridge," the " Columbus bridge" was built by Frederick Case, Simeon Allyn, and Benjamin Baldwin.
There were several places in the creek where the banks and depth of water allowed of crossing. The most available of these was Butler's. Ford, a few rods below the old Column- bus bridge. When the water was too high to cross here, and before the bridges were put up, the only crossing available for footinen was " the old floodwood," a remarkable accumu- lation of logs, a little above the Lancaster road, extending across the channel and mnuch of the bottom. It checked the flow of the creek, and threatened to wash another channel near the hill just below town. When the furnace was started the wood was cut into cord wood for its use, and the ground which had been flooded, dried out. It had required a great deal of logging to make a solid road-bed through this swamp.
When Jesse Munson, Jr., raised his barn on the Worthing- ton road, just west of the creek, he kept his horse swimming the creek all day, for the accommodation of the men who attended the raising.
March 9th, Timothy Spelman, Esq., Elias Gilman, Esq., Samuel Thrall, Lemuel Rose, Justin Hillyer, Jer. R. Mun- son, Esq., and Hon. Samuel Bancroft were appointed a committee " to pitch a Stake Where to Set a Schoolhouse and Lot out Materials to build the same." But the log house continued to be used for school and other purposes for three years more.
The School Lot, Minister Lot, settlement of individual accounts with the company, and caring for the relations of the company to the General Assembly of the State, for which last business Jeremiah R. Munson, Esq., seems to have been their reliance, filled the remaining meetings of the year.
81
A THIRD DAM.
The last entry in their journal was made December 7, 1807, at which time they met and without doing any business ad- journed to the first Monday of February, 1808. If they met again no record appears of it or of their doings. Probably the business gradually passed into the hands of the civil author- ities and thus The Licking Company passed into history.
In the spring the van of the settlements was progressing rapidly northward & westward. An old gentleman brought his family from Connecticut & found rest for a time in one of the cabins at the mouth of Clear Run. After prospecting for a time his fancy fixed upon a section of land, (4000 acres) in Del- aware Co. that would soon be sold at auction in Franklinton. He appeared at the sale but had to compete with land sharks. He made himself conspicuous as he could by his odd appear- ance & manner; dressing shabbily & carrying a pair of old sad- dlebags containing his "traps." He would bid against the sharks & sometimes against himself as if he did not understand the ways of the world, until he provoked them to play a joke on him in order to get rid of him. Thinking he had no money they stopped bidding against him. They thought he would fail to pay for it & his bids would then be disregarded. The tract was cried off to him at $1720. They gathered around him & demanded that he should pay up or be gone. Out of the depths of the mysterious saddlebags forthwith came the gold, & the deed was demanded. Then they offered him $500, if he would throw up his bid & let it be put up again. But he paid the price, took his deed, went to his land, built his home, & his descendants occupy it to this day.
During the year, Maj. Grove Case, Deacon Nathan Allyn, and Mr. Noble Root became citizens of the place.
After the failure of the second dam at the mouth of Clear Run, the citizens turned out for the public good and helped James Thrall, into whose posession the mill seat had come, to put in a third dam, made of logs and covered heavily with gravel, which succeeded better than the others.
Mr. Samuel Everitt, Jr., having been detained a long time by sickness which resulted from overwork, returned to Mass- achusetts for his family. In the fall he came out again bring- ing his family and father and mother. He also brought the 11
82
THE FIRST FRAME HOUSE.
town library and a mill saw blade. With him came Mr. Araunah Clark and family. They were met at Cambridge on their way out by Augustine Munson and Justin Hillyer, who went thus far to welcome them and help them forward. This company of twenty persons was accommodated in one cabin for six weeks. Mr. Clark, an original member of the Licking Company, had drawn his shares by attorney. He soon went to his farin at the foot of the hill south of town where he lived until 1815.
It is understood that Mr. Thrall's mill being ready for the new saw blade, it was soon at work, and the first lumber sawed with it was given to Mr. Everitt for bringing it out. With it he erected the first frame house built in the town- ship. It stood about two miles west of town, facing the end to the south, about twenty rods north of Lower Loudon street, on the farm since owned by his son Harlow, and more recently by his grandson, Samuel. It was properly a plank house, the planks standing upright, being dovetailed into the sills and plates where they were fastened with heavy wrought iron spikes. The cracks were battened after the modern railroad style. It was afterward weather boarded, the boards being much wider than those generally used It contained one large room and two small ones, and at the east window Mr. Everitt planted a rose bush he had brought with him from Massachusetts.
FIRST FRAME HOUSE IN THE TOWNSHIP.
During the year there were three deaths, March 19th, Silas Milton, son of Silas Winchel, aged 7 years ; March 22d, Mrs. Hannah Spelman, wife of Timothy Spelman, Esq., aged 45; October 25th, Harriet, daughter of Asahel Griffin, aged 1 year.
83
ANNALS, 1808.
CHAPTER XV.
It may be of interest to preserve the names of officers an- other year of those early times. The township officers for 1808 were as follows :
"Timothy Rose, Chairman of Election Meeting.
" John Duke, Esq.
Judges of Election
" Justin Hillyer
"Samuel Bancroft
"Samuel Waters
Clerks of Election
"Samuel Waters Township Clerk.
"Israel Wells
"Silas Winchel
" Richard Wells
"Edward Nash
Fence Viewers.
"David Thomas
" Jeremiah R. Munson
"Samuel Bancroft
House Appraisers. J. R. Munson being Listor
"John Edwards
" David Messenger
" John Reese
" Washington Evans
"John Herren
" Carlton Belt
"John Duke
" Elkanah Linnel
Constables.
"Thomas Stone
"Levi Hays Treasurer."
During the year the following jurors were nominated :
" Grand Jurors
Pettit jurors
" Levi Hays
Wm. Stedman
". Joseph Linnel Elkanah Linnel
"Roswell Graves Ethan Bancroft
" Phineas Ford
Noble Root
"Samuel Waters
James Thrall
"Josiah Graves
Carlton Belt
Trustees of R. Wells. Job Case afterward appointed in place
Supervisors of Highway.
84
FIRST COUNTY COURT.
"Job Case
" David Thomas
Levi Rose
"Edward Nash
Sylvenus Mitchel
"John W. Philipps
Enoch Graves
Hiram Rose
Job W. Case
Simeon Allyn
Jacob Goodrich
Worthy Pratt "
A band of instrumental music was formed at this early day, having eleven members. It was led by Augustine Munson, who played the clarionet; Spencer Spelman also played the clarionet; Joshua Linnel, David Messenger, and Orlin P. Hayes, hautboy; Samuel Bancroft, Elkanah Lin- nel, bassoons; Benoni Hill, cymbals ; Stillman Mead, drum- mer. It was a prominent band for the wilderness, was well drilled, and attained notoriety as the regimental band under Col. Lewis Cass, at Hull's surrender.
During the year the County of Licking was organized out of Fairfield, having its present boundaries ; Knox, lying on the north, being formed at the same time, and also out of Fairfield. The officers of the Court of Common Pleas were as follows :
Wm. Wilson, Presiding Judge,
Alexander Holmes,
Timothy Rose, Associate Judges,
James Taylor,
Samuel Bancroft, Clerk of Court,
John Stadden, Sheriff,
Elias Gilman, Treasurer,
Archibald Wilson,
Elisha Wells, Commissioners,
Israel Wells,
John Stadden, Tax Collector,
Elias Gilman, Commissioner's Clerk.
Granville, therefore, furnished its full share of incumbents for the offices. The first court was held in Granville Town- ship, in the private dwelling of Deacon Levi Hayes, whose
"John Herrin
"George Green
" David Messenger
Frederic Case
85
PRICES.
farm lay just west of the dividing line between the Town- ships of Granville and Newark, as then constituted. The Grand Jury held its sessions under a tree on the south side of the road and a few rods west of the house. The County seat was soon located at Newark by a special Board of Com- missioners, consisting of James Dunlap, Isaac Cook and James Armstrong.
About this time, Mr. Timothy Spelman, being a carpenter, put up a small frame house on the northeast corner of Broad and Green Streets. It was only one room, 16 x 20, a story and a half high, made with great labor, covered with shaved weatherboards of walnut. This was the first frame house built in the village.
T. SPELMAN'S HOUSE, 1808.
The day's labor of a man could be had for 50c., and in harvest for 75 c .; that of a yoke of oxen for 33 c .; a horse to Lancaster, $ 1.20 ; to Zanesville, $ 1.30 ; board at the hotel, $ 1.00 a week, or for a fraction of a week at the rate of $ 1.50 ; two quarters of venison, 25 c .; whisky, $ 1.00 a gallon ; powder, 68 c. per pound ; beeswax, 25c. per pound; butter, IO c. per pound ; wheat, $ 1.00 per bushel ; corn, 33 c. ; apples, $ 3.00 ; paper - foolscap - 50 c. a quire.
During this year were erected two frame houses of con- siderable note : that of Judge Rose, on the southwest corner
86
HOTEL -MASONIC LODGE.
of Broad and Pearl Streets, and that of Esquire Gilman, on the northwest corner of Water and Rose Streets. Judge Rose's house was two stories high, and about 20x 28 feet on the ground. It was used by him as a hotel while he lived in town, and afterward by Benjamin Cook. On the afternoon of the day on which this frame was raised, that of Esquire Gilman was also raised. It was a story and a half house, 28 x 36 feet, with posts eleven feet high. In the east chamber of this building was the first room used by the Free- masons of Granville. It was 1472 x 9 feet 10 inches. The ceiling was arched into the attic, being eighteen inches higher in the middle than at the sides, which were six and a
JUDGE ROSE'S HOUSE, 1809.
half feet. Fire place and entrance were in the west end, and the one window of twelve lights (8x 10) in the east end. It was wainscoted to the height of nearly three feet, and floors and wainscoting were of walnut boards, split out of logs and hewed and planed smooth. This was the first room in town to be plastered.
On Sunday, September 4thı, of this year (1808), the First Baptist Church in the township was formed, at the house of Mr. David Thomas, on the Welsh Hills. As the colony church was formed in Massachusetts, this was the first church formed in the township. ( See History of this church, Chapter XXXIX.)
Occasional preaching services continued to be enjoyed by the Congregational Church.
87
THE FIRST PASTOR.
"Lord's day, Apr. 24th, 1808, Rev. Timothy Harris, a licentiate from Vermont, delivered two sermons, and on the Friday following preached a lecture."
This introduces to us him who was to be the pastor of this church for fourteen years- until his deatlı, in 1822. ( See Chapter XXXII., for an account of his life.)
The day for the annual meeting of the church came while Mr. Harris was among them, and he was invited to tarry. The committee to bear this invitation to him consisted of Job Case, Levi Hayes, and Timothy Rose.
At the end of four months the society and church united in extending him a call to become their pastor. This call was accepted by Mr. Harris in a well prepared paper. The ordination and installation took place on Wednesday, Decem- ber 14th, in the unfinished house of Judge Rose. The Council consisted of Revs. Lyman Potter, of Steubenville ;
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