The history of Hardin county, Ohio, Part 70

Author: Warner Beers & co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : Warner Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1076

USA > Ohio > Hardin County > The history of Hardin county, Ohio > Part 70

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

640

HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

Morgan Gardner, a native of Maryland, emigrated to Ohio with his par- ents, who settled in Richland County about 1810, and during the war of 1812 had to take refuge in the fort at Greentown until the troubles were over. They continued to reside in Richland County until his parents died. In 1822, Mr. Gardner was united in marriage with Catharine Harvey. In March, 1835, he removed to this county and settled on land now owned by A. Traeger, where he remained about eight years; thence removed into Washington Township, and resided several years; thence into Blanchard Township, but again returned to Washington Township, where he died in 1875, and his remains were interred in the Maynard graveyard. He was the father of the following children: John H., George, Dorinda, James, Mar- garet J., Elizabeth, Samuel, William, Catharine, Zachariah and Morgan. He was a man of undoubted integrity and moral character, holding the confidence and respect of the people of his community and township, who kept him almost constantly in some office of his township.

William, James, Hezekiah, Brice and John Harvey, five brothers, na- tives of Jefferson County, Ohio, with their parents, removed to Richland County soon after the war of 1812, where their father died. In 1835, they, with their mother and sisters, removed to this county and settled on the same section as Morgan Gardner; thence they removed to Washington Township; thence to Blanchard, where their mother died. Subsequently, they all moved away. William and James died in Van Wert County, Ohio; Hezekiah died in Missouri; John in Williams County, Ohio; Brice mar- ried Caroline Dunlap, and died in Blanchard Township. He was the father of two children-George and Dorinda-both of whom now reside in Iowa.

Jonathan Cessna, a native of Coshocton County, Ohio, settled in Pleas- ant Township, three miles northwest of Kenton, near the Cessna Township line, in 1833, where he remained a resident until his death. He was the father of ten children, viz., Jonathan, Helen, Benjamin F., Louisa, Oliver P., Carolina, Virginia (deceased), William T., Harriet E. and John. John Kaiser settled in Kenton in 1837, and carried on the hatting business about fourteen years; thence he removed to a farm just west of Kenton, where he has since devoted his life to farming.

ROADS AND PIKES.

The contrast between the roads of to day in Pleasant Township and what they were fifty years ago is remarkable. Then, there were but very few, and those mere paths through the woods, winding among the stumps and bushes; now they radiate in every direction from Kenton, and these, again, connected by cross roads upon nearly every section line; and many of the main roads are good gravel pikes. Of these, we may mention the Kenton & Ada pike, Kenton & Dunkirk, Kenton & Forest, Kenton & Mar- seilles, Kenton & Marion; and on the south side of the Scioto River, in Buck Township, are good pikes, radiating in all directions from Kenton, which are mentioned in the history of that township, and hence need no further mention here.

SCHOOLS.

The schools of Pleasant Township, viewed as they now exist, consisting of fine brick and frame houses and seated and furnished with the improved furni- ture and apparatus of the present day, would appear as though it was impossible that they commenced in the little primitive log cabins, with puncheon floor,

641

PLEASANT TOWNSHIP.

slab seats and writing bench, with a log cut out on one side of the house and greased paper pasted over, through which the entire apartment was lighted. But such was the origin; and it is believed that one of the first of these primitive schoolhouses in this township was on David Kellogg's farm, in Section 22, about 1836, and Rachel Kellogg was one of the first teachers, and following her was a Mr. Holmes. In 1838, on Fractional Section 1, was erected another of the early schoolhouses, and the first teacher here was William Williamson. And thus, from settlement to settlement, were these primitive schools established; and as the wealth and comforts of the settlers increased, so better schoolhouses and better furnished were produced for the benefit of their children, until, on September 1, 1882, the Township Board of Education report the following: Number of sub-school districts, 10; houses, 10; average number of weeks schools were in session, 23; average wages paid teachers, male, $32, female, $23; enrollment-boys, 268, girls, 337, total, 605; total receipts for school purposes, $5,345.24; total ex- penditures for the same, $4,219,23.

CHURCHES.

Liberty Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church .- This society, it is believed, was organized in 1839 or 1840, in the old schoolhouse, which was located on Section 18, consisting of the following members, viz .: Henry Kyle, Re- becca Kyle, Anna Cessna, Emeline Cessna, Camilla Cessna, Keziah Cessna, Martha Miller, Isaac Kinnear, Samuel Badley, Sophia Badley, Robert Din- widdie, Susan Dinwiddie, John Johnson, Catharine Johnson, Olive John- son, Maria Johnson, Sarah Dinwiddie, John Dinwiddie, Mary Dinwiddie, Rebecca Dinwiddie and probably a few others. Some of the early ministers were Revs. Day, Mr. Bell, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Parker, Mr. Phillips and Mr. Nickerson. Class Leaders: Henry Kyle, Isaac Kinnear and Fayette Schoonover; the latter is still in office, having served in this capacity & period of twenty-seven years.

They held their services in the school- houses till the summer of 1878, when they erected their present neat and substantial brick church, at a cost of about $1,400. The house was dedi- cated January 5, 1879, by services by Rev. William S. Paul. The lot upon which the house was erected was donated by Mr. Fayette Schoonover. The present membership is about twenty-eight. Class Leaders, Fayette Schoon - over and Joseph Laws; Steward, Robert Draper; Trustees, Robert Draper, Henry Charlton, Charles E. Wilcox, C. A. Zeigler, John Hall and F. Schoon- over; pastor, Rev. Jason Young. A Sabbath school was organized about 1858, and has been continued every summer; attendance, forty, with Leon- ard Heath as Superintendent.

Pleasant Grove Methodist Episcopal Church .- A class was organized in the house of Isaac Osborn, it is believed about 1838-39, by Rev. Enos Holmes, with the following members: Enos Holmes and wife. Phoebe Wilson, Isaac Osborn, Margaret Osborn, Asher Letson and wife, B. Letson, Jane Letson, John Letson, Fidelia Letson, Paul Castor, Eleanor Castor, David Cloud and wife, Agnes Cloud, Samuel Holmes and wife, and John McCann and wife. They held services in private houses and in the school- houses until about 1858, when they erected their present frame church, which was dedicated, the same year, by Rev. J. Wesley Wells. Some of the early ministers were Revs. Enos Holmes, Mr. Fetchley, J. Wesley Wells and Rev. Henry Close. Present membership is about seventy. Class Leaders, Samuel Scott and S. H. Corathers; pastor, Rev. Jason Young. A Sabbath school was early organized and has continued in quite a prosper-

642

HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

ous condition, and is kept up the year through, in the winter as well as in the summer. Samuel Scott is the present Superintendent.

Walnut Grove United Brethren Church .- This society was organized in the winter of 1863-64, at the Beech Grove Schoolhouse, by Rev. Andrew Johnson, consisting of the following members: Jefferson Ripley, Eliza Ripley, John Doll, Margaret Doll, Josephine Doll, Isabella Lewis, John Shaffner and Elizabeth Shaffner, with Jefferson Ripley as Class Leader. They continued to hold their services in the above-mentioned schoolhouse until the summer of 1874, when they erected their present frame church, at a cost of $1,000. The house was dedicated November 12 of that year, by the Rev. Bishop Weaver. The following ministers have served as pas- tors of this society: Revs. Andrew Johnson, Daniel Miller, John Keracoffe, Mr. Fields, Mr. Zeigler, Mr. Ogle, John Stewart, Mr. Johnson and Rev. Mr. Lowry, who is their present pastor. Class Leaders, Jefferson Rip- ley, John Walls, George Gillen and Hiram Yauger, who is their present leader. Present membership is fifty. Trustees, John Walls, Thomas Gester and Charles Jones. Soon after the church was erected, a Sabbath school was organized, and has been continued through the summer seasons since; it has an average attendance of about thirty-five, with Hiram Yauger as Superintendent.

Providence Baptist Church. - This society was organized at the Bethel Schoolhouse January 8; 1874, by Rev. Abraham Morthland, of Shelby, Richland Co., Ohio, consisting of the following members, viz .: Frank P. Banks, Hiram Oates, Delilah Oates, Lavinia Oates, Mary E. Oates, Sylves- ter Oates, Charles W. Oates, Joseph Stout, Margaret Stout, John W. Sor- gen, Flora E. Gardner, Lorinda Johnson, Sylvia Trout, Jennie Towns and Rebecca Gardner, with Hiram Oates chosen as Deacon; Sylvester Oates, Treasurer; and F. B. Banks, Clerk. Services continued to be held in the Bethel Schoolhouse until, during the summer of 1876, they erected their present frame church building, at a cost of about $1,400. The house was dedicated on the last Sabbath of October of the same year, by Rev. Elder Holmes. The following have served as pastors of this church, viz. : Revs. A. Morthland, James Harvey, Mr. Wyant, T. H. Hollingsworth, J. D. Allerton and W. H. Gallant: the latter is now serving as their pastor. Deacons, Hiram Oates and Frank P. Banks. The present membership is forty. A Sabbath school was organized April 26, 1874, and has heen held during the summer season every year since; present average attendance is about thirty, with Joseph Stout as Superintendent.

HALE TOWNSHIP.

It appears that most of the townships of Hardin County were organized from 1833 to 1836, and from the burning of the court house in 1853, by which all the Commissioners' records were destroyed, it makes it quite diffi- cult, and in most instances impossible, to give the exact day or month on which the official act was performed constituting the townships respectively, but from the election records of the townships and from the recollections of the oldest citizens, we are able to designate the year with a good degree of precision. It appears evident that Hale Township was erected at the

643

HALE TOWNSHIP.

meeting of the Commissioners early in 1835. The territory of which it is composed was formerly a part of Taylor Creek Township. It is about nine and one-half miles long from east to west and four miles wide from north to south, and contains thirty-eight square miles, or 24,320 acres. It is located, geographically, in the southeast corner of the county and bounded as follows: On the north by Buck and Dudley Townships, on the east by Dudley Town - ship and Marion County, on the south by Union and Logan Counties, and on the west by Taylor Creek Township. It is composed entirely of Vir- ginia military lands.

The old Indian trail spoken of in the history of Dudley Township passed through the northwest part of Hale Township, leading from the In- dian towns in Logan County to their village at Upper Sandusky, and upon this route, Simon Kenton, while a prisoner of their tribe, was taken to Sandusky, and on their way passed through a small Indian village which was said to be the residence of the celebrated chief Logan, and this village, it is believed, was near what is known as " Grassy Point." It is said that when the first settlers came to this section they found a portion of ground at this place cleared of timber, having been cultivated, but which at that time was thickly covered with grass, and hence came its name, "Grassy Point." Another interesting point in the history of Hale Township was first brought to the knowledge of this community while constructing the Bellefontaine & Indiana Railroad through this township. This consisted of a " double mound," or burial place of some pre-historic race, and is lo- cated nearly midway between Mount Victory and Ridgeway, which was opened for the purpose of obtaining gravel for ballasting a part of said road. But we only intend to allude here to this point of great interest as it will be found fully discussed of in the chapter upon the Mound-Builders, in the general history of the county.

SURFACE STREAMS, SOIL, TIMBER, ROADS, ETC.

The surface of this township is considerably varied. Some of the southern and eastern portions, especially east of Panther Creek, is mostly level, except along the Wild Cat Creeks, where it is undulating. and in some few places silghtly hilly. The western and north western portion is quite undulating, and some places on Panther and Wolf Creeks are really hilly.

The principal streams of the township all flow in a northeast course and are tributaries of the Scioto River. In the central-eastern portion of the township are the South and North Wild Cat, which take their rise near the south boundary line of the township and flow northeast into Dudley Township, where they unite and form one stream. The North Wild Cat flows through the south and east part of the village of Mount Victory. Pancher Creek rises near Ridgeway by two branches, flowing in a north - east direction and converging into one stream near the center of the town- ship, on the farm of E. S. Butler, thence, continuing its same general course, it flows into Dudley Township. A small stream called Lick Run en- ters the southwest corner of Hale Township and becomes a tributary of the West Branch of Panther Creek, emptying into the latter on the farm of Moses Kennedy. In the northwest part of the township is Wolf Run, which rises in the Ansley neighborhood, and flows northeast, passing Grassy Point, into Buck Township. These are all small streams, furnishing no water-power, but good water for stock. The soil of the greater portion of the township is of clay and loam formation, with a limestone gravel subsoil, very rich and productive, yet from its capacity to hold water

644

HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

it is naturally very wet and requires thorough draining to be easy of culti- vation, and to bring out its full power of productiveness. It is excellent grass land, and hence a fine country for stock. It also produces very large yields of corn, wheat and oats, the land that is well tiled and drained yielding probably as large an amount and as fine a quality of grain as any township in the county. This township has labored under considerable disadvantage, through large tracts of land in the central and eastern parts of the township being owned by non-residents, which, of course, are but little improved, and hence produce but little; and not only this, but to some ex- tent the improvement of surrounding farms, the building of pikes and the gen- eral progress of the country are hindered. This condition of things is also against the growth and prosperity of its towns and villages, limiting the trade and business of the merchants, and, in fact, is generally detrimental to the public good and welfare of the people.

This township was originally very heavily timbered, and the first set- tlers had hard and long continued labors to perform to bare it of its mighty forests and bring it into a condition for plowing and cultivation. The predominating varieties of timber were beech, ash, oak, elm, maple and hickory. Thousands of feet of beautiful lumber in the log were rolled into log heaps and burned to get them off of the land. But of late years, since the days of saw mills, great quantities of lumber have been sawed for home consumption and for shipping; and especially since the building of the railroad through there, lumber dealers have carried on quite an ac- tive trade.

One advantage this township possesses over the more northerly town- ships of this county is its abundant supply of gravel for building pikes and constructing good roads Although this township has as yet many bad roads, still it has several excellent pikes, viz., the Mount Victory & Ken- ton, the Kenton & Ridgeway, Mount Victory & Dudley Township and Mount Victory & Taylor Creek Townships pikes, besides some few cross and connecting pikes, now built and in process of construction. In addi- tion to the fine pikes, this township has one good railroad-the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis. It was first incorporated, February 25, 1848, as the Bellefontaine & Indianapolis Railroad Company. The road was completed in 1852. This township subscribed $15,000 to the capital stock of the company. The road passes through the center of the township in a diagonal course, northeast and southwest, about seven and one half miles of the road being in this township. Situated as this town- ship is, in the extreme southeast corner of the county and remote from the county seat or other railroads, this road has been of great value to the prog- ress and business interests of the people.

PIONEERS.

The first settlers of this township, as well as in many other localities of the surrounding country, were terribly afflicted with milk sickness and ma- larial diseases; sometimes in the space of a few months whole families were stricken down with this fell destroyer, and death, which soon followed in many instances, was their greatest alleviation and blessing. These afflictions, in conjunction with the deprivations and hardships necessarily devolving upon them in the mighty forests of this wilderness, tried to the utmost the courage and fortitude of these brave pioneers, and the soul that is so dead to sympathy and reverence as not to cherish in fond remembrance these worthy sires, the benefits of whose labors and sufferings the rising genera-

Elias Comerse

647

HALE TOWNSHIP.

tions are now enjoying, is unworthy to be called one of their descendants or to inherit the least of these blessings.

The first settled portion of this township was its western part, near Grassy Point. This is probably to be accounted for, in part at least, from the fact that through this portion passed the old Indian trail, and along its course was cut out the first road through these unbroken forests by the soldiers in the war of 1812.

The first white man to locate here was Levi D. Tharp, who lived in a cabin in the west part of Hale Township, near Grassy Point, and although- he owned no property, yet he resided here several years and then moved away. It is believed he settled here in 1828, and, in the spring of 1833, the first election in Taylor Creek Township was held at his cabin.

James Andrews was the first permanent settler who purchased land and located to stay, in October, 1829. He was born in Washington County, Penn .. August 8, 1805. His parents were James and Anna Andrews, na- tives of New Jersey, of German descent. The grandfather, Robert An- drews, emigrated to America in an early day, while a young single man. He first stopped on Long Island, thence removed to New Jersey, where he married Heziah Blackford, an English lady. In 1794, he removed to

Washington County, Penn., where he was one of the earliest settlers and where he died in 1811. He had four sons-James, Samuel, Lemuel and Robert-and two daughters-Nancy and Temperance. James, the eldest, was born June 12, 1769; he married in New Jersey and removed to Wash- ington County with his father, where he resided till his death in June, 1820. His wife died December 23, 1843. Their children were John, born in 1796; Ruth and Deborah (twins), born in 1797, the latter died in in- fancy; Peter, born in 1799; William B., born in 1801; James, in 1805; Anna, in 1807; Robert, in 1812, and Peggy, in 1813. Of these, William died in 1850; John died in 1830 (in Hale Township), and Anna is also deceased. On May 21, 1881, the balance of the children all met in a family re-union at the old homestead in Pennsylvania, their ages ranging from sixty-five to eighty-four years, a rare circumstance. The old homestead place is still the residence of the youngest son, while the balance are all settled in the West. James, the pioneer of Hale Township, married Polly Hathaway, in his native county, October 25,1827. Mr. Andrews opened out right in the woods and experienced the full force of pioneer life. In the organization of the civil and religious ministrations of this township, he has been a leading, active spirit. In the spring of 1831. at a log-rolling for Cyrus Dille, among those present being James and Lewis Andrews and Samuel Dille, at the conclusion, as they were all seated on a log, Cyrus Dille sud- denly arose and proposed that as they had all witnessed the evil effects of intemperance, if those present would pledge themselves not to attend any more log-rollings or raisings where whisky was used, he would be one of them They all sprang to their feet in approval, and it is said all the parties have sacredly kept their pledge. This was the first temperance society formed in Hale Township, and probably in Hardin County. Mr. Andrews is now the only surviving one of that society. In February, 1832, he, with three others, constituted the first religious organization in Hale Township, and has been a devoted member ever since-a period of over half a century. In 1844, Mr. Andrews, with Cyrus Dille, Culberson, Elder and William Paxton, withdrew politically from the Whig party and established themselves firmly on abolition principles, believing and declaring slavery an evil and a curse to a free and Republican government and they all adhered

648

HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

strictly to these principles ever afterward, and although all have passed away from the stage of action, except Mr. Andrews, yet he has lived to see those principles triumph, and the terrible scourge of slavery swept from the face of our noble country. Mr. Andrews is the father of the following children -Milton, George, Henry, Anna, Mary Jane, and two who died in infancy; all are deceased except the two daughters. Mr. Andrews has lived a long life, devoted to the good of his country and the church, and the general character of the community, in which he lives, has, to a great degree, been molded and made what it is by his firm principles and those of his worthy cotemporaries.

John Andrews, brother of the above James Andrews, settled here about the same time or in the following winter. He married Miss Rhoda Jen- nings, but his life was short; he died in March, 1830.

Lewis Andrews, a cousin to the above, settled here on land now owned by William Rule, in 1830. He was married in Pennsylvania to Polly Concklin; she died, and he subsequently married Mrs. Margaret Osborn. He resided where he first settled a short time, and moved further down the creek, where he died. His children were Betsey, Isaac, Phebe, Samuel, Lavinia, Sarah Jane, Mary, Ann and Lewis.

Isaac Jennings and his son Cornelius, with their families, came here from Pennsylvania in the fall of 1829 and settled in the west part of Hale Township. But disease and sickness soon visited their families, several being taken away by death, and soon after the surviving ones moved away.

Jonathan Williams settled here a little later on land now owned by Mr. Butler. He came here from Logan County, but it is believed he never owned any land.

Four brothers-Amos, Cyrus, Abraham and Samuel Dille-sons of Isaac and Sarah Dille, of Washington County, Penn., who had a family of fourteen children, and became residents of Richland County, Ohio, where the parents died, settled in Hale Township as follows: Cyrus came here in November, 1830, and located on and purchased the land upon which the village of Mount Victory is now built. He married Susan Blair, a na- tive of Greene County, Penn., by whom he had the following children: Ezra, Blair, Deborah, David, William, Cyrus, John, Isaac, Margaret J., Nolan P. and Susannah. Mr. Dille was one of the leading active men of that day, and in the civil affairs of the county and township filled many important offices, and was one of the first Commissioners of the county, and in September, 1833, was one of the grand jurors and foreman of the jury. Their session was held under some trees on the bank of the Scioto River, at which they returned seven indictments for selling liquor and were dis- charged. Mr. Dille was a man of more than ordinary ability, quick of thought and ready in action, kind and congenial as a neighbor and a most valued citizen. He died April 21, 1849, aged fifty-three years. His widow still survives and resides upon the old homestead at Mount Victory. Sam- uel, the youngest brother, came here a single man at the same time as Cyrus, and subsequently returned to Richland County and married Rachel Hall, and then settled on the place where Thomas McCall now lives; but resided here only a short time and removed to Iowa, where he died in 1881. They had but one child, a daughter-Mary. Abraham was the next of these brothers to settle in this township. He settled on the land now owned by Mr. A. Beard in 1834. He was married in Pennsylvania to Deborah Post. He remained a resident of this community through life, and died at his residence in Mount Victory, March 31, 1883, aged eighty-three

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The history of Hardin county, Ohio, Part 70

Author: Warner Beers & co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago : Warner Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1076

Author: Warner Beers & co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : Warner Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1076