The history of Hardin county, Ohio, Part 77

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 77

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John Fuls, a brother of the above-mentioned Jacob Fuls, was born in Ross County, Ohio; removed to Fayette County, where he married Mary Miller, and about 1834-35, came to this county and settled on the place now owned by Mr. Cameron, where he resided till his death, February 13, 1867, aged fifty-six years, He was an honest man, a good citizen and a de- voted member of the United Brethren Church. He was the father of the following children: Elizabeth, Martin, Mary Ann, Sarah, John, Catharine, Armilda, Lydia, Ann, Sienda, George and Amanda. .

Benjamin Rightmire came here from Morgan County, Ohio, about 1834-35 and settled on land now owned by John Flynn. He married Mar- tha Holt, and they remained residents here until their death. They were in- terred in the Fuls Cemetery. He was a worthy citizen, a religious man and a member of the United Brethren Church. Their children were William H., Mary, Martha, Sarah and Nancy.

Moses Vansky came here from Licking County, Ohio, about 1834-35 and settled where Mr. McConnell now lives. Subsequently he moved on to land on the Scioto Marsh, where he died in 1865. He married Rachel Fickel, by whom he had the following children: Perry, Silas, Jane, George, Elizabeth, Isaac, Michael, Zachariah and Lucinda. Mr. Vansky was a man of integrity, possessing the confidence of his neighbors, and a worthy mem- ber of the United Brethren Church.

John Hatfield was a native of Maryland, but with his family emigrated to

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

Jefferson County, Ohio, thence to Carroll County and from there, about 1836, came to this township and settled on the William Lawrence land, where he died in 1855 and his wife in 1864. Their children were William, John, Nelson, Samuel, Henry, Eliza, Elizabeth, Mary and Catharine.

Elder Enoch Harvey, a native of Virginia, emigrated to Ohio and set- tled in Union County in quite an early day; thence, about 1834, he re- moved to this county and settled in this township on the Isaac Holt farm, where he resided till his death. He married Delilah Helverson, also a na- tive of Virginia. Mr. Harvey was a pioneer preacher in the Christian Church for many years, a man zealous in good works and one who exerted a great influence in molding the moral and Christian character in this community in an early day, at a time when such influences were especially needed to polish and smooth down the rough and uncouth principles that are apt to follow in close accompaniment with the rugged pioneer. He continued to work in the ministry to the very close of his long and useful life. On the Saturday night prior to his death, he preached a sermon, and on the following day delivered two sermons; on Tuesday night following, he ate a hearty supper and died that evening-March 7, 1871-aged seven- ty-nine years. His wife died August 27, 1866, aged seventy-two years. They had the following children: Ephraim, James M., Joel, Eliza and Enoch, all deceased but Ephraim, who now resides in Michigan.

John Hites, a native of Virginia, with his wife Elizabeth, moved to Jefferson County, Ohio; thence to Carroll County, and, about 1836, came to this township and settled on land where his son Benjamin still resides. Here, in 1840, his wife died, and subsequently he married Margaret Hub- bard. Mr. Hites died in 1876. He served in the war of 1812, for which his widow is drawing a pension. He was an honest, good man. His chil- dren were George, Catharine, Elizabeth, David and John.

William Sheldon was a native of England, but emigrated to America in an early day. About 1840, he settled where his son now lives. He died September 18, 1850, aged eighty-two years.

Joseph Williams, a native of Pennsylvania, emigrated to Ohio and set- tled in Licking County, and, about 1840, came to this township and settled on the place now owned by Ray Littleton. He married Jerusha Decker, and resided here till about 1866, when he left his family here and went to Missouri. His wife died November 24, 1879, aged sixty-three years. Their children were Cornelius, James W., Henrietta, Simeon, Ithermore, Mel- vina, Charlotte and Elizabeth Ellen. Jonathan Williams, a brother of the above, married Jane Vansky, and settled near his brother and remained a resident of this township until the fall of 1882, when he removed to Mis- souri. They had the following children: David, Darius, Minerva, Sallie Ann, Eliza, Margaret, Nancy, Rebecca, Jane and Mahala, all deceased but three. Minerva, Jane and David. Mrs. Williams died here and was buried with several of her children in the Fuls Cemetery.

James Faurot, a native of the State of New York, while a young single man came to Champaign County, Ohio, where he married Rebecca Tucker, and, about 1843, removed to this township and settled on land now owned by Sandusky Wallace, where he resided till his death, in June, 1872. He was the father of the following children: George, Michael, Anna, Eliza- beth, Henry, Samuel and Sarah.

Armstead Carder came here from Fayette County, Ohio, about 1844, and settled on land now owned by James Lightner. He married Elizabeth Braggs, by whom he had the following children: John, George W., Sarah,

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MCDONALD TOWNSHIP.

Nancy, Phebe, Duncan and James. Mrs. Carder died and her remains were deposited in the Fuls Cemetery. Subsequently Mr. Carder removed to Iowa, but after a few years returned to Ohio, and died while living with his daughter at or near Belle Centre, Logan Co., Ohio.

James Wilson became one of the early settlers of Taylor Creek Town- ship, this county, but about 1839-40, removed into McDonald Township and settled on the William Lawrence land. Subsequently he removed to the State of Indiana, but soon returned and resided here till his death. He died in February, 1865, aged seventy-five years. He was the father of the following children: Matthew, Polly, Perry, John, William, Hazzard, James, - Malinda, Elizabeth, Alonzo, Aaron, Sarah and Frank, all now deceased but Hazzard and John.

Elijah Zimmerman was born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1815. He was a son of Andrew and Ruth Zimmerman, who were natives of Pennsylvania, but who early became settlers of Ross County, and, about 1840 -- 42, settled in this township, where he died in 1844. His wife died in 1855. Elijah married Calista Stamates, in 1838, a native of Licking County, Ohio, born in 1816. Their children were seven, six now surviving, viz., Augusta, Margaret, Elizabeth, Martha, Hiram L., and Byron L., and Peter, deceased.

This township possesses neither town, village nor hamlet, yet there has been carried on within its borders some mercantile trade. About 1857-58, Mr. Henry Chapman opened a grocery store near where the White School- house now stands, where he continued business until his death in 1859-60, after which the stock was closed out and the business ceased. The next to open a store was William Layton, which was located further east on the Kenton pike, near the east line of the township. Here he put in a stock of groceries and continued the business until his death, since which his father, Elias Layton, has continued the business. In the spring of 1881, Walter Blansfield opened a store on his place just north of Mr. Layton's, and, in the spring of 1883, a post office was established here under the name of "Jumbo," with Walter Blansfield as Postmaster. These have constituted the mercantile trade of this township.

MILLS.

There is not now nor ever has been a grist mill in McDonald Township, and, in the first settling of the country, the people here had to go about twenty miles to Cherokee or West Liberty in Logan County to purchase grain and obtain their grinding. A great share of the milling was done from this section at Moot's Mill, twenty-eight miles distant, on Mad River The first saw mill erected in this vicinity was by Jacob Kimberlin, some time prior to 1840; it was located above the village of Round Head, on the Scioto River near the McDonald Township line. Another early saw mill, run by water-power, was erected by Wesley King about 1850-51, on land

now owned by Ithermore Williams. This mill continued to do business for several years, and sawed most of the lumber for the first frame build- ings of this neighborhood. Aside from these, there have been from time to time several portable steamn saw mills, which have moved from place to place, and have sawed great quantities of lumber and supplied the demands of the communities. About 1880, Mr. Clark erected a tile factory on the Belle Centre & Marsh pike, about one mile south of the Kenton & Round Head pike. This supplies the neighborhood for the demand of this much needed industry, as the proper ditching and tiling of these lands is the great important need which is now claiming the attention of the farm- ers and which greatly increases the productiveness of their lands.

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

SCHOOLS.

As soon as a sufficient settlement was made to enable the pioneers here to support a school on the then only plan of subscription, we find them pro- viding for the intellectual wants of their children. It is probable that the first school ever in this township was taught in a log schoolhouse erected on the lands of P. Wells about 1836-37. This was then succeeded by a frame house erected at the crossing of the Belle Centre & Marsh and Ken -. ton & Round Head pikes. This house was subsequently painted white, being the first to be painted in the township, which fact gave it the euphonious name of the " White Schoolhouse," by which name the school- house in District No. 5 has ever since been known. This frame school- house was subsequently succeeded by the present frame, which is now serv- ing the people of this district for school purposes. One of the next earliest schools was taught by Mrs. Marman in a log house in what is now Subdis- trict No. 6. This was then succeeded by the present frame house. Thus, from settlement to settlement, schools were established, and finally the township was divided into nine sub-school districts. The old log school- houses have been succeeded by good and comfortable frame houses, and some of these again by the still better brick house. Now there are nine good frame or brick schoolhouses, with nine rooms, supplied with nine good teachers. The schools are taught an average of thirty weeks each year; male teachers are paid an average per month of $37, and female, $21. The enrollment of 1882 was-boys. 223; girls, 207; total, 430; total cash receipts for school purposes, $3,378.58; total expenditures, $2,756.95; total valuation of school property, $5,000.

CHURCHES.

The first administration of the Gospel in this township was made at the house of Donald McArthur, by Revs. James B. Finley and Thomas Simms, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and, without doubt, a class was then organized, at a very early day, as the old gentleman, Donald McArthur, was an earnest Chistian of that denomination; but, as the village of Round Head was early established as the center of secular and religious interests, the first churches were organized there, and this class never developed into a local church. McDonald Christian Church was the first to effect a perma- nent organization, and to develop a church building. This society was organized by Elder Samuel Tingle, in the Lynn Schoolhouse, in 1842, con- sisting of the following persons: Martin Bruen, Priscilla Bruen, Samuel Bell, Jemima Bell, John Bell, Rachel Bell, Elizabeth Hatfield, John Hat- field, Enoch Harvey, Ephraim Harvey, Elizabeth Harvey, and possibly a few others. They held their services in the schoolhouse several years, but many of the members were taken away by death and others moved away, until they ceased to exist as an organization. During the existence of this society, the following ministers served as pastors: Elders Samuel Tingle, Michael Martz, Benjamin Rea and Enoch Harvey. A second organization was effected in the spring of 1857 under Elder Daniel Lepley, consisting

of the following persons: S. P. Helfinstine, Nancy J. Helfinstine, E. J. Helfinstine, David Helfinstine, Elizabeth Harvey, Anna Fuls, Newel Phil- brick, Mary Philbrick, Sarah Holt, Enoch Harvey, Rachel Decker and Cath- arine Fuls, with S. P. Helfinstine chosen Deacon. Meetings were held in the schoolhouse until 1866, when they erected a frame church on the same locality as the present one. Individual members did much of the work and furnished much of the material, so that the actual cash paid out in its erec-

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McDONALD TOWNSHIP.

. tion was only about $300. The house was duly dedicated to service by a sermon from Elder Daniel Lepley. This house served the people till the summer of 1881, when their present sut tantial frame church was built, 34x48 feet, at a cost of $1,600; and was dedicated in February, 1882, by Elder T. J. Robison. The following ministers have served this society: Elders Daniel Lepley, who was succeeded, in 1859, by John Bushon; in 1862. by David E. Wilson: in 1864, by Rhoda Franks; in 1867, by Nelson Hurd; in 1879, by N. S. McCloud; and in 1882, by Henry S. Oakley, their present minister. E. P. Helfinstine and P. Wells served as Deacons until - the winter of 1882, since which John James, Benjamin Holt and I. G. Decker have filled that office. The present membership is eighty-four. A Sabbath school is connected with the church, and now has an average at- tendance of about thirty, with A. J. Fletcher as Superintendent.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in March, 1879, by Rev. Thomas Christopher. The class consisted of the following members: John Emmons, Jennie Emmons, Noah F. Banister, Miram E. Banister, M. Cor- nelius, C. Cornelius, O. N. Hedges, S. Hedges, M. J. Wolf, D. M. Patter- son, L. Patterson, A. G. Kidd, Elizabeth Wells, Thomas Wells, I. G. Bru- ner, Annis Robinson, Luther Ellis and Ray Littleton, with John Emmons as Class Leader. The following have served as ministers: Revs. Thomas Christopher, Taylor I. Jagger and John Parlett. Board of Trustees are J. H. Fields, A. E. Fields, P. C. Hesser, S. B. Gilpin, T. M. Patterson, Ray Littleton, A. C. Fletcher, J. W. Williams and C. Williams. Present mem- bership is thirty-three. Their services are now held in the White School- house, but they are preparing to build and have $1,200 subscribed for that purpose.

CEMETERIES.

One of the first burial places was on the McArthur farm, but now owned by A. Given, Esq. This was established as a private family burial ground, and principally contains the remains of several of that family. Here were deposited, in 1835, the remains of one of the first pioneer settlers of McDon- ald Township, Donald McArthur. The next place set apart to receive the dead was the Fuls Burial Ground. It is located on the southeast corner of what is now J. H. Fields' farm. The first buried here was a child, Amanda Miller, in 1834, since which it has received many of the early settlers of this neighborhood. It is now but little used and is grown up with small trees and bushes, but is kept well inclosed with a good board fence. The last and principal cemetery of McDonald Township is the "Harvey Ceme- tery," located on the south side of the Kenton & Round Head pike, about one-half mile west of the Christian Church, and is near the geographical center of said township. This piece of land was first donated for the pur- pose by Ephraim Harvey and dedicated to its use by receiving the body of John King; then it received the bodies of several of the children of its donor. Now there rest here the remains of a large number of the settlers of McDonald Township. It is located on a high, elevated portion of ground, very suitable for cemetery purposes. In or about 1863, it was deeded to the Trustees of the township; it contains a little over one acre of ground, and well inclosed with a good board fence. It contains several large and pretty monuments.

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.

This subdivision was organized in 1837, and at the first election in the fall of that year Hugh W. McElroy was elected Justice of the Peace, and Amariah Thorne, Lewis Long and Hugh W. McElroy, Trustees. There were eleven votes cast at this election, which was held at the house of Amariah Thorne, and where they were continued to be held until the erection of the schoolhouse in Ada, in 1851, since which they have been held in that town. The election records of the township have, many of them, been destroyed, hence it is difficult to give all the early officers. John Latimer was elected Justice of the Peace in 1840-41, and served by re-election many years. This township occupies the extreme northwest corner of Hardin County, and is known as Township 3 south, Range 9 east, and is bounded on the north by Hancock County, east by Washington Township, south by Marion Township and west by Allen County, and is six sections square, containing thirty-six square miles, or 23,040 acres.

STREAMS, SOIL AND TIMBER.

Hog Creek is its principal stream, which courses through the township from east to west, passing through the second tier of sections south from the north boundary line, and flows into Allen County and empties into the Auglaize River. Its principal tributary is Grass Run, which takes its rise on the farm of S. Hetrick, in Section 33, flows northeast and empties into Hog Creek in Section 11. The surface is level, almost uniformly so, hav- ing but few and slight undulations. The soil is generally deep, rich and fertile, and composed of loam and clay, and underlaid with limestone strata. The eastern central portion of the township embraces 2,000 acres or more of the Hog Creek Marsh, which, until a few years ago, was a per- fect waste, being too wet to admit of any cultivation or even pasturage; but since the great work of lowering the bed of Hog Creek, and a general system of ditching and drainage was adopted, the greater portion of this land has been brought into cultivation, and is the best and most productive land in the township. The productions are wheat, corn, oats, potatoes and hay, the latter being produced in abundance upon the marsh lands.

This country (except the marsh lands, which were covered with large, coarse grass and a low growth of bushes) was originally very heavily tim- bered, embracing the various species of oak, also walnut, hickory. elm, beech, maple, buckeye, ash and some poplar and sycamore. The timber, for many years, formed the great source of revenue to the people, the oak, walnut, hickory and ash having been especially valuable; the former hav- ing yielded thousands of dollars, manufuctured into staves and barrels; the hickory into spokes, ax handles and hoop poles, and walnut and ash into logs and lumber, which were shipped to distant markets by hundreds of car loads. Some of the walnut was especially large and fine; one tree, on the farm of Joel Klingler, measured nine feet in diameter.

PIONEERS.

James Marshall Candler, a native of Campbell County, Va., emigrated to Ohio with his parents while a young man, and they first settled in Clinton

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LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.

County, Ohio; thence they removed to Madison County, and, in 1829, they removed to Allen County and settled near La Fayette; thence, in 1832, they removed to this township and settled on the southwest quarter of Section 7, where his father died on September 3, 1835, and was buried upon his own place, being the first person interred on what is known as the Candler Cemetery. Mr. Candler was united in marriage with Susanna Rayl, of Allen County. Here Mr. Candler settled, and began his pioneer work. He deadened the first tree, burned the first brush heap, in fact, did the first pioneer work in Liberty Township, as he was the first white settler within - its precincts. Mr. Candler resided on this place about twenty-four years, opened out a good farm and made good improvements, and during this period he cleared for other people, in the neighborhood and vicinity, 116 acres of land, which, including what he has cleared for himself upon his own farms, numbers over two hundred acres, which probably few men, if any, have ever exceeded or equaled. And while Mr. Candler has been one of the most active of the early settlers in secular matters, he has also been an active worker in the Christian Church, having organized many churches in various localities for that denomination, and has been an ordained minister for twenty-three years. In 1873, he located on the farm where he now lives, on Section 16, where he has since resided. He has ever taken great inter- est in schools and the education of the rising generation, knowing, from experience in his younger years, the want of school privileges, giving his early attention and aid to the establishing of schools in this neighborhood in its early settlement. He was instrumental in getting up the first sub- scription school ever taught in Liberty Township. He is the father of the following children: Alvira S., Roxanna A., Nancy M., James M., John W. and William E., who now survive, and Prudence A. and Mary Jane, deceased.

John Latimer came from Columbiana County, Ohio, to Richland Coun- ty, where he married Jane Bell, a native of Pennsylvania, and, in the spring of 1835, removed to Hardin County and settled on land now owned by John Lynch on Section 8, where he opened out right in the forest, and, it is be- lieved, was the second settler to locate in what is now Liberty Township. and was also the second man to fill the office of Justice of the Peace of this township, and served in this office by re-election many years. He also filled most of the offices of his township. He was a man of great integrity, kind- hearted and generous to a fault, too much so for his own financial good, ac- commodating his friends and neighbors, who, in some instances, proved un- worthy of the confidence he so generously reposed in them. He was a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years. He died about 1866, on the place where he first settled, aged fifty-six years, and in his death this community and township lost one of its noblest and best citizens. His widow still survives. Their children were eleven in number, of whom Sarah Jane, William, John, Almira and Robert B. are now living; the deceased were James, Elizabeth, George, Margery Ann, Nancy and one infant.

George Hacket, the third settler, was a native of Richland County, Ohio, and married Sarah Latimer, and, in the fall of 1835, came to this township and settled on land now owned by Mrs. Stover. In 1840, he erected a grist mill, run by water, on Hog Creek. It was built on land now owned by Mrs. Sperr. This was the first mill for grinding ever erected in Liberty Township and did quite a business and was a great convenience to the community for several years, until he was compelled to remove it by

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

complaint of one of his neighbors, on account of the dam backing water upon his land. Soon after Mr. Hacket settled here he was injured by a falling tree, and there being no physicians here at that date, he returned to his native county for treatment, and as soon as restored sufficiently re- turned here and erected the above-mentioned mill. About 1852, he removed with his family to Iowa, where his wife died; he still survives.

Hugh W. McElroy, a native of Ireland, married Susanna Brooks, of Fayette County, Penn .; then became a settler of Columbiana County, Ohio, and, in the spring of 1836, removed to this township and settled on the southwest quarter of Section 1. This 160 acres of land he had previously entered from the Government, and here he struck the first blow to clear up his land from the mighty forest to make a home and a farm, and here resided till his death. He died October 3, 1854, aged fifty-seven years. His wife sur- vived him many years, and died November 23, 1875, aged seventy-six years. Mr. McElroy was a true pioneer, and was here at the erection of the township and voted at its first election, and was elected the first Justice of the Peace. . He was a reliable and worthy citizen and a devoted member of the Disciple Church. He was the father of sixteen children, viz., James J., David. Joseph, William, George, Henry and Mary Jane, now living; and John, Thomas, Elizabeth, Margaret, Hugh D., Jacob and four who died in in- fancy, all deceased. John McElroy, a brother of Hugh W., was born on the ocean while his parents were coming to America. He married Sarah Weaver and settled in this township, on the northwest corner of Section 1, in 1836, and resided here till his death. His children were George and John, deceased, and Jacob, Polly, Betsey, James, Hugh, Margaret J. and Sarah Ann, now living. Thomas McElroy, also a brother of the above Hugh W., was born in Fayette County, Penn., in 1806; in 1811, with his parents, he removed to Columbiana County, Ohio, where he was married to Elizabeth Morrison, and, in 1836, came to Hardin County and entered 160 acres of land just over the line in Hancock County. Here he opened out in the woods, cleared up a good farm and made improvements until he had a pleasant home, where he resided till, about 1875, he removed to Ada, where he has since resided. His wife died January 22, 1880. His children were John, Catharine and Elizabeth, deceased, and Hamilton, James, Thomas, Frank, Ann and Sarah, who still survive.

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The history of Hardin county, Ohio, Part 77

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