The history of Hardin county, Ohio, Part 80

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 80


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).


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Wesleyan Methodist Church at Ada .- This religious body was organized in August, 1878, with the following members, to wit: Rev. S. Rice, Miss Mary G. Rice, Rev. C. E. Rowley, Mrs. Rebecca Mathews, W. R. Ma- thews, Mrs. Mary Mathews, Eliza Jane Hodge, Richard Williams, Mrs. R. Williams and Mrs. Rebecca Hively, with Mrs. Rebecca Mathews as Class Leader. They held services in the public hall on Main street until the erection of their church edifice, which was dedicated to service on Sun- day, November 23, 1879, the dedicatory sermon being delivered by Rev. T. K. Doty, of Cleveland, Ohio. The church building, completed and fur- nished, cost $2,700. William Lenty, of Ligonier, Ind., donated to the building of this house of worship $2,150. The first ministers appointed as pastors of this society were Revs. S. Rice and C. E. Rowley. A Sabbath school was organized September 19, 1880, with special reference to the students. Attendance, seventy-two, and arranged in seven classes. The present membership of the church is thirty, with Rev. C. E. Rowley as pastor, L. J. Geesaman, Leader; and H. Livingston and L. J. Geesaman as the Board of Trustees.


Summit Christian Church .-- This society was organized, it is believed, in 1859, in the Summit Schoolhouse, by Rev. H. P. Darst, consisting of the following persons: Andrew Kridler, Mary Kridler, Christina Garlin- ger, Susanna McElroy, William Summerville, Cassander Summerville, Cassander Thorne, William Hodge, Catharine Hodge, Andrew Gross and wife and Mrs. Starritt. They have continued to hold services in the school- house up to the present time. They, however, anticipate building a house for worship this summer. The following ministers have served this society as its pastors: Rev. H. P. Darst, until his death, who was succeeded by


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Rev. John Bushong; then Rev. Shaw; next Rev. Edmunds, followed by Rev. James Wilson; then Rev. Enoch Harvey, succeeded by Rev. Marshall Candler, then came Rev. Elijah Grubb, followed by Rev. Nelson Hurd; then Rhoda Franks, followed by Dr. J. T. Robinson, and he succeeded by Rev. Marshall Candler, who is the present pastor in charge. This society was quite large and prosperous for several years, but many have died and others moved away, until it is now reduced to about nine members, with Henry McElroy as Deacon. A Sabbath school has been held for many years during the summer season, and has been well attended. Last sum- mer the attendance averaged forty, with Mr. Atkins as its Superintendent.


Ames Chapel, Methodist Episcopal Church .-- This society was organized at the house of William Vincent, in the east part of Allen County, about 1846 or 1848, consisting of the following persons: William Vincent and wife, Eli Newman and wife, Hammond Gilbert, William Bell and wife, and probably a few others, whose names have passed from recollection. They continued to hold services at the above-mentioned house until the erection of the Wood Schoolhouse in 1851, when the society was moved to it, where services were held more or less regularly until about 1871, when, from various causes, the organization was abandoned, and for about four years no meetings were held. But about 1875, Rev. Samuel Hagerman held a meeting in the schoolhouse, when a re-organization was effected, with the following members: John Peltier and wife, Jeremiah Nixon, Jane E. Nixon, Jonathan Shaw, Nancy Shaw, Nancy Derry, Franklin Turner, Mi- nerva J. Shaw, with John Peltier as leader. They continued to hold serv- ices in the schoolhouse until the erection of the present frame church in the summer of 1877, at a cost of about $1,200. The house was dedicated in January, 1878, by Rev. William S. Paul, the Presiding Elder. The


following ministers have served as pastors since its organization: Revs. Alexander Harmount, Harrison Maltby, Mr. Krebbs, N. B. C. Love, James S. DeLisle, John Brice, John K. Ford, Lorenzo D. Rodgers, Mr. Peoples, Benjamin B. Powell, Mr. Crozier, Isaac N. Kalb, Richard Biggs, Charles Ashton, Mr. Plant, Benjamin L. Rowan and John W. Hill, all of whom served prior to the abandonment of the society. Since the re-organization, in 1875, the following have served, viz., Revs. Taylor, I. Jagger, A. J. Frisbee, Dwight R. Cook, Jesse Carr, and J. W. Hill, the present pastor in charge, who has served three years. Present membership, thirty-three; Class Leader, Jeremiah Nixon; Stewards, Jonathan Shaw and Levi L. Larne; Trustees, Jonathan Shaw, Jeremiah Nixon and Thomas Jones. A Sabbath school was early organized and conducted through the summer sea- sons for many years, but during the past two years it has been held through the entire year, with an average attendance of about thirty, with Levi L. Larne as Superintendent. The building of the church was superintended by the following Board of Trustees: Jeremiah Nixon, Jonathan Shaw, Isaac B. Turner, M. W. Nichols and James R. Harshey.


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St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church and St. Paul's Reformed Church. - On March 1, 1851, the following persons met at the house of George Rusher as representatives of the faith and doctrines of the two above denominations, respectively, for the purpose of organizing a church, viz. : Of the first-mentioned church, George Rusher, Samuel Anspach and Solomon Anspach; of the last-mentioned church, David A. Klingler, Charles Asire and Christian King. At said meeting, the following were elected as a Building Committee and Board of Trustees, viz., George Rusher, Samuel Anspach and Charles Asire, with George Rusher as Clerk. They soon


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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.


commenced the work of getting out the material for the erection of a log house for church purposes, which was completed in the fall of 1852. The house was built, 26x34 feet-a log house-and was duly dedicated to serv- ice November 14, 1852, by a sermon by Rev. A. Doner, Lutheran minis- ter, from the text, eighth chapter, 36th and 37th verses, of the Gospel of St. Mark. This was the first church edifice ever erected in Liberty Township. At the first communion service, held by Rev. A. Doner, April 3, 1853, there were the following members: Lutheran-George Rusher, Samuel Anspach, Esther Anspach, Jonathan Anspach, Elizabeth Anspach, Solomon Anspach, Hannah King and Esther Long; of the Reformed -- David A. Klingler, Sarah Klingler, Charles Asire, Susanna Asire, Christian King, John Long and Margaret Anspach. They continued to worship together under the ministerial efforts of Rev. A. Doner for about eighteen months un- til his death. From this time on to 1874, they held services together, preaching being had every two weeks during most of the time, alternately by the Lutheran and Reformed ministers. At the above date-1874-it became necessary to erect a new house of worship, as the old one had be- come dilapidated and unfit for use, and as the matter came up before the congregation, some differences of opinion arose, and it was finally decided that each denomination should build a house of their own, which they did, two houses being erected, after which each denomination worshiped in their own house. The Lutherans elected the following as a building com- mittee and Board of Trustees, viz. : George Rusher, Gottlieb Adam and Solomon Anspach. with George Rusher as Treasurer, who also acted as Clerk. They decided to locate the house at the cross-roads, about one-half mile south of the old church. During 1874-75, a good, substantial frame house was erected and the same dedicated June 6, 1875, by Rev. T. W. Corbet, assisted by Brother Prof. D. Worley. The house cost, all completed, about $1,700, and soon after the dedication the indebtedness was all paid and the house made clear of incumbrance. The present membership is sixty-one, with the following officers: Deacons, George H. Rusher and William Lones; Elders, George Rusher and Gottlieb Adam; Trustees, George Rusher, Gottlieb Adam and Solomon Anspach; pastor in charge, Rev. F. P. Cook. They have held a Sabbath school during the summer seasons for several years, and now have an average attendance of about forty, with George Rusher as Superintendent and Gottlieb Adam, Assistant.


St. Paul's Reformed Church. -- At the above date, 1874, when the two denominations ceased to worship together, this congregation elected the fol- lowing persons as Trustees and a building committee, and at once com- menced to erect a house for church purposes, viz .: S. Hertick, S. G. Fought, David Klingler and John Klingler. A good brick house, 36x50 feet, was erected, and the same dedicated in January, 1875, by the Rev. Prof. Good, of Tiffin, Ohio, assisted by the pastor in charge, Rev. James P. Hale. The church has been quite prosperous, and now has a member- ship of about seventy, with Rev. J. J. M. Gruber as pastor, and S. Hetrick, S. G. Fought and J. A. Klingler as Elders, and R. C. Klingler, David Klingler and Amos Klingler as Deacons. A Sabbath school was organized soon after the new house was built, and has been very flourishing, having now an average attendance of about eighty, with Noah Hetrick as Superin- tendent and David Klingler as Assistant.


CEMETERIES.


The Candler Cemetery was probably the earliest established burial place in the township. It is located on the old Candler farm, in the south -


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LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.


west corner of Section 7, and was dedicated as a burial place by the re- ception of the body of Mr. Candler, the father of James Marshall Candler, who died September 3, 1835, since which it has received a large number of the dead of this neighborhood. The McElroy Cemetery, located near the southwest corner of Section 1, was very early donated for a burial place by Hugh W. McElroy, and received the body of Heziah McBride, wife of John McBride, who died August 13, 1839, since which there have been interred here many of the pioneers and others of this neighborhood. Several of the early settlers were buried upon their own farms, and some have been in- terred in adjoining townships. But the principal cemetery of the town -- ship, and which is in the care of the Trustees, is located about two miles south of Ada on the northeast corner of Section 33. This is pleasantly sit- uated, and will now become the principal place of interment for Liberty Township. The St. Paul Cemetery is located on the northeast quarter of Section 30. It was donated to the St. Paul Lutheran and the St. Paul


Reformed Churches by David A. Klingler, and contained two acres. Sub- sequently one-half acre was sold to the Reformed Church, upon which they erected their house of worship, so that it now contains one acre and a half. It is well fenced and is in the care of six Trustees, three of whom are appointed by the St. Paul Lutheran Church, and the other three by the St. Paul Reformed Church. They are as follows: Of the first-named church, George Rusher, George H. Rusher and William Lones; of the second-named church, John W. Klingler, Samuel Fought and Jonas Long, with John W. Klingler as Treasurer and George H. Rusher as Secretary. The first person interred here was Adam Anspach, a son of Solomon and Margaret Anspach.


MILLS.


The first settlers for several years had to go through the almost unbroken forests into Logan County to obtain their grinding. This was very tedious and laborious, and often took from four to five days to make the round trip. The first relief from this was when Jacob Sapp came and settled where the south part of Ada now stands, who brought with him a small pair of buhrs, and then, with his ax, drawing-knife and auger, erected a small horse- mill, which cracked the first corn in this region. This was in 1838-39. In 1840, George Hacket erected a grist mill about two miles north of Ada, on Hog Creek, run by water-power. This he ran but a short time, when he was compelled, through a complaint of his neighbor that water was backed on to his land, to tear away his dam and relinquish all further business with his mill. In 1843, John Tressel, Esq., erected a water grist mill on Hog Creek. This did a good business until the project of draining the marsh was commenced, when his dam had to be torn out and his mill was useless. The next to be erected was a steam grist mill at Ada, which was built in 1858 by David Sleichter and Calvin Gilbert, which, in 1859, was purchased by Christian Young, who ran it seven years, when he took in his two brothers, Henry and William, and under the firm name of Young & Brothers carried on a prosperous business till about 1872, when William Edwards purchased the property. In 1873, he was succeeded by Rinehart & Lowry, and then by John Carey, who continued to run it till about 1879, when it went out of use. About 1874, Joseph Ream & Son erected the present steam mill in the west part of the town. They soon after-made an assignment to C. W. Gilbert, who made sale of the property to Smith & Richards; then Smith became sole proprietor and conducted the business till his death, after which the property was sold at administrator's sale to Park Bros., who were


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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.


succeeded in the ownership of the property by Lyle & Hall, who are now running the mill and are doing a good business. Several saw mills have from time to time been temporarily located in various parts of the township. There are two in the country at the present time which are doing quite a business -- one in the north part of the township on Section 10, and one in the southern part on Section 28; the latter is the property of Nicholas High, who has been doing quite an extensive business there for several years. Other mills have existed in Ada, which will be written of in the history of that town.


TOWNS AND VILLAGES.


There is but one town-Ada-formerly known as Johnstown. This town was laid out into lots, streets and alleys by William Mitchell as proprietor, July 30, 1853. The original plat consisted of seventy-five lots, all on the north side of the railroad, and was named Johnstown. On May 24, 1861, upon petition of thirty-eight residents of the town, it was, by the act of the Commisioners, Samuel Wood, E. C. McLane and Peter Marsh, made and constituted an incorporated village, and subsequently its name was changed to Ada in correspondence with the name of the post office, which was established soon after the building of the railroad by the name of Ada. The following are the various additions which have since been made to the town, viz .: B. Mowan, made May 18, 1863; S. M. Johnson, December 30, 1864; E. B. Heistand, March 27, 1867; L. F. Stumm, July 22, 1867; A. Ream, December 19, 1866; Ahlefeld & Aruthnot, September 30, 1867; William Edwards, December 10, 1867; S. M. Johnson, 2d and 3d, eastern and southern, December 30, 1869; P. Ahlefeld, February 3, 1871; Thomas Irwin, February 29, 1872; S. S. Smick, January 20, 1872; A. Ream, second addition, March 16, 1872; John Dobbins, subdivision, April 19, 1872; James M. Diefenderfer, October 28, 1872. By an act of the County Conmissioners, on November 9, 1872, the corporate limits of the village were extended, after which were made the following additions: A. Ream, third addition, January 4, 1875; E. B. Heistand, December 16, 1875; John Dobbins, February 18, 1878; H. S. Lehr, April 20, 1878; Hugh Dobbins, March 10, 1879; Hugh Dobbins, second addition, April 10, 1879; H. S. Lehr, July 14, 1879; John F. Rice, July 8, 1879; Ream & Gilbert, November 24, 1879; G. W. Rutledge, April 12, 1880; M. Bryan, April 25, 1881; P. Ahlefeld, August 30, 1881; F. Maglotts, February 4, 1882; and Genevra & Hayden, June 16, 1882.


It will be seen by the extensions and many additions of Ada, that it has had a very rapid growth. At the time the railroad was being built, the company needed large amounts of timber and lumber, and S. M. Johnson was prevailed upon to locate at this place and erect a saw mill. This was the first business and the beginning and foundation of the town. Very soon after, a company store was started here, of which the head and principal was William Mitchell. He was succeeded by Horace Gilbert, William Wilson, Mr. Greene and William League, who constituted the first and earliest merchants. The saw mill employed several men, who, with their families, made a demand for houses. These were the nucleus from which has sprung the present large and flourishing town. The next most impor- tant business carried on here was the hoop pole and stave trade; many thousands of car loads of hoop poles, staves and barrels were shipped from this station, Mr. League being the principal dealer and manufacturer of barrels, and employed many men. Joseph Crawford is said to have been the first blacksmith, and Mr. Morgan (colored) the second. The first phy-


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LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.


sicians were Dr. Ward and Dr. Kyle. The town had only a moderate growth up to about 1860, but in the meantime the country around was be - coming thickly settled and improved, which gave a support and impetus to a more rapid growth. In the spring of 1862, N. B. Holder located here and opened the first drug store of the place. Business of all kinds rapidly increased and stores were multiplied and a steady growth of the town was maintained until 1870, the Normal School building was erected, and from this time forward to say the town grew rapidly does not express the true condition-it really " jumped " from a thriving village to a prosperous town of almost 2,000 inhabitants. We have thus briefly traced the history of the town, which has now been in existence scarcely thirty years, and will now sum up the present business interests numerically, which will show to generations in the future its volume of business in 1883; they are as fol- lows: Four dry goods and general stores, seven groceries, one produce dealer, two hardware stores, three stove and tin stores, three drug stores, three boot and shoe stores, one book store, three clothing houses, two fur- niture stores, four millinery and fancy goods stores, one saddle and harness shop, three restaurants, three saloons, two billiard parlors, two banks, two livery stables, one grist mill, five blacksmiths, one scroll saw and planing mill, one saw mill, two carriage and wagon manufactories, three hotels, three barber shops, one artist and photographer, two bakeries, two jewel- ers, one gents' furnishing goods, two warehouses and grain elevators, four meat markets, one bed spring factory, one tile factory, one architect, eight physicians, three dentists, two attorneys at law, and one newspaper (weekly) established in 1872 by B. L. Thompson as a neutral paper, and known as the Ada Record. In 1877, J. E. Fisher became business editor, and its name was changed to The Commercial. In September, 1878, Mr. Fisher re. tired. In November, 1877, the Literary Casket was established by Miller & Rutledge. In September, 1878, Mr. Rutledge sold his interest to B. L. Thompson, and the firm-now Miller & Thompson-purchased the Com- mercial of Mr. Fisher and consolidated the two into one paper, under the name of the Ada Record. In December, 1879, Mr. Miller purchased the interest of Mr. Thompson, and, in August, 1881, Mr. Welsh became sole proprietor of the paper, and has since conducted its publication, and has now a circulation of about 1,000.


SECRET SOCIETIES.


Ada Lodge, No. 1882, Knights of Honor .- This society was instituted November 21, 1879, by J. B. King, D. G. D., with the following charter members: S. Watt, J. H. Ballard, J. N. Church, A. Shaw, J. H. Smick, M. V. Gilbert, H. Schindewolf, E. N. How, J. N. Bodge, W. H. Christo- pher, W. N. Bryan, O. N. Judd, G. G. Westhoven, A. F. Nye, A. M. Dary, J. V. McGregor, L. L. Dobbins, A. Welsh, O. M. Bowman, L. H. Wells, F. H. Moses and T. C. Christopher, with the following officers: S. Watt, Jr., P. D .; J. H. Ballard, D .; J. N. Church, V. D .; J. M. Bodge, A. D .; M. V. Gilbert, Chaplain; A. Welsh, R .; A. Shaw, F. R .; H. Shindewolf, Treasurer; A. M. Davy, G .; L. H. Wells, Guide; G. G West hoven, Sent. ; and W. H. Christopher, M. D .; present membership, thirty- eight; present officers: F. H. Moses, P. D .; H. Schindewolf, D .; I .. L. Dobbins, V. D .; William Eifert, A. E .; G. G. Westhoven, R .; A. B. Charles, F. R .; S. Watt, Treasurer; C. H. Thomas, Guide; W. N. Bryan, Chaplain; Winfield Houser, G .; D Lehman, Sentinel; S. Watt, Jr., (. Sent. of O .; and L. W. Campbell, M. D .; Trustees, M. V. Gilbert, F. H. Moses and A. Welsh.


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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.


Ada Lodge, A., F. & A. M., No. 344, was instituted August 24, 1863, with the following charter members: Orrin Curtis, N. Ahlefeld, R. B. Reid, William L. Reece, Calvin E. Stumm, Hollis J. Gilbert, John C. Stumm, Samuel Arbuthnot, E. B. Heistand, Baltzer Mowan, J. W. Walters and John Scott, with the elective officers: Orrin Curtis, W. M .; Nathan Ahlefeld, S. W .; R. B. Reid, J. W .; William L. Reece, Secretary; Samuel Arbuthnot, Treasurer; Calvin E. Stumm, S. D .; Hollis J. Gilbert, J. D. ; and Baltzer Mowan, T. Present membership, seventy; present officers, Alexander Carman, W. M .; J. S. Rice, S. W .; M. F. Eggerman, J. W .; Alexander Comrey, S. D .; W. H. Barker, J. D .; C. Young, Treasurer; Benjamin Guyton, Secretary; and J. L. Smith, T. Meetings, first and third Wednesdays of each month.


Ada Chapter, R. A. M., No. 138, was instituted July 13, 1874, with the following charter members: J. H. Smick, R. B. Reid, B. I. Murray, James E. Lowry, George S. Thomas, Christian Young, George H. Zugschwert, P. Ahlefeld, W. B. Grafton, P. W. Stumm, C. E. Stumm and F. C. Gas- tinger, with the following officers: John H. Smick, H. P .; R. B. Reid, K .; Christian Young, S. ; Philip W. Stumm, C. O. H .; George S. Thomas, P. S .; James E. Lowry, R. A. Capt .; C. E. Stumm, G. M. 3d V .; W. B. Grafton, G. M. 2d V .; Frank C. Ganstinger, G. M. 1st V .; Peter Ahlefeld, Treasurer; G. H. Zugschwert, Secretary; and Benjamin I. Murray, G. Present membership, twenty-nine; present officers: Alexander Carman, H. P .; Christian Young, K .; J. F. Rice, S .; R. W. Rutledge, C. O. H .; J. M. Bentley, P. S .; S. H. Hagerman, R. A. C; E. W. Gilbert, G. M. 3d V .; A. Barlow, G. M. 2d V .; J. L. Smith, G. M. 1st V .; Peter Ahlefeld, Secre- tary; William Guyton, Treasurer; and W. H. Mustard, G .; Trustees, M. Preston, George Seib and C. W. Gilbert. Meetings are held at Masonic Hall the first and fourth Wednesdays of each month.


Ada Lodge, No. 427, I.O.O.F .- This society was instituted July 6, 1869, by James Turner, of Dayton, G. M., with the following charter members: Joshua Shuster, A. B. Huff, M. A. Wilson, E. E. Williams, W. B. S. Hen- kle, John Rowland, James Gardner, D. P. Selleck and D. Binns, with the following officers, viz .: D. P. Selleck, N. G .; S. H. Collins, V. G .; J. Shuster, R. Secretary; E. E. Williams, P. Secretary; Daniel Butler, Treas- urer. Present membership, seventy-four, with the following officers: J. H. Quint, N. G .; D. J. Hull, V. G .; R. S. Shanks, R. Secretary; J. N. Church, P. Secretary; A. S. Shaw, Treasurer. Trustees, C. Hammer, C. Stramm, J. Friedly, J. V. Wise and S. Watt.


Ada Encampment, No. 226, I. O. O. F., was instituted June 26, 1882, by John N. VanDeman, Grand Patriarch. Charter members: W. H. Mor- row, J. N. Church, F. H. Moses, J. H. Quint, J. M. Davis, L. Richeson, G. F. Marmon, A. Shaw, George C. Tressel, D. J. Hull, R. S. Shanks, R. Davenport, O. F. Clemmer, H. Schindewolf and Samuel Watt; officers: G. F. Marmon, C. P .; J. H. Quint, H. P .; F. H. Moses, S. W .; W. H. Morrow, S .; J. N. Church, Treasurer; L. Richeson, S. W .; present mem- bership, thirty-three; present officers, F. H. Moses, C. P .; L. Richeson, H. P .; R. S. Shanks, S. W .; W. H. Morrow, S .; J. N. Church, Treasurer; and Jacob Clark, S. W.


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BUCK TOWNSHIP.


BUCK TOWNSHIP.


This is one of the more recently organized townships of Hardin County, the territory of which it is composed having been previously embraced in Hale, Dudley, Pleasant and Taylor Creek Townships. The lands are embraced in the Virginia Military Grant, and are situated in the extreme northern frontier of said grant, the Scioto River being the northern bound- ary of said lands and also the northern boundary of this township. The burning of the court house at Kenton, in 1853, destroyed many of the county records, among which were the early official acts of the Commission- ers containing the erection of the townships; hence, the exact dates and official acts constituting the various townships of the county cannot be given; but from the records of Buck Township we find that the first elec- tion was held on April 7, 1845, hence it is probable that the organization of the township was effected at a meeting of the Commissioners in January, 1845. We are informed that there have been one or two slight changes made in the boundary lines of the township since its first erection. As it now exists, it is bounded as follows: On the north by Cessna and Pleasant Townships, on the east by Dudley Township, on the south by Hale and Taylor Creek Townships, and on the west by Taylor Creek and Lynn Town- ships. The township embraces about thirty-one square miles, or 19,800 acres of land. This territory appears to have been somewhat of a thorough- fare during the war of 1812, and when Gov. Meigs, of Ohio, was called upon to furnish his quota of soldiers to defend the frontier, he immediately responded, and in June of 1812, Col. Duncan McArthur, with a regiment of soldiers, was detached from Urbana to open a road in advance of Gen. Hull as far as the Scioto River, and there built Fort McArthur. In Sep- tember, 1813, it is said that Gov. Shelby, of Kentucky, passed up the said McArthur trail from Urbana, at the head of 4,000 mounted volunteers and continued on the old army route till he arrived in the southern part of Hardin County, when he diverged to the right, passing through the south- east portion of Buck Township, thence on through Dudley.




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