The history of Madison County, Ohio, Part 75

Author: Brown, Robert C; W.H. Beers & Co., pub
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, W.H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1180

USA > Ohio > Madison County > The history of Madison County, Ohio > Part 75

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Subsequent changes in the township are as follows: June 1, 1818, " Ordered, that hereafter the boundaries between Range and Pleasant Town- ships be as follows, viz. : Beginning on the North Fork of Paint Creek, at Fayette County line, thence eastward along said line to Duff's Fork; thence up said fork to the crossing of the Federal road; thence northward to the line between Union and Pleasant Townships, so as to make the upper line of Range Township one mile and one-half, extending along Pleasant Town- ship." March 2, 1824, change in Range and Pleasant Townships, " Ordered by the Commissioners of Madison County now in session, on petition being presented, that part of Range Township be, and is hereby attached to, Pleasant Township: Beginning at the county line between Fayette and Madison Counties, where the same erosses Duff's Fork, running west one mile with said line: thence a north direction to where the Federal road crosses Duff's Fork in the line of Pleasant Township, all that part hereby stricken off of Range Township to be attached to Pleasant Township." Change in Pleasant Township, December 1, 1851: On petition, the line between Pleasant and Fairfield Townships were changed as follows, viz. : " Com- mencing at a point in the county line near James Adams', thence south with the county line to the lower line of R. Means' Survey, No. 5,766; thence west with said survey line and the line of Edward Fitzgerald's land to the northwest corner of Henry Fleshour's Survey, No. 5,190; thence to the northeast corner of the Hardin & Gray's Survey, No. 5, 799, and with the north line of said No. 5,799 to the county road near Levin Jones' house; thence withi said road to Deer Creek; thence up the creek to the present corner of Fairfield Township."

SURFACE, SOIL, ETC.

In describing the surface of the various townships comprised in Madi- son County, it will be observed that there is a great sameness, because the general surface of the entire county is level, and of this township we can say, there is no exception to the general condition of the county in this re- spect. All. or nearly all of the surface of Pleasant, except along the creeks and small streams, is one extended plain, and were the forests stripped from the face of the country, there would be a great resemblance to the rolling prairies of the West. The streams and creeks have a general southern and southeastern course through the township, indicating that the highest elevation is reached in the north and northwestern portions of the township. The principal stream of the township is Deer Creek, which en- ters the northwestern portion of the township and courses south and south- easterly until it reaches the boundary line between this township and Picka- way County: thence it flows south nearly on the line for about one mile, when it re-enters Pleasant Township, flows sonth and enters Fayette County near the southeast corner of the township. Its main branch is Sugar Run, which empties into it near the center of the township, on the line of Ste-

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PLEASANT TOWNSHIP.

phen Anderson's farm. Sugar Run is formed near the western line of the township, on the Hicks farm, by the junction of Mud Run and Bradford's Creek. These, with Duff's Fork, in the south part of the township, are the principal streams. The soil is a rich loam and clay, very strong and pro- ductive, equally good for grass or grain. Wheat and corn are the principal grains raised. Grass and stock-raising has been a leading business with the larger land owners. During the last few years, as the land is becom- ing ditched, tiled and drained, more extensive business is carried on in raising grain, and the time is approaching when wheat and corn will be the main articles of export of this township. Quite large portions of this town- ship originally consisted of oak openings and prairies, of which the soil was remarkably deep and rich, consisting principally of a black loam with a clay and disintegrated limestone subsoil. The timber upon these portions was principally burr oak, hickory, elm, black and red oak. Along the creeks and the northern and eastern portions of the township were heavy forests, consisting of the various species of oaks, hickory, elm, and, on the creeks, considerable walnut, on the rolling lands, white oak predominating. In comparison in soil, timber and all natural advantages, few, if any of the townships of Madison County, excel this township.

OFFICIALS.

This township, organized in 1810, was put in working order by the election of officers, held by order of the Commissioners at the house of For- gus Graham; but who the officers were, or who their successors were down to the year 1869, we have no means of knowing or finding out, as the records of the township prior to that date are all lost or destroyed by fire; hence, we can only give them since the above-mentioned date:

Trustees .- 1869-70, Abraham Alkire, William Heath and Courtney Wood; 1871, A. R. Alkire, William Heath and J. D. Abernathy; 1872-73, A. R. Alkire, William Heath and John M. Robison; 1874, A. R. Alkire, William Heath and Henry Bower; 1875, Henry Bower, J. D. Abernathy and William Bennett; 1876, William Bennett, Henry Bower and P. A. Zahn; 1877, F. A. Wickle, William Taylor and J. D. Abernathy; 1878, William Taylor, William Heath and F. A. Wickle; 1879, William Taylor, William Heath and John W. Rea; 1880, John Anderson, William Taylor and William Heath: 1881, C. H. Miller, J. W. Anderson and J. W. Rea; 1882, C. H. Miller, J. W. Rea and William Heath.

Treasurers .- 1869-78, D. H. Douglass; 1879-82, Samuel McClintick. Clerks .- 1869, James Marshall; 1870, J. W. Riggin; 1871-79, J. N. Nicodemus; 1880, J. G. Loofburrow; 1881-82, J. N. Nicodemus.

Justices of the Peace .-- 1810-14, William Ware; 1836, John J. Smith; 1837-49, Edward Fitzgerald; 1837, John H. Alkiro; 1837, Otho Williams; 1838-47. John R. Robinson: 1839, Robert Abernathy; 1840, Henry Blair; 1843, William B. Leach; 1845, John Smith; 1846, Stephen Anderson; 1849-52, Thomas S. Robison: 1850-59, William McClintick; 1850, Jesse Timmons; 1852-64, Stephen Anderson; 1860, Lewis Timmons; 1863, Smiley Hughs; 1869, C. H. Hanawalt; 1870, James Hughs.

Assessors .- 1869, Henry Shanebridge; 1870-73, William C. Donglass; 1874, William Taylor; 1875-76. J. Smith Abernathy; 1877, J. S. Aberna- thy; 1878-79, A. Tanner: 1880-S2, C. H. Hanawalt.

. Constables .- 1869, Thomas W. Crabb and J. B. Buzick: 1870, Thomas R. Crabb and John R. Ring; 1971-73, Thomas R. Crabb and J. W. Wickle; 1874, J. W. Wickle and G. W. Durham; 1875, J. W. Wickle and Thomas

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY.

Crabb; 1876, I. C. Riggin and E. J. Stone; 1877, Thomas R. Crabb and E. J. Stone: 1878-79, D. W. Wickle and Thomas McDonald; 1880, D. W. Wickle and Matthew Cannon; 1881, Nimrod Fetty and Robert Trimble; 1882, D. B. Wheeler and Robert Trimble.

ROADS AND TURNPIKES.

This township contains many quite large farms, especially in the west- ern and central portions, and to and through these are many mud or by- roads, but from and through this township leading to all the principal neigh- boring towns and villages are good free turnpikes. The old Federal road runs east and west through the southern central portion of the township; and from this road, starting at a point about half a mile from the west line of the township and running in a southeast direction into Fayette County, is the Hicks road, which connects with the Washington & Mt. Sterling pike and the London & Mt. Sterling road and the Palestine road are the princi - pal pikes and generally kept in good condition.

SCHOOLS.

As this township began to be settled early, we would naturally expect to see schools and improvements early established, and we find that such was the fact The class of citizens who first located here were men of nerve and intellect, who sought the welfare of the rising generations; they knew the importance of schools, to educate and train the minds of youth, to bring out their latent powers and to produce strong and healthy intel- lects, such as should become able managers of church and State. As the first settlement was made on Deer Creek, in the eastern part of the town- ship, so here we find in the Alkire neighborhood a primitive log school- house, erected about 1812. These early schoolhouses are so often described in this history in writing of other localities that here, and hereafter, when we speak of a primitive log schoolhouse, their construction and character will be fully understood by the reader. The first teacher in this school was Adam Alkire. The first schoolhouse has long since been destroyed, and others, more improved, have succeeded it.

At an early day in Mt. Sterling, a lot four rods square was purchased of Abraham Alkire, for which he was paid $10 for school purposes, and upon which the people of the district erected a small frame building, and which continued to be used for school purposes till about 1850, when an ad- dition was built to the old schoolhouse, which again served the district till about 1862, when Smiley Hughs, acting for the district, purchased from William Riddle four-fifths of an acre of ground, where the present school- house is located, upon which they erected a frame house, 48x24 feet, two rooms, with a hall between them, at a cost of $1,100, and they then estab- lished it as a graded school. This house served the town until 1876, when the old house was sold and moved away and the present fine two story brick house was erected, containing six rooms, at a cost of $13.000. This is one of the finest school buildings in the county outside of London, and does credit to the enterprise and educational tastes of the people of Mt. Sterling. The school enumeration in 1881 was 201. Total school funds. $2,161.65. Expended for tuition, $1,888, and for contingencies, $516.88. The school now consists of five departments, with the following corps of teachers, viz., Primary B, Miss Lou Hurst; Primary A, Mrs. H. E. Schryver; Grammar B, Miss Mary Pierson: Grammar A, Walter W. Storms; High School, Prof. N. W. Bates, Superintendent and teacher.

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PLEASANT TOWNSHIP.

The Board of Education in Mt. Sterling are D. H. Douglass, President; H. W. Schryver, Clerk; H. D. Marcy, Treasurer; Dr. E. B. Pratt and J. W. Ingrim. Throughout the entire township there are now good schools and schoolhouses. The township is divided into seven subdistricts and one joint subdistrict. Enumeration of scholars in Mt. Sterling, 201. Township school funds, $4,621.10; Expenditures-tuition, $20.50; contingent, $281.95; total $2,331.95. Township Board of Educa- tion: Bryan Flynn, O. W. Bostwick, John W. Rea, Joseph Bower, F. O. P. Graham; President, D. E. Robison, Trimble Graham and C. H. Miller.

MILLS.

There have been but few permanently located mills in this township, and they, to some extent, have been written of in speaking of the pioneers. Of course, there have been more or less of portable mills located temporarily in various parts of the country, which, after remaining a short time, having performed their mission, were moved elsewhere. The first mill we gain any knowledge of having been erected in this township was a grist-mill, built by John Alkire, in 1810-12, on Deer Creek, on the spot where the present mill now stands. When we consider the limited number of settlers in this neighborhood at the above-mentioned date, and also, that in that day the early settlers as a general thing were accustomed to go many miles distant with a sack of corn on horseback to get it ground into meal, and seemed to be quite contented with that arrangement, we may imagine somewhat how little inducement was given to any person to think of erecting a mill right here at their doors; also, when we take into consideration the limited means which most of the settlers were possessed of, and the difficulty to obtain the materials with which to construct a grist-mill, then we may, to some extent, appreciate the enterprising spirit and courage which Mr. Alkire possessed to undertake that work at so early a day. But he accomplished his under- taking; he erected a plain log mill, with raccoon buhrs and bolting attach- ment run by hand, the mill being operated by water-power. After running the mill a few years, which, though of the primitive kind, yet it was a great convenience to the community, it passed into the ownership of John J. Smith, son-in-law of Mr. Alkire, who subsequently rebuilt and improved the mill, also attached to it a saw-mili. He was succeeded, probably about 1836-38, by Otho Williams and William Leach; they by William D. Wood, and he by Elijah Atkins, who ran it till his death, since which it has re- mained the property of his heirs. Farther up Deer Creek, just above where the cemetery is now located, at a later period, Mr. William D. Wood erected a grist, saw and carding mill. At just what date this was built we did not learn, or just how long they were run does not appear, but they have long passed out of existence, and are only remembered by the older settlers.

About 1820. William Wilson, a native of Pennsylvania, located in the north part of the township, on Deer Creek, anl erected a grist and saw mill, about where the present Wood Mill now stands. He ran the mill several years, when he sold out to John Kious. After running it a few years, he tore down the old mill and rebuilt and improved it, making it much larger, with a greater capacity. Subsequently, he was succeeded by Michael Sullivan, who, after a few years, was succeeded by William Wood, and he by his son, Courtney Wood, who now remains its present owner and proprietor. This mill has proved a great convenience, as prior to its erec. tion the neighborhood was compelled to go several miles to procure their grinding, most of them going to the Darby, near Georgesville.

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY.

About 1830, George Puckett built a tannery at or near Mt. Sterling, and carried on quite an extensive business for those days, for nearly twenty years. At that time tanning leather was an important and reasonably protit- able business. There were then no railroads or shipping facilities by which they could get either leather or shoes from the East, or, if they could obtain them by the slow process of their being hauled through by wagons, over the then almost impassable mud roads, it would make them cost enormous- ly, so that the people of pioneer days would be unable to buy them. In those days. the present quick process of tanning leather in a few days by means of chemicals was not known, but it took weeks and months even to tan and dress leather ready for use. Neither had they machinery for mak ing shoes, by which a man could make several pairs per day, as they have at the present time; but everything worked on the slow hand process. Hence, a tannery in this country at that time was a great convenience, and not merely that, but it was quite profitable to the man who carried on the tan- nery and profitable to the consumers of the leather, for, after the tanner had established his prices upon his leather, so as to give him a good profit, it came to the people for use, much less than they could purchase it from the far East. Therefore, for many years, Mr. Puckett was enabled to do a good and profitable business. But in the course of time, it became unprofit- able from the above-mentioned changes. and Mr. Puckett closed ont his business.

TOWNS AND VILLAGES.

This township contains but one town or village within its boundaries. John J. Smith, written of as an early settler, came from near Mt. Sterling, Ky., and purchased quite a large tract of land in this township, embracing the ground upon which Mt. Sterling now stands. After over twenty years of pioneer work, there was no town or village in the township, and Mr. Smith, about 1828, surveyed and laid off some lots for a town, and platted the same, which was duly recorded at London June 26, 1829, under the name of Mt. Sterling, after his favorite town of Mt. Sterling in his native State. The first house erected was a small frame built by Jacob Alkire, and just opposite to it, on Columbus street, Mr. Alkire erected the second house. Both these houses are still standing, but in a very dilapidated con- dition, having now stood there over half a century. The first hotel was built and a tavern kopt by Andrew J. Mure: he was succeeded by Mr. Ben- jamin Leach, and he by Robert Abernathy. Soon after, a second hotel was built and kept by John Peterson, located where Levi Southward's livery stable now stands.

Mr. Mure also opened the first store. Wilson & Graham were, how- ever, the first to keep a good and general stock of merchandise., William D. Wood and Wesley Howard were two early merchants. The first car- penter was James Baker, who was quite an early settler and became some- what prominent in the carly progress of the place. Stephen S. Beale, the first shoe-maker of the town, was a native of Virginia, and settled here about 1834: he followed the shoe-making business for fifteen years; thence entered upon farming and became quite wealthy: owned 1,000 acres of land, besides moneys and personal property. He was a good financier and an energetic business man, a good neighbor and a useful citizen. William Atkins and Otho Williams were the first blacksmiths. The first physician was Dr. J. Gregory; the next, Dr. Leeds, and then Dr. D. E. McMillin, who is still a practicing physician of the place, where he located in 1837. Other early physicians were Dr. William McClintick, Dr. Elam Bodman and Dr. John

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PLEASANT TOWNSHIP.

Holton. The post office was established about 1840, with Rowland Wilson as Postmaster.

The town was incorporated March 12, 1815, and the first election held August 15, 1845, resulting as follows: Mayor, Lewis Timmons; Clerk, Smiley Hughs; Marshal, N. R. Stanford; Council, John H. Merrill, Dr. Samuel MeClintick. C. W. Cozens, R. W. Evans and Dr. William McClin- tick. The Mayors of Mt. Sterling since its incorporation have been as fol- lows: 1845, Lewis Timmons; 1850-51. C. W. Cozens; 1853, Sammel Mc- Clintick; 1854, Smiley Hughs; 1856, N. J. Kauffelt; 1858, G. J. Smith; 1859-62. Smiley Hughs: 1863, Benjamin Leach; 1864, Isaac Moore; 1865 67, N. J. Kanffelt; 1870, B. F. Thomas; 1872, Ira Buzick: 1874-80. JJohn M. Nicodemus. Present officers of the incorporation ( 1882) are as follows: Mayor, Smiley Hughs: Council, W. F. Mercer, W. J. Hodges, L. Clausson. Taylor Snider and Adam Bailey; Marshal, Christopher De Long; Clerk, D. Bender: Treasurer, N. A. Riggin; Solicitor, B. F. Thomas: Civil Engineer, J. L. McCafferty.

Present business of the town is as follows: General stores. N. T. Ten- ney, Snider Bros., D. H. Douglass & Co., T. Neff, Mr. Crabb; hardware, N. J. D. Kanffelt, Riddle & Snider: groceries. C. Brown, James Clark; drug- gists, Dr. Samuel McClintick, Ewing Wood, Frank Mercer: Farmers' Bank, John Loofburrow, Cashier; bakery and restaurant, Frederick Wurm: boots and shoes, Andrew Kopensperger, J. Baughman: hotel (Rock House), MIr. Chevee, proprietor; livery, Nelson Riggin, Levi Southward; millinery, Miss Sarah Cannon, Mrs. Williams: book store and job printer, M. W. Schryver; physicians, Dr. D. E. McMillin, Dr. E. B. Pratt, Dr. Emery, Dr. Samuel McClintick: Civil Engineers, Samuel F. Rock, J. L. McCafferty; butcher, William Michael; tinner, L. Clausson; tailor, John Robey; barbers, Z. Burns, J. Bunch; gunsmith, Joseph Jones; wagon-makers. Smiley Hughs, Mr. Swisher, George Rentz; blacksmiths. P. A. Zahn, W. J. Hodges; buggy shop, James Denman; saddler and harness shop, W. Ingrim; tile manufact- urer, George Michael; Postmaster, C. H. Hanawalt: undertaker. J. M. Nicodemus.

In April, 1871, M. W. Schryver commenced the publication of a news- paper, known as the Mt. Sterling Review. This paper he continued eight- een months, when he changed the name to the Husbandman, the publica- tion of which he continued until May 1, 1874, when it ceased for want of sufficient support to justify the publisher to continue it.

Mt. Sterling. at the census of 1880, had a population of 482, and we feel justified in saying that there are few towns of its size situated tifteen miles from a railroad that presents a better appearance than this rural town. It is located in the midst of a rich and beautiful country: contains a class of active, energetic business men, men of wealth, intelligence and retine- ment, as is evidenced by their good buildings, fine schools and numerous churches. And had t is thriving town the commercial advantages of a rail- road, it would soon rank among the most active business towns of Madison County.

CEMETERIES AND BURYING-GROUNDS.

There are many old burying-grounds located here and there throughout this township; places, many of which were mere family depositories of the first settlers who died before any churches or permanent cemeteries were es- tablished, and many of which are now entirely obliterated, lying in the open pasture field, with not a stone or vestige of anything left to mark the spot which was once so sacred to the memory of the departed. Others

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY.

are preserved by a fence carefully surrounding the grounds, which are kept in repair by owners of the lands. descendants of those buried there, yet they are mere forests of weeds, grass and shrubs which, from inattention. have taken possession of the grounds, while some others are carefully pre- served and cared for by friends of the deceased, or by the Trustees of the township, who have been placed in charge of the property, and which are still used as burying-places.

One of the oldest burying-grounds we gain any knowledge of is located near the Methodist Church, at Mt. Sterling, in which the old pioneers of this neighborhood were mostly interred. It embraces about one acre of ground, and was used for many years as a general burying-place for this neighborhood, until it became literally full of the dead. containing prob- ably several hundred bodies. It is preserved by a fence around it, and probably will be for years to come, but it has long since ceased to be used. On A. R. Alkire's farm is the family burying-ground of the Alkire family, where several of their ancestors found their last resting-place; it is still pre- served by a fence, but is not used. Another old family ground is on the J. W. Douglass farm: this is fenced, but no more are interred there. There were several in an early day buried at a spot on Deer Creek, just below Wood's Mil', but there is no trace left of the place now, as it is all in an open field.

Soon after 1860, H. G. C. Alkire donated five acres of ground on the west bank of Deer Creek, about one and a half miles above Mt. Sterling, and deeded it to the Trustees of the township, Milton Thomas, Adam Young and Elijah Bragg, and to their successors hereafter, for the consideration of $1, reserving to himself a family lot in the center of the ground, in circular form, about twenty-five feet in diameter, which he nicely inclosed with a good iron fence. This cemetery the Trustees fenced in and laid off in lots, all numbered in order, and made good gravel roads and walks through the grounds and ornamented it with evergreens and other trees and shrubbery of various species. The ground is a gravel and sandy soil, lying high and dry on the banks of the creek, and is one of the most beautiful rural ceme- teries of Madison County, and a very betitting depository and resting-place for the dead.

CHURCHES.

It appears that the first religious society to enter this township and organize into church work was that known by the name of Christian. On June 30, 1812, a few persons of this faith assembled at the house of Forgus Graham, and entered into compact as follows: "We, the undersigned Chris- tians, bereby organize ourselves into church fellowship by taking the Bible as our only rule of faith and practice, and Christian character as our only test of fellowship, and Christian as the only name, and to be known as the Deer Creek Christian Church." This was signed by the following: Forgus Graham, Betsey Graham, Malinda Graham, Francis Grant, Nancy Grant, James Graham, Polly Graham, Roling Grant, Betsey Grant, Samuel Powell and Betsey Powell. There may have been a few other names signed at that date, but it is believed they were added subsequently. They had no church edifice, but the society met and had preaching at the house of Forgus Gra- ham for many years; occasionally, however, preaching took place at other houses in the neighborhood. In those times, when the country was sparse- ly settled, and few and bad mud roads, it was difficult to hold preaching with any regularity; hence, the people often became negligent of church duties, and then the society would have to be re-organized. This was the

Thomas Kilburg

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PLEASANT TOWNSHIP

condition with this church. It was re-organized February 27, 1825, under the same name as before. And again, on March 25, 1832, was re-organized un- der the same name, Deer Creek Christian Church, with Forgus Graham and John Alkıre, as Elders, and Patrick Davidson and John Graham, as Dea- cons, and John Graham, as Clerk. The next and final re-organization was effected February 13, 1854, by Elder Samuel Wilson and Cyrus Gordy, un- der its former name. In September, 1858, money was raised by subscrip- tion and a house orected for church purposes, which was formally dedicated November 21, 1858, by Elder Dr. Dawson, at which time it was decided that it should hereafter be known as the " Antioch Christian Church." In 1864, the following persons were elected Trustees: John M. Smith, John S. Robison, A. N. Wilson, H. G. C. Alkire and F. O. 1. Graham. The present pastor, is M. M. Lohr.

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The history of Madison County, Ohio, Part 75

Author: Brown, Robert C; W.H. Beers & Co., pub Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, W.H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1180

Author: Brown, Robert C; W.H. Beers & Co., pub
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, W.H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1180