The history of Madison County, Ohio, Part 80

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 80

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ducing an exuberant growth of grass and vegetation. Along the creeks and streams the soil is principally clay, but very strong and productive, so that throughout the township we may say the soil is very rich and fertile. The subsoil is clay and gravel, with usually a third stratum of blue clay and disintegrated limestone. The township from its first settlement has been peculiarly adapted to stock-raising, and that business has always received a large share of attention from its most wealthy citizens, and they have given considerable attention to the improving and raising of fine blooded stock. But as the lands become divided up into smaller farms, as the tendency is from year to year. and the soil better ditched, tiled and drained, so it be comes better adapted to the cultivation of all the grains. Tile factories are now becoming very numerous throughont this county and State, and, in fact. all over the country wherever the soil needs underdraining: the abun-

dant use of tile is producing remarkable results. Much of the low, flat prairie lands, which a few years ago was almost useless from the great sur- plus of water in them, and in which stock would almost mire, and which were never attempted to be plowed or cultivated in grain, are now by this process of tiling becoming some of the best wheat and corn-growing lands in the county. This township and this county, which, but a few years ago scarcely produced grain enough for the home consumption. is now export ing vast quantities of both wheat and corn, and the time is not far distant when the county will rank among the first grain-producing counties of the State. The forests and timber of this township are similar to those of the other townships and the county generally. On the creeks and small streams it was generally heavily timbered. On the creek bottoms were a consider able quantity of walnut, and back from the creeks and on the rolling lands were white, black, red and burr oak, hickory, elm, ash and some beech and cherry. On the level lands were the oak openings, of which the leading timber was burr oak, with some considerable hickory and a less amount of white oak, elm and a few other varieties. One noticeable and peculiar feat- ure of the timber of this township, which appears to be a common condition of most of the country composed largely of prairie and timber, where the general course of the streams is south. southeast, is, that for a short dis- tance on the east side of the creeks, the timber was of a much heavier and denser growth than it was westward from the creeks. And on the east side of the Darby, in particular, was where the beech and a few other varieties were found and not much in other localities. It is quite probable the prin cipal reason of the timber being less heavy and dense on the west side of the creeks, was in consequence of the yearly fires which swept over the prairies, which destroyed the undergrowth and more or less checked the growth of the larger timber; and as these fires usually raged from west to east, these streams or erceks served as a barrier which the fire could not overleap; or, if it did, it was so checked in its power that it would burn with much less violence and destructive power until it would get some dis- tance again from the creek, when, from being fanned by the breezes and in- creased combustible matter, it would again sweep forward with great ve- locity and violence until again checked by another stream, or the want of combustible matter to keep up the flame.

Although this township was not settled quite as early as some other portions of the county, yet we find them quite early taking possession of the lands along the streams where the more elevated and drier lands were tenable. But many of these were mere squatters; being possessed of no means. they never purchased any land in this locality, but remained here a

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short time and enjoyed the pleasures of hunting where there was an abun- dance of deer, turkeys and other game, made some improvements and quietly enjoyed their possessions without any great amount of investment. Final- ly, as other settlers came in and purchased the lands, or as they became dissatisfied, they moved away to enjoy other homes and hunting grounds. Some of these, though not owners of their homes, or possessed of wealth, yet were good. moral and religious men and women and good citizens, and exerted quite an influence in formning and molding the general charac- ter of the community. Many of these having resided here but a short time, and the older of the pioneers who at that time knew them well. having passed to "that bourne whence no traveler returns," leaves but little source for us at this late day to gain any special or exact knowledge of them, especially as to positive date of their settling here: but believing some of this class of persons to have been among the first settlers of this township. we shall give their names with what little we could learn con- cerning them. without giving the date of settlement, and will call them

PIONEERS.

Oliver and Harris Jaynes settled on the Little Darby, near where Henry King afterward settled. It is believed they were among the first who came into this township. Farther up the Darby, near the northeast corner of the township, settled a family of Keyes. Two brothers, Edsel and Sam- nel Carr, settled on Barron Run, near where Newton Hunt now resides. Samuel was quite an active man, and, it appears, a very moral and upright . man, and a leading, active worker in the Methodist Church in its first or- ganization in this township. A family by the name of Whitman, the head of which it is believed was Solomon, settled on Barron Run, on land now owned by Charles Phellis. He never purchased land there, and, after a few years' residence, moved away. Samuel, Isaac and Daniel Allen, three brothers, settled on Barron Run, where they subsequently purchased small tracts of land. Samuel was a local preacher in the Methodist Church and quite a prominent man of that day. About 1830, it is supposed, they moved into Union County. A Mr. Burrell, a blacksmith by trade, was also a very early settler on Barron Run. but soon moved away. A Mr. Dockum, be- lieved to be a native of Canada, settled on the Aaron Weaver place, near the mouth of Barron Run, at a very early date, and there he resided till his death, and his body was interred upon the place, and was probably the first person buried in what is now known as the Weaver Burying-Ground. The following were his children: William, who married Nancy Jones, and set- tied adjoining the home place, but subsequently moved West, where he died: one daughter married Mason Jones, and finally settled near Califor nia. this county, where she died; James married a Miss Clement, and set- tled in this township, thence removed to Darby Township, Union County, where he died; Boardman married Miss Tullis and settled in this township and resided till his death; and one other daughter, who married Allen Jones, and resided in this county several years, thence moved West. John Rathburn was an early settler on Barron Run, and was a Methodist preach er; also practiced as a steam doctor. It is believed he was the organizer of the Methodist Church that in an early day existed on Barron Run for sev- eral years, of which he was a main pillar and support. He had the follow- ing children: Charles, who is now a resident of the West and is a practic- ing physician; Levi, who was for some time a merchant in Mechanicsburg, thence removed West, but one of his daughters is still a resident of Me.

farnes Millikin

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chanicsburg: Nelson, who is now a minister and resides in Iowa; Abigail, died single; Sarah, married Luke Clemens, and settled in the south part of the county; and Harmon. who settled in Iowa, where he still resides.

John Erwin settled in the northwest corner of Pike Township about 1812, and purchased land there, for which a deed was recorded in Septem- ber, 1814. He came here from Southern Ohio, and was probably the first settler in the west part of Pike Township, and he remained here till his death. He followed farming and stock raising, was a man of excellent character, plain and unassuming in his habits, a devoted Presbyterian in faith, and a substantial and worthy citizen. He had a large family of chil dren, who nearly all died early in life with consumption. One sou. Amzi, or Amazi, settled on the home place and lived to quite an advanced age; he died May 14, 1879, aged eighty years. Several of his children reside in this vicinity. On the building of the railroad from Springfield to Delaware it passed through the corner of the township and his land, and a station was established called Erwin. Joseph Mitchell, a native of Vermont, emigrated with his family to Ohio, and settled in the southwest part of Pike Town- ship, on land now known as the Farrington farm, about 1812-13; he pur- chased 900 acres of land, became an extensive farmer and stock-raiser; he resided here till quite advanced in years, when he removed West, where he died. He was a leading. active man in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a minister in the same during a greater part of his life, and devoted much of his time to itinerant work, traveling over many different States, and was a companion of Lorenzo Dow for several years. He was the father of the following children: Joseph, Newman. William and Abner: the first two are deceased, and William and Abner are located in the West; the latter served in the lato war of the rebellion.

Claudius Mitchell. a brother of Joseph, of whom we have just writton. and a son of Ensign Mitchell, of Champaign County, settled in the town- ship on land known as the Henry Weaver place, about 1815-16; this situa- tion is on the Urbana & Liverpool pike, near the west line of the township. We have obtained quite a full account of the manner of his starting out in life, and the hardships and trials ho endured; and as an illustration of pio- neer life, we here give it a space in the history of Pike Township, that not only his descendants many years hence may read and know how their worthy ancestor lived and labored, but that all future generations may have the means of knowing, so far as the pen of the historian is able to portray it, the true picture of pioneer life.

Claudius Mitchell was born in Vermont in 1794, of poor but respect- able parents, who. after a few years, removed to the State of New York, thence to Pennsylvania, from there to Kentucky and thence to Southern Ohio, and, in 1815, to Madison County. During these years of pioneer itineracy, he arrived at his majority, but these were years of rough, yet it seems pleasant, experiences, to young Claudius, and he enjoyed, with his favorite dog and nnerring ritle, the sports of frontier life: ever on the chase for, or in mortal combat with, the wounded bear or stolen cub, and often came to " hand and han l" contest with the wild buck deer of the forests, which then abounded with all kinds of wild game and animals. Conse- quently, Claudius had no opportunities of obtaining even a common-school education; did not even learn to read or write. The first pair of pants he ever wore were made by his faithful Vermont mother, who' manufactured them out of hair combed from their own cow in the time of she lding in the spring, mixed and carded with common flax tow, all done by hand, and spun

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by hand and knit into a pair of pants. all being done by her own hands. The first pair of shoes he ever wore was when he was ten years of age, for which he earned the money to pay for them by taking his ax and hand-sled and cut and hauled wood a distance of several miles. At the age of twelve years, he performed a man's work cutting cord-wood and working at the Kanawha Salt Works. As stated above, in 1815 he came to Madison Coun- ty, and, in 1816. he married Nancy Lambert. of Brown County. On the 1st day of February, he took leave of his home and parents, whom he had served faithfully for many years, and commenced life for himself. The first day's work for himself he took his ax and maul, and cut and split 350 rails, for which he received 25 cents per hundred, but not in cash, but in corn at 25 cents per bushel. which gave him three and one-half bushels of corn. The second day he made 250 rails, and took his pay in tallow and fat meat. On February 7, he took a lease of land on Spring Fork, and at once commenced to build a cabin, with the snow then six inches deep. He soon had his cabin up and a roof on the same. and the next day he and his young wife moved into it. cleared away the snow and built a fire on the ground: then to work they went in earnest to fit up the new home. At a late hour that night they laid down some loose clapboards on the snow, on which they spread their scanty bedding, and then before retiring to rest they knelt down upon the icy-cold ground by two blocks, their only chairs, and there offered their songs and prayers to the God of the Universe. The only utensil they had for cooking was an old iron pot, and their table-ware consisted of two bro. ken knives and forks and two old pewter spoons. He had one two-year-old heifer, upon which the tax was S cents, and he had more difficulty to raise the money and pay that 8 cent tax than any tax he has ever paid. Since that time. he has paid his $300 tax with perfect ease. He resided in this township for many years; finally, he removed with his family into Cham- paign County. where he has since resided. He was twice married. By his first wife he had seven children-Sarah, Lavinia. Elizabeth. Nancy, Alvira. Chandler and Joshua. Mrs. Mitchell died, and he married for his second wife Mary Ann Reed; by her he had one child, deceased. Mr. Mitchell now resides in Mechanicsburg, retired from all active business: is in the ninetieth year of his age, and has all his business matters fully settled up. with no temporal affairs to trouble him. He is as erect and straight as a young man of twenty, is in comfortable health, cheerful and happy, and is patiently awaiting the summons of his Master that he may see the King in His beauty.

George Van Ness, a native of New Jersey, married Eleanor Van Lear. a native of Holland; they emigrated to Ohio prior to its becoming a State. and settled in Butler County. In January, 1813-14, they removed to Madi- son County and settled on the Little Darby. in the northwest corner of this township, on the place now owned by John Van Ness, and here he resided until his death, March 22. 1832. He was a true pioneer and experienced the rough side of life. Indians were his neighbors, and deer, wild hogs and game of all kinds were in abundance. About 1820, Mr. Van Ness erected a grist-mill. a three-story frame, run by water power. The mill only ran about three years, when the dam washed away and was never repaired or used afterward. Mr. Van Ness served through the war of the Revolution. and was with Gen. Washington at the memorable Valley Forge. He was the father of the following children: John, who married Rachel Nichols. and settled near the same place, but subsequently moved West and died in lowa: Susannah, married Stacy Storer, and settled in Highland County.

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Ohio, where she died, aged nearly one hundred years; Catharine, married John Payne. first settled in this township, thence in Highland County, and finally in Illinois, where she died; George, married Sarah Britton, settled in Butler County. on the old Van Ness farm, thence removed to Seneca County, Ohio, thence moved West and is now a resident of Indiana; Ju- dith, married William Storer, and settled in Highland County. where they now reside; Peter, married Polly Neff, and settled in Logan County, Ohio. and died there; Cornelius, married Rebecca Bower, and settled on the old home place of his father, where he still remains. and has now spent seventy years of his life on this farm: Daniel, married Elizabeth Yearns, and re- sides in Logan County, Ohio; and Mary, married Henry McCumber, and soon moved West and settled in Illinois, where she died.

George Jones, a native of Virginia, settled on land now owned by Mr. Guy, about 1815-18. He was a leading, active man in the Methodist Church ; was also quite a politician, and after the Morgan trouble in New York ho became an active anti-Mason. He served in the war of the Revolution. His children were Elizabeth, who married Michael Roseberry; William. who was a miller in Mechanicsburg for many years; Mason and Allen, who moved West: Nancy, married William Dockum, and settled in the West; and Charles, who also went West.

Henry King was a native of Pennsylvania and first settled near Chilli- cothe; thence, about 1818-20, removed to the west bank of the Little Darby. on the farm since known as the Joseph King place; here he resided till his death. He was an intelligent and a well-educated man, a wheelwright by trade and a skillful mechanic, and to this trade and to farming he devoted his life: was a kind neighbor and a worthy citizen. His children were Joseph, who married Amanda Tarpening, and settled and died on the old home place: William F., who married Miss Bigelow, daughter of Dr. Bige- low, of Plain City, he is now deceased: one daughter died young: Hannah, married Daniel Brooks, settled in Darby Township and resided till the spring of 1882, when they removed to Kentucky: Henry J., married a daugh- ter of John Mitchell, and settled in Darby Township. Union County, Ohio. but now resides at Marysville; Benjamin, married Miss Keves, and settled in Darby Township, where he died at an early age; and Sarah K., who married Newton Hunt.

George Weaver, also a native of Pennsylvania, settled on the place now owned by Aaron Weaver about 1817-18, as we find his deed recorded in January, 1818. He was married to Elizabeth Hempleton. Their children were Jacob, who married Polly Nagley, and settled on the home farm where he resided till his death; Solomon, married Lydia Niles, and settled near the home place. but subsequently removed to Illinois and settled near Clinton. where he now resides; one daughter married David Morris, but is now de- ceased: John, married Elizabeth Morse, and settled and resides in this township: Elizabeth, married John H. Surfus, and settled here first, but subsequently removed West and now resides in Illinois: George, married a Miss Morse, and resides in Illinois; Joseph, married a Miss Cobbler, and settled in the West: David. settled in the West; Mary, married John Ster- ritt, and settled in Monroe Township, but subsequently removed to the West. Mr. George Weaver, the father of this large family, was one of those industrious, thoroughgoing Pennsylvanian farmers, who knew how to make money and how to invest all his surplus capital, and the result was that he became owner of 3,000 acres of fine land.

Samuel Mann, a native of Vermont, settled in the southwest part of

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the township on land since owned by Joseph Ware, about 1814-15. He was a very successful farmer and a good citizen. He raised a large family of children and gave them a good education for that day. His children were Samuel, Reuben, Nancy, Benjamin. John, Alden, Lorenzo D., Leon- ard and Azro. Reuben and Leonard H. became physicians, both now de- ceased. in fact, all the children are deceased. Benjamin was quite a promi- nent. active man of this community. and resided the greater part of his life in Monroe Township, and held many of the offices of his township.

Abraham Johnson, a native of Virginia, settled on the place now owned by William Guy about 1814-15, as the record shows the deed for his land to be recorded in June, 1815. He was a good neighbor and a reliable citi- zen. In those days, it was a custom to bleed people in the spring of the year, to take away the "bad blood." which had accumulated during the winter, and. although it was probable that he was neither a physician nor surgeon, yet he was skilled in the art of bleeding people, and many were accustomed to apply to him to perform this work. He married Hannah Roseberry, and resided here for several years, but he subsequently removed to Union County and died there.

Andrew Alden was a native of New York or New England, settled on land near Mr. Mann, in the spring of 1817. He was a very active, in- dustrious man, and a good citizen. He married Elizabeth Manville, by whom he had the following children: Chester, Elizabeth, Sarah, Lydia, Stanford, George, Eli and Prince, all deceased but Stanford and Prince; the former settled in the West; the latter resides at Mechanicsburg.

Levi Patrick, a native of Massachusetts, emigrated to Ohio and settled in Pike Township on land now owned by Lafayette Newman, on Christmas Day, 1817, where he resided till his death, February 22, 1855. He married Clarissa Patrick, also a native of Massachusetts; she died December 12, 1868. Their children were M. Young. Eliza, Mary, Levi M., C. F., John P., Clarissa Ann and Olive. M. Young married Fidelia Cartmill, a native of Kentucky, and settled near the home place, where he resided till he lo- cated on his present place, in 1853. where he has since resided and has held nearly all the offices of his township; Eliza never married. and died in the spring of 1881; Mary married Nathaniel Griffin, and is now deceased; Levi moved to Missouri, where he married and settled, but died a few years ago; John P. married Emma Converse, and settled near the home place, but sub- sequently removed to Union County, where he died; Clarissa Ann died quite young; Olive married Henry Brown, and settled in Champaign County, where they still reside.

Michael Roseberry, a native of Virginia, settled on Spring Fork, on land now owned by William H. Guy, about 1822-24; here he resided about ten years, when he purchased 350 acres, known as the Henry Guy farm, and there resided till his death, about 1859. He was a prominent, active farmer and stock-dealer, had the confidence of the people, and filled many of the offices of his township. He married Elizabeth Jones, a native of Virginia; they had the following children: Ellen, married Ira Stacy; Permelia, de- ceased; Sarah, deceased; Elizabeth, is now Widow Fox; Julia, married and moved West; Joseph, deceased; Ebenezer, married Miss Carter; Han- nah, deceased; and Jane, deceased.

Darius Burnham was born in Hampton, Conn., May 10, 1791, married Lucretia Hunt September 12, 1819, emigrated to Ohio and settled in Pike Township, Madison County, in the fall of 1820, on land where Orlo Stod- dard now resides, and here he remained through life. Here he began in a

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log cabin -- true pioneer style. To his first purchase of land he subsequently added more from time to time, till at the time of his death he owned about 760 acres of good land. He became the owner of the land upon which Liverpool is now located, and laid out and platted the town, which was given the name of Liverpool and had the same recorded at London. Mr. Burnham was an active, stirring business man; he engaged quite largely in raising stock and dairy business and was a true. public spirited man, kind and benevolent, over ready to aid all enterprises and improvements for the general public good. He served in nearly all of the offices of his township, and was a Justice of the Peace for many years. He died August 10, 1846. His wife was born February 18, 1798. and died May 22, 1878. They had eight children-John H., Henry, Anna L .. Emiline S .. Darius D., Aelisa M .. Lueins A. and Flora E., all now surviving except Achsa M., who died at Plain City.

George Fullington, a native of Vermont, born August 18, 1769. mar- ried Rebecca Greeley. and, in 1813, they emigrated to Ohio. and settled in Union County, where they resided about eight years, and removed to Madi- son and settled on land now owned by Charles Phellis, Esq., where he re- sided till his death. July 24. 1835. His wife survived him several years. Their children were Sarah. who married Alfred Carpenter, and moved to Illinois, where she died: Moses. married Harriet Guy, and settled on the old Fullington place, in Union County, where he died: Clarriet, married William Guy, and died in 1827: Jefferson, settled in Illinois, where he married Eleanor English, and resided there till his death, and his body was brought back and interred in the Guy Cemetery: Adelaide became the see- ond wife of William Guy; Mary, married Truman Kimball. and raised a family of ten children, and is now deceased; Abigail, married Charles Phellis, Esq., is deceased; and Selina, married John Burnham, and now resides in Mechanicsburg. Mr. Fullington was a carpenter and joiner by trade. and still followed his trade to some extent after settling here, but his main attention was given to farming and the stock business, which he car- ried on quite extensively. He was a man of substantial character and un- doubted integrity. honorable in all his business transactions, kind-hearted and benevolent and a great friend to the poor, and to all who needed his aid in means or influence.

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The history of Madison County, Ohio, Part 80

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