The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 108

Author: W.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1214

USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county > Part 108

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170

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

mill at " Smithville " on Mad River. This mill stood where the present saw-mil of William Harries now is, but the Bosson Bros. sold out in 1824 and subsequent ly removed to Tennessee, The next man who figured as miller and manufacture in this locality was George W. Smith, a native of Staunton, Va., who came to Dayton in 1804. He purchased his interest at " Smithville " (now Harries), princi pally from Henry Robinson, in 1824, but also bought the Bosson Mills, and con ducted milling, distilling, and the manufacture of eotton yarns, earpet warp, etc About 1835, improved machinery was introduced into the cotton-mill, and in 184 the property was sold to Smith & Harries, but after some years ' the manufactur of cotton yarns was abandoned, and the machinery sold. In the year 1825 George Kneisly, a native of Laneaster County, Penn., came to the Harries neigh borhood on Mad River, and purchased sixty aeres of land with water-power fron Dayton Hamer. He had previously lived in Greene County, and there carried of an oil-mill. Immediately after purchasing his land, he erected a saw-mill, then " corn-cracker," which he soon converted into a flouring-mill by adding two sets o buhrs, making three in all. He then built an oil-mill, and next a small distiller with a capacity of twenty-five bushels per day, which he inereased to sixiy These mills were about one-half mile below Harries, where the Hydraulic nov. crosses the road. Mr. Kneisly leased land with water-power, for ten years, to Al exander Phillips & Co., who erected a two and a half storied frame paper-mil' about 1830, probably the first institution of that kind in the county. This com pany carried it on during the ten years' lease, and on its expiration the mill wa removed to Dayton by the Hydraulic Company. In November, 1841, Kneisly flour and saw mill burned down ; the latter was rebuilt and one stone put in, mal ing a chopping-mill, but about 1843 Kneisly sold out to the Hydraulic Company and died in Miami County in 1851. One of the early distilleries was operated i Section 24 by Philip Wagner, and in 1829 Samuel Rohrer had one on his farm i Seetion 30. Martin Rohrer operated a still in Section 19, and John Compton ra one in Seetion 13, afterward owned by Warren Munger. In 1848, William Ha ries went to the present site of the mills, at which time the old frame now used h. him as a corn-mill was oceupied in the manufacture of eotton yarns, and was orig inally the old Robinson flouring-mill. Mr. Harries changed it from a cotton to flonring-mill, thus bringing it baek to its original uses. When he moved there, distillery stood on the site of the present one, and in 1853 he built the saw-mi The following year the present distillery was erected by Mr. Harries, and was th largest in the county, and second largest in the district. When constructed, i chimney was over one hundred feet high, but about the year 1856, forty feet wei blown off in a storm, and a German employe killed thereby. In 1870, Mr. Harri built the large four-storied brick flouring-mill now operated by him at a cost $20,000. It has four run of stones, and a capacity of 100 barrels of flour p day.

GRAVEYARDS.

The oldest burial-place in Mad River Township is located in the northea corner of Seetion 22, about one aere of ground having been donated by Lew Kemp, in 1815, for that purpose. Previous to the above date, no regniar grav yard existed in the township, and burials were made in any convenient sp. selected by the friends of the deceased, or else the body was taken to a comete outside of the present limits of Mad River. The Kemp Graveyard was the pla of sepulture for that section of the county for many years, and a large number the pioneers rest there, among whom are the Kemps, Sumans and Cramers. T first person buried in this ground was John R. Harshman, about 1816 or 1817, 1 his remains were subsequently removed to the Harshman Graveyard. From appearances there have been no burials in the Kemp ground for many years, a. it has been allowed to go into decay, wearing a look of neglect and disord Another of the old burial-plaees of Mad River is the Dille Graveyard, in Secti 19, located on a hill near a strip of woodland. Some burials are yet made ther

171

MAD RIVER TOWNSHIP.

(erwise it is about in the same condition as the Kemp ground. The Harshman faveyard is located in the northeast corner of Section 23, on the ground given " Jonathan Harshman, about 1833, for burial purposes. The first interment was nude in August, 1834, in the person of Mary H. Gorman, wife of George Gor- un, and daughter of Jonathan and Susannah Harshman. The graveyard con- tns probably one-half acre of land, one half of which is the Harshman lot, iclosed by a neat iron fence and marked by a handsome granite monument.

SCHOOLS.

One of the very early schoolhouses erected in this township was the one own and designated as the " Kemp Schoolhouse," built in the year 1815. This vs a log building, and stood on Section 22, a little south of the graveyard. One d'e of ground was donated by Lewis Kemp, November 7, 1815, upon which to ate a graveyard and school, and the house was built by subscription, the fol- lving-named persons subscribing the amount set opposite their respective r nes :

Jeph Kemp. $6 00

Jonathan Harshman $8 00

Job Kemp .. 6 00

Alexander Snodgrass. 2 00

Ibert McReynolds. 6 00

Jacob Rothamel 2 00

Inry Robinson, in plank. 2 00

Henry Butt .. 1 00

Jeph and John Rench 4 00

Isaac Kemp. 1 25

Iın Jordan .. 2 00

David Kemp. 1 25

Ivid Rench. 1 00

William Krise. 1 50

Aam Gerlough, Jr. 3 00

Jan Rike .. 1 25

John Cyphers.

1 25

Jhes Gillespie. 2 00

Jn Roby ..

2 50

JIn M. Kaig.

1 25

J. E. Cottingham. 1 25

Job Trueman. 1 50

William Owens, two days work, or. 2 50

J'ob Caley.

623

Samuel Heffley, one gallon whisky. 75

L'nard Broadstreet. 4 00

Samuel Oyler. 1 25

Mean & Bell, in stone .. 2 50

George Newcom ... 2 00

The deed and subscription list is in the possession of George Kemp, of Day- tu, from whom we gathered the above items, and Isaac Kemp was the first teher who taught school in that building. Another early schoolhouse built prior to 815, stood on the George Newcom tract, in the north part of Section 27, and à ther was opposite the one now at Harshmanville, which is the third brick school blding crected on that site. A very early schoolhouse was erected in Section 1 on land donated by Robert Coleman one of the pioneers of that locality. One o he earliest schoolhouses was located on the farm of Henry Robinson. and was kown as the " Robinson Schoolhouse." Samuel Newcom and Norman Fenn taught tre at an early day. Many other schools were taught, of which mention might ' made, but these will suffice to demonstrate the difficulties undergone by the peer fathers of the Mad River Valley, for the purpose of giving their children veducation, even be it ever so crude and meager. Those schoolhouses were not )the modern type, common to every district in Ohio, but rude log structures, my of them with slab floors, seats and desks, and greased paper windows ; in a,, the pioneer cabin so often described by the writers of the pioneer days. The Cnship can now boast of six school districts, and a fractional district, four of wich contain handsome two-storied brick buildings, of two rooms each, with two se hers, while Districts No. 3 and 6 have neat one-storied brick structures of one ro'n each. In the last school year, there has been expended for education in Mad Rer Township, the sum of $3,948.12, which speaks well for the enterprise of its Dople.

CHURCHES.

The close proximity of this township to Dayton and other church points acounts, perhaps, for the absence of any church building within its boundaries. He settled one of the first preachers of Montgomery County, viz., William Hamer, at meetings were held in private houses and school buildings by the Methodists

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

and New Lights, who were the most numerous until the advent of the Shaker who were recruited principally from former Presbyterians. A full account of th society will be found in Van Buren Township history. William Robinson, Presbyterian preacher, who settled in Mad River in 1800, no doubt held meeting in this township at an carly day, as he preached in Dayton and Beavertown to tl Presbyterians and New Lights. Outside of the above facts, there is nothing relate about the religious history of Mad River, and, therefore, nothing can } written.

MILITARY CAMPS.

In the war of 1812, Camp Meigs was located on Section 30, north of Ma River. It was from this point that Gen. Hull started on the march which ende with his disgraceful surrender at Detroit. An old settler has told us that whr Hull's army moved north, the wolves, which had previously been very troubl some, followed in the army's traek and never returned, which led him to sugge that, perhaps, they also had surrendered to the British. In the summer of 186 Camp Corwin was located on " Hamer's Hill," in Section 29, near the railro: crossing and Hydraulic. Thus Mad River Township has become somewhat noted having been selected as a camping ground in two wars, by which fact it will ev be remembered as closely identified with the Nation's history, and those ty gigantic struggles in the cause of freedom, and for the preservation of nation life.

TOWNSIHP OFFICERS.

The political complexion of Mad River has never been very decided, the vo sometimes going Democratic and again Whig, Know-Nothing or Republican. the last Presidential election, Garfield carried the township by a small majorit The following gentlemen have served as officials of Mad River since its organiz tion in 1841 up to the present, some of whom have occupied the position sever consecutive terms, while others have had intervals between their terms of servi

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

John Snodgrass, Augustus C. Miller, Jonas Simmons, William Shroyer, Jon Simmons, Henry Morse, Charles S. Allen, Z. G. Weddle, James Kelly, J. Mcha Smith, John Stroup.

TOWNSHIP CLERKS.

Irwin Snodgrass, Benjamin Wagner, W. J. Harker, J. F. Snodgrass, Benjam Wagner, Joseph Dille, Jacob Wagner, A. W. Eaton, Lewis A. Kemp, J. W. Ken Christian Rohrer, J. W. Kemp, James M. Kecfer. -

TOWNSHIP TREASURERS.

Jonathan Harshman, Jr., Henry Lewton, Jonathan Harshman, John Snc grass, William Harries, Samuel Rohrer, Archibald Butt, Josephus Dille, Z. G. W. dle, Archibald Butt, A. B. Mohler, Josephus Dille, William P. Huffman, Sam R. Harshman, William P. Huffman, Samuel R. Harshman.

173

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.

THE history of this civil subdivision of Montgomery County is, to a great extent, L identical with that of the city and township of Dayton ; fourteen sections, role and fractional, or nearly one half of the territory included within its present undaries, were originally a part of the famous tract known as " the seventh and ghtlı ranges," which were the scenes of the operations of Patterson, Ludlow, Day- n, Cooper, and others.

A faithful perusal of the "field notes." of the surveys made by Col. Israel Lud- w, in the years 1802 and 1803, develops the fact that there were no less than irty-five or thirty-six different tracts of land in what is now Van Buren Town- ip that were known as "pre-emption " tracts ; this is a fair indication of the ex- nt of the settlements at that date, as pre-emption in those days implied an actual sidence by the person or persons in whose names the lands were held.

The Miami River was the great frontage for nearly all the early settlements the county, and especially those which were made at and near Dayton as a com- on center, immediately after the arrival of the permanent colony in 1796 ; that portion of the lands now included in Van Buren Township were selected and oc- pied by members of that first band of pioneers is evident from the relative situ- ion, the traditions of to-day, and the meager and somewhat obscure records which e now available.

D. C. Cooper appears to have held several tracts of land here and there in the wnship, as his name is entered upon the early records as one of the " original oprietors." Job Westfall settled on a sixty-acre lot in fractional Section 13, own 1, Range 7 ; this was down on the river road near where the residence of e late Leonard Miller now stands. Col. Ludlow's field notes mention this as " a rge improvement." Another settlement was made on the river just above the estfall lot, and adjoining it ; these lands seem to have been pre-empted by James d Abraham Barnett, but were sold to James Adam Miller, Sr., in 1816. Miller me from Schuylkill County, Penn., and settled, as above stated, in 1816. His ns were Daniel, John, Leonard, Jonathan and John Adam, Jr. This property now mainly in the hands of the descendants of the first Mr. Miller.

A settler named Dean was located on a small lot on the river, north and east the Catholic Cemetery. One of the very early settlers in the Dayton Colony is John Folkerth ; he owned land where the Insane Asylum now stands, and ed in that vicinity until his death. He was a prominent business man in Day- n for many years. In 1797, Smith Gregg, a native of Pennsylvania, emigrated the present site of Shakertown, settling on Beaver Creek, where he remained til 1814, when he removed his family to what is now Butler Township, where he tered a tract of 160 acres of land. Mr. Gregg served in the war of 1812. His fe was Sarah Ramsey, who, too, was a native of the Keystone State. Their chil- en were James, Martha, Margaret, John, William, D. H., Andrew, Smith, Julia, izabeth and Sarah.

One of the earliest points settled in Van Buren Township was in the vicinity what is now known as Beavertown. Ebenezer Wead came from near Lexing- n, Ky., in 1798 ; he entered lands in Section 24 (fractional), Town 2, Range 6. at e United States Land Office in Cincinnati in that year, and in the following year · made it his permanent home, having begun some improvements in 1798. His ns were : (1) John, born in Kentucky, married Sarah Schoffe ; their children were benezer, James. John, David, Fannie, Elizabeth and Margaret. David is now ring near Beavertown. (2) Robert, born in Kentucky, was a tailor by trade, and me with his father in 1799 ; worked in Dayton, and as a journeyman "from

174

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

house to house," until 1805, when he purchased eighty aeres of land of John F kerth, where the asylum is now located ; this he settled on and improved, and aft ward added to, until he owned 320 acres. He married first, Jane Gibson ; seco! Mary Gibson (a sister to the first Mrs. Wead), and became the father of ten cl dren, viz., John S., Ebenezer G., William M., James W., Samuel, Joseph, Mary Eliza W., Harriett P. and Margaret. John S. Wead is now living on a fine farm the southeast quarter of Section 32, Town 2, Range 7, and is the only member that family of Weads now living in Van Buren.

Two of the Weads, James and Ebenezer, were " out" in the war of 1812.

Two other settlers, named Musselman and Shell came about the same ti that the Weads eame and settled near them, in the neighborhood of Beavertov James Riddles settled on Seetion 30 (fractional), directly west of the We settlement. His son James, Jr., went with the Wead boys into the army 1812.

John Bradford, Sr., came in 1801, and loeated first north of the Wead pla in Town 2, Range 7. His sons were Robert, George S., John, Jr., James William, Samuel D., David D., and Allen. The descendants of this pioneer s among the most numerous in the township.

Adam Coblentz settled on fractional Seetion 36, Town 2, Range 6, in the ye 1807.

John Shroyer, from Maryland, came in 1810, and located near Beavertown

John Pough, was a Marylander, and settled in the township in 1813, havin purchased 160 acres of land.

John Ervry was one of the pioneers who eame some time during the "€ 1810, he was east of Beavertown.

David Stutzman eame from Washington County, Md., to Greene Coun' Ohio, in 1811, in 1813 he settled in Van Buren. His sons were Jacob, David, J Andrew, Nicholas, John and Abram. David Stutzman, Sr., died at his home Van Buren in 1824. John is one of the well-known and prosperous farmers the township, and delights to recall old pioneer ineidents ; the writer is indebt to him for many faets.

David, Thomas and Asa John were quite early settlers near Shakertow The family were of Welsh extraction, and came about 1812, after having lived Pennsylvania and in Kentucky, from which latter State they moved to V: Buren.

Among the early settlers and proprietors of the township, the following ha been picked up here and there, during an effort to learn the details of the pione history of Van Buren. There is, no doubt, more or less of an interesting sto connected with each, but time and the changes it has wrought, have obliterated traces of the varied experiences of these sturdy frontiersmen, so much so th even the traditions are doubted by the people of to-day, in many instances.

Samuel Bowsher, James and Daniel Baxter, John Booner, Michael Buri Ralph Braddock, Owen Davis, Robert Edgar, John Elwood, George Frieberg Richard and Robert Gray, William George (a surveyor), Charles Morgan, Micha Hager, Lewis Leshlider, Joseph Wilson. John Weaver, David Riffle, Robert Ewi (a surveyor).

David Warman, from Fredrick County, Md., settled about two miles south Dayton, in 1805 ; he has two sons and four daughters.

Edward Neweom, a native of Ireland, and a brother of Col. George Newcor bought 160 aeres of land of a Mr. Huston, and settled on it in 1810. He was tl father of ten children, two of whom, Charles and Edward Newcom, Jr., still resis in the township. Sinee the above was written Edward, Jr., died, his death occu ring suddenly, March 23, 1882.

Leonard Snepp and family eame to Van Buren about 1805. His sons wer( Philip, Rheinhart, John, Daniel and Peter.

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.

175

James Magrew, an Irishman, came with his family about the same year 805). He was a first-class citizen and good neighbor.

Charles Smith and family were among the pioneers.

Jacob Coblentz is said to have been an early settler, though the name may be nfounded with that of Adam Coblentz, who has been mentioned.

Philip Rike came from Maryland in the fall of 1812, and settled in the middle uthern portion of the township. The next spring he bought 172 acres in the' uthwest quarter of Section 23, Town 2, Range 6, for which he paid $1,400. It " supposed that he purchased this of Samuel Bowsher. This pioneer was the ther of six children, five sons and one daughter, of whom J. W. Rike, now liv- . g on the old farm, is the eldest ; he relates that he attended school at Beaver- "vn and had to pay $1.50 per quarter for tuition. At the time of the elder ke's purchase of this land there was only about thirty acres improved, and a log Irn on the premises. Five or six other families moved west in company with :. Rike, when he came, in 1812.

Abraham Hozier came from Virginia, in 1806-7. He entered his land, which s located in the southeast quarter of Section 23, Town 2, Range 6. Hozier was t: father of thirteen children.

Abner Prugh came from Maryland, in 1812. He remained four years and Turned ; in 1816, he settled permanently in this township ; he was the father of cven children, of whom five were sons. The Prugh family are among the most merous and influential citizens of this township at present.

Among those who settled at a later date, but while the county was yet in a I mitive condition, were John and Vandivier Moler. They came from Jefferson (unty, W. Va. Vandivier Moler came in 1823, and bought land of Huston in Stion 17, Town 2, Range 6. This gentleman relates many interesting incidents Cicerning the social and religious habits of the people in those early days. He r's a blacksmith by trade and used to " change work" with his neighbors, i. e., lic vuld leave his plow and go into his shop to do a job, while his customer would fw for him. He says the practice of helping each other was so common and s extensive that " if a man managed to do two days' work in a week on his own 1 d, he considered himself fortunate ;" all kinds of heavy work was done by a pe," and woe be to the luckless settler who tried to evade the turn-out.

Mr. Moler was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and was one of t early opponents of the common use of liquor at the " bees," and upon other o asions. Upon one occasion it was given out that Moler's wheat might rot on t, ground if he refused to furnish liquor for harvesting ; he partially conceded al offered 123 cents per day more for hands that would not drink than for those w) did. Next season he resolved to use no liquor at any price. His opponents vred they would not help him, and gave out word to that effect ; the report r ched the ears of a stalwart stonemason named James Dean, who lived in Day- t. He was as much of a temperance man as Moler, so he made up a party of h own kind and surprised Mr. Moler by appearing, sickles in hand, to harvest his weat ; the result was that Moler's grain was harvested as soon as that of his n ghbors, and that without the use of whisky. Some of those who had opposed tl.movement, when they saw how promptly Dean and his party had accomplished tlir task, engaged them to harvest in their fields also, but upon going to the house a discovering a bottle of liquor on the breakfast table, Dean came out and re- ur ked, " She's there. boys," whereupon himself and friends started for Dayton, leing the bottle and its friends to do their own harvesting.

Produce was worth little or nothing in those days. Mr. Moler says he ex- cInged two and one-half bushels of wheat for one pound of coffee, with Jonathan Hyshman, of Dayton. Corn and oats, and ordinary products, were worth nothing, tl'e being no market for anything but wheat, and not much of one for that.

Game was plenty as late as 1825. The same gentleman says : " Wild turkeys we plenty ; one Sunday morning, a large flock of them lighted on the fences

176

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

close to the house ; there was a loaded rifle standing close by, but I did not use it though the temptation was strong, so I says to them, 'you dare not come to morrow.'"

The house of Mr. Moler was a place of meeting for the Methodists for severa years ; when the crowd was too great, they moved to the barn, or out into the woods. Mr. Moler is now living in Dayton. He is in his eighty-fifth year.

John Moler came a year or two later than his brother, but settled across the line in Greene County, where he now resides ; he is ninety-four years of age.

SHAKERTOWN.

This is the common appellation which distinguishes one of the oldest and bes conducted neighborhoods in Montgomery County. Few persons know it by an other name, or that it has a history as old almost as Dayton, or Lebanon. On th old maps it was called " Watervliet," on the records of the society it is denominate! the United Society of Believers of Watervliet, and is thus mentioned .* "Thi Beaver Creek settlement, where the church is now located, was commenced in th year 1800, by emigrants from Kentucky, mostly from Bethel Congregation, on the North Elkhorn, between Georgetown and Lexington.

" John Patterson and family came in 1799, and spent the winter on the Grea Prairie* (where he had raised a crop the summer before) and in the followin spring he moved his family to this place (Shakertown).

"John Huston, a single man, entered a quarter section about the same time In the spring of 1801, John Buchanan eame with his family. James Milligan an William Stewart and their connection came in 1803 ; all these being respectabl members of the Presbyterian Church, united with others and formed a congreg? tion called Beulah, and were taken in charge of the Presbytery, and supplied with occasional preaching in common with others.

" This congregation became much interested in the reports of the great reviva which took place in Kentucky, in the year 1809, and expressed frequent desire for an extension of the work to Beulah. * *

" Richard McNamer came to Turtle Creek, near Lebanon, in November, 180 on his return from a meeting of the Presbytery, at Cincinnati, Ohio. The wor began at an evening meeting at Elder Franeis Bedles. *

" In 1802, McNamer moved to Turtle Creek, and from there he preached i. various places."

The first public meetings at Beulah were held about the last of May, 1802, a James Patterson's house. In June, 1803, a camp-meeting was held under tl general leadership of Robert Marshall, of Kentucky. He was assisted by Jam Kemper, Richard McNamer and John Thompson.

The most notable thing connected with this meeting was a division of tl people upon a question of doctrine. Kemper was a sober-minded Calvinist, ar was supported and followed by a portion of the assembly.

" On Saturday, Kemper preached from Isaiah, xxii chapter and 23d vers Making predestination the nail in a sure place. On Sabbath morning, Marsha followed, and literally fulfilled the context (verse 25) to that extent that Ket per and his followers retreated homeward."

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The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 108

Author: W.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1214

Author: W.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1214