The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 39

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 39

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AARON NUTT.

Who came to this county from Kentucky, was a soldier of the Revolution. After that war he came west with his little family, seeking a home and land that were due him under the bounty laws of the Government.

His parents, Levi and Ann, lived in Monmouth County N. J., where. July 17, 1758, their son Aaron was born. The father died when his boy was but two years old, who, when he became old enough, was apprenticed by his mother to a tailor. During his last year of apprenticeship, the war of the Rov- olution being then in progress, his boss was pressed into the army, but in- duced Aaron to go in his stead by giving him the rest of his time, and setting him free. Inspired with the patriotism of the times, and although not yet twenty years of age, he gladly accepted the opportunity of entering the country's service, and at once enlisted.

After the expiration of his term of enlistment, he, on the 4th of May 1779. married Mary, daughter of Joseph and Sarah Archer, born November 28, 1756., About the close of the war, when so many soldiers were attracted by the glowing accounts of the rich lands west of the mountains, Aaron Nutt moved with hi- family as far west as Redstone Old Fort, Pennsylvania, where they lived for a time, and when by reason of the aggressive movements against the Indians ir the Northwest, it became safe, he moved to Central Kentucky, where near one of the block-houses on the " Dry Ridge," the divide between the Kentucky and Licking Rivers, he kept tavern for several years. With the opening of traffic along the Ohio River, and the tide of emigration setting in so strongly to the lands northwest of the Ohio, his business was greatly reduced. He determined to again change location.

After a visit to the Miami Valley, he, in 1796, came with a party of sur-

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

gyors from Cincinnati as far as where Centerville now is, and selected 320 acres i land, the east half of Section 25, Town 3, Range 6, between the Miami Rivers, is brother-in-law Benjamin Robbins taking the west half. These two tracts ce separated by the Dayton & Lebanon pike; the north half of the town of Cen- rville was platted upon parts of them. Joseph Nutt, son of Aaron, owns and ves upon part of the land entered by his father nearly one hundred years ago.

In the spring of 1798, Mr. Nutt moved up with his family from Kentucky, opping at his brother-in-law's (Robbins) cabin, he having moved up the year revious Robbins wanted Nutt to unload his plunder and live with him until is cabin was built, but Nutt declined, saying, "No, I will unload my stuff into y own cabin."

He went nine miles over to Franklin, the little settlement on the Miami at Le mouth of Clear Creek, for help at the " raising," which. with the aid of six allons of whisky, was done in a day, and the family occupied the cabin at night. le afterward put up a tavern, sign of the " buck horns," of "which he was andlord for many years.

The Indian alarm in 1799 was an emergency that the settlers knew well ow to meet; stockades were to be put up in all the neighborhoods large enough i which to quarter all of the families and strong enough to protect against avage attack. The horrors of Indian warfare were known too well to all.

The settlers down in Mr. Nutt's neighborhood rallied at once and built a rong block-house, with stockade to inclose a spring on Peter Sunderland's and the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 26, east of and ear to the road, and about a mile north of Centerville. Arrangements were omplete for the dozen or more families down there to assemble, but scouts from ne more exposed settlements reported that the Indians were not preparing for ar against the whites; and it is probable that the block-house was not occu- ied.

The Government had been lenient with the settlers in collection of money for land, but the time coming for settlement, Mr. Nutt went to Kentucky, hop- ng to collect what had long been due him there; failing to get it he determined o make a trip with produce to the New Orleans market.

He, with others, built two flat-boats at Cincinnati, and. loading with horses, pork and poultry, started in December, 1810, upon a trading and coasting rip down the river, and sold out at New Orleans. Mr. Nutt within a few days ought a cargo of produce and shipped it around by sea to Baltimore, making good profit on the venture.

With part of his money he bought in Baltimore a horse and cart which ie loaded with dry goods and brought overland to his home, arriving at Cen- erville after an absence of five months ; in his own language, " as fat as a house pig," and besides his stock of goods, with money enough to pay his lebts.

With this stock of goods he opened the first store in Centerville. His icense to sell the goods, dated May 20, 1811, was signed by Benjamin Van Cleve, Clerk, M. C.

The children of Aaron and Mary Nutt were born before the family moved 'rom Kentucky -- Levi, February 5, 1780 ; Sarah, July 7, 1781 ; Mary, April 28, 1783 ;"Aaron, May 31 1787; Abigail, September 24, 1790 ; Ann, October 24, 1792 ; Bathsheba, February 2, 1795 ; Moriah, August 22, 1797.

Mary his wife died at their home in Centerville September 22, 1817.

January 11, 1818, Aaron Nutt married Widow Martha Craig, daughter of Isaac and Hannah Pedrick, born in Salem County, N. J., and came West with her parents to Warren County, Ohio, in 1805 or 1806.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Their son Joseph Nutt was born at Centerville December 11, 1818 ; John was born March 3, 1823.

Aaron Nutt died June 2, 1842 ; Martha, his widow, died March 20, 1856, agod nearly seventy-six years ; they, with his first wife Mary, are buried in the old cemetery a half mile north of Centerville.

DANIEL HOOVER.

Daniel Hoover, Sr., and Hannah Mast were married on a farm situated upon the banks of the Uharri River, in Randolph County, N. C., and came to this county with the colony of first settlers of Randolph Township.

Some of the men had made a trip north, seeking land, and finding at Cin cinnati that the land office was not yet open, and that the splendid lands west of the Miami River were yet open for entry, they came up to the Dayton set. tlement. and being satisfied with the outlook, returned to their people in North Carolina.

In organizing the colony, it was decided that the roads were too rough and the distance too great to haul furniture; therefore the wagons were loaded with provisions, clothing, cooking utensils, and a few farming implements. leaving room for the women and children to ride.

It was a long, lonely journey over the mountains, across the rivers, and ' hrough the hundreds of miles of dense, unbroken forest, yet it was an old road easily followed, although entirely unimproved.

The colony started in 1801, and did not sleep under a roof until thei arrival at a point ten miles south of Dayton, near where Ridgeville, Warrer County, now is, where they stopped for the winter.

The important thing then was the selection of land, and to get a tract upor which the families could locate, neighboring. An exploring party madı several trips up the Southwest Branch (Stillwater), and finally were .agreed to locate on the west bank of that river, ten or twelve miles from Dayton, Mr Hoover taking the southeast quarter of Section 10. Cabin sites were selected roads were marked out, and in some cases were at least partially opened to th Indian trail leading to Dayton. Capt. Mast and Daniel Hoover made the land entries at the Cincinnati office. In March, all being ready, the colony lef their winter quarters, and passing through Dayton, where they crossed th Miami, arrived upon their lands March 20, 1802.

Three-faced cabins of saplings were put up as temporary shelter for th families, while the men were clearing up patches to plant what corn and pota toes they had left. There was big work to be done, hills and valleys wer heavily timbered, slow, hard work was before the men in the clearings, an there was no place for drones in that colony. Fortunately for them, it was a early spring, and a long, dry season, and what planting they did do, turne out well.

It was the frontier settlement and it took brave men to stay there. Ther was not a white man's cabin beyond them. Indian war parties and tradin parties were constantly passing along the trails, and hunting parties wel, roaming the woods. Fleets of their canoes were upon the rivers. - In fact, th country was yet in control of the savages, and the Hoover settlement was tt advance post of civilization.

Mrs. Mary Sheets, who is living in Randolph Township, daughter of Dani and Hannah Hoover, remembers that one day while they were yet living in th huts, she and her younger sister being alone, an Indian made his appearanc. frightening them very much, but soon went away.

The road cut through by a division of Wayne's army, east from Fort S Clair, along what has since been known as the "Sled Road," to Salem Creel

CHARLES BURROUGHS DAYTON.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

iar Salem, thence north to Fort Greenville, was at that time used exclusively } the Indians; and at all times, except winter, camping parties were located the fine springs along Stillwater, Greenville Creek, and at some of the Salem (eek springs. These were favorite hunting and fishing grounds, not given 1 by the savages until after 1811.

All kinds of game were to be had in great plenty in the woods, but after te Hoover Mill was built (the pioneer mill, built in 1803), the Indians ought in to trade for corn meal more venison, bear meat and wild turkeys, an the family could use.

Block-houses were necessarily built in all neighborhoods north of Dayton, ild those west of Stillwater were used every year until 1815. At times of ecial alarm, the families remained in the block-houses, and all cattle and bock were corraled. The years 1806, 1809 and 1812 were specially trying nes, and were about the only times that it was deemed too dangerous for the en although strongly guarded to work in the fields.

The Indian outrages over on Greenville Creek in 1812 of course spread tror through the frontier. Settlers from all that section fled to the stronger e of block-houses from New Lexington across to the Miami. The men were guard night and day, and although the savages did not molest neighbor . Jods in this county, great excitement prevailed until Fort Greenville was rrisoned by militia.

Daniel. son of Daniel and Hannah Hoover. was born in 1802, after the ·rival of the colony, and was the first white child born in Randolph Town- ip. He owns, and is living upon, part of the farm that his father settled (1, and upon which he was born-the southeast corner of the section.

Randolph Township was organized November 6, 1804, and by influence of "e colony from North Carolina, was named for the county from which they id emigrated.

Daniel Hoover, Jr., remembers that in 1811, when he was nine years old, party of 800 friendly Indians camped on his father's farm. This was just fore the battle of Tippecanoe, and when the Indians broke camp they fol- wed the trail west to the Wabash. Years after that, Mr. Hoover saw the In- an chief. Shane, at Fort Wayne, Ind., who told him that he had crept inside e American lines as a spy the night before the battle at Tippecanoe, drew a ad on Gen. Harrison, but for his own safety did not fire.

Daniel Hoover, Jr., married Susan Byrkett in 1822. Mrs. Hoover also ime from North Carolina.

She remembers that her parents filled a large jar with wild honey, dried ve bushels of noodles, and put up other provisions for the long journey trough the woods. They had great difficulty in crossing the Alleghanies. or three years after their arrival in Randolph Township, the family lived pon corn bread. potatoes, game and fish.

From the heavy timber to be cleared away, progress at the Hoover settle- ent was slow, yet was never checked, and at the time of the marriage of aniel Hoover, Jr., all Government lands had been taken up. Roads, however, ere in bad condition, and in wet seasons were almost impassable.

The children of Daniel and Susan Hoover were Hannah. Eli, Levina, ndrew Jackson, Henry Clay, Abraham, James Elliott, Sarah Ann, William, harles and Eliza Jane. Hannah, James E. and Sarah Ann are dead. Eli, Villiam and Charles were born blind, were educated at Columbus, Ohio, and acame accomplished both in vocal and instrumental music. Levina married nos Embree: Andrew J. married Charlotte Gable; Henry C. married Ann arbara Cook; Abraham married Julian Gable; Elza Jane married George W. by

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

The aged couple, Mr. and Mrs. Hoover, are living a quiet, comfortable life on the old farm, with their children and grandchildren around them, ofter entertaining their friends and descendants with interesting stories and inci dents of the early days and settlement of the Stillwater Valley. A happy couple of old school people, retired from active farm life, they are living in the memories of the past, and contentedly enjoying the blessings with which they are surrounded.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

CHAPTER XI.

NEW COMERS-JUDGE JOSEPH HI. CRANE-COL. ROBERT PATTERSON.

IRANE, Patterson, Gunckel, Brown, Harshman and Phillips were promi- nent in that class of new-comers to the rich Miami Valley lands after its first f lement, and became useful men in the community, accumulated large perty except Crane, and had great influence in the improvement and nwth of the county.

JUDGE JOSEPH H. CRANE.

Was born in Elizabethtown, N. J., August 31, 1782, and died in Day- 10, Ohio, November 12, 1851.

His father, a Major in the Continental Army, lost a leg in one of the bat-

1 of the Revolution. His brother, William. in later years, attained the rank ofCommodore in the navy ; and another brother, Ichabod B., became Colonel n he army. Joseph H. Crane was equally distinguished in his sphere of life. y nearly a half century, he was one of the most prominent, influential and isful men in all matters and events pertaining to the interest and advance- mit of the Miami country. He was the chosen popular leader in all efforts to public improvements. In all important events in the history of the valley, "rn the date of State organization until his death, Judge Crane bore a con- puous and useful part, and the results of his work are indelibly stamped un the histories of the counties.

He came to Montgomery County as a friend of Mr. D. C. Cooper, before iwas twenty-one years old, and entered a quarter section of land, upon w ch, in 1804, he paid one-half cent tax per acre.

The dates cannot be fixed at which Mr. Crane moved into the city of Day- w or bogan the practice of law.

July 16, 1809, he married Julia Ann, daughter of Dr. John Elliott. Dr. E ott was an old army Surgeon, had been stationed at Fort Vincennes when t was one of the frontier posts, was afterward a Surgeon in Wayne's army, In, for several years a practicing physician in the village of Dayton, until 1: death, February 26, 1809. He was buried with great ceremony, in the vil- ale burying-ground, at Main and Third streets.

His daughter, Julia Ann, was born February 18, 1790, and married Jo- 4ch H. Crane, five months after the death of her father. She died in Dayton, Foruary 25, 1861.

Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Crane, Ann Elliott, Eliza Hunt, Joseph Prce and Eliza King, died in infancy, and Joseph Steele died at the age of e zen.

Their daughter, Maria, was born April 24, 1812, married Dr. Joshua C ments. November 20, 1834, died October 25, 1841.

William Elliott. born February 7, 1814, was given a fine education, stud- law, and shortly after being admitted to the bar, died in Dayton, June 9, 17.

John Wilber, born August 26, 1819, died January 22, 1839.

Henrietta Peirce, born August 27, 1823, died November 17, 1846.

Joseph G., born October 17, 1825, married Sarah Schenck, April 24, 11, and while on duty as military Mayor of Jackson, Miss., under the

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

reconstruction acts of Congress, at the close of the rebellion, was brutall' murdered, June 8, 1869, by rebel Col. Yerger.

Julia Ann, born August 2, 1832, died February 25, 1861.

Joshua Clements, born July 7, 1836, died November 29, 1859.

By the first political convention held in Montgomery County (Septembe 6, 1809), Joseph H. Crane, of Montgomery, and David Purviance, of Preble were nominated by the Republicans, and in October were elected to the Eight General Assembly of Ohio, convened at Chillicothe the first Monday in De cember, 1809.

Immediately upon receipt of the news of Hull's surrender at Detroit, i August, 1812, Captain Steele's Company was organized in Dayton, in which Mr. Crane enlisted and marched with it the next day to the front. At St. Ma ry's, he was promoted to Sergeant Major of the post, and continued on dut until the latter part of December.

In 1813, Mr. Crane was appointed Prosecuting Attorney for the Fire District Circuit Court, which position he held until his appointment as Pre siding Judge by the Legislature, in 1817.

He was again Prosecuting Attorney for the county in the years 1838 ar 1839.

As Presiding Judge of the First Circuit, which included the counties Montgomery, Preble, Darke, Miami, Clark, Logan, Champaign, Shelby ar Mercer, he served until the winter of 1828-29.

In the fall of 1828, he was elected as Representative of the Third Di trict to the Twenty-first Congress, and was re-elected to the Twenty-secon Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Congresses, serving, in all, from the re: 1829 to 1837 inclusive.

Upon leaving the bench in 1829, he, on February 9, of that year, opened law office in Dayton. and, from his prominence and general acquaintan through this and adjoining countie . acquired a large practice.

In later years, he was a leader in the old Whig party, and from his em nence as lawyer and Judge, and from long and distinguished public service was a man of great influence and retained universal respect until his death.

COL. ROBERT PATTERSON.

Robert Patterson was born near the Big Cove Mountain, Bedford Count Penn., 9 A. M., March 15, 1753. His father was a native of Ireland.

Elizabeth Lindsay, daughter of William Lindsay, was born on her fache farm, one and one-half miles southeast of Falling Spring, and four miles sout east of Chambersburg, Franklin County, Penn., in September or November 1760. Her father and her grandfather Lindsay, both died on the farm, Franklin County, Penn.

Robert Patterson and Elizabeth Lindsay, were married at the Linds farm, in Pennsylvania, March 29, 1780.

In 1774, he served for six months in a company of Rangers, against t Indians on the Pennsylvania frontier.

When he was twenty-two years old, the spring of 1775, he, with two three other young men of the neighborhood, started west to Fort Pitt, whe hearing the glowing descriptions of the " cane lands " of Kain-tuck-ee, th determined to join the first party going that way. The opportunity did not cur until in October of that year, when John McClelland and his family, Ry ert Patterson, William McConnell, Francis McConnell, Sr., Francis McConne Jr., David Perry, Stephen Lowry, and one other man, whose name cannot now. given, started in boats from Fort Pitt with some supplies, implements, ar- and ammunition, nine horses and fourteen head of cattle. The party in th

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

te ious trip down the Ohio, fortunately escaped any molestation by the Indians. A Salt Creek, they landed, and from there Patterson, William McConnell, Lwry and Perry drove the horses and cattle across the country to some point a, eed upon to meet the rest of the party, either on the Licking River or Ken- tiky River. There is no positive information to aid in locating that point.

Five or six miles inland from the mouth of Limestone Creek, the Patter- &4. party found Simon Kenton and Thomas Williams, who had come down the rer early in the year, and in May had cleared the cane from an acre of land, al planted what corn they had with them. Here, tending the little corn patch wh their tomahawks, they remained undisturbed until " roasting ears " came, al the corn ripened. Kenton and Williams stated that they knew of no oth- e white men any where in the Kentucky lands.

Robert Patterson and his party continued on the trail that led out by Mays- six to the Blue Licks and on to the point where they met the rest of their pty, who with McClelland had kept on down the Ohio in boats. The party achey left Fort Pitt, were thus re-united, and proceeded to the Royal Spring, 0 of the finest springs in all that region, flowing from a bluff bank of lime- stne, where the town of Georgetown, Scott County, was afterwards located.

They at once built a cabin for McClelland, and the whole party occupied ituntil April, 1777.

That month, the young men of the party built a hut near a big spring, at a pnt now included within the limits of the city of Lexington, Ky .; they cared up sufficient land in which to plant all the corn they had, cultivated it al stayed there in camp until the corn was "laid by." It was probably at tlit camp, of which Bancroft writes of the discussion that occurred at the camp fi of a party of hunters, who named their camp, "Lexington." in honor of t., battle of Lexington, Mass.

For the next year, while Robert Patterson lay suffering from his wounds, i' Pennsylvania, he directed his half brother, William Patterson, to that hut ich he had helped to build, and to the blazed trees that marked the tract of d that he (Robert) was to enter for his own.

During the summer of 1776, the settlers north of the Kentucky River, bilt a fort at the Royal Spring, giving it the name of MeClelland's Station. Etterson, and the rest of the party at the Lexington Spring, came up to assist 1 building the fort, that was intended as a rallying point in case of Indian arm. A military battalion was also organized, and the supply of powder hing nearly exhausted, Robert Patterson, David Perry. Edward Mitchell, Jmes Templeton, Isaac Greer, James Wernock and John McNutt, started. in (tober, to Fort Pitt, for ammunition and other necessaries. On their way, thy halted several days at the Blue Licks to hunt buffalo and deer, to supply temselves with "jerk" for the journey up the river. From Limestone, their tp up the Ohio was made in a canoe; the danger from Indians compelled pat caution: sometimes, starting before day, they journeyed on until after (rk, and bivouacked for the night without fire; other days, they would land an lur before sunset for supper, then go on until dark.

They safely reached the Virginia fort. at the mouth of the Great Ka- wha. then in command of Capt. Arbuckle; and with but little delay, pro- reded on up the river.

The night of October 12, in bivouac on the Indian shore, two miles be- w the Hockhocking River ; contrary to their custom, they had built a fire, d in the night were attacked by a party of eleven Indians. The savages fled a volley at the sleeping whites, and rushed upon them with tomahawks. JoNutt was killed and scalped, Wernock was wounded badly and died the next dy ; Templeton and Perry were both wounded badly: Greer was taken pris-

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

oner, and Mitchell was unhurt. Patterson, with his rifle in his right hand was sleeping by the fire, and, waking at the moment of the attack, he saw th flash of the guns and felt the bullets crush his arm; in attempting to get up he found that he could not move his right arm, and, as he leaned over to mak the second effort to raise up, an Indian sprang across the fire and struck hit with a tomahawk, cutting between the ribs, near the spinal column, below th kidneys, and penetrating the abdominal cavity. Patterson ran from the fire light into the bushes, not knowing but that he was the only one to escape wit life. He had been struck by two bullets, by which his right arm was broke above the elbow, and as he ran, the wounded arm was caught betweou a tre and sapling ; he quickly freed himself and slung the arm into the straps ( his bullet pouch and went to the river, hoping to get the canoe and escape t Point Pleasant: but finding that the Indians were there ahead of him, he hi in the bushes until the savages got into the captured boat and paddled dow stream. Then bleeding and in distress he went back to the fire to learn th fate of his comrades The five survivors, Patterson, Mitchell, Perry, Temple ton and Wernock, were soon together; one rifle and some ammunition ha been saved. At daylight, they concluded to travel up the river by slo marches; some provisions were gathered and divided, the wounds were dressel as well as possible; splinters were taken from a tree that had been struck } lightning, and bound around Patterson's arm.

Wernock attempted to get up, but fell back and refused to try again said that he must die, and desired the party to go without him. They trie to carry him, but he again fell, and at his request, the old camp kettle wi filled with water and placed at his side; he said that was the last request } had to make, and urged the others to try to save themselves, assuring the that if he lived, he would cast no reflection upon them for unkindness. ar thus the party were forced to leave him.

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The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 39

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