The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 93

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 93

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Union-Was laid out February 12, 1816, by Daniel Rasor and David Lofer. The first house built is yet standing. The village at this time has r stores, two blacksmith-shops, one wagon-maker and carriage shop, one rige trimmer, one cooper shop, two shoemaker shops, two grocery stores, te entist, two doctors, one gunsmith, one tile factory, two butchers, one ho- I, the church, one schoolhouse, two school-teachers, one preacher, one painter icone saw-mill. The Narrow Gauge Railroad runs through it, and its for- e'activity will very likely revive again. There are two large warehouses r and is a grain market again, and new buildings are being erected every a| There is no other village in the county that has better water-power

a Union has, but it is not now utilized for any purpose. The railroad will ud ibtedly bring capital and energy to the place and set machinery humming a a, for it had extensive manufacturing interests at one time.

Ir. Skinner was among the first merchants. D. K. Boyer, William and Andow Sheets, Alfred Hoover and other merchants have done business in the

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

place. J. Slockstager, John Sheets and John Young have stores now. T tailors were M. Bear, Jacob Dewey, Charles Cartwright and Jerry Shell George Sinks and Mr. Hawthorne are carrying on blacksmithing. Theo Eby is a dentist and commands an extensive trade. A Mr. Protzman was t first hotel-keeper; the hotel business was good in early days; William Sto is the hotel proprietor now, and has been engaged in it for many years. Geor Lockert is a wagon and carriage maker. W. A. West, carriage trimmer a painter. David Shaw and John Sheets are grain merchants. Pat O'Brien a cooper. Tennessee Flack is a brick-maker. Henry Sheets is a gunsmi Henry Beck and Lewis Reedy are shoemakers and have been here for ma years. It has one huckster in the person of Jacob McCarter. Solomon He chelrode was a cabinet-maker; also John Wolf. Leicester Smith, in 18 carried on chair-making extensively. Samuel Young is a plasterer; Elw: McMurray, mason; George Stokes, carpenter.

Harrisburg-Was laid out by Mathias Gish and others May 6, 1841; also, was the first merchant. David Bowers, Tucker & Report, Silas Coble, Beard, Harvey Iams, D. L. Tate, C. Donson and Lamen Iams were its m chants in the past. James Vorhis, H. C. Weaver and Josiah Miller are p prietors of stores respectively. Mathias Gish built the first hotel. Jc Walker, Henry Frantz, F. O'Niel, Frank Lesh and Jeremiah Kopp were la lords in the past. Jacob Becker is proprietor of the hotel now. Mr. Lar was the first blacksmith, succeeded by Reese, Blackburn and Wallace. Kopp, Christian Stuckhart and his son Lewis are having a shop at this til Pierce Bryant has a shop too. Murray was its first wagon-maker. Celest

Lieber is carrying on the same business. Rasor & Liebert had a hub and sp factory at one time, but burnt out some years since and have not rebuilt. Ja Iams runs a saw-mill and planing-machine. Jacob Witwer was the first s dle and harness manufacturer; Obediah Jackson bought his stock. Jos Rasor followed the same occupation until recently. Jacob Weybright bui large warehouse on the railroad and handles a large amount of grain." Narrow Gauge Railroad has a station and telegraph office here, which ma it very convenient for the surrounding country. It has a church and a sch house. At Harrisburg lives the veteran carpenter and builder, Michael Lc necker, who has put up more buildings of a substantial character than any 1 in the township. It has a huckster in the person of A. G. Roof, who has extensive trade.

Taylorsburg .- This is a small hamlet in the southern part of the to ship; was laid out many years ago by Adam Rodebaugh. The first mercl . was John Wagner, followed by Philip Grove, Samuel Fetters, H. Weis; baugh, M. Kinsel, W. H. Conover and Henry Wagner, who has a store I The first blacksmith was Fred Wolf. Reuben Saylor is now a disciple of can. John Zichnor was the first wagon-maker. Mr. Wagner has a good ts now in that line. The first shoemaker was John Wagner. Joseph San yet follows St. Crispin's occupation. Moses Spittler has a saw-mill. Will Lutz is a huckster.

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.

AT a session of the Commissioners, held June 10, 1805. the township bear- L. ing the above name was formed from German Township, and embraced theollowing territory: Bounded by the Southwest Branch of the Miami and un continuing west from the north boundary of the eighth range, between the lini River on the north; by the Miami River on the east; by the line run- den west between the fifth and sixth tier of sections in the township, begin- .n on the river between Sections 25 and 36, in the third township, fifth ne, and continuing west to the line between the third and fourth ranges (on s ine of Harding Township); thence north with said line to the first-men- und line, comprising an extensive tract of land, from which several other wships were afterward formed. The township assumed its present form 1 kost 21, 1841, and is the territory between Madison on the north, Harrison, Wiai and the Miami River on the east, Miami and German Townships on the u, and Jackson on the west. The appellation was given it in honor of maas Jefferson, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and tue ird President of the United States. It is well watered by the following 'ens: Big Bear Creek, flowing in a southeasterly direction, through the st'n half of the township, from north to south; Little Bear Creek, crossing tsouthwest corner, and "Possum" Creek, flowing in a southern direction righ the eastern part of the township and emptying into the Great Miami ov, which makes a horseshoe-like curve in the southeastern corner of the bivision. The township is traversed by improved pikes intersected by nu- w ris dirt or summer roads, by means of which all points throughout the sur- ning country can be reached. Of these, the most important are the Day- on Germantown, Dayton & Western and the Farmersville & Carrollton. ueirst-named crosses the township diagonally, extending from the Soldiers' nl, in Section 1, in a southwestern direction, to the corner of Section 33. I votiles from the Jackson Township line; the Dayton & Western crossing e wnship from east to west, forming the dividing line between this and woon Township; the Farmersville & Carrollton crossing the southern part t township from west to east. The C., H. & D. R. R. also passes through 19 utheastern corner of the subdivision, running parallel with the Great ai River. The surface of the country is varied, being, in general, rather l'g or undulating, and, in some places, quite hilly. The highest land of wnship is probably along the center of its northern part, which elevation, wh decreasing in height, extends some distance south ward, from which the tion either side slopes eastward and westward to the limits of the township. e tills are principally confined to the region about Bear Creeks, while a ul ful valley stretches across the southern part of the subdivision, where is 11 quite a broad expanse of level country. The soil is very fertile, es- ci ly in the rich bottom lands, and is well adapted for agricultural purposes, miring favorably in point of fertility with any of Montgomery County, the hass of which with its yielding properties is hardly surpassed by any in Le tate. It has a variety of timber, such as sugar, hickory, walnut, ash, ok, inn, beech, etc., sugar greatly predominating, while but little beech is !hur, which is confined to the higher elevations, and in the lowlands are much ash ad walnut. The staple productions are corn, wheat and tobacco, the lat- ter ling raised, in great quantities, as is evidenced by the numerous sheds

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

dotting the township, where it is prepared for the market. The people are dustrious and law-abiding, and, if we are to judge from the number of churc a religious community, and are mainly tillers of the soil, there being but town and village in the subdivision-Liberty and Gettersburg, the for situated in Section 9, near the center, and the latter on Big Bear Creek, in tion 28, in the southern part of the township. The National Soldiers' H is located in this township, of which the people have great reasons to be pro they having been so highly honored by the location of this important and neficent institution-a Nation's gift to her defenders, within their scop country, the natural beauty of whose lands furnished the grand site overlook the city of Dayton and the lovely Miami Valley for miles around. It is only the largest and most flourishing institution of the kind in this country, one of the largest in the world. A full description of this will be given € where in this work. Also in this townsbip is located the county infirmary the school section belonging to German Township.

EARLY SETTLERS AND SETTLEMENTS.

"Never," says an early writer, "since the golden age of poets, did Syren song of peace and of farming' reach so many ears, and gladden so rr hearts as after Wayne's treaty at Greenville in 1795. 'The Ohio,' as it called, seemed to be, literally, a land flowing with milk and honey. farmer wrote home of a soil 'richer to appearance than can possibly be n by art;' of plains and meadows without the labor of hands sufficient to sup millions of cattle summer and winter; of wheat lands that would vie with Island of Sicily; and of bogs from which might be gathered cranberries enc to make tarts for all New England. while the lawyer said that as he rode circuit, his horse's legs were dyed to the knee with the juice of the wild sti berry. At that time the diseases and hardships of frontier life were not d upon; the administration of Washington had healed the divisions among States; the victory of Wayne had brought to terms the dreaded savages, as the dweller on the barren shore of the Atlantic remembered these things the wonderful facts, in addition, that the inland garden to which he was vited was crossed in every direction by streams even then counted on as af ing means for free commercial intercourse, and that it possessed besides ne 700 miles of river and lake coast, the inducements for emigration became strong to be resisted; the wagon was tinkered up at once, the harness pato anew, and a few weeks found the fortune-seeker looking down from. Chestnut ridge or Laurel Hill upon the far-reaching forests of the We Such glowing accounts were not without results, for so soon as the treat Greenville and the cessation of the Indian war had removed the last obst: to the peopling of this extensive region, the active spirit of emigration strained during the years of hostilities, was now set free and the living col began its Westward movement with an impetus that was destined steadi increase till the whole vast area should be possessed and peopled. During year 1766, nearly 1,000 flat-boats passed Marietta laden with emigrant, their way to the more attractive regions of the Miami in the Southwest. began the tide of emigration, the effects of which are before us. To att giving much of the very early history of Jefferson Township, comprising did originally much of the land of the county upon which settlers began sq ting, many remaining permanently, as early as the close of the eighteenth tury, at this late day more than three-quarters of a century ago, when the band of pioneers came, and that generation having long since disappe? would be impossible. However, after diligent research, we trust to be ab present many points connected with the early history of the township.

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.

e'ly pioneers settling in this township did not deviate from what has proved tb general custom to have been, viz .. to have sought elevated land along some sham or in the vicinity of a spring; this, as is apparent to the reader, was for a wofold purpose, for we find that the earliest settlement of which any knowl- ege can be obtained along Big Bear Creek, in the vicinity of Liberty, where, aearly as the beginning of the century, amid the songs of birds, could be hard the ax of John Gripe, who, at that early day, actuated by a desire or l ging to better his condition, bade adieu to the regions of the Keystone Site, turning his face to the direction whither the "Star of Empire " takes it way, determined to hew out for himself and family, from the wilderness of tl West, a home. Here his cabin was built. and, for years, with his better hf and little ones about him. this sturdy man began the task incumbent upon a new-comers to the West. At about the same time, from Virginia, came Jin Miller and one Gingerick-brothers-in-law-both effecting settlements whin the present limits of this subdivision. They, too, through the buoyancy " hope, left the land of their childhood and friends dear, to try their fortune

" Where rolls the tranquil waters Of the blue Miami."

Their families accompanied them, but of what they consisted we are un- ale to say. They effected settlements along Bear Creek. Among those com- n a little later were George Hoffman and family. Hoffman came from off aurel Hill," eager to leave the land of chestnuts for a home in the Western ost, beneath whose boughs and shaded turf lie hidden untold wealth. He pred a half-section of land east of Liberty, and at once, with the assistance of siestimable wife, built in the forest primeval a rude shed, which served as a le of abode for all until time and circumstances permitted of a change. Ifman had been united in marriage with Fannie Enimert, and the union was ol sed with thirteen children -- Barbara, Betsey, Susie, Jacob, John, Fannie, ia, Katie, Sarah, Ester and Mary; the three first named were born in 2insylvania.

Jacob Mullendore, a native of Virginia, settled on the present site of Hversburg in 1802, and there lived for many years. During the war of 2, he hauled flour to the soldiers at Greenville. In 1803, Michael Myers seved within the present limits of the township in question.

As early as the year 1804. Maryland responded to the call and sent forth I hael Moyer, who settled in Section 27. We give the date from tax dupli- a of 1804, not otherwise being able to arrive at such period; that year he v& taxed on 614 acres of land, located in the section above mentioned.

Michael Weaver, another of Pennsylvania's sons, emigrated to Ohio with ifamily in 1804, and located on Little Bear Creek, three miles north of I misburg, where he lived and died. His son Peter, who was eleven years lowhen hia father came to this State, became a carpenter by trade and was a a ral mechanic, being able to make almost anything from wood. He made u a leading business of manufacturing wind-mills for many years, and ne and put up the first one ever erected in Ohio, at that time being nineteen 0:3 old. He was for sixty years or more a member of the Lutheran Church. Levas twice married, his second wife being Cassidiana Fisher, daughter of rlerick Fisher, who was also an early settler here, but came a few years at than the Weaver family. Mr. Weaver died July 20, 1879, aged . igty-six years, leaving his wife, who still survives at the age of eighty years, and three children. viz .. John, Henry P. and Peter S., the two first named beig by his first wife.

This same year came from Pennsylvania another family of Weavers, viz.,

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Jacob Weaver, who, on the 24th of October, 1786, was united in marriage wi Margaret Gebhart, both being natives of that State. Jacob entered a tract land on Little Bear Creek; their children were Henry, Michael, Jacob, Pet Philip, John S., Mary M., Margaret, Eva and William, of whom John a Margaret are the only survivors.

Another, whose name we omitted above as belonging to the number, w] in the early days of the year 1800, reached the Miami and crossed its swoll waters in search of a home, was Jacob Miller, "a very exemplary man, and o that played a conspicuous part in the early history of the township. At t time of his arrival in Ohio, the country was a dense forest, inhabited by num ous tribes of Indians. He was an Elder in the German Baptist Church, a it is said of him that he frequently visited them in their wigwams, and wou sing and pray with them, which, together with his kind and friendly treatme toward them, led them to reverence, respect and protect him under all circu stances. They called him 'the good man the Great Spirit sent from the Ear He was born in Franklin County, Penn., in the year 1735; his parents ca: from Germany; he united with the church in early life and was set apart the ministry. He married young and moved to Franklin County, Va., in t year 1765; he there labored in his official calling, and built up a large chur which still remains to this day. He located in Sections 35 and 36, possessi 286 acres. He was the first Elder of the German Baptist persuasion to set west of that river; he labored assiduously in the cause of Christ, and, after useful and well-spent life of fourscore years, he was summoned to meet God, whose cause he had so long espoused, dying in the year 1815, in sig of the residence of Elder John Holler. He raised a very exemplary family children, some of whom became eminent ministers in the church."

We are of the opinion that the John Miller herein mentioned is of t. family, as the oldest son of the venerable Elder bore that name; if so, he mi ried Phobe McClure, raised a large family and died in Union City, Ind. I other children by name were Jacob, Tobias, Abraham, Isaac, Daniel, Samu Aaron, David, Mary, Eva and Anna.

Among those who came in the year 1805, were the Weavers, Stovers, Kel ers, Crulls, Kripes and Kritzers; the latter, whose "head " was Andrew, e; grated from Pennsylvania; Crull (John) and Joseph Kripe settled in the vic ity of Liberty. Jacob Flory was another settler of this year, and in vicinity just named. His wife was Mary Overhulser; they moved into C Township in 1817. The Rechers, consisting of Peter and Elizabeth Rech emigrated from Frederick County, Md., by means of a four-horse wag bringing with them six children, viz., Jacob, John, Mary, Peter, Joseph ; Daniel. The following three were born in Jefferson Township: Elias, Fr erick and Louis. The mother's maiden name was Protzman. Recher bou land second-handed, purchasing 240 acres, lying in Main, about one mile w. of Liberty, of John Miller. He became, before many years, a large la. owner, possessing at one time over 1,100 acres. Joseph, who now resides the home place, is quite an old yet well-preserved man; was born in Freder County, Md., in 1801. He married Catharine Staver, some fifty-odd ye ago, and has ever since lived as located. Peter Weaver, with his good w Elizabeth, whose maiden name was Heist, and with three children -- Jar Henry and John, came from Pennsylvania and settled on Bear Creek, enter Section 18, where the rude cabin was erected and pioneer life begun. Of children were here born unto them, by name, Peter, Abraham. Ester, Elizak and Barbara. The boys all remained in this region and assisted in cleal much of the land in their several localities. Of the grandchildren of th venerable parents, Abraham, familiarly known as "Uncle Abe," though 1

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.

tite an old man, having passed man's allotted years, is living on the old Imestead, where, in the year 1808, light for the first time dawned upon his sion. He has for years been a close observer of the weather, and more re- intly been connected with the Dayton' Journal in preparing for it meteoro- "gical weather reports, and is sometimes styled the " Weather Prophet." He ills us that a decided change in the winters of now and then has taken place, ying " that when snow fell it usually remained all winter." Frederick Staver, ose parents, Adam and Fannie, with a number of children, settled in Jack- En Township, bought land of Mr. Gingerick, 240 acres, adjoining the Peter Icher tract, entered by Miller. He had quite a large family, as did most of to pioneers. His wife's name was Elizabeth, and the children, viz., Frederick, hn, Tobias, Casper, Daniel, William, Elias, Catharine, Elizabeth, Mariah, frah and Rebecca. Each succeeding year brought new-comers, and additional oins graced the hillsides of the dense wood, and the sound of the pioneer's ¿ was heard, and the smoke of his cabin chimney ascended from more than ca peaceful settlement, and little by little civilization was making good its avance.

Henry Hepner, Isaac Miller, John Snepp and Jacob Diehl came in 1806. I pner and wife (Mary Hyser) emigrated from Virginia; both were originally fm Pennsylvania, Lancaster County, where Henry was born in 1762. He ejered 160 acres of land in the northeastern part of Jackson Township, bor- ding on Jefferson, and built his first cabin, which was rude indeed, in the tynship first spoken of. In the building of this a happy thought struck him, wich he took advantage of. A huge oak stood on the site located for his place oabode, and, in felling it, great care was exercised to leave the stump a cer- th height; this was properly dressed and the cabin raised over it; suffice to s. it was the table of that home for years, and, while it was not, one of the vieered tables of to-day, it, nevertheless, was a substantial one, and must hre worn an air of solidity that was charming-thus illustrative of the old a jorism-" Necessity is the mother of invention." Mr. Hepner soon added this farm by purchasing a tract of land in Jefferson, adjoining that entered bhim. In a few years, he built again, and this time in Jefferson Township. E, parents accompanied them, they being natives of Germany. His father dd in 1813. Henry was a blacksmith and a very ingenious kind of a man; rde his own knives and forks and proved a very useful and much-needed a lition to the settlements for miles around. How fitting here the lines of the pt:

"The smith, a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands."

He died, aged seventy-three, his wife living to be ninety-seven; they had si children -- George, Polly, John, Sophia, Lydia and Diana, the two first and tv last-mentioned being twins. His daughter, " Aunt Lydia " Shanefelt, a tr> type of the pioneer women, is now residing on the homestead, where the rothful days of her childhood were passed, having seen the frosts of over Lescore and ten winters. Isaac Miller and family, composed of his wife Ezabeth and several children, came with the Hepners from Virginia, and en- ted a quarter-section of land on what is known as the Jacob Hoover place. Job Diehl and family arrived this year from Pennsylvania and settled in the vinity of Liberty, entering 160 acres in Section 7. John, Jacob, Jr., Abra- ha, Nancy and Elizabeth are the children who were born to them in the Key- stle State, and came thither with them. The family here resided many yes, when they removed into Perry Township, where the father died, in 184, in his eighty-fifth year. By trade, he was a cabinet-maker, and did que an extensive business in making coffins for the pioneers. His son John

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

was about seventeen years of age when they arrived in Montgomery Count He. later, married Susanna Miller, daughter of Isaac Miller above mentioned Mr. Miller served in the Revolutionary war. John Diehl was the father of te children, seven of whom are now living. He died August 26, 1874.

John and Margaret Snepp, with two children-Leonard and Eve-can from Lancaster County, Penn., and temporarily lived on the Joseph Recht farm, but, in a few years, settled near Liberty, on the farm now owned Simon Gebhart, on which now resides William Getter. In after years, the were blessed with two more children-Sarah and John, the latter born in 180; and now resides on a very fine tract of land near Gettersburg. As early 1798 could be seen one of Jefferson Township's pioneers in the person of Day Bowman, whose name will long be remembered in connection with the car religious history of this section of Ohio, drifting, as it were, with his gou wife and rudely constructed raft down the Ohio, on his way to the county about the Little Miami River, whither he was going, to build a mill for parti who had preceded him. The mill was erected, and, Bowman, impressed wi the country, remained, and, after living in the locality and milling sever years, removed to the neighborhood of . Miamisburg and there lived sever years, thence to Jefferson Township, buying a quarter-section of land of Geor! Kunz, in the northwestern part of the subdivision. He was a minister of tl Gospel, belonging to the denomination called German Baptists. He was i strumental in establishing several churches west of the Great Miami and ] bored faithfully for the cause of Christ. He was born near Hagerstown, Mc March 30, 1775, and, at the age of eighteen, went to Frankstown, Penn., 21 learned the trade of a cabinet-maker. He was united in marriage with Ba bara Bouser, and there were born to them six children-Ester, John, Poll Katie. David and Betsy. He died April 20, 1860, and his wife February 1865, in her ninety-first year.

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The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 93

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