The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 99

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 99

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The following-named persons were the original proprietors of the land o posite their names, which had been taken up or entered prior to 1818: Pr dence McMunn, 160 acres in Section 18, Township 5, Range 6; Thomas Ja 160 acres in Section 2, Township 5, Range 5; Conklin Miller, 160 acres Section 34, Township 3, Range 6; John Miller, 162 acres in Section 32, Tow, ship 3, Range 6; Adam Coffin, 342 acres in Section 28, Township 3, Range Robert Scott, 160 acres in Section 14, Township 5, Range 5; John Cox, 1 acres in Section 19, Township 3, Range 6; William Lowe, 160 acres in Se tion 19, Township 3, Range 6; Joseph Mckinney, 158 acres in Section Township 3, Range 6; Joseph Cooper, 162 acres in Section 32, Township Range 6; James Lowrey, 160 acres in Section 23, Township 3, Range 6; Dav Sidwell, 160 acres in Section 24, Township 5, Range 5; Joseph Miller, 1 acres in Section 19, Township 3, Range 6; J. Woods, 160 acres in Section 2 Township 3, Range 6; Samuel Dinwoody, 160 acres in Section 10, Townsh 3, Range 6: Jesse Johnson, 160 acres in Section 3, Township 3. Range 6; J. siah Lamb, 160 acres in Section 12, Township 5. Range 5; Edward Thoma 160 acres in Section 12, Township 5, Range 5.

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JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

The following-named persons were elected Justices of the Peace of the wnship as set forth below:

William Kennedy. June 12. 1818; James Miller, October 12, 1819; James isley, April 2, 1821; re-elected April 5, 1824; James Reed, December 3, 25; James Ensley, April 2, 1827: Samuel Maxwell, October 28, 1828; James nsley. April 5, 1830; Davis Waymire, October 11, 1831; John Hale, April 1, 133; Davis Waymire, re-elected October 14, 1834; John Hale, re-elected April 1836; John Pearson, October 11, 1836; Benjamin Furnas. April 20, 1839; I vis Waymire, October 12, 1839; Robert Brown, April 4, 1842; Davis Way- re, re-elected October 11. 1842; Benjamin Furnas, re-elected November 19, 112: Davis Waymire and Benjamin Furnas, October 14, 1845: Levi Hamaker, Ctober 12, 1847; Davis Waymire, November 7, 1848. James O. Swallow, Oc- tver 8, 1850; John R. Limbert, October 14, 1851; James O. Swallow, October 1 1853: Davis Waymire, October 10, 1854; James O. Swallow, October 10,

1)6; Davis Waymire, October 13, 1857: James O. Swallow, October 13, 1859; Ivis Waymire, October 9, 1860; James O. Swallow, October 14, 1862; Ivis Waymire, October 13, 1863; James O. Swallow, October 10, 1865 (secial election); Davis Waymire, October 9, 1866; James O. Swallow, Cober 13, 1868 (special election); Davis Waymire, October 13, 1869; John \Underwood, October 10, 1871; James O. Swallow, October 8, 1872; Jacob Sith. December 16, 1873; J. W. Underwood, October 13, 1874; Davis Fur- n., April 5, 1875; J. W. Underwood, October 9, 1877; Davis Furnas, April 1.878: J. W. Underwood, October 12, 1880; Jeremiah Sebold, April -, 1881.

SCHOOLS.

The Stillwater and Miami settlements, like all others dating back to the be- gihing of the century. had many difficulties to overcome before much progress i'd be attained in the way of education. Lessons in the rudimentary mches were at first given in the cabins of the pioneers, and, in some instances Indoned cabins were used as places of holding school. In the western De of what is now Butler Township-that part next to the Stillwater known istownship 5, Range 5-there stood at an early day a house in the northeast- er quarter of Section 12, in which school was kept by Edward Easton. An- tr of the early schoolhouses of this vicinity was built in the northeastern alter of Section 24. John Hutchins, William Milikin and Jim Wright ve the teachers. Davis Waymire, whose name is frequently mentioned in ojection with the sketch of the township, received instruction under their a rship. This was the first school he remembers of attending, and these - ols the first that he had any knowledge of. He was born in the year 1802, n became a resident of that vicinity in the year 1806. We leave the reader o's the dates of these schools. Along the Miami, in the eastern part of the onship, on the Jacob Stokes farm, there was a school in session in the year 8 , taught by a Mr. Brown. His given name cannot now be recalled by the PHleft who were once his pupils. Mrs. Samuel Wells, one of Butler Town- -ai's pioneers, who came in the year 1810 as " Mary Johnson," was an attend- on it this school, and well remembers the fact that on one occasion a problem ithmetic was too much for Master Brown, and was finally solved by Billy Suflerland, who retired himself to an old stump just in the rear of the school- vore, where the task was accomplished. Mary Johnson, as it was then, board- ed, hile attending that school, with Uncle Billy Snodgrass, the distance from henome to the school being too great to walk. In the southern part of the tuwship, school was taught in the Friends' Meeting-House, which was erected whe now stands their brick church, about the year 1809 or 1810. The first

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

who pedagogued there of whom we have any account was a Mr. Bratton, w was succeeded by the following named. and in the order given: Christop] Furnas, Benjamin Coffin and John Huff.

We have given above the several schools of what is now the territory und consideration as nearly as the facts could be arrived at for the period embr ing the first decade of the century. To undertake to give anything like an curate account of the numerous schools of this region from that period to present would be almost impossible, as the records kept, until of late yer were meager indeed. Therefore. we close what further is to be said under t head with the schools of to-day. There are now in the township ten sch districts, besides the Vandalia District, which is independent. District No. in which are the schools of the village of Chambersburg, has two schoolhou -one brick, having two rooms, and the other a frame, the latter being for ; colored youth of the township. In each of the other districts there is a o story brick building. The average cost of the houses is about $1,200 ea The average number of months in which school is held during the year is eig the number of scholars enrolled (January, 1882), about 500; daily average tendance, 78 per cent. The appropriation for school purposes for the y 1881 was $4,200-i. e., for the ten districts. the independent district bei supplied by the corporation of Vandalia and immediate neighborhood.

CHURCHES AND GRAVEYARDS.

The pioneers gave early attention to religious matters. The Friends Quakers of the settlement not too remote from the Stillwater region worship prior to the year 1809, on the west side of the river, where had been organiz two years before, a meeting known as "Rocky Springs." The Friends atte ing services there requested a meeting among themselves, which was gran by West Branch Quarterly Meeting of Miami County, and a meeting was here in 1809, and a rude log meeting-house erected the same year or the y following (1810), and stood a little west of the present brick church, on grot deeded to them by Sylvanus Swallow for church and graveyard purposes- all, about four acres. The small one-story brick now standing near the cer of Section 29 was built in 1824 or 1825, and is quite antique in appearar having an entrance on either end and on one side, and its windows be " square." Some of the names of those composing the second meeting we Abijah Jones, Benjamin Hutchins and his sons Isaac and Benjamin, Jr., John C tis, James Hutchins. Sylvanus Swallow, Joseph Beeson, Christopher Furnas, phen Macy, Stephen Jones, Isaac Cooper, Henry Yount and Samuel Barnard." reader will notice that many of these were a part of the early fathers, who were first residents. Subsequently, others moved in, and the meeting was increa and became large, but of late years it has been weak, and is now languishi Many of the members coming as they did, from North Carolina, it recei the name of Randolph Meeting, from one of that name there. The first corded minister was Abijah Jones; next came Prudence (Cooper) Teague, y is still living, and now resides in Grant County, Ind. ; Isaac-Jay, son of D. Jay, follows; other names are Daniel H. Hutchins and Smith Gregg. connection with this church, we will say a word or two relative to the gra yard, inasmuch as they are almost one. The ground, as has been seen, deeded for both, and it is reasonable to infer that burying began there as s as deaths occurred. Assuming this to be the case, it is certainly the old burying-ground in the township. We know interments were made in it p to 1814, when William Gregg came to that vicinity. It is said that the i wife of Benjamin Hutchins, Sr., was the first person buried there. The mains of many of the pioneers rest by that little brick church on the hill,

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ath whose roof they had so often raised their voices in praises to Him, the iver of every good gift, and who ever doeth all things well, and the appear- ice of whose crumbling walls reminds us that they, too, are mutable, and to e coming generations will be lost. Probably the next earliest church organ- ation effected in the township was that of the Lutheran denomination. Of is there are no records that we, after diligent search, could learn of, and of e few yet surviving who were in that vicinity in the early years of the society. ne can remember much about it. From Davis Waymire we learn that, as rly as 1816, there stood at the old burying-ground in the southeastern corner Section 13, Township 5, Range 5, a hewed log church known as the Lu- eran Church, but how long prior to this the society worshiping there was ganized, or by whom, he cannot state. The ground upon which this meet- g-house was constructed, and the graveyard thereabout, was deeded by Eman- I Coble. Among the early ministers who preached for these people were vs. Mow, Henecker and Spence, and of the early members were Nicholas oble and wife, Jacob Staley and family, Jacob Frybarger, John Cotner and other and the Crowel family. Services were held in the log meeting-house until at far from 1830, when it was replaced by a frame church building, and this,

1842, by a one-story brick. under the pastorate of Rev. D. P. Rosenmiller. In 19 summer of 1873, this was torn down, and the material taken to what is lown as Spankertown, about one mile and a quarter southeast, and there re- lilt that same summer. The church at the graveyard was called Stillwater lutheran Evangelical Church. The new building at Spankertown, a one- ory brick, having a spire and bell, the latter weighing 600 pounds, and was ot at the Johnson Foundry, in Dayton, erected at a cost of $3,000, is known ¿'St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, and was dedicated November 30, 173, by Elder D. Summers, assisted by Rev. Dr. Ort, of Wittenberg College, sce which the charge has been served by the following pastors: D. Sum- ors, E. D. Smith, W. M. Smith and A. M. Barrett, the present incumbent. "e membership now is about sixty.

July 30, 1816, was organized a religious society, by Elders George Shideler 1 and John Plummer, known as the Lower Stillwater Church of Christ. Jonathan Newman and William Pearson were chosen first Deacons, and Fred- eck Hoover, Clerk. The original members were: George Sinks and wife, frah; Samuel Martindale and wife, Elizabeth; John Quillan, Richard Cox, hanuel Coble and wife, Rachel, Fanny Cox, Mahala Newman, William Skin- 1;, Anna Gallohan, Mary Millin, Anthony Coble, Nancy Pearson, Catharine (ss, Margaret Reed, Elizabeth Millin. and Mary and Sophia Waymire. Ervices were held at the residences of the different members and in the old school- Lise formerly standing on the site of the one now at Polk Church. The cabin Ime of old Daniel Waymire, now the Henry Waymire homestead, was the pat preaching-place for this society, and, in later years, at Emanuel Coble's. Je church was re-organized by Elder Caleb Worley July 6, 1839, and in the samer of 1844, a one-story brick building was erected on the west half of Stion 13, Township 5, Range 5, and, while in state of building, was called Ælk Church, which name it still bears. This was owing to the fact that the jority of the men engaged in its construction were for James K. Polk, whose rne was then before the national convention held at Baltimore, as a candidate f President of the United States. On receipt of the news of his nomination, Fre-berry bushes or branches were waved from the scaffolding and walls, and 8 pended therefrom in great profusion; hence the name. In this connection, Fmit us to state a fact that will bear repetition in this and in all coming his- thes, namely: The convention by which Mr. Polk was nominated was held a Baltimore, Md. On the 29th of May. 1844, the news of the nomination was

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sent to Washington by the magnetic telegraph. It was the first dispatch e so transmitted, and the event marks an era in the history of civilization. C acre of ground, upon which the church was built, was deeded in 1843 to Trustees for church and public burying-ground, by Anthony Coble. In 18 the building was enlarged and remodeled, and it is now a model church. was dedicated on the second Sabbath of November of that year; sermon Elder William Gross, who is yet serving the charge. The membership is n in the neighborhood of sixty. The following is a list of pastors since 18. Elders Elisha Ashley, Peter Banta, Elijah Williamson, Alexander McCla Richard Brandon, Asbury Watkins, William Pearson, Albert Long, Hir. Simonton. Thomas Wells and William Gross.

Sugar Grove Christian Church, located in the center of Section 1, Tov ship 5, Range 5, was organized August 24, 1850, by Elder William Farras, the one-story frame church building now standing there, built in 18. The original members were William Pearson and wife, Nancy, Henrietta Hi Elizabeth Campbell, Dortha Wolverton, Joshua Hall, Mary Stucksberg Cynthia Macy, Jane Hall, Nancy Stoner, Amy Pearson and John Davis. I pastors of this congregation have been William Furnas, J. G. Reeder a William Jay. In 1878, the year of the building of the church at Frederi in Miami County, this society went thither, where they now worship. I ground upon which the frame church stood, including that of the graveya (one-half acre in all), was deeded to the church by John Furnas. The maining religious history of the township will be given in the respect. villages.

In addition to the burying-grounds about the several churches spoken above, and those following given under the head of villages, are those in S tions 3 and 11 of Township 3, Range 6. The former, known as the Ro Graveyard from its situation on the Reed land, is quite ancient, and in it sle a number of the first settlers. The wife of James Reed, having selected spot where she was desirous of interment, was the first buried there, and ir this fact it became a place for burials. The latter is for the same reason sty. the Holderman Graveyard, John Holderman having given about a quarter an acre, to which was added by purchase another quarter, and the yard reg larly laid out into lots. On the 18th of April, 1879, a cemetery associati was formed, and a purchase of seven acres of ground, lying in Section 13, joining the graveyard at Polk Church, made of Solomon Coble for $700. T following officers were elected: President, O. P. Waymire; Directors, Isa John and O. P. Waymire. John Ludy, Robert Martindale and Charles Jao son; Secretary, Henry Waymire; and Treasurer, Isaac Waymire. The grou is rolling, and has natural beauty, and is also beautifully located. It is reg larly laid out into lots, and has wide avenues leading through its various par Already steps have been taken in the direction of adding to and increasi its natural beauty by the planting of trees and shrubbery, and in it have be placed several fine and substantial monuments. It is styled Maple Gro Cemetery.

MILLS, DISTILLERIES, ETC.

Butler Township seems to have had its full quota of mills, distilleries a woolen factories, for along Stillwater and the branch forming the dividing li between Township 5, Range 5, and Township 3, Range 6, and emptying it the river below Little York, are numerous evidences of such enterprises. early as the year 1807 or 1808, Abijah O'Neal and Joseph Cooper built a sa mill on the river in the vicinity of the grist-mill at Little York. Several yer thereafter, Andrew Waymire, having purchased O'Neal's interest in the sa mill, and, later, that of Cooper, built a grist-mill on the site of the prese

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liver Heck mill. Waymire operated it for some years. and it passed into the hands of Daniel and Andrew Yount and Benjamin Iddings, who erected and perated, in connection therewith, a distillery, and at about the same time, obert Russell built a still-house near by, which, years later, was converted by eorge Huffman into a tannery. The Younts and Iddings replaced the old 'ist-mill by a new one, the work being done by Felty Waymire. The saw- ill was then abandoned. The mill passed through various hands, and finally Il into the possession of Oliver Heck, who is now the miller at the old Way . ire mill at Little York. John Heikes also built and carried on a distillery ere. Daniel Yount built an early saw-mill on the branch named, which was him operated for a number of years, then carried on by Richard Sandham, 10 built there a large woolen factory. On this branch, south of the above- med mill, Andrew Yount erected a grist-mill, which was converted into a olen factory by John Wenger. Sandham also built, above the Sandham story, a grist-mill, which is still in operation. Prior to this. a saw-mill had len built on the same site by Andrew Waymire. Still further north, on the -ne branch, John Mast erected a saw-mill, now the Coover mill. Above the Iter was built a saw-mill by Joseph Staley, which became the property of Inry Waymire. William Long was carrying on a saw-mill and corn-cracker in to western part of the township, on Stillwater. On the other side of the tenship were also numerous mills. David Fox operated a saw-mill near the ruth of Poplar Creek. Eli Compton built a saw-mill in the southeast quarter Section 22. Such mills were also built by John Mills, James O. Swallow, al the Sunderlands, Richard and James. Copper stills were operated by John Elderman, James Miller & Son, David Fox, Samuel Maxwell. and many ofers, as such stills were numerous and in almost constant use.

VILLAGES.

The village of Little York, situated in the southwestern part of the town- 3 p, was laid out by Andrew Waymire October 13, 1817, and is by far the est village of the subdivision. The plat shows that the original number of lo was forty-eight. Davis and John Waymire were present at the sale of the lc. The village sprang into existence from the fact of the presence of the mls at that point. A house or two had been erected by Andrew Waymire for I miller previous to the laying out of the lots. The first merchants of the We were Christopher Coon and a Mr. Sloan. Among the early inn-keepers we Meredith Hutchins and Abraham Fry. Henry Huntsinger was then the vige blacksmith. As to when the post office was established, and who was b first Postmaster, we have been unable to learn. We failed to find a record it, and all knowledge of the fact seems to have been lost to the yet remaining sieers of that vicinity. It was not, however, until several years after the ang out of the village. The present Postmaster is Perry Rankin, who keeps, nonnection with the office, a general store. A grist-mill is there in opera- ic, owned by Oliver Heck. Cartner & Brussman are dealers in agricultural u lements; George Fair is the grocer, Charles Dresdo the shoemaker, and Job Brussman the blacksmith.

Chambersburg. - Is situated in the southern part of the township, and was a. out by Robert Hosier and William Kennedy, January 26, 1830. The Diton & Troy pike passes through it from north to south. The object of be men was to secure a post office and other conveniences, such as stores, a bliksmith, etc., as a village would afford. It was so named after a town of thesame name in Pennsylvania. Early inn-keepers of the "burg " were Peter Foland John McDargh, the latter holding forth where the post office now is, an Fox on the present site of the hotel kept by William Harlow, who has also

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY,

a grocery. The first merchants of the village were Peter Fox and Benjan Wilhelm, and the blacksmith was William Martin. Other interests are n carried on by William Compton, a grocer; Washington Barnhart and Isai Broomscotch, both "smiths," giving attention to repairing in their line. T Christian Church located here is a one-story brick, and was erected in the su mer of 1849. The organization was effected in November of the same year, Elder Peter Banta. The following-named ministers have since served 1 charge: Elders C. Morse, Peter Mccullough, David Johnson, Hiram Simo ton, Warren Weeks and William Gross. This church, though at present wil out a pastor, and with a membership of only about thirty, was once in a ve flourishing condition, having upward of one hundred and fifty enrolled. T church was built by subscription, and was to be a neighborhood place of w. ship, its doors to be open to the various denominations. The post office v established at this village in 1834, with John McDargh as Postmaster. Sin then, so numerous have been the Postmasters that it would be almost impos ble to give them by name in proper order, since there has been no record them kept in the county. The present incumbent is Henry Westerman, w has been in office the greater part of the time since 1862. His predecessor v William Jackson, who served many years.

Vandalia. - This, the largest village of the three, is located in the east part of the township. It is regularly laid out, and its streets are at right : gles. There is considerable of the spirit of enterprise manifested by the habitants, as is evidenced in the several manufactories, imposing church bui ings, new dwellings, etc. The village dates back to August 1, 1838, wł thirty-three lots were laid out by Benjamin Wilhelm, who was the first m chant of the village, and subsequently became its first Postmaster and May In the fall of 1838, Jonathan Skinner, a blacksmith, erected one of the f houses, which stood on the present site of the residence of William Murp Here Skinner carried on his trade, and was the first in that line, Abram E hart, of the same pursuit, coming next in order. William Baggot and one K were' early tavern-keepers. Vandalia was visited by the cholera during year of 1849, and probably suffered as much by that scourge in proportion the number of inhabitants as did any place in the United States, as the folk ing figures will doubtless show. The village then had a population of ab two hundred inhabitants, some fifty of whom took flight for safety, and of remaining one hundred and fifty, fifty fell victims to the disease, leaving per cent that withstood the calamity. The act incorporating the village passed February 7, 1848, and the first election for corporation officers held March 22, 1848, when Benjamin Wilhelm, the chief "figure-head" the village, became its Mayor. His re-election occurred on the same day a month in the following year, and again at such date in 1850. Other May as far as could be obtained from records, elected as the dates following th names show, have been: Ezra T. Leggett, March 22, 1851; re-elected Ma 22, 1852. In August, 1852, Mr. Leggett resigned, and on the 11th of t. month, William Huffman was appointed to fill the vacancy. Otho E. Lu was elected April 4, 1853, and on the 2d of April, 1855, William Huffman again chosen. Mr. Huffman was again elected in the spring of 1856, and . re-elected the following April; I. C. Felter, April 5, 1858, and April 4, 18 I. R. Bittinger, April 1, 1861; J. T. Roll, April 7, 1862; J. N. North, A : 15, 1863; William Jennings, April 12, 1869; John Kunkle, in April. 1871 1872; James O. Swallow, April, 1873, who died in office, and was succeeded William H. Murphy; Mr. Murphy was re-elected in 1874 and 1875; Rich Krewson, in 1877; Daniel Foreman, in 1878; and William H. Murphy, present incumbent, in 1879.

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It was not for several years after the laying out of the village that the people tereof had the benefit of a post office. We are unable to give the exact year, it can, from reliable source, state that Benjamin Wilhelm, the first Postmas- r, was serving in such capacity in the year 1845. Mr. Wilhelm's successor as William Baggott, and in regular order came the following-named: Will- m Satcamp, J. W. Murphy, Dr. A. Curtis, J. W. Murphy, and the present in- umbent, Mrs. Rebecca Weidman, who took possession October 1, 1865. There e three churches here, which are given below in their chronological order. : two of these, no record can be found, hence a brief sketch only can be ven, and that alone from the memory of some of the old members. About the ar 1839 or 1840, the United Brethren society erected a one-story brick church, on ;ound deeded to them by Benjamin Wilhelm. This church, at completion, is dedicated by the Rev. William Collins. The society was organized some fars prior to the building of the church, and meetings held at the house and Irn of Christopher Shupp, also at other private residences, but at that one sven more frequently. Some of the early families of this society were the Supps, Wilhelms, Covers and Beards, and among early ministers that served tem were Joseph Hoffman and William Collins. During the years 1834, 185, 1836 and 1837, extensive camp meetings of the United Brethren denom- ition were held in this vicinity. The church building was rebuilt in 1868. Iis a very neat one-story brick structure, with spire and bell; cost about $4, - (. The charge is in a very flourishing condition; membership, about two Indred; pastor, Rev. Swaim.

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The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 99

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