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THIS
township was surveyed by Jonathan Cox, D. S.
U. S., in 1807. The same year the survey was
duly platted and certified to Jared Mansfield,
Surveyor-General of the United States. As with
the other townships in the county, so with
Montgomery, at the time of the survey there was not
a white family within its borders.
|
Population in 1820 |
704 |
|
"
" 1830 |
1530 |
| "
" 1840 |
2445 |
| "
" 1850 |
3192 |
| "
" 1860 |
3501 |
Montgomery was detached from
Vermillion, and organized in 1816. The records
are incomplete. Such as are in the hands of
the present clerk, deemed of public interest, are
subjoined: -
[Pg. 168] -
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1845
Trustees: Jonas H. Gierhart, Peter
Thomas, and Leander Carter -
Treasurer:
John Jacobs
Assessor: Samuel Swineford
Clerk: Lorin Andrews
Constables: Stephen Wolf and W. S.
Vanarnam
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1846
Trustees: Peter Thomas, Leander Carter,
and Jonas H. Gierhart -
Treasurer:
John Jacobs
Assessor: Samuel Swineford
Clerk: Lorin Andrews
Constables: Stephen Wolf and C. S.
Vanarnum
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1847
Trustees: Peter Thomas, Leander Carter,
and Hugh McGuire
Treasurer:
John Jacobs
Assessor: Jonas H. Crouse
Clerk: John A. McClusky
Constables: C. S. Vanarnam and
Stephen Wolf
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1848
Trustees: Peter Thomas, David Bryte,
and Burr Kellogg
Clerk:
G. W. Hill
Treasurer: John Jacobs
Assessor: John Jacobs
Treasurer: Joonas H. Crouse
Constables: C. S. Vanarnam and
Joseph B. Cowhick
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1850
Trustees: Peter Thomas, Burr Kellogg, and
David Bryte
Clerk: Orlow Smith
Treasurer:
John Jacobs
Assessor: Alanson Andrews
Constables: A. C. Swineford and
Uriah Drumb.
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1851
Trustees: Peter Thomas, Burr Kellogg,
and George W. Urie
Clerk: Geo.
W. Hill
Treasurer: John Jacobs
Assessor: John Tanyer
Constables: A. C. Swineford and R.
Scott
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1852
Trustees: Hugh Burns, John Salley, and
Stough -
Clerk: W. Ralston
Treasurer:
John Jacobs
Assessor: John Tanyer
Constables: John G. Brown
and Merida Figley
[Pg. 169] -
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1853
Trustees: Hugh Burns, John Smalley, and
Willet Skinner-
Clerk:
Wm. Ralston
Treasurer: John Jacobs
Assessor: Andrew Sponsler
Constables: John G. Brown and A.
C. Swineford
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1854
[The record
of this election does not appear in its proper
place. Geo. H. Parker acted as Township
Clerk.]
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1855
Trustees: Philip Kosht, Leander Carter,
and John Smally
Treasurer:
John Jacobs
Assessor: Andrew Sponsler
Constables: John Lauterbaugh and A. C.
Swineford
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1856
Trustees: Geo. W. Urie, Peter Thomas, and
Leander Carter -
Treasurer:
John Jacobs
Clerk: Wm. Willson
Constables: A. C. Swineford and M.
M. Desenberg
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1857
Trustees: G. W. Urie, Leander Carter, and
Isaac Gates -
Assessor:
A. Sponsler
Clerk: T. L. Arthur
Treasurer: John Jacobs
Constables: Henry Woods and A. C.
Swineford
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1858
Trustees: Isaac Gates, G. W. Urie and
H. Ames
Clerk: T. L.
Arthur -
Treasurer:
John Jacobs
Assessor: A. Sponsler
Constables: Henry Woods and Wm.
Lash
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1859
Trustees: Andrew Proudfit, Jacob Martin,
and John Smalley
Clerk: F. S.
Jacobs
Assessor: A.
Sponsler
Treasurer: F.
S. Jacobs
Constables=:
A. C. Swineford
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1860
Trustees: James McCool, A. Proudfit, and John
Smalley
Clerk: F. S.
Jacobs
Assessor: A.
Sponsler
Treasurer:
John Jacobs
Constables:
A. C. Swinford adn Robert McMurray
[Pg. 170]
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1861
Trustees: James McCool, Andrew Proudfit, and
John Smalley
Clerk: Wm. G.
Heltman
Assessor: A.
Sponsler
Treasurer: E.
W. Wallack
Constables:
A. C. Swinford and H. G. Wood
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1862
Trustees: Levi Somers, Moses Latta, and Geo.
W. Urie
Clerk: W. G.
Heltman
Assessor: A.
Sponsler
Treasurer: E.
W. Wallack
Constables:
Amos Hilborn and John McNaull
CHURCHES EVANGELICAL
LUTHERAN.
There is a church of this denomination on the east
line of the township, organized in 1838. The
present building is of brick, and will accommodate
with seats a congregation of about three hundred and
fifty persons. Rev. Mr. Wolf had the
first charge of the congregation. A German
Reformed clergyman, Rev. Adam Staump,
also preached in the house a year or two after the
erection of the church building. Rev.
William Gailbraith is the present pastor;
Samuel Horn and Elish Worley, deacons.
GERMAN BAPTISTS
The denomination of German Baptists, or Brethren,
have three meeting-houses in the county, known as
"The Ashland District," - the Ashland meeting-house,
about one mile west of Orange, and Snowbarger's
meeting-house, near Lafayette, Perry Township.
There is also another congregation, belonging to the
same body, in the "Loudonville District," who
[Pg. 171]
are
yet, however, without a church building. The
membership is the Ashland District amounts to about
three hundred; and in the Loudonville District, of
such as reside within this county, there are between
twenty-five and fifty.
The denomination has reached its present numbers in
this county by assessions made it to by immigration
and conversions which have chiefly occurred during
the last ten years. They are a thrifty,
industrious, and staid people - unassuming in their
manners, unostentatious in their dress, and of
well-established integrity. To correct a
misunderstanding which prevails to some extent in
regard to their peculiar tenets, we subjoin the
"HISTORY OF THE GERMAN BAPTISTS OR BRETHREN. [By
Rev. Philip Boyle, Uniontown, Maryland] - The
German Baptists, or Brethren, are a denomination of
Christians who immigrated to this country from
Germany, between the years 1718 and 1730; they are
commonly called Dunkers; but they have assumed for
themselves the name of 'Brethren,' on account of
what Christ said to his disciples, Matt. xxiii.8,
'One is your master, even Christ, and all ye are
brethren.'
"The following account
of these people has been extracted from a work
called 'Materials towards a History of the American
Baptists,' published in 1770, by Morgan Edwards,
then Fellow of Rhode Island College/ and
overseer of the Baptist church, in Philadelphia: -
"Of the Germans in Pennsylvania who are commonly called
Tunkers, to distinguish them from the Menonists; for
both are styled Die Taufer, or Baptists.
They are called Tunkers in derision, which is as
much as 'cops,' from tunken, to put a
morsel in [Pg. 172]
sauce; but as the term signifies dippers,
they may rest content with their nickname.
They are also called Tumblers, from the
manner in which they perform baptism, which is by
putting the person head forward under water, (while
kneeling,) so as to resemble the motion of the body
in the act of tumbling. The first appearance
of these people in America was in the fall of the
year, 1719, when about twenty families landed in
Philadelphia, and dispersed themselves, some of
Germantown, some to Skippack, some to Oley, some to
Conestoga, and elsewhere. This dispersion
incapacitated them to meet in public worship,
therefore they soon began to grow lukewarm in
religion. But in the year 1822, Baker,
Gomery, and Gantzs, with the Franzs,
visited their scattered brethren, which was attended
with a great revival, insomuch that societies were
formed wherever a number of families were within
reach one of another. But this lasted not
above three years; they settled on their lees again;
till about thirty families more of their persecuted
brethren arrived in the fall of the year 1729, which
both quickened them again and increased their number
everywhere. Those two companies had been
members of one and the same church, which originated
in Schwartzenan, in the year 1708, in Germany.
The first constituents were Alexander Mack
and wife, John Kipin and wife, George
Grevy, Andreas Bhony, Lucas Fetter, and
Joanna Nethigum. Being neighbors, they
agreed together to read the Bible, and edify one
another in the way they had been brought up, for as
yet they did not know there were any Baptists in the
world. However, believer's baptism and a
congregational church soon gained on them, insomuch
that they were determined to obey
[Pg. 173] MORE TO COME
[Pg. 174] MORE TO COME
[Pg. 175]
MORE TO COME
[Pg. 176]
MORE TO COME
[Pg. 177]
MORE TO COME
[Pg. 178]
MORE TO COME
[Pg. 179]
lost, believing that he is able to save to the
uttermost all that come unto God through a crucified
Redeemer, who tasted death for every man, and was
manifested to destroy the works of the devil.
And although it has herein been testified that they
hold general redemption as a doctrine, still it is
not preached among them in general, as an article of
faith. It has probably been held forth by
those who felt themselves, as it were, lost in the
love of God; and, perhaps, on this account, they
have been charged with holding the sentiments of the
Universalists, which they all deny. They
conceive it their duty to declare the whole counsel
of God, and therefore they fell themselves bound to
proclaim his threatenings and his judgments against
the wicked and ungodly; yet in accordance with their
general principles, which are love and
goodwill, they are more frequently led to speak
of the love and goodness of God toward the children
of men." ---------------
REMINISCENCES OF
THE PIONEERS OF MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP.
HENRY BAUGHMAN
JAMES BOOTS
SAMUEL BURNS.
- 180
DANIEL
CARTER - 181
HENRY GAMBLE*
- 182
FRANCIS
GRAHAM. - 183
JACOB H. GRUBB.
- 194 The First
Schools.
The first school in the town was taught by
Therry-good Smith, in his cabin, which was
situated on the second lot west of the present
resident of Hugh Davis. This was in
1824.
In the year 1825, the school-house referred to by
Mr. Slocum was erected on the lot now owned by
Sarah Jones. This school was taught by
Chandler Foote.
In 1826, the third
school was taught in a cabin owned by Cullen
Spaulding, which stood upon the lot now owned by
Witwer, Myers & Co. Mr. Fleming
taught this school.
At one or all of these schools, Mary Grubb, (now
Mrs. Rice, ) Alexander Morehead,
(brother-in-law of Abraham Holmes, ) Sarah
Coonrod, and Lawrence Whitzel; Lorin and
Mary, children of Alanson Andrews;
Lucretia, Elizabeth and Thomas, children
of John Smith; Mary Ann and John,
children of John Smith; Mary Ann and
John, children of Elias Bailey; Gideon,
son of Ebenezer D. Nightingale; the
[Pg. 195]
children
of John Herryman and of Mr. Holmes; Julia,
Emery and Harrison, children of Seth B.
Cook; Sarah, daughter of John Jones,
and Jacob Keefer, grandson of Mr. Shaffer,
were scholars in attendance.
Methodist Meetings.
The Methodist meetings, in 1823, and for many years
subsequent, were held at the residence of John
Smith, whose house was upon the lot now
occupied by Christopher Mykrants.
SAGE KELLOGG
- Page 194
JOHN HOUGH
- Page 195
JAMES
KUYKENDALL. - 196 [Pg. 197]
Market Prices
from 1817 to 1824.
Salt - at Lake, per
barrel, $25; Coffee - 50 cents per pound;
Calico - 50 to 75 cents per yard; Powder -
per pound, $2; Lead - per pound, 50
cents.
Nearest mills at Wooster (Stibbs's,) and Owl Creek,
below Mt. Vernon, thirty-seven miles from Ashland.
Cows - $4 to 6; Wheat - per bushel,
average 20 cents; Corn - per bushel, average
5 to 8 cents; Oats - per bushel, average 6
cents; Ginseng (dried) - per pounds, 25
cents; Deer Skin, (dried) - per pound, 12½
cents. No money - but "trade."
Hunting, as will be observed, at this time was more
profitable than cultivating the soil - the products
of the forest being of more value than those of the
fields.
HENRY MAIZE.
- 197 JOSEPH MARKLEY.
- 198
HUGH McGUIRE.
- 200
JOHN McNAULL.
- 200
CHRISTIAN MILLER.
- 200
CHRISTOPHER MYKRANTS. - 200
ANDREW PROUDFIT, SEN. - 202
MICHAEL RIDDLE. - 202
SAMUEL ROWLAND. - 203
JOSEPH SHEETS. - 203
WILLIAM SKILLING. - 204
PETER SWINEFORD - 205
ELIAS SLOCUM. - 205 [Pg. 206]
[Pg. 207]
From Black Rock to Uniontown.
While the events above mentioned occurred, the
families of Messrs. Slocum and Palmer
remained [Pg. 208]
at Black Rock; and, in January, sat out overland for
their Western destination; and in the latter part of
March, 1818, arrived at Uniontown - having been
about eight weeks in accomplishing this part of the
journey.
Mr. Slocum, on his first visit, had purchased of
George Butler one hundred and six acres in
section 16, Montgomery Township, and jointly with
Alanson Andrews and George W. Palmer,
purchased of William Montgomery, the original
proprietor of Uniontown, three acres on the south
side of "Montgomery's Run," (a part of the ground
being that upon which the dwellings of David
Whiting, Jacob Hildebrand and the shop
and dwelling of Mr. Desenburg are now
situated.) Upon this purchase they erected a
patent distillery - being the first of that
character in this section of the country.
Mr. Slocum's family removed to a cabin on
section 16, which had been erected for them by
Mr. Butler. Upon this land Mr. Slocum
Ashland in 1817-18.
The Hopewell, west of town one and a half miles was
the only church building in the country nearer than
Mansfield.
The nearest physician and store were also at Mansfield.
[Pg. 209]
very stinted quantity of light was admitted through
greased paper windows, and capable of seating very
uncomfortably about fifteen or eighteen children,
was erected in the vicinity of the present residence
of Miss Sarah Jones. Here the late
Lorin Andrews and the elder children of Mr.
Slocum and a few others learned the first
rudiments of their education.
A Boy Lost.
In the year 1820, a son of James Durfee, aged
about eight years, whose family then resided in
Jackson Township, near what was then the Wayne and
Lorain County line, (being the farm now owned by
John Buchanan,) became lost in the woods.
The child was in charge of his uncle, David Souls,
and had been placed to guard an opening in the
fence. A rain coming on, and becoming
impatient by reason of the protracted absence of his
uncle, it is supposed that the child undertook to
find his way home, in which effort he became lost.
After a faithful search of about twelve days by the
people of the whole neighborhood, aided by others
from remote townships, the hope of recovering his
body was abandoned. Subsequently some remains
of his hair, bones, and clothing were found in the
forest, near the present town of Perrysburg, within
a distance of two miles of his father's house.
These relics explained the little sufferer's fate.
His body, when either living or dead, had been
attacked and devoured by wolves. [Pg.
210] How Justice was
administered.
It is no reproach to the first and most
important officers of Montgomery Township that they
were illiterate - unable even to read or write - as
they had had little or no opportunities of
education, having spent their boyhood in a
wilderness that had never been reached by the
schoolmaster. It was, therefore, the fact with
regard to Robert Newell, Esq., (one among the
earliest of the settlers, and whose cabin was burned
by the Indians during the war of 1812, as elsewhere
related,) that he could neither read nor write, and
of course never kept a docket. So
satisfactorily, however, and with such an even hand
did he dispense justice, upon principles of strict
equity rather than law, that his official acts were
indorsed by a re-election. Eloyd Eddy,
his son-in-law, and Jacob Kline, elected as
constables, were also equally illiterate. In
most cases, Squire Newell would refuse
absolutely to issue summons, fixing up and enforcing
on summary but equitable terms and settlement of
issues among neighbors; but this could not always be
done. In one instance, Andrew Clark
demanded summons on Martin Mason, for balance
of pay claimed for constructing a mill-race, and the
squire, after protracted efforts to bring the
parties to a settlement, was unable longer to defer
an "issue of summons." Accordingly he called
upon Constable Kline, and, presenting that
"civil" functionary with a strong buckeye club,
notified him that that was his authority for
bringing Mason, dead or alive, into "Court,"
- to call upon said defendant, and if he showed any
symptoms of unwillingness to obey the summons, he
was to make such vigorous use of said club over the
head and shoulders [Pg. 211]
of defendant as would induce him to respond and
accompany him. Defendant, however, readily
obeyed the summons, and the litigants appeared
before his honor. The squire demanded, first
of the plaintiff, then to the defendant, a full
statement from each of the matter at issue; which
demand having been complied with by the statements
of the parties, he gave judgment as follows: "Mason
shall pay to Clark two bushels of corn;
Clark being a poor man, and having no horse,
you, Mason, shall deliver the corn at his
house. Forever after this you are to be good
friends and neighbors, and if either shall ever fail
in the least particular to obey this order, I
will have the offender before me and whip him within
about 'a inch' of his life. As for myself I
charge no fees. Not so with Constable Kline;
his charge being q quart of whisky, which plaintiff
and defendant will see is brought into Court as
promptly as possible, for the use of all present."
Religious Sects and Political Parties.
In the early days,
there were no religious sects and political parties.
It was emphatically an "era of good feeling."
When word was given out that a preacher would hold a
meeting at either a private or a public house, it
was attended by all the neighbors, far and near -
the men appearing often with their rifles, which
would be stacked in a corner of the room - and no
particular inquiry would be made as to what
denomination the preacher belonged. The
clergymen, however, who mostly visited the country
were Presbyterians and Baptists. At this
juncture of time, also, and up to the period of teh
second contest between Adams and Jackson, in 1828,
there were
[Pg. 212]
no party divisions. The officers, county and
township, generally received the unanimous support
of the electors. When there was anything like
a contest, it was more on personal grounds, and
determined more on the question of personal
popularity, than any other.
Settlement of Montgomery Township, etc.
The date of the settlement of Montgomery Township
may be said to have commenced about the year 1818,
the settlers prior to that time being very few in
number. From 1818 until about 1821, the
township had received considerable accessions to its
population. Squire Newell was the
largest landholder, he being the owner of one
thousand acres; the next largest was a Mr.
Lanterman, of Trumbull County, (father-in-law of
Luther M. Pratt,) who was the owner of
about nine hundred acres, embracing what is now know
as the "Tunker Settlement." Under the
laws of Congress in force at that time, no one could
enter less than a quarter section, and very few of
the original settlers entered more than that
quantity. These quarters were often divided
and sometimes subdivided by the original purchasers,
and sold to other settlers, which had a strong
tendency to promote the density of the settlement,
and develop the resources of the country.
Mr. Slocum and his neighbors often spent six
days in the week at attending cabin-raisings and
log-rollings. On some of these occasions, he
would travel five and six miles distant from his
home. These gatherings had a powerful tendency
to create and cement the ties of social friendship
and every one considered it a point of honor to obey
the invitation of a neighbor to attend a "raising"
or "log-rolling." [Pg. 213]
The bears were the great enemy of the swine, but after
they had become so far exterminated as to permit the
introduction of hogs, the mast of the forest
afforded them food in sufficient quantity to fatten,
with the aid of very little or no corn. The
owners would kill them, as their wants required, by
shooting in the woods. This practice, as may
be supposed, gave rise to some ill feeling and
litigation, as men would sometimes mistake their
neighbors' hogs for their own. Deer and turkey
were abundant in the forest. No man who was
the owner of a gun and understood its use, need be
out of a supply of the best kind of wild animal
food. Since Mr. Slocum's residence in
this country, he never knew a case of severe
suffering for want of food. There was always
sufficient in the country, coarse though it may have
been, to sustain life and health; and if a neighbor
was in want, ample relief was promptly offered as
soon as the circumstances became known.
Equality, fraternity, truth, and charity were
virtues more honored in the observance than in later
times.
Mr. Slocum died at his residence in Ashland, on
the 17th of April, 1862, at the age of eighty-two
years.
Michael Springer entered at the office, n
Canton, the land upon which John Springer now
resides, in Montgomery Township. He also
entered the quarter sections which George
Swinevord and Austin Moherman at this
time own and occupy. He was a native of
Pennsylvania. The lands above mentioned were
purchased for his children, whose names were,
severally, Daniel, Sarah, John, Nancy, Michael,
Elizabeth, Peter, Susan, William, Mary, and
Mar- [Pg. 214]
garet. Mr. Springer, his son John,
and son-in-law, Jacob Figley, (husband of
Sarah,) came to the country in December, 1815.
GEORGE THOMAS.
DANIEL VANTILBURG.
ALANSON WALKER.
Prices of Live Stock in 1823-24.
From the "Stray Book," now in the hands of J. A.
McCluskey, Esq., and the first entry in which
was made by J. Gallup, Esq., J. P., Jan. 25,
1823, a very correct idea of the value of live stock
in Montgomery Township at that period may be
gathered.
On the twenty-ninth of that month, G. W. Palmer
and Jonathan Markley were called upon to
appraise two animals which had come into possession
of John Smith as estrays. A
heifer supposed to be one year old was appraised at
$4; and a hog supposed to be of the same age was
appraised at $1. Joel Luther and
Joseph Sheets on the 27th of March, 1823,
appraise a hog eighteen months, which had come to
Alanson Andrews as a stray, at
$1.75. On the 17th July, 1824, Alanson
Andrews and Henry Gamble appraise a
horse, supposed to be thirteen yeas old, found upon
the premises of Wm. Skilling, at $25.
END OF CHAPTER VII. - MONTGOMERY TWP. |
