|
SURVEYED IN 1807, by Jonathan Cox, Deputy
Surveyor of the United States. Settled by
white people in 1811. Organized 25th December,
1818.
Population in 1820
...................................................
639
Population in 1830
...................................................
1451
Population in 1840
...................................................
2402
Population in 1850 (including
Hayesville.................... 2900
Population in 1860 (including
Hayesville.................... 2255
[Extracts from paper read before
one of the Literary Societies of Vermillion
Institute,
by Mr. Thomas J. Armstrong]
The First
Settlement.
In the spring of 1811, a modest, unassuming,
democratic log cabin was erected by Mr. George
Eckley. The place where the improvements
was made is now known as Goudy's Mill; and here is
where the first oak was felled by the hand of human
industry. There were no towns nearer than
Wooster and Mansfield. Ashland had not made
its appearance, and the village of Hayesville had
never entered the minds or excited the imaginations
of the sturdy pioneers. There were two Indian
villages - Jerometown and Greentown - not far
distant from the present limits of Vermillion.
Captain Pipe,
etc.
The first mentioned village was the residence of the
noted warrior, Captain Pipe, who dwelt there
in all the regal style of a forest king. Here
the Indians held their councils, and smoked the pipe
of peace, and danced away the hours when time seemed
to grow heavy. Here, too, lived one or more of
the Johnnycakes, Buckwheat, and other princes of the
royal blood. Captain Pipe had laid
aside his war club and tomahawk and become the
friend of the white man. He had assisted in
all the border wars in this part of Ohio - had
conducted the execution of Colonel Crawford
with all its attendant barbarities and enormities in
1782, and was with the Indians when Wayne defeated
them in 1794. He after that removed to
Jerometown, and continued true to his professions of
friendship. Our settlers traded with him, and
he and his people were their neighbors, and they
never experienced anything but friendship in their
intercourse with them.
The Settlers
seek safety in the Block Houses.
The settlement soon had an accession of several
families, and everything passed off well, although
they labored under many disadvantages. They
prospered under all the difficulties they had to
combat, until 1812, when the settlement was
abandoned for a time. In that year the country
became involved in war with Great Britain, and the
settlers went to the block-houses for safety to
escape the scalping-knife of the savages, who had
been induced to take sides with Britain. Some
of them went to Wooster, and others to the block
houses situated on the Lake Fork. There were
stirring times within our borders, although
Vermillion sent no soldiers to battle for the rights
of America.
Battle of the
Cowpens.
Yet there has been an army drawn up in order of
battle within its peaceful limits, the doges of war
let loose to drive back the invader. In the
summer of 1812, General Bell passed through
with the army, composed mostly of militia and
mounted volunteers, on their way to Fort Meigs.
They encamped for two weeks upon what is now known
as the Griffin farm, about one mile
and a half northeast of the present village of
Hayesville. While there one dark and rainy
night, when the army were wrapped in slumber, and
not dreaming of war - when nothing was heard but the
patter of rain, and the sentinel's cry of "all's
well" - there came, borne upon the damp night air,
the sharp, shrill crack of a rifle. The
sentinels rushed in the reported the enemy upon
them! The drums beat to arms, horses neighed,
bugles sounded. The ground trembled with the
dull tread of squadrons tramping. The order
was given to "fire!" and never before or since was
such a noise and din heard in Vermillion as there
was on that eventful night. The cavalry
charged in direction of the supposed enemy, but
finding no person or ting, they returned from the
charge and reported that the foe had retreated; but
when the first gray of morning appeared, the
outposts discovered that they had been firing upon a
herd of cattle belonging to the settlers, which had
been roaming through the woods, and had slaughtered
seventeen. This was afterward known among the
soldiers as "the battle of the Cow-pens," and was
the only engagement in which many of them were
employed, although others gave vent to the
patriotism that filled their bosoms, and yielded up
their lives upon the bloody ramparts of Fort Meigs.
Settlement of
the Township resumed.
Toward
the close of the year the settlers returned, and
ever after pursued their labors undisturbed by wars
or rumors of wars. Settlers came rapidly; the
sound of the woodman's axe was heard on every side,
and log cabins began to appear where not log before
silence reigned supreme.
Organization of
the Township.
In 1813,
Richland County was organized, and soon after
Vermillion Township was created. It embraced
within its limits what is now Montgomery Township,
and there being need of civil officers to execute
the laws, James Wallace and Robert Newell
were elected justices of the peace. This was
about the beginning of the year 1814. Soon
after Montgomry was stuck off, and Robert Newell
lost his office, and Squire Wallace continued
to dispense law and justice to the citizens of
Vermillion.
Erection of the
first Mills.
During
this year a mill was erected upon the stream which
turn's Wallace's mill, about half way between
it and the place since occupied by Goudy's.
The mill was put in order, and the inhabitants began
to feel that some labor was about to be taken off
their hands; but the machinery would not work.
The mill was abandoned, and the people turned to
their hand-mills and corn pounders. Some time
after this another was built where the ruins of
Goudy's now lie, and this time complete
satisfaction was given, and hand-mills went out of
use.
The first Public
Road, Hotel, etc.
In 1815, the first public road was laid out through
this section from Wooster to Mansfield, which helped
the settlement some, as it was the direct route from
the eastern portion of the State to the western.
The lands along the road were bought and settled in
a short time, and a thriving settlement was soon
going on. Emigrants traveling West had to
encamp along here, as there was no hotel then, and
so continued until 1871, when one was established by
Linus Hayes, at Hayes's Cross Roads,
who provided food for the weary traveler and for his
jaded steed.
No
School-Houses.
There were no school-houses, and consequently no
schools, and the young student had to be satisfied
with what he could get by his own efforts, and from
such books as were within his reach, which were by
no means "plenty."
Churches.
Neither were there any churches, or places for
holding religious meetings other than the houses of
the settlers, or the groves, where they met, with no
roof above them but the pure vault of ether, to
worship the Most High. Today we have costly,
showy, and elegant churches, pointing upward with
their spires and steeples - beauty without the
comfort within - but no purer, holier, and sincerer
Christianity fills the breasts of those who worship
there, than that which these pioneers practiced.
In the years 1816, a small church was erected by
Mr. Eckley, which was the first building for
that purpose; and at the same place and about the
same time a graveyard was laid out, and Mr.
Constance Lake was the first person buried in
it. The church was used by all denominations;
and after other churches were established, it passed
into the hands of the Lutherans, and was known by
the name of Eckley's "Meeting House,"
which name is still attached the the place it
formerly occupied.
Progress of the
Settlement in 1814 - 15.
By this
time the township had become pretty thickly
inhabited. The northwestern portion had not as
yet been appropriated, but the eastern, middle, and
western parts wore the appearance of a thriving
"clearing." The people had got clear of many
difficulties which in the first place had troubled
them, and now that spirit which is so general among
the inhabitants of the Northern States, began to
manifest itself. Moneymaking seems to have seized
upon them, and the ambition of being rich to have
fired their souls. All kinds of labor and
respectable means of obtaining wealth had been
instituted - the blacksmith had come in and set up
his forge; the wagonmaker had got to work; the
carpenter was shoving his plane; and nearly all the
various mechanical pursuits were represented.
Distilleries,
etc.
But these
did not suffice, and in the year 1819 Norman
Anderson, erected a building for the manufacture
of whisky, commonly known as a still-house.
The business proved remunerative, and in a short
time almost every brook in the township furnished
water to distil the beverage, which became rather a
popular drink from its stimulating powers and the
exhilarating effects upon the human system.
Too many, however, engaged in its manufacture.
The supply was too great for the demand; and in
consequence the trade languished, and soon came into
disrepute. Immigrants constantly arrived;
wealth and intelligence increased, and prosperity
was visible on every side. The old Eckley
meeting-house, did not stand alone as the only place
of worship, for before this period school houses had
made their appearance, and answered the double
purpose of holding schools and as places of worship.
As improvement proceeded, the intercourse between
the people became more easy. The old or
married folks visited each other, and talked over
the affairs of the neighborhood.
Popular
Amusements.
Log
rollings, corn-huskings, and flax-pullings were
fashionable, and were the chief means of bringing
the young together. The beaux would do the
work during the day, and at night the belles would
come, and together they would "trip the light
fantastic toe" to the music of the violin. At
corn-huskings the ladies did not consider it beneath
their dignity to take part, and all looked upon
these gatherings with delight, as offending
opportunities for rustic lovers to exchange words
and glances, which was not looked upon by their
associates as violative of any rule of etiquette.
The dance formed part of the programme upon such
occasions, and with their plays and social games
which had been handed down from time immemorial,
interspersed with "hoe-downs" and "break-downs," as
they were called, formed the amusements. These
gatherings served to extend acquaintance - to make
more sociable the young, and might have been the
means of making more than two hearts happy.
The Town of
Williamsburg.
In the year
1829, a town was projected by Robert Williams,
two miles west of the present village of Hayesville,
and the name of Williamsburg given it. But its
fitful existence was soon over, and for one year
more Vermillion Township was without a town.
Customs,
Churches, Schools, etc.
It is true
that the manners of the people were not as refined
as those who inhabited our Eastern towns, nor was
the moral discipline so rigid. They indulged
in a few excesses, and tried their powers at "fistiana"
on election day; but these all passed off with the
excitement of the occasion, and in fact they were
honest and useful members of society. Churches
were soon built. The United Presbyterians
erected the first one; the Methodists the second; in
1838 the Presbyterian was built, and in 1842 the
Baptist church was erected. Schools were also
established, and the youth were taught the rudiments
of education. Select schools were formed for
the benefit of those thought to be beyond the
tuition of the common school teacher - especially
for young ladies, as one was established for them in
the year 1841. Such of the young men as were
desirous of acquiring a more extensive education
were sent off to other schools.
Vermillion Institute.
After
things had gone on in this manner some time, the
idea of establishing a high school in Hayesville
began to be agitated. The citizens began to feel the
expense of sending their children away, as well as
to realize the advantage of such an institution to
the interests of the town. Accordingly, in
1843, a high school went into operation, having for
its principal the Rev. Lewis
Granger, a man of much learning. The
school prospered, and the hopes of the most sanguine
of its patrons were fulfilled, and steps were
immediately taken for the erection of suitable
buildings. In the winter of 1844-45, a charter
was granted by the Ohio Legislature for a high
school, and the name of Vermillion Institute was
bestowed upon it, and that was the beginning of a
school which, at the present time, is as popular as
any institution of its kind in Ohio. The
construction of buildings was soon undertaken, and
upon the 4th day of July, 1845, the corner-stone of
the edifice was laid in' the presence of a large
concourse of people. The ceremonies were
conducted by Rev. Mr. Granger,
who pronounced an oration upon the occasion, and the
Jeromeville band discoursed sweet music, which added
a charm to the exercises, and heightened the
pleasures of the day. The school was got under
way by the selection of Rev. J. L. McLean as
President, with a corps of able assistants. It
was to be a college, where the industrious young man
could lay the foundation of future greatness, and
receive all the scholastic education necessary to
the completion of a collegiate course. This
plan did not long continue. The machinery
would not work, and Vermillion Institute became an
academy; where, although students might become apt
scholars—where they might be fitted to occupy any
station in life—but where the one grand object of
many an ambitious student, the diploma, could not be
obtained. After this arrangement was effected,
the institution went on with a varied career—some
times bounding upon the highest wave of popularity—
and at others almost borne down by storms of
adversity. At length, by judicious management,
a new impetus was given it, and thenceforward
Vermillion Institute has been ranked among the
advantages not only of our county, but also as among
the nourishing institutions of our noble "Buckeye
State." As an evidence of its prosperity, look
at the catalogues that have been issued during the
last six years, and for its popularity, at its
representatives not only from every section of Ohio,
but from other States. Numerous are the
benefits derived from it. It adds much to the
business of the place, and breaks the dull monotony
that would envelop the community if students, with
their buoyant spirits, were not present to give vent
to the exuberant feelings of youth. It has
also broken the bands of that ignorance which binds
the garb of superstition around a people, and among
all creates a thirst for knowledge. Numbers of
youth enter and depart annually, wise in what they
have learned, and happy in the associations in which
they have mingled.
Continued
improvement of the Township.
The hand of
improvement has certainly been here employed, and in
a comparatively short time has all this taken place.
District schools have sprung up on all sides, and
churches are to be seen in every part of the
township. The forest has fallen beneath the
woodman's axe, and the fields once covered by its
branches now yield to the labor of the husbandman.
Mills have been erected for the purpose of making
flour for home consumption and for market; and
steam, unthought of by the pioneer, is now employed
in converting into lumber of every kind the logs and
trees they labored to destroy. All this has
taken place since 1811. Our people live easier
and are far wealthier than they were then.
Markets for the purchase of every kind have been
opened upon every hand, whereas then they had none.
The manners of the people and the fashions of dress
have undergone a revolution. Corn-huskings, flax-pullings,
and the old festive games have been laid aside for
the more accomplished social amusements of modern
times. The still-houses have vanished, until
but one remains within the borders of Vermillion to
show curious minds how whisky is made. Those
who first broke the silence that reigned in 1811
have disappeared— some to make new settlements
farther west, and others have gone the way of all
things earthly. Some were cut off in the midst
of their toil, and were buried amid the scenes of
their labors. Some lived to see what was once
a wilderness a land smiling with peace and plenty,
peopled with intelligent beings, and went down to
the tomb full of years. Of all those who came
to reclaim this region from the savage in 1811-12,
but one remains among us. Time has passed his
frosty hand over his temples, and bent that form
which once withstood the hardships of a pioneer
life, and wrinkled his honest brow. He can
look back to that eventful year, and see where he
stood then and where he stands now. He saw the
first house built, and saw the forest fall upon the
approach of civilization. The scream of the
panther and the howl of the wolf startled him where
he now, as the seasons appear, looks upon cultivated
fields, and hears the din of the busy world.
He saw the grave close upon the mortal remains of
the first person who died here, and heard the
requiem sung at the funeral of the last. What
scenes has he witnessed — what memories he can
recall! He witnessed the first organization of
the county and township—the first dispensation of
justice—and saw the corn pounded into meal for the
use of the settlers. Long may he live, to
remind the rising generation of the hardships and
dangers our pioneer fathers encountered in first
settling the township, and to show by this humble
beginning, compared with the present state of
improvement, how much honest labor, careful
industry, and thrifty management, can accomplish.
A glorious township this of ours, and a fortunate
people are we! The epidemic has swept by with
its poisonous breath; nor has famine, with its long,
skinny finger, pointed at us. It has been
blessed with health, prosperity, and peace.
Some places with their scenery may please better the
fanciful dreams of the romantic; others may have
greater attractions for the aristocratic; but for
comfort, ease, and enjoyment, there are few that
surpass ours. When fifty years more shall have
been added to the flight of time, and will have
passed away with their joys and sorrows, hopes and
fears, who can tell what an aspect Vermillion
Township will then present? We may imagine
what a prospect may be spread out to the view, but
none can foretell it truly. The springs will
still bubble forth their crystal waters—the streams
still ripple over their pebbly beds, and the hills
and the valleys will remain; but the forests will
have disappeared, and the golden grain will wave
upon the spot the oak has shaded. Society will
present a different character, and those who walked
these streets in other days will be forgotten.
This institution of learning will have passed into
other hands, and the bell which calls us daily
together will summon others to their duties, and
these faces now so joyous and happy, blooming with
health and youth, will have faded, and some will
"death's dark stream have ferried o'er." All
will be greatly changed, but he who lives in the
year 1910 will find the same spirit which impelled
the pioneer to penetrate the timbered lands of this
township in 1811, dotting the western plains with
towns and villages, and causing the soil to yield to
labor its increase. This trait of American
character cannot be plucked out or obliterated.
As well might puny man in his arrogance command the
sea to retire from the rock it has dashed against
for a thousand years, as to prevent the spread of
American industry, or to confine within narrow
limits the influence of American institutions.
When all that broad domain of ours, which lies
toward the setting sun, shall no more echo to the
tread of the buffalo, or resound with the war-whoop
of the savage, then shall it be filled with wealth,
abound in intelligence, and its citizens be as free
and happy as we are to-day in old Vermillion.
EXTRACTS FROM THE OFFICIAL
RECORDS OF
VERMILLION TOWNSHIP.
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1832.
Clerk: John Finley - Trustees:
Stephen Smith, Jared Irwin, and Daniel S. Porter -
Treasurer: John Cox.
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1833.
Clerk: Wm. W. Irwin - Trustees:
Jared Irwin, Daniel Porter, and John Finley -
Township Treasurer and Treasurer of Section 16:
John Cox.
ELECTION OF APRIL, 1835
Clerk: E. R. Eckley - Trustees:
David Stevens, Thomas McGuire, and
Joseph Workman -
Treasurer: John Scott.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1836.
Clerk: E. R. Eckley - Trustees: Uriah
Johnson, Robert Cowan, and Henry Sigler -
Treasurer: John Scott.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1837.
Clerk: Wm. W. Irvin - Trustees: Robert
Cowan, John Porter, and John Harman -
Treasurer: John Scott.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1838.
Clerk: Daniel Eckley - Trustees: David
Stevens, Wm. Scott, and Treasurer: John Soctt.
-
Treasurer: John Scott.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1839.
Clerk: David Ciphers -
Trustees: William Scott, Joseph Stickland,
and James McCrory -
Treasurer: John Scott.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1840.
Clerk: Joseph R. Buck - Trustees:
James McCrory, Joseph Strickland, and Elisha Barnes.
-
Treasurer: John Cox.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1841.
Clerk: Samuel J. Kirkwood (now Governor of
Iowas) - Trustees: Elisha Barnes, George
Buchanan and Wm. Ryland. -
Treasurer: John Cox.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1842.
Clerk: John Harman - Trustees: Elisha
Barnes, George Buchanan and Wm. Ryland. -
Treasurer: A. Armentrout.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1843.
Clerk: John Harman - Trustees: Elisha
Barnes, George Buchanan and Wm. Ryland. -
Treasurer: A. Armentrout.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1844.
Clerk: John H. Cox - Trustees: Elisha
Barnes, George Buchanan and Wm. Ryland. -
Treasurer: A. Armentrout..
Militia Roll of
Vermillion Township for 1844, as
returned by
A. H. Anderson, Assessor.
| Adams, John |
| |
Irwin, Mathew |
| Ault, Adam |
| |
Johnson, Abraham |
| Anderson, William |
| |
Johnson, Charles W. |
| Armentrout, Daniel |
| |
Johnson, Thomas B. |
| Anderson, A. H. |
| |
Johnson, John B. |
| Burns, John |
| |
Jarvis, John |
| Beck, Jacob |
|
Johnson, Washington |
| Boker, John |
|
Kyle, Samuel |
| Bault, Joseph R. |
|
Kelley, Patrick |
| Budd, Samuel |
|
Krabill, John |
| Barnes, John |
|
Karnehan, Madison |
| Bonebright, John |
|
Krabill, Jacob |
| Bonebright, William |
|
Kohder, Henry |
| Butler, Uriah |
|
Kover, Jacob |
| Berlin, William |
|
Leiter, Christopher |
| Bennet, Peter, Jr. |
|
Little, Daniel |
| Bennett, Michael |
|
Latschaw, John |
| Bennett, Abraham |
|
Leiter, John |
| Bennett, Peter |
|
McCready, Robert |
| Boetcher, Charles |
|
McCormack, Joseph |
| Boetcher, Martin |
|
McNulty, Findlay |
| Boetcher, Frederick |
|
Mann, William |
| Becktel, Isaac |
|
Murphy, William |
| Budd, Joshua |
|
Metcalf, Samuel |
| Baty, William |
|
McQuillen, Wm. |
| Bushnell, Thomas |
|
McQuillen, David |
| Bahn, Adam |
|
Moore, Joseph |
| Buchanan, George |
|
Matthews, Samuel |
| Brant, Henry |
|
McCready, John |
| Ballentine, William |
|
Musser, Joseph |
| Brown, Henry |
|
McKnight, James |
| Buck, J. R. |
|
Myers, George |
| Critchet, Benj. H. |
|
Miller, Jacob |
| Crawford, Andrew |
|
Moats, David |
| Clark, Washington |
|
Neely, James |
| Carpenter, Robert |
|
Neff, Michael |
| Cale, John |
|
North, William |
| Campbell, Joshua |
|
Newman, James |
| Christy, Levi |
|
Ohl, Jacob |
| Cole, Benjamin |
|
Provines, John |
| Ciphers, Jacob |
|
Palmer, George |
| Campbell, James |
|
Pinkstock, Christian |
| Craig, Daniel |
|
Pressler, Jacob |
| Craig, Samuel |
|
Purdy, Gilbert |
| Clapper, John |
|
Potter, George |
| Ciphers, James |
|
Robison, Samuel |
| Connelly, James |
|
Risser, Abraham |
| Colmerry, Alexander |
|
Reed, George |
| Cosner, Joseph |
|
Reading, Phillip |
| Clotfelter, Joseph |
|
Robison, Francis |
| Craig, William |
|
Roller, Benjamin |
| Cubbison, Alexander |
|
Smith, James B. |
| Clayton, Henry |
|
Sharick, John |
| Dawson, Robert |
|
Speelman, Daniel |
| Dawson, Joseph |
|
Shriver, George W. |
| Dalton, William |
|
Saylor, John |
| Dougherty, John |
|
Sheneberger, Solomon |
| Draggo, Alpheus |
|
Sheneberger, John |
| Davidson, James |
|
Sheneberger, Joseph |
| Eichelberger, Godfrey |
|
Sheneberger, Michael |
| Eighinger, George |
|
Stout, William |
| Eighinger, David |
|
Skilling, Michael |
| Eighinger, Andrew |
|
Spiece, Henry |
| Ewing, Titus |
|
Speelman, William |
| Ewing, Henry |
|
Sheriff, Jacob |
| Ewing, Samuel |
|
Shrock, Phillip |
| Ewing, John |
|
Stevens, Abraham |
| Ferrell, Joseph |
|
Sigler, Anthony |
| Folwell, Thomas |
|
Sigler, Robert |
| Franks, David |
|
Spitler, Samuel |
| Findley, Jonathan |
|
Scott, Winfield |
| Giffin, Wilson |
|
Stover, John |
| Greenland, Thomas |
|
Stevens, John D. |
| Galloway, William |
|
Smith, William |
| Galloway, Thomas H. |
|
Smalley, Benjamin |
| Goudy, Elisha |
|
Saylor, William |
| Goudy, Moses |
|
Smith, S. P. |
| Gastor, William |
|
Scott, John |
| Green, William |
|
Turber, Samuel |
| Harlan, Daniel |
|
Vangilder, Jeremiah |
| Huff, Jacob |
|
Vangilder, John |
| Henshler, Christian |
|
Vesper, Christian |
| Hoagland, Isaac |
|
Vanzile, Alfred |
| Harman, Daniel |
|
Vanzile, Azariah |
| Hutchison, James |
|
Vangilder, George |
| Harper, Thomas |
|
Walker, Thomas |
| Hammett, James M. |
|
Williams, James H. |
| Hayes, George L. |
|
Wilson, John |
| Holsinger, Samuel |
|
Wilson, Robert |
| Horne, Andrew |
|
Woods, William |
| Hilteleand, Isaac |
|
Williams, James |
| Herman, Samuel |
|
Weddle, Daniel |
| Harper, William |
|
Watson, Isaac |
| Imhoff, Robert |
|
|
ELECTION OF APRIL 1845.
Clerk: J. S. Black - Trustees: John
Harmon, David Ciphers and James M. Hammett -
Treasurer: A. Armentrout.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1846.
Clerk: J. S. Black - Trustees: Jacob
Risser, David Ciphers, and John Burns -
Treasurer: A. Armentrout.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1847.
Clerk: J. S. Black - Trustees: Jacob
Risser, David Ciphers, and John Burns -
Treasurer: A. Armentrout.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1848.
Clerk: William McNeil - Trustees:
Jacob Risser, R. Cowan, and C. Miller. -
Treasurer: John H. Cox.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1849.
Clerk: William McNeil - Trustees:
Robert Cowan, and Christian Miller, and David Fox. -
Treasurer: John H. Cox.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1850.
Clerk: William McNeil - Trustees:
Robert Cowan, and C. Miller, and E. Davis -
Treasurer: T. J. Cox.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1851.
Clerk: J. R. Buck - Trustees: Robert
Cowan, Christian Miller, and William McNeil -
Treasurer: T. J. Cox.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1852.
Clerk: Sterling G. Bushnell - Trustees:
Robert Cowan, David Ciphers and Archibald Gillis
-
Treasurer: Thomas J. Cox
ELECTION OF APRIL 1853.
Clerk: William Porter - Trustees:
William Galloway, George Buchanan, and Samuel Gibson
-
Treasurer: Thos. J. Cox.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1854.
Clerk: William Porter - Trustees:
William Galloway, Samuel Gibson and George Buchanan.
-
Treasurer: Joseph Kinninger
ELECTION OF APRIL 1855.
Clerk: William Gastor - Trustees: Wm.
Craig, Joseph Strickland and W. D. Swearingen. -
Treasurer: Joseph Kinninger
ELECTION OF APRIL 1856.
Clerk: William Gastor - Trustees:
George Buchanan, Robert Williams, and Samuel Craig.
-
Treasurer: Joseph Kinninger
ELECTION OF APRIL 1857.
Clerk: James Yocum - Trustees: Robert
Wilson, Thos. Johnson, and John S. Grabill -
Treasurer: Joseph Kinninger
ELECTION OF APRIL 1858.
Clerk: James Sanderson - Trustees:
McClure Davis, Robert Cowan and Stephen Ewing. -
Treasurer: Joseph Kinninger.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1859.
Clerk: James Sanderson - Trustees:
William L. Smith, John Lemmon, and Archibald Gillis.
-
Treasurer: Joseph Kinninger.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1860.
Clerk: James Sanderson - Trustees:
Joseph Strickland, Stephen Ewing, and Thomas Crone.
-
Treasurer: Wade Armentrout..
ELECTION OF APRIL 1861.
Clerk: D. K. Hull - Trustees: Joseph
Strickland, Thomas Crone, and William Ewing. -
Treasurer: Wade Armentrout.
ELECTION OF APRIL 1862.
Clerk: D. K. Hull - Trustees: William
Ewing, Benjamin Smalley and Andrew Scott -
Treasurer: Wade Armentrout.
JUSTICES OF THE
PEACE.
| 1828 |
William McCrory, elected |
| 1831. |
William W. Irwin, elected |
| 1831. |
Jared Irwin, elected |
| 1834 |
Robert Cowan, elected |
| 1837. |
John Harman, elected |
| 1837. |
Robert Cowan, re-elected |
| 1838 |
Peter Eckley, elected |
| 1840 |
John Harman, re-elected |
| 1840 |
Robert Cowan, re-elected |
| 1841 |
Joseph Strickland, Jr., elected |
| 1841 |
Archibald Gillis, elected |
| 1842 |
Andrew Scott, elected |
| 1842 |
David Ciphers, elected |
| 1843 |
John Harman, re-elected |
| 1844 |
Oliver Sloan, elected |
| 1845 |
David Ciphers, re-elected |
| 1846 |
John Harman, re-elected |
| 1846 |
George Buchanan, re-elected |
| 1848 |
David Ciphers, re-elected |
| 1849 |
John J. Gurley, elected |
| 1849 |
George Buchanan, re-elected |
| 1851 |
John M. Rowland, elected |
| 1851 |
David Ciphers, re-elected. |
| 1852 |
George Buchanan, re-elected |
| 1854 |
William S. Strickland, re-elected |
| 1854 |
N. G. Swearingen, elected |
| 1855 |
James B. Smith, elected |
| 1857 |
J. Kinninger, elected and resigned |
| 1858 |
William S. Strickland, elected |
| 1858 |
James B. Smith, re-elected |
| 1861 |
McClure Davis, elected |
| 1861 |
William S. Strickland, re-elected |
CHURCHES IN
VERMILLION TOWNSHIP.
Aside from those in the town of Hayesville, there
are three.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL.
There is
a church building belonging to this denomination on
the land of McClure Davis, within about a
mile and a half of the south line of the township,
which was erected in 1852. The building is
known by the name of "Hammond's Meeting-House."
The pulpit is supplied during the current year by
Rev. Mr. Starr and Rev. Mr. Spafford.
The officers of the church are, J. B. Smith,
Steward; Class Leaders, Benjamin Cole
and H. B. Davis, J. B. Smith, Benjamin Cole,
McClure Davis, Z. Baker, Wm. Lattimore, H. B. Davis,
and John Van Gilder. The present
membership amounts to about forty.
GERMAN EVANGELICAL.
This church, in the pleasant and flourishing "Risser
Settlement," was reorganized in 1860. The
house was built in 1847 by the Mennonites, a
denomination that embraced about fifteen families.
Rev. John Risser was the first pastor, but
resigned after about three years' service. The
church officers were Christian Herschler and
John Latschar. After this one-half
interest in the house was sold to the Germans of
other denominations, and were served by Lutheran
ministers until 1860. The name of its present
pastor is Rev. M. Kroenlein. The
dimensions of the house are 28 by 36 feet, and will
accommodate about one hundred and seventy five
persons with seats.
CHURCH OF GOD.
A Church
of this name, more generally known as Winebrenarian,
was organized in Vermillion Township, in1835, with
about twenty members. Rev. Thomas
Hickernell and Rev. Jacob Keller were the
first pastors. Michael Stevens and
Archibald McGrew were the first elders.
The church building is near the east line of
Vermillion Township. Its dimensions are 30 by
40 feet, and will accommodate a congregation of
three hundred and fifty. The membership now
amounts to eighty. Rev. L. B. Hertman
is the present pastor; Benjamin Roller,
elder, and Abraham Stevens, deacon.
REMINISCENCES OF
THE PIONEERS OF
VERMILLION TOWNSHIP.
HENRY ANDRESS,
an emigrant from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, removed with
his family to Montgomery Township, in September, 1826. He
is now a resident of Vermillion. As incidents of public
importance which occurred within his knowledge are related by
others, his reminiscences are omitted.
STERLING G.
BUSHNELL immigrated to the farm now occupied
by his son Thomas, one mile east of
Hayesville, May 20, 1821. The family of sons
and daughters then consisted of William, Sedelia,
Collins, Jotham, Huldah, Rosella, Homer, Olive,
and Thomas.
At this date (1821) the place now occupied by the
original town of Hayesville was an entire
wilderness, without a dwelling or family.
Linus Hayes dwelt in a log cabin on the site now
occupied by his widow on the main street, and which
was subsequently embraced in addition to the town.
About 1823 or 1824 a very small cabin and
blacksmith-shop were erected on the lot now owned by
Dr. Armstrong, on the northwest corner of the
principal streets. These buildings (if they
could be dignified with the name) were the first
erected within what was the original town. The
first building in which goods were sold was upon the
same lot, erected by Mr. John Cox, who filled
it with the first stock of goods that were brought
to the town.
The first wheat, within the recollection of Mr.
Bushnell, offered for cash, was about 1822 or
1823, at the mill built by Lake and
Bentley, and at the time referred to owned by
Lake and Larwill, and which mill was
better known in recent times as Goudy's mill,
in the southeast part of Vermillion Township.
One hundred bushels were offered on this occasion
for twenty-five dollars, but Mr. Bushnell is
not positive whether the offer was accepted.
First Sale of
Lots in Hayesville. Power of Whisky.
The
original proprietors of the town of Hayesville were
Rev. John Cox and Linus Hayes.
As the Loudonville and Ashland, and Wooster and
Mansfield roads crossed at this point, Mr. Cox
concluded that it might be the site of a future
town. He accordingly gave notice of a sale of
lots, and on the day named a considerable number
assembled to attend the sale. The business
opened in the forenoon, and the auctioneer, John
Shriver, expended his "yelloquence" in vain on
the advantages offered, for no bids whatever could
be obtained. At noon Mr. Cox despaired
of being a founder of a town in this locality, and
offered his whole farm for three hundred dollars.
Even this offer, however, he could persuade no one
to accept.
In this extremity some one suggested that whisky
possessed a virtue in these matters which might
insure better success. A jug of that beverage
was therefore obtained, a quantity of poke
berries placed in it, and, under the name of
"CHERRY BOUNCE," offered the crowd, who partook of
it freely. After a little "things worked," the
services of John Shriver was dispensed with,
and T. J. Bull, of Loudonville, mounted a
chestnut stump which stood about the place now
occupied by the town fountain, where the principal
streets cross, and again offered the fist lots in
the embryo town of Hayesville. After a little
effort the first lot (the one now occupied by
Armentrout & Son) was sold to David Richmond
(a shoemaker) for seventy-five dollars. At the
close of the day a mere fraction of the land, which
at noon he had offered for three hundred dollars,
had been sold for more than twice that amount.
Great is whisky, and great are sometimes its
conquests.
Mr. Sterling G. Bushnell died in August, 1847, aged
seventy-six years. His widow now resides with
her son Thomas upon the old homestead.
William is
a resident of Mansfield, a well-known physician of
that city, and has represented very creditably his
county in the General Assembly of Ohio.
Sedelia is the wife of James Conley, and
with their family are residing in Iowa.
Collins died in Louisiana in 1832.
Jotham was drowned in Conoma River, Westmoreland
County, Pennsylvania, June, 1837, where he was
buried, and in 1860 his body was exhumed and
transferred to the cemetery at Mansfield.
Huldah is the wife of Stephen Tannar, a
resident of Wayne County. Rosella is
the wife of J. W. Sloan, and resides in
Lexington, Richland County. Homer died
in Mercer County in 1855. Olive is the
wife of Dr. David Snively, who reside
at Xenia, Ohio.
Thomas, to whom we are indebted for this sketch,
resides, as before remarked, on the old homestead
near Hayesville.
Persuit of
Whisky under Difficulties.
When
Dr. William Bushnell, now of Mansfield, was a
boy in Vermillion Township, is father was about to
raise a log barn, an enterprise which, in those
days, could not be accomplished without the
persuasive power of whisky. They had heard of
a new still-house near Uniontown, (Ashland,) and to
this place the doctor was sent. His way led
through the pathless forest. He was upon
horseback, and under him was a bag, in one end a jug
and in the other a stone to balance. He
succeeded, after much tribulation, in making his way
to the distillery, but on his return became lost
after night had closed in upon him, and he was
compelled to lay out and submit to the unbidden
music of the wolves, whose howls were incessant
throughout the night. About ten o'clock on the
day after his departure on his errand, he appeared
before the thirsty laborers, and soon was enabled to
appease their wrath and their thirst.
REV. JOHN COX removed from Somerset
County, Pennsylvania, to the land upon which is now
situated the town of Hayesville, in May, 1823.
He purchased of a Mr. Hensh about seventy
acres of Virginia Military School land, paying said
Hensh one hundred and twenty dollars for his
quit claim, and assuming to pay the State two
dollars per acre, making the whole cost of his
seventy acres two hundred and sixty dollars.
Upon this track there was about three acres cleared
on the northeast corner, and within what is now the
center of the town there were two cabins, one of
which stood near the spot of his present residence
in Hayesville, and the other upon the lot now owned
by Armentrout & Son.
The town of Hayesville was laid out in the fall of
1830, and the town plat recorded in Mansfield, Oct.
26, 1830. The first public sale of lots
occurred on the 18th of November of the same year.
The First
Post-Office.
The
post-office at Hay's X-Roads was established Jan.
18, 1827, and Mr. Cox appointed postmaster.
This office he held until July 1, 1841, when, for
political reasons alone, which then existed, but do
not now, he was removed, and Mr. D. K. Hull
appointed in his place. When the post-office
was established, it was supplied several
years by a weekly mail carried on horseback by
John Willson.
JOSEPH
DUNCAN removed from Stark County, Ohio, to
the land he now holds in Vermillion Township, being
the southwest quarter of section 36, in the spring
of 1824. He had entered this land and made
some improvements upon it two years prior to this
date. When he removed to his place his
family consisted of his wife, daughter Eliza,
and son John. His immediate neighbors,
and who occupied adjoining lands, were William
Black and George Marshall, both having
since deceased.
JOHN FARVER immigrated to
Vermillion Township, with his wife and two children,
on the 29th of April, 1817, and commenced
improvement on his present farm, being the west half
of the northeast quarter of section 2. Mr.
Farver's whole moneyed resources, when he
settled in the county, amounted to twelve dollars.
His first stock of corn was purchased on Owl Creek
at fifty cents per bushel. Four days were
occupied in the journey to and from Owl Creek, and a
team of three horses labored hard to drag fifteen
bushels of corn over the roads in their then
condition.
His first crop of wheat, raised in 1817, he commenced
harvesting on the twentieth of August. The
wheat was none too ripe. Corn, pumpkins, and
all other crops were proportionately late.
Mr. Farver has this day (14th of July, 1862,)
reached his seventy-sixth birthday, and enjoys
moderate health.
ROBERT FINLEY - The
family of this gentleman was the second that located
in Vermillion Township. In the early part of
April, 1811, he established himself upon the
northeast quarter of section 12, said land being now
owned by Alexander Nelson, Adam Baum, and
Thomas Crone. The family of George
Eckley had preceded that of Mr. Finley to
the township only about two weeks. Mr.
Finley died upon the farm above mentioned on the
4th of July, 1825, at the age of sixty-five.
Eli, (son of the above named), now the oldest
resident of Vermillion, (and whose marriage was the
second that was solemnized in the township,) is the
only surviving member of his father's family.
WILLIAM HARPER,
an emigrant from Jefferson County, Ohio, entered the
southwest quarter of section 10, township 21
(Vermillion,) in June, 1815. The residents of
the township at that date were Samuel Bolter,
George Ackley, Jonathan Palmer, Robert Finley,
William Black, George McClure,,,,,,,,, Samuel Hunt,
and James Walters, (the latter acting as
justice of the peace.)
The names of the sons and daughters of William
Harper, were John Nancy, Henry, Mary, Sarah,
Sophia, and Elizabeth.
The nearest mill at this time was Shrimplin's,
on Owl Creek. The trip occupied from four to
six days, and was made with four horses and a wagon,
which would carry from forty-to fifty bushels.
There was no wheat raised or for sale in the county at
this time. Corn would bring eighty and one
hundred cents. The animal food was principally
venison and other wild game. About 1819 and
1820 the county began to raise a surplus of
agricultural products, and from this time forward
the completion of the Ohio Canal, produce would
hardly bear transportation to the market, (which was
then Sandusky City.) Mr. Harper on one
occasion took a load of flour to market and
exchanged his flour for salt, giving two barrels of
flour and half a dollar in cash for each barrel of
salt. The first substantial encouragement
given the farming and industrial interests was the
market afforded by the completion of the Ohio Canal
to Massillon; but the construction of the ship canal
from the mouth of Huron River to Milan made a yet
better market than Massillon, and effected a change
in the course of trade. The railroad system,
however, greatly injured Massillon, and almost
destroyed its trade.
William was killed by the running away of his
team near Plymouth, Ohio, about 1831. John
now occupies the old homestead. Nancy
is the wife of Joseph Sheets. Mary
is the wife of Joseph Strickland - all
residents of Vermillion Township. Henry resides
in Medina County, Ohio. Sarah is the
wife of John Cole, and resides in
Indiana. Sophia is the wife of John
Hall, of Vermillion Township; and Elizabeth
married Charles Reed, and resides in
Michigan.
RICHARD JACKMAN
emigrated from Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1823,
having, in 1816, visited the county and entered, at
the office in Canton, the southwest quarter of
section 23, Vermillion Township, upon which he now
resides. When he arrived here his family
consisted of his wife and his daughter, Matilda
W.
WILLIAM KARNAHAN
emigrated from Jefferson County, Ohio, April 16,
1815, with his family, consisting of his wife, his
son Robert M., and daughter Eliza A.
Mr. Karnahan died upon the place he originally
selected for his home, being the southeast quarter
of section 23, Vermillion Township, on the 24th of
September, 1852, aged sixty-three years.
The country at this date was very sparsely settled -
his nearest neighbor being Mr. Emerine,
located one and a half miles distant. About
this distance from where he erected his cabin, on
the farm now owned by Mr. Stoufer, a den of
rattlesnakes was discovered, near the entrance to
which as many as twenty-five were killed in a single
day. At another den, on or near the farm now
owned by Robert Cowen, as many as
seventy-five of these reptiles were killed in a
single day. On one occasion the family were
assailed by a panther, who approached the house on
an evening within a few rods, and only disappeared
after the family had secured the doors and windows
of their cabin, and kindled a brilliant fire.
GEORGE MARSHALL
immigrated to Vermillion Township, and
purchased of James Lawhead the land upon
which a part of his family now reside, in April,
1822. He emigrated from Pennsylvania, with his
wife - all his children having been born in
Vermillion Township. Mr. Marshall died
on the 6th of January, 1852, in his fifty-third
year.
ANDREW NEWMAN
removed to Vermillion Township in the fall of the
year 1825, and purchased of Samuel McBride
the farm upon which was afterward the site of
Newman's mill - being the same property now
owned by Joseph Boyd. At this date his
family consisted of his wife and two sons, namely,
William, and James H.
Mr. Newman subsequently purchased a farm on the
south line of Vermillion Township[, where he died on
the 20th of January, 1861, at the age of
eighty-three years.
He had immigrated to Richland County in the year 1806,
and during the war of 1812 resided about three and a
half miles southwest of Petersburg, Mifflin
Township, on the Rocky Fork.
The Indian
Murders on the Black Fork.
When these occurred, Mr. Newman was engaged
in the building of a sawmill on the Rocky Fork,
about three miles distant from the scene of the
tragedy. He always maintained that the
romantic accounts of these bloody transactions
heretofore published were inaccurate. Being
familiar with the contemporaneous accounts, it is
reasonable to infer that his impressions are
correct.
JONATHAN PALMER,
while a resident of Jefferson County, Ohio, made a
visit to Vermillion Township, in September, 1810,
and entered two quarters - one being the northeast
of section 12, (now owned by Thomas Boyd,)
and the other being the farm now owned by George
Buchanan, Esq. On this visit, he was
accompanied by his eldest son Ephraim.
Having made the entries described, he returned home,
where he continued until the spring of 1811, when he
revisited the tract first named and commenced
improvements, in which work he was aided by a
portion of his family - two sons and a daughter.
During the season a cabin house was erected, and
three acres cleared and planted in corn. Hewn
logs for a building were also prepared - being the
first effort toward such a substantial improvement
that had been made in Vermillion or any of the
adjoining townships. It had been the intention
to send for the remainder of the family in the fall
of this year; but the unsettled relations with the
British and Indians changed the plan, and the family
reunited in Jefferson County, where the remained
until September, 1814, when, notwithstanding war yet
existed, the whole family removed and made a
permanent settlement upon their land.
Families in
Vermillion Township in 1814.
The
heads of families at this time residing in
Vermillion Township were, in addition to his own,
Robert Finley, Lemuel Boulter, Samuel Hutchings,
William Black, George Eckley, and Daniel
HArlan. Of those named none now survive.
Mr. Palmer died Dec. 24, 1816, leaving a widow
and ten children.
Remarkable
Presentment and Coincidence.
MR. JAMES PALMER (now a
resident of the southwest corner of Perry Township,
and who was the fourth son of the gentleman whose
decease is above noticed, and who also communicates
these facts) mentions a singular instance attending
the death of an uncle, Nathaniel Palmer,
which occurred in 1815. When he parted with is
family, this gentleman, although in good physical
health and in the vigor of manhood, mentioned to
them a presentment that he would not live to meet
them again. He, however, came to the country,
and entered land in Green Township; and while on a
visit at the house of his brother, was taken ill of
fever - and on the evening of the ninth day, after
having been pronounced by his physician
convalescent, turned his face to the wall, and,
within three minutes after having made this
movement, breathed his last. A messenger was
immediately dispatched to communicate intelligence
of the death of his family. On reaching
Canton, he met a messenger from Jefferson County
charged with the sad duty of communicating to the
husband the death of the wife! It appeared
that their deaths had occurred the very same hour.
Climate,
Seasons, etc.
There
was less of the winter; and the spring, summer, and
fall seasons, Mr. Palmer says, were longer
than now - the weather more stable, and vegetation
had a ranker growth. The appearance of the
country in its wilderness condition is described by
him as more beautiful and attractive than any he had
ever seen. The axe and plow, while they have
been useful agents in developing the wealth, have
marred the features of the country. It was
arrayed in its most attractive form during the
months of May and June, when the hills, covered with
their giant oaks in full livery, and undergrowth of
sedge, rich weeds, and pea-vine, presented an
appearance of wild beauty, which generations of
subsequent cultivation and artificial adornment
cannot improve to the eye.
Churches, etc.
Not
until several years after Mr. Palmer came to
the country, was there any church building in the
township. The first clergymen were
Presbyterian missionaries, who, in traveling to and
from their missions among the Senecas and Wyandots,
made it a practice for many years to preach at the
house of Mr. Palmer and others. The
first church building erected in the township stood
upon land now owned erected in the township stood
upon land now owned by Joseph Boyd, and
occupied the place near where Mr. Boyd's mill
now stands. It was a very large building for
the time - belonged to the Methodist denomination -
was made of unhewn logs, and erected in about 1818.
To aid in raising the building, persons came from
Mansfield and other places equally distant.
When Quarterly Meetings were held in this building,
they were generally attended by people from a great
distance. So utterly unable were residents of
the neighborhood to entertain their friends from
abroad, that the latter would often bring with them
their supplies of food, cooking utensils,
bed-clothing, etc., and during the intervals when
the church was not used for divine service, the
capacious wooden fireplace would be used by the
women, cooking food for themselves and families - in
fact, converting the building into one for eating
and lodging, as well as for religious purposes.
The necessity was the result, not of any want of
hospitality, but of the absence of food and house
room existing in the vicinity.
The First Burial
Ground.
This adjoined the church above described - the
bodies of such as had previously died in Vermillion
having been buried in Green Township, near
Perrysville. The first interment was the body
of Mr. Mannan, an old gentleman upwards of
ninety years of age. The second was the body
of Joseph Lake, Sr., about the same age, and
said to have been, at the time of this decease, the
oldest member of the Methodist Church within the
State of Ohio.
Physicians.
When
Mr. Palmer's father came here there were none,
within his knowledge, in the county - not even at
Mansfield or Wooster; and the sight of a physician
to the people then residing here would be as great a
curiosity as a wild Indian among the present
generation. Their course, wholesome food, and
active lives secured the health of the inhabitants,
and obviated the necessity for physicians.
Jeromeville.
This town was laid out by Vaughan and
Deardoff of Tuscarawas County. The first
merchants were Lake & Larwill, who conducted
business from 1817 until 1821 or 1822.
Jerome and his family were the only inhabitants
of the town when its plat was surveyed.
BAPTISTE JEROME.
After he removed from Jeromeville, Mr. Jerome
and Mr. Palmer were neighbors - the former
being some three years and owner and occupant of the
farm upon which was afterward the mill of Constance
Lake, now better known as "Goudy's Mill." He
represents Mr. Jerome as a well-informed
quiet, and orderly man.
GILBERT PURDY,
an emigrant from New York, in 1817 bought the west
half of the eighty acres of George McClue,
now owned by John Scott, Sr., and adjoining
John Harper's on the south. At the time
of his removal his family consisted of Peter M.,
Henry, Sarah, Cornelia, and Gennett.
The latter married the widow of Starling G.
Bushnell.
WILLIAM
REED entered the land he now occupies in
Vermillion Township in the year 1811, and removed
his family upon it April 14, 1814. He was
originally from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Reed enlisted in the military service
during the first year of the war with Great Britain
in 1812, and served until 1814, when, from
disability, he obtained a furlough-from his captain
(Jack) at Mansfield, and continuing physically
unable, he did not return to the service.
Mr. Reed was eighty years of age 11th June,
1862.
When he removed to his land, (southeast quarter section
5,) it was a wilderness; his nearest neighbors -
except the families of George, William, and
Thomas Hughes, and John Howard - were
five miles distant.
WILLIAM RYLAND
emigrated from Bedford County, Pennsylvania, and
entered at the land-office at Canton the farm upon
which he now lives, in the autumn of 1815. His
family then consisted of his wife and one daughter,
Mary Ann, who is now the widow of Jonathan
Black. Among his neighbors were Robert
Jackman, who lived upon the farm now occupied by
Archibald Gillis; Lemuel Boulter, the only
occupant of the land upon which the flourishing town
of Hayesville now stands; John Vangilderb,
who then resided upon the same place he now
occupies; John McCrory, who lived upon the
land now occupied by his descendants; Joseph
Workman, who is now a resident of another
portion of the township from that in which he at
first resided; Ephrain Eckley, for an
number of years justice of the peace,) and who
resided upon the farm now owned by Abraham
Johnson; George McClure, who lived upon the land
in section 10 now owned by John Scott, Sr.;
and William Karnahan, who resided upon the
southeast quarter of section 23.
Joseph Lake, at this date, was the only resident
of Jeromeville. He was the owner of a small
stock of goods. The block-house occupied
during the war was yet standing, but was only used
occasionally for religious meetings.
Lemuel Boulter sold his interest in the land
upon which Hayesville was subsequently built to
Linus Hayes. Mr. Cox's purchase was of
John Hersh - the lands being in the Virginia
Military Land District.
JOHN SCOTT
immigrated to Vermillion Township 22d March, 1819,
having purchased two hundred and twenty acres on the
west line of the township (being the farm upon which
Joshua Campbell now resides) some three years
previous.
On the 7th January, 1831, Mr. Scott opened the
first stock of goods ever offered at Hayes X-Roads.
The first charge upon his day=book under that date
reads thus: -
STEPHEN SMITH.
Dr.
To 19½ lbs. iron @
9 c. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. $1 74
" 3
" tobacco @ 12½
. .
. .
. .
. .
. 37½
His first lot of goods were placed in a log cabin
which stood upon the lot now owned by Dr.
Armstrong. During the same year, however,
he erected the substantial buildings which now
occupy the lot.
In July, 1832, MR. Scott formed a
partnership with Daniel Porter, of
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in the goods
trade; which partnership was formed for the term of
eighteen months, each investing in cash capital of
$2500. At the close of the partnership they
discovered that they had duplicated their capital.
Much of their business, however, was dealing in
stock, from which a considerable amount of profits
were derived.
As evidence of the integrity of his customers at that
time, Mr. Scott says that, during the first
four years of his business life in Hayesville, he
has no recollection of having lost a dollar by bad
debts. With reference to girls who supported
themselves by weekly wages, he generally gave credit
when it was asked, and the money was always promptly
paid according to promise.
In 1840 Mr. Scott sold to Jacob Kinnaman
the "Armstrong corner," and purchased of
Francis Graham, of Ashland, the brick building
upon the opposite corner. Here he continued
business until June, 1846, when he disposed of his
stock of goods to Messrs. Cox & Higbee, and
retired from the business.
In September, 1857, John and W. W. Scott resumed
business at the old stand vacated by the former in
1846, and where they yet continue.
An Episode under
the old law of Imprisonment for Debt.
The
rigors and injustice of his law were occasionally
relieved by incidents of humor. Among the
latter was a case that occurred at Hayesville in the
"early times." A very dashing young man,
claiming the ownership of a fast horse, and sporting
the first gold watch that had probably ever appeared
in the township, sought and obtained credit of a
merchant in Hayesville to the amount of about forty
dollars, for which indebtedness he was in due time
sued; and in default of goods whereon to levy, an
execution issued for his body. Under that law,
if the judgment-debtor gave bail he was released
from prison, and became entitled to the
"jail-bounds," which comprehended the limits of the
county; but the law confined him strictly within
such boundaries, and if he placed his foot over the
line his bond would become forfeited. The
defendant had procured the necessary bail, and,
within the territory of Richland County, his
movements were as untrammeled as those of his
creditor. A party of wags, of which
Hayesville, in those days, always had "a quorum,"
disliking the lofty "style" and fraudulent practices
of said debtor, originated a scheme by which to
entrap him, and which, having stated the premises,
will be understood by the reader as we narrate it.
Thomas Stringer and David Potts,
(brothers-in-law, fast friends, and notorious lovers
of fun,) whose "heads had been together: on this
case, obtained sight of their victim standing near a
public place, and forthwith made for his vicinity,
in earnest dispute about the trotting qualities of
the horses of which they were the respective owners.
As they approached their intended victim, their
dispute waxed more fierce, and the young man at once
enlisted in the broil, and "mixed in." A wager
was agreed upon, and the money staked. Judges
were also selected, one of whom *happened to
be the debtor; and the ground selected happened
to be on the Mansfield and Wooster Road - the
eastern terminus also happening to be a few
rods east of the county line.
The arrangements being completed, the contestants
for the wager, which astride his own horse, followed
by the judges at a certain distance, were soon upon
the ground and absorbed in the exciting race.
One of the parties to the sham bet, (Mr. Potts,)
a regular Falstaff in physical contour, of about
two hundred and twenty pounds avoirdupois, appeared
rather "much" for his horse, which would
occasionally "break," when, by the rules of the
race, he would be compelled to turn the animal
completely around, thus losing much precious "time."
Mr. Stringer, however, not being a remarkably
accomplished horseman, the beasts and their riders
reached the established goal about "neck and neck."
The point having been reached, Stringer and
Potts cast themselves from their horses, and
engaged in fierce crimination and recrimination,
each charging upon the other "foul play" in riding,
and throwing off their coats for the desperate
fight. The young judge, yet in full view of
the "deadly strife," but with his "associate judge,"
a short distance in the rear, put spurs to his
horse, and, with the least possible delay, placed
himself between the hostile parties with the humane
purpose of saving the useless effusion of blood! -
assuring the gentlemen, upon his "word of honor,"
that the matter should be determined by by a
scrupulous regard to the rules of racing. His
pacificatory eloquence prevailed, and the
belligerents meekly received the verdict of the
judges, and a happy reunion of broken ties was the
result.
After the return of the crowd to town, some one
incidentally remarked, in the hearing of the real
victim of the drama, that it was rather a remarkable
circumstance that Richland County did not afford
land enough upon which to have a trotting match, and
that it became necessary to use for that purpose
a part of Wayne County! Our hero
turned to Mr. Stringer and inquired whether
they had really passed the limits of Richland
County; whereupon Mr. Stringer forthwith
proceeded to make a very nice calculation of metes
and bounds, and after much deliberation arrived at
the amazing conclusion that the eastern stakes
would, sure enough, bring them within Wayne County!
The crowd, discovering the embarrassment of "young
gent," gave way to their feelings in an
irrepressible and prolonged roar of mirth. The
young financier became enraged - charged conspiracy,
and all manner of crimes - swore terribly, and the
more terribly he swore, louder and more wild became
the merriment of the crowd. Discovering, at
length, that the insurrection against him was too
extensive, he subsided, and with a forced pleasantry
consented to permit the affair to pass off as "a
good joke."
MICHAEL SIGLER
immigrated with his wife and four children to
Vermillion Township in November, 1820, and purchased
the eighty acres upon which Henry Helbert now
resides. He emigrated from Pennsylvania.
Prior to his purchase of this land, he had
contracted with Mr. Hersh for the land upon
which the major portion of Hayesville now stands;
but some trifling difference in regard to details
prevented the closing of the contract, and Rev.
Mr. Cox became the purchaser.
Mr. Sigler has resided the last twenty-seven
years in Lake Township.
STEPHEN SMITH
immigrated to Vermillion Township from Trumbull
County, Ohio, and purchased for his future home the
northwest quarter of section 33, Vermillion
Township, now occupied by his son, James B.
Smith. His family at this time consisted
of his wife, daughter Lydia, and son James
B. Mr. Smith died August 19, 1840, at the
age of fifty-one years, less a few days.
With the exceptions of John Johnston and
George Shriver, who occupied adjoining quarters,
among his nearest neighbors was Linus Hayes,
subsequently one of the proprietors of Hayesville.
The country was very sparsely settled, and the
little family would find their nights made hideous
by the howling of wolves, which would often approach
within a few rods of their house. Wild beasts
and reptiles abounded in the wilderness.
Rattlesnakes, some of them of immense size, were
also numerous.
JOSEPH STRICKLAND,
an emigrant from Jefferson County, Ohio - his native
State being New Jersey. He was the father of
Mahlon, Joseph, William S., and Amos
Strickland. Mr. Strickland died in Seneca
County, Ohio, about thirteen years ago, at the age
of eighty-six years. He served as a soldier in
the war of the American revolution.
JOSEPH WORKMAN,
an emigrant from Adams County, Pennsylvania, removed
with his family (consisting of his wife and four
children) to Vermillion Township in the fall of
1815. He entered the northwest quarter of
section 26; and also purchased, of John Baptiste
Jerome, the property in section 12, since known
as the Goudy Mill property. He subsequently
sold the last named tract to Constance Lake,
who erected upon it the first mill. In 1854,
he purchased the farm upon which he now resides -
being thirty acres in section 25. He is now in
his seventy-seventh year, and in vigorous mental and
bodily health.
First Justices
of the Peace.
When Mr. Workman came to the country the
territory of Vermillion and Montgomery were united
in one township, under the name of the former; and
Robert Newell and James Wallace were
the two justices of the peace. Mr. Workman
was elected in 1817,a nd was the successor of Mr.
Wallace.
Indian Neighbors
His
nearest neighbors were Johnnycake and his
squaw. He was a quiet, friendly neighbor, and
Mr. Workman took his first lessons in hunting
wild game of this Indian.
The First
School.
The first school taught in Vermillion Township was
in 1821, in a building which had previously been
used as a Baptist church. Its site was near
where the present school-house in Thomas
Bushnell's district stands, and the
school was taught by Miss Sedalia Bushnell.
Six years, therefore, had elapsed before Mr.
Workman's children had the privileges of any
other instruction than such as they received at
home.
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