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Source:
History
of
Athens County, Ohio
And Incidentally
of the Ohio Land Company
and the First Settlement of the State at Marietta
with personal and biographical sketches of the early
settlers, narratives of pioneer adventures, etc.
By
Charles M. Walker
"Forsam et hæc olim
meminisse juvabit." - Virgil.
Publ. Cincinnati:
Robert Clarke & Co.
1869.
CHAPTER XVII.
Trimble Township
TRIMBLE township
was originally a part of Ames, from which it was stricken
off and separately organized in April, 1827. It lies
at the extreme northern limit of the county, on the waters
of Sunday creek, the main branch of which runs, somewhat
centrally, from north to south, through the township.
It was named after Governor Allen Trimble, one of the
early governors of Ohio.
The first settlement made in this township was by
Solomon Tuttle, Sen., in 1802. He, with his son,
Cyrus Tuttle, and his brother, Nial Tuttle,
all from Vermont, settled on the main creek. Soon after them
came Joseph McDaniel and William Morrow.
Mr. Bagley, with several sons, came from Vermont and
settled in 1820, on the west fork of the creek, below what
is now called Hartleyville. One of his sons,
William Bagley, being a clothier by trade, established a
pioneer factory for dressing cloth and, in connection with
it, a flour mill, the flour being bolted by hand. This
was the first mill in the township, and has been kept up,
with various improvements, ever since. It is now owned by
Mr. Perry Zimmerman. Samuel Bagley, a
tanner by trade, established the first tan yard in the
township, about the year 1820.
In 1822 a school was taught by Nancy Bagley, a
native of Vermont, near the forks of the creek. About
1824 a few families established a school of eight or ten
scholars, which was taught by John Morrow, in a log
school house without any floor. His compensation was
one dollar and fifty cents a week. The school house
was located on the creek between Solomon Tuttle's and
James Dew's. Among the few scholars in this
pioneer school was Mr. E. H. Moore, now president of
the First National bank in Athens, who also taught a
district school in the same place in 1832.
The Baptists, Methodists, and Christians, were the
first religious societies formed in the township, and
continue to be the leading organizations.
William Bagley's mill on the west fork of Sunday
creek was, as before stated, the first in the township.
In 1825 Jonathan Watkins built a mill at the village
first known as Oxford, but since called Trimble.
It was at first only a saw mill, but after two or three
years, a grist mill was connected with it. This mill
continued to be the principal one in the township till 1865,
when it was destroyed by fire.
The people of this township are chiefly engaged in
agriculture, and the lands are being rapidly improved.
Considerable attention is given to stock growing and to the
culture of tobacco. Coal of excellent quality, both
bituminous and cannel, exists here in large deposits, which,
as soon as it becomes accessible by branch railroads, now
projected, will command the attention of capitalists.
Iron ore of good quality is also found in various parts of
the township, and near to large deposits of good limestone.
Salt water of great strength, and thought by competent
judges to be equal to any in the Hockhocking valley, has
recently been found in abundance in a well bored for oil by
Mr. R. J. Arnold. This well is on the
Zanesville road near the northern line of the county.
It is a little over one thousand feet in depth. About
twenty-five years ago the Eggleston salt works on Green's
run, near the south line of the township, were operated
successfully. At that time this was esteemed a
valuable well, but for many years past it has not been used.
The center of population in the township is the village
of Trimble, situated on section 8. It has a post
office, two stores, three physicians, the requisite number
of mechanics, and a population of about two hundred.
The population of the township in 1830 was 190; in 1840
it was 762; in 1850 it was 924; in 1860 it was 1,112.
At the first election for township officers in 1827,
which was held at the house of William Bagley, James
Price, James Bosworth, and Jeremiah Cass were
judges of the election, and Samuel B. Johnson and
Cyrus Tuttle, clerk.Township Trustees.
| 1827 |
William Bagley,
|
James Bosworth, |
Solomon Newton. |
| 1828 |
Jeremiah Cass,
|
Elijah Alderman, |
" |
| 1829 |
Joseph McDonald |
James Price, |
" |
| 1830 |
David Eggleston, |
" |
" |
| 1831 |
Jonathan Watkins, |
" |
" |
| 1832 |
Wanting. |
|
|
| 1833 |
Elijah Alderman, |
Thomas Dew, |
John Ivers. |
| 1834 |
" |
Luther Mingus, |
Enoch Rutter |
| 1835 |
Wanting. |
|
|
| 1836 |
Solomon Newton, |
Andrew McKee, |
William Shaner. |
| 1837 |
Jonathan Watkins, |
" |
" |
| 1838 |
Solomon Newton, |
" |
Ebenezer Shaner |
| 1839 |
William McKee, |
" |
John Ivers. |
| 1840 |
Thos. L. Love, |
Andrew Rutter, |
Wanting |
| 1841 |
James Hage, |
W. J. Hartley, |
" |
| 1842 |
" |
John B. Johnson, |
" |
| 1843 |
" |
Isaac N. Joseph, |
William J. Hartley. |
| 1844 |
William McClellan, |
" |
" |
| 1845 |
Andrew McKee, |
Caleb Carter, |
Isaac Blackwood. |
| 1846 |
Wanting. |
|
|
| 1847 |
William McClellan, |
Andrwe Dew, |
J. D. Davis. |
| 1848 |
Andrew McKee, |
" |
" |
| 1849-50 |
William McClellan, |
" |
" |
| 1851 |
" |
William H. Peugh, |
S. T. Grow. |
| 1852 |
Wanting. |
|
|
| 1853 |
James Hage, |
John Ivers, |
Wanting. |
| 1854 |
Andrew Dew,
|
" |
William McClellan. |
| 1855 |
Wanting. |
|
|
| 1856 |
Joseph Allen, |
B. Worrell, |
Andrew Dew. |
| 1857 |
Benjamin Norris,
|
J. M. Johnson, |
" |
| 1858-59 |
William H. Peugh, |
William McClellan, |
S. P. Grow. |
| 1860-61 |
" |
" |
L. H. Rinehart. |
| 1862 |
" |
" |
Samuel Woodworth. |
| 1863 |
Samuel Banks, |
John Shaner, |
" |
| 1864 |
" |
John Gift, |
Dorsey McClellan. |
| 1865-66 |
Milton Monroe, |
" |
J. C. Lefever. |
| 1867 |
William H. Peugh, |
Isaac Blackwood, |
Lemuel Bethel. |
| 1868 |
Samuel Banks, |
J. M. Amos, |
Joseph Allen. |
Successive Justices of the Peace.
| 1827 - |
William Bagley |
| 1830 - |
James Price and Jeremiah Cass. |
| 1833 - |
Daniel Frazer and Samuel Mills. |
| 1834 - |
Emory Newton. |
| 1836 - |
Seth Pratt and Samuel Mills. |
| 1838 - |
Solomon Newton. |
| 1839 - |
Samuel Mills. |
| 1840 - |
David Allen. |
| 1841 - |
John Ivers. |
| 1842 - |
Morris Bryson. |
| 1844 - |
John Ivers. |
| 1845 - |
Morris Bryson. |
| 1847 - |
Isaac N. Joseph. |
| 1848 - |
George W. Roberts. |
| 1850 - |
Aquilla Norris and Benjamin Norris |
| 1851 - |
Benjamin Norris and George W.
Roberts. |
| 1853 - |
Alexander McClellan. |
| 1854 - |
William Biddison. |
| 1856 - |
Isaac N. Joseph |
| 1857 - |
John M. Johnson (resigned February 3, 1858). |
| 1858 - |
Morris Bryson. |
| 1859 - |
William H. Peugh. |
| 1861 - |
Morris Bryson. |
| 1862 - |
L. Bethel. |
| 1864 - |
William Biddison |
| 1865 - |
William Koons |
| 1867 - |
J. S. Dew. |
| 1868 - |
Samuel Banks. |
Personal and Biographical.
(FOR BIOGRAPHIES, CLICK HERE)
Jonathan Watkins, Sen.
Samuel Clark settled here about 1820
James Bosworth
Enos Barnes
Solomon Newton
James and Thomas Dew
James Price
John B. Johnson
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