Page 352¹ -352⁶

[Pg. 352²]
Bunker Hill and Reily to Indiana.  In the early days this was one of the popular routes to Cincinnati from the Indiana border.  An other road was the old Oxford post-road. leading from Lawrenceburg via Harrison, New Haven, Okeana, Reily to Oxford.  The mails were carried over this route every two weeks by a man on horseback. The county road from Oxford to Hamilton cut the northeast corner of the township, one fork taking the direction of Oxford from Stillwell’s corner, the other following the town ship line between Oxford and Reily town ships to the state line.
     In the early days milling was very important industry along Indian creek, which then furnished an abundance of power.  As early as 1808 Robert Denney built an under shot saw mill at Bunker Hill.  A grist mill was built by John Kinsey near the saw mill of Mr. Denney.  Later the mill passed into the hands of Obadiah Welliver and still later it was conducted by Elias Sayers.  About 1810 or 1812 David Dick built a grist mill near where the present mill structure is located in the town of Reily.  In 1830 Lewis Enyart came in possession of the mill property by purchase.  In 1855 he sold the mill to Sayers and Agnew.  Later the property passed into the possession of William J. Salmon who, in 1860, sold the mill and thirty-seven acres of land to J. P. Hidley and Thompson Gray.  Later Hidley became absolute owner and conducted the mill until his death a few years ago.  The mill had been repaired many times, and until recent years was very profitable.
     The first school house in the township was erected in 1809.  It was log house and stood in the valley near Bunker Hill.  A little later community of immigrants from

New Jersey settled north of Bunker Hill and school was opened. It was called Jerseytown, and the school district still retains the name.  In I8I6 a union school was opened in the northwest part of the township. Maxwell Parkerson, a settler who came from Virginia in 1806, donated two acres of land in the southeast corner of section 6, and the community built thereon a log school house which continued in use until about 1840.  The present brick building, in school district No. 3, is almost on the same site.  Some of the early teachers of this school were John Elliott, Robert Riggs, Alfred Chamberlain, Winson Lusk and John Ferguson.  The earliest church organization was the Indian Creek Baptist church.  It was organized in 1810 at the home of John Morris.  Occasional services in that neighbor hood had been held earlier.  After the church was organized services were conducted for short time at the Union school house, but in 1812 a log church building was erected on land purchased of Valentine Chase.  Three acres were purchased for nine dollars and portion of it was set apart for grave-yard purposes.  The church, which was organized with twenty-two members, grew very rapidly under the preaching of Elder Tyner, the first pastor, who preached in this vicinity as early as 1809.  The membership increased about one hundred in a period of eighteen months.  Other early pastors of the church were Elders Thomas, Thompson and Sparks, and those in later years were Benjamin Martin, Samuel Billings, Moses Hornaday, Judas Shirk, Daniel Briant, Joseph Flinn, John Brady, Jonas Roberson and Abraham Thurston. In 1830 the old hewed log house was torn down, and

[Pg. 352³]
a brick structure, thirty by fifty feet, erected. In 1860 the church was abandoned for regular services and the Reily Village Baptist church was established and a frame church building erected. The society in recent years has dwindled to a few members, though it holds regular monthly services.
     The Washington Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1819 by Russel Biglow at his residence in Morgan township.  For several years the church members worshiped at the home of Mr. Biglow, but later services were held in the log school house in St. Charles, just west of where the present church building is located.  In 1834 Washington chapel was erected on ground donated by Matthew Moorehead.  The building was constructed of brick and stood about half mile east of the present church on the opposite side of the road.  Rev. Benjamin Lawrence was one of the pioneer preachers, and after his death, which occurred September 7, 1855, his remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at St. Charles.  Another of the early preachers was Rev. Aaron Powers, who afterward became Mormon elder.  During the Civil war the church was neglected and became very much out of repair, but in 1868 it received attention, and was replastered and repainted.  In 1886 a handsome new church edifice was built adjoining the cemetery in St. Charles. The lot on which it stands was donated by Samuel Fye.  Rev. Dr. Joyce, now Bishop Joyce, preached the dedicatory sermon. The Washington charge is one of the most prosperous on the Venice circuit.
     The Walker Chapel Methodist Episcopal church was organized about 1830.  Services were held in the neighborhood by the Methodists as early as 1818 at the home of George Allhands.  Dr. Andrew King and James Stephens were the principal originators of the society.  About the time the church was organized it received a lot adjoining the one on which the school house, in district No. 3, stands for church purposes.  Until 1845 the society worshiped in the school house, when the lot belonging to the church was sold and the proceeds applied in payment of the lot on which the chapel now stands.  This lot, including the graveyard adjoining, was purchased of James Stephens. The church was erected in 1845 and was dedicated by Rev. George W. Walker, for whom the chapel was named.  In 1895 the old church was torn down and a new one built. The Walker charge is connected with Union, at McGonigles.  Among its pastors in recent years have been Revs. Shannon, Shively, Hershey, Stabler and Dyer.
     The Bunker Hill Universalist church was organized in 1845 or 1846.  The land on which the church stands, as well as where the graveyard is, was donated by Alexander Deneen.  The church edifice was built in I857.  Prior to the building of the church, the congregation worshiped in a school house that stood at the foot of the hill near the present residence of County Commissioner Jacob Conrad.  The Universalists were formerly quite numerous at Bunker Hill. but in recent years many of them have died or moved away and of late regular services have not been held.
     The Reily Presbyterian church was organized in April, 1836, with thirty-six members.  Its organizers were originally members of Bethel church near Millville.  The membership of the church now numbers about a hundred.  The house of worship,

[Pg. 352⁴]
which is brick structure, was built in 1840.  The church has been remodeled several times, and though an old building, it still affords very comfortable accommodations for the society.  Among the pastors have been Revs. Gilland, Weaver, Howell, Hughes, Raymond, DeLamater, Green, Engstrom, Grandstaff, Olmstead, Raber, Hale and Scott.

REILY

     The principal village, Reily, has population of about three hundred.  It was laid out by Pierson Conklin, Joseph M. Conklin and Samuel Gray, October 25, 1848.  Years before the town was platted it was place of considerable importance to the township, for here the people did their trading, cast their votes and received their mail. Reily was postoffice as early as 1825.  The town in those days stood on the east side of Indian creek in section 5.  Now it is mostly in sections 21 and 22.  The early settlers and land owners hereabouts were Lewis Enyart and Thomas Burke.  One of the first settlers in Reily was Mr. Boyer, who was furnituremaker by trade.  About 1812 David Dick built grist mill, and later added carding mill.  Ferdinand Everhardt was wagonmaker here as early as I837.  The residence of S. P. Riker was originally Mr. Everhardt’s shop. Felix Conklin con ducted tannery near the west end of the village from 1833 for several years.  He was succeeded by John Watkins. Elias Gaston located here in 1833, and afterwards engaged in the mercantile business.  His brother, A. L. Gaston, was the first store keeper.  His store stood on the east side of Indian creek, one hundred yards above the mill.  Later Moses Burk conducted a store in the room vacated by Gaston.  In 1835 A. L. Gaston built the store house which stood near the residence of Samuel Gray and which was subsequently removed to another part of the Gray lot, and converted into carriage house.  After A. L. Gaston came Elias Gaston, Samuel Gray, Amos Smith and Arthur Gray, all of whom kept store in this building.  In 1838-43 A. G. Smith kept store on the site of the Hosfield tavern.  Later Gaston, Pierson and Clark were store keepers here and were succeeded by Gaston and T. B. Smith.  The merchants, after 1880, were John A. Lesley, King Carson and Nelson Urmston and still later Charles Wagner,  Duncan Hidley and O. W. Dyer.  Those engaged at present in the store business are H. L. Roll. who located here about 1887, Hiram Heard and Charles Bess.  M. B. and F. P. Applegate were wagon and carriage manufacturers here as early as 1849.  Later Wm. Lutz and S. P. Riker came.  The latter now does repair work only, and devotes his attention chiefly to the undertaking business, in which he is associated with his son.  Riker Son undertakers, have an extensive patronage in this locality.
     The first tavern keeper here was James Larison, who was succeeded by Samuel Davis, who kept tavern in the house occupied by the late Henry Schwarm.  Later tavern keepers were T. B. Smith, John W. Fiske, John Duigfelder, W. O. Pierson, Charles Silverlake and Frederick Hosfield.
     Mr. Barrot worked at the saddlery trade here in 1840.  Later Thomas Smith and John Luich came.  L. C. Addison kept harness shop here from 1847 to 1899.  John Becker now works at the trade.
     One of the earliest blacksmiths was

[Pg. 352⁵]
John Miller, who came in 1830.  Samuel Davis located here in 1835.  James Bridge came in 1840, and Thompson Gray in 1843.  Later blacksmiths have been Hugh Roll, Milton Sasher, Elmore Gray, George Huber, William Huber and Harry Grissom.  The first school house in this vicinity stood near the residence of Elias Ross, and west of the pike leading to Riofrio.  This house was built about 1810.  In 1839 brick school house was built on the site of the township house.  In 1860 an addition was made to it.  Some of the teachers who taught here were Captain Mustin, Thomas Lawrence, C. Snow, William Salmon. Alexander King, Dr. J. M. Trembly, F. A. Coleman, Emily O. Cumback. Lucretia Jones, D. Bassett. William Gwaltney, John R. Clark and James T. Bartlow.  In 1877 new school house was erected at cost of $3,000 on an acre lot purchased of Samuel Gray.  The house, which is two—story brick structure. is still in use.

BUNKER HILL.

     Bunker Hill was never platted, but it has been a postoffice since 1852, except for a period of a few years before 1876, when the office was abandoned.  Stores have been opened here at various times, but have never proven profitable.  In the4 early settlement of the township several mills were operated in this vicinity.  The place is notable as the birth-place of "Lucky" Baldwin, the California multi-millionaire.

WOODS' STATION

     Woods' Station is a small village near the northeast corner of the township.  It is a station on the C., H., I. division of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad, and was named after John Woods the first president of the railroad.  The land on which the station stands was originally settled by Jonathan Jones.  The railroad was built in 1858, and the town dates from that time.  The first citizen was Hiram Pierson.  L. D. Hancock  was the first store keeper.  Others who have kept store here are Hiram Pierson, Taylor Salisbury, Silas Baldwin, Charles Urmston, Ed Simpson and George Gardner.  The latter has been located here as station agent and store keeper for over thirty years.

ST. CHARLES

     St. Charles, in recent years, has lost much of its importance as a village.  The older inhabitants have nearly all died or moved away.  There is a church, school and postoffice located here.  The town was named after Charles Stewart, an early and a pious resident of the community.

PEORIA

     Peoria is small village located three miles west of Reily on the state line between Ohio and Indiana.  The early settlers here abouts were named Armstrong, Applegate, Anthony, Baird, Smith, Fort, Wood, Lackey, Luse, Reese, Conn, Matthews, Montgomery, Heard and McClellan.  The town was organized about sixty-five or seventy years ago.  It was originally called Ingleside, and was formerly the seat of famous school, or academy, founded by Prof. Wm. Rust in the early ’fifties.  Early store keepers were James Fye and George Boyd.  Later W. R. Jenkins conducted store here for nearly quarter of century.  John Smith carried on wagonmaking here before and after the Civil war.  Blacksmiths who worked here

[Pg. 352⁶]
were Thomas Applegate, James Rowe, Henry Spangler, John Addison, Sidney Pyle, Knoles Barbin and others.  The town now has store, postoffice and hotel on the Indiana side, and blacksmith shop, saw mill and grain elevator on the Ohio side.  The Chicago, Cincinnati Louisville Rail road maintains telegraph station here, and much grain and live stock are shipped to market from this point.

NEWKIRK.

      Newkirk is a station and shipping point on the Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad, located in section 32, but has not attained to much importance.