CHAPTER XVIII.
Pg. 166

AUGUSTA TOWNSHIP
BOUNDARY - RAILROAD - VILLAGE OF AUGUSTA - VILLAGE OF WATHEYS
- PATTERSONVILLE - AUGUSTA STATION - POPULATION

     Augusta Township is situated on the northern line of Carroll County, with Stark County on the north, East Township on the east, Washington Township at the south and Brown Township on the west.  It is an excellent farming section and highly improved in many sections of its territory.  Its citizens have generally been of the sturdy, intelligent kind which always seeks to build up rather than pull down a community and its better interests.  The Lake Erie & Alliance Railroad runs from the northwest to the southeastern corners of the township, with station points at Augusta Station and Watheys.

THE PIONEER SETTLEMENT

     The history of the village at Augusta as well as the general chapter on the early settlement of Carroll County contains many of the names and incidents connected with the first settlement of this goodly portion of the county.  The township and county officials who have been elected from this township have proven well worthy of the trust imposed in them by the tax-payers.  The schools have been fully up to the standard of other townships in the county - see educational chapter.  The lodges, in the various villages, as well as the church denominations are all treated under special chapters for the whole county - see index.
     Vast has been the transformation in this part of Carroll County since its pioneer band first invaded its territory a century and more ago.  Then all was wild and uncultivated.  The forests were then giant trees, instead of openings, fields and a second growth of timber as seen today.  The ax man has had his time - the timber has been converted into lumber and then into many useful articles.  The land has been cultivated and three generations have made this their abiding place in peace and contentment.  Wars have come and gone - soldiers and grandsons have lived to enjoy what has cost the forefathers so much of hardship and in cases, life itself.

POPULATION.

     In 1890 Augusta Township had a population of 1,021; in 1900 it was 985, and in 1910 it was placed at only 866.

THE VILLAGE OF AUGUSTA

     The village of Augusta was platted in 1811 by Jacob Brown - see village plats elsewhere in this volume.  An account written of this

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place in 1890, states in substance that as early as 1809, came Jacob Brown and entered 320 acres of land where the village of Augusta now stands.  He built a log hut where the H. M. Shaw maple grove stands today.  In 1811 he laid out a portion of the village.  The latter part of that year he disposed of the first lot to Mr. Rigglesworth.  In 1812 Brown disposed of the remainder of his half section of land, selling to George P. S. Manful.  A new house was erected in 1813; the Pottotof Hotel was built in 1815.  These were the first buildings in Augusta.  In 1892 there were seventy buildings, besides the business houses, the first of which was a general store keeping in stock everything from a rag baby to a one-horse wagon.  This was conducted by one Moreledge.  In 1817, A. Hayes started a general store.  Manful Brothers held the chief trade until about 1834, when George Manful opened a second store in the village.  This was run until 1874 when it was sold to T. B. Culp.  In 1876 George Manful sold to Levi Marshall and he to Stephen Wilson.
     Augusta's first church was built in 1842, but services had been held in the schoolhouse previously, under the name of Bible Christians.  In 1881, the church was re-built.  The first preacher was Reverand Rigle, followed by Reverend Beaumont,  Reverends Strawn, Sloan,  Maxwell, Sprague, Hart, Moore and Dray.  In 1882 the Presbyterians built their first church in town, the members coming from Still Fork church.
     The first mill was built in 1851 - both saw and grist mill.  In 1875 a grist mill was erected by A. Cunningham.
     The first shoemaker was Dick Saunders.  The first tailor was William Manful.  The first tin shop was one whose name is not now recalled, in 1874.  The first drug store was by A. McLean in 1883.  The first clothing store was opened at Augusta, by Crawford & Gans in 1887.  The first grocery was by John Cook in 1885.  The first real hotel was opened by Stephen Manful and one by Chris Johnson in 1830.  The first postoffice was opened in 1828 with Mr. Clinton, who remained in office till 1851.  The first blacksmith's shop was run by Joe Gaston.  The earliest doctor was Dr. Blackledge.  Then came Doctors Westfall, Roach, Crawford, Laughlin and Reihl.  The first schoolhouse was built in 1833, re-built in 1853 and again in 1888.  Among the teachers were John Manful, McCormick, Wilson, Havat, Caskey, James Westfall and Thomas Westfall.
     There was a newspaper in Augusta forty odd years ago, known as the Augusta Gazette, long since suspended.  The Ohio Business Director in 1883 gave the following on this village:  Odd fellows, Masons and church activities and a population of 210 souls.  the business places included - harness shop - S. Ashbrook: dry goods - Ashbrook & Turnnipseed, also Crawford, Gans & Manful; hotel - Seth Ball; carpenter - Frank Bramon; saw mill - J. Crook & Son; flouring mills - Cunningham & Cyrus; hardware - L. Cunningham; boots and shoes - J. Gallagher; brother - Jonathan Harsh; blacksmith - J. E. Hess; wagon-maker - Thomas Jolley; physicians - F. M. Laughlin and J. B. Roach; tin ware - McCartney & Sheline; postmaster - Alexander McLean; drugs - Alexander McLean; nursery - H. M. Shaw & Co.; furniture - E. A. Sheckler; grocer - Lem Stockman.
     With the construction of the Lake Erie system of railroads passing through to the west of this village in the '80s, its trade was largely absorbed by other points, including Augusta Station and Watheys, so that many of the old time places of business at Augusta have been abandoned.