In the presentation of the fragmentary sketches contained in the preceding chapters, I owe it to myself to make some additional explanations of the motives that actuated me, in a seeming departure from the programme of the "Western Ohio Pioneer Association," in locating scenes of pioneer life in sections of the State outside of Champaign and Logan Counties.  And they in part consist - because my most early experience antecedes, and as elsewhere intimated, connects itself with the scenes which followed my early settlement in Champaign County in the year 1811.  Pioneer life in all its general relationships is so uniformly the same, that all its general features are as applicable to one locality as another; and therefore all those generalities of which I have treated, such as hardships endured, dangers encountered, difficulties met and overcome, including all those manifestations of generosity, equality, and sympathetic mutual kindnesses, that have been portrayed as traits of character in the early settlement of the Eastern part of the State, are to the letter, applicable to the first settlers of Champaign and Logan Counties, and as a beginning point may be transferred to the latter locality.
     As already said, my father arrived in Urbana, Aug. 9th, 1811, and rented of Benjamin Doolittle a double cabin, then standing on lot No. 175, on what is now East Court St., opposite the First Baptist Church, and near the present residence of Mrs. Keller.
     At this point I will attempt a pencil sketch of all the habitations of the old settlers at the date here indicated, and in order to do so more understandingly will promise the remark, that the original plat of Urgana at that day, consisted of 212, in lots 6 rods in front, abutting streets running back ten rods; four fractional lots around the Public Square six rods square; and two tiers of out lots on the western border, and one tier on the southern border of the town, aggregating twenty two lots, varying in size from about one and one-half acres to three acres; for all further general descriptions I

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will refer to the records.  And as a further prelude will remark, as the streets now nearly all have new names, that I will adopt them with reference to my localities, and I will take my standpoint in the Public Square, and briefly dot the several localities of the first settlers of that day, as fully as my recollections will enable me.

PUBLIC SQUARE.

     On the southeast corner of fractional lot No. 1.  Benjamin DOOLITTLE occupied a two-story log house, with a back building attached to west rear for dining room and kitchen, as a tavern stand, and being the same lot now owned and occupied by McDONALDS and others.
     Joseph HEDGES occupied a small frame with shed roof, called the knife-box, little west of northeast corner of fractional lot No. 4, as a store room of HEDGES & NEVILLE, with small family residence in the west end, and being the same lot now owned and occupied by GLENNS and others.
     John REYNOLDS owned and occupied a neat white two-story building on northeast corner of in lot No. 48, fronting east on the Public Square, and used in part as a store room; the balance being his family residence.  The store room being on the corner was also by him used as the Post-office, he being the first Postmaster of the place.  The very same spot is now used for the Post-office in the WEAVER house.  This whole lot is now owned by Henry WEAVER, and as already intimated, is the site of the WEAVER House.
     Widow FITCH, the mother of Mrs. BLANCHARD, owned and occupied in lot No. 1, opposite the WEAVER House, and had a small log building on it, which was occupied as a family residence, to which she added in front facing east on the Public Square, a respectable two story hewed log house, using the same soon after as a tavern stand for several years.  This site is now known as the DONALDSON corner, &c.
     Mr. DAVIDSON occupied a small frame, fronting the Square on lot No. 151 on part of the site of L. WEAVER's block.

SOUTH MAIN STREET.

     From the Public Square, south.  Alexander DOKE owned and occupied in-lot No. 104, and had on it a little south of the present tavern stand of Samuel TAYLOR, a double cabin residence of

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his family, and being a blacksmith, he had on the same lot of a smith shop.  This lot embraces all the ground south of S. W. HITT's store to the corner on market space, and owned now by several individuals.  All this ground during the war of 1812, was used as a artificer yard.
     W. H. TYFFE owned the south half of in lot No. 55, &c., and occupied the southeast corner of it, as his family residence; it being the same building now on said corner, having since been weather-boarded, and is now owned by his descendants.
     George FITHIAN, the grandfather of Milton FITHIAN, owned and occupied as a tavern stand, the same building now standing on in lot No. 63; it has undergone but little improvement in outside appearance, excepting the weatherboarding of the log part of it.  This same tavern was afterward owned and occupied by John ENOCH, the father of John ENOCH, Jr., and is now owned by the Second M. E. Church as a proposed future site for a Church edifice.
     George Hite,  on the next abutting lot on west side of South Man St., being No. 71, erected a two-story log house for his family, and being a wheel-wright, had a shop near it.  The present residence of Mr. BENNETT occupies the site of the old dwelling.
     Job GARD, the father of Gershom GARD, owned in-lot No. 87, the corner of South Main and Reynolds streets, and lived in a hewed log house near the present residence of Col. CANDY.  This lot is now owned by the New Jerusalem Church and others.
     Alexander McComsy, father of Matthias McCOMSY, owned and had a cabin for his family on south-east corner of South Main and Reynolds streets, on out-lot No. 18, now vacant and owned by William ROSS.
     William and John GLENN owned in-lots No. 124, 125, 126 and 127, on which they had sunk a tan-yard, with a rough log shop for finishing; this is now what is called the lower tannery, in the present occupancy of SMITH, BRYAN & Co.  William GLENN then owned and had a cabin-residence on lots No. 134 and 135, now owned by John CLARK, George COLLINS, and others.

NORTH MAIN STREET,

from Public Square, north.  John SHYACH owned in-lot No. 163, upon which his family lived in a respectable two-story, hewed log house, near the drug store of FISLER & CHANCE.  (Years afterward

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 was burned.)  This property embraces the row of business buildings now occupied from the corner of North Main and East Court streets, to J. H. PATRICK's hardward store.
     Samuel McCORD had nearly opposite to last mentioned place, his family residence on lot No. 173, being a story and half hewed log house, which was many years after burned down.
     N. CARPENTER lived in a small one-story log cabin on the corner of in-lot No. 32, near the present residence of John SMITH, corner of North Main and West Church streets.
     John FRIZZLE, occupied a large double two-story log cabin as a tavern-stand, fronting east on North Main street, on in-lot No. 40, near present residence of O. T. CUNDIFF.

EAST MAIN OR SCIOTO STREET,

from Public Square, east.  Joseph VANCE owned lot No. 155, and was erecting in the fall of 1811, the present two-story frame and part of the back building in which his son, Judge VANCE, now dwells, as owner of the premise described.
     Frederic GUMP occupied a small one-story cabin on east half of in-lot No. 160, near the present site of the Episcopal Church.
     David VANCE owned lot No. 97, and had on it a small story and half hewed log house, occupied by Solomon VAIL, and being the same house, with some additions, now owned and occupied by Joseph S. KIGER.

WEST MAIN OR MIAMI STREET,

     From Public Square, west.  David PARKISON owned and occupied a two-story log house, and had a smith shop near it, both fronting the street on in-lot No. 2, now opposite the WEAVER House, near the livery-stable and FISHER's rooms.
     Zephaniah LUCE owned in-lot No. 50, and occupied it by his family in a double log house, standing on the ground now occupied by Doctor MOSGROVE's large brick residence.  Mr. LUCE was also the owner of in-lots No. 51, 52, 53 and 54, and on the two first sunk

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a tan-yard, and had finishing-shop on same, which he used during the war of 1812, as Issuing Commissary Office, he holding that post.
     Lawrence NILES (hatter) occupied a hewed log house on east part of in-lot No. 3, being the same property now owned and occupied by Wm. SAMPSON, having been repaired in such a manner as to present a neat two-story house.  His family, like many new settlers, after living here a few years, became dissatisfied, and without waiting to dispose of their property moved west, seeking new adventures, and were never heard of afterward.  It was supposed they were either all drowned, or murdered by the savages.

EAST MARKET STREET,

East from South Main.  James FITHIAN occupied a two-story hewed log house, with an addition of a one-story on west side of it, (the latter being used in the war of 1812, as a Quartermaster's office) on in-lot No. 105, being the present premises of Mrs. Dr. Stansberry; the log buildings above described were moved east on to lot No. 109, property of estate of Samuel McCORD, and very recently torn down.
     Simon KENTON, as Jailor of Champaign County, occupied one family room below and the rooms above in the old Jail building, on lot No. 107, as his family residence.  Here two of his daughters, Sarah, afterward Mrs. Jno. McCORD, and Matilda, afterward Mrs. Jno. G. PARKISON, were married.  This lot is now owned by two of the LAWSONS.
     Frederick AMBROSE, by trade a potter, afterward Sheriff and County Treasurer, owned and occupied in-lot No. 111, and lived in a cabin on southeast corner, with a shop near it; this lot is now owned by Havery STUMP.
     Wilson THOMAS, colored, right south on the opposite side of the street on in-lot No. 121, owned and occupied a small cabin, near the present residence of Mrs. Jacob FISHER.
     ______ TONEY, a colored man, whose full name I have forgotten, but who was somewhat distinguished in the war of 1812, according to his own statements, occupied an old cabin in the NOrtheast corner of E. B. PATRICK's in-lot No. 112, fronting East Market Street.
     Peter CARTER, colored, husband of old Fannie, owned in-lot No.

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113, and had a cabin in the rear, which stood on the ground now occupied by the present African M. E. Church building.

WEST MARKET STREET,

West from South Main.  Edward W. PIERCE, a very highly educated lawyer, without family had a hewed log office near the present residence of Mrs. E. P. TYFFE, on in-lot No. 61.  He possessed sterling talents, but from some cause had much mental affliction, and in the winter of 1816, was found dead in the woods between here and Springfield, much torn by wolves as then supposed.  Persons of that day who professed to know the fact, said that in his very early life he had the misfortune to exchange shots in a duel, and killed his adversary, which was the secret of his mental malady.  This I give as a matter of information only.

EAST WATER STREET,

From South Main East.  Daniel HELMICK owned in-lots No. 136 and 137; on the latter he had a double cabin as the residence of his family, and on the corner of the former in front of the Second M. E. Church, his hewed log cabinet shop; he afterward built the brick house now owned by J. C. JONES.
     Nathaniel PICKARD, owned and occupied lots No. 142 and 143, and erected for his family residence a hewed log cabin, standing immediately West of Moses B. CORWIN's present brick residence.

WEST WATER STREET,

West from South Main.  William WARD, Sr., the old proprietor of the town, then lived in a double log cabin standing near the present residence of Mr. SMITH, southeast corner of West Water and High Streets, on a block of lots, No.'s 83, 84, 85, 86, 91, 92, 93, 94 and now the property of Messrs. SMITH, DONALDSON and others.

EAST REYNOLDS STREET,

East from South Main Street.  Joseph C. VANCE owned and occupied in-lots No.'s 152 and 153, and erected on the premises a two story log office, he being the first Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, and Surveyor, &c.

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WEST REYNOLDS STREET,

West from South Main Street.  Isaac ROBINSON, a brick mason, occupied a cabin on one of out-lots on south side of the street, but I am now unable to locate it.
     John GILMORE, a brick mason, occupied a cabin on out lot No. 8, now enclosed in the private park grounds of Col. John H. JONES, in which his superb family mansion is situated.

EAST COURT STREET,

West from North Main Street.  Capt. Wm. POWELL occupied a small frame tenement on West side of in-lot No. 14, being the present premises of Duncan McDONALD.
     ______ STOUT occupied a small roughly built frame, which stood near the present residence of Miss Nancy JENNINGS on in-lot No. 22.

EAST CHURCH STREET,

East from North Main Street.  Samuel TREWETT the grandfather of Nathan REECE occupied in-lot No. 194, and lived in a hewed log one story cabin near the present residence of Robert BELL.  He was a local M. E. preacher.

WEST CHURCH STREET,

West from North Main Street.  John Huston a rough carpenter, built a story and a half hewed log cabin and occupied it on in-lot No. 26, being the present premises of William SCORAH.
     Daniel HARR the father of Newton HARR, was here with his then small family, and as I have no other building in my eye for a family residence, I am inclined to the opinion that he occupied a small cabin on in-lot No. 27, the present premises of W. H. COLWELL; if he did so occupy, it was only temporarily, for I remember soon after, he improved the north half of in-lots No. 55, 56 and erected the

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two story frame now owned by W. L. STUDYBAKER on South Main Street and occupied the upper part and rear buildings as his family residence, and front as a store room of Harrand RHODES - the latter being the father of Nelson RHODES, Esq.
     Henry BACON if memory serves me, owned and occupied a small frame building on the ground now owned by Mr. OSBORN, on in-lots No. 38, 39; he afterward erected the brick building known as the insurance Office on in-lot No. 8, and occupied it as a dwelling.
     Here are thrown hastily together a pen sketch of the population in Urbana in 1811, comprising 45 families, describing from memory the kind of tenements with their localities as nearly as possible; there may be some errors but it is believed they are few.  One sad reflection presents its self now; all these have gone the way of all the earth.  There may possibly be an exception, but the writer of this is not aware of any.
     It may be proper here to point out the public buildings of the town.  The jail has already been noticed.  The Court-house was a large log building on lot No. 174 on East Court Street, which has undergone a change, and is now the property of Duncan McDONALD, and is used as a family residence.  During the war of 1812-15, it was converted into an army hospital, and in it many deaths occurred from a prevalent epidemic malady of that day denominated "cold plague," and the bones of the victims now rest in the old town grave-yard.  And may God in his merciful Providence avert that unhallowed cupidity, that is now instigating municipal desecration upon their silent abode.  This building having been appropriated to the use above indicated, the upper part of the jail was fitted up for the purpose of holding the courts, and was so used until the new court house in the public square was finished, in about the end of the year in 1817,and this latter temple of justice remained as county court house, until the clamorous raids of the populace culminated in the erection of our present one, standing on in-lots No. 16 and 17, about the year 1839.
     In the earlier settlement of the town, the practice in the winter seasons, was to convert the larger class residences, for the time being into Bethels for public worship, and in the warm summer months, to congregate near the present Public Square, under the shade of the spreading branches of the large oak trees then in that vicinity.  And as soon as the Court House first alluded to was finished, it became a place of public worship, and the same will ap-

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ply to all its successors.  But, I started out with the intention of informing the public that when I first came to Urbana, a large hewed log M. E. Church had recently been erected on in-lot No. 207, and under the itinerant made of that denomination, was regularly supplied by many sterling pioneer preachers, during the years up to about 1816, when the brick church now part of the GANSON livery establishment was erected.  The pulpit in the old log house was supplied something in this order during the years indicated, by Rev. John MEEK, ____ CLINGMAN, Samuel BROCKANIER, John COLLINS, and perhaps some others.  About 1816 as already stated, the brick edifice situated on east half of in-lot No. 176, was duly dedicated and supplied in the manner named above, by the higher order of talent in the persons of Rev. David SHAFER, Henry B. BASCOM, _____ CRUME, _____ CUMMINGS, John STRANGE, _____ WESTLAKE, &c.  It may also be remarked that they were fortunate in the years here embraced, say up to 1825, in having a first-class order of local ministrations, and the interests of the Church were fully sustained under Rev. Samuel HITT and otehrs like him, who were ornaments to their profession, and she added to her number daily such as gave evidence that they had passed from death unto life.  Many incidents might he recorded of the thrilling scenes connected with the spiritual labors of that old church, before it put on its new dress, in the exchange of the old houses of worship for its present new temple, situated on north half of in-lots No. 24 and 25.  This denomination has always been in the lead in this locality, owing perhaps to the indomitable zeal manifested by both ministry and laity, in the propagation of their popular tenets.
     The only other religious interest in this town for the first thirty years after its first settlement, was Presbyterianism, but its growth was greatly behind that of the Church described.  It however was the instrument in disseminating much wholesome religious instruction, and exerted an influence for good, upon the morals of the community.  It had to encounter difficulties, and inconveniences for want of a house of worship;  the Court House was substituted, and not till about 1829 had it any house of its own for the congregation, and before it was finished, the tornado of 1830 entirely demolished it, and another was erected on a new site on lot No. 18, on the same site of the present imposing structure, this being the third within less than thirty years.

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     But to come back to the point sought in the programme of the Pioneer Association, I will say that the Presbyterian Church had no organization as a Town Church for many years, but the membership was attached to country organizations of Buck Creek and Stony Creek, according to their several preferences.  This state of the father of Mrs. William WARD , came and settled in Urbana, and was very efficient in building up an interest in the denomination which soon resulted in a church organization, and this worthy divine was called under the rules and regulations of that branch of the Christian Church , and was duly installed as its pastor, and continued in the Gospel labor many years, blessed with many additions to his charge.
      Before dismissing this branch of the subject it may be said, that before Mr. HUGHS had located here, Rev. McMILLIN , ___ PURDY, and some others officiated, and after he resigned the pastoral relationship, the pulpit was supplied by Rev. BRICH, Joseph STEPHENSON, DICKEY, David MIRRILL and others.  And as a concluding remark it may be noted upon this subject matter, that although there were no other denominational organizations here than the two above indicated for many long years, yet there were some few belonging to other persuasions, Baptists, Newlights, & c., who attached themselves to country organizations, and were occasionally supplied with preaching in this place.  The Baptists, by Rev. John THOMAS, and John GUTTRIDGE, and the Newlights by Rev. VICKERS, all of them as a general rule using the School house mentioned hereafter on in-lot No. 102.  Notwithstanding the small beginnings heretofore indicated, the City of Urbana at this day may boast her three M. E. Church , two Baptist, two Presbyterian including Associate Reform, one Lutheran, one New Jerusalem, one Episcopal, and one Catholic organizations, each having a comfortable and capacious house for public worship; and all of them, supplied in the ministry with talents of a respectable order.