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Liberty township was organized on July 15, 1817, but the history of
this township dates much farther back than the time of organization.
Liberty township lies along the northern border of the county, in
the center of the northern tier of townships. It is bounded by
Greene county on the north, Wilson township on the east and Chester
township on the west, while its entire south line borders on Union
township. It is three miles wide from north to south and six
miles long from east to west, and contains fifteen thousand four
hundred and sixty acres of land. This township is afforded
ample drainage through the streams which flow through the township,
and these also serve as outlets for artificial drains. The
largest of these is Anderson's fork, a stream of considerable size
and importance, which flows through the entire length of the
township from east to west, and empties its waters into Caesar's
creek one-half mile below New Burlington. Buck run flows into
Caesar's creek outside the county and drains the entire southwestern
part. Dutch creek also flows through a small portion of the
southern part. These streams, with their tributaries, prove
invaluable to the farmers of this locality in their drainage.
When the pioneers came to this township they found the
land covered with a dense growth of timber of the following
varieties, viz: White oak, burr oak, sugar tree, beech, black
walnut, ash, elm, etc. These were largely used in the
manufacture of wagons and farm implements and the construction of
houses. In later years the land is so completely cleared of
timber that it has become a veritable prairie.
THE LAND
The land
is rolling along the different streams of the township and there are
many acres of fine farming land in these bottoms. The country
about Port William is level and, consequently, the streams do not
have so great a fall and spread out over larger bottoms. The
land in the early days was covered with water about six months of
the year. The soil is black and loose and rests upon a subsoil
of clay. This land is peculiarly adapted to the raising of
cereals, corn, wheat and oats being the principal products. It
is thought by geologists that this township was once the bed of a
lake, but since its drainage the soil is of a rich, deep black loam.
Clinton limestone is found in abundance and of a good
quality in this township. There are several quarries which are
turning out stone for building purposes and are quite extensively
worked. The stone from these quarries which are turning out
stone for building purposes and are quite extensively worked.
The stone from these quarries was always in big demand and large
quantities were shipped to neighboring towns but, with the coming of
cement and the substitute which concrete has been for stone, the
business has suffered. Gravel can be found in great abundance
along the streams and is used quite extensively on the roads of the
township.
THE PIONEERS
The first white man to settle within the limits of Liberty township
was Stephen Mendenhall, who was born in Tennessee in the year
1780. While yet a small boy, he moved to North Carolina, where
he remained until the age of twenty-two, when he took unto
himself a wife, and a short time later moved to Waynesville, Ohio.
In 1803 he came to Liberty township and settled on a farm of one
hundred acres on Dutch creek. The first summer they had only
the native Indians for neighbors, the nearest white
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family at this time being seven miles away. At the time of his
settlement the country was indeed an unbroken wilderness and game of
all kinds, such as deer, bears, wolves, turkeys, etc., was
plentiful. But the signal for a new dawn was ushered in with
the first sounds of his axe.
The next settler to locate in this township was
Samuel Miller, who emigrated from Kentucky in 1804. Mr.
Miller purchased a tract of six hundred acres on Anderson's
fork and made this his permanent habitation. He was for a
number of years the leading character in this section of the county
and did as much to promote the neighborhood and township as any man
in this locality. He was the first justice of the peace in
this township. It is interesting to note that he was first
elected in 1814, two years before the township was organized, and
served from that time until his death, a period of nearly thirty
years. He furnished the hand-mill with which the early
pioneers ground their corn. He was also chosen as the first
trustee of the township. He built the second grist-mill in the
township, in the year 1833, but this mill was destroyed by fire and
was rebuilt by Amos C. Hyatt.
There was an addition of three families
in 1805, on Anderson's fork. Abram Ellis and family
moved here from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and settled just across the
creek from Squire Miller's. Aaron Jenkins
and family, who came to this county from Virginia, and Joseph
Lucas, of Pennsylvania, were among the next settlers.
Mr. Eliis was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, where he
served for seven years, participating in the battles of Brandywine,
Long Island and many others. He was with Washington when he
crossed the Delaware and witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis.
WILLIAM IRELAND was the next settler in this
township. Mr. Ireland was born in the country which
bears his name, in 1770, and emigrated to this country when he was
but three years old. He came to this county in March, 1806,
from Scott county, Kentucky. He taught the first Sunday school
in the township and took a deep interest in religious matters.
In 1819 he built the first bick house in the township.
CHRISTIAN STEPHENS settled in this township in
1806 and located on Anderson's fork. Mr. Stephens
was a n ative of Frederick county, Virginia. His father,
Peter Stephens, followed his son two years later.
CHRISTOPHER ELLIS and wife, Elizabeth, also came to this
township from Frederick county, Virginia.
JOHN JOHNSON and wife, Susanna, came from
Virginia to Highland county, Ohio, in 1805, and the next year
settled in Liberty township. The first election in this
township was held at Mr. Johnson's house. JOHN
UNTHANK emigrated from Guilford county, North Carolina, in 1807
and settled on the banks of Anderson fork. Mr. Unthank
built a grist-mill where the town of Port William is now located.
This was the first mill built in this section of the country, and
settlers for miles around came to Unthank's mill. The
township elections for several years were held at this mill.
Great public gatherings were also held at this mill and it was a
sort of gathering place for the early settlers.
DAVID FAIRFIELD, an Irishman,
emigrated to this section from Kentucky with his family in 1810.
The same year Isaac Hanes and wife came from New Jersey and
located here. DAVID ADKINSON and family, from York
county, Pennsylvania, settled here. Owing to defective titles,
Isaac Haines, Joseph Adkinson, Henry Hester, David Fairfield
and others, owning to the amount of one thousand acres of land in W.
Nelson's survey lost all.
In 1812 JOSIAH BORTON moved here from New
Jersey. In the same year JOHN STRICKLE and wife
Susanna, emigrated from near Winchester, Virginia, and settled
near Chillicothe; after remaining a year, they removed to the farm
of Jacob Strickle. JOHN HOBLET moved with his
family, in 1812, to Liberty township and took up his permanent
residence. He was one of the first trustees of the township.
Mr. Hoblet was a tanner by trade and carried on his business
of tanning on his farm for a number of years.
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BENJAMIN BANGHAM, who was a native of England, purchased a
tract of two hundred acres and settled here with his family on Mar.
13, 1812. In the east end of the township, in the same year,
ISAAC JONES and wife, Phoebe, purchased a tract of one
hundred acres and moved here from Greene county, Tennessee.
SOLOMON STANBAUGH ( or Stanbrough) was another early
settler in this part of the township. JONATHAN HOSKINS
cam to this section from Guilford county, North Carolina, and
settled on what is known as the THORNBURGH place, about the
year 1814. JOHN WOOLMAN and wife, Polly,
emigrated from New Jersey about the year 1810 and settled in this
township. SAMUEL WILSON and wife, Sarah,
purchased a tract of three hundred acres and settled here in the
year 1817, but, owning to defective titles and failure to meet
the payments, they moved out of the township in 1821. JOHN
OGLESBEE came to this township in 1817 and, two years later
moved onto a farm on Anderson's fork. ISAAC
CONSTANCE same in 1817 from Kentucky. WILLIAM CONSTANCE,
who also settled here with his father, was a soldier in the War of
1812. ISAIAH OGLESBEE, father of John Oglesbee,
emigrated from Frederick county, Virginia, with his family, in the
year 1817. Jacob Beal came from Pennsylvania and
settled on the creek above Port William. About the same time
his brother, ISAAC BEAL, emigrated to this township.
Another early settler to this section was JOHN COPELAND and
wife, Jusith. Other settlers were DANIEL and
SOLOMON EARLY, DAVID HOBLET, ASHLEY JOHNSON, SAMUEL MITCHELL,
CHARLES B. WILLIAMS, JOHN KING, DAVID SHIELDS, HENRY WOOLEY, HENRY
WELCH, ZACHARIAH MOORMAN, OBED WALN and JAMES BURDEN.
EARLY CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS
The first house of worship erected in this township was completed in
the year 1818, by the Methodist Episcopal denomination and was
denominated "Salem." It was built of logs and, although the
comforts which the present generation of church workers enjoy were
lacking, still the early zeal of the pioneers was shown in their
long and arduous worshipping.
The first school house was built in 1812.
Henry Hester was the first school teacher. This building
was erected from round logs and served as a seat of learning until
1830, when a hewed-log house was put up on the site of the old one.
The Rev. Griffield, a Presbyterian minister of Wilmington,
taught the first school in this building. The second school in
the township was built in 1816 and was known as the Salem school
house. Aaron Jenkins donated the land and a log house was
erected. Samuel Hyde was the first teacher. The
first school house in the eastern end of the township was erected in
1827 and Aquilla Dorsey was hired to teach the first school.
The old state road was the first laid out in this
township. It was established by the first Legislature that
convened in Ohio, in 1802, and was opened soon afterward from
Chillicothe to Old Town. This road entered the township about
the center of its southern line and, taking a northwesterly course,
enters Greene county near Lumberton.
Shadrach Thornburgh and William Stanley
built a pottery kiln in this township in 1827. They burned
sugar pots for the early settlers. At that time there was a
sugar camp on nearly every farm and they did quite an
extensive business with their kiln. There were also many
copper stills on Anderson's fork. Robert Stanley, John
Oglesbee, James Babb, Josiah Borton, Samuel Miller, William Ireland
and Jacob Peterson each owned one. Whiskey was sold for
eighteen cents per gallon and was freely used. The first store
was started in a log house on Anderson's fork about 1828, by
Samuel Smith. This, the first store of any importance in
the township, was managed by Jackson Walker. Aaron Weller
began the manufacture of drain tile in 1856, the tile being made on
a wheel by hand. In the same year Allen Hiatt put in
the first tile ditch. In 1858 Mr. Weller erected a
modern tile factory and has furnished hundreds of miles of tile
which has been laid in this section.
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STATISTICS.
There was
no listing of personal property by townships until 1826. At
that time, the only personal property listed for taxation in this
township was cattle and horses. This township reported 143
horses, valued at $5,720, and 211 neat cattle, valued at $1,688,
making a total of $7,408. Horses were valued at a uniform
price of $40 a head, and cattle at $8 a head. The value of the
real estate was $32,614, making a total of $40,022. In 1881,
the value of the property, real and personal, in the township, was
$813,175. The population in 1880 was 1,382; in 1890, 1,299; in
1900, 1,253, and in 1910, 1,089.
The following are the officers of Liberty township in
1815: Trustees, Dennis Stephens, J. W. Brackney and
Charles M. Stephens; clerk, F. M. Strickle; treasurer,
E. P. Gordin. Population, one thousand and eight-nine.
PORT WILLIAM
Port William is the largest town in Liberty township and the chief
town in the northern part of the county. This village was
first started on the west side of Todd's fork, in 1816, by
John Unthank. It was first called West Liberty. It
is located on the Dayton, Toledo & Ironton railroad. Only a
few houses were built before 1829 and the town was not platted until
Oct. 13, 1832, for Michael Jenkins, the proprietor. It
is a part of surveys Nos. 4,366 and 1,728.
A log house, evidently a first in the hamlet, was
erected by Jesse Dillon, son-in-law of Unthank, not far from
the old factory. Garland Johnson also erected a log
house, among the first, in 1829, and in the same year he started the
first store in the town. A few years later he built an
addition to his dwelling and moved the store into a room of the
same. The first blacksmith shop was erected in 1828.
Among the early business men of the town were: Addison Mills,
grocer; Anson Massie, saddler; Marshall Jenks,
merchant; Samuel Johnson, tanner; James M. Hoblet,
merchant.
In 1825, Steel Taylor built a fulling-mill below
and on the opposite side of the creek from where the old woolen
factory stood. The woolen factory was erected in the spring
and summer of 1846, by Lewis Clark, who owned the same.
It was later owned by Moon & Crooper, who did an extensive
business in their line for a number of years. Jonathan
Perkins started the first saloon in 1838. The building in
which it was kept was where Hugh Johnson later kept a beef
shop, and which was burned down a short time later.
Since the opening of the railroad in 1878, it has been
a good market for all farm products. Thousands of bushels of
wheat and corn are shipped from this point each year.
The following is a business directory of Port William:
- Banks, Port William Banking Company;
- barbers, D. R. Powers, F. M. Conklin;
- blacksmiths, Charles Conklin, J. H. Tomas;
- coal yards, Faulkner & Burnett;
- elevator, O. W. Linkhart & Son;
- flour mill, W. O. Beam;
- garage, J. C. Beal;
- general merchandise, rowland & Gordon, F. L. Barlow,
G. H. Clark;
- hardware, J. A. Stevens;
- hotel, A. D. Sanderson;
- livery, A. B. Reed & Son;
- milliner, Mrs. Bernice Sanderson;
- meat market, O. A. Mason;
- pool room, J. A. Conklin & Son;
- physician, P. D. Esbey;
- restaurant and ice cream parlor, Jenkins Bros;
- saw mill, Clagaugh & son;
- veterinary, Earl Starbuck.
J. C. Ellis is the present
postmaster. F. M. Strickle is the agent for the Dayton,
Toledo & Ironton railroad. J. A. Gilbert is the mayor
and N. J. Conklin is marshal. The town has a population
at present of three hundred.
LUMBERTON.
Lumberton lies on the northern edge of the county between New
Burlington and Port William, and on the Wilmington and Xenia pike.
This village was called Lumberton for a town of that name in New
Jersey. The first house built in the village was used for a
wagon shop by Samuel Woolman, about 1820. About the
same time he built
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a log house on the lot where Doctor Crawford resided for a
number of years. Later John Borton built a small frame
house on the opposite corner. The first store was started by
Joshua C. James in 1839. Tunis Conkling was the
first blacksmith.
Althoug this town was settled and named early, ti was
not platted until May 20, 1853. The business interests in 1880
consisted of one grocery store, a cooper, two blacksmiths, one
wagonmaker and a stonemason; one physician attended the ills of the
settlers. The general merchandise store is owned and managed
by Elmer Lewis. The two blacksmith shops are run by
C. H. Hansell and Jacob Oglesbee. The population at
present is about seventy.
GURNEYVILLE.
Gurneyville is situated in the southwestern part of Liberty
township, on the Liberty and Union township line. This little
hamlet was platted for David McMillan, proprietor, Mar. 2,
1847, and is part of the Nelson survey No. 1735. It was named
by Mr. McMillan in honor of Joseph John Gurney, a
noted member of the Society of Friends. Andrew Haughey
built the first house in 1847 and in the following year John
Grant started a store in this building. Mr. McMillan's
ambition was to build up a town here, but he never lived to realize
his ambition. There are only a few houses to mark the site at
present. The general store is operated by C. H. Smith
and the blacksmith shop by Dallas Carey.
M'KAY'S STATION.
McKay's
Station is a flag stop on the Dayton, Toledo & Ironton railroad.
It was never platted and has sprung up since the railroad came
through. It was named in honor of Alfred McKay, who
gave most of the lots to those who would put up good houses on the
same. This was quite a shipping point for grain and live
stock, but at present is nothing more than a flag stop.
George Hamilton has a general merchandise store and does a nice
business. Clare was formerly the name for the
postoffice.
MT. PLEASANT.
Mt.
Pleasant at present consists of a voting precinct and is located on
the Dayton. Toledo & Ironton railroad. by a special act
of the Legislature in 1875, the trustees of the township were
authorized to divide the township into two voting precincts.
Previous to this time the township voted at Port William. The
trustees, under this authority, established a voting precinct at Mt.
Pleasant.
Mt. Pleasant is also the center for one of the
consolidated school districts of this township. This building
was erected at a cost of fifteen thousand dollars. It has
three rooms and three teachers in the high school.
Professor Hodson is the district superintendent.
There were twenty-eight enrolled in the high school and thirty in
the grades. There were three in the 1915 graduating class.
An elevator marks the spot for Oglesby Station, which
is located on the Dayton. Toledo & Ironton railroad.
Wilbur Oglesby is the manager of this elevator, hence the name
for the place. It was never platted and no attempt was ever
made to establish a town here.
END OF CHAPTER VII - LIBERTY -
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