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Chester
township occupies the northeast corner of Clinton county. It
is bounded on the east by Liberty and Union and on the south by
Adams townships, of this county. On the west it is bounded by
Wayne and Massie township, of Warren county, and on the north by
Spring Valley and Caesar Creek townships, of Greene. It is
four and eighty-seven hundredths miles in width from east to west
and its length from north to south measures six and thirty-one
hundredths miles. It includes within its bounds thirty and
seventy-three hundredths square miles of land.
Clinton county, when first organized, in 1810, included
but three townships, Chester, Richland and Vernon. Chester
township was by far the largest in the area and population of the
three. Its boundary lines at that time are lost in the dim
vistas of the past and are impossible to locate definitely and
accurately, but perhaps the following is as nearly correct as can be
ascertained at the present time: All of Liberty township, part
of Wilson, then on a line south so as to include Wilmington, and to
a point where a line drawn west would include the northern half of
Adams township, then along the Warren and Greene county-lines to the
beginning.
In 1813 Union township was formed from parts of
Chester, Richland and Vernon townships. Hence its name.
Liberty township, including the present territory included within
Liberty township and the west half of Wilson, was formed from the
territory of Chester township in 1817. In May, 1849, the
southern part of Chester went to form the northern part of the
newly-created Adams township. Since that date there have been
o changes n the townships' boundaries.
TOWNSHIP RECORDS.
All the township records
from the date of its organization, 1810, up to 1829, and from 1845
to 1864, have disappeared. It is now known whether they were
lost by fire or were destroyed. Due to that fact, very little
can be gleaned about the early history of the township.
At a meeting of the trustees at the residence of
James Dakin on Saturday, Apr. 18, 1829, a tax of three eighths
of one mill was levied for township purposes, and the roads of the
township were redistricted. In June, 1829, at an extra session
of the trustees, the schools of the township were redistricted,
"agreeably to the provisions of the law passed February 10, 1829."
STREAMS.
The streams of
Chester township are small, none of the larger streams of the county
extending within its limit is for any distance. However, the
tributaries of the larger streams are numerous and sufficient to
give necessary and entirely adequate drainage of the land.
Dutch creek enters the township from Union township, near the south
end of the east boundary, flows across the southeast corner to empty
its waters into Todd's fork, just outside of the township.
Anderson's creek finds its source in Wilson township, meanders its
way across Liberty to merely cross the tip of the northeast corner
of Chester, before it passes on its way into Greene county, where it
returns across the northwest corner of the township and joins its
waters with those of Caesar creek as they flow from the northwest,
and quietly glides out of the township again, this time into Warren
county. The tributaries of this stream are Buck run, Turkey
run, Trace branch, Jonah's run and Layton's run. All these but
Layton's run are tributary to Caesar creek. Buck run rises in
Liberty township, flows in a westerly direction across the length of
Chester township to empty into Caesar creek just above the point
where the latter crosses the Warren county line. Layton's run
is a branch of Dutch creek.
MILLS.
ROADS.
BURIAL GROUNDS.
Undoubtedly the
oldest cemetery in the township, if not in the county, is the old
Jenkins graveyard. It is located three-quarters of a mile
east of New Burlington, to the left of the pike leading from that
village to Limberton. The Greene county line passes through
it. It is upon lands in survey 571, entered by Albert
Gallatin in 1787, and purchased by Aaron Jenkins in 1799.
The land was set aside by the latter for burial purposes and has
since borne his name. His was the first body to be buried
there in 1807, one hundred and eight years ago. It belongs to
no sect nor church, but is kept up by Spring Valley township in
Greene county and Chester in Clinton.
The first person to be buried in the cemetery at the
Springfield monthly meeting house was Lydia, the wife of
Isaac Harvey and who died on Jan. 1, 1813. Many of the
pioneers of this and Adams township found their last resting place
here.
In 1830 the Methodist Episcopal church organized a
congregation at Mount Pisgah, in survey 3,908. A little
graveyard was attached to their church building. Only a few
graves are to be found there. Other burial places are to be
found at the Jonah's Run meeting house and at the Caesar Creek
monthly meeting house.
PIONEERS.
By the laws of the
state of Virginia, two thousand six hundred sixty-six and two-thirds
acres of land were to be the reward to James Robertson for
his services as a lieutenant for three years in the Continental
regiments of Virginia. Philip Barbour was his
heir-at-law and, in time, Albert Gallatin became the latter's
assignee and, on October 18, 1787. entered survey 571, "situated on
the lower side of Caesar creek," and containing seven hundred
sixty-six and two-thirds acres of land. Twelve years
afterward, or in 1799, Aaron Jenkins came from Tennessee and
purchased the entire tract of land. He erected thereon a
hewed-log house, of the double pattern. His family consisted
five children, three sons, Aaron, James and Baldwin,
and two daughters, one of whom was named Lydia. He died
in 1807. He was probably the first person to settle within the
present confines of Chester township.
One of the most prominent of the early pioneer families
was that descended from Thomas Lucas. The members of
his family originally came from New Jersey, where they were among
the first settlers of that colony, receiving, with others, land
grants from the English crown. A member of this family, at a
very early date, emigrated beyond the Appalachian mountains, settled
upon the Indian's "happy hunting ground" and saw the erection of the
state of Kentucky. A son of his, Thomas Lucas,
mentioned above, early left his parental fireside and removed to
Cincinnati about 1875, where he remained for some years. He
was the father of six sons, Thomas, Abraham, Ebenezer,
John, Caleb and Francis. In 1802 Caleb Lucas
purchased of Abijah O'Neal, a land speculator, of Lebanon,
one hundred and fifty acres of land in survey 3,916, wholly within
the limits of Clinton county. He moved upon his purchase the
same year, erected a hewed-log cabin, and began at once to clear his
land. He was the father of the following children: Thomas,
born Oct. 13, 1799; Sarah, Mar. 29, 1802; Catherine,
Dec. 10, 1804; Elizabeth, Feb. 7, 1807; Mary, Mar. 18,
1809; Rachel, Apr. 13, 1811; Frederick, Feb. 22, 1814;
Caleb, Feb. 1, 1817; and Ebenezer, Oct., 1819.
Layton Jay, and wife, Nancy, came to Ohio
from New Berry district, South Carolina, about 1804. They came
by way of Tennessee and Kentucky, crossing the Ohio river at
Cincinnati on a flat boat, the horses tied to it and swimming
behind. They landed near the present site of Waynesville, adn
the family remained there in camp for some time, or until the
husband and father could find a place of settlement. He
finally took a lease on the lands of James Murray, or what
was afterwards known as the Thomas Longstretch farm.
His coming was contemporary with the arrival of Robert Eachus,
Jacob Hains, Isaac Perkins, Mahlon Haworth, and a few others.
Isaac Webb, for, for seven years, was a soldier
in the Revolutionary army, received from his grateful country a
warrant for two thousand six hundred sixty-six and two-thirds acres
of land. One thousand of this he entered as a part of warrant
No. 2,446, "on the upper side of Caesar creek," and was numbered
survey 583, hearing the date Oct. 17, 1792.
James Hawkins came from Union county, South
Carolina, to Ohio with the every-growing stream of emigrants in the
year 1806 and settled in present Chester township. Daily, from
1806, the tide of immigration flowed on unceasingly. From the
hills of Pennsylvania and Virginia, the barren lands of the
Carolinas, the dark grounds of Tennessee and Kentucky, from New York
and far-off New England, they came. But the majority of the
early emigrants was Carolinas, not all natives, but persons who came
by that route from Pennsylvania and Virginia. Among the most
prominent must be mentioned such names as the following:
Henry Millhouse, Daiv and Clement Whitson, John Furnas, George
Arnold, James Craine, Preserved Dakin, Joshua Nickerson, Elijah
Sabin, William, Enoch and Charles Haynes, Enoch Harlan,
Nathan and William Harlan, Jacob Hale, William and
Deborah McMillan, William and Enoch Faversham, Job Jeffries,
Daniel Birdsell, Robert Reese, Caleb Easterling, John Mills, Sr.,
Moses McKay and John Buckley.
The following are the officers of
Chester township in 1915; Trustees, T. C. Haydock, Clark
Osborn and Alfred Van Tress; clerk, W. A. Bailey;
treasurer, H. L. Landy. Population, twelve hundred and
nine.
NEW
BURLINGTON.
The second village
in point of age, but the first in point of size, in Chester
township, is New Burlington. It is located in the extreme
northwest corner of the township and the northern portion of the
village extends into Green county. It is located in Gallatin's
survey, No. 570. The original purchaser of hte land on which
it stands was Aaron Jenkins, who, on his death, left the land
to his son, Baldwin. About the year 1820 Baldwin
Jenkins sold one hundred acres of his land to Edward
Powers, who, in the same year, built a log house on it and settled
there. Shortly afterward Powers sold the hundred acres in
question to James Jay, a native of Newberry district, South
Carolina, who, in 1829, erected, in the northwest quarter of his
land, a story-and-a-half frame dwelling, and occupied it.
Griswold B. Hawes, in 1831, rented this building of Jay,
converted part of it into a building room and occupied it the same
year as a dwelling and store. In the spring of 1833, Jacob
Pierson, Sr., Jacob Peirson, Jr., John Grant and John Morford
who were doing business at the time at Mt. Holly under
the firm name of Peirson, Grant & Company, came to New
Burlington, purchased the stock of Hawes and opened a branch
under the management of John Grant. At the same
time they purchased of Jay the lot just mentioned, with a
frontage on the Bullskin road of thirty feet and a depth of twenty
feet, and lot No. 1 in the northeast "square," which contained
fifty-nine square rods. The consideration for this, including
the building, was one hundred dollars. In this same year
(1833) the above mentioned John Grant erected on the latter
piece of land a substantial two-story frame building. This
building stood for many years. James Jay erected a
Conger, a hewed-log house; William Osborn, a log house;
William Hurley, a one-story two-story frame building the same
year. Others who built homes this year were: Joel frame,
and Jordan Whitson and Arza Gage, log
dwellings.
The year 1834 saw the village in a flourishing
condition. In that year came Ezra Smith, from Mt.
Holly, and purchased lot No. 2, northeast square, and erected a
one-story frame dwelling and shoe-shop. In the same year
Samuel Weaver, a native of Hampshire account, Virginia,
purchased lot No. 3, in the northeast square. He received a
half acre for twenty-five dollars. He was a tailor by trade
and opened a shop in his dwelling. Also, in this year,
Aaron Hendley purchased lot No. 4, in the same square.
With him came William Hendley and his son, John M.,
and their families. The son purchased land north of lot No. 4,
and the father all the land belonging to Jay north of the
village plat, namely, fifty-one and a half acres. John M.
Hendley's land consisted of about four acres, on which he
immediately erected a tannery. The first school in the village
was opened in 1833, with Sarah Hollingsworth as the
instructor. On Feb. 13, 1834, Isel Ellis purchased of
James Jay, for thirty dollars, lot No. 2, in the northwest
square, and a few years later erected a substantial two-story frame
building. By the year 1834 the store of Mr. Grant was
in a flourishing condition, and among the names to be found on his
ledger of that year the following should be mentioned:
Charles Mann, Asa Fisher, Henry Mann, Sr., Bellfield Jenkins,
William Hurley, David Gaskill, Francis McKay, William Ogborn, James
Smith, Solomon Whitson, James Grant, David Mann, John Sanders, Aaron
Collett, James Jenkins, John Arnold, Frederick Incas, Joel Ellis,
Samuel Spray, Benjamin Hawes, Burgess Morgan, Alex Jay, Aaron
Jenkins, Zebulon Dakin, William Arnold, Jordan Whitson, Jacob Ellis,
Jacob Peterson, John Spray, Robert Kelley, Joseph Michner, Daniel H.
Collett, Allen Linton, John Wilson, Isaiah Quinby, James Hawkins,
Sr., Solomon Van Meter, Arza Gage, Henry Fletcher, Stephen Buckley
and George Arnold. In 1835 James Jenkins
erected a two-story building on lot No. 2, southwest square, which
was occupied the next year by John Harrison, a native of
England, with a general merchandise stock. Harrison
remained in business until 1838, when he sold the stock to the firm
of Harrison, McKay & Company, of which he himself was the
senior partner. James Smith, a resident of Mt. Holly,
came to the village in 1835 and opened a blacksmith shop. For
many years he was associated with John Grant in the
manufacture of carriages, wagons, buggies and general blacksmithing.
He died in 1875, at the age of sixty-five years. Other early
settlers of this hamlet were: Francis Moffet, a
blacksmith; James Haydock, coming from New Jersey in 1838, a
tanner by trade; W. B. Hamilton, from Maryland, a
harness-maker, from Maryland, a harness-maker and a saddler.
The postoffice was established in 1839, under the administration of
Martin Van Buren. John Grant was the first postmaster,
with David Hollingsworth as deputy. William Burr,
a young man, and nephew of Grant's, was the mail-rider, the
route being from Burlington to Xenia.
By 1880 the village contained seventy dwellings, two
dry-goods stores, three groceries, one saw-mill, two churches, one
school, one undertaking establishment, one wagon shop, three
blacksmith shops, two physicians and one carpenter shop. Its
population at that time was about four hundred.
The history of this town would not be complete without
a brief reference to the "underground railroad," which plied through
this town in the early times. This important road had a track
across Chester township, and New Burlington was one of the chief
centers in this county, and which, during the time it was in
operation, did a large business.
John Grant's house was the principal station in
this township and was often filled with dusky passengers, fresh from
the blue-grass country of Kentucky. They seemed anxious to try
the experiment of a climate nearer the North star and under a
different form of government. In Mr. Grant's house
there was a hole to the garret, where the fleeing slaves were
secreted; sheets were also hung along the side porch in order that
the negroes could be taken down to their meals without any one
seeing them.
There was also another station in this township,
northwest of New Burlington, on Caesar's creek. This was the
home of Stephen Compton. Mr. Compton's house was built
with a cellar, but the opening to this was through a hole in the
floor, which could easily be closed and even teh most careful
observer could not discern it.
The slaves were brought from Cincinnati by Samuel
and John Compton and Levi Coffin and, after secreting
them here awhile, they were taken to Monroe's, at Xenia.
James Farquhar ran a "Liberator," which was a large covered
wagon made for the purpose to Jamestown. The chief agents in
this traffic were Peter Harrison, Allen Linton, W. B. Hamilton,
Benjamin Farquhar and James Haydock.
The business interests of New Burlington at present
consist of W. C. Smith's general store, feed barn, etc.;
William Blair, groceries and notions; T. C. Haydock, Jr.,
grocery; T. C. Haydock, shoes; Benjamin Lemar,
grocery; H. C. Corr, meat market; W. H. Reeves,
restaurant; A. C. Blair & Sons, barbers; George Phillips
and Charles Robinson, black-smiths; H. O. Whitaker and
W. F. McCray are the village physicians both of the "old
school" of doctors; Frank Robinson owns a modern saw
and planing mill.
There are several noteworthy incidents and special
features of the town, among which are the fact that the postoffice
is at present located in Greene county. Marion Isenhower
is the present postmaster. The room where W. C. Smith's
store is now located was an "underground station" and has been
built some eighty years; James Haydock, who was the father of
T. C. Haydock, Sr., ran a tannery in this town for fifty
years and his son has kept a shoe store for thirty years. In
the aggregate, they have been in the leather business in the same
stand for eighty years.
New Burlington now has a population of three hundred
and fifty. It is a very modern little town. It has a
good band of sixteen members, with good equipment and new uniforms.
T. C. Haydock, Jr., is the present director. The line
of Green and Clinton counties passes through the town and several of
the different houses of worship, lodge buildings, etc., are in
Greene county.
OAKLAND.
The village of Oakland is
situated in the southeast corner of Chester township, in Gates'
survey, No. 2, 230, on the highway that leads from Wilmington to
Waynesville. It is undoubtedly the oldest town in Clinton
county. Several of the oldest settlers of the county spoke of
Oakland as one of the points in the county when they first came.
One such mention is that of John Leonard, who spoke of
Oakland and Waynesville as two points well known through which they
had to pass in 1805 on their way from Cincinnati, to the place of
their settlement on Todd's fork.
The original village plat was laid out by James
Murray on Dec. 27, 1806, with the hope that it would be adopted
as a county seat. When this hope was disappointed on the
organization of the county in 1810, it grew very slowly. The
village took its name from the many giant trees of oak that stood
thickly on the grounds of that locality. In this village the
first brick house in the county was built by James
Birdsall. William previously belonged to James Birdsall,
his cousin. He laid out the present village plat of Oakland on
the west side of the original plat.
Owing to the fact that it was merely a country village,
with no railroad or natural advantages to further its growth, it has
remained little more than a wayside hamlet. There are present
some fifteen houses in the village. The professional interests
consist of one physician, J. B. McKenzie, and an apiarist,
James Vineard.
KINGMAN.
This little hamlet lies at
the west end of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton railroad. It was
never platted and evidently its existence came about through the
"stoppage" of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton railroad, which has its
terminus here. The business interests of the town are taken
care of by H. W. Smith & Company, who have an elevator and
general store in that part of the town known as South Kingman.
That part of the town which is off the railroad and
evidently was laid out first is known as North Kingman. In
this part of the town there are about twenty families. The
township house is located here. The business interests are
William Hazard's general store and blacksmith shop and L. D.
Fleming's saw-mill. The high school building burned on
Nov. 16, 1914, and a new building is in the process of construction.
It will be an eight-room structure and will cost twenty-five
thousand dollars. This is a consolidated school, with three
rooms for the high school and four for the grades. The
enrollment for this year in the high school was eighty, and the 1915
graduating class numbered eight. H. H. Smith is the
principal.
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