OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS A Part of Genealogy Express   WELCOME to COLUMBIANA COUNTY, OHIO History & Genealogy Source: Mack, Horace History of Columbiana County, Ohio  with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. Philadelphia: D. W. Ensign & Co., 1879 KNOX TOWNSHIP pg. 169 (Transcribed by Sharon Wick) BUTLER CENTRE ELK RUN FAIRFIELD FRANKLIN GOSHEN Mahoning Co. HANOVER KNOX LIVERPOOL MADISON MIDDLETON PERRY ST. CLAIR SALEM   UNITY WASHINGTON WAYNE WEST YELLOW CREEK   < CLICK HERE to GO to  BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX > < CLICK HERE to GO to TABLE OF CONTENTS >   SITUATION - WATER COURSES.      The township of Knox, No. 17 in range 5, is the northwest corner township in the present county of Columbiana.  It comprises 36 square miles of land, more or less hilly, and is well drained by the Mahoning River and its tributaries.      It has no low or marsh lands incapable of successful cultivation.  The waters of the Mahoning, which rises in West and Butler, are considerably augmented in their passage through the township.  The township is bounded north by Mahoning County, east by Butler township, south by West township, and west by Stark County. EARLY SETTLEMENTS.      Early settlements in Knox township, as in many others, were induced by the low price fixed by the Federal Government in the sale of the public lands.  The natural situation, the fertility of the soil, and the healthful climate were additional causes of early immigration and rapid settlement.  These considerations resulted in the permanent settlement of the township, notwithstanding a very large portion of its territory was purchased by speculators, who, within the ensuing twenty years, disposed of it to settlers at advanced prices.      The first permanent settler of the township was John THOMAS, of Adams Co., Pa., who came with a family of grown children.  He entered sections 27, 28, and 29 in the year 1804.  The children were John, Michael, Samuel and Peter (twins), Henry, Mary, who afterwards married John NISWANDER.  Susan, Sarah, and Thomas were born at Knox.      The children of John, the oldest son, were Elizabeth, John, Mary, and Catharine.  The children of Henry were Mary, and Catharine.  The children of Henry were Mary, Samuel, Daniel, Jacob, Daniel, Barbara, George, Esther, Margaret, and Henry, Jr.  Michael the second son, brought a family of two children from Pennsylvania, - Margaret and Henry.  Thomas, the youngest son, lives on the homestead farm, on section 28.      John THOMAS, the pioneer, died in the year 1818, at the age of seventy-three years, and was interred in the burying-ground in Butler township, east of the present village of North Georgetown.      Moses, John, Thomas and Richard GILSON, brothers, made a permanent settlement in the township soon after the THOMAS family, and probably in the next year.  Thomas GILSON, now living on section 31, is a grandson of Thomas the pioneer.      Jacob SHAFFER, a native of Lancaster Co., Pa., settled in Knox in 1804.  His children by his first wife were Solomon and Margaret, who married Joseph Bloom ENGLISH.  During Sabbath morning service on the banks of the Sandy, June 2, 1822, Mrs. SHAFFER and her infant child were killed by a falling tree.  The second wife of Jacob was Nancy LINARD, by whom he had children, - Lydia, who married David JOHNSON; Joseph, who married Elizabeth THOMAS, and lives in  Knox township; Susanna, who married Michael HAVELEY; Hannah, who married John Myers; Mary, who married Henry HUSTAND; Amanda, who became Mrs. Thomas ISAMAN; Abigail, who became the wife of Dayton HOLLOWAY; Joshua, David, and Jacob.      Daniel WHITELEATHER, now living at North Georgetown, is one of a family of eight children, sons and daughters of Andrew WHITELEATHER.  This family, all grown, settled in the township in 1807.  The children were John, Christophel, George, David, Polly, Mary, Elizabeth, and Catharine.  Of this family, David, who alone survives, lives on the homestead farm, on section 25, and has had thirteen children, - Andrew, John, Harriet, Mary, Joseph, Moses, Margaret, Jane, wife of Levi McLAUGHLIN, David, William, Jacob, Rebecca, Elizabeth, and Rosanna.      Parmenas LAMBORN, of Chester Co., Pa., settled on Section 13 in the year 1814, having a family consisting of a wife and four children, - Isaac; Mariam, who married John BUCK; Dinah, who married James HARTLEY; and William.  These were born subsequently: Elizabeth, who married Joseph BALL, and died in 1874; Annie, who died in 1851; Lydia; and Mary, who died in 1837.      The children of John and Mariam (LAMBORN) BUCK were Nathan, who died in 1848 or '49; Jonathan, who died aged three years; Rebecca, who died in infancy; Josiah, who died in 1855; John W.; and Mary Anna who married James Brandon, and lives in Knox township.      John WEAVER, of Bedford Co., Pa., settled on section 35, in 1819.  His children, all of whom are natives of Knox, and David, Isaac, John, William, Nancy, and Catharine.  Of these, Isaac only now lives in the township.      John WEAVER, Sr., the father of John, the settler mentioned above, settled on section 36 in 1822.  With him came five children - Nancy, who married Isaac Yengling; Abraham, who married Susan Conser; Samuel, Isaac, and Barbara.  Isaac married Catharine SHIVELY, and had nine children, - Daniel, John, Susan, who married Henry HOFFMAN, and was killed by lightning in 1868; Elizabeth, who married Eli STOFFER; Franklin, Isaac, Delilah, who married Barney NEAL; David, and Levi.      In 1821, Cornelius Sheehan of Lancaster Co., Pa., settled on section 32  In his family were ten children, - five boys and five girls, - viz.: Isabella, John, William, Jeremiah, Rebecca, Elizabeth, and Samuel; and step-children, - Mary A., Nancy and James.  Of these, Jeremiah, Elizabeth, and Samuel live in Knox township.  John, the second son, died in 1852.  The children of Jeremiah are Ann, who married Nerr BURNS; and Calvin, Thomas, Jesse, Franklin, Hannah, Mary Jane, Ella, Alice, and Stanton.  Elizabeth married Jesse THOMPSON, and has one child, Rebecca Jane.  The children of Samuel are John, Albert, Mary (Mrs. Smith DAVIS), Elizabeth (Mrs. John PIEL), Luther, George, Amanda, who died in 1866, William, and Florence.  William, the son of Samuel, died in 1866, leaving three children, - Joseph W., Elizabeth (Mrs. Dr. J. L. JOHNSON), and James A.  Joseph W. and James A. live on the homestead farm.      James JOHNSON entered a quarter of section 17 in 1823.  His children were Sarah, James, Christopher, Samuel, David, Jane, Eliza, William, Nancy, and MArgaret.  Of these, Nancy and Margaret are natives of Knox township.  David lives on section 28, and has eight children, - Margaret Jane, Nancy Ann, Eliza Ella, James, Jacob, Hannah Mary, Joseph, and Clement L. V.      James BEER, a pensioner of the war of 1812, settled in Wayne township in 1805, and in 1830 removed to Knox, bringing a wife and family.  The children were Jane, who married Dr. Joshua ANDERSON, and lives in Knox township; John, Margaret, who married Dr. Joseph DILWORTH, and lives in Stark County; James, Susan, who married David RUFF; Hannah, Elizabeth and Ellen.  Mr. BEER still lives in Knox township, at the village of Homeworth.      Rev. Joshua BEER, another son of the pioneer James, had settled in Knox in 1825, leaving in Portage County, from whence he came, a family of grown sons and daughters.  Mr. BEER had preached in Knox as early as 1818.  While preaching at the Middle Sandy Presbyterian church, in 1843, he was suddenly attacked with illness, and died in a few days afterwards.      Christian Dellenbaugh settled in Knox township in 1824.  In 1826, Dr. John DELLENBAUGH,  son of Christian, commenced the practice of medicine at North Georgetown continuing twenty-eight years.      Daniel BORTON, a native of Burlington Co., N. J., bought lands from the government, comprising 77-55/100 acres on section 9, receiving a grant therefor bearing the signature of President John Adams.  He settled on the land in 1826.  He married Mary FOUGHTY, by  whom he had eight children:  Charlotte, who married Amos WILSON, and lives in Butler; Rachel, who married Joseph TOWNS, and lives in Missouri; Eliza, who lives at home; Horace P., who married Paulina CLEMENT, and lives in Knox; Sarah, who married Jesse TOWNS, and lives in Mason Co., Mich.; Cyrus, who married Phebe A. BROSIUS, and lives in Smith; Mary, who died in infancy; and Daniel, Jr., now living in Knox.      Samuel HOFFMAN, a pioneer of Salem township, settled on section 21, in 1829.  John, the oldest son living of a family of eight children, resides in Knox, on the homestead farm.      George M. BOWMAN settled on lands in section 23 in 1832.  He married Catharine SUMMERS, by whom he had five children, - Aaron, who died in 1834; David S., who married first Rachel E. CRISWELL, and after her death married Mary J. SHADLE; Emeline H., who married Rev. John CLEMENT, and died in 1875; Samuel, who died in 1842; and Mary L., who married Samuel STOFFER, and died in 1878.  Mr. BOWMAN died 18874, aged nearly sixty-three years.  The children of David S. are Charles SUMMER, Homer ADDISON, George and David (twins), both of whom died in infancy, and Irene B.      The children of Rev. John and Emeline H. (BOWMAN) CLEMENT are Odessa, Cora, George, Francis, William and John and James, twins.  After the death of his first wife Rev. John CLEMENT married Ella CAYLER, by whom he had one child, Ada Bertha.  The children of Samuel and Mary L. (BOWMAN) STOFFER are George S., Leslie A., and John, who died in 1878.      Jacob KUNTZ, of Union Co., Pa., with his wife and son Robert, settled in North Georgetown in 1836.  Since his residence in Knox they have had children, - John, who died in 1875; Catharine, who died aged eighteen; Sarah, who died in infancy; Jacob, now living in North Georgetown; Isaac, now living in Indiana; George, who died in infancy; William, who lives at home; Annie, who married Manuel UNDERWOOD; and Eli, who died aged five years.      There should be mentioned among the early settlers of the township the family of Benjamin Anderson, who entered land on section 30.  He died in 1875, having raised a family of four children, - William, Thomas, Abigail, who married Henry ESTEP; and Jane, who married James HAZARD.      Jacob STOFFER and family, Henry KEISTER, Daniel SHIVELY, George and Adam WOLF, George and John MOUNTZ, Stophel MILLER, Obadiah CREW, Thomas STANLEY, Pleasant COBBS, Adam and Michael FALOR, who names deserving of mention as among the early settlers of the township.  Of these and possibly others no accurate date of settlement can be obtained.      James McLAUGHLIN, an old Revolutionary soldier, who had served under the immediate command of Gen. WASHINGTON, came to Columbiana County from Northumberland Co., Pa., and settled near the village of Calcutta, St. Clair township, in the year 1797.  In 1830 he removed to Knox township, and settled upon section 18, where he resided a few years, when he removed to Wayne township, where he died about 1834, having passed his ninetieth year. ORGANIZATION.   MR. DAVID JOHNSON MRS. DAVID JOHNSON DAVID JOHNSON.   CLERKS.   TREASURERS.   ASSESSORS.      1842-44 - Samuel L. STURGEON; 1845 - James GILSON 1846 - David ECKSTINE; 1847 - Robert W. WING 1848-51 - Isaac WEAVER 1852-53, Levi FOX 1854, D. H. ECKSTINE 1855-57 - Isaac WEAVER, Jr.; 1858 - D. H. ECKSTINE 1859-60 - CLEMENT, John A. 1861-62 - Jason Fox   1863 - John C. McLAUGHLIN 1864 - Isaac WEAVER, Jr. 1865 - Diehl, aaron 1866 - A. J. DIEHL 1867, Firestone, Daniel W. 1868 - 69 - B. F. Sturgeon 1870 - S. S. Dice 1881-72 - George A. Ruff 1873 - 74 - Frank Weaver 1877-78 - Frank Saffell 1879 - Randolph, B. H. READING      is a small and almost extinct borough, situated midway between North Georgetown and Homeworth, on what is known as the "old Thomas road."  The original plat was made about the year 1840, and several houses built.  It was confidently expected that this would be the centre of trade for the residents of the township.  The current was, however, setting strongly towards the other places, and the hamlet of Reading never extended beyond its original plat of forty acres. CHURCHES. MIDDLE SANDY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.      The first divine service held in Knox township was in the summer of 1816.  Rev. Robert SEMPLE, of the Hartford, Conn., Presbytery, officiated.  The service was held in the woods, near where the church-edifice now stands.  On the 10th of November, 1821, the church was regularly organized by Rev. John CORE, of the same Presbytery.  The original members were nine, comprising six families.  Moses, Thomas, and John GILSON, Henry ESTEP, Benjamin ANDERSON, and Corelius SHEEHAN were among the first members.  Moses GILSON and Henry ESTEP were chosen ruling elders.      On the 2d day of June, 1822, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered for the first time, by Rev. James ROBERTSON, assisted by Rev. Joshua BAEER.  This service was held in the woods, during which a furious storm suddenly burst upon the worshipers, and a falling tree killed Mrs. Jacob SHAFFER and her infant child.  The text on this memorable occasion was taken from Zechariahix. 12: "Turn on to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope."      No record exists of the time of building the first meeting house, but it must have been about 1825.  The present edifice was erected in 1853.  The several early pastors have been as follows:  Revs. Robert SEMPLE, James ROBERTSON, supply, Joshua BEER, James GALBRAIGHT, Jehial TALMADGE,.  In 1843, Rev. Joshua BEER was called to succeed Mr. TALMADGE.  While in the midst of a discourse from Rev. iii. 20, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock,"  - he was suddenly attacked with illness, from which he died in a few days. GERMAN BAPTIST CHURCH.   DISCIPLES' CHURCH.   BETHEL CHURCH.   EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH.   INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS.   BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. ENOS COOK.     NOTES:     CLICK HERE to RETURN to COLUMBIANA COUNTY, OHIO INDEX PAGE CLICK HERE to RETURN to OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS INDEX PAGE FREE GENEALOGY RESEARCH is My MISSION GENEALOGY EXPRESS This Webpage has been created by Sharon Wick exclusively for Ohio Genealogy Express  ©2008 Submitters retain all copyrights