ROBERT BURNETT emigrated from Virginia to Fayette County, in 1810; a single man, worked around until 1812, when he settled or squatted on government land; he married in 1812 Susannah Bush, by whom he had six sons and five daughters, viz: Henry, John, Jesse, Thomas, Elihu and Absalom.  Mr. Burnett was out in the war of 1812; he belonged to a volunteer company of rifle; he served a tour as Captain of Militia, also as Clerk and Trustee of Jasper Township; he was also appointed by the County Commissioners road viewer; in religion a Unitarian; his first wife died in 1839; his second wife was the widow of Jacob Coler; she was the first woman married in Fayette County in 1810, the time the lines were run by David Creamer, first County Surveyor.  Captain Burnett, by profession, was a surveyor, and run out a great number of County and Township roads.  Henry Burnett visited California in 1848, did well, and cleared $13,000; he lives in Clinton County, a farmer and stock merchant.  John Burnett was County Surveyor, and made a good one; was frequently called on in other counties; now a farmer, etc.  Jesse and Thomas kept a cabinet shop in Washington; both dead.  Elihu Burnett, by profession a gardner, was in the late war.  Absalom, was private clerk under Col. Miller in the late war and now an Engineer on the Peru Railroad, Indiana.  Names of the Captain’s girls: Sidney, Rebecca, Neomah, Catherine and Susan.  Sidney lived and died a single woman; a pleasant, kind girl much regretted; she was a ready nurse, and her presence among the sick was ever acceptable.  Rebecca married Alvaro Figgins, by whom she had one son; both dead; she married J. L. Mark, Esq., of Jasper station, who holds the office of Justice, and is now Postmaster; he is a man of business qualifications; he is also a merchant by whom she had one son and daughter.  Neomah married J. L. Mark, by whom she had four children, two living and two dead.  Catherine is married and lives in Washington; her husband, Joseph Plumb, keeps a furniture store; by trade a cabinet maker; they have but one child living, a daughter, who married James Farley¸ now living in Indiana.  Susan married James Brooks, and lives in Indiana.
     Captain Burnett, in 1813, leased a tract of land in Union Township of Mr. Bush, and lived there until 1821, when he moved to his own land, which he purchased of Pendleton, of Virginia, all in the woods.  On his first lease the surroundings were a dense forest.  There was an ancient Indian camp on the bank of Sugar Creek, where the Indians would stop on their route from Fort Clark to Old Town.  The Captain says squads of them would stop there and rest on their annual hunts.  The majority, however, had emigrated to Logan County.  He says deer were plenty, and he would frequently shoot them; wolves were in great abundance; they could at any time be seen skulking in the woods; sheep had to be secured within high enclosures, and hogs in close pens; bears were few; elk had emigrated to the West; turkeys, coons, opossums and other small game were in abundance.  The Captain, being something of a marksman, kept his family well supplied with fresh meat.  Mills there were none; horse mills and hand mills were all the early pioneers had; they frequently used the hominy block and grater; sometimes a journey to the Scioto mills by some of the pioneers would be made; roads were Indian trails and deer paths.  The Captain says hordes of wild hogs infested the woods; he describes them as having tushes like rams’ horns, head and nose long and sharp, legs long and close in the rabbit, when provoked to anger more dangerous than any beat of the forest, and in the chase could distance the hound or the trained fox steed; he says these wild hogs nest in jumbles on the banks of Sugar Creek.  Snakes were rather plenty; he killed once a monster, the largest he ever saw, he thinks, and was perhaps as old as Methuselah, as the life of the snake is 1,000 years, agreeably to snakeology historians.  He says that grass on the prairies would grow as high as a horses back, and the runs and natural holes and pools afforded water for stock the entire season.  Corn ground was plowed with a wooden shar_ and iron point, and the corn planted with hoes; when sufficiently high it was bladed and topped, and when ripe was pulled and hauled to the barn yard and thrown into two heaps; the neighbors were all invited to the husking, captains for each pile were chosen, and the word “Husk!” was given, when the hardy pioneers would commence; the corn would fly in one place, and the husks in another until finished; the victor would be carried with shouts, on the shoulders of the victorious party, round the yard, then a snort of “Old Rye,” or corn whisky was drank by each party, - when supper was ready, and each eat plenteously of venison, turkey, and bear meat, and ash, Johnny and hoecake.  After supper the boys and girls would take a Mocasin dance on the puncheon floor, which would last until the break of day, when all would return, singing merrily, to their cabins and wigwams in the wilderness.  All cabins, barns and stables would be cut, hauled and raised in the same way; also log rollings, clearings, wood choppings, etc.  Wheat, rye and oats were harvested by the hand sickle; grass was harvested or mowed by the hand scythe, raked with a hand rake, and cocked with a hickory pitch fork.
     NOTE – Mrs. B. says I omitted to state that corn would be often hid by the party fearing defeat.
     Harness, says the captain, were made of hemp rope, sometimes deer hide and often bark; bridles of hemp rope, elm bark and skins; saddles, called pack saddles, were made of wood and padded with straw.  Wagons – hickory axle-tree, and wooden wheels; hickory withes were used for ropes to tie; large spinning wheels were used for wool, and small ones for flax; the real to wind, the cards for two; no carpets for the floor, which were split puncheons.  Wooden plates and wooden bowls were used to eat out of; gourds for rye or corn coffee.  The dress, buckskin, linsey or two linen; moccasins or nature’s shoes, wool and straw hats.
     The Captain is now 83 years old; he says he never had a law-suit, never paid a fine, never had a quarrel with a neighbor, never left his house over night, never used it was made by steam and poisoned with drugs; now he does not taste it or use it in any form.  He has been keeping house fifty-seven years, and never eat a meal without company; his latch-string has never hung out.  The Captain showed me the following ancient relics, which I insert in this record, viz: one china spotted plate, of many colors, a present from Mrs. Hurshaw, who emigrated to Fayette County, in 1810, from Virginia.  She bought it before the French war of 1755, making the plate 116 years old.  She died in 1823, aged 93 years.  One set silver tea spoons, a present from the Captain’s grandmother, Mrs. Jane Hollenworth, in 1812; they were made in England in 1665, and brought to America in 1753.  Mr. Hollenworth died aged 105 years.  The spoons are now in the hands of the fourth woman, Mrs. Bennett, 76 years old.  One evineger cruet, a present from her grandmother, Mrs. Anna Hess, to Mrs. Burnett.  Mrs. Hess died in 1830, aged 96 years.  One pair of white corduroy pants, the Captain purchased for his first marriage in 1811, now 60 years old and in good condition.   One summer shawl, a present to Mrs. Burnett from her father, when she was thirteen years old, making the shawl 63 years old; it is in a state of preservation.  One of Long’s make of hook circles, bought in England, in 1636, the first use, and perhaps the oldest now in America.  One ancient trunk, made in Germany in 1600, size 6 by 12 feet, brought to America in 1755 by Michael Miller, and now in  the possession of Captain Burnett since 1819.

GENEALOGY OF THE BURNETT FAMILY.

     WILLIAM BURNETT, grandfather of Captain Burnett, emigrated from Ireland to America and settled in Pennsylvania; he served during the Revolution as teamster; ;his two brothers were in the service of Cornwallis.  Robert Burnett, father of the Captain, was born in Pennsylvania in 1755; he was in the war of 1776 as teamster; he hauled the baggage from Brandywine; he emigrated with his wife to Fayette in 1818, and died in 1820, aged 65; his wife died in 1824, aged 66.  Their children: Samuel, Amor, Mary, Jane, Robert, Jr., Thomas, Susan, Henry and John S.  Samuel was a mechanic and farmer; Amor was a farmer; Mary married Thomas Friend; Jane remained single; Thomas, farmer; Susan died young; Henry was a farmer and stock trader; John Burnett was County Auditor and Deputy Clerk under Milligan; he died in 1823.
     Jasper was organized in 1828.  First Justice, William Thompson; first constable, Henry Burnett; first Treasurer, John Kirkpatrick; first Clerk, Robert Burnett; first Trustees, Levi Arnold, Jacob Wood, and A. Carr; first Assessor, R. Burnett; first preacher, Rev. Isaac Tany; first school teacher, Robert Burnett; first merchant, E. L. Ford; first blacksmith, James Parkenson; first shoemaker, John Cole; first grocer, J. W. Williams; first wagon shop, Daniel Blue; first carpenter, Anzi Hire; first brick mason, A. Carr; first Doctor J. DeGroat; first water mill, Hugh Rankin; first horse mill, Peter Fisher.

NOTED HUNTERS.

     George Rupart and John Arnold.  George Rupart told Mr. Burnett that he killed, in one season, 120 deer, two bears, wolves and other game in abundance.  John Arnold killed deer and other game without number.  On Esquire Marks' farm there is an ancient grave yard; skeletons seven feet, and perfectly sound, have been exhumed.  Also one grave-yard on Amos Cole's farm, where skeletons over seven feet were exhumed.

CREEKS, RUNS, BRANCHES, ETC.

     In this Township are Sugar Creek, Rattle Snake, McFarland Run, Indian Camp Run, Ayers' Fork and Grassy Branch.

ROADS, TURNPIKES, ETC.

     Part of Wilmington Pike, Parmer Pike, Charleston road, Burnett, Sabina and Plymouth roads, Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley Railroad.

PRESENT TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.

     Justices, Smith Rankin and J. L. Mark;  Trustees, Samel Fichthorn, Z. Smith and Jno. Merchant; Constables, William Hiat and S. Smith; Treasurer, E. L. Ford; Clerk, Anderson Blue; Assessor, Samuel Hamilton.
     The following pioneers were handed in by Captain Robert Burnett; Richard Figgins, Leonard Bush, father-in-law to Robert Burnett, emigrated in 1810, and settled in now Jasper; by occupation a farmer, his sons four, dead; he died in 1832, age 77; his wife died aged 96; Jacob Rankin, son of Smith Rankin, who emigrated to Jasper at an early day, was a man of influance.  He served as Justice several terms; Benjamin Ryan, M. E. preacher; moved to Iowa; Elijah Arnold, is a son of then oted hunter referred to in another page; he is a farmer and is a good citizen; John Merchant, farmer and trader in fine stock, was in the last war; John Rumber, a farmer and steam saw mill manager; James Perrill, a farmer, and wholesale dealer in stock, and a shipper of cattle; a man of note, wealth and influence; J. W. Hartesly grazer and trader in stock; J. H. Hoge, held the office of Captain of Militia and was in the last war; he held the office of Justice several terms; J. L. Persinger, a business man, energetic and successful in trade; Levi Wright, farmer, gone West; Wm. Griffith.
     The following are all successful farmers and useful citizens: William Griffith, William Burris, James Sanderson; was killed in the last war; James Acton, Benjamin Rankin, Ellis Coil, Bela Latham, Jacob Rankin, John Hall, Nathan Coffman, Jacob Bush, Eli Somebert, S. Cola, Hugh Rankin, Wm. Ferguson, Benjamin Harper, Jesse Core, trader in stock and shipper; Jesse Worthington, school principal, now in the Cherokee Country, among the Indians; a relation of Gov. Worthington; J. Allen, Seth Linton, J. T. Sylvester, -- Wilson, J. J. Gray, R. Upthegrove, Lewis Shackelford, E. Allen, Jr.  T. Davis, W. M. Merchant, enos Harper, Samuel Pitshern, Wm. A. Creamer, Samuel Willis, John Bellfield, Wm. H. Cunningham, J. B. Pursley, Jacob Coyle, John Harper, J. L. Persinger, George Culbertson, W. M. Dix, Henry Burnett, E. Yeoman, George Cline, Samuel Bryant, Elijah Arnold, J., R. L. Wagner; all the above are large land holders and stock traders.
     Governor Trimble entered a large tract of land, part of which lay in Jasper; he frequently visited his land; he had it well stocked.  He frequently visited Captain Burnett, and often remained over Sunday with him; he was ont as a Major in the war of 1812, his head-quarters were Fort Meigs; he represented his district as a Senator and Representative at Columbus, was twice elected Governor of Ohio; in all these trusts he rendered general satisfaction.  His family consisted of Joseph, William, James, Madison and Cary.  Joseph is a noted preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Presiding Elder of the Columbus district; William, counselor at law; Cary, a member of Congress and doctor; James and Madison, large farmer and stock dealers.  Gov. Trimble lived to the advanced age of 88; his wife only survived him a short time; both have gone to the spirit land, lamented and regretted by numerous friends and relations.

PIONEER SONG.

OLD GRIMES.

JASPER MILLS BUSINESS DIRECTORY.

< RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS >