NATURAL FEATURES.

     The eastern portion of the township, where it borders on the Scioto river, has high hills and bluffs, which extend up the valley of Indian run for some distance, and for a short distance up nearly, if not all, the small runs that empty into the Scioto.  The main road, extending from north to south, through the township, follows the river bank, in many places, for a long distance, over the out-cropping limestone rock, making a solid and permanent road-bed, though not always as smooth as could be desired.
     The timber was originally beech, maple, hickory, elm, ash, walnut, on the bottoms, and buckeye, oak, and other varieties, in a small way.  Most of the valuable timber has been cut off and utilized, by being sawed into lumber,
though vast quantities were deadened and burned in early days.
     The soil is mostly clay, and is capable of producing large crops when properly cultivated.
     The streams are:  Indian run, which empties into the Scioto river, just above Dublin, and Hayden run, on the south border of the township.  There are also numerous small runs, or brooklets, that help to drain the surface of the township.  At the point where these runs descend the hills and bluffs, to reach the river, is some very rugged and romantic scenery.  In places, the water has a perpendicular descent of from ten to twenty feet, and in the distance of one or two hundred feet, falling sixty or seventy feet.  The falls on Hayden run have been, for some years, a favorite resort for picnic parties.

SETTLEMENT.

     Among the first settlers of Washington were Ludwick Sells and his sons, Samuel, Peter, Benjamin, and William, from Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania.  John Sells, an elder brother of Ludwick Sells, also came into the same neighborhood, in the fall of 1808. Two of the brothers, Peter and Benjamin, came to Ohio first of all, and purchased four hundred acres of land, where the town of Dublin now stands, for their brother John; one hundred acres below this, for their father, and three hundred for themselves, north of Dublin.  They afterwards sold one hundred acres of their purchase to their brother, Samuel.  They made a large camp, near the spring at Dublin bridge, where they lived some weeks, until cabins could be built. Their settlement was made along the river bank, below the present site of the bridge, and high
enough from the bed of the river to be safe from floods.  The street on which they settled is now called River street.

     George Ebey came with his wife and family soon after the Sells.  He, with John Sells, erected a flouring-mill in 1812.  A daughter of his married Amaziah Hutchinson,
and now lives with her daughters, two of whom married brothers, John and Daniel Thomas, who live in Perry township.

    Alexander Bassett came about the same time, and settled a mile southwest of Dublin, where he bought and cleared land.  This he sold to Mr. Tuttle, and with his family went farther west.

     The next settler below Ludwick Sells was Augustus Miller, who came into the country about 1804.

     James Hoey came in 1815, and settled a mile and a half up Indian run, on the north fork, where he made a home.

     Joab Hayden, an eccentric genius, settled, very early, in the extreme southern part of the present township, on a run which still bears the name of Hayden’s run.  He was a very foolhardy man, and would attempt the most dangerous feats, at which he always succeeded in coming off safely.  He once went to the Kanawha salt works for salt, and, in a spirit of boasting, said he would climb a very high tree and stand on his head on a limb, nearly a hundred feet from the ground, for a barrel of salt.  His offer was accepted, and he proceeded to execute his proposition.  After climbing to the designated limb he was offered a barrel of salt to desist from his purpose, but he swore he would stand on his head, and he did, although those present expected to see him fall and meet certain death.  He then offered to fall into the river, for another barrel of salt, but no one would make him the offer.

     Samuel Sells, a son of Ludwick Sells, settled in Franklinton in 1802.  In 1809 he moved to Washington town . ship, and settled a mile west of the present village of Dublin, on Indian run.  A large body of Indians, num

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bering about one hundred and fifty, were encamped on his land, it being a favorite ground for them.  some of them enlisted under General Harrison, among them a noted warrior called Captain Turtle who participated in the battle of Tippecanoe.
     The following were also early settlers:  John Wyandt settled three-fourths of a mile west of Samuel Sells, on Indian run; McCune and Jacob King near by; and Jacob Sladle also on Indian run. 

     George Ebey came from Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, to Ohio, in 1805.  He settled, for one year, in Franklinton, until he could find a location to suit him.  At the end of the year, he removed, with his family to Washington township, and settled half a mile west of Dublin.  He was a miller by occupation, and brought with him a silk bolting cloth, and, soon after his arrival, dressed some small stone, and built a primitive mill for the use of his family, in his own kitchen.  Here they ground their own corn and wheat, and always had the wherewithal for good bread and light biscuit two articles that were considered luxuries among very many of the pioneers.  He and George Sells soon built the first mill in Washington township, on the banks of the Scioto river, where it is continued to this day, and is now owned by Joseph Corbin.  Mr. Ebey came, with his wife and family of six children, over the mountains in a large Pennsylvania wagon, drawn by five horses, over almost impassable roads through the forest.  In their new home they raised ten children, four being born after their settlement.  The names of the children were Jacob, Henry, John, George, Betsey, Mary, Barbara, Susan, Sally, and Rose Ann.

     Charles Mitchell, accompanied by his wife and family, consisting of six boys and three girls, came from Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, in 1815.  He came in a large boat from Robstown, on the Yonghighany river, to the Ohio, from there to the Scioto, and up that to Columbus.  Some of his boys came on this trip with him.  The cargo of the boat consisted of a greater variety of household goods than was generally brought by the early pioneers, including three barrels of rye whiskey, which was made into bitters and taken by the family, none of whom were sick with malarial diseases while that lasted, which was some ten years.  The rest of the family came overland from Pennsylvania in a four-horse wagon.  Their cows and other stock were driven along at the same time.  The family consisted of John, Charles, William, Hugh, Thomas, David, Elizabeth, Jane, and Sarah.  Mr. Mitchell bought one thousand and seventy acres of land from Walter Dun, of Chillicothe.  This land lies one half mile north of Dublin, and adjoined that purchased by the Sells brothers.  A home was made near the bank of the river, where Mr. Mitchell died in 1823.  At his death the property was divided among the children, all of whom settled on their land, which they cleared and improved.  Charles Mitchell, jr., bought the land owned by three of his brothers, and built a house one half a mile from Dublin, where he now lives.   He married Eliza D. Reed, in 1835, and has raised seven children, all of whom are married and live near home.  He was agent for the sale of the Dun land some twelve or fourteen eyars.  William Mitchell and Hugh married sisters of Charles Mitchell's wife.  Hugh died on his property, near Dulin, which is now owned by his heirs.  William lives in Fairburg, Illinois, as does Thomas.  A daughter of Charles Mitchell, jr., Annie, married Harlan F. Johnson, and lives a mile north of her father's.

     Mr. Horsey was an early settler in Washington, near Dublin.  He afterwards sold his land to John Sells.

     Elisha Hays came soon after the Mitchells, and settled west of them, on Indian run.  Several of the family came at the same time; and their descendants are now living in the township.

     Mr. Rogers was the first settler back from the river on the level land.  He came about 1825, and located about three miles southwest from Dublin, where he bought land and made a farm.  He afterwards sold, and none of the family now remain, with the exception of a widowed daughter, Mr. Turner.

     Mr. Babcock came with Mr. Rogers and settled immediately north of him.

     Messrs, Hunter and Wilcox settled north of Babcock, at a still later date.

     Jeremiah Dominy came from Beekmantown, New York, in 1812, in a wagon, with his father-in-law, James Norton.  They settled on Sugar run, in Madison county, where he died in 1868.  He was twice married, and raised twenty children.  His son, Henry, bought two hundred and twenty acres of land of Barney Elrich and Amos Kidwell, in the south part of Washington township, in 1864.  He married Harriet Barlow, in 1834, and has nine children, all but one of whom are married.

     Henry Coffman came to Ohio in about 1810.  He established a hat shop in Ripley, Brown county, where he lived some ten years.  His wife was Margaret Sells, whom he married, in Washington township, before coming here to live.  He came here about 1820, and moved on the land of Ludwick Sells  He worked some years in the hat shop of Eliud and Charles Sells, in Dublin, and then bought a farm west of the town, where his son, Fletcher, now lives.

     James Ewing Donaldson came to Ohio with his father, in 1798, when six years old.  They settled in Union county, where his father died early.  He was raised by his grandmother and his uncle, James Ewing, and in 1816 married Cynthia Dodge.  In 1832 he moved to the northwest corner of Washington township, where he bought two hundred and thirty-two acres of land.  At the time of his purchase there was no clearing, and no road in this vicinity.  He built a hickory-slab shanty to live in during the summer and in the fall completed a hewed log house, which he partially built before settling with his family.  His children who lived, where James, J. Werden D., Israel C., and David M.  James lived on a part of the home farm, on the west side of the road; and his brother J. W. D., lives on the east side of the same road, near by.  Their mother lives with her son James.  The land which Mr. Donaldson purchased is in the Means survey, number five thousand one hundred and sixty-two.

E. M. PINNEY

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     Iden Bishop settled on the land south of Donaldson, and previous to his settlement, about 1827.  His brother, Finley, bought his land in about 1828.

     Richard Hayes settled on the run south of Donaldson's about 1828.

     Below Hays, on land now owned by Frank Goble, a man named Lawyer, settled about 1830.  He was killed by a falling limb from a tree, in 1832.

     The next lot south was owned by a man named Cole, who came about 1828 or 1830.

     Joseph Filler came from Frederick county, Maryland, in 1837, and bought fifty acres in the Gilliam survey.  The land was originally owned by Dun, and afterwards by Hays. who made a clearing.  The north fork of Indian run passes through it.  Mr. Filler was twice married, and had six children, all of whom are now dead.  His son, Frederick E., died on the place, in January, 1879, leaving a wife and two children.

     Adam H. Price came to Franklin county about 1832, when eight years of age.  In 1844 he bought land in the north part of Washington township, a short distance east of Donaldson's.  He married Phebe Huston, in 1845, and settled on his purchase, where was a clearing, made by previous owners.  Since his settlement he has engaged in farming and broom-making.  They had ten sons nine of whom are now living, all but one near home.

     Joseph Cosgray came from Pennsylvania to Perry county, where he first settled.  While living there he married Elizabeth Gordon, and has raised seven children, one of whom died when twenty-one years of age.  In about 1837 he moved to Washington and bought one hundred acres of land in the west part of the township.  His children are all married, with the exception of his eldest son, and all live near him.  

     Hugh Huston came from Pennsylvania in 1826, and settled two miles west of Dublin, on the post road, on a farm owned by the Demar family.  He remained here about eight years, and in 1834, moved to the farm owned by Frank Goble, where he remained until his children grew up, when he removed to McLean county, Illinois.

     Basil Brown came from Maryland to Delaware county in 1818.  In 1821 he settled in Perry township, Franklin county, and in 1826 moved to Dublin, where he worked at his trade, that of shoemaking, until his death, in 1834.  His son, James Brown lives a mile west of Dublin; another  son in Norwich township, and a daughter at Hilliard.  When he first came to the west he, with his wife and three children, had two horses as a means of conveyance.  He walked most of the way, letting his family ride the horses.

     Benjamin Sells, son of Peter Sells, who settled near Dublin in 1802, was born in 1813.  In 1834 he married Elizabeth Davis, and in August, 1835, settled on his present farm, in the south part of Washington township, on the north side of Hayden run.  HE bought his land of Allen Latham, who was an heir of the original proprietor, Anderson.  Mr. Sells has cleared and improved his farm, and has a comfortable home.  They have four children, two of whom live in Hilliard and two in Missouri.

EARLY EVENTS.

     The first settlement in Washington township was made at the present village of Dublin, in 1801 or 1802, by Ludwick Sells and his sons, Samuel, Peter, William, and Benjamin.  Another son, John, came in the fall of 1808.  The first child born in the township was Fletcher Sells, son of John Sells and wife, in March, 1809.  Another child, Otis Millington, was born the same night, in what is now Perry township, at that time included in Washington.  The first orchard was planted by Ludwick Sells, about 1806.  The nearest mill the early settlers could reach was at Old Town, now Frankfort, Ross county.  A mill was built at Franklinton, soon afterwards and a little later, about 1812, one was built at Dublin, by John Sells and George Ebey.  A saw-mill was built in connection with it.  This mill was built on the site of the  stone mill, in Dublin, now owned by Joseph Corban, who rebuilt it, after many years.  The old saw-mill was discontinued about 1869.  John Sells also built a saw-mill on Indian run, soon after 1812.  This was used until the timber supply was well nigh exhausted, and the water drained away so that it could be run but a limited time each season.  He then built a mill at another point on the same run, which was in operation many years, and was finally torn down, about 1850.  Mr. Sells sawed lumber for his neighbors on shares, as well as sawing his own logs.  The lumber he ratted down the river, to Franklinton and Columbus, finding a ready sale there for all he could produce.  An oil-mill was erected in Dublin, about 1820, by Daniel Wright, who run it about ten years, when it was abandoned.  William Kilbourne introduced a carding machine, about the same time, which was located in the oil-mill.  The motive power of both was obtained by means of a horse tread-mill.  A distillery was started by John Sells, near the present Dublin bridge, about 1812.  It was in operation but about two years.  John Sells also started a hat factory, under the hill, near the distillery, where he carried on the business of manufacturing hats a number of years.  His sons, Charles and Blind, learned the business of him, and afterwards built a shop on the hill, where they continued the business some years.  The first settled physician in Dublin was Dr. Albert Chapman, who read medicine in Worthington with his uncle, Dr. Upson, and commenced practice there in 1821.  During his practice in Worthington, he answered many calls in Dublin, and, in 1830, he located here permanently, and continued in practice until about 1870, though, since 1840, he has not depended on his profession for the means of living.
     Dr. Chapman opened the first regular store in Dublin.  He continued in business until 1840.  At one time, Orange Davis was associated with him in business.  Dr. Chapman sold out his mercantile business about 1840, and dealt in land, besides loaning money.  At one time he owned one thousand acres of land.  Dr. E. M. Pinney commenced practice in Dublin in 1842.  He first studied in Worthington, at the botanic school, where he graduated in 1837.  He then commenced practice in Indiana, where he remained until 1842, and has now been in continuous practice forty-two years. Dr. J.

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R. Marshall came in 1858, after Dr. Pinney, and has been in continuous practice here since that time, with the exception of a term in the legislature.  He was a soldier in the Mexican war.  Holcomb Tuller came to Dublin, and commenced the mercantile business about 1832.  He was born in Perry township, near Worthington, where his father settled in 1806.  He married before engaging in business and at his death was succeeded by his son, E. W. Tuller, who is at present engaged in business at the same stand.  Another son, Woodruff, is also engaged in the mercantile business in Dublin.  A man from Virginia opened a store in Dublin, after Mr. Tuller commenced business, but did not remain long.  The first school in Dublin was taught, about 1820, by F. Henry.  The first tavern in Dublin was kept by John Sells, as early as 1809 or 1810.  His sin was the black horse - a large picture that would attract the eye of the weary traveler.  His son, Eliud, kept the next tavern.  The first death in the settlement was that of Mrs. Polly King, in January, 1815.  The next was Mrs. George Ebey in March, 1815.  John Christie died soon after, and was followed by others.  For several years, about this time, it was very sickly, fever and ague predominating.  The first burial ground was located at Dublin.  It was used almost exclusively until 1858, at which time the Odd Fellows' cemetery was opened for burials.  Some interments were made in the old ground until about 1870, and some have, occasionally, been made since in private grounds.  In 1823, Charles Mitchell, jr., and his brother William, had a flat-boat made, a few miles up the river.  They loaded it with flour, pork, potatoes, etc., which they conveyed to New Orleans, where they sold it for enough to about pay their expenses.  Quite early in the history of the country, Charles Mitchell slaughtered two thousand, two hundred hogs, in one season, for Mr. Dun. The pork made was shipped to Liverpool.  When the country was first settled, salt was obtained from Chillicothe, the price paid being six dollars per bushel.

     John Swain bought a mill-site on the Scioto river, just below Dublin, of William Sells, in 1832.  He built an oil-mill and put in a carding machine, and afterwards a cloth-fulling machine. These were run quite a number of years, and, in 1855, he sold out to Lorenzo Holcomb, who built a flouring mill on the same site, and discontinued the oil and carding business.  After two or three years he sold the property to Holcomb Tuller, who continued the business until his death.  In the division of his property, this part fell to his son, E. W. Tuller who run the mill a few years and then discontinued it.  The frame of the building was torn down in 1877, and he built of it a warehouse at Elmwoods station, in Perry township.

     Holcomb Tuller started an ashery in Dublin, north of the bridge, in 1840.  There he made black salts, some four or five years, when he comenced the manufacture of saleratus.  HE carried on the business ten or twelve years, and made a good start in business, selling his goods in Cincinnati.  A part of the time Isaac N. Wells was a partner in the business.  Edward Eberly was the first blacksmith in Dublin, about 1810.  He continued at the business until his death.  Joab Hayden was a black smith at an early day.  He was apt at anything.  He hunted wild bees a great deal, and always had a quantity of honey in the house.  John Ashbaugh started a pottery in Dublin about 1813 or 1814, and made earthen dishes and porringers.  The Indians were good customers of his, often coming, to the number of thirty or forty, to buy his wares.  He remained but a few years, being of a roving disposition and wanting to change.  Henry Shout built a saw-mill on Indian run, near the present residence of Fletcher Sells, as early as 1818.  His mill was run by an overshot wheel.  Lumber in large quantities was sawed and floated down to Franklinton and Columbus, where it was sold.  The first plows used were made with a wooden mold-board, and a share fashioned by the deft hand of a country blacksmith.  These were superseded by the Bull plow, and then by Wood's patent, at that time thought as near perfection as it was possible to attain.
     John Sells took the first boat down the Scioto river in the spring of 1821.  It was flat-bottomed, and fifteen or sixteen feet wide, by sixty feet in length, and was built during the winter.  He secured a load of five hundred barrels of flour, and a quantity of bacon, which he intended to take to New Orleans.  He waited until the March freshet to be sure and have enough water on the rapids.  Enoch Evans went as pilot, Abraham Sells as cook, John Sells and Moses Davis, as hands.  Fletcher Sells also accompanied the expedition.  It was prophesied, by many, that the boat would not pass the mill-dams in safety, and Mr. Sells was naturally somewhat anxious as to the result.  The dam at Marble Cliff mills was a low one, and was readily passed, but one, some seven feet in height, at or near Franklinton, was dreaded.  A large crowd, for those days, was gathered at Franklinton to see the boat pass over the dam.  The pilot sent all hands to the stern of the boat, and when the bow struck the water below the fall, it rose slowly from the water and floated on in safety, while loud cheering from both banks testified to the feelings of all on shore.  Mr. Sells sold his load at Maysville, Kentucky, and returned to Dublin.  Several boats were sent down by other persons at a later date.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

     The successive justices of the peace in Washington township, from its organization in 1809, are as follows:

CHARLES MITCHELL & ELIZA R. MITCHELL

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SCHOOLS.

DUBLIN.

POST-OFFICE.

CHURCHES.

CHRISTIE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH,

THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,

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ent membership of which is about fifty-six.  The minister, during 1879, is Rev. J. L. Gage, of Worthington.  A Sunday-school, of about forty members, is sustained, under the superintendence of Harlan Johnson.

THE UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH.

SOCIETIES.

EVENING STAR LODGE, INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS,

JOHANAH ENCAMPMENT, NO. 57, INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS,

ODD FELLOWS' CEMETERY.

     Some ten years after the organization of the Odd Fellows lodge in Dublin, and the members began to fall away in death, the subject of a cemetery, for members of the fraternity, was discussed.  It was at first proposed by some of the members to procure a private burying-ground, and at a meeting of the lodge, Apr. 21, 1858, it was resolved that a committee be appointed to procure such a ground.  This was found to be impracticable, and it was finally decided to form a cemetery association under the general laws of the State, and to extend its benefits to all.  On the twelfth day of May, 1858, a committee consisting of William B. Hays, Moses Davis, and Zenas Hutchinson, reported to the lodge that they had purchased of E. M. Pinney and H. Sells, six and seven-tenths acres of land, immediately west of Dublin, for seventy-five dollars an acre.  The same month, the grounds were platted by James E. Wright, esq.  An organization was effected July 21, 1858, under the name of the Odd Fellows' cemetery association, of Dublin.  The officers elected were:  Moses Davis, Andrew Lytle, Holcomb Tuller, C. Bacon, C. Foglesang, James E. Wright, and Fletcher Coffman, trustees; William B. Hays, clerk, and Moses Davis, president, of the board.  The first burial in the new ground was Mary Elizabeth Graham, wife of William Graham, esq., on Nov. 4, 1858.  The ground is under the control of the members of the Odd Fellows fraternity, none others having a voice in the conduct of its affairs.  Any person, association, corporation, or eleemosynary institution, can purchase and own one or more lots in the cemetery.
     Samuel S. Davis erected, at his own expense, a substantial stone-arched vault, in 1876.  This vault is used for temporary purposes of security, by any person desiring so to sue it.
     The record of interments has been destroyed, so that it is impossible to give the number now interred, but this is the only ground in general use in the township at present.

INDIANS.

     Members of the Wyandot tribe of Indians often encamped on Indian run, which flows into the Scioto just north of the town of Dublin.  A camp, under the chief, Billy Wyandot, made their abiding place here a great portion of the season for several years after the early settlers came to the country, and parties from Upper Sandusky often traveled over the Indian trace to Franklinton, laden, in the spring, with furs, the result of the winter's trapping, and with maple sugar, which they traded with a Frenchman, who kept a trading post at Franklinton.  There they procured guns, ammunition, and blanks, besides trinkets for their squaws, and themselves.

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     Alarms that the Indians were on the war path, and were butchering the families of the settlers, sometimes caused the latter to retreat from their homes to some common point, where defense could be made, but no Indian massacre ever occurred here.  About the time of the war of 1812, an alarm was circulated that the Indians were coming.  It was caused by a young woman, Susan Sells who was staying at Mr. King's, on Indian run.  She asked Jacob Ebey to load a gun for her, as she wished to learn to shoot.  It was near evening, and Mrs. Samuel Sells heard the report of a gun, and was sure the Indians were murdering King's people.  She sent her step-son, Daniel Sells, to spread the alarm, while she hurried her family toward a place of safety.  The alarm spread rapidly, and the settlers started toward Franklinton.  Jacob Ebey soon came from King's, with the team he had been using in plowing, and explained the cause of the alarm, and, as soon as possible, dissipated the fears of the settlers, and induced them to return to their homes.