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Source:
From The Heritage Collection Biography and History from Unigraphic -
The Household Guide and Instructor with Biographies
History of Guernsey County, Ohio
with Illustrations
VOLUME II
Cleveland: T. F. Williams.
1882
CHAPTER XII.
TOWNSHIP SETTLEMENTS
Pg. 439
CHAPTERS:
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SPENCER TOWNSHIP
The first white man
that had a land record in this township, was a Mr. May.
He entered eighty acres on the Covert farm about the
year 1806, made a small improvement, and died shortly
afterwards. this was called May's "dead'ning."
In 1808 Esquire Lattey entered the tract that Mr.
Clarey now owns, but sold to Mr. Lewis in 1813.
He was the first justice of the peace in this part of the
country. Mr. Woolf was a squatter, and cleared
a field at the east end of Cumberland in 1809.
Finley Collins entered eighty acres just east of
Cumberland about the same date, and sold to Thomas Bay
in 1812. Thomas Bay, of Pennsylvania, was the
first permanent settler. He located on the present
site of Cumberland in 1812. Thomas Bay, of
Pennsylvania, was the first permanent settler. He
located on the present site of Cumberland in 1812. He
purchased a large tract of land east and west of town for
two miles, which was subsequently divided amongst his
children. When he arrived, this region was covered by
a dense forest, which abounded with black bear, deer,
turkeys, and quite a variety of other wild game. He
and his sons entered the forest, axe and mattock in hand,
and soon erected a comfortable cabin, and commenced clearing
up the lands. At this time Pittsburgh, Wheeling, and
Zanesville were small villages, but were the nearest trading
points. At these towns a ready and good market was
found for the maple sugar made by the pioneers, for which
many of the early settlers obtained cash enough to pay for
their lands.
ELI BINGHAM, of Vermont, located at the gateway
of the Buffalo branch on lands adjoining Mr. Bay's,
and was the second permanent settler in this vicinity.
This was in 1813. He was an enterprising gentleman,
and soon opened an excellent farm. He built the first
brick residence in this neighborhood. The house still
stands. Mr. Bingham raised a large family, many
of whom died of consumption. He resided on the farm
over fifty years. Thomas N. Muzzay, on the 28th
of June, 1814, arrived, and on the 4th of July, 1814, he
entered the lands adjoining Mr. Bay. He was
from Boston, and immediately commenced not only to improve
his own farm, but conceived the importance of speedily
constructing a grist- and saw-mill, and built the first in
his neighborhood. He taught the first school, and
organized the first Sabbath school. He laid the
foundation for the first church, and established the first
temperance society in this valley. He was in the War
of 1812, and in 1848, the time of his first survey of the
Baltimore & Ohio railroad, he volunteered to make a survey
from Wheeling to Zanesville through Cumberland, and came
very near succeeding in locating that railroad up this
valley. He and his wife have been married sixty-four
years. They came from Spencer, Massachusetts, and he
named this township after the one he left. He is now
the oldest man in it. |
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BROOKFIELD TOWNSHIP
JUDGE WILLIAM
RANNELS, of Pennsylvania, located a little further up in
1815. He stood well among his neighbors, because of
his enterprise, intelligence and superior judgment. He
acted as associate judge for many years. He wa a man
of excellent habits, and an active member of church.
He erected the first frame barn in Brookfield township, and
at an early day erected a brick house. He died on the
homestead in 1855. His son Joseph resides on
the farm. Dr. Ziby Lindley, of Pennsylvania,
was a son-in-law of Mr. Rannels, and located where
John Allison now resides. He was the first physician in
the valley.
Linas Bacon, of Massachusetts, located one-half
mile north a short time after. He was noted for his
musical talents, both vocal and instrumental.
William Bates, of Pennsylvania, arrived in the
valley a short time before the parties above named, and is
claimed to have been the first on the creek, and
consequently this is named the Bates branch. He
was exceedingly rugged, and was neither afraid of man nor
wild beast. It is related that he killed more black
bear than any other person in this part of the country.
Andrew Warton, of Wheeling, West Virginia, came into
the valley in 1816. He was an intelligent man, and
started the first dry goods store on the creek. He was
the first justice of the peace, and the first postmaster in
Brookfield township. He died about forty-five years
since. Russel Prouty, of Maryland, arrived in
the spring of 1816. He had the second dry goods store.
He erected a mill for the manufacture of castor oil, which
was quite a success. He induced his neighbors to
engage in bean raising, and several hundred acres were
cultivated annually, which proved a source of profit for
all. In 1844 he engaged in the culture of the honey
bee, and had several hundred swarms. The honey found a
ready sale. John Draper, of the same place,
located in the valley in 1817. He came through in a
one-horse wagon, consuming twenty-nine days in the trip.
He purchased a tract upon which a cabin and been erected and
a small improvement made by Rev. James Moore, of the
Presbyterian denomination, and the first minister in the
valley. Mr. Draper built a frame barn sixty
years since, and fifty years ago a brick house; forty-five
years since he introduced the first Durham cattle in the
valley. When the township of Brookfield was formed he
had the honor of naming it, and is now the oldest person in
it. The middle or Collins branch is about six miles
long, and rises in Meigs township and flows in a
northeasterly direction, and joins the south branch at
Cumberland. David and Julius Beach, of
Connecticut, located on what is known as the Covert farm
in 1814, and resided on the farm until 1840, then sold it to
John Foster. Thomas Wharton, of Wheeling,
located just above in 1816, and shortly after conveyed it to
his brother James. James Wharton was a man of
energy and influence, and was elected commissioner of the
county. He remained over fifty years and then removed
to Iowa. Findley Collins, of Virginia, moved on
the next farm in 1815. Hemet his first payment by
making large quantities of maple sugar. He served
several months with the Virginia troops in the War of 1812.
This creek still bears his name. John Baine, of
Virginia, located on a part of the Collins tract in
1816. He was in several skirmishes with the Wyandots,
Delawares, and other Indian tribes. He was at the
battle of Capteen, on the Ohio river, and was twice wounded
by the Indians. John Hammond, of Connecticut,
located next on the creek in 1816. He erected the
first steam saw-mill on the creek. Joseph Taylor,
of Pennsylvania, located on what is known as the William
McClelland farm in 1817. He was a Dunkard in
religion and preached occasionally. John Green,
of Irish extraction, located next above in 1817. He
was a man of many high qualities and was known as General
Green. William Shaw, who located here in
1820, is now past four-score years of age. Chauncey
H. DeLong, who located next above in 1819, still resides
on the old homestead. The west or Grandstaff
branch originates from strong springs in Richhill township.
Its course is east until it joins the main stream.
Robert Bay, son of Thomas, located on what is
known as the Miller farm, in1813. He studied
law, and was a highly respected gentleman.
Archibald Bay, who located where Mr. Hays now
owns, is well remembered for his musical talents.
Samuel Allen, of Pennsylvania, settled further up the
creek on the farm that Mr. Roseman now owns, in 1816.
Reuben Atchison, of Massachusetts, located on the
land, that John Atchison now owns. He
immigrated to this State in 1795. He was a surveyor,
and was in the employ of Mr. Buckingham for nine
consecutive years as surveyor through Muskingum and
adjoining counties. He was on the present site of
Zanesville when there were but two houses in it.
Zoth Hammond's hotel was on the old road leading from
Zanesville to Marietta. He located in the year 1817,
and declined to retail whisky to the traveling public, but
thought cider was a better beverage. He put up a sign
in large letters, "Sider kipt fur sail hear."
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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
WILLIAM SCOTT was the first justice of the peace
and also the first township clerk. He afterwards was a
State Senator. There has never been a post-office or
town in this township. Some get their mail in Antrim,
others at Birmingham or Westchester in this county, and some
even go to Freeport, Harrison County. The first
settler here was Levi Williams, father of John
Williams, who is now the oldest man living born in this
county. Robert Carnes was the second and
James Anderson the third settler.
In 1815 and 1816 quite a number of families came, and
when the township was organized eighteen votes were polled.
Thomas Hanna received seventeen votes at the first
election for Representative to the Legislature.
There are two saw-mills and two grist-mills here.
Also a United Brethren and a Protestant Methodist church.
The first religious society organized here was under the
auspices of the Methodist Episcopal church, at the house of
Moses Hindes, in 1816.
LEVI WILLIAMS, in 1796, located where Washington
now stands, and did the first clearing in Wills township.
In 1800 he moved to what in now Washington township. He
was a great hunter and was first lieutenant in the Indian
war under Wayne, and also under General Harrison, in
1812. His son John was born here on Mar. 8,
1806. It appears that besides Graham and
Williams a John Mahoney is also claimed to have
been the first settler in the county. It is probable
that these three arrived at or about the same time. |
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JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP
This township
is located in the United States Military District, of lands
directed to be sold at Zanesville; designated as township
three of range two- that is, township three north, numbering
from the south side of the Military District, and range two
west, numbering from the seventh range on the east side of
the Military District. It is five miles square and
divided into four quarters. The township is divided
into sections, numbering from one to twenty-five, and
commencing in the northeast corner, thence west, then east
and back and forth, ending in the southwest corner with
section twenty-five. The township has four school
districts, under the control of the board of education and
one special district authorized by the Legislature.
The main streams are the Salt fork of Wills creek
meandering across the south side and receiving the Brushy
fork and other branches from the north. The Sugar-tree
runs across the north side and receives the Clear brook,
Rocky fork, and other streamlets. There are three
grit- and saw-mills on the Salt fork and one on the
Sugar-tree.
The first settlers were William Lautz and
Martin Stull, who emigrated from Green county,
Pennsylvania, in 1805 and located - Stull on lots
fourteen and fifteen, and Lautz on lots one and two.
Stull died soon after. John Tidrick,
from the same county, settled on lot three. William
Allenlocated on lot twenty-eight, and owned seven
hundred and fifty acres. He came here in 1806, and
later married Mr. Stull's widow. He was born in
Yorkshire, England, in 1771. The Allens raised
a large family. He was a trustee in 1815 when Madison
and Jefferson constituted one township, and after the
division was frequently elected to the office of trustee.
He died in 1845.
Rev. John Graham in 1824 organized a Methodist
Episcopal society, with eight members. They met in
Mr. Allen's house for sixteen years; William
Northgrave was leader. In 1839 they built a church
on Mr. Allen's land. It was the first religious
organization and the first church built in the township.
Jonathan Stiles, of English descent, came here
in 1806, and located on the southeast quarter of section
seventeen, third quarter township. His fourteen
children grew up here and three sons and one daughter yet
remain. In 1809 his relatives, Henry Stull and
George Lautz, came with their families, Thirty-five
years later they moved further west.
Adam Linn, in 1809, built a house on the
Steubenville road, on lot eighteen, quarter section four,
and kept tavern there. His son Joseph settled
on lot seventeen, but sold to Thomas Brown. In
1813 another son, George, settled on lot twenty, and
in 1814 built a grist-and saw-mill on Salt fork. He
owned six hundred acres and was a justice of the peace and a
member of the United Presbyterian church. His sons and
daughters now own the land.
Peter Wirick.
In 1809 Peter Wirick settled on lot thirty-three -
which the nieces of William Bates now own. In
1809 also came Abraham Mathews, who settled on lot
six, quarter township four, which William A. Parker
now owns. In the same year John Baird, with
eight sons and six daughters, located on southeast quarter
of section twenty-four, on the Salt fork.
William Bratton,
in 1815, settled on the east side of the southwest quarter
of section twenty-five. In 1810 the Moores, an
aged couple, and John Henderson, a son-in-law,
invested in four hundred acres in one body. Emmet
S. Bennet now owns their homestead. William
Moore was justice of the peace in 1816, and John
Henderson served from 1819 to 1846 as his successor, two
terms excepted. Both were Presbyterians.
In 1810
James Waddle settled on the place now owned by Robert
C. McConnell.
In 1812 Nathan Kimball settled on the lot
now owned by William Combs; and in 1816 was elected
justice of the peace.
In 1812 James Strain settled where William Z.
Bartholow lives.
In 1812 Samuel Paxton located where J. S.
Parker now lives.
The first great improvement of mills in the county was
by John Armstrong, who built the mills owned by his
son Abraham.
Samuel Taylor, in 1812, located on Section
thirteen. He was a soldier in the War of 1812.
His widow survived him many years and died in 1881.
In 1812 John Lake settled on lot twelve, fourth
quarter, and was a constable in 1815.
In 1812 John Lake settled on lot twelve, fourth
quarter, and was a constable in 1815.
In 1815 John McCullough settled on section five,
and built a saw-mill. Andrew Clark erected a
grist-and saw-mill near Sugar-tree Fork post-office.
In 1818 James Wilson settled on lot thirty-four,
which he bought from James Waddle. He was a
blacksmith for many years.
In 1819 Richard Connell located on section
twenty-five.
In 1820 Thomas Whitehill and son Thomas,
from Scotland, located on section six, which B. K.
Gillespie now owns.
In 1818 Samuel Pattison, from Ohio county,
Virginia, located on section sixteen, where John M. Clark
now lives.
James Willis, of Ireland, in 1820, located on
section two, and in1846 sold it to George Beal, who
has since frequently been a trustee of the township.
In 1821 Isaac Lanning settled on section three.
In 1818 Thomas F. Baird settled on section
three, and was elected justice of hte peace in 1830.
His second wife now owns the farm. In 1818 came also
William Northgrave, who moved on section two.
He was an active leader in the Allen church.
John Speers and family, from Ireland, located
early on part of section thirteen. His son John,
an octogenarian, lives there now.
Robert Kirkwood, in 1825, located here, and in
1849 bought land from Abram Armstrong. He was
an elder of Pleasant Hill United Presbyterian church,.
For some time previous to October, 1816, Jefferson and
Madison townships form one township, and was organized under
the name of Madison township.
In April, 1816, the first township officers of
Jefferson township were elected, and the territory
comprising the original surveyed township three, of range
two, was organized into a civil township and called
Jefferson. George Linn was first township
clerk; William Allen, William Lautz, and
George Beal, first trustees; John Henderson,
first constable; William Kimball and Adam Linn,
supervisors; and John Tetrick, treasurer.
On October, 8, 1816, William Moore and
Nathaniel Kimball were chosen as the first justices of
the peace, and on the 17th of the same month the Governor
forwarded their commissions.
The first grand jurors were: George Beal, Andrew
Clark, and John Baird. Petit jurors:
Newman Mathews and James Wilson.
MORE TO COME on Page 443 |
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MILLWOOD TOWNSHIP
Millwood township
was formerly a part of Beaver township. Quaker City,
the principal town, was laid out in 1834. It was known
as Millwood until 1865, when at a meeting of the citizens
the name of the town was changed because there was another
Millwood in Knox county, and letters intended for one town
frequently went to the other. Previous to this
Leatherwood was the post-office name. Leatherwood
creek flows along the southern border of the town. A
pike runs from the town to Somerfield, eighteen miles
distance.
The first settlers along the Leatherwood valley within
the vicinity of Quaker City were almost entirely made up of
farmers, weavers, and shoemakers, for the first ten or
fifteen years after settlement began. The first
settler was John Hall, who came from Perquimons
county, North Carolina, in 1805, with his father's family,
and located three miles west of Barnesville. Having
reached his twenty-first year, he, on the 4th day of August,
1806, took up the first grubs preparatory for a building
site on which to erect a cabin, on the northeast quarter of
section thirteen, in what is now Millwood township, Guernsey
county, Ohio. He spent the first night by the root of
a large white oak tree, near the building site. He
erected a scaffold near by, on which he kept his provisions
and cooking utensils, ,which consisted of a knife and fork,
a pewter plate, one spoon, a pot, and skillet. He also
had some salt, ground pepper, a flitch of bacon, a loaf of
bread, and a sack of corn-meal. He had a tray that was
of an oblong shape, about twenty inches across the short
way, made out of the half of a buckeye log split in two,
that answered to lay provisions in and was covered for safe
keeping. The balance of his provisions were made up of
game, killed as needed, which could be had in abundance at
almost any time. Sometimes he slept on the scaffold
under the boughs of a sturdy oak. The nearest neighbor
on the east was John Reed, who lived at the big
trestle on the Central Ohio railroad, over three miles
distant. The next nearest neighbor was Joseph
Williams, five miles westward, down the Leatherwood
valley.
The land office at Steubenville included the land in
this district. John Webster and family came on
August 10, 1806, and entered the quarter section now known
as the Flood farm, above Spencer's Station. The
Central Ohio now passes along precisely where Webster's
large two-story log house formerly stood. Michael
King removed from Britain township, Lancaster county,
Pennsylvania, in the fall of 1806, and settled in the
southwest quarter of section twenty, township nine,
and range seven, adjoining Quaker City on the west.
Joseph Rogers, a brother-in-law of Michael King,
removed from Nottingham, Maryland, and settled on the
southwest quarter of section twenty, township nine, it being
the tract where Quaker City now stands. His
father-in-law, Jacob Gatchel, was the first person
interred in the Friends' burying ground at Richland
meeting-house. Isaac Copick also came at this
time (1806). His land adjoined Michael King's
on the north. Their grain for food had to be sought by
these first settlers among the farmers east of the locality
of Barnesville, and then taken to Morristown, some eighteen
miles distant, to be ground in a horse-mill. Surely,
by the "sweat of their face they ate bread."
The next year (1807) John and William Webster
built a mill on Leatherwood creek, a few hundred yards above
the Quaker City depot. Nettles grew on much of the
land around Quaker City, and a material made from it took
the place of linen, and was largely used for clothing.
John Webster died eighteen months after settling here
in the fifty-seventh year of his age. He was a
carpenter and wood worker by trade. His wife,
Hannah, survived him twenty-six years. John
Webster, Jr., then became proprietor of the mill.
The first settlers near Quaker City were mostly Friends
from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Maryland,
and in the year 1811 numbered fifty-nine persons.
Joseph Williams' family were the farthest west, and
Henry Bailey's in the east. The first Friend's
meeting for worship set up here, was about the year 1811,
and was called the Richland meeting of Friends. This
meeting was held for one year at one house, and then held in
a hewed log house built on the site that is still used for
that purpose, on the hill east of Quaker City.
William Mott taught school there in 1821.
Joseph Garretson taught school on the Leatherwood two
terms in 1815 and 1816, in a log cabin that stood in one of
Hall's fields. The cabin was eighteen by twenty
feet, with an outside strick chimney, built with cat and
clay. Samuel King married Phebe,
daughter of Joseph and Sarah Williams. He was
the first school teacher in the township.
THOMAS M. JOHNSON
John Johnson,
grandfather of Thomas M., was of an Irish family, and
was born in Maryland. For a number of years he kept a
hotel some eighteen miles north of Baltimore, where James
R. Johnson was born. Soon after the close of the
War of 1812, when James R. was about seventeen years
old, the family emigrated to Ohio and settled on the old
wheeling road near Fairview. Not long after, they
moved to Tuscarawas county, where John Johnson and
his wife both died in 1821.
James R. Johnson returned to Guernsey county,
and about 1823 was married to Priscilla Israel.
She was born in Ohio, and was the daughter of Bazel
Israel, a Marylander, who served through the
Revolutionary war and attained the rank of colonel.
Priscilla Israel's mother was Eleanor Mansel, of
a numerous Kentucky family who moved to Ohio late in the
last century and settled near St. Clairsville; the oldest
daughter of the family was presented with a lot in the
village as representative of the first permanently settled
family. This family afterward settled near Middletown,
Guernsey county.
After marriage James R. Johnson and wife settled
on a farm in the unbroken forest four miles north of
Millwood (now Quaker City), where they passed the remainder
of their lives. They raised a family of six children
and saw them all married and settled near the old homestead.
Both lived to a good old age, passing eighty-two years.
Thomas M. Johnson, son of James R., was
born on the old homestead, Feb. 6, 1829. He was
brought up on the farm, and besides attending the district
schools, he spent one term at Madison college. At the
age of twentyone he began teaching, and continued some nine
winters. Sept. 7, 1854, he was married to Miss
Margaret S. Irvin, also a teacher of much experience.
He settled in Quaker City, where for a considerable time he
was engaged in the mercantile and commission business.
He assisted in organizing the Quaker City National Bank, in
1872, and has held the position of cashier from the first.
Mr. Johnson has held various municipal and
township offices, as mayor, recorder, township clerk,
treasurer, justice of the peace, etc., and was elected
treasurer of Guernsey county during the stormy campaign of
1863, serving two terms in that position. |
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OXFORD TOWNSHIP
was organized in 1810, but there is no
record until 1813. The following is a verbatim copy of
the firm entry:
At a township meatin held on the 5th of April, 1813, in
Oxford township, guernsey county, State of Ohio, at the
house of David Wherrys, for the purpose of Election
the several township Officers as follows: Namely
Justises of the peas _, Thomas Henderson, John Kennin;
Clerk, Samuel Dillon; Trustees, Michael King,
William Dillon, Enoch Marsh; supervisors, Enoch
Marsh, Henry Cleary, Elijah Bell, William Scorggan, James
McCoy; fence Viewers, John and long Tom
Henderson; Overseers of the poor, Jacob Gitshell,
William Hendersen; Treasurer, and fence Viewors and
Overseers of the poor Met on the 10th day of april & were
severely sworn into the Respective offices a Cording to law.
SAMUEL DILLON, Clk.
When
Benjamin Borton emigrated to this township from the
State of New Jersey in 1804 and settled on the line of the
old Wheeling road, leading from Wheeling to Zanesville, said
road having been previously marked out by Colonel Zane,
he noticed that pennyroyal for which this township is
particularly noted, being of a spontaneous growth, soon made
its appearance upon the newly cleared lands. Mr.
Borton having learned the art of distilling it in New
Jersey, commenced the process of distilling the well known
oil of pennyroyal in this township, and his sons, grandsons,
and great grandsons have kept it up ever since. Among
those connected with the early history of the township were:
Christian Wine, Ezekiel Vance, Thomas B. Kirkpatrick,
John Burnett, Jacob Gatchell, John Cranston, William
Cochran, Edward Morton, Samuel Marlow, James Gilliland,
William Orr, Benjamin Masters, James Hall, John Ables,
Philip Roseman.
MIDDLETON was laid out in 1827 by Benjamin
Masters, and was so named because it is midway between
Wheeling and Zanesville, and it was, before the coming of
the railroad, a flourishing business town. FAIRVIEW
was laid out on the old Wheeling road, before the National
road was built, and was so named because of its elevated
situation.
Benjamin Masters of this township, had eighteen
children. He erected a horse-mill as early as 1805,
near where Middletown now stands, and in 1810 built a
water-mill, thus bestowing a great benefaction upon the
people - changing their grain into meal and flour.
About the same time salt works were erected at Seneca, thus
supplying another great need.
When Oxford township was organized there were not men
enough in it to fill the offices. It was soon settled
by soldiers of the War of 1812, two of whom, William
Bernard and William Richards, are still living.
The Second regiment of Ohio in the War of 1812, was made
up in this region. The Second regiment in the war of
1846 was filled from here, and the Second regiment in the
last war had many from this neighborhood. |
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LONDONDERRY TOWNSHIP
Among the first
settlers of Londonderry township were Cornelius Duddall,
James McCoy, Henry Dillon, Anthony Arnold, Edward Carpenter,
Mr. Wilkin, Matthew Law, George Anderson.
In 1802 Edward Carpenter and his wife,
Catharine DeLong, settled in Londonderry township, where
he died in 1827, and his widow in 1845. He was born in
Pennsylvania in 1761, and his wife in 1770.
Their son, Edward Carpenter, Jr., was born on
Oct. 27, 1802, and was a justice of the peace for thirty-two
years. He lives on the flats in Cambridge.
Friends church is located in the eastern part of
Londonderry, one mile and a half south of Smyrna. The
society was organized in 1819; the first building, a log
one, was destroyed by fire in the winter of 1857, and a
small frame structure built the following summer. In
1880 it was removed and a large, substantial one put up in
its stead. |
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MONROE TOWNSHIP.
The village of
Birmingham, in Monroe township, was laid out in the year
1826 by William Carson, on a road leading from
Washington to Uhrichsville, which had been opened in 1818,
and a post office established on the site in 1822. The
post-office was called Milnersvile, as Jesse Milner,
who settled there in 1816, was the first inhabitant of the
place. In 1830 a Methodist Episcopal church was built
here. Birmingham is the sole township of Monroe
township. |
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MADISON TOWNSHIP.
Edward Bratton
was the first settler in Madison township, and lived there
until he moved to Jefferson township. He was born in
Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, in 1784, and in 1799 removed
with his father to the new territory northwest of the Ohio
river, then opening up for settlement. It was late in
the month of December when they reached Wheeling, which at
that time consisted of a few indifferent huts built in and
around the public square. Crossing the Ohio river the
Brattons made their way westward to the forks of
McMahan's creek, three miles below where the town of Belmont
now stands, and at that time five miles west of any other
settlement. From this place they removed, in 1802, up
to the Zane trace, near what is known as the Milner
Property. In the spring of 1803, or 1804, Joseph
Wright, the father of Nehemiah Wright, emigrated
from Ireland and settled near the same place. He
employed Edward Bratton, then a stout young man
nineteen years of age, to make him some rails to pen up his
stock, in order to protect it from the wolves and bears,
which were very troublesome, and was so much pleased with
his work that he contracted with him for enough more to
fence in a piece of ground. These young Bratton
made at the rate of fifty cents a hundred and board himself.
In 1805 he married, and taking the trail of General
Brodhead's expedition in 1780, when that officer marched
from Wheeling on the Coshocton campaign against the Indians,
he followed it as far as where Antrim now stands. The
trail entered the present site of that town near where the
old Madison college building stood; and kept along the ridge
until it passed the head of the ravine, on the north side,
when it struck off west, along what is known as the old New
Comerstown road. Here Mr. Bratton left it, and
followed the Government road, out of which the brush had
been cut, from Steubenville to Zane's crossing, until he
reached the present site of Winchester, where he pitched his
tent, having no neighbors nearer than the Carpenters,
near where Londonderry now is, or Beattys, at the
present site of Cambridge. There were, however, five
Indian families residing in the vicinity - two brothers
named Jim and Bill Lyons, who had their huts
up the bottom near where William Tedrick's house now
stands; Joseph Sky, who lived at the mouth of Brushy
fork, near where Linn's mill now is; one Doubty,
who had a hut between Mrs. Culbertson's and Newman
Lake's, and who had two squaws; and one named Hunter,
who didn't have any squaw. After Mr. Bratton
had been living there some time he learned that he had a new
neighbor, who had moved in a few miles above, on the big
creek. This was Martin Stull, a Pennsylvanian,
who entered the land owned by Mrs. Culbertson, where
he made an improvement, but died the next spring, when
Mr. Bratton leased his entry and moved on to it.
For many years, and until a horse-mill was built at
Morristown, Mr. Bratton had his grinding done four
miles northeast of St. Clairsville, a distance of
thirty-four miles. There was no such thing as a store
nearer than Wheeling, and he remembered when old Tommy
Sarchet brought a handkerchief full of goods to
Cambridge, and opened the first store there.
The first grist-mill of the county was built by
George Linn, and now stands on Salt fork. It was
then in Madison but is now in Jefferson township. The
first justice of the peace was Brindle Wickham.
The first store was kept by George Wines at
Winchester. The first church was built at Winchester
by the Methodists. The first tavern was built in
Winchester by John Keepers. Antrim was laid out
by Alexander, in 1819. The first blacksmith of
Antrim was William Risk, who settled there in 1820.
The first store there was kept by Alexander, and the
second store was kept by Lockdale. There are
four religious societies in the township, as follows:
The Baptists, two Methodist Episcopal, and the United
Presbyterian. The Rev. Mr. Riddle was the first
preacher. He was an Associate Presbyterian minister,
and came to this neighborhood in 1820. The first
church built was erected by the Seceders, and the second was
erected by the Associate Presbyterians. The first
school was held in a log house which had been moved from
Londonderry township to Antrim. The Tetericks
and Bonnells laid out the town of Winchester.
Esquire Stockdale was justice of the peace for
thirty-three years.
When Madison township, Guernsey county, was organized,
there were four sections of land reserved by the State, and
set apart for public school purposes, Nos. 1, 2, 9, and 10,
situated in the northeast part of the township. These
lands were directed by law to be leased to suitable persons
for a certain period; they were to be built upon and
improved that the value thereof might be increased and that
a revenue might in time be derived to meet the object
intended. The lands were leased and settled upon and
improvements were made. When the term of the leases
expired the Legislature passed an act ordering the lands to
be appraised and sold to the highest bidder at not less than
the appraisement. Under this arrangement the lands
were sold, and were bought principally by the leaseholders.
The proceeds of these sales went into the general State
school fund. this rule held good in the other
townships also. The northwest quarter section of No.
10 was bought by A. Alexander. The old road
from Cambridge to Steubenville passed through this quarter
section. Alexander was a man who had a good
deal of enterprise; he conceived the idea of laying out a
plat for a town on his land. Accordingly he platted
twenty-four lots, twelve on each side of said road; they
were soon sold and built upon, and the village of Antrim
began to be. Some time after this, James Welch
platted and laid out six lots as an addition to the village.
Dr. Findley purchased the half quarter lying
west of Alexander's land, and took up his residence
in the log cabin there. As soon as he was fairly
settled in his new home he began to make arrangements to
start a school at this new place. It was in May of
1835 or 1836 that he succeeded in enrolling the names of
eight boys and young men of the vicinity as students.
He used his cabin as a recitation room, and thus commenced
Madison college. One of these first students was
Rev. James Duncan, late of Lebanon, in this county.
The people of the village and vicinity enlisting their aid
and influence in behalf of the school, the number of
students rapidly increased, and it was resolved at a meeting
of the citizens of the village that by a united effort a
suitable building should at once be erected.
Subscriptions were made in money, material, and work, some
giving far beyond their means. A site was chosen for
the building at the east end of the village, on the most
elevated round round about. David White, a
resident of the village, was the contractor. The
building when completed was a respectable two-story brick
containing two rooms in the first story, and one large room
or hall in the second. The title conferred upon it was
Madison college. The board of trustees appointed under
the general laws of the State chose Dr. Findley as
president, and Milton Green, M. D., secretary.
This institution immediately prospered beyond the highest
expectations of its friends. In 1846 Rev. Samuel
Mehaffey, pastor of the Old-school Presbyterian
congregation here, became president of the faculty. In
the end the rule of conferring upon the pastor of a
congregation the presidency of the college proved the cause
of the downfall of Madison college. Mr. Mehaffey's
successors were: A. D. Clark, D. D., Rev. W.
Doal, Rev. Thomas Palmer, and others who were
only employed as tutors. Then new members were added
to the board of trustees and a collegiate charter was
obtained, and Rev. Samuel Findley, Jr., (a son of
Dr. Findley) was chosen and duly installed as president
of the new administration. At this time the
institution was opened to both sexes, and prospered
remarkably until the plan of erecting a large and costly
building was adopted. There was much opposition to
this undertaking, but the new college building was completed
and occupied. Rev. H. Willson succeeded Dr.
Findley as president, and his successor was Rev.
William Lorimer, during whose term the crisis was
reached. The creditors of the college were beginning
to press their claims, the mutterings of the thunders of the
great rebellion began to be heard, and finally, when the
storm burst. Madison college toppled over never to
rise again. |
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