GEOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY

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ANCIENT WORKS.

FIRST SETTLEMENTS

     JOAB COMSTOCK

     JEREMIAH BRITTERFIELD

     Among other early settlers were the Cones, the Dicks, the Wakefields, and other well known families, many of whom will be further noticed in this chapter.

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THE ORIGINAL RECORDS

of Crosby township were kept by Hartman Vantrees, Robert Simmonds, Elijah Thompson, Daniel Bailey, C. Atherton, and Patterson Blackburn.  The ear-marks of stock owners were duly and numerously recorded, as the law required in that day.  Some of the entries are as follows:

     No. 1. June 25, 1803.  Hartman Vantrees' ear-mark is a crop off left ear and a hole in the right ear.  His brand is H. V.
     No. 2. July 14, 1803.  Noah Willey's ear-mark is a half crop on the underside of the left ear.  (Taken up by Israel Buell)
     No. 3. May 10, 1805.  Andrew Scott's ear-mark is an under bit and an upper bit in the left ear, and a small slit in the right.
            H. VANTREES,
                  Township Clerk.

     No. 32. September 5, 1809.  Adam Myers ear-mark is a crop off the left ear and a slit on the right.
             ROBERT SIMMONDS,
                   Township Clerk.

     No. 50. August 30, 1814.  Clark Bunnell's ear-mark is a crop off each ear, and an under-bit off both ears, with a slit in the end of the left.
     No. 53. January 24, 1815.  Joseph Slater's ear-mark is a crop and a slit and an upper and an under-bit, all on the right ear.  His brand is J. S.
     No. 54. January 24, 1815.  William Slater's ear-mark is a crop off the left ear adn an under half crop off the right.
              DANIEL BAILEY,
                    Township Clerk.

     No. 70. July 24, 1817.  Isaac Frost's ear-mark is a crop off the left ear, a slit on the right, and an under-bit out of the left.
              ELIJAH THOMPSON,
                    Township Clerk.

     Some of the entries come down to a comparatively recent day; as witness these:
     No. 104. July 29, 1835.  John Carter's ear-mark is an under-bit out of each ear.
     No. 105. August 3, 1835.  Lathan L. Bartlett's ear-mark is a crop off the right ear.  Formerly used by Samuel B. Looker.
     No. 107. October 6, 1838.  John Baughman's ear-mark is a large under-slope off both ears, so made to take both the point and heel off the ear, which mark is sometimes called foxing.
              JOAB COMSTOCK,
                      Township Clerk.

     Another unique entry, which would hardly find a precedent nowadays, is the following:
     February 10, 1824.  State of Ohio, Hamilton county, to Enoch C. Hunter, constable of Crosby township: You are commanded to summons Polly Mathews to depart from this township with her family, if she has any, in time prescribed by law, and of this writ make due return.
              NATHANIEL CROOKSHANK,
                   Overseer of the Poor.
                          JAMES SCOTT.
commissioned a justice of the peace for Crosby township, Hamilton county, Ohio.

April 1, 1826

TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.

THE CROSBY TOWN-HOUSE

AN INCIDENT.

     Perhaps the most remarkable case of lightning stroke on record, so far as it relates to effects upon the human being and remarkable recovery from terrible injuries thereby, occurred in this township about the year 1835, upon a farm one and a half to two miles northwest of New Haven.  Captain James Cummins who resided there, is the principal hero of the story.  It was in the early spring, upon an afternoon, that a heavy thundercloud, threatening rain, was observed in the west.  As it came up in the sky, it spread along the horizon, and from the horizon toward the zenith, making repeated and powerful lightning discharges during its approach.  One of these at length descended upon the premises of Captain Cummins.  The astonishing effects upon the house and its occupants, and especially upon the head of the family, are thus told in a letter to the Harrison News of Feb. 19, 1880, from Burlington, Iowa, by Mr. Joab Comstock, jr., who was at the time a student of medicine with Dr. James Comstock, at New Haven:

     It struck the chimney of the house, ran down on the west side of it to the ridge of the roof, but soon parted, one stream passing down on the north side of the roof, zigzagging across the shingles until about midway, when it took down over the eave and the casing of a window, and thence to the ground.  The other stream passed in like manner diagonally across the south side of the roof, but before reaching the eave divided again, one stream running over the eave and down the casing of a front window; the other stream going on further in like manner, ran down the casing of the front door, then into the ground.  Mrs. Cummins was sitting in the west room, near its middle, rocking the cradle.  John, the oldest son, was in the chamber above, lying on the bed reading.  Nancy, the eldest daughter, was doing something before a bed that was in the room, where her mother sat.  Two younger girls were in the other room attending to the work there.  The mother was severely shocked, but not seriously hurt.  Nancy was thrown forward onto the bed before which she was standing, but not much hurt; John, who was up-stairs was stunned so much, as he told me, that the first thing that he remembered he was half way to New Haven for a doctor. 

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The two girls in the other room were severely shocked, so that they complained for days of severe pains in their limbs.
     Mr. Cummins called Adam, the second son, to help him carry the new wagon under the shed.  Adam took the end of the tongue, it being a stiff tongue, and the father took the axel.  Adam had passed under the shed, and Mr. Cummins had reached a position directly under the point of the scythe that hung above him, when a stream of lightning, which, no doubt, had become detached from the main shaft, was attracted by the scythe, and by it conducted to its point, dropped on the top of the captain's head.  It made a small hole in the middle of the hat-crown, much like a small bullet-hole; the body and rim of the heat, which was of strong felt, were literally torn to pieces.  The neighbors picked up and counted sixty-three pieces.  The crown of the hat remained entire, except the hole through the centre.  His underclothes were badly torn and set on fire.  The pants, of nearly new and strong casinet, had the backs of the legs torn literally into shreds.  His shoes nearly new and of strong cowhide, had the outside quarters literally torn out.  The stream, after penetrating the hat-crown, struck Mr. Cummins just in the crown or curl of hair on the top of his head.  It spread out into a stream some three inches wide, passing down the back of his head and neck, burning the hair into a crisp, and matting it to the scalp so firmly that I presume I was an hour in detaching it from the scalp.  On the back of the neck the stream divided, one part passing on down the spine to the hips, burning a wide strip all the way as broad as your hand and setting the clothes on fire.  there were two or three places burned so deeply that subsequent sloughing took place.  At the hips the main stream, as I call it, divided, the two streams passing down the back of each leg and off at the heals, as above stated.  The stream that parted from the main stream on the neck wound around the side of the neck to the sternum or breast-bone, passing down the sternum to the pit of the stomach; then it divided and wound around each side to the hips, and there united with the stream already described; and thus united off at his heals.

     Captain Cummins was of course very severely injured by the tremendous shock and the burns received.  It is almost beyond belief that one could have such an electric discharge pass through, or rather over him, and not be instantly struck out of life.  He did lose his hearing, at once and forever.  Mr. Comstock tells the rest of the story in these words:

     He recovered slowly, but suffered a great deal from his burns and the shock his nervous system had received.  I visited him and dressed his wounds every morning for two or three weeks.  It would take as much plaster to cover his burns as would cover the leaf of a common breakfast table.  He finally recovered his health, and became hearty and well, and in 1839 moved with his family to Iowa, and settled at Middletown.  He subsequently died of cholera; so that what lightning failed to accomplish the cholera did.  I have never read or heard of a parallel case to this, and I do not believe there can be a case to equal it found on record.

NOTES OF SETTLEMENT.

     EZRA SHERMAN, sr., was born in Connecticut in the year 1765.  He served for a short time in the Revolutionary war, and also took part in Wayne's campaign.  He was a member of the Methodist church, and for a number of years was a minister in that denomination.  Coming to this State with the Ohio company he settled in Washington county, near Waterford.  He was one of the first settlers who ventured into what was then the Northwester Territory, and remembers seeing the first steamboat that sailed down the Ohio river.  He married Mary Pierce, a native of Connecticut.  After a few years in Ohio he removed his home to Kentucky, and thence, after a stay of six years, to Indiana, where he lost his wife in 1822.  After her death, the father and three of his children joined the society of Shakers, in which they remained till death.  The family consisted of five children - Anna, who married David E. Whitney, of Hamilton county; Manley, who married Frances Sterritt of the same; Abel, married Ann McGuire, of Alabama; Ezra, who never married, and lives in this township; and Mary E., also single, and living in Indiana.

     EZRA SHERMAN, jr., one of the first trustees of the society of Shakers, was born in Washington county, Ohio, in 1805.  When seven years old he went with his parents to Kentucky to live, and afterwards to Indiana.  In 1826 he joined the society of Shakers.  At various times he has learned the boot and shoemaker's, the stonemason's and the blacksmith's trades.  He is a natural mechanic, and can do at once almost anything in the manufacturing line.  He understands farming equally well, and has given especial attention to bee culture.  Owing to the rules of the society, he takes no part in political affairs.  He has voted for President of the United States only once, and that was for John Quincy Adams.

     JOAB WHIPPLE was born in Butler county, Ohio, Mar. 20, 1817.  About the year 1839, he removed to this county.  His wife's maiden name was Jane J. Lutis, daughter of Isaac Lutis.  They were married Jan. 12, 1837.  Nine children were duly born to them - Elizabeth L., Alblina, Eunice J., Phoebe L., Isaac L., Zachary T., David J., Charles F., and Joab C.  Of these, only five are now living - Elizabeth, Eunice, Isaac, Zachary, and Joab.  Elizabeth married Henry Cone, and resides in Butler county; Isaac married Miss Inia L. Davis, and is a resident of Franklin county, Kansas; Zachary married Miss Letitia A. Davis, and also is in Butler county, Ohio; Joab married Miss Elizabeth Wabnitz, and lives in Crosby township.  The last-named lives on the old home,  his sister Eunice living with him.  He was married Mar. 17, 1880.  Mrs. Whipple is a member of the church of United Brethren, and is one of its most liberal supporters.  Joab Whipple, jr. is now a leading farmer in Hamilton county.  His father died July 4, 1859, aged forty-six years.  He was a man respected by all who knew him.

     CHARLES CONE, one of the pioneers, was born in Connecticut in the year 1772, whence he emigrated with his family in the spring of 1800, and was a resident of the county up to the time of his death, Apr. 26, 1853.  He was married to Miss Jane Harvey who became the mother of twelve children: Rufus, Philena, Ann, Charles, Asa, James, James S., Thomas H., Grace, Rachel, William, and Martha.  All of these but one, William are now alive.  He was born in this county Jan. 2, 1810, and has been a resident of the county all his life, with the exception of about two years.  He has been twice married; first Feb. 6, 1834, to Miss Mary Atherton, daughter of Henry Atherton of Massachusetts.  Three children followed: William H., Charles, and George M.   Feb. 9, 1841, he married Miss Mary Brown, daughter of Joseph Brown, of Butler county.  To them were born two children: Rachel J., and Joseph.  All the children have been married and are living.  Mr. and Mrs. Cone are both members of the Presbyterian church, of which they are liberal supporters.  When the elder Mr. Cone came to Ohio the country was all in woods.  The first thing he did was to build a cabin to shelter his family.  At a later day he built an inn on the bank of the

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Great Miami river, and kept a ferry-boat for taking people across.  The Indians at that time were exceedingly troublesome.  William, the son, is now living in the same yard where the house stood in which he was born, and has reached the ripe age of seventy.  His memory is still good, and he looks as though he might live many more years.

     WILLIAM W. McCLURE, jr.,

     ANDREW NUGENT, sr.,

     WILLIAM G. OYLER,

     SAMUEL POTTINGER

     HUGH MONTGOMERY, the fourth child of Henry Montgomery, was born in Butler county, Morgan township, in the year 1821, February 28th.  He married Miss Phoebe Brisbin, daughter of Robert Brisbin, Jan. 18, 1849.  Of this union were born twelve children: Ellen, Aaron, Mary, James, Thomas, Sarah, Henry, William and Nancy, living; and Mary, Andrew and George, dead.  Seven of the children are still at home.  James married Martha Sefton, and is a resident of Crosby township.  Ellen married Benjamin Hawk, and they reside in the same township.  Mr. Montgomery has long been one of the leading citizens of this county, and served as trustee for Crosby township during the term of four years, ending about 1876.

     HORACE WILLEY

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     JUDAH WILLEY

     JEREMIAH BUTTERFIELD

     ELIJAH WHIPPLE

     JOSIAH BARTLETT

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     JOHN BLACKBURN

     DANIEL WILKINS

     EMANUEL BUTTERFIELD

     DAVID SMITH

     JOHN J. SATER, sr.

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served as justice of the peace for six years.  He has also been a trustee for the township for the past five years, and is a member of the executive board of the Agricultural Society of Hamilton county.  In the late war he was a member of company C, Sixty-ninth Ohio infantry, and was honorably discharged.

CROSBY VILLAGE

NEW HAVEN.*

---------------
* This account has been mainly abridged from the entertaining papers contributed to the Harrison News in the fall of 1879, by Mr. M. L. Bevis, of New Haven.

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WHITEWATER

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NEW BALTIMORE.

     This place is situated on the Great Miami, in the southeastern part of the township, two and a half miles south of the county line, and about five miles south of east from New Haven.  Its town-plat was recorded in the Hamilton county land records Mar. 8, 1819, by Samuel Pottinger.  It is celebrated in local history as one of the places where John Morgan's forces crossed the

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river, in the rebel raid of July, 1863, across Hamilton county and southern Ohio.  In 1830 it had eight-nine inhabitants, in 1850 one hundred and four, in 1870 nine-six.

POPULATION OF THE TOWNSHIP.

     By the census of 1880 Crosby township had one thousand two hundred and fourteen inhabitants - an increase of one hundred and seventeen since the last census was taken.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

THE SLATER FAMILY

JOSEPH SLATER

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