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The act of the Commissioners organizing this
township was passed in 1833, in these words:
"That original surveyed township number one
north, range nine east, shall be known and
organized by the name of Blanchard."
In March, 1834, the Commissioners "Ordered that
township two north, range nine (Pleasant
Tp.) be attached to Blanchard township," but
a year later this township was detached from
Blanchard and organized into a separate
township.
Blanchard is on the west border of the county, bounded
north by Pleasant township, east by Liberty,
south by Union, and west by Putnam county
line. It derives its name from the
river of the same name, which passes through
it from east to west, dividing it into two
almost equal parts.
The first entries of land made in the township were the
north half of north-west quarter of
north-east quarter of section thirteen, by
David STINSON, and the north-east
quarter of north-east quarter of same
section, by John VEAL, both entries
being made on the 12th day of August, 1822.
On the 19th day of the same month and year,
W. A. JOHNSON entered the south-east
quarter of the north-west quarter of section
fifteen. On September, 1825, John
HUNTER took
[Pg. 206]
up the south half of south-west quarter of
section fifteen, James McCLISH
entered the east half of north-east quarter
of section twenty. In 1827, Orlando
MOFFITT entered west part of south-east
fractional quarter of section seventeen, and
John DUKES the east half of the
north-west quarter of section fifteen, and
Henry EPLEY the east part of the
south-east quarter of section eighteen.
These entries were followed by others, and a
settlement of the township followed close on
the entries.
The first settlers in this township were John HUNTER
and John CHANDLER, both of Fairfield
County, who came here in 1826, and located
on the south side of the river, on the farm
now owned by Alfred DAVIS and known
as the old Geo. SHAW farm. The
first settlers of this part of the county
were in the main from the interior and
eastern counties of the State, with a few
families from Pennsylvania and New York.
These two first families were not long
without neighbors, for in 1828,
Richard, John and Lewis DUKES, of
Franklin County, and Thomas GROVE, of
Pickaway County, settled on the opposite
side of the river, and opened up extensive
farms, and erected comfortable buildings.
Thomas GROVES still lives and
occupies the old farm, and in his declining
years, is surrounded by broad acres of the
richest agricultural lands in the whole
county.
Richard DUKES, who but recently deceased,
occupied the old homestead, to within a few
years of his death, when he removed to
Findley, and so situated himself as to enjoy
the society of his friends, and obtain the
rest from toil, which he so much needed.
His last years were peaceful and quiet, in
the enjoyment of home and its comforts.
Lewis DUKES, sr., came to this township in 1826,
when only about nineteen years of age, and
hired out as a farm
[Pg. 207]
Duke - Baldwin
hand. In a few years,
by his industry and frugality, he was able,
at the low wages even then paid, to
accumulate enough money to enter a tract of
eighty acres of land. This he
improved, and was enabled as the country
improved, to add many acres of valuable
lands to it, until he has become one of the
wealthiest men in the township. Mr.
DUKES has been twice married, but was
never blessed with children. He united
with the Methodist Church in early life, and
has ever since been a consistent member,
ever living up to his profession.
Mr. DUKES is of an unassuming nature, never
seeking notoriety, and never urging his
opinions on business matters are clear and
forcible. His life has been devoted to
agricultural pursuits, in which he been
unusually successful.
David M. BALDWIN was one of the earliest
settlers of the south part of the township,
having come from Fairfield County, and
settled on lands adjoining the town of
Benton. All was a wilderness when he
came, and he lived long enough to see one of
the finest neighborhoods in the county.
Mr. B. was a genial, whole-souled
man, ever ready to accommodate to the extent
of his ability, and ever ready to resent an
insult. For years he kept a tavern,
where the weary traveller always found a
well laden table. His large family are
living near their old home, which is
occupied by his aged widow.
John DUKES remained in this township until he
became quite well advanced in years, and has
witnessed the many changes which occurred,
when he disposed of his property and removed
to Wood County, where after a residence of
several years, he too was gathered to his
fathers.
[Pg. 208]
Thomas MOFFITT, who with his brothers,
William and John, had made their
residence here about the time the Dukes
came, after making for himself a home and
its comforts, was attacked with the "Western
Fever," sold his farm and emigrated to Iowa,
or the "Black Hawk Country," as it was
called, where he still lives. John
and William MOFFITT, and McCLISH,
still reside in the township, and are
amongst its most substantial men.
Michael FISHEL, one of the early residents, only
a few years ago sold his farm on the south
side of the river, and now resides in the
village of McComb. Alfred DAVIS,
another frontiersman, and one of the solid
men of the county, owns and occupies a
magnificent tract of land on both sides of
the river, and takes life calmly.
George Shaw, one of the early
commissioners of the county, owned a
splendid farm here, on which he spent the
greater part of his life, and here died and
was buried. About the same time came
Jeremiah COCLE, David MILLHAM, Sol.
FOGLESONG and the EPLEYS.
These early settlers all chose the independent and
honorable occupation of farmers, and well
was their choice made, for no richer
agricultural lands are to be found in the
State, than those which they occupy and
cultivate.
These pioneers were hardy, temperate, frugal, energetic
and industrious, and deserve their past and
present prosperity.
The DUKES' brothers were early and consistent
members of the Methodist Church, and friends
to, and workers in the Sabbath Schools.
The first church building in the county was
put up in this immediate neighborhood, and
they contributed largely, not only to its
erection, but also to sustaining the
ministers sent among them. This old
log church
[Pg. 209]
still stands on the farm owned by Eli
DUKES. Since its day, however, a
frame building was erected a little further
wet, which was used by the same society for
a number of years, when about two years ago,
it in its turn, made room for a more
comfortable and pretentious brick building -
indeed one of the finest church edifices in
the county. There are now two
Methodist Episcopal, two United Brethren,
and one Evangelical Church in the township,
all good substantial buildings.
The first school house was a log cabin affair, and
stood near where the present residence of
Thomas Groves stands, and was
built in 1830. The first school was
taught by John C. WICKHAM.
There are now ten school buildings in the
township, and the enumeration of youth is
three hundred and eighty-four.
The first marriages was that of John DUKES and
Hannah HOUCHINGS, the Rev. Thomas
THOMPSON officiating. Two little
children of George SHAW were the
first deaths.
The soil of this township varies with the locality.
Along the river it is a rich sandy loam,
mixed with vegetable deposits, made by the
overflow of the river. On the south
ridge it is a fertile, sandy soil, and
between the ridge and the river bottoms, the
land is flat and rather wet, but covered by
a rich, deep soil of vegetable loam, mixed
in places with sand or clay. On the
north side of the river, after getting back
from the bottoms, the soil is almost
invariably clay; good wheat and
grazing lands, whilst for the production of
corn, the bottom lands are not excelled
anywhere.
Oak, ash, hickory, sugar, beech, walnut and poplar, are
the principal timbers. Of the latter
kind, there were immense amounts, and of the
finest quality, but such has been the demand
for it, that it has almost entirely
disappeared.
[Pg. 210]
This township is well watered by the Blanchard River
and Ottowa Creek. The river passes
through the township, and furnishes water
the whole year around, and also the best of
drainage. It is subject to occasional
overflows, but does no material damage.
Ottowa Creek rises in section thirty-six, in Union
township, runs in a northerly direction,
enters Blanchard township in section
thirty-six, runs north, thence west, thence
in a north-easterly direction, and empties
into the Blanchard River in section
fourteen. Its distance in the township
is about four miles. It is quite a
considerable stream, and there have been
quite a number of saw-mills along its
course, at different times. It
furnishes the means of drainage for almost
the entire south part of the township.
Shortly after the settlement made on the north side of
the river, by the Dukes and others, the
POWELLS, FOGLESONG, John L. and Richard
CARSON, ENGLE, BALDWIN, FISHEL, HUGHES,
the DOWNINGS, KNEPPER, and some other
families settled in and near the present
town of Benton. Solomon FOGLESONG,
and his brother-in-law, KNEPPER, came
there perhaps as early as 1830, settled on
the banks of the "Tawa," as it is generally
called. FOGLESONG, almost the
only survivor of the first residents, still
lives on the old homestead, but the weight
of years is heavy on him, and he may soon be
called to follow his early companions.
Daniel, William and John POWELL
still reside in the neighborhood of their
first settlement. All have good farms,
comfortable homes, and a competency of this
world's goods. Jacob, another
of the POWELL Brothers, died a few
years ago, from the effect of a cancer, and
after years of great suffering.
The Rev. John POWELL, who has devoted his life
to the ministry of the United Brethren
Church, and who not only
[Pg. 211]
acquired a good farm by his industry and
economy, but within a few years has found a
wide reputation as the founder of the Powell
Association, and the successful manager of
two re-unions of the family, as well as the
author of a memorial history of the
Powell family, still lives in the quiet
enjoyment of his farm, in the south part of
the township.
JACOB ENGLE, the kind,
generous, large-hearted Dutchman, as he was
called, cleared up and occupied a splendid
farm adjoining the present site of Benton,
where he lived for years amongst his many
friends, until about 1860, when he was
called away to meet his reward.
Honest, generous to a fault, he was a good
neighbor, and a social, genial companion.
He left a wife and large family of children,
who have since all emigrated to the West,
the widow and most of the children being
residents of Iowa.
OWEN HUGHES was
one of those honest, up-right, cheerful men,
that one would expect to find in a new
settlement. He lived to a good old
age, and died as he had long lived, a
consistent member of the church, and a
christian man. Most of his children
are residents of the county. Mr.
Hughes was twice married, but both wives
died before he did.
All of my older readers,
perhaps, will call to mind DICK CARSON,
at the bare mention of his name. He
was one of the champion fighters of the
county. Not that he was quarrelsome,
or sought to provoke a fight, but he was one
of these powerfully built, muscular men,
courageous, sensitive to an insult, and
whilst not ill-tempered, especially when
sober, he was quick to resent an indignity,
or an imputation of his courage or veracity.
He was just such a an as every township or
county wanted to defend its hon-
[Pg. 212]
or, as it was then the fashion, at a general
training, or a country horse race.
Dick was just the man for that, as many
an unlucky braggart found to his utter
discomfiture. But the reader must not
suppose from this that Mr. Carson was
a rough, a bruiser or bully. On the
contrary he was a good neighbor, a firm
friend, and a peaceable citizen. His
brother, John L., was at one time
Surveyor of the county. The two
Carsons and their families emigrated to
the west many years ago.
The DOWNINGS were of the
first settlers, and were a hardy,
industrious family, and all became quite
well off in course of time. George,
David and William were carried
off in 1849 by the California Gold Fever,
but after a few years toil in that El
Dorado, they all returned to Blanchard
township, applied themselves to agricultural
pursuits, and by industry and economy made
great additions to their western earnings.
In after years William moved to Kansas, where he
still resides, and has had the honor of
representing his county in the State
Legislature. He was followed to his
new home by his father, old Johnny
DOWNING, as he was familiarly, but
respectfully called, and his brother
Isaac and family. The old
gentleman and Isaac have both died
since. George resided in this
township until about ten years ago, when he
went to Iowa, where he now resides.
David still lives in the township, and
is not only one of its wealthiest, but one
of its most respected citizens. He has
a model farm, with one of the finest
dwelling houses, not only in the township,
but in the county, and commodious and
convenient out-buildings. His
pecuniary circumstances enable him to devote
much time to the breeding and introduction
of fine cattle in the county. He has
come of the best herds in
[Pg. 213]
this part of the State. He deals
largely in stock cattle, being quite an
extensive feeder. He has been a member
of the Board of Managers of the Hancock
County Agricultural Society for a number of
years, and has devoted much time in making
the Society one of the best in the State,
and his efforts, and those of his
associates, have not been unsuccessful.
Mr. DOWNING has, as he deserves, the
confidence of the entire commnuity.
His sons and daughters, of which there are several, are
all married, and I believe without an
exception, all reside in this and adjoining
townships.
This locality, on account of the abundance of fish and
game, was one of the resorts of the Indians
on their hunting expeditions. And
indeed hunting and fishing were not only
among the amusements of the whites, but they
were works of necessity with them, in order
to support themselves. The fish-net
and the rifle was a part of the furniture of
every well regulated log cabin, and by the
skillful use of these, the tables of the
pioneer were spread with fish, johnny cake
and venison, to which the neighbor and
stranger alike were always welcome.
In 1848 a Post Office was established in this township
called Oak Ridge. It was first located
at the house of William DOWNING, on
the Findley and Defiance State road, north
side of the river, and Mr. DOWNING
was the first Post Master. It was an
office of no importance, only as it gave to
the community in which it was located, mail
facilities, and this accommodation has been
such as to warrant the continuance of the
office to the present time. Mr.
DOWNING has been succeeded by the
following persons as Post Masters, viz.:
Robert MARSHALL, Mr. MORRIS, Mrs. Wm.
DOWNING,
[Pg. 214]
Rezin COOK, David DOWNING, Eli DUKES,
and L. C. GROVES, present incumbent.
BENTON.
This town
situated on the ridge running east and west
through the county, and nine miles west of
Findley, was laid out in November, 1835, by
William MIRES, on the east half of
the north-west quarter of section
thirty-five, and originally composed but
thirty-six lots. In 1855, William
POWELL made an addition of five lots,
and in 1867 he made a further addition of
eleven lots, and in 1868 he made a third
addition of ten lots.
The town was named in honor of the sturdy old Missouri
Senator, Thomas H. BENTON.
The location is a beautiful and healthy one,
and is surrounded by a rich and productive
agricultural country. The immediate
vicinity of the town was settled at a very
early day by the POWELLS - William,
Jacob, John and Daniel - David
M. BALDWIN, Jacob ENGLE, Solomon FOGLESON,
KNEPPER, Michael FISHEL, Owen HUGHES and
other like enterprising frontiersmen.
The business of the town has never been large, and
confined principally to supplying the
surrounding country with some of the most
necessary articles of trade. Not
having as yet any railroad facilities, the
town has made but little real advancement.
A Post Office was established here in 1840, called
Benton Ridge, and D. M. BALDWIN, William
MILLER, Philip BALLARD, Isaac SPEROW, M.
MERCHANT, T. J. SAUNDERS, J. G. SAUNDERS, J.
H. SAUNDERS, and H. W. HUGHES
have held the office of Post Master.
In March, 1875, the town was incorporated for special
purposes.
[Pg. 215]
There is now a special school district, owning a
comfortable brick school house, and with an
enumeration of seventy children.
The Methodist denomination have a fine brick church
building, a good congregation, and a
flourishing Sabbath School. The
Evangelical Association have a frame church
building, and an interesting Sabbath School
in connection with their congregation.
The business of the town is conducted by two dry
goods stores, two groceries, one
drug store, one saloon, one
wagon shop, one blacksmith shop,
one plow factory, one cabinet
shop, one hotel. There are
two physicians located here. A
flouring mill and a saw mill are also in
operation. The population of the
village in 1880 was one hundred and
eighty-nine.
LOUISVILLE.
This town was laid out in 1851, by
William H. POWELL, Daniel MILLHAM and
Michael SHEARER. The two last
named have been dead for many years.
The town plat was in the north-west corner
of the east half of the north-west quarter
of section fourteen, and the north-east
corner of the west half of the north-east
quarter of section fourteen in township one
north, range nine east, and covered forty
lots, but I think they were not all sold.
The principal streets were Defiance (Main),
running east and west, and East, Lima and
West streets, running north and south.
The town, however, after a sickly existence of a few
years, was finally vacated, and remanded to
the several original owners. In its
palmiest days, it could boast of a county
dry goods store, a school house, and three
dwellings. For a year or more John
BOYLAN, and old resident of the
[Pg. 216]
township, kept a country store, where the
staple articles of the market were on sale
in small quantities, but the trade not being
profitable, he abandoned the business.
Such is the history of the birth, life, and
decay of this town of great expectations,
and it does not now exist even in name, and
scarcely in the memory of the neighborhood.
How many hopes were blasted, and how many
expectations came to naught in the early
decay of this prospective city?
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Thomas MOFFITT - 1831, 1841, 1844.
John C. WICKHAM - 1835
John L. CARSON - 1836.
John M.
Radabaugh - 1837.
Charles Frost - 1838.
Henry Cook - 1840, 1843.
Eli Dunning - 1846, 1849.
John Boylan - 1847, 1856.
Mathew E. Hopkins - 1851.
Philip Ballard - 1854, 1857.
W. H. Kilpatrick - 1857.
George Downing - 1857, 1860, 1863, 1866.
Robert Marshall - 1860.
Jonn Wortman - 1862, 1870, 1878.
Ephriam Mathius - 1866, 1869.
Hiram W. Hughes - 1869, 1872.
Joseph Thompson - 1873.
A. Wittemyer - 1875.
W. P. Dukes - 1876
John Bergman - 1877.
J. C. Wickham - 1880.
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