ROADS AND PIKES.

PIONEERS.

     The first settler of this township was Samuel Tidd, a native of Pennsylvania, who settled on Section 21, in February, 1822, where he died Mar. 8, 1851.  Next, in order of the time, came the Widow Richey, with her two sons, Samuel and Andrew, and located on Section 20.  They were also from Pennsylvania, whence they emigrated to Logan County, Ohio.  Here the father died, and at the date mentioned the family removed to this township, where the sons yet reside.  A fuller sketch of these families will be found in the general history of the county.

     James Hilt came to Round Head Township during the year 1825, also settling on Section 20.  He was born near Baltimore, Md., removed thence to Lancaster County, Penn., and, subsequently to Logan County, Ohio; thence to Hardin.  He remained here one or two years, and went back to Logan County, but, in 1833, he again came to this township, and located on the same section, where he died, Sept. 25, 1862, aged ninety-nine years.  His wife died, in 1851, aged seventy-eight years.  During the last eleven years of his life, he was totally blind.  He was a member of the Presbyterian Church during his young manhood; subsequently he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church with his wife, and remained an earnest and practical, every-day Christian, and a devoted member of this church for more than sixty years.  He was the father of the following children: John C., Nancy, Martin, Sarah, James, Rosanna, Samuel and Mary; all now deceased but James, who now resides near Huntersville.

     John Mahan, a native of Kentucky, married Susannah Tillott, and subsequently removed to Ross County, Ohio, and, in October, 1828, came to Round Head Township, and settled on the southeast quarter of Section 19, where he resided until his death.  He died Apr. 30, 1845, aged sixty-eight years.  His wife died Sept. 4, 1862, aged sixty-two years.  Mr. Mahan, a few years after locating here, saw the inconvenience of going twenty miles or more to Logan County to get grinding, those being the nearest mills to this new settlement, so he at once erected a horse-power mill.  The buhrs were made from nigger-head stone; the drive wheels made of blocks of wood, of triangular shape, the base being oval and placed at the circumference, with the apex to the center.  This wheel was then connected with the horse-power by a belt of hickory bark, and the horse, made to pass around in a circle, attached to the sweep-pole, put the whole machinery in motion, when the grain placed in the hopper passed between the buhrs and was thus ground into meal.  Although it was somewhat imperfect, and slow in its operations, compared with our mills of the present day, yet it was a great convenience and saving of much time and labor to the early settlers, and for

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a few years supplied the people, until better mills were erected.  Mr. Mahan was twice married.  After the death of his first wife, he married Susan Hillman, a native of Pennsylvania.  His children, by his first wife, were Mary, Mattie, Nancy, Elizabeth, James, John and Lydia—all now deceased but Charles, Nancy and Lydia.  By his second wife he had Samuel, David, Wesley, William, Henry, Sarah J., Eliza Ann, Asa, Edward H., Margaret and Clay; the latter was killed in the army in the war of the rebellion.

     Joseph W. Bowdle, a native of Maryland, emigrated to Ross County, Ohio, in 1800, where he married Lucretia Brown, a native of the State of Delaware In the fall of 1831, he removed with his family to this township, and settled on the northwest quarter of Section 19, where he lived till his death, in November, 1850, and his remains now rest in the Salem Cemetery, in Allen County.  His wife died several years previous to his death.  He was an Associate Judge of Hardin County from 1833 to 1839.  Their children were James B., Jesse L., Rebecca G., Nelson H., Priscilla, Isaac N., Thomas W., Milton W., Ann C. and William D.  Mr. Bowdle was one of the first Associate Judges of this county. In religion, he was a Methodist, and was an exhorter in that church for many years. even long prior to his settling in Hardin County.

     Jesse Bowdle, a brother of the above Joseph Bowdle, married Lillie Bowdle in Ross County, and came here in the fall of 1832, and settled on the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 18, where he died in 1862.  Mr. Bowdle was a local preacher in the Methodist Church for more than forty years.  His children were David S., Samuel P., Henry S. and Elizabeth.

     Jonathan Carter was born near Rochester, N. Y., in 1800.  In 1806, his father, with his family and some of his neighbors, emigrated to the Mad River country, in Ohio, of which they had heard glowing accounts.  They made their way though the wilderness to Buffalo, where the family took passage on a small vessel for Maumee Bay, while a quantity of stock was driven through the then unbroken wilderness, along the shore of the lake, to the same destination.  After a long and perilous voyage, the vessel entered the Maumee Bay, and passed up the river to the rapids, where they took open boats and went up the river; thence up the Auglaize River as far as they could; thence, by land, to the neighborhood of Bellefontaine.  But, finally, Mr. Carter concluded the Maumee country would suit him better, so he removed back, and opened out a farm on the west bank of that river, about four miles above the rapids, where they remained until the war of 1812 made it unsafe to stay any longer, when he returned to the Mad River with his family, except two sons who enlisted during the war.  Jonathan tried hard to enlist, but was rejected because of his youth.  Mr. Carter, however, remained on his farm till after Hull’s surrender, and the country was over run by the British and Indians, who carried off all movable property and burned all buildings in the neighborhood.  As a last resort, they dug as many potatoes as each could carry, which, with a few chickens, were all the food the enemy spared them, and made their way south, by “Hull’s trail,” to the settlements in Logan County, there being no settlement or house nearer.  Several families, including women and children, made their escape in this way.  After the war was over, Mr. Carter returned to the Maumee, and again erected buildings and made another start in life.  But the Indians
would not allow him to live in peace.  A son and son-in-law were way laid by them, and the latter killed at the first fire; but not until the son had dis-

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patched three of the fee was he hewed down by their tomahawks.  The settlers now repaired to Fort Meigs for safety, where they remained for some time.  But Mr. Carter and family, with some others, determined to leave the country; and the only safe course was to take an open boat, and drop down the river and bay under cover of the night, and make their way to Cleveland and thence to Bellefontaine the best way they could.  Soon after their arrival at the latter place, Mr. Carter was killed by a “weight pole” rolling off of the roof of his cabin, thus suddenly ending his eventful life.  After peace was fully restored, the settlers along the Maumee and Detroit Rivers returned to their former places of abode.  A large trade in stock was carried on between Southern Ohio and that country.  Jonathan Carter went through with eighteen droves of stock when there was not a house between the neighborhood of Bellefontaine and the Maumee, and his thrilling stories of adventure are marvelous in the extreme.  Mr. Carter settled in this county, at Round Head, in 1829, where he built the first cabin, and, in 1832, laid out that town; in 1833, after the organization of Hardin County, he served as the first Treasurer; has filled various offices of trust in his county and township. in all of which he has rendered a faithful stewardship. In the prime of his life, he was a very strong, muscular man, and capable of enduring great physical exertion and hardships, and had many a wrestle with the Indians, among whom he found but few who could throw him.  He has passed a life of industry and activity, and in all his transactions has sustained an unblemished character for integrity and uprightness.  He was one of the organizers of the first Methodist society in this vicinity, which was one of the first in the county, and in which he has remained a faithful worker for half a century.  He is now in his eighty-third year, is in very feeble health. and his life’s warfare is evidently nearly ended.  He has been twice married.  First, to Nancy McArthur, a daughter of Donald McArthur, by whom he had eleven children, four new surviving - Mary J., David (now a practicing physician in Anderson, Ind.), Margaret and Nancy; the deceased are Eliza, John F., Archibald, Wesley, Maria and two who died in infancy.  Mrs. Carter died in 1864.  In 1865, he married Mrs. Arminta Jane Shaffer, a native of Logan County, Ohio.

     Among the earliest settlers of this portion of Hardin County were William and Jane Given.  He was a native of Maryland and his wife of Virginia.  In 1797, William Given emigrated to Ross County, Ohio; was there married, and, in 1829, removed to Round Head Township, Hardin Co., Ohio, where he resided until his death in 1848, his widow surviving him until 1851, when she too, passed away.  Of their children, Alexander still survives, and resides in McDonald Township, in the history of which a biography of him will be found.

      William Ford came here from Adams County, Ohio, and settled on the north bank of the Scioto River, just above Round Head, in 1831 - 32.  He married Mrs. Elizabeth Donaldson, of Adams County.  He resided here till his death.  He died Sept. 9, 1865, aged seventy-three years.  His wife died just one year later, Sept. 9. 1866, aged sixty-seven years.  Children - William, Ellis, Harvey, Milton and Jane.

     Jacob Thomson was born in Ross County; married Elizabeth Clark, in Pickaway County, and about 1832 - 33 settled at Round Head, where, it is said, he erected the first cabin after the town was laid out and platted.  He resided here until his death.  His children were as follows: Elizabeth, William, Henry, Martha and Lewis.

     Henry Stamatz, a native of Logan County, married Ann Logan, and

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settled in Round Head Township, near the Logan County line, in 1832, where he died.  He served as the first Coroner of Hardin County.  He died on the place where he first located.  His children were Lafayette, Napoleon Bonaparte, Duncan, Benjamin A., Mary and two or three daughters whose names we could not obtain.

     John T. Scott came here from Champaign County, Ohio, and settled on the north bank, on land adjoining William Irwin on the south.  He married Lucy Henry, of Logan County, Ohio, by whom he had the following children: John, Eliza, Benjamin, Jane, Permelia, Nancy and perhaps a few others.

     David Groves, a native of Virginia, born in Frederick County, in 1798, married Sarah Sheets, removed to Maryland, thence to Madison County, Ohio, and, in 1833, came to this township, and settled on the southwest quarter of Section 7, where he entered 160 acres, also eighty acres adjoining, in Section 18.  Here he resided about thirty years, when he sold his farm, and finally located on Section 8, where he died Feb. 26, 1880.  He was a member of the Methodist Church nearly all his life, and a local preacher in the same for many years.  Children—Mary, Seville, Henry, Sarah, Ann, Rebecca and Jane; all now deceased except Sarah and Jane.

     Richard Rutledge came from Logan County and settled on the northeast quarter of Section 19, in the fall of 1832, and remained a resident here and on the adjoining section until his death.  He died Jan. 12, 1875, aged seventy six years.  He was twice married; first to Mary Lewis, by whom he had the following children: Lewis, Benjamin W., Thomas J., Harriet, and others who died young.  His second wife was Mrs. Sarah Lay, by whom he had one so - Sampson M.  Mr. Rutledge served several years as a Justice of the Peace; was a devoted member of the Methodist Church, a kind neighbor and a worthy citizen.

     Thomas Livingston came here from Clark County, Ohio, and settled in Round Head in 1834, where be erected his cabin and kept the first cabin ever in the town.  He married Nancy Reed.  They resided here until about 1840, when they removed to Ross County; thence to Indiana, and are new residents of Winchester, in that State.  Of their children, we learn the following names: Maria, Johnson, Sophronia, Thomas and Sarah.  Mr. Livingston was a licensed preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church.

     Uriah McKennan came here from Logan County, Ohio, in 1834, and settled on Section 17, where he died.  He was twice married; first to a Miss Inskeep, by whom he had John M., Margaret A., Benjamin W., Levi and Daniel F.  His second wife was Jane Sharp, who bore him Nancy and Henry; there were some others, but they died young.  Mr. McKennan was a man of character and ability, and a minister of the Gospel for many years.

     Alexander Templeton, a native of Pennsylvania, but who became an early settler at Bellefontaine, where he engaged in mercantile trade, and in 1833 removed to Round Head, opened the first store ever in that town.  Here he carried on mercantile business several years, then turned his attention to agricultural pursuits until his death, Sept. 10, 1863.  He married Mary Ann Wallace, a native of Virginia.  She died Nov. 25, 1857.  Their children were Ann Maria, Samuel, W. Wallace, Robert B., Sarah Jane, Milton, and David, who died young.  Mr. Templeton sustained a high character, and was much esteemed and respected.  He was a Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church.

     Three brothers - William, Robert and Thompson Irwin - natives of

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Champaign County, Ohio, settled in this township in the spring of 1835.  The latter was then quite young, and resided with his brother, Robert, for a time, and then went away, but subsequently married and returned and settled here, where he has since remained a resident.  William, with his father, Thomas Irwin, settled on the banks of the Scioto, in Section 31.  He married Miss Eliza J. Zimmerman, and has resided, nearly all of his life since, on Section 31, where he now lives.  He is the father of the following children: Ruth J., Rachel L., Ahasuerus C. and Robert McHatton. 
Robert married and settled just above William, on the same section, where he has since resided.

     Andrew Zimmerman, a native of Maryland, married Ruth Taylor and emigrated to Ross County, Ohio, about the year 1800.  In the fall of 1835, he removed to this township, and settled on the northwest quarter of Section 32, where he died, Sept. 14, 1844, aged seventy years.  His wife died, Nov. 24, 1855, aged seventy years.  Their children were John, Andrew, Jefferson, Obadiah, Elijah D., George, Elizabeth, Margaret, Delilah, Maria, Lavinia and Eliza Jane.

     Michael Zimmerman, brother of the above Andrew, married Barbara Taylor, and settled here, at same date, on the southwest quarter of Section 33, near Round Head, where he died, Mar. 12, 1849, aged seventy-two years.  His wife died, Sept. 21, 1852, aged seventy-six years.  Their children were Henry, Michael, Samuel, Cynthia, Maria, and some others who died young.  Robert Breece, of Welsh descent, came here from Logan County, and settled on Section 32 in the fall of 1835.  He married Miss Lydia Henry, of Logan County.  He died, July 19, 1849, aged fifty-five years.  His wife died, Nov. 9, 1866, aged sixty-three years.  Their children were John, George, William, Griffith, Jane, Nancy, Margaret, Mary and Amanda.

     John F. Henkle, a native of Virginia, came to Logan County; thence, in March, 1835, came to Round Head Township, and settled on Section 10, where he resided several years; thence removed to Round Head, and resided in the town and vicinity many years; but subsequently be removed to Kenton, where he died Nov. 11, 1872.  He was twice married; first to Sarah Vanmeter, by whom he had the following children: Henry B., Ann Maria, Mary E., Seth V. and Ira A.  His second wife was Eliza A. Scott, who bore him three children— Scott, John F. and Eva.

     Reuben Henkle, when ten years of age, came with his father’s family from Bedford County, Va., to Clark County, Ohio, where he subsequently married Elizabeth Yazel, and, in February, 1838, removed to this township and settled on the southeast quarter of Section 20, where he died, Oct. 23, 1856, aged fifty years.  His wife still survives, and resides on the old homestead place.  Their childern were as follows: Eliza A., Maria, Sarah, Isaac, Amanda, John M., Cyrus W., Ambrose D., Mary and Luther.

     William Moore, a native of Pennsylvania, married Sarah Sample, and, in the spring of 1834, removed to Ohio, calling upon his sister, Mrs. George Hoover, in Logan County, where he left his family for a few weeks, while he came to Round Head Township and entered 160 acres of land - the southeast quarter of Section 5 - and in June of the same year, he settled with his family upon said land, where he resided until his death.  He died, Feb. 9, 1853, aged sixty-three years; his wife died, Sept. 3, 1851, aged sixty-three years.  Mr. Moore was a blacksmith by trade, which business he followed in connection with farming through life.  He was the father of the following children: John, James, Jane, Eliza, Asenith, William, Sarah, Huldah, Mary, Letitia and Urzilla.

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     Watson Spencer came here from Champaign County, Ohio, in 1835.  He married Nellie Rutledge, by whom he had the following children: Mary Ann, Thomas Jefferson, Elizabeth, Louisa, Melissa and John.  His wife died, and he subsequently married Nancy Rutledge, by whom he had several children, of whom were Alexander and James.

     Lorenzo Dow Lay became one of the early settlers of this township, locating here, it is certain, as early as 1832-33, but resided here but a few years until his decease.

     George Blalock was a settler it is believed, as early as 1830-31; was a blacksmith by trade; a peculiar character, of whom we learned but little.

     The above embrace, we think, the principal early settlers between 1822 and 1835, after which the township was settled up quite rapidly.

SCHOOLS.

TOWNS AND VILLAGES.

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CHURCHES.

     Methodist Episcopal Church of Round Head. - The exact date of the organization of the first class here is difficult to fix with certainty. but from certain circumstances and evidences that are obtainable, it was probably between 1830 and 1832, and consisted of the following persons: Donald McArthur and wife, John McArthur and wife, Margaret McArthur, Jonathan Carter and wife, William Given and wife, James D. Lay, Rebecca Campbell and perhaps a few others, with Rebecca Campbell as Class Leader.  The class, it is believed, was organized at the house of Donald McArthur, and services were held there, and at the house of Jonathan Carter, for several years.  About 1840-42, a house was erected for church purposes, which served them until about 1852-54, when they erected their present frame church, in which services have since been held.  The present membership of the church is twenty-seven, with Jeremiah Kelly as Pastor, and Marion Herford as Steward; Class Leader, Martin Wilson; Trustees, Marion Herford, Isaac Gilman, William Jacobs and Hiram Cooney.

     Fletcher Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church. -  This society was organized, it is believed, in the fall of 1832, at the house of Joseph W. Bowdle, consisting of the following members: Joseph W. Bowdle, Lucretia Bowdle, James B. Bowdle, Elizabeth Bowdle, Jesse L. Bowdle, Rebecca Bowdle, Priscilla Bowdle, James Hill, Sarah Hill, John Hill, Martin Hill, Nancy Hill, James Hill, Jr., David Groves, Sarah Groves, Richard Rutledge, Mary Butledge, Harriet Rutledge, and, it is possible, one or two others, with Joseph W. Bowdle as Class Leader . Services Were held at Mr. Bowdle’s house, until the erection of a log house on the same lot occupied by the present house, which served as a house of worship until it was burned in 1860.  Then, in the same year, they erected the present frame house, at a cost of about $700, besides voluntary contributions in labor and material. Some of the early ministers, who served as pastors of this church, were Revs. John Stewart, Patrick G. Good, Daniel D. Davidson, Ethan Allen and Spafford.  Early class leaders: Aaron Oram, Samuel P. Bowdle and Joseph W. Bowdle.  The church now has a membership of about seventy, with Jeremiah Kelly as Pastor; F. A. Perry, William Lowray and William B. Bowdle, Class Leaders; William T. Bowdle, Steward, and F. A. Berry, William Ohler, William Hiatt and James B. Bowdle, Trustees.

     Pleasant Hill Methodist Episcopal Church - About 1835, this society was organized at the house of James Hill, by Rev. John Braketield, consisting of the following members: James Hill, Elizabeth Hill, Samuel Rutledge, Rosanna Rutledge, James Lay, Viletta Lay, and possibly one or two others, with James Hill as Class Leader.  They held services at the house of Mr. Hill, until the erection of a log house for church purposes, in 1848, which was built on the same lot of the present church.  This house served them until, in 1856, the present frame house was erected, at a cost of about $800.  The church was dedicated in December of that year, by Rev. Hiram Shaffer. The following ministers have served this church as pas-

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PAUL R. (K?) SIEG

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tors:  Revs. Brakefield, Wareham, S. L. Yourtee, Arius Rumfield, John Blanpied, William Godman, Thomas Gard, Hibbard P. Ward, Jacob Holmes and Samuel Boggs.  Class Leaders: James Hill, John A. Dunlap, William Romack, John Goslee, Samuel Hill, Alexander Dempster, Jacob Johnson, Samuel Tidd, Thomas Birchfield, Marion Dunlap and J. R. Hill.  The present membership is about fifty, with Rev. J. S. Kelly as Pastor; Thomas Birchfield, Marion Dunlap and J. R. Hill, Class Leaders; Arsamous Ripley and James Goslee, Stewards, and John Goslee, A. Ripley, Harrison Walters, A. Dempster and J. R. Hill, Trustees.

     Methodist Protestant Church. - It is difficult now to ascertain the exact year in which this society was organized, or what minister officiated in its organization; but from the best and most definite information we could gather, a class must have been formed about 1840, embracing the following persons:  John Mahan and wife, Uriah McKennan and wife, and two or more of John Mahan's children.  Services were held in private houses and in the schoolhouse until about 1858-60, when they erected the present frame church, which has served them to the present time as a house or worship.

     United Presbyterian Church of Round Head. - This society was organized at the Newburg Church, May 2, 1859, by Rev. Joseph McHatton, with the following members: A. Templeton, C. I. Brooks, John Ghormley, Samuel G. Rogers, Samuel Templeton, Robert Irwin, Sr., Robert Irwin, Jr., Harriet N. Brooks, Jane Irwin, Ann E. Rogers, M. N. Rogers, Agnes Cofl'elt, Eliza Hindman, Joseph Junkins, Martha Junkins, Ira Morton, Sarah J. Templeton, Robert R. Templeton, Milton Templeton, Minerva J. Ghormley, William Erwin, Eliza J. Erwin, Andrew Reed, Mary Reed and Eliza Irwin; with Alexander Templeton, William Irwin and C. I. Brooks elected Ruling Elders.  Services have been held every four weeks, with considerable regularity, in the Methodist Church at Round Head, until about one year ago, since which they have been without a pastor.  The following ministers have served the church: Revs. John L. Bull, William C. Dun, J. L. Buchanan, the latter eleven years, followed by J. E. Kerr, William Brooks and Rev. Ferguson.  Present membership, about thirty. Present Elders: William Irwin, Robert Irwin, John J. Irwin and Russell Hutchison.

CEMETERIES.

     Henkle Cemetery - This piece of land is situated on the extreme southeast corner of the southeast quarter of Section 20, and was donated for this purpose by Reuben Henkle.  The first occupant of this land was James Hill, who settled here in 1825, and whose aged mother died either in 1825 or in 1826, and was the first person interred in this cemetery.  The second person was Phoebe Lay, since which it has received the remains of many of the pioneers - John Mahan, Samuel Tidd, William Given and others.

     Round Head Cemetery. - This was first dedicated to sue by the reception of the body of Samuel Zimmerman, a son of Michael Zimmerman, who died Aug. 1, 1836, aged nineteen years; since which the grounds have been filled with the dead of the early settlers and others of this vicinity.  A few years since, the Trustees purchased grounds just east of Round Head, on nice, elevated lands, which they have laid off into lots and fenced and improved, so that it is now a pleasant location, and well suited for the purposes intended.

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     Pleasant Hill Cemetery - This consists of about two-thirds of an acre, which was donated for the purpose by James Hill, about 1848.  The first person buried here was Margaret Sharp.  It has since become nearly filled.  In the spring of 1879, the Trustees purchased two acres of land of Samuel J. Wirick, a little south of the church, and on the east side of the pike, fenced and laid it off into lots, and have made it a nice cemetery.  First buried here was Marietta Hill, a daughter of James R. and Elizabeth Hill.  She died Nov. 11, 1879.