SURFACE, SOIL, STREAMS AND TIMBER.

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PIONEERS.

     Two brothers - Charles W. and Samuel Stevenson - were the first permanent settlers of  Taylor Creek Township, locating on Survey 10,014, in March, 1827.  The history of this family will be found in another portion of the work to which we refer our readers, viz. Chapter IV, of the General History.

     Thomas, James and John Collins, with their widowed mother, came in the fall of 1828 and located on land now owned by Ira C. Richards on the Cabel and Calvin Survey, No. 10,015.  Thomas married Sarah Bailey, by whom he had the following children: James, Mary, Jane, Beniah, Harriet, Mariah and Margery.  Mr. Collins died Sept. 16, 1867, aged sixty-seven years.  James. his brother, married Elizabeth Hullinger.  He was the father of the following children: Daniel, Margery J., Samuel, Amanda, John L., Sarah, Elizabeth and Mary, and two or three who died in child hood.  Mr. Collins died Apr. 26, 1861, aged fifty-two years.  John, the third brother, was twice married, and had several children, but early moved to the West; thence back to Indiana, where he died.  Joseph, a fourth brother, came here and settled about one year later, or in 1820.  He married a Miss Adams, by whom he had the following children, viz.: John, Thomas, Elizabeth, Elijah, Mary, Alanson and Anna.  Mr. Collins died Sept. 30, 1840, aged forty-four years.

     James Scott came here from Greene County, Ohio, and settled about the same time or soon after the Stevenson family.  Subsequently he married Jane Patterson and settled on land now owned by William Fry, on Survey No. 10,000, where he resided till his death.  His children were Emily, Mariah, Tully, Ruhamia, Snook, Rebecca, Cynthia, Margaret and Charles, some of whom were deceased, and the balance have moved away.  Mr. Scott was the first Justice of the Peace of Taylor Creek Township.

     Samuel Hatfield came here from Logan County, Ohio, about the same time or soon after the Collins and the Bailey families.  He married a Miss Zane, of Logan County; she died, and he married, for his second wife, Miss Nancy Collins.  He had four children by his first wife and six by his last, but only one - Noah - the eldest child by his first wife, is now a resident of this county.  Mr. Hatfield never became owner of any land here, but subsequently removed to Michigan, where he and his wife died.

     Joshua Caseman was a native of Kentucky but became an early settler of Logan County, Ohio; thence, in August, 1820, came to this township, where he was married to Eliza Bailey and settled on land now owned by O. Pyers, on Survey No. 10,001, where he resided till his death.  His children were Hannah, Sarah, Lucretia, Elizabeth and three who died young.

     William Bailey a native of Virginia, married Mary Alcott and came to Hardin County in 1831 and settled on Taylor Creek, on Survey No. 10,015.  Mr. Bailey was born in 1786 and married in 1817.  His children were as
follows: John, James, Nancy, Emiline, Silas, Basel, William, Thomas, Oner and Calvin, all of whom are now deceased but Thomas, who resides in McDonald Township.  Mr. Bailey died Dec. 6, 1853, aged sixty seven years.  John, the eldest child, married Emily Kerns, and subsequently

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removed to Indiana. but again returned and settled in Lynn Township, where he died, Mar. 19, 1883.  Their children were Nathan, William, Margaret, Jacob, John, Marion, George and Thomas, all residents of Lynn Township, except Marion, who is deceased.  James, the second son, married Sarah Deacons, and subsequently removed to Paulding County, Ohio, where he died.  They had the following children: Mary M., George and Nancy (deceased), and Jerome, Louisa, Noah, Rebecca and Thomas, who all reside in Paulding County.  Silas, the fifth child, married, for his second wife, Nancy Norman, June 14,1849, and settled on the old home place of his father, where he resided until his death, Mar. 10, 1882.  Of his children, Nathaniel, Alwilda E. and Mary Rosella are deceased, and Jonathan, Martha Jane, William, Fletcher, Basel W. and Curtis W. still survive.  Basel, the next younger than Silas, married Eliza Collins and resided on a part
of the old home place until his death.  Their children were Kelly, Laura, Leighton, Elliott, Alice, Sallie and Mellie.

     John Wilcox, with his sons, Jonathan, Samuel, William and John, all settled near Yelverton in 1832, where the father died.  The sons subsequently sold out and moved away, except Jonathan, who now resides in Belle Centre.

     Andrew Porter, was born in Kentucky, May 11, 1800, and on Sept. 29, 1830, was united in marriage with Rebecca Dunlap, who was born in Morgan County, Ohio, July 2, 1805.  They came to Greene County; thence, in 1833, to Hardin, and settled on land now owned by his son, James T., on Survey No. 10,000, where he died, Oct. 6, 1867.  Mr. Porter was a man of quiet and reserved habits, a kind neighbor and much respected citizen.

     Elisha Byers settled near where Yelverton is now located, about 1834, but subsequently removed to the West.

     Benjamin McIntire also settled near Yelverton with a large family of children, some of whom were married when they came here.  They settled here about 1834-35, but subsequently they sold their property and all moved away.

     Thomas Wilcox, a native of Ross County, Ohio, married Hannah Gates, and in the fall of 1833 removed to Hardin County and settled near Yelverton, on land now owned by the widow of Thomas Sloan.  He finally removed to the place where his son, H. N. Wilcox, now lives, where he died in April, 1858, aged fifty-seven years.

     Henry D. Thorp came here from Logan County and settled on land now owned by Edward May, on the Scott & Fox Survey, No. 10,001, about 1832 or 1833.  He married a Miss Moots, of an early pioneer family of Logan County.  He was the first Sheriff of this county, but, in 1834-35, he removed to Logan County again. and subsequently to Missouri.

     Homer P. Stevenson was born in Greene County, Ohio, in 1816, and was a half brother to Charles W. and Samuel. the first settlers of the township previously spoken of.  He came here about 1835.  In 1840, he married Mary Ann Hullinger, and is still a resident of this township, and whose biographical sketch will appear in another part of this work.  Mr. Stevenson has served as a Justice of the Peace for many years, and is a very worthy citizen.

     Jeremiah Liles came from Ross County to Logan County, Ohio; then, about 1836, located on the place where he now resides in Taylor Creek Township.

     Andrew Miller came here from Muskingum County and settled where he now resides, about 1836 or 1837.

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     Jacob Seig was a native of Pennsylvania, but removed with his parents, while young, to Virginia; thence, in 1828, removed to Logan County, Ohio; thence, in 1839, he came with his parents to this county and located on the place where his son, P. K. Seig, now resides.  He died Jan. 5, 1855, aged seventy years.

ROADS, RAILROADS, TOWNS.

TOWNS

SAW MILLS.

 

SCHOOLS.

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CHURCHES.

     St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church -

     Silver Creek Chapel, Methodist Episcopal Church -

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     United Presbyterian Church of Silver Creek. -

CEMETERIES.

     There are two or three early family burial places, but only one fully constituted public cemetery.  In 1851, P. K. Seig set apart a piece of ground for burial purposes, and his daughter,  Martha Ann Seig, who died Oct. 9, 1851, was the first person buried there.  This was kept as a private burial place until about 1865, when Mr. Seig made it free to the public, on condition that an association be formed under the State laws creating and regulating cemetery associations; but the organization was never effected until February, 1883, when an association was formed with the following charter members, viz.:  John C. Bailey, Freeman Porter, James T. Porter, James Lowry, T. W. Carr, Jr., Homer P. Stevenson and P. K. Seig, with P. K. Seig as President; J. T. Porter, Secretary; and H. P. Stevenson, Treasurer.