SUMMIT TOWNSHIP

Source:
History of Monroe County, Ohio
- Illustrated -
A Condensed History of the County;
Biographical Sketches: General Statistics; Miscellaneous Matters &c.
Publ. H. H. Hardesty & Co, Publishers
Chicago and Toledo
1882

Page 218      This township was organized July 9, 1824, and is formed of parts of original townships 2 and 3, of range 4, and part of the townships 4, range 5.  It contains about 27¼ square miles, or sections, though some of the sections are divided by township lines.  It is irregularly shaped, and bounded on the north of Centre, Adams and Salem townships, on the east by Salem, Ohio and Lee, on the south by Ohio, Lee, Jackson and Perry, and on the west by Perry and Centre.  A part of the east side of the township is drained by the waters of Opossum creek.  Crane's Nest fork rises in the southeastern part, and flows in a general northwestern direction into the northern central portion, and thence westward through the township.  Witten fork and its branches - Miller's and Alum runs - drain the south and southwest parts.  Much of the upland is comparatively smooth.      Among the earliest settlers may be named Ephraim, Samuel and Abraham Jones, John Knight, and his sons, William and Stephen, Andrew Sprowls, Isaac Mitchell, senior, Baldwin Cox, John Dunn, Zadock West, Barnet Adamson, John Bowie, Wm. Hurd, John and Edward Reed, Isaac Cowley, William Hickman, James Seals, Conrad Duval.  William Bailey, Jacob and Henry Dennis, Bennett Coen, Frederick and Adam Myers, and David Honnell.      Ephraim Jones, it is claimed, built the first log cabin, about 1815 or 1816, a mile northeast of where the town of Newcastle now stands, on Crane's Nest fork.      The first child born in the township was Nancy Hurd, daughter of Wm. and Mary Hurd, and the first marriage was that of John Henderson and wife -  maiden name not known.  The first election was held at the house of Isaac Mitchell, about a half-mile west of where Newcastle is now situated, and all those named as among the first settlers, were citizens of the township at its organization.      The first grist mill was a horse-power mill, built about 1823, by Baldwin Cox, and located some two miles west of the present Isaac Mitchells.  Wm. Ullom built a saw-mill on Crane's Nest fork, about 1834.      A subscription school was taught by Jacob Miller, in 1825, west of Mitchell's, in a building of the same primitive style as hereinbefore described.  A correspondent writes of the school thus:  "The terms of subscription were one dollar per scholar for a term of three months.  The teacher "boarded round among the scholars," that is, he boarded in the families of pupils sent to school by or from each family.  Before the holy-days, the teacher was compelled to sign an article that on Christmas or New Year's day, he would treat the scholars to gingercakes, cider and apples, or they would bar him out of the school house, or, if he got in first, they would smoke him out.  If he still refused to sign the article, they would take him to the nearest creek, and duck him.  The write remembers having been in a school house, in the winter of 1829-30, when the teacher was barred out; but the teacher climbed on the roof of the school house, covered the chimney, and smoked the scholars out.  After having thus worsted the scholars, he still refused to sign the article; but, after some delay, waiting for an attack upon him, he treated them bountifully, and gave them a half-holiday, which was spent at the various games of amusement common in those days.      The first postoffice was at the house of Randolph Laing, southeast of Newcastle, and was called Laing's.  It was afterwards removed to Newcastle, but still retains the name, Laings.  The only other postoffice is located in the northeast corner of the township, and is called Round Bottom, simply because there is no bottom there.      The first sermon preached in the township was at the house of Conrad Duval by Rev. John Secrist, in 1821.  The first society organized was about 1826, at what is known as the Ott M. E. Church, about two miles southwest of Newcastle.  The second church organized was the Presbyterian; Rev. Alex. McCandlas, was among the first ministers.  The church building is now in Newcastle.  In this place there is also a Methodist Episcopal Church.  Four Sabbath schools are reported in the township:  At the Ott M. E. Church, at which place was organized one of the first Sabbath schools in the county; at the M. E. Church, and the Presbyterian Church, in Newcastle, and at the Round Bottom school house.      Newcastle was laid out in 1836, by Frederick and William Myers, and had a reported population, in 1880, of 56.  The population of the township and town, in 1880, was 1,207.  The school moneys received received within the year, $2,846.18; amount paid teachers, $,1703.04.  Paid for fuel, etc. $224.26; balance on hand Sept. 1, 1881, $918.88; No. of school houses, 8; value of school property, $2,500; No. of teachers necessary, 8; average wages of teachers, per month, gentlemen, $28, ladies, $20; No. of pupils enrolled, 385.      The present justices of the peace, are: James Clegg, W. L. Norris and J. T. Culverhouse.     The production of cheese, in this township, for the year 1881. vv

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