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The
settlements made in and about where is now the town of
Calais, were amongst the first in the county. The
first improvement made, was about 1798, by Andrew Dilley,
from Dilley's bottom, Belmont county. He
cleared a small field and built a log cabin where the town
of Calais now stands, but left it and returned to Belmont
county. In March, 1802, John Dailey, from the
mouth of Captina Creek, moved into Dilley's cabin,
and became a permanent settler. James Dailey,
father of John, and Robert Carpenter followed
soon after, and these by Mitchell and Isaac
Atkinson, Wm. Dement, Christopher Haines, Barnabus Crosbay,
Samuel Danford, the Ruckers, Bristers, Rufus Hall,
Vincent Dailey, Joseph Baker, Samuel Pryor, Elijah and
Samuel Stephen, David Watson, George Miller, Daniel and
Jesse Bean, Wm. Kent and William Cousins.
The dates at which these parties made their settlements are
unknown to the writer. In an obituary notice published
at the time of Mr. Dement's death, it was
stated that he came to the county in 1802, from Ohio county,
Virginia, where he had been Clerk of the court, and that he
had carried the first mail from Pittsburgh to Marietta in a
canoe. Many of the settlers were at first squatters on
Congress lands, but soon became the owners of their
improvements, by entering the land on which they were
situated.
The township was organized June 19, 1815, and is the
northwestern township of the county. It is watered by
the several branches of Will's creek, which rise in the high
lands to the east and southeast of Summit and Malaga
townships. The valleys are beautiful and very fertile.
The hills have limestone enough to make the hill-sides very
productive. There are twenty-one sections in the
township, all the original township 7, of range 8, except 36
in township 6, of range 6. It is bounded on the north
by Noble and Belmont counties, on the east by Malaga and
Submit townships, on the south by Summit and Franklin, and
on the west by Noble county.
There is some discrepancy as to where the first
election was held. One authority fixes it on the farm
of William Danford, with Wm. Danford, Mitchell
Atkinson and Wm. H. Philpot as the first
trustees. Another authority says it was at the house
of John Dailey, where now stands the M. E. Church in
Calais.
Elijah Stephen and Mary Dearth were
married by David Ruble, J. P., April 2, 1805, but the
writer is not certain that they lived in the territory of
the township at that time; if son, their son John Stephen
may have been the first child born in the township.
Margaret Dailey, daughter of James Dailey, and
afterward the wife of James Brister, is claimed to be
the first child born here. It is also claimed for a
child of George Miller.
One of the first marriages, if
not the first, was that of Jacob Dailey and Mary
Watson, in 1812 or 1813; and the first death that of
Christopher Haines, in 1810. He was buried in the
northeast corner of section 16, and a sycamore three marks
his grave.
William Dement and Cornelius Bryant were,
probably, the first justices of the peace.
The first grist mill was built in 1814, or 1815, by
Phillip Allen and Abner Wing. It was on
Fort's Fork of Will's creek, about two miles from its mouth.
It afterward became the property of William Kent.
It was of hewed logs about 25x30 feet in size. Mr.
Kent attached a saw mill to it, which was also the first
saw mill.
The first school taught was on the land of Daniel
McVicker - now in Noble county - and the first teacher
was Mitchel Atkinson, and the second Michael
Danford. The building was like most other
primitive school houses, with the exception that it had five
corners. The first school house in the township, as
now organized, was near where Calais now stands, and the
first teacher was Mitchell Atkinson, and the second
Barnabus Crosbay.
The town of Calais was laid out, in 1837, by
John Dailey, and lies on the Seneca Fork, in the
southeast quarter of section 18. The only post office
in the township is at this place. It is said that
there was a post office on the farm now occupied by Lewis
Groves, called Batesville, and that Timothy Bates
was the first postmaster. IF this is so, and it is
quite probable, the location, with the name, was changed to
Williamsburgh, Guernsey county, now Batesville, Noble
county.
The first sermon preached in the township was at the
house of William Dement, in 1810, by Rev. Samuel
Dement. In 1818, a society of the M. E. Church was
organized, and services were held at the houses of Wm.
Kent and Samuel Danford. Revs. Jacob
Young, Thomas M. Cleary, David Walker and Charles
Elliott, (who had been a missionary among the Indians)
were the first ministers. The first members were
Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Kent, Mr. and Mrs. John Fowler, Mrs. Nancy
Danford, Rebecca, Mary and Rachael Danford, Sally
and Maria Kent, James Danford, Sidna Roe. John
Fowler was the first class-leader, followed by Joseph
Stewart, Thos. Donahue, and Julius Rucker.
The writer is of the impression that the Roman
Catholic church, in the southeast corner of section 9, was
one of the first, if not the first church building in the
township.
The following information as to other churches has been
furnished:
The Calais M. E. Church was organized in 1841, by
John Stephen as first class-leader. The first
members were Mr. and Mrs. John Stephen, Mr. and Mrs. Wm.
Runnells, Noah, Elizabeth, and Jane Runnels, Z.
Jones, Elizabeth Jones and Sarah Oglebay. Rev.
Jacob Miller was the first minister in charge. In
1876, this society built a church 32x42, feet, with a
seating capacity of about 500. It was dedicated Nov.
18, 1876, by Rev. Pershing, of Pittsburgh. The
building is a frame structure. Membership about
forty-five. Present pastor, Rev. Garrett.
Union Chapel M. E. Society is composed of what was
known as the Beach Grove and Walnut Chapel societies.
The church edifice was erected in 1867, and was dedicated by
Rev. E. Ellison, Dec. 7, 1867. It is a frame
structure 30x40 feet, with a seating capacity of 400.
First trustees, Jesse E. Mechem, James R. Reed, John
Stephen, James Mechem, Wm. Kent, Arthur Wharton, and
Joseph Windham. Present trustees - Wm. Danford,
James A. Dailey, John R. Stephen, S. D. Kent, Isaiah Rucker,
and John Dailey. Class-leader, Christian
Weinstein. Present pastor, A. Gruber.
As early as 1823, services were held by ministers
of the Christian church. Rev. Caleb Nice
preached about that time in this township. A society
of this denomination was organized in 1875, by Rev. Jones,
of Columbiana county, Ohio. In 1876, the society built
a frame church 40x50 feet, with a seating capacity of 500,
which was dedicated by Rev. Jones Nov. 22, 1876.
Membership: James Hannahs, John B.
Carpenter, J. W. Warner; elders, Henry Neuhart,
deacon; Philip W. Hannahs, B. F. Howiler, Cookson
Carpenter, Adam Hannahs, John T. Hannahs, Henry Morris,
James W. Carpenter, Wm. A. Jones, Josiah Thomas, Julia
Stephen, James R. Stephen, Barbara E. Carpenter, Mary A.
Eccleberry, Angie Cline, Sarah Hannahs, Catharine
Brownfield, Sarah Brownfield, Mary L. Stephen, M. C.
McMullen, Nancy Neuhart, Lana Howiler, Nancy McCoy, Thomas
McCoy. No regular minister.
Glady M. E. Church is a frame building 39 feet square,
built in 1869. Membership, twenty. Present
pastor, Rev. James. (1881).
Alexander Porter organized a Sabbath school in
1820, and Hiram Danford one in 1840.
As early as 1820, a carding machine was in operation,
but in that part of the township now in Noble county.
The population of the village of Calais, in1880, was
159, and of the township including the village, 1,302.
The school statistics for the year ending Aug. 31,
1881, are as follows: For the township - total amount
of school moneys received within the year, $3,269.02; total
amount paid teachers, $1,672.67; fuel, etc., $130.83;
balance on hand, Sept. 1, 1881, $1,465.62; No. of
sub-districts, 6; No. school houses, 6; total value of
school property, $3,000; No. of necessary, 6; No. of
different pupils enrolled, 293; average wages of teachers,
per month, $36.00. For Calais school district - total
amount of moneys received, $595.84; amount paid teachers,
$430.00; fuel, etc., $47.00; balance on hand, Sept. 1, 1881,
$118.84; No. of school houses, 1; No. of rooms, 2; No. of
teachers, 2; average wages of teachers, per month,
gentleman, $40.00, lady, $20.00; value of school property,
$800; total number of pupils enrolled, 95.
The officers of the village of Calais, for 188, were:
Mayor, J. J. Burton; marshal, Thomas McCoy;
treasurer, Joseph Hodge; recorder, C. L. Eberle;
council, G. W. Coultas, Josiah Miller, James Hannahs,
J. B. Craig, J. H. Goodhart, Elijah Stephen.
The present justices of the peace for the township
are: James W. Warner and
J. H. Hamilton.
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