Chapter IV

HARRISON TOWNSHIP
Pg. 18

     To Thomas Wentworth is accredited the honor of being the first actual settler of this township.  He erected a log cabin in the year of 1837, and, with his wife and little ones, soon after occupied the same.  This little forest surrounded home was located on section 36, about two miles east of where now stands the stirring village of Payne, and was, at the time of building, ten miles from any other human habitation.  Mr. Wentworth, having opened up a pathway into this wild and primitive region, was shortly after followed by Phineas S. Russell, Theodore G. Merchant, Fielding A. Hughes, Niram Strout, John Sheppard, and Adam and Jonathan Snellenberger, who built cabins near that of Mr. Wentworth, thus forming what was known for many years as the "Flat Rock settlement."  A few years afterward came other pioneers, who settled in various parts of the township; among  these may be mentioned, David Malott, Edward Rice, Thos. Lamb, Francis Quince, John Ryel and Job Pugh.   The first white child born in the township was John Russell in 1843.  His parents names were Phineas S. and Louis Russell.  The first couple married in the township was John Lincoln and Harriet F. Wentworth.  The father of the bride Thomas Wentworth, preformed the ceremony.  This couple settled in Carryall township and reared a highly respectable family of one son and two daughters.  The son removed in Utah and became an eminent Methodist Episcopal minister, and the girls became successful teachers in graded schools.  Mrs. Lincoln lived many years after the death of her husband, and died in 1887, respected by all who knew her.  The township was organized in 1844, and the first election was held at the residence of Dr. B. B. Woodcock, on the first Monday of April, same year.  Paulding township was then included in the voting precinct.  The number of ballots cast was twelve.  The names of voters residing in Harrison, proper, were B. B. Woodcock, Thomas Wentworth, James Wentworth, Theodore G. Merchant, Niram Strout, John Sheppard, James Lattimore and Charles C. Anderson.  Those residing in Paulding township were A. F. Hughes, Daniel Sevengood, John Fisher and Joel Culver.  B. B. Woodcock was the first township clerk.  There are thirty-six sections in the township.  All bordering on the north and west lines are fractional; the remaining ones are full sections.  There are four streams in the township.  The principal one is Flat Rock, which flows through the southeast corner of the township.  Much of hte land along this creek was injured by the back water from the reservoir, and, it is said that this township sent several volunteers to the famous "Reservoir War," which led to the abandonment of the great nuisance and reclaimed the land from the watery element.  A small branch of Six Mile rises in section 18 and leaves township in section 1.  Wild Cat creek is a small tributary of Flat Rock.  There are no grit mills in the township.  The first saw mill in the township was erected by Adam Snellenberger in 1858.  It was located on the northeast quarter of section 36, and was run by water-power.  There are now several steam saw mills in the township.
     The first step taken toward the education of the youth was in a select school taught by Mrs. Caroline Merchant, in 1844, at the residence of her husband, Theodore G. Merchant.  The building was located on section 36, and about fifteen pupils were in attendance.  The school was taught more for the purpose of disseminating knowledge than for the paltry remuneration received, and proved in after years to have been seed sown, upon good ground.  This estimable Christian lady, then a young wife., but now for many years a widow, resides at the little city of Westerville, Ohio; and often, no doubt, as she sits at eventide by the window of her residence, and looks out upon the towering walls of Otterbein University, her thoughts wander away through the dim vistas of the past to the pioneer days of her youth when she taught a little class of backwoods pupils in the wilds of Paulding county.  All honor to the first teacher of Harrison township.  Let the pedagogues of to-day pay to the memory of this primitive teacher that tribute which she so richly deserves.  The first school house in the township was built in the year of 1850.  It was a log cabin, 16 x 20 feet in size, and situated on the northwest quarter of section thirty-six.  There are at present eight school houses in the township; all good frame structures and supplied with modern furniture.  Payne has a graded school and employs four teachers.  The first post-office was located at the house of Adam Snellenberger in the year of 1858.  Mr. Snellenberger was the first postmaster.  The office was on a route leading from Paulding to Monroeville, Ind.  It was called Payne.  It was moved to Malottville in 1872, but still retained its former name; and in 1881, the name of the village of Montville was changed to Payne, the same as the office.  There is one other office in the township.  It is called Smiley, and is located on the Nickel Plate railway, three miles west of Payne.  The first sermon preached in the township was at the residence of Theodore G. Merchant, in the year of 1843, by Rev. Joseph Miller, assisted by Rev. Charles B. Gardner.  It was of the U. B. Denomination, and its first members were as follows:  Theodore G. Merchant and wife, Niram Strout and wife, John Northup and wife; William and Sarah Sheppard, Harriet E. Wentworth, Thomas Wentworth, Jr., B. L. Wentworth,  and Mrs. H. J. Woodcock.  The second church was organized, in 1864, by Rev. John Brakefield, and was of the Methodist Episcopal denomination.  Louis Stillwell was first class leader.  The first members of this society were Louis Stillwell and wife, P. W. Hardesty and wife, A. F. Hardesty and wife, Anna Hardesty, Jonathan Snellenberger and Caroline Christopher.  The Flat Rock society of the Disciple church was organized Mar. 18, 1877, with fifteen members, Elder E. Leavitt minister in charge.  The first officers appointed were Samuel Wiltzie, elder, and James Bainbridge and Hiram Underwood, deacons.  The first members were Samuel Wiltzie, James Bainbridge, Hiram Underwood, Samuel H. Wiltzie, Jonas Fry, A. D. Underwood, Evans Wood, Silas Brattain, H. K. Gaut, Mary Wiltzie, Emma Underwood, Rachel Underwood, Alice K. Wood, Mary Bainbridge and Rachel Brattain.  The first Sunday-school organized in the township was in 1854, at the Merchant school house, by Adam Hardesty.  About twenty pupils were in attendance.  There are now several in the township, attended by four or five hundred pupils.  Such are the changes wrought out by the hand of time.  The church buildings of the township are located in the village of Payne, and will be described in the Payne, and will be described in the Payne "write-up."  Part of Payne and Smiley are the only village of the township.  The former will be given a special history, and the latter is a small station on the Nickel Plate, in the extreme southwest corner of the township.  It contains a small store, postoffice, saw mill and three or four dwellings.  The numbers of voters in the township, as returned May 18, 1891, was, north precinct, 166; south precinct, 327; total 493.  The population in 1880, was 772; in 1890, it was 2,252, including the part of Payne village which is in the township.
 

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