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An oil mill was erected by
Jacob SHOOK on the southwest quarter of section fifteen.
Its purpose was to make oil from flax-seed. This business was
carried on some eight or ten years. Afterwards the site was
used on which to build a saw-mil, by the same owner.
A copper still was built on section sixteen, about 1820
or 1822, by William BISHOP. It was run for a number of
years. Another copper still was erected on the southeast
quarter of section sixteen, by Jesse and John REED, in 1825.
Still another was located on land owned by John DECKER.
This was owned and operated by Enoch HENRY, and was on the
east side of Walnut creek.
The first grist-mill was built and owned by Luke
DECKER, father of Vause and John DECKER, in 1816 or
construction, of the mill. Business was conducted there for
over twenty-five years.
Isaac MILLAR run a small still soon after his
settlement in 1806. He also introduced the first
threshing-machine and the first reaper in the township. A
copper still and mill was run by William TEEGARDIN at the
same time of the building of the Ohio canal, in 1825-30.
Jacob SHAFER moved from Harrison to Madison,
soon after 1810, and established a small tannery; he also had a
small mill, for grinding, in connection with this . It was run
by horse power. Luke DECKER had a mill on Walnut creek,
about 1815. It was located on section twenty.
Stone quarries have been opened in the township, for
local use, but the quality of the stone is not very good, and no
quarries are worked, except as the inhabitants need stone for
foundations to buildings and for cellars.
EARLY SCHOOLS, ETC.
Among the early school
teachers was Travis RED, who taught in what is now known as
district one, on land owned by Aaron TEEGARDIN. The
school was conducted in the usual style of those days. He was
succeeded by David AMMON, who lived among the settlers, wrote
deeds, and was a favorite. Many old deeds, in his handwriting
may be seen in the township. He afterwards became editor of
the Castigator, at Ripley, Brown county. Another
prominent teacher was William McARTHUR, who taught a number
of terms. Afterwards, he was county auditor and treasurer, and
died in Circleville. Other teachers of early times were:
John WRIGHT, Alexander CAMERON, Truman BOWEN, David
DAUGHTERTY, and John MILLER. At this time there are five
district schools in the township.
The first fine house in the township was built by
John RITTER, but at what date cannot now be ascertained.
It was weather-boarded, and was painted red. It was a notable
house in its day.
Among the early justices of the peace were: Joseph
KELLY, George REED, George GIBSON, and Nathan PERRILL.
BUSINESS.
The
local business in Madison is very limited, consisting of that done
at TEEGARDIN's store, one wagon and blacksmith
shop, and three boot and shoe makers. Most of the repairing
and building of wagons is done in some of the adjoining towns.
The first blacksmith in the township was John RITTER,
who came to Madison in 1804 or 1806. In 1866 G. A.
KNEPPER and John TEEGARDIN built a store,
and opened a stock of goods at St. Paul. They continued in
partnership one year, When KNEPPER sold out.
It was then run a year by TEEGARDIN & JULIAN, when
TEEGARDIN became sole proprietor, and conducted the
business five years, when he associated with himself his brother,
Philip. It was again run five years in partnership. At
the end of that time John TEEGARDIN bought his
brother's interest, and has since conducted the business alone.
INDIANS.
When
the county was first settled, bands of the Shawnee Indians hunted in
the forests of Madison, and in the spring made sugar in the maple
groves, but did not make it a regular camping ground. Some
remained here for several years, until game became scarce, when they
wandered away, in search of new hunting grounds. They were
uniformly civil, and seldom, if ever, caused any uneasiness among
the settlers.
SOCIETY.
The
only society in the township is a Grange, which was started in 1875.
Prominent among the members of John CROMLEY, Aaron TEEGARDIN,
Philip TEEGARDIN, V. S. DECKER, Philip PONTIOUS, Hugh TRAVERSE,
Nathan PERRILL, Nathan and Augustus MOORE. Meetings
were held in PERRILL's school-house, on the
northeast corner of section twenty-one. These were continued
some three years, but at present little interest in taken in the
Grange.
POST-OFFICE.
Madison township had no post-office until quite late - just before
the war of the rebellion. Previous to that time, all mail was
obtained at the nearest post-office - some going to South
Bloomfield, some of Franklinton, Lancaster, or Lithopolis. Each
neighborhood would get its mail by some one person, who went to the
post-office once or twice a week, so that all were not obliged to go
after mail each week. In 1859 or 1860, an office was
established at St. Paul's which was, at that time, called
TEEGARDIN's. Rev. J. A. ROOF was appointed first
postmaster, and administered the office at his residence. No
provision was made for carrying the mails, and for several years it
was done by private enterprise, no bond being given, and persons in
the neighborhood alternating in bringing mail. Finally, a
private subscription was raised, and George COON
carried it for two years - during 1868 and 1869.
Andrew H. DUVALL succeeded him,a nd carried it for several
years, until a regular route was established between South
Bloomfield and MArcy, on the line of Fairfield county. The
name was changed to St. Paul's. The second postmaster was
Louis RHODES, John TEEGARDIN has been postmaster
for the past ten years, and keeps the office in his store.
CHURCHES.
ST. PAUL EVANGELICA LUTHERAN CHURCH.
was organized in 1834. The members of the
denomination in Madison, finding it too far to attend services in
the adjoining county of Fairfield, petitioned the synod of Ohio, at
Miamisburg, for a minister and a separate organization, in this
year. Their petition was granted, and the Rev. Joseph
A. ROOF was licensed as a preacher to minister to them.
The first service was held at the house of Mrs. Mary
Magdalene HOOVER, June 29, 1834. On August 3d the
congregation assembled and organized as a church, electing
Solomon TEEGARDIN and John BRENTLINGER as
elders; Elias HOOVER and Jacob LILLY
as deacons. They were installed into the duties of their
respective offices the same day. Preaching was for a time held
in school-houses. Dec. 3, 1834, a meeting was held to consider
the propriety of purchasing a lot and building a church. A
subscription was raised and a lot purchased on section twenty-three
on which a church-building was erected the following year. By
the terms of the subscription, this church was to be the joint
property of the Evangelical Lutheran church and the German Reformed
church. The building was not completed until 1838, though it
had been occupied since 1835. Mr. ROOF
continued as pastor until 1855, when he resigned. He was again
called to the pastorate in 1860. In 1863 it was determined to
build a new church, which was done, at a cost of four thousand
dollars. In 1869 Rev. E. T. S. TRESSEL was
called to the pastorate, and became their minister. In 1872 a
parsonage was built, of brick, at a cost of fifteen hundred dollars.
The present membership is one hundred and twenty-five. A
Sabbath-school is conducted by the members, with a good attendance.
The superintendent is Esther BROWN; assistant,
David ADKINS. The new church was built, and
is entirely owned by the Evangelical Lutheran church.
TRINITY LUTHERAN
CHURCH.
was organized in 1856.
The first minister employed was Rev. Peter EIRICH.
In 1856 the congregation raised means, by subscription, for the
purpose of building a church, and in the same year a frame church
was erected on the southeast corner of section twenty-five, on land
given for the object by Jacob BROBST. The
first members were: Peter BROBST and family, Jacob BROBST
and family, David BROBST and family, Conrad SALT and family, Samuel
SMITH and family, David HALL and family, Reuben SMITH and family,
and others. Reuben SMITH was greatly
instrumental in forming the church. The present minister is
Rev. Joseph BECK. A Sunday school of about
one hundred members is maintained, under the superintendence of
Monroe BROBST. The church numbers some eighty
communicants, with a good attendance and no debt.
A
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
was organized in Madison
about 1844, by Isaac HUNTER, who was a circuit
preacher about that time. It was called Pleasant Grove church,
and was included in the Lithopolis circuit. A church-building
was erected in 1850, and services were continued here until 1869 or
1870, when the building was sold to the township trustees for use as
a school house. No services of this denomination are now held
in the township, the congregation going to churches in the adjoining
townships - to Winchester, Lithopolis, and to Hopewell church, on
the Franklin county line, near Walnut creek, Isaac RAINIER
and Thomas SHAWHAN were among the early members of
Pleasant Grove church.
CEMETERIES.
The first cemetery
in the township was located on land now owned by Vause DECKER,
northwest of the school house, in the center of section seventeen.
The land was owned at the time by a non-resident, Jacob
BEHENSTAUGH by name. A number of burials were made tehre,
but the place is now neglected, and no marks are left.
A cemetery was opened by Z. H. PERRILL, on the
old PERRILL place, in 1843. Nathan PERRILL was
the first person interred there.
At the present day there are cemeteries at the Lutheran
church, on the northwest quarter of section thirty-three; on the
northwest quarter of section twenty-two; on the northeast quarter of
section twenty-three; and on the southeast quarter of section
twenty-five.
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