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SALT CREEK
SALT CREEK TOWNSHIP
*
PHYSICAL
FEATURES
* GAME
* SETTLEMENT - Includes lots of short biogrphies
* EARLY SCHOOLS
* CHURCH HISTORY
* FIRST FRAME BUILDING
* MILLS
* POST OFFICE
*
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
Town number
eleven, in range number twenty (Salt Creek), lies east of the
township of Pickaway, and is bounded on the north by Fairfield
county, on the east by Hocking county, and on the south by Ross
County. It is one of the best improved townships in Pickaway
county, and its appearance evinces the industry, thrift and
increasing wealth of the inhabitants.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
The surface of the township is generally
quite rolling, and presents a picturesque appearance. In the
eastern part it is somewhat broken and hilly, while in the southern,
while there is more or less prairie, the surface is comparatively
level.
The soil is fertile and is well adapted to the growth
of wheat, corn, oats, clover and grass. Along Salt creek, and
in the prairie portions of the township, are excellent corn lands,
while the higher soil, which is underlaid with clay and slate, is
more adapted to the growth of the small grains and grass.
The principal native varieties of timber were the oak, of
several kinds, hickory, walnut, mulberry, cherry, buckeye, paw-paw
and elm. In this connection we may mention that on the farm of
John F. Mowery in front of his house, is an elm, which, for
size and beauty, is not to be surpassed by any other tree in the
county. The trunk measures above the swell of the roots,
sixteen feet in circumference, and the branches, form one side to
the other, one hundred and twenty-five feet.
In the extreme northeast corner of section twenty-one,
on the farm of John Karschner, is a stately elm which marks
almost the exact center of hate township, and which Mr. Lutz,
says he has often used as a starting point in his surveying
operations. It was but a mere sapling when he first saw it.
The principal stream is Salt creek, which runs through,
and gives name to, the township. It rises in Fairfield county,
enters the township. It rises in Fairfield county, enters the
township in section three, and, flowing southeasterly, leaves the
township in the southeast corner, gathering up several tributaries
in its course, the largest of which is Laurel creek, which is mostly
in Hocking county. Moccason creek heads in Fairfield county,
flows south near the east line of the township until reaching
section twenty-four, where it runs into Hocking county, and finally
empties into the Laurel. Plum run and Pike Hale run are the
most important western branches of Salt creek, and have a
southeasterly course. Scippo creek, a branch of the Scioto
river, flows through the west part of section six and a part of
seven, in the northwest part of the township.
GAME.
Deer, wild turkeys and smaller game were
very numerous in the early settlement of the township. The
killing of a deer was an ordinary occurrence with any man who could
handle a gun at all; and as for turkeys, several of them would often
be bagged by a single shot. Wolves were plenty, troublesome
and annoying, killing the sheep of the pioneers who ere fortunate
enough to have any, and rendering night hideous with their almost
constant howls around their lonely dwellings. The township was
not much inhabited by bear, although they frequently came in from
the hills east of it, and several were killed by the hunters of Salt
Creek. The last year killed in Pickaway county was discovered
by William Drum and George Morgan, on the farm of
Drum's father, and followed by them into Washington township.
Pursued closely by men and dogs, and animal ran up a white-oak tree,
on the farm now owned by George W. Stout. Among those
who joined in the chase were Jonathan Dreisbach and John
Reichelderfer, who had their guns with them, and who were both
pretty good shots. Both were ambitious of the honor of killing
the animal, and, in order to gratify them, it was decided by Drum
and Morgan, masters of ceremonies, to let them shoot
simultaneously. The bear was killed instantly. He lodged
in the fork of the tree, which had to be cut down in order to get
him. The animal was a very large specimen, and his hide was
sold for the sum of eighteen dollars. This was in June, 1840.
SETTLEMENT.
Prior to the actual settlement of the
township, most of the sections along Salt creek were occupied by
"squatters," who began to come in about the year 1797 or 1798.
Some of them had made extensive clearings, and a few, after the land
came into market, purchased farms and settled upon them. One
of these was Alexander BERRY, who bought one hundred and
twenty-seven acres in section number twenty. Afterwards he
entered the southwest quarter of section fifteen, where he remained
until 1820, when he sold to Jacob MARKEL and removed to
Marion county.
Another squatter was JOHN MAY, who lived on land
in section twenty-six.
CONRAD
KLINE was one of the earliest squatters, first locating on
Plum run. He afterward entered a quarter secton on Moccason
creek, in section one, and lived there until his death. He was
a soldier of the Revolution.
MATTHIAS
HEDGES moved in at a very early date, probably before 1800.
He located in section twenty-five, where he lived until 1803, moving
then to Fairfield county, where he died.
An early
squatter on the place now owned by SAMUEL STROUS
was HENRY REICHELDERFER, at the advanced age
of ninety-nine years and nine months.
CHRISTOPHER
(or CHRISTIAN) MYERS and family moved in from Pennsylvania as
early as 1800. His log cabin stood on the brow of the hill
just west of MR. BALLARD's residence, in Tarlton,
and was the first building in that portion of the township.
MYERS subsequently moved about a mile southwest of Tarlton,
where he resided until his death.
JACOB
SAYLOR, sr., abut the same time, settled on Scippo creek, in
section six, and George PONTIOUS, a son-in-law of MYERS,
on section four, a mile west of the present village of Tarlton.
He was twice married and had three children.
The first man who entered land
in Salt Creek township was JOHN SHOEMAKER.
He came from Berks county, Pennsylvania, in the spring of 1801, and
at the sale of government land in May, of that year, made an entry
of land, after which he returned to Pennsylvania. The first
patent was issued to him. The old document is now in the
possession of Samuel LUTZ, who owns a part of the land for
which the patent was given. It bears date April 20, 1802, and
is signed by Thomas JEFFERSON, president of the United
States, and James MADISON, secretary of State.
SHOEMAKER subsequently entered a large amount of land in
Pickaway and Fairfield counties. He did not visit Ohio again,
after his return to Pennsylvania, until 1806, when he moved out with
his family.
The brothers,
JACOB and JOHN LUTZ, with their families and their mother,
Elizabeth, came from Northumberland (now Union) county,
Pennsylvania, in 1802. They made the journey in two
canvas-covered wagons, each drawn by a four horse team, and arrived
in Salt Creek on the fifteenth day of October. Jacob LUTZ
purchased of John SHOEMAKER, in section twenty-six, four
hundred and sixteen acres, paying therefor six dollars per acre.
From sixty to seventy acres had been cleared in different portions
of the purchase, and there were upon it two cabins, occupied by the
squatters, BERRY and MAY. Mr. LUTZ and
family took possession of the BERRY cabin, where they spent
the following winter. Subsequently he located on the site of
the present residence of John KARSCHNER, a building a one and
a half story hewed-log house. In 1811 he erected, in the same
place, a frame house, which he occupied until his death, in 1824.
JACOB
LUTZ, was born in 1762, and married Elizabeth DEMUTH
in 1788, who survived him many years. They had five sons -
Samuel, Jacob D., John D., Joseph, and Peter - all now
dead but Samuel, who, at the age of nearly ninety-one years,
is as clear-headed and almost as smart, physically, as ever.
The son Joseph was drowned in Salt creek, about the first of
March, 1805, falling into the stream while crossing on a log on his
return from school, just above the present cattle bridge, near
Mr. DUNKEL's. His brothers, Jacob, and John,
were present, but were unable to render any assistance, the water
being so turbulent.
JOHN
LUTZ settled on Moccason creek, in section thirteen, moving
into a cabin which had been previously occupied by Stephen JULIAN.
He afterwards built a large frame dwelling on the same site, and
also a large frame barn, but nothing of them now remains. He
erected here, in 1804, the first saw-mill in the township. His
death took place in 1833.
In 1803 ABRAHAM
MONETT came in and entered section number thirty-four, on
which he resided until his death.
WILLIAM
STUMPF came from Berks county, Pennsylvania, in the fall of
1801, and entered section number twenty-four. He returned to
Pennsylvania, and remained until 1803, when he came out and made a
settlement. He married Elizabeth REICHELDERFER, in
1819, and located in the northwest part of section twenty-five, a
portion of which he purchased of George DUNKEL. He was
largely engaged in the business of buying and selling cattle;
driving stock cattle over the mountains. Several of his
children now reside in the township. The family of his son,
Charles, occupies the old homestead.
In the summer of 1803,
GEORGE DUNKEL
and wife arrived from Berks county, Pennsylvania, and settled on
section twenty-five, near the Hocking county line. In 1806, he
sold a part of the section to William STUMPF, He and
STUMPF afterwards built a saw-mill on Salt creek, a few rods
above the bridge near Adelphi and DUNKEL moved there.
He afterwards resided in Laurelville, and operated the ills there,
which had been erected by Jacob STROUS and Adam DEFENBAUGH,
but finally returned to Salt creek, and occupied, until his death,
the farm now occupied by his son, John. He was the
father of ten children, six of whom are living. Kelson
lives near Kingston, Ross county; Mary, wife of Solomon
RIEGEL, of this township; Hannah, widow of J.
SCHLOTMAN, also of this township; John on the homestead;
Susan, wife of John HORN, in Findlay, Ohio, and
Abigail, wife of Conrad ETT, in Walnut township.
The son, George DUNKEL, deceased, was for many years one of
the enterprising and prominent men of the township.
JACOB
SHOEMAKER, in 1803, settled on section eighteen, the whole of
which he owned. After the death of his first wife, he again
married, and, subsequently, moved to Circleville. He was
associate judge of Pickaway county for a number of years. The
old homestead was the permanent residence of his son, Charles
SHOEMAKER, who died in 1878.
CONRAD
BRAUCHER entered section thirty-five, and settled upon it in
1895. He built a grist-mill in the west part of the section,
the necessary power for which he obtained by digging a ditch from
Bull run to Pike Hole run. BRANCHER died in 1822, and
left, at his death, a large family surviving him.
CHRISTOPHER
HOLDERMAN, came from Chester county, Pennsylvania, with his
family of wife and three daughters, in June, 1805. He bought
and settled upon a farm of two hundred and four acres, in the north
part, section thirty-four, called the "MONNETT section."
In 1823, he moved to the place now occupied by his son, George
HOLDERMAN. He died, Feb. 22, 1838, aged nearly sixty-four,
and his wife in 1856, aged seventy-six. They raised fourteen
children - seven boys and seven girls - and eight are now living.
George HOLDERMAN, who occupies the homestead,, was born Dec.
20, 1812, and married Mary JONES, and was born Jan. 25, 1817.
Mr. and Mrs. HOLDERMAN have five children living and one
deceased.
JOHN
SHOEMAKER, previously mentioned, after his return to Berks
county, married Elizabeth HUY, from near Reading,
Pennsylvania, and moved out in 1806. He made his location in
section three, half a mile south of Tarlton, his son, Joseph
SHOEMAKER, now occupying a part of the farm. Afterwards,
he bought the land on which Tarlton now stands, of Newell, after
which he lived where WILEY'S hotel now stands. He was
out for a brief period in the war of 1812, during which he was taken
sick, and came home and died soon after. Mr. SHOEMAKER
subsequently became the wife of Dr. Otis BALLARD, by whom she
had two children. There were two sons and a daughter by the
first marriage. The daughter married Dr. William B. HAWKS,
and resides in Columbus, and the sons, Joseph and Isaac,
live at Tarlton.
SAMUEL
LYBRAND moved in with his family soon after Mr. SHOEMAKER,
and settled at Newellstown (now Tarlton). Two daughters of the
family are now living in Tarlton.
JOHN
BURNS and family came from Kentucky to Ohio in 1797, and
settled in Colerain township, Ross county. His son, Joseph
BURNS, and step-son, Samuel FOWLER, had come out a year
or so before. John BURNS soon removed to Salt Creek
township, Pickaway county, locating where Abram HEFFNER now
lives, and died there in 1823. He had a family of ten
children, of whom John BURNS, now living in Salt Creek, at
the age of eighty-seven or eighty-eight, is the sole survivor.
The house of the family was once destroyed by fire, burning up the
family record, and his exact age cannot be known. He married
Sarah Queen, who died in 1865. They had but one child -
Margaret, wife of Jacob HEFFNER. Mr. BURNS was a
soldier in the war of 1812.
JOSEPH
SCHOOTS, one of the earliest of the pioneers, settled on the
northwest quarter of section thirty-three. He emigrated from
Virginia and died on his original location at an advance age.
He was a substantial and worthy citizen.
BENJAMIN
KEPNER and HENRY MATHIAS were among the
earliest of the settlers of Scippo creek. They settled in
section six.
JOHN JUDY
and family, of Berks county, Pennsylvania, settled in section
twenty-eight, on what is known as the RHODES farm, in the
fall of 1805. While residing there three of the family died -
the mother and two sons - and the remnant of the family moved to the
southeast quarter of section twelve. The father died here, and
his son, Peter, bought the place and occupied it until a few
years since, when he sold the most of it to his son, J. B. JUDY,
retaining about thirty acres on the east end of the farm, where he
recently died, aged eighty-four. He was the father of ten
children, as follows, mentioned in the order of their birth:
Caroline (widow of Jacob WOLF), lives in Fairfield
county; Diana (Mrs. William H. HART), lives in Fairfield
county; Diana (Mrs. William H. HART), lives in Hocking
county; Elizabeth (Mrs. John WANN), in Salt Creek; Mary
(afterwards MRs. Cyrus W. HUSTON), is dead; John B.
married Margaret Ann GOUGAR, and resides on the homestead;
Henry and Catherine (Mrs. Henry GEARHART), in Fairfield county;
Sarah (unmarried), lives with her mother; Barbara (Mrs.
Cornelius MORE), lives in Franklin county; and William on
the old homestead.
JOHN REICHELDERFER and family, and his son John
and family, came to Salt Creek from Berks county, Pennsylvania, in
1806. The two families moved into a cabin which stood where
the brick residence of George S. HOSLER stands.
John, Jr., and family shortly afterwards moved on to the farm
now owned by Augustus ROSE.
The two oldest daughters of John REICHELDERFER,
sr., (Catharine and Barbara) were the wives respectively
of Conrad BRANCHER and Jacob SPANGLER. The
former came to Salt Creek with her husband in 1805, as before
mentioned, and the latter year or two after the rest of the family,
and settled with her husband on section number nine. The other
daughters, who married after they came here, were: Mary, wife
of Jacob STROUS; Elizabeth, wife of William STUMPF,
and Susan, wife of Samuel FETEROLPH.
HENRY REICHELDERFER
married Nancy BUSSARD, and settled just north of the father's
location. Samuel G. LUTZ married in daughter for his
first wife. Christian REICHELDERFER married Rebecca
BOUCHER and settled east of it. Jacob returned to
Pennsylvania, a few years after his arrival here, and married
Rebecca LEONARD, when he came out with his wife to Salt Creek,
and settled on the northeast quarter of section twenty-three.
He resided there until his death, June 25, 1875. His wife died
in 1856. They had five children, as follows: Sarah, now
the widow of Samuel REICHELDERFER; Elizabeth, wife of
Jeremiah STRASSER, of Berks county, Pennsylvania; Venus,
who married Leannah MOWERY died Sept. 19, 1856. His
widow married again, and now lives in Allen county, this state.
Henry died in 1854.
SAMUEL NOBLE
was an early settler, half a mile south of Tarlton. He was
from Franklin county, Pennsylvania. He was an excellent
citizen, and was an elder in the Presbyterian church of Tarlton.
JOHN HARMON and wife,
from Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, settled two miles west of
Tarleton, where Ira MOODY now lives, in the year 1806.
Mr. HARMON died many years ago, but he lived until within a
few days of ninety years of age, dying in December, 1875. They
had seven children, all of whom were born in this township.
They were: David, John, Elizabeth, Susan, Leah, Samuel
and Rachel. John, now nearly seventy-one years
of age, is a resident of this township, as is also a sister, Mrs.
KARSHNER. He married Rosanna CHRISTY, and has two
children. John HARMON, Sr., was a blacksmith,
and was a hard-working, industrious man.
HENRY WISSLER*
came from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, with his family,
consisting of his wife and ten children, in August, 1806. He
had purchased, previously, over eleven hundred acres of land of
John SHOEMAKER, over eleven hundred acres of land of John
SHOEMAKER, in the southwest part of the township, for which he
paid five dollars per acre. He moved into a cabin which stood
just across the road from where the residence of Samuel WISSLER
now stands, and which was occupied by a squatter family by the name
of SWEIGERT. In a few months Mr. WISSLER built a
two-story log house on the location of the former shanty, and
resided there until his death, about the year 1830. His wife
died in 1811. One child was born to them after their
settlement. To each of his eleven children he gave one hundred
and five acres of land. There are eight surviving children.
Henry lives in Iowa; George lives in Illinois;
Barbara (now Mrs. WELDY) in Indiana; Samuel
resides in this township, in section thirty-two - he married
Margaret BUNN, and has five children, one being deceased;
Jacob also lives in Salt Creek; Magdalene (now Mrs.
BIECHLER) in Iowa; Mary (Mrs. WOLF) in Marion
county; Michael, who is deceased, married Rebecca VANGUNDY,
and, after living in several places, settled where his son, Amos,
now lives, and resided there until his death, June 30, 1865, aged
seventy-five years. His wife preceded him a few years.
They had a family of ten children, seven of whom are living.
The same year
ABRAM DREISBACH and family joined the
settlement. He first located where Allen DRUM now
lives, then moved to Tarlton, or near it, where he resided five
years, when they settled in Fairfield county. He finally
returned to this township, however, and died here at the house of
his son-in-law, Joseph FOUST, about the year 1840. Two
sons and two daughters are living.
HENRY DRUM and family of wife
and six children, from Berks county, Pennsylvania, settled in Salt
Creek in 1806. He bought one hundred acres in section five,
one which he erected his cabin. He subsequently entered the
entire half of the section, and also lands in Fairfield county.
He died in 1808, and was buried on his farm. His was among the
earliest deaths in this portion of the township. His wife
survived him a few yeas. Their son Henry, the eldest of
the family, married Susannah LOUGHSBAUGH, and settled in the
same section where William DRUM, his son, now lives.
Near the place is a spring, which used to be a favorite resort of
the Indians. A walnut tree, which stood there until a few
years since, plainly showed that it had been used as a target by the
Indians in their tomahawk and shooting practice. Henry DRUM
was the father of four children, one of whom is deceased.
William, by the youngest, when married, bought the farm of his
father, who then moved into Fairfield county. He died at the
residence of his son William, in the spring of 1861. He
served in the war of 1812, being one of the forty-days men.
His wife died in 1872. William DRUM has a family of
wife and four children, two boys and two girls; Josephus
lives in Upper Sandusky; Mary Ann, wife of Captain Henry
Hinson, of Circleville; Allen lives in this township; and
Emma (Mrs. Walter GRAY) resides in Washington township.
ABRAHAM HEFFNER
moved into the township from Pennsylvania, in the spring of of 1807.
The family lived during the ensuing summer in their covered
wagon-box, a short distance north of the present residence of
George HALDERMAN. In this curious habitation the son,
David, was born, November 3d, of the same year. Shortly
after this event the family moved to that part of the township
called Prairie View, where they settled on forty acres of land.
The father died some twelve years since, in his ninetieth year, and
the mother nearly four years before. They had eleven children.
David HEFFNER, now residing in Washington township, married
Lydia BEAR, whose father, Peter BEAR, was an early
pioneer of Salt Creek.
NICHOLAS WHITESEL and
family came to Ohio from Virginia, in the year 1807, and after a
short residence in Deer Creek, Fairfield county, located in the
northeast corner of Salt Creek. He had a distillery on the
Moccason in an early day. Considerable sickness prevailing in
the family in this location, another was subsequently selected on
higher ground. There were five children in the family, four of
whom grew up - three sons and a daughter. The sons, George,
Phillip and Jacob were in the war of 1812. Jacob
married, June 12, 1821, Elizabeth Thomas, whose father,
George Thomas, emigrated to Ohio from Pennsylvania, in the
fall of 1817, settling in Salt Creek.
JACOB WHITSEL settled on
the place now occupied by his son, Archibald, and continued
to live there until his death, July 25, 1871. His widow still
survives, and resides in Tarlton, aged about seventy-nine. Of
their seven children, four are yet living, to-wit: Mrs.
William DREISBACH; Elizabeth DREISBACH, unmarried; Archibald,
on the old homestead; and Mrs. Israel DUNN, in Fairfield
county.
ABRAHAM
HEFFNER moved in about 1807 or 1808, and settled on the
northeast quarter of section thirty-two.
In 1808 DAVID FOUST
settled where Adelphi now stands, and a few years after moved to
Circleville. He built the old court house there. He
finally returned to Salt Creek, and died here. He was the
father of ten children. His son, Joseph, now nearly
eighty years of age, loves in this township.
JACOB FOUST
came to Ohio in a very early day, as early as 1800, and lived in
Salt Creek for a number of years, on section twenty-five, when he
moved to Delaware county, seven miles above the village of Delaware.
He finally settled near Cardington, Morrow (then Marion) county,
where he died in 1842, his wife surviving him some three years.
ANDREW FOUST,
now living at Tarlton, was the youngest of eleven children. He
came to Pickaway county and learned the carpenter's trade, after
which he married, in May, 1831, and settled on the line in Fairfield
county, near where John H. ZARING now lives, west of Tarlton.
About twenty years ago he removed to this township, locating in
Tarlton, where he has since resided. He was elected to the State
legislature in 1844, as a Democratic representative from Fairfield
county, and re-elected in 1845. In 1850 he was elected State
senator, serving one term. During his residence in Fairfield
he served as justice of the peace twenty-one years, and in this
township two terms. He is now seventy years of age.
In 1811, MARTIN, JOHN,
GEORGE, SAMUEL, BENJAMIN, HENRY, JONATHAN, and JONAS DRIESBACH,
brothers, came from Union county, Pennsylvania. The first
three were married, and brought their families. Martin
settled in Ross county, John in Pickaway township, and
George in Salt Creek, on the banks of the Scippo. The
other brothers married, and two - Samuel and Henry-
settled in this county. George DREISBACH died on his
original location in 1863. His son, William, occupies
the old homestead, and is the only member of the family living in
the State.
PETER SPYKER and family,
a brother-in-law of the DREISBACHS, came out with them in
1811. He settled on Salt creek, on the farm now owned by
D. K. WILSON. Mrs. Darius PIERCE, of Circleville, is
the only member of the family now living.
JACOB SAYLER,
son of Jacob SAYLER previously mentioned, came from Somerset
county, Pennsylvania, during the war of 1812. He settled at
Tarlton, on the same lot on which Christopher Myers had settled, and
was one of the pioneer merchants of Tarlton. He was twice
married, and became the father of sixteen children, of whom eight
are yet living. Adam, the oldest son by the first wife,
lives at Tarlton, and is the only member of the family living in the
township. Jacob SAYLER died in Vinton county, at the
residence of his son Orlando, aged about ninety acres.
GODFREY CREAMER and family
emigrated from Wittemberg, Germany, to the United States, in 1817.
After living for three years on the High Banks, twelve miles below
Chillicothe, Ohio, they came to Salt Creek. He changed his
location several times, but finally purchased twenty acres and
settled in Moccason creek, section eleven, having lived for nine
years previous in Clear Creek township, Fairfield county. He
resided on the Moccason thirteen years, when he sold out to his son,
with whom he lived until his death, which occurred in May, 1860, in
his eighty-third year.
ANDREW DeLONG
came from Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, and arrived in Colerain
township, Ross county, July 4, 1830, where his brother, Jacob
DeLONG, then lived. The same fall he moved to Salt Creek
and settled in section thirty-five, where his son, Isaac DeLONG,
now lives. He died there in 1841, but his widow is still
living in Colerain, having reached the age of ninety-five years of
July 12, 1879. They had eleven children, six now living,
namely, Mrs. Rebecca ROOSE (widow), in Tarlton; Isaac,
who married, Dec. 17, 1841, Catharine HAYNES, of Salt Creek
Township[, Hocking county, and has four children living and two
dead; Mrs. Catharine WIGGINS, in Colerain; Caroline,
wife of Samuel BETZER, in Colerain; and Amelia, widow
of Erastus REYNOLDS, in Hallsville, Colerain township.
Mrs. DeLONG has in her possession a flint-lock double
barreled rifle, made in Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1812.
GEORGE RIEGEL, with his
family, consisting of his wife and seven children, emigrated to Ohio
from Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1832. He remained in this
township for about eight months, and then bought land and settled in
Fairfield county. Solomon, the third son, and now among
the older residents of the township, married Mary M. DUNKEL,
in October, 1834, and for a few years lived on a part of his
father's farm in Fairfield. He subsequently purchased a farm
in Hancock county, and was engaged in farming, milling, and dealing
in stock for nine or ten years. In 1859 he moved to Salt
Creek, and located where his son, Solomon D., now lives.
He resided there about fifteen years, when, after a few months'
residence in Circleville, he took up his abode where he now lives.
Mr. Riegel has done much for the material improvement of the
township, having built a large number of excellent dwellings and
other buildings, and been instrumental in the construction of the
pikes in this portion of the county.
PETER FREDERICK, now
living with his son William in this township, was born Aug.
6, 1801. His father, Jacob FREDERICK, was a pioneer of
Greene township, Ross county, where he settled in 1804, removing
from Buffalo Alley, Pennsylvania. Peter FREDERICK,
married, Apr. 11, 1825, Catherine ZIMMERMAN, who died
Sept. 1, 1867. He has two children living and two dead.
EARLY SCHOOLS.
In regard to the early schools of Salt
Creek, the writer has been unable to obtain exact information.
A school-house, probably the first in the township, was built in
1803 or 1804, on the southwest quarter of section twenty-four.
About the same time, in Tarlton, a rude log structure was erected
near the site of the present Methodist Episcopal church. The
first term of school in this house was kept by a man by the name of
MITCHELL.
The first school in the southwest part of the
township was kept in a log school-house, on the farm of Joseph
SCHOOTS, in section thirty-three. One of the early
teachers there was Timothy BEACH.
CHURCH HISTORY.
The first religious society organized in
the township was probably the Baptist church, in the southwest part,
formed as early as 1805. It was called Salt Creek Baptist
church until 1812, when, the Lemuel church uniting with it, the name
of Union was substituted. The meetings of the society were at
first held at the dwellings of the members, but a meeting house was
soon after built on section twenty-eight. It was constructed
of hickory logs, and is now generally referred to as the "old
hickory church."
The brick church at "prairie view" was erected in 1841
or 1842, at a cost of about two thousand dollars. Rev.
Benjamin Case was the first pastor of the society, and is
supposed to have organized it.
A German Reformed church was organized at Tarlton about
the year 1807, by the Rev. George Wise, of Lancaster, Ohio.
About the same time a German Lutheran society was formed, and the
two societies shortly afterwards united in the erection of a log
meeting-house, which stood on the lot now occupied by the dwelling
of Mrs. Whitesel. About 1830 they put up a
log-and-frame building where the frame church of the German Lutheran
now stands, which was built by the latter society about 1860, the
German Reformed society having previously erected the brick church
now owned by the Cumberland Presbyterians. The German Reformed
society continued to prosper until sundry innovations upon
established usage were introduced into the church by the pastor,
Rev. Samuel Jacobs, who finally joined the Cumberland
Presbyterians, taking most of his church with him. Litigation
followed over the question of ownership of the church property,
which resulted in favor of the new organization, and the remnant of
the original society built a frame house in the southeast part of
the village. The building was recently sold at sheriff's sale,
to satisfy a claim which was contracted at the time of its erection,
and the society has disbanded.
The Cumberland Presbyterians maintain an organization,
but have no service at the present time.
The Old School Presbyterians had an organization at
Tarlton at an early period of the settlement, which existed for a
number of years.
Rev. Jacob Leist, a Lutheran clergyman, was one
of the earliest of the pioneer preachers of this region. He
came to Salt Creek in the early settlement of the township, being
then a young man. He began preaching soon after his arrival,
and continued in the ministry for a great many years. He
preached his first sermon here in the old log meeting-house at
Tarlton. The occasion brought out quite a large congregation,
all anxious to see and hear the new preacher. When he entered
the house his youthful appearance excited a good deal of surprise
and some unfavorable comment among the audience. He proved,
however, a valuable accession to the settlement, and, during the
long period of his ministry, was highly esteemed for his moral
worth. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Judge
Shoemaker, and fixed his residence where the little hamlet of
Leistville now stands, residing there until his death.
JERUSALEM CHURCH.
a German Reformed Lutheran society, was organized by Revs.
Messrs. Wise and Liest, about the year 1820. A
school-house then stood where the burying ground now is, in the
northeast corner of section twenty-six, and in it the church held
their services until 1831, when a brick house of worship was built.
The present neat brick church was erected in 1877, and cost three
thousand dollars. Rev. Henry King and Rev. Jacob
Leist - the former a Reformed minister and the latter a Lutheran
- preached for the church for upwards of twenty-five years.
The present preaching are Austin Henry and David Wiseman.
The Sabbath-school of this church is in a
flourishing condition, having about one hundred scholars.
William Markle is the superintendent.
In 1819 or 1820, members of German Reformed and
Lutheran denominations residing in the western part of the township,
built a log meeting-house, and held meetings there for a number of
years, although no organization was ever effected. A United
Brethren society was subsequently formed there, and occupied the
house for some years, when it disbanded, and the meeting-house
finally burned down.
THE DREISBACH UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH.
was organized at the house of George Dreisbach (where his
son, William Dreisbach, now lives), about the year 1820.
The members were George Dreisbach, Elizabeth Whetsel, and a
few others, whose names are no forgotten. This appointment
was, and is still, on the Pickaway circuit, which originally
embraced some thirty appointments, but now has only four. The
regular services of the class were held at the dwelling of George
Dreisbach, every other Sabbath, until 1835, when the present
brick church was erected, which is locacated on the north
line of the township. Revs. Louis Kramer, Jacob
Antrim, Joseph Russell, Joseph Hoffman, Jacob Daup, ____ Benedum,
and Henry Kumler, were among the early preachers on this
circuit. The membership of the church is now about twenty,
George W. Devers, of Tarlton, being the pastor.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AT TARLTON.
The first meetings of the Methodists in
Salt Creek were held at a very early date, at the house of
Abraham Monett. They kept up their meetings a number of
years, and probably formed a class.
The date of the organization of the class at Tarlton
cannot be stated, but it was in existence as early as 1825.
The circuit was then Adelphi circuit, Chillicothe district. It
embraced twenty appointments, in Pickaway, Vinton, Ross, Fairfield,
and Hocking counties. In 1841 Tarlton circuit was formed, from
Adelphi, with seven appointments - Tarlton and Haller's chapels
being the only two in this county. In 1870 South Perry circuit
was taken off from Tarlton, leaving the latter with the following
appointments: Tarlton, Hopewell, Amanda and Oakland - the last three
in Fairfield county.
The church at Tarlton first held their meetings in a
log school-house, which stood just south of where the present church
building stands. It was built soon after the class was formed,
and was used until 1840, when the present house was erected.
The following is a list of the circuit preachers who
have officiated at this point, in order named, namely: On the
Adelphi circuit - E. H. Field, George C. Crum, William Westlake,
Philip Nation, John Stuart, John W. White, John Stuart, Wesley Roe,
Benjamin Ellis, David Lewis, Benjamin Ellis, J. B. Austin, Charles
C. Lybrand, Richard Daughty, James Parsons, and Richard
Daughty.
The first preacher, after the formation of the
Tarlton circuit, was Daniel Poe. There are several
curious circumstances in his life worthy of mention. He was,
in early life, a missionary among the Indians on the western
frontier, and while there met the young lady (also engaged in
mission work) who subsequently became his wife. Poe was
the man of stalwart frame, standing six feet and two inches in his
stockings, and his wife was nearly his equal in stature. He
was a twin child, and so was she, and, lastly, they died within
fifteen minutes of each other, and both are buried in one grave.
Poe was on the circuit one year, when he went to Texas as a
missionary, and died there two years afterwards. Mr. Poe
was followed by Messrs. James Laws, Alexander Morrow, Joseph
Morris, David H. Sargent, John M. Clark, Andrew Carrol, E. T.
Webster, John W. Steele, McCutcheon, Gortner, Fink, Howard, Bennett,
Anderson Kirkman, G. G. West, L. Whitehead, John T. Miller, Isaac F.
King, Benjamin Ellis, John T. Miller, Andrew Carrol, Benjamin Ellis,
Thomas R. Taylor, W. C. Filler, B. Wolfe, Ross, Sibley, Weir,
Ebright, Hall, Hanawalt, Thomas Hall, Pickets, McClintock, T. S.
Thurston, Isaac Mackey, and Mr. Berry, the present ministor.
The presiding elders have been John Collins,
Augustus Eddy, John Ferree, Joseph M. Trimble, David Whitecomb,
Robert O. Spencer, John M. Clark, ____ Jamison, Z. Connell, D.
Mather, John W. White, B. Spahr, W. T. Harvey, and Thomas
Hall.
The church has, at present, a
membership of about one hundred and twenty, and a Sunday-school of
about one hundred and thirty, including officers and teachers.
ENGLISH EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH.
at Tarlton, was formed by Rev. Nathan B. Little, in the year
1835, with about thirty members. The society occupied the Old
School Presbyterian church building at a place of worship until
1841, when they erected a house of their own, at Tarlton, which they
have since used. Rev. Mr. Little was the first pastor
of the church and has been succeeded, respectively, by Revs.
Messrs. Bishop, Weddell, Kleim, Reck, Imhoff, Myers, Hill, Sprecher,
Miller, Hower, and Hershiser, whose term of service has
not at this writing expired. The church has a membership of
about sixty, and a Sabbath-school with an attendance of about fifty.
The officers are: William N. Julian and Joseph
Hedges, trustees; Joseph Boyer and Joseph Hedges,
elders; James Ballard and James H. Hedges,
deacons; James H. Hedges, treasurer.
THE UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH,
at Tarlton, was organized in 1840, or about that
time, by Revs. Lewis Ambrows and Joshua Montgomery,
and consisted of eight members, as follows: John Boysel
and wife, Jacob Larick and wife, Israel Zimmerman, Mahala
Kinser, and two others, whose names cannot now be remembered.
The building was erected two or three years after, and stands just
north of the county line. Before the erection of the church,
and society held its services at the house of Mr. Larick.
The church was formerly quite prosperous, the membership numbering
at one time seventy-three. There are now only about half a
dozen members. Rev. George Devers is the pastor, and
John Boysel is leader.
THE OAK GROVE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
came into being in the year 1858, by a union of the Warren
school-house class and that at Haller's chapel. The
church building was put up that summer, and dedicated the same fall
by Rev. Mr. Felton. The church is, at present, without
a regular pastor, but is supplied with preaching by the Methodist
clergyman from Adelphi. Mrs. Nancy Steele is
superintendent of the Sunday-school, which numbers fifty scholars.
THE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
at Prairie View, was organized by Rev. Archibald Brice, at
the Oak Grove Methodist Episcopal church, in February, 1859, and
consisted of ten or eleven members. Until the completion of
their house of worship, in the fall of 1860, the services of the
society were held in the frame school-house, which stood where the
brick one now does, west of the Oak Grove church. The present
pastor, Rev. Michael Dent, has officiated in that capacity
since the church building was erected, though Mr. Brice has
preached occasionally in the meantime.
In 1877 a similar society was formed at Laurelville, in
Hocking county, by the members of this church, resident in that
vicinity, which diminished the church to about one-half its previous
membership. The officers of the church are: William
Frederick and Ovid Lutz, elders; Lewis Lecher and
Emory Anderson, deacons. A Sabbath-school has existed
since the organization of the church, and the first few years was
very flourishing. Thomas Harmon is the present
superintendent.
THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION.
at Pleasant View, was formed by Rev. S. E. Rife, in January,
1875, and consisted of about twenty members. The buildings was
erected the following summer. Rev. Mr. Rife was the
first pastor, since whom Revs. Messrs. Hankey, Wingard,
Ellenberger, Munn, Rincholt, and Evans have officiated.
The leaders are W. B. Miesse and James Wilkins;
steward, Moses Imler trustees, Imler, Wilkins, Friese,
Heffner, and Meisse. There has been a
Sabbath-school since the organization of the church, with the
exception of the last winter. William White is the
present superintendent.
Tarlton lodge No. 218, I. O. O. F., was organized Mar.
16, 1853. The first officers were: J. W. Steele, N. G.;
J. Metzler, V. G.; Sylvester V. Tiror, secretary;
Archibald Lybrand, treasurer. The present officers are:
Allen Dreisbach, N. G.; J. B. Judyu, V. G.; S.
Defenbach, secretary; John H. Zaring, treasurer.
The first person buried in the Stumpf
burying-ground was Jane Defenbaugh, who died in October,
1804. She and her mother came out from Pennsylvania soon after
Adam Defenbaugh, a brother of Jane, settled at
Laurelville. She sickened and died soon after her arrival.
Her brother and Jacob Struse cut down a cherry tree, and
sawed out a few boards, with which Samuel Spangler made a
rude coffin for the deceased girl. The ground for her burial
was donated by George Dunkel.
FIRST FRAME BUILDING.
The first frame building erected in
the township was the dwelling of John Shoemaker, in Tarlton,
now standing in the southwest part of the village, but originally
near the location of the present residence of Mr. Ballard.
The raising of the frame of the building was an event of such
importance as to call out all the men for miles around.
MILLS.
The first saw-mill in Salt Creek township
was built by John LUTZ, on Moccason creek, in section
thirteen. The earliest on Salt creek were those of DUNKEL
and STUMPF, near Adelphi, and the REICHELDERFERS'
(John and Christian), near the present residence of
Mr. HOSLER.
The early settlers obtained their grinding at CROUSE's
mill, in the vicinity of Chillicothe. The mill was a small
affair, and considerable time would be consumed in making a trip to
the mill. At a later date the settlers got their grist ground
at VanGUNDY's mill, on the Kinnickkinnik.
The grist-mill, in this township, was built by Jacob
STROUS, on Salt creek, in 1820, where the mill of David H.
STROUS now stands. The original now stands a few rods west
of its former location, and is used by Mr. STROUS, as a
general workshop. The present grist-mill was erected by
Jacob STROUS, in 1831. The saw-mill was built in 1825, and
the carding machine in 1844. These works are all run by water
power.
The following is contributed by William W. JULIAN,
of Tarlton:
In the year 1810 or 1811 Abraham BARNET
erected a saw-mill on salt creek, at Tarlton. This saw-mill
was a simple design, being driven by the common flutter wheel, and
was thus run until about the year 1815. The property was then
purchased by George Wolf, who improved the mill by the
addition of a tread-wheel, and the introduction of a shingle
machine, capable of manufacturing five hundred shingles per hour.
Mr. Wolf being a man of considerable enterprise, and having
had some success, concluded to build a flouring mill, in addition to
the saw-mill, and, in due time, the flouring mill was built, and in
running order. But now the enterprising pioneer discovered
that the new addition necessitated additional propelling power, as
the tread-wheel and water power, combined, was insufficient to run
the works at all seasons of the year; and, to obviate this
difficulty, resort was had to a very novel and hazardous experiment
with steam power, which, in the end, proved disastrous. To
carry out this new design, Wolf associated with him, in
business, Timothy and Benjamin Beach, who were the
principal designers of the steam works to be added. The
preliminaries being settled, the steam works were at once built, but
were soon to decay. An accurate description of the steam works
cannot now be given, there being no person now living whose
recollection is clear enough to give the requisite facts concerning
them; nevertheless, from the best information now attainable, the
steam design must have been about as follows: there being an
over-shot wheel attached to the flouring mill, the design was to
return the water from below the wheel to the forebay, in times of
low water, by means of steam power; and, to accomplish this object,
a stout box, or water receptacle, was placed low under the
water-wheel. This box was divided into three parts or
divisions; two of these separate parts had pistons working into
them. Into the third division of the box was inserted the
conductor, to convey the water to the forebay, above. This
conductor was of peculiar construction, and made in the following
manner: a sycamore log, of some twenty inches in diameter, and of
proper length, was secured; a hole was bored through the center, the
log then set on end, and fire set to burning, until the hole was
enlarged to about eight inches diameter. This hollow log was
then fitted into the third division of the water box (as above
stated), which contained suitable valves for receiving and holding
the water. Steam was conducted from the boiler into the first
two divisions of the box having the piston heads. Arrangements
had been made to shift the steam, so that, when one piston was
forced down, the other would rise and fill with water from below -
the downward piston forcing the water up the hollow log, and so on.
All things being now ready, steam was turned on, but, to the
surprise of the projectors, no water appeared above. The
disappointment did not discourage these enterprising spirits, who
persevered until the temperature of the steam receptacles was raised
so as not to condense the steam suddenly; after which they had the
gratification of seeing a small amount of water flow into the
forebay from the hollow log. The proprietors now, for the
first time, clearly discovered their mistake, and the steam
enterprise was abandoned. These attempts at steam power, in all
probability, were made during the year 1830-31. From this date
to 1865, this property passed through several hands, in the
following order: George Wilbern, Jacob Laric, William Brown,
Samuel Bitler, Kilion H. Dunkel, and Albert Wolf who in
the year 1865, placed the engine which is now in the mill, and is
still in good running order. Wolf conveyed the property
to John Boysel, Boysel to William Dreisbach & Co.,
Dreisbach to present owners, Bucchler & Kramer
The Tarlton steam saw-mill was built in
the year 1849, by a joint-stock company. The original design
was what is known as a muley mill. This mill has passed
through many hands, and many changes have been made. The mill
is now what is known as a stationary circular mill. The
original engine, which was built by Gilbert Deal, of
Lancaster, Ohio, is still in the mill, and in good order.
POST-OFFICE.
The first post-office in the township was
established at Tarlton, some time prior to the war of 1812. The
post-master was Samuel Lybrand, who kept the office in his
dwelling, the house now occupied by Adam Kramer. The
post-office route was from Chillicothe to Zanesville, and Israel
Wheeler was the earliest carrier of the mail from Chillicothe to
Tarlton whose name can now be remembered. Wheeler was drowned while
fording Salt creek, on horseback, in the performance of his duties.
Adam Nye succeeded Lybrand,
according to the best recollection of the oldest residents, and held
the position until Jackson was elected, when the new departure in
civil service, based upon the "to-the-victors-belong-the-spoils"
system was inaugurated. Nye had th office in his tavern.
Squire George W. Magee
was the next postmaster, keeping the office in the house now
occupied by widow Bond. After serving five or six years, he
was succeeded by his son, James, who continued in the
position for a couple of years. Since the younger Magee, the
following named individuals have successively officiated as
postmaster of the Tarlton office, viz.: Henry S. Creal,
Otis Ballard, F. W. Nye, Joel Todd, Samuel
Karshner, N. A. Davison, James C. Creager, and
William C. Roberts, the present incumbent.
There are now also post-offices at Leistville and
Stringtown, of which G. W. Corn and William Crites are
the respective postmasters.
In the apportionment of justices of the peace, April 6,
1810, Salt Creek had two, viz.: Jacob Lutz and William
Drury. By act of the legislature, passed March 7, 1843, that
part of Adelphi in Salt Creek township was attached to Ross county.
The early records of the township have been lost, and we are unable
to give the names of the first township officers. The present
township officers are as follows: Allen S. Mowery, clerk;
William H. Mowery, Willison B. Miesse, Joseph Boyer,
trustees; John F. Mowery, treasurer; Henry North,
assessor; S. G. Morgan and A. C. Thomas, constables |
