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* WAYNE TOWNSHIP
*
STREAMS
* SETTLEMENT
* ORGANIZATION
* FIRST EVENTS
* CHURCHES
* SCHOOLS
* PHYSICIANS
* INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS
*WESTFALL
*
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
Wayne
is one of the original townships of Pickaway County. Its lands
are of the class known as "Virginia military," and its location is
as follows: Bounded on the north by the township of Jackson,
south by Deerfield and Union townships, Ross county, east by
Pickaway and Circleville, and west by Deer Creek.
The surface is generally of a level character, except
along the course of the streams, where it is rolling. The soil
is variable, consisting of sand, gravel, and clay, and, for the most
part, well adapted to the raising of wheat and grass. Quite a
proportion of the lands are held in large tracts, by a few owners,
which greatly retards the growth of the township in population.
The area of Wayne township is nearly seven miles, north
and south, and from three to six miles east and west containing
nearly twenty-six square miles of territory. It was named
after the celebrated Indian fighter, General Anthony Wayne.
STREAMS
The largest and most important of these is
the Scioto river, which flows along the township line, dividing it
from Pickaway and Circleville townships, and forming its eastern
boundary. Plum creek, next in size, enters the township from
the north, about one mile from the northwest corner, and flowing a
general southeasterly direction, empties its waters into the Scioto
river at Westfall. Yellow Bud creek flows across the southwest
corner of the township, while Wolf creek has its rise at, or near,
the southwest corner.
The Ohio canal, once an important line of
transportation, passes through Wayne township, along the shore of
the Scioto river.
SETTLEMENT.
Wayne township began settlement in the
summer of 1798. By far the greater number of these pioneers,
or their descendants, are no longer here. We have, by personal
interviews, obtained the names of the settlers, and, where possible,
sketches, in brief, of their lives. Much of the data is from
William Fleming, esq. Following are the names:
William King, Andrew Ducks (who removed with his family to
Sandusky, Erie county, several years since), William Oliphant,
Thomas McDonald (who was a minister, of the Methodist faith),
Balithe Lynch, Huldah Smith, James Quick, John McFadden, Cloudesbury
Warren, Daniel and Powell Lane, Abraham Leonard, James and William
Curry, John Crull, David Evans, Derickson Waples, Fielding and
William Atchison, Isaac Williams, John and George M. Peters, Josiah
Bivens, Isaac, John, and Joseph Pancake, Daniel Whitesell, John
Chipman, Philip McNemar, John Bond, Samuel Orison, Isaac Bowen, John
Hubbard, Pritchard Mills, Stephen and Arterbridge Horsey, Abraham
Stipp (who owned the John Jordon survey), Thomas and
Henry Bowdell, Jacob Thorp (who was a Baptist minister),
Samuel Smith, James, David and John Lisk, Robert and William
Campbell, Aaron Sullevan, William Foresman, Prentiss Park, Dr.
Potts, Theophilus Williams.
WILLIAM KING was a native of Pennsylvania, and early in life
emigrated to Bourbon county, Kentucky, where he married Sarah
Green, with whom he came to Ohio, in Nov., 1798, locating at
Westfall, among the Indians, who, at that time, were congregated in
this locality to the number of many thousands. Mr. King and
wife were of Quaker ancestry, and had no difficulty with their
redskinned neighbors. In after years, when public convenience
required it, he established a ferry at Westfall. Mrs. King
died in 1833, and he some three years later. They were both
buried in the graveyard at Westfall, these being the first
interments in Wayne township.
There were five children in the family: George,
Jemima, Caleb, Sarah, and Abram. The first of these
married, and lcoated at Joliet, Illinois. Subsequently he
started to join a son of California, but died before reaching there,
and was buried at sea. Jemima became the wife of Titus
Dungan, and resided in Wayne township during the remainder of
her life. Mr. Dungan died Feb. 23, 1855, and his widow
died June 23, 1875, and both sleep upon the farm their labor
cultivated. Of their children, who numbered nine, but two are
now living: Elizabeth M. (Mrs. Wilson), and George, at
present clerk and justice of the peace of Wayne township. Caleb
King located in Fountain county, Indiana, and is now deceased.
Sarah, who located at the same place, is also
deceased, and Abram died, single, in Wayne.
JOHN DUNGAN, who was born near Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, removed to Loudon county, Virginia. He married
Mary Titus, and removed to Wayne township in the fall of the
year 1802, locating on Yellow Bud creek, on the farm still occupied
by his descendants. Here he died, Mar. 21, 1834. Mrs.
Dungan died Aug. 13, 1855. The children of this couple
were: William, Rebecca, John, Margaret,
Titus, and Patterson, all now deceased. James
Thompson located in Wayne township, about the same date with
Mrs. Dungan. He was from Hampton county,
Virginia. After coming to Ohio he married Margaret
Kirkendall, and soon after bought the farm still occupied by his
son, Jacob W. James Thompson was fortunate in life and
acquired a large quantity of land, owning at his death some
twenty-two hundred acres. His first wife died May 1, 1820, and
he married Martha Hall; both are now deceased.
Their children numbered three: Mary Ann, Jacob
W., and Betsey.
FERGUS MOOR, by birth an Irishman, came to
America prior to the war of the Revolution, and immediately enlisted
with the Americans. He fought some five years. After the
close of the war he located in Pennsylvania, where he married, and
removed to Bourbon county, Kentucky. In 1798 he located in
Chillicothe. It is said that he laid the first shingle roof in
that now stirring little city, using wood pins to fasten the
shingles in place. While here he purchased some hundred acres
of land in Wayne township, at the surrounding the village of
Westfall, and in 1802 moved on to the property. He built a
hewed log house on the old road leading from Franklinton to
Chillicothe, and for many years kept a private house of
entertainment. He died April 20, 1816; aged 55 years.
His wife died Jan. 22, 1825. The children were six in number.
Elizabeth, the youngest, because the wife of John Fleming.
JOHN METZGER came from Pennsylvania to Ohio soon
after 1800. He located in Washington township, Pickaway
county, on the farm now owned by the heirs of Mr.
Richardson. He remained here a few years, eventually
removing to Allen county, Indiana, where he and his wife died.
The children were: Salome, Benjamin (the descendants
of this son are all who now remain in the county), Leaih,
Elizabeth and Andrew.
HENRY KIRKENDALL, of South Branch, Virginia, came
into the Scioto valley in 1798 or 1799, locating on Evans prairie,
here his wife died and he married Mrs. Elizabeth Homer.
He died in Deerfield township, Ross county, in November, 1818.
His wife died in 1857. There were twelve children in the
family, all of whom are now deceased, except John, who lives
in Wayne township where he owns about two thousand acres of land;
Archibald, who lives in Indiana; and Polly, who married Jacob
Blocker, and resides in Jackson township.
WILLIAM OWENS, of Montgomery county, Maryland,
married Mary Ann McAter, and emigrated to Ohio. He
arrived in Jackson township, Dec. 24, 1815, and located on the farm
now owned by the heirs of Nelson Franklin. Here he
lived until about 1830, when he removed to the farm in Wayne
township now occupied by his son, Samuel. The father
died here in July, 1833, and Mrs. Owens about twelve years
later. The family consisted of but two children - Samuel M.,
born Aug. 8, 1808, who married Eliza Sullivan, and Mary A.,
who married Samuel Campbell, and is now deceased.
JACOB McCOLLISTER, who was originally from
Maryland, came to Pickaway county in the spring of 1817, locating in
Jackson township, near the Hall mills, on Darby creek.
The greater portion of the remaining years of his life were spent
there. He died in April, 1839, and his wife in August, 1857.
The children of this couple were: Anna (Mrs. Henery Sly), John,
Eliza, Polly who died in infancy; William who married
Nancy Smith, and who lives in Circleville; Nelson who
married Nancy Smith, and who lives in Circleville; Nelson,
who married Elizabeth Thompson, and lives in Wayne township;
Sarah (deceased); Margaret (Mrs. James Sapp);
Maria (Mrs. Jacob C. Murphy), and Robert, who married
Mary Griffey, and lives in Jackson township.
JOHN FLEMING, who was a soldier of the war of
1812, came from Berkeley county, Virginia, to Wayne township, at an
early date. He was then unmarried, and came in company with an
elder brother (Henry) and family. Henry located
in Champaign county, while John remained at Westfall.
Feb. 22, 1808, he married Elizabeth Moor, and settled
on a portion of the Moor estate. This was added to
until, at his death, which occurred July 24, 1844, he owned about
six hundred acres of land. Mrs. Fleming died May 1,
1866. The family consisted of William, who married
Elizabeth Sullivan, and now resides near the old farm;
Alexander, Fergus, Hannah, Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, John, Cynthia,
Minerva, and Robert.
THOMAS WIGGINS, located in Wayne township in 1812,
where he died in 1825. His wife afterward became the wife of
James Rose, and died, Dec. 213, 1849. The children were
five in number, three of whom were born in Wayne township.
FRANCIS and CATHARINE (GROSS) MAY, descendants of
whom now reside in Wayne township, were natives of Maryland, and it
was in that State that Francis May died. Of the
children - Charles, Magdalena, John, Mary, Michael, George,
and Elizabeth - we learn as follows: Michael came to
Circleville as early as 1818, from Loudon county, Virginia. He
was a carpenter, and pursued his vocation in the village about four
years, then returned to Maryland. In 1827 he returned, with
his mother and several brothers and sisters, to Circleville, where
he married Lydia Raymond and passed the remainder of his
life. Mary married George Fink, and located in
Muskingum county, in 1823 or 1824, where Fink died, and his
widow lives in Illinois. Charles and John located in
Walnut township. Magdelena lives in Topeka, Kansas.
Catharine died in Hancock county, this State. George
married Jane Boyd, and has resided in Circleville until
this time. He is now engaged in merchandising.
Elizabeth married and moved to Hancock county, where she died.
J. W. BROWN, a native of Hampshire
county, Virginia, came to Ohio in 1826, locating first in Perry
county, and from thence going to Ross county, where he remained
until the spring of 1862, when he removed to Wayne township,
Pickaway county, where he is extensively engaged in farming.
His wife was Sarah Coleman, an Ohio woman. Seven
children of this marriage are yet living.
JOHN DARBY came from Delaware to Ross county, in
1845. He married Martha J. Williams, and now lives on
Yellow Bud creek, in Wayne township.
CLEMENT THOMAS of Dorchester county, Maryland,
located in Belmont county, Ohio, in 1829. In 1838 he removed
to Ross county, and in the fall of 1839 settled permanently in Wayne
township, where he died in April, 1845. There were nine
children in the family, one only of whom lives in Wayne; Josiah,
who married Julia Maddux, and lives two miles north of Yellow
Bud crack, on the Columbus and Chillicothe road.
CHRISTOPHER WARNER, of German birth, settled in
Chillicothe in 1834. David, a son, married Rachel
Merritt, and now lives in Wayne township.
GEORGE BARTHELMESS, a native of Germany,
emigrated to America, in 1851. For the first ten years he
worked in different localities in Pickaway county. In 1861 he
married Barbara Bach, and in 1877 purchased the farm of two
hundred and thirty-five acres, now occupied by his widow. He
died Mar. 24, 1879, aged forty-four, leaving the following children:
William, Charley, Sarah, Rosie, Jacob, and George -
all living at home.
ORGANIZATION.
Wayne township was formed prior to
the erection of Pickaway county. The early records, as
recorded by the township clerk, were, a few years since, destroyed
by fire. The writer was fortunate in procuring what appears to
be the first book used by the township treasurer. It bears
date July 9, 1805. During a period of five years subsequent to
this date the names of the following persons appear: John
Fleming, Philden Atchison and Isaac Dumonds, trustees;
John Moore, Clerk; Thomas White, treasurer;
John Renick and William Seabourn, overseers of the poor;
and Philip McNemar constable. It is said that
William King was the first justice of the peace in the township.
The officers of 1879 are as follows: William Foresman,
Andrew Metzger, and Samuel Eymon trustees; George
Dungan, clerk; William Fleming, treasurer (he was elected
to this office Apr. 3, 1843, and has held the position continuously
until the present,; W. A. Hall, assessor; A. T. Tootle
and George Dungan, justices of the peace; J. B. Reynolds
and W. A. Hall, constables, and five supervisors of roads and
highways.
FIRST EVENTS.
The first white child born in Wayne
township, was a son to William and Sarah Green King.
Caleb, who grew to manhood, married, and removed to Fountain
county, Indiana. He became one of the leading citizens of that
county, and died a few years since. The first death was that
of Thompson. This occurred early in the settlement at
Westfall, and his body was interred in the burying-ground near
there. The first brick building in the township was erected by
Samuel Smith. Its location was near the present
residence of Mrs. S. C. Huffman. Gersham M. Peters
was the pioneer merchant, he having opened a small stock of goods at
Westfall, quite early in the settlement. It does not appear
this was a profitable investment; at least he soon went out of
business. Two or three small stores have since then had a
brief existence at the same point. In about 1820 or '21,
General John Morgan opened a hotel at Westfall. It was of
short duration. Wayne township was without a post-office until
the establishment of mail service on the C. & M. V. division of the
P., C. & St. L. railroad, when Dr. George W. Hurst was
commissioned postmaster. The office was called Wayne station.
It was discontinued in 1858, since which time the township has been
without an office.
CHURCHES.
The first
religious worship conducted in Wayne
township was at the house of John Hubbard,
at an early date, by ministers of the Methodist denomination, among whom were
Revs. Samuel Parker, Henry B. Bascom,
and Charles Wattle. A class was formed here, which was
composed in part of the following persons;
Prichard Mills, who was its leader;
Mary Mills, his wife;
John Hubbard and wife, Anna,
Thomas White and his wife, Amy; Thomas
Wiggins, and Lucinda, his wife;
and Thomas Bondell. In 1830, a frame building, in
size some thirty by fifty feet, was built for church purposes. Its location was on the farm of
John Hubbard, now owned by
Mrs. Samuel Eymon, and in this
meetings were held until the completion of the Union chapel, in 1860.
The Union society
was organized May 6, 1855. It was
under the pastorate of Rev. Zachariah
Wharton, of the Williamsport
circuit. Following are the names of
the members comprising this class; David
and Elizabeth Terwilliger, William, Sarah, and Julia Knowles, Jacob H. and
Elizabeth Schryver, Mary A., Tacy A., Mary E., Amelia, and
Edward L. Hall,
Margaret and Elizabeth McCollister, and
Dr. George W.
and Catharine Hurst. David Terwilliger was chosen
leader of the class, and has continued to occupy this office until the present
time. The society met in the
William Hall school-house until the building of
the present church edifice, on the fourteenth of January, 1859. The following were trustees:
William Knowles, David Terwilliger, M. J.
Alkire, J. H. Schryver, and E. L.
Hall, who went to work, energetically, to raise money and build a house of
worship. The result is the beautiful
edifice known as the Union chapel, which was completed, and dedicated to the
service of God, by Rev. Mr. Felton,
on the first of January, 1860. The
land upon which it stands was donated for the purpose by
William Knowles. This edifice is, in size,
thirty-six by forty-six feet, and cost, entire, sixteen hundred dollars.
This class now
numbers thirty members. The leaders
are David Terwilliger and
Robert Thompson. The superintendent of the
Sabbath-school is T. C. Lisk, at
which there is an average attendance of fifty scholars. The date of its formation is prior to
that of the church. The ministers
who have had charge of this flock are given in connection with the
Williamsport
church.
A Baptist society
was formed at the school-house in district number three, by
Rev. Mr. Drake and Jacob Thorp, in 1818. Prior to this, meetings were held at
the house of Andrew Dueks, who, with
Mary Morris, Daniel Whitsell, and
others, whose names are forgotten, formed this society. Meetings were kept up several years.
SCHOOLS.
The first school
in Wayne
township was taught in the summer of 1814, by an individual named
Hunt.
It was held in a five cornered log building, standing on the farm now
owned by William Fleming, esq. This seat of learning was without a
floor; the children using for seats the timbers intended for the support of the
floor. If a back was desired to the
seat it was furnished by the occupant.
The following list of the pupils at this school is furnished by
William Fleming, esq., who is the
only one of all the number now living in the township:
William Fleming, Lydia
and Henry Mills, Thomas and Mary Hubbard, Thomas Kitchen, Vine James, John
Berry, Perry, Thomas, and Jane
Oliphant. Polly and Thomas Moor,
Daniel and George Williams, John
and Edward Park, John and Samuel Whitsell, Nancy and Elizabeth Horsey, William and Frank
Layton, and Thomas Bivens.
In the spring
of the year 1817, the matter of building a school-house assumed tangible shape;
a sufficient sum was subscribed, and the subsequent summer witnessed the
erection of the pioneer school-house.
This was a frame structure, the “siding” of which was split into the
proper thickness, and shaved smooth.
This house when completed was quite a commodious and comfortable affair, and was
occupied until 1860, when having become unsafe by the action of time, it was
torn down and the present brick school building, known as the Westfall in
district number three, erected on the site.
The township is now divided into five school districts, four of which are
now provided with substantial brick school-houses.
PHYSICIANS.
The pioneer disciple of Esculapius,
in this township, was Dr. Potts; the date of whose coming was
as early as 1800. He located at Westfall, and is spoken of as
a practitioner of more than average ability and success.
Dr. Potts died after several years, and his successor was
Printiss Park, who came in about 1820. He died soon after
settlement, and Wayne township has since been without a resident
physician.
INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS.
The earliest
manufactory in Wayne
township, of which we have accurate information, was a distillery. It was of logs, and was located on
the Horsey farm, now owned by the
heirs of C. Barthelmess. Abraham Stipp, then an extensive
land owner in this section, was the owner and operator, and the date of its
construction was very early. This
ceased operations, and in 1808 Stephen
Horsey purchased the building, and converted it to other uses. In about 1810, a man named
Hamilton, put in
operation a second distillery. This,
like its predecessor, was short lived.
John Fleming built the third
distillery in Wayne. This was in 1828. It location was on the farm now owned
by John Kirkendall. It was in being perhaps fifteen
years. Not a vestage of either of
these “institutions” now remains. In
1867, Messrs. Steeley & Morris
erected a large brick building, on the
Renick farm, adjoining the canal, and commenced the manufacture of whiskey. It was a losing undertaking from the
beginning, and three years later ceased operations. In 1827 or ’28, a man named
Sanford,
from Chillicothe, erected and put in operation a
small carding establishment, on the canal, near the present residence of
John Kirkendall. A few years later
William Fleming purchased the property. He
put in looms and other machinery necessary for the manufacture of cloth. Not long afterwards it was destroyed
by fire. The first grist-mill of
which we have knowledge, was built at a very early date. It was situated on the
Chillicothe road, and was primitive indeed;
the motive power being horses, and its labors were confined to the grinding of
coarse feed. In 1817 or ’18,
Henery Nevill built a large flouring
mill on the Scioto, near where the State dam
now is. This was quite an extensive
establishment, having four run of stone, and quite complete machinery for that
day. It was discontinued at the date
the State constructed its works here.
The flouring mill now owned by
William Foresman & Brother, is one of the oldest in the county. It has been greatly improved by the
present owners, who have erected a grain elevator in connection. This firm deals largely in grain.
WESTFALL.
The settlement of
Wayne township was begun at this
point, and but two other townships, within the limits of Pickaway county, were
settled at an earlier date. The
lands here, and adjacent, having fallen into the hands of
Abel Westfall, he caused a town to be
laid out, and gave it his name. This
territory was then within the limits of Hamilton county, and the plat of the village was recorded at
Cincinnati. Westfall was, for some time,
considered the Rival of Chillicothe, but the location proving to be unhealthy,
its growth was stinted, and, little by little, the town went to decay. It was here that the celebrated Mingo
chief, Logan, sought refuge, with his
tribe, when, in 1774, he was driven from his home in western
Virginia, by the troops of
Lord Dunmore. The village was
then called Chil-i-coth-e, the Indian name for town. It was here that
Logan
delivered to the messenger of Dunmore
that celebrated speech, rendered immortal in Jefferson’s “Note on
Virginia.”
Dunmore was encamped, with his
troops, at Camp
Charlotte, on Scippo creek, some seven miles
east of Westfall. This messenger was
sent to invite the chiefs to his camp, to negotiate terms of peace. Logan
refused to go, but sent the speech instead. [See general history.] A treaty was concluded, at this time,
however, which terminated Lord Dunmore’s
war, and his troops made no further advances.
At this time there were vast numbers of Indians settled in and about
Westfall, and on Pickaway plains. Of
Westfall, nothing is left to mark the hallowed spot, once famous as the home of
Logan, “the friend of the white man,”
and the very theater of the act which has imparted imperishable renown. The very desolation which now broods
over the place, seems to “mourn for
Logan.” What food for contemplation does his
historic spot afford! Who that
visits it does not recall the events, so thrilling in interest, that marked the
career of the justly celebrated Logan? -
Logan, who was
the white man’s best friend, but who, in obedience to the voice of Causative
revenge, became the white man’s deadliest foe.
A short distance
south of Westfall, another village was platted.
This was named Montgomery,
but we are unable to learn that any considerable settlement was made there.
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