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DOVER TOWNSHIP
Pgs. 2 - 3
We have said in County history that large tracts of land
were entered in 1800. Much of this was in Dover
Township. Quarter Township 2, Township 9, Range 3, was
entered by James Morrison of Lexington, Kentucky.
This tract contains four thousand three hundred and
fifty-one acres. Morrison sold the north half to
James Scott and others, and the south half to
Slingluff and Deardorff. Quarter Topwnship
2, Township 8, Range 2, in Dover and Goshen, was purchased
by John Heckewelder. He sold the north part,
two thousand and twenty-three acres, to Dr. Felix Lynn,
of Northampton, Pennsylvania, in 1801, and the south portion
to Thomas Horsefield, one thousand eight hundred and
eighty-nine acres. Horsefield, whose was a
surgeon in the army of Britain, sold to Jacob
Blickensderfer, who laid it out in farm lots. The
land is down on Lake's map as the "Horsefield tract,"
and the fourth quarter township, Township 9, Range 2, in
Dover and Goshen Townships, was entered by John C. Reich,
John Shroup, and Christian Lange, of Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania.
In March, 1810, the township of Dover was organized
from what is now Dover, Sugar Creek, and south parts of
Wayne and Franklin Townships. The first township
election was held at the house of Christian Deardorff.
Irregular in outline, and traversed by river,
railroad, and canal, it claims attention as a leading
township in area, wealth, and enterprise. In the
extreme northwest corner is Mechanicsburg, appropriate in
name, since many mechanics live in and near the town.
It was laid out in 1848, by William Haverstock, who
was long known as the village blacksmith. The place
seems to have been redundant in names suggestive of marshes
and poverty till the advent of a new departure. The
first house built in the place was put up by Michael T.
Kohr; it is still standing, unoccupied, and is but a
small log cabin. The first birth is the village was a
daughter to Mr. Kohr. A wagon-shop was started
by Kohr and Charles Snyder. The citizens
are given a character for industry and religion. Their
school is well sustained. The township is divided into
small farms, more notably in the northern part, and this
speaks favorably for thorough tillage.
DOVER.
Dover, called Canal Dover, to avoid confounding it with
Dover in Wayne County, is but three miles northest of the
County seat, to which honor it was early a formidable
competitor. Messrs. Christian Deardorff, Jesse
Slingluff, and Charles Boehn laid out the town,
and had the plat recorded in 1807. The original plat
numbered two hundred and fifty-six lots. The first
addition was made by James Scott, in 1826. This
plat contained a reservation of eighteen perches square for
a court-house and a jail lot. The wants of religious
orders were anticipated by setting aside eight lots- four
English and four German - for church sites, a ninth for a
German church and school-house, and a tenth for the Moravian
Society. The proprietors were artistic in their choice
of location, and the completion of railroads has aided in
developing adjacent mineral resources and advanced
manufacture.
Iron ore, rich and abundant, fire-clay, for making the
best of brick, building stone, so valuable as to be quarried
and sent East for use in constructing the finest edifices,
water pure and plenty, timber in sufficiency, and coal in
inexhaustible quantities, - all declare a career of
prosperity to the place. The tract bought of
Morrison not only embraced the present site of Dover,
but lands south and west, and took in the Downey,
Deardorff, and Sterling fields. We have
spoken of the proprietor's first visit. Deardorff
came a second time, to stay; in proof of which his carpenter
and millwright were set to work constructing a grist- and
saw-mill and a small cabin for himself. Deardorff
appears to have accepted the situation, as he kept house and
did his own work for years.
Settlers began to arrive, among them William Butt
and family; he bought twelve hundred acres and erected a
rude cabin, in which no nail was driven. A daughter,
Margaret Butt, then ten years of age, afterwards
relieved Mr. Deardorff of the domestic portion of his
labors. She has attained a good old age, and has seen
many changes since, in 1805, her father settled here.
Dover was laid out in 1807; still, lots were not put in
market till 1826. Judge Deardorff and
General A. Shane were long the only residents. The
war of 1812 swept away to the field the hands needed to
build up homes. Shane commanded the troops from this
section, and Deardorff was paymaster.
Deardorff's house was Dover's first store; his partner
was Charles Slingluff, of Baltimore; the father
withdrew Charles and sent out George, another
son, in his place. Henderson was the first
tavern-keeper. The Rev. James Watts was the
first regular preacher. The Rev. James B. Findley,
among various experiences, mentions that while preaching at
William Butt's one woman became distressed regarding
her future; and her husband, considering her as bewitched,
loaded his rifle with a "charmed bullet" to slay the wizard
preacher, but a revulsion of feeling prevented the shot.
Desirable locations near Dover were Crooked Run and
Brandywine Creek. Plains were avoided and hill and
valley lands selected. Where stood heavy timber land
was thought the best. Settlers on Crooked Run were
Welty, Volgamode, Hildt, Sr., Swil_art, Stoufer,
Steenson, Thomas, and Baker. On Brandywine
were Snyder, Kohr, Mumma, and Rosenberry.
Stevenson and Rosenberry were the first
Presbyterians in the County. Volgamode and
John Hildt, Sr., were members of the United Brethren
Church, Stoufer and Welty were Methodists, and
Kohr and Mumma, Luternans.
Dover awoke to life and activity in the years between
1825 and 1830. The dam for the Ohio Canal gave
additional water power; building canal-boats and shipping
produce employed hands, and the "Lee warehouse" was
constructed, and became the store-room of mush valuable
merchandise till it fell a prey to fire.
The Dover business en established a mammoth store about
1838. The firm owned canalboats, bought the New
Philadelphia mills, and carried on a heavy business.
Twelve hundred barrels of flour were ground weekly; great
quantities of goods were sold, and a half-thousand sacks of
coffee were in their warehouse at one time.
The Dover medical fraternity were represented by
Joseph Slingluff, Charles Fraley, and F. D. McMeal.
Of Newspapers, the first was the "Dover Commercial
Advertiser," by Kapp; the Citizen;" the "Deutsche,"
in Ohio; and the "Iron Valley Reporter," by R. E. Watson.
The first mayor of Dover was Jesse S. Deardorff;
the first marshal, Benjamin Haas. The Democracy
of the township, in 1844, raised a hickory pole two hundred
and thirty feet high; it stood near the depot.
The Dover high-school house, built in 1866, is a
handsome structure, beautifully located, and accommodates
about four hundred pupils.
Leading religious denominations have substantial
churches. A town-hall was erected about 1871.
DOVER BUSINESS MEN.
Edmund Burnett came to Dover in 1836; has bought
100,000 bushels of grain in a single year.
Dover Salt Company was projected in 1868.
Cost of works, $22,000; capacity of production, 60 barrels
of good salt per day.
Sugar Creek Works, established in 1869; shipped
the first 100 barrels of salt from the County to Cleveland.
Dover City Mills, built in 1842, by N. Hayden
and E. Welty; burned, 1859; rebuilt, 1860; run by
Hardesty Brothers; has three run of stone and a capacity
of 100 barrels flour per day.
Dover Fire-Brick Company. - Capital stock,
$40,000; employ e0 hands; make 8000 brick daily; sales,
1,000,000 a year.
Exchange Bank, the first in Dover; started in
1867, by Philip Baker.
Iron Foundry, built in 1862, by John Rex,
whose plows and plow-points are in request.
James L. Walton, livery, was a boatman for
fifteen years, and brought the first boat-load of wheat from
New Philadelphia mills, in 1840, that was shipped to
Cleveland from this section.
Dover Valley Mill was built in 1830; capacity 50
barrels flour daily, Ginz & Parr, proprietors.
The energy and concerted action of Dover citizens, evinced
by their associations from time to time, and their present
solid standing and growing industries, require no shadow of
coming events to foretell for her a prosperous and enviable
position among Ohio's inland cities.
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