OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS
A Part of Genealogy
Express
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Welcome to
Tuscarawas
County, Ohio
History & Genealogy |
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History
of Tuscarawas County, Ohio
Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1884)
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PART IV.
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES. CHAPTER III.
BUCKS
TOWNSHIP.
Pps. 509 - 515 BOUNDARIES
AND ORGANIZATION - TOPOGRAPHY - PIONEERS - MILLS -
SCHOOLS -
GREENSBURG - ROWVILLE - CHURCHES - LOCAL
MAGISTRATES.
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BUCKS TOWNSHIP, lies in the
extreme western part of Tuscarawas County. It
is bounded on the west and south by Coshocton
County, on the north by Holmes County and Auburn
Township, and on the east by Jefferson Township.
It embraces all the Township 7, Range 4, except
Sections 1, 2 and 3 in the northeast part, which
belong to Auburn Township. It is composed
entirely of Congress land, a fact which argues its
uninviting appearance to the pioneers, for the first
locations made were the military quarters.
Bucks Township was organized from Sugar Creek and
Warwick Mar. 8, 1825, soon after the formation of
Holmes County had taken from Tuscarawas its
northwest corner. The original extent of Bucks
included its present territory, the greater part of
Auburn, and about one-half of what is now Jefferson.
It began at the southeast corner of Holmes County;
thence north two miles to the northwest corner of
Section 18, Township 8, Range 4; thence east to the
northeast corner of the northwest quarter of Section
18, Township 8, Range 3; thence south to Salem
Township (the line between Townships 6 and 7);
thence west to the county line; thence north to the
Holmes County line; thence east to the place of
beginning. Provision was made for the election
of officers on the first Monday in April following,
at the house of John Mizer. The title
Bucks was bestowed upon the new township by the
Commissioners, at the instance of John Mizer,
who was a successful and constant hunter, and wished
to signalize the abundance of deer to be found in
the brakes and hill-tops of the township.
The surface manifests the rough characteristics which
belong to watersheds in this region. Sugar
Creek heads in the northwest corner of the township
and flows northward. Evans Creek in the
southeast part flows southerly, and in the west are
found branches of White-Eyes Creek, which flow in a
westerly direction. Deep ravines pierce the
township in all directions, and range after range of
hills rapidly succeed each other. The soil is
a limestone clay in places, but on the branches of
White-Eyes Creek is sandy. Jutting sandstone
rocks are frequently seen along the hillside
declivities. Near the southwest corner of the
township, on the Coshocton County line, is a natural
curiosity in the shape of a large sandstone
formation on the summit of a lofty ridge.
Standing Rock, as it is called, at its base is
probably 15x35 feet, ane has an altitude of
perhaps forty-five feet. It is much
visited, and its sides and top are covered with the
names of visitors. Some ore is found, but not
so plenteously as in other townships. Coal
exists in veins of two to three feet in thickness,
but they are low and little worked.
The pioneers of Bucks Township were Pennsylvania
Germans. The rugged topography deterred
settlement for many years after some other parts of
the county were occupied, and it was probably not
until the war of 1812 had ended that white men took
possession of this soil. And then they came
slowly. In 1820, there were but four resident
real estate tax-payers in what is now the township.
In 1826, the number had increased to only nine, and
by 1830 but five more were added. About 1833,
a German emigration set in, which rapidly increased,
and in a few years peopled the hills with a thrifty
and industrious class of settlers. Heavy
timber covered the land, except on the ridges, where
it had been kept down by fires, and often only red
brush prevailed. The emigrants applied
themselves diligently to the work of clearing the
forests, and in a few years made the farms, which,
in many cases, either themselves or their children
yet cultivate.
The earliest settlers were, as nearly as can be
learned, Jacob Forney and Jacob Gonter.
Both hailed from Pennsylvania, and were of German
ancestry, and probably reached the solitudes of this
country, after a weary pilgrimage, about 1815.
Mr. Forney entered and settled on the
northeast quarter of Section 5, a half-mile east of
Rowville. Not many years later he died here,
and was buried on the summit of a hill on the farm.
Joseph Forney his son, was buried on the
summit of a hill on the farm. Joseph Forney,
his son, was buried on the summit of a hill on the
farm. Joseph Forney, his son, succeeded
to the ownership of the farm. He still lives
in Auburn Township, and is a member of the Dunkard
Church. Jacob Gonter entered and
settled on the northwest quarter of Section 5, which
forms the northwest corner of the township, and is
the land upon a portion of which Rowville is built.
Mr. Gonter died near Ragersville. His
family were members of the German Reformed Church.
George Gonter emigrated from Stoyestown, Penn.,
to near Dover, in 1812, several years later he
entered the southwest quarter of Section 8, and in
March, 1816, moved to it with his family. He
was a Lutheran, remained through life a resident of
the township. David Gonter, his son, is
now the oldest resident native of Bucks. He
was born December 28, 1816, and lives a half mile
east of Rowville.
Following these pioneers came Philip Mizer, Henry
Stane and Jacob Miller. Philip Mizer
was a brother to John Mizer, of Auburn
Township. He came from Shanesville; was a
carpenter by trade, and settled on the west half of
the northwest quarter of Section 25, in the
southwest part of the township. He afterward
removed to Coshocton County. Henry Stance
was a Pennsylvanian, and settled in the southeastern
portion of the township, on the northeast quarter of
Section 22, where he died. Jacob Miller
came from near Shanesville, where his father,
John Miller, had settled, and settled on the
northeast quarter of Section 8.
Abraham Berntrager, Benjamin Helwig and
George Harshman came a few years later.
Mr. Berntrager emigrated from Pennsylvania, and
settled on the west half of the northwest quarter of
Section 20. He was a Lutheran, and died in
Bucks Township. Having no children, he adopted
several, and reared them in his backwoods home.
Benjamin Helwig came originally form
Pennsylvania, but prior to his settlement in Bucks
Township, in 1824, had dwelt for a time in Harrison
County. He was a hunter of some note, and
entered 480 acres of land, the south half of Section
20, and the northwest quarter of Section 21.
In 1834, Mr. Helwig removed to Dover
Township, where he died years afterward. He
was a Lutheran, and had a family of ten children.
George Harshman, from Fayette County, Penn.,
settled on the west half of the southeast quarter of
Section 8.
George Gonter, about 1822, constructed a horse
grist mill, which, for a few years was extensively
patronized by the needy pioneers. Above the
beam to which the horses were hitched, was a large
horizontal wheel, nearly forty feet in diameter,
communicating by means of wooden cogs with another
small wheel on the shaft which turned the
mill-stone. This rude primitive structure
served a valuable office until water mills were
erected a few years later. George Gonter,
Jonas Spengler, Frederick Mauerer and a
Mr. Mishler operated little copper stills,
whence the surrounding settlers obtained their
beverage. The grist mill at Rowville is the
only one now in the township. Cheese making is
not carried on so extensively as in the adjoining
township of Auburn. But one factory is in
operation in Bucks.
School advantages were very meager. For years
there were no schools, and when attention could be
given to the instruction of the then rising
generation, there was only one quarter, or term of
three months' duration, each year. Many
children could not be spared from the work at home
to attend even this. An early schoolhouse
stood on the Miller quarter section, the
northeast quarter of Section 8. John
Travis, George Travis and Rev. Jacob Summers,
a Dunkard minister, and others taught here.
Greensburg was laid out in 1817 by David Seldenright
and Henry Sliffe, on the northeast quarter of
Section 16, in the midst of the woods. The
road led to it, but a barrel of whisky was rolled
through the brush to the site of the expectant town,
and those who assisted in the feat of making the
town jollified at the conclusion of their labors.
The plat was cross-shaped and contained seventy-two
lots. High and Main streets were the principal
thoroughfares, and the remaining public highways
were dubbed East, West, North and South streets.
The town came to naught. No lots were ever
sold. The quarter upon which it was platted is
still called the town quarter. It was entered
by David Seldenright, who hailed from Easton,
Penn., and dwelt in Auburn Township.
Rowville was founded in 1848 by Lewis Row.
It is located on the northwest quarter of Section 5,
entered by Jacob Gonter. The lots of
the original plat, seventy-two in number, front on
both sides of two streets, Cass and Butler, each
sixty feet wide, which intersect at right angles and
form a square, which is 160 feet each way.
Butler street extends north eighteen degrees east;
Cass, south seventy-two degrees east. The
proprietor, in 1850, laid out an addition of six
lots on a northern extension of Butler street.
William R. Foster, in 1851, made an addition
of fifteen lots on the west side of South Butler
street, and at the same time Frederick Knopp
added twelve lots to the east side of South Butler
street. Lewis Row was a farmer, and later in
life removed to Owen County, Ind., where he died.
The lots were cried off at public sale, and sold
quite low. William Burkey built the
first house, about 1849. He paid $12 for his
lot. He was a tanner by trade, had lived at
Farmersville, Holmes County, and died in 1855.
Adam Regula and Max Dengler kept the
first store, and Levi Hostetler was an early
merchant. Samuel Long was the first
Postmaster. Martin Row, now of
Owen County, Ind., taught the first school. He
was the son of Lewis Row, the proprietor of
the town. Daniel Forney, quite early,
built a grist mill which was destroyed by fire about
twelve years ago, while owned by John and William
Dietz. It was a custom mill, operated by
steam and contained but two buhrs. The present
school-house is an old two-story frame, containing
two apartments. It is under control of the
Township Board.
Rowville, during the last year or two, has increased
considerably in size. The Connotton Valley
Railroad passes through it, and has added very
materially to its gain. The population in
1880 was 189, and is now estimated at 350. The
town is rich in cognomens; it has always been named
Rowville, but is also known as Buena Vista and as
Baltic. Buena Vista is the name given the
railroad station here, and was also the title of the
post office until quite recently, when the
department dubbed it Baltic. The village now
contains two dry goods stores, one grocery, one
clothing store, one millinery store, two drug
stores, two hardware stores, one stove and tin
store, one furniture store, two shoe stores, two
hotels, two saloons, two livery stales, two
blacksmith shops, a harness shop, a wagon shop, a
tannery, a planing mill and a grist ill.
The tannery is owned by Jacob Wolfarth, and has
been in operation about twenty years. The
Rowville Mills were erected in 1881, by
Jacob Mast and William Miller, who were
succeeded by Mast, Troyer & Co., the present owners.
The new roller process has been adopted, and the
mills are doing an extensive merchant and custom
business, running night and day. The planing
mill, a large brick building, was erected in the
spring of 1883 by Phillip Miller and John
Wolf, and is now working at its full capacity.
Dr. B. C. Blackburn, now of Roscoe, Coshocton
County, was the first physician. He located at
Rowville about 1850, remained in practice twelve or
fourteen years, and was succeeded by Dr. W. H.
Putts, who four years later sold his practice to
Dr. A. S. Metzler, the only physician now
residing in the village. Drs. Phillips and
P. J. Neinz were formerly practitioners here for
brief periods.
Zion's Evangelical German Children, erroneously called
Lutheran sometimes, of Rowville, was organized in
1856, by Rev. H. G. Holm. The earliest
membership included John Schnell, Valentine Wolf,
Jacob Hoobler, Frederick Knopf, Jacob Gass, John
Rinehart, Frederick Marhofer, Richard Siegel, Adam
Scar and others. A carpenter shop was
purchased, converted into a house of worship, and so
used until 1881, when a neat frame edifice was
erected at a cost of $1,475. Rev. Holm
remained pastor until 1879, when Frederick M.
Haefele became and still continued the minister
in charge. About twenty-five families are
connected with the church.
St. John's English Lutheran Church was organized in
1875, by Rev. John Y. Myers, with a small
class, including William H. Burkey, William
Stull, Francis Hoobler, Jacob Hoobler, Joseph
Rinehart and a few others. Rev. Myers
was pastor for four or five years, and was succeeded
by Rev. John Marks, of New Philadelphia, who
still serves the church. The membership is now
about sixty. The church building occupied in
an edifice reared about 1858, by a German Reformed
congregation, which became too weak to maintain an
organization.
The Rowville Methodist Episcopal Church was organized
by Rev. J. T. Hoak, with about twelve
members, among whom were Dr. A. S. Metzler,
Christian Lenz, George Rigby and C. J.
Rice. The same year a neat fame
building was erected at a cost of about $1,300.
The class is yet small, and during the year
1822-23, was not regularly supplied with a minister.
Without the village limits are three other churches in
the township. In the southwest corner of
Section 24, in the southwest part of the township,
stands St. Paul's Evangelical Church. Among
its first members were Daniel Koenig, Peter
Gebhart, Lewis Wentz, Sr., John Thomas, Sr. John
Thomas, Henry Diebel, Peter Mauerer, Lewis Wentz,
Jr., Valentine Hothem, Andrew Potz, Balthazer
Bretzens, John Mauerer, and John Zinkon.
Rev. Holm G. Holm became Pastor in October,
1849, and served thirty years. He was
succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. F. M.
Haefele. The first church was a log
building, which was superseded in 1871 by the
present frame structure. About thirty-five
families are associated in the congregation.
In the northern part of the township, southwest quarter
of Section 8, is an old frame church, where two
congregations worship, the Evangelical and German
Reformed; the church was built in 1840.
Rev. Henry Colerado was the pioneer minister,
and remained in charge of the church until his death
in 1846. He was a zealous laborer, and
traveled throughout the county, and into Holmes and
Coshocton, establishing churches and harmonizing the
religious difficulties which prevailed among the
German element. Rev. Haefele is pastor
of the Evangelical congregation, and Rev. Beesy,
of the German Reformed. Each possesses a
creditable membership.
In the southeast part of Bucks, near the east line of
Section 22, is Evan's Creek English Lutheran Church.
The society is strong, and is supplied by Rev.
John Jarks. A German Reformed society also
holds services here.
The following citizens have served the township in the
capacity of Justice of the Peace: Michael
Swagler, 1825; Henry L. Dolly, 1826;
Henry L. Dally, 1829; Richard Cunning,
1831; Joseph Coughenour, 1832; Richard
Cunning, 1834; Philip Mizer, 1834;
John Shank, 1837; Philip Mizer, 1837;
John Shank 1840; Philip Mizer, 1841;
Joseph Helwig, 1843; Philip Mizer, 1843;
George Gonter, 1845; Philip Mizer, 1846;
George Gonter, 1848; Philip Hawk, 1847;
Philip Mizer, 1849; Peter Hawk, 1850;
John Lower, 1851; Philip Mizer, 1852;
Peter Hawk, 1853; John Lower, 1854; B.
C. Blackburn, 1855; John Lower, 1857;
B. C. Blackburn, 1858; John Lower, 1860;
Casimer Lorenz, 1861; John Lower,
1863; Casimer Lorenz 1865; John
Schoemacher, 1866; David H. Troendly,
1868; John Schoemacher, 1869; Peter
Everhart, 1871; David H. Troendly, 1872;
Peter Marsch, 1874; David H. Toendly,
1875; Peter Marsch, 1877; David H.
Troendly, 1878; Peter Marsch, 1880;
David H. Troendly, 1881; Henry Deibel,
1883.
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