PIONEER SETTLEMENT.

     Clark county, Ohio, furnished a majority of the first settlers for this township.  Some of these pioneers came for the purpose of hunting, while others came to establish homes.  Deer was the principal game sought for at that early day in this portion of the county.  Honey bees swarmed everywhere in the forests and wild honey was found on the table of all pioneers.   Bee hunting was the chief occupation of many of the first-comers to this township.  The bee-hunter was generally supplied with a trusty pocket compass to note the course in which the bees were flying.  Bees were attracted to a spot by the scent arising from honey-comb burnt by the hunter between two heated stones.  Honey, mixed with anise seed, was sprinkled near, and when the bees alighted they soon became surfeited.  After circulating around for a few times, they would fly away in the "bee line" (hence the common term) for their home.  when a bee tree was once found, the hunter would cut his initials on the bark of the tree, and by universal consent it became his individual property, to be cut down and the honey extracted therefrom at his leisure.  The Indian method of honey gathering was to climb a tree and cut out the honey.  in a three-weeks' hunt an early settler in Leesburg township found twenty-five trees and from two hives in one of them, procured ten gallons of fine honey.
     The original settlement in this township was effected on Blue's creek.  It is impossible to determine who made this settlement, or the exact date, as all the records concerning such settlement have long since been lost.  The first squatters, as these persons probably were, are sometimes called "first settlers."
     The original settlement in this township was effected on Blue's creek.  It is impossible to determine who made this settlement or the exact date, as all the record concerning such settlement have long since been lost.  The first squatters, as these persons probably were, are sometimes called "first settlers."  They came here for the purpose of hunting and gathering honey, and this was a long time before any actual settler came with the view of locating permanently.  It is known that a small colony came in from Clark county in 1820.  In this company was one leading character, Simon Gates.  he was highly esteemed in those rough pioneer times.  He did not remain long after the township began to develop, but moved on to newer and wilder conquests.  His father, Simon Gates, Sr., owned sixty-one acres in Survey No. 5,506, and died soon after coming to the township.
     HALE WINCHESTER was among the sturdy and first settlers.  He, too was from Clark county, Ohio, and occupied land on Blue's creek as a squatter, but later bought land.  Finally, he went to the west.  David Gallant, George Anthony, Nelson Emery and Henry Hulse were probably among the very earliest settlers on the Blue's creek.
     CULWELL WILLIAMSON, of Lynchburg, Virginia, early in the nineteenth century, purchased a thousand acres in survey No. 3,694.  Of the tract two hundred acres were reserved for two local preachers from the Old Dominion state.  These men were Revs. Munson and Denton.  In 1811 Mr. Williamson visited the land, riding horseback from Virginia.  No white settlers were then near, but the forests were full of Indians.  He soon returned to Virginia, and made two more trips before emigrating.  In 1824 he connected his belongings at his old Virginia home, placed them in his four-horse wagon, bade farewell to his native state and, with his sister, Mrs. Jane Martin, a widow, her three children - Samuel, Culwell and Ann - and James and Nancy Oglesbie a young nephew and niece, began a long, wearisome journey to Ohio.  Eight weeks were consumed on this trip.  Upon his arrival he procured assistance from the Scioto river, the men coming before seven in the morning and working like beavers till late at night.  In the one day the cabin was raised, clapboarded, roofed, a doorway sawed out and a door hung in place.  That night, for the first time since they left their old Virginia home, it rained; but there was a shelter over head, and the pattering rain drops on the newly made roof were but sweet music to their ears.  This constituted the first real settlement in the upper part of the township.  The cabin stood on what was later known as the O. Jewett farm, one mile up Boke's creek from the Magnetic springs.  Mr. Williamson was an old bachelor, and by trade a house carpenter.  He surveyed his land into small tracts and sold much of it to incoming settlers.  Thomas Tunks, Joseph Brannon, Henry Hulse, and Isaac White each bought one hundred acres from him.  Richard Hoskins bought the Rev. Denton hundred-acre tract above mentioned, while William Wells bought the Munson hundred acres.  Mr. Williamson died in 1828, having laid well the foundation stones of what has come to be one of Union county's prosperous and wealthy townships.
     RICHARD HOSKINS, born in Franklin, Franklin county, Ohio, in 1804, first moved to Delaware county, and in 1827 settled in Leesburg township, Union county, on the hundred-acre tract, later known as the Doctor Skidmore farm, about one mile up Boke's creek from Magnetic Springs.  There, in the deep, dark forest, he set to work clearing up a farm.  He was married in 1827 to Ann H. Martin, and she bore him ten children, all becoming respected citizens of Union county.  The father died in 18870, highly respected for his true and honorable career as a pioneer of the township and county.
     THOMAS TUNKS settled in the township in 1825.  The same year came in Joseph and Benjamin White and Arad and William Franklin, from Clark county  The company had but one horse between them.  Arad Franklin was just recovering from a sick spell and Joseph White was an aged man.  The two rode the horse alternately, while the others walked.  They reached Newton and remained there over one night and then traveled northward till they reached Blue's creek, eight miles above Pharisburg, from which point Joseph White returned to Newton with the horse.  The other three continued down stream until they had reached the place purchased by Thomas Tunks.  That pioneer was there with his sons building a cabin.  They remained that night with them and the next day returned.  They were pleased with the country and decided to locate here.  Isaac White came out first in February, 1826.  He died of typhoid fever a few years later.
     HENRY GANDY, "the Yankee from New Jersey," had originally located in Darby Plains, but came to Leesburg township in 1827, settling up the creek two miles from Pharisburg, on the south side of the stream, in survey No. 3,602, where he bought two hundred acres.  He was an old man when he arrived here, and had a family of grown sons and daughters.
     EPHRAIM CAREY emigrated from Washington county, Pennsylvania, to near Marietta, Ohio, in 1796, and in 1801 settled near Plain City, Ohio.  He came to Leesburg township in 1826, and there spent the remainder of his life, dying at the age of eighty-nine years, in 1878.
     About 1827 came JOHN WOODS and ALEXANDER ELLIOTT from Clark county.  He had contracted the disease known as "milk sickness" before coming to this township.  He overworked here in clearing up land and building rude cabins, took a relapse and died at the home of Abijah Gandy.
     JOSEPH BRANNON came from Clark County and settled on the south side of Boke's creek, below Pharisburg.
     DAVID BACON came from Clark county prior to 1830.  He died in the township.
     ALEXANDER COWGILL was a very early settler on the present site of Mineral Springs.  He was from Delaware county, where he served as a scout in the War of 1812.  He only remained a short time, selling his holdings to Samuel Barcus, and crossing the line over into Claibourne township, where he died.  He had one son, George, and a large number of daughters.
     In 1830 the following settlers had commended operations in the township:  Abraham Elifritz, Thomas Foreman, Pierce Lamphere, William McIntire, John Price, David Price, Ira Phelps, John Sovereign and Samuel Simpson.
     DELIVERANCE BROWN built a cabin and lived with his family on Boke's creek, two miles above Pharisburg.  He was called one of the best hunters in Union county, and was occupied most of his time in his favorite pursuit.  for a number of years this one man killed from seventy-five to one hundred deer annually.  He finally left for the west, having thinned out the game so it was hard work to make a successful business of it.
     Coming down to a somewhat later period the settlement was increased by the advent of the following:  Stephen Davis, Henry Goodrich, Samuel Lafferty, Samuel Meek, and Robert Maskill.  John Newhouse located just north of the site of Magnetic Springs in 1824.  He remained on the old farm until 1881 and then removed to Magnetic Springs.  Robert Parris purchased survey No. 3,693, of one thousand acres, in 1835.  He was a shrewd Yankee.  In 1833 Joseph Bellville, of Belmont county, effected his settlement.  He died in 1863.
     One of the earliest schools taught in the township was taught in a log house a half mile south of Pharisburg by Samuel Pharis. (See Educational chapter)

MILLS OF THE TOWNSHIP.

CEMETERIES.

     The first cemetery in Leesburg township was on the farm of Joseph Brannon, one-half mile east of Pharisburg.  Among the goodly number of the pioneers buried there was Alexander Elliott. Before that, the burials took place at the Decker burying ground in Delaware county.  The Hopewell church also had an early burying ground.  The McAllister graveyard at Union Chapel, though not so large, also holds the dust of many pioneers.  Close to the old log Presbyterian church, located in the southwestern part of the township, was a cemetery, which has also ceased to be used.  Another, south of Blue's creek, on the farm of William Scott, was known as Scott's graveyard.

VILLAGE OF MAGNETIC SPRINGS.

FEATURES OF THE SPRINGS.

VILLAGE OF PHARISBURG.

     This hamlet was surveyed by William B. Irvin, July 21, 1847, for the proprietor, Allen Pharis, administrator of Robert Pharis, deceased.  It contained about ten acres.  Its location is near the southeast corner of survey No 3,693, and near the center of the township.  It had been known before as Scott's Corners.  The residence of Samuel Pharis, a large two-story log house, stood on the plat where the town was laid out.  Francis Scott, soon after built a frame house west of the road running north and south.  Merilla Cameron, a young Kentuckian, sold the first goods here.  He brought them before the village was laid out and conducted the store only a year or two.  Not long after this Mr. J. Reed opened a general store and did business for some time.  Matilda Chuggage taught the first school.  Thomas Barcus was the first postmaster.  Benjamin Welch, Samuel Kirk, S. A. Tunks and A. B. Stricker have served as postmasters.
     Doctor McClaskey of Pennsylvania, was the pioneer physician.  Among the merchants of the village have been A. B. Stricker, A. G. McAdow and William Hayes.  Today it is a small trading point and has about one hundred and twenty-five population.  It is now on a rural free delivery from Marysville.
     For an account of lodges, churches and schools see special chapters on these subjects.