* CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE Cornell University Library F 497F1 S42 Complete history of Fairfield County, Oh olin 3 1924 028 848 483 Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028848483 A COMPLETE HISTORY FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO, — BY — HERVEY SCOTT, 1795-1876. SIEBERT & LILLEY, COLUMBUS, OHIO : 1877. UUIVLK1--IVY I ||;|W;KY I]S"DEX. PAGE. Bar of Lancaster 16 Baptists, New School 120 Band of Horse-thieves 148 Births and Deaths 157 Binninger, Philip 160 Banks of Lancaster 282 Commerce of Fairfield County 18 Choruses , 27 Carpenter's Addition 34 ^ County Jail 36 Court of Common Pleas 52 Canal Celebration 69 Court of Quarter-Sessions 78 County Fair 96 Catholic Church 138 County Of&cers 144 Colored Citizens of Lancaster 281 Cold Spring Eescue 289 Conclusion 298 Dunker Church T. 142 Enterprise 20 Episcopal Church 135 Emanuel's Church, St 137 Evangelical Association (Albright) 140 First Settlement 4 First Born 7 First Mails and Post-route 12 Fourth of July 31 Finances of Lancaster in 1827 32 Finances of Fairfield in 1875 36 Fairfield County in 1806 36 Fairfield County in the War of 1812 79 Growth of Lancaster 11 Ghost Story 61 Grape Culture 68 General Sanderson's Notes 98 German Beform Church 136 IV INDEX. PAGE. Gas-Light and Coke Company 281 Governors of Ohio 287 Horticultural Society 319 Hocking Valley Canal 150 Introduction 1 Inscriptions in Kuntz's Graveyard 61 Incorporation 21 Judges of Court 278 Knights of Pythias 73 Knights of Honor 73 Knights of St. George 75 Lancaster 6 Lancaster Gazette 58 Lutheran Church, first English 136 Land Tax 160 Mount Pleasant 10 Medical Profession '. 16 Miscellaneous 21 Miscellaneous 65 Masonic 69 Methodist Church 122 New Court-house 35 Nationality 156 Old Religious Stanzas 23 Old Plays 28 Ohio Eagle 57 Other Papers 59 Odd Fellowship 71 Ornish Mennonite Church 139 Primitive State of the Country 2 Public Square 34 Physicians 59 Patrons of Husbandry 74 Political 120 Protestant Methodist 128 Pleasant Run Church 129 Presbyterian Church 131 Public Men 152 Phrophesy 297 Presidents of United States 288 Ruhamah Green (Builderback) 8 Relics 56 Rush Creek Township in 1806 157 Refugee Lands 80 Reform Farm 80 INDEX. V PAGE. Representatives in Congress 82 Representatives and Senators, State Legislature 109 Rebellion of 1861 112 Regular Baptist Church 128 Railroads 285 St. Joseph's Benevolent Association 75 Statistics 79 St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church 135 Townships 82 Typhoid Epidemic 152 Personal Recollections and Personal 161 Ashbaugh, John 177 Beery, George W 173 Bope, Jacob 199 Barr, Thomas ......; 292 Chancy, John 161 Carlisle, B. W 165 Cherry, Thomas 204 Crook, John 209 Crumley, Daniel 216 Courtright, John 219 Cole, Thomas 222 Ewing, Hon. Thomas 171 Ewing, Thomas E , 232 Fishbaugh, Mordecai 211 Foster, David 238 Foster, F. A 243 GriflBth, Samuel 276 Hunter, Hocking H 172 Harmon, George ■ 214 Hathaway, A •• 248 Heyl, Christian 252 Hunter, Andrew 264 Jackson, Thomas 196 Iric, John. 220 King, Mrs. Flora ■ 176 Kester, Samuel 296 Leonard, Henry 182 Leist, Michael 192 Leith, John 158 Lyle, David 228 Landis, Martin 237 McClung, William 176 Murphy, William 203 vi INDEX. PAGE. Murphy, Theodore 218 McClung,~Mrs. Jane 268 Peters, Wesley Ji230 Eadibaugh, Mrs. Mary 206 Rudolph, Christian 241 Rutter, Mrs, Catharine 262 Ream, Jonas A 178 Eeece, Thomas 277 Sheaffer, Jacob 207 Sites, Frederick 234 See, John 255 Shawk, Charles 261 Sherrick, Elizabeth 266 Stamen, Nicholas 167 Sherman, Judge Charles 172 Stewart, Levi 179 Van Pearce, Mrs 242 Vandemark, Elias 245 Vanzant, John 271 Williams, John 173 Wiseman, Joseph 194 Young, Mrs. Rachel 258 ERRATA. Page 282, last paragraph, forjudge Schofield read Philomen Eeecher. In the notice of Lancaster Drug Stores in 1876, page 19, for Wetzler read Wetzel. On the 19th page, and seventh line from the bottom, read James McManamy. On page 20, in list of practicing lawyers, five names were omitted, viz. : Tallman Slough, J. S. Sites, David Clover, New- ton Schleich and .Tohn McCormick. These are all practicing Attorneys in 1877. Page 119, in second a nd third paragraphs from top, for John C. Boviny read John C.^IH^ Rainey. In State Legislature, years 1866 and 1868, page 110, read U. C. Rutter. On page 128, second paragraph from bottom, for Rev. George Debott read Debolt. Page 56, in "Gins.ng Wanted," read Daniel Arnold for Daniel Arnott. PHYSICIANS. In the enumeration of the physicians of Fairfield County, the following names were unintentionally omitted : Dr. G. Miesse, Sen., will be remembered as a highly eminent practitioner of medicine in the neighborhood of Dumontsville for many years. About 1840, or a little later, he removed to Greenville, Dark County, Ohio, where he still resides, at the age of 70 years. Dr. G. Miesse, now of Lancaster, is his son. Dr. Miesse, Jr., is known for his distinguished ability as a pianist and composer of music. He makes a speciality of treating chronic diseases. Dr. M. H. ivliesse is a physician of Royalton. Dr. Jonas Wiest, now of Circleville, was formerly a practi- tioner at Dumontsville, this County. Dr. Chas. Babcock and Dr. Barlow were former homeopathic physicians of Lancaster. Dr. Lurch of Amanda is a physician of many years practice, and is extensively known. Dr. Thomen, resident physician at Baltimore. Dr. Rutter, medical practitioner of Clear Creek. Dr. Thomas, resident physician of Rushville. Dr. Hummel is a practitioner of Baltimore. The difficulty the author has experienced in receiving re- sponses to inquiries, is the apology for these names not ap- pearing in the proper place. Jacob Wiest emigrated from Pennsylvania and settled in Greenfield Township, this County, in May, 1822, where he con- tinued to reside untill the time of his death, on the 24th of Nov., 1872, at the great age of 88 years, 11 months and 9 days. He was the father of twelve children, of whom four have de- ceased and eight are living. There were also living at the time of his death, 96 grand-children and 129 great grand-chil- dren. Mr. Wiest was a soldier in the war of 1812. His tomb is near Dumontsville. John Zeigler is almost the last surviver of the original settlers of Fairfield County. He settled on the place where he now resides with his son Noah, five miles north of Lancaster, among the very earliest of the settlers of the County. His age is 92 years. Benjamin Wiest, still living at the age of 70 years, was an early settler of Greenfield Township. Joseph Miesse, Sen., was among the early settlers of Green- field Township. The Miesse's of the County are his descend- ants. He died many years ago. He was the founder of Miesse's church near Dumontsville. This church is known as the "coal mine" church, from some tradition. The following names are miss-spelled in the text, but are here rendered correctly : In "grape culture," J. P. Bovring should be read F. J. Boving. In "Knights of Pythias," page 73, read John A. Heim for John A. Hern. Page 76, in "Constituent Members," the first name should be L. C. Butch instead of D. C. Butch. Also, on page 75, 2nd line from the bottom, read L. C. Butch for L. C. Butler. Wherever the name Newton Sclich occurs, it must be read Newton Schleich. The name of the pastor of the presbyterian church at Lith- opolis was given to the author as Brown, and so written on page 135, top line. The correct name is Downe. Abraham Seifert has served a^ County Recorder, Probate Judge and Member of the house of Representatives of the State Legislature. By some strange inadvertance his name appears variously spelled in the text, under the proper heads ''Adam Seifert" ; "Abram Seifert" ; "Adam Syfert." On page 144, in "Probate Judges," third line from the bot- tom, Wm. T. Rigley must be read Wm. L. Rigby. Also, on page 153, the name is spelled Bigby intead of Rigby. The spelling of names, especially those derived from foreign languages, is sometimes various. It will be found however, that with the foregoing corrections, this volume will be com- plete, and it is hoped satisfactory. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, 0. A history of Fairfield county in 1876, just sevehty-six years subsequent to its first organization, has been no easy task; first, because the pioneers have nearly all passed away; and secondly, because there are no records of much that would be requisite to make up a complete history. This is much to be regretted. So far as they coUld serve me, how- ever, 1 have collected from state histories, and from state and county records, statistical and other matter. Beyond this 1 have collected from living witnesses who have been life-long citizens of the county, so much of personal history, and inci- dent, and anecdote, together with pioneer reminiscences, as it has been possible to do. Much of this, however, as above remarked, is lost, because those who first broke the forest and planted civilization and religion in the Hocking Valley, were dead before the conception of this work by the humble writer had been formed. This occasion is taken, however, to say, that the book is presented to the public as a pretty full and, q,s is believed, an entirely correct and authentic history. Nevertheless, brevity and condensation have been observed, because the author has desired to bring the work within the financial ability of every citizen, by producing a cheap book. But readers must excuse the limits of personal history, since, to write out even brief notices of all pioneers who deserve mention, would require several volumes. Our history begins with the beginning of the white settle- ments in the Hocking Valley. Beyond that, through the ages of the unknown past, there is no vista for our eyes; nothing to count the centuries by; and imagination is content to picture an indefinite routine of years during which the awful solitude was only broken by the discordant utterances of wild beasts, and the scarcely less savage war whoop of the red man. Fancy runs wild in trying to conjecture what was 1 2 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. here before the tread of the Anglo Saxon race came, and the sound of the woodman's ax and the tinkling cow bell were heard. All is lost in oblivion. In conclusion of these opening remarks, the compiler begs leave to say, that he was born in western Ohio in the begin- ning of the present century, and has therefore been identified with the country from the time when the first log cabins were built, and the first paths were blazed through the wilderness, and has been familiar with all the transformations. He has known the country in a state of nature ; and has seen the wilderness become a garden. PRIMITIVE STATE OF THE COUNTRY. Marietta and Fort Harmer, at the mouth of the Musking- um, were the first settlements made by the white race on Ohio soil. Settlements were begun there about the year 1777, or 1778. Washington county, so named in honor of General Washington of revolutionary fame, was one of the four coun- ties into which the territory of Ohio was devided first, by proclamation of Governor Arthur St. Clair. Its boundaries extended north with the Pennsylvania line to Lake Erie, em- bracing all that part of the state known as the Western Re- serve, and extending down the lake to the mouth of the Cuyahoga river, where Cleveland now is ; thence south on a line to the Ohio river. Not long after the settlements at Marietta began, scouts from there penetrated the wilderness to the Hockhocking, and up that stream as far as where Lancaster now stands. At that time the Wyandot Indians occupied the valley of the Hocking, and held it as did all the aboriginal tribes of North America by the right of undisturbed possession for unknown ages. There were two Indian towns at that time within what is the present limits of I'airfield county. The principle one was Tarhe town, situated on the north bank of Hocking, and occupying the same grounds now owned and used by the Rail Road companies, on the south east borders of Lancaster. This town was governed by Chief Tarhe, who was said to be rather a noble Indian. The town was believed at that time to contain about five hundred inhabitants. There was an- other small village of the Wyandots' nine miles west of Tarhe HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD .COUNTY, OHIO. 3 Town, near the present site of Royaltbn. This was Toby- Town, and was governed by an inferior chief whose name was Toby. At the close of the Indian wars of the north west, a general treaty was held at Fort Greenville, the present county seat of Darke county, Ohio. In this treaty the Wyandots surrend- ered their possessions on the Hockhocking, and soon after- ward removed to the Sandusky. There were however a few of their number who for several years afterwards lingered about the country, as if unwilling to leave their old hunting grounds and the graves of their relatives. They were for the most part peaceable, and gave little trouble to the white settlements, unless where they were misused. But at last, finding the game becoming scarce, they went away and joined their friends at the north. The treaty of Greenville was signed on the 3. of August 1795. Fairfield county was first organized in 1800 by proclama- tion of Governor St. Clair. At that time it embraced nearly all of the present counties of Licking and Knox, with also ^portions of Perry, Hocking and Pickaway. Subsequently, as emigration flowed into the country, and new counties began to be formed, Fairfield was contracted to near its present outlines, and still later other portions were struck ofi' to ad- joining counties, which will be noticed in the proper place. In 1840 Fairfield county consisted of fourteen townships, viz : Amanda, Berne, Bloom, Clear Creek, Greenfield, Hock- ing, Liberty, Madison, Perry, Pleasant, Richland, Rush Creek, Violet, and Walnut. In that year the aggregate population of the county was 31,859, or 59 inhabitants to the square mile. Previous to 1820 no authorized enumerations were taken, consequently no populations can be given. In 1820 the first enumeration of the people was taken by author- ity of Congress, as a basis of representation, and thereafter at the end of each succeeding ten years. In 1820 the population of Fairfield county was 16,508; in 1880, 24,753; in 1840, 31,859; and in 1870 it was 35,456. Arthur St. Clair was appointed Governor of the territory of Ohio by General Wash- ington, then President of the United States, in 1788, and continued to fill that office until 1802, when the state was adri.itted into the union. Fairfield county was so named from the circumstance of so 4 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. many beautiful champaign fields of land lying within its original boundaries. According to the best information deriv- able from existing maps of the old surveys, made previous to the beginning of the white settlements off from the Ohio river, the county seems to ly within that tract of country once known as the purchase of the Ohio Land company ; but these maps are believed to be inaccurate, and therefore unreliable. This is a matter now however of little importance to history. FIRST SETTLEMENT. In the year 1797, one Ebenezer Zane entered into a con- tract with the government to open a road from Wheeling^ Virginia, to Limestone, Kentucky, (now Maysville) over the most eligible route, including also the establishment of three ferries, viz. one over the Muskingum, one over the Scioto, and one over the Ohio. There are different statements as to what kind of a road it was to be. By some it is said it was to be a wagon road; others, that his contract embraced nothing more than the blazing of the trees, as a guide for travellers. The former is the reasonable conclusion, and is best sustained, as the mere blazes on ranges of trees would not constitute a passable road for travel, and therefore of no use for emigra- tion. The country was at that time an unbroken wilderness the entire distance of 226 miles, and the undertaking was at once arduous and perilous, as hostile bands of Indians were still more or less roving over the country. He however suc- cessfully accomplished the work, and the route was denomin- ated Zanes' Trace, and continued to be so called for many years after the state was settled. The route of Zanes' Trace lay through where Zanesville now is, and also through Lan- caster, crossing the Hocking two or three hundred yards south of the present Chillicothe pike, and about one half mile west of the crossing of Maili and Broad streets. The compensation which Mr. Zane received for this service consisted of three several parcels, or tracts of land, patented to him by Congress, and of the dimensions of one mile square each. One of these tracts he located on the Muskingum, where Zanesville stands, and one on the Hocking, embracing the present site of Lancaster. Following is an extract from an address delivered by Gen- eral George Sanderson before the Lancaster Literary Society, HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 5 in the month of March, 1844. General Sanderson was iden- tified with the very earliest times of Fairfield county and Lancaster, having come to the settlement at the beginning of the present century, in company with his fathers' family, and continuing to be a resident of Lancaster till the close of his life, in the year 1870. His contribution to the early history of Fairfield county is therefore most valuable, as there are few, if any of the earliest pioneers left to tell of the events and times now three quarters of a century past. "In 1797, Zanes' Trace having opened a communication be- tween the Eastern States and Kentucky, many individuals in both directions wishing to better their conditions in life by emigrating and settling in the "back woods", so called, visited the Hocking Valley for that purpose and finding the country surpassingly fertile, — abounding in fine springs of pure water, they determined to make it their new home. "In April 1798, Capt. Joseph Hunter, a bold and enterpris- ing man, with his family, emigrated from Kentucky and settled on Zanes' Trace, upon the bank of the prairie west of the crossings, and about two hundred yards north of the present turnpike road, and which place was called "Hunter's settlement." — Here he cleared off the under-brush, felled the forest trees, and erected a cabin, at a time when he had not a neighbor nearer than the Muskingum and Scioto rivers. This was the commencement of the settlement in the upper Hocking Valley, and Capt. Hunter is regarded as the founder of the flourishing and populous county of Fairfield. He lived to see the country densely settled and in a high state of im- provement, and died about the year 1829. His wife was the first white woman that settled in the valley, and shared with her husband the toils, sufferings, hardships and privations incident to the formation of new settlements in the wilder- ness. During the spring of the same year, (1798) Nathaniel Wilson, the elder, John and Allen Green, and Joseph Mc- Mullen, Robert Cooper, Isaac Shseffer, and a few others, reached the valley, erected cabins and put in crops. "In 1799 the tide of emigration set in with great force. In the spring of this year, two settlements were begun in the present township of Greenfield; each settlement contained twenty or thirty families. One was the falls of Hocking, and the other was Yankeytown. Settlements were also made 6 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. along the river below Hunters, on Rush Creek, Fetters Run, Raccoon, Pleasant Run, Toby Town, Mudy Prairie, and on Clear Creek. In the fall of 1799, Joseph Loveland and Heze- kiah Smith erected a log grist mill at the upper falls of Hock- ing, now called the Rock Mill. This was the first mill built on the Hockhocking. "In April 1799, Samuel Coates, Sen., and Samuel Coates, Jun., from England, built a cabin in the prairie, at the "Crossing of Hocking"; kept bachelors hall, and raised a crop of corn. In the latter part of the year a mail route was established along Zanes' Trace from Wheeling to Limestone. The mail was carried through on horseback, and at first only once a week. Samuel Coates, Sen., was the postmaster, and kept his ofiice at the Crossing. This was the first established mail route through the interior of the territory, and Samuel Coates was the first postmaster at the new settlement. "The settlers subsisted principally on corn bread, potatoes, milk and butter, and wild meats, flour, tea, and cofiiee were scarcely to be had, and when brought to the country, such prices were asked as to put it out of the power of many to purchase. Salt was an indispensable article, and cost, at the Scioto salt works, S5.00 for fifty pounds; flour cost $16.00 per barrel; tea $2.50 per pound; coflee fl.50; spice and pepper $1.00 per pound." Such was the beginning of the 'settlements in the Hocking Valley, where Fairfield county is situated, coeval with the commencement of the nineteenth century. ' It is proper to pause here and speak of the beginning of Lancaster, before further developing our history, because Lancaster was laid out before the county of Fairfield was declared, and two years previous to the adoption of the conctitution of the state of Ohio. LANCASTER. Ebenezer Zane was the original proprietor of the town. It will be remembered that he was already the owner of one section of land at the crossing of Hocking. Upon that tract Lancaster now stands. In the fall of 1800, Mr. Zane laid out and sold the first lots. The rates ranged from $5.00 to 150.00 a lot, according to location. A large proportion of the first settlers of Lancaster were mechanics, who erected cabins HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 7 with little delay, finding the materials mainly on their lots. To encourage emigration, Mr. Zane gave a few lots to such mechanics as would agree to build cabins on them and go to ■work at their respective trades ; and it is said, that the work of organization went on so rapidly, that by the spring of 1801 the streets and alleys in the central part of the town assumed the shape they still retain. "New Lancaster" was the name first given to the place, in compliment to emigrants from Lancaster, Pa., who made up a considerable proportion of the first settlers. The name however was changed by the Legis- lature in 1805, to Lancaster, Ohio, to avoid confusion in ihe postal service. The title. New Lancaster, nevertheless con- tinued to be used for more than twenty years afterwards. We continue quotations from General Sanderson's address. "About this time merchants and professional men made their appearance. The Reverend John Wright, of the Pres- byterian church, settled in Lancaster in 1801 ; and the Rev. Asa Shin, and the Rev. James Quinn, of the Methodist church, traveled the Fairfield circuit very early. "Shortly after the settlement, and while the stumps re- mained in the streets, a small portion of the settlers indulged in drinking frolicks, ending frequently in fights. In the absence of law, the better disposed part of the population determined to stop the growing evil. They accordingly met, and resolved, that any person of the town found intoxicated, should, for every such offence, dig a stump out of the streets, or sufier personal chastisement. The result was, that after several offenders had expiated their crimes, dram drinking ceased, and for a time all became a sober, temperate and happy people. "On the 9. of December, 1800, the Governor and council of the North Western territory organized the county of Fair- field, and designated New Lancaster as the seat of justice. The county then embraced within its limits all, or nearly all, of present counties of Licking and Knox, a large portion of Perry, and small parts of Pickaway and Hocking counties." FIRST BORN. It has been a subject of some discussion of late years, as to ■who was the first born white male child within the borders of Fairfield county. In Howe's history of Ohio, published in 8 HISTOKY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 1848, he says, that Buhama Green (Builderback) gave birth to the first boy. This is beyond question an error. It has commonly been understood about Lancaster, that the late Hocking H. Hunter of Lancaster, son of Capt. Joseph Hun- ter, first emigrant, was the first born. This however is con- tested. Mr. Levi Stuart, now a citizen of Lancaster, whose father was among the first settlers at Yankeytown, in conver- sation with the writer, recently, said it was understood between him and Mr. Hunter, that he, Mr. Stuart, was thir- teen months the oldest. And I have been told there is a fourth contestant on Clear Creek. We will not try to settle the question, since it is of small importance in history. Mrs. Buhama Green, as Mrs. Builderback, has a tragic history that deserves full mention, as she was not only a pioneer, but long and well known, she having lived in the same neighborhood where she first settled, three miles west of Lancaster, about fourty-four j'ears, or until the close of her life, which took place in 1842, at a very advanced age. Fol- lowing is a transcription of the tragic part of her life from the pen of Colonel John McDonald, of Ross county. It is prob- ably the fullest and most authentic account of any written. "Mrs. Buhama Green was born and raised in Jefferson county, Virp-inia. In 1785 she was married to Charles Buil- derback, and with him crossed the mountains and settled at the mouth of Short Creek, on the east bank of the Ohio river, a few miles above Wheeling. Her husband, a brave man, had on many occasions distinguished himself in repelling the Indians, who had often felt the sure aim of his unerring rifle. They therefore determined at all hazards to kill him. "On a beautiful summer morning in June, 1789, at a time when it was thought the enemy had abandoned the western shores of the Ohio, Captain Charles Builderback and his wife, and brother Jacob Builderback, crossed the Ohio to look after some cattle. On reaching the shore, a party of fifteen or twenty Indians rushed out from an ambush and fired upon them, wounding Jacob in the shoulder. Charles was taken while running to escape. In the meantime Mrs. Builderback secreted herself in some drift wood near the bank of the river. As soon as the Indians had secured and tied her husband, and not being able to discover her hiding place, they com- pelled him, with threats of immediate death, to call her to mSTOUY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 9 him. With a hope of appeasing their fury, he did so. She heard him, but made no answer. "Here," to use her own ■words, "a struggle took place in my own breast which I can- not describe. Shall I go to him and become a prisoner; or shall I remain ; return to our cabin, and provide for and take care of our two children ?" He shouted to her a second time to come to him, saying, that if she did it might be the means of saving his life. She no longer hesitated, left her place of safety, and surrendered herself to his savage captors. All this took place in full view of their cabin on the opposite shore of the river, and where they had left their two children, one a son about three years of age, and an infant daughter. The Indians knowing that they would be pursued as soon as the news of their visit reached the stockade at Wheeling, commenced their retreat. Mrs. Builderback and her hus- band traveled together that day and the following night. The next morning the Indians separated into two bands, one taking Builderback, and the other his wife, and continued a western course by different routes. "In a few days the band having Mrs. Builderback in charge reached the Tuscarawas river, where they encamped, and were soon rejoined by the band that had taken her hus- band. Here the murdsrers exhibited his scalp on the top of a pole, and to convince her that they had killed him, pulled it down and threw it in her lap. She recognized it at once by the redness of his hair. She said nothing, and uttered no complaint. It was evening, and her ears were pained with the terrific yells of the savages, and wearied by constant travel- ing, she reclined against a tree and fell into a profound sleep, and forgot all her sufferings until morning. When she awoke, the scalp of her murdered husband was gone, and she never learned what became of it. "As soon as the capture of Builderback was known at Wheeling, a party of scouts set off in pursuit, and taking the trail of one of the bands, followed it until they found the body. He had been tomahawked and scalped, and appar- ently suffered a lingering death. "The Indians, on reaching their towns on the Little Miami, adopted Mrs. Builderback into a family, with whom she lived until released from captivity. She remained a prisoner about nine months, performing the labor and drudgery of squaws, 10 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. such as carrying in meat from the hunting grounds, prepar- ing and drying it, making moccasins, legings, and other cloathing for the family in which she lived. After her adop- tion she suifered much from the rough and filthy manner of Indian living, but had no cause of complaint of ill treat- ment otherwise. "In a few months after her capture some friendly Indians informed the commandant of Fort Washington that there was a white woman in captivity at Miamitown. She was ran- somed and brought into the fort, and was sent up the river to her lonely cabin, and the embrace of her two orphan children. "In 1796 Mrs. Builderback married John Green, and in 1798 they emigrated to the Hocking Valley, and settled about three miles west of Lancaster, where she continued to reside until the time of her death in 1842. She survived her last husband about ten years." Note: — Ctiarles Builderback, the first husband of Mrs. Green, had commanded a company at Crawford's defeat in the Sandusky country. He was a large, noble looking man, and a bold and intrepid warrior. He was in the bloody Moravian campaign, and took his share in the tragedy by shedding the first blood on that occasion, when he shot, toma- hawked and scalped Shebosh, a Moravian chief. But retributive justice was meeted to him. After being taken prisoner, the Indians asked his name; "Charles Builderback", he replied, after some little pause. At this revelation the Indians stared at each other with malignant 'riumph. "Ha", said they; "you kill many big Indian; you big captain; you kill Moravians". From that moment, perhaps, his fate was sealed. — Howes, Ohio. MOUNT PLEASANT. Mount Pleasant, situated one mile due north of the cross- ing of Main and Broad streets, in Lancaster, is a historic point of some interest. Its summit is two hundred and fifty feet above the table lands below. The area of its top is about two acres. The main approach to the summit is from the east, by gradual ascent, though there are other points of ascent. Its face presenting south is a perpendicular ledge of sandstone, of the white variety. From its summit the Hocking Valley can be seen for many miles in both direc- tions; and the state reform farm is parily visible, six miles to the southwest. By the Indians it was called the "Stand- ing Stone". Since the settlement of the country by the white HISTORY OF FAIEFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 11 race, it has undergone considerable transformation. Much of the dense and thick forest has been cut away, and the wild romance of the spot greatly despoiled. Mount Pleasant has always been a favorite resort for citizens as well as strangers. There are few strangers who visit Lancaster who do not ascend to the top of the standing stone. The Duke of Sax- ony, who visited this country many years since, climbed up and chiseled his name in the sandstone, which has been read by thousands, and still remains legible. I believe his visit was in 1828. In the first few years after the settlements began. Mount Pleasant was notorious for the large numbers of mountain rattlesnake which burrowed in its fissures. The settlers determined to destroy them, as far as possible, and for this purpose they made several raids on their snakeships at the early spring seasons when they were known to first emerge from their winter quarters, destroying many hundreds of them. They are probably now entirely extinct, as not one of their tribe has been seen there for more than a third of a century. GROWTH OF LANCASTER. My history of Fairfield county must necessarily be frag- mentary and miscellaneous. There is no written history; at least no complete history; which is very much to be regretted. Beyond what is to be found in the histories of Ohio, and the decennial government census, all else is to be sought for in the state and county records, and the statements of the recollec- tions of such living persons as have survived the pioneer age, and have resided in the county from fifty to seventy years. The labor of searching the records running through so many j'ears, and so many ponderous volumes, it will be seen at once is both tedious and arduous. Nevertheless, all that it is essential to know and preserve will at last be found in these pages, and is here placed under appropriate headings, which renders the items of quick and easy access. In tracing the progress of Lancaster therefore from its first rudimental log cabin beginning in the woods, through the seventy-six years of its existence, every department of inform- ation has been thoroughly canvassed and placed under specific head lines, at least so far as the sourees of knowledge exist at 12 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. this late day. The same care has likewise heen observed' ■with reference to the townships, respectively, and villages and settlements, tlius rendering the book a safe and satis- factory reference to the future historian. The work is all put down in the miscellaneous order I have been able to exhume it from the debris of the fast receding past. And while in the following pages I have mentioned first settlers, and prominent citizens, I have carefully and scrupulously escued fulsome flattery. The pioneers of Fairfield county deserve enduring remembrance, and in the course of this work their names are nearly all written. They have all passed away. Let us venerate their noble self-sacrifice that has given us our land of plenty and enjoyment. FIRST MAILS AND POSTAGE RATES. In the latter part of the year 1799, and about two years after the opening of Zanes' Trace, a mail route was esta- blished from Wheeling, Va., to Limestone (Maysville), Ky., which was the first ever carried through the interior of the territory of Ohio. A postoffice wag established at Lancaster, or rather where Lancaster now is, for the town had not yet been laid out, and there were but a few families of emigrants in the Valley. The mail was carried through on horseback once a week, each way, over Zanes' Trace, the whole distance being 226 miles through an almost entirely unbroken wilder- ness. The line was devided into three routes. The first was from Wheeling to Zanesville, or rather to the Muskingum ; the second from the Muskingum to the Scioto ; and the third from the Scioto to the Ohio, or to Limestone. The late Gen- eral George Sanderson, then a small lad. was for a time mail carrier between the Muskingum and Scioto, — a distance of about seventy-six miles. The condition of the roads, and the facilities for travel were such, that to make the connections in some instances a large portion of the way had to be passed over in the night, which, through the dark and unbroken forests, was no enviable task, especially for a young boy. The first postmaster was Samuel Coates, Sen., an English- man before referred to, and he kept his office at first at his cabin at the crossing of Hocking, but subsequently, after Lancaster began to grow, he removed it to a cabin on the south side of the present Wheeling Street, on the same spot HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 13 ■where James V. Kenney now resides. Mr. Coates held the office for a time, and was succeeded by his son, Samuel Coates, Jun. The succession of postmasters from Mr. Coates, Sen., up to the year 1876, here follows, for which I am indebted to James Miers, who has resided in Lancaster all his life. Samuel Coates (1799), Samuel Coates, Jun., Jacob D. Det- rich, Elenathan Scofield, Henry Drum, Thomas U. White, Daniel Sifford, Henry Miers, James Cranmer, John C. Castle, Benjamin Connell, John L. Tuthill, C. M. L. Wise- man, Melanchthon Sutphen (1876). The present will be the proper place to say what is neces- sary to be said of the postal service, and postal rates, at that early day. Tlie mails were at first entirely carried on horse- back, and continued to be until the country became sufficiently developed to introduce post coaches. The "mail boys" carried with them small tin horns, and sometimes long tin trumpets, a blast on which heralded their approach to the post offices. In some instances the carriers acquired the art of blowing respectable tunes on the long tin trumpets. They were denominated the "post boys horn", and the sound awakened a lively feeling of cheer as far as they could be heard. They were to the inhabitants then what the rail road whistle is to-day, only far more joyful. They were likewise carried by coach drivers for some time after the introduction of that service. The rates of postage were very different formerly from what they are now. The price for carrying letters was fixed in accordance witn the distance they had to go. Weight was not regarded. Thus, a single letter was, for fifty miles and under, 6| cents. Over fifty miles and under one hundred and fifty, 12^ cents. Between one hundred and fifty and three hundred miles, 18f ; and over three hundred miles, to any point within the United States, 25 cents. Two sheets folded into the same was treated as a double letter, and double rates charged ; at least this was the law for a time. Subsequently, and before the introduction of the three cent rate, as at present, there was for some time a ten cent and a five cent rate. I do not remember the dates.— Postage was not, under the old rates, required to be paid in advance, and seldom was so paid; but if prepaid, the word "paid" was written on the outside of the letter by the postmaster, usually 14 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. at one corner. In like manner the price of the letter ■\vas written in figures; thus, 61; 12J; 18|; or 25; and these rates, if the word "paid" did not appear on the outside, were to be paid by the parties to whom the letters were addressed. The change then in use was silver coin, of the denominations of 6J cents (fippenny bit); 12J cents (ninepence); 23 cents, and half dollars. Thus, if the price of a letter were 18f cents, you gave the postmaster a quarter, and he gave you back a fippenny bit, and so on. Letters were written on three pages of the sheet, the fourth being left blank, and then so Jolded as to allow the blank page to form the whole outside of the letter, upon which the address was written. There are few persons now living of forty years and under, who could fold up a letter in the old style. Letters were sealed with sealing wax in the form of wafers, mostly red wax, though black and blue were sometimes used. Wafers put up in small boxes formed a considerable article of commerce, and were for sale at every store and grocery. They are now nowhere to be found. It was customary then for persons to carry seals with which to stamp the wafers which were first softened by moistening them with the tongue. And these seals might be the initials of the name, or any figure fancied. The introduction of letter envelopes took place previous to 1840, and cheap postal stamps about 1848, as my recollection has it. The growth of Lancaster, from the time the first trees were cut down and the first log cabin built, in the year 1800, up to 1876, cannot be minutely and specifically traced, year by year, nor would it be of importance to do so, so far as the present actors on the stage of life are concerned. The former inhab- itants did their work, and passed away. The present will soon be gone, and scarcely remembered. The first settlers are all dead, and there is little of the work of their hands visible — nothing, beyond a few writings, and possibly a few log struc- tures, mostly closed in and hidden from view. The original log structures have every one disappeared, and everything else constructed of wood by the original settlers. One can scarcely find so much as a stone laid, or bearing the impress of first hands. A few moss covered gravestones in the old cemeteries tell where some of the pioneers were laid — tell when born and when died, and that is all. Nobody can tell how HISTORY OP FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 15 they looked, or how they spoke. It is as if they had never lived. What is it to the present surging throng how they lived, and joyed, and sorrowed, and loved, and hated, and suf- fered, and died ? Who feels one stirring emotion for the hon- ored dead? There is not one to weep for them ; and not one will weep for us "a hundred years to come." "But other men our streets will fill; and other men our lands will till; a hundred years to come." Thus does man and all his works perish. Gould we interview these veteran dead, volumes that is forever lost, that we might have saved, could be placed on paper. But there are none, not one to tell the story. Some of their descendants are alive, but they cannot tell the tales of their sires. They could tell us whence they came, where they settled, and when they died, and there the curtain would drop. It cannot be determined now, with few excep- tions, where the original settlers built their first cabins, at least not the exact spot ; so much has the onward march of time transformed the face of things. All has drifted into the dim and dimming past twilight. It is said, in a general way, that a great many of the first inhabitants were mechanics, but who were they? what branches did they follow? what was their personal appearance? how did they succeed? were they good men and women? and did they live exemplary lives? We can occasionally hear it said, that seventy years ago such a man was a blacksmith in Lancaster, or in Fairfield county, and some one was a shoemaker, and one was a lawyer, and some others kept tavern. Well, they are all gone, and their houses are gone, and everything that belonged to them. Of all these mechanics, and all that did the drudgery and bore the heavy burdens, not one word is written. There are no means of knowing anything about them. Only the few individuals we can say much about; but so far as data can be found, every original settler of Fairfield county will be mentioned. In a general way it will suffice to say, that Lancaster is one of those inlmd towns of Ohio whose growth has been slow, persistant and uniform. It has been a matter of some sur- prise that Lancaster has not become a leading town of the State in manufacturing, possessing as it does local advantages and facilities nowhere surpassed, and seldom equaled by any county seat of Ohio. Why capital has not sought this as a place of investment in preference to other places with fewer 16 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. facilities, cannot be told, and we make no attempt at expkna- tion. To say it has been a lack of enterprise on the part of the citizens, would scarcely be true. Capital, to a large ex- tent, has not found its way here, and there we leave the matter. THE BAR OF LANCASTER. In 1839, when the writer settled in Lancaster, he was told that it had the strongest bar in the State, so far as legal abil- ity was concerned. Of this there was probably no doubt. At that time Hon. Thomas Ewing was at the zenith of his legal career. There were also residing in the place, John T. Brazee, Hocking H. Hunter, William Irvin, Henry Stanbery, Wm. J. Reece, William Medill and P. Van Trump, with a few of less distinction. MEDICAL PROFESSION. In like manner it was claimed, that at that time Lancaster had the right to boast of a highly eminent board of practicing physicians. Following are the names of the principal men who were'practicing in the place at that time: Paul Carpenter, J. M. Bigelow, James White, M. Z. Kreider, Dr. Wait, George Boerst- ler. Dr. Saxe, and Thomas 0. Edwards. Of these only two are living, viz.: Paul Carpenter, still remaining in Lancaster, and Dr. Bigelow, at Detroit. I am unable now to give the names of all other physicians then practicing in the county. I can however recall the names of Dr. Ide of Rushville, Dr. Daugherty of Amanda, Dr. Evans of Bremen, Dr. Paul of Royalton, Dr. Minor of Lithopolis, Drs. Helmich and Gohe- gan of Baltimore, Dr. Brock of New Salem, Dr. Talbeit of Jefferson, Dr. Turner of Rushville, and a few others. The dry goods merchants then doing business in Lancaster, were, Ainsworth and Willock, Reber and Kiitz, Myers Fall and Collins, Levi Anderson, Lobenthal and Reindmond, Rochol, Neigh and Culbertson, Samuel F. McCracken and Alfred Fahnastock. There were then two hardware stores; Bope and Weaver, and the proprietors of the other I do not now recall. The tailors were, Isaac Comer, and ^mith and Tong. Robert Reed and Joseph Work, Sen., and Joseph Work, Jun., carried on the shoemaking business. There were HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 17 two tin and stove establishments, viz : Connell & Work, Mr. Bliss. Smith & Arney, and Gilbert Devol were in the iron foundry business ; and George Ring was the proprietor of the \yoolen Factory at the south end of Broadway. The principal hotels were the Phojnix, now the Talmadge House, the Shaeffer House, and the Swan Hotel. The Phcenix was kept by G. Steinman; the Shaeffer House' by F. A' Shaeffer; and the Swan by Mr. Overhalser. The Shaefifer House has been changed into a business house, the ^first floor of which is G. Beck's Drug Store. William E. Williams at that time kept a small hotel, known as the Broadway House ; and there were two small inns on Columbus street, kept by two men by the name of Myers. In 1839 there were two Drug Stores in Lancaster— one kept by George Kauffman, and the other by Bury & Beck. The former is now continued by Dr. Davidson, and the latter by Beecher White. William Bodenheimer and George W. Claspill were gunsmiths, the for- mer also a manufacturer of spinning-wheels. Mr. Bodenheimer has deceased, and Mr. Claspill has discontinued the business. The canal mill was then in operation, and was owned, I believe, by John T. Brazee and George Kauffman. There were two tan-yards — James M. Pratt owned one of .them, and Gideon Peters the other. David Foster was the chair-maker of the place, and is still, in connection with his son, carrying on the business at his old stand at the corner of Wheeling and Co- lumbus Streets. Luman Baker and Henry Shultz were cabinet- makers ; and Henry Orman and Mr. Vorys were the principal builders. These were the principal industries of Lancaster in 1839, though there were others on a small scale, such as weavers, coopers, and the like, which I cannot take space to particularize. I must not, however, omit to mention Hunter and Edingfield, and Adam and Jacob Guseman, blacksnriths. Groceries and saloons, as such, were almost unknown; groceries were principally sold at the dry goods stores, and drinking was principally done at the taverns. There was not then a shoe and boot-store, or a merchant-tailor in the place ; cloth was purchased at the stores, and made to order by the tailors. This was a little less than forty years ago; and when Lancaster is written as it is now, in 1876, the difference will appear. 18 HISTOEY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. COMMERCE OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY. In 1839, when the writer's acquaintance with 'the county began, the Hocking Valley canal was the commercial thoroughfare. There were fronting on its eastern bank as it passes along the western border of Lancaster, some nine or ten warehouses, thronged with goods and produce the year round. Through them passed the entire surplus wheat crop of the county, as well as the merchandise for all the stores of Lancas- ter and the villages of the county. To handle this large amount of freight required a great many clerks and hands. In addition, a great number of teams were in constant demand to bring in the produce from all patts of the county, and to wheel away the merchandise to its destinations. The days of wagoning goods across the mountains in four and six-horse wagons were past, the canal being the Eureka of transporta- tion. The wheat trade alone of Lancaster, at that time, was immense. On a single day, in the month of September, the writer counted one hundred and twentj'-five wagons pass down the hill on Main street, freighted with wheat for the mills and warehouses on the canal. This was about the year 1846. The canal was at that time, during most of the navigable months, lined from end to end with boats passing both ways, and freighted with goods and produce, as well as coal from the Hocking mines, which were chiefly developed after the open- ing of the canal, three or four years before. Following the same line of history very briefly, we will see what Lancaster is in 1876, thirty-seven years later. The leap is wonderful — so wonderful that if one, after having become familiar with the place and its business in 1839 and 1845, could have closed his eyes and remained oblivious to passing events until the present year, he could find no recognition of either persons or things. In the first place, he would scarcely recognize a building in the place, if the old market-house and the residence of Samuel Rudolph on Wheeling street be excepted. The few remaining citizens he would at last recognize would be so changed as to appear somebody else. More than a full generation have been born and died within the time. He would not hear a song sung he heard then, scarcely a tune. If he should enter a Methodist class-meeting, he would not hear a familiar voice or see a familiar face, and HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 19 all the congregations of the place would be new congregations to him; new scenes would meet his eyes on every hand, and new strains fall upon his ears ; he would not find a single mer- chant on the streets he left there, except Joseph Reindmond and John Reeber. Of mechanics left, Robert Reed and John Pierce, shoemakers ; David Foster, chair-maker; Jacob Guse- man and Stephen Smith, blacksmiths; and Henry Orman, car- penter, only remain, so far as the writer remembers. Of phy- sicians, onlj' Dr. Carpenter remains ; and of the bar, not one, and only two of them are living — John T. Brazee, near Lancas- ter, and Henry Stanberry, now residing in Kentucky. Judge Whitman and Wm. Slade are living away from here, but neither of them were in Lancaster in 1839. The Arney and Devol foundries have been turned into machine-shops ; and if the returned citizen, after nearly forty years' absence, should take a stroll along the canal, instead of beholding eight or ten warehouses teeming with life and business, he would not see one that deserved the name, and only now and then a solitary boat laden with coal. The warehouses have been converted to other uses. This change in the commercial affairs of Lancas- ter has been brought about by the two railroads passing 4ih rough. In August, 1876, five dry goods stores could be found, and all situated on the north side of Main street, and on the same square, viz. : betrveen Broad and Columbus streets, as follows : Reeber and Ulrich, Charles Kutz, Beck Brothers, Wren Brothers, and Philip Rising. Four clothing stores, viz. : Peters &. Trout, Rising, Siple & Miller, Jacob Hite, and Moses Levi. Seven drug stores, owned by George Beck & Son, A. David- son, Beecher White, Daniel SifFord, Richey & Giesy, Mr. Wetzler, and Crider Brothers. Five shoe and boot-stores, namely: Robert Reed, James Work & Brother, Myers & Getz, Richards & Webb, and Showers Brothers. Two hard- ware stores: Wm. McCracken,and Hanson & Company. Three tin and stove establishments: James McMacmanama, Stur- geon Brothers, and . Three banks, viz. : First National Bank, Hocking Valley National Bank-, and Fairiield County Bank. One wholesale grocery and some dozen or more retail family groceries and provision stores. ' Five bakeries, as fol- lows: A. Bauman, Sleekman & Huffman, Klinge, Blank and Sliker. Five dentists, viz. : H. Seott, H. L. Creider, Doctor 20 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. Von Bonhorst, Dr. Palmeter, and J. C. Scott. Four livery-sta- bles, as follows: Christian Rudolph, Thomas Henderson, Johnson & Straley, and Alex. Cunningham. Two furniture dealers : Stroblt; & Bledsicker, and Williams & Wiley. Three jewelers : L. Butch, Sieber & Co., and Frank Blaire. Three book stores : John L. Tuhill & Son, A. Branemen, and Wyn- koop. One queensware store, by Wm. Stuart. The following are the pracMcing physicians of Lancaster in 1876: M. Effinger, Dr. Turner, Dr. Jackson, Dr. Lewis, Dr. Flowers, Dr. Harmon, Dr. Chas. Shawk, Dr. Geo. Boerstler, Dr. Goss, Dr. Meisey, Dr. P. Carpenter, and Dr. Long & Son. The practicing attorneys in the same year are : J. M. Council, C. D. Martin, John S. Brazee, John Reves, Samuel Kistler, Clay Drinkle, Charles Drinkle, C. F. Shajffer, Wm. Davidson, Reese Eversole, Kinnis Fritter, Mr. Dolson, Mr. Hite, John McNeal, and Wm. Shultz. Builders and lumber dealers: Or- man Brothers, Vorys Brothers, Denton & Sons, and others. Coal dealers: J.V.Kinney, H.Carter, and others. Agricultural works : Hocking Valley Works, Theodore Mithoff & Co., Eagle Works, Whyly Brothers & Eckert. Woolen factory : McAnasby & Co. Hotels at present are : Talmadge House, Mithofif House, Bauman House, Wetzel House, Columbus Street House and the Broadway Hotel. There are three marble-monument shops, as follows : Mr. Blum, Mr. Findley, Pool & Co. Here are also the machine-shops of the Cincinnati & Muskingum Valley Railroad. There are likewise three carriage and buggy establishments, run by Sears & Mahoney, Shutt Brothers, and Geiser Brothers. All minor mechanical arts are respectably represented in the place. ENTERPRISE. Lancaster has not been characterized for bold enterprise and adventure. For the most part, its citizens have been of the conservative style — content to pursue a legitimate busi- ness with gradual growth. An unusual proportion of its citi- zens are freeholders, and reside under their own roofs, the pro- portion of renters being less than in most similar towns. The financial and judicial management of its affairs has, for the most part, been judiciously managed. The Municipal Officers are : One Mayor, one Marshal, a Clerk, Solicitor, City Sur- HISTORY OF. FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 21 veyor and ten Councilmen. I find but little recorded of the municipal afiairs of the town previous to 1831, at which time a special act of incorporation was passed. INCORPORATION. In the year 1831, Lancaster became an incorporated village, by enactment of the Legislature of the State. During the twenty years that elapsed between that and 1851, when Lan- caster became a city of the third class, I have only been able to learn the name of one of its Mayors. John Garaghty, Esq., now a resident of the State of Iowa, was Mayor two years, about 1848 and 1849. Here follow the succession of Mayors from 1851, in the order of their election, in all eight : Wm. P. Cried, 1851-1853 ; John D. Martin, 1853 to 1855 ; Gilas Hedges, 1855 to 1857 ; Al- fred McVeigh, 1857 to 1859; Kinis Fritter, 1859 to 1863; Sam- uel Ewing, 1863 to 1867 ; Tallman Slough, 1867 to 1875 ; and in April, 1875, Philip Benadum, the present incumbent, was elected. Note. — I find some difficulty I at first scarcely anticipated. The oldest persons now living in Fairfield County, and who have spent their lives here, difier more or less in their recol- lections of dates and incidents. Therefore, in matters not of record, discrepancies arise. I have been obliged to leave out much that I would have been glad to insert, through fear of in- accuracy. But this will not materially interfere with the gen- eral tenor of the work. MISCELLANEOUS. The thread of narration is here interrupted for a time, by the introduction of reference to relics of the olden-time. A legit- imate part of the history of country and age is literature, manners and customs, religion and social habits. In writing up Fairfield County, therefore, the work would be incomplete so far aS a transcript of the times of sixty and seventy years ago is concerned, if the relics of that pioneer age be not brought forward. The people are gone, and their works are gone; and it is the same to the present age as if they had not lived at aU. All that surging throng have faded from the 22 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. canvas, but their progeny live, and their virtues, examples, patriotism and good deeds never die, though the actors pass away forever and are entirely forgotten. The present inhab- itants of Fairfield County, descendants of the pioneers, can never have any conception of that frontier age. Written words cannot convey the conception. It was a heroism to sever from friends and neighbors and cherished association in the older States beyond the mountains, and travel hundreds of miles into the wilderness to take the chances of a precarious living — to encounter wild beasts and savage man, and the pes- tilential malaria, and to petition the forests and the virgin soil for bread and raiment — to be content with a square log- pen, covered with clapboards, amidst wild forest scenes. But all this was only a part of the sacrifice. To find a subsistence; the forests had to be cleared away, and the timber burned, and a few acres inclosed with rail-fences, and then the- soil broken and the seeds deposited, and left to the chances of the inclem- ent seasons and the depredations of animals. If the season failed, or beasts destroyed, there was little left for man ; and this was a common occurrence. But few who read these pages will have an experimental knowledge of frontier life, and even they will have last much of its recollection. Pioneer life here was pioneer life in all the West at the same age. But the settlements, coming as they did from different circumstances of life, and bringing with them their religions and social hab- its at home, came soon, by the force and necessities of new and strange circumstances, to form new social relations. Mutual dependencies and mutual aid became the web and woof of the new settlements. But how they did, how they appeared, their sports and pastimes, the songs they sung, their melodies, all that belonged to the log-cabin age died with the actors, and now live only in tradition or written history. Their narration stirs no heart, except that heart which has before had its chords struck with the living realities. Still, there are those yet on the stage who will be thrilled with some reminis- cences that follow. The songs, and stanzas, and choruses, and plays of fresh young life sixty years ago are yet dear to those who once participated in them. Those were days of inno- cence and sincere friendship and rational enjoyment. Imag- ination will group around the aged, dear friends and loved as- sociations long since fled, capable, by their recollection, of HISTORY OP PAIRPIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 23 making in the bereaved heart yet beating, a little heaven on earth. I love to believe it is a foregleam of the blessed im- mortality that awaits us all beyond the confines of time and sense here below. Faith pictures the family-circle re-forming on the thither bank of the poetic stream of death, and await- ing our co.ning. These are hallowed and thrilling remem- brances, that, cherished, make us better and happier men and women. I am happy while I call them up. I lived through back-woods life, and here reproduce from memory a few of the old stanzas and choruses that were sung by religious people everywhere in the West sixty years ago : " Jesus, the vision of thy face Hath overpowering charms ; Scarce shall I feel death's cold embrace, If Christ be in my arms. Then while you hear my heart-string break, How sweet my moments roll ! A mortal paleness on my cheek, And glory in my soul." " Farewell, dear friends, I must be gone, I have no home or stay with you ; I'll take my staff and travel on, Till I a better world do view. Farewell, farewell, farewell. My loving friends, farewelL" " Sweet rivers of redeeming love Lie just before mine eyes^ Had I the pinions of a dove, I'd to those rivers fly. I'd rise superior to my pains, With joy loutstrip the wind ; rd cross bold, Jordan's stormy main, And leave this worLd'behind" " Hear the royal proclamation. The gJ»d tidings of salvation 4 Published to every creature. To the ruined sons of nature. Jesus reigns, he reigns victorious ; Over heaven and earth most glorious." 24 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. " There is a land of pleasure, Where streams of joy forever roll ; 'Tis there I have my treasure, And there I long to rest my soul. Long darkness dwelt around me. With scarcely once a cheering ray ; But since my Savior found me, A lamp has shown along my way." '* I'm glad that I was born to die ; From grief and woe my soul shall fly ; Bright angels shall convey me home, Away to the New Jerusalem." " There is a heaven o'er yonder skies, A heaven where pleasure never dies j A heaven I sometimes long to see. But fear again 'tis not for me. But Jesus, Jesus is my friend, O, hallelujah ; ' Hallelujah ; Jesus, Jesus is my friend." " Brethren, hear the martial sound, The gospel trumpet now is blowing ; Men in order listing round. And soldiers to the standard flowing. Bounties ofiered : joy and peace — To every soldier this is given, When from toil and war they cease, A mansion bright prepared in heaven." " What happy children who follow Jesus, Into the house of prayer and praise ; And join in union, while love increases, Resolved this way to spend our days. Although we're hated by the world and Satan, By the flesh, and such as know not God, Yet happy moments and joyful seasons We ofttimes findon Canaan's road." " The people called Christians have many things to tell, About the land of Canaan, where saints and angels dwell • But Sin, that dreadful ocean, compasses them around. While its tide still divixies them from Canaan's happy ground." HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.- 25 " Saw ye my Savior ! saw ye my Savior ! Saw ye my Savior and God ? O he died on Calvary, to atone for you and me, And to purchase our pardon he bled." " From the regions of love, lo an angel descended. And told the strange news, how the babe was attended ; Go, shepherds, and worship this wonderful stranger ; See yonder bright star, there's your God in a manger. Hallelujah to the lamb, who has purchased our pardon. We'll praise him again when we pass over Jordan.'' " O thou in whose presence My soul takes delight, On whom in afSiction I call ; My comfort by day, And my song in the night. My hope, my salvation, my all." " Farewell, my friends, I must be gone, I have no home or stay with you ; I'll take my staff and travel on, Till I a better world do view." " The wondrous love of Jesus, From doubts and fears it frees us. With pitying eyes he sees us, A toiling here below ; Through tribulation driven, We'll force our way to heaven ; Through consolation given. Rejoicing on we'll go." " O Jesus, my Savior, I know thou art mine ; For thee all the pleasures of earth I resign ; Thou art my rich treasure, my joy and ray love. Nothing richer possessed by the angels above." " Ye weary, heavy-laden ^ouls, Who are oppressed sore. Ye trav'lers through the wilderness, To Canaan's peaceful shore : Through chilling winds and beating rain. The waters deep and cold. And enemies surrounding you, Take courage and be bold." 26 HISTORY OT FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. " Come, my soul, and let us try, For a little season. Every burden to lay by, Come, and let us reason. What is this that casts you down ? Who are those that grieve you ? Speak, and let the worst be known, , Speaking may relieve you." " The gospel's joyful sound Is music in my ears ; In Jesus I have found Relief from all my fears ; Darkness to light does now give place. And all things wear another face." " Begone, unbelief, my Savior is near. And for my relief will surely appear ; By prayer let me wrestle, and he will perform ; With Christ in the vessel, I smile at the storm." "Drooping soul no longer grieve ; ' Heaven is propitious ; If on Christ you do believe, You will find him precious." "Don't you see my Jesus coming, Don't you see him in yonder cloud, With ten thousand angels around him. See how they do my Jesus crowd ; I'll arise and go and meet him ; He'll embrace me in his arms ; In the arms of my dear Jesus, O there is ten thousand charms." "Savior, visit thy plantation; Grant us. Lord, a gracious reign ; All will come to desolation,- Unless thou return again. Lord revive us. All our help must come from thee." " Hail the blest morn when the Great Mediator, Down from the regions of glory descend ; Shepherds, go worship the babe in the manger, HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 27 Lo ! for your guide the bright angels attend. Brightest and best of the sons of the morning, Dawn on our darkness and lend us thine aid ; Star in the East the horizon adorning, Guide where the infant Redeemer was laid." CHORUSES. " Ho every one that thirsts. Come ye to the waters ; Freely drink and quench your thirst, As Zion's sons and daughters.'' " We'll walk about Jerusalem ; We'll walk about Jerusalem ; We'll walk about Jerusalem, When we arrive at home." " And I'll sing hallelujah, And glory be to God on high, And we'll all sing hallelujah. There's glory beaming through the sky." ' For the good old way is the righteous way. And we'll march along in the good old way." " Hallelujah, hallelujah, We are on our journey home." "Well-beloved blessed Savior, Well-beloved priest and king. Glory be to the lamb that was slain, For us he did salvation bring." "Glory, honor, praise and power. Be unto the Lamb forever ; Jesius Christ is our Redeemer, Hallelujah, praise the Lord." " Palms of victory, crowns of glory, Palms of victory you shall wear ; Shout! O glory, O glory. Palms of victory you shall wear." 28 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. " O sweet heaven, O sweet heaven, How I long to be with thee." " My dying day is rolling around, My dying day is rolling around, Prepare me. Lord, to go." " O hinder me not, for I will serve the Lord, And I'll praise him when I die." " Lord revive us. Lord revive us. All our help must come from thee.'' '' O the place, the happy, happy place, The place where Jesus is ; The place where the Christians all shall meet, And never part again." " O glory, glory ! Glory, hallelujah ! We're going where pleasures never die." The foregoing stanzas and choruses were in use principally among the Evangelical orders of Christians, such as the Meth- odists, Newlights, and other Armenian sects. Many of them are expressive of deep religious feeling and strong faith. But they are out of me, having been superseded by another class expressive of the religious sentiments of the present age; whether more devotional, let others determine. The following plays of the early times will recall to the aged thrills of priceless pleasure in days gone by — departed joys never again to be realized on earth ; but these joys are limited to the individual. These social plays were practiced all over the West sixty j'ears ago, and there are few aged per- sons now living who will not recognize them — thus: ' 0, sister Phoebe, how merry were we, That night we sat under the juniper tree, Yon juniper tree, high 0. Take this hat on your head, keep your head warm. And take a sweet kiss, it will do you no harm, it will do you no barm I know ; HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 29 It will do you no harm, but a great deal of gpod, So take five or six while you're now in the mood, For you're now in the mood 1 know." " It's thus the farmer sows his seed ; And thus he stands to take his ease ; He stamps his fcot and claps his hands ; And turns all round to view his lands. O come, my love, and go with me ; O come, my love, and go with me ; O come, my love, and go with me ; And I will take good care of thee." " As oats, peas, beans and barley grows ; As oats, peas, beans and barley grows ; There's none so well as the farmer knows, How oats, peas, beans and barley grows." " Come, Philander, let's be marching ; Every one his true-love sarching ; Over and over, ten times over. Drink up your liquor, boys, and turn your glasses over." " It's raining, it's hailing, it's cold frosty weather ; In comes the farmer drinking all the cider ; I'll reap the oats, if you'll be the binder; He that wants a true-love let him go and fin^bBr." " We're boldly marching to Quebec, Where the drums are loudly beating; The Americans have gained the day. And the British are retreating. We're now returning home again. Never to be parted ; Open the ring and take one in. To relieve the broken-hearted." ' We're sailing in the boat while the tide runs high ; We're sailing in the boat while the tide runs high ; We're sailing in the boat with the colors flying high ; Waiting for the pretty girls to come by and by." 30 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. " The fox loves the low land, the hare loves the hill ; The lawyer loves his lady, and Jack loves Jill ; Jill, boys, Jill ; Jill, boys, Jill ; The lawyer loves his lady with a free good will." " The eagle's eye as you pass by. Was made for running through ; Mary's the last that have gone past, But now we have got you.'' " Will you talk to the man, my bonny ? Will you talk to the man, my honey ? She answered me right modestly, If it were not for my mamma." "Here I stand, long, slim and slender; Come and kiss me while I'm young and tender; For if you wait till I grow old and tough, I'll ne'er get kisses half enough." [There were always enough volunteers on hand to do what they could to prevent the impending dire calamity]. " Where do you stand ? In the well. How many feet? Six. Who will you have to help you out? Mary ; or Charles." [Six kisses lifted the unfortunate out of the well, but always left the kisser in the same predicament, to be in their turn helped out in like manner]. " Sonny he loves cakes and wine, And sonny he loves brandy ; Sonny he can kiss the girls, And he can do it handy. If I had as many lives as stars in the .skies, I'd be as old as Adam ; Kise to your feet and kiss complete. Your humble servant, madam " I write these plays as I knew them, and entirely from memory, as I never saw them in print, and it is more than fifty years since I have witnessed their performance. I as- sume that they were the same everywhere. They belong en- tirely to a formt^r age — the pioneer age; they are probably nowhere practiced now, but to the survivors of the early times of the West they will be valued relics. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 31 A FOURTH OF JULY. The following story of the celebration of the Fourth of July is so characteristic of the frontier times sixty years ago, that it deserves a place here. The story was related to me by the late General George Sanderson, some years ago, and I give it in substance precisely as related by him, he having been an eye- witness of the affair : It was about the year 1802. Lancaster was no more than a few rude cabins in the woods ; and there were the merest nu- clei of settlements along the creeks. The country was an almost unbroken wilderness. The fires of the revolution werr, nevertheless, still burning, and the settlers took it into their heads to celebrate the Fourth of July in an appropriate man- ner. The spot selected for the occasion was the knoll between Hocking and the present residence of Augustus Mithoff, and on the left side of the Chillicothe Pike. A dinner, such as the inhabitants were able to provide at that early day, was pre- pared, and a barrel of whisky brought on to the grounds, which was up-ended, the head knocked out, and several tin- cups hung on nails driven into the staves, when everybody was welcome to come up and drink ad libitum. And thus it chanced, that while patriotism and corn-whisky and general hilarity prevailed, a solitary traveler made his appearance, slowly plodding along Zane's trace, and head- ing to the west. Percieving the little crowd q^ patriots a couple of hundred yards off on his right, he turned his horse's head in that direction, and rode up to learn what was going on ; per- haps as much to be in company with human beings, for he had been two days and one night entirely alone in the wilder- ness, since passing Zanesville, which was then settled by a few families. He was cordially greeted, and invited to "light ofif" and take a dram, which being done, the usual frontier questions were put: Where was he going? — and what for? He was from Virginia, and was going to Chillicothe. He had heard of the fame of the Scioto Bottoms, and if he liked the country he was going back for his family, and would settle there. In the common parlance of back-woods life "the best man" meant just one thing — it meant the man that could make an- other man "holler" enough ; and the phrase "good man" sig- 32 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. nified one of strong muscles and quick motion. The mean- ing attached to these words then has not yet died out, though "good" and "best" are, by the transformation, assuming a moral instead of physical interpretation. Thus, in the former age, if one said, " I am a better man than you ;" or, " he is a good man," it was to be understood that " /can whip you," and " he is a man not to be fooled with." The traveler was solicited to settle on the Hocking; its su- p;.>riority and advantages were dilated upon and proposed as reasons why he should not go further west. But he had his mind fixed on the settlement at Chillicothe, and thought he would go there. Stronger arguments were then used. He was told that there were better men on the Hocking than on the Scioto. Whisky was by this time doing its work, and the traveler felt inclined to doubt the proposition, for some of his friends had gone to the Scioto. He believed there were better men on the latter, or would be if he himself should decide to locate there. This suited the celebrators exactly — the thing was coming to a point. The traveler's last remark was construed into a banter, and the proposition was at once submitted to settle the question then an'd there. The stranger made no objections, and several stout men volunteered to see that he had fair play. The man to fight him was brought out, the ring formed, and they stripped and went at it. Rough and tun^ple was the style of those back-woods fights. The combatants were allowed to strike, kick, choke, bite or gouge — anything to whip. The "code"' would not permit any one to interfere until one of the fighters called " enough." Upon that word being pronounced, if the victor did not at once desist, the bystanders were bound to close in and part them. It was a long, powerful, and bloody contest, but the traveler was compelled at last to call "enough." After the combatants were washed and dressed, whisky was handed around, and the parties drank as friends, when the new-comer remarked, that there were as good men on the Hocking as he wanted anything to do with, and he believed he would settle there. FINANCES OF LANCASTER. In an old copy of the Ohio Eagle, published in Lancaster, and bearing date of June 9, 1827, I find the following state- HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 33 ment of the receipts and disbursements of the corporation for two years, viz. : from April 20, 1825, to April 23, 1827, inclusive. The statement was in tabular form, showing the sources from which the income was derived, and for what disbursed. The income consisted of taxes collected, and for licenses for shows and exhibitions, thus : Total amount of income $888 14} Total disbursements 932 88J Balance against Treasury $44.74} BENJAMIN CONNELL, Treasurer. Attest : GoTLEiB Steinman, Recorder. In contrast with the above, is the annexed statement, taken from the County Treasurer's books, showing the receipts and disbursements of the corporation for two years, just fifty years later. The difference in the gross amount of the receipts and disbursements measures the growth of the place. Thus : Total income from all sources other than School Fund $61,437 86 Total disbursements for all purposes other than schools 53,220 08 ' Balance in Treasury $8,217 78 During the two former years the corporation paid Thomas Ewing, then a young lawyer practicing in the place, $5.00 for legal services. During the latter two years the legal services of attorneys cost the aggregate sum of about $1,000. The population of Lancaster in 1876 was about 7,000; and in a,ddition to the assessment of taxes above shown, it supports ten churches, at an annual cost, including building and repair- ing church edifices. Missionary and Sunday-school collections, and all other incidental church expenses, of not less than $15,000. These two general items of cost to the people living within the incorporate limits of the town are not all of the public assessment. Within the last few years the town has erected two school buildings, at an aggregate cost of about $80,000. Within these buildings free schools are kept up ten months in the year. For sustaining these schools and paying interest on bonds sold to build the school-houses, the levy for 1876 was $25,566.29. The number of teachers employed in 1876 was twenty-two, and one Superintendant, besides one col- 3 34 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. ored school supported from the same fund. The boundaries of the incorporation are two miles square. There is likewise a Catholic school, including a majority of the children of that de- nomination, amounting to two or three hundred. This school is sustained entirely by private funds. PUBLIC SQUARE OF LANCASTER. What is denominated the Public Square in Lancaster, is loca- ted at the crossing of Main and Broad streets, the streets cut- ting it into four equal parts. The ground was deeded to the city forever by the original proprietor, Ebenezer Zane, for pub- lic purposes alone. The deed is said to be so drawn, that, should the square, or any part of it, be diverted to any other use than that of county and city purposes, such diversion would work a forfeiture of the title to the heirs at law of the donor. The first Court-house was built on this square, in, the center of the present Broad street, in about the year 1806, and was re- moved by order of the County Commissioners in 1863. At present the square is occupied by the old market-house, which was built in the year 1824, as near as can be ascertained, the City Hall building, containing the Mayor's office. Council- chamber, Post-office, Odd Fellows' Hall and Engine-house and two small parks. carpenter's addition. That part of Lancaster known as Carpenter's Addition, begins with the south side of an alley, sometimes spoken of as Car- penter's alley, which, beginning at the canal on the western border of the city, runs a due east direction to High street in front of the Methodist Church. This alley is situated half way between Jail and Walnut streets. All that part of the city lying south of Carpenter's alley is properly Carpen- ter's Addition. Mr. Carpenter was known in his day as Eman- uel Carpenter, Junior. (In the original plat, this alley was called Jackson alley). He gave three lots on the east side of High street, to be used for church and burial purposes. The north division of this gift is that on which the Methodist Church edifice now stands ; the middle division belongs to the African Methodists, upon which they have erected a commodious frame church ; and the south division has been used by the city for HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 35 opening Walnut street. All the ground in Carpenter's Ad- dition, extending now as far as Maplo street in front of Hun- ter's residence, belonged originally to Zane's tract, though Carpenter's Addition at first lay west of High street, that part .lying between High and Maple streets having been sold to par- ties as out-lots, and since subdivided and sold as town-lots. The Zane tract, one mile square, begun on the north side of what is known as Lundy's Lane, on the south front of the Fair- grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant ; its eastern boundary was Maple street ; its southern line passed from a point a few rods west of the present rtsidence of Thomas White, Esq., on Koontz's hill, thence west past Giesy's mill to the west line, to intersect the north line, and embraced what is now the resi- dence of G. Mithoff. Other ADDITIONS To Lancaster might be mentioned, but they all come within the Zane tract, except that part formerly known as East Lan- caster, and which has recently been annexed to the city proper, and constitutes the Fifth Ward. A portion of East Lancaster was formerly known as the Bank addition, the old Lancaster Ohio Bank having laid off and sold the first lots. The NEW COURT-HOUSE Was erected, or rather completed in 1866, it having been in progress of erection about three years. The total cost of the building was about $150,000, though the act of the Legislature authorizing the levy for that purpose was but $100,000. The work, however, was completed, and the balance cheerfully paid by the tax-payers. The building stands on the north side of the Catholic Church ; it is built entirely of sand-stone taken from the quarries in sight of the city, and is probably one of the best constructed and arranged Court-houses in the State. It contains all the county offices on the first floor, except the Clerk's office ; on the second floor is the court-room, jury-rooms and the Clerk's office. The basement is used for the heating apparatus, the Janitor's residence, and storage rooms. From the roof, or balustrade, which, by the courtesy of the Janitor, is accessible to visitors at all times, the Hocking Valley and surrounding country is seen for many miles, presenting one of 36 HISTOEY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. the most picturesque and beautiful views in Ohio. From it trains can be seen coming and departing on the railroads for many miles. The COUNTY JAIL Stands on the north side of Chestnut street, between Broad and High. It is one of the best jails in Ohio. Its front is a two-story brick residence, and is used by the Sheriffs success- ively. The prison is of sand-stone, also two stories, and joins the- brick in the rear. It was built between the year 1840 and 1850. FAIRFIELD COUNTY FINANCES FOR THE YEAR 1875, ENDING SEPTEMBER IST, 1875. Total taxes for the year, including school fund, $228,306.44. Total expenditures same year, $252,855.50; leaving a balance against the treasury of $14,569.06. The above gross sum of receipts, as shown by the Auditor's books for 1875, was levied on the respective townships as fol- lows. In regarding the amounts, however, it is to be borne in mind that they are not to be taken as correctly representing the relative wealth of the townships, because the rates of tax- ation were more or less various : Clear Creek Township $12,441 31 Amanda Township 13,241 34 Bloom Township 13,714 13 Violet Township , 13,222 40 Liberty Township 18,053 58 Greenfield Township 12,244 16 Hocking Township 11,'962 25 Madison Township 6,269 03 Berne Township 15,130 30 Pleasant Township 11,398 29 Walnut Township 15,263 53 Eichland Township 6 945 35. Bush Creek Township 11,112 85 Lancaster 67,268 02 Grand Total $228,306 44 FAIRFIELD COUNTY IN 1806. There are no records found in the Auditor's office to show that anything like a regular system of taxation was estab- lished in the county earlier than 1806. At that time the HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 37 boundaries extended far be5'ond their present limits, and it is difiBcult now to define the outlines. The reader is therefor referred to the laws of Ohio establishing new counties, by which Fairfield has been contracted to its present area. These laws can all be found in the State Library at Columbus, but they are altogether too voluminous for the plan of this work. I am not aware that any changes took place between 1800, when Fairfield was established by proclamation by Gov- ernor St. Clair, and 1806, to which year we are now referring. I find, however, that in that year there were three townships not now in existance, viz.: Clinton, Licking and Thorn, and that there are now three townships not then in existance; these are Violet, Liberty and Walnut. There have also been two townships principally stricken from the southern borders of Fairfield within the last thirty years, and attached to Hock- ing county ; these were Auburn and Perry, for particulars of which, please see laws. Thorrt township lay at the north-east corner of the county, and has since been attached to Periy County ; Clinton and Licking lay on the north. From the assessment of 1806, as recorded in an old book before me, I here transcribe a complete list of the names of the tax-payers then living in the county, alphabetically, and by townships, by which they are rendered of easy reference. By an early law of Ohio, houses were at that time assessed for taxation separate from real estate, the lowest limit of which, I think, was one hundred dollars. The sums paid in that year for every species of property by each person varies on the list from eight cents to $17.72^, which latter amount was paid by Rudolph Pitcher, of Lancas- ter, whose house, standing on Main street, a few doors east of Shawk's alley, and on the south side, was appraised at $2,600, and seven lots at $1,407. The next highest tax-payer was David Rese, whose assessment was $13.00. A few in Lancas- ter paid ten dollars; but by far the largest number in the county paid less than a dollar. But in no township, outside of Lancaster, was more than four dollars paid by any indi- vidual. The gross sum of the assessments for that year was $1,011.64J. Further in the same old book is found* a tabulated state- ment of the collections and disbursements for the county un- der the following heading : 38 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. "Statement of the receipts and expenditures of Fairfield County for six years and four months, commencing June 11th, 1804, and ending October 6th, 1810." Gross collections for six years and four months, from all sources $12,862 57 Gross amount of disbursements for all purposes, for the same time $12,349 15 NAMES OF TAX-PAYERS IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY IN 1806. Aller, John. Baker, Daniel. Bond, Thomas. Babb, William. Boiler, Elias. Burton, Jacob. Bucher, Philloman. Boyle, Hugh. Bryan, Peter. Cox, Mary. Clayton, John. Converse, James. Compton, Ezekiel. Compton, John. Coffenberry, George. Carpenter, Emanuel. Cisna, Thomas. Coates, Samuel. Collen, Timothy. Duffield, William. Dillen, Henry. Daily, Charles. Eckhart, Conrad. Feather, Peter. Ferry, Thomas. Foglesong, John. Fricher, Thomas. Graham, Fdward. Green, Samuel. Green, Allen. Green, George. HOCKING TOWNSHIP. Harper, Samuel. Huffman, John. Hanson, George. Hunter, Jolwi. Hunter, Joseph. Harmon, Jacob. Holler, Samuel. Hardy, James. Hunter, James. Hutchins, Benidict. Irwin, William. Irwin, William D. Ingman, Edward, jr. Ingman, Edward. Invel, Samuel. Kemp, Henry. King, Christian. Koons, John. Keller, James. Lymk, Johnathan. Lofland, John. Mellon, Bandle. Meek, Jacob. McCabe, William. McCabe, David. Marshal, John. Marres, Ralph. INIarr, John. Myrer, Henry. Myrer, Joseph. McPherson, John. Pitcher, Abram. Pew, Marshall. Rees, John. Rees, Solomon. Roberts, Ezekiel. Rees, David. Rees, Thomasv Rees, Morris. Rees, Jesse. Bever, Peter. Reynolds, Larken. Slaughter, Robert. Spurgeon, Jesse. Searls, John. Swearengen, Thos. Shope, Daniel. Sturgeon, Timothy. Shurr, John. Sacket, Elizabeth. Swizerk, John. Selby, Ralph. Stoops, Samuel. Stoops, William. Stigart, Luke. Stull, John. Scofield, Elenathan. Thompson, Samuel. Tumlinson, William. Vanmeter, Daniel. Woolford, Jacob. Wilson, Nathaniel, sr. HISTORY OP FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 39 Green, Charles. Green, William. Green, Timothy. Gaster, Jacob. Gisinger, David. Gates, Samuel. Hedger, Jesse. Huston, Andrew. North, Mary. Neel, John. Neibling, Christian. Price, John. Pitcher, Rudolph. Painter, Jacob. Peek, Wm B. Pitcher, Frederick, sr. Watson, John. Willetson, Elisha. Weaver, Adam. Work, Joseph. Williamson, John. Wilson, Nathaniel, jr. Young, William. Zerba, Peter. Adison, Jacob. Applegate, Walter. Acart, George. Bowman, Henry. Bibler, John. Baldwin, John. Bowman, Elisha. Babbs, Beal. Brook, John. Blane, William. Bocker, Benjamin. Bryan, William. Beery, John. Biddle, Benjamin. Colley, William. Ganger, Frederick. Creason, William. Crook, E. Crook, William. Collins, William. Carpenter, David. Cofman, John. Carpenter, William. Carpenter, Samuel. Carpenter, John. Critzer, George. Drake, Henry. Dodd, Jacob. Earry, Jacob. Freshouse, John. Fowler, Job. Fry, Elizabeth. Francisco, John. Gardner, HArchobold. BERNE TOWNSHIP. Harmsberger, Conrad. Harmsberger, Henry, Hammet, Joseph. Hines, Peter. Harper, Richard. Hansel, Heury. Hansel, Michael. Harsh, John. Hamersphere, Abraham Hollenbach, Jacob. Inesel, Henry, Jackson, William. Keller, John. Kusic, John. Kenner, Frederick. Laughlin, Deumaa. Lewely, Hugh. Leek, William. Moyer, Daniel. Moyer, Abraham. Main, John. Miller, Catharine. McCabe, William. Needles, Philomen. Ozenbaugh, Henry. Perrel, John. Perrel, Thomas. Perrel, Hezekiah. Pialer, George. Pontens, John. Pence, Frederick. Phillips, David. Pence, John. Pitcher, Abraham. Ream, William. Ream, Abraham. Reese, David. Ream, Sampson. Rhodes, John. Rudolph, Peter. Runnels, Burton. Smith, William. Seits, Lewis. Sanders, Peter. Shellenbarger, John . Svvartz, George. Sheeny, Michael. Shellenbarger, David. Sturgeon, Peter. Stollner, John. Shellenbarger, Samuel. Shellenbarger, Henry. Stukey, John. Smith, Henry. Sisco, Mary. Sellers, Jacob. Sellers, John. Taylor, Grove. Vanmeter, Jacob. Vanmeter, John. Vanmeter, Joseph. Welch, William. Wolf, Jacob. Walker, Abraham. Winters, John. Wilson, William. Wiley, William. Watts, Robert. 40 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. Gardner, Peter. Pearce, William. Highstand, Abraham. Pennebaker, John. Hull, Abraham. Parrel, James. Harmsberger, Michael. Eoberts, Amos. BLOOM TOWNSHIP. Westenhaver, Christian. Westenhaver, Joseph. Altman, Adam. Albright, David. Alspaugh, Jacob. Alspaugh, George. Berringer, Andrew. Bolebaugh, Jacob. Barr, John. Boyne, John. Baldwin, James. Bright, Major. Courtright, Abraham. Clymer, Charles. Cromley, Christian. Cheney, Drusilla. Crowl, George. Campbell, Jane. Courtright, Jesse, D. Campbell, John. Crawford, James. Clymer, John. Courtright, John. Crowl, John. Curty, Low. Cronmer, Mitchel. Campbell, Mathew. Clymer, Masse. Cheney, Samuel. Clark, Horatio. Courtright, Richard. Clark, William. Critz, John. Due, Charity. Dove, Henry. Davidson, James. Death, Isaac, sr. Davis, Nathan. Drake, Zepama. Fate, Martin. Felner, Martin. Fate, Thomas. Fate, George. Flict, Andrew. Grubb, Jacob. Hews, Walter. Harris, Abraham. Harlanger, Christian. Hushor, George. Hyenbaugh, Henry. Harrison, Henry. Harroof, John. Helt, John. Harrison, John. Harroof, Peter. Kitsmiller, Benjamin. Kitsmiller, Elizabeth. Kitsmiller, William. Kirk, George. Lee, Samuel. Lee, Daniel. Leephart, Mary. Lambert, James. Lovland, Joseph. Lee, Johnathan. Long, William. Lane, Wilkinson. Lee, Zebulon. Martin, John. Meason, Dorsey. Moore, John. Meson, Isaac. Moor, Levi. Manville, Nitiholas. McCollum, Samuel. Needles, George. Needles, John. Newkirk, Ruben. Newkirk, Lewis. Perrin, William. Rickets, Charles. Euvele, Daniel. Eitter, John. Rickets, Jerry. Rickets, Rearson. Eichart, Peter. Spurgeon, Samuel. Swisher, Abraham. Snider, Adam. Serpers, Christian. Spurgeon, Elijah. Spurgeon, Elias. Smith, Francis. Smith, Hezakiah. Slough, John. Small, John. Stallens, Launcelot. Swisher, Jacob. Swisher, John. Sehouser, John. Saither, Nicholas. Tumbleston, Henry. Trout, Christian. Tefore, John. Wiseley, William. Wright, David. Wiseley, Edward. Wells, George. Wiseley, James. Williams, Jeremiah. Wintersteen, John. Wheeler, Samuel. Young, Abraham. Young, Jacob. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 41 CLEAR CREEK TOWNSHIP. Anderson, James. Anderson, Edward. Augustus, John. Brown, Moses. Brough, George. Brough, Peter. Berry, Alexander, jr. Berry, Alexander. Berry, Abraham. Bashford, Francis. Buzzard, George. Buzzard, Andrew. Buzzard, Henry. Buzzard, David. Buzzard, Jacob. Bogart, George. Black, Richard. Bruner, Jacob. Beard, John. Coledren, Jacob. Coledren, Nehemiah. Coledren, Jacob. Clayton, Thomas. Clayton, William. Clure, Conrad. Camie, David. Conrad, John. Conrad, Daniel. Clark; Henry. Culp, Peter. Clapper, Henry. Conrad, Nicholas. Conrad, jr., Daniel. Drury, William. Drury, Edward. Drury, Isaiah. Drury, Samuel. Dush, Mrs. Delshauer, jr., George. Delshauer, John. Delshauer, Michael. Delshauer, George. Devebaugh, George. Devebaugh, Daniel. Friend, Reason. Friend, Samuel. Fosnought, Adam. Fos, John. Foust, John. Fogler, John. Grimes, Jacob. Hedger, Michael. Hoffman, Jacob. Hunter, Robert. Helen, Frederick. Helen, Jacob. Howe, James. Hammel, George. Hoffman, Frederick. Helen, John. Hedger, Levi. Hedger, Absolem. Huffman, Jacob. Jules, Henry. Julian, William. Julian, jr., John. Julian, John. Julian, Isaac. Julian, Stephen. Jackson, John. Julian, John, sr. Kenson, George. Kepnup, Benjamin. Landis, Martin. Lamb, James. Lutz, John. Lethers, Jacob. Miller, Felis. Marks, Jacob. Myres, Christian. Millhouse, Philip. McArthur, Alexander. Moor, Harmon. Mills, Amos. Moss, Edward. Mathias, Henry. Moor, Henry, jr. Millisson, Barnet. O'Hara, James. Owens, Nathan. O'Hara, Hugh. O'Hara, Charles. Palmer, Jesse. Parcels, John. Peters, Daniel. Peters, Abraham. Pickle, Jacob. Parks, John. Reynolds, John. Reynolds, Stewart. Reynolds, William G. Reynolds, William. Russel, Peter. Smart, John. Stolder, John. Stukey, Christian. Shoop, Barnet. Shafer, Isaac. Shafer, Samuel. Shafer, Abram. Sharrack, John. Sidder, Nicholas. Shad, John. Shoemaker, Jacob. Sneeyer, Lewis. Sailor, Widow. Shaw, Alexander. Shanie, Philip. Smith, Stuart. Stotts, John. Spangler, Samuel. Sering, John. Smith, Jacob. Shoemaker, John. Willets, Isaac. Wishard Archibald. Wiley, William. Willets, James. Whetsel, Henry. Weaver, Samuel. Willets, Samuel. Willets, William. 42 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. Devebaugli, John. Devebiiugh, Widow. Daniel, Tiiomas. Daniel, John. Evans, Joshua. Friend, Klijah. Friend, Charles. Myres, Widow. Miller, John. North, Zachariah. North, William. Nigh, Jacob. Nogle, George. North, Thomas. Wheeler, Isaac. White, John. Young, llobert. Young, John. Young, Mathew. GREENFIELD TOWNSHIP. Abrams, Henry. Athey, Thomas. Ayers, Wm. Alden, Daniel. Alspaugh, Jacob. Alspaugh, Nicholas. Baylor, Jacob. Bright, David. Brakebill, Jacob. Bennett, Oliver. Beard, John. Easier, Jacob. Bennett, Harry. Bradley, John. Bush, John. Baleuback, John Brown, Jas. Brettenhani, Solomon. Brandt, Ludwick. Ballenback, Nicholas. Bowman, Henry. Bowyer, Jacob. Borer, Jacob. Bomback, David. Bowder, Nicholas. Bennett, Jacob. Bennet, Elisha. Cline, Geo. Cook, iSarah. Cherry, Ralph. Cammerly, David. Davis, Jacob. Doddleston, Ralph. Everland, Frederick. Evans, Jas. Eckhart, John. Fenichauser, Daniel. Firestone, Daniel. Gary, Gilien. Geirhart, Daniel. Green, Lemuel. Gundy, Christian. Gezy, John, lleiatam, Jos. llanna, Jas. Hess, Geo. Heistand, Samuel. Harris, Wm. Johnson, Wm. Johnson, Chas. Johnson, Isaac. Johns, Henry. Johns, John. Kennan, John. Laehey, James. Lush, Patrick. Latshaw, Jos. McNeal, Jos. Morris, Daniel. Mangale, Henry. Moorhead, John. McCall, Thos. McFarland, Robert. McFarland, Wm. McCollum, Frank. McArthur, John. McCawly, Edward. Miller, Samuel. Moires, John. Manville, Eli. Noggle, Henry, dinger, Benjamin. Rearden, Michael. Robertson, John. Read, Wm. Rough, Peter. Randal, Samuel. Roberts, Ebenezer. Rigby, Wm. Rise, Michael. Smethers, Geo. Sells, Wm., sr. Sells, Wm. Sells, Jacob. Stewart, Joa. Sliimp, Geo. Sanderson, Alexander. Shartle, Philip. Small, Valentine. Showbery, Jacob. Saiin, Peter. Sim, Henry. Swisher, Jacob. Tallman, Samuel. Tannehill, Mr. Thompson, Richard. Tong, Wm. H. Taylor, Drake. Tootwiler, Jacob. Tippy, Conrad Wohing, Peter. Wintermood, John Wilson, Wm. Wagoner, Jacob. Wintermood, Wm. Williams, Joa. Wells, Jas Wiaeley, John. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 43 Edgar, John. Eversole, Peter. Elder, John. Erb, John. Fairchild, Peter. Fitzgerald, Henry. Fairchild, Abraham. Owen, David. Olspach, Jacob. Pier, John. Pever, Isaac. Pever, John. Porter, David. Pence, Jacob. Wagoner, Adam. Wagoner, Daniel. Weaver, Jacob. Wilson, John. Wilson; Jas. Williamson, Peter. Archer, Geo. Armstrong, Geo. Allen, Nathen. Avery, Geo. Ardoes, Holcombe. Allen, Alexander. Beard, John. Branson, Joshua. Bean, Richard. Bean, John. Baker, Aaron. Benjamin, Mr. Beauer, David. Benjamin, I. Belt, C. Borcher, Jos. Barriclc, Phillip. Barrick, Peter. Barlow, Abrara. Barrow, Daniel. Belt, Acquilla. Baleer, Daniel. Buttler, Lewis. Bancroft, Samuel. Belt, Catura. Belt, John. Black, Jas. Belt, Davies. Belt, John. Belt, John, sr. Buskirk, John. Buttler, Enoch. Buttler, David. Church, Robert. Caruthers, Wm. Croca, John. LICKING TOWNSHIP. Gulfln, Job. Gane, Wm. Galasby, John. Hughs, Thos. Hughes, John. Halden, Alexander. Hook, John. Henthorn, John. Harris, Nehmiah. Hughs, Tliomas. Hughs, Wm. Holms, Alexander. Heavens, Jesse. Herron, John. Hughs, Ellis. Hains, Jesse, Hickman, Samuel. Harris, Jos. Harris, Nehemiah. Hays, Levi. Hays, Seth. Haskins, Titus. Hilliar, Justin. Harris, Jesse. Haines, Wm. Herron, Crook. Harris, Geo. Harris, A, Harris, Ephraim. Holcomb, Ezra. Holcomb, Alvin. Holcomb, Asa. Hount, John. Johnson, Robsrt. Johnson, Jthn. James, Jesse. Pitzer, R. Pew, Evan. Pew, Wm. Phelps, John. Parish, .Joseph. Parker, Mary. Pratt, Worthy. Phelps, Wm. Pomroy, E. Pew, A. Peek, Catura. Parr, Samuel. Rathbone, Job. Robinson, Stephen. Radcliff, John. Rose, Geo. Root, Martin. Rose, Levi. Roseley, Bosswell. Rose, Samuel. Rose, G. Rose, Hiram. Stith, S. Sampson, John. Shultz, Adam. Sutton, Moses, jr. Sutton, Philip. Stadden, John. Swisher, Jacob. Seigler, Philip. Sutton, Jos. Stuart, Jas. Spencer, John. Shoemaker, John. Stome, Thos. Smith, Philip. 44 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. Chamsel, John. Clener, Frederick. Canaday, Jas. Conner, Isaac. Claybaugh, Henry. Carr, Henry. Creamer, Thos. Case, Job. Clark, A. Cromwell, Gideon. Cooley, Zaedock. Cow, Jas. Carry, Ebenezer. Cuningbam, Patrick. Carlisle, Zacbariah. Dewees, Thos. Dotson, Wm. Debolt, Wm. Davis, I. Dongan, Thos. Duke, John Denman, Mathias. Dayton, Giles. Evins, John. Edwards, John. Elliot, Samuel, jr. Elliot, Samuel, sr. Evins, Bod. Elliot, Neal. Evins, John. Ford, Eobert. Ford, Phineas. Farmer, John. Groner, Martin. Green, Daniel. Green, Benjamin. Groner, John. Green, Thos. Green, T. Groner, R. Gavit, Wm. Gavit, Josiah. Godard, N. Godard, Moses. Gillman, Elias. Jones, Samuel. Johnson, Jas. Johnson, Abraham. Johnson, Jos. Kite, Michael. Kirk, Thos. Kiger, Anthony. Kelso, Jos. Kelley, Hugh, Kendal, Joshua. Leach, Vincent. Livingston, Geo. Livingston, D. Lathley, John. Lewis, David. Lemuel, Jos. Lewis, Zed. Linkhorn, Martin. McCawley Andrew. Merridale, Samuel. Maufield, Jas. Miller, Isaac. Miller, Abraham, McCawley, Jas. McCawley, Wm. McCawley, Jas. jr. Myres, John. McKitrick, Jas. Murphy, Samuel. Mufford, Job. Monson, Jesse. Munson, Guston. Miller, O. Mitchel, Sylvanus. Moor, Frederick. Monson, Jeremiah. Nelson, Joel. Nash, Edward. Newman, Samuel. Newman, Morris. Obaker, Jesse. Orr, Geo. Obour, Wm. Parr, Samuel. Parr, Richard. Smith, Henry. Shadier, Michael. Shadier, John. Shadier, Daniel. Simpson, Isaac. Shadier, John, jr. Simpson, I. Simpson, Jas. Seymore, Thos. Shadier, Jacob. Slocum, Cornelius. Slocum, Wm. Spelman, Timothy. Sherwood, Robert. Smith, Samuel. Turnbean, Andrew. Taylor, Wm. Taylor, Jas. Taylor, Wm, jr. Tharp, Jos. Thompson, Daniel. Thomas, David. Thrall, Samuel. Taylor, Theodore, jr. Taylor, Theodore. Wilson, Abraham. Wates, Daniel. Wilsou, Jacob. Wilson, John. Ward, Catharine. Wayman, John. Warden, John. Ward, John. Walson, Cornelius. Ward, Daniel. Ward, A. Wilcox, John. Wells, I. Wright, Jonathan. Waters, Benjamin. Winshall, Silas. Wright, Spencer. Williamson, John. Wilson, Archabald. Waters, Samuel. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 45 Anderson, Thomas. Allen, Lemuel. Allen, Frederick. Allen, S. Allen, Whiting. Barr, John. Barr, Andrew. Barr, William. Barr, Thomas. Barr, Samuel. Brothers, Francis. Barnhart, Jacob. Brown, William. Jones, Benjamin. Beal, James. Biirnap, Abner. Bull, B. Booker, James. Brown, T. Brown, William. Brian, Mary. Brian, John. Brian, William. Burhart, William. Crist', John. Caton, Benjamin. Collins, Timothy. Cole, Broad. Clayton, John. Cain, Daniel. Cole, Shadrick. AMANDA TOWNSHIP. Chilcold, Mordecai. Chilcold, John. Clark, Neal. Cole, Joshnay. Cole, D. Eagle, Thomas. Eagle, William. Erington, Ebenezer. Earnman, Frederick. Frettle, Lewis. Gardner, Jacob. Good, Peter. Gossage, John. Galagher, Thomas. Huffer, Isaac. Howe, James. Hardister, Joseph. Herron, Philip. Howe, David. Hooker, Richard. Hayes, Mary. Herrod, John. Hoover, John. Highlands, Joseph. Ingonan, Luke, lies, Isaac. Kester, David, Kester, Jacob. Kester, George. Linebaugh, George. Long, James. Lane, Jesse. Lane, William. Lane, John. Leathers, Frederick. Long, William. Morris, James. Metcalf, Vachael. McLane, Robert. Murry, William. Mackerel, Benjamin. Nigh, George. Owens, John. Oram, Thomas. Pavey, Samuel. Pilcher, Frederick. Rica, Abraham. Russel, Thomas. Bauer, Valentine. Shadden, Jacob. Swope, David. Selby, George. Stevens, William. Saarles, John. Selby, jr., Thomas. Torance, John. Whiteman, Christian. Williams, John. Williams, Thomas. Willets, Jesse. Wollet, Philip. Albright, Adam. Arnold, Frederick. Armstrong, Thomas. Burton, Jacob. Bredenstone, Frederick Bright, Nimrod. Bell, Isaiah. Bailey, James. Barr, David. Barr, Joseph, jr. Buchanan, Andrew. PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. Giger, Martin. Good, John. Hill, George. Hopman, Henry. Hall, Daniel. Harmon, Frederick. Hammond, Samuel. Hammell, Samuel. Hite, Andrew. Hite, Andrew, jr. Hite, Jacob. Neeley, William. Pulleu, Thomas. Pope, Abraham. Perrin, John. Pope, Frederick. Powel, Aaron. Pew, Jesse. Powlis, Jacob. Powel, Moses. Quinn, James. Eadibaugh, Nicholas. 46 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. Berry, Jacob. Berry, Christian. Bibler, Jacob. Brown, Ludwick. Brown, Wil.iam. Bibler, Barbary. Barkhammer, John. Black, Luke. Rlack, -John. Beaver, William. Beard, William. Beard, John. Baker, David. Caldwell, AVilliam. Cornell, Benjamin. Comer, Samuel. Cagy, Christian. Crawford, William. Catures, Nicholas. Cofmau, Martin. Culp, Henry. Chaffan, Robert. Clove Robert. Dild, Jacob. Duncan, James. Dumna, John. Dumna, Martin. Durbin, Thomas. Durbin, Samuel. Erwin, William. Ernest, George. Fink, John. Fetters, Peter. Feemen, Benjamin. Feemen, John. Fetters, Conrad. Farmer, William. Flake, John. Frazer, Alexander. Fox, Jacob. Graham, A. Giger, Adam. Giger, David. ' Gardner, William. Hoover, Christian. Houser, George, jr. Houser, John. Hite, John. Hampson, John. Hill, George. Hendrix, James. Hite, John, jr. Ewing, John. Ewing, Mathew. Inks, John. Jones,- William. Kemerer, Philip. Kortman, Jacob. Kratzer, Samuel. Kortman, jr., Jacob. LafFady, — . Lamb, Jacob. Laffady, Samuel. Laffady, Thomas. Lee, Soloman. Lindsey, William. Lantz, Martin. Lamb, George. Linch, Henry. Martin, William. McCune, Adam. Miller, Christian. McD.aniel, William. Myres, Abraham. Maclin, Tenalt. Musselman, Jacob. Maclin, Peter. Matear, Robert. Manley, John. Mills, Samuel. Miller, Abraham. Murphy, Asa. Murphy, Benjamin. ' Miller, John. Miller, Jacob. Murphy, William. McNoughton, John. Nowlin, Barnaby. Ross, Thomas. Roof, Peter. Redman, Martin. Rowley, Jacob. Rogers, James. SeigJer, John. Staltzer, Jacob, jr. Springer, William. Sturgeon, Robert. Solter, Christian. Siple, Frederick. Smith, Jesse. Soliday, Adam. Stevenson, Thomas. Smith, Christian. Smith, Daniel. Shepler, John. Sheats, Mathias. Shisler, John. Sterm, Michael. Tool, M. Twig, Francis. Trimble, John. Trimble, William. Teal, Edward. Teal, Arthur. Teal, Edward, jr. Teal, Samuel. Teal, Nathaniel. Teal, Walter. Thompson, William. Torence, Robert. Walters, Gasper. Walters, Jacob. Weger, John. Wagner, Andrew. Wagner, Benjamin. Wiekle, Jacob. Warner, Thomas. Wiseman, Samuel. Watson, Thomas. York, William. Ulster, Widow. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 47 Archer, George. Bowers, A. Bowers, Abner, jr. Blakeny, Frances. Beers, Jacob. Bryon, James. Boyd, T. Banks, Peter. Brown, Silas. Brown, Aron. Buttler, Benjamin. Babbit, Calvin. Brice, John. Buttler, Isaac. Brown, Benjamin. Brown, David. Brown, Ebenezer. Brown, Luther. Craig, Andrew. Cook, John. Cook, Jacob. Craig, James. Converse, James. Calvin, James. Conrad, Joseph. Conrad, Nathan. Dunlap, James. Dooty, Peter. Dunlap, Samuel. Darling, Wm. Duglass, Wm. Dirt, George. Ertmell, Thomas. CLINTON TOWNSHIP. Evins, Wm. Finley, Alexander. Fognier, Wm. Gass, Wm. Hardisty, Francis. Haines, Henry. Herrod, James. Henderson, James. Harrod, John. Harrod, Levi. Hall, Richard. Harris, Enoch. Henthorn, John. Johnson, David. Johnson, Abraham. Johnson, John. Kratzer, Samuel. Kerr, John. Kite, Peter. Knight, Wm. Kite, Nicolas. Lyon, Abraham. Leonard, Benjamin. Lash, John. Lewis, John. Lashley, Jacob. Lashley, Peter. Leonard, Wm. Leonard, Zeba. Marens, John. Morrison, John. McGowen, Chas. McBride, Chas. Murphy, Jacob. Panebaker, Jacob. Pitney, James. Priker, Peter. Patterson, Thomas. Roberts, Henry. Rebe, Nicholas. Richardson, Edward. Severe, Jesse. Shiraplin, John. Simpkins, John. Stotts, Joseph. Stockwell, Michael. Spurgeon, Nathaniel. Shrimplin, Samuel. Simpkins, S. Schruchfield, Wm. St. Clair, John. Spurgeon, George. Talmage, Joseph. Thomas, Samuel. Thompson, Edward. Walker, Alexander. Watson, A. Walker, Abraham. Walker, James. Walker, Joseph. Woods, John. Walker, Philip. Wilson, Samuel. Williamson, John. Walker, James. Walker, Joseph. Acherson, Edward. Bartholomew, John. Barnes, Joseph. Brooks, David. Baker, David. Black, James. Bean, Paul. Bearshore, John. Binkley, John. THORN TOWNSHIP. Harris, John. Hall, Uriah. Humberger, Henry. Heller, David. Humberger, John. Humberger, Peter. Henderson, James. Hooper, Jacob. Huber, Daniel. Neff, Henry. Neel, James. Orr, Robe t. Ogg, George. Parr, John. Ream, Wm. Ramsey, John. Redingur, Mathias. Ripple, Mathias. 48 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. Bowman, Henry. Berry, John. Chalfant, Mordecai. Cooper, Joseph. Cooper, Jacob. Claypole, Wm. Dickeson, John. Dean, M. Emrick, Leonard. Fisher, John, jr. Fisher, John. Furguson, Joseph. Fickle, Joseph. Good, John. Graham, Widow. Howard, Chas. Harris, Wm. Harris, Edward. Huffman, George. Hoover, Christ. Johnson, John. Johnson, Wm. James, John. King, John. Livingston, Peter. Meek, Clelland. McMullen, Mr. Myres, Frederick. Mclnturft, Frederick. Myres, Andrew. Mager, George. Myres, Adam. Myres, John. McMullen, John. Mervin, James. McOwen, Thomas. Ream, Jacob. Eeddinger, Ludwig. Reason, John. Stockberger, S. Strawn, Joel. Stotts, Jacob. Starret, Wm. Starkee, Peter. Skiner, Wm. Smith, Andrew. Sane, Peter. Taylor, Wm. Thorn, Michael. Thompson, John. Valentine, George. Weadman, George. Wiseman, Jacob. Weadman, John. Anspach, B. Anderson, Simon. Anspach, John. Anderson, Ephraim. Ashbaugh, Andrew. Alexander, Wm. Bolen, Wm. Black, Peter. Blosser, George. Bond, John. Brinkley, Adam. Brinkley, Jacob. Basehore, Frederick. Brinkley, Henry. Bowman, George. Beakle, John. Bearge, Isaac. Bearley, Nicholas. Brinkley, Henry. Bright, George. Bsery, Abraham. Beery, Henry. Custard, Joseph. Cooper, Robert. Carpenter, Samuel. RICHLAND TOWNSHIP. Hamerly, Andrew. Harper, Wm. Howell, Jacob. Head, John. Hedleback, George. Heek, Frederick. Howseker, Jacob. Henry, George. Holt, Wm. Harding, Ignatius. Hiles, John. Harford, Caspar. Ijams, Wm. Ijams, Isaac. Ijams, Thomas P. Ijams, Wm, jr. Jervis, James. Johnson, Benjamin. Johnson, Asa. Kerr, John. Kiger, John. Kemper, Daniel. Kemper, Isaac. Kindle, John. King, Christian. Miller, George. Maricol, John. McGinnis, Wm. Neely, David. Nelson, George. Owens, Archibald. Overmire, Peter. Owing, P. Orendors, Henry. Pew, David. Patten, John. Polen, Richard. Polen, Martin. Ruffner, Emanuel. Rowland, James. Rolle, Jesse. Robertson, Wm. Rees, Jacob. Ray, Samuel. Shaver, T. Spohn, Philip. Stiffie, Stephen. Swagg, David. Senfit, Jacob. Senfit, Philip. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 49 Conaway, Jeremiah. Clayton, Wm. Chilcote, James. Cool, Joseph. Cook, John. Comer, Philip. Davis, Thomas. Duvail, M. H. Drum, John. Drum, Peter. Deubler, Peter. Deubler, Leonard. Driver, Josiah. Downey, James. Fay, Jacob. Freisner, Frederick. Glosser, George. Godfrey, John. Goofis, John. Hattle, George. Hardy, David. Householder, Adam. Huddle, Henry. Kenshaw, Wm. Lakesley, Wm. Leonard, Jacob. Lintch, Philip. Laremore, Ebenezer. Laremore, Isaac. Laremore, Robert. Leath, John. Love, John. Laremore, James. Murphy, Edward. Murphy, John. McCormick, Thomas. McCorraick, Hugh. McCormick, John. McCormick, James. McCormick, Wm. Miller, John. McClung, Chas. Miller, Peter. Musser, Theobald. Miller, Joseph. Moins, John. Sain, Philip. Sunderland, John. Sain, David. Stephenson, Jesse. Sellers, Henry. Sherrick, Andrew. Stemer, Henry. Shield, Edward. Stembrink, Henry. Turner, Benjamin. Turner, Joseph. Turner, Wm, sr. Turner, Wm, jr. Turner, James. Thompson, Wm Wiseman, Wm. Whitmer, Peter. Wilson, Wm. Wilds, Sarah. Winegardner, Adam. Wills, John. Wills, Wm. Young, Edward. There vrere, therefore, within the bounds of Fairfield county, in the year 1806, one thousand five hundred and fifty-one tax- payers. To make the reasonable assumption that there were five additional persons to every tax-payer at that time within the county, it would have given a population of a little over nine thousand. When it is remembered that the first white family built their cabin on the Hocking in the spring of 1798, this rapid increase of population within about seven years is wonderful, regarding the wilderness state of the country, and its remoteness from sources of supply. It is, however, to be borne in mind, that the area of the county was at that time more than three times what it is at present. It is a melancholy reflection forced upon the mind, that of that 1,551 tax-payers of 1806, not one is alive to-day. They were the pioneers of the county. It was them that broke the wilderness and drove away the wild beasts and savage men, and opened the way for the prosperity, and plenty, and luxury, and ease of to-day. It was them that endured hard- 4 50 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. ships, and toils, and privations, and the sickness of a new and uncultivated country. Their descendants know nothing of how they lived, and how they did, nor can a written work con- vey any just conception of it all. These men and. women have passed away and are forgotten — nearly forgotten — the largest mumber of them are totally forgotten ; a few only are remem- bered — those of them who did prominent deeds. And when another generation comes up to displace the present, the pioneer fathers, and all they did, will have been lost to the world forever. History tells us the numbers that went into the field in the revolution one hundred years ago, but that is all ; we do not know who they were, or how they appeared. The most prominent officers are all we have any conception of — all have turned to dust. But the immediate descendants of the pioneer fathers of Fairfield County, many of them, are with us, and many who came at an early day, but after the settlements had made con siderable progress. Prom them we glean much that pertains to the early history of the county. The times of the log-cabin era of the Hocking Valley have not faded from their memories, but the realization is lost. But recurring again to the tax-payers of 1806. They have gone from the scenes of earth forever — all they did, what they endured, how they loved, and joyed, and sorrowed, is all noth- ing now. Their voices have all been hushed into eternal silence, so far as earth is concerned ; their faces have faded from memory ; the waves have closed over them forever more. They were a noble, enduring race of men and women ; their names and deeds ought to be carried down to posterity, far into the coming ages. Their names have mostly faded out; only a few of them are to be seen chiseled in the cold marble or sand-stone that marks their last resting-places. Would- that their virtues and patriotism were written in imperish- able script on every threshold and on every wall, the pioneers of Fairfield County. To one familiar with the present population of the county, traces of many of the pioneer families are recognized in all the townships and original settlements, by the names and families of their descendants, but the largest number of the families of the tax-payers are extinct in the county. Most of the names are entirely lost ; moving away, intermarriage, and death, HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 51 accounts for this. Many of the oldest inhabitants at present residing in the county came early, but subsequent to 1806. In personal notes, elsewhere, will be found notices of such prominent early settlers, both before and after 1806, as facilities have enabled me to secure. These older citizens still cherish the memory of the log-cabin age of the county. The house- raising, the log-rolling, the corn-husking, the quilting, the country wedding, country dance; "Sister Phebe;" "Marching to^ Quebec;" "Thus the farmer sows his seed;" "As oats, peas, beans and barley grows ;" " Kilimacranky ;" and other plays then so universal. The hominy block, lie hominy, the Johnny cake, hoe cake, corn dodger, the tinkling cow bell, sound of the woodman's ax, the dinner horn, drumming pheasant, and the thousand things peculiar to frontier life sixty years ago and more ; all have passed away forever, but the recollection of them is precious to the aged yet living — hal- lowed, priceless. The writer has passed through all the phases of frontier life in another part of the State. There is nothing so dear to the aged as the remembrances of the past, the long ago, of life's first young dreams, its loves, and joys, and dear associations. It is a thrilling comfort to the aged Christian man or woman, when recollection falls back to the humble cabin with its slab benches, rude corner cupboard, and wide fire-place, and dwells upon the sincere, simple and true worship of other days, days that were before the carking cares of the world, and the follies and absurdities of fashionable life were brought in to ornament the simplicity of the religion of the great founder of the church. Reader, did you ever let your thoughts go back to your young days, where, unbidden, the scenes of the past, with all that was precious to memory, came grouping around yOu ? Is there anything this world can afford that you would be willing to exchange for that hour of elysium, that bliss that is all your own, and that cannot be taken from you, nor marred by enemies? These good old days are all gone, never to return, and the old mourn unavailingly their depart- ure. There is really nothing now that was sixty years ago, or nothing as it was then; grey heads and bent forms remain, and tender emotions come up, but the loves and endearments of other years have drifted back into the dim vista of the past. Regarding the pioneers ofFairfield County during the first fifteen or twenty years of the present century, with all they 52 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. were and what they did, they appear to the contemplative mind as a wave of humanity that laved the shores of time for a brief season, only to ebb away into the vast ocean of what, to mortals in this mundane sphere of existence, seems oblivion. They were here and did the work of their day, but they are gone, and that is all we can say. No visible work of their hands stands out in relief. And what has their lives and deeds availed? Much ; but the present age fails in due appre- ciation. To the busy throng of to-day, in their irrational race for riches and fame and enjoyment, the former age is obliv- ious. We rush almost frantically, at best heedlessly, over their sleeping dust to grasp the baubles that even our own ex- periences tell us will dissolve in our grasp. And for what? A few more brief decades of years, and we will be as the pioneers are now — gone — forgotten. We do not even pause an hour to remember, and possibly appreciate how much we owe to that noble and sturdy race. By their hands the forests and jungle have been cleared away, by which the pestilential fogs and fens have been disarmed of mischief, mostly. They did the hard work and gave us a clear soil to till. Can we say we , are carrying forward their virtues, their practical common sense, their good manners, humanity and worship ? Have we inherited their patriotism ? We have grown wiser, possi- bly, and gained wealth, material wealth. Have we grown in goodness ? FIRST COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. The'first judicial records for Fairfield County were entered in a small blank book of 231 pages. The paper is very coarse, of a dull white color, and unruled. From it I am able to make some highly interesting extracts. The first dates are in 1803. The manner of keeping the records would appear strange enough at this day. Though one year after the State was ad- mitted into the Union, the word Ohio occurs but seldom in the volume. The records are strangely deficient in another respect, which is, that with the exception of the names of judges, jurors, and parties to suits, no others appear, save that of Hugh Boyl, who was appointed Clerk of the first Court. One fails, in passing quite through the book, to learn the name of a Sheriff, or any other ofiBcer of the Court. Another pecu- liarity is, that in giving the verdicts of juries — it is simply HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 63 written that the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plain- tiff, or defendant, as the case might he, but with few excep- tions the amount of damages is not stated. The record in this quaint old book runs over a period of six years, viz. : from 1803 to 1809 ; but there are no dates given to any of the entries, other than that they M'ere a part of the proceedings of the May term, the March term, or the June term, etc. And again, at the opening of each term it is a part of the record, that "The following jury was elected and sworn in." Sometimes it is said the jury was impanneled ; at others, that the jury ap- peared ; and at the July term of 1806 it reads : "Came a Grand Jury." Indictments are given, with name of accused, and crime, a" few interesting examples of which will appear. The style of the book of records before me is : "Minutes of the proceedings of the Court of Common Pleas for Fairfield County, beginning at May term, 1803." At this first term of the Court of Common Pleas for Fair- field County, which commenced on the second Tuesday of May, 1803, the record stands : "Before Wyllys Sillman, Esquire, President, and his associates." The following are the names of the Grand Jurors who were sworn in at that term : David" Resse, foreman ; Joseph Hunter, Henry Mesner, Jacob Lamb, John McMean, Thomas Cisna, Frederick Leather, Thomas McCall, Joseph Work, James Black, John Shepler,1857— B. Ellis. 1858— E. D. Anderson, S.M. Bright. 1859— R. D. Anderson, J. M. Adair. I860— W. C. Holliday, J. Robinson. 1861— W. C. Holliday, W. M. Mul lenix. 1862— H. G. G. Turk, J. M. Adair. 3863- H. G. G. Turk, Jno. Brown. 1864— N. Speck. 1865— S. Rankin, G. L. Seits. 1866^S. Rankin. 1867— J. W. Lewis. 1868— J. W. Lewis, J. Rickets. 1869— J. W. Lewis. 1870— E. O. King, J. H. Beery. 1871— H. B. Westervelt, J. F, Kemper. 1872— H. B. Westervelt, R. H. Griffith. 1873— J. T. Finch, W. F. Filler. 1874— J. T. Finch. 1875 — This year called Junction City. This Circuit embraced a part of Fairfield County. 1876— W. Mor is, J. P. Langley. Junction City Circuit was formed in 1874. 1874— J. F. Kemper. 1875— J. W. Baker, J. M. Langley. Carroll Ci.cuit was formed by a division of Baltimore Circuit in 1874. 1874— W. F. Filler. 1875— C. H. Warren. 1876— J. H Postle. ' New Salem Circuit was formed by a division of Rushville Circuit in 1874. . 1874— J. H. Beery. 1875— B. F. Thomas. 1876— B. F. Thomas. Lithopolis Circuit was formed in 1839. 1839 — Jacob Young, David Lewis. 1840— Jacob Young, T. A. G. Phil- lips. 1841— Jas. Gilruth, T. A. G. Phil- lips. 1842— J. T. Donahoo, W. Litzinger. 1843— J. T. Donahoo,C. C. Lybrand. 1844 — Jas. Laws, Sheldon Parker. 1845 — Jas. Laws, Sheldon Parker. 1846— S. Bateman, A. Carroll. 18^7- A. Carroll, J. S. Brown. After this the circuit was called Groveport, embracing the same ter- ritory in Fairfield County. Groveport Circuit was formed in 1848. 1848- J. S. Brown. 1849— J. Hooper, R. Doughty. 1850— E. B. Chase, A. Fleming and J. S. Vail. 1851— J. W. Clarke. 1852— Jacob Young, L. Taft. 1853— S. M. Merril, D. Young. 1854 — F. A. Tiramons, J. Martin. 1855 — F. A. Timmons, J. Martin. 1856 — Levi Cunningham, C. C. Ly- brand. 1857— C. C. Lybrand, H. Gortner. 1858— S. Fleming, S. Bateman. 1859— S. Fleming, S. Bateman. I860— H. H. Ferris, F. F. Lewis. 1861— H. H. Ferris, F. F. Lewis. 1862— S. C. Riker, A. Carroll. 1863— S. C. Riker, A. Carroll. 1864— J. Mitchel, S. M. Donahoo. 1865— S. Tippett, J. E. Moore. 1866- S. Tippett, J. E. Moore. 1867— S. Tippett, A. Brooks. 1868— D. Horlocker. 1869— D. Horlocker. 1870— D. Horlocker. 1871— S. M. Bright. Canal Winchester Circuit wa? formed in 1872, embracing the Fairfield County part of the ap- pointments. 1872— W. H. McClintock. 1873— W. H. McClintock. ♦ 1874— W. H. McClintock. 1875— W. C. Holliday. 1876— W. C. Holliday. Pickerington Circuit was formed in 1851. 1851 — A. Fleming, D. Lewis. 1852— R. Pitzer, D. Lewis. 1853— R. Pitzer, J. Young. 1854— J. Stewart S. M. Merril. 1855 — J. Stewart, C. M. Bethauser. 1856— F. A. Timmons, W. Z. Ross. 1857— W. Z. Ross, W. P. Grant- ham. 1858— T. D. Martindale, C. C. Ly- brand. 1859— T. D. Martindale, W. S. Ben- ner. I860— W. C. Filler, W. S. Benner. 1861— W. C. Filler, H. G. G. Fink. 128 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 18G2— J. F. Given, B. Ellis. 1863— E. Pibley, J. F. Langman. 1864— E. Sibley, C. C. Ly brand. Then in 1865, the name was changed to Reynoldsburg Circuit. 1865— S. C. Riker, J. M. Adair. 1860— S. C. Riker, J. C. Gregg. 1867— S. C. Riker, J. C. Gregg. 1868— J. C. Gregg, T. H. Brodrick 1869-0. M. Bethauser, T. H. Brod- rick. 1870— C. M. Bethauser, T. H. Brod- rick. 1871— R. B. Bennett. 1872— R B. Bennett. 1873— M. V. B. Evans. 1874- M. V. B. Evans. 1875— M. V. B. Evans. PROTESTANT METHODIST CHURCH. A Protestant Methodist Church was organized in Lancaster a little previous to the year 1840, and continued its existence a number of years. During its existence it had a respectable membership and a regular succession of pastors. It also owned a commodious church edifice on Chestnut street. The society has now been disbanded a numuer of years, and the building has passed into the hands of the Regular Baptists, and is their present place of worship. The constituent members have de- ceased and moved away, and there are no records to be found from which to obtain a history of the organization. REGULAR BAPTIST CHURCH. The Regular Baptist Church was organized in Lancaster in 1817, by Rev. George Debott, who was its first pastor. The constituent members were six, viz.: Isaac Church and wife, James Lowrey and wife, Stephen Whittlesey and Anna Bruen. The last-named died recently at the great age of 106 years. The other five are deceased. Mr. Debott also lived to a very ad- vanced age. Rev. William White, father of thelate Dr. James White, of Lancaster, succeeded Mr. Debott as pastor, and con- tinued in that relation for many years. Rev. Samuel Carpen- ter was the next pastor ; he began his labors in that relation in 1829, which was only broken off by his death, which took place in the summer of 1870. The maximum number of the membership at any given time was about fifty, though much of the time it was below that. The present membership, in 1876, is stated at twenty, and the present pastor is the Rev. William Fisher. Very soon after the organization, the members built a frame church edifice on Chestnut street, south of the Talmadge House, which they occupied until it was consumed by fire, in about the year 1864. The ground was subsequently sold for HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 129 fifteen hundred dollars, which sum was used in the purchase of the present church building. •There are at this time four other churches of this denomi- nation within the county, some of which are said to have been organized previous to that of Lancaster, especially the one at Thornville. The Turkey Run Church, north of Amanda, has a member- ship of forty or fifty. Walnut Creek Regular Baptist Church was constituted on Saturday before the second Sunday in January, 1816, with eleven members. Beyond this there are no accessible records from which further particulars can be obtained. BAPTIST CHURCH (NEW SCHOOL). [I understand this church disclaims the appellation "New School," but claims to be Regular Baptists. — Author]. This church was organized in 1842, with a constituent mem- bership of twelve persons. Very soon after the organization, they erected a fine brick church building on the west side of North Columbus street, on the corner of Columbus and Mul- berry streets. Within the thirty-four years of its existence it has, with the exception of a very brief period, been regularly supplied with stated pastors. The following are the names of the pastors, in the order of their succession : Rev. J. M. Courtney, Rev. S. T. Griswold, Rev. J. B. Sachet, Rev. E. F. Strickland, Rev. S. G. Dawson, Rev. T. R. Powell, Rev. Wm.. Sharp, Rev. H. A. Lyon, Rev. E. Dannels, present pastor. The present membership is stated at ninety. The church sustains a flourishing Sabbath-School. PLEASANT RUN RAPTIST CHURCH. Alfred Mesnard has kindly furnished me the original and continuous books of record of the Pleasant Run Regular Bap- tist Church, of which he is the present Secretary. It will be seen by the following extract from the first page, that the church was first constituted in the year 1806 : April the 19th, 1806, then met according to appointment and opened our meeting with prayer and praise. Second — proceeded to business, 9 130 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO, with choosing our Moderator, Martin Coffman. Third — we also chose Samuel Comer for our Clerk ; so ending our meeting with praise and thanksgiving. MARTIN COFFMAN, Moderator. Samuel Comer, Clerk. Then follows the minutes of succeeding business meetings, occurring in May, June, July, August, September, Octobpr, and so on, at which Lewis Bites acted mostly as Moderator, and Samuel Comer as Clerk, with occasionally Martin Coffman as Moderator, on up to August, 1809, at which time- the church had a membership of ninety, whose names here follow pre- cisely in the order of the record. Rev. Lewis Sites, sr., was the first pastor of the Pleasant Run Church. The names of the members are copied literally as they stand on the twenty- first page of the first church book of records, which leaves it difiicult to understand why the interruption occurs at the number 50 : NAMES OF THE MEMBERS OF PLEASANT RUN CHURCH : 1 \Vm. Hopwood. 22 Ann Hite. 44 Emanuel Ruffner. 2 Abraham Hite. 23 Christian Hover. 45 Ann Spitler. 3 Magdalen Ruflfner. 24 Susan Musselman. .46 Jacob Spitler. 4 Elizabeth Warner. , 25 Barbary Hite. 47 Timothy Collins. 5 Adam Giger. 26 Samuel Comer. 48 Phoebe Collins. 6 Mary Giger. 27 Elizabeth Comer. 49 Barbary Beaver. 7 Magdalen Giger. 28 Sister Hannah. 50 Magdalen Taylor. 8 Conrod Hite. 29 Sister Bibler. Joseph Stider. 9 Aaron Powel. 30 Christian Cagy. John Moothead. 10 Sister Powel. 31 Mary Cagy. Christian Coffman. 11 Martin Coffman. 32 John Hite. James Owens. 12 Ann Coflfman. 84 Sister Cussman. 79 Mary Coffman . 13 Magdalen Wise. 35 Jacob Bibler. 80 Smith Goodens. 14 Ann Miller. 36 Jacob Bibler, jr. Aaron Ashbrook. 15 Elizabeth Histand .37 Caty Bibler. Eli Ashbrook. 16 Frank Bibler. 38 David Bibler. Caty Ashbrook. 17 Mary Bibler. 39 John Bibler. 81 Neely Bibler. 18 Andrew Hite. 40 Barbary Bibler. 82 Magdalane Spitler. 19 Ann Hite. 41 Lewis Sites. 83 Magdalane Hite. 20 Samuel Hite. 42 Ann Sites. 21 John Hite. ' 43 Christiana Woolf. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 131 Baptised since our last : 51 George White. 61 Abraham Bibler. 71 Sister Brumlang. 52 Jacob Spitler. 62 Sister Keller. 72 53 Susan Spitler. 63 Cissa Miller. 73 Mary Bibler. 54 Jacob Musselman. 64 Joseph Hite. 74 Jacob Bibler. 55 Peter Spitler. 65 James Davis. 75 Barbary Bibler. 56 John Hite. 66 Thomas Warner. 76 57 Betsy Bibler. 67 Susanna Spitler. 77 58 MaJy Hoopwood. 68 Martin Histand. 78 59 Abraham Hite. 69 Cissa Studer. 60 John Bibler. 70 Jacob Studer. The omission of number 33 in the list, reduces the number to 89, by supplying the numbers 72, 76, 77 and 78 with names, which we are allowed to think were not remembered. The record literally quoted, is a relic as well as history, and on that account valuable. So far as is known, not one of the above persons is living to- day. Pleasant Run Church is a living church at this time, with a few less than one hundred members. The congrega- tion has continued its place of worship from the first, viz, : in April, 1806, up to the present spring of 1877, on the same spot where it began, which is a short distance north of Strickler's Cross-roads, in the north-east corner of Pleasant Township. They have a commodious church edifice, sometimes spoken of as Strickler's Church, and sometimes as the Baptist Church, though the title they assume is that of the Pleasant Run Church. It is a- melancholy thought, that the ninety persons once composing that body, so full of life, and love, and Christian zeal, and filling their places in all of life's afifairs, are no more. Their voices are all silent, and their forms have disappeared. They have passed to their reward in the better land. The present pastors of the church are : Revs. Schofield and Barker. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. A Presbyterian Church was organized in Lancaster at a very early day. The Rev. John Wright settled here in the year 1801, and continued pastor of the church up to 1835, when he was succeeded by Rev. William Cox. 132 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. * They held their meetings in the old Court-house during a number of years, when they built a small brick church, or chapel, on the lot where the present church stands. I have not been able to ascertain the date of the building of this little chapel, but the best recollections fix it a little prior to the year 1820. In 1835, Mr. Wright left Lancaster and settled in In- diana, at which time William Cox became the settled pastor of the Presbyterian Church, and remained until 1854, when he accepted a call to the Church of Piqua, in Miami County, at which place he closed his life a fe^y years subsequently, and was interred in the cemetery east of Lancaster. The present church edifice was erected in 1835. Below is given the suc- cession of pastors from 1801 to 1876: - Rev. John Wright from 1801 to 1835 ; Rev. William Cox from 1836 to 1854 ; succeeding him were Rev. J. M. Lowry, Rev. Robert Galbraith, Rev. Webster, Rev. George FuUerton, Rev. Word.en, Rev. Muse, Rev. Snodgrass, and the Rev. J. R. Boyd, who is the present pastor. Besides these there were several supplies who remained short periods, whose names I have not the means of finding out. The present communion is about two hundred persons. There is likewise a full Sab- bath-School that meets every week. The following incident is deemed worthy of mention here, because it took place on the lot *iow owned by the Presbyter- ians, and also because it belongs to the history of Lancaster. The occurrence took place some time previous to the building of the little brick chapel. It has been related to me by Dr. Charles Shawk, who as a boy was an eye-witness, and by others. There are probably many persons living who can re- call the affair. I give it in substance as narrated by the Doctor. Peter Reeber owned the grounds, and had in operation on them a horse-power mill, in which corn, wheat, and other grain was ground. He also had a log barn, that stood nearly on the site of the present church, but a little more up the hill. On one Sunday the barn was struck by lightning and set on fire. The citizens rushed from all directions and began the work of trying to put out the fire. The wells in the vicinity were soon exhausted, when a bucket-line was formed to a pond of water near by, and the muddy water passed up, by which the flames were at last extinguished, and the build- HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 133 ing partially saved. Two oxen in the barn at the time were killed by the lightning. In the management of the bucket- line, Thomas Ewing and Adam Weaver fell out, and came to blows, so tradition says. It is to be borne in mind that personal notes and references in this work are limited to pioneers. The following items are relics of the early days, and will be of interest to Presbyterians and others, as mementos, but especially the descendants of first settlers about Lancaster. Mr. Joseph Work, of Ireland, was an early settler, and a first member of the Presbyterian Church of Lancaster. Robert, John and Henry Work, of this vicinity, are his sons. Mr. Work came to the United States about the year 1792: Certificate.— That Joseph Work, from the Kingdom of Ireland, has lived from his infancy within the bounds of this congregation, always maintaining a fair moral character ; has been admitted to Church privileges in said congregation, and may safely be admitted to Christian Society where in providence his lot may be cast. WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, Pastor. St. Johns Town, 25th June, 1792. Receipt. — Received of Joseph Work, one of the collectors for Hock- ing Congregation, one dollar, on my first year's salary. JOHN WRIGHT, January Wth, 1807. Receipt. — Received of Joseph Work, one of the collectors for Hock- ing Congregation, fourteen dollars and fifty cents, in part of my first year's salary. JOHN WRIGHT. December Uth, 1806. Receipt. — Received of John Smith, two dollars on my salary for Hocking Congregation. JOHN WRIGHT. December ISfh, 1814. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT WEST RUSHVILLE. To Rev. L. D. Smith, pastor of the Presbyterian Church at West Rushville, I am indebted for the following information : Rush Creek Presbyterian Church was organized A.D. 1806, by Rev. John Wright. The ruling Elders were Wm. Larrimer and Wm. Trim- ble. Mr. Wright continued to be pastor of the church at Rush Creek for about twenty-seven years. Rev. James Anderson succeeded him, and remained about twenty years. This brings the history of the church down to about the year 1853, when Rev. J. Milligen becanfe pa^ tor. At this time Fielding Alford, David Abright, DY. Davis and Wm Thompson were Elders. Rev. Milligen was succeeded by Rev. J. 134 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. M. Drake, and he by Eev. H. R. Peairs. This was in 1863. In 1866, Eev. C. C. B. Duncan came, and was succeeded in 1871 by Eev. J. L. Gourley; and in 1874, the present minister. L. D. Smith, took charge, with Elders David Abright, D. Y. Davis, Edward Johnson, John W. J)ilger, E. Kagey and Wm. Clenaghan. The present membership of the church is 120. Our church buildinff is a frame, and was erected about twenty-two years ago, and is the third erected since the organization of the society. L. D. SMITH, Pastor. THE BETHEL CHURCH, Four miles south-east of Bremen, was organized in 1832, by Rev. Francis Bartlett. In 1852, Rev. J.Milligen was pastor of Bethel Church, and Isaac Larimer, John. Sherwood, Aaron Work, Geo. McCandlish and James Black were its ruling Elders. Rev. J. M. Drake took charge of the church in 1858, and was followed by Rev. H. R. Peairs; and again, in 1866, Rev. C. C. B. Duncan assumed the pastorate. In 1872, Rev. J. L. Gourley took charge, and in 1874, Rev. L. D. Smith, who is its present pastor, in 1877. Its present membership is 60. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT BREMEN. The Bremen Church was organized on the 21st of October, 1844, by a committee of Licking Presbytery, consisting of Rev. Jacob Little, Rev. H. Boutelle and Rev. A. Duncan. The first pastor mentioned was Rev. J. Schlosser. The first elders were Daniel Rodahafer, John Ashbaugh and Wm. Rowles. Their reported number of members in 1856, was fifty-seven commu- nicants. In this year, Mr. Schlosser's connection with the church ceased, when he was succeeded by Rev. Thomas Grif- fith. In 1859, the Rev. S. J. Humphrey took charge. In 1865, Rev. C. C. Hart, of Logan, supplied the congregation. The Elders then were John Ashbaugh and J. Leib. In 1870, Rev. W. A. Galbraith was preaching there. In 1871, Rev. J. L. Gourley was the supply; and his connection ceased as pastor in April, 1873. In November, 1874, the church employed the Rev. L. D. Smith, of West Rushville, to give them one-fourth of his time, and he was still supplying the congregation in July, 1877. The number of communicants in January, 18/6, was forty-two. The Presbyterians also have societies at Aiftanda, Lithopo- lis and Greencastle, with regular pastors, but up to the time of going to press they have failed to return specific statements. HISTORY OF FAIRFIKLD COUNTY, OHIO. 135 The present pastor of Lithopolis Church is the Rev. Mr. Brown, who also supplies the Church at Greencastle. The Greenfield Presbyterian Church, four miles from Lan- caster, on the Carroll road, has been supplied since its first or- ganization by the Rev. J. R. Boyd, of Lancaster Church. F.PISCOPAL PARISH OF ST. JOHN. LETTER OF WM. J. EEECE. Dr. H. Soott : The Protestant Episcopal Parish of St. John was organized in Lancaster during the Year of Grace 1835, and the Rev. Sherlock A. Bronson was its first rector. The present church building was erected during the influential rectorship of the Rev. Alvah Guion. The prominent active laymen who co-operated with him, were Messrs Henry Stanberry, John T. Brazee, Daniel SifFord, John Reeber, Daniel Kutz and Wm. P. Creed, Esqs. When the church was completed, these gentlemen assumed and paid oif the then existing debts, and it was thfen consecrated by the late Rev. Bishop McElvain. After Mr. Guion, the following clergymen were rectors, in the order in which their names are^ here written, viz.: Rev. Messrs. Daniel Risser, J. M. *C. Bonte, Frederick Grey, Henry D. Lathrop, E. Owen Simpson, Wm. Brittain, John Scott, A. S. Gorrell and Edward B. Cartmell, who resigned his clerical position in the church October, 1875, to accept that of Principal in the Ijancaster High School. Very truly yours, WM. J. REECE. ST. Peter's evangelical Lutheran church. This church was organized in Lancaster at a very early period in this century. Rev. Mr, Steck was its first pastor, and continued in that relation for a great many years, and was succeeded by Rev. J. Wagenhals ; at least his succession is the information given to the writer. No records are known to be in existence, and I can neither fix the exact year of the first formation of the Society, nor the number and names of the constituent members. The ground was deeded to the church by Jacob Beck, the elder, first member. The Society subsequently built a two-story log church edi- fice on the site of their present brick building, somjtimes spoken of as the Canal Church. Subsequently this log struc- ture was removed, and a two-story brick substituted. This was destroyed by fire in 1846. This church was incorporated by act of the Legislature in 1840. The names of the incor- porators were : Henry Arnold, Geo. W. Bantler, Christian Baesster, Christian Baughman, Henry Orman, Philip Bope and Coonrod Crumley. 136 HISTORY OP FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. After the burning of the brick church in 1846, the- GTerman members purchased the ground and built the present church building. The ministers who have filled the pulpit since the retirement of Rev. John Wagenhals were : Rev. H. Burcher, Rev. Leon Hart, Rev. Speilman and Rev. Mechling, present pastor. Present membership, 600. FIRST ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH OP LANCASTER. The first English Lutheran Church of Lancaster was organ- ized as a distinctive congregation, in the year 1843, with a constituent membership of about twenty persons. The or- ganization was effected by the withdrawal of the English members from the parent church of St. Peter's, in part. For about three years after the separation, the two societies con- tinued to worship in the same house. After the building was burned, in 1846, the English, having sold out their interest to the Germans, purchased ground on Columbus street, and erected upon it the same church edifice in which they, now meet. The house was built in 1846. The succession of pastors, from 1843 to 1876, has been as follows : Rev. John McCron, one year ; Rev. Charles F. Shaefifer, three years ; Rev. A. J. Weddle, three years ; Rev. L. Kizer, one year; Rev. J. Hamilton, two years; Rev. J. F. Reindmond, seven years; Rev. Samuel Sprecher, two years; Rev. N. J. Knisely, two years ; Rev. Charles Steck, one year ; Rev. John B. Helwig, four years ; Rev. John O. Hough, one year ; Rev. G. W. Halderman, six years. The membership in 1876 is computed at about two hundred persons, there remaining in the body about half a dozen of the original members. The foregoing statements have been furn- ished me by the present pastor, Rev. G. W. Halderman. GERMAN REFORM CHURCH. I am indebted to the courtesy of Mr. Emanuel Giesy, for the following synopsis of the history of the German Reform Church in Lancaster, which he obtained from the church records. I insert his letter entire : De. H. Scott: The following notes may be of use to you, as in reply to your request. The German Reform Church of Lancaster was organ- ized by the Rev. George Wise, about the first of October, 1816, with twenty members, and he continued to be its pastor up to the year 1838. During that time he also preached to other congregations in Ross, Pick- away, Hocking, Perry, Licking and Franklin counties. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 137 In March, 1818, the congregation purchased a lot in Carpenter's Addi- tion, on Columhus street, and built a house of worship, which was first used as a school-house, but was, in 1832, dedicated to the service of God as a house of worship. In this house the congregation continued to worship until 1845, in which year their new church on Chestnut street being completed, they moved into it. Mr. Wise was succeeded by the Rev. Henry Willard, who filled the pulpit six years, and .was succeeded by Rev. Jesse Steiner. He was succeeded by Eev. Jeremiah Good, who served the congregation three years ; and was succeeded by Eev. Henry BrinkerhofF, serving the congregation two years; and was suc- ceeded by Rev. John Rike, who died in the midst with his armor fully polished. Mr. Rike was succeeded by Rev. P. D. Schory ; and he by Rev. G. W. Meckling, who was succeeded by Eev. H. Hock man. After him came Rev. John Swander, who was followed by Rev. L. Strassman; and on the first of April, 1872, the Rev. Wm. Hale, the present pastor, settled in the congregation. The name of the church edifice was, short- ly after the coming of Mr. Hale, changed to Grace Reform Church. The present membership is 225. Respectfully, E. GIESY. THE IMMANUEL's CHURCH. The first German Evangelical Lutharan congregation of unaltered Ogsburg confession was organized in Lancaster, 0., on January 31st, 1849, the constituent members being twelve in number Rev. F. W. Richman was the first pastor. Suc- ceeding him have been the following ministers, in the order in which their names occur. The dates refer to the year when each pastor took charge : Rev. J. P. Kalb took charge in 1852 ; Rev. F. W. Faclinger in 1857 ; Rev. J. L. Daib in 1868; Rev. M. Merz in 1859 ; Rev. J. F. Niethamer in 1885 ; Rev. E. J. Fredrick in 1866 ; Rev. G Solum in 1869; Rev. C. A. Frank in 1870; Rev. E. Kaeler in 1873; Rev. C. A. Frank again in 1876. This church was constituted by withdrawing members from St. Peters' Lutheran Church, in the year 1849. The primary object of the withdrawal, as set forth, was, to institute purely German services. Immediately after the separation, the members of Immanuel's Church purchased a lot on Cliestnut street, between Broad and High streets, and proceeded forth- with to erect a church building, which being completed, was dedicated as a house of worship in 1852. This organization recognizes a voting qualification, viz. : only male members of the age of twenty-one years and upwards exercise that franchise. Of these, there are in the congrega- tion seventy. The communing members of the congregation, in 1876, upon the return of Rev. Mr. Frank, numbered two 138 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNIY, OHIO. hundred and fifty-five. The children of the congregation at the same time numbered about fifty. Rev. C. A. Frank, pistor. CATHOLIC CHURCH. LETTER OF HON. P. B. EWING. "St. Mary's Church of Lancaster, Ohio. — There were Catholic families among the very earliest settlers of the town and county. " From 1820 to 1822, the first Catholic Church, a small frame build- ing, was completed at the foot of Chestnut street. " In 1841 the brick church on the north-east corner of High and Chest- nut streets was completed for occupancy. " In 1864 the new church, the large and elegant edifice now occupied by the congregation, was completed. In the same year the old brick church was remodeled for use as a parochial school. " A small frame building for a pastoral residence was built in 1844, adjoining the old brick church. This building was removed to the east- ern side of the church property, and a substantial brick addition made thereto in 1868, making the present pastoral residence. "Until 18.39 the congregation was under the care of the Dominican Fathers of St. Joseph's, Perry County. In that year the Rev. J. M. Young was sent by the Bishop of Cincinnati, and remained in charge for fifteen years, until 1854. when he was promoted to the new See of Erie. He was succeeded here by the Rev. Henry Lange, who remained for ten years, and until his death early in 1864. Rev. J. W. Brumraer was temporarily in charge for a few months, and was succeeded in August by Rev. Bernard Evers, who, on account of failing health, returned to Cin- cinnati in the early part of the next year, where he died soon after. " Rev. Dr. Daniel O'Regan came in May, 1865, and was here some- thing more than two years, when ill-health compelled him to relinquish labor. He joined his family in Dubuque, Iowa, and died there. " The next in order was Rev. F. J. Rudolph, who remained from July, 1867, until May, 1868, when, on the division of the Diocese of Cincin- nati, he preferred to retire to that part of it remaining under the Arch- bishop of Cincinnati. "Rev. Louis Decailly came in 1868, and remained until the early part of 1874, when he was transferred to Newark, and was succeeded here by Rev. N. E. Pilger. Father Pilger remained only a few months, when he was transferred to Delaware, and Rev. J. B. Schmidt took charge of the congregation, where he still remains. " In June, 1875, Rev. Gabriel Volkert was assigned as assistant pastor, and served until his death here in September of the same year, when Rev. F. J. Campbell was appointed to the place. " The Parochial School has an average attendance of two hundred and twenty, who are instructed by a corps of four Dominican Sisters, and one male teacher for the large boys. "The St. Mary's congregation, aggregating about sixteen hundred souls, numbers 260 families, with an annual average of fifteen marriages and seventy-five baptisms. "Missions. — As the Lancaster congregation Increased in numbers, it was found desirable to establish three mission churches in the southern part of the county. Afterwards a resident priest was assigned to their exclusive care. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 139 "At the 'Sacred Heart' Chapel, near Bremen, there are twenty-eight families; at 'St. Joseph's,' near Sugar Grove, there are thirty-two fami- lies ; and forty families at the chapel of ' Our Lady of Good Hope,' in the south-eastern corner of the county." OMISH MENNONITE CHURCH. To Joseph Kurtz, of Pleasant TownsMp, I am indebted for valuable aid in collecting notes of hi.story of this religious de- nomination in Fairfield County, sometimes improperly called the "Ormish Church." Simon Menno was a Catholic priest of Switzerland, where he was born in the town of Friesland, in Mitmarsum, in the year 1495. At the breaking out of the reformation of the six- teenth century, he dissented from the Catholic church, and be- came the compeer of Luther, Malangthon, Zwinglius, and others, in carrying on that great work. He soon secured a numerous constituency, among whom, of his immediate dis- ciples, were also many learned and influential men. Hence the denomination known as Mennonites. JACOB AMEN. Jacob Amen was also a native of Switzerland, and a zealous preacher of the Mennonite doctrine. He flourished during the seventeenth century. He was not the founder of a sect, strictly, though he taught some views differing with Simon Meno, therebj' securing personal followers. This was the origin of the Omish, or Amish Church, the name deriving from Jacob Amen ; and in the United States the title they assume is that of Omish Mennonite. They maintain a distinct church organization, nevertheless. In 1848, there were estimated to be in the United States one hundred and twenty-five thousand Mennonites, including the adherents of Jacob Amen. The Omish Mennonite Order have some distinctive views and practices that merit special mention. They administer baptism by pouring. They hold war to be forbidden by the au- thority of Christ. They pay no fixed salaries to their preach- ers. They will not take an oath, nor resist force by force. They do not allow one of their members to become a public charge, but provide for the poor within the church. Any member in regular standing has the right to speak in the public congregation, and expound the Scriptures. In gen- 140 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. eral doctrine, such as the incarnation, the atonement, the trinity, and regeneration hy the new, or spiritual birth, they are accredited as being orthodox. Their public worship is conducted similar to all other orthodox denominations of the Evangelical branches of the Christian Church. The Ornish Mennonite Church took its origin in Fairfield County in 1834. The*pTincipal settlement of them has been in Pleasant and Berne townships. In former years they were more numerous than at present, their numbers having diminished chiefly by moving away. They have at present no church building, but hold their meetings in private houses. Within the history of the church in Fairfield County, the following preachers have resided among them : David Zook, Bishop ; Jonathan Zook, Jacob Hartzler, Rev. Gingrich, David Hartzler. Joseph Yoder and Solomon Stutzman. At present. May, 1877, Jonathan Zook is their preacher. They assume the plain, or Quaker garb, and are everywhere recognized by their dress. Their intercourse is at all times friendly and assuring ; and in their dealings they are faithful, and, as a rule, strictly reliable. This is a cardinal part of their religion. Sober and temperate in their lives, they com- mand the confidence and respect of the community. As a rule, they are industrious and frugal, and it would be very rare to find an idler among that people, commonly spoken of as the " Ormish. " By common reputation, the Omish women have acquired the reputation of being very superior buttei'- makers. And such is their known faithfulness, that the word of an Ormish man is always current in all his contracts. THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION (aLBRIGHTS). The denomination commonly spoken of as "Albrights," but properly the Evangelical Association, had its beginning as a distinctive church organization first in the State of Pennsyl- vania, about the year 1800. The first members were called "Albrecht's Leute" (Albright people), after Jacob Albright, the founder of the church. Mr. Albright was converted in 1790, and during the succeeding ten years preached and exhorted more or less until, about 1800, he had a great many followers, when he founded a society with the above title. At first the membership was confined to the Germans, because all their services were held in that language. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 141 In doctrine and creed the " Association " is Armenian and Evangelical. Their itenerancy and forms of government, as likewise their modes of worship, are very much like the Methodists. From their organization, and during their weak- ness in numerical force, they suffered the usual persecutions of new sects, until now, in 1877, they have acquired a strengtli and popularity that places them among the leading Protestant denominations of the world. The following letter, kindly prepared for me by Rev. Andrew , Swartz, furnishes the history of the Evangelical Association in Fairfield County : Dk. H. Scott : The following is a condensed history of the Evangel- ical Association in Fairfield County : In the year A. D. 1816, the first missionary visited this county, viz. : Frederick Shower, father of the Shower brothers who are now doing a successful business in the shoe and boot trade in Lancaster. He commenced operations on Big Rush Creek, among the Swartz and Einsel families. An organization was soon formed in that neighbor- hood, followed by others in Greenfield and Liberty townships. After a few years the first circuit was formed, bearing the name of Lancaster Circuit, but embracing portions of Fairfield, Hocking, Boss, Pickaway and Franklin counties. For a number of years the meetings of the society were held prin- cipally in private houses. The first church edifice of the denomination in this county was erected on the land of Mr. John Bright, on Poplar Creek, Liberty Township, about the year 1830. For the first forty years of her labors among our population, her exercises were conducted almost exclusively in the German language, and as a consequence her increase in membership was not as rapid as might have been expected, had the religious exercises been conducted in the language of our country. About twenty years ago the Pennsylvania element of our church, which formed the basis of the several societies in the county, waked up to the importance of saving the youth for the church of their choice, and yielded their own preference in language for the benefit of their children. The growth and development of the denomination has been more rapid since said change was efiected. Old societies have been strengthened, and a number of new ones formed. The denomination now numbers fifteen societies in Fairfield County, each one having their own house of worship; and there are now five resident pastors in the county. The denomination has its strongest hold in Liberty Township, where, in the last two years, over eight thousand dollars have been raised for new church edifices. There is a Sabbath -School in connection with almost every society, into which schools nearly one thousand children and youth are gathered every Sabbath. By this it will be seen, that the Evangelical Associa- tion has a bright future in Old Fairfield. That she may live and pros- per, and be made a great blessing to our population for all time, is the. earnest wish, sincere desire, and fervent prayer of the writer. Eespectfully, ANDREW SWARTZ. May 26iA, 1877. 142 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. BUNKER CHURCH. I obtain the following history of the Dunker denomination of Christians in Fairfield County from John Hunsacker, of Rush Creek Township, he having been a preacher and bishop in the order for many years. The society at one time numbered about one hundred members, but at present, viz. ; in May, 1877, their number is reduced to about seventy, chiefly by emigration. They have three church buildings — one, a mile and a quarter south of Bremen; one, eight miles south-west of Bremen; and one on Durbin Run, five miles south-west from Bremen. The title they assume is, the " Brethren Church" the name Dunker, or Tunker, having been applied to them de- risively, as will presently be seen. There is no other society of the Brethren in Fairfield County besides that on Rush Creek and the Raccoon. They have been styled " Die Tceufer" or Baptists, the German words. Die Tceufer, meaning to dip, because they baptize by dipping, or plunging under the water. The ordinance is ad- ministered by the candidate kneeling in the water, while the administrator plunges the body forward, head foremost, three times, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost ; hence Tosufer, or dipper. For the same reason they have sometimes been called tumblers. The origin of the order was in Germany, soon after the be- ginning of the great reformation; and from their mode of bap- tism they were sometimes called German Baptists. Their first emigration to America was in the fall of 1819, when about twenty families came over and landed first in Philadelphia. The denomination has peculiarities that deserve special mention. First, their genc-al doctrines are Armenian. They have no written or published creed, -but take their title from Matt, xxiii, 8—" One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren." Their dress is the plain Quaker garb. They like- wise use a plain and unostentatious form of speech. They will neither take an oath nor go to war. They do not go to law, nor take interest for money loaned. [This rule has been modified so that sometimes now they take lawful interest, but never from their poorer brethren. — Ed.J The men commonly wear their beards long. They celebrate the Lord's Supper with love-feast, washing of feet, kiss of charity and the right-hand HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 143 of fellowship. They also anoint the sick that thej' may re- cover. In referring to this denomination, the Rev. E. Winchester, English Missionary, says : " They are industrious, sober, temp- erate, kind, charitable people, envying not the great, nor des- pising the mean. They read much ; they sing and pray much ; they are constant attendants upon the worship of God. Their dwelling-houses are all houses of prayer. They walk in the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly, both in public and private. They bring up their children in the nur- ture and admonition of the Lord. The law of kindness is in their mouths ; no sourness nor morosenesa disgraces their re- ligion; and whatsoever they believe their Savior commands, they practice, without inquiring jor regarding what others do." It is their custom, and they hold it a religious duty, at their big meetings, to spread a large table and feed the " multitude." The first establishment of the Dunker, or Brethren denom- ination, in Fairfield County, was about the year 1809, on Rush Creek and the Raccoon in the eastern part ; and the number of the constituent members was about twenty-five. The fol- lowing are the names of the principal members at that time : Casper Hufibrd and wife; Isaac Beery and wife; John Beery and wife; Henry Beery and wife; Solomon HuSbrd and wife; Daniel Hartsough and wife ; George Bright and wife ; Freder- ick Friezner and wife ; Jacob Hunsaker and wife; Abraham Beery and wife; Jacob Stoner and wife; John Miricle and wife; Abraham Huflford and wife ; Sally Hartsough; and per-, haps a few others not remembered. Their first religious meetings were held in the cabins of the members, respectively. Their first preachers were (they do not use the prefix Rev.) : Elijah Schofield and Jacob Staley. Sometime after the organi- zation, George Bright and Isaac Beery were chosen as their paeachers ; and, subsequently, Daniel Snider often came from Perry County and preached for them. In 1938, Philip Stoneburner was established in the church, and continued to preach about ten years, and was succeeded by John Hunsacker, who continued until 1857, when he was ordained Bishop, and continued until 1871. Joseph Hendricks was chosen preacher in 1851, and ordained in 1857. Between 1871 and 1877, Daniel Hartsough, Michael Moore, Abraham 144 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. Stemen and John HufFord supplied the congregation as their preachers. "The German Baptists, or Brethren (Dunkers), have dis- persed themselves almost through every State in the Union, more or less, but they are most numerous in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and Indiana. It would be difficult to give a regular statistical account of these people, as -they make it no part of their duty to keep an exact account of the number of their communicants. * * None of their ministers receive any pecuniary compensation for any ser- vices they perform pertaining to the ministry. * * Their ministers will not perform the rites of marriage if there are lawful impediments against it in the parties. " PROBATE JUDGES. The office of Probate Judge, in Ohio, was created in 1852 by the provisions of the new State Constitution adopted in that year. The functions of this Court were previously performed by the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, and by the Asso- ciate Judges. Marriage licenses, previous to the Constitution of 1852, were issued by the Clerk of the Court. The first Probate Judge elected was Joel Rodibaugh, in 1852. Before his term expired he resigned, and Jesse Leohner was ap- pointed to serve out the time. In 1854, Virgil E. Shaw was elected, and held the office three years. In 1857, Jesse Loehner was elected, and re-elected the two succeeding terms, serving, in all, nine years, or up to 1866. In 1866, Abram Seifert was elected, and re-elected in 1868, bringing the time up to 1872, when Wm. T. Rigley was elected — and again in 1875 — and is the present incumbent. The term of the office, as fixed by the Constitution, is three years. CLERKS OF COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. Hugh Boyl was appointed Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for Fairfield County at its first session in 1803, and served uninterruptedly until about 1833, when Dr. M. Z. Kreider was appointed in his place, who served up to 1842. Joel Rodibaugh was then appointed, and held the office until the adoption of the new Constitution, in 1852. By the pro- visions of the new Constitution, the Clerkship became an HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 145 elective office, and Martin Cagy was first elected, and served the first Constitutional term of three years. John Radibaugh succeeded him, serving also three years. John C. Rainey was next elected for the two succeeding terms, aggregating six years. After him Jesse Vandemark held the office six years, followed by Chas. F. Rainey six years, his second term expir- ing in February, 1876. In October, 1875, George Grabill was elected, assuming his office upon the expiration of Mr. C. F. Rainey's second term, in February, 1876. Hugh Boyl continued Clerk of the Supreme Court until the time of his death. SHERIFFS. Edward B. Thompson, 1824 to 1828. George D. Sites, 1828 to 1832. Nathan Wetherby, 1882 to 1834. Silas Tam, 1834 to 1838. Thomas Edingfield, 1838. Samuel Ewing, 1840. 1842. Ellas Perry, 1844. 1846. Oliver H. Perry, 1848. 1850. James Weaver, 1852. Wm. Potter, 1854. Aaron W. Ebright, 1856. " " 1858. James Miller, 1860. " 1862. Emanuel Shisler, 1864. 1866. John D. Jackson, 1868. 1870. William Bush, 1872. " " 1874. George See, 1876. Among those known to have served as Sherifis of Fairfield County previous to 1820, is George Sanderson and William Crook, but whose term of office, or the exact date, I have been unable to fix. TREASURERS. The office of County Treasurer, properly, was created by law in 1828. Previous to that time, tax collectors were appointed by the County Commissioners, viz. : from 1802 to 1827. Dur- ing that time of twenty-five years, the taxes were so collected and paid over to the treasurers, who, I believe, were also ap- pointed, but I have been able to learn only two or three of their names from tradition, the only source of information in the absence of records. Since 1828, the list of County Treas- urers for Fairfield County stands as follows : 10 146 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. Adam Weaver, 1826. Jacob Beck, 1830. Ewel Jeffries, 1837. Asa Spurgeon, 1841. Jephthah Newkirk, 1845. Francis Lilley, 1849. Edward Grabill, 1853. Peter C. Bennadum, 1857. O. E. Davis, 1861.. Bateman Beaty, 1863. Jacob Baker, 1867. Gilbert Shaeffer, 1871. Henry A. Martens, 1875. The dates show the year of election. The following incident has been related to me by a friend of one of the old-time Treasurers. The lesson it contains might be utilized. When Jacob Beck went out of office, in 1837, and when his settlements with the Commissioners and the State had been completed, he found he had on hand a surplus sum of be- tween four and five hundred dollars. His accounts were all closed, and the question was, where did the money belong ? He insisted it belonged to the State. His political adversaries wanted to charge him with irregularity. It subsequently turned out that the State Auditor had erroneously transferred that amount from Muskingum to Fairfield County school fund. COUNTY SURVEYORS. Previous to the year 1823, there does not seem to have been any legally constituted Surveyors for the County of Fairfield. Since that time the following men have served as County Sur- veyors, in the order and time below : EzraS. Hannum, 1856 to 1867. Frank H. Carpenter, 1867 to 1869. Levi Hartzler, 1869 to 1874. Ezra S. Hannum, 1874 to 1876. Charles Boreland, Jr., 1876. Samuel Carpenter, 1823 to 1826. Jonathan Flattery, 1826 to 1836. Salmon Shaw, 1836 to 1842. Wm. J. Card, 1842 to 1849. Gabriel Strunk, 1849 to 1854. Wm. Hamilton, 1854 to 1856. The foregoing record of Probate Judges, Clerks of the Court, and County Surveyors, is completed up to the year 1876. In compiling the succession of other county officers I have expe- rienced difficulties, some of which, after much labor and pa- tient research, I am compelled to regard as insurmountable. The files of the Ohio Eagle between 1810 and 1838 are want- ing. From them we could have shown the annual and bien- nial election of officers. In the Gazette office the files are still more incomplete. The Court-house records are so voluminous and miscellaneously disposed, as to render the research too onerous to be undertaken clear through the seventy'-six years HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO, 147 of the civil historj"- of Fairfield County. I am, nevertheless, under great obligations to the county officers for their kind- ness in affording me help in the prosecution of my researches during the last year, by which I have obtained valuable in- formation. The files of the Eagle from 1838 down, are com- plete, with the exception of one volume and a few mutilations. Following are the dates of the election of the respective of- ficers, which I have no doubt are entirely correct: COUNTY AUDITORS. After the most thorough search through the Court-house records, I have been unable to go behind 1820 in the list of Fairfield County Auditors, as follows : Samuel Carpenter, 1820 to 1828. Thomas U. White, 1829 to 1832. Henry C. Widler, 1833 to 1837. John C. Castle, 1838. " 1840. 1812. Alfred McVeigh, 1841. 1846. Wra. L. Jeffries, 1848. " " 1850. " " 1852. James W. Towson, 1854. A. J. Dildine, 1856. '• " 1858. Wm. Robinson, 1860. 1862. Wm. Shopp, 1864. 1866. Louis Blaire, 1868. " 1870. John C. Hite, 1873. •' " 1875. PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS. Wm. W. Irvin, 1838. " 1840. " 1812. Washington Van Ham, 1844. Emnnuel Giesy, 1846. Wm. E. Rankin, 1848. " " 1850. Virgil E. Shaw, 1852. Alfred Williams, 1854. James W. Stinchomb, 1856. James W. Stinchomb, 1858. Wm. T. Wise, 1860. Tollman SlougM, 1862. 1864, Wm. A. Shultz, 1866. ' " " 1868. John G. Reeves, 1870. « " 1872. " 1874. Thos. H. Dolson, 1876. COUNTY RECORDERS. Hugh Boyl, Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, did the re- cording of the County, in connection with the County Clerk- ship, up to about 1830, as is supposed, when Wm. Gruber was appointed, and after him Henry Miers. These latter two men filled up the interregnum between Hugh Boyl and Mr. King,, 148 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. who took charge of the office in 1837. There may be one or two inaccuracies in the following dates, but not important : Wm. L. King, 1837 to 1848. IE. C. Hannum, 1854 to 1856. John K. Baker, 1849. Adam Syfert, 1857 to 1864. Adam Syfert, 1859 to 1852. [Timothy Fishbaugh, 1866 to 1876. JUDGES OF COURTS OF COMMON PLEAS. Alexander H. Keith was Judge of Common Pleas for Fair- field County from about 1837 to 1850. Henry C. Whitman succeeded him, and remained on the bench until about 1860 or 1861, when he resigned, arid P. B. Ewing was appointed to fill out his time. In 1862, Philadelphus Van Trump was elected, serving until his election to Congress in 1867, when Silas H. Wright was chosen, and has continued up to this time. Judges Swan and Grimpky preceded Judge Keith, but their time I have not the means of fixing definitely. In a former chapter we have given several of the early Judges of the Com- mon Pleas, beginning with Judge Wyley Silliman, who opened the first Common Pleas in Fairfield in the year 1803. Follow- ing him was Judge Belt, and then Robert F. Slaughter, who was on the bench a number of years. A BAND OF HORSE-THIEVES, AND HOW THEY WERE BROKEN UP. The following statement, in substance, has been given me by more than one of the older citizens, and is therefore probably correct in its main features, as I find only slight discrepancies by the different narrators : The time of the occurrence was not far from 1820 — perhaps a little later. There was a band of horse-thieves and counter- fiters infesting the southern portion of Fairfield County, and the country below. Possibly some of them lived in surround- ing counties ; but, be that as it may have been, their place of rendezvous was ascertained to be three or four miles south, or south-west of Lancaster, in what is commonly known a'S " Sleepy Hollow." The number of the thieves was not exactly known, but it came to be understood that six or eight of them were in the habit of meeting at a house in Sleepy Hollow. They were rough and desperate characters, and their leader, HISTORY OF' FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHia 149 who was well known, was a man of powerful strength and activity, and as desperate and daring as he was strong. Several attempts to make arrests and break up the lodge had been unsuccessful, the villains defying all law and all the posse that had undertaken their capture. Thomas Ewing was the Prosecuting Attorney for the county at the time of the final descent upon their den, and upon report being made that they could not be taken, he said the conclave must be broken up, and asked that he might be deputized as special constable for the occasion. His request was granted, and having, by some method, best known to himself, learned the night and place of their meeting, he proceeded to select and orgariize his posse comitatus, composed in part of the following names : Nathaniel Red, Christian Neibling, Adam Weaver, Christian King, David Reece and Elenathan Schofield. At a suitable hour, when the darkness of night had " in her sombre mantle all things clad," the company, equipped with ropes and other implements that might be needed in the execution of their mission, mounted their horses and proceeded down through the hills in the di- rection of the cabin where they expected to find their birds. Having arrived in the vicinity of the lodge, they halted under the cover of a thicket, and began the reconnoiter. They soon found that they were on the right track, and having matured their plans, they surrounded the house silently, and bursting the door, rushed in without giving a moment's time to extinguish lights or attempt escape. The thieves were holding their conclave in the second story, and instantly each deputy attacked his man, Mr. Ewing selecting the leader as the most powerful man of them all. Within a very brief space of time every man of the robbers was securely bound, with a single exception — Mr. Schofield's adversary was about proving too much for him, which fact coming to Mr. Ewing's notice, he at once went to his assistance. While the tying of this last man was in progress, the leader, who had regained his feet, threw himself backwards through the window, bound as he was, and, strange to say, actually succeeded in making good his escape. It was a fearful risk, but he did it, and was never subsequently heard tell of. It was supposed that he was as- sisted by the women below. The balance of the robbers were taken to town and lodged in jail, and subsequently, I believe, every one sent to the Penitentiary. 150 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. I have given this story as it has been given to me. It may- be relied on as true; at least in outline and in the principal facts. The men selected by Mr. Ewing as his posse were all men of herculean strength and undaunted courage; but to himself, undoubtedly, belonged the credit of the success of the enterprise, and of the clearing of the country of the bandits. HOCKING CANAL HISTORY. The response of Major B. W. Carlisle to the toast, " The Hocking Canal, " given at the Hocking Sentinel anniversary, held at the Remple House, in Logan, on the 26th of April, 1877, is of such value as a part of the history of Fairfield County, that I here insert it entire. Also the letter of Gen. Thomas Ewing, addressed, on the same occasion : RESPONSE OF MR. CARLISLE. " In response to the sentiment assigned us, we beg to indulge while we review in abstract, and briefly, the history and reminiscences of the Hocking Canal. Its history, though brief, and to some probably mo- notonous and uninteresting, is fraught with facts important to, and well remembered by the pioneers of the Hockhocking. We call upon you friends who have lived for two and a half or threescore years in this beautiful valley of ' milk and honey, ' to return with us upon the wings of memory and hear again the shouts of joy echoing through the length and breadth of this valley, as we heard them in the earliest days of our settlement. " The first part of the Hocking Canal was built by the Lancaster Lat- eral Canal Company, from Lancaster to Carroll, there forming a junc- tion with the Ohio Canal. The Lancaster Lateral Canal was put under contract in 1832, by Samuel F. McCracken, .Jacob Greene, E. Schofield, Benjamin Connell, and others, with F. A. Foster as Secretary. This piece of canal, known as the 'Side Cut,' was completed, and the first boats towed into Lancaster on the 4th day of July, in 1835, or 1886, amidst the booming of cannons, beating of drums, and the wafting to the breeze of flags and banners, and being witnessed by some ten thou- sand of Fairfield's yeomanry, who were assembled at the Cold Spring Hill, near Lancaster, where there was a roasted ox and a free dinner served ; and after which the Greenes, Bill Furguson, and others, in- dulged in the popular exercise of fisticuffs. " Up to this period (1836), our farmers usually got from 25 to 40 cents for wheat, but many of them became rich from prices received for their surplus products afterward. Lancaster was then one of the large commercial cities of the country, getting all the grain from most parts of the county, as well as from parts of Perry, Hocking and Pickaway counties. There were nine dry goods stores, all doing a large business. " In March, 1838, an act was passed by the Legislature of the State, authorizing the then Commissioners to purchase the Side Cut from its owners. On April 6th, 1838, a committee was appointed to confer with HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 151 the Lancaster Company and negotiate terms; and on the 22d of Decem- ber, 1838, a contract was matured for the same, at a cost of $61,241.04. " The Hocking Canal was projected and put under contract by the Board of Public Works, in 1836, that Board having just been made to substitute the Canal Commissioner of the State. Sixteen and one-half miles, being from Lancaster to Bowner's Lock, was put under contract in 1837, and to be completed in 1839. And that portion from Bowner's Lock to Nelsonville, being sixteen and one-half miles, was put under contract in October, 1837, and to be completed in 1839, but was not completed until 1840. In September of this year the first boats loaded •with coal came out of the Hocking, and served as a curiosity to most of the upper valley citizens, who had never seen stone-coal. In 1841, the canal was completed to Monday Creek, being forty-four miles from Carroll ; and from Monday Creek to Athens completed and boats run- ning through in 1841. " The Hocking Canal has 31 locks, 8 dams, 34 culverts, and 1 acqueduct of 80 feet span. " The total cost of construction of this canal was $947,670.25. "To the opening of this canal, Lancaster, Logan, Nelsonville and Athens owe their principal prosperity, in affording an opening for the importation of their goods, and the exportation of their grain, pork, lumber, salt and various minerals of the Hocking Valley. Hemmed in as you were by towering hills, your agricultural wealth was unobserved, your mineral wealth unknown. To the Hocking Canal you owe your introduction to the world without. Through the medium of the canal, a market was brought near, and the latent wealth of your hills was then developed, and the beautiful hills of the Hockhocking became the 'hub" of the mineral wealth of Ohio. " By the introduction of this old water-horse (the canal), the long- hidden treasures of mineral wealth of this valley were brought into notice and general use ; manufactories built up in all the contiguous towns and territories, thus affording employment to a large and needy class of mechanics, and the employment of an equal number of laborers in penetrating the bowels of the earth for fuel, and the employment of horses, boats and men, to ship the fuel all along the line of our canals, and enriching pnany of the citizens of the Hocking Valley. " Allow me to say, in conclusion, that although the iron-horse moves majestically along the valley, bearing the greater share of your trade, yet the old water-horse still lives and possesses a large amount of vitality, and is therefore not yet ready to be turned out to die, as some would have him. And if any inanimate object were capable of awakening in the human breast sentiments of gratitude and esteem, these, the citi-- zens of the Hocking Valley owe to the canal." LETTER OF GENERAL EWING. Lancaster, Ohio, April 26th, 1877. Eds. Sentinel — Gentlemen : But for unexpected business calling me elsewhere, I would' have attended the anniversary banquet to-night, to join your other friends in bragging of the success and promise of the Sentinel, and of the wonderful region, in the development of which it has had, and will yet have, an important part. We who were born in the Hocking Valley always knew, and "the rest of mankind" are fast finding out, that it is one of the choicest regions ever fashioned by the Almighty for the abode of man. Kich, healthful and beautiful, she 152 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. holds her sons and daughters to her breast by every tie oi interest and aflFection. Yet she attracts us more by what she is than what she is soon to be — for all men love to be associated with the birth of great events and indus- tries. The most western out line of the Apalachian basin, this coal and iron region, began six years ago to furnish light, heat and power, to the cities and towns of the great agricultural plain of the North-west ; and now it is about to become, not only their coal-yard, but their work-shop. The hard times, by means of which the usurers are crushing and robbing the industrial classes, have only demonstrated its unequaled capabili- ties for making cheap iron ; and great industries perishing elsewhere, are being transplanted here, where even the blight of forced resumption can't kill them. It needs no seer to predict, that before the editors of the Sentinel shall have grown grey in the cause of Democracy and the country, every hill-top of this region will be teeming with husbandmen, every depth with diggers of coals and ores ; while the clang and roar of mills and furnaces will make each valley resonant — a busy hive, which, in time, as my father long ago predicted, will surpass in numbers and pros- perous industry any equal space on earth. Very truly vour friend, THOMAS EWING. TYPHOID EPIDEMIC. The oldest citizens of Lancaster describe a typhoid epi- demic that prevailed in the village in the fall of the year 1823. Its ravages are believed not to have been exceeded on the continent at any age, or by any visitation of epidemic disease, not even excepting the cholera. No'direct or remote cause could be assigned. It prevailed largely among the promi- nent and better conditioned citizens. It is spoken of as having decimated the town, which means one death out of every ten citizens. One gentleman thinks the mortality exceeded even that proportion. If one should inspect the grave-stones of the old grave-yards in the vicinity of Lancaster, he would be surprised at the number of stones bearing date of 1823, most of the occupants having fell by the epidemic of that year. No similar disease and mortality has subsequently visited the place. It is said that some portion of the time there were not well persons enough to nurse the sick and bury the dead. Fairfield's public men. Governors of Ohio from Fairfield County, from the organization of the State up to 1876. — William Medill was elected Lieutenant Governor of Ohio in the fall of 1851. His term began in January, 1852. He was Acting-Governor the latter part of 153 the term. He was subsequently elected to the Gubernatorial chair in the fall of 1852, and served until 1856. Judges of the Supreme Court under the Constitution of 1802. — William W. Irvin, of Lancaster, was appointed to the Su- preme Bench in the early years of the State, but the exact year does not appear upon the records. Charles R. Sherman, of Lancaster, was also on the bench. He was appointed to fill the place of John McLain, of Warren County, who resigned on the llth of January, 1823. Mr. Sherman was Judge at the time of his death, at Lebanon, in 1829. Hocking H. Hunter was elected to the Supreme Judgeship for the District of Ohio, under the Constitution of 1851, but resigned before taking his seat. U. S. Senators. — Thomas Ewing was first elected to the Sen- ate of the United States to fill the place made vacant by the resignation of Thomas Corwin, in 1831, and served till 1837. He was again Senator from 1850 to 1851. Members of Congress. — The following are the men who have been elected to the Lower House of Congress from Fairfield since the admission of the State into the Union, in 1802: Philemon Beecher, 1817 to 1821, and 1823 to 1829. William W. Irvin, 1829 to 1833. John Chaney, 1833 to 1839. William Medill, 1839 to 1843. Thomas O. Edwards, 1847 to 1849. Charles D. Martin, 1859 to 1861. Philadelphus Van Trump, 1867 to 1873. Of the foregoing mentioned men, only two are living in 1877, viz : John Chaney and Charles D. Martin. Officers of the year 1876.— State Senate, Robert E. Reece (Dis- trict) ; Representative, Adam Seifert; Judge of Common Pleas, Silas H. Wright; Probate Judge, Wm. L. Bigby; Clerk of Court, Geo. W. Grabill ; Auditor, John C. Hite ; Treasurer, Gilbert ShaefFer ; Recorder, Timothy Fishbaugh ; Sheriff, Wm. Bush; Prosecuting Attorney, John Reeves; Commissioners, Thomas Barr, Caleb Moore and William Fink. Here follow some important historical and statistical mat- ters, culled from the various official reports of the Secretaries of State : 154 HISTORY Of FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. The first General Assembly of the State of Ohio met in Chil- licothe on the first Tuesday of March, 1803. The names of the Senators were : John Beasley (this seat was contested and given to .Joseph Darlington early in the session), Joseph Buell, William Buch- anan, Nathaniel Massie, Abraham Claypool, Francis Dunlavy, Jeremiah Morrow, John Paul, Daniel Symmes, Samuel Hunt- ing, Zenan Kimberly, Razaliel Wells, William Vance. Representatives. — Michael Baldwin,. Robert Culbertson, Thos. Worthington, Wm. Patton, Rudolph Bear, Z. A. Beaty, Thos. Elliott, Isaac Meeks, Thos. Brown, John Bigger, James Dunn-, Wm. James, Robert McClure, Wm. Maxwell, Thomas McFar- land, Win. Jackson, Robert Saflt'ord, Wylly Silliman, Thomas Kerker, Ephraim Kibby, Joseph Lucas, Wm. ReufHe, Ephraim Quinby, Aaron Wheeler, David'R^ece (of Fairfield), R. Walker Waring, Amos Ellis, Joseph Sharp, Elijah Woods. Speaker, Michael Baldwin ; Clerk, R. Dickerman. In the month of December, 1803, Fairfield County contained, by official report, 1,051 free white male inhabitants over the age of 21 years. (The word "free" was used because at that time there were in the county redemptionists — persons who had been sold to service to jiay their passage from the old country). In 1807 it contained 2,166 free white males above the age of 21 years. Here follows a statement of the vote cast by Fairfield County for Governor, from and including 1806, up to and including 1873: 1806— For Edward TiflSn, without opposition, 327 votes. 1808 — Three candidates — Samuel Huntington, 973; Thos. Worthington, 192; Thos. Kirker, 8. 1810— Return J. Meigs, 335; Thos. Worthington, 738. 1812— Return J. Meigs, 241 ; Thos. Scott, l,2l3. 1814— Thomas Worthington, 945; Othniel Looker, 176. 1816— Thomas Worthington, 1,059; James Dunlap, 878. 1818— Ethan A. Brown, 1,535; James Dunlap, 239. 1820— Ethan A. Brown, 1,794; Jeremiah Morrow, 33; Wm. H. Harrison, 35. 1822— Jeremiah Morrow, 87; Allen Trimble, 32; William W. Irvin, 1,819. 1824— Jeremiah Morrow, 1,369; Alleii Trimble, 1,157. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 155 1826— This year there were four candidates who were voted for, as follows, in Fairfield— Allen Trimble, 2,609; John Big- ger, 6; Alexander Campbell, 14; and Benjamin Tappin, 2. 1828- Allen Trimble, 1,234 ; John W. Campbell, 2,076. 1830— Duncan McArthur received 1,035; Robt. Lucas, 1,819. 1832— This year we give the votes cast in Fairfield for Presi- dent of the United States, thus : Andrew Jackson received 2,648 votes ; Henry Clay received 1,274 ; Mr. Wirt, Anti-Mason can- didate, received 2 votes. 1834— For Governor: Robert Lucas (Dem.), 2,024; James Finlay (Whig), 1,349. 1836 — For President of the United States: Martin Van Buren (Dem.) had 2,906 votes in Fairfield ; and William H. Harrison (Whig), 1,846. 1838 — For Governor : Wilson Shannon, 2,717 ; Joseph Vance, 1,633. . 1840— Thomg,s Corwin for Governor (Whig), 2,421 ; Wilson Shannon (Dem.), 3,4ll. 1842— Wilson Shannon, 3 212; Thomas Corwin, 2,037. 1844— Mordecai Hartley (Whig), 2,402 ; David Tod (Dem.), 3,584. 1846— William Bebb (Whig), 2,116; David Tod (Dem.), 2,931. 1848— John B. Weller (Dem.), 3,573 ; Seabury Ford (Whig), 2.266. , 1850— Reuben Wood (Dem.), 3,232; Wm. Johnson (Whig), 2,098. 1852— Reuben Wood (Dem.), 3,042; Sam'l. F. Vinton (Whig), 1,736; Samuel Lewis (Abolition), 2 votes. 1853— For Governor : William Medill (Dem.), 2,803 ; Nelson Barrere (Whig), 1,157. 1855_William Medill (Dem.), 2,614; Allen Trimble (Know- Nothing), 52 ; Salmon P. Chase (Rep.), 2,474. 1856— This year the vote for Attoi ney General is given : Christopher P. Wolcott (Rep.), 1,631; Samuel M. Hart (Dem.), 3,095 ; John M. Bush (Know-Nothing), 581. 1857— For Governor : Salmon P. Chase (Rep.), 1,281 ; Henry Payne (Dem.), 2,917; P. Van Trump (Know-Nothing), 357. 1859_William Dennison (Rep.), 1,394; Rufus P. Ranney (Dem.), 2,821. 1861— David Tod (Rep.), 2,137; Hugh J. Jewett (Dem.), 3,119. 156 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 1863— John Brough (Rep.), 2,790 ; Clement L. Valandingham (Dem.), 3,478. 1865 — For Governor : Jacob D. Cox (Rep.) ; home vote, 2,328 ; army vote, 23; total, 2,351. Geo. W. Morgan (Dem.); home vote, 3,393 ; army vote, 1 ; total, 3,394. 1867— Rutherford B. Hayes (Rep.), 2,056; Allen G. Thur- man (Dem.), 3,940. 1868— For President : U. S. Grant, 2,439 ; Horatio Seymour, 4,076 votes in Fairfield County. 1870 — In 1870, the candidates for Governor in Ohio, were Rutherford B. Hayes (Rep), and George H. Pendleton (Dem.) Hayes received in Fairfield County 2,144 votes; and Pendleton 3,831 votes. 1871— For Governor: Edward F. Noyes (Rep.), 2,185; Geo. W. McCook (Dem.), 3,622 ; Gideon T. Stewart (Prohibitionist), 25 votes. 1872— For President: U. S. Grant (Rep.), 2,540; Greely (Dem.), 3,888. 1873— For Governor : Edward F. Noyes (Rep.), 2,034 ; Wm. Allen (Dem.), 3,551. NATIONALITY. The German element of nationality predominates in Fair- field County. The first emigrants were largely from Pennsjd- vania, especially in and near Lancaster. These almost en- tirely spoke the German language ; and some of the first schools were purely in that language. Subsequently, the county became the center of immigration from the Fatherland, including Swiss and Hollanders, so that probably to-day every provincialism of the Teutonic language is spoken within the limits of Fairfield County. Next to Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky contributed to the early settlement of the county. A few came from the more southern States, and afterward Maryland supplied many good citizens. There is, perhaps, not one of the original States that is not represented — New England, probably, furn- ishing the fewest number. And there is, perhaps, no civil- ized trans-Atlantic country that is not represented here, and whose language is not spoken. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 157 BIRTHS AND DEATHS IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY IN THE YEAR END- ING APRIL 1st, 1877. From the following tables a very just estimate may be formed of the average births and deaths in a given population within a given time. The figures are obtained from the As- sessors' returns for the spring of 1877, and including one year : CITY OF LANCASTER. Births. 1st Ward 30 2d Ward 14 3d Ward 22 4th Ward 14 5th Ward 17 Total in city 97 Deaths. 16 8 14 4 5 47 COUNTY. Births. Hocking Township •' 28 Amanda Township 48 Kichland Township -^ 28 Kush Creek Township .* 40 Clear Creek Township 58 Greenfield Township 33 Madison Township 25 Bloom Township 46 Walnut Township 40 Violet Township 66 Berne Township 31 Pleasant Township 24 Liberty Township 58 Total 525 Births. Total in city and county 622 Deaths. 9 10 9 14 16 12 17 9 17 18 15 28 15 189 Deaths. 236 158 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. JOHN LEITH; OR, A WHITE MAN OCCUPYING A TRADING-POST AMONG THE IN- DIANS ON THE SITE OF LANCASTER ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN YEARS AGO. To Judge G. W. Leith, of Nevada, Wyandot County, Ohio, I am indebted for the following passage from the life and highly romantic career of his grandfather, John Leith. The narra- tion concerns so intimately the history of Fairfield County, that it deserves a place. It will be seen that it will not do to say that the Marietta and Hocking scouts, previous to the be- ginning of the nineteenth century, were the first white men that ever trod the Valley of the Hockhocking. " John Leith was born in the city of Leith, Scotland. His parents being of the Huguenots who emigrated to South Caro- lina near the middle of the eighteenth century, where they died soon after, he was left without relatives. He was put to learn the tailoring business, but soon became dissatisfied and ran away. At Little York, Pennsylvania, he hired with an In- dian trader, and went with him to Fort Pitt (Pittsburg). Soon after, together, they .took a stock of suitable goods and started west, and in due time arrived at the Valley of the Hocking and opened a trade with the Delawares and Wyandots, on the very spot where Lancaster now stands, and it is thought near the foot of Mount Pleasant. " He had not been there long when he felt a strong desire to return to South Carolina, and resolved to do so; and when he had made his determination known to his employer, the lat- ter proposed to him that he wished to go to Fort Pitt to dis- pose of the large stock of furs and skins he had on hand, and that if he (Leith) would remain and take care of the stores until he returned, he would send him under the guidance of an Indian back to Carolina by a near route. This was agreed to, and the trader took his departure. "He had not been long gone when the Indians informed Leith that the whites were marching on them in force to destroy them, and that he must be adopted and go with them, or die. He was adopted, and the remnant of the goods was parceled out among the tribe, and they left for the north. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 159 "He was a captive among the Indians twenty-nine years. He married a white captive girl, by the nameof Sallie Lowry; and in 1791, with his wife and two children, made his escape, and succeeded in reaching Pittsburg, closely pursued by his captors. There was >a sister of his wife, also a captive, who was subsequently married to the father of the late Thomas McNaughten, of Walnut Township. "About the year 1810, John Leith moved into Walnut Town- ship, of this county, where he died about the year 1837, and was buried in the Methodist grave-yard at New Salem. His son, who was the father of Judge Leith, of Wyandot, as well as the Judge, were, I believe, citizens for a time of Walnut Township. "The occurrence of the traffic with the Indians at Mount Pleasant, was in 1763, just one hundred and fourteen years ago, and thirty-five years before Joseph Hunter built the first cabin on the Hockhocking." RUSH CREEK TOWNSHIP IN 1806. The townships assessed for taxation in 1806, and which have already been incorporated into this volume, were Hock- ing, Berne, Bloom, Clear Creek, Greenfield, Licking, Amanda, Pleasant, Clinton, Thorn and Richland. There were several other townships belonging to the county at that time that do not seem to have been taxed ; at least the County records show no evidence that they were. Among these were Salt Creek, Jackson, Falls and Redding, none of which were stricken off previous to 1806. Licking County was the first border county to be organized, which took place in 1808. Pickaway and Hocking were incorporated a little later, and Perry in 1817. This took off several townships, which con- tracted Fairfield County to pretty near its .present bounds. It seems a little strange, however, that Rush Creek Town- " ship does not appear among the assessed townships for that year, for it was organized in 1804. There were two purposes contemplated in transcribing the names of the tax-payers into this history by townships : first, to exhibit the financial condition of the county in its incipient state; but especially to show who were the early settlers, and in what townships and neighborhoods they settled. Rush Creek was one of the earliest settled townships in the county, and has always been, 160 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. and is now, within the present Fairfield County. It is, more- over, among the wealthiest and most populous townships in the county. The second end, however, viz. : to give reference to the names and location of early settlers, will be found to be accomplished if the reader will search the alphabetical lists in Berne, Pleasant and Richland, where he will find all, or most of the names of the early settlers of the territory con- stituting the present Rush Creek Township, which goes to show that that township was made up from these three town- ships. Here we are obliged to leave the matter without further explanation. LAND TAX. • In addition to the chattel tax of 1806, mentioned in the as- sessments already given, a land tax was assessed and collected in the same year, amounting to about nine hundred and fifty dol- lars ($950), which, added to the chattel-tax, as before, aggre- gates the sum of about two thousand dollars ($2,000). -A further evidence that Rush Creek had not yet been separated from the other townships as a distinct municipalitJ^ is found in the fact that the land assessments were made on the same townships, numbering eleven. PHILIP BINNINGER. In noticing the business men and industries of Lancaster in the year 1876, by a strange inadvertence the establishment of Mr. Binninger was omitted among the list of jewelers and Avatch dealers. His business place is on the north side of Main street, opposite the Hocking Valley National Bank. PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS. RECOLLECTIONS OF JUDGE JOHN CHANEY, OF WINCHESTER. At my strong solicitation, Judge Chaney consented to give me the following ^atement of his private and public life. He remarked that he had often been asked for similar statements, and that he had concluded now, in view of the near approach of the close of his very long and somewhat eventful life, and because he was pleased with the plan and design of the his- tory of Fairfield County, to give me the statement, especially as I assured him that his numerous and life-long friends asked for it. STATEMENT. " I was born in Washington County, Maryland, on the 12th day of January, 1790. At the age of four years, and at the be- ginning of my recollections, my father removed to and settled in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. When I was fourteen years old, my father died. The family then consisted of my mother, three sisters, one brother and myself. Three or four months subsequent to my father's death, my brother died. The death of my father left the family very poor. He was a generous man, and underwrote his friends, who were unfortunate, until he lost his farm, which was a good one, and nearly all his loose property. From my fourteenth to my twentieth year the care of the family devolved almost entirely on myself. " In the fall of the year 1810, I came west to Fairfield County, Ohio, stopping first on the spot where the village of Waterloo now stands, on the Ohio canal. I did not remain there long, but went over into Pickaway County, where I stayed until the fall of 1812, when my health having become poor, I returned to Bedford County, Pennsylvania. 11 162 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. " In the fall of 1815, my health having been restored, I again came west and settled in Bloom Township, near its northern border, in the same community where I have resided up to this time ; my present home being in the village of Canal Winchester, which was a few years since struck off into Franklin County with a tier of sections, the Fairfield line skirting the east border of the village. " In the fall of 1816, 1 married Mary Ann Lafere, of Bloom Township, and went to housekeeping in a log-cabin fourteen feet square. Its floor was made of rough puncheons split out of forest trees. It had a clapboard roof and clapboard loft, was one low story high, had a stick and mud chimney, wide open fireplace with the primitive back wal],'jams and hearth. It was a very rude and humble home, but we were as happy as kings. Our living was that of the frontier settlers. We worked hard and were poor ; but did not doubt the future, for our aims were set. We intended to live correct and honorable lives, and take the chances of the coming years. There were wolves and wild turkeys in great abundance, and now and then a bear. There were hawks of a great many varieties, which have nearly entirely disappeared ; and the owls were hooting about the woods all the time. The whole country was new and wild. The little farms were small, and fenced in with rails; and the dwelling-houses were log-cabins; and the stables and barns were built of logs. "At the time of my settlement in Bloom Township, the price of a day's work was a bushel of wheat, or two bushels of corn. Cash was seldom paid for work, and when it was, twenty-five cents a day was the wages. Almost everything was paid for with trade. A few things had to be paid in cash. The taxes were cash; andcoflfee and a few other commodities commanded cash when anybody could get it to pay with. Our markets, whatever they amounted to, were at Lancaster and Franklin- ton. The little mills of the settlements sometimes went dry, and we had to go all the way to Chillicothe or Zanesville to get our grain ground. The streams were not bridged, and in the muddy seasons of the year the roads were sometimes des- perate. I made rails for fifty cents a hundred, and cut cord- wood for twenty-five cents a cord. " My sisters having married, I went and brought my mother out to this county. She subsequently went back on a visit, HISTOEY OP FAIRFIELD COUNTY, .OHIO. 163 but was taken sick there and died, and was buried beside my father. I went, and was with her during her last illness. "Our schools were the primitive schools of the early West. After the passage of the first Ohio School Law, we built a little log school-house at the cornerings of sections 1, 2, 11 and 12. We obtained a lease of the land for that purpose for thirty years. The log school-house stood a great many years, when it was removed, and a brick built on the same ground, which is still standing. [I am not positive whether he said the brick house was built on the same site, or in the same district. — Ed.] '• We accepted the situation, and struggled on to better times and better life. There were no inducements to change our habitation. Ohio was rapidly filling up, and with every revolving year conditions were improving. Markets were im- proving, and by slow degrees we began to have better roads. Rough bridges began to be constructed over the smaller streams. The first bridges were made of logs cut from the forests for sills and hutments, and the top, or plaitform, was made of slabs split from sections of trees, and generally hewed to a level, on the upper side, with the broad-ax, ,or leveled down with the foot-adz. These were the first or primitive bridges ; but after saw-mills became plenty, oak planks of the thickness of one and a half or two inches were used for the platform. '■ There was another method of bridging the low, marshy, or swamp lands. These were called ' pole bridges,' or ' corduroy bridges.' They were common all over the West. The follow- ing was the manner of constructing them : Poles or logs were cut from the woods, of the length of ten or twelve feet, and laid down side by side across the road for the distance to be corduroyed. Then on top of this ground-structure was placed a foot or more of earth dug up along the sides, if it were not under water, or hauled in on wagons. This bed of earth filled the space between the logs or poles, and when sufiiciently packed made a passably good road. And it was a part of the work of the Supervisor to repair these roads by adding ad- ditional earth when the logs, became too much exposed by wearing or the washing rains. " Cn the north were the Indians ; and west, in Indiana, the county was still newer and less promising, much of it still in 164 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. a condition of nature. We therefore concluded to remain in Bloom Township ; for, however much we might have desired to re-cross the mountains back to my native and older State, we were too poor to do so. " At the time of my settlement here, I mention the follow- ing names, who, with their families, were my predecessors in Bloom, and my neighbors : Abram Piummer, Henry Tumlin- son, Henry Dove, Chaney Rickets, Charles Rickets, Rev. Geo. Bennadum, Rev. Elijah Spurgeon, Isaac Meason, Martin Felt- ner, the Courtrights, Zebulon Lee, Dorsey Meason, Henry Himebaugh, Major Bright, the Glicks, and the Alspaughs. "In Violet Township I mention: Abram Pickering, Jacob Pickering, Samuel McCoUum, George Wells, George Long, Jonathan Looker, Mordecai Fishbaugh, the Cramers and the Kraners, the Donaldsons, Frederick Bauer. All the fore- going, and others, were residing here in 1812. Not over two or three of them are living now. " In the early years of my residence in Bloom Township, I bought a mill on Spring Run, near me (Spring Run is fed by three or four springs), where for several years I run a grist- mill, a saw-mill, and a distillery, which enabled me to form the acquaintance of a pretty wide circle of citizens. " At the time of my settlement, the Lutherans and German Reforms were the principal religious denominations of the neighborhood. The Betzer Church was their place of meeting in common. The church is situated four miles north-east of Lithopolis. There was also a church south of Lithopolis, known as the Glick Church. Both are still meeting places. " I was elected Justice of the Peace in 1821, 1824, and in 1827, serving in all three terms, or nine years. I served as Township Trustee twenty-three years. In the Ohio Militia, old system, I served at various times as Major, Colonel, and Paymaster. " In the years 1828, 1829, and 1830, 1 was elected to the Legis- lature as Representative of Fairfield County. In the spring of 1831, the Legislature elected me as one of the Associate Judges of Fairfield County. " In the fall of 1832 I was elected to the Lower House of Congress, from the district composed of Fairfield, Perry, Mor- gan and Hockiag counties. Was re-elected from the same HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 165 district in 1834, and in 1836. In 1842 I was again returned to the Ohio Legislature, Lower House, and was at that session elected Speaker. In 1844 I was elected to the Ohio Senate, the term being two years ; and again in 1855 returned to the Lower House. " In 1832 my friends placed my name on the Presidential electoral ticket, and I had the honor of helping to make An- drew Jackson President of the United otates. In 1851 I was a member of the Constitutional Convention that framed the present Constitution of the State of Ohio. I am now within a few days of the close of my eighty-eighth year, and in the enjoyment of good health." From the friends and long acquaintances of Judge Chaney, I have received the information, that never once during his public life did he solicit office. But, when placed in nomina- tion by his political friends, he entered into the spirit of the canvass, and helped the ticket through. In parting with the venerable Judge, as he grasped my hand cordially, he remarked, whiie his voice swelled up in volume and animation, that, whatever his life laaaj' have been, there was one thing that he was proud of, and that was the good opinions of his neighbors and constituents. That good opinion has been merited. And how blessed it would .be, if every one could say at the close of life, that he, or she, was proud of the good opinions or their acquaintances. STATEMENT OP B. W. CARLISLE. The following is, in substance, the statement of B. W. Car- lisle, in regard to his mother and others of the first emigrants into the Hocking Valley : " Mrs. Sarah Carlisle was a resident of Greenfield Township for the full period of sixty-four years, ending with her death on the 14th of January, 1866, at the residence of her son. She was one of the pioneer mothers of this county. She, with her father's family, in true pioneer fashion, came with wagons, rifle-guns and trusty dogs, passing through where the city of Lancaster now stands, when nothing was there but an un- 166 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. broken wilderness. Where Lancaster is, no white man had settled. " This was in 1799. Across the prairie, near the present resi- dence of Mr. Mithoff, was a small encampment of Indians. "Her father, John Edwards, located on Buckskin, westof Chil- licothe, in that year, where she underwent the hardships and enjoyed the novelties of pioneer life, until the fall of 1802, when she was married to James Wilson, brother of old Colo- nel Robert and Nathaniel Wilson, formerly residents of Hock- ing Township. " She moved with her husband oh the farm now owiled by her son, B. W. Carlisle, in Greenfield Town- ship, the same j^ear of her marriage. In 1807, she was left a widow by the death of Mr. Wilson. " Subsequently, she was united in marriage to Thomas Car- lisle, on the 23d day of January, 1813, with whom she lived umtil the fall of 1844, when she was again left a widow by the death of her second husband. " Mrs. Sarah Carlisle descended from Scotch parentage, who were Presbyterians, she herself uniting with that church in Lancaster soon after her first marriage, Rev. John Wright be- ing pastor. Mrs. Margaret Ewing, late of Pleasant Township, and mother of Thomas E., William and James Ewing, was Mrs. Carlisle's sister. She, also, with her husband, were among the earliest settlers of Fairfield County. Mrs. Carlisle was fond of dwelling on the scenes and incidents of the pioneer age, and had a fund of highly interesting anec- dotes and amusing incidents to narrate. Among her early ac- quaintances of the new settlement, she often spoke of the fol- lowing persons: the Whites, the Coateses, the Bradshaws, the Wilsons, the Stewarts, the Lackeys, the Greens, the Bigger- stafiFs, the Builderbacks, the Burtons, George Sanderson, and numerous others. Mrs. Carlisle saw Lancaster spring from the wild woods,, where the white man never trod before. She spoke of the first two cabins she remembered — one near the present steam-mill at the foot of Chestnut (Jail) street, the other near a spring at the foot of what is now Wheeling street, on the canal. She lived to see Lancaster a flourishing city of over five thousand inhabitants. Like most of the women of frontier life, she was an expert horseback rider. She often rode from her home in HISTORY OF FAIEFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 167 Greenfield to her father's, forty miles distant, in a day, carry- ing her babe on her lap. An incident of her romance is well worth telling, because such occurrences were common to the pioneers. Returning from Lancaster, she came upon a young fawn in the woods, at a point somewhere near the cabin of Joseph Hunter. She knew it had straj'ed from its mother, and springing dex- trously from her horse, she threw the bridle over a limb, made chase, and captured the little spotted fugitive, carried it home, and raised it as a pet. Her second husband, and father of the present B. W. Car- lisle, who is remembered as Thomas Carlisle, late of Green= field Township, entered what is known as the war of 1812 the same year of his marriage, viz. : 1813. He served in Captain Richard Hooker's mounted men, who went to the relief of Colonel Croggan, who was besieged by the Indians at San- dusky. Thomas Carlisle came from Virginia, and setted in Fairfield County in 1811 ; was married in 1813, and lived on what is known as the Carlisle farm until the time of his death, in 1844. Mr. Carlisle was an active business man and a highly useful citizen. He served many years as a Justice of the Peace. At the time of his death he was one of the acting Commissioners of the county. STATEMENT OF NICHOLAS STEMEN. Henry Stemen came from Virginia, and settled on Raccoon, in 1803. His wife was Mary Beery, sister of the late George Beery. Nicholas Stemen was one year old at the time his father came to Fairfield County. He continued to reside in Fairfield until he was about thirty years old, and then moved across the line into Perry County, where he still resides. Mr. Stemen stated that his father helped to clear off some of the first ground where Lancaster now stands. Below is his state- ment of the 168 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. BEERY FAMILY, Who came into the Raccoon neighborhood a little before the Stemens. Nicholas Beery was the father of eight sons and seven daughters, viz.: John, Jacob, Abraham, Isaac, Henry, George, Joseph and Christian; Barbara, Magdalene, Elizabeth, Mary, Susanna, Fanny and Rebecca. Most of his large family settled in the east part of Fairfield County, and became thrifty and useful farmers and citizens. Most of them are buried in the county. THE HUFFOEDS, Caspar Hufford settled on the Raccoon at a very early day. He built the first mill, on the site where Lobenthall's, and since, Mike Moyer's mill stands. It was a small Raccoon Burr Mill, of the capacity of eight or ten bushels of corn a day. Mr. Hufford's sons were : Solomon, Abraham, Daniel, Jacob and John, These all settled on the Raccoon. Catharine Hufford, daughter of Caspar, married John Friezner ; and Susan married David Beery, son of John Beery, and grandson of Nicholas Beery. David Beery built the brick house in which Solomon Beery, son of George, now lives, on the Bremen road. Mr. Nelson built a mill on Raccoon in 1805, on the land now owned by James Driver. Mr. Stemen remembers that, when a mill-boy, about 1812, he saw the miller carrying the ground wheat in a half-bushel up the steps, and turning it into the hopper of the bolting-chest, while the owner of the grist stood turning the bolting-cloth by means of a crank. (The writer has witnessed the same operation many times about the same era.) William Johnson built a mill on Rush Creek, a little below Rushville, during the year 1812, or about that time. Johnson's mill is well remembered. Jacob Rhodes built a still- house on Rush Creek at a very early day. Mr. Harmon, father of Fred. Harmon, erected a distillery in Pleasant Township. RELIGIOUS. The first religious societies formed in the Raccoon settle- ments were : Dunkers, Mennonites, Presbyterians, Seceders, German Reforms and Methodists. HISTORY OP FAIEFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 169 SCHOOLS Were kept in small log school-houses about three months in the year. Reading, writing, and "cyphering," as far as the Rule of Three, was the course of instruction. Webster's and Dillworth's spelling-books, and Pike's Arithmetic were used. For readers: The Testament, English Readers, Columbian Orator, and the American Preceptor. This was the English course. Some of the first schools were exclusively German, and others were German and English. MANNER OF LIVING. Corn-bread, vegetables, milk and butter, and wild meats, constituted the principal subsistence, but even these were sometimes scanty. When the mills were stopped for lack of water, breadstuffs became very scarce, and the neighbors would borrow from one another as long as there was any in the community. Venison was quite plenty, and also wild-turkey. Coffee and tea were dear, and hard to come at. As substitutes the people used spice-wood and sassafras teas; and for coffee, burned rye and wheat. Pounded and lye hominy were univer- sal. The forms of corn-bread were johnny-cake, hoe-cake, dodger, ash-cake and pone. WEARING APPAREL. The wearing apparel of the settlers was nearly entirely home-made, consisting of flax and tow linens, linsey and flannels. Every farmer raised a patch of flax, from which the linens were made. The flax and tow were spun. on hand- wheels. Wool was carded at first on hand-cards, and after- wards by carding-machines run by water or horse-power. The weaving was done on hand-looms. Every neighborhood had its weavers, and sometimes nearly every house. The girls often spun, wove and made up their own wedding-dresses in the most primitive times of frontier life. Puckskin pants, and sometimes vests, were very common as men's wear. Shoes were almost wholely home-made, and boots were nearly un- known. 170 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNIY, OHIO. PLAYS. In common with all the frontier settlers, the inhabitants of Raccoon and Rush Creek Valleys practiced the plays common to the times. Mr. Stamen's parents did not approve them. In those times the family discipline was very rigid. The same ruling would be tyranny now. Nevertheless, that kind of dis- cipline gave the world a more noble class of men and women than we shall ever see again. WILD ANIMALS. Wolves were very numerous, making it difficult to keep sheep. The State paid premiums for their scalps. Panthers, bears and wild-cats were plenty, deer abundant. Bear's meat was common. Catamounts were also often seen in the woods. (The catamount is of the feline species, and in size is inter- mediate between the domestic cat and the American panther. They were greyish, and sometimes spotted). When wounded, or enraged, they were dangerous enemies. INDIANS. There were bands of various tribes of Indians wandering about the country during several years after the white settle- ments commenced. They were peaceable for the most part, but had to be kept in a good humor. Mr. Stemen spoke of an instance where several Indians came to his father's house and asked for something to cat. His mother had a corn pone baked for her familj'^, and little besides to give them. She gave them half of the pone, and they went away, but soon re- turned and demanded more, and to pacify them she gave them all she had. The writer remembers many similar instances in another part of the State, but there, the Indians, for the most part, had something to give in exchange for what they wanted, such as furs, peltry and venison hams, and sometimes cut money. On one occasion a company of Miarais came to our house when my mother was a hundred yards away at the spring rinsing her clothes. I was the baby, and had been left alone in the cradle in the cabin. As was their custom, they stopped out in the grove, and sent their commission of two squaws into the house, who finding no one in besides the baby, HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 171 took me from the cradle and carried me out to their comrades for a show. In a few minutes my mother returned, and find- ing the cradle empty, ran screaming out into the yard, when the squaws seeing her distress, hastened to meet her and re- store the object of her alarm. She at once gave them every- thing she had about the house that could be eaten, and they left in good humor. They were Miamis, and their town was seven miles from our house. I never heard of them plundering or stealing in time of peace. They always asked for what they wanted. HON. THOMAS EWING. Of this truly distinguished citizen and Jurist, I need not write much. His fame is as wide as American history. It is written in books, and in the hearts of the people. I speak only of his citizenship in Fairfield County. Mr. Ewing settled in Lancaster in 1815, and commenced the study of law with Hon. Philemon Beecher, and was admitted to the bar in 1816. He continued to reside in Lancaster until the time of his death. Of the high positions of trust and honor he was called to fill in the nation, I do not speak ; they are recorded in the archives of the nation. It will not be too much for my humble pen to say, that Mr. Ewing was in some respects a remarkable man. No man living, perhaps, possessed the powers of speech and logic in a superior degree. He used no needless or superfluous words. He was not ver- bose. This was his strong forte in argument. He said much in few words. All understood him at once. Of Mr. E wing's family still surviving, are Mrs. General Sherman, Mrs. Colonel Steele, Hon. Hugh Boyl Ewing, Gen. Thomas Ewing and Gen. Charles Ewing. On the lid of his burial-casket was engraved — "THOMAS EWING; Born December 28th, 1789; Died October ^eth, 1871." Mrs. Maria Ewing, consort 'of Hon. Thomas Ewing, was born in Lancaster. She was daughter of the late Hugh Boyl. She was married to Mr. Ewing in January, 1820, and died in February, 1864. They are buried in the Catholic Cemetery, 172 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. east of Lancaster, and their graves are designated by fine marble monuments. JUDGE CHARLES SHERMAN. Charles Sherman was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, May 26, 1788. In 1810 he was admitted to the bar, and in the same year married Mary Hoyt, also of Norwalk. In the following year, with his wife and infant child, he came to Lancaster, 0., and began the practice of law. In speaking of his emigration. Gen. Wm. J. Reece, one of his sons-in-law, says : " The way to it (Lancaster) from their New England home was far and weary, beset with hardships, and exposed to dangers. They were obliged to journey the greater part of the distance on horseback, carrying their infant child on a pillow before them. * * * * The littlfe boy they carried on the pillow before them is now the Hon. Charles Taylor Sherman, United States District Judge of the Northern District of Ohio." Judge Charles Sherman was elected by the Legislature of Ohio to the bench of the Supreme Court in 1823, which place he filled a few months over six years with distinguished ability, when his labors were ended b}' death. He died at Lebanon, Ohio, while attending Court, on the 24th day of June, 1829, in his 41st year. His companion, Mary Hoyt Sherman, survived him many years. Their tombs are in Lancaster Cemetery. » Judge Sherman was the father of Gen. W. T. Sherman, and Hon. John Sherman, U. S. Senator ; also of Mrs. W. J. Reece, now of Lancaster, besides several other sons and daughters, with whom the writer was not acquainted. HON. HOCKING H. HUNTER. Hocking H. Hunter was one of Ohio's leading lawyers. He was once elected to the Senate of Ohio, and subsequently de- clined the poll for Governor. As a lawyer he was eminently successful. He began life in a very humble way, as most of the sons of pioneers did, and worked his way up to fortune and fame by his own personal application and diligence. Mr. Hunter was a man of stern integrity of character, and unsur- passed administrative ability — pre-eminently just and up- right in all the afifairs of life. He was the son of Joseph Hun- • HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 173 ter, who was the first. white man that erected a cabin in Fair- field County. Mr. Hunter was born in the month of August, 1801, and died February 4, 1872, in the 71st j'ear of his age. Of his children there are six yet living, viz. : three sons and three daughters. It has commonly been believed that Mr. Hunter was the first white male child born in Fairfield County. There are, how- ever, two or three other aspirants to that distinction, but the matter is too far back in history to be settled at this late day. DR. JOHN WILLIAMS. Dr. Williams is not mentioned as a pioneer of Fairfield County, though he deserves a place in its history. He is one of the living men who has made his mark, and who will leave a record. He has a brain seldom equaled or surpassed. Few men have lived of his mental capacities in his specialties. As a mathematician, grammarian and general scholarship, he stood, at his meridian, unrivaled. He has been a teacher, and author of school text-books. He was not brilliant ; but as a teacher and general educator he was forcible, clear and con- cise. There are probably more men to-day who owe their suc- cess in the professions and other vocations in life to having been pupils of Dr. Williams, than to any one man living. He was proprietor for several years of an Academy in Greenfield Township, known as "Greenfield Academy ;" and subsequently teacher and Superintendent of Lancaster schools. From age and infirmity, he, five or six years since, retired to his small farm, four miles north of Lancaster, where at present he re- sides. LETTER OF GEORGE W. BEERY. Upper Sandusky, 0., My 20th, 1876. Dr. H. Scott— Dmr Sir : I learn that you propose to pub- lish a history of Fairfield County, and desire information in aid thereof. ' I herewith inclose a letter prepared by me for Dr. Tom. O. Edwards, in 1871. If of any use to you in your work. 174 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. you are at liberty to use the same as you may think proper. When your book is ready, please send me ten copies, and I will remit the price at once. Very truly Yours, George W. Beery. Hon. Tom. 0. Edwards : Your favor of the 8th inst., contain- ing request to furnish dates and names of early settlers of Fairfield County, is received. In answer, I am only able to state, from memory, conversations had with my father on the subject of his first settlement in your county. He was the youngest of six brothers of his father's family, in the order here given : John, Isaac, Abraham, Jacob, Henry and George. There were two half-brothers. Christian and Joseph, all of whom were among the first settlers of Fairfield County. George, my father, was born in Rockingham County, Vir- ginia, in the year 1783, and emigrated to the almost unbroken wilderness of your county in the year 1800. He came down the Monongahela and Ohio rivers in a flat-boat, and up the Hocking to the falls, thence through the woods on foot to Lan- caster, and remained over winter, clearing land for others by the acre. He returned to Virginia the next spring, and finally returned to Fairfield County in the fall of 1801, and settled on the Raccoon Creek, near Bremen, clearing land and working for others, thus enabling him to enter eighty acres, which he did in the fall of 1807. In 1809 he married and settled on this small tract of land, continuing to live thereon, and in the neighborhood of Bre- men, until the spring of 1832, when he moved to the little Raccoon, five miles east of Lancaster, where he died in 1856. John Beery, his eldest brother, came to the county in 1805, and the other brothers soon after, all settling on and near the streams mentioned, in Rush Creek and Berne townships. They were a hardy, stout and industrious set of men, and did their full share of clearing and improving that part of the county. They are all dead, leaving families scattered all over the country. Their education being very limited, and their habits sober and industrious, were content with the occupation of farming, except my father, who was always far in advance of his neighbors in schools and public improvements. He took an active part in the construction of the canal from Carroll to HISTORY OP FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 175 Lancaster ; also in . building the Zanesville and Maysville Turnpike-road; was one of the Commissioners of the county, I think, in 1828; and assisted in locating and building the County Infirmary. In 1834 he laid out the town of Bremen; and in the next year, in partnership with Mr. Hedges, commenced the busi- ness of selling goods, an occupation yet followed by several of his children, who received their first lessons under his super- vision. In the war of 1812, he was pressed into the service with his team, and while Major Crogan was defending Fort Stevenson, at Lower Sandusky, with team and provisions he was encamped at Fort Ball, now Tiffin, and within hearing of the guns of the fort. He was a personal friend and admirer of Hon. Thos. Ewing, claiming that he had no superior as a lawyer and statesman in the Union. Such was his admiration of this truly great man, that he' called his tenth and youngest son Thos. Ewing. As a citizen, he was public-spirited ; as a neighbor, kind and benevolent ; as a father, strict in his requirements, yet tenderly devoted to his children. My mother was a Cradlebaugh, a daughter of a revolutionary soldier, a German Reform minister, and a man of considerable influence in his day. He emigrated to Western Pennsylvania soon after the war closed, and in 1810 or 1811, to Fairfield County, where he soon afterwards died. My mother was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, in the year 1789, emi- grated to Fairfield County in 1806 or 1807. and died in 1870. She was a woman of more than ordinary force of character; positive in her opinions, and free to express them ; industrious and economical ; loving right and hating wrong; prompt and active in every duty ; exercii-ing a marked and controlling influence over her husband and family — a mother of the old type, in every, sense of the word. They had twelve children, nine of whom still survive. Four are living here, one near Urbana, Ohio, and the balance in and near the family village of Bremen. George W. Beery. 176 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. WILLIAM McCLUNG. William McClung died at the residence of his daughter, in West Rushville, on Friday, September 8th, 1876, aged 83 years, 7 months and 19 days. Judge McClung came into Fairfield County in 1803, where he resided continuously until his death, and was among the last of the surviving pioneers. Few men have lived and passed away within the limits of the county, who more emi- nently deserved the reputation of a good man. He was up- right, just and reliable in all the affairs of life, and, so far as the writer knows and believes, he had few, if any, enemies. Of him it may be very justly said, that he was one of that noble class of first men who helped to break the wilderness, and who lived to give character and prosperity to the country — a class that, very much to the world's detriment, is rapidly passing away. Judge McClung, during his protracted and useful life, filled successively, and with the popular approval, the offices of Jus- tice of the Peace, State Legislator, and Associate Judge under the old Constitution, as also many minor positions of trust in the civil and military service. He was one of the volunteers who enlisted under Captain George Sanderson in the war of 1812, and was included in the surrender of Gen. Hull in front of Fort Detroit. He was likewise an officer in the church of his choice ; and it is said of him, by those who best knew him, that Christi- anity was illustrated by all his intercourse with the world, both in his public and private walks. STATEMENT OF MRS. KING. One of Fairfield's pioneer mothers is still living in Lancas- ter, at the venerable age of 87 years. Mrs. Flora Buttler King has been in most respects a very remarkable woman. Follow- ing is a condensed synopsis of her statement recently made to me: Her father, Ebenezer Buttler, and the father of Gerrit Smith, were first pioneers in Onondagua County, N. Y. She was HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. ,177 born in Onondagua County in January, 1790, and during her early childhood and youth was the school companion of Gerrit Smith. She was the first female child born in that county. In 1812 she came to Ohio, and soon after to Lancaster. She was the first female teacher in Lancaster. Her school-house was a rough cabin built bj' Christian King, and stood where Doctor Turner's office now is, on Main street. In February, 1813, she was married to Christian King. She was mother of two children — William, who died many years ago in Califor- nia, and Flora, wife of Charles Deshler, of Columbus, 0. After the death of her husband, Mrs. King devoted herself to painting and drawing, by which she accumulated a con- siderable amount of cash. Receiving intelligence of the death of her son in California, she made the trip there alone, by the Isthmus, and brought back his three children, their mother also being dead. She raised two of the boys, who are now in honorable positions. The other one died young. She wit- nessed the riot at Panama, when one hundred Americans were killed, and barely escaped with her own life by paying the natives a gold bonus. William and Christian King came t5 Lancaster in 1799, and sold goods under the firm name of W. & C. King. Christian King built a toll-bridge across the prairie, west of town, on the track of the present turnpike-road. Mrs. King remembers, that in 1812 the Kings and John Creed were merchants; Philemon Beecher, Robert F. Slaughter and William Irvin were practicing law ; Drs. Wilson, Tor- rence and Shawk were practicing medicine ; Thos. Sturgeon kent tavern where Mrs. Creed now lives, and Mr. Swoyer on the Shaeffer corner. William King died in 1831, and Christian, her husband, in 1840. STATEMENT OP JOHN ASHBAUGH. John Ashbaugh was my grandfather, and Andrew Ashbaugh was my father. They came into Fairfield County in 1801, and settled near where Bremen now is, and died there. My father's 12 178 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. brothers were: Jacob, John, Frederick and Joseph ; his sisters, Elizabeth, Mary, Patsy and Polly. The Indians stole our horses, and were followed, and the horses recovered at Bowling Green, north of Zanesville, by paying the Indians one dollar a head for them. Andrew Ashbaugh, my father, and a big Indian had a hop- ping-match, in which the Indian got beaten, and became ang- ry, but others interfered, and all ended well. On one occasion the Indians removed the bells from some horses and slipped them away, but fearing the consequence, as was believed, they restored the bells and the horses. John Davis and Edward Young came and settled in Rush Creek Township in 1802. THE REAM FAMILY. BY JONAS A. REAM. Abraham Ream was born in Reamstown, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1746, and removed to Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1798, at the age of fifty-two years. He came to Pittsburg in wagons, then down the Ohio river in a flat-boat as far as the mouth of the Hocking river, thence up that river to its falls (now one mile above Logan), in dug-outs, or canoes, thence by land up the stream to the point yet known as Ream's mill, where he settled down. He there entered four and a half sec- tions of land in a body. His family consisted at the time of twelve children, viz.: five sons and seven daughters. In 1804 he built the mill which still retains his name. His daughters were married to the following persons, viz : John Panebaker, Abraham Sheafer, Isaac Sheafer, Joseph Stukey, Lewis Hershberger, Henry Aneshensel. The young- est of the daughters died single, from the effects of a stroke of lightning. His sons' names were : Sampson, William, Absalom, Abra- ham and George. Abraham died at the age of twenty years (single). The others married and raised families. Not one of the children of Abraham Ream are now living. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 179 In early days, the Ream men were all great hunters — strong, fearless ai.d daring. When they arrived in Fairfield County they were the sixth family of white settlers. The Indian villages were not entire- ly broken up where Lancaster is. Jacob Ream, half-brother to Abraham, came a little later — four years, I think. He located south of Ream's mill, about one mile. Jacob L. Ream, who died recently, was his son. The Ream family was very numerous, and are widely inter- married, so that in that region, now, almost every third per- son one meets can «laim relationship to them. Of Sampson Ream's family, there are but three out of thir- teen living. Two died in the Mexican war, and one in Cali- fornia. Of the sons-in-law of Abraham Ream, two yet survive — Aneshensel and Hershbergef. The first winter the family were here they killed eighteen bears and twenty-seven deer. They also killed numerous wolves, wild-cats and panthers. A bear-skin then was worth seventy-five cents, and a deer-skin fifty cents. Deer-skins were dressed and made into panta- loons and moccasins, and bear-skins were used for bed-covers. RECOLLECTIONS OF LEVI STEWART'. Levi Stewart (now a citizen of Lancaster) was born in Greenfield Township, in 1800, and is therefore now in his 77th year. His father was one of the Lrst settlers of Fairfield County. He came in 1799, and settled near the Hocking, immediately south of the residence of the late Judge John Gra- bill, two miles north-west of Lancaster, on the Columbus pike.. Mr. Stewart has spent his long life in the vicinity of the place of his birth, and has made it his care to preserve a recol- lection, not only of the first settlers, but of the places where they located, as well as of the general condition of the coun- try, and domestic life of the pioneers. The following is a con- densed note of his statement : At his first recollections, the country was almost a literal ■ wilderness, interspersed with rude cabins of unhewed logs. 180 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. one story high. The country abounded with wolves, deer, bears, wild-cats and panthers. Indians were more or less numerous, who lingered about until about the year 1810, be- fore they entirely disappeared. FIRST SETTLERS. Samuel Bush came in 1802, and settled on the spot which is the present farm of Daniel Bush, his grandson, one and a half miles north-west of Lancaster, on the Columbus road. David Fink settled near the same time one and a half miles north of Lancaster, to the right of the Baltimore road. Ralph Donelson settled first where Samuel Bush (son of the pioneer) now lives. Henry Cline, about the same time, settled on the farm, as he thinks, now owned by Judge Shaw, near Shimp's Hill. Alexander Sanderson (father of the late Gen. Sander- son), settled in 1798, and located in the same neighborhood. Jacob Sells, in 1800, entered a large tract of land embracing the site of the present village of Dumontsville, four miles north of Lancaster. John Sells came in the same year. David Bright (father of the present David and John Bright), came in 1800, and located where .Tohn Bright now resides. Henry Abrams came in 1800, and settled on the place now owned by David Bright. John Bailar settled where James McCleary now lives, in 1800. Adam and John Westenberger, brothers, settled in the McCleary neighborhood in 1800. Mr. Nail, about the same time, located on the William McCleary place. John McArthur settled where Newton Peters at pres- ent resides, probably in 1800. John Morgan located about the same time on the John Grabill farm. Joseph Stewart, father of Levi, first settled a short distance south-west of the Grabill place, in 1799, and on the north side of Hocking. In the year 1805, Samuel Grabill, father of John, Jacob, Gabriel, Christopher and Samuel, succeeded Mr. Morgan on what has ever since been known as the Grabill farm, where Judge Gra- bill was born and died. In the year 1800, Gideon Geary set- tled on the place now known as the G. H. Smith farm, on the pike, west of Grabill's. About the same time, Samuel Tall- man located immediately joining the Smith farm on the west. At Yankeytown (Claypool's), James Brooks, Mr. Cook and Drake Taylor squatted in the year 1799.- Jacob Claypool, father of Isaac, bought them out in 1805, and opened a farm HISTORY OF FAlRglELD COUNTY, OHIO. 181 Isaac Meason came into Greenfield, in 1798, first locating on the Carroll road, where the late Elijah Meason resided. Isaac Meason was the father of the late John Meason. Patrick Lusk, in 1800, settled on the place afterward known as the Isaac Wilson farm, south of Carroll. John McFarland, father of the late Walter McFarland, in 1798, located on the spot where Walter lived and died. Isaac Rice located near the present woolen factory, below the rock-mill, in 1799. Wil- liam and James Reed, brothers, in 1798, settled a little east of the subsequent Rice place, in 1798. Their places were near the Hocking. Thos. McCall, about the same time, settled near the Reeds. James Wells settled on the present Hooker land, in 1799.' William Wilson, in 1798, located a little south of Hooker's. His son James now resides on the same place. Samuel Wilson settled the same year, adjoining William. James Wilson, Sr., settled on the Carlisle farm. He was the first husband of the late Mrs. Thos. Carlisle. David Pence, Henry Gearhart, Daniel Gearhart, David Wintermuth, Daniel Wintermuth, Adam Wagner, David Baugher, John Hanna, James Hanna, Abraham Fairchildj William Wiseley, Edmund Wiseley and John Miller settled in the north-east part of Greenfield Township, in the years 1800 to 1805. Henry Abrams built the first hewed log-house in Green- field. David Bright built a still-house near where John Bright lives, at a very early day. William and James Reed built a saw-mill on the Hocking, below rock-mill, very early. John Goolthrite taught the first school that is remembered in Greenfield. Another school is said to have been taught in the " Spook's Hollow, " east of the Grabill farm, at a very early day. School-houses were log-shanties with oiled-paper win- dows. The Indians procured lead not far from the present rock- mill, but the mine, if any, has not been discovered to this day. No inducements could prevail on them to tell where they got the lead. They had rifles, and knew how to handle them. The intercourse between the log-cabins of the pioneers of Greenfield was over paths worn by following the blazed trees, at first. Mr. Stewart remembers a tornado which passed over the country in 1809, that he has not seen equaled in his nearly 182 HISTORY OF FAIEFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. fourscore years. The timber was so blown down as to block- ade the roads seriously. The subsistence of the pioneers was corn-bread, wild meats, wild-honey, milk and butter, and vegetables. Roasted rye and wheat were used for coffee, which could not be had, or sel- dom, and then at enormous prices. They carried their corn on horseback to the falls of Hocking (Logan), to get it ground, and sometimes had to wait several days for their turn. Salt was packed from the Scioto below Chillicothe, and from the Muskingum, and cost about $5.00 a bushel. He had known seasons of three to five weeks when the whole community was out of breadstuff, because the mills were stopped for want of water. They pounded hominy, grated corn, and' cooked vegetables, and made other shifts. The sports and pastimes of the settlers were pitching quoits, jumping, running foot-races, wrestling, dancing, plays of a great variety, and in rough and tumble fights. Fighting was very common at public gatherings, such as sales, log-rollings, corn-huskings, house-raisings, and the like. Horse-swapping was almost universally practiced. The most of it was done at gatherings. Sometimes the family fire went out over night, when some member of the family had to go to neighbors to procure it before the breakfast could be started. The first and only chairs known were called split-bottoms. Many families at first sat on slab-stools of their own make. One pair of shoes a year was all that could be had ; the re- mainder of the time they went barefoot. The boys had two suits of home-made flax and tow-linen in summer, and in win- ter one suit of linsey — no underclothes. The young ladies thought they were fine if they had one calico dress in a year. Wheat was worth twenty-five cents, and corn from five to twelve and a half cents a bushel, in trade. A day's work was from sunup to unsdown, and the wages was 25 cents. HENRY LEONARD'S COMMUNICATION. LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. Dr. H. Scott — Dear Sir: Having learned that you are en- gaged- in preparing a history of Fairfield County, I hereby send you a few pioneer items and incidents of the early settle- ment of Liberty Township, for your disposal. HISTOKY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 183 I was born on the 14th day of February, 1812, just 65 years ago this day. My object is not so much to speak of what I know personally of the early history of our township, as it is to refer " to facts that transpired prior to my coming on the stage of action, and for such information I am indebted mainly to sev- eral of the descendants of the very first settlers. Among these I mention the names of Jacob Bibler, Joseph Alt and Noah Gundy, still living, and whose united ages are over two hun^ dred and forty-four years. OLD PIONEERS. Christian Gundy and wife came in 1800. They came from Lancaster County, Pa., as far as Wheeling, Va., on horseback, Mr. Gundy left his wife at Wheeling, and came out here on Walnut Creek, and planted three or four acres of corn, and then went back and brought his companion, and lived all wint.Pi- in a sugar-camp with a blanket for a door. Robert •>.ame about the same time, and they both, with their squatted on unsurveyed lands. After the surveyor 3d the lines, these two neighbors found that thej' had the same section ; so Mr. Gundy moved his tent east- oah Gundy, his son (my informant), was born in ?till lives on the old homestead. DAVID BRUMBACK ^03 or 1804, and settled half a mile south of the ..^u i/o.ni of Baltimore, near Walnut Creek bridge, on the west side of the present pike. The farm is now owned by Emanuel Rinch. Mr. Brumback afterwards settled on Poplar Creek, where his son now lives. Martin Brumback, the son, has the most extensive vinyard in the county. BADER AND SHOWLEY. In 1804, Nicholas Bader and Jacob Showley came and entered a half section of land south of the Brumback place, where they lived and died. They came from Switzerland. At Pitts- burg they embarked on a flat-boat and paddled down the Ohio river to the mouth of the Hockhocking. Here they put their chests and bedding in skiffs, or canoes, and poled and paddled them up to the falls of Hocking (Logan). From there they 184 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. made their way through the wilderness to this township, and settled down in a strange land, with few neighbors. JOSEPH ALT AND FAMILY Came from the same country, one year afterward, passing over the same route. While floating down the Ohio river their boat struck a snag, and sprung a leak and sunk. They got ashore safely, but with soaked clothes and baggage. While they were waiting on the bank for another boat to come along, they built a fire and dried their clothes. At the mouth of Hocking the wife and three young children were left alone, while the father and son Joseph started on foot up stream, over hills and gullies, in search of their countrymen, Showley and Bader, in this township, and make arrangements with one of them to go to Chillicothe and enter land. The second night, while they camped in the wilderness, about midnight they heard a noise such as they never heard before. Old Joseph got up and began to stir up the fire until the sparks and flames made it light all around, and took up his gun, but the animal had fled. The next day they were told it was a panther. GOING TO MILL. Old Father Bader, son of Nicholas Bader, has told me, that when a small boy, his father sent him to Ream's mill with a bushel and a half of corn, and that it required three days to make the trip. Noah Gundy says that the first grist of corn his father took to mill he carried to Newark, in Licking County. I asked how his father found the way. He said, over an Indian trail. The first horse-power mill in Liberty was built by Jacob Showley. Almost every pioneer family had a hominy-block. FRANCIS BIBLER, Of Shenandoah County, Virginia, landed here in the woods in 1805, with four sons and four daughters. Their log-cabin was built on the spot of ground where John W. Chapman, Post- master of Basil, now resides. This family moved into their cabin late in the fall, and before the chinking or daubing of the cracks was done. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 185 NO BREAD. This family had not had a mouthful of any kind of bread in their house for over five weeks. Old Father Bibler went to Chillicothe to buy some corn. Owing to the short supply there, he only goi one bushel, for which he had to pay two dollars. This he brought home, and sent his son Jacob (my informant) to Woodring's mill, about five miles west on Walnut Creek, where he had to wait for his turn. He said that when the warm meal was running from the spout out of the burrs, he caught some in his hand, and that he never tasted anything so good in all his life. COONS AND SQUIRRELS. The first season they planted about three acres of corn, but they did not even get a peck of ripe corn. The squirrels visited the cornfield in day-time, and the raccoons in the night. Jacob told me that his father, Abraham, went out with his rifle one morning and killed thirty-eight squirrels ofi" of one tree, and then he was not able to count the remainder on the same tree. On another occasion he brought down eighteen raccoons from a single tree. INDIANS AND WHITE BOYS PLAYING. It was a common thing for the boys of both races to meet and engage in testing their skill and activity by running foot- races, jumping and tusseling.. My informant spoke of Thos. Warner's, in Walnut Township, and of Tutwiler's, and at his father's, where Basil is, as frequent meeting-places of these boys of both races. He referred by memory to the spot where A. T. Mason's residence is, and the foundry, as these old play-grounds. TOWNSHIP ELECTION. "I remember," said the narrator, "of hearing ray father and other old men tell, that one time when a township election was to be held, they had to send around word and hunt up seven men in order to be able to hold an election for township officers." We have none of that kind of trouble now, and there are six to seven hundred voters in the township. 186 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. FIRST MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL. The first resident minister was Rev. Martin Kauffman, a Baptist. Rev. John Hite, of Walnut Township, also preached in the neighborhood for many years. Rev. Fenedum, of the United Brethren, preached for a long time at the house of Mr. Showley. He was a resident of Bloom Township. Rev. Geo. Weis, of Lancaster, was the first German Reform minister who came about. He preached first at Amspach's, two and a half miles north of Basil, where St. Michael's Church now ip. This was about 1817. CAMP-BOY. In conversation with Gen. Geo. Sanderson,of Lancaster, some fifteen years ago, he told me that when he was a small boy he came with a couple of hunters into this (Liberty) township, and served them as camp-boy about a week, at a time when there was not a cabin or white man within its limits. He spoke of the site of their camp as being just above the spring, or on the hill immediately north of where Pugh's warehouse stands, at Basil, on a lot now owned by my sister, Mrs. Musser. Where now, are the hunters, and the camp-boy, and the camp? FIRST TAVERN IN BASIL. Henry Yanna built the house now owned by Jacob H. Campbell, our hardware merchant. This was our first tavern. Mr. Y. was a Swiss, and a professional butcher. Many thou- sands of pounds of beef did he haul on the " Deep Cut " to Monticello (a town then near the present Millersport). But now Monticello is a cornfield. Beef then was sold at three cents per pound. There were more than a hundred hands constantly at work. Mr. Yanr a had for his tavern-sign an ox painted on the board. PETER DARING, Also a Swiss, had the second tavern. There was business then for two taverns in Basil, not so much for entertainment as for the sale of whisky and " stone-fence cider," which meant four gallons of whisky in a barrel of water, to make it to keep. For his sign he had the Swiss hero, Wilhelm Tell. HISTORY OF FAIEFIEI.D COUNTY, OHIO. 187 FIRST STORE IN BASIL. Henry D. BoUe, a Frenchman, on the day of the first sale of town-lots, purchased the old homestead, which consisted of a hewed log house, and the old vacated log-cabiu, built in 1809. The purchase price was about sixty dollars. This was inlot No. 9. ^ He put one shelf up-stairs, twelve feet long and one foot wide. On this shelf he was able to put his entire stock of goods. One year after, he put up shelving and a rough counter in the old log-cabin. In this cabin he did business for two years. In 1828 he called at our house and wanted to sell his store to my father. My father replied, "Wat do I want wid your store?" Bolle replied, "You put little Henry in dere; he make sthore-keeper some day." He left the goods in the cabin for us to sell in a year, promising to take back what was not sold. We took them at retail price, but could not make one cent on them. But father had one hundred dollars in silver, which he kept in a wooden box on top of the clothes-press. He sold a horse for fifty dollars. This made a capital of one hundred and fifty dollars, which wos carried to Lancaster on the 15th day of April, 1828, and with that amount our first purchase of merchandise was made. Our sales did not average two dollars a daj"- during the first year, the aggregate amount sold being no more than S500. But by perseverance, diligence and attention, the Leonard brothers were enabled to navigate the turbulent waters of trade for nearly fortj' j'ears, without meeting any serious disaster from the frequent and fierce storms and hurricanes caused by the risky and unreliable trade-.winds, on account of which so many mercantile ships were swamped or sunk. PIGEON-HUNT. There was a time in the early history of this country when wild-pigeons were so very plenty, that they literally " darkened the heavens " in their flight to and from their roost in Licking County. On one occasion five young men set out from this neighbor- hood for the pigeon-roost, to bring back, as they doubted not, large numbers of these birds. Th-e company consisted of Samuel Bader, John Hively, Jacob Showley, Jacob Bibler and 188 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. Jacob Goss. The two latter are still living. They provided themselves with punk, flint and steel, for the purpose of rais- ing a fire at night. But alas ; a cold, driving rain set in, and they were soaked to the skin, with no possibility of starting a fire, as everything was dripping wet. Their expedition was a failure, of which they never heard the last. Old Father Shriner, who was auctioneer in the settlement, or '' sale-crier," as the term was then, loved to twit the boys when they were present. " Here, Jacob," he would say, "is a tub; it will do to salt down your pigeons. How much will you give ?" Or, if he offered a small vessel, he would say, " Sell ist gut fuer Saltz," by which he meant, this will answer to carry salt for salting down your pigeons. Old Father Shriner was a jolly old pioneer. His grandchildren are now grandparents. Such is the flight of time. NAILING COFFINS SHUT. Our old pioneer, David Brumback, was the undertaker in our township. He buried, or rather made all the coflSns when I was a small boy. I remember once I went with my grand- father to a funeral at Showley's, and as screws were scarce in those primitive times, nails were used to fasten down the lid of the coffin ; and I heard my grandfather tell my mother this : " Barbi, wenn ich sterbe, will ich nicht mit dem Hammer zu- genagelt sein." Barbara, when I die, I will not have my coffin nailed with a hammer. WHISKY-BOTTLE AT FUNERALS. I remember, too, when it was customary to carry, or hand round a bottle filled with whisky before the funeral would leave the house. I had the honor myself, when called on, to hand the long-necked green bottle around, and a young lady would follow with cakes and pies. INDIAN SQUAW WOUNDED. Mr. Noah Gundy, who has been living in the vicinity more than seventy years, told me, that the Indians almost every spring would come on Walnut Creek, near their farm, for the purpose of boiling sugar. One time a man came to hunt, and seeing some object moving among the pawpaw bushes, and be- HISTORY OP FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 189 lieving it to be a bear, fired at it, and was startled by the scream of a squaw, and alarmed, he lost no time in giving "leg-bail." The Indians were soon on his trail, but he eluded them by his fleetness, and by taking to the bed of the creek, thus causing them to lose his track; and he kept safely out of their way until the matter was settled and the Indians pacicified. Dr. Shawk, of Lancaster, was sent out to dress the wounded arm, and he partially succeeded in persuading them that it was unintentional, though they for a long time enter- tained lingering doubts. The squaw, however, got well, and all was over. [This I believe to be the story that is told of the late Judge David Ewing, of Pleasant Towiiship. The circumstances are nearly the same in both statements. The friends of Mr. Ewing, however, do not locate the scene on Walnut Creek, but in the Arnold settlement, in Pleasant. They also say that the Indians refused the services of a doctor, and that the affair was settled by Daniel Arnold and others, by the payment of money and other things. — Ed.] A HOG STORY. At o»e time old Father Gundy drove forty head of fat hogs all the way to Zanesville, Ohio, for which he expected to re- ceive $1.50 per hundred, but it seems that when he arrived with the porkers, Mr. Buckingham backed out, and said that he could not pay more than $1.25 a hundred, that they had come too late. Mr. Gundy was displeased, an I said, "You shan't have them." So the old man left the forty fat hogs to take care of themselves, and returned home in a bad humor. Strangely enough, in about three weeks every one of the hogs straggled back to the Gundy farm, over a distance of more than forty miles, and were afterwards sold to a Chillicothe man for $1.50 per hundred pounds. Hogs were then sold by net weight. STRONGEST MAN IN THE TOWNSHIP. In the early settlement of our township, especially before we had a canal, our farmers would go to Zanesville with their wagons and exchange their wheat for salt. At one time six or eight teams from Walnut Creek went in company, and after 190 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. they had sold and unloaded their wheat, they drove to the, salt-house. Mr. Fairchild (long since dead") said to the clerk, or salt man, " We will bet you a gallon of brandy that we have a man in our crowd that can pick up a barrel of salt by the chimes and lift it into the wagon. " After the salt man had eyed the crowd closely, and could see no giant among them, he said, "Agreed." Mr. Fairchild then called out, "John Huntwork,- pull oflf your coat and go to work." And John did not only load one barrel, but, as one wagon after another drove up, he picked up the barrels of salt as though they were firkins of butter, and loaded the wagons. And it is to be remembered, that at that time a barrel of salt weighed more than 280 pounds ; many of them weighed over 300. Mr. Noah Gundy (my informant) further told me, that John Huntwork at one time carried eleven bushels of wheat up a pair of steps at one load. The wheat was put in one large sack especially for the occasion. . AN INDIAN SCARE. It was rumored that the Indians were coming in to plunder the pioneers. Bibler'.s cabin was the place of rendezvous. It was not long before several guns were heard at a neighbor- ing cabin, when the women began to scream. One old lady said : " ! I wish the Indians had killed me long ago." My mother wanted father to go, but he said no, he would not run away from his own house. They all stayed at home, but no savages appeared. The rumor had been started and the guns fired by rowdies, for fun, but the neighbors did'not recognize the fun. HOW BASIL GOT ITS NAME. Old Father Jacob Goss landed here in 1807 or 1808, and put up a cabin. He had two sons and one daughter. When the canal was being located, Henry Hildebrand laid out a new town, which was named New Market, but is now the "Balti- more, Ohio." Jonathan Flattery surveyed the lots of Basil, and when he was through he asked Father Goss what he was going to call his town, and he (Goss) decided to leave the naming of it to his neighbors. My father proposed Basil,* and 'Squire Joseph Hustand proposed Geneva, both Swiss HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 191 names. It was decided to determine by ballot. At this stage of the case, I, a boy, came along on my return from the old Hively log school-house, with my copy-book under my arm. Father told me to write some tickets, which I did, upon a blank sheet torn from my copy-book. The votes were cast, and upon counting out from the hat it was found that there were six for Basil and six for Geneva — a tie. At this point my uncle, John Goss, came up the hill, when my father said : "John, vote Basil." He gave the casting vote, and hence Basil. I was, therefore, the first to write the name of our vil- lage, Basil. This was in 182-5, and therefore these two villages are a little over (ifty years old. Henry Hildebrand was first proprietor of Baltimore, and Jacob Goss first proprietor of Basil. THE FIRST CORN PONE. A number of our Swiss families, instead of going to the mouth of Hocking, and up that stream in skiffs, turned up the Muskingum and came to Zanesville, a nearer and more eligi- ble route. Among them were the Weber and Erb families. They laid up a little below Zanesville. In the morning, old Mother Erb went to a cabin near by to get some milk for their coffee. She took with her a silver quarter. The woman of the house had no change. The old lady made motion for her to let her have a piece of what she took to be an egg-pudding, which she saw in the skillet. The woman gave her the whole of it, and she hurried back to the camp with the pudding (?) in her apron, saying: "Now we will have a nice breakfast." The pudding was cut, but no one could eat a bite of it. Even their dog would not touch it. It was a corn pone. But they got well over that before they were five years older. CHEAP WHEAT AND CORN, t Joseph Bibler told me only last week, when speaking of the price of grain, after the little farmers had raised more than they needed, that they would have been glad to have got ten cents a, bushel for their corn, but could not get five cents cash. At one time he (Bibler) went to Lancaster to see if he could sell some wheat. A prominent citizen and business man there, said to him : " I have no use for any wheat now, but if you will bring it in and empty it into one of these mud- 192 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. holes, SO our gentlemen can have a clean and dry walk, I will give you twelve and a half cents a bushel." I had heard the story before, but this from my old and reliable friend settled the question. CONCLUSION. Following are the names of the principal pioneers who set- tled in Liberty Township prior to the year 1812 : Robert Wilson, Christian Gundy, David Broomback, Francis Bibler, Jacob Showley, Nicholas Bader, the Erb and Weber families, Philip Shepler, McCalla, Fairchild, Switzer, Gaster, Amspach, Giesy, Hiser, Hanna, Minehart, Howser, Hensel, Apt, Heistand, Alt, Morehead, Bartmess, Cook, Leisteneker, Finkbone, Heyle, Bader, Black, Hiveley, Eversoles, Farmer, Shisler, Campbell, Zirkle, Kumler, Leonard, Brown, Sann, Bolenbaugh, Rouch, PafF, Newel, Blauser, Shriner, Knepper, ' Wright, dinger, Growiler, Kemerer, Sager, Tusing and Soltz. Respectfully, Henry Leonard. RECOLLECTIONS OF MICHAEL LEIST. CLEAR CREEK TOWNSHIP. Michael Lsist was born in Clear Creek Township sixty-six years ago, and has resided within its bounds all his life. The following are the names of the first settlers of the township, to the extent that he remembers them. John Leist (father of Michael) came in 1805. He is well remembered. He served many years as Justice of the Peace, and was thirteen times elected to the State Legislature. The very first settlers of Clear Creek, as Mr. Leist remembers them, he named as follows — the time of their arrival varying from 1800 to 1810. They settled in difi"erent parts of the township: Martin Smith, Mr. Binhimer, the Fosnaughts (the des- cendants of the Fosnaughts constitute a large voting force of the township to this day). John, Nicholas and Daniel Con- rad came early. Henry and Daniel Conrad, two descend- HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 193 ants, are still living, at an advanced age. George Conrad is still living at the age of 82 years. He was a son of John Conrad. Daniel has two sons living, and Nicholas one. George Nigh was a very early settler. His descendants are all dead. Peter Swineford settled east of John Leist. John Welsheimer, Mr. Stott, John Starr, Peter Good, Peter Baker, George Baker. George Stout and Benjamin Chrisman were among the early settlers of Clear Creek. Mr. Dilsaver built the first horse-mill in the township. This was a little east of Stoutsville. . George and John Hammel settled a little east of Dilsaver's. George Augustus was a very early settler. There were either three or four of the Hedges amongst the first- comers. They had a numerous progeny, and the family is still conspicuous in Clear Creek. John Reynolds came very early. His three sons, Stuart, Thompson and Franklin, are all dead. Mr. Stukey was among the first pioneers in Clear Creek Township. Two or three brothers by the name of Friend came about the same time. Their descendants still reside in the township. Mr. Spangler was among the first settlers. Two of his sons are still living, viz. : Jeremiah and Samuel. Jacob Schuraaker, a pioneer, lived and died in Clear Creek Township. Jonathan Dressback was a very early ■settler. DUTCH HOLLOW CHURCH. Mr. Leist described the two-story log church, built seven-ty years ago, in Dutch Hollow. Among the preachers who attended there more or less regularly, were Rev. George Wise, German Reform; Rev. Stake, Lutheran ; Rev. Leist and Rev. Bing. - * Mr. Leist also gave an interesting description of the first school-house' and school in Dutch Hollow, near the church. School was kept there from two to three months in the year. The back-logs for the fire were drawn in with the log-chain and horse power, through an opening in the wall opposite the fireplace, and in very cold days the opening was closed by banking up the ashes to keep the cold wind out. He learned to spell by rote from hearing his brothers spell, before he knew a letter of the alphabet. On one occasion he cried because the 13 194 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. master refused to allow him to stand up with the spelling class ; but to please him, finally he was permitted, and when the hard words passed along down the class, missed by several, he spelled them correctly and went up, very much to the amusement of the school. The first election for the township was held in a log school house near its center. The same spot has been the voting place ever since, and continues to be at this day. George Valentine was remembered as among the early 'Squires. The pioneer house-raisings, log-rollings, corn-huskings, rail-maul- Ings, grubbings, quiltings, and the like, were referred to as things that had been, but that are never to be again. Also, the old hominy-block, the corn-grater; mills dried up and scarcity of breadstufis — the dear old days of peace, and happiness, and brotherhood. JOSEPH G. WISEMAN'S LETTER. WALNUT TOWNSHIP. • New Salem, March 8th, 1877. Dr. H. Scott — Dear Sir: The note you intended for Charles Wiseman was placed in my box, there being no man' by that name residing in the neighborhood. Not having come to this neighborhood until 1818, I have most of my informa- tion from first settlers. The first settlement in this neighborhood commenced about 1804, by Samuel Wiseman, Edward Berry, James Miller, John Miller, John Manly, George Hill, Jacob Cagy, Robert Chal- fant, Thomas McNaughton, Thomas Watson and John Goldthwait ; also, the Teals and Stevensons, about the same time. Thorn Township, then in Fairfield County, now in Perry, was settled about the same time, by Daniel Snyder, George Stinchomb, Jacob Hooper, Sr., Jacob Hooper, Jr., James Hooper, John Groves, and the Fosters. INCIDENTS. James Hooper, coming up one day to look at their land, heard the sound of an ax to the west, and following the sound, HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 195 came to a man cutting logs for a cabin, his family living in his wagon in the woods. In answer to the inquiry as to his name, he answerd, " Samuel Wiseman. " On returning to his father's cabin, in the Teal settlement, James told his mother the Joyful news, that he had found a neighbor. " What is his name?" said she. "Samuel Wiseman," James replied. " Well, " said she, "he has a wise name ; would to God he is a wise and good man. " The citizens of Fairfield and Perry counties are indebted to John Goldthwait for the excellent variety of grafted fruit he introduced into those counties at an early day. I have vis- ited fruit-stands in Baltimore, Harrisburg, Philadelphia and New York, and could find no better fruit than he introduced sixty-five years ago, in his nursery, two miles west of the present village of New Salem. Soon after Goldthwait's orchard began to bear, two lawyers from Lancaster came out to examine his choice varieties of fruit. Goldthwait was a peculiar little Yankee, and a strong Federalist. The lawyers were strong Jefferson Democrats. He showed them his Royal Russet, Seek-No-Further, Golden Pippins, Rhode Island Greenings, and his Federal apples. The lawyers said to him, " You have shown us j^our Federal apples, now show us your Democratic ones. " He said, " Come down this way ; " and he pointed out alittle scrubby tree with a few knotty apples on. " That, " said he, " is the Democratic apple. " REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS. John Manly and George Hill served five years in what was then called Lee's Legion of Horse, in the Revolutionary war. Rev. John Wiseman settled in this neighborhood in 1819. He served two terms in the Revolution, and was with Washing- ton and Lafayette through the memorable winter at Valley Forge, while the British were occupying Philadelphia. Respectfully, Joseph G. Wiseman. 196 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. STATEMENT OF THOMAS JACKSON, OF BERNE TOWNSHIP. My father, "William Jackson, came frop Frederick County, Maryland, in 1805, and settled in Berne Township, Fairfield County. He came over Zane's trace from Wheeling to Lan- caster. I was four years old. He left his goods at Wheeling, and came through on horseback, he and my mother, carrying two or three small children before and behind, as was the cus- tom then. At Lancaster he met an acquaintance who had preceded h'im. His name was Sliger. He took us all to his cabin, which was two miles south of Lancaster, on the place which has for many years been known as Clarksburg, from the name of Joshua Clark, who lived there since, and carried on the milling business, in connection with which he run a dis- tillery. My father and Mr. Sliger then rode about the country, and found an empty cabin on the bank of Pleasant Run, on the spot now known as the Reuben Shellenbarger place. There was belonging to the cabin twelve acres of cleared land, on which the timber was deadened. This was in December. We moved into the cabin and spent the winter, I do not know how. In the spring my father planted the twelve acres in corn, and then returned to Wheeling and brought out his wagon and little stock of household goods. We remained in that cabin two years. I cannot remember how we managed to live. At that time I had one brother and two sisters — I was the fourth child. My sister Polly married Joseph Sheets. She is at this time 85 years old, a widow, and living with her daughter, who is the widow of the late John Grabill, Jr. My brother John lives near the Colonel Sharp place, below Sugar Grove, and William lives two miles below Lancaster. My age is 76 years. My father then took a lease on the lands of Samuel Shellen- barger, embracing the place where Reuben Shellenbarger now lives, and opened a farm. We little fellows had to pick and burn brush, and worked very hard. Afterwards my father bought eighty acres of John A. Collins, and moved on it. i It was the same place now owned by the widow of David Hufifman. OHIO. 197 After the death of my mother, in 1836, father came and lived on my place, on the east side of Hocking, where he died about fourteen years afterwards. At my earliest recollection our neighbors were : Mr. Brooks, father of George, Jacob and John S. Brooks; David Carpenter. Peter Gundy then lived on the Prindle place, in a hewed log- house ; William Carpenter lived near the Kuntz mill ; Sam'I Carpenter lived on the Kuntz place, the same that is now the residence of Thomas H. White, Esq. Mr. Reynolds lived be- tween the Kuntz mill and Lancaster. The first school I atterided was in a little log-hut near us on the south, and the teacher was John May; and after him a Mr. Adison. The nexf school-house I went to was on the six- teenth section. It was taught by a man by the name of Sken- nel. He was a funny Irishman, but was called an excellent teacher. This was in 1813. The first religious meetings I remember were held in the cabins of Gundy and Reynolds, who were Methodists. Among the preachers that I remember, were Revs. Bright and Jesse Spurgeon. The Baptists preached at our school-house ; and Lewis Seits, Eli Ashbrook, Mr. Baker and Benjamin Caves preached there. We took our grists to Shellenbarger's and Carpenter's (Kuntz's) mills. Our nearest neighbor was Mr. Crossen, when we first settled on the bank of Pleasant Run. It was some years before we be- gan to have comfortable roads. At first we blazed the trees so as to go from one house to another. The woods were full of wild-turkeys, which, when the corii got ripe, came into the fields and preyed upon it, and it was a part of the duty of the children to go and scare them away. ■ In the spring and fall the crows and black-birds were often very destructive to the cornfields. In the spring they pulled up the little stalks to get the grain from the root, and in the fall they eat the corn from the cob when the grains were soft. Raccoons were also troublesome. We put up scare-crows, and went round the fields continually to frighten them away. But the greatest enemies the cornfields had in the fall of the year were the squirrels, which some years came in such numbers as to abso- lutely defy our vigilance. 198 HISTOKY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. Wolves were numerous. At the sugar-camp they often came howling around in the night — so near that we could hear the bushes cracking under their feet, and we threw fire-chunks at them, which they paid little attention to. John Carpenter killed a panther one Sunday, when we were stopping at Sliger's. It was brought to the house, where they measured it eleven feet from the point of the nose to the tip of the tail. Deer were very abundant, and bears more or less. Venison and wild-turkey meat could be had any time, and they con- stituted a large part of the living of the early settlers. Turkeys were caught in pens, and taken with the rifle. A bear was occasionally killed. Mrs. Crossen was at one time coming through the woods to our house, when she discovered a bear in the act of killing a hog. Mr. Garner and my father, with us little fellows, went out with the gun and dogs, and soon found the bear. Upon seeing us approach, he left his prej;- and climbed up a tree. If he had had a competent understanding of the range and power of the rifle in the hands of a back-woods hunter, he would probably have sought another means of safety. As it was, the leaden messenger soon brought him lifeless to the ground. His weight was over three hundred. Wild-cats sometimes carried off our pigs. At the time of our settling there, the whole country was in a wild condition ; a condition of almost unbroken woods. In the early years breadstuflfs sometimes became scaTce, and we grated meal from the first corn that ripened. Mr. Pitcher had a small raccoon burr-mill, where Green's niill now is, down Hocking ; and Mr. Crossen had a still-house near where Reuben Shellenbarger lives. The good old days of log-rollings, corn-huskings and house- raisings, and of the social plays of " Sister Phebe," and the country dance, and nearly everybody that had anything to do with them, revive gladness in the heart, but are never to be seen again. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 199 STATEMENT OF JACOB BOPE, OF PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. Abraham Bope, father of Gen. Jacob Bope, of this county, and of Philip Bope, of Lancaster, emigrated from Rocking- ham, Virginia, in the year 1803, and located six miles north of Lancaster, in Pleasant Township. His brother, Frederick Bope, and Henry Ketner accompanied him, and located in the same neighborhood. It was late in the fall, or beginning of winter when they arrived, and a camp was erected by the side of a big log, where they spent the winter. In the spring a cabin was erected, into" which they moved. It is not said whether the Ketner family shared the winter camp b^' the big log, but that is the inference. In the following fall there came and settled in the same re- gion John and Benjamin Feemen, Casper Walters and Jacob Weaver. The second fall after the arrival of the Bopes and Ketner, a considerable col6ny came out and settled round in the same neighborhood. Mr. Bope, now in his seventy-ninth year, preserves distinct recollections of the times and incidents of the infant colonies which were begun there over seventy years ago, and detailed them with great readiness. The Indians, chiefly Wyandots and Delawares, were all over the country in small hunting squads, often camping near the cabins of the white settlers. They were harmless, and the young folks often went out and looked at them while they sung and danced. The first roads through the settlements were over blazed paths. The Bopes and Ketner were two days get- ting from Lancaster out to their destination, having to cut their way through the thickets. The men of the early settlers were mostly hunters. On one occasion Abraham Bope was returning from a hunt, or possibly from a trip to some neighboring cabin, when night overtook him before he reached home. He suddenly found himself surrounded with wolves. He fired upon them, but failed to scare them away. They seemed to press him, and 200 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. becoming alarmed he clambered up into the top of a sapling or small tree. He loaded and fired again, but finding that his unpleasant and most unwelcome comj anions were inclined to stay by him, he set up a volley of stentorian shouts, which at last reaching the ears of some of his nearest neighbors, brought several men to his aid. But the men, on arriving near enough to communicate with the man up the tree, finding that the wolves were not inclined to give up their expected prey, they thought caution the better part of valor, and advised Mr. Bope to remain in the tree till daylight, when the wolves would go away. Which advice he took, and found, to his great joy, that with the disappearance of the darkness the wolves disappeared also. A bear was discovered near his house. He took his favorite old Virginia dog, and his gun, and went to the attack. His first shot wounded the beast and made him savage. His dog went in, and was gathered to the embrace of Bruin, who was about to press the last breath of life out of him, when Mr. Bope went to his dog's rescue, when the bear instantly drop- ped the dog and made chase after the man, and was not long in fastening his teeth in the garments of the frightened hun- ter. At this moment Mrs. Bope arrived, and perceiving the state of affairs, advanced on the beast in a menacing attitude, which seeing, the quadruped released his hold and made for the gentler sex. There was a hickory-tree close b^', that had been broken by a storm, the upper end of the trunk still resting on the stump twenty feet from the ground, and the top lying on terra firma, thus forming an inclined plane of about forty-five degrees with the perpendicular. Mr. Bope called to his wife to run for her life ; but she being in the vigor of young womanhood, at once began the ascent of the angle of forty-five. The dog by this time recovered his breath, and came again to the attack ; and in the meantime Mr. Bope had re-loaded, and now poured in another broadside, without, however, bring- ing down his game. Bruin placed his back against a tree, in an upright posture, the better to use his powerful paws; and while he was thus compelled to turn his head in all direc- tions from which a deadly foe might be approaching, his eye caught sight of .^Irs. Bope snugly perched on the stump twenty feet above. In an instant he made for the stump, and OHIO. 2 1 began th^ ascent. And now the finale approached, for Abra- ham Bope, Esquire, comprehending that from the positions of all the actors in the drama he was absolute master of the sit- uation, at once placed a ball in a vital part, and the bear fell dead at his feet. Seven charges were said to have been lodged in his body before he capitulated. Mr. Jacob Bope said the first school he attended in the new settlement was German, and taught by Henry Camp. After- ward an English school was taught in the neighborhood by Abraham Winters, over on the Newark road. This was pre- vious to 1810, and when he was eight or ten years of age. The first preacher he remembered to have heard Avas the Rev. Mr. Stake of the Lutheian denomination, and afterward Rev. Wise, of the German Reform Church. Soon af^er this the Methodists and Albrights began their work, and estab- lished camp-meetings in some parts of the county, holding them annually. In their settlement the meetings were held in the cabins of the settlers. Everybody had to work hard, but were contented with what they had, and far happier, he believed, than the majority of the people are to-day. Money was seldom seen by anybody, and it was extremely difficult to pay what little tax was lev- ied. A majority of the men of the settlement went out in the war of 1812. Of all those who were of men's age, and entitled to be called pioneers, and who came into the settlement pre- vious to 1810, John Zeigler alone is living, at the great age of ninety-two years. There was little that could be sold for ca:h. The price of a day's work, from sunup to sundown, was twenty-five cents, which was always spoken of then as a '' quarter of a dollar. " Jacob Bope was a carpenter, and often worked at his trade for fifty cents a day. He referred to the corn-huskings, house- raisings and log-rollings, and other gatherings and usages of the pioneer age, and which were the same everywhere, and need not to be pai-ticularized here. He remembered Lancaster when there were not more than balf a dozen cabins in it. He was a pupil in music of a Mr. Imboff, and himself taught music when he was sixteen years old. Mr. Bope served as Captain, Colonel and General in the Ohio Militia. He spoke at some length of the pioneer man- 202 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNXY, "OHIO. ners and customs, and of the social pastimes and the kindly relations that existed between all ranks and conditions, when every one was ready to help his neighbor. And when I re- peated : " We're boldly marching to Quebec, where the drums are loudly beating;" and, "As oats, peas, beans and barle}- grows," his face dropped at least twenty-five years of its age. Thus the past drifts back into the soon-to-be-forgotten, and to be buried beneath the debris of the dead ages. The merest inklings, or perhaps it were better to say scintillations, of the life and times of sixty and seventy years ago, lives to-day in the recesses of the minds and hearts of the aged. They come to the eye and the visage when referred to in speech, or song, or tune ; but with the exception of here and there a breast, no responsive chord is struck. But to the man or woman who lived on the frontier threescore, or threescore and ten years ago, there is no joy on earth so sweet as these reminiscences that come floating through the inward thoughts like angel- whispers, of childhood and youth's first young loves and inno- cence. There we can go for consolation, and live with our own dear associations, when the present has nothing dear for us. It is the priceless boon which thieves cannot steal, and which none but ourselves can participate in. The first death, Mr. Bope said, that occurred in their settle- ment, that he could recall, was that of his grandfather Bope, which took place soon after they came. He said he was a very good man, and always prayed with the children every night before they went to bed. There are four of Abraham Bope's children living — Jacob and Philip, and two daughters. Daniel Arnold built the first mill. It was on Fetter's Run. Jacob Weaver built the first still-house ; it stood on the land' now owned by Philip Watson, adjoining the Bope farm". The first wool they had carded into rolls was done where Baltimore now is. Name of the owner of the carding machine not re- membered. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 203 STATEMENT OF WILLIAM MURPHY, OF WALNUT TOWNSHIP. My father, William Murphy, came from Virginia in about 1800, and settled in the north part of what is now Walnut Township, one mile south-east of the present village of Mil- lersport. Two brothers came with him and settled in the same neighborhood — Edward and Benjamin. My grandfather, Wil- liam Murphy, was also of the same company. My uncle Ed- ward afterwards went further east and settled one mile west of the present village of Rushville. At the time of the arrival of our family there, the whole country wis unbroken and uninhabited, savj by wild beasts and roving bands of Indians. James Homer bought the lands lying between our settlement and where Millersport is. Soon after our settlement my father's cabin became a preach- ing place, and the Rev. James Quinn, of the Methodist denomination, was one of the preachers who held meetings there. At this time, June 1877, not one of the original pio- neers is living. The first school I remember was in 1824. It was kept in a little log-pen, with the usual log-cabin fixtures of that time. John Griffith was the first teacher I went to. He was fol- lowed by John Granthum in the .same house. There were no female teachers employed at that time ; at least not in that neighborhood. The first mill I went to was on Licking Creek, and stood on the borders of the present town of Newark. It was owned by John Buskirk. Newark was then a log-cabin village. My father took his grain to the mill in a wagon with wooden wheels called "truck-wheels." They were made by sawing offj with a cross-cut saw, sections of a very large oak tree, of the thickness of about four inches, with holes made in the center for the axle-tree. If they were not kept well greased, the creaking they caused when in motion could sometimes be heard a mile or more. He generally drove a four-horse team to his truck- wagon. 204 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. I was not familiar with the wildest condition of the country, only through the representation of my parents and others. My father killed a panther on the Muddy Prairie, where Amanda now is. He killed sixty-three wolves and received bounties for their scalps from the State. Of raccoons, foxes and wild-cats, he killed six hundred, with also about six hun- dred muskrats. He took the skins to WinchesLer, Virginia, on paik-horses, realizing for them money enough to enter three quarter-sections of land, embracing the farm on which I now live. He likewise traded extensively with the Indians for their peltries. The Indians got the impression that he had cheated them, and on one occasion when they returned to the neighborhood he kept himself hid until they went away, though they made no attempt to disturb him. STATEMENT OP THOMAS CHERRY, OF WALNUT TOWNSHIP. My age is seventy-nine years. I came to this neighborhood about 1810, and have lived here ever since. At the time I came the settlers in this region were : William Hane, Samuel Crawford, Andrew Crager,' James Homes, William Bowman, William Murphy, Mathias Miller, William Pugh, Henry Eversole. This was in 1810. Soon af- ter came Abel Williams, Peter Hauer and David Keller. When the war of 1812 came on, a great many from the set- tlement went into the service. The first death that occurred in the neighborhood after I came was that of Samuel Crawford, and the next that I can remember was Andrew Crager. The first marriages after I came were Lydia and Jane Cherry ; Lydia married Robert White, and Jane married Robert McArthur. Nearly every man in the country owned a good gun, and a great many of them were hunters. All kinds of wild game abounded in the forests. William Murphy and William Bow- man were distinguished hunters. At one time William Murphy heard that Indians were about, and he kept himself out of the way, for he had heard HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 205 that they charged him with cheating them, and he was afraid of them. But nothing ever came of it. Squirrels, crows and black-birds destroyed the corn so fear- fully that it was difficult some years to save enough for bread. Raccoons, likewise, often caused a scarcity by preying upon the corn when it was in roasting-ears. I killed a bear where Millersport stands. I had to shoot him five times before he gave in. At my last shot, he was com- ing at me with extended mouth, but my ball took effect, and, I believe, saved my life. I killed fifty odd deer in one winter, four of them in a single day. I caught a great many foxes by the chase. I could walk several miles and roll logs all day, and then walk home at night and not feel much tired. At one time I took my breakfast at home, and then walked thirty miles to Columbus, or rather to Franklinton, and took dinner at two o'clock. When I first visited the site of the present Columbus, it was all in woods. At one time when there was a general squirrel-hunt, my brother Nathaniel killed eighty-four in one day. I have owned a great deal of property, and lost it all. I never sued a man in my life, and was never sued. My father died in 1863, and my mother two years before that. I had four brothers, all residing in Walnut Township, and all died in the township. Their names were : John, Na- thaniel, William and James ; and five sisters : Lydia, Jane, Betsy, Rosanna and Mary. Four of my sisters were buried here, and one near Chillicothe. I was the third in age, and am the only one living. When I came here the site of Millersport was a thick woods. The village was laid off by Mathias Miller. The " Big Reservoir " was a marsh. The upper end of it was a lake and a cranberry-marsh. It was called " the lake. " It became the reservoir when the Ohio Canal was m'ade. During the early days and years of the settlement, the peo- ple lived very much on wild meat, particularly venison and wild-turkey, and on corn-bread, vegetables and rye-coffee. They also made use of spice-wood and sassafras teas. Milk and butter were always plenty. When cows and horses were turned out to graze in the woods, bells were put on them to make it easy to find them. They seldom strayed far away. 206 HISTORY OF FAIEFIELDCOUNTY, OHIO. The women spun and made all the family clothing, and the shoes were made by the men of the settlement, a few of whom were shoemakers. There were small tan-yards that furnished the leather. We dressed deer-skins and made pantaloons of them. We had hatters who made wool and fur-hats. In sum- mer we Avent barefoot, and got our shoes about Christmas. RECOLLECTIONS OP MRS. MARY RADIBAUGH, OP GREENFIELD TOWNSHIP. I came from Berks County, Pennsylvania, in the year 1805, and settled in Fairfield County, at first fourteen miles down Hocking, then in Pleasant Township, and afterwards iVi Green- field, where I have been residing thirty-six years. My father was Jacob Zeller Radibaugh. He died in Greenfield Town- ship in 1841. Of those who came out with our family from Pennsylvania, were : Benjamin Boucher, Frederick Klinger, and their families. They both settled down Hocking, within Fairfield County, and are both dead. There were but few cabins in Lancaster when we came. It was all a wild wilderness country. Our neighbors down Hocking were Mr. Watts and John Zeller. In Pleasant we lived in the Ewing settlement. My husband's father was George Radibaugh. He owned the farm now belonging to William Rigby, joining Frederick Seitz on the south. The elder Radibaughs who lived in Pleasant were Nicholas and George. They settled there previous to 1810. They have both deceased, and their descendants are largely represented in the county. Down Hocking we lived in a small log-cabin that had oiled paper for window-lights. Newspapers were often used for that purpose, and hog's-lard and bear-grease for oiling them. We had no mills very near us, and the small ones, that were some distance away, often' failed for want of water, so that breadstuffs were sometimes very scarce. Sometimes several weeks passed when scarcely anybody in the whole neighbor- hood had a pound of meal or flour. In these times of scarcity we used pounded hominy and vegetables. Nearly every cabin HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 207 had its hominy-block. ■ Venison and wild-turkey meat were always plenty. The Indians often came about, but we were not afraid of them, and they never disturbed anybody. Wild animals of all kinds were plenty. The first wedding I attended was Mary Cisco to Jas. Philips. The next was my own, in 1811. The first death which occurred in the neighborhood was that of Adam Sellers, a small boy. The first religious meetings that were held in our neighbor- hood down Hocking, were held at my father's cabin by the United Brethren. My father was a Brethren preacher. I am 82 years old. The early settlers of Fairfield County that I knew have all passed away. RECOLLECTIONS OF JACOB SHEAPFER, OF MADISON TOWNSHIP. His father, Samuel Sheaffer, came from York County, Penn- sylvania, in company with Christly Stalter and George Dush, and settled in Madison Township in the year 1802, and when Jacob was seven years old. He has lived on the same place ever since, and is now eighty-three years of age. They came in wagons all the way— came by Wheeling, and from there over Zane's trace to Lancaster. Lancaster at that time was all forest trees, with the exception of a few rude log-cabins. They stopped over night three miles west, at the place since known as Sheafifer's tavern. There was a cabin there, occu- pied by a man named Swygart. From there they followed the trace to near where Amanda is, then turned south a few miles, and stoped on the same section of land where Jacob now lives. Stalter and Dush built their tents within a couple of miles. On the route between Zanesville and Lancaster there were at that time not over three or four cabins. The Swygart cabin and the Leathers House were the only struc- tures between Lancaster and where they stopped, on Clear Creek. 20S HISTORY OF FAIRFIEI^D COUNTY, OHIO. At the time of the arrival of this colony of three families in Madison Township, or what is now Madison Township, there had already preceded them Martin Landis, Sr., Mike Shellenbarger, Nathan Owens, Peter Prough, the father of Mathew, John, William, Robert and Joseph Young, who lived one mile east of where M^ Sheiifi'er stopped, and a Mr. Hun- ter, who lived a little east. Thev first went to Isaac SheafFer's, and the men went over and built a cabin, cutting out a single log for an entrance, throut^h which the family crawled, on their arrival. The first winter was spent in it without so much as a chink in one of the cracks. There was no other floor than Mother Earth. The fire was built in one corner of the cabin. They at once began the work of clearing off some land for a corn- field and during that winter, Mr. SheafFer testified, he be- lieved they were the happiest people in the world. Subsequent to the arrival of these families, there came and settled in the adjacent region, George Buzzard, old Mr. Stal- ter John, Nicholas and Daniel Conrad, Abram Sheaffer, father of the late Joel Sheaffer, and a Mr. Wolf. During the following ten or fifteen years the township filled up rapidly. Mr. Sheaffer's father hired him to Martin Landis, Sr., for three dollars a month. He said he could not keep himself in clothes at such wages, and before he would be compelled to do so he would run away. Landis told his father, and he said, " Send him home." To satisfy him and keep him at home, his father gave him a horse, saddle and bridle, and he was satisfied. The first mill in the township was built very early, by Charles Friend. Samuel Sheaffer, father of the narrator, put up a small distillery early after his arrival. Drinking men came there, and it caused a good deal of disturbance. The first school of the settlement was taught by one Richard Clark. The first remembered death, after the arrival of the Sheaffers, was that of George Lusk and child. The first mar- riage remembered was George Prough to Barbara Shoemaker. The Indians, he said, were their best friends and neighbors. Mr. SheafFer said the first vote he cast was for James Monroe, for President. The Menese were the first religious society spoken of. They HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 209 met at the Leathers House, and held their meetings in the bar-room. For a great many years there was very little the farmers could raise that would bring cash. But the taxes had to be paid, and it was often very difficult to scrape up what little money was required for that purpose. At first it was necessary to blaze the trees in order to go from one point to another with safety, for the country was literally a wilderness — a trackless desert. In one instance the trees were blazed between the cabin and the litte cornfield ; and also to a branch of water where they went to water the stock, though the distance was in one case but a quarter of a mile, and in the other half a mile. The settlers made all their own clothing, on domestic wheels and looms. Every house had its hominy-block. There was in the neighborhood a hand-mill, where, people went and ground their own corn. The black-birds and crows were very destructive to the corn, both in spring and fall ; but the squirrels and raccoons were far more so. The first salt was brought from the Scioto works, and cost four and five dollars a bushel, which was fifty pounds. Pack-saddles were used. Almost everything was transported on horseback, for the want of wagon-roads. RECOLLECTIONS OF JOHN CROOK, OF BERNE TOWNSHIP, I am a son of William Crook, for a long time a citizen of Berne Township. My father came from Henry County, Vir- ginia, in 1805, and settled in Berne Township, on the farm now owned by George Huffman, two miles south-east of Lan^ caster. My grandfather, Ephriam Crook, came out first and lived on the same place. My father had six brothers, who also preceded him to this county, all residing in the same neighborhood. They are all deceased. My "father served as Sheriff of Fairfield County, and also as Justice of the Peace for many years, besides other positions of 14 210 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. trust. He was in the war of 1812. He went out as a Major, and was promoted to the rank of Colonel. He died at his home in Berne Township, in about 1855. At my earliest recollection our neighbors were Thomas Stone, Emanuel Carpenter, Sr., David Carpenter, William Carpenter, Israel Carpenter, Emanuel Carpenter, Jr., John Carpenter (John Carpenter was the father of Mrs. John Van Pearce), Jacob Vanraeter, John Vanmeter, James Pearce, Abraham Ream, Jacob Ream. Sampson, William, Absalom, Abram and George Ream were sons of Abraham Ream. Jacob Ream had two sons— Philip and Jacob. Peter Sturgeon was one of the earliest settlers. Abram Walker, Nicholas Crawfish and James Mumford were also early settlers of Berne Town- ship. Mr. Jackson, father of Thomas Jackson, Esq., and grandfather of John D. Jackson, of Lancaster, came at a very early day. The father of the late Judge Joseph Stukey and Samuel Stukey was likewise an early comer. The first mill that I can remember was the Eckert mill. It was built by the father of Jacob Eckert, who was the father of George and Henry Eckert. The mill was built on Hocking, one mile above the Ream mill. The Ream mill was built a little later. The Kuntz mill was perhaps built first. The Shellenbargar mill was built by Samuel and Henry Shellen- barger. Samuel Shellenbarger was the father of the present Reuben Shellenbarger. The first school I went to was on the land now owned by Mr. Prindle, two miles below Lancaster. John Adison was the teacher. This was in about 1809. He was a humorous man. On one occasion I lost my book, and did not find it until the next day. He asked me where I found it. I told him I found it in the bush. After that, wheni went up to say my lesson, he would lay his hand on my head and say good-naturedly : "This is the boy that found his book in the bush." Hocking H. Hunter afterwards taught in that house, and also a Mr. Bur- rows. The first funeral I can remember was that of my mother, who died in 1813. The Presidential election of 1828 was held where the fulling- mill of James R. Pierce is, on the sixteenth section, anS after- wards at the house of Henry Ozenbaugh, who was also one of the early settlers of Berne Township. 211 We lived at first in a little log-cabin in the woods. It had but one room, which was parlor, sitting-room, bed-room and kitchen for the whole family. The trees were deadened, and the underbrush cleared off, and the logs rolled and burned, and the corn was raised in among the trees. The rails to fence in the fields were for the most part made from trees cut down on the clearing. (The clearing was the ground in process of being prepared for the plow). I knew one man who hauled his back-logs into the house with a horse and log-chain. His fireplace was nearly the full width of his cabin. ' My mother used to spread a bed before the fire in cold weather, and five or six of us little folks would lie down in a row, with our feet towards the fire. This was made necessary by the scarcity of beds and bed-clothes. Dances and country plays were practiced by the young peo- ple. There were little or no distinctions among the people ; every well-behaved person was as good as anybody else. Money made no difference then, for we did not have enough of it to get up an aristocracy upon. Of one thing I am sure — everybody then had better manners than they have now ; and there was real friendship and sociability amongst all classes. Everybody was ready to help each other whenever help was needed. And I think everybody was honester than now — a man's woid was worth something. I love to think of those good days, departed never again to return. Our associations, and loves, and friends, are nearly all lost in the now fast-grow- ing dim vista of the past, and we can only strain our eyes to- wards the better land, where, by faith, we expect to meet them all again. There is scarcely anything left of the wilderness state of this country seventy years ago. RECOLLECTIONS OF MORDECAI FISHBAUGH, OF VIOLET TOWNSHIP. I came from Baltimore County, Maryland, in the year 1812, and settled in violet township, three miles east of Picker- ington, and oa the same spot where I now reside. My age is 212 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. ninety years. When I arrived here I found living in the vicinity, or at least within the township, Michael Kraner, Alexander Donald, Philip Ebright, Andrew Peck, James Bight, Edward Rickets, George Fenstermaker, Henry Hunt- work, John Bowser, Frederick Showers, Jacob Growley, John Chancy and Thomas Homes. Of all these, and several others who lived in the town.ship at that time, John Chaney and myself are the only ones now living. My brother, Acquilla, came out with me, and we purchased jointly half a section of land. When we settled down here we were in the midst of wild woods in every direction. We cleared off the ground and put up little cabins, and then began the work of clearing some land for cornfields. To be able to find our way through the settlement from one point to another, we made blazes on the trees by peeling or hewing some bark from both sides ; and these blazes were followed until beaten tracks were formed. As occasion required we cut out wagon-roads. There was a wagon-road that passed half a mile east of us, over which the army of the war of 1812 passed. ' This was in 1813. It was a cold winter, and we could hear the army wagons passing day and night, and could hear the shouts of the drivers. Upon our first settlement the wolves howled around us day and night. There were also panthers, bears, and wild cats in the woods ; wild-turkeys were in vast flocks in every section of the country, and flocks of them would come up to the rear of our cabin and look in through the little window. I have shot them through the window. We could have wild-turkey and deer-meat whenever we wanted. My brother Henry died two years subsequent to my arrival. His was the first funeral I remember in the settlement. Jacob Nepper had a mill at that time, two miles from my cabin, on Little Walnut, and Solomon Barts had one on Poplar Creek, a little farther up the country. A man named Don- alson had a still-house three miles south of me, at the place now known as Waterloo. Almost every little place had a peach-orehard, more or less. The natural seedling peach was all that was known at that early day. The crop seldom failed, and there were peaches in great abundance almost every year ; large quantities of them HISTOKY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY," OHIO. 213 were hauled to the still-houses and converted into peach- brandy. The Methodists had a society in the settlement, but there was no meeting-house; the meetings were held in the cabins of the settlers. In 1816 I married Isabella McDonald. She was the mother of my children, and died in 1870, in the month of June. The first taxes I paid in Fairfield County was two or three dollars a year. My land was not taxed for five years after I entered it. This was provided for in the patent. Money was hard to come at, and there was very little the farmers pro- duced that would bring it, for we had no market and no way to get our little surplus out of the country. What little money we had was almost entirely silver, and much of it was cut money. The men soon learned to make five " quarters " out of a Spanish dollar, and five "ninepences" out of a half- dollar, or five " fipenybits " from a twenty-five-cent piece. In harvest times the price of a day's work was fifty cents, or a bushel of wheat. Log-rollings, corn-huskings, and house- raisings were universal all over the county. One spring I rolled logs thirty days in succession, and I can't remember now how I got my own work done, but we all got along somehow. The elections were then, and have been ever since, held at Pickerington. In the war of 1812 a great many went as soldiers. A good many of them did not live to get home. When we came out from Maryland, we traveled in wagons by the way of Wheeling, and over Zane's trace to Lancaster. There was a tavern then on the SchsefFer corner, in Lancaster, but I cannot remember who kept it. We came from Lancaster to Michael Kraner's in one day, which was considered extra- ordinary .for the kind of roads we had to pass over. Lancaster was then a village of log-cabins, with perhaps the exception of two or three small brick buildings. I have three sons and five daughters living. Timothy Fish- baugh, of Lancaster, and at present County Recorder, is my second son. I have lived to see Violet Township become wealthy, populous and well cultured. I was thirteen years old when I landed in Violet Township, and have lived on the sam« place sixty-five years. Have never returned to Mary- land since I first came away. 214 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. RECOLLECTIONS OF GEORGE HARMON, OF VIOLET TOWNSHIP. My father, Frederick Harmon, came from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, in the year 1800, and settled five miles east of the present city of Lancaster. There were seven fami- lies emigrated in the same company, viz. : My father, Lewis and Christ Bonsey, George Henry, John Miller, Jacob Fox, Debolt Macklin ; and all settled in the same neighborhood. We came in a flat-boat from a point on the Manongahela to the mouth of the Scioto. There the boat was abandoned, and the little stock of household goods and farming implements placed on two or three wagons, and the journey up the Scioto, through the wilderness, began. A road had to be cut most of the route. Myself, with most of the others, walked the greatest part of the way. A number of days were required in coming as far as the Pickaway Plains, above Chillicothe. From the plains to Lancaster the journey was made in two days. When we arrived on the Hocking, and crossed over, we found on the site where Lancaster now stands, not over one or two cabins; all besides was a forest, with ponds of water and swales passing over it. We encamped that night on the spot^ as I subsequently found, where the old Court-house was after- wards built. On the following day we ^continued our journey to the point of our destination, which was the place since known as the Harmon settlement, in Pleasant Township. My father and two or three others had been out the previous year and selected the spot, and built two or three small cabins. During their sojourn there, in 1799, the Indians stole my father's horse, and he was compelled to walk all the distance back to Westmoreland County. The horse, by some means, got away from the Indians, and was recovered the following fall in the vicinity of Marietta, having been recognized by a brand on his shoulder. Subsequently the Indians stole two horses from a settler. The owner found them at an Indian camp near Rushville, and demanded them. The Indians shook their heads. The man insisted, when an Indian came out and circled a butcher-knife around his head, and he was obliged to leave. The next morn- HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 215 ing he returned with a posse of his neighbors, armed with rifles. The Indians still refused to let the horses go, whereupon the men pointed their guns at them and told the man to go and untie his horses, which he did, and there the matter ended. All around us was a wilderness. There were a few families over on Ewing's Run, and on Fetter's Run, and down on Rush Creek. A man by the name of Lynch had opened a small tan- yard where Baldwin's brick house stands, two miles north-east of Lancaster. Jacob Harmon had a cabin where East Lancas- ter is. He was not of our family. I was eight years old when we came to Fairfield County. I am eighty-five years and six months now. In 1815 I married Sarah Cramer, whose parents lived in Vi- olet Township, north of the present town of Winchester. Her father' owned a considerable body of land there, and I set- tled on that portion of it which fell to my wife, and have lived- on it ever since, or sixty-two years. There were no roads through the settlement — that is, no es- tablished roads ; but we got up petitions and had them located and opened. At the time of my marriage there had not been a stick cut on my wife's land. I at once built a cabin and moved into it, and went to work to clear out fields. At the time of my settlement here, my neighbors might be mentioned as, George Long, Peter Robnold, Jacob Algire, John Algire, William Stevenson, Greenberry Ashley, Jona- than Looker, Michael Cramer, Mr. McArthur and old Father Cramer. The Methodists and United Brethren had societies in the neighborhood, and held their meetings in the cabins of the settlers. Newcomer and Troxel were Brethren preachers. At an early day I went to a mill north of Columbus for my grinding, and to Zanesville for salt. Our place of election was where Pickerington is. The woods everywhere abounded with wolves, wild-cats, wild-turkeys, with occasional bears and pan- thers, though the settlements had been forming for several years. There was a woman who went into the woods to look for her cows ; she was absent too long, and the men went in search of h^r. They found the body 'partly devoured. She had been killed by a panther, as was believed, for the men saw it in the act of running awaj' from her. One of her arms 216 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. was eaten off, and other parts of her body were more or less mutilated. There was a usage in our settlement, which, I believe, was common in the new country during the pioneer age — it was that of blowing horns in the night, in case of apcidents or dis- tress of any kind where help was needed. The blast of the horn in the night never failed to bring the nearest neighbors. During the war of 1812 I drove a wagon on the frontier. I was out several times, and received for my services a Land- warrant. Our lands were entered at the land-office in Chilli- cothe. It was Congress land, and the price was two dollars an acre. Wild bees were plenty. Bee-trees could be found every- where, and any one who found a tree had the right to cut it down, for timber was not regarded as of much value. It was rather an incumbrance. My taxes then was two dollars and fifty cents. T have since paid one hundred dollars, which I could raise more easily than I could sometimes raise the little sum of the early times. I have six sons and two daughters living. The descend- ants of the early settlers of Violet Township, with few excep- tion, are still living in the township. Lithopolis was a vil- lage when I settled here, in 1815, but there was no other vil- lage at the time in Bloom Township. I am the oldest son of my father, Frederick Harmon, and the only one living. My brother Frederick died about two years ago, at the old place in Pleasant Township. RECOLLECTIONS OF DANIEL CRUMLY, OF BLOOM TOWNSHIP. My father, Christian Crumly, came from Pennsylvania in 1802 or 1803, and settled in Bloom Township, one mile south of Greencastle, on the head of the Hocking river. He had previously entered land, and in settling down in the first place, he supposed he was on his own land, but after living a year or two in his first cabin, he made the discovery that he HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 217 was on the wrong land, when he abandoned his cabin and moved over on the other side of the stream, which was on the west side. On this place he lived until the time of his death, which was in the year 1856, if my memory is correct. At my earliest recollection, our neighbors were the follow- ing families, as near as my memory serves me. There may have been a few that I cannot recall, probably not many : Father Courtright, who was the father of Jesse, Abrain and John Courtright; Daniel Glick, John Ritter, Mr. Bright, Horatio Clark, Mr. Alspaugh, who was the father of George, John, Henry and Jacob Alspaugh; John Solt, Mr. Roler, the grandfather of Henry and Elijah Roler, now living; Peter Lamb, father of the present Peter Lamb, of Bloom Township; John Swartz, Father Elias Swartz, still of Bloom ; Mr. Thrash, father of Eli Thrash ; Rev. Mr. Bennadum, father of Philip and Peter Bennadum ; Mr. Morehart, father of John and Chris- tian Morehart; Martin Bogart, Mr. Crites, father of John Crites, late of Bloom Township; Simon Crites, father of Sam- uel Crites, still of Bloom Township ; Mr. Homrighouse, father of John, William and PhilipHomrighouse;Hugh Scott, father of James Scott, and father-in-law of F. A. Boving, of Lancaster ; Mr. Mesmore, George Crowley, James Donaldson, Mr. Gordon, Henry Leaphart, John Fellows, father of Joshua Fellows, still of Bloom Township, and father-in-law of Coonrod Crumley, of Hocking Township; Frederick Fellows, father of Coonrod Fel- lows, at present of Bloom. Frederick Baugher was proprietor of Lithopolis, which he laid off in about 1815. An addition to the town was after- ward made by Solomon Baugher. The place was at first named Centerville. A Presbyterian Church was established there at a very early day, and later by the Methodists and Lutherans. The first church built in Bloom Township was the Glick Church — Lutheran and German Reform. Abram Haines was a very early settler of the township, and is still living. Mr. Needels, father of B. J. Needels, still of the township, was also among the first settlers. Daniel Hay was the father of Isaac Hay, who still resides on the home- place. Adam Snyder was an early settler. Our first mill was the rock-mill. The first structure there 218 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. was built by Loveland & Smith, and was set low down among the rocks. The grists were taken in at the gable-end and let down to the hopper with ropes, and then raised to the level by the same means. The first still-house in Bloom Township, that I can remem- ber, was built by J. D. Courtright. It was at the Stump Spring, between Lancaster and Greencastle. The first school I attended was in a little log-cabin on the bank of the Hock- ing. It had oiled paper for window-lights. The wolves came in a large Hock around our smoke-house, in the night, and the conch shell was blown to frighten them away. RECOLLECTIONS OF THEODORE MURPHY, OF RICHLAND TOWNSHIP. I am the third son of Edward Murphy, who settled one mile west of West Rushville, in the year 1802. I was uorn on the farm where I now live, the same where my father first settled. My father came from Virginia, in 1798, returned in 1799, and with his father and brothers moved to Fairfield County in 1800, settling in the north part of Walnut Town- ship, near the present village of Millersport. My father intended to enter the land since known as the Buchanan farm, and started to Chillicothe for that purpose, with his saddle-bags full of silver. On the way he met Mr. Buchanan, who had preceded him, and had already made the "entry. My mother's father first entered the section where I now live ; his name was John Murphy. There were Indians on the tract before he made the entry. One of them showed him five springs on the section, and he marked the spots by toma- hawking the trees. The springs are all still running. My father kept a little tavern. It sometimes happened that so many men stopped for a night's lodging, that it was impos- sible to give them all beds, and straw was spread down for them to sleep on. Sometimes every room was full. The Indians often came to our house for something to eat ; they were fond of salt, and always wanted the half of what HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 219 was produced. If it was a bushel, they would not be satisfied without a half-bushel. My mother coming to understand this, adopted the plan of producing a tinful, and then they would always go away with half a tinful. She was always afraid of the Indians, and on one occasion when my father had gone to Chillicothe to mill, to be gone over night, she took her chil- dren and dog and went into the fodder-house and remained till morning. To keep the dog from barking, she kept him by her with her hafad on him ; and for fear the baby would cry, she kept it constantly at the breast. She, however, had never been molested by them. My mother raised five children of her own, and, in addition, thirty-two orphans. She never failed, when a mother died and left small children that were not provided for, to take one or more of them, A woman named Batson died, and my mother took four of the children, and I, having a family of my own, took two of them off her hands. She raised Joe Blanchard, colored barber of Lancaster. I have seen fifty or more men and boys at a corn-husking at 'night. It was the custom for a lot of girls to be stationed in the rear of the buskers to take back the husks — some with rakes, and others using their arms. It was the privilege of the boys, when they found a red ear, to take a kiss, a custom also understood by the girls, and no sooner was the red ear brought to light than the lucky finder would break for his girl. This, together with carrying the husks, was the occa- sion of a good deal of sport. [The writer remembers the cus- tom, and has often participated in itj. STATEMENT OF JOHN COURTRIGHT, OF BLOOM TOWNSHIP. My mother was a sister of the late Walter McFarland, of Greenfield Township. She came with her father, William McFarland, to this county in 1799, and settled first on Hooker's Prairie, four miles north-west of Lancaster. Her father in- tended to enter the land where the Hookers live, but there were two men who claimed it by tomahawk-right, and he 220 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. went and entered the land where Walter McFarland after- ward lived and died. William McFarland had two sons — John and Walter. John was the father of William, Robert and Walter McFarland, late of Greenfield Township, and Walter was the father of John McFarland, now of Greenfield. About two years after the arrival of the McFarlands, Abra- ham Van. Courtright, my grandfather, came into the county, and settled near what is now known as the Betser Church, two miles south of Lockville. He did not remain there long before he bought land and moved over in the vicinity of the present village of Greencastle, where he died fifty-one or two years ago, or about the j'ear 1825. His three sons — John, Jesse and Abraham Courtright, settled in the same neighbor- hood, where they are all buried. John settled two and a half miles south of Greencastle ; Jesse lived in Greencastle, where he deceased many years since. My father, Abraham Court- right, bought a place from a Mr. v andemark, one mile east of Greencastle, on the old Columbus road, upon which he lived_ many years, and died at a ripe old age. RECOLLECTIONS OF JOHN IRIC, OF BERNE TOWNSHIP. My father, Jacob Iric, came from Maryland in 1805, and stopped first in Lancaster, when it was a cluster of log- cabins among the trees and stumps, interspersed with ponds and swales. He did not remain but a short time before he, in connection with his father, a man then in middle life, bought land two miles south of Lancaster, erected a little cabin on it, and moved in. There he lived until the time of his death in 1859, at a ripe old age. They were unable to meet the deferred payments, and the land was forfeited at the land-office at Chillicothe. My father then went to work with energy, and, by hard labor and careful saving, accumulated money enough to redeem the land, when my grandfather deeded him the half of one hundred and HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 221 fifty-three acres. My grandfather died before my recollection. My mother died in about 1861. At my first recollection our neighbors, in part, were General David Reece, Martin Baker, Mr. Pannebaker, near the Kuntz mill ; the Cafpenters and the Shellenbargers. . All these were very early settlers. My mother was a daughter of Michael Hensel, who lived on Rush Creek. He came out one year before my father, or in 1804. Mr. Hensel and his wife died a little more than thirty years ago. Mrs. John U. Giesy was a sister of my mother. William and George Crook, brothers, married two of the Hensel girls. There was but one brother. He moved up to Big Walnut, and I believe is not living. The first school I went to was near the present Prindle farm — a Little log structure with paper windows. It was in the woods. A Mr. My res, William McAboy, and Paul Carpen- ter taught in it; and previously, and before I went there, Hocking H. Hunter was the teacher. Religious meetings by the Lutherans and German Reformers were held in the cabins of settlers, and in school-houses. Revs. Stake and Wise were the preachers. There were Indians about when I was a small boy. I do not know whether the people were afraid of them, but I can remember that the men used to carry their guns and shot- pouches with them when they went to meeting, though the precaution was probably more on accouut of wild animals. Almost every man was a hunter. A great many bears were killed; and deer and wild-turkeys could be taken at any time with very little trouble, for the woods were full of them. The first mill my father and his neighbors went to was Grouse's, near Chillicothe. Afterwards little raccoon burr- mills and horse-mills were built near us, and in different parts of the county. The men of our settlement sometimes went as far as twelve miles, and more, to help put up cabins, and to roll logs, and to give other assistance to the settlers. The country was wild and new, and everybody had to work hard and live hard for many years until the lands became improved and the facilities for getting a living increased. I have heard my father say that he and his family experienced six weeks at one time when they had very little else to live on than boiled turnips. 222 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. They built a turkey pen, in which more than two hundred turkeys were caught. I heard my father say that he bated the pen, and sat hid near by and saw them flock round it by the dozen ; some of them would go in through the trench. One time he ran from his hiding-place to the pen, and found seven turkeys inside, which he secured. At another time he was loading corn in the wagon, and while he was at work on one side the turkeys were on the other pecking the ears. He tried to kill them by throwing ears of corn at them, but failed. Nelsy Robinson and Lawrence Beck were married by Rev. Stake, about the year 1820. I was told that old Father Ream, father of Sampson and George Ream, and Henry Shellen- barger, died about 1812. Henry Rudolph, who I think was the father of Peter Rudolph, of Sugar Grove, died about the same time. I heard my father say his tax was two or three dollars, at an early day, and that he had hard work to raise that amount. I am sixty years old, and live on my father's old place, where I was born. I have three brothers and one sister living. » CONTRIBUTION OF THOMAS COLE, OF AMANDA TOWNSHIP. RoYALTON, March IZth, 1877. Dr. H. Scott— Dear Sir: At 3'^our request I send you the following items pertaining to Toby Town, and the early set- tlers of Amanda Township : Toby Town was the name of an Indian village situated in what is now Bloom Township, sec- tion 33, about 80 rods eastward from the west line of said sec- tion, and about 20 rods north of its southern line. A small stream, known in early times as Toby Creek, and so marked on the old maps, ran through the village, but its eastern bank was its principal site. Said creek has long been known and called by those living along its entire length, by the name Little Walnut, and so marked on late maps. Tradition says nothing of the origin of the village, but in about 1806, or 1807, the Indians left it, and went to Sandusky, among the Wyan- HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 223 dot tribes, and no doubt became a part of that people. A few straggling ones were occasionally seen for a year or two after- wards, when they all finally disappeared. A few incidents re- lating to them I will state : ^ Shortly after they left, William Clark built on the old village site, and in digging for clay to daub his cabin, he came upon Indian remains, supposed to be those of a chief, as a large double-handful of silver rings, brooches, and other ornaments were discovered with the bones. Elijah Clark, a little son of Horatio Clark, being about thirty rods off, brought some of them to his mother, who fancied she could perceive an un- pleasant odor, and thereupon ordered the little boy to return them to their sacred resting-place. The next Sunday, how- ever, they were again taken up by two young men named Wintersteen, whose parents lived in section 32, one half mile •westward, at or near the site of an old family grave-yard, where now repose the ashes of several of the Clark family, some of whom settled near Toby Town in 1799. The Indians would take a short journey eastward, and come back with plenty of lead, which the^traded to the whites. No one ever knew, nor was it ever found out where they ob- tained it; but from the length of time they were absent, the place could not have been very distant. An opinion long after prevailed that it was obtained near the present site of the rock-mills. But all search for the place has thus far proved futile. The Clark family, who settled within thirtj^ rods of them in 1799, were never seriously molested by the red-skins, though they frequently found prudence the better part of valor, when their red neighbors paid devotion to Bacchus. About twenty years ago Mrs. Clark related to me, that on one occasion that she remembered, Indians came to her house hunting whisky, and that she took her little children and hid in the brush until after they went away. Mrs. Clark's grandchildren are the present occupants of the farm, and they tell me that for many years human bones, arrow-heads, and other Indian relics •were frequently turned up by the plow. Tradition alone now marks the spot. The village and tribe took their names from their chief, whose name was Toby. 224 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. AMANDA TOWNSHIP. In the spring of 1800, three men, names not remembered, came from near Chillicothe and broke ground on the prairie in section number 4, planted corn, and then returned home. They came back in due time and tended their corn twice. The next fall one of these men sold his share to Horatio Clark, receiving a horse in payment. The other two likewise dis- posed of their shares to parties not now remembered. In No- vember of the same year, Wilkinson Lane, of Huntingdon County, Tennessee, settled on section 8, and was succeeded in the month of June following by Thomas Cole, my grandfather, who had entered the sertion. His grandchildren still own one half of the section. The family were never troubled bj' the Indians. In a few years my grandfather built a school-house on his land, hired a teacher, Abraham Cole, for eight dollars a month, and then invited all who wished to send their child- ren and pay a pro rata share, or not, as they could or would. In those days school hours were from " sun to sun, " or as soon as scholars ari^^ved. On one occasion, my father. Broad Cole, (born in 1802), thought of " beating the master to school," some day, and, after a few failures to do so, left home one morning about day-break ; but, on arriving at the school-house, he was greeted with a good fire, and found the master, a Mr. Smith, banking up dirt against the school-house to protect against cold. That house was built on the north part of sec- tion 18. David Svvope and William Long were settlers on sec- tion 8, in June, 1807. In 1800, Dr. Silas Allen bought and set- tled on section number 3, building a house on the crest of a hill, near the western line of said section, and fronting a prairie on the west, in section number 4. His purchase -con- sisted of about five hundred acres. At that time there was not the mark of an ax from Lancaster to his house. Said section was soon given to his four sons — Whiting, Lemuel, Jedediah and Benjamin Allen. Lemuel and Jedediah gave ground for a village, and about 1810 William Hamilton, then living on section 22, surveyed and laid out the village of Roy- alton, about one mile south-east of Toby Town. For some years it went by the name of Toby Town, generally, but by the Allen family it was called Royalton, after a village in Ver- mont, from whence they came. Elvira Allen, now Mrs. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 225 Meeker, was born in 1803, the first female child born, it is supposed, in that part of the township. Mrs. Meeker still dis- tinctly remembers the Toby Town Indians coming over the prairie in single file, the squaws carrying their papooses on their backs, lashed to a board, and on arriving at her father's house, would stand up the boards upon which their little re- sponsibilities were tied, against the outside, while they went in. The first schools in Royalton were tauglit by Warren Case and his sister Sabre, in 1810; and by Henry Calhoon, in 1812. The Rev. Dr. Hoag, (late of Columbus) a Presbyterian, preached in Lemuel Allen's house, in Royalton, as early as 1810. About the same time the first tavern was opened there by Lemuel Allen, as also the first store by Jacob Rush. In about 1814, the Methodists organized a society there, and their first preacher is supposed to have been Isaac Quinn. In this year Stephen Cole built a grist-mill and a carding machine combined, on what is called Cole's Run, heading at a spring in section 8, the mill being situated on section 7. Richard Hooker helped to build the mill ; and in 1817, Piper and Reynolds built what is known as t]pe Hooker mill, on Turkey Run. Mr. Hooker lived on section 19. The mill has long since disappeared, only bare traces of it being now visi- ble. Mr. Richard Hooker, now of Hocking Township, and in his 79th year, assisted in digging the mill-race. The first horse grist-mill and still-house were situated in the south part of the township, and were owned by a Mr. HuflFer, the exact date of their erection not being known. Richard Hooker was a Justice of the Peace for the township at a very early day. I have recently seen a deed, dated No- vember 15, 1805, the acknowledgment of which was taken by Jesse Willets, J. P. Hamilton and Rush were also Justices for Amanda Township. On the 6th day of September, 1817, Elders Eli Ashbrook and .Jacob Tharp organized the Turkey Run Regular Baptist Church. This church is still in existence. They held their meetings in Hooker's school-house as late as 1838, about which time a house of worship was erected. None of the original members are now living, and but one now lives who became a member by letter a year or two afterward, viz. : Permelia Ashbrook, now 83 years old. Elder Eli Ashbrook, one of the 15 226 aiSTOEY OP FAIRFIELD cyUNTY,- OHIO. original founders of the Turkey Run Church, died in Jan- uary, 1877, aged 9G years. In 1803 Valentine Reber came out from Pennsylvania, and entered section 10 of our township, and in '1805 he brought out his J'oung wife from Berks County and settled on the sec- tion. Frederick Leathers settled in the southern part of the township, about the year 1800. The township steadily and rapidly increased in population, and the red-men, dder, bears and wolves disappeared in pro- portion. The nearest neighbors were out of sight, because of trees and brush. The diet was plain, but the people had much better sauce for their tables than the present owners of the soil, and it was not a compound article, but simply hunger. Try it, ye dyspeptics ; and then eat corn-pone, or johnny-cake, or venison-jerk, with ash-cake, buckwheat-cakes, wild-honey, butter, and coffee once a week for a rarity, and you will adopt the language of an old settler, and say, "Ji! don't go bad." The difference in diet within the last seventy- five years was once referred to by an old uncle, a pioneer, thus: "Nowadays, when folks go a visiting, the inquiry at table is, ' will you take coffee or tea?' but when I was young, the word was, ' will you take sweet milk or sour?' " Boys and girls then went to meeting barefooted, the girls, and their mothers too, sometimes putting on shoes and stock- ings just before going into the meeting-house. After meeting, a chicken-pie was sometimes indulged in, if the hawks and owls had not flown off with them. One great fear in those days was that the timber would give out. For fear it would, some would even buy rail timber of their less fearful neigh- bors. The settlers were usually that class known as " poor men," who were glad to sell their timber to raise a little money. . Coon-trees and bee-trees had, on this account, to be cut on the sly. Now, Doctor, permit me to introduce a few anecdotes, and I am done. A quite early settler, who had entered a section and settled upon it, went to work and met his payments yearly, until but one remained. The time drew near, and he lacked but three dollars. None of his neighbors could help him to the amount. Only one day remained, and he had to pay the money at the land-office at Chillicothe, nearly forty miles distant. If he failed, his all would be gone. In this HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 227 extremity his only cow died. This opened the way for relief. He siiinned her and sold the hide for enough to let him out, and setting off for the land-ofHce, arrived there a little before midnight of the last day, barely in time to save his land. My grandfather, Thomas Cole, once made the round trip to Chillicothe and back, carrying on his shoulder a flax spi*n- ning-wheel to get it repaired, the whole distance both waj'S being sixty miles. When moving to this county from Hunt- ingdon County, Pennsylvania, in the year 1801, he always first waded the creeks with a long stick in his hand, to test the depth of the water and firmness of the bottom. George Disinger was one of the early settlers. He once went to Mr. Valentine Reber's to get straw for a bed-tick,, but failing to procure any, he and his wife filled the tick with dry forest leaves. After sleeping on it for two or three nights, they thought something was wrong, and upon emptying out the'leaves they found that they had had a black-snake for a bed-fellow. William Long, before-mentioned, was a small man, but remarkably well-proportioned. He once had a pair of pants made from a single yard of tow-linen, but the pattern was rather scant, and the pants too tight. He said he would never ' spile " another yard of linen in that way. This same Wm. Long found that his cows would not eat straw, so he adopted a strategy. He stuffed straw in the fence cracks, and several times drove the cows away when they had tasted it, and after that he had no trouble in getting them to eat it, and even to eat up his entire crop of straw. Pages might be written of anecdotes, jokes, etc., that would be enjoyable, because they would so richly smack of those good old times when men were free and equal in the sub- stantial sense of the term; and of sociability, such as no longer attains. These were the characteristics of the pioneer age; at least as the rule. One more anecdote must suffice for the present, lest I trespass too much on j'our space, which I do not wish to do. Mr. Henry Kiger and his wife, aunt Polly Kiger, are resi- dents of Amanda Township, though they were not among its first settlers. Mr. Kiger is now nearly ninety-seven years of age, and his wife is about six'months younger. She is quite brisk, and able to walk several miles to visit her children. 228 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. The old gentleman is rather feeble. From a personal inter- view had with them last Monday, March 5th, 1877, I took the following from their lips: When nearly nineteen years of age, she was living in Hancock Town, with an Irishman whose name was James Foley, and who was a tailor. She was there for the purpose of learning the trade. On one occasion General Washington came there on some business connected with the "Whisky Boys." The General put up at Johnston's Tavern, and presently came to Foley's to have his suspenders mended. Foley passed them to Folly Walduck (now Mrs. Kiger) to be repaired. They were profusely ornamented with silver. When she returned them, the General inquired of Mr. Foley if the young lady was his daughter. He replied that she was not, but that she was a mighty fine girl, "tvhen the General put his hand on my head, and called me a pretty girl, which made me mad, though I made no reply." Mr. Kiger was in the war of 1812, serving seven months. His company was encamped three weeks at Washington City, after the burning of the Capitol by the British, in 1814. He says he walked up the stone steps of the burned Capitol fre- quently and viewed the ruins. The first settlers of our township are all gone, and not more than five or six of the children first born to them remain. The rest are all hidden by the sods of the valley. Very shortly nothing of the past scenes will he known, except through uncertain tradition, and written history made up at so late a day as to be deficient in much that ought to have been recorded, and which would have added greatly to the interest of the future. Nevertheless, sweet tjjoughts will roll over life's troubled sea, while perusing the pages of the history of first settlers and early times of our county. Yours, truly, Thomas Cole. March dth, 1877. LETTER OF DAVID LYLE, OF WALNUT TOWNSHIP. Dr. H. Scott— Dear- Sir: Your note of the 12th ult. was duly received. It would require an older person than myself to give a full and correct account of the very earliest settlers HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 229 of this township. But such older persons are scarce, and my health not heing good, I cannot go to see many that might as- sist me most, but I will do the best I can. I was less than four years old when, with my parents, I came into the township, and I have lived here ever since— 63 years. I will merely mention the names of some of the earliest settlers who have been known to me, as follows : James Holmes, Wm. Murphy, Thomas Cherry, Eli Whit- aker, Wm. Harvey, James Crawford, Andrew Krager. These settled in the northern part of the township. Then Gamuel Wiseman, Edward Berry, Abraham Harshbarger, Jas. Miller, Wm. Milligan, David Runk, Asa Murphy, Wm. Irvin, Thos. Ross, George Heis, David Dillinger, John Miller, A. Miller, Nicholas Ketner, Samuel Mills, David Lyle. These lived in the central part. Then in the more southern section of the township were Mr. Thoman, Jesse Pugh, Solomon Barks, Ed- ward Teal, Jno. Decker, Job, Thomas and Adam McName, Wm. Beard, Samuel Trovinger, Tillman Baker, Adam Geiger, John Shipler, Daniel Hall, Jonas Rienhart. The religious societies first organized were the Methodists and Baptists. Both societies built log meeting-houses on lots donated by Job McName. The first Methodist preachers were : Charles Waddle, James Quinn, Father Goff and James Gil- ruth. First Baptist preachers : Eli Ashbrook, John Hite, Rev. Caves, Rev. Snelson and George Debolt. School Districts were not known. The settlers built log-cabins to suit neigh- borhoods, and teachers were hired by "articles of agreement.'' The article of agreement was drawn up by the teacher, either male or female, in which the terms were stated. Then the paper was by them carried around and presented to the heads of families, who put down their names for so many scholars, according to the size of the family, at a price named per scholar. The most noted teachers were James Allen and Jesse Smith, who taught in different neighborhoods for many successive years. The other teachers were transient persons. The first grist-mill built was by George H. Houser, on Wal- nut Creek, where the Foglesong road crosses. The second was built by John Good, one mile above. The third was built by Solomon Barks, on Little Walnut, in the same neighborhood. These little mills have all disappeared long since, principally. 230 • HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. because the water failed, and also because larger establish- ments have been erected on larger streams. Two still-houses were early erected on section 15 — one by William Irvin, and the other by Thomas Ross. Another, and third one, was established on section 4 by Eli Holmes. All have disappeared about fifty years ago. The people lived in log-cabins. Their dress was chiefly home-made cloth, linsey and flax and tow-linen. The men found pastime enough at log-rollings and house-raisings; and for more social gatherings they had singing-schools, and the like. The morals of the people were good for a new country. Gambling of any kind was almost entirely unknown. The first log-cabin in the township was built by Thomas Warner, on the south-east quarter of section 20. The names I have given you of the early settlers were all here previous to the year 1813. I have stated matters as they occurred to my mind, and without system. You will arrange my items to suit yourself, any of them, or all of them, if you deem them worthy of a place in your history of Fai,rfield County, a volume I hope we shall soon see. Very truly yours, David Lyle. April 12th, 1877. STATEMENT OF WESLEY PETERS, OF HOCKING TOWNSHIP. My father came from Baltimore County, Maryland, in the j'ear 1812, and settled first in Rush Creek Township, in this county. In 1817 he removed to Amanda Township, locating on Clear Creek, one and three-quarters of a mile south of the village of Royalton. He was the father of nine sons, viz. : Henry, Robinson I., Nathan, Wesley, Stephenson, Andrew, Gideon, Lewis and Ebenezer. His four daughters were : Rachel, Leah, Mary and Elizabeth. Of the sons, eight are living, in April, 1877, Gideon having deceased in 1844. The four daughters married as follows: Rachel married William Broomfield ; Leah married Broad Cole ; Mary married Daniel HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 231 Walters, and Elizabeth married Newton Williamson. Wil- liam BroOmfield deceased, about the year 1874. Hi^ sons at present residing in Fairfield County, are : Robinson I., Wes- ley and Andrew ; Lewis and Stephenson reside in Pickaway County ; Henry in Upper Sandusky, and Nathan and Ebene- zer in Marion, Marion County, Ohio. I mention as my father's neighbors, at the time of his set- tlement in Amanda Township, in 1817, Valentine Reber, Jos. Huffman, Jacob Restler, Abram Myres, George Disinger, 'Squire Stevens, 'Squire William Hamilton, Jacob Prestler, Mr. Hanaway, Jesse Hutchins, Jacob Schleich, Thomas Galaher and Mr. Huber. These were all citizens of Amanda Township. They have all passed away. I settled in Hocking Township in 1838, three miles west of Lancaster, and have resided in the township ever since. Of my neighbors in Hocking Township, there have died since the time of my settlement; Abram Hedges, Jacob Burton, Jas. Reed, George Strode, Henry Ingman, Father Kemp, James Grantham, Mr. Smith, Allen Green, Father Broomfield, Wil- liam Broomfield, Joseph Work, Jesse Spurgeon, Nathaniel Wilson, Robert Wilson, William Graham, Buhama (Builder- back) Green, Alice Hedges, Mrs. Burton, Mrs. ^roomfield, the elder ; Mother Kemp, Mrs. James Grantham, Mrs. Henrietta Ingman, Mrs. Joseph Work, Mr. and !^rs. Joseph Work, near Royalton ; Mr. and Mrs. Huffman. Our place of worship at that time was the Methodist Church, known as Mount Zion. There was likewise a Breth- ren congregation in the neighborhood, and a Lutheran Church. Our school-house stood on William Broomfield's land, and the school district was number two. The building was a hewed log structure with a shingled roof. My father died about forty-nine years ago, and my mother some years after- ward, at the age of eighty-seven years. I have known tbe county in its pioneer age, and have marked its progress to its present population of about thirty- five thousand, and its more than two hundred and fifty thou- sand dollar tax-duplicate. I have seen two full generations pass away, and two new ones come upon the stage. I have lived to witness the disappearance of every thing common to the log-cabin age, and live in a new condition of society. 232 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELDCOUNTY, OHIO. STATEMENT OF THOMAS E. EWING, OF PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. The first settlements in Pleasant Township were begun in 1799. The following persors, with their families, came in 1800 and the few succeeding years: Thomas, Mathew and David Ewing came in 1800, and settled on Ewing's Run, four miles north of Lancaster. Thomas was my father, and Dg.vid was the father of the present David Ewing, who resides on and owns the paternal farm. James Ewing was a son of Thomas, and now is the resident owner of the old place. John and Benjamin Feemen came in 1801, and settled immediately north of the Ewings. James Duncan, father of the present Thomas Duncan, Esq., came in 1800, and settled on lands ad- joining Thomas Ewing. Peter Lamb first settled where Fred- erick Sites lives, purchasing the lands at the Government sales. This was in 1801. In the fall of the same year, his father came with his family and settled on the same land. George and Nicholas Radibaugh settled in the township in 1801. George was the father of George, Jacob and William Radibaugh, who have all been well and favorably known resi- dents of Pleasant Township, but now deceased. George had three daughters ; Mary was the wife of Jacob Gulp; the second daughter married Adam Conklin— her name is not remem- bered ; Betsy married John Nelson. Both of these latter moved out of the township early. John, George and Daniel Smethers came into the township in about 1801, all settling on Ewing's Run. John Burton came into the same neighbor- hood also in the same year, and located on what is known as the old Christ Huber place, on the east of Ewing's Run. The father of the three Smethers brothers was also a first settler, his sons being young men at the time ; but his Christian name is not recollected. During the war of 1812, a rifle company was raised on Ew- ing's Run and adjacent settlements, which marched to San- dusky. David Ewing was its Captain; Thomas Ewing, Ist Lieutenant; John Burton, 2d Lieutenant. The company numbered from 80 to 100 men. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 233 While encamped at Sandusky, this companj'- was chal- lenged to a wrestling match by a man of another company near by, who denominated himself " Cock of the Walk. " The challenge was accepted, and the Ewing company came out best in every fall. Jacob Gulp, of the latter company, threw his man three straight falls, thus securing the title " Cock of the Walk. " Mr. Ewing gave the correct version of an incident of David Ewing shooting an Indian squaw, elsewhere alluded to ; at least his statement of the affair is likely reliable. A party of six men went out on a hunting expedition. In the course of the day they divided into squads of two. David Ewing and his companion, when somewhere in the vicinity of Daniel Arnold's cabin, discovered what they supposed to be a bear, by its motion among the bushes, and the black hair. Mr. Ewing fired at the object, and was terribly frightened at the scream that responded to his shot — he had wounded a squaw. The two men fled with all possible speed, for well they knew that the Indians, whom they could not doubt were in the near vicinity, would soon be upon. their trail. In fleeing, they passed the Arnold cabin. The Indians. were soon on the trail, and having followed it to that point, supposed they had gone in there, and at once rushed in. Mrs. An.old was seated with her baby on her lap, when one of the Indians raised his rifle to fire upoii her. She raised her hands, ex- claiming, " Herr Yesu " (Lord Jesus) just as a stalwart Indian rushed forward and threw the gun aside, thus saving her life. She protested that her husband was not out that day with his gun, and thus dallied them until she sent her little eight- year-old daughter to a neighboring cabin to tell her fither to come home. He came with one or two of his neighbors, who succeeded in satisfying the excited savages that Mr. Arnold was innocent, when they went away. Mr. Ewing kept con- cealed until the affair was compromised, after which he re- turned to his family, and nothing more came of it, the In- dians having become satisfied that the accident was the result of a mistake. The little girl sent by Mrs. Arnold to bring her father was the present Mrs. Sheric, of Lancaster, now an old lady. Old Mr. Arnold, whose Christian name Mr. Ewing could not recall, was a very early settler of Pleasant Township. He was 234 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. the father of Frederick, Daniel, Henry, Jacob and Geo. Arnold, all of whom are well remembered as citizens of Pleasant Town- ship, but now all deceased. Father Arnold had three daugh- ters, who were respectively married to .John Foglesong, Thos. Orr, and Jacob Fetters. Conrad, Jacob and Philip Fetters settled on Fetters' Run, Pleasant Township, in 1801. Old Father Harmon, father of Peter, Frederick and George Harmon, also came into the township in 1801, settling on Pleasant Run. John Baldwin, the same year, settled on what is still known as the Baldwin farm, two miles north-east of Lancaster. The first school-house Mr. Ewing remembers was a small round log-cabin standing on the Radibaugh land. He remem- bers a Mr. Newman who taught school in it, about the year 1820. The first meetiag-house in the settlement was built by the Lutherans, and has since been known as the Ziegler Church. He thinks it was built between 1801 and 1810. The first preacher there, which he remembers, was Rev. Stake. The first building was constructed of hewn logs, but that was subsequently removed to give place to a good frame church edifice. The first still-house in the settlement was erected by Thomas Ewing, father of the narrator, previoi^s to 1810. The first mill recollected was erected on Arnold's Run, by old Father Arnold, father of Frederick, Daniel, Henry and Jacob. The site of it was a little north of where the County Infirmary now is. It was a raccoon burr-mill, and its capacity was about ten bushels in twenty-four hours. When it dried up the people had to go to, Zanesville to get their grists ground. There is not a vestige of the mill now to be seen. STATEMENT OF FREDERICK SITES, OF PLEASANT TOWNSHIP. My father, Peter Sites, came from Rockingham County, Virginia, and settled on the farm where I now reside, in 1809. He pucchased the land from Jacob and Philip Lamb, they hav- ing bought it at the Government land sales about the year 1801. My father continued to reside on the same place until the time of his death, at the age of 85 years. My mother sur- HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 235 vived him ten years, she being about ninety at the time. of her demise. Our neighbors sixty years ago were : Judge Burton, Thomas Ewing, David Ewing, Mathew Ewing, James Duncan, John Feemen and Benjamin Feemen. The first school-house that I can remember stojd on my father's land. It was a small cabin built of round logs, with stick and mud chimneys and paper windows. I also remember another school a little further east, on Mr. Harmon's place. It was kept in the second story of his spring-house. This was in 1815. The teacher's name at that time was G. Langfore. The Methodists held meetings at my father's cabin. The first Methodist preachers who held meetings there were : Rev. McElroy, James Quinn, Jacob Young, Cornelius Springer and Charles Waddle. The meetings were afterwards moved to Nimrod Bright's; and again they met at the cabins of Thomas Anderson, Daniel Arnold and Peter Sites. The United Breth- ren had also a society in the neighborhood, and held their meetings at my father's, and at Daniel Arnold's. Their iireach- ers at that time were : Rev. Stewart, Rev. Anderson, Rev. Havens, and Bishop Christian Newcomer. In the east part of the township were Jacob McLin, Dewal Maclin, Peter McLin. Not one of the early settlers I have named are living, and there were likewise a great many of their compeers, previous to 1820, who have passed away. During the war of 1812 an incident occurred which caused great excitement throughout our new country for a few days. An alarm spread over the country that hostile Indians were coming. The settlers mostly went into fort. The people of our neighborhood forted at the house of Judge Burton ; and ■ those of North Berne Township forted where James Driver now resides, near Bremen. The people in some instances car- ried their extra clothing and valuables and hid them in the clover fields%nd other outdoor places. We took our pitchforks and axes into the house as weapons of defense against the ex- pected foes. The fighting men of the settlement rendezvoused at Lancaster for organization and offensive operations. I re- member that some persons came to the fort in the night for protection, and called to be recognized, and to assure the people that they were friends. The rumor proved false, and within a few days all was as before. 236 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNiY, OHIO. We wagoned our wheat to Zanesville and sold it at first for twenty-five cents per bushel, sometimes taking salt in ex- change. A little later we got forty cents. We likewise went there to mill, when our home mills failed for want of water. Our wearing apparel was almost entirely home-made, con- sisting of flax and tow-linens in summer; and for winter wear, linsey, flannel and home-made fulled cloth. Our women spun their flax and wool on spinning-wheels; and the weaving was done by the women on hand looms. Every neighborhood had several looms. The wool was at first carded with hand-cards; and afterwards we had carding-machines. Boys and girls had for the most part one pair of shoes in the year, and these were often not obtained until towards Christ- mas. To economize these, and make them hold out as long as possible, they were carried in hand in going to meeting on Sunday, until near the meeting-house, when the shoes and stockings were put on, to be taken ofi' after coming out. The girls thought they did well if they got one calico dress in the year. Young ladies not unfrequently spun, wove, and made up their wedding-dresses. In those days people confided in each other — promises were seldom made that were not kept. Almost every man's word was as good as his bond. What little money we had was almost entirely silver, and the change, by fractions of the dol- lar, was made with cut money ; thus, a quarter of a dollar cut in two made two ninepences ; and cut in four pieces, made four fipenybits, of the value of six and one-fourth cents each. It was said that people sometimes made five fipenybits of one quarter. And in the same way a half-dollar cut made two quarters, or four ninepences. These latter were sometimes called elevenpences. Men had hard work to pay their little taxes. From my twenty-second year, for twenty-five years, I drove a six-horse team backwards and forwards across the moun- tains, taking produce and bringing back goods. Afterwards I took over droves of hogs and cattle. HISTOKY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 237 RECOLLECTIONS OF MARTIN LANDIS, OF MADISON TOWNSHIP. My father, Martin Landis, Sr., visited this valley in 1798, when all that is now Fairlield County was an unbroken wil- derness, if Zane's trace, and perhaps the cabin of Joseph Hu nter on the Hocking be excepted. In 1799 he moved to the county, settling first two riiiles below where Lancaster stands, and as near as I can state on the land now known as the Prindle farm. After remaining there about one year, he removed and settled within what is now Madison Township, where he died in the year 1814, or about the close of the war of 1812. He served as Justice of the Peace during the administration of James Madison as President of the United States. He entered land in the land-office at Chillicothe for Henry and Samuel Shellenbarger, the same that was afterwards known as the John Wiley farm, on Clear Creek. He also entered for Miss Katy Shellenbarger, sister of Henry and Samuel, the place now owned and occupied by Isaac Julien. Miss Shellen- barger was afterwards and long known as Mrs. Eckert. For another sister of the Shellenbarger's he entered the land now known as the Ezra Wolfe farm. This was Sarah Shellen- barger, who became the wife of Emanuel Carpenter, Jr. My father had six children — two sons and four daughters. My only brother died in childhood, at the Prindle farm. My sister Mary married William Guy; Katy married Isaac Wolfe; and Sarah married Emanuel Dunic; Nancy did not marry. The sisters are all living. My father sustained such pecuniary losses during the war of 1812, as to seriously embarrass him. He engaged in stock driving, and was within twenty-five miles of Washington City with a drove of fat cattle, when it was burned by the British. This disaster compelled him to sell his cattle at a sacrifice. He did not live to retrieve his losses. My father was a Mennonite, and was very charitable and liberal in his religious views. He built a church in his neigh- borhood, which was called in its time "The Mennonite Meet- ing-house." It was, however, free for all denominations. Rev. 238 HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. Stake, Lutheran, of Lancaster, often preached in it. The building was likewise used for a school-house. It was a log structure, of the size of about twenty by thirty feet. It con- tinued to standuntil recently. There was a powder-mill that I remember well. It stood near where Abbott's store now is. I do not remember by whom it was built, or the year, but it remained a long time. RECOLLECTIONS OF DAVID FOSTER, OF LANCASTER. David Foster was born in Lancaster in 1811, and has been a life-long citizen of the place. In 1827 he went to learn the chair-making business with Jacob Grubb. In ISBl he suc- ceeded .John B. Reed in that business, at his stand on the north-west corner of Columbus and Wheeling streets, where he still continues, under the firm of Foster & Son. He uses the same lathe and work-bench with which be began ; also, all his other implements, and has never changed his plans of work. Mr. Foster has witnessed the transformation of Lancaster from a condition almost of woods to its present population and business. He has preserved a wonderful memory of its early mechanics, their location and business, with also many other things belonging to the early history of the place. The fol- lowing is his statement, given to me, which is probably en- tirely correct : He has a distinct recollection of the sickle-mill, which was on Baldwin's Run, a few hundred yards below the fourth lock, and a little above the crossing over the canal on the old Logan road. Christian Rudolph informs me that the estab- lishment was built by a man named Roland [David Foster said the name was Funk] previous to the year 1810. It was run by the water-power of Baldwin's Run, and was used for cutting teeth in sickles, and grinding them, and, I suppose, their entire manufacture. The sickle was an implement used for cutting wheat and other small grain at an early day. Mr. Foster remembers that the establishment was not entirely removed in 1828. During the past winter (1876-7), in sink- ing a culvert under the canal where the sickle-mill stood, part HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO. 239 of the fore-bay and other remnants of the old mill were found several feet below the surface, including a fragment of a grind- ing-stone. Mr. Foster likewise describes another esta