Adams County, Ohio - Chapter 14, 1880

Chapter 14

This township was organized, March 8, 1853. with a territory of twenty-nine and one-fourth square miles. It was formed by detaching portions of Wayne, Meigs and Tiffin townships, the larger portion from Wayne. Its lines are very irregular.

The surface is mostly high and rolling, with a soil of reasonable fertility. The principal stream of water is the Clicry Fork of Brush creek.

John Clark, was probably the first settler In Oliver township, lie came in the fall of 1806, and settled, west of, and adjoining the village of Harshaville, on Cherry Fork. This property is now owned by his son, John Clark. The next year, 1807, .Robert Finley settled the adjoining farm, now owned by N. C. Patton. Gen. Sand. Wright came in 1808, and settled where ihe village now stands.

Though this place was never regularly laid out as a town, yet the enterprise and good judgment of W. B. Ilarsha, the proprietor of the excellent mills of this place, that bear his name, have attracted to it, a class of people whose intelligence and cultivated tastes, have built up quite a little village. The genera! enterprise of the citizens, and their bright tasty houses make it one <d' the prettiest little towns in the country, which is attested by the many views of their residences and business houses that adorn cur work.

This village contains one dry goo Is store, and the mills - .'ire particularly described on another page; one blacksmith diop, l wo harness shops, one shoe shop.

Xu 1819, Mr. G. A. Patton opened a store in the village, which has done a successful business since. This store is first-class in every department, and is rhe only establishment of the kind ever kept in the plaee.

Unity

This little village is s eated on the pike leading from Grace Run on the North Libert' od Tranquillity pike, to Dunkinsvillc. four miles from the (alter place. It was never laid oil* as^a town but has grown up 1 lots being sold from time to time, by George Clark, to suit purchasers as. they wanted to buy. The first lot Was sold in the spring of 1846 to the U. P. Church, for n meeting house and cemetery. This church whs culled Unity hence, bv common consent that name hue* been applied to the village which has grown up by it.

Ihe second lot was sold to Thomas and Samuel McClanahan, who slurp'd the first store, in 1848. Tins store was on the lot now occupied bv W. B. Brown as a residence in February, 1851, the store was 'sold by Jacob Poole, who in July of that year, removed to Ripley, faking with him his dry goods selling the groceries to W. B. Brow is, who filled in a genera! assortment of goods ami continued the business until 1874,

This mill is a good substantial building put up in 1850, by McCIan&hau & Fisher, as a saw mill. They afterwards put in a pair of bun s for grinding corn. In 1853, they sold it to Frederick and Conrad Plummer. They continued it until 1855, when they sold to Isaac and Cyrus Black. These parlies run it until 1862, when il; was burned. They rebuilt and in 1864 sold to Brown & Blake. In 1870, Mr. Brown became sole proprietor and has since continued the business alone.

This mill, located on T rebel's Run, some two miles west of Dunkinsvillc, was built some ten or twelve years ago, by J. B. McClanahan who is still the proprietor. It is well constructed and does a fair business.

This place is situated on the pike between West Union and Jacksonville, about six miles N. E-. of the former place. It is a village of little enterprise. It was laid out with 18 lots, December 14, 1841. It contains one small dry goods store, one blacksmith shop, two cooper shops, fourteen bouses and seventy inhabitants.

Wheat Ridge

This office was established at Unity January, 1851, with the above name, from AVheat Ridge, a tract of country known by that name on account of its excellent and heavy crops of wheat, Unity being situated bn tins ridge. William B. Brown was appointed first post master, which position he held until December, 1863, when lie was succeeded by Cyrus Black, who died in May, 1864. June 30, 1864, G. A. Patton was appointed to succeed Mr. Black, deceased. Mr. Patton, who lived in Harshaville, two miles distant, removed the office to that place, and ''Unity was left out in the cold." September 30, 1865, the name of the office was changed from Wheat Ridge to Harshaville and the office restored at Unity with the old name of *- Wheat Ridge," and William B. Brown again postmaster, who is the present incumbent.

Unity Church, United Presryteri An

At a meeting of the Presbytery, held April IS, 1810, a petition was presented by Samuel Clark and thirty others, asking to be set off as a separate congregation, giving as a reason, their distance from a place of worship. Their petition was granted and Rev. John Graham was appointed to preach in the neighborhood of the petitioners, and preside at the election of ciders.

Previous to the meeting of the Presbytery, the initiarv steps were taken for t lie organization of the congregation and Messrs. Samuel Clark, Hugh McSurcly and George Clark, wc^c elected ruling elders.

At the meeting of the Presbytery, held August 1, 1846, Mr. Graham asked the appointment of elders to assist him in the examination and ordination of the elders* elected, whereupon Matthew McCreight and William Finley were appointed.

The meeting had up to this time, been held at the house of George Clark. The first meeting after the organization was held July 27, 1846. At this meeting George Clark was chosen Treasurer, and James B. McClelland, Clerk. A contract was also made with George Clark and J. B. McClelland, to build a house of worship for $225. The original plan of the house was afterwards changed, making an additional cost of $95.13. Thi9 was for only the shell of Ihe building, tile plastering and seating was another expense. Everything was completed and the house ready for use and the first services held in it in October, 1847. The services on this occasion were conducted by Rjv. A. A tan. At the same time he, assisted by Rev. Robert Stewart, pastor of Cherry Fork congregation, held the first communion. The house on this occasion was crowded to its utmost capacity.

A call was made for A. W. McClanahan. a licentiate at that time under the care of Ihe A. R. Presbytery, of Chillieothc. Me accepted it September 26, 1848, and was ordained and installed April 28, 1849, pastor of the united charge of Unity and Decatur.

At the time of the installation of the first pastor, forty (40) members Imd been received into the communion of the church and fifteen infants had been baptized.

During Mr. Mr.Chinuhan's pastorate, thirly-six (36) personwere received, into the communion of the church, and Ihirleen (13) infants baptized. Also the following ruling elders- were elected, ordained and installed, 'namely : Messrs. Nathaniel Kirkpatrick and John Platter.

During the interval between the resignation of Mr. McClanahan and the installation of another pastor, fourteen persons were received into the church, two adults and nineteen infants baptized.

In a little over a year, February 25, 1853, the Presbytery granted the request of the congregation for the moderation of a call, which was made out for Rev. James Arbuthnot which w - accepted April 9, 1853. He was installed October 10th same yea

April 15, 1868, a petition was presented to the Presbytery, 1 commissioners from the congregation of Unity and A Vest Uniu asking to be made one pastoral charge and that the time of K< James Arbuthnot be equally divided between both congregation After a pastorate of over twelve years, the last three in connection with West Union, Mr. Arbuthnot, on account of the infirmities of age, tendered his resignation May 8, 1866.

During Mr. Arbuthnot's pastorate ninety-two persons were received into the church, six adults and cighty-thrcc infants baptized and two ruling elders, namely, Archibald Leach and Jonathan McCreight, were elected, ordained and installed. The church building was also repaired. Several members of the church sustained serious losses by Morgan's raid, aggregating seven or eight thousand dollars.

It was during this pastorate that the union between the Associate and Associate Reformed churches was consumated forming ' what is now known as the United Presbyterian church. By this union, this congregation was enlarged by members of the Associate church residing in its bounds. It was also during this pastorale that a Sabbath School was organized in this congregation. This took place at a meeting held' March 27, 1857, by choosing Cyrus Black Superintendent and W. B. Brown, Assistant Superintendent, G. A. Patton, Libarian and J. W. McClung and A. R. Leach a committee to procure books for a library.

During the interval between this and the installation of the next pastor, forty-three persons were added to the church, eight adults and twenty-two infants baptized, and the following elders were elected, ordained and installed, namely: Messrs. N. C. Patton, W. B. Brown and W. B, Ilarsha.

The Presbytery at a meeting held September 12, 18GG, granted the request of the congregation for the moderation of a call, which was made out for Rev. J. Stewart, and was by him accepted September 10, 1867, and he was installed June 22. 1S68.

During this pastorate fifty-four were received into the church, thirteen adults and thirty-four infants were baptizsd. The Sabbath school reached 200 members. During the short vacancy live infants were baptized.

At a called meeting of the Presbytery held September 2, 1871. the moderation of a call was granted and on the same day made out for Rev. J. P. Finney and was by him accepted September 27th, same month, and on the 19th of October he was installed.

Previous to 1840, there had been occasional preaching, in the neighborhood of this church, by Baptist ministers, who were passing through the Vicinity. In the winter of 1840, a church unorganized under the preaching of Elders Spohn and Griswold, with a membership of thilrtecn. Rev. Davkl Spohn was chosen pastor and remained two years, in which time the membership had increased to fifty. Rev. William Algood was ihe next pastor. After him the church was left without a pastor from . October, 1844, until June, 1846, when Rev. 11. S. Kelly, took, charge and remained nearly three years, at the expiration of which time the pulpit was again vacant until October, IS 4'), when Rev. William Oalahau was called to the charge.

During this year, a council of the church was called tfr consider the propriety of ordaining Bro. F. Fear to the work of the ministry. The council decided not to ordain him on account of his unwillingness to devote his whole time to the work. ^

June 19, 1849, Eldcr'Catfihan tendered his resignation, which was accepted, and the church again left without apastotC ft Was supplied alternately by Elders Spohn, Fear and Gabriel until September. 1854, when another council met and assisted by Elder Spohn ordained F. Fear to (he work of the ministry.

After Mr. Fear's ordination, he was called to the pastorate of the church in which capacity he served more than three years. After the expiration of Elder Fear's labors, Elder Wallace accepted the p: storal charges. During his brief pastorate 36 members were added to the church. In May, 1861, Elder Wallace was succeeded by Elder A. B. White who (font i lined to labor with them until June, 1863, when he resigned and Elder Trichlor was called and labored wilh them until 1861. Elder Storer next took charge. He remained only six months, when he lvsignc l an I was sue-

A luu- its organization ami after years of walling tlic emigre- i pitioii Iniilt themselves a comfortable log meeting house on the i ground now occupied by the present building.

In 1856, they decided to sell the old house and apply the proceed > to the erection of a new one. The same year it was begun a'ml a new frame house .'14x44, built.

List Of Pastors

This township has four churches within its limits; the U. P. church at Unity, the Regular Baptist church and U. B. church, on Wheat Ridge, and the Methodist Episcopal church at Dunkiusville.