Adams County, Ohio - Chapter 2: Frankun Township, 1900

Franklin Township was organized February 25, 1828, from territory taken from Meigs Township, and at the time of its organization included what is now Bratton Township. It takes its name from America's wisest patriot, Benjamin Franklin.

The western portion of this township is comparatively level, except bordering the narrow streams which have cut deep furrows in the surface. This section is drained into the East Fork of Ohio Brush Creek. The eastern portion of the township is hilly and in places mountainous, and the soil is poor and unproductive except along the narrow valleys of the streams. This section is drained to the southeastward by the tributaries of the North Fork of Scioto Brush Creek. A large scope of territory in the vicinity of Locust Grove and to the northward of it, at one time in the geological past sunk so as to put the shale and Waverly sandstone in the geological plane of the cliff limestone. Hence shale and sandstone outcrops in the channels of the tributaries of Crooked Creek, while a short distance to the eastward these strata occupy a plane from one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet

Peter Platter, Peter Wickerham, James Horn, James Boyd, Aaron Freeman, Robert Earl, William Pemberton, William Ogle, George Heller, Jesse Wetherington, John Evans, and John Chapman were among the pioneers of this region. Platter and Wickerham came in 1797 or 98 and the following year Wickerham opened a tavern at what is now known as Palestine then on the line of Zane*s Trace. Afterwards James Horn, who lived a mile north of Wickerham's on the Trace, opened a tavern where a public house was kept for many years. Wickerham built the first brick house in this region in 1805. It is now used as a dwelling by one of his descendants.

Locust Grove is the only village in the township. Curtis Cannon in 1805 kept a tavern on the site of the residence of the late Jesse Kendall. He also carried on a tannery, the first in this region. Afterwards, in 1830, his son Urban W. Cannon built a hotel and planted a grove of locusts opposite the hotel recently conducted by D. S. Eylar, where he had a flourishing trade in the days of the old stage coach line from Mays vi lie to Chillicothe. In 1835 he laid out a town about the site of his hotel, which he named Locust Grove, and a postoffice was established bearing the same name.

The first church organized in this township was the old Covenanter at Palestine, a history of which we give below from the pen of Rev. \V. M. Glasgow, of Beaver Falls, Pa. The old log house stood on the old Wickarham farm now belonging to the heirs of Stephen Reynolds. It was afterwards removed to Palestine and used for a blacksmith shop. This congregation was known as Brush Creek church, and originally worshiped on West Fork near the bridge over that stream on the Tranquillity pike and opposite the residence of W. O. McCreight.

The Reformed Presbyterian, or Scotch Covenanter Church, is the lineal descendant and true representative of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland in her purest days. This church has never been guilty of schism, but holds tenaciously to all the attainments of that historic body. Because the Covenanters held to the Word of God, and to the belief that it taught the "moral personality and accountability of nations to God, thousands of these pious Christians were martyred in Scotland in the seventeenth century under the bloody house of the Stewarts. Many were banished to the Colonies, and others found a welcome asylum on these American shores. The first society was formed near Harrisburg, Pa., in 1720. In 1743, led by the Rev. Alexander Craighead, they renewed their ancient covenants ; and, with uplifted swords, declared their civil and ecclesiastical independence of Great Britain. In 1774, they received an organization as a distinct body of Christians in this country, and have come down to the present day as the sole church of the Scottish Reformation.

Applying their Scriptural principles to the Constitution of the United States, in 1789, and not finding in this creed of the nation any reference to the supreme authority of God in civil government, or to Jesus Christ as the King of Kings and the Governor among the nations ; or to the word of Go<J as the higher and supreme law for nations as well as men. Covenanters have uniformly dissented from the civil establishments, and for the honor of their Savior-King forego the priviliges and emoluments of officeholding in this land. But they are not traitors or revolutionists. They dissent and separate from that which is wrong in civil government, and encourage by way of reformation all that tends to bring our national life to Jesus Christ and his law as fundamentally necessary to a rightly constituted government. They are peaceable citizens, pay their taxes cheerfully as a moral obligation, and bear arms heroically in every national contest.

Ac early as 1801, a few families of these Covenanters had come from vScotland and Ireland, and some from Kentucky, and settled along Brush Creek. Among these was James Reid, the grandfather of Hon. Whitelaw Reid, who came from Kentucky in 1804. Others settled further north (Ml Paint Creek, and in Highland and Ross Counties, even as far as Chillicothe. They at once established the '^Society," which was a meeting for prayer and conference. Between the years of 1809 and 18 14 they were frequently visited by the Rev. John Kell, and other itinerate missionaries. After 1814 they were supplied by the Rev. Robert Wallace. They were organized into a congregation called "Chillicolhe" (because that w^as the nearest postoffice), October 11, 1815. The first bench of ruling elders consisted of John French, Hugh Hardy and John Wickerham. For six years after their organization Mr. Wallace continued to supply them occasionally with preaching.

Rev. Charles Brown McKee became their first pastor, being ordained and installed on August 7, 1821. He resigned the pastorate on September 10, 1822, to accept a call to Cincinnati. For five years the congregation was vacant, although frequently supplied and increased in numbers and influence. In 1822, William Milligan ; and, in 1825, Joseph Thompson were inducted into the office of ruling elder.

Rev. James Blackwood was installed as the second pastor, April 12, 1827, but he only remained two years. In 1828, Andrew Bums and William Glasgow were ordained elders. On July 7, 1829, the name of the congregation was changed to "Brush Creek,*' as most of the people now resided along this stream and in Adams County. This name it ever afterward continued to bear.

Rev. David Steele was ordained and installed as the third pastor, June 24, 183 1. He had several places of preaching, one being at Mill Creek, in Kentucky. During his pastorate (in 1833) the whole church passed through a division on the question of their civil relations, but Brush Creek congregation was little affected by this trouble.

In 1840, Mr. Steele regarded his church as unfaithful to her covenanted engagements, and he, with elders William McKinley and Thomas Ralston and some of the members, withdrew to constitute a new organization called the "Reformed Presbytery." The elders still remaining in the original congregation were Andrew Burns, William Glasgow, Joseph Thompson, John Wickerham and Samuel Wright.

On September 29, 1842, Rev. Robert Hutcheson was installed as the fourth pastor of Brush Creek congregation. In 1845, Francis Gailey, a suspended licentiate of the church, led away some of the people into an organization of his own called the "Safety League." Among these latter defectionists were elders Joseph Thompson and John Wickerham. As the session had been strengthened in 1842 by the addition of Stephen Bayles. Henry George, John Mclntire and J. Thompson Montgomery, the congregation did not lose its organization and but few of its members. By emigration and death the congregation became so weakened in resources that Mr. Hutcheson resigned the pastorate May 21, 1856, and the congregation was declared disorganized October 11, 1857. For twenty-five years it continued in this condition, although a few Covenanters continued to reside in that vicinity, and to hold occasional society meetings.

The Bnish Creek congregation was reorganized under an act of the Lakes Presbytery of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, November 16, 1881. There were thirty-three members enrolled, and Thomas Davis and Daniel Sharp were chosen elders. In 1883, William C. Ralston was added to the session. They never possessed a settled pastor, but enjoyed the stated labors of Revs. R. J. Sharpe, William McKinney, R. C. Allen, T. C. Sproull, and others. The membership is now about twenty-five ; Daniel Sharp and W. C. Ralston are the elders: and this faithful remnant hold fast to the principles and usages of their martyred ancestry. Among the most prominent families which have composed the Brush Creek congregation of Covenanters might be perpetuated the names of Reid, Burns,

Removed to Sparta, 111. Removed to Philadelphia, Pa. Withdrew to ** Safety League." Removed ^o Morning Sun, Ohio. Withdrew to " Safety League." Disorganization. Died, January 13, 1863, aged 64. Withdrew to '* Reformed Presbytery."

Withdrew to " Reformed Presbytery." Died, May 23. 1841, aged 73. Removea to Northwood, Ohio. Removed to Rushsylvania, Ohio. Removed to Linton, Iowa. Removed to Linton, Iowa. Died, January 30, 1888, aged 61.

The following is the register of the'dates of death and ages of those elders whose decease is not noted already, viz.: John Fulton died near Sparta, III., in 1859. Hugh Hardy died in Philadelphia, in 1839.

John Wickerham died near Locust Grove, Ohio, April 4, 1865, aged 76. William Milligan died at Fair Haven, Ohio, Dec. 4, 1839, ^^^^ 6(5. Joseph Thompson died at Coulterville, 111., July 2, 1852, aged 68. Andrew Burns died near Locust Grove, Ohio, Nov. 17 1872, aged 90. Thomas Ralston died near May Hill, Ohio, Jan ii, 1850, aged 47. William McKinley died at Northwood, Ohio, Aug. 14, 1868, aged 83. Stephen Bayles died at Morning Sun, Iowa, March 2, 1879, aged 78. Henry George died at Rushsylvania, Ohio, March 13, 1875, ag«d 75.

Thus the banner for "Christ's Crown and Covenant" has been displayed, and His royal prerogatives have been advocated for many a century in Adams County.

This church was organized about 1825. The first class was ccwnposed of Jacob Newland, Anna Newland, Peter Andrews, Margaret Pemberton, Cornelius Kane, David Newman, William Hamilton, Elizabeth Thomas, and Catharine Tener. Meetings were held at the house of Jacob Tener until 1828 when a log house was erected. In 1854 a frame building was erected at "the Grove."

Locust Grove F. & A. M. was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Ohio, at Toledo, October 17, 1866. Charter members: James A. Murphy, W. M. ; David Thomas, S. W. ; D. S. Eylar, J. W. ; Jesse Kendall, Treas. ; Newton Richards, Sec. ; J. W. Tarlton, S. D. ; Isaac Earl, J. D. ; T. S. F. Collins, Tiler; J. R. Copeland and W. C. Elliott, Stewards; Silas E. Parker, Geo. W. Reddick, James T. Holliday.

The village school of Locust Grove in which two instructors are employed has the following enrollment: Males 31, females 34. The subdistricts arc as follows:

As late as 1820, bears, catamounts, wolves and wild cats were plentiful in this region. One day in the autumn of 18 17 the children of Peter Platter while playing about their home discovered a large catamount closely eyeing them from a branch of a tree in the dooryard. The older ones gave the alarm and James Horn was sent for who shot the ferocious animal, and upon inspection pronounced it one of the largest of its kind.

There is yet standing in this township the old log cabin in which Col. John A. Cockerill, the "Drummer Boy of Shiloh," and afterwards managing editor of the New York World, was bom. And almost within sight of the old Cockerill home is that of the ancestors of Whitelaw Reid, editor of the New York Tribune.

It was in this township that General Nathaniel Massie in 1802 built the health resort known as Massie's Springs, at the sulphur spring which yet bears his name. The place was expected to rival the celebrated resort in his native state Virginia, but his expectations were never realized, and now all traces of the former buildings are obliterated.

On the old Trace north of Locust Grove in pioneer days stood a huge log building known as Mershon's tavern. When Dr. Cuming traveled over the Trace ifrom Limestone to Wheeling, in 1807, he stopped over night at Mershon's and in his "notes" comments on the ''fiddling" talent of the landlord's sons, and their entertainment of guests with music. He also mentions the fact that at Cannon's tavern "the stage coach sleeps on its wav from Limestone to Chillicothe."