Clinton County, Ohio - Chapter 14: The Military History of Clinton County, 1882 (part 11 of 14)

Joseph Roberds, a Pennsylvanian, emigrated from South Carolina to Clinton County, in 1805, and in 1818 moved into Richland Township, locating in the Posey Survey, about a quarter of a mile east of the Hogue Schoolhouse, where he bought land of one Batton, who had bought out Levi Arnold. Mr. Roberds married Anna Randall, and had a family of fifteen children, fourteen of whom reached their majority. Most of them are now dead, and only one, Elias, is now living in the county. He claims to be the oldest man now living in the county that was born in the county and that haB spent his whole life there. He was born in 1807, and now owns 350 acres of land in the Posey Survey. His father, Joseph, moved to Indiana in 1832-33, and died there in 1854.

Mrs. Catharine Jacks came into the township in 1818. She was born in Woodford County, Ky., March 15, 1795, and died in Richland Township June 25, 1880. She was the daughter of Timothy and Betsey (Hoblit) Bennett, who moved to Warren County in 1800, and to Clinton County in 1801, where they located on a farm east of Wilmington. Catharine married Joseph Doan in September, 1813, and moved with him to Indiana, where they remained until 1818, when they came to Richland Township, settling on the McClintock farm where Mr. Doan died September 2, 1825, leaving seven children. On the 7th of May, 1826, Mrs. Doan married Elkanah Jacks, by whom she had five children. Her first husband came to Richland Towsnhip from North Carolina in 1810.

John Jacks came into the township in 1818. He was born in Lawrence County, N. C., in 1777, and moved from there info South Carolina. His father was killed in the war of the Revolution. In 1802, he married Phoebe Roberds, a daughter of Freeman Roberds, of South Carolina, and in 1808 came to Ohio, landiiig at Cincinnati in October of that year, with his wife and two children. He afterward moved to Warren County and settled near the town of Waynesville, where he remained until 1809, when he moved to Clinton County and located near Burtonville. He enlisted in the war of 1812, and at its close returned to the farm. He was dispossessed of his farm through a defective title, and in February, 1819, located on land in the Posey Survey, in Richland Township, where he in 1825 built a horse-mill. In 1837, he sold his farm and removed to Indiana, where he died in February, 1869. He was the father of nine children, five boys and four girls, all of whom reached their majority. Three boys and three girls now survive, only one being a resident of Clinton County.

Francis Wining, a Jerseyman, came into the township in 1815, and after remaining several years, moved West. He settled in the Posey Survey. He was an industrious, hard working man, much esteemed by the settlers of the vicinity.

in the township as early as 1812; but of the date or place of his birth or the date of his settlement, nothing can now be learned. He, however, merits a place among the old settlers, as those who came as early as 1812 found him located in the neighborhood of the Posey settlement.

There may have been others who settled in the township at or prior to the dates of some of those in the foregoing list. If such there were, all traces of them have become lost, and after the lapse of over half a century, it is impossible to even learn their names. The readers will therefore be charitable in passing their judgment, remembering that any omission is not made through carelessness, but through ignorance. Our list closes at a time when the township was becoming pretty generally settled, and when the settlement was attended with less difficulty and labor, on account of the drier condition of the ground and the conveniences furnished by civilization.

The first road of any kind in the township was a trail called the "Miami" or " Chillicothe Trace, " from Chillicothe through to Sabina and down Anderson's Pork to Oldtown, three miles beyond Xenia, in Greene County. It was a mere path cleared through the forest, and was supposed to have been opened by the Indians, as the first Bettlers reported it as existing when they came. On this road, Wilson, one of the earliest pioneors of the county, first settled.

The " Kenton Trace '' which is fully spoken of in the general county history, was laid out by Gen. Simon Kenton in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and extended from the Ohio River opposite Maysville, Ky., to Urbana, Ohio, passing through Richland Township from Reesville to Morgantown.

The first regularly established road was the Urbana road, running from Hillsboro to Urbana, along the line of the Kenton Trace, through the township from north to south, near the center, and built prior to the erection of the county. It was resurveyed October 7, 1820, on " account of the true course having become lost." It was not piked until 1873, but has always been one of the leading and most important roads in the township.

The road from Wilmington to Washington was also established prior to the county's organization. It runs through the full length of the township from east to west, and was piked in 1869.

A road from the Urbana road through Sabina to Leesburg, in Fayette County, was built in 1830, but was not piked until the winter of 1869-70.

The township is now crossed in every direction with good macadamized roads, many of them traversing the lines of the surveys. The pikes lead from all parts of the township to all the important places in the county, and are, many of them, connected with each other by summer or mud roads.

Schools began to be taught in the township as soon as the settlements were in sufficient numbers to justify it. Each neighborhood would erect a log schoolhouse in which school would be taught as long and at as frequent periods as a teacher could be had. The schools wore kept up entirely by private sub scription, each settler agreeing to send a certain number of scholars for whose instruction he would give a specified amount of wheat, corn or other produce, but very rarely money.

The first of these schools in the township of which we have any account, was taught in the house of .Tames Palmer, near the present site of Reesville, in 1814, by James Ferguson, an itinerant schoolmaster. The number of scholars in this school, or the length of time it was taught, cannot now be ascertained; neither can we learn what became of Ferguson. Another early school, and perhaps the second one taught in the township, was by James Bloomingdale Daugherty, in 1815. The schoolhouse was in the Biddle Survey, and about half a mile west of the Burnt Tavern. An early school was taught by a man named Pellum, in 1820-21. It was held in a log house built for the purpose, which stood near where the schoolhouse now stands, on the McOlintock and Smith farm. Previous to this time, and about 1817-18, a subscription school was taught in the eastern part of the township, in a house built for a dwelling, on the Posey Survey, about a quarter of a mile west of the present schoolhouse in the survey. It was first taught by Thomas Powell, on the Tyson lands. The school was started principally to give Powell an opportunity of gaining a livelihood, and was only in existence a short time.

Schools continued to be started in different parts of the township for longer or shorter periods until as late as 1830, but no regular course of teaching was had. In the summer and fall of 1828, a schoolhouse was built on the Otallaher farm, in the Tench Survey, in which Thompson Douglass taught the first school. There were then but few schools in the township. Soon after this, however, schools sprang up in various parts of the township, and continued so to do until the present district school system was inaugurated. There are now seven school districts in the township, in addition to the Sabina and Reesville special districts. In the districts, exclusive of the latter two, there are 303 children of school age, for the education of whom a tax of $1,147 was levied at the last annual levy, in 1881.

Among the early settlers of the township, industries, other than those incident to the clearing and cultivating the farm, were not to be thought of, and not the least of the many inconveniences with which the pioneer had to contend, was the absence of mills in the neighborhood. Families were frequently obliged to go for weeks without meal on account of the great distance to the mill and the impassable condition of the trails. In the absence of meal they lived on hominy, which was made by crushing corn between two stones. A great drawback to the building of mills was the absence of any adequate water supply, the creeks in the township being small and not rapid.

The first mill in the township, and the first industry of any kind, was a horse-mill built by Thomas Plardwick, about the year 1807, on Wilson's Branch of Rattlesnake Creek, in the Tench Survey. This mill was operated very successfully for a number of years by Ezekiel Spurgeon, and supplied a long- felt want to the neighborhood.

In the same survey a tan yard was sunk by J ames Gillispie in the winter of 1813-14, on the ground where the Burnt Tavern was afterward built by the same man.

In 1822, a distillery was built by William Spurgeon, in the Tench Survey, on the land that James Gallaher sold to William Cue. The distillery was run by 'Spurgeon for about five years, and was the cause of several bitter suits at law. It was afterward moved to the old "Cherry lot," opposite the horse-mill, and there again operated by Spurgeon, but under his brother's name. After about one year at this place, the stills were removed and the distillery disappeared.

The first brick-yard in the township was on ground now within the corporation of Sabina. It was opened in 1827, by William Lomax, who furnished the brick for many of the first brick houses in the township. The clay for the brick was tramped out by oxen, and all the molding was done by hand. A part of the residence of Jacob Theobold, in Sabina, was built of brick from this yard. There are now two brick-yards in the township, owned respectively by J. P. and A. J. Darbyshire. Both yards are north of Sabina, on the Plymouth road. About three kilns of from 150,000 to 250,000 brick each are burned annually. The gentlemen controlling these yards have been in this business in various parts of the township for many years. They are contractors for brick work, and consume in their business most of the brick they manufacture.

There are also two tile factories in the township, one at Reesville, operated by Walker & Fristo, and the other by A. J. Darbyshire, in connection with his brick-yard. The former has a capacity for manufacturing forty kilns of 350 rods each per season. They grind their material by steam, and are supplied with all the modern appliances for perfecting their work. They have been in their present locality since 1879. The Darbyshire factory is also run by steam. They have two kilns, one of which is a recent invention, in which the fire may be started on either or all of the four sides or under the center. They have a capacity for making and burning one kiln of 1,400 rods each week during the season. They also have shed room for ten kilns, the sheds being one 200x24 feet, and the other 100x23 feet.

The first slationary saw-mill was built near Sabina, on Wilson's Branch of Rattlesnake Creek. It was built by James Spurgeon in 1836, and stood for a short time. The first steam saw-mill was built near the same place by A. C. Mills, in 1851. It was burned down in 1857, and not rebuilt. Another was started in the town of Sabina some years later, by James Achor. It was burned down in 1875, and rebuilt by R. J. Darbyshire and A. Sellars in 1876. The saw-mill at Reesville was built by William Wilson in 1861, and soon thereafter purchased by A. Sellars, who still owns it.

The first steam grist or flouring-mill was built by Benjamin and James Jarolds, in Reesville, in 1861. It was afterward sold to Cyrus Henry and A. Bloom, the latter being now the sole proprietor. The next flour-mill was built in Sabina, in 1876, by G. B. Ely. It was sold to R. K. Greely, who en larged it and added to it many of the modern improvements, among them being a machine for grinding and one for shelling corn, a dumping scale for ear corn, and a railroad side track to car scales of 6,000 pounds capacity. They work three runs of stone.

Most of the churches in the township are included in the towns of Sabina and Reesville, and as these are closely connected with those in the surrounding country, it is deemed advisable to mention them all in the township history under one head. Previous to any regular church organization, the settlers had services whenever an opportunity offered, or whenever a traveling preacher stopped in the neighborhood. These services were held sometimes in the cabins of the pioneers, or oftener in the woods adjoining a settlement. People came for miles around to attend these occasional preachings.

The first regular preaching in the eastern part of the township was in the house of Joseph Doan, some time previous to 1824 The preacher was Rev.. Robert Dobbins, or " old Father Dobbins," as he was called He was an itinerant Methodist preacher, who traveled a circuit of many miles, preaching at the various settlements at stated times.

The Protestant Methodists commenced holding services in the house of John Harper, in the Posey Survey, in 1830. They continued meeting there for about two years, and then changed their place of meeting to the house of E. Roberds, where they continued to meet until 1841, when the Bethel Church was built, on the Roberds farm. This church was burnod down a few years afterward, but it was rebuilt, and continued to be the place of worship for people of that denomination until i860, when the Sabina Church was built in its stead. Among the earlier preachers of this denomination woro Jonathan

Flood, Adzed McGuire, Benjamin Ryan, Joel Dalbey, A. H. Trumbo, William Evans and A. H. Bassett. In 1860, the Protestants purchased a lot on Washington street, near the center of the village of Sabina, of David Persinger, for $300, and in the same year erected their church, which cost about $3,000. The church is a one-story frame building, with a seating capacity of about three hundred and fifty. The members of Bethel Church assisted in the building of the church, and adopted it as their place of worship. The society now numbers about eighty members. The following is a list of the pastors of Bethel and Sabina Churches: R. Rose, R. T. Boyd, J. M. Young, J. H. Webster, R. Dobbins, A. Channell, J. J. White, S. H. Evans, J. W. Kidd, W. B. Evans, E. P. Winans, G. W. Fowler, J. R. Thompson, A. Y. Shepherd, C. C. Caddy, W. E. Stubbs, J. M. Littler, M. Y. B. Evans, G. W. Leadom, T. D. Howe, W. B. Warrington, Z. D. Hickman, P. F. Johnson, P. B. Chaney, O. P. Stevens, W. Ravencraft, J. Hastings, A. N. Barlow, J. W. Spring, A. S. Kingsley, J. Shepherd.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Sabina was organized in the schoolhouse in Sabina, by Rev. William Smith, in 1850, with thirty members. For five years previous to this time, they had held services in the schoolhouse, but no church organization had been effected. Revs. George Brown, J. H. Middleton and D. H. Sargent figured as pastors in the early history of the church. In 1860, the society purchased a lot formerly occupied by a still-house, of John Luddom, for $275, and in 1862, built a one-story frame church at a cost of about $3,000.* The society now numbers about seventy-five members and is presided over by C. J. Wells, the present incumbent of the pastorate.

The Christian Church of Sabina was organized in 1843, by the Rev. John Robb, who was the first resident pastor of the church. Jn 1845, the society purchased a lot on Howard street, on which they built a frame church, where they worshiped until their present church edifice was erected. For some reason it became necessary to re-organize the church society, which was done by Rev. L. Southmaid, November 2, 1858. In 1879, a lot was purchased by the society on the corner of Washington and College streets, and a new, onestory brick church erected at a cost of $2,800. The new church was dedicated by Elder L. L. Carpenter, of Wabash, Ind., on the 18th of January, 1880. In 1882, the old Erame church of the society was sold to the congregation of the Colored Baptist Church.

The Friends' Church of Sabina was organized in the Methodist Protestant Church, in the winter of 1878, by Mr. and Mrs. Frame, with about one hundred members. In 1880, they purchased a lot on Elm street of Mrs. E. A. Newman, for which they paid $400. On this they erected a handsome little one-story brick church, with Sunday Bchool room and vestibule, for $3,500. The church proper will seat about four hundred people. The total cost of building and fitting the church will amount to over $4,000.

Richland Church was organized in 1864, by Rev. P. F. Johnson. They had very little preaching until a year afterward, when the church building was erected. The society numbers about eighty members, and iB in Sabina Circuit, which is composed of this church and the church at Sabina. They are under the pastoral care of the Rev. Josiah Shepherd. In the summer of 1881, the old church at Richland was torn down, and a new brick building erected at a cost of $2,500. The present church is a neat and pretty structure, and will comfortably seat about two hundred and fifty people.

which they afterward purchased and converted into a church. The church is a part of Bowersville Circuit, and numbers between sixty-five and seventy members.

The Colored Baptists of Sabina have a church organization, which was effected in 1881. They worshiped in the Colored Schoolhouse until 1882, when they purchased the old frame building erected by the congregation of the Christian Church. The society is still in its incipiency, and numbers but a few members.

Many of the settlers had family burvmg-grounds on their own lands, and this custom is still adhered to by some of the farmers in .the township. The oldest of theBe family graveyards have disappeared, while the others are too numerous and too obscure to be noticed in this sketch.

The first graveyard in the township was the Spurgeon Graveyard, in the Tench Survey, which waB opened soon after the time of the first settlements, in 1805. It was a small and strictly neighborhood burying- ground, but has since ceased to be used as such.

The next regular graveyard was known as the Doan Graveyard, in the Posey Survey, on the McClintock & Smith farm. The land was purchased by Elisha Doan, who donated about one acre for burial purposes. The first persons buried were Daniel Hillman and Effie (Higgins) Hillman, his wife, both about 1822. Mrs. Hillman was buried there first, and after her death her husband went to Kentucky, and in the same year returned to his old home, where he died, and became the second person interred in the Doan Yard. Prom the number of bones found in this burying- ground, it was supposed that it had been a place of burial for the Indians. The ground is still used as a place of interment, being now incorporated as such.

The old Sabina Graveyard, which occupied about half an acre of ground on the south side of the town and in the present corporation, began to be used before the town was laid out, and about the time the settlement of the country around the town was commenced. After the town was laid out, and for some years after it became a town of some size, the place was extensively used for burials. It is no longer used as such, however, and most of the bodies have been taken up and re-interred in the new eemetery.

The Sabina Cemetery is owned by a joint-stock company, with a capital stock of $1, 500. The company was organized April 6, 1872, with the following Board of Directors : D. C. Harrison, President; H. H. Thorp, Secretary; W. H. Ferrill, Treasurer; A. C. Mills, E. Roberds and H. H. Johnson. Fifteen acres of land were purchased of William Custis, at $100 per acre, and improvements costing about $1,500 made. The grounds are beautifully located on a hillside, with sufficient elevation to be nicely drained by natural rneanB. They are laid off' in sections and lots, of which over one hundred and thirty lots have already been sold. Many beautiful monuments deck the grounds in different places as mementoes of respect paid by the citizens of the township to their departed friends. It is the intention of the company to make this the most beautiful cemetery in the county, and, with the natural advantages of their grounds, this will not be a difficult task. The present Directors are: Jacob Theobold, President; H. II. Thorp, Secretary; A. CuBtis, Treasurer; B. J. Darbyshire, Henry T. Burnett and Samuel Love.

Sabina

The town of Sabina was laid out by Warren Sabin, after whom it was named, in 1830, on land originally entered by P. Neville. The original plat of the town was recorded on the 6th of Docembor, 1830, and contained thirty' seven lots, numbered consecutively from one to thirty-seven - one street, Howard, and one cross-street, Washington. There were twenty lots on the north side of Washington street, and ten on the south side. The streets were five poles wide, and the alleys, of which there were four, were one pole wide. The lots fronting on Washington street were live pules wide in front and ten and a half poles wide in the rear. Those fronting on Howard street were five and three-quarters poles front and ten poles in the rear. In addition to these, there were three odd lots - one containing forty-five and a half poles, one fortyone and fourteen -hundredths poles, and one twenty and three- fourths poles. Additions have been made to the original plat as follows : Thomas Hollman's

The corporation of the town was extended to include additional territory August 9, 1873. In 1859, the town was incorporated, and M. Morris appointed Mayor. He served but a short time, not to exceed a month, when he resigned the office, and Jacob Theobold was appointed to fill the vacancy. The following is a partial list of the Mayors of the village since then, it being impossible to give a full list, with dates of service, on account of the books of the corporation being lost: John Bridwell, Jacob Leir, C. P. Gallaher, David

The first building built upon the land where the town stands was a log structure, little better than a pen, built by Elisha Evans long before the town was contemplated. It stood near where Andrew Glassglow's residence now is. The first house in the town after it was platted was a pole log house, built by Elijah Sabin, near the present site of Jacob Theobold's residence. Andrew Love was the first settler, first Postmaster and first tavern-keeper in the town. He located here soon after the town was laid out. William McMillen and Warren Sabin were the first store-keepers of the place. They opened a general store as soon after the town was laid out as they could get a building erected. McMillen's store was where Jacob Theobold now lives. Jacob Theobold was the next merchant to commence business in the town. He opened a store about the year 1841. An early blacksmith, and by some said to be the first, was Isaac Haines. Floyd Farris opened the first shoe shop in a building near the site of Flower & Tobin's bakery. The town has continued to grow from the time of the first settler until the present. Physicians came into the town, stores were opened and various kinds of business commenced as soon as the rapid growth of the place demanded. There are now in the village three dry goods stores, three drug stores, two hardware stores, three clothing stores, nine groceries, one furniture-dealer and undertaker, one bank, two saddler shops, two grain-dealers, two butchers, one bakery and confectionery, two tailor shops, one silversmith, one carriage shop, three blacksmith shops, one wagon-maker, three shoe shops, two tin shops, four doctors, three lawyers, two ministers, two hotels, one printing office, three saloons, a flour-mill, a post office, a telegraph office, an express office, two milliners, two mantua makers, eleven carpenters, two lumber dealers, three plasterers, two painters, three brick makers, five brick masons, a livery stable, two stock dealers, a coal merchant, a barber shop, a tile mill, a real estate agent, two insurance agents, and a brass band of fifteen pieces.

The township and town, in conjunction, recently built a large two-story brick building, with a town hall in the second story, and offices for the town and township officials and a town prison on the first floor. In addition to

The Sabina Bank commenced doing business February 17, 1875, with a capital stock of 150,000, and the following board of officers: E. A. LewiB,

President; D. Edwards, Cashier; I. Lewis, E. A. Lewis and William T. Haydock, Directors and stockholders. It is a private bank, operated under the banking laws of the State of Ohio. In 1880, the board built the handsome building in which their offices are now located. The capital stock of the bank has been increased to $80,000. The present board of officers is as follows: Isaac Lewis, President; E. A. Lewis, Cashier; William T. Haydock,

Sabina Lodge, No. 324, F. & A. IvL, was organized in the Rapp House, Sabina, August 4, 1860, with thirteen charter members. The first officers were: R. Newman, W. M. ; D. Giffin, S. W. ; J. D. Achor, J. W. ; Joseph Rapp, Treasurer; S. A. Christy, Secretary; Jacob Theobold, S. D.; R, Custis, J. D. ; D. Chance, Tiler. The lodge now numbers eighty members, and meets in a room twenty by seventy feet, which they added to a two -story brick building, corner of Howard and Sycamore streets, in 1871, at a cost of $1,600. The present officers are: S. B, Lightner, W. M. ; Elihu Hiatt, S. W.; J. M. Wood

Sabina Lodge, No. 501, I. O. O. F., was organized September 5, 1871. with eight charter members, and instituted by Grand Master Ira Baird. The first officers were: James Yan Pelt, N. G. ; H. H. Thorp, V. G. ; D. O. Harrison, Secretary; John Gilliland, Treasurer. The lodge now numbers sixtvfive members, and meets in Odd Fellows' Hall, comer of Howard and Washington streets. The hall consists of a third story, which was put on a twostory brick building by the lodge in 1874, at a cost of $1,200. The present officers are: James A. Hughey, N. G. ; A. J. Gaskin, V. G. ; Elijah Sobers,

R. S.; John Britton, P. S. ; H. H. Thorp, Treasurer. In connection with the lodge, a successful encampment of Odd Fellows is conducted. The latter is Sabina Encampment, No. 182.

The post office of the village was established there almost as soon as the town was named. The following is as full and accurate a list of the Postmasters as can now be obtained: Andrew Love, John L. Perkins, Harrison Jeffs,

Jacob Theobold, Fairfax McFadden, Banner Burtlev, Jacob Theobold, Evan Campbell,. William H. Farrill, C. B. Hill. These gentleman served in the order named, with may be one exception - that of Harrisou Jeffs, who may not have immediately succeeded Perkins.

The school of Sabina is in what is known as a special district. It is a graded school of five departments, presided over by a Principal and four teachers. The house, a two-story brick, was erected in 1871, at a cost of from $5,- 000 to $0,000. It was built on a lot of an acre and a half of ground, purchased for $100 per acre. The building consisted originally of four rooms, but in 1879, four rooms were added, at a cost of $3,000. The estimated cost of the building and improvements is over $10,000. For this district, a tax of $2,746.42 was levied at the last annual levy. There is also in the town a school for the exclusive use of colored pupils. It was opened to them during the year 1879, and is still in successful operation.

The Sabina Union Agbioultuiiae Society

In 1874, a general meeting of the citizens of Clinton and surrounding counties was called to be held at Sabina to consider the advisability, and, if thought advisable, the means best\ adapted to tho formation of an agricultural or fair association. At this meeting, it was decided to undertake the fclrmation of such an organization, and committees were accordingly appointed to solicit subscriptions in furtherance of the object. After these committees had obtained $5,000 in subscriptions to the stock, another meeting was held, at which the following board of officers was elected: E. B. Martin, President; J. R.

Amos, Vice President; D. C. Harrison, Secretary; H. H. Thorp, Treasurer; and S. B. Lightner, B. J. Darbyshire, John Kirk, John Borum, TJ. M. Morgan, IJ. B. Reed, C. M. Luttrell and J. W. Carter, Directors. Thirty-five acres of ground on the Washington pike, and adjoining Sabina on the east, were then rented of A. C. Mills, a lease for ten years being taken by the society. Work was at once commenced on the ground, and, during the first year, $7,000 was expended in improvements to the grounds. The first fair, held in the fall of 1874, was a great success, financially and otherwise, and since then the society has continued to reap annually the reward they so well merit for their enterprise in the undertaking. Improvements are being made upon the grounds from year to year, the books of the society showing that fully $1,000 are expended annually for that purpose. In 1881, the grounds were enlarged to forty acres. A half-mile track, sixty feet wide, has been made, and shed room for fully two hundred horses erected. In addition to this, the society has built commodious cattle pens, a floral hall, agricultural hall, dining hall, music hall, band stands, judges' stands, etc. The M. V. R. R. Company built a very fancy little Btand for the use of their officials while attending the fair. It is just opposite the judges' stand, and contains telegraph instruments by means of which the officials can attend to the business of the road while attending the races. Seating room for fully five thousand people has been erected in amphitheater form around one side of the ring. The fairs of this society are growing yearly in the popular favor. Large sums of money are annually paid in premiums, and lawful competition is always en couraged by the society. The different railroads approaching the grounds run excursion trains to and from the grounds each day during the fair. The present officers of the association are: A. Sellars, President; H. A. Haynes, Vice

The town of the above name was originally called the Cross Roads. It was laid out by Moses Reese in 1857, the plat being recorded on the 11th of July of that year. The town plat originally consisted of twenty acres and seventeen and seventy-five hundredths poles of land, divided into twenty-five lots, lying along the Muskingum Valley Railroad, with the Urbana road running through it as a crosB-street. It lies in the western part of the township, about two and a half miles west of Sabina. An addition was made to the town December 9, 1868, by David Puckett, and another, January 17, 1874, by

C. Rhonemus. A post office was established in the town soon after the railroad was completed, and J. E. Barr installed as first Postmaster. The first merchants in the place were Jonathan and Henry Ruckers, who kept a general notion store previous to the platting of the town. Their store was afterward successively owned by Samuel Reed, Baron Douglass, William Wilson and William Lyons. Christian Rhonemus came to the town in 1858 and engaged in mercantile business. Since then, he and his family have been prominently identified with the business interests of the town. Robert McClellan, who came to the town in 1858, was the first and only tailor ever carrying on business in its limits. There are now in the town four dry goods stores, a drug store, two saloons, two blacksmith shops, one shoe shop, a post office, a railroad depot, a church and a schoolhouse, and a population of about one hundred and fifty inhabitants, with taxable property valued at over $14,000. The town constitutes a special school district, for which a tax of over $1,000 was levied in 1881.

The settlement and progress of this township is greatly retarded by the scarcity of farm lands, and the inability of those desiring to become citizens of the township to purchase them. Large tracts of land are held by non-residents, who have purchased them as a means of speculation. These lands are either farmed for them by hired labor, or are rented out to tenants, who are rarely citizens, and who care little for the welfare of the township. The owners of the land are opposed to all public improvements, as they increase the taxes without making the returns from their speculation any larger. To show the real extent of the injury thus endured by the township, we call the reader's attention to the fact that one-fourth of the township, or a total of over five thousand acres of the very best land, is owned by six non-resident proprietors. One of these large tracts is the farm of McOlintock & Smith, attorneys, of Chillicothe, which comprises 1,118 acres, purchased during the war. This land contains nine tenant houses, and is farmed entirely by tenants. Frederick Overly, Esq., manages the immense farm for the proprietors, and cultivates a part of the ground as a tenant. Other instances of a like character could be cited, but our space forbids us to dwell on this subject. Suffice it to say that a large part of the township is held by speculators, in tracts of from 150 to 1,100 acres, and, as they prove safe and paying investments to the owners, of course they will not part with the land unless paid a price far exceeding the prices of land elsewhere, and thus those who would enter the township as citizens and take an interest in its welfare are crowded out. These farms are rarely worth more than from $50 to $60 per acre, while other farms in the same locality, properly improved, are worth $100 an acre.

There being no stagnant water nor pools of any size in the township, and on account of the high elevation of the table-lands and the general cultivation of the country, together with the habits of life, diet and equable temper of the citizens, they have been blessed with comparatively long lives. As indicative of this, we mention Thomas N. Adams, who died in 1880, aged one hundred and three years; James Wherry, who died in 1876, aged ninety-three years; Samuel Allen, who died in 1881, aged eighty-six years; Catharine Adams, who died in 1879, aged eighty-seven years; Anna Wallace, who died in 1879, aged eighty-five years; Catharine Jacks, who died in 1880, aged eighty-six years; Benjamin Wilson, who died in 1879, aged eighty-five; and Lawrence Melvy, still living, aged ninety-two; Melinda English, still living, aged ninety-two; Mrs. Lydia Reese, still living, aged eighty -five; and others of like age, who are still bearing the burdens of life's cares, or have gone to that better land " where the weary are at rest."

YERNON Township is one of the original three of which Clinton County was composed at the time of its organization. It then included Marion and parts of Adams, Washington, Clark and Jefferson Townships. Vernon Township is situated in the western part of the county, bordering on Warren County, and as it exists now is bounded: North, Adams; east, Washington; south, Marion, and west, Warren County. Todd's Fork, a tributary of the Little Miami River, Cowan's Creek, East Fork of Todd's Fork and Sewell's Run, tributaries of Todd's Fork, flow through the township, coming together, or nearly so, in the western part, near the village of Clarksville, making the scenery in that locality picturesque and delightful.

There is great diversity of soil; the land in the vicinity of the streams is broken and hilly; the southwestern portion is flat, with a light-colored subsoil; in the eastern part, on the head-waters of Sewell's Run, it is a black swamp, deep and rich. There is but little waste land. The soil for the most part is good and generally adapted to cultivation. rJ(he land was originally covered with timber - oak, hickory, black and white walnut, hard and soft maple, poplar, beech, elm, ash, sycamore, gum, mulberry, box-elder, buckeye, linden, wild cherry, sassafras, willow, dogwood, ironwood, hornbeam, honey locust, black locust, red bud, black haw, cottonwood, papaw and various bushes, spices, hazel, etc. Sycamores, found only on the margins of the streams, were sometimes of immense size; some of the old barns have yet granaries made from sections of the hollow trunks, eight or nine feet across. Poplar is found only on the north side of Cowan's Creek; soft maple grows on the white swamp land; beech and hard maple, or sugar tree, are found in nearly all parts of the township; buckeye is not so common as formerly, the farmers having destroyed them while laboring under the impression that cattle ate the first fruit and were poisoned. Black walnut trees, of which there were vast numbers in this township, have been cut and shipped off within a few years.

The land is well watered with springs and streams; where no springs exist, water is easily found by digging wells. There are Borne of the works of the ancient Mound-Builders in this township. On the lands of J. A. Losh are the remains of a circular fort, and some mounds on lands of George Villars and others.

The first settler of Vernon Township was David Sewell. Early in the year 1798, he became the owner of one of Archibald Campbell's surveys, No. 2,250, on the East Fork of Todd's Fork, in what is now Clinton County (when the Sewells came it was called Hamilton County, Territory Northwest of the Ohio River), and made arrangements to move to it with his sons, John and Aaron, and his son-in-law and daughter, Peter and Hannah Burr. In 1798, the Sewell family, in company with Isaac Tullis, Mary Hendricks and some of the Cowans, came to Pittsburgh in wagons, and there embarked in a flat-bottomed boat and proceeded down the Ohio River to the present site of Columbia. From that point they went to Bedell's Station, in what is now Warren County, one mile south of where Union Village now is. The precise time the Sewells remained at Bedell's Station is left in some obscurity. We quote from the writings of Judge Harlan on this subject: " On the one side it is insisted that the stay was short, about such as would be sufficient for travelers and their beasts to rest and recruit a little, and that the party at the end of their temporary halt went immediately to and settled on their lands. On the other hand, it is insisted that on their arrival at the station, they could not find their land nor any one who could find it, in consequence of which they remained at the station until some time in 1801 or later."

It is more than probable that the Sewells came in 1798, as the following proof seems to indicate. At the southwest comer of Survey No. 2,250, the Sewell Survey, is an oak tree, marked in the outer bark and still plainly visible, with the initials " D. S., 1799." The initials are for David Sewell, and it shows that their land was found in 1799 and the corners established by a surveyor. And it is not reasonable to suppose that they would remain as far away from their land as Bedell's Station, twenty miles, in order to improve it. The deeds to Aaron and John Sewell of part of the land, dated in 1801, show that it had not only been found, but had been divided into three parts. We have taken pains to get the opinion of David A. Sewell, the oldest living inhabitant born in Vernon Township, on this subject. He says his father frequently told him when they came, and in their trips together to Cincinnati has showed him the route or trail from Columbia to this place. They only made a short halt at Bedell's house and came immediately to their lands; they experienced some difficulty in finding the boundaries of their land and had to employ a surveyor to fix the corners. They built their first cabins, three joined together, where Patrick Ford now lives, in which they lived until the year 1801, when the land was divided into three parts and each built on his own land - David, still living where he first built; John, where the heirs of Ira Taylor now live, and Aaron, on land now owned by C. L. Sewell.

The Sewells came in wagons, cutting their road through the unbroken forest, and the route they came is still known as the " Sewell Trace," crossing Todd's Fork near the town of Rochester, and passing near where Nauvoo Schoolliouse used to stand. At the time of the Sewell settlement, there was no person living nearer than Lebanon, distant fourteen miles. There was no mill on the Little Miami. They went to Chillicothe to mill, taking four horses with pack-saddles; were two days on the road going, and two coming back. The ground was covered with pea-vines, which made excellent feed for their horses.

About the year 1803, James McGee, in company with his brother-in-law, John McGregor, came from Loudoun County, Va., and settled where his daughter, Miriam Marshall, now lives, McGregor building his cabin on what is known as the Caleb Smith farm.

Jonathan Lawrence settled where Sarah Sever now lives, in the year 1806. Thomas Austin came from North Carolina in 1809, and settled on the farm lately owned by Evan Hadley. James Harris emigrated from Loudoun County, Va., in 1809, and settled near the village of Clarksville. William Hadley came from North Carolina in 1810, and settled on the farm now owned by M. P. Marshall. William Austin came in 1811, and Battled on Cowan's Creek, near where Mt. Pleasant Church now stands. James Villars settled in Vernon Township in 1813. Josiah Biggs, Lemuel, John and Parson Garrison and David Ferris were early settlers of this township. After this the township filled up rapidly.

The lands of the township are what is known as military lands, and were mostly owned in large tracts by persons living in older States. It was heavily timbered, not a stick amiss, as the saying is. A settler having purchased liis land at a very low figure, and having selected a location near some spring, he went to work to erect his mansion. Out of the abundanco of materials all around him, this was no great task, and in a few days he had his house completed.

Small trees of the forest, unhewn, made the sides; long shingles, split out of logs, laid on the top and held down by long poles laid on them, formed the roof; mud and sticks stopped the cracks between the logs; sticks laid up outside the house and plastered with mud formed the chimney; windows without glass, floors without boards. This mansion was without beauty, but possessed the merit of meeting his necessities, protecting his family and making him comfortable. Having completed his house, he proceeds to cut down and burn the timber near his cabin for his "truck patch," subsisting in the meantime mostly on game. The ground was new and rich, and Indian corn would almost grow in the woods. Having grown a patch of corn or wheat, he was a long way from a mill, through an almost pathless forest, no roads, no bridges; he would have to take his grist on a horse or on his back. Relying entirely upon himself, sturdy, self-reliant, he overcame all obstacles, cleared out the forest and assured the future comfort of himself and his family.

The first intimation sometimes that a settler would have of the coming of another would be the clear ringing of his as as he felled trees to build his cabin. As the country filled up, the settlers rendered one another material aid, and the previous settlers would welcome a new-comer by meeting, on a named day, cutting down timber and building, or assisting him to build, his house, and in a day or two at farthest, the new-comer would be safely housed and prepared to live.

The wants of the early settlers were few. In summer, the whole family would turn out to help pick brush, burn the logs and cultivate the "patches." In winter, around the huge fire-place, they formed the family home circle, all living, cooking, eating and sleeping in the same room. Here their children were born without the usual manipulations of the " doctor, " and, when one of the family died, he was laid tenderly and tearfully away beneath some large tree where the family could visit the grave.

Old persons never tire of telling of the good old times, and contrast the simplicity of manners, their strict honesty in all their dealings, their freedom from strife, bickerings and law suits, their perfect equality socially, etc., with the jealousies, Btrife, peculation, lack of political and moral honesty, thieving, pauperism, etc., of the present day, and we are inclined to favor their view of the matter. But we know human nature is such that we are apt to look over the evils of men's lives after they are gone, and remember only the good, and so, perhaps, they forget the evils and bad features of early life and remember only what is pleasant.

Personal Sketches Of Early Settlers

David Sewell was born in Loudoun County, Ya. , in 1746. In the year 1768, he was married to Mary Tullis; he raised a family of three children - Hannah, John and Aaron. Hannah, the oldest child, was married to Judge Peter Burr, for several years Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for Clinton County, July 10, 1790.

Aaron Seweli, better known to many of our people as Judge Sewell, and an emigrant to that part of the Northwest Territory known as the State of Ohio, was born in Loudoun County, Ya., on the 27th day of August, 1774. His father was David Sewell, and his mother's name Mary, maiden name, Mary Tullis. He had one brother and one sister older than he was. John Sewell, the brother, died a resident of Clinton County in 1822; his sister, Hannah Burr, wife of Judge Peter Burr, for several years Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for Clinton County, also died in Clinton County, in 1816. David Sewell, father of Judge Sewell, early in 1798, became the owner of one of Archibald Campbell's survey, No. 2,250, on the Little East Fork, in what is now Clinton County, containing 1,200 acres, more or less, and made arrangements fco move to it with his sons and son-in-law and daughter, the sons to go at once and the son-in-law and daughter to follow at an early day afterward. Up to this time, Aaron had remained a single man. In view of the long journey before the family, he deemed it best to take a wife to himself. Accordingly, on the 5th day of April, 1798, in Frederick County, Va., where the family was then living, he was married to Mary Hendricks, a sister to the wife of his brother John.

As a history or account of the journey of the Sewells from there to Ohio is given in the early settlements, it is not necessary to repeat it here. The three families lived near to one another, where Pat Ford now lives, until the year 1801, when Judge Sewell's father deeded him about 334 acres of land on the southeast side of the survey, where he built his cabin close to where C. L. Sewell now lives. He soon afterward built a large hewed-log house, which is still standing and is occupied as a dwelling.

The first born of Aaron Sewell and wife was their daughter Elizabeth. The family record shows that she was born in Hamilton County, Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, July 24, 1799. She was married to Aaron Oxley, a soldier of the war of 1812, October 30, 1817. They raised a large family, who are all deceased, except Fannie Oxley, the youngest child, who lives in New Vienna, in Clinton County. Mrs. Oxley died about the year 1859. Her husband died in 1879, at the age of ninety-six years. The second child of Mr. and Mrs. Sewell was Ezra Sewell, born in Hamilton County, Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, March 14, 1801. Ezra married Sarah Baily; they raised a large family. Four, John, Mary Harden, Aaron and Rebecca Cast are yet living on the lands formerly owned by their father.

Ezra Sewell was a large man, slow and deliberate in his motions, rather cynical and severe, but just and honorable to a high degree in all his dealings. He was a farmer; would have no office. Thrifty, industrious, economical, he prospered and acquired considerable property. Though I have lived in the family for years at a time, I do not recollect of ever hearing him utter a cross word, or one word of complaint of his good wife. He died in the year 1872, at the age of seventy-one years.

Their next child was John Sewell, born in Warren County, State of Ohio, in 1803, he died in 1823. Then came David A. Sewell, born in 1807; Aaron R. Sewell, born in 1811, and Mary, now Mary Fordyce, born in 1813. The last three are still living, vigorous for their ages, which gives hope of many years of usefulness.

In the year 1814, Mr. Sewell was elected a Justice of the Peace for Vernon Township. The office was one of great dignity at that time, and was generally bestowed on the most substantial citizens. Since then, there has been some change in the bestowal of this really important office. Now a commission as Justice of the Peace is not a patent for exalted worth. In the year 1817, Mr. Sewell was elected by the General Assembly of Ohio one of the Associate Judges of Clinton County, to fill the vacancy on the bench occasioned by the expiration of the term of Judge Thomas Hinkson. He was re-elected in 1824 and again in 1831; whole term twenty-one yoars.

In or about the year 1823, Judge Sewell erected a grist-mill and saw-mill on the Little East Fork, about two miles abovo Clarksville, where David Pond now lives. The improvement was one of great utility to the neighborhood. The stream which was dopendod on to furnish the power was small, but at that time, when the head-waters in the vicinity of Morrisville were in a forest and the flow of water was obstructed by logs and brush, when the meanderings of the main stream were such that it almost cut off sections of its own course at places, it furnished power nearly all the year; but after the streams wore cleaned out, and the land ditched, and the main channel straightened, the water passed off so rapidly that in the dry season it would not run the mill. Steam mills in time came into use, and water-mills on the small streams went out of use. The Sewell mills shared the common fate - decay seized upon the buildings, a freshet swept away the dam, the wash from the hillsides filled the race, and now there is scarcely a mark to show where these once flourishing mills stood.

Judge Sewell was not a distinguished hunter, but out of two who are known to have killed an elk each, he was one. This feat was performed in early times not far from the mouth of Wilson's Branch. In person, Judge Sewell was tall, straight and spare. In general conversation, he was not a man of many words, but he expressed his ideas clearly, sensibly and candidly. His integrity was beyond question and his moral character unblemished. He died about the year 1842, at the age of sixty-nine years.

About the year 1803, James McGee came from Loudoun County, Ya., in company with his brother-in-law, John McGregor, and settled in Yernon Township. Mr. McGee was a farmer and a hard-working man. He died about the year 1811, leaving a widow and a large family. His widow, familiarly known as Granny McGee, survived her husband fifty years, raising a large family. Jane, the eldest, married Heed Garrison, and some time afterward moved to Indiana. Elizabeth married John Yillars, a brother of James Villars, of this township, and moved to Illinois. married James Mitchell. Rebecca married Macajah Moore, father of F. M. Moore, President of the Clinton County National Bank, and l'aised a large and useful family, near Cuba, in Clinton County. And Miriam, the only one living, married George Marshall, in the year 1829, and has lived all her life on the farm where her father settled. She is now seventy-six years old and lives with her son, George Marshall, Jr.

Jonathan Lawrence, an early settler of Yernon Township, was born in Cumberland County, N. J., August 30, 1774; his wife was Elizabeth Mulford, who was born in the same county June 25, 1779. While they were young, they were taken to the State of New York. They were married, in 1799, and, in the year 1802 came to Clermont County, Ohio, with Samuel Perrin. They spent some time in that neighborhood; then came to Yernon Township, in 1806, and settled on the farm now owned and occupied by Sarah Sever. Here Mr. Lawrence shared all the privations and hardships of the early settlers' life, cleared his land, etc. ; he was a prominent and useful man in the affairs of the township; was Trustee for many years and was in all respects a good citizen. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence raised a family of four children. Nancy, the eldest, married Thomas Wilkerson, August 20, 1829; TamBen, the Becond child, married Aaron Sewell, called Blacksmith Aaron to distinguish him from other Aaron Sewells, November 7, 1833; Jonathan, the third child, married Mary A. Marshall, December 20, 1840, and Nathan, the youngest, married Eliza J. Marshall, February 17, 1848.

Nancy Wilkerson and Tamsen Sewell moved to Indiana with their husbands. Nathan also went to Indiana, and all three are deceased. Jonathan still lives in Yernon Township, and we will write more of his life anon. Jonathan Lawrence, Sr., died in 1834, and his wife in 1839. At the time Mr. Lawrence settled in Yernon Township, there were no settlements on the south of him; the territory of what is now Marion Township was an unbroken wilderness. Every settler had to cut his own road from the older settlements to' his own land. One of the roads used was known as the Sewell Trace. The nearest mill was at Deerfield, on the Little Miami River. When Mr. Lawrence raised a barn, in 1816, he went to Lebanon to get some coffee for the ocm

The first settlers southwest of Lawrence's, in Vernon, were Ethan Griffith, Thomas Parks, J. R. Smith, Joseph Henry and Thomas Fugate. The heirs of J. R. Smith and Joseph Henry still own the land.

William Austin, one of the early settlers of Vernon Township, was a native of Maryland. He was born in Prince George's County, and his wife, Elizabeth, was born in Calvert County; they were raised principally in Albemarle County, Va. Mr. Austin's ancestors came from England in the latter part of the seventeenth century; they were married, in 1798, and went to Surry County, N. C., early in 1799, bought a farm and lived there a little more than twelve years. In the fall of 1810, he came on horseback to look at Ohio and Indiana, and, being satisfied as to the location, he moved his family, arriving at his brother's, Thomas Austin's, on Todd's Fork, one and one-half miles above where Clarksville now is, on the 23d of October, 1811, the family consisting of William Austin and wife with their six children, Mr. Austin's father, Samuel Austin, and a young woman by the name of Nancy Clark. The family remained on Todd's Fork for two years; but, in the meantime, Mr. Austin purchased 323 acres of land in William Barlow's survey, No. 3,643. He built his cabin on the banks of Cowan's Creek, in January, 1814, and moved into it, but in 1821 he built a frame house on another part of the farm where he lived until his death.

Mr. and Mrs. Austin had nine children. One died in infancy; Thomas, the oldest, died in his eighteenth year; Samuel S., the second son, married and settled in Clarksville, and engaged in the tanning business; he also ran a shoe shop and did a great deal at butchering; he was Justice of the Peace for many years; was a very enthusiastic and devout Methodist, was Leader, Steward, exhorter and local preacher in the M. E. Church; after a laborious iife, he died, on the 17th day of September, in the seventy- fourth year of his age; Mary, the only daughter, married Jonathan Tribbey and diod in her fifty-sixth year; James B. entered the ministry in the M. E. Church in the twentieth year of his age, and, after traveling in various parts of Ohio for nearly thirty years, he died, in the fifty-second year of his age; William R. settled on part of the old place and followed farming, and he was sixty-seven years old when he died; Benjamin N. settled on part of the old farm, and followed farming; he was twice married, and had fourteen children; the writer of this article was better acquainted with Benjamin than with any other member of this remarkable family; have been connected with him in a business way, have been to his house, eaten at his table, and, though I have met many men, I do not think I ever found a man so thoroughly careful to deal fairly and honestly with his fellow-men, so religious without making a display of his religion - in fact, so nearly perfect in our estimation as Benjamin N. Austin; but this is a digression. Plenry R. was a farmer and lived near Mor . Av lie awhile, but finally set tied in Chester Township, where he died in tho fifty-seventh year of his age; David S., the youngest son, is still living on the old farm; William was a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church for nearly fifty years; was the first Methodist who preached in Wilmington, and he and Ambrose Jones organized the first Methodist society in that place; he labored extensively on the Sabbath in this county, and often went into Warren, Clermont and Brown Counties to hold meetings; his cabin was a preaching place for a number of yoars, and, in the spring of 1847, he and James Yillars, Sr., donated a little more than two acres of ground to the church, on which they built a log house for a church and called it Mt. Pleasant, which was used in summer to hold meetings in, but not being finished for several years, they held service in winter in the cabins;

William Austin's family are all dead but David S., and all lie buried in the graveyard at Mt. Pleasant. They were all for many years members of the M. E. Church, and nearly all raised large families. William Austin died January 15, 1860, in the eighty-seventh year of his age, his wife having died April 27, 1848, in the seventy-third year of her age.

An early settler of Yernon Township, and one of its solid, reliable men, was Samuel Stabler; he was born in Loudoun County, Ya. , in 1799, and was the son of John Stabler, who came from Germany about the time of the Revolutionary war, and served as a soldier in the army. He leased a tract of land in Loudoun County, Ya. , afterward paying the required sum and receiving a title for it.

Samuel, the subject of this sketch, came to Yernon Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, in 1820, in company with Dr. Asahel Tribbey and William Cook, his brother-in-law, who lived where James Floyd now lives. Mr. Stabler bought a part of Survey No. 793, and, young and strong, he went to work to clear out a farm where there was not a stick amiss. He erected his cabin near where his son Isaiah now lives. August 14, 1823, he was married to Mary Harris, daughter of James Harris, Esq., and they lived happily together until Mr. Stabler' s death, in 1868, a period of forty-live years. Mr. and Mrs. Stabler raised a family of nine children, five sons - John, James, Isaiah, Samuel and George - and four daughters - Priscilla, Martha, Elizabeth and Catharine, all of whom arrived at the age of manhood and womanhood, and all reside in the neighborhood where raised, except James, who lives in McDonough County, 111. Priscilla married James Hall; Martha married William M. Reeder; Elizabeth married Thomas Zillefrow, and Catharine married Aaron Biggs. The sons are among the solid and reliable men of this township; all own good farms, are steady, careful, honest - their word as good as their bond.

Mr. Stabler was a member of the M. E. Church from 1824 to his death; was an active and zealous member. He was a farmer by occupation, always diligent in business and prosperous in his undertakings. He cleared out his land and made solid and permanent improvements, adding to his original purchase so much that at his death each of his children inherited a good farm, on which they now reside, living in well-to-do style. Mr. Stabler was tall, well formed, with fair complexion, light hair, blue eyeB, of good, sound constitution and generally enjoyed good health; he was even-tempered, of a retired disposition, with correct business habits; was fair, honorable and upright in his dealings. He held no office for the pay or honor of the office, but was ready to serve when called on as Supervisor of Roads or School Director. He took great interest in the improvement of roads, schools, etc. He was publicspirited in regard to all improvements calculated to develop the resources of the county and add to the comforts of the community. To such men as Samuel Stabler we are indebted to a great extent for the comforts we now enjoy. His widow, an estimable lady, lives with her son George at the old homestead. She is of a bright and lively disposition, and enjoys good health. She delights to talk of early times, and kindly furnished the material for this brief sketch of her husband and family.

Ephraim Smith, an early settler of Yernon Township, and one who was closely identified with the affairs of the township, was born April 7, 1778, in Hunterdon County, N. J. ; was married to Sarah Higgins in 1804. Mr. Smith emigrated to Ohio in 1815, and settled on the farm on which Yillars' Chapel stands. He bought the farm of Oliver Whitaker, Sr. He was a wagon- maker by trade and kept a tavern for many years; he had twelve children by his first wife, who died in 1825. In the year 1826, he married Rebecca Dalby; by this wife he had six children, one of whom died in childhood. Mr. Smith died in 1838, leaving a large family, all of whom married and nearly all raised large families. The only members of this extensive family now remaining in Vernon Township are Lois, wife of David S. Austin, and Jane, wife of James A. Loeh.

Mr. Smith's second wife was the daughter of Abel Dalby, who emigrated from Bucks County, Penn., to this State in 1818, and settled on the farm afterward owned by Ezra Sewell. Mrs. Rebecca Smith died December 18, 1874, in the eighty-first year of her age. Mrs. Smith was a remarkable woman. Left a widow with a large family of her own, and step-mother to a still larger family, she did her whole duty in this trying situation, and has been pointed out as a model step-mother. My pen fails to give an adequate description of her many virtues.

James Marshall came to Vernon and first lived on the Sewell land near where Samuel Kizer now lives; he came from Ireland. Two of the older sons, Thomas and William, were with Gen. St. Clair an<J Gen. Wayne. Thomas never returned, but William came back safely. He afterward fought a duel in Kentucky, killing his man. Anna, one of the daughters, married Eber Homan and lived nearly all her life in Vernon Township. They raised a large family. The boys were gamey, active fellows, ever ready for a fight or a frolic. Only one, the youngest son, John, lives in Vernon Township; he lives on the farm adjoining that where his father lived. George, the youngest son of . James Marshall, married Miriam McGee, and lived in Vernon Township until his death, in 1881.

Ezekiel Cast, one of the early settlers of Vernon, lived on a farm now owned by E. H. Villars. We have failed to get data for a sketch of this old pioneer, but will give his family as nearly as we can-. Mr. Cast raised a large family, several of his descendants still living in Vernon Township. The boys were Horatio, Aquilla and Isaac. Of the girls, one married Caleb Smith, one Abner Smith, one John Berkley and one Firman Casto. All of these men have been prominent and well-known men in Vernon Township. Caleb Smith lived for many years on a farm near Clarksville, now owned by William Scofield; he raised a large family, moved to Clarksville after his family had all left him. Abner Smith lived for many years near Morrisville, in this county. He was a son of Ephraim Smith, one of the early settlers. John Barkley lived for many years and died on a farm in Warren County, near Spring Hill. Firman Casto lived for many years on the farm where C. P. Richardson now lives; he moved to McDonough County, 111., and is still living; he had a large family, several of whom died of cholera in the year 1852.

Thomas Harden, an early settler of Vernon Township, some of whose descendants still live in Vernon, settled near where the brick-kiln is, in Villars' field; he was a soldier of the Revolutionary war. While in the war, he was made prisoner and was confined in an upper story of a building in Philadelphia, from which he made his escape by sliding down a rope, holding the rope in his hands, the friction burning and searing his hands so that he carried the marks to his grave. His sons were John, Samuel and Thompson. Samuel married a daughter of Judge Peter Burr. The issue of this marriage was one son, Peter, an eccentric character.

Rev. David S. Austin is a son of William and Elizabeth Austin, and was born on the farm where he now lives Juno 3, 1816; he was the youngest of seven brothers. There on the old farm, with its hills, bottom land and Cowan's Creek flowing through it, his early boyhood days were spent; in fact, all his days were Bpent there, never having been absent more than a month at a time during his whole life. In the winter of 1822, when Mr. Austin was six years old, he was sent to school for the first time, to John Villars, in a log schoolhouse near whore Mt. Pleasant now stands. The schoolhouse had a fireplace in each end large enough to take in wood eight feet long. A log was cut out of each side and greased paper put over the aperture for windows. He next attended school at Hopewell Schoolhouse, or " the frame," as it was called. The house stood on the opposite side of the road from where the present building stands, on the lands of M. E. Harden. Caleb Smith was the teacher. In the summer of 1825, a schoolhouse was built on lands of O. Whitaker, now owned by Abigail Kibbey. Caleb Smith taught in this house four terms, and Mr. Austin attended. The only books he had to use were the old elementary spelling-book, the Old and New Testaments and Pike's Arithmetic. Mr. Austin worked on a farm, going to school about two and a half months in the year, until he was sixteen years old. The last school was on Wilson's Branch, where he had to go three miles, and he says he was often there by sunrise. His school days then closed, and in that time he had learned to read, write, spell and cipher through Pike's Arithmetic. After this, Mr. Austin bought a geography and Kirkham's Grammar, and studied when he had Bpare time; instead of attending places of amusement, he spent his leisure time in reading good books, and especially the Bible. On his father's farm he learned to work, and the kind of work necessary at that day embraced a great many kinds not required now - dressing flax, etc.; he had reaped with a sickle as many as eighteen days in one harvest, made rails and learned to take care of all kinds of stock. In 1838, he married Sarah R. Woodmansee, who died in 1848, leaving four children - (one died in infancy) John Wesley, Samuel Milton and Sarah R. In 1850, he was married to Lois Smith; by his last marriage, he has eight children, four boys and four girls. Mr. Austin has been a farmer all his life. In 1843, his father deeded him about 200 acres of land, nearly half of it being swamp; he gave his note for half of it, payable at his father's death, but he paid the interest annually. Since his father's death, he has paid more than $12,000 for land, besides his first purchase. Mr. Austin owes his success as a farmer to the observance of the following rules, which he kindly gave me, viz., close attention to business; seeing that work was done at the proper time and in good order; fences kept up and all kinds of farming implements kept dry when not in ubo; by perseverance in business, not changing from one thing to another; by using economy, not going in debt beyond his ability to pay; not buying anything he did not need because it was cheap, and not going beyond his means in buying to keep up with the fashions or be like other people; by always buying the most substantial things and keeping the best of help on the farm.

Mr. Austin has spared no pains in the education of his sons and daughters; he was taught in early life to love and serve God, and, in September, 1826, in company with Mrs. James Villars, then unmarried, Maria Elzey and Susan Lewis, he joined the M. E. Church at Mt. Pleasant, where he has held his membership ever since. We quote from his letter: "I did not enter into the full enjoyment of religion until my nineteenth year. At a camp-meeting on the Jenks farm, I was brought fully into the liberty of God's children." At that meeting, he offered his first public prayer. The next year, he was leader of the society then meeting at Cuba. From that time until 1843, he labored as an exhorter. At that time, he received license to preach. He has labored diligently in the southern part of Clinton County and has often preached at Spring Hill, Rochester and other places until his health failed. The whole time which he has been officially connected with the church is fifty-six years. Mr. Austin never was an office-seeker in church or public affairs; he was ready to serve the public when elected to office, as a duty. In this sketch we present a life worthy of imitation, diligent and prosperous in business, adding to his ! property by economy and honest and manly labor, tilling the soil, getting nothing by speculation or by any illegitimate means, wronging no man out of a dollar; he did hiB whole duty as he understood his duty to be, to his county, his township, his neighbors and his God : economical and careful without being penurious; diligent in his business without being a slave to business; his religious life has been such that no scoffer can point to him and say religion is a failure. After a busy and useful life, he has settled down to enjoy life's sunset in peace and quiet, surrounded by his family.

Aaron R. Sewell was born in Yernon Township, near where C. L. Sewell now lives, in 1811; he is the youngest Bon of Judge Sewell, one of the first three settlers of Yernon Township. Aaron R. had three brothers older than himself - Ezra, David A. and John, and is of an entirely different disposition from his brothers; he did not take very kindly to hard work while young, but had a taste for books and public business; he attended school while very young at an old log cabin on the farm now belonging to Mary Fordyce, used as a school - house, and when a young man taught school at various places in the township. There are several men of over fifty years of age living in this township who were his pupils at an early day. When quite a young man, he was elected Justice of the Peace. The office was at that time of great importance, and was generally bestowed upon elderly men and the most substantial citizens. As early as 1835, he was Township Clerk, and the books he kept would do no discredit to any of the Clerks of the present day; he served three years as County Commissioner, being elected in 1862; in 1853, he was Real Estate Assessor in a district composed of Vernon, Adams, Washington and Marion, making the first plats of the farms by surveys found in the Auditor's office. Mr. Sewell has little taste for financial matters, and cared little for the accumulation of property, though he has been able to add to the original amount of land given him to the extent of about 200 acres. He has been twice married; his first wife was Lydia J. Stansbury, by whom he had seven children, three of whom are still living; his present wife was Mary M. Lazenby, by whom he has six children, four still living. Mr. Sewell has always lived on a farm, though he has little love for the occupation; he would have made an excellent lawyer or a good public officer in almost any capacity where honesty and ability are required; he is not a member of any church; his integrity is unquestioned; his moral character pure and unblemished; he lives near Clarksville, in this township; is at present Justice of the Peace; he has always been a strong, rugged man, and has generally enjoyed good health; he iB now seventy-one years old, but gives promise of being spared to many years of usefulness yet to come.

The first boundaries of Vernon Township included all the territory south of Lytle's Creek and south of a line from the mouth of Lytle's Creek to the Warren County line, and extending east to the old line of Warren in the line of Richland Township. The township was organized in 1810. The records of the township from its organization to 1826 are lost, and all we can get relating to its early officers during that time has been gathered by fragments from other sources.

David Sewell was the first Justice of the Peace. Tho first order allowed by the County Commissioners was Order No. 7, to Elisha Cast, July 18, 1810; amount, $14.50, " for sitting as Judge of Election, delivering poll books and for assessing the township and making returns of tho assessment." An order was allowed William Jones, amount $1, for return of poll book of an election held April 21, 1810. October 17, 1810, Daniel Bails received an order for $3.75 for five wolf scalps six months old. An order for $1 was allowed John Sewell for Judge of Election in October, 1810. Also, Benjamin Smalley received $1 as Judge of Election in April, 1810. We judge from these orders that Elisha Oast, John Sewell and Benjamin Smalley were the first Trustees of Vernon Township, and that Aaron Sewell was the first Township Clerk. Peter Burr and Isaac Rea, or Reed, also received orders as Clerks of Elections held in Vernon Township in 1810. June 10, 1811, John Berkley was paid $11.25 for listing the township of Vernon and making return of the duplicate. In 1811, John Sewell, Benjamin Smalley and James McManis were Judges, and Aaron Sewell and John Mitchell were Clerks. In Decebaber, 1811, " Benjamin Smalley was Viewer of a road beginning at John Berkley's, running past Smalley's mill and intersecting the State road at Oliver Whitaker's, where said road crosses the old road leading to the Wilson settlement." In 1811, John Berkley was Lister of Vernon Township, and was allowed $7. At this time, Daniel and Jacob Bails were doing quite a business in wolf scalps, receiving $1 each for wolves over six months old and some less where six months or less. David Ferris was appraiser of houses in Vernon Township in 1811. In 1812, John Mitchell, Benjamin Smalley and John Sewell were Trustees, and Aaron Sewell, Clerk Jonathan Lawrence, Samuel Cox and Thomas Austin were Judges of the Election in 1812. In 1813, William Biggs, John Sewell and Benjamin Smalley were Trustees; Aaron Sewell, Clerk, and Josiah Biggs, Lister. In 1814, Thomas Austin, William Johns and Ezekiel Cast, Judges or Trustees, and Aaron Sewell and Oliver Whitaker, Clerks; Josiah Biggs, Lister. In 1813, the townships of Union and Greene were laid off, and the boundaries of Vernon were changed. It embraced all the territory on the north side of the State road from Wilmington to Lebanon, following said road to the Union Township line; thence with the Union Township line eight miles to the corner of Union; thence east three and a half miles to Enos Clevenger's lane, in the old Warren County line.

From the year 1826, the records of Vernon Township as regards township officers and receipts and expenditures have been well preserved. The first election we have a full record of was held April 3, 1826, at the house of Josiah Biggs (the Morgan House, Villars' Chapel), and the following officers were elected: Trustees, Jonathan Tribbey, Josiah Biggs and John Saulsbury; Clerk, Uriah Biggs; Treasurer, Horatio Cast; Constables, Jacob Garrison, Joseph Blancett; Overseers of the Poor, Horatio Cast, Jacob Garrison; Fence Viewers, John Morrison, William Crosson. Horatio Cast and Jacob Garrison refusing to serve as Overseers of the Poor, William Austin and Ezekiel Cast were appointed. The Supervisors elected were John Hadley, George Liston, John Smalley, Ephraim Smith, John Doughty, James Harris, Leaven Elzey, David Wright, John Stevens and Benjamin Daniels. Uriah Biggs was qualified by Asahel Tribbey, Esq. At a meeting of the Trustees in August, 1826, they proceeded to lay off the township into school districts agreeably to the fourth section of an act entitled "An act to provide for the support and better regulation of common schools,'' passed February 5, 1825. The districts as laid off were of immense Bize. The country was sparsely settled and every one could not have a schoolhouse at his own door. For example, what is now No. 4 - Hopewell: The Sewell Schoolhouse extended from Jonathan Lawrence's (Sever's) to William Austin's (Mt. Pleasant), and from Ditto's (Batten's) to Nicholas Burns' (Second Creek, we believe). For the purpose of comparison and to show how we have improved in the art of spending money, the Clerk's statement for 1825 is given in full:

Receipts

At this time, Vernon Township included part of Adams, Clark (or the greater part of what is now Clark), Jefferson and Marion Townships, also part of Washington, and enumerated 283 householders for school purposes.

The spring election of 1827 resulted in the election of the following officers: Clerk, Nugent Ward; Treasurer, Ephraim Smith; Trustees, Jonathan

Tribbey, Melzar Stearns, Jonathan Lawrence ; Constables, Jacob Garrison, John Stewart; Overseers of the Poor, Aaron Sewell, William Hadley; Fence Viewers, Joseph Hale, Reuben Gillis.

Jeremiah Rowan was elected Justice of the Peace April 2, 1827. The three Justices at that time were James Harris, Asahel Tribbey and Jeremiah Rowan. May 28, 1827, the Trustees levied a tax of three-eighths of a mill on the dollar, for township purposes, and one- fourth of a mill for the support of the poor, and issued an order to the County Auditor to cause the same to be assessed. In settlement with the Treasurer, there was a balance in the treasury of township fund, .15 cents; poor fund, $14.37.

In 1828, same officers elected except Thomas Woodmansee, Trustee in place of Melzar Stearns; Jonathan Baldwin and Nathan Beals, Fence Viewers; and Firman Casto, Treasurer. The election was held at the house of William Cook (now J. H. Floyd).

You are hereby commanded to warn Eleanor Wiley to depart and leave the township, and of this writ make legal service and due return as the law directs. Given under our hands and seals this lltli day of April, 1828. Aaron Sewell,

This looks to us as a pretty severe way to deal with paupers, but it may prove more effective than the plan adopted by some of the Trustees of the present day - a plan which encourages paupers to locate in a township where they will be well fed, well " doctored," and have plenty of whisky and tobacco as luxuries. \

The receipts for the year ending March 2, 1829, were $50.71. Of this, $36.21 was received of Daniel Radcliffe, County Treasurer. The expenditures for the same year were $49.93.

In 1829, Eli Helmick, John Yillars and David Fisher were Trustees; Nugent Ward, Clerk; Firman Casto, Treasurer; Isaac Tyson and John Stewart, Constables; James Morrow and David Hadley, Overseers of the Poor; Benjamin Ross and Joseph Burnett, Fence Viewers. This election was held at the house of Lemuel Garrison. In the year 1829, David A. Sewell gave bond unto William Cook, Ephraim Smith and James Dalby, Directors of School District No. 2, as Treasurer of said district. During that year, the districts were again changed, and the enumeration of householders was 284. In March, 1830, three paupers were warned by the Constable to depart the township, by order of James Morrow and David Hadley, Overseers of the Poor. In 1830, Nugent Ward, still Clerk; Trustees, Eli Helmick, James Villars, John Mitchell; Treasurer, Firman Casto, Constables, William Thompson and John Stewart; Fence Viewers, Amos T. Davis and Moses Tullis.

In 1835 - Allowed Alexander S. Black $9 for supporting a pauper; and Dr. John Gardner, $3 for professional attendance upon a pauper - which is the first bill paid a doctor for attendance on a pauper. How this method of spending public money has grown, and what immense proportions it has assumed at the present time, will be seen by the Clerk's statement for the year 1880.

We find recorded, in 1835, an article of agreement between William Austin and Joseph Miller, whereby Alexander S. Austin was apprenticed to Joseph H. Miller to learn "the art or business of salesman or clerk in a store. "

Clerk, A. R. Sewell; Trustees, Samuel S. Austin, William West and David A. Sewell; Treasurer, Ephraim Smith, Jr.; Constables, James Marshall and Alfred Cast; Overseers of the Poor, Aaron Sewell and Eli Hale; Fence Viewers, James A. Cook, Samuel T. Louden and John Thomas.

The cause of this great increase of expenditures is the fund raised and expended by the Supervisors on the roads, the Trustees receiving $3, $2.25 and $2.25 respectively; Clerk, $7; Constable, $3.87J; Treasurer, $1.12^.

From the year 1836 to 1862, the records are lost. We find in the year 1862 that William Carson, J. W. Warner and W. B. Smith were Trustees; W. H. Gardner, Clerk; J. W. Compton, Assessor; Albert Parker, Treasurer; and John Dempsy, Constable.

By this statement, the affairs of the township financially have not yet assumed that financial importance which characterizes it at present.

In 1863, same township officers elected. At a special election in 1863, Jonathan Lawrence was elected Justice of the Peace of Vernon Township.

July 9, 1864, an election was held to fill the vacancy caused by the expiration of the term of J. W. Compton, Justice of the Peace. W. H. Gardner was elected. Mr. Gardner refused to serve, and another election was held in October, 1864, to fill the vacancy. The vote on this occasion shows that this election to fill this very important office was little more than a burlesque. The vote is as follows: James H. Bird, seventy-four votes; D. P. Me Kinsey,

In 1865, J. W. Warner, W. B. Smith, Joseph McCray, were Trustees; W. M. Reeder, Clerk; J. W. Compton, Assessor; Milton Smith, Constable ; James Linton, Treasurer.

In 1866, W. B. Smith, James E. Muroeh, S. S. Austin, Trustees; W. M. Reeder, Clerk; J. Lawrence, Assessor; James Linton, Treasurer; John Dempsy, Constable. April 7, 1866, A. R. Sewell was elected Justice of the

In 1869 - Trustees, W. B. Smith, John Sewell, C. C. Miller; Clerk, E. B. Howland; Constable, A. D. Williams; Assessor, J. W. Compton; Treasurer, James Linton. I. M. Stabler was elected Justice of the Peace.

At the annual election held April 5, 1875, the question was submitted to the voters of the township whether a special tax be levied for township house, and resulted as follows: Township house - Yes, 162 votes; no, 111 votes. A

The following report was made to the County Auditor September 6, 1880, of the disposition of the poor funds for the year ending September 6 1880: Aggregate paid physicians, $440.50; for food, etc., $3.01; to Trustees, administration of poor funds, $37.50; total, $481.01.

The War

The history of Yernon Township does not differ from that of other townships in war times. Yernon was ever ready, and promptly furnished her quota of men at every call. The stay-at-home patriots made louder professions of loyalty than the brave boys who were risking their lives far from home. The first mau who volunteered in Yernon was John Dakin. The first soldier boy killed from Vernon was Isaac Sewell, of the Twelfth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In the lonely chapparal of West Virginia, the bullet of the bushwhacker pierced his breast. Without a moment's warning, with no farewell to his comrades or his friends at home, he met his fate like a brave man, and his bones lie near where he fell.

There is nothing, probably, that presents a greater contrast than the roads of early times and those of the present, and the vehicles used. In tli9 very early times, there were no public roads, and each settler was obliged to cut his road from the older settlements to his dwelling. As was the case with a good many of the early settlers, they did not need much of a road - sometimes just a path in which a horse could travel and footmen would not miss their way. We find by the early records that about the same system of keeping the roads in repair (?) was in vogue in early times as at present, viz., the division of the township into road districts, and the election of a Supervisor for each road district by the qualified voters of the district. In early times, when labor on the highways was a public necessity, and when the people had to depend on their own individual labor to make the roads barely passable, the system was good; but now, when all our principal roads are free pikes, and the people are taxed by county and township to repair roads, it is time the old system was abolished. In early times, with such men as John Hadley, Joshua Lazenby, Ephraim Smith, and men of that kind, as Supervisors, it was considered a disgrace to evade or try to shirk road work; but now there are many who are never ready to work or pay, and, if they pretend to work, it is more of a holiday affair than a public benefit.

The corduroy road, or causeway of logs, was the first method of road work after cutting down and clearing timber from the road-bed. The log or causeway system of road-making, in regions where the soil is wet and timber abundant on the spot, and only costing the cutting, in places where drainage among the green roots was too expensive, was a very effective way of fixing bad places. Passing over some of these causeways is at times more serious than amusing; where the logs are of unequal sizes, and one of six inches in diameter is placed beside one of twenty-four inches, the transit from one to the other in a vehicle without springs is by no means agreeable. The first road laid out in Yernon Township is what is known as the College Township road, and two important points in said road in Clinton County were the Sewell settlement and Morgan Yan Meter's house, at what is now Snow Hill. It has been so changed by use, trying to avoid the bad places, as to be scarcely recognizable from the original field notes. The most of the old roads are unrecognizable now from early notes by any except the oldest inhabitants. For instance, in 1811, a road was laid out "beginning at John Berkley's, past Smalley's mill, and intersecting the State road at O. Whitaker's, where said road crosses the old road leading to the Wilson settlement." The Columbus & Cincinnati State road, crossing

(Sever's) to Clarksville was laid out in 1886. There have been numerous changes and road alterations, and new county and township roads from time to time, but it is presumed that a description of each will not be of enough importance or interest to be entitled to space in this article.

The first pike passing through this township was the Goshen & Wilmington Turnpike. It was built by a company, about the year 1840, of broken stone principally, and was kept up as a toll-pike until 1880, when the Commissioners of Clinton County bought the road and proceeded to improve it under the road improvement law. In the years 1869 and 1870, the College Township road, from Clarksville to Cuba, was piked under an act passed in 1867, entitled, "An Act to authorize County Commissioners to construct roads on petitions," etc. P. Clevenger was the appointed engineer, John C. Batten, contractor; but the work on that portion in Vernon Township was superintended by C. L. Sewell, assistant engineer. The road-bed was made twenty feet on top, thirty-four feet at base, and two feet high from bottom of side drains; whole width from outside drains, about forty feet. The road-bed waB covered with gravel twelve feet wide and sixteen and one-fourth inches deep.

Chester to the Brown County line was piked under the same law; C. L. Sewell, engineer. The road-bed was twenty-two feet on top, thirty-two feet at base, and forty feet from out to out. This was graveled on the end next to Yillars' Chapel, twelve feet wide and twelve inches deep. In 1880, the Goshen & Wilmington toll pike was purchased by the County Commissioners and improved, making it a free pike. In the same year (1880), the road leading from the Goshen & Wilmington pike, near Clarksville, past the mill to the Warren County line, in the direction of Harveysburg, was piked; John Harvey, engineer. This road crosses the fine bottom lands of M. P. Marshall, of Kentucky. During freshets, the waters of Todd'B Fork have always crossed these bottoms at two or three points near the mill. Harvey endeavored to hold this surplus water and keep it from crossing the bottom by throwing up a high grade at these points, and therby making a level grade from the bridge to the mill. The earth, sand and gravel of which the grade was made was nearly all taken from the lower side, scooping out holes in some places tenor twelve feel. deep. Twenty-inch tile was put in at three places in the grade to carry off surplus water. This fancy road did well until the floods came in the spring of 1882. The grade held the water until the large bottom field was one sheet of water, forcing a greater amount of water through the bridge, and nearly drowning out the inhabitants of Bucktown, a suburb of Clarksville, when it broke over, sweeping the sand composing the grade off clean, scooping out deep holes on the lower side and utterly ruining the road at several places.

In early times, there were no pleasure wagons and carriages used. When the family went visiting, it was either on foot, horseback, or, at best, in a big wagon. The sounds of the old wagon bumping over the causeways, and the yells of the driver as he urged his horses forward, are no longer heard.

In early times, there were no public schools, but the people kept up, as well as the sparsely populated country could afford, private or subscription.

The first school taught in Vernon Township was in a log cabin, on lands now owned by Mary Fordyce, in 1811 or 1812; Levi Garretson, teacher. The first division of the township into school districts was in August, 1826, by the Trustees of the township, agreeably to the fourth section of an act entitled, " An act to provide for the support and better regulation of common schools."