Coshocton County, Ohio - Chapter 60: Mill Oeeek Township, 1881

MILL CREEK TOWNSHIP lies in the northern tier of townships and is bounded as follows r On the north by Mechanic township. Holmes county ; on the east by Crawford township. On the south by Keene, and on the west by Clark. Its name is derived from the principal stream within its limits, which enters near the northeastern corner, amd, pursuing an almost direct course, passes into Keene township, near the middle of the southern line. Several small branches unite with it in this township, and two or three others, flowing in a nearly parallel course with it, meet it in Keene. Walnut run, in the northern part of the township, flows northwesterly and reaches Doughty's fork in Holmes county. Narrow valleys border the streams, but beyond these the land is hilly throughout.

It was organized in July, 1817, and the first election of officers was held at the house of John P. Wilson, on the northeast quarter of section 21, near the southeastern corner of the township. This was then a central location, for in Mill Creek was originally embraced Crawford, White Eyes, and Keene townships. As it exists to-day, it is the seventh township in the sixth range of the United States military district, and should be five miles square in area, but, owing to an imperfection in the original survey, it lacks nearly a half mile of the requisite width. The first, second and fourth quarters consist of congress land, and were surveyed in 1803 by Ebenezer Buckingham. The third or southwest quarter is a military section, and was surveyed into thirtyfour 100-acre lots, by William Cutbush, in 1808. Had the quarter been of full size, there would have been forty instead of thirty-four lots.

As the early records v are lost, the first officerscan not be given. Henry Grim, however, was the first justice of the peace, and Moses Thompson the first clerk. Philip Fernsler, who lived in what is now Crawford township, was at the same time elected to some minor ofiice, but when called upon to appear before the justice and be sworn in, refused to do so on conscientious principles. Eat&er than violate his conscience he paid the fine of two dollars which the law imposed upon a citizen for refusing to perform the duties of an office to which he was elected.

Richard Babcock, in 1812, settled with his family upon the southeast quarter of section 18, and by so doing became the earliest settler in the township. For three years he was the only settler. He was originally from, Vermont, but had come to this place directly from Harrison county. He was a successful hunter, and made a good selection of land for his future home, for the quarter is not excelled in the entire township. A trail leading up Mill creek, past his cabin, to the Carpenter settlement on Doughty's fork, in Holmes county, was for some time the only public way in the township. It ^was afterward replaced by a wagon road.

In the fall of 1816, while M*r. Babcock was yet the sole white occupant of the township, a band of wandering Indians encamped a short distance southeast of his land and made serious inroads upon his field of ripening corn, notwithstanding his remonstrances. Mr. Babcock, single-handed, was no match for the aggressors, and conveyed intelligence to the scattering settlers about Coshocton, requesting assistance to drive the base intruders from the neighborhood. Accordingly, twelve men started from the river for Babcock's place, with this express purpose, but when they reached it, the Indians had flown, never to return. They had probably been apprised through some source of the intended attack and, seizing time by the forelock, departed for regions unknown. Mr. Babcock was killed by a runaway team, about 1823. His widow died a few years later. His youngest son remained upon the home farm until his death, in 1874. His grandson, Daniel Babcock, now lives upon the place.

The second settler was Solomon Vail, who in 1815 entered and removed to the northeast quarter of section 23, from what is now the John Lemmon place, in the northeast corner of Tuscarawas township, where he had been living for some time with his father, John Vail. The family had come to this county from Youngstown, Mahoning county. Mr. Vail, in after years, removed with a large family to the western part of Illinois, where he died.

Moses Thompson was the third settler, coming into the township with his family March 27, 1816. He was of Irish birth and had been living in Jefferson dounty. In the fall of 1815 he removed to this county. He found a temporary habitation near the Tuscarawas river in the cabin of Robert Culbertson, who had died in 1815. During the winter he prepared the timber and with the assistance of the settlers gathered far and near reared his backwoods cabin on the northwest quarter of section 22. Here he remained until his death, which occurred in 1862. His wife had died in 1822. His son S. T. Thompson resided on the home farm for many years, but within a few years removed to Keene township, where he now resides.

settled upon the northeast quarter of section 22. He was born in New Jersey and at the age of sixteen ran away from home. He eventually made his way to Harrison county and from there here. He was a man of little education but was well liked by his neighbors. His father, years afterward, came out and lived with him. Both died on the home place. Joseph Beach, a son-in-law -of Thomas Moore came to the township with him and lived upon the same quarter. Henry Grim in 1817 settled upon the southwest quarter of section 21. He was of German extraction and a few years before had been living in Perry township. He afterwards became an associate judge of this Prom this place he removed to Owen -county, Indiana. John P. Wilson in the same year settled upon the northeast quarter of section He had married a sister of Solomon Vail and like him had come from Mahoning county. He first took a lease upon the McGuire tract in Lafayette township, where he accumulated a little money with which to enter his quarter. He afterward moved to Wells county, Indiana. About this time James Osborn, a New Englander, made 'his appearance in the township. He had been living on the Tuscarawas river and' had there married a Miss Cantwell. He bought ten acres ftom Solomon Vail and remained here but a short time, removing to Keene township. He was a ready workman and could make himself useful in almost any kind of employment. Prom Keene township he emigrated to Texas. William Willis in 1817 settled upon the southwest -quarter of section 12.

A little later, Luke Tipton and his two sons, Luke and Thomas, settled upon the southeast -quarter of section 8. They were originally from Maryland, but had come to this place from Jefi'er- -son county. Mr. Tipton had been a soldier of the revolutionary war, and was an excentric character, very credulous in his disposition. He went to Holmes county and afterward to Tennessee, where he died.

John Williams, Sr., a brother of Charles Williams of Qoshocton, settled upon the northwest -quarter of section 19, in 1817 or 1818. He was in the revolutionary war, and at its close settled near Wheeling. He was also in the Moravian -and the Coshocton campaigns. He removed to

Coshocton about 1812. Prom Mill creek, he removed to Keene township where he died in 1833, when about eighty years of age. He was a good man and highly esteemed by his acquaintances. '

Among the earliest settlers on the military section were William Baldwin, Samuel Bice, Prederick Bentley, Charles Elliott, Amos Smith and Benjamin Workman. Mr. Baldwin was from New England and c^me about 1820 or earlier, settling on lot 9. He was an enterprising man and accumulated considerable property. Mrs. Baldwin was a cultivated lady and instituted the first singing school hereabouts. Samuel Bice, occupying lot 20, was here perhaps a little earlier, He died early in life, and the family soon disap- ' peared from the township. Predereck Bentley owned lot 13. Two brothers also lived here for a while, but all moved West, Frederick going to Illinois. Charles Elliott lived upon lot 2, which was owned by his brother Aaron. He afterward moved to Clark township. Amos Smith settled upon lot 5 about 1818 and died not many years thereafter. Benjamin Workman was from Virginia, and owned lots 26 and 27.

Other settlers who were in the township about or before 1820, were Daniel Weaver, who settled upon the northeast quarter of section 3; John Stonehocker, the northwest quarter of section 19 (he died on the place several years later); Amos Purdy, a New Englander, who afterward moved, farther west, the northwest quarter of section 13; Henry and Adam Lowe, the former owning the west half, the latter the east half, of section 4; and Peter HarbAugh, the northwest quarter of section 2. John Mitchell, about the same time, settled upon the northwest quarter of section 21. He was from Jefferson county, and became a respected and prominent citizen of the township, serving as county commissioner from 1829 to 1832. He lived on the place he first occupied till his decease. Peter Sheplar, from Harrison county, about 1821, settled in the eastern part of section 8. He removed to Missouri, but returned to this township and died here. William Baird, from Jefferson county, and John Dickey, a brother-inlaw to Mr. Stonehocker, came in about the same time.

stature and strength, 'and extremely fond of hunting. He ^ore the usual hunter's garb, the skins of wild animals, and with his large fox-skin cap presented quite- a formidable appearance. He was, however, kind-hearted as a child, and would never knowingly injure any one. When his rifle would bring down a deer it is related that he was accustomed to swing the game across his shoulders and continue the hunt till he had shot another. He would then fasten one to each end of a short pole, and with ease bear it home on his shoulder.

The earliest settlers were chiefly from New England, many of them having sojourned for a while in the eastern counties of the State. Later, a German emigration to the township set in, and this pfeople now forms the predominating element. In 1830 the population was 587 ; ten years later it was larger- than it has been at any time since, 907; in 1850 it was 872; in 1860, 688; in 1870, still further reduced, to 586. The present tendency is again upward, the recent census accrediting the township with 626 inhabitants.

It is distinctly a rural district, as a town lot has never been surveyed within its limits. The nearest approach to a village is a solitary country store and postoflfice, called Mound, in the southeastern part of the township. The store was started by Daniel Babcock, in the spring of 1880, and the office established a little later. ' It is only an accommodation or branch office, however, the postmaster, Mr. Babcock, bringing the mail from Keene once a week, on Saturdays. Many years ago a postoffice known as Mill Creek, was kept for a while in the western part of the township, by Jesse Patterson. It was then removed to Bloomfield. A Mr. Bennett provided " private entertainment," as the sign read, for the public, on lot 7, a long time ago, and was succeeded in this capacity for a few years by Mr. Patterson.

The first corn-grinding done in the township was done in a little hand-mill which Solomon Vail was fortunate enough to possess. Not satisfied with this, he determined to build a powermill, and with the assistance of his brother-inlaw, Benjamin Firbee, accomplished the undertaking. It was a rude affair, capable of grinding nothing but corn. Thomas Elliott kindly consented to bring the stones for the mill from Mansfield, and for his services was rewarded with a pair of "wedding shoes" which Mr. Vail, who was a "jack of all trades," fashioned for him. The water soon washed around the dam, arid Mr.. Vail afterwards built a larger mill a little farther down the stream - Mill creek. This latter one could grind wheat, but the flour must be bolted by hand at a separate mill. After this mill had subserved its intended use, it was replaced by a saw-mill which did not remain long in operation.. Eli Steele erected a mill more than thirty yearsago, on the southeast quarter of section 9. Hesold it to A. Crawford, arid it has long sinceceased to exist.

Concerning the distillation of spirits, it may be said that Foster & Young, and afterward Moses Thompson, were engaged in the business for a short time. Mr. Hartman ran a tannery for su while on the southwest quarter of section 13.

The first school in the township was taught by David Grim, the son of Henry Grim, in 1816 or 1817, on the John Williams place. Mr. Williams had built his cabin in the fall, but did not intend to occupy it till the following spring, and allowed the school to be held in it during the winter. By the next fall he had a double cabin erected and the school was continued another term in one of these. Mr. Grim taught both terms. Hewas a paralytic cripple, unable to perform thesturdy labor of pioneer life, and had attempted to gain a livelihood by teaching. He died soon after. Then there was no school in the township for years, till the country became more thickly settled. John Mitchell was among the next teachers.

At present there are regular services in only one church in the township - Elliott's chapel, a Methodist Episcopal church, located near thenorthwest corner of lot 28, in the southwestern part of the township. This meeting-house waserected in 1861, and dedicated in April, 1862, by G. W. Breckenridge, then the presiding elder of the circuit. It was built by John Elliott', is a frame about twenty-four by thirty-eight in size, and cost about |500. George EUiott, Samuel Elliott and Albert Seward were the most influential members. Rev. E. H. Dissette is the pastor at.

present. The membership, owing to removals, .and the organization of the church at Bloomfield, lias been greatly reduced and is now very weak numerically.

Preaching had been held in this neighborhood from a very early date, more recently at George Elliott's house, earlier in the school-house or wherever a suitable place could be obtained. An .appointment was made for services one Sunday -evening in the school-house.. The time arrived :and with it the preacher and his congregation, but the man in charge of the building came late "with fuel and candles, but by a strange oversight, I without fire. There were no matches, it was getting late, the night was very dark and the nearest Jiouse was a considerable distance away. Undaunted, the good brother decided to proceed with the services. Bidding the people iii attendance be seated, he found his way to thff pulpit, ascended it and delivered a sermon with great power and unction to his invisible hearers.

St. Mark's Parish of the Protestant Episcopal was organized at the dwelhng of Moses Thompson in 1823, Bishop Chase officiating. The principal original members were John Mitchell, Moses Thompson, James Foster, Alexander Scott, McCaskey and William Elliott. Services had been occasionally, held previously in the house and barn of William Elliott, of Keene township. The first church building was erected in the year 1824. It was built of hewed logs and without the aid of money, the members and neighbors giving labor instead. In 1859 the present church was built at a cost of $800. It is located in the northwestern part of section 22, on land donated by Moses Thompson. There have been no settled pastors, the church having been commonly supplied by professors and theological students from Kenyon College, Gambler. There are now no regular services. In 1825 or 1826, a Sunday-school was organized with Samuel Elliott as superintendent, and William Grim, assistant. It has been irregularly kept up since, though there is no school at present.

Elders Norris and Snow, pastors of the Disciple «hurch, began to preach in this vicinity nearly iifty years ago, in houses, barns, the woods or whatever accommodations for an audience might be obtained. Converts to the new faith began to increase, and, in 1848 or 1849, a house of worship was built near the northeast corner of the Babcock farm. Frederick Bentley, Luke Tipton, Sylvester Tipton, William Willis, Samuel Morrison, from Holmes county, and others early identified themselves with this church, and it at one time possessed considerable strength. ' Not long after the erection of the church, however, it began to decline, owing to the emigration of its members from the county, and in a few years the organization expired. The building is still standing and is occupied as a dwelling house.