Delaware County, Ohio - Chapter 23, 1880

And Schools

' ' So centuries passed by, and still the woods Blossomed in spring, and reddened when the year Grew chill, and glistened in the frozen rains Of winter, till the white man swung the ax Within them - signal of a mighty change." - Bryant.

OXFORD, like some other political organizations that have passed into history, has had its rise and decline. Its earliest organization was a part of Marlborough and with it extended its authority to the lake shore. After some seven years of this subordinate rule, a petition was presented to the County Commissioners by John Shaw and others, praying foi: the erection of Oxford into a separate township, which was granted March 6, 1815, with boundaries as follows : " Beginning at the southeast corner of the sixth township, Range 18, United States military lands, and running thence north on the east line of Range 18 to the Indian boundary line ; thence westerly on said line to the east line of Range 19; thence south on said range line to the south line of the sixth township ; thence east on said line to the place of beginning." Three years later, all that part of Radnor Township which was situated due north of Oxford, and north of the Indian boundary line, was attached to this township. In 1822, on the formation of Westfield Township, Oxford furnished the territory, and in 1847, when Morrow County was formed, a strip one mile wide and five miles long was taken from the north side and added to Westfield Township. Oxford at present is five miles long east and west, and four miles wide north and south, and bounded on the north by Westfield, on the east by Perry, both townships in Morrow County; on the south by Brown, and on the west- by Troy and Marlborough. The surface of the township is generally level, though somewhat broken in the northwest corner along the Olentangy River which passes through that corner of the township. Along the west branch of Alum Creek, which passes almost the entire width of the township from north to south about a half a mile from the east end, the surface presents the same broken features. About the center of the township, the Basin Branch forms a junction with Alum Creek. This branch is large enough to run a saw-mill, and just at this point was the site of the first mill erected in the township. The soil is generally a low black loam, originally very wet, almost swampy, but by a regular system of drainage there is scarcely an acre in the township that has not been reduced to good tillable land. In the sections noted as rolling, the soil is principally clay, but well adapted to the products of this region and is profitable for farming purposes. The timber comprises the various oaks of this climate, hickory, ash, elm, and beech. There was formerly considerable walnut, but the demand for this timber and the consequent market for it has resulted in removing all of this kind, save here and there a solitary tree. An occasional sycamore of fine growth is found and finds a ready market. The farms have nearly all been well improved and are managed wiih all the advantages of improved tools and methods, and prove generally profitable to their owners. Corn is the chief product, and is raised in large quantities. Wheat is also a profitable crop here and a considerable amount of it is raised. A good deal of grain is shipped annually at this point, though perhaps not so large a quantity as formerly, the farmers of late turning their attention to stock-raising and consuming their grain at home. ' This is one of the best shipping points between Columbus and Cleveland.

The settlement of Oxford Township began nearly as early as any other part of the county, but it grew up very slowly for several years. In the year 1810, a settlement was begun in the northwest quarter of the township, around what is now known as Windsor's Corners. The first settler in this section was the father of Ezra and Comfort Olds, who built the first cabin, a log structure, twenty feet square. In the, fall of the same year, or perhaps the following spring, Henry Foust, a young unmarried man, settled on a farm a short distance east of the, Olds farm. He was married, in 1812, to Mary Olds, land lived on the place until 1878, clearing the forest by his own effort, and raising a large family. The youngest child, Albert, still lives on the homestead. Old Mr. Olds often related, during the latter part of his life, of his going to election in Oxford Township when there were but five voters, who appointed him the first juror from the township in the courts of Delaware County. Two years later, a young man by the name of William T. Sharp came as far as Norton, with Gen. Harrison's army. He was not a soldier, however, and liking the country, determined to make it his home. He lived for some time in the family of Henry Fotist, and later settled about a mile down the river, on the farm now owned by Albert Gillet. He raised a large family, the gentlemen of that name known in the county as stock-dealers being his sons. One of these, Samuel Gillet, lives within a few rods of the old homestead, and was, during the late war. Captain of Company D of the One Hundred and Twenty-first Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Among the first families who came here, but a few years later, was Aden Windsor, who settled on the farm at the corners. In the year 1832, he built a brick house on his farm, which was the first brick residence in the township, and it still stands a silent witness of the passing years. The owner of this residence lived but a few years to enjoy the comfort thus prepared, but the property is still in the hands of the family. About the time he erected the dwelling, Mr. Windsor put iip a frame barn, across the road from his house, and it still remains, though considerably the worse for the half-century's exposure to the elements, without the protection of paint. Soon after the war of 1812, David Kyrk came into this section. He was a soldier in that war, and still lives here, nearly ninety years old, on his original farm. He is one of the very few remaining pensioners of 1812. His has been a remarkable constitution, and after a long and active life, he has only recently become unable to walk from his farm to town, a distance of four miles.

In 1810, a settlement was begun in the southeast part of the township, known later as the Alum Creek District. Andrew Murphy, from Pennsylvania, was the first settler, but was joined, soon afterward, by James McWilliams, Hugh Waters, Henry Riley and Henry Wolf Some seven years later, that section of the township where Ashley has since risen was settled by Robert Brown, his farm occupying the southwest quarter of the village. His cabin home stood on the ground now occupied by the Ashley Hotel. In the following year, Ralph Slack came up from Berkshire and settled on the'- farm now occupied by the southeast part of the village. His cabin was built near the site of the residence of Bennett Brundige. About the same time, his brother, John Slack, settled on the farm next east, across Alum Creek, his house being near the present residence of Joseph Evans. Elijah Smith s*tled on the farm now owned by Howard Rogers, about 1815, and Calvin Cole settled, about the same time, on the farm next east of John Slack. In 1819, Adam Shoemaker settled a short distance north of the present village of Ashley, but moved, a few years later, to a point just east of the village. He had a large family of boys, who settled about him, so that at present there are more of his descendants living here than of any other of the early families. In 1823, Amos Spurgen settled on the farm now occupied by the northwest quarter of the village, and three years later, Thomas Barton settled on the farm next northwest of Ashley. The latter raised a large family, who remained here, and are now in possession of the original lands of their father.

Section 3, the southwest quarter of the township, was sold to John Eathbone, of New York. His patent was issued for 4,000 acres, and was signed by John Adams, President of the United States, May 3, 1800. This land was not brought into the market, however, until 1842, when it passed to his grandson, Hiram G. Andrews, of Delaware, who immediately put it up for sale. It was laid off into forty Sections of 100 acres each, and the first purchaser in the following year was GriflSth Thomas, and soon after, Evan McCreary bought a lot. Isaac Clark, George Houseworth and N. E. Gale were among the purchasers of this land, which sold at from $3 to |8 per acre. At this time, this land was heavily timbered, and much of it so wet that it was considered almost worthless ; for years this section was known as the " great south woods." To the early settlers the prospect must have been very discouraging, but, by great energy and industry, this section has become the abode of some of Oxford's most thrifty farmers. The lands are generally cleared, drained and in good condition for tilling, and the farms to be found here cannot be excelled in the county for their production of corn, wheat, pasture, stock, etc. The rude log cabins that sheltered the first owners have given way to

The early pioneers found this township a favorite hunting-ground of the Indians, and numerous parties of the Wyandots roamed through the forests in search of game. A well-beaten trail ran along the banks of Indian Run, by which they came from their reservation. They continued to make this tl^ir hunting-ground as late as 1815, when they began to be crowded out by the whites. After this, up to as late as 1820, an old chief of this tribe, called Scionto, came to the township trapping, and often made the residence of Joseph Cole, in the edge of Troy, his headquarters. The old chief became quite a favorite of the family, and was remarkable for his friendliness to all whites. Wolves and deer were found in abundance, and an occasional bear added to the sport of the huntsman. The wolves were especially bold and troublesome, and the settlers were obliged to build a protection for their stock.

The first election under its own auspices was held in Oxford at the house of Henry Foust, and later at the house of Elisha Bishop. In 1820, when James Madison was candidate a second time for the Presidency, an election was held here, at which David Elliott, John Shaw and Henry Poust were Judges. There were two Clerks, and beside the Board there were two votes cast. The first Justice of the Peace was Andrew Murphy, who was succeeded by Ezra Olds. The latter served for thirty years. The introduction of those pioneer industries which are found indispensable in isolated settlements, was quite late in Oxford. There were older settlements all about, and it was not until the people felt able to indulge in the luxury of a convenient mill, that such an enterprise found encouragement enough to start. It was not until 1832, that Milton Pierce and Henry Riley built the first saw-mill in the southeast part of the township, at the mouth of Basin Branch. Here it stood until age rendered it too infirm for service, when it was rebuilt by Lewis Powers. It still' stands, owned by Benjamin Martin, but has for the past few years been out of service. A grist-mill was built about the same time, a little further up the stream, by Hosea .Waters. The buhr-stones were made of large " nigger-head " bowlders, and were run by horse power. This was rather a slow way to jnake flour, but it proved a great improvement on the plan of going ten, fifteen or twenty miles to mill. A tannery was started by George Claypool in 1824, a few rods south of Windsor Corners. It afterward, passed into the hands of Jonas Foust, and at a still later day, into the possession of James J. Sherwood.

Another noticeable fact is the late date when the cabins began to be superseded by frame dwellings. It was not until 1840 that the first of these latter structures was erected for Henry Foust. A mechanic by the - name of Harkness did the work, and the lumber was procured at Joseph Cole's mill, in Troy Township. The building still stands, but forty years of exposure to sunshine and storm without the protection of paint, has given it an aged appearance.

The first death in the township was that of a child of Comfort. Olds, in the year 1812. No graveyard had yet been laid out in Oxford, and the interment was made in the cemetery at Norton, which was an older settlement. The grave was dug by Henry Foust. The first birth in the township was that of Job Foust.

Oxford has but one village, a flourishing little town of about eight hundred inhabitants, situated just north of the center of the township, on the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railway. The original name of' this village was Oxford, but was subsequently changed to Ashley. The ground was owned by L. W. Ashley and J. C. Avery, and was platted by them on June 15, 1849, the County Surveyor, Charles Neil, laying it off in sixty-nine inlote. On the 6th day of August, 1849, Henry Lamb and S. Finch made an addition of eighty-three inlots to the town, numbering from seventy to one hundred and fiftytwo, inclusive. June 18, 1850, J. C. Avery, S. Finch and Henry Lamb made an addition of fifteen inlots, from one hundred and fifty-threQ to one hundred and sixty-seven, inclusive. Two years later, Messrs. Lamb and Finch platted ten outlets, from A to K, inclusive, and, in 1860, L. W. Ashley added three more lots. Hugh Cole and John Doty made a small addition in 1877, making a total of 183 in and out lots. In May of the year succeeding the platting of the village, Lewis Purmort started a small grocery and dry-goods store on the Shoemaker farm, one-half mile east of Ashley. Later in the year, Aloy Patee built the present Ashley Hotel, and was its first proprietor. In the fall, Purmort moved his stock of goods into what is now the gentleman's sittingroom of the hotel. He remained here for about a year,, while he built a storeroom on Lot No. 33.

He moved into his new building and continued his (enterprise about three years, when he disposed of the business. Mr. Purmort has engaged in various enterprises and is still a resident of Ashley. In the spring of 1850, he and Milton Smith built a saw-mill on the railroad grounds for the company. In the following year, Hiram M. Shaffer built a frame storehouse on Inlot No. 69, and the firm of Miller & Mulford, of Mount Vernon, put in a stock of dry goods. About this time a post office was established here, and J. H. Miller, one of the above firm, was the first Postmaster. Before this, Westfield was the nearest place ^to get mail. In 1850, Adam Sherman built a small house on Lot No. 104, in which he started a saloon, and, in the same year, William B. Belknap built the first frame dwelling-house on Lot No. 29. The prospects of the viilaaie seemed flattering for a rapid and healthy growth, and enterprising men were eager to establish their business in the promising little town. Among the earliest firms were Robert Morrison and Stephen Morehouse, Jr., who erected a frame storehouse on Inlot No. 4, and put in a stock of dry goods. They continued the business but little over two years, when they sold out to J. S. Brumback, who carried on the business only a short time. A year or two after the laying-out of the village, Benjamin McMaster, Joseph Riley and Israel Potter erected a grain warehouse on Lot No. 72. In 1853, Mr. Mc- Master became sole proprietor, and carried on the grain business for a few years, when he sold out to Breeden & Place. Jesse Meredith built a grain warehouse on the railroad grounds, about the same time the other one was erected, and combined the grain business with the duties of station agent. The warehouse was used also as a freight depot. In the same year, Adam Sheririan built a store on Lot No. 7.3, and a Mr. Clark started a dry-goods store in it. The pioneer blacksmith-shop of the village was started in 1852, by A. B. Morehouse. A rake factory was started in a building erected for the purpose, by Purmort, Fitzgerald & Co., in 1853, but it only continued operations about a year. The Methodist Episcopal Church bought the building, and, moving it on to Lot No. 70, fitted up for a place of worship. This building is at present used as a private dwelling by T. Chapman.

On the 3d day of March, 1855, a petition, signed by some fifty residents of the village, was filed with the Auditor of Delaware County, praying for the incorporation of the village of Ashley.

At their June session, in 1855, the Board of Commissioners heard and granted the petition, and on the 30th day of the following August, 1855, the first election for officers was held at the schoolhouse. James Culbertson was elected Mayor ; A. Pater, Recorder, and Jesse Meredith, S. Joy, Levi Shisler and Samuel Shisler, Councilmen, who served until the following regular spring election. "At this time, L. D. Benton was elected Mayor ; J. M. Coomer, Recorder, and Solomon Joy,<Bamuel Shisler, S. B. Morehouse, A. G. Hall, and George McMaster, Councilmen. Benjamin F. Fry was the first Marshal, and Solomon Joy the first Treasurer. The first ordinance passed by the council was for the suppression of intemperance. In the spring of 1857, B. F. Fry was elected Mayor.

In 1862, a special school district was formed of the village, and a few of the adjoining farms, and a new school building erected, with two rooms. This building was used until 1877, when the growth of the school required more room, and a Sue twostory schoolhouse, with four commodious rooms was built. The school is now carried on with four departments, under the successful management of David E. Cowgill, whose energy and industry, together with his competent assistants, have brought the Ashley schools up to a standard second to none of the surrounding graded schools.

On the 26th day of February, 1868, Howard Matthews, Grand Master of Masons of Ohio, issued his dispensation to S. Moore, J. F. Doty, J. P. Clark, J. W. Hoff, William E. Palmer, W. W. Stratton, J. L. Wray, L. A. Coomer, John Field, B. B. Morrison, J. B. Richardson, Henry Sutton and B. M. Conklin, to organise a lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, at Ashley, and on the 8th day of April. 1868, the lodge was constituted and numbered 407. At the meeting of the Grand Lodge, at Dayton, Ohio, on October 20, 1868, a charter was issued to the lodge, with the following officers : S. Moore, W. M.; J. F. Doty, S. W.; B. B. Morrison, J. W.; John Field, Treasurer ; J. L. Wray, Secretary ; Henry Sutton, S. D.; L. A. Coomer, J. D.; James P. Clark, Tiler. Since its organization, the lodge has made about sixty masons, and changed its quarters from a small room in the third story, to a nice commodious room in the second story,

The growth of the village for the last thirty years has been steady and uniform, and has come up from a cross-roads settlement in the woods to a thriving village, second to none of its kind, in the county. At present, the village contains three dry-goods stores, three grocery and provision stores, one hardware and implement store, one drug store, one jewelry store, one grain warehouse, one clothing store, two boot and shoe stores, two harness-shops, two saloons, one flouring-mill, two carriage-shops, two emblem factories, three blacksmith-shops, one hotel, one distillery, two sawmills, three planing-mills, and two cooper-shops. Three churches have their places of worship here - the Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist. There is, perhaps, as much stock shipped from this station as any other way station on the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railway. During the past year (1879) there were loaded and shipped from Ashley, 249 cars of stock, consisting of 80 cars of cattle, 83 cars of sheep, and 84 cars of hogs ; in all, 1,400 head of cattle, 16,679 head of sheep, and 4,910' head of hogs.

The earliest church organization in Oxford Township was the Methodist Episcopal Church. Tradition is authority for the statement that a society of this denomination was organized at Winsor Corners as early as 1815. They accommodated themselves with such rude structures as the circumstances of the case afforded until 1857, when they built a neat frame building, which was dedicated by Elder Wilson, then presiding over that conference. In February, 1839, Rev. E. S. Garitt, of this denomination, came from Muskingum County and bought the Houston farm, situated about three-quarters of a mile southeast of Ashley. In the following year, with considerable ministerial enterprise, in company with the Shoemaker family, he erected a log cabin a few rods north of his house. The logs were hewn square on the inside, while the furniture and fittings for church service profited by the attention of a mechanic, Mr. Samuel Shoemaker. Mr. Garitt dedicated the building and has* conducted services in it and about here for the last forty years. He is universally respected, and there is scarcely a family that has fairly gained a residence within a radius of five miles of his home, but that sometime has called upon him to marry the living or bury the dead.

The church thus organized held its services in the old log house until the spring of 1852, when the meetings were transferred to Ashley. Here the church occupied the log house built by Robert Brown for a dwelling, and afterward the town schoolhouse until April, 1855, when they bought the building now used by T. Chapman as a residence. In December, 1866, the church sold this building, and, from that time until 1868, they used the Presbyterian place of worship, which they finally bought, using it up to the present time. The first regular Pastor was the Rev. L. Warner. Their present minister is the Rev. S. L. Yourtee. In 1861, Rev. Mr. Banaam organized a Wesleyan Methodist Church from the remains of an Episcopal Methodist society, which had existed for some years in the Alum Creek District. A little later, they put up a place of worship, which is known as the Oxford Church, and is situated about three miles southeast of Ashley.

The Baptist Church was organized in the Ash-' ley neighborhood in June of 1835, by Rev. Daniel Thomas. Seven years later, the society built a frame building near the present site of the cemetery. Here they worshiped until 1851, when they moved their building to Ashley, where it still serves them as a place of worship.

On April 27, 1852, a committee, consisting of Rev. Henry Shedd, Rev. John W. Thompson, Rev. William S. Spaulding, and Elders John Mateer and John McElroy, having been appointed by the Franklin Presbytery to go to Ashley to establish a Presbyterian Church, met and proceeded to organize a society as directed. The first Elders were Z. P. Wigton and Henry Slack. On May 24, 1857, James M. Eckles was added to the list of Elders. Rev. Henry Shedd was the first minister of the church. In the summer of 1853, the society purchased Lot No. 27, in Ashley, arid two years later built a place of worship, which they used until 1868. Six years later, the society sold this building to the Methodists and erected a neat brick building, in which they still worship.

The first Sabbath school in the township was organized ina small log house in the Alum Creek District, on the farm of James McWilliams, 'by James M. Bckles in the year 1841. Mr. Bckles was especially interested in this work, and conducted this school for ten years. In 1851, he organized another in Garitt District, and conducted it some three years, when it was removed to Ashley and united with others to form the Union Sabbath School, which is still maintained. Their services are held in the Presbyterian Church building, and Mr. Eckles is still in his favorite service, as Assistant Superintendent. Four Sunday-schools are maintained jn the township; one at the M. E. Church at Winsor Corners ; one at the M. E. Church in Ashley ; the united school of the Presbyterian Church at Ashley, and one at the Wesleyan Church at Oxford. *

Schools began rather late, the first schoolhouse being erected about 1826. There are conflicting traditions as to where it was situated, but the weight of evidence seems to be that a spot within two or three rods of the residence of Thomas M. Leeds is its site. It was a round-log aiFair, 18x22 feet, and furnished with the fude necessities of a frontier school. Levi Phelps, a Baptist minister, was the first teacher. About the same time, a schoolhouse was erected a few rods south of Winsor Corners. This building was used a few years, when it was replaced by a hewed-log cabin. In the course of a few years, this building gave way to a frame, which was used until 1857, when the Methodist Church bought the site. Besides the special school district in Ashley, there are six school districts, four of which are supplied with good, substantial brick schoolhouses. The other two are furnished with wooden structures. All are supplied with modern school furniture.

We cannot refrain from giving a few words to the military and political record of the township, even with the risk of adding to a subject fully treated elsewhere. At the breaking-out of hostilities in 1861, Oxfor;i was among the first to respond to the call of the Governor. As early as May 1, 1861, Capt. Jesse Meredith, who gained that rank in the Mexican war, had raised a company, and reported to the Governor as ready for duty.' The company was soon ordered to report to Camp Chase, and on June 15, 1861, was mustered into the service as Company C, of the Twenty-sixth Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The commissioned officers of the company at its organization were Jesse Meredith, Captain; B. A. Hicks, First Lieutenant ; William Clark, Second Lieutenant. The company re-enlisted, and remained in the service during the war. Of this company, twenty were killed and fifteen were carried off by disease, counting about one-third of the company who did not survive the service. On August 1, 1862, a second company was raised in Oxford, which was officered as follows : Captain, Samuel Sharpe; First Lieutenant, Joseph A. Schebles ; Second Lieutenant, S. B. Morehouse. This Company was mustered into the service as company D, of the One Hundred and Twentyfirst Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, August 13, 1862, and served until the end of the war. It is but just to say that surrounding townships contributed members to these companies. Politically the township has been Whig, and, later, has given a regular Republican majority, varying from sixty to eighty. Several of Oxford's children have reached distinction politically, among whom may be mentioned, William P. Reed, now deceased, formerly a prominent member of the Delaware bar, and represented this Senatorial District in the State Legislature. Ezra Riley served several years as an infirmary officer ; J. P. Doty, as Auditor from March, 1869, to November, 1873 ; John Chapman, as Clerk of the Court, being elected in 1873 and again in 1878, and Cicero Coomer, as County Treasurer, being elected in 1879.