Knox County, Ohio - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 17 of those read), 1862

Chapter with an unread heading (no. 17 of those read)

This township, as at present bounded, was created March 9, 1825, and, in a spirit of freedom, styled Liberty. In 1830, it contained 553 inhabitants; in 1810, 1,205; in 1850, 1,320; and in 1860, 1,251. Mt. Liberty contains abont 150 inhabitants. It occupies an elevated position, and being situated upon the State road to the capital, and in the heart of a productive country on Dry Creek, it has been a place of considerable business. It was surveyed by T. Gr. Plumer, and laid out by Samuel Thatcher and George Beardsheare, Oct. 8, 1835. It has two stores, kept by E. D. Bryant and Judson Hildreth; a grocery, by Daniel Veatch ; a tavern, by John Thompson ; two cabinet shops, by S. Wilson, and by J. W. Jackson and C. K. Lineweaver ; two mantuamakers. Miss Samantha Severe and Miss Mary Veatch; the carpenters are John Inscho, Arthur Pratt, Joseph Crosby; shoemakers, Jas. Cleghorn, Wm. Cleghorn, Philip Crable ; wagonmakers, J. A. Mostetler, David and George Mosteller, and Daniel Burkholder; two mills are run by Youngblood and Weller, and Peter Shafer. There are two churches, Methodist and Discix:)le. The Higginses, Coyles, Humphreys, Severes, Careys, Hollisters, Magoons and Gearharts are among the earliest in this section, and their descendants are quite numerous. The most extensive families are the Brickers^^Lewises, Ewalts and Kineharts. Of the old stock we shall give a brief account; as to the new, their name is "legion," and it would be too prolix for the general reader did we attempt to sketch them.

Lewis Bricker, Sr., of Greene county, Pa., had a very large family, and determined to distribute them in the western countrv, where lands were cheap and he could provide them with farms. Accordingly he bought 1,600 acres of land in tliis new countrv, and started the elder members of his family to it in the spring of 1810. Of the number were Peter Bricker, and George Lewis, his brotherin-law. They came out to this wilderness region, camped one night, and the next morning hitched in their teams, and by noon were on their way back. They reported the country wild, and they did not believe it ever would be settled. They saw many Indians, and heard the owls too-whooing and the wolves howling all night; and, unaccustomed to these things, they agreed with their wives to let the land go to the devil before they would risk their lives and their children in the Owl Creek regions, which they believed to be the next thing to, if not quite, the infernal regions. Their father, accustomed to frontier life, and knowing also the value of lauds in this country, determined in the fall to make another eifort at a settlement. Accordingly he sent another delegation of his tribe, and continued the work until lie got into this township the following children : Peter, George, John, Jacob, David, Solomon, Lewis, Catharine, Bachel and Mrs. George Lewis, wlio have in tlieir own time peopled the wilderness region, felled tlie forest trees and cultivated the ground, multij)lying the origip 1 by "the double rule of three." Peter Bricl '^v had a dozen children, and George Lewis sixteen; George Bricker, eight; John Bricker, who came about a year later, six; Jacob, who came about 1813, five ; David came about 1817, and had six; Solomon came out the same year, and added eleven children; Lewis came in 1819, he had six; Catharine married John Oonlde about 1827, and had six children ; Eachel married John Pruner, and had seven. All of the original Brickers remarried in Liberty, except David, who is in Morgan township.

George Lewis is dead. Of his sixteen children, eleven are living, viz. : Jacob, John, George, Isaac, Ben, Peter, Solomon, Sarah, wife of Alex. Craig, Phebe, Susannah Gardner, and Rachel Burkholder.

The children of old George recollect when their father v jnt to Shrimplin's mill with a grist of corn, and left his wife and family alone, with nothing to eat, and the Indians prowled about the premises, and they feared they would not be found alive on his return.

Joseph Shaw, Zach. and Bazil White, John Hobbs, with their families, emigrated from Western Pennsylvania about 1834, and the Tarrs, Coleses, Crafts, and other good families have followed them, and the greater portion of those in the " Wolf Settlement," so styled for Christopher Wolf, Esq., are from the same localities.

Between two of tlie old settlers there grew up a quarrel in 1815, and a lawsuit ensued before James Smith, J, P. The Reverend James, by practice as well as profession, a peace-maker, proposed that the parties should have a friendly talk, and settle the difficulty without recourse to law. Accordingly they sat down on a log and Solomon Shaffer began in his broken pronunciation - "Kow Mr. Lyingbarger" "sthop," cries George Lybarger, in an angry tone, " my name is not Lyingbarger, but Lybarger, by G , do you wish to insult me, Sliaffer*?" "My name is not JSha/fer, but Shaf/er, don't call me JSJiaf fer, or tammed if I don't knock you down," - and the parties sprung at each other, when James commanded the peace in the name of the State, and the difficulty between the belligerent old dutchmen had to be settled by the law at last.

Successive Justices Of The Peace Chaptek Xxxyi

Was laid off from Miller, upon petition of its citizens, August 28, 1818. It is the southwestern township of the county. The first settlement was called " Houck's," and was principally made up of the families of James and Jacob Houck and Joseph Jennings, who erected the first cabins, and graced the principal building, through Mr. Lamson, with the first brick chimney put up in this township. This settlement was about one mile southwest of the present village of Oenterburg. When the township was formed the settlers agreed to the name of Hilliar, in compliment to Dr. Richard Hilliar, who was then the largest landholder residing in the limits ; he dwxlt in a cabin in the southwest corner. It had 16,000 acres of land upon the tax list in 1830. In 1832, there were but 40 voters. In 1810, the population was 1,012 ; in 1850, 1,111 ; and in 1860, 1,088. Oenterburg, its principal mart of business, is on the old stage route from all the "north countrie" to the State Oaj)ital. It is 13 miles from Mt. Yernon. We have heard it said that it received its name from the fact that Harvey Jones presumed it to be the exact geographical center of Ohio ; and many long years ago, when politicians and legislators threatened to move the Capital, some of tlic oldest inliabitants there believed it iniglit become tlie Capital of the Buckeye State. If such a thing was hinted at by members who occasionally had the good luck in cold weather and muddy roads to call on Harvey Jones, enjoy his feast of fit things, and rest in his soft and downy beds, it is no wonder that by contrast with the then Columbus fare they " smiled" at the idea, and took anotlier encouraging horn upon the strength of it with " mine host." As early as 1820 travel from Northern Ohio to the Capital through or by this route dates. Business may be said to have started with Mr. Jones, who was the most enterprising man at Centerburg from 1831 until 1818. He was a corpulent, jovial, kind-hearted man, who held out by unmistakable sign that he had good fare, and enjoyed the good things of this world.

In tlie early days the people were disposed to *' pull together" at elections. It was their custom to meet when the day of voting came round, and canvass in a friendly manner the merits of candidates, and to make their voice felt by voting "plumpers." The electors would set down upon logs before any ballots were cast, and read over the names upon the tickets, and settle all conflicting opinions by voting unanimously for the same men. In this way they made, as an old one of their number said, the candidates who were defeated "to howl," and caused aspirants to look with fear and trembling for the returns from Hilliar. In 1818, the entire vote was 17, unanimous for Ethan A. Brown for Governor; Benj. Martin, Congress; John Spencer, State Senator; W. W. Parquhar,

Representative. In October, 1824, there was one stubborn man who would vote for Allen Trimble for Governor ; the other 14 votes were cast for Morrow. The first place of public entertainment kept in this part of Knox county was by Joseph Jennings.

Great difiiculty was experienced by the early settlers in getting to and from mill. We find as early as April 26, 1810, Jacob and James Houck, Joseph Jennings, John and Josias Simpson, Henry Matthews, John Karr, John Hinton and others, met at doctor Hilliar's farm and united in petitioning for a road to Douglass' mill. The prayer was granted, and Wm. Gass, Charles Cooper and Isaac Bonnet were appointed viewers. They met at Clinton at the time named, but refused to j)roceed to view what, in their opinion, was an unnecessary road. Nothing daunted, the few petitioners added two or three more names to their request and sent up another petition on the 17th of September, and Jabez Beers, Henry Boberts and William Mitchell, were appointed viewers, and Ichabod Marshal, surveyor. The viewers met and the surveyor declining to act, S. H. Smith accompanied them as surveyor, and returned a report and plat of the road, IG miles in length - the surveyor reporting "it can be a tolerable good road, is very good ground, but the viewers say that at tliis time it would be too burthensome to the county to open said road." " Ordered, therefore, that the same cannot be granted."

township, wliicli they succeeded in getting in August, 1818, and the first election was held at the house of Thomas Merril. The Judges of that election were Joe Jennings, Jas. Houck, Jas. Pell; Clerks, John Borden, Wm. Eeynolds. In 1819, Jacob Houck listed Hilliar, and was paid a $4 county order therefor. The same duty he performed, for like pay, in 1820. The Judges of election, October, 1820, were Joseph Jennings, James Severe, Wm. Reynolds ; Clerks, John Borden. John Davis. Henry Matthews, Bcnj. F. Hilliar. John Severe, James Pell and John Pell were other early voters. The Messmores, Mahannahs, Hollisters and Bottomfields were other settlers of a later period. John Thomas projected a town in 1834, but it never made headway. Bich Hill is a new business point that is thriving considerably.