Logan County, Ohio - Chapter 16, 1880

I ESS than seventy years ago tlie ter- J ritory constituting Harrison Township to-day, teeming with industry, was a dense wilderness, unvisited by the cheering rays of civilization. Over these cultivated and fertile fields, dotted with substantial dwellings, surrounded by the many evidences of luxury and refinement, roamed savage wild beasts and a race of men more savage still than they. Here sported the timid deer, while at night the wolf made the echoes ring with his unearthly howling. In the forest the Indian sauntered along the rippling streams in pursuit of the game, which was almost his only sustenance. Here the romantic lover " wooed his dusky maid" in primitive simplicity. To-day the wilderness has given place to cultivated fields; the scattered huts and wigwams of the Indian, to the comfortable homes of an enlightened and prosperous people, blessed with abundant social, religious and educational privileges, all rendered possible by the enterprise, toil, and privation of those noble pioneers, now rapidly passing away.

The period prior, during, and immediately subsequent to the last war with Great Britain, possesses the greatest historic interest. The "Contributed by Dr. J. H. Se ChovercU.

infant settlement; the roving bands of Indians; the coming of the soldiers; the building of the block -iouses; the hasty gathering of the settlers to the strongholds; the constant fear of invasion, and the final proclamation of peace, when the families dispersed, each to its ov.ni abiding place, all combine to render the epoch of all-absorbing interest. The Indians, who wandered about at will, were generally on the best of terms with the settlers, and, although, when under the influence of "fire-water," they fought savagely amongst themselves, rarely, if ever, did they molest the families of the whites, and, had it not been for the constant fear their presence engendered, they would not have been disagreeable neighbors. In one particular that early period resembled the present - whisky was the bane of the Indian, as it has ever been the curse of the world. Its sale to them was strictly forbidden, under heavy fines and penalties, and yet individuals were not found wanting who, for the paltry pittance the traffic afforded, would jeopardize an entire settlement. Urbana was the nearest point where this "liquid death" was openlv vended, and thither the red man "off went his weary way." Mrs. Carnes relates a tragic incident which came under her observation, and as it so perfectly illustrates the evil effect of whisky, we reproduce it here: " Near the close of a beautiful day in the early summer of 1813, a party of Indians were riding along "Hull's trace," which passed near her cabin door. From the noise they made she knew they ha3 been drinking, and fearing they would make her a visit, she dropped the curtain to the one small window in the front of herd welling; a^ they drew nearer the cries increased; her woman's curiositv gaining the ascendancy she drew the curtain partially aside and peeped out. Two of the party were engaged in deadly conflict, and almost at the instant her eyes rested upon them one, the smaller of the two, rolled from his horse, dead, the hatchet of his antagonist buried in his brain. The party made but a momentary pause, and rode away, leaving the body of their dead comrade where it fell." Howe's " Historical Collections " contains the following: "At the breaking out of the war many hundreds of friendly Indians were collected and stationed at Zanes' and ilcPherson's block-houses, under the protection of ihe government, who, for a time, kept a guard of soldiers over them. It was at first feared that they would take up arms against the Americans, but subsequent events dissipating these apprehensions, they were allov.ed their freedom."

Harrison, which is known upon the records of Logan County as Townsnips '2 and 3 south. Ranges 14 and 15 east, is situated near the centre of the county. It is bounded north by McArthur, south by Union and Liberty, west by Washington and Pleasant, and east by Laki;, of which it formed a part until the year 1832. The lands are of the class denominated Congress, and comprise thirtjsections. The surface of the township is generally rolling, and interspersed with lowlands or prairies. The higher portions of the township are a clay or limestone soil, best adapted, perhaps, to the growing of wheat, while in the bottom lands, a black loam of great fertility, predominates. Along the eastern township line are numerous limestone quaviies, from wiiich large quantities of building stone are taken annually. "When this township was first settled the lowlands were partially coveied with water during much of the ytar, and were shunned, being considered worthless, but by a judicious system of draining, they have been rendered arable and now produce large crops of corn with comparatively little labor. Harrison Township compares favorably in agricultural productions with the best in Logan County. The uplands were originally covered with a dense growth of white oak timber, in fact, no other variety was found in the township, but a little of the original forest 'now remains. The only water-course in the township is the Buckongehelas Creek and its principal tribu- : tary, Blue Jacket. The former rises in the extreme northern portion of Lake Township. It enters Harrison on Section 1, and after many devious turnings flows from the township near the southwest corner. Blue Jacket Creek rises in the southeast corner of the township, and flowing iu a general northwestly direction, discharges its waters into the Buckongehelas near the west township line on Section 28. These streams were formerly quite important water-powers. Their names are derived from two Indian chiefs, whose tribes inhabited this region. Buckongehelas was a village chief of the Delawares and a distinguished warrior of his time.

Situated upon a small tributary of Blue Jacket Creek, in Sections 10 and 11, is a lovely little body of v^ater of an area of perhaps 100 acres, known as " Silver Lake." As it is becoming quite a pleasure resort, the following items of its history may not be uninteresting: A short time previous to the war 1812, an individual, a reputed counterfeiter, named George Blaylock erected a small log cabin in the tlense wood surrounding the outlet of this lake, and here, in utter seclusion, he passed many years of his life. From him the name "Blaylock Lake" was derived. After a term of years the name was changed to " Spencer Lake," in honor of Alexander O. Spencer, who was the original purchaser of a great portion of the lands in this part of the township. The next owner of the lands surrounding this body of water was William a Denison, who made a third, and, it is hoped, final change in the name. Silver Lake seems an appropriate designation. It is chiefly valuable by reason of the many thousand tons of ice annually gathered from its bosom.

The pioneer settler in Harrison Township was James McPherson, a native of Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Penn., who, with a family consisting of a wife and four children, arrived during the fall of 1811. He camped near the site of the present Infirmary building of Logan County, and setting immediately to work, he soon completed a comfortable log cabin near by, and here, solitary and alone, this family passed their first winter in the wilderness. The subsequent summer, incident to the war with England, a commodious blockhouse was erected a few rods west of Mc- Pherson's cabin by a company of Rangers under command of Capt. Llinkson. This was called the " McPherson block-house." A few months later a like structure was completed by Capt. James Manary's company, from Ross County. The site of this building was upon an elevation, perhaps one-half mile southeast of MoPherson's. Here, in these two strongholds, the settlers from the surrounding country sought shelter at intervals until the cessation of hostilities.

James McPherson's purchase consisted of 600 acres of land, embracing and contiguous to what is now the Infirmary Farm, and in his home, erected near his first log cabin, he spent the remaining years of his life. His was an eventful life. - Captured by the Indians at Loughry's defeat, near the mouth of the Big Miami River, he was kept a prisoner until after Wayne's treaty in 1795. Returning to civilization, he located in Pennsylvania, where he remained until his removal to Logan County. Subsequently to the close of the war he was appointed Indian

Agent, andremained in charge of the Shawnees and Senecas at Lewistown until 1830. He was afterward appointed Associate Judge of Logan County, in which capacity he continued for several years. The next settler in Harrison was, without doubt, George Blaylock, a native of Georgia, who began his lonely, hermit-like existence here, in the early spring of 1813. It was generally believed that this singular person was a member of an extensive gang of counterfeiters and thieves, who infested this country at that time, from the Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, but as nothing could be found against him by way of positive proof, he went his way unmolested, shunned by, and shunning society. He eventually removed to a small hunter's cabin on the borders of an. inland lake, now a portion of the Lewistown reservior, and there died, " unhonored and unhung." Many incidents illustrating his peculiarities are related, but as their publication can serve no good purpose, they are omitted. At about the same date, or at least early in the War of 1812, .Tames Reed settled on a farm in the southwest corner of Section 6. Two sons-in-law, named Durham and Lewis, located in the vicinity. Robert Caseboalt, a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal faith, came next, and to him belongs the honor of organizing the first religious society in the township. A man named Stansbury lived for a time near Manary's block-house, and afterward settled on the border of the lake. Another family named Tucker occupied a little cabin on Section 5. The unsettled condition of afl'airs for several years subsequent to the close of the war prevented immigration into Harrison, and it was not until as late as 1820 that settlement began in earnest. Amongthe later settlers are, George Heath, Michael Carnes, Thomas Sutherland, Stephen Hoyt, Samuel Carter, Michael Smith, John Houtz, James M. Kauffman, .lohn Horn, the Schulers, and possibly others now forgotten. The tide of immigration from this period flowed steadily onward, rude log cabins dotted the hillsides, trails were cut out, improved and became roads. The small " clearings " gradually increased in size, and needed industries came to the front.

On Buckongehelas Creek, on lands now owned t)y George Horn, a small log grist-mill was built, so many years since that no one remembers much of it, and no vestige now remains. A small log distillery was built in the same region, and at about the same time. It was not a success. In about 1820 a colony of Germans, of whom George Walpers was the leading spirit, erected a distillery and a small grist-mill on Blue Jacket Creek. After several years of active operation these manufactories were allowed to go into decay. John Houtz, in 1821, erected a saw-mill on Blue Creek - the first frame mill in the tonnship. The only manufactories now in the township are the grist and saw-mills owned by Frederick Kaylor. They were built by Daniel Shawver. Perhaps no township in Logan County excels Harrison in its highways. The first was an improvement of "Hull's Trace," which ran in a northwest direction through the township, passing the block-houses. At this time a system of graveled turnpikes pass through the township at convenient distances. It has also two lines of railroads. The first of these is the Cincinnati, Sandusky & Cleveland Railroad, which passes across the northeast corner of the township. The Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railroad passes through the southwest part of the township, a short distance north of Silver Lake. Gretna Station, on thjs road, is what its name indicates, and the nearest approach to a village with which the township has ever been threatened. Aside from the necessary raih'oad buildings, this hamlet contains nothing except a groccrv and a postoffice. The hitter was established in the spring of 1879, vsith Adam Hover, Postmaster. The 'fjioneer mercantile establishment was under the management of James McPherson, who kept a small stock of goods at the block-house, under Government patronage. He continued in business until the departure of the Indians for the West, since when nothing of the kind has had an existence until a recent date.

It is a fact worthy of remark that in all pioneer settlements, so soon as the cabin was made comfortable, the small tract of forest cleared away, and the first crop of corn planted, a log building would be rolled up, the children gathered together and a school established. Our pioneer colony was no exception to the rule. Soon after the close of the war a log cabin was put up at or near the site of the present schoolhouse, in sub-District number three. It was a primitive building indeed, puncheon floor and door, and clapboard roof. The entire rear end of the building was occupied by the fire-place, and even then it was necessary to build the chimney out-of-doors. The light was admitted by means of a window in each side of the house, made by cutting out the half of two logs nearly the entire length of the building. Sticks were placed in the openiiig, over which oiled or greased paper was fastened. Along each window was a rough board, resting on wooden pins driven into the logs. This was the desk at which the larger scholars sat while writing. The seats were split slabs supported by wooden legs. In this manner the schoolhouses were built for a number of years in the early settlement. The first term taught in this building was by Isaac flyers, an excellent teacher by the waj', who had but one fault and that was an ungovernable appetite for whisky; as often as once each month he would quit school and go on a "regular spree," as our informant puts it. After a ruunber of d.iys spent in beastly intoxication ho would resume school again. The following are some of the pupils of this school: Margaret, Maria, and Anna Smith, James and John Hill, Henry McPherson, Peter Powell, Alexander Long, Silas Moorehouse, James Reed and James Roberdi. A second term, was taught in this house by a man named Scott. The south part of the township was without a schoolhouse until about 1830, when a hewed loghouse was built on John Roger's land. In this Sebastian Keller taught a term of school during the winter of 1830-31. Following is the report of the Board of Education for the year ending August 31, 1879: whole number of scholars, 329; whole amount paid teachers, $1,476; number of schoolhouses, 7; value with grounds, $3,000.

Early in the formation of the permanent settlement, subsequent to the close of the war, Rev. Robert Cascbolt, held meetings at the cabins of the settlers, and as early as 1825 a small class was formed at the pioneer schoolhouse. Of this pioneer organization the writer has been unable to gain any definite data. In about 1830 a class was formed at the house of 'M. 0. Wood, Esq. It was composed in part of M. O. Wood and wife, Thomas Powell and family, Joseph Peach and wife, and Joseph Gordon and wife. This class was attached to Bellefontaine Circuit, and in time acquired a numerous membership, but deaths and removals ensued until at last the class was dissolved, the remaining members going to other churches. A small class meets at the Houtz, schoolhouse, at this time, and this is the only organization of the Methodist Episcopal faith in the township. The only church edifice now within the limits of Harrison is that known as the "Flat Branch" Christian Church. This was erected during the summer of 1865, upon lands donated for the purpose by James MoPherson and Henry Buckwalter. It is a substantial wooden structure, and cost $1,000. The society was formed the same summer by

Rev. C. T. Emmons, now at West Liberty. The constituent members were John, William, Anderson and John W. Neer and wives, I-Ienry Seymour and wife, and Henry Buckwaiter and wife. Meetings were held, a short time prior to the completion of the church, in the schoolhouse on Section one. The present membership numbers twentj'. The Pastors who have presided over this church are C. T. Emmons, Jesse T. Hunt and Joseph D. Marsh. A Sunday Sc'hool.was held in connection with this church for a few years. Another Christian Society (the Mennonites) meets in this edifice. The organization of this society was effected in 1875, and it now numbers thirty members. The pulpit is supplied by local talent.

Near the County Infirmary building is an old grave-yard, which would seem to deserve mention at our hands. Here are buried a goodly number of " native Americans," who died while under guard at the block-houses, and, also, within the same enclosure, sleep many whose once strong hands have helped to rescue these broad acres from the primeval forest. The first white interment here was a child of Mrs. Bennett, buried in 1812. The first white adult, whose remains were consigned to this lonelv woodland burial place, was Joseph Smith - date 1820. The funeral services were conducted at the house of the deceased by Rev. - Lane, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at East IMiddleburg. At this time there are niimerous public and private cemeteries in the township.

The Infirmary farm, containing 160 acres of land, and which is situated in sections 7 and 13, is fully described in another portion of this work.

Being strictly an agricultural people, it is but natural that anything calculated to benefit the farmer should be generously patronized. Eaily in the winter of 1873-4 many prominent citizens of the township became interested in the matter, and a charter was soon procured authorizing the organization of Harrison Grange, No. 378, Patrons of Husbandry, with a constituent membership of twentynine. The society met for a time in the schoolhouse in sub-district No. 5. The fine hall, now occupied by this society, was erected during the summer of 1877. It is situated on the Sidney turnpike, about one mile west of Bellelbntaine, is two stories in height and cost $1,000. Present membership is eighty-five; regular meetings are held on Thursday evening of each week. The succession of Masters is as follows: J. M. Porter,

The early records of Harrison Township having been destroyed, the writer is unable to give any data in reference to the organization, save that the township as at present bounded, was cut off from Lake Township in the year 1832. The township officers for 1880 are : Conrad Moots, Absalom P. Conard and Thomas G. Ewing, Trustees; Henry W. Cordrey. Clerk; Thomas J. Turner, Treasurer; W. D. McPherson, Assessor: D. S. Moots and J. S. Horn, Constables, and Thomas J. Turner and W. D. McPherson, Justices of the Peace.