Logan County, Ohio - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 37 of those read), 1880

Colony, Etc

ALMOST the first statement made to the searcher after historical data, on interviewing one of the " last lingering representatives " of the backwoods pioneer, is, " It was all woods around here when I came." This sen- *Contributed hy Dr. J. H. Se Cheverell.

tence is big with import, and conveys a world of meaning; still, after listening to the same thing weeks, months and years in succession, it obviously loses somewhat of its novelty, becomes monotonous, so to speak; hence, one can imagine the feeling of peaceful, calm content felt by the writer when for the first time his eyes rested upon the dense forest, still covering a large portion of the territory.

now known as Stokes Township. Although the settlement of this territory was begun soon alter the -Indian "exodus,'' we find that in 18G0 the population did not reach 600, and three or four years later, when it became necessary to draft men to fill the ranks of our depleted army, it decreased very materially from even that small figure. While there are many substantial frame residences scattered about in different portions of the township, yet the primitive log cabin, with its clap board roof and massive out-door chimney, is not by any means an infrequent sight,

Stokes is described upon the records of the county as parts of Townships 6 and 7 south, in Ranges 7 and 8 east. Its location is in the extreme northwestern part of the county and its boundaries as follows: North by Auglaize and Hardin Counties, south by the Townships of Bloomfield and Washington, east by Washington and Richland, and west by Shelby and Auglaize Counties. The territory under consideration is well watered. The Little Miami River empties into the reservoir from the northeast, and the two branches of the Muchinippi Creek, which flow across the southwest portion of the township, are tlie principal streams. The larger of the two branches of the last mentioned stream formerly afforded water-power of considerable importance. The Lewistown reservoir covers several thousand acres of land in the eastern part of the township. In the centre qf this there existed originally a small body of water called Indian Lake. This was surrounded on all sides by low, marshy lands. When the construction of the reservoir was authorized, a levee was built sufficiently high to prevent overflow, enclosing an area of 13,000 acres, a portion of which was sparsely timbered. Today one cannot well imagine anything more dismal and desolate than this spot, this vast sjibmerged plain, thickly studded with the bare and darkly decaying trees, whose leafless b'-anches spread abroad as if to warn the unwary of the dreadful miasma lurking below. Quinine ought certainly to be at a premium in the locality surrounding this "cesspool of pestilence." The surface of the township is a generally low, level plain, and for the most part requires draining to fit it for the purposes of agriculture, yet when this is done the soil becomes very productive. Corn and grass are the principal crops, though the past year many acres of wheat was grown. The inhabitants are strictly an agricultural people, and imbued with the characteristic enterprise of Logan County farmers, it is only a question of time when Stokes shall take equal rank with the average townships of the county.

While searching for data relating to the legal formation of the township, the writer learned the following : During the years 1867 or 1868, a descrepancy amounting to some §300 was found to exist between the books of the Clerk and Treasurer. The Township Trustees, after much vain effort to reach a balance, ordered that both hooks be burned. This was accordingly done. Comment is perhaps unnecessary. Tradition says : Stokes Township was originally a part of Washington and Bloomfield, and that it was, by order of the Board of County Commissioners, erected a separate township during the winter of 1839. The first election was held at the house of John Hover on the first Monday in April following. Samuel Hickenbottom was elected Clerk; William Fenton, Treasurer; Jacob Horner, Assessor; John Fenton, Justice of the Peace; and Daniel Hull, Constable. Elections were held at the Van Horn schoolhouse for several years. At this time the Houtchens' schoolhouse, near the centre of the township, serves as a voting place.

Muchinippi Creek, stood the " council house " of the reservation; numerous paths extended into the forest in divers directions, by which the "braves" were wont to find their way to this rude congress. The building was of logs, in size some twenty by forty feet, without chimney, floor or windows. It stood upon land now owned by the Wright heirs. Through this section passed, at an early period, the thoroughfare now known as the Bellefontaine turnpike, and along this, no doubt, the first settlement was made. So far as the writer has been able to learn, a man named Newman was the first white settler in the township. Ho built a small log cabin near a spring on the farm now owned by Samuel Hill. This spring was possessed of such peculiar properties that, it is said, the cattle which drank from it were seized with what was termed the "trembles;" this, howeverj soon passed off. The spring is now unused, Newman did not tarry long in the wilderness, but was succeeded by a man named Hall. Among others who came to this locality were George Harner, Joseph Wright, Peter Bruner, Martin Pense and Shockley Marsh.

Soon after the departure of the Indians, a settlement was made in the northeastern part of the township. William Fenton, afterward a prominent man in the township, was among the first. He came from Ross County, and wrought from the dense woods the farm now owned by George Walters. The log cabin he formerly occupied is still standing, and is the last of the original dwellings now extant. Morgan Toland occupied the farm where David Richie now lives. James Fenton owned lands adjacent. He planted the first orchard in this part of the township, bringing the trees from Champaign County. Many of these trees are still alive. John B. Stamatz arrived in October, 1835, and made a settlement upon 200 acres of land.

still occupied bv his widow and family. John Hover settled where George Morris now lives. He was a famous hunter, and occupied a hunter's cabin, on the margin of Indian Lake, long before there was a white settler in the township. William Knott and Jacob Curts settled near Mr. Hover's. George Ometz, Henry Schoonover and Thomas Powell found houses in the west part of the township. William Van Horn located on a tract of 360 acres, about one mile northeast of the Center, in November, 1838. Of this family, then consisting of ten children, five now reside in the township: Jacob, Job, John, Eli and William. Andrew N. GuUett settled on lands now owned by Job Van Horn. He eventually removed to Huntsville, and engaged in merchandising. Job Van Horn, Sen., settled on land now owned by Robert Houtchens. Among others who are entitled to mention, as early settlers, are: John Hendershot, George Henninger, Alexander West, Solomon Shaul, William Bodkins, John Taylor, Daniel Hull, Abraham Gardner, and George Taylor. These are all who became permanent settlers prior to 1840. From this date forward the settlement increased more rapidly; log cabins became numerous; openings in the forest enlarged; roads were cut through, and the wilderness homes rendered as convenient as possible. Still, many things were lacldng. The want of lumber was severely felt, and it was to meet this that Benjamin Driesbach, in about 1845, began the erection of a saw-mill. Its clumsy machinery was propelled by the waters of the Muchihippi Creek, and after a time a run of stone was added. These industries were in operation until 1868, in June of which year the waters of the creek rose to an unheard-of height, doing considerable damage to buildings along the stream, and sweeping away entirely the dam and both mills, even to the foundation. David Ghormley put in operation the second mills ii! the township. These were located on a small spring run, called " Hog Swamp Branch." Numerous portable steam sawmills have been in operation in the township. Stokes did not reach the dignity of a store and post-office until 1850. The former was under the ownership of Frank Downs, and Closes Smith was the first postmaster. The store and post-office were in the southwest part of the township. Alexander McCoy was the jDioneer merchant in the center settlement. The postoffice was finally discontinued for want of patronage. Job Van Horn is the proprietor of the only store in the township at the present time. Situated about one and one-half miles north of the center, it is surrounded by a few dwellings. Here, also, is a shingle manufactory, wagon, blacksmith and shoe-shop. ,

The earliest death remembered was that of .Jacob Curts, which occurred in August, 1836. The body was interred on the George Taylor farm. Sarah Hendershot and John Fenton were the principal parties to the first marriage contract solemnized in the township. The date of this interesting occasion was in the early spring of 1838.

During the spring of the year 1839 the settlers within a radius of perhaps five miles gathered near where is now the Van Horn burying-ground, and in due time erected a small log building for a schoolhouse. During the summer it was furnished with a huge fireplace across the rear. A wide-throated stick chimney furnished ample outlet for the escape of the heat, if it did smoke furiously at times. Puncheon floor, seats and a door were prepared, and two small real glass windows were added. Early the subsequent winter, or as soon as the boys could be spared from the labors of the farm, "Wilbur Earl was duly installed pedagogue. This school was conducted iipon the principle of " main strength and stupidity." One of the pupils, now nearly sixty years of age, remembers with painful distinctness the one great feature of Mr. Earl's system, viz.: the free use, upon the slightest occasion, of the " birchen rod." She says, "If any children were ' spoiled ' that winter, it was not because they were ' spared ' the rod." Ezekiel Davis taught the second term in this house. The report of the Board of Education for the school year ending August 31, 1879, shows:

It is a fact worth remembering that in nearly every pioneer settlement, the advent of the school and church follow each other in rapid succession. Stokes Township is no exception to the rule, however much it may differ in other particulars. Soon after "William Fenton had begun his life in the wilderness, a preacher of the Methodist Episcopal faith, named Davison, who was engaged in missionary work, held a meeting there, at which all the settlement was in attendance. Soon after the Fentons, Bodkins, and perhaps others, now forgotten, united in the formation of a small class. Meetings were continued here for several years. In about 1846 Rev. G. G. Pogue, who was then stationed at Cherokee, began a series of meetings at the house of David Ghormley, and here was formed the pioneer Presbyterian Church in the township. The constituent members of this organization were in part, David Ghormley and family, C. I. Brooks and wife, Aaron Coflet and wife, and E. Durkee and wife. After the formation of the Church, services >vere transferred to the Van Horn schoolhouse. In 1849 a small church edifice was built, and the minister settled here. The membership gradually increased until the sickly soason, incident to the building of the Lewistown Reservoir, ensued. The rapid increase of ague, chill and other fevers created a panic in the settlement, which eventuallyresulted in the removal of the minister in charge, and the greater part of the membership. At this time nothing remains of this once flourishing organization except the church edifice, now crumbling to decay. The United Brethren Church was formed in 1850, at a sjries of meetings held in a schoolhousfi on James Coleman's farm, by a mission preacher named Nirhols. Archibald Garlisle, wife and daughter, and Charles Boyfer and wife, constituted the first class. After about one year Rev. Mr. Lay came for a short time. In 1852 Rev. Thomr.3 Downing assumed charge of this class, and under his ministry many names were added to the Church. On the breaking out of the rebellion the membership numbered seventy-five. Union and disunion sentiment ran high, a division of the Church ensued, and the organization virtually ceased. A few years since a re-organization was effected, and services are now held at the Center schoolhouse. Rev. George Woods is the minister in charge. The Methodist Protestant Church was formed during the latter part of the winter of 1878-9, at a series of meetings held at the Van Horn schoolhouse, l)y R3v. B. F. Tucker. The first members were Eli Van Horn and wife, G. M. Clover, wife and daughter, George Walters and family, and Lloyd Thomas and wife. Services are still held in the schoolhouse. The membership is eighteen; present Pastor, C. Plummer. A Sabbath School is held in connection with this church during the summer months, on which there is an attendance of twenty nine. Eli Van Horn is the Superintendent.

Some thirty years since, while the curse of human slavery hung like a pall over this goodly land of ours, and ere yet the mutterings of war were indistinouishable, John M. Warwick, of Amherst County, Virginia, an owner of slaves, conceived the humane idea of giving his colored people their freedom, and establishing them upon lands he should buy for them. Dr. David Patterson was emploved to carry this project into effect. Coming to Logan County he purchased a large tract of land along the north and west sides of Indian Lake, a great proportion of which is now covered by the waters of the Reservoir. During the years 1851-53 the colony, numbering nearly three hundred, arrived and began settlement. Log cabins were built and the colony supplied with provisions and vvhatever was necessary for their support for one year. The selection was either by intent or otherwise an unfortunate one. The poisonous malaria of the swamp produced general sickness, from which fully one-sixth of the whole number died. The remainder, as Mingo Banks (one of the number who, now lives in Huntsville) expressed it, " Begin to move out purty lively," disposing of their interest as best they might. Many of them still live in Logan County, but one only had the hardihood to remain in Stokes Township. This is Richard Thomas, who resides near the Reservoir.