Madison County, Ohio - Chapter 14: Oak Run Township, 1883

Chapter 14: Oak Run Township

THIS was the last township erected in Madison County, and is one of the smallest in territory and the most irregular in its contour and boundary lines, and another peculiarity it has is in not possessing a single town or village within its limits; hence it is purely a rural township. On March 5, 1856, a petition was presented to the Commissioners of Madison County, signed by Robert C. Amos and others, asking for the erection of a new township to be composed of parts of the townships of Range, Pleasant, Fairfield and Union: " Beginning at the southeast corner of the land of John Dun, in Pleasant Township; thence northeasterly with his line crossing Deer Creek to his corner; thence with his northerly boundaries to the James Innis Surveys, thence with the James Innis Surveys to Deer Creek; thence up Deer Creek with the Fairfield Township line to the north line of the land formerly owned by John Harrison, deceased; thence westerly with the line of said Harrison to the John Jones road; thence westerly with said road to the La Fayette road; from thence a southwesterly course to northwesterly corner of Je3se Rea's land and corner with Maxwell Murray; from thence southwesterly with Jesse Rea's line crossing the land of Robert Armstrong to Levi Springer's northeast corner; thence with Springer's southeast line to the Yankeetown road; thence southeasterly with said road to the southeast line of the lands of David and Isaac McClimans, and with the west line of Joseph Morgan's; from thence to the beginning. Wherefore, it is hereby ordered by the Commissioners of Madison County that the foregoing described territory be and is hereby established a township, which shall be known by the name of Oak Run Township; and be it further ordered that Henry Alder, Surveyor of the county of Madison, and Edward Fitzgerald, meet at said Fitzgerald's on March 24. 1856, and proceed to survey and establish the lines and boundaries of said township, erecting monuments at the several corners thereof. Ordered by the Commissioners that the legal voters within the territory heretofore described, meet at Harvey's Mills on Monday, tho 7th day of April next, that being the first Monday of said month, and then and there proceed as provided by the statutes in such cases to elect all necessary officers for such township.

On June 2, L856, a petition by citizens of Oak Run Township was presented to and granted by the Commissioners, changing the west line of Oak Run Township as follows: "Down the London & Yankeetown road to the line of William Johnson, Sr., aiul William Johnson, Jr.; thence with their line to a branch of Bradford's; thence with the meanderings of said branch to the line of Thomas Foster, and thence with the line of him and James McClimans to the west line of John Foster, bounding with I. and W. Mc Clim.ns; thence with their line to John Foster's southwest corner, being two black oaks; thence in a direct line to tho northwest corner of James W. Robinson and corner to land bought of said Robinson by I. and D. McClimans, near Bradford's Run; thence with the lino of s.iid Robinson and I. and D. McClimans to their corner in the line of Joseph Morgan."

Oak Run Township, April 17, 1856: " In pursuanceof notice the qualified electors of Oak Run Township, Madison County, Ohio, met and organized by calling Jonathan Harvey to the chair, and Jeremiah Rea as Secretary, and then viva voce declaring Jeremiah Thomas, Jonathan Harvey and Robert C. Amos, Judges of Election; Jeremiah Rea and Mitchel Lane, Clerks of Election. The above officers being qualified according to law, the poll-book was then opened, and the electors of said township proceeded to elect by ballot the following officers, to wit: John Foster, Jonathan Harvey and Robert C. Amos, Trustees; Jeremiah Thomas, Treasurer; Jeremiah Rea. Clerk; David Lewis, Constable; Mitchell Lane and Jonathan Farrar, Supervisors, and Dr. D. Warner, Justice of the Peace. The township was now in complete working order; the boundary lines of its territory definitely and satisfactorily established, and all necessary officers duly elected and qualified for the duties that might devolve upon them during the year 1856. The above election was, in accordance with the orders of the Commissioners, held at Harvey's Mills. From the record books of the township we find elections have been regularly held each year since 1850, at Harvey's Mills, until 1881, when they had erected a good township house at the corner of Robert Rea's land, where the Harvey Mill road strikes the London & Mt. Sterling pike, since which the elections have been held at the township house.

The following is a record of the officers who have been elected and served in the various offices respectively since 1856, commencing with the office of Township Trustees: 1857, John Foster, Jonathan Harvey and R. C. Amos; 1858-59, Robert C. Amos, Mitchell Lane and Jeremiah Thomas; 1860, Jesse Rea, Jeremiah Thomas and Joseph Bell; 1861-62, Jeremiah Thomas, Matthew Rea and Mitchell Lane; 1863-66, William Bell, B. D. Thomas and .Joseph Rea; 1867, Mitchell Lane, A. C. Moorman and Joseph Rea; 1868, Mitchell Lane, Cephas Pancake and A. C. Moorman; 1869, -J. C. Smith, Cephas Pancake and Joseph Bell ; 1870, Joseph Bell, J. C. Smith and Daniel B. Foster ; 1871, J. C. Smith, D. B. Foster and Joseph Bell; 1872, D. B. Foster, J. C. Smith and Joseph Bell; 1873, Jeremiah Rea. Cephas Pancake and Thomas Wheeler; 1874, Elijah Chenoweth, Jeremiah Rea and John Farrar; 1875, D. B. Foster, Andrew S. Bell and Jeremiah Rea; 1876, Andrew S. Bell, John Pancake and Thomas Wheeler; 1877. John Martin, John Pancake and Thomas Rea; 1878, M. S. Roby, Joseph Bell and A. C. Moorman; 1879, A. C. Moorman, M. S. Roby and Thomas Wheeler: 1 880, A. C. Moorman, A. S. Bell and John T. Walters; 1881, C. E. Gregg, M. S. Roby and A. S. Bell, and 1882, M. L. Rea, Joseph Pancake and James Wall.

Clerks - 1857-68, Jeremiah Rea; 1869-70, William Bell; 1871, John Foster was elected, but gave no bond, and William Bell continued to act; 1872-80, William Bell; 1881, Joseph Bell, and 1882, Joseph M. Lewis.

Justices of the Peace - 1857. David Lewis and William Bell; 1858, A. V. Chrisman; 1859, William Douglass: I860, J. C. Smith; 1861, Rosell M. Thomas; 1866, B. D. Thomas. During the years of lS04-t55. there was no Justice in office, and, since ISCiT. there has been no Justice elected.

Supervisors - 1857, M. Rea; 1858, Benjamin Bell and Jeremiah Rea; 1859, Jeremiah Rea and Mitchell Lane; 1860, Owen Thomas and Jeremiah Kea; 18ol, J. C. Smith and Robert Rea; L862, Elijah Chenoweth and miah Thomas; 1863, William Bell and Jeremiah Rea; 1864, Jeremiah Rea and Benjamin Bell; L865, William Bell and Jeremiah Rea; 1866, C. E. Gregg and Jeremiah Rea; 1868, C. Pancake and Robert Rea; 1869, Abraham Miller andC. Pancake; 1870, Elijah Chenoweth and Thomas H Robv; 1871, .M.Lane and William Deffenbaugh; 1872. J. C. Smith an1 Thomas Wheeler; 1873, John Van Skoy and C. E. Gregg; 18 < 4, M. Lane and John Van Skoy; 1875, A. S. Bell and John Fleming: 1876, John Macken and J. C. Smith; 1877. John Van Skoy and J. C. Smith; 1878, William Vandyke and C. E. Gregg; 1879, William H. Laird and Thomas Higgins; 1880, A. J Harvey, William King and John Macken; 1881. A. J. Harvey, T. H. Roby and Thomas Hig gins, and, 1882, Thomas Roby, J. W. Harvey and Thomas Morrissey.

Constables - 1857. Mitchell Lane and F. M. Chenoweth; 1858, Thomas Peddicord and Robert Rea; 1850-60. Martin Parker and Mitchell Lane: 1861, Joseph Rea and F. M. Harvey: L862, there were none sworn into office; 1863-67, Joseph Rea; 1868, Abraham Busick; 1860. Abraham Busick, but did not give bond and consequently did not serve, and since that date they have elected no Constables. This township thus gives an illustration of getting through several years without a Constable or a Justice of the Peace; and, as far as is apparent, suffers very little inconvenience from the want of them. There is no town or village within the township, and no saloons, stores or other places to attract or keep loafers or idlers, and is a farmiug community, settled up with a class of industrious, law-abiding citizens, whose quiet and peaceable lives may well stand forth as beacon lights among the townships of Madison County.

Surface, Soil And Streams

The surface is generally level; the western and southern portions being particularly flat and uniform, while the northern and eastern portions are undulating, and in some localities, along the creeks, is quite hilly. The principal streams are Deer Creek and Oak Run and Bradford's Fork, with their tributaries; the former passes through the northeast portion of the township, in a southeasterly course, entering the township from Union Township by passing through the farm of Joseph Bell and striking in its course the boundary lino of Fah'field Township, there takes a south course and for some distance forms the boundary line between Oak Run and Fairfield, then again enters Oak Run Township through the Chenoweth farm and reaching the north line of Jesse Rea's farm, turns east, reaching the Dun tract of land again takes a south course and passes into Pleasant Township. In its course through this township, it receives its first tributary in what is called Nigger Run; then it receives on the Cephas Pancake farm, Glade Run, which enters the northeast corner of the township, pa through four or live farms, and empties into Deer Creek as above mentioned Next it receives, on the Chenoweth farm, Oak Run, which enters the town ship through the Dock Williams farm and flows southeasterly, receiving in its course through the Chrisman laud Walnut Run, which courses through the Jesse and Robert Rea farms and a part of said Chrisman land, and empties, as stated, into Oak Run. A little below where it empties into Deer Creek, the latter receives on the Jerry Rea land, Turkey Run. In the south part of the township and forming for a considerable distance the boundary line between Oak Run and Range Townships is Bradford's Fork, the main stream having a general southeastern direction, receiving on the D. B. Foster farm its North Fork, and farther down, on the Gwynne land, receives Barron Run. These numerous streams and their tributaries furnish an abundant supply of water to all portions of the township. The west and south portions of the township possess a very deep, rich soil, principally a black loam, and as originally found by the frst settlers, consisted mainly of oak openings and prairies, upon much of which grew a sedge so tall that a man riding through it on horseback could take the grass from either side and tie the tops together over his horses' back. The northern and eastern portions and along the creeks, where the surface is undulating and hilly, possesses principally a loam and clay soil, and, although some small portions of it is a thin soil, yet the most of it is strong and productive, and is excellent for either grass or grain.

The first settler that we have been able to gain any account of within the precincts of Oak Run Township was William Jamison, who came to his county from Kentucky and located just south of the mouth uf Glade Run, about 1805. He purchased 200 acres of land, upon which he resided till his death. He became quite a prominent and prosperous farmer of that day. He married Ann Brown, of Brown County, Ohio, by whom he had three sons and three daughters - Ira, the oldest son, became a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and died in Hancock County, Ohio. The second son died young. William, the youngest son, arriving at manhood, emigrated West and is now a resident of Ml Pleasant, Iowa. The three daughters were named Zelah, who married a man by the name of Ferguson; Cynthia married Levi Poulston, and the third daughter (name forgotten) married a man by the nunc of Foster; all three of the daughters are now deceased.

John Simpkins, a native of Maryland, came to this county about the same time as the Gwynnes, it is believed as early as 1808; he purchased land in this township on Walnut and Oak Run, which new is owned by Mrs. Eliza Chrisman, and here settled and made some improvement and became a leading active man in the secular affairs of the county; served as Treasurer of the county in 1816; Collector in 1817; was an Associate Judge and also a Justice of the Peace; the latter office he rilled for many years. He finally moved to Missouri, remaining but a short time, when he returned to this county, entered upon the mercantile trade, which he followed through the greater part of the remainder of his life. He had two brothers. James and Thomas; the latter was stabbed and killed on the streets of London; the former subsequently returned to his native State. Maryland.

Two brothers, Elias and Van De Lashmut, natives of Maryland, came to Madison County, it is believed, as early as 1810, and purchased land on Deer Creek, on the boundary line between Fairfield and Oak Run Townships. At about the same time came John De Lashmut, a cousin of the above; also two brothers, Otho a>nd Nelson De Lashmut. also cousins of the former; the latter was a brick-maker by trade. Elias was the principal active man among them; was Sheriff of Franklin County in 1807-09, and it appears owned the greater part of the land they purchased, and after a few years entered upon the mercantile trade, and was one of the early merchants of London, where he carried on business for many years. John DeLashmut subsequently moved West, and settled somewhere on Red River.

John Jones came from Franklin County and settled on Oak Run, one mile above its mouth, about 1808; resided here some eight or ten years, and opened out the farm and made considerable improvements, then moved away. Thomas Nash, a native of Kentucky, settled near the month of Oak Run about 1812; after residing there a few years, he removed to Indiana. William Sly settled on Turkey Run, on Surveys 10,904 and 12,304, at an early day, and was becoming somewhat prominent as an active, energetic man, but finally moved to Sandusky, where he died. John Linsey, a Virginian, settled on Oak Run, one mile above its mouth, on the land first settled and improved by John Jones, mentioned above, about 1818. He resided here about six or eight years; was quite active and energetic, gained some wealth and moved to near Sandusky, where he purchased land and died there, leaving a large estate.

Montgomery Wilson was one of the early settlers of this township, of whom but little is known, except that he was a blacksmith by trade, and located temporarily wherever his business or inclination led him.

Joseph Rea was born in Pennsylvania in 1754; he married Elizabeth Conn, who was born January 27, 1762; they were married January 10, 1783. They emigrated to Virginia; thence, in 1810, to Ross County, Ohio; and thence to Madison County, about 1818. and settled on Oak Run, where they died about 1829. They had a family of nine children; all grew to maturity, but are now deceased. Of their children, Mathew was born in Rockbridge County, Va. , in 1793; he became a resident of London in 1818. and married Ann Amos, who was born in Maryland November 15, 1802; they were married in London by Patrick McLene, Esq., and, in 1835, settled in Oak Run Township, where he became a very successful farmer and stock-raiser, and accumulated a good property. She died in 1857, and he in 1873. They had seven children; three now survive; Robert and Jerry, two of the surviving children, are large land-owners in Oak Run Township, and -are among the most respected citizens of the county.

James Foster came from Ross County and settled on the north side of Bradford's Fork, about 1820; a few years later, his brother John came and settled near him; they married two sisters by the name of Bough er. They became prosperous farmers and large land-owners; they were active business men and filled many offices of the county and township. .James served as County Commissioner.

Jonathan Farrar was a native of England but became a settler in Oak Run Township, on land now owned by Mr. Chenoweth, about 1825. Mr. Farrar was as excellent man and quite a judge and admirer of fine stuck. He. with Charles Phellis, Esq., and Mr. Browning, were appointed a committee by the Stock Breeders' Association of Madison County to go to En gland and purchase a quantity of fine blooded stock. John C. Robisun, an Englishman by birth, possessed of a good education and a teacher in his younger days, came from Pennsylvania to Madison County, and about L831 32, located in Oak Run Township and erected a saw and grist mill on Oak Run, since known as the Harvey Mills and the Oregg Mill. He sold the mill to Jonathan Harvey, and thence removed to Kentucky, where he en-

The number of mills in this township have been few, and most of those only temporary. As to saw-mills, of course the demand for them in any country depends upon the amount and value of its timber, and, as much of this township was a prairie and without timber.it would be self-evident that mills would here have a limited business. The first saw-mill we receive, an account of was erected on Deer Creek, near Christian Smith's farm, about 1830-32, by John C. Robison. This was run by water conducted in a race from the river above, and then into the river below the mill. Uris at, first was only a saw mill, but soon a set of buhrs was attached for grinding. After a short period, Mi\ Robison sold out to Mr. Gosley, and he to Joseph Chrisinau; then it came into the ownership of Jonathan Harvey, who put in an engine and run it by steam. He died and the mill was purchased by Hannah & Wood, and while in their ownership was burned down. Then it was rebuilt as a water-mill by William Harvey. About 1865, Mr. Gregg purchased the property, and has since continued to run the mill. A saw-mill had been kept up and run in connection with the grist-mill till within a few years, when it had fallen into a very dilapidated condition, and they ceased using it. Mr. Gregg, however, has a portable saw-mill, located on Turkey Run near the schoolhouse. About 1835, Jona than Farrar erected a saw-mill near the mouth of Oak Rue, and subsequent ly erected a grist-mill attached to it; just how long this mill continued in operation we did not definitely ascertain, but suffice it to say it has lone; since passed out of use. On Deer Creek, about half-way between the Gregg and the Farrar Mills was a saw-mill, erected by a Mr. Deffeubaugh. but which has also long since disappeared.

The educational system of this township compares favorably, we thi nk with those of other townships. And taking into consideration the fact that this township was erected so late as 1850, and many portions of it for many years quite sparsely settled, we think the present good condition of its schools speaks well for the moral standing and enterprise of its citizens. The township is divided in five subdistricts, as follows: District No. 1 has a good new house erected on the London & California pike, on The northeast corner of the Chrisman land. The enumeration of scholai's in this district, in October, 1880, was 48; District No. 2, on Turkey Run, was 37; District No. 3, in the Higgins neighborhood, 71; District No. 4, in the Foster neighborhood. 40; District No. 5, on the Jesse Rea farm, 23; total enumeration, 219. Total receipts of all funds on hand for school purposes, September 1, 1879. $3,920.39; total paid teachers and for expenses, $2,084.- 71; balance on hand, September 1. 1880, $1,835.68.