Madison County, Ohio - Chapter 6: Deer Creek Township, 1915

Chapter 6: Deer Creek Township

Deer Creek township occupies a central location in Madison county, being bounded on the north by Monroe and Jefferson townships; on the east by Jefferson; on the south by Union, and on the west by Somerford township. This township was first erected in 1810, the year of the organization of Madison county, and the following is found in the commissioners' record under date of April 30:

"At a meeting of the commissioners of Madison county, present John Arbuckle and William Gibson, ordered that all that tract of country comprehended in the following' boundaries be, and the same is hereby, erected into a separate township by the name of Deer Creek, and is bounded as follows, viz:

"Beginning on the Franklin county line, where Jefferson township line interssets said line, and running westward to the northeast corner of John Melville's survey on the glade; thence with the south line of Jefferson township to the north line of Mark's survey on Little Darby creek, including all the settlement on Spring fork to the Champaign county line; thence with said line to the Hast fork of Deer creek, at or near Levin Gibson's; thence on a direct line to the southwest corner of the widow Taylor's plantation; thence to the northwest corner of John Melville's survey, thence to the beginning."

"At a meeting of the commissioners of Madison county, ordered that all that tract of country comprehended in the following boundary be, and the same is, erected into a separate township by the name of Deer creek, and is bounded as follows, viz:

"Beginning at the southeast corner of Jefferson township; thence westwardly with Jefferson township line to Darby township line; thence with said line to Champaign county line; thence south with said line, to the south boundary of Levin Gibson's survey ; thence eastward to the widow Taylor's on Deer creek; thence to the northwest corner of John Melville's survey; thence eastwardly to the county line of Franklin county. and trom thence to the place of beginning."

"At a meeting of the commissioners of Madison county, on petition being presented, ordered that the line between Deer Creek township and Union township. be altered to run as follows, to wit:

"Beginning at the northwest corner of Jefferson Melville's land, and southwest corner of John Adair's land, and to run westerly to strike the La Fayette Road, ten poles south of the Glade, between B. Bowdery's and D. J. Ross; thence the same course continued until it strikes the present line which divides said townships, so as to include D. J. Ross into Union township."

The first election in the new township was held in the spring of 1812, at which the following officers were elected: Trustees, John Arbuckle, John Wilson and John Shields; treasurer, Charles Atchison; constables, William Noteman and William Atchison; fence viewers, John Arbuckle and Thomas Gwynne; overseers of the poor, Daniel Roos and William Marp; supervisors, Curtis Ballard and William Pepper; lister, William Pepper.

By the official acts in recording the marks for stock, it appears that from 1810 to 1812, the time of the first election officially recorded, John Blair performed the work of the township clerk. Justices of the peace were not elected in the township until the year 1818, when George Prugh and John Shields were chosen.

The elections were held in Lawrenceville, more generally known as "Limerick," 'until the spring of 1887, since which they have been held in Lafayette, the only village in the township. In the early days the treasurer was required *o give a bond of only, three hundred doilars.

A man by the name of Adair seems to have been the first person to have settled within the bounds of present Deer Creek township. He came to Deer creek, camped over night on its bank, and then selected his location in about 1802. In 1806 John Adair settled on Deer creek, on land that was. many years afterward owned by James Wilson. The relationship between these two men cannot be established. About the same year William . Blair and John Blair settled on Glade run, on what was later known as the Plimell place. These pioneers were all leading, active men in the early history of the township. John Blair was the first township clerk after its organization, and held other offices, and it is believed that he would have represented this district in the Legislature if he had lived. The Blairs were of Irish descent. William was a son of John Blair, and was a preacher in the New-Light Christian church. In the same year (1806), John Barr settled on the Beals place. John McCaul and Charles Ewing settled on the Stutson land. Charles Ewing was of Irish descent and came from Kentucky to this state. He was a very honest man and an excellent citizen. John Ewing settled in the township at about the same date. He later became a trustee and treasurer of the township. John Coon settled on Deer creek just below John Adair. William Blaine settled on Deer creek just below. John Adair, and near where the village of Lawrenceville was subsequently laid out. 'He was a man of considerable means for that day and often came to the financial rescue of his neighbors with loans. He served for a time as an associate judge. He removed to the West in about 1842. It is thought that all of the above mentioned settled within Deer Creek township prior to 1806 and hence may be considered pioneers in the strictest construction of the word. al

The following settlers came to the township between the years 1806 and 1810: John McDonald came from Tennessee and, with his family, settled at the Upper Glade on the Stutson land in 1808, and: his father, John McDonald, who died in 1811, was the first person buried in the McDonald, or Upper Glade, burying-ground. The first mentioned John, McDonald was the founder of the Upper Glade Methodist church. Its meetings were first held in the dining room of his big house. Later he donated the land and built upon it a church building. A new church was erected on the same site several years later, but was destroyed by a wind storm in 1913, and services were discontinued. John McDonald, his son, was but five years old when brought to this county, and spent the remainder of his life, over three quarters of a century, here. He is survived by a son, also by the name of John McDonald. He was also the father of Mrs. Wilson, who lives in London. This family has been identified with the growth of the township from its organization and its members have been among her most worthy and trusted citizens, ever active and prompt in the organization of schools and churches and in the general moral and Christian progress of their community.

Thomas, John and Eli Gwynne, located on Deer creek. The former, in 1816, laid out the town of Lawrenceville, became very wealthy and died, leaving a large estate. The brothers were very active business men and for some years carried on quite a mercantile trade in Urbana and Columbus. A large family by the name of Ross located on Deer creek - Angus, John, Daniel and Alexander; the former kept a tavern at Lawrenceville.

James Brown also located here on the opposite side of the creek from Mr. Ross. Curtis Ballard and David Foster were two settlers of this period. Charles Atchison, one of the prominent settlers} was township treasurer in 1812, the first to hold that office. James and Daniel Wright were two settlers on the Glade in 1808. The latter lived a long and 'useful life and served in many of the offices of the township, Samuel Duncan and William Noteman settled on the west side of Deer creek, nearly opposite William Blaine, who was on the east side. Noteman was boxn on the ocean and was principally reared in Madison county. He was married on September 28, 1817, and finally he settled on the place later known as the John Lohr farm. He died on January 4, 1827. Aaron Delano, William Lawrence, Gilman Lincol and a person by the name of Fudgy, all located in this neighborhood about this time. In 1808 Benjamin Garrett, with his family, settled on Coniac run, where he built a block-house to protect them from the Indians. Soon afterward he located on the Garrett farm, where he passed to the world beyond. He was a native of Virginia, emigrated to Kentucky in 1805, came to Chillicothe in 1807, and from there to Madison county. About 1812 came Jarvis Pike, Doris Pike and Benjamin Pike, who settled on the Glade north of the National road. Jacob Sidener, a native of Kentucky, with his father, Philip Sidener, a native of Virginia, came to Jefferson township, where he died. About 1811, Jacob, with his sister, settled on the old Ewing farm, later to be owned by George G. McDonald. In 1818, they settled on the farm where W. Clark later lived. About 1815, John Plimell settled on the Glade. Isaac Jones and Zachariah Jones from Tennessee, James Chriswell, John Wiseman, Jesse Abbey and Harry Cay were all settlers at Lawrenceville the same year. In 1815 Samuel Bowdry located where Lafayette now stands and John Davidson settled on Deer creek in the year 1817.

Others of the early settlers who settled in Deer Creek township prior to 1820, were Asa Wright, Ira Wright, John Garby, James Logan, John McNutt, John Clernoe, Joshua Littler, Nite Adair, James Stout and Franklin Clark. The later, settling in the neighborhood of Lawrenceville, was a man of considerable prominence and held several locai offices, being a justice of the peace for several years. He died at the age of sixty-six years, on October 1, 1844. William McCoy was a pioneer who deserves more than a passing notice. He came here as early as 1813 and his name is found among the office holders in 1819. In 1824 he was elected a justice of the peace, which office he filled for several years. He was a man of great integrity of character and a very worthy and useful citizen. Another early settler whose life was fully identified with the growth and progress of the community was William Minter, who was born in Virginia; was married in Kentucky, and in the spring of 1829 came to this county and located about one mile north of the present village of Lafayette. He laid out the town of Lafayette, was a man of great enterprise and, with his means and influence, did much for the advancement of his community, and so was a much esteemed citizen.

Stock Marks

The first settlers, with the greater portion of the country in its wild and unimproved state, allowed their cattle, sheep and hogs to roam at large, and they were often not seen for weeks and months by their owners. It became necessary to protect settlers in their just claims to their own stock; to distinguish, beyond any doubt. one man's stock from that of his neighbor, and, to accomplish this, legislation came to their aid with a special law, declaring that each owner of stock, by having his special mark branded upon his stock, and having the same recorded with the township clerk of the township wherein he resided, should thus be protected in his ownership from any claims of any other person or persons, to the stock bearing the recorded mark. This privilege was early taken

Early Schools

Like most of the early pioneers, the settlers of Deer Creek township realized fully their lack of education and, as soon as possible, endeavored to provide ways and means for the education of their children. The country was sparsely settled, and many of the children had long distances to traverse over almost impassable roads to attend tie first school established, which made it rather discouraging to both parents and pupil. But the undaunted determination of the pioneer soon overcame all obstacles and, the settlements rapidly increasing in numbers from accession from other countries and states, they were soon able to dot the township over with school houses a reasonable distance apart. Although the first schools were rude log structures, with puncheon floors and slab seats, with none of the comforts and conveniences of the present day, and though the roughness of the building was in exact keeping with the unpolished and limited qualifications of the greater portion of the teachers of that day, yet they answered their purpose, being the best they could have under the circumstances. They served as a beginning - a foundation and stepping stone to something better - and but a few years elapsed ere the rapid increase of population with attendant improvements and advantages, enabled them to have better school houses and better teachers.

To show the rapidity with which the township was populated, and the progress in the establishment of school districts in a few years, as well as to give a knowledge of the families that then lived in the township, we give a list of every family in each school district at an early date. School district No. 1, in 1826 - -Amos Howard, Sidney Addison, Amos J. Howard, John Cory, William Scott, Anry Brown, James Brown, Joel Burnsides, Asa Bates, Benjamin Landon, John Negley, Richard Baldwin, John Summers, Williant Kirly, Ansel Bates, Elijah Bates, Asa Owens, John Canaber, David Reece, Thomas Gillespie, Samuel Dickison, David Culver, and Abner Williard, a total of twenty-three families. District No. 2, in 1827 - Thomas Operd, George Prugh, John Osborn, John Grooves, Joseph C. Geer, Henry Groves, John Arbuckle, Erastus Hathaway, Charles Atchison, John Kennedy, John Shields, David Ross, John Ross, Fanny Shields, Blackwell Parish, Benjamin Bowdry, Uriah Hancock, John Hamond, Henry Prugh, Noah Morris and Thomas Taylor, a total of twenty-one families. District No. 3, in 18830 - John W. Simpson, Eli W. Gwynne, Eliabeth Owens, William R. Lawrence, John C. Wagoner, Franklin Clark, Zachariuh Jones, Jemima Jones, William Blaine, Alexander McMurray, Mathias Furrow, William Minter, Hiram Edwards, William McCoy and William T. Davidson, a total of fifteen families. District No. 4, in 1827 - Benjamin Pike, Joshua Littler, John Calhoun, Asa Wright, John Clernoe, Samuel Ewing, Charles Ewing, Daniel Wright, John McDonald. Sr., Thomas McDonald, John McDonald, Jr., Elizabeth - - , Jacon Sidener, John Plimell, Sr., John Plimell, Jr., John McNutt and John Adair, total nineteen families. District No. 5, in 1827 - Alfred Garrett, Robert M. Adair, Jessie Stout, Elizabeth Adair, Edward K. Adair. John Davidson and William T. Davidson, total, seven families. District No. 6, in 1827 - Timothy Beach. Robert Scott, Gabriel Markle, George Vance, William Soward. Charles Soward, Barnet Warren, Valentine Wilson, Samuel Wilson, Eli Williams, Robert Taylor, Jonathan Markle, Sutton Petee, John Roberts, Benjamin Hull, Solomon Porter, and Levi Humble, total, eighteen families. Of course these school districts have. since the above date, been changed, and the present districts are not numbered as then. The township at that time embraced more territory than now, as other townships have since been organized and Deer Creek township made smaller. The above enumerations show that, from the very few families that resided in the above mentioned territory in 1807, in the short space of twenty years they had increased to one hundred and three families, established into six school districts.

The first schools were. often held in private homes before the people were able to, erect buildings expressly for school purposes. One of the first schools of which an account cau be gained of was held in a small log building twelve feet, square, situated in Lawrenceville, opposite the house of Isaac Jones; this was about 1816. The first teacher was a Yankee by the name of Turtlott. There were but few pupils, and the teacher was paid with money raised by subscription, which amounted to about eight dollars per month, and the teacher "boarded around." He was very rigid in his discipline, as were most of the school masters in that day, and he extended his authority over the children at their homes, or on the road, as well as in the school room, and if trouble arose among them that came to his knowledge he chastised them severely, and it was. considered all right - in fact, rigid discipline was as much expected as what they should learn from their books, which were of the most primitive sort. These subscription schools were the only schools to be had for several years, as in that day there was no school tax or public money from any source to be spent in the support of school; hence, in every neighborhood, wherever settlers became numerous, and able to support a teacher at those low wages, a school would be held in some private house, if there was no school house.

The first house erected expressly for school purposes in this township was about one mile south of the present town of Lafayette. It was rebuilt of round logs, puncheon floor, clapboard roof and door. The front of the fireplace was the width of one end of the house, and greased paper, instead of window glass, through which light was admitted to the room, filled the windows. The first teacher here was also a Yankee, named Clark. Another pioneer teacher who taught extensively throughout the township was John Gillingham. Afterwards a school was established on the Curtain farm, one mile or more east of the one already mentioned. This was an old log cabin, so low that the pupils could not stand upright, and they had to take out the joists overhead so as to give standing room. But as the years advanced, the country became thickly settled, roads were extended in all directions, progress and improvements of all kinds were marching onward, wealth was increasing, and every neighborhood which needed and could support a school, erected good frame and brick buildings.

Deer Creek township was for many years without pikes or any good gravel roads and, consequently had more than its share of bad mud roads, due to its very rich, deep soil. But in 1836-37, the government extended one of its greater enterprises through this township. The government of the United States commenced to build a turnpike from Cumberland, Maryland, extending westward through all the middle Western states. There were then no railroads and no great thoroughfare from East to West. The great flow of emigrants to the West, and the increasing traffic and demand for better communication between the East and the West, caused the government to enter into this project. It was a monumental undertaking and would not in that day have been attempted by any power less than the federal government. This great national highway passed from east to west through the center of Deer Creek township, and was the first and only pike built for many years through this township or county. It was completed about 1887. The amount of travel over this road for many years was truly wonderful and hotels - taverns, as they were known then - sprang up all along its length, no less than six or seven being within the borders of Deer Creek township. There were two or three in the eastern part of the township and four at Lafayette, while all seem to have done a good business. It was not an uncommon sight to see from eight to ten four-horse coaches in Lafayette loaded down with passengers and baggage. But after the railroads passed through the country, this road lost its great prestige; stages and passengers disappeared ; hotels closed, and the bustle and rattle of stage coaches and the shrill whistle of their bugle-horns were heard no more. Yet the road remains and is one of the best in the country, standing as a monument to the enterprise of the government that constructed it.

the northwest corner of the township in a southeast course until it arrives at the Dun school house, where it strikes the boundary line between Deer Creek and Monroe townships and continues on that line to the eastern terminus of the township and on through, striking the national road to the west of West Jefferson. This pike was first built by a stock company and was completed about 1859. It remained a toll road until about 1876, when that portion within Madison county was purchased and turned over to the county and made a free pike. The London and Jefferson pike was built a few years later. The London and Plain City pike was built to Lafayette in 1868, being completed through to Plain City in 1873 CEMETERIES.

on the higher and drier portions of the country first - in fact, it was a necessity, aS many of the more flat and level portions of the country were so wet and unhealthy in their primitive condition, that it was unsafe and unexpedient to live upon them. Hence we would expect to find the early burial places in the regions of the first settlements. Many of these first places for receiving the dead of the early settlers were private family burying grounds, some of which should be mentioned. On the Gwynne estate were one or two such burial places, but now not a vestige remains to mark the hallowed spot, or to tell .the passerby that underneath the sod rests all that remains of a noble sire of a pioneer family. Another of these burial grounds is found further down Deer creek, near the old Headley farm, which was known as the Davidson burying ground, as it was located on his farm. It is now all in the open. woods pasture and practically obliterated; although the dead of the Davidson family have been removed to another and more permanent cemetery. Yet a few graves remain whose headstones tell the following: Joseph McCray died on May 28, 1848, aged sixty-two years, nine months and five days; John W. McDonald, died on December 3, 1850, aged twenty-six years, and Mary Jane, wife of John W. McDonald, died on March 2, 1852, aged twenty-five years. Further down the creek, still on the Garrett farm, is the Garrett family burying ground, which contains principally the ancestors of that family.

One of the earliest burial places of. the Upper Glade is the old McDonald cemetery. This was on the farm of John McDonald and contains the remains of most of the early settlers of the neighborhood. This lot was dedicated by the reception of the body of 'John McDonald, Sr., who died in March, 1811, aged seventy years. Further up the Glade, a little south of the National road, is found the Wright cemetery. This has always been a family burying place and contains the remains of the ancestors of that family and a few deceased persons of the immediate neighborhood.

The first cemetery in Deer Creek township to be under the care of and owned by the trustees of the township was the Lafayette cemetery, at Lafayette, on the National road just west of Deer creek. The land upon which this was located was formerly owned _by Stanley Watson, and the lot was first dedicated to this purpose by the reception of the body of Rachel, wife of J. Shryack, who died on July 12, 1838. 'The second person buried there was Sarah, wife of Andrew Anderson, who died on December 6, 1838. This tract of land upon which the burying ground is situated was subsequently purchased by James Wilson, who set apart for burial purposes the lot, embracing between one and two acres, which was continued as a receptacle of the dead, and to make it more permanent, and that it might have the care and protection that such a place should have, in 1874, Mr. Wilson deeded it to the trustees of the township, who; in 1878, pur-, chased sufficient ground of Mr. Wilson to make it embrace five and three-eighths acres. This they nicely improved and fitted up with good gravel roads and walks, ornamented it with evergreens and shrubbery, and it is now among the prettiest of: rural cemeteries.