Marion County, Ohio - Chapter 3: Bowling Green Township, 1883

Organic

* June 7, A. D. 1824. - Commissioners of Marion County met for the first time after the organization of said county. Present, Matthew Merrit, Amos Wilson, Enoch B. Merriman. Auditor, Hezekiah Gorton.

* Ordered, That surveyed Townships 3, 4 and 5, in Range 13, and so much of the Virginia Military Tract as lies south of said townships in Marion County, be and the same is hereby set off as a new township, by the name of Grand Township."

This included the territory that is now Grand, Montgomery and Bowling Green Townships, in Marion County, and also one township which has since been cut off and added to Wyandot County. It will be observed that it embraced the entire western tier of townships of Marion County as they were then numbered, and as they are now arranged.

The first division of this territory made in this county, was effected in 1881, by the erection of Montgomery Township, which was then raade to inelude the present Montgomery Township and Bowling Green Township, as will appear from the following entry in the Commissioners' record, made at that date:

" Monday, December 5, 1881. - Ordered by the Board, That Township No. 5 south, Range No. 18, and all the Virginia Military Land lying due south of Township No. 5, Range 13, within said county, be and the same is hereby set off as a new township, by the name of Montgomery."

Seven years later, Bowling Green Township was formed, and was made to include all of the Virginia Military Lands mentioned in the above entry, or all of that portion of Montgomery Township then lying south of the Seioto River, as will be seen from the following entry:

* March 5 (first Monday), 1888. - Commissioners met, pursuant to the Statute in such case made and provided. Present, Charles Merriman, John Shunk and George Beckley. And whereupon, on petition of Thomas Parr and others, it is ordered that a new township, to be called and named Bowling Green Township, be and the same is hereby erected and set off as follows, to wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of the county of Marion; thence north to the north bank of the Scioto River; thence down said river, with its meanderings, until it intersects the range line dividing Ranges 13 and 14 in said county; thence south on the line of Green Camp Township, to the line dividing Marion and Union Counties; thence westwardly on said line dividing said counties of Marion and Union, to the place of beginning."

Since the erection of this township, its boundaries have not been changed or disturbed, except in one single instance, which is briefly told in the following entry:

Nathan Peters Topographical

Bowling Green Township is composed wholly of Virginia Military Land, which, for richness of soil, compares very favorably with other portions of Marion County. The surface in the middle and eastern part of the town- ' ship is generally level, and the soil consists of a rich, black loam, while in the extreme western portion, the surface is generally undulating, and the soil contains much clay and gravel Upon much of the level portion of the township, at an early day, during a greater portion of the year, stood eonsiderable water, which not unfrequently became stagnated at certain seasons of the year, and produced a miasma that caused much sickness among the early settlers. But, in later years, since the driftwood has been removed from the numerous creeks and runs, with which the township is traversed, and which flow into the Scioto River, that washes its entire northern borders, and since ditching and tiling have added to the drainage, the most unpromising of the waste places have been cleared of the waters, also much of the timber, and have been made £o smile in the sunlight of Heaven, and are now subject to the tillage of the farmers, or afford them excellent pasture land, while the atmosphere is becoming free trom malaria. and the air is more pure and healthful. The principal streams are Rush Creek, McDonald Creek, Dudley Run and Wild Cat Run. Of these, Rush Creek is the largest. lt takes its rise in Logan County and runs through a portion of Union County, and in a northward direction through the eastern portion of this township, and empties into the Scioto. Into this creek, McDonald Creek, Dudley Run and a number of rivulets constantly flow, thus affording ample natural water-courses.

Bowling Green is a timbered township, and when first secured by the whites - and for many years subsequently - some of the tinest hard wood, consisting of maple, hickory and cherry, as well as some of the finest walnut and ash timbers, could readily be found in its extended forests, and even to this day such timbers are by no means entirely exhausted.

This tornado took its rise in Logan County, near the village of West Liberty, and in its course passed over Bellefontaine, destroying a number of the buildings in the northern portion of that town, and carrying bits of shingles and pieces of clothing as far as the plains of Big Island Township. It swept on, with increasing force and velocity, through Washington Township, Union County, and entered this township about four miles south of La Rue. The tornado had been gradually widening its track until, at the time it entered this county, its path extended over three-fourths of a mile of territory. Its course in this township was in the direction of Dudley Ruf and Rush Creek, down to the Scioto, which it crossed, and spent its fury in the adjacent woods of Big Island Township. The tornado swept everything in its path; trees of the greatest magnitude were upturned by the roots, trees of smaller size and the undergrowth were broken, hurled

It was the custom of the Indians to burn the woods over in the autumn, for convenience in hunting, and the fires of four successive annual burnings consumed the fallen timber, brush, weeds and grass, and rendered the lands along the "Windfall" almost free from logs and brush, and made it available for cultivation. Such was its condition in the spring of 1829, when a few squatters came in from Big Island, as mentioned below.

Settlement

The settlement of this township was not commenced ata very early date. Jesse Bell was, perhaps, the first permanent white settler. He located on the east bank of Rush Creek in February, 1831. There had been a few squatters and persons of roving and restless dispositions, who had built cabins here and occupied them for a short time previous to this, but they were indeed few. Among them was Moses Dudley, who is said to have been the very first white settler of the township He, with Hiram Shutes (father of William G.), and Gardner Hatch, his brother-in-law, arrived from Big Island in the spring of 1829, attracted by the cleared ground made by the tornado, and raised a crop of corn, on ninety acres of land--lately the I. F. Guthery farm. This corn they raised without either fencing or plowing, and from a measured half-acre in the fall they husked forty-four bushels. This fact being noised abroad, a number of squatters rushed in during the succeeding winter. Dudley sold his surplus - over 900 bushels - to Bennett & Hardy, of Marion, for 64 cents a bushel, and they sold the same to Maj. La Rue for 14 cents a bushel, delivered. Shutes sold 700 bushels to La Rue, who exchanged 200 bushels of it for a horse. Hatch's share was destroyed, he saving only enough to get a chest.

Other pioneers were Benjamin Sager, William Graham, David Harra. wman, John Burnet, Edward Williams, Aaron Bell, Thomas Welling, John Welling, Elisha Daniels, Thomas Andrews, Jotham Johnson, William Price, ^ Joseph Guthery, John D. Guthery, I. F. Guthery, David and John Hovkenberry and Thomas Parr. The last-named pioneer, Thomas Parr, was instrumental in having the township organized, giving it the name * Bowling Green," in reference to a township of that name in Licking County, this State, from which he liad emigrated to this place. He also laid out a town in the center of the township, naming it " Holmesville." This place at one time had a tavern, a dry goods store, two or three groceries, a post office, a blacksmith shop, a wagon shop, etc.; but when La Rue was established, the incipient little town of Holmesville had to go down.

Mr. Parr also erected a horse mill, which was a great convenience to the pioneers, as they had previously to go twenty and thirty miles to get grinding done.

The first school was taught by P. Lampheare, in a rude log cabin, with slab benches, greased paper windows and mud-and-stick chimney, where the fire was built upon the ground for a hearth. Soon after organization, this township was divided into three school districts, and furnished with the same style of schoolhouses. They have long since been superseded by eight fine frame buildings.

The first election in this township was held at Thomas Parr's residence in the spring of 1838. Parr was elected Township Treasurer, and Silas H. Cleveland, Clerk. The first Justice of the Peace elected after the organization of the township was Joseph Guthery, father of John D. and Isaae F.

Guthery, who was commissioned May 14, 1839. William Graham, who resided in the township, was commissioned Justice of the Peace April 18, 1888, having been elected before Bowling Green was set off from Montgomery.

Modern Times

The character of the scil, the relative position of the township and the 'class of citizens being such as they are, it is but to be expected that the community would bring order out of chaos, wealth out of crude material and general prosperity out of pioneer privations. From the small beginnings of 1829-31, described on preceding pages, the agricultural development of this territory has grown to such proportions as can only be expressed in figures, and even then but feebly. ^ The following are the agricultural products, etc., of the township, for 1883. i

Bowling Green Presbyterian Church. - - This church was organized in the latter part of May, 1843, by Peter Marsh and John Gilmer, who were elected Elders. The following were the first members: Peter Marsh and wife, John Gilmer and wife, Thomas Pierce and wife, and Mrs. Thomas Parr. The meeting was held at Parrtown Schoolhouse, adjoining Winnemac. Rev. Miller was the Moderator. Rev. Cephas Cook was the first minister, who died the following October. The first communion was held at the Parrtown Schoolhouse, where meetings were held until 1853. Then a frame church, 32x38 feet, with a seating capacity of 200, was erected in Winnemac, at a cost of $500. The Building Committee were Peter Marsh, John Gilmer and M. A. Mustain. This church was built by subscription, except that $50 was appropriated for the purpose by the Board of Church Erection. The lumber for the seats was drawn from near Bucyrus, thirty miles distant. At this time, the name of the congregation was changed to " Winnemac Church." In 1862, the building was moved over into La Rue and for its further history see Montgomery Township.

The Sabbath school in connection with this church was organized about May, 1845, with Peter Marsh as Superintendent, and John Bonner, Assistant Superintendent. It was organized asa "Union" Sunday school, and so continued until the removal of the church to La Rue, when it disbanded.

Rachel Guthery, Joseph A. Williams and wife, John Dodd and wife, James Reed and wife, Philip Stokely and wife, William Wilson and wife, Solomon Jones and wife, and others. The ministers have been Revs. T. J. Hendricks, Mr. Snell, Thomas Downing and Daniel Downing. In 1862, when ihe people were sensitive over the issues connected with the war, the minister took strong ground with one party, resulting in breaking up the congregation.

The house of worship which these people occupied was built in 1855, by contributions from citizens of all denominations, on land donated for the purpose by J. D. and I. F. Guthery. It was 24x92 feet and cost, including furniture and seats, about $800. After the United Brethren discontinued the use of the church in 1862, it was used by the Methodists and Baptists until about 1874 or 1875, since which time it has not been used as a house of worship.