Union County, Ohio - Chapter 24: Liberty Township and Villages, 1915

Chapter 24: Liberty Township and Villages

The sixth township of Union county was Liberty township, wliich was organized, as shown by the records, as follows: "At a meeting of the commissioners of the county of Union, the first Monday in June, 1822, the township of Liberty was organized as follows : Beginning at the southwest corner of Paris township, thence west to the county line, thence north to the north Ijoundary line of said county, thence east to the west boundary of Paris township, thence south with said line to the place of beginning, to be known by the name of Liberty township." When York township was created the northern boundary of Liberty was materially changed, the territory of the latter being made much smaller.

Land surveys began in this township quite early, though not quite so soon as farther south in the county. The first survey was made in September, 1799. The population of the township in 1910 was 1,488.

Streams, Soil And General Features

Liberty is usually spoken of as a level township. The western and southwestern portions are quite flat and originally were very wet, but the ditching and draining of many years has made it an excellent agricultural section. The bottom lands and some of the higher lands possess a rich black loam, but as a general rule it is of a more clay-like mixture and very productive, especially in corn and wheat.

Mill creek is the principal stream of the township. It enters the township on the west from Logan county, meanders through in a southeasterly direction before entering Taylor township. This is the largest stream in Union county and gave water power for all the early mills in this township. It was natural that the first pioneers should settle as near this beautiful water course as possible. There are .smaller streams, but none of any importance at this day. Originally this township was heavily covered with fine timber, embracing such \arieties as white, red, Ijlack and burr oak. hickory, walnut, elm, sugar maple and beech.

Pioneer Settlers

The first immigrants to this i)art of Union county made their way up Mill creek and formed a settlement in the dense forests of what is now Liberty township. This was se\eral years before any settlement had been effected in Allen townsliip. It was al)out 1813 when Levi Carter, supposed to have been a native of Virginia, invaded this unbroken wilderness. He was one of the judges at the first election when Liberty township was organized. As an inducement to settlers ( iencral McArthur offered one hundred acres to any man who would permanentl}- settle upon it and Mr. Carter accepted the proposition. He was a worthy man, a good citizen and kind neighbor. About 1840 he and his family remo\e(l to Illinois, where he died.

Charles Colver, a New ^'(lrker, mentioned in the history of Union township, located there in 1812 and in the fall of 181 5 moved to Liberty township. He died here in 18J3, aged fifty years. They reared a large family which did honor to the name.

Israel Carter, brother of Levi Carter, the first settler, settled in the township two vears later than his brother. He married, reared a good-sized family and died in the township in which he had lived and labored so long and hard.

Samuel Porter, a Vermonter, settled, with his family, in Liberty township about 181 7, resided until 1823 and then moved back to Vermont, where both he and his wife died. While here he made a valuable and highly esteemed citizen.

Tames Herd, of Berkeley county, \'irginia, emigrated to Clark county, Ohio, just before the War of t8ij. In March, 1817, they settled in Liberty township. His wife died in 1834 and he in 1842.

Dr. Winthrop Chandler, from \'ermont, emigrated to Ohio and settled in Union township in 18 18. He married a ]\Iiss Hammond and about 1826 settled in Liberty township on Mill creek, where he practiced medicine until 1846, when he removed to Illinois. It is said of him that he was the laziest man in Union county. It was stated by more charitable ones that "he was born tired."'

Isaac Brake and wife, natives of old Virginia, emigrated to Ross county, Ohio, in 1818, remained there two years and settled in Liberty township in 1820. They located on what was known as the Joshua Juddy farm, and there remained until death. They were advanced in years when the\- came to this county. In her latter years Mrs. Brake was made the victim of a \ery peculiar disease and when its attacks came on slie felt great desire for water immediately, and that once administered she at once found relief. She had obser\ed that if she was attacked where she could not get water, she believed she would die. In that day shooting matches were frec^uent and legitimate occurrences. On one of these occasions Mr. Brake and family attended, it being nearb\- his home. .\t an early hour, Mrs. Brake took her leave and started for home. Suljsec|uently the remainder of the family returned home. On their arrival they missed her and thinking she had called at a near neighbor's did not look for some time later. Searcli was instituted, horns were blown and all done to rouse the neighborhood, but not until the next morning was any intelligence as to her whereabouts gained. She was found dead a short distance from the road, near some water. It is believed that on her wa\- home she was attacked by her strange disease and had gone to that spot for water and while there died. This was in 1826. Mr. Brake died about 1833. Thev left a large and respectable family of sons and daughters.

South Carolina furnished a settler in the person of Mordecai Baughan in 1S20. He located three-fourths of a mile l>elow Newton. He remo\-ed to Illinois just before the Civil War and died there a few years later.

John Shirk, from Virginia, Ijorn in 1787, in [820 emigrated to Ross count}', Ohio, and two years later settled on the old Judy farm. In 1832 he purchased land where the Disciples church was later erected. He died there in 1873. Mr. Shirk was a verj- large, robust man and physically had few equals. \\'hile a resident of Virginia he was the acknowledged champion both in ph_\-sical strength and acti\'it_\". He was also possessed of an unswerx'ing character. In kindness and justice tt) all with whom he had dealings he was excelled 1)\' but few. His conclusions on right and wrong were drawn with great nicety of distinction and adhered to with great firmness in all the minutest details of business life. -\t one time in his life there was a scarcity of corn throughout this section of country, l)ut Mr. Shirk had an abundance and to spare. He always said that the true \alue of corn was twenty-five cents per bushel : that it was worth that to raise it and no more. Consecjuentlv he would nex^er sell his corn for any more or any less than that ]jrice. He found many poor ]ieo])le through the neighborhood who had to Iniv corn and supplied them with wliat they needed at the al)ove stated price, while at other places, not many miles distant, corn was selling at fifty cents per bushel. One of his neighbors who knew the market value of corn and learned that Mr. Shirk had a quantity to sell for twenty-five cents a bushel, concluded that he would speculate in corn. He harnessed up a four-horse team and drove over to Mr. Shirk's residence and told him he understood he had corn to sell. Mr. Shirk replied that he had and the man with the team told him he would take all he had. Mr. Shirk replied: "You cannot ha\e a bushel of it ; you do not want it for your own use and do not need it, but are trying to speculate off of poor people." So he gave the man some strong moral advice and sent him home without any corn. Thus was his kindness and generosity e\er exhil)ited to the poor. At the time he concluded to make a purchase of land one of his neighbors. Air. Moore, decided also to buy. They were both paor. Judge McLean owned a large tract of land which they concluded they would endeavor to purchase jointly. The Jutlge would n(->t sell to speculators. They desired it for their own use and concluded to go and see Judge McLean in Ross county and set the day to start on their journey. Mr. Moore had nothing but an old ragged suit of clothes and felt unable hnancially to buy a new one. He borrowed a fine suit of his neighbor and on the morning appointed, dressed in his fine black suit, he made his appearance at Air. Shirk's ready to start on the trip. Air. Shirk looked the man all o\er fnini head to fimt and then he told him to go right liDUie and take off his fine suit and put on his did cluthes or he would not go with him; that they were going to see the Judge in their plain old clothes and tell him their situation financially and make no fine show of fine dress or any misrepresentation in any form. He did as Air. Shirk directed; they visited the Judge in that plain way ; with plain talk were successful and purchasen seven hundred and thirty acres (jf land for one thousand dollars on easy terms. The same land when ctirrectly surveyed emljraced nine hundred and twelve acres. This success was all due to Air. Shirk's straightforward course and true representation of themsehes and circumstances. .And the aliove examjiles are but good illustrations of the ])rinci|)le and character which made up the warp and woof of this noble pioneer's life.

Other pioneers were Jacob Humphreys, from North Carolina; Elisha \\'hite, of A'ermont ; Da\id Lockwood, another Vermonter ; Israel Lockwood, a Xew Englander ; ^^'illiam Gladhill ; .Allen Rea, a A'irginian ; W^illiam Crowder. of Virginia: Sanuiel (irifhn. a nati\e of Alaryland. and Da\'id Hosack, a nati^-e of Guernsey county, Ohio, all settled in this townshi]) between the first settlement and about 1835.

.Another list furnished for a former bistor\- of the township contains the names of many more who may well l)e termed "first and early settlers:" Silas Burson, 1824; Jesse Judy. 183J; John Raymond, of New Hampshire; Nathaniel Norveil, of Vermont: L. Ford, of A^irginia; George Baxley, born in A'^irginia. in 1801. He left a diary of events covering a period of thirtv years. From this we quote the following important entries :

Spiritualism - January 14, 1852, spiritualism in full play. Mr. Baxley witnessed the knockings at the house of Mr. Titus - David Rowland, the medium. "People turned nearl}- craz\- about mysterious rappings, which are all the go."

E-xtremes of Heat and Cold - January 20. 1852, thermometer twenty below zero. June 5, 1852. hea\'y frost: o\'ercoat and sitting by the fire feels comfortable : thermometer forty-four above zero at sunrise ; beans, cucumbers, pumpkins and other tender vegetables killed by frost last night. February 4, i8'56, thermometer fourteen degrees below zero. May 31, 1856, heavyfrost; June 5, 1859, heav}' freeze, thermometer twenty-eight above zero; ice one-eighth of an inch thick, crops cut down. June 4, i860, ground covered white with hail; duration of hail storm ten minutes; sixty-two panes of glass broken out of the Methodist Episcopal church. January i, 1864, thremometer ten below zero, ^lay 2, 1864, snow two inches deep. June 12 and 13. heavy frost. February 5, 1866, thermometer ten below zero. February 3, 1868, thermometer ten below zero. April 10, 1868, snow five inches deep. August 18, 1869, thermometer one hundred and eighteen degrees above zro.

Great freshets, January i, 1847, another on April 14, 1859; ^n^ ^ still greater one April 10, i860, doing great damage, destroying property all along Mill creek. March 31, 1865, great freshet, highest water known since

Great Temperance Crusade - On Christmas, 1865, twenty or more ladies entered a saloon kept in Newton (now Raymond) and destro3'fed all licjuors, decanters, glasses, etc. The ladies were subsequently arrested for riot; also twenty indictments were found against the saloon keeper ; he was fined and jailed, and at last completeh- prostrated financially, and unable to continue ])rosecution against said ladies ; but at this juncture the wholesale liquor men from whom he had purchased his licjuor came to his rescue and took up the prosecution against the ladies. Subsequently, the ladies in the case, and numerous citizens, raised money by subscription and paid the damages to property, and thus ended the suit.

Milling In The Townsliip

The first mill erected in Liberty township was built in 1831-32 by Samuel Orahood. It was a grist-mill run by water power on Mill creek, a mile and a fourth abo\e where Xewton now stands, on the old Israel Lockwood farm. It was a g'uod but a small frame mill. After about three years Mr. Orahood sold to G. Smith, who added a saw mill attachment. In the spring of 1843 (jeorge W. Baxley became pro]3rietor, continuing to operate the same ;intil 1856, when he rebuilt the flouring mill and ceased to run the saw mill It was run fur more than twenty-fi\'e years, but on account of the ill health of its owner and the fact that many freshets washed out the mill dam, making it expensi\'e to keep up the water power, the mill was abandoned soon after the close of the Civil War.

Clements" saw mill was erected by Ransom Clements in 1833 and was dri\-en by the water of Mill creek. It was the first saw mill in Liberty township and run about ten }'ears. In 1847, '^^ ^ point a mile north of old Xewton, Mr. Clements built another saw mill, on the ^'ork Center road. It was soon burned and was at once rebuilt. Se\-eral men owned it at one time or another, but finally it was allowed to close down fore\ er. The Thomas grist mill was erected in 1845-46 on Mill creek, three and a half miles above Newton. It was operated about a dozen years. The Peoria saw mill was first erected and operated by INIr. Feltner, who was succeeded by Barnet Bennett.

A tannery was put in operation in ab(.)ut 1849 by T. L. and Daniel Wiswell. It was located a mile north of Xewton, near Clements' saw mill. It was operated by different men and owners until 1870, when owing to the general changes in the tanning industry, it went down. E. and F. ("i. Lockwood were the last proprietors.

What was originally styled Xewton. but, for postoffice purposes, has been long known as Raymond, was sur\eyed for r)a\id Paul and laid off into town lots and streets August 25, 1838. .An addition was made in the fifties by the same proprietor. Hezekiah Davis was the first to erect a house on the plat. It was later owned b\- James W'ootl. John Ra^-mond kept the first hotel and Edward Inskip started the first general store. The first black-

Bv 1882 there had grown up quite a lively town. There were among other dealers and artisans the following : Dague & Wilson, C. W. Case, general merchandise; drug store. Doctor \\'right; hotel, E. Wells: two blacksmith and wagon shops ; a photograph gallery ; boot and shoe repair shop ; a harness shop : one two-story frame school house ; a Methodist Episcopal, Christian and Free-Will Baptist church. The population was then said to have been one hundred and seventy-five. The town is not incorporated and todav has about four hundred, according to the census of 1910.

The Town In I9I4

In the fall of 1914 there were three churches in Raymond - the Methodist Episcopal, Baptist and Christian denominations. (See Church chapter.)

Raymond is the seat of the new consolidated school and takes in all the districts within Liberty township. A thirty-thousand-dollar building has just been finished.

The township hall is located here, a two-story frame structure, the second stor\' being used for pulilic hall purposes by the citizens of the township and \'illage.

Concerning the postoihce it may he stated that a recent list of postmasters sent from Washington to the author of this work gives the subjoined facts :

It appears that there was a town site platted ow about the same land as is contained in Raymond ( Xewton ) a few years before this place was platted. It bears date on the county records as ha\-ing lieen in existence in Octoljer, 1 834, four vears before Xewton was platted and recorded. It would appear that nothing came of this town: at least, there were no houses built on that platting. The project was doubtless dropped. Its proprietor was Samuel King, and he named his village Kings\il!e.

Peoria is within Libert}' township, at the crossing of the Erie and l^iledo & Ohio Central railroads, as well as the junction of the main line and St. ]\Iary"s Branch of the Toledo & Ohio Central line. It had in Kjio a ])()[)ulation of one hundred and fift\". The platting of this \illage was executed in May, 1870, and, exclusive of railroad land, harl a fraction more than nine acres within its limits. In 1872 an extensive addition was made to the \illage for Robert D. F"inley, who opened the first store of the hamlet. The pioneer blacksmith was George Wesley. In 1882 Gosnell Brothers conducted the only store of the' place, and a warehouse was operated by Rogers & Thompson. The postoffice was secured in 1872 and from an official source the following list of postmasters is here given : Robert D. Finley, appointed September 26, 1872; F. D. Gosnell, February 7, 1881 ; Samuel Turner, May 14, 1882: William J. Strader, April 10, 1882; J. N. Gosnell, December 29, 18S2: William O. Titus, August 13, 1885; Maggie Downs, April 11, 1888; J. N. Gosnell, August 13, 1889: Maggie Downs, April 11, 1893; E. M. Gibson, February 7, 1894; S. H. Hemlen, January 5, 1897; J- F- Finley, April 28, 1897; Thomas C. Danforth. April 1, 1899; J. F. Finley, December 28, 1905; I. Delia Finley. August. 1908: William J. Hamilton, August 10. 1914.

The business consists of a general store or two, hotel, barber and blacksmith's shop, depot for the junction of the main line and Marysville branch of the Toledo & Ohio Central and the crossing of the Erie railroad. There are numerous tastv residences scattered here and there over the extended town platting. The \'illage is less than two miles from Raymond and about the same from Broadway, in the midst of a rich agricultural section. Were it not for so many nearby villages this would have made an excellent place for business.