Union County, Ohio - Chapter 25: Leesburg Township, 1915

Chapter 25: Leesburg Township

Leesburg is tlie central township on the eastern line of Union county. It is on the Delaware county line, with Claibourne township on its north; Taylor on the west ; Do\er and I'aris on the south. Its shape and boundary is very irregular, owing to the manner in which the original surveys were made. Its population in 1914 was 1,245. Its topography and general natural features do not differ materiall}' from other portions of Union county, being generally le\el and quite low in places. Boke's creek, Blue's creek and Grassy run are the chief water courses, none of which are very large streams. The soil of this township is clayey, with a slight admixture of sand in places. The swale lands are of a black clay, underlaid with a substratum of blue clay. The springs of the township are not numerous, but when found, are of the finest water to be had anywhere. Some are strongly mineral in their character. In this township are found the famous ^Magnetic springs, of which the world has heard so much in the last quarter of a century. The reader w ill find an account of these celebrated healing waters at another place in this chapter. When first settled, this township was largely covered b}' a heavy growth of forest trees, most of which has been cut down and the ground on which the stately kings of the ancient forest stood has been con\'erted into excellent farming sections, which yield up their annual harvests of all crops common to this soil and latitude.

Leesburg was the seventh township to be organized in Union county. The date of its erection was 1825, and originall_\- it embraced the territorv of Jackson and Claibourne townships. The first election was held October II, 1825, when ten votes were cast, Robert Cotrell, Culwell Williamson, Henry Swartz, Samuel Gardner, Samuel ^Martin, Simon Gates, Sr.. Simon Gates, Jr., Cyprian Lee, Edward Williams and Thomas Timks. At this election James Curry received the entire ten \"ntes for representati^-e, and Matthias Collins all the \-otes for commissioner. Simon Gates was the first justice of the peace.

The original land survey was made in 1809. \\'illiam Semple's survey No. 803, of one thousand acres, was made N^ovember 17, <if that year. It is ^29) located in the central western part of the township. A majority of the surveys in the township were of one thousand acres each, but the exact acreage frequently far exceeded this amount when, in years afterward, the land was resurveyed.

The tax ^-aluations in 1825 of personal property returned in Leesburg township consisted of six horses and twenty-seven cattle. A majority of this property was found in the territory now included in Claibourne township. By 1830 the property had increased to thirty-three horses, one hundred and fifteen cattle ; total valuation, $2,240, upon which the tax levied was only $22.40. Tliere were 22.975 acres of land, valued at $24,550. and taxed at $227.99. In 1840 the total valuation was $42,848, taxed at $728.42. In 1850 it had increased to a land measure of 19,217 acres, valued at $76,326; town property, $857; chattels, $18,000. The total valuation, of 895,000, was taxed for $1,469. The total valuation in i860 of real estate $257,849, and taxes w^ere $2,665. I" 1870 the value of the 19,000 acres of taxable land was $425,000, with value of buildings. $24,425. In 1880 it had reached a land value of $457,000: buildings, $31,000; town property, $8,699; chattels, $172,484. For the present statistics on the township's valuations see table including all townships of the county.

Pioneer Settlement

Clark county, Ohio, furnished a majority of the first settlers for this township. Some of these pioneers came for the purpose of hunting, while others came to establish homes. Deer was the principal game sought for at that early day in this portion of the county. Honey bees swarmed everywhere in the forests and wild honey was found on the table of all pioneers. Bee hunting was the chief occupation of many of the first-comers to this township. The bee-hunter was generally supplied with a trusty pocket compass to note the course in which the bees were flying. Bees were attracted to a spot by the scent arising from honey-comb burnt by the hunter between two heated stones. Honey, mixed with anise seed, was sprinkled near, and when the bees alighted they soon became surfeited. After circulating around for a few times, they would fly away in a "bee line" (hence the common term) for their home. By getting the course of two bees of the same swarm from two localities, the swarm would be found in the tree at the intersection of the two lines. When a bee tree was once found, the hunter would cut his initials on the bark of the tree, and by universal consent it became his indi\-idual property, to be cut down and the honey extracted therefrom at his leisure. The Indian method of Imney gathering was to climb a tree and cut out the honey. In a three-weeks' hunt an early settler in Leesburg township found twenty-five trees and from two hives in one of them, procured ten gallons of fine honey.

The original settlement in this township was effected on Blue's creek. It is impossible to determine who made this settlement, or the exact date, as all the records concerning such settlement have long since been lost. The first squatters, as these persons probably were, are sometimes called "first settlers." They came here for the purpose of hunting and gathering honey, and this w-as a long time before any actual settler came with the view of locating permanently. It is known that a small colony came in from Clark county in 1820. In this company was one leading character, Simon Gates. He was highly esteemed in those rough pioneer times. He did not remain long after the township began to develop, but moved on to newer and wilder conquests. His father, Simon Gates, Sr., owned sixty-one acres in Survey No. 5,506, and died soon after coming to the township.

Hale Winchester was among the sturdy and first settlers. He, too, was from Clark county, Ohio, and occupied land on Blue's creek as a squatter, but later bought land. Finally, he went to the west. Da\-id Gallant, George Anthony, Nelson Emery and Henry Hulse were probably among the \er\- earliest settlers on the Blue's creek. These all came in from Clark county, and a few years after their coming purchased land.

Culwell Williamson, of Lynchburg, \''irginia, early in the nineteenth century, purchased a thousand acres in survey No. 3,694. Of the tract two hundred acres were reserved for two local preachers from the Old Dominion state. These men were Revs. Munson and Denton. In 181 1 Mr. Williamson visited the land, riding horseback from \'irginia. No white settlers were then near, but the forests were full of Indians. He soon returned to Virginia, and made two more trips before finally emigrating. In 1824 he collected his belongings at bis old Virginia home, placed them in his fourhorse wagon, bade farewell to his native state and, with his sister, Mrs. Jane Martin, a widow, her three children - Samuel, Culwell and Ann - and Tames and Nancy Oglesbie, a young nephew and niece, began a long, wearisome journey to Ohio. Eight weeks were consumed on this trip. Upon his arrival he procured assistance from the Scioto river, the men coming before seven in the morning and working like beavers till late at night. In the one day the cabin was raised, clapboarded, roofed, a doorway sawed out and a door hung in place. That night, for the first time since they left their old Virginia home, it rained ; but there was a shelter over head, and the pattering rain drops on the new ly made roof were but sweet music to their ears. This constituted the tirst real settlement in the upper part of the township. The cabin stood on what was later known as the O. Jewett farm, one mile up Boke's creek from the Magnetic springs. Mr. Williamson was an old bachelor, and by trade a house carpenter. He surveyed his land into small tracts and sold much of it to incoming settlers. Thomas Tunks, Joseph Brannon, Henry Hulse and Isaac White each bought one hundred acres from him. Richard Hoskins bought the Rev. Denton hundred-acre tract above mentioned, while William Wells bought the Munson hundred acres. Mr. Williamson died in 1828, having laid well the foundation stones of what has come to be one of Union county's prosperous and wealthy townships.

Richard Hoskins, born in Franklin, Franklin county, Ohio, in 1804, first moved to Delaware count}-, and in 1827 settled in Leesburg township, Union countv. on the hundred-acre tract, later known as the Doctor Skidmore farm, about one mile up Boke's creek from Magnetic Springs. There, in the deep, dark forest, he set to work clearing up a farm. He was married in 1827 to Ann H. Martin, and she bore him ten children, all becoming respected citizens of Union county. The father died in 1870, highly respected for his true and honorable career as a pioneer of the township and county.

Thomas Tunks settled in the township in 1825. The same year came in Joseph and Benjamin White and Arad and William Franklin, from Clark county. The companv had but one horse between them. Arad Franklin was just recovering from a sick spell and Joseph White was an aged man. The two rode the horse alternately, while the others walked. They reached Xewton and remained there over one night and then traveled northward till they reached Blue's creek, eight miles above Pharisburg, from which point Joseph White returned to Newton with the horse. The other three continued down stream until they had reached the place purchased by Thomas Tunks. That pioneer was there with his sons building a cabin. The_\- remained that night with theni and the next da)'- returned. They were pleased with the countrv and decided to locate here. Isaac ^^'hite came out first in February, 1826. He died of typhoid te\er a few years later.

Henry Gandy, "the Yankee from Xew Jerse\-," had originally located in Darbv Plains, but came to Leesburg township in 1827, settling up the creek two miles from Pharisburg, on the south side of the stream, in survey Xo. 3,692, where he bought two hundred acres. He was an old man when he arrived here, and had a family of grown sons and daughters.

F,]ihraim Carey emigrated from Washington county, Pennsylvania, to near Marietta, Ohio, in 1796, and in 1801 .settled near Plain City, Ohio. He

About 1827 came John Woods and Alexander ElHott from Clark county. He had contracted the disease known as "milk sickness" before coming to this township. He o\erworked here in clearing up land and building rude cabins, took a relapse and died at the home of Abijah Gandy. His family later removed to the place he had sought so hard to improve.

Alexander Cowgill was a very early settler nn the present site of Mineral Springs. He was from Delaware C(iunt\-, where he served as a scout in the War of 181 2. He only remained a short time, selling his holdings to Samuel Barcus, and crossing the line over into Claibourne township, where he died. He had one son, George, and a large number of daughters.

In 1830 the following" settlers had commenced operations in the township: Abraham Elifritz, Thomas Foreman, Pierce Lamphere, W'illiam Mc- Intire, John Price, David Price, Ira Phelps, John So\ereign and Samuel Simpson.

Deli\'erance Brown built a cabin and lived with his family on Boke's creek, two miles above I'harislnirg. He was called one of the l)est hunters in Union county, and was occupied most of his time in his favorite pursuit. For a number of years this one man killed from seventy-five to one hundred deer annually. He finally left for the west, having thinned out the game so it was hard work to make a successful business of it.

Coming down to a somewhat later period the settlement was increased by the advent of the follow ing : Stephen Davis, Henry Goodrich, Samuel Lafferty, Samuel ]\Ieek and Robert Maskill. John Xewhouse located just north of the site of Magnetic Springs in 1824. He remained on the old farm until 1881 and then removed to Magnetic Springs. Robert Pharis purchased surve}- Xo. 3,693, of one thousand acres, in 1835. He was a shrewd Yankee. In 1833 Joseph Bellville, /of Belmont county, effected his settlement. He died in 1863. ^'.xaT^-c

One of the earliest schools taught in the township was taught in a log house a half mile .south of Pharisburg by Samuel Pharis. (See Educational chapter.)

Milling in early settlements is always an interesting feature of pioneer life. Ever)' member of the household looks forward to the opening of such enterprises with delight. The small boy watches the process of damming up the waters of a creek or river ; then watches the men carry up the frame of the building; if a saw-mill, he watches the men put in the old-fashioned upright saw and turn on the water for the first time. The first slab that comes off from the first log sawed is really a prized piece of lumber in the community. If it be a grist-mill, then the small boy watches the millwright place the elevator and see the corn meal or flour drop into the sack, and hurries home to tell the family that they can now have biscuit for dinner.

Nathan Meek, about 1832-33, constructed a mill known as a "corncracker," on Boke's creek, a mile below Pharisburg, which had a capacity of forty bushels of corn a day. The mill-stones, about twenty inches in diameter, were still in use at Pharisburg in the early eighties. An upright saw was attached to the mill and both of these mills were duly appreciated by the pioneer band. This mill stood on the farm of Samuel Martin. After selling his mill, Mr. Meek built another on the farm of John Woods, a little less than two miles from Pharisburg. He sold to John Warner, and in a few years it was abandoned. Still later, up the creek, there was erected a saw-mill bv Ingham Woods and John Elliott. A long race was dug, but by a mistake of the millwright, a fall of only three feet was obtained where nine had been expected, and the mill project had to be abandoned.

In early davs the Scioto and Darby creek mills, and one on Buck creek, in Champaign county, were largely patronized by the early residents of the township.

The first cemetery in Leesburg township was on the farm of Joseph Brannon, one-half mile east of Pharisburg. Among the goodly number of the pioneers buried there was Alexander Elliott. Before that, the burials took place at the Decker burying ground in Delaware county. The Hopewell church also had an early burying ground. The McAllister graveyard at Union Chapel, though not so large, also holds the dust of many pioneers. Close to the old log Presbyterian church, located in the southwestern part of the township, was a cemetery, which has also ceased to be used. Another, south of Blue's creek, on the farm of William Scott, was known as Scott's graveyard. ^«r'Z''*^-<-'"- ^ 'X'J ''''J' '" ..vu (*-'-vL

Village Of Magnetic Springs

This village, of less than two hundred population, is situated in the northern part of survey Xo. 3,696, in a bend on the south side of Boke's creek. It came into existence on account of the accidental discovery of the medicinal qualities of the water from springs there which have became famous over a large scope of this country. Until about 1864, most of the land on which the place is situated was covered with large forest trees. J. W. Hoskins then built a cabin here, and cleared up a great portion of the timber land. In 1872 J. E. Xewhouse, having purchased the site of the springs, started a nurser\- and garden, which supplied the surrounding farmers for many miles with grape vines and other nurser\' stock. There was a great travel on the roads up this way, and in wet weather the highways were next to impassable. He petitioned the countv commissioners for a pike road, and offered to donate the gravel for two miles of the road, from a fine gravel bed on his place. The gravel road was constructed. Intent on utilizing the cavity left where the gravel had been excavated, here he decided to make a fish-pond. For the purpose of supplying the pond with water, in April, 1879, he sunk a well sixty-eight feet deep without reaching the rock and was about to abandon the enterprise, when the water gushed in from the of)ening, forming a beautiful fountain. The sight was indeed a novel one and many came to view it, and \-er\" naturalh- drank of the spring water. Several were afflicted with kidney troubles and they received much relief. It was not long before wonderful stories were being circulated of the healing properties of these waters, and it was then carried ofif in a score of ways. In the autumn of 1878 JM. F. Langstaft' had become a partner of Mr. Newhouse in the nurserv business, and after the fountain had created much public notice they erected a bath-house near the fountain for the benefit of those who wished its use. A number of persons desired lots and for their accommodation, November 24 and 25, 1879, fifty lots, known as "in-lots,"' and five blocks were surveyed b\' F. A. Gartner for J. E. Newhouse and Duncan and Matilda ]McLean, the latter two ha\'ing bought ^Ir. Langstaff's interest. Since then there have been numerous additions made to the original plat. Among these may be noted Degood's addition, Degood's second addition, Hoskin's addition and McBride's addition.

In 1879 the only building west of the pike was that of ]\Ir. Newhouse. In 1880 about a dozen houses were erected and before two years more there were more than a hundred houses. During the first five vears of its exist- ence. the floating and regular population run from three to five hundred. John Smith was appointed postmaster of the newly created office of Kokosing, the date of establishment being May 17, 1880. The name was changed January 31, 1881. to ^Magnetic Springs. The postmasters having served here are John A. Smith, May 17, 1880, to November 13, 1884, when S. S. Merrinian was appointed, serving until Francis Merriman took the office, December 14, 1886; William King was appointed May 19, 1892; J. M. Hoskins, February 20, 1894; William King, February 8, 1898; Elmer M. [Nlackan, January 9, 1914.

The first dry goods store was opened by A. L. Smith & Sons, of Richwood, in the early spring of 1881. Other very early dealers were Buftington Lynn and Hill & Jolliff. In 1882 there were also two grocers, L. Roley and John Smith : one hardware store, by Boe & Murphy ; one drug store, by Dr. H. McFadden; one jeweler, Ramsey & Son; a billiard hall, bakerv- and restaurant ; a photograph gallery, meat market, an extensive livery stable and a blacksmith and shoe shop. There were also three good hotels and a number of good boarding houses. The Fountain House was built by M. F. Langstaff in 1880. He sold to A. Thompson. The Park House was also soon in operation. The Hoskins Flouse was commenced in 1881. W. M. Murphy & Sons, of Cleveland, in 1882, were engaged in sinking an artesian well to a great depth. It had been sunk seven hundred feet in November of that year. The town prospered until 1907, when the heart of the town was destroyed by fire. In 1914 the business interests of the village are as follows:

There are now four strong mineral springs flowing at this point. The postoffice is a fourth-class office and is a money order station. There is one rural free delivery route, with a total length of eighteen miles. It was established in February. 1908.

The \-illage is the center of the centralized school system for three districts in Union and two in Delaware county. There is being finished a new central school house, made of brick and c(.)sting $15,000. Four wagons will transport the pupils to this building.

Magnetic Springs is incorporated and has for its present officers: Mayor, L. M. Gopeland : clerk, John A. Sayre : marshal, Cyrus Tlughes; councilmen, D. F. Koffroth. E. l^'elds. Murle Shirk, (ieorge Frwin and Hiram McCombs. The fire department is volunteer, with the town marshal as chief. V'>uv deep wells furnish the water and a chemical engine, with hook and ladder apparatus, furnish the town with adequate service.

The chief characteristic of the waters of the springs is found in the fact of their highlv charged magnetic properties. There are also special sulphur springs at this point. So stronglv impregnated is the magnetic water that a common pocket knife held in the stream a few moments will cause the blade to be magnetized sufficiently to pick up a nail or other small metallic object. Pins will readily adhere to the l)lade frir weeks at a time. The en\-ironments are ideal. Parks and beaut\' spots charm one (^n e\erv hand.

This hamlet was sur\e\ed li\- William B. lr\-in Julv 21, i<S47. for the proprietor, Allen Pharis. administrator of Robert Pharis, deceased. It contained about ten acres. Its location is near the southeast comer of survey No. 3,69.^, and near the center of the township. It had been known before as Scott's Corners. The residence of .Samuel Pharis, a large two-stor\' log house, stood on the plat where the town was laid out. Francis Scott soon after built a frame house west of the road running north and south. Merilla Cameron, a young Kentuckian, sold the first goods here. He brought them before the \illage was laid out and conducted the store only a, year or two. Not long after this Mr. J. Reed opened a general store and did business for some time. Matilda Chuggage taught the first school. Thomas Barcus was

Doctor McClaskey, of Pennsylvania, was the pioneer physician. Among the merchants of the village have been A. B. Strieker, A. G. McAdow and William Haves. Today it is a small trading point and has about one hundred and twentv-five population. It is now on a rural free delivery from Marysville.