Union County, Ohio - Chapter 26: Allen Township, 1915

Chapter 26: Allen Township

Allen was first enibracetl in L'nidn township. When Liberty township was organized in 1822, Allen was chiefly within that sub-division of Union county. .Vt a board meeting in June. 1S27. it was agreed "That a new township be set off to be called Allen township, to be bounded as follows : Beginning at the southeast corner of Liberty t(_n\nship : thence running with the east line of said township, north six miles ; thence running west to the west line of said Liberty township : thence south to the line between Champaign and L"'nion counties : thence east with the said Liberty township line, three miles to the corner; thence south with the said line of Liberty township, to the northwest corner of L'nion township ; thence east with the north line of L'nion tow nship to the beginning." [Le\-i Phelps, Clerk of the Board of Countv Commissioners.]

The earliest sur\e}- was made in this township in October, 1797: the earliest recorded was that of seven hundred and forty acres, June 6, 1813, known as survey Xo. 102. It was surveyed for Henry Whiting.

This township, in common with others of L'nion county, is quite level. Along the numerous streams are level bottom lands : in the southern portion is a tract formerly known as the Crane swam]:). Another in the northeast portion was called Bear swamp. These lands, now counted among the rich and valuable land of this goodly county, were originally thickly grown up to underbrush and some trees, so thick that it was impossible to get through on horseback. These places, once the home of wild beasts and game. ha\e all been ditched and drained out till they have become fields and pastures of great agricultural value to their owners. The Big Darby is the main water course of this township. Buck Run is the only other stream of any great \-olume or importance within the township. South of Allen Center it makes junction with Bear Swamp run. which rises in Bear swamp. The flat bottom lands are a dark, rich deposit loam and \ery prcxluctixe when once drained. In the extreme south part of this township, on the farm formerl\- known as the Xathan

Howard t'arni, are what was once known as the "Indian Fields."' This was so called because when the first settlers came to the county they found the Indians cultivating corn on these lands. After the Indians left, and before the settlers came in and took the lands once so clear and easily cultivated, they had become covered with thick underbrush and it required much toil to clear them up again fit for general cultivation. \\"hen white men first beheld this township, wild game was here in great abundance and gave them a good supply of meat. One locality south of Allen Center, near Bear Swamp run, where it enters into Buck run, was a notable deer lick. The deer there congregated in great droves.

Early Settlement

Allen township was the fifth to be organized in Union county. While there were se\eral settlements made in the county prior to those effected in this townsliii). there were some who entered this locality at a very early date. Settlement was made very rapidly after immigration had once set in. The township is located in the southwestern part of the county. While there seems no way. at this late day, to know fully from record, or hearsay, just who was first to settle in this township, as several immigrated thither about the same date. \et there is no question but Henry X'angordon was one if not the very first tu settle here. He was from Pennsylvania. He came to Ohio about 1820 and settled on Buck run on land later owned by Jacob Leonard. Later, he moved to Illinois where he died. He reared a large family of sons and daughters who were prominent in their day and generation. Henry \"angordon was one of thirteen -voters at the first township election and one of its early trustees and its fourth treasurer.

Daniel Allen, another son of Pennsylvania, about 1813, married, moved to Ohio and settled in ]\Iadison county: about 1821-22 he came to this township: he was thrown from a load of oats and killed in 1832. The township was named in honor of this unfortunate pioneer. As a man and good citizen he was highlv thought of by all the early settlers. He was a devoted Christian, a class leader in the ^lethodist church : one of the township's first officials and had he lived would no dotibt have succeeded in his newly found home. His brother, Isaac Allen, moved to Ohio in 181 1. In 1829 he came to Union countv and became a settler in this township, dying in 1863.

Southard Mather, of Maryland, came with his father's family to Milford Center, where he married Paulina Rice, and settled in Allen township in 1822.

Later, he renioved to Iowa where he died. He was another of the first thirteen \-oters in the first election. He was elected the first township clerk.

Aloses Redford, a native of X'irginia, emigrated to Ohio, first locating at Milford Center, where he fnljowed shoemaking. He married Betsey Southard, settled on Buck run and also voted at the first township election. He nii)\-ed (in to Champaign count}-.

Another immigrant from old \'irginia was William Epps, who settled in C'hampaign count}- in the } ears between 1806 and 1809. Aljout 1825 he located in Allen township, where he subsequently died. T-ie was also numbered among the voters at the first tow-nship election.

\\'illiani W. liaines, born at Chillicothe in 1801, and in December of that }-ear mo^-ed with his father's faniilv to Logan count \- ; he remained there until 1818-20, then can-ie to Union county, settled in .\llen township and remained a resident until his death in 1850. He \-oted at the first election of this townshij). He married .Atlantic Ciru1)bs and by her had a large famih- of sturdv sons and daughters.

\\'illiam Asher, a native of Culpeper county, Virginia, in 1800 emigrated with the family to Ohio, first settling in Ross count}-, then in Logan county, locating in .\IIen township. Union county, about 1823. He and his son John n-iade two more of the original xoters at the original election in Allen to\\-nship. He had a large famil}-.

Ximrod Garwood was another original \-oter in this township. He was one of the first set of township trustees and a leading man in the organization of Allen townshi]:). He was clerk of the township from 1828 to 183 1.

J(-ihn Pa\-er, a native Marv-lander, emigrated to Fairfield coui-it\-, Ohio, in 1802. In 1820. he remo\-ed with his famih- to I'nion cc^untv, settling ii-i Allen township, where he died in 1831. He was one of the sturdv, hard working pioneers, who married and reared a family of nine children. He performed every duty as a citizen of the newl}- fcirn-ied county and ci\-il township in which he was c(iunted among the early settlers.

Aliraham Leonard, from A'irginia. eniigrated to Ohio, settled in Pickawa}- county, married Elizabeth Paver, and in 1827 remo\-ed to this township.

.Amos A. Williams became a .settler in Allen township in either 1827 or 1828'. He suffered the loss of one of his feet by being run over by the cars; it was amputated and he only lived a few weeks after the operation. His son. William, was a soldier in the Civil War and died in the Union army.

Ahin Wilcox, a native of New York state, emigrated to Madison county, Ohio, at an early date, and in the spring of 1829 to Allen township, Union countv. He later moved to Illinois and then to Missouri.

Luther Wood, a native of Connecticut, born March, 1799, emigrated with his father's family to York state, where the father died. In 1820, he removed to Ohio, settling in I'nion township, where in 1823 he married Rosana Cochran. In 1829 he located in -\llen township, where he lived until a short time before his death, when lie moved into Jerome township, then to Piqua, Ohio, where six weeks later, August i, 1867, he died. He was the father of a large number of sons and daughters who made up a part of the robust element that braved the dangers and hardships incident to that day in this county.

Matlock Stokes, from Virginia, emigrated to Ohio, settling first in Logan count-\', but in about 1830 came to the western part of Union county. He resided in Allen township man\- years and then moved to West Liberty, Ohio.

William Inskeep, Jr., son of John Inskeep. one of the early settlers of Logan county, Ohio, married Mary Stokes and settled in Allen township, Union countv, on the tract of land where Hiram Inskeep later resided. There he died in ^84^. He was an honored citizen and was elected to many township and county offices.

Other settlers along about 1829-30, were Elisha Cowgill, Edward Tyler of Virginia, Cornelius Meshon of Kentucky, John Milligan, a half brother of William Milligan, John Dawson of Pennsylvania, Joseph Dunlap of Putnam county ; in later years, Daniel Spain of Virginia, Abraham Holycross and many more whose names have slipped from the gleaner of this late date.

Isaac Brodrick, born in New Jersey in 1802, was brought by his parents when six months of age to Wheeling, West Virginia. In 1813 he moved to Warren county, Ohio, where Isaac grew to manhood and married Hannah Wood. In the winter of 1833 he settled in Union county. When he came here he knew but two settlers between his ])lace and Newton (now known as

Raymond), one being James Wilbur and annther farther north. His wife died in 1876, the mother of foin' children: Alary Ann, who married Richard Wells; Isaac, who married Sarah Hiifi': James, who moved away during the Ci\il War, located in New Orleans as an engineer on a steamboat and was not heard of afterward; Hannah Jane, who married Charles Van Wye, and J(jhn W. Brodrick, of Marysville, judge of the common pleas court.

James Stillings was born in .Maryland in 1783; in 1829 emigrated to Clark ciiunty, Ohio; in 1834-35 moved to this county, settling in Allen township where he died many years later.

Samuel Marsh was born in what is n<.iw West Virginia, 1809. He married and in 1835 settled in this county- and tnwnship. He had onlv one hundred and fifty dollars in cash and a team of cows. He went in debt for his land, but as the years went by he accumulated a handsome property.

The above were early settlers in Allen township and also the following, of whom but little is now known ; Vandever Reed, Joseph Coberly, George Miller, John r,abriel, Dixon Mitchell, Samuel Ballinger, Alfred Hale, William Smith. Thomas Dodds, James Cochran, W^illiam Hoff, William Rowland, Benjamin X'ickers, 'I'homas Dunn, J-llijah Kinney. Elijah Burroughs, L. Hibbard antl John C. Hilibert.

One more pioneer cnuple should l)e mentioned, James Ca\'ender and wife. Air. Cavender was ])(_irn in New Hampshire, Alay 15. 1776. He married Rachel Buttler, born in 1789, and in 1846 they emigrated to Ohio, locating in this tnwnship, where they spent the remainder of their days. They had nine children, Annis, Abraham H., Jonathan B., Sarah, Charles, Alary E. Burnham, Rachel and David. This worthy cnuple tra\eled life's journey together for more than se\-enty-tw() years, longer than the a\erage span of human life.

One of the earliest mills in the townshi]i was the I'eltz grist mill, located on Big Darby, near the Champaign county line. About i8jo. Samuel Hawkins built a saw mill nn this site, run b\- water power. After a few years it was sold to Thomas Dunn, who was succeeded in 1833 by Beltz Brothers, and it remained in that family's hands for more than a half century. Soon after Mr. Beltz purchased this mill he put in a distillery and it

The older settlers of the county will recall the Wetzel Alill further down the Darby in the extreme southern portion of the township. Daniel Coe here erected a saw mill about 1S36-37 and commenced the digging of a race to suppi}- power from the w aters of the Darby sufficient to run a grist mill. He was two years in constructing this race and it cost him one thousand three hundred dollars. He also laid a good foundation for a grist mill, but being unable to complete it for want of capital, he finally sold out to Ira Johnson, who then erected the grist mill, and also at one time had a distillery there with a large warehouse for grain. This entire property was destroyed by fire. Later, it was rebuilt on a smaller scale. But this undertaking caused the owner to fail in l)usiness and it passed into the hands of Williams & Bennett, who also failed, which put an end to all distilling business. Howard & Leonard purchased the old mill at auction and sold it to Alartin \\'etzel. While in the latter's hands it was burned in 1856. Lie re-built and operated it several years, when it was removed to Unionville.

The Finley saw mill, built in 1850, b\- James Finley on the JNIilford & Allen pike, was run by steam power. Just before the Civil W^ar it was sold to S. B. Childs.

This \'illage dates its platting from Februar}- 18, 1869. when David A. Williams and George F. Bennett had sur\eyed twenty-four lots and named it in the records of the county "Pottersburg." It is situated on survey No. 315.

October J2. 1872, W. A. Armstrong caused to be surveyed fourteen lots as an addition to the original village of Pottersburg, the same being situated on the nurth side of the railroad then known as the Atlantic & Great Western.

In the summer of 1868, before the first platting was executed at Pottersburg. Jonas Cline, a carpenter, erected a saw mill. He also erected the first house, the same lieing for .\l)el Lary. hi i860 he also l:)uilt a store room twehe l)y eighteen feet and filled it witli groceries, the first store of the village. B. Andrews was the first l)lacksniith. In 1S69 Captain Cline petitioned for a postoffice and was appointed postmaster the same year. In the spring of 1864 the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio railroad was completed and the first train put in operation. Captain Jonas Cline was appointed ticket agent. By 1882 there were about one hundred people residing at Pottersburg.

Allen Center

At this point the first business enterprise was the ashery, carried on at an early day by Joel Everett. It was about 1848-49 when Joshua Eaton purchased five acres and laid out a few town- lots. A postoffice was established in 1 85 1 with Reuben Foote as commissioned postmaster. Ransel Smith was engaged in the cabinet business and Stephen Donahue was the village blacksmith. In 1 86 1 Barnett Bennett erected a large two-story frame building and the next year placed in it a large stock of merchandise. He continued in trade until about 1865, then sold to Jacob Painter, who ran it until about 1875, when he sold and. moved to Mississippi. About the opening of the Ci\il War the postoffice was discontinued and the site of the once hopeful hamlet is now covered with fields of waving grain.