Union County, Ohio - Chapter 28: York Township, 1915

Chapter 28: York Township

On the west line of Union county and in the second tier of civil townships is found Vori<. Tlie organization of this township was completed by the election of its hrst township officers April 7, iS^4. This election was held at the house of Aaron Shirk and he was therefore permitted to cast the first vote at this the first township election. The election resulted in the election of the following officers; Trustees, Herman Tohey, Joseph Miller and Harmon J'atrick : t)verseers of the poor, Charles Miller and John Coons; fence viewers, George Cocttis, Jonathan Miller and Charles Bennett; treasurer, William Tohey; constable, Aaron Shirk; clerk, William Hartford; supervisors, John Stamates, Hiram Parker and Jonathan Shirk. The trustees met at Mr. Tobey's, April 13, 1834, and divided the township into road districts. Jonathan Miller was elected the first justice of the peace at the fall election in 1834.

The ^'ork township of today is not the same in form and size as the one originally |)lanned or even as was originally ordered laid out, as will be seen by the transcript of county rec(jrds which shows the following proceedings :

"Decemljer 3, 1833 - The board of commissioners ordered that a new township be laid off on the north end of Liberty township, to be called York; commencing on the east boundary of said township of Liberty, fi\e miles north of the southeast corner thereof ; thence west, parallel to the south boundary of said Libertv townshi]), to the west boundary thereof; all north thereof to the north boundar\- of l'ni(.in county to l)e considered York township, to be surxeyed by Levi Pheli^s, when it may suit his conxenience. previous to March session next.

"March 4, ]8'34 - The board took into consideration the report of Levi Phelps, surveyor, on his proceedings on laying oS the township of York, and its api^earing to said board that it would be more convenient to the townships of both Libertv and York to remove the line aKS now run one mile farther north ; it is therefore ordered that the said Phelps, at s(jmetime ])rior to the next June session, re-survey the said township of \'ork, commencing on the east line of the township of Liberty at the six-mile tree being six miles north of the southeast corner of the township of Liberty, as originally established; thence to run west with the southern boundar}' thereof to the western boundary of the county ; all north to be considered as the township of York.

"December 4, 1834 - A petition was presented by William Hartford, praying for a re-consideration of their order, for running the line between the townships uf Liberty and Yurk. and an alteration; whereupon, it is ordered b_\' the board that the said line shall begin five miles north of the southeast corner of the t(jwnship of Liberty, on the east line thereof; thence running west parallel to the south line thereof three and one-half miles; thence north, parallel with the east line of said township one mile, and two hundred forty-two poles ; thence west parallel to the south line of the township, to the western boundary of the county."

In 183') ^'urk township was divided and Washington formed from the northern division, it is useless to try to follow the various changes that ha\e from time to time been made in the lines of York township. As at present constituted its northern and western boundary is regular. The western l)()undar_\- is the county line. On the east is Claibourne township and Taylor and on the south is Liberty and Taylor. September 11, 1799, the first survey was made of government lands in what is now known as York township.

The principal stream of the township is Bokes creek, which is formed l)y the confluence of several streams in the western part of the territory. It flows southeasterly. Fulton creek crosses the northeastern part of the township. The surface of the land is usually level or slightly undulating. Originally there was found much good timber, including the beech, sugar, elm, hickorv, oak and other less valuable \arieties. The present population, according tij the 1910 United States census, was one thousand four hundred and ninety-eight.

Pioneer Settlers

Among the first to claim land here was Joseph Aliller, whu was born in Saratoga countv. New York; married in 1801 and reared three sons and one daughter. In 181 7, he remo\ed with his family to Ohio and bought land in i'Vanklin countv along the Scioto ri\er. .\fter making man_\' improvements, he l(jst his land b\' reason of a defecti\e title. He then located on land he claimed in the very northeast corner of York townsiiip, Union county. Mr. .Miller and his son Jonathan came out ahead of the remainder of the family about lA'bruary, 1828. There was then no road to guide them to their new home west of the site of jiresent Riciiwood, and Henry Swartz, of Claibourne township, who had hunted o\er the territory, was famihar with it and piloted them, by hacking trees here and there, along a direct course to the land the\' had claimed as theirs. This trail was the first "road" ever cut from out the dense forest, leading from Richwood to the west. His cabin was soon reared on the spot where in later years stood the brick house of Benjamin Thomas, west of the Presbyterian church. The Millers brought with them two teains and a scanty lot of household goods, with a few sheep, hogs and cows. The sheep were soon all found missing and were probably devoured by the hungry woh'es. ]\Ir. Aliller was a modest, kind-hearted man and made many friends among the newcomers. He was a Methodist, but in the absence of his church, communed with the F'resbyterians. He died in York township. August 31, 1866, aged ninety-two years and almost eight months. The son, James C. Miller, came to the township in 1830.

Among the next earliest settlements in York township was the one effected on the John Brown surveys, near Somer\"ille. HaruKJU Patrick is believed to have been the first here. He came in fn^m Hardy county, \'irginia, indirecth, hut directly here from Ross county, Ohio. He came about the date the ^Millers came in. He occupied a farm on sur\-ey No. 3,470, a mile south of the \'illage. He was a splendid man, and remained here many years, finally going to Marion county.

Caleb Arahood, also of Ross county, Ohio, was next to in\ade the new section ; he claimed land in survey No. 3,469. He was born in Hardy county, \Trginia. Pie was a real backwoodsman, rude and uncouth, but clever and kind-hearted. As a marksman and expert hunter he had few equals. He sold his farm to Da\id Da\is a few years later and settled in Coles county, Illinois. He died in that county soon after mox'ing there.

William Hartford was a Canadian by birth. \\'hen the W'-av of 1812 came on his sympathies were all with the .\merican cause. With his father, he came to the United States and was soon enlisted in the service of this country. At the close of the war he returned to Canada and was imprisoned for bearing arms against his country. He etTected a release in some manner and came back to the United States, settling in Muskingum cmmty. Ohio. From there he emigrated to ^"ork township. Union count}', aljout 1830. He settled in the southwest corner of survey No. 3.470. His nature was impulsive and positive. At first he was intensely Democratic, but later in liis life was a strong party Republican. He was well liked, notwithstanding his hot temper. He finally sold and mo\ed to Illinois, invested in land and became \er\" wealthv. Still later he mo\ed to Iowa.

Samuel Hyde, who had a slight ac(juaintance with General jMcArthur, was offered land by the latter in this township. He was born in Pennsyl- \ania, but married and settled in tiarrison county, Ohio. In the spring of 1832, in a lumber wagon drawn by a yoke of big oxen, he set forth toward the setting sun and traveled till he had reached the small settlement, just south of present Somerville. Here he was satisfied, and at once built a rude cabin in the midst of a wilderness. He cleared eight acres, fenced it in from the surrounding forest, planted it in corn and returned home by a tedious iournev. In the fall he again visited the locality in company with his son, John B. Hyde. They harvested their little crop of corn. Mr. Hyde and wife had eight children, one son and seven daughters. On his trip back to the new found home, with members of his family, in 1833, Mr. Hyde was taken ill with what proved to be lung fever at Berkshire, Delaware county. He believed he would be able to master the disease, and directed that the family proceed to the new home in the township of York. The daughter, Rebecca, soon returned to her father in Delaware county, but upon her arrival was told of the death and burial of her father. John B., the son, was then onlv seventeen vears of age. His father had not as yet contracted for the land he had squatted upon. John B., in his own name, in a short time bought one hundred acres, paying the government price of two dollars and twentyfive cents per acre. He lived there many years and was known as a man of sterling traits of character. He was first a Whig and later a Republican. The family were of the Methodist faith.

Eli Johnson came to York township in the early autumn of 1833 and settled near Somerville. He reared a large family; served a short time in the War of 1812; taught several of the pioneer schools and was highly respected. He died at a ripe old age in 1865.

In the same fall John Sterling located here. He was born in Ireland, came to America and settled in Tuscarawas county. From that county he wended his wav to this county and purchased a hundred-acre tract in the wilderness south of Somerville, later known as the Fulton farm. He sold his farm, attended school at Delaware, returned a Methodist minister and was faithful in that calling until his death.

John Johnson came in with his family from Harrison county, Ohio, in 1834, settling near Somerville. Before emigrating to this township he had traveled on a circuit as a Methodist minister in the Pittsburg conference and also in New York, but in Union county he served only as a local preacher. He was one of the original proprietors of the village of Somerville. He farmed and also engaged in a small general merchandise business at the town he helped to found. In 1844 he moved to Marysville, having been elected county auditor. At the expiration of two terms he opened a drug store at the county seat. It did not suit his health and he returned to farm life in York township in i8'33, there passing the remainder of his days. At Somerville he taught the first term of school at eight dollars per month and boarded himself. He did more than any other pers(in to build up the Methodist Episcopal church at Somerville. He died in July, 1873, aged .seventy-three vears ; his wife sur\'i\ed until 1882.

David Davis, a nati\"e of Pennsvlvania, came from Harrison county, Ohio, to what is now ^'ork township in 1833, settling a half mile south of Somer\ille, on Bokes creek. He added tract to tract until his land holdings in the township \vere large. Early in life he was a Methodist, but later united with the United Brethren society. For a time he preached on one of the circuits of the church last named. He died in 1878, aged eighty-two years.

Washington G.. Elza and Amon S. Davis, three younger brothers of David Davis, settled in this township in 1837. Amon S. settled at Somerville and worked at carpentering three years, at the same time reading medicine under Dr. Hamilton, of East Liberty. He entered into medical practice at Somerville, continuing until 1866 and then moved to Decatur. Indiana, where he died of milk sickness in 1874.

James R. Smith, another of the original proprietors of the village of Somerville, was born in Maryland in 1794 and emigrated to Ohio when a young man. He came to York township in 1834. He was by trade a shoemaker and in connection with clearing up his land, he followed his trade. He became a justice of the peace and served as an associate judge in Union county eight years. For six years he was engaged selling goods at Somerville. He was then elected probate judge of this county and served for ten years. He then returned to York township and carried on a small garden and flower farm. He was a leading factor in the township and li\ed to attain the advanced age of eighty-three _\-ears, dying suddenly of heart disease in 1877. He had served a short time in the War of 1812.

Thomas R. Price, a Pennsylvanian by birth, came to this township in 1836 and settled at Somerville. He was variously engaged - hotel keeping, selling goods, running a boot and shoe shop, etc., until his health failed in 1865. He was long an in\-alid, dying in March, 1877.

William Kirk, reared near Alexandria, Maryland, settled in York township about 1834. He purchased a small farm and besides tending that, he made shoes, tailored, and for a few years was a local minister of the Methodist denomination. He lived to a good old age, dying in 1874.

The third settlement in this township was made by George Coons on survey No. 5,289, two miles north of York Center, in the fall of 7829. During that following winter he br(jught out several loads of goods and in the spring fiMlowing came his family, arriving April i, 1834. Being a farmer, he spent the remainder of his years there. He died in October, 1856, aged seventy-eight years. His wife survived him twenty years and (lied at the age of ninety-three years.

Nathaniel Brooks settled in the Coons settlement in 1832. He was from New York, a Methodist class-leader, politically a strong Whig. He died in 1836, leaving four sons.

Herman Tobey removed from Saratoga county, New York, in 1831, and purchased the sur^'ey of one thousand acres in which York Center is now located. He paid one thousand dollars for the tract. He utilized some for himself and sons and sold the remainder to other incoming pioneer settlers. He was a shrewd, honest Yankee and a member of the Baptist church. He died while on a visit to one of his children, aged sixty-four x'ears.

(jregory Storms mo\'ed in 1833 from Orleans county. New York, to a farm just north of York Center. He purchased the land of Henry Tobey at one dollar and twenty-fi\e cents per acre. It is now worth at least one hundred times that amount. He was a Whig in politics and a zealous Methodist in church faith. He helped to organize a class which met at his house for some time. He died at the age of seventy-four years on the farm he had cleared up.

One of the first trustees of the townshij) was Hiram Parker, who came about 1833 and settled tliree-(|uarters of a mile from York Center. Later, he remoN'ed from the county.

Aaron .Shirk, a native of Hardy county, Virginia, when he was eight years of age, with his father, .\aron Shirk, moved to Ross county, Ohio, in 1816, crossing the mountains with a five-horse team and consuming six weeks on the journey. After a two-years' sojourn in Ross county the Shirks moved lo Liberty township, L'nion county. Here the son grew to manhood and spent his time in assisting his father dear up tlie land and hunting. Aaron Shirk, Jr.. was married in 1833, to Rosanna Tobey. He immediately commenced improving a farm of one hundred and forty-five acres which cost him a dollar and a half per acre. His house was of hewed logs of superior finish for those times. He secured the services of competent workmen and the cabin boasted of a good board floor and three twelvelight windows, an unheard-of extravagance then. Most of the pioneer cabins had but four nr six panes of glass or more likely were content with deer skin or oiled pajier fur window-panes. For many years Mr. Shirk made brick, burned lime and followed shoemaking when not engaged at farm duties. He also hunted much. He estimated that he had killed more than five hundred deer in this and adjoining counties.

The election of this township in 1840 showed eighty-four voters and prior to that date the above, together with the following, were residents of York township :

The first settlers arri\ed at the township only a few years before the Indians had departed from this neighborhood forever; but while here they hunted in common with the whites. The Indians would, whenever a favorable opportunity presented, steal raccoons and other game from the traps of the pioneers and in return the latter paid little regard to the rights of their savage acquaintances. One of the foremost settlers discovered an Indian robbing his traps and at almost the same instant the Indian espied him and sprang behind a tree. To the demand of the hunter to come forth, the red man made no response for a while, but afterward pled the lateness of the hour of the day and the necessity of reaching his camp immediately. He sped away fleetly, leaving the trapper indignant but in possession of his game. The next morning with his brother he started through the woods in search of the camp of the Indians. It was in tlie lower part of Washington township, but the Indians were not there. After searching in the \icinity for them they returned t(T the cam]), placed the combustible matter it contained in the center and applied a torch. They lingered about until the camp was reduced to ashes and then returned home. The Indians were ne\er seen or heard of afterward. Another pioneer missing game from his traps, cut in the bark of a beech tree the figure of an Indian, bound and laslied by a white man. Soon after an Indian drew the figure of a white man on a tree, with a bullet hole through the arm. On the same tree the original artist later sketched a dusky savage pierced through the heart with a rifle ball. This was the last of the series and the Indians avoided that \icinitv thereafter.

As has been related. Aaron Shirk in his youth was a great hunter, and on one occasion it is recorded that he shot at a buck with what he supposed was a full charge. It happened that his brother had loaded the gun for scjuirrels and hence it had but half a charge in it. He hit the buck in the neck, but i^nl\- stunned him. Not having time to reload, he caught the animal by the horns and tried to cut his throat with his butcher knife. The fight continued for a full hour. Once the young man, despairing of winning out, released his hold on the animal's horns and sprang behind a tree. His dog, however, which had been with him in the terrible encounter, sprang at the buck, caught him by the throat and caused him to stumble, whereupon Aaron again entered the lists. In the contest he had lost his knife, but when the struggling of the animal became feebler through exhaustion, Mr. Shirk succeeded in opening his pocket knife with his teeth and severing an artery in the neck of the buck. It was fully two weeks before the plucky hunter recovered from his contest.

On Boke's creek in the eastern part of York township is located the (|uaint old village of Somerville. It was laid out in the southern part of survey No. 3,468. This survey was purchased by James R. Smith, John Johnson and William Summers, who were the townsite proprietors. Mr. Summers was a ^ilethodist minister at Leesburg and never lived in York township, but the other two proprietors did. This platting was surveyed bv Levi Phelps and recorded August 11. 1835. It comprised forty-eight lots. When surveyed the land was not yet cleared of its heavy timber and thick underbrush. Thomas Price built the first cabin there. John Johnson had had an ashery at this point and he was the first merchant of the newly platted village in the forest. At first he bought his goods at Columbus and sold them from his cabin home. His stock consisted mostly of groceries with a few dry goods. John Price, son of Thomas Price, moved to the village soon after it was platted and followed carpentering. William Kirk, a Methodist minister, was an early arrival. He came from Carroll

"Sale of land and town lots - The subscriber will ofifer at public sale on Friday, the 25th of February next, lots in the town of Sunmiersville and adjoining thereto. These will be laid off in tracts of various sizes, say from three to ten acres each, fronting on State roads, so as to suit mechanics and tradesmen, sex'eral of whom would meet with good employment in this new and growing conmiunity. A blacksmith, gunsmith, carpenter and joiner, caliinet-maker, wheelwright, cooper, saddler, etc.. are much needed. There are at present in the village one tannery, one boot and shoe-maker, two chair and bedstead factories and one wagon shop; also a good saw-mill within one-half mile. Terms : One-third in hand or to be paid on the first of April, and. the balance in two ec[ual payments annually."

The first shoemaker was Charles Bennett ; the first tannery was operated by John Thomas, and John Price ran the bedstead factory. The first physician of the place was Dr. Charles Morrow, who came from eastern Ohio in 1837. He was an herb doctor. He later removed to Delaware in order to gi\'e his children a college education. (See Medical Chapter.)

When mud roads [jrevailed this town was a good trading point, but in i88'2 it was little better than in that early time. At one date it boasted of two good stores and an excellent hotel. In 1882 the only store \vas conducted by A. M. Crawford: there were then two blacksmith shops, two churches, a good school and about one hundred and fifty people, with James Darling as postmaster. The postoffice was known as Bokes Creek. The department at Washington, D. C, gi\'es the following list of its postmasters: Amos S. Davis, April 26, 1854: William G. Elliott, December 21, 1863: R. J. Thompson, March 23, 1865: Sylvanius Taylor, May 14, 1866: J. M. Darling, January 10, 1867: L. W. Smith, January 16, 1873; J- ^^- Darling, March 16. 1874: George \V. Westlake, January 29, 1884: Albi Colver, January 28, 1889: Thomas Mulcahy, July 17, 1983: B. C. Bolenbaugh, December 28, 1897. Discontinued June 30, 1904. Mail is now received by rural free deliverv from Peoria.

York Center

York Center was platted June 24, 1841, but it appears that it never materialized to any considerable extent. There were at one time a dozen or fifteen buildings there. A few years before the beginning of the Civil war the site of the village was void of any buildings, save one or two farm buildings. Charles Corey built a cabin there and brought in a stock of goods which he offered for sale. A few years later Ed Cranston bought him out. A few came in and settled, and in 1883 there was two merchants, Dexter White and George Hornbeck. A jxistoffice was established early in the history of the township at Jonathan Miller's. The postmasters here have been as follows: John Thomas, appointed May 30, 1844; Henry Tobey. June 10, 1850; H. T. Knox, April 29, 1854; H. R. Tobey, February 20, i860; H. T. Knox, June 12, i860; C. L. Corey. February 26, 1862; Edwin Cranston, December 2, 1864; J. J. Watts, May i, 1867; J. F. Winters, F~ebruary 21, 1868; William H. Storms, October 21, 1868; Isaac Welshimer, February 11, 1875; H. C. Mofiitt, July 19, 1875; Pelatrah AUyn, April 30, 1877; N. L. Moffitt, April 14, 1880; George W. Hornbeck, February 7, 1881 ; D. G. White, December 30, 1885 ; J. F. Copelin, October II, 1886; F. E. Milligan, May 14, 1887; B. F. Newell, Februaiy 28, 1888; George W. Hornbeck. May 23, 1888: Thomas Hornbeck, April 18, 1891 ; L. W. Stiggers, May 8, 1893; Robert W. Kimble, June 3, 1897; Thomas Hornbeck, February 16, 1900; D. S. Davis, March 2, 1903; Maty L. Cody, April 12, 1904; F. M. Hornbeck, March 2, 1905; discontinued May 31, 1905.

The pioneer mill of this township was the grist mill built by Thomas R. Price on Boke's creek just north of York Center. In order to have the advantages of such an industry, .Varon Shirk and Harrison Storms volunteered to assist in the iniilding of the same. It was within a log structure, stylish by having its logs hewed. Price sold it to Joseph Cahill. It was not finished until about 1840, and after a few years was transferred to H. T. Knox, who added steam power and a saw-mill, using water power whenever the stream was sufficient. This mill run until the early eighties.

Thomas Price constructed a corn-cracker on Boke's creek south of Somerville, near the cemetery. In a few years a great freshet swept it away.

Adam Winters liad a sa\\-mill, operated by water power, west of Somer\il!e, and attached a pair of small burrs, which were useful for some time.