Miami County, Indiana - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 11 of those read), 1887

Chapter with an unread heading (no. 11 of those read)

CLAY Township, named in honor of the illlustrious Statesman, Henry Clav, is situated in the Southern tier of Townships bordering on Howard Count}- and includes a geographical area of twenty-four square miles; bounded on the north, east and west by the townships of Washington, Harrison and - Deer Creek, respectively. Deer Creek flows in a westerly direction through the central part of the township and with its tributaries which ramify to almost every part of the country, affords drainage and stock water for a large area of territory. The northeast corner of the Township is watered and drained by Pipe Creek which flows in a northwesterly course through section i. The surface, except in the immediate vicinitv of the water courses is quite level and the soil a black loam of great depth and fertility ; is unexcelled for agricultural purposes. A portion of the Township is so flat that a resort to tile drainage is necessary and from these wet lands have been developed some of the tinesl and most productive farms in the county. The timber is very heavy, consisting of varieties common to other parts of the county. Walnut, poplar, sugar tree, beech, ash and oak predominating. Agriculture and stock raising are the chief occupations of of the citizens of Clay and in point of material prosperity the township will rank well with the other divisions of Miami.

The first settlements in Clay were made about the j'ear 1844, at which time Henry Daggy, who is supposed to have been the earliest pioneer, located near the eastern line of the township, on Negro Creek, where John Zodynow Hves. He made substantial improvements on this farm, and is remembered as an honest and trustworthy citizen. One daughter, Mrs. Groves, still lives on a part of the original purchase. Otis Fish came the same yenv and located a home near the Biggs farm, in the northern part of the township, where he lived until about the year 1850 or '51, when he sold out and emigrated to one of the Western States. Early in 1845 John Smith settled near McGrawsville, in the eastern part of the township, moving here from one of the older settlements on Eel River. He was joined the same year by Abel House, who made an improvement on the John Zod\- place, Andrew Woolpert, who settled where his widow is still living, Eli Butler, a noted hunter, who purchased land near McGrawsville, and Benjamin Fish, brother of Otis Fish, who purchased real estate and made improvements in the same locality. Prominent among the earl}- comers was William Biggs, who settled where he is still living, near the central part of the township. He is one of Clay's representative men, and has held the office of Justice of the Peace for a period of over thirty years. Nathaniel Bunn located near the Biggs place in 1845, as did also Caleb Adams, who purchased land and made good improvements. Conspicuous among the arrivals of 1S46 was Thomas Murden, who located near the village of McGrawsville, where he has since resided. He was one of the first pedagogues of the township, and early earned the reputation of a successful instructor. Mr. Humrickhouse and son, Ebenezer Humrickhouse, settled in the southern part of the township as early as 1846 or "47. The former was a man of fine business abilitv and at one time served as Treasurer of Miami Countv. Christian Livingood made an improvement near Waupecong in 1846, but in a few years sold out and moved to Harrison Township, near Deer Creek, on the land now owned by W. H. Cunningham. There settled, in quite an early day, a man by the name of William McCIure, who lived chiefly by hunting and selling whisky, which he doled out to his neighbors "on the sly." He was a man of fine social qualities, and had manj- friends among the early settlers, some of whom severely condemned his wa}- of obtaining a livelihood. John Roller settled near the Biggs place late in the forties, and after a brief residence sold out to Mr. Miller and left the township. John Hoover came as early as 1846 or '47, and settled the place which he still owns, about one mile east of the village of Waupecong. John Wilkinson located on the Samuel Glassbaum farm, near the central part of the township, about the year 1847, and in company with his son-in-law, Cyrus Marquis, who settled a short distance north of Deer Creek, where he lived a few years, hi an early day came Joseph Kessler, a man of substantial worth, and made a settlement in the vicinity of McGrawsville, where his death occurred several years ago. Among his early neighbors were Thomas Kellison, who made improvements in the same locality, and James Finney who settled on the Marion and Delphi road, near the Harrison Township line. An early settler in the central part of the township was ^lorris Littlejohn, who improved the place upon which Abraham Miller at present resides. The farm just north of this place was first settled and improved by Harrison Dixon, who moved to the country about the year 1847. Joiin and James Tracey were early settlers north of Waupecong, and Rev. Benjamin Underwood, a minister of the Methodist church, improved a home east of the Littlejohn settlement, prior to 1849. One of the earliest settlers near Deer Creek was Riley Martin, who laid claim to the land now owned by Levi Clvmer, which he sold to the latter in 1847. He thun entered land in the northern part of the township, and made the first impro\ements on the farm where the widow Daniel now lives. Richard Webster settled near the west line of the township prior to 1848, locating the farm where William Studebaker lives, upon which he made the first brick in the township. Isaac Mooney settle4 in the western part, about the same time, and improved the land owned and occupied this time b}- the widow Herrell. Adam Hissing settled one mile south of the Clymer farm late in the forties, but did not make many improvements, selling his claim after a short time to Mr. Ch'mer, and moving to Deer Creek Township. Samuel Workman took a claim in an earlv day on the Marion and Delphi road, in the southern part of the township, which he subsequently sold to a Mr. Evans.

An early comer, deserving of special mention, was John Clvmer, who moved from Jefferson Township about the year 1846 or '47, and settled in Section 15, where his death occurred a few years ago. He was one of the township's first officials, and also taught school in an early da}'. His brother, Levi Clymer, one of the oldest residents at this time, came two years later and settled on the farm which has since been his home. Mr. Clymer has taken an active interest in the township's welfare, and is justly esteemed one of its most intelligent and public spirited citizens. Additional to those mentioned, the following men come to the township in an early day, viz.: Isaac Ilarter, Samuel Livingood, William Wilkinson, Jacob Beaver, Jacob Hiatt, Moses Ward, Samuel Edwards, Asel Griffey, Matthew Bowen, M. Vandevender, Mr. Tates, Armstrong, James Shahan, John Barkerhcof, John Guelt, William Hicks, Stokley D. Sharp, Ilezekiah and Jacob Crutt, Cornelius Platz, John W. Platz, John James, Hiram Ward, Daniel Pettv, William AIcGuire, Abner Pisel, Daniel Cates, Morgan Williams, Samuel Wiley, Andrew Kerskadon and John Condo, the majority of whom purcased Government land and became residents prior to the j-ear 1849.

Clav Township was organized in the vear 1846. "Under this organization the first election was held at the residence of John Wilkinson in April of the above year." John Lucas acted as inspector, and the first officers chosen were the following: John Clvmer, John Hicks and Simeon Farlow, Trustees; William Biggs, Justice of the Peace, and Samuel Wiley, Constable. Among other earl}^ trustees were Benjamin Balinger, Michael Kern and Harrison Dixon. Among those called to fill the office in a later dav were C. C. Brandon, A. J. Phelps, John Cunningham, Jacob Shrock, Dr. F. A. Smith and the present incumbent, John Jenkins.

S62 History Of Miami County

Davis preaching." These meetings were continued from time to time at the residences of different settlers, and proved the means of accomplishing a great deal of good in the community. As early as 1847-8, ministers of the Methodists preached at the dwellings of Morris Little and John and Christian Livingood, but it was not until several j'ears after that date that an organization was effected. A society was organized at Waupecong earl\- in the fifties, and in 1854 a frame house of worship, the tirst in the township, was built in the village. The society at one time quite strong has greatly fallen off during the past ten years, and is in a weak condition at the present time. The United Brethern organized a societ}- in the western part of the township several years ago, and in 1874 erected a frame house of worship on the Marion and Delphi road, in section 28. The society is in fine condition and numbers among its members some of the leading citizens of the township. A Methodist class was organized a number of ^-ears ago in the northeast corner of the township, where camp meetings were frequently held. A hewed log house of worship was erected on the land of Mr. Woolpert. It was used by the congregation until within a recent period, when a more comfortable frame structure was erected at the village of McGrawsyille in Harrison township. In the northern part of the townsiiip is a society of the Progressive Dunkards, organized a few years ago with a substantial membership which has since greath' increased. A large frame house of worship, with a seating capacity of four hundred, was built on the land of 01i\'er Worll, and the society is reported in excellent condition. The United Brethern have a society at Waupecong organized recently with a small membership. The first saw-mill in the township was started bA' a Mr. Hill a number of years ago. It stood near the southwest corner of the township and was operated by Mr. Hill and a partner, who did a very extensive business. A steam saw-mill was brought to the township several years ago by Messrs. Macy, Darby & Smith, who ran it with encouraging success for several years. The manufacture of drain tile is at this time an important industry, there being two extensive kilns in successful operation, one by William Rine in the northern part of the township, and one near the southern boundary by James L. Kling. Mr. A. J. Phelps has recently engaged in the manufacture of cheese, which has already acquired considerable reputation for its superior quality. Mr. Phelps has a fine dairy farm, and the enterprise so far has proved very remunerative. The first marriage in the township was that of Lewis Reese to Catharine Love, soleiunized in the fall of 1846. The same year William Love was married to Jemima Smith. Probably the first death in the township was that of Henry Daggy in the year 1845. " In 1845 Naomi, wife of Andrew Woolpert, gave birth to a daughter - Martha Wool- pert - who was the first white child born in the township." Among tlie early mechanics of the township were Henry Kern, who worked at the blacksmith trade near where William Rines' tile kiln now stands. A man by the name of Swank, who operated a cabinet shop on the Abraham Miller farm, and Uriah Blue, the poet, made and 'repaired wagons in the northwestern ]iart of the township, where he still lives.

The ViUagx of Waupccong - The only town in Clay Township is situated in sections 26 and 35, Township 25 North Ringe, 4 East and dates its histor-\- from the earliest settlement of the country-. It is impossible at this late day to determine who the first residents and business men of the village were, as the early history of the place is involved in considerable obscurity. Several small trading houses were established at different times; but the first business of any importance appears to have been carried on by Otto Webb, who opened a good store in an earl}- day, which he operated very successfully for some j-ears. A man by the name of Petty sold goods for a while as did also Dr. H. D. Hattery, George W. Lawver, Joseph and Henry Mjgrant and Andrew Cable. There are two general stores at this time both of which are doing a fair local trade. John Justice was one of the first mechanics of the town and Dr. Morehead is said to have been the first practicing phj'sician. The resident medical men at this time are Drs. G. C. G. Maughmer and A. Smith both of whom have lucrative practice in Clay and adjacent Townships. An early industry of the town was a saw mill erected by a Mr. Miller, who for some time carried on a very extensive lumber trade. Other mills ha\e been operated at different times by Mr. Teagarden and Jacob Shrock. A steam flouring mill was erected several years ago by John Smucker who, after operating a short time sold to Mr. Shrock. It is a frame building two stories high, supplied with good machinery and under the management of the present proprietors, Messrs. Beck and Shrock, is doing a reasonably fair business. At this time there is in addition to the flour and saw mill a planing mill and shingle machine operated quite extensively by William Kling, who reports his business good. The first postmaster of Waupecong was Andrew Cable, the postmaster at this time is Mr. Mygr;uit. The village is situated in the midst of a fine farming country and is likel}' to remain a good local trading point for years to come.