Wayne County, Indiana - Franklin Township, 1884

Franklin Township

ORGANIZATION. - .-SETTLEMENT. - E ary Events. - Firsr MIs. Cuurcues. - Town or WaItrEewAter.- - Its Oriain AND His- Tory. - First Mercaants, Erc. - - Betart. - A PROSPEROUS VILLAGE. - BIOGRAPHICAL.

This township is in the northeastern corner of Wayne County, the State of Ohio adjoining it on the east, and Randolph County on tbe north. It is seven miles in length, north and south, by four east and west, and contains much excellent farming land. The principal stream is the Middle Fork of the Whitewater, in the eastern part of the township. Franklin was formed from a portion of New Garden in May, 1834. The first election was held at the town of Hillsboro, now Whitewater.

Isaac Commons is supposed to have been the first settler. He came from North Carolina and settled near the southern line of the township about 1809. Robert Morrisson soon after settlea on the next farm north, which he sold Henry Palen. Joseph Ashton bought the farm from Palen. John Nicholson, Barnabas Boswell and Isaac Hiatt settled early in the same neighborhood. Excepting Nicholson and Ashton, all of the above were North Carolina Friends.

Among the early settlers of the southeastern part of the township, who came a little later than those above mentioned, were John White, on section 2; James Wickersham ; Benjamin Elliott, from North Carolina, on land later owned by his son; John Zimmerman, from Pennsylvania, on the State line ; Charles Teas, from Delaware, on the Townsend farm ; Dr. John Thomas, on the south line of the township, and Edward Barton, on land afterward occupied by his descendants.

The early settlers of the southwestern part of the township were: Micajah Jones, from North Carolina, on section 33; John Simmons, Thomas Fisher, from the same State, and Daniel Fisher, on the same section ; Joseph Brown, from Pennsylvania; John Venard ; Edward B. Hunt, from North Carolina; Elijah Mundin; Mesheck Llewellyn, on a farm afterward owned by Wm. Starbuck; Paul Swain, from North Carolina; Benjamin Harris and William Starbuck, from North Carolina; Jonathan Grave, from Delaware; and John P. Thomas, on the south line, where his sons now own.

During the war of 1812 the settlers generally left their improvements to escape danger from the Indians. After the war the progress of settlement was more rapid. Job Elliott, from North Carolina, settled a mile south of Whitewater in 1815; Stephen Elliott was an early settler on land adjoining the town; Wm. Hunt, from North Carolina, on land adjoining the town on the east, on land afterward owned by John Unthank; Henry Newton, an Englishman, on the State line; Jonathan Commons, on the State line ; Thomas Mason, from North Carolina, in 1816, near Whitewater; Samuel Williams, from North Carolina, near town in 1818. Gabriel Harrell, from North Carolina, settled a half mile southwest of town; Nathan Jones, from North Carolina, entered the land later owned by Peter Blose and C. C. Hunt; Thomas Mason, Jr., three-fourths of a milenorth of Whitewater; Richard Bunch, on the Stephen Bunnell farm; Elihu Hunt, from North Carolina, a mile northwest of Whitewater; Henry Garrett and Benj. Parker, from North Carolina.

In the western part ot the township: Wm. Fulghum, from North Carolina; Lemuel Chance, from the same 'State, on section 16; Charles Thomas, on the Jonathan Marine farm, and Edward Fisher, near the west line, both from North Carolina; Andrew Starbuck, on section 22, from North Carolina; Isaac Pyle, on section 27; Joshua Brown, from Pennsylvania;George Blose, trom Ohio, and Wm. Hunt were all early settlers.

The Harlan settlement, now Bethel, was begun in 1817 by James Harlan and his sons, from Kentucky. Nathan Elliott removed to this settlement in 1817. John Thompson and John, Joseph, Nathan, Divid and Wm. H. Anderson settled in the same neighborhood about 1817.

Wim. Addleman, from Pennsylvania, settled one and onehalf miles northwest of Whitewater in 1819. He cut a huge tree on his farm soon after arriving and built a camp against the trunk, and there lived with his wife and six children several months until he erected a cabin. Tue tree measured seven feet and seven inches across the stump, and was over seventy seven feet from the butt to the lower limbs. John M. Addleman settled in 1826 a mile and a half north of Wuitewater. He served as a Justice of the Peace. Joseph P. Addleman, Nathan White, James White, Robert Starbuck, and Cornelius Vanuys, a blacksmith, were early settlers.

The road known as the " Quaker trace," from Richmond to Fort Wayne, was opened by Paul Swain, Wm. Simmons, Thomas Roberts, Daniel Fisher, Nathan and Henry Hunt, of this township; Abraham Ashley, Enos Grave, of Wayne Township, and many others. Grave surveyed the road.

Wm. Starbuck, about 1817, built the first saw-mill, near the southwest corner of the township. Auother early saw-mill was built by Henry Newton and John Unthank, about 1825. James White built another at an early date.

Valentine Harlan, in 1329, built a grist-mill above James White's saw-mill. Wm. Addleman, Jr., and Stephen Elliott built another a short distance north of Whitewater, in 1837.

Dr. John Thomas was the first physician. He lived in the southern part of the township, and had a large practice. He carried his medicines in a bladder, instead of a saddle-bag. Early physicians at Whitewater were: Drs. John H. Bruce, Azel Owens, R. G. Brandon, Robt Hamilton, Wm. Williams, Wm. Commons, Robt. Fisher, Harlan Hurrison and others.

The earliest religious society in the township was that ot the Friends, who built a log meeting-house two miles south of Whitewater, near the site of the present brick house on the

The Christian church at Bethel was formed in August, 1821, under the ministration of John M. Foster. Meetings were first held in the dwelling of Valentine Harlan, afterward in a school-house; next in a large log meeting-honse half a mile east of Bethel, where the graveyard is, until the present house in Bethel was built. Since the pastorate of Mr. Foster this church has enjoyed the ministerial services of Valentine Harlan, 2d., Eli Harlan, Hosea C. Tillson, Joseph G. Harlan, Hardin Harrison, Henry Polly and others.

The Episcopal Methodists organized a church near Jesse Hunt's, in the southwest part of the township, about the year 1830. Edward Starbuck, Hugh Stevenson, Joseph Henderson, and Joseph Whitacre were early members. The organization was given up about 1865.

The Methodist Episcopal church was formed at Whitewater about 1831 to 1832. Among its early members were: William Boswell, Thomas K. Peeples, Wm. Brown and their families, and Margaret Addleman. It was in the Centreville and Williamsburg circuits. The congregation at first met in a log house, near where the present house was built in 1854.

The Wesleyan Methodists organized a church about 1854. and built their present house of worship near the site of the old house of the Episcopal Methodists. Early members were: Edward Starbuck and Edward, his son, Jacob and M Brown, Elijah Roberts, Elias Chenoweth, Ambrose Roberts, with the families of most of them. Edward Starbuck, Jr., was a local preacher. Among their preachers have been John W. Johnson and Daniel Worth.

A Christian church at Whitewater was formed in 1867. Early members were: James M. Gist, Jesse T. Hunt, Wm. R. Winsor, Henry W. Thomas, Wm. L. Robinson and their wives; Sally White, Aleda Harney, Milesia Addleman. Their permanent place of worship is the lower story of the Academy building. Their preachers have been: Mr. Buff, who had preached before the organization, Wm. D. Moore, Joseph G. Harlan, Edward Fenton and others.

Whitewater, an incorporated town of about 200 inhabitants, is situated near the Middle Fork of the Whitewater, on the Richmond and Whitewater turnpike. The town was laid out by Stephen Elliott and John White, and plat recorded Noy. 12, 1828. An addition was made by Stephen Elliott in 1832. The town was first called Hillsboro, and it was known by that name until recently, when the name was changed to Whitewater.

The first merchant in Whitewater was John D. Price. He sold out to Stephen Elliott, who kept on the southwest corner. Elliott sold out to John H. Bruce and Jonathan D. Gray. Thomas Morton, from Miami, Ohio, was an early merchant on the northeast corner. Wm. B. Sheneck started a store about 1839 and continued several years. T. J. Ferguson began in 1844.

The town now has three stores - one, a general store, kept by Nathan Grave; two groceries, by Wm. Robinson and Hiram Surplice. The practicing physicians are: Drs. Wm. Williams, James Courtney and W. T. Griffiths. Blacksmiths: Thomas White, Hiram Gist, A. Jackson. Chairmaker, Charles Wolverton. The town has two churches, Methodist and Disciples, and lodges of Odd Fellows and

Bethel

The village of Bethel, situated in the northern part of Franklin Township, has about 125 inhabitants. It was laid out in 1850 by Elihu Harlan and Joseph Anderson. Bethel is a small but prosperous village, wealthy and surrounded by a good farming country. Its people are distinguished for thrift and morality.

Wm. McFarland opened the first store in Bethel in 1845, on the northeast corner. Edward Osborne, of Newport, soon afterward started a store which was kept by Juseph Unthank. Later merchants were: John A. Unthank, Walker Yeatman, Jesse Richards, Jacob and Howard Harlan, Morgan & Henderson, and others.

The village contains two stores - one general store, kept by Harlan & Wiley, and one grocery, kept by Lafayette White. There is also a Disciples' church and a Masonic lodge.