Richland, Ohio

Among those who followed up this Indian trace, and became the first settlers of the township, was George Cofflnberry, who, in ISl-I, settled on the southeast quarter of Section 1 . He was a soldier of the Revolutionar}' war, and came from Virginia. He had five sons - George, Jacob, Wright L., Salathiel and Abram B., all of them men of more than ordinar}- aliility. The next year, 1815, Richard Condon, from New Jersey, built his cabin on the northeast quarter of Section 2. He came to Mansfield in 1814. from Warren County, Ohio. He had six children - Richard, Elizabeth, John, Nancy, ^largaret and Elisha. About this time, the Welches also settled on Section 1. Joseph Welch came from Lancaster County, Penn. He had a family of five children - John, James, Jane, A. C. and Joseph. He built the third cabin in the township on the northwest quarter of Section 1. He also, in 1818, built the first brick house in the township. Jesse Edgerton (Section 17) and Uriah ]Matson came in this year. In 1816, came Alexander Welch, John and Nathan Casel)ar (Section 12), Thomas Williams, Edward Barren and Charles Stewai't. The township was now organized, and an election held the 15th of April, 1816, at which about twenty-five votes were polled. Richard Condon, the first Justice of the Peace, was chosen at this election. For several years, township officers were not in demand ; there was little for them to do. From this time forward settlers came in rapidh'. settling first in the neighborhood of the springs, and along the valley of the Clear Fork. On the 10th of April, 1820, Robert [Finney came from Harrison County, Ohio, and Imilt his cabin on the southeast quarter of Section 11. He was oiiginally from Fayette County, Penn., and his descendants are now numerous and infiuential. He had six children - John, James, William. Martha, Mary and Jane, of which only John and James are now living ; the former on tlie old homestead, and well known to all the country as " Uncle John Finney.'' He is now in his eightieth year, and, having l)een always active and strong mentally and physically, his mind is well stored with interesting reminiscences. A man of strong convictions, he has alwaj^s been, as was his father before him, a strong advocate of the Christian religion, and especiall}- energetic in carrying out his ideas of Christian duty. He early espoused the cause of temperance, and made speeches upon that subject at the public meetings then held in the log houses and barns of his neighbors, and was one of that small band of heroes who earl}' proclaimed their hatred of slavery, and were branded " Abolitionists," a term by no means popular in those days ; but, having lived to see his ideas triumphant, considers himself well paid for his sufferings and persecutions. He considered it a religious duty to assist in the escape of fugitive slaves, and was for many years, with his neighbor Joseph Roe, prominently connected with the " underground railway," his house being always open, and his services freely given to this cause. During the twenty-five 3-ears he was engaged in this, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of fugitive slaves were assisted on their way to Canada. They came from different points of the compass to his house, which seemed to l)e a crossing-place and [rendezvous. iMan}' came from the Gass settlement and McCluer's in Troy Township, others from the Quaker settlement in ^lorrow County, and man}' from Iberia, and were often carried in wagons from one point to another ; at first, generally at night, but later, in daylight, unless danger of recapture was apprehended. When the noted Randolph, of Virginia, freed his slaves, which he did from conscientious motives, he established them in Mercer County, Ohio, and this soon became a famous resort for the fugitives, and from this settlement large numbers were brought to Mr. Finney. It is asserted by Mr. Finney, that thousands of slaves escaped the bloodhounds by rubbing the juice of an onion on the soles of their shoes ; that the hounds would never follow a slave after getting a scent of the onion ; and he relates an instance in which the nem-o

Passage source: History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the Original Boundaries) ; Its Past and Present, Containing a Condensed Comprehensive History of Ohio, Including an Outline History of the Northwest, a Complete History of Richland County ... Miscellaneous Matter, Map of the County, Biographies and Histories of ... the Most Prominent Families, &c., &c., published 1880.

The Lutherans were first organized by Rev. J. W. Huftman, D. D.: the German Reformed by Rev. J. W. Thompson. The principal original members were John Wise, Joseph Welch, Samuel Starchman, Louis Hill and Joseph Kennel of the Lutheran ; and John Leppo and family, James Leppo and George Shafer and family, of the German Reformed. Before the erection of the church, meetings were held at the private residences of Christopher Flory and John Leppo, Sr. The cost of building the church was small, as the members furnished most of the material and did a large portion of the work. The membership is light at present, not exceeding twelve or fifteen. The Pastors who have occupied the pulpit at difterent times were Revs. S. Fenner. - Brown, Isaac Culler, - Sincebaugh, - Hersheiser. Francis Ruth, - Westervelt and J. H. Williard. The Sunday school is in a flourishing condition at present. It was organized when the church was erected, and called the " Spring Mills Union Sunday School." A. Barr was the first Superintendent ; Joseph Cairns is now Superintendent, witli a membership of sixty -five.

Passage source: History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the Original Boundaries) ; Its Past and Present, Containing a Condensed Comprehensive History of Ohio, Including an Outline History of the Northwest, a Complete History of Richland County ... Miscellaneous Matter, Map of the County, Biographies and Histories of ... the Most Prominent Families, &c., &c., published 1880.

The first saw-mill was built in 1817, by Condon & Welch, on the northwest quarter of Section 1, and the first grist-mill by Ex-Governor Mordecai Bartley, on the same section, where Spring Mill now is. This mill has l)eeu burned down, and destroyed or removed, and rebuilt several times. About the same time, the Purdy mill, before mentioned, was built, and also one on the head-waters of Clear Fork. Xear this last was also built a saw-mill and several stills for the manufacture of spirits. These mflls gave to the place the name of Millsl)orougli. It is pictui-esquely situated among the hills, and started with fair promise for a future tovyn. It has the honor attached to age, being the first town in the township. It was laid out on part of the northeast and northwest quarters of Section 28, by John S. Marshall, Deputy County Surveyor, October 29, 1831. The mills wore built in 1818, b}' John Garretson, who came from New York. Before the establishment of these mills, settlers went as far as Mount Vernon, in Knox Count}', to do their milling. Uncle Jesse Edgerton, as he was called, occasionally hitched four horses to his large Penn- S3-lvania wagon - "schooner" - and taking his own and his neighbors' grists, hauled them to Mount Yernon. In addition to his mills, Garretson also built a house in which he kept hotel for some time. This stand was afterward kept by John Martin. The place at one time - about 1830-35 - boasted of two dry-goods stores, kept by John Evans and John Williams. The earl}' settlers in this part of the township were James Woods, John Garretson, Samuel and David Mitchell. Joseph and Lewis Day, John Milligan and Samuel Estel. Estel was a veteran of the war of 1812, and established a tanyard in 1818 on Section 23. John Stewart did most of the surve3'ing in this township. The railroads assisted in the death of Millsborough. It has been dead many 3'ears ; even the sound of the mills has ceased.

Passage source: History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the Original Boundaries) ; Its Past and Present, Containing a Condensed Comprehensive History of Ohio, Including an Outline History of the Northwest, a Complete History of Richland County ... Miscellaneous Matter, Map of the County, Biographies and Histories of ... the Most Prominent Families, &c., &c., published 1880.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Springfield Township - it names this place 2 more 2 times.