Summersville, Ohio

One of the earliest settled portions of York Township was the land embraced in the three John Bowen surveys, surrounding and south of Summersville. Harmon Patrick is believed to have been the first settler here, though the exact date of his arrival is unknown. He was from Hardy County, Va., originally, but directly from Ross County, Ohio, and came to the township about the time the Miller settlement was made. He occupied a farm of 12'-J acres in Survey 3,470, about a mile south of the village. He was a highspirited, enterprising and esteemed citizen, and remained in the township for many years. He removed to Marion County, on the Scioto River. His brother, John Patrick, owned 100 acres in Survey 3,460, and lived here for a few years.

Passage source: The History of Union County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County; Its Townships, Towns ... Military Record;, published 1883.

Jonathan Shirk, uncle to Aaron Shirk, now living in York Township, was born in Hardy County, Va., and emigrated to Greene County, Ohio. About 1830, he came to York Township with his wifft. Elizabeth, and family, and engaged in the arduous labor of making a farm from the wilderness, a short distance south from Summersville. His wife died, and he sold his possessions here and removed to Taylor Township, and afterward to Indiana, where he died.

Passage source: The History of Union County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County; Its Townships, Towns ... Military Record;, published 1883.

Mr. Hyde was born in Maryland, and when a boy, moved, with his father, to Pennsylvania. In Washington County, Fenn. , he married, and settled on a farm in Harrison County, Ohio. Having concluded to emigrate farther west, in the spring of 1832, in a lumbering wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen, he traveled toward the setting sun till he reached the slight settlement just south of what is now Sammersville. Satisfied with the locality, he fashioned, out of the unbroken wilderness, a small, rude cabin, cleared about eight acres of land, fenced it in from the surrounding forest, planted it in corn and retvu-ned, by a tedious jou.rney, home. In the fall, he again visited the locality, this time in company with his young son, John B., and harvested his crop. They brought with them a load of household and other goods. Mr. Hyde had eight children, one son and seven daughters, five of whom were at this time married and settled in homes of their own. One unmarried daughter - Nancy, afterward Mrs. George Davis - was living at the home of a married sister. In February, 1833, Mr. Hyde, with his wife Elizabeth, son John B. and daughter Eebecca, who afterward mai'ried Sedgwick Coons, bade a final adieu to Harrison County, and, in a four-horse team, began their pilgrimage to York Township. At Berkshire, Delaware County, Mr. Hyde was taken sick. Thinking he would be fully restored to health in few days, he directed that his family proceed to their new home. They concluded the journey in two days, and took possession of the cabin which JVIr. Hyde had erected the summer previous. Rebecca then returned to Delaware County for her father, and upon her arrival she was greeted with the sad tidings that he had died and was buried. His disease was lung fever, doubtless induced by exposu.re and excessive labor. John B. at this time was seventeen years of age. His father had not yet contracted for the land upon which he built his cabin, and John B., in his own name, in a short time bought 100 acres of land, paying for it $2.25 per acre. In 1837, he married Eliza Davis, and still resides on the old place, one and a half miles south of Summersville, enjoying the reward of a well-spent life, and possessing the highest esteem of his large circle of acquaintances. In politics, he has been Whig and Republican; in religion he is a faithful adherent to the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Passage source: The History of Union County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County; Its Townships, Towns ... Military Record;, published 1883.

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 York Township - it names this place 57 more 57 times.