Spitler, Samuel, House

The first schoolhouse of which we have been able to get any know lea was one that stood in the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of Sectu 13, on the present site of the cemetery there. It was built about the ye 1815, and was constructed of unhewn logs. Within, in the way of beam apparatus, was an improvised brick furnace or stove located in the centi Slabs were used as desks and for seats or benches. The first schoolmaster the house and the first teacher of the township was a German, by name Jol: Holsmiller. Not long after the erection of this house, was built another Section 26 on the Michael Baker land, about one mile northeast of the prese village of Brookville. A few years later, another house was built near t. center of Section 34. This was probably about the year 1820. All of the, houses were built on the same plan, which did not differ from the usually ru log schoolhouse of pioneer times, full descriptions of which will be found els where in this work. In these schools were taught no German, nor geograph

Passage source: The History of Montgomery County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County;, published 1882.

Brookville, the principal village, located in the southern part of the tow ship, on the Dayton and Western l'oad, was surveyed and platted by Jar Frees April 13, 1850, for Jacob Flory, the proprietor of fifteen lot9. In 188 a dry goods store was kept on the site of the village, by Warren Estabroo for whom it was afterward named. Joseph Mikesell was an earlier marcha on the same site. Additions were made by one Root, and by Noah and Ben min Baker. The village is pleasantly situated on the west branch of W< Creek, and is about 250 feet higher than the city of Dayton. From this v lage diverge in almost every direction good and free turnpikes, which t township in general is well supplied with. The first funeral sermon preach where now is the village was under a forest tree, standing on the present s, of the house of G. Stonebarger. In 1852, the Methodist Chiuch was erectc and the house dedicated by Rev. A. B. Wambaugh. A little later, the Lutln an Church was erected by the Presbyterian congregation, which is now lost sig of. Of the three warehouses now located here, one was built in the year 1852, Benjamin Baker. C. Burlin was the physician of 1853. The post office was < tablished in 1855, with Moses Wagaman as Postmaster. The present incumbent L. S. Smith. This same year, the first regular hotel of the village was built, G.B. Adams. This became an independent school district in 1873, and the f lowing year the village was incorporated (September 9, 1874). James Smi was the first Mayor. James Stewart is now the Village Mayor. The sehoi house is a large two-story brick, with four apartments. The teachers £ Samuel Minich. Laura Duckwall, Silas Fox and Minnie Smith. In 1879, t largest and most commodious church edifice was built by the United Brethnl Rev. Mi'. Miller was the first, and is still their Pastor. Revs. Mr. Grow a! Michael Kaufman officiated respectively in the Lutheran and Methodist Church The physicians are Drs. J. C. Conner, A. Dove, C. Gish, William Mundhenk a Moses Pretzinger. The Village Justice is L. S. Smith, and J. Smith is t telegraph operator and ticket and freight agent. The Brookville hotel is k( by Charles Riley; the " Eureka" by Noah Baker; and the "Eagle" by J. Hidinger. Other business enterprises are as follows: A steam flour iug-mi two saw-mills, a large carriage manufactory, owned and operated by H Gagle; a wagon-maker shop, carried on by John Siebert; drygoods andgroce establishments, carried on by Richard Riley, H. Albert and Samuel Barn two tin shops, by David Ivinsie and Stephen Ellen; one saddler shop and c barber shop, two drug stores, kept by William Sanford and Moses Pretzing and two houses where are kept agricultural implements. Jacob Overhalser a R. Roller are the blacksmiihs. The population now numbers 565. It is c of the voting precincts.

Passage source: The History of Montgomery County, Ohio, Containing a History of the County;, published 1882.

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 Clay Township - 18,834 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.