Bloom Township

Bloom Township

was organized August 25, 1812. It was formed from Green, Lick and Madison Townships, but no part of the French Grant was to be included in it. The origin of the name cannot be learned.

The boundary of the township at first was as follows: Beginning at the southeast corner of township No. 3, range 18; thence running north to the northeast corner of township No. 3, range 18; thence west to the southwest corner of township No. 3, range- 19; thence south to the southwest corner of township No. 3, range 19; thence east to the place of beginning. A poi'tion of Lawrence County's Territory was added to Scioto County, and the territory thus received was given to Bloom Township, to-wit: Beginning at the northeast corner of section 29, township 4, range 18: thence west to the southwest corner of section 6, in township and range aforesaid.

Bloom township has an area of 30,786 acres. It ranks third in area, second in population, outside of Wayne, fifth in value of real estate, fourth in personal property, and fifth in the total of both real estate and personal prop.- erty.

The surface in general is hilly, but most of it is tillable. The bottom land farms of Hale's and Pine Creek are very productive. The hills are used for grazing and for orchards.

This township is well watered by small streams. The most important ones are Hale's Creek which rises in Jackson County and flows in a general southerly direction and empties into Pine Creek which waters the Eastern part of the Township. Frederick Creek waters the western part of the Township and empties into the Little Sciotp river. There is not much bottom land in the Frederick Valley, but the hills bordering on its banks are famous the world over for the immense banks of fire clay in them.

Large crops of corn, wheat, potatoes, oats, hay, and pumpkins are raised and small crops of all things raised in Southern Ohio. The hills in particular afford fine orchards of peaches and apples. Some cherries are grown as well as small quantities of other fruits. The farmers keep their farms well supplied with stock, - horses, cattle and sheep.

The Lime Coal Works at Eifort employ about 100 men; the brick plant at South Webster near 200 men and the Clay mines on Frederick 75 men; the Buckeye brick yard at Scioto Furnace 75 men and Bloom Furnace 100 men.

Bloom Furnace located in the northwestern part of Bloom Township was built in 1830 by Christian Benner and two sons, Joshua and John. It was operated by different parties till 1874, when it went out of blast. In 1879, J. H. Simmons and Oliver Lyons bought the property and started the furnace. Simmons sold his interest to Clare and the Furnace has since been run under the name of The Clare Iron Company. It is now in a prosperous condition

Scioto Furnace was erected in 1828 by General William Kendall. It went into blast that year and was run by him for twelve months. He sold it to Salter and Dempsey, and they sold it to Harkness & Voorhees of Cincinnati. The last named firm kept it in blast till 1846. In that year Voorhees sold his interest to J. M. G. Smith. Harkness & Smith ran it till 1852 when Smith sold to J. W. Glidden and J. V. Robinson. The firm was called Robinson, Glidden & Company. This firm ran it until 1862 when the name was changed to Robinson & Company. The next change was to L. C. Robinson & Company, at the death of J. V. Robinson. Later Robinson sold a part of his share to Andrew Crawford and George S. Williams. This Company operated it until 1880 when Robinson failed and his interests went to Crawford. Williams and Wells A. Hutchins. In 1883, Crawford and Charles Leonard came into possession of the furnace and continued to operate it till 1892, when it made its last blast. The furnace lay idle from 1884 to 1886. It was dismantled in 1896 and A. T. Holcomb is owner of the site.

The Bloom Baptist Church located at South Webster was organized in 1830 at Bloom Switch, Ohio. Its present structure was built in 1859 on the corner of Tyrrel and Pearl streets. Its present pastor is Rev. R. R. Denny of Bidwell, Gallia County, Ohio. The building is worth $600.00. The membership is 75.

The M. E. Church was organized in 1826 by Rev. John R. Turner and Asa Ballinger. In 1853, its first building in South Webster was erected. Its large new building cost $2,000.00. The pastor is Rev. H. K. Wishon, who is traveling this circuit for the third year.

The German Evangelical Church was organized in 1879 and its building was erected in 1880. Its first pastor was Rev. T. H. Yeager. Its pastor in 1902 is Rev. E. Kuensler.

The South Webster United Brethern Church was organized with 30 members and its building was erected in 1880. Its present pastor is Rev. Hauffman and its first pastor was Rev. G. W Tuttle.1

The Township schools are divided into 11 districts. The first school in the Township was taught by Lyman Daniels in a small house near the South Webster Cemetery. He was from New England and had twelve or fifteen pupils.

There is but one Special, District, thatof South Webster, which is mentioned under that topic. Bloom Township has had seven months schools for many years and has paid each teacher $35.00 per month. The enumeration of the Township is close to 1,000.

was one of the first places settled in the Township. It was platted by John Bennett anl surveyed in 1853 by George S. Walton and William Tyrrell. Its population by census in 1900 was 441. Its manufactures are the Webster Fire Brick and Coal Company, as it was originally called, but now a part of the Portsmouth and Kentucky Fire Brick Company; and a Flour Mill owned by H. Pieper & Company. The Webster Fire Brick Company was organized in the fall of 1869.

Though formerly next to the largest it has been curtailed until it, at present, takes fourth rank among the townships in size, cantaining 30,766 acres. It was organized in 1820 from a part of Union Township. There have been a number of minor changes in its boundary, but the most sweeping changes were made in 1878 and on January 10, 1891. On the former date all that part of Union, west of a line following the meanders of the East Fork of McCullough, Brush Creek and Bear Creek was cut off from Brush Creek and included in Union. On the latter date Rarden Township was organized from its territory. It is the most irregular township and from the southwest to the northeast corners is a distance of fifteen miles. The narrowest place is about two miles. The records of the township have twice been destroyed by fire, the first time in 1867 and the last in 1883.

Trustees, John Walsh, T. H. B. Jones, Taylor Cook; Clerk, John Hockaden; Treasurer, Thomas Breslau; Justices of the Peace, J. G. Freeman and R. K. Day.

The valuation of its property in 1900 was: Real estate, $109,580; personal, $10,699; total, $180,329. Its ranks among the townships outside of Wayne was: Real estate, 12th; personal, 9th; total, 11th.

Brush Creek received its first inhabitants probably before 1800. Among the first settlers were Christopher Oppy, John Liston, Perry Liston, Henry Caraway, James Jones, James Wilson, William White, Joseph and James Walker, Zanthus Kennedy and Peter Randall. Other of the early settlers may be found under Rarden Township. All that might be said about the character of its surface and its products has already been said under Rarden and Union Townships and will not be repeated here. It is drained by Brush Creek and its tributaries, the principal of which is Rocky Fork, which has its beginning in the northwest part of Nile Township and enters this township at the southwest corner. Most of the township lies within its basin.

Otway is a village of 274 people situated on the Portsmouth and Galena turnpike and on the line of the Norfolk and Western Railroad. Brush Creek flows immediately west of it. The first house built in Otway was a log house, since removed, which stood just north of the brick house still standing, built by Moses Freeman in 1841. A post office was established in 1847, and Moses Freeman was the first postmaster. The office was abolished about 1850 and re-established about 1858. Freeman's house was a midway point between north Adams County and Portsmouth and many persons stopped there for the night.

Up to the time of the building of the Cincinnati and Eastern Railroad there was not even a hamlet here. But on the advent of the railroad, it became a station, and soon after a shipping point for the lumber products. Margaret and James Freeman platted the town and the plat was recorded March 29, 1884. It included 4.87 acres and contained twenty-one lots. July 30, 1886, Millie E., Margaret and James G. Freeman platted a new addition of nine lots, numbered from 22 to 30. This addition contained 1.38 acres and is known as Millie Freeman's Addition. September 27, 1887, the same parties platted a second addition containing 2.25 acres and known as the Margaret and Millie E. Freeman's Addition. It contained ten lots numbered from 32 to 41. The next addition was platted by James Oursler, E. K. Walsh and Levi Barker and is known as the Oursler Addition. The plat was recorded March 11, 1895 and contains nine-tenths of an acre, sub-divided into 9 lots, numbered from 42 to 50. The next addition was platted by Margaret and Millie E. and James G. Freeman, and is known as Margaret and Millie E. Freeman's Second Addition. The plat was recorded February 28, 1890 and contained 2.26 acres subdivided into 12 lots numbered from 51 to 62. The Ralstin Addition was platted by George and Joanna Ralstin. The plat was recorded February 13, 1890, and contained 3.15 acres sub-divided into 9 lots, numbered from 63 to 71.

The first officers of the place were Mayor J. G. Hazelbaker; Clerk, John S. Smith. The present officers are: Mayor, R. K. Day; Clerk, Charles Nort;

L. Pieper & Co., Flouring Mill, was built in 1896 by Pieper and Whistler. This mill is fitted up with four double stands of Barnard and Lease rollers and has the Plan Sifter and bolting system. It has a grist-mill attached and all is run by steam.

Pieper and Paeltz own and operate a large saw-mill which they built in 1900. It stands on the same site as the stone mill formerly stood and the same building is used. They manufactured all kinds of quartered and plain lumber, rim strips, chair and table stuffs, etc. The only lodge in this place is Smith Lodge, K. of P. No. 387.

The Methodist Church was organized in 1896 and a tasteful edifice was erected in 1898 at a total cost of $2,200. The first pastor was Rev. Wayne Runyan. The present trustees are: J. J. Pieper, Joel Gillett, Dr. J. F. Gordon, James Moon, Joseph Smith and Vance Davis. It has 90 members and an average attendance of 45 in the Sunday School. J. J. Pieper is Superintendent. Rev. Mitchell Phillips is the pastor.

The Christian Union Church was organized in 1867, and held its meetings in the Dry Run school house. In 1869, a church was erected. This stood until 1899, when a new and modern structure costing $2,500 was erected. The church has grown from 12 to 125 members. The Sunda)r school averages 70. The pastor is Rev. R. A. M. Johnson.

situated on the line of the Norfolk and Western Railroad and midway between Rarden and Otway, was platted April 17, 1894, by M. O. Maddy. Thirty-one acres were included in the plat and there were 151 lots numbered from 1 to 151. A great effort was made to boom the place but it has not succeeded. The postoffice is Young.

What is known as the Dry Run Church stands about three hundred yards east of this hamlet. The organization has been in existence for probably seventy-five years. The present frame structure was erected in 1888. The

Other churches in this township are the Oswego Baptist and the Oswego Methodist churches and the Berea Methodist Church near Pink postoffice on Rocky Fork.

The first school house in the township stood one mile south of Otway where George Hazelbaker's dwelling now stands. It was a log house and was abondoned about 1830. Before the division of Brush Creek to create Rarden Township there were thirteen sub-districts. At present there are eight. A uniform salary of $30 per month is paid to the teachers. The term of school is five months in the year.

The first school in Otway was taught by James G. Freeman in 1870 in a small building owned by him. It later became sub-district No. 12, in Brush Creek Township and finally a special district in 1890. A new two room building was erected that year at a cost of $1,200. In 1900 another room was added. The teachers in 1902-3 and their salaries were R. K. Day, $45; Lora Spraddling, $35; Mattie Boynton, $35.

One of the oldest cemeteries in this locality is the Dry Run Cemetery near Young Station. It dates back to 1818 and contains the remains of a number of the early pioneers. It is a part of Survey No. 2,802 owned by Thomas Rarden. When he sold his land he reserved this spot for burial purposes.

Source changes here: from History of Scioto County, Ohio, Together with a Pioneer Record of Southern Ohio, by Nelson W. Evans A.m, published 1903; 2,038 words in this source stream.

Bloom Township

was organized August 25, 1812. It was formed from Green, Lick and Madison Townships, but no part of the French Grant was to be included in it. The origin of the name cannot be learned.

The boundary of the township at first was as follows: Beginning at the southeast corner of township No. 38, range 18; thence running north to the northeast corner of township No. 3, range 18; thence west to the southwest corner of township No. 3, range 19; thence south to the southwest corner of township No. 8, range 19; thence east to the place of beginning. A portion of Lawrence County's Territory was added to Scioto County, and the territory thus received was given to Bloom Township, to-wit: Beginning at the northeast corner of section 29, township 4, range 18: thence west to the southwest corner of section 6, in township and range aforesaid.

Bloom township has an area of 30,786 acres. It-ranks third in area, second in population, outside of Wayne, fifth in value of real estate, fourth in personal property, and fifth in the total of both real estate and personal property.

The surface in general is hilly, but most of it is tillable. The bottom land farms of Hale's and Pine Creek are very productive. . The hills are used: for grazing and for orchards.

This township is weil watered by small streams. The most important ones are Hale's Creek which rises in Jackson County and flows in a general southerly direction and empties into Pine Creek which waters the Eastern part of the Township. Frederick Creek waters the western part of the Township and empties into the Little Scioto river. There is not much bottom land in the Frederick Valley, but the hills bordering on its banks are famous the world over for the immense banks of fire clay in them.

Large crops of corn, wheat, potatoes, oats, hay, and pumpkins are raised and small crops of all things raised in Southern Ohio. The hills in particular afford fine orchards of peaches and apples. Some cherries are grown as well as small quantities of other fruits. The farmers keep their farms well supplied with stock, - horses, cattle and sheep.

The Lime Coal Works at Hifort employ about 100 men; the brick plant at South Webster near 200 men and the Clay mines on Frederick 75 men; the Buckeye brick yard at Scioto Furnace 75 men and Bloom Furnace 100 men.

Bloom Furnace located in the northwestern part of Bloom Township was built in 1830 by Christian Benner and two sons, Joshua and John. It was operated by different parties till 1874, when it went out of blast. In 1879, J. H. Simmons and Oliver Lyons bought the property and started the furnace. Simmons sold his interest to Clare and the Furnace has since been run under the name of The Clare Iron Company. It is now in a prosperous condition

Scioto Furnace was erected in 1828 by General William Kendall. It went into blast that year and was run by him for twelve months. He sold it to Salter and Dempsey, and they sold it to Harkness & Voorhees of Cincinnati. The last named firm-kept it in blast till 1846. In that year Voorhees sold his interest to J. M. G. Smith. Harkness & Smith ran it till 1852 when Smith sold to J. W. Glidden and J. V. Robinson. The firm was called Robinson, Glidden & Company. This firm ran it until 1862 when the name was changed to Robinson & Company. The next change was to L. C. Robinson & Company, at the death of J. V. Robinson. Later Robinson sold a part of his share to Andrew Crawford and George S. Williams. This Company operated it until 1880 when Robinson failed and his interests went to Crawford, Williams and Wells A. Hutchins. In 1888, Crawford and Charles Leonard came into possession of the furnace and continued to operate it till 1892, when it made its last blast. The furnace lay idle from 1884 to 1886. It was dismantled in 1896 and A. T. Holcomb is owner of the site.

The Bloom Baptist Church located at South Webster was organized in 1830 at Bloom Switch, Ohio. Its present structure was built in 1859 on the corner of Tyrrel and Pearl streets. Its present pastor is Rey. R. R. Denny of Bidwell, Gallia County, Ohio. The building is worth $600.00. The membership is 75.

The M. E. Church was organized in 1826 by Rev. John R. Turner and Asa Ballinger. In 18538, its first building in South Webster was erected. Its large new building cost $2,000.00. The pastor is Rev. H. K. Wishon, who is traveling this circuit for the third year.

The German Evangelical Church was organized in 1879 and its building was erected in 1880. Its first pastor was Rev. T. H. Yeager. Its pastor in 1902 is Rev. EH. Kuensler.

The South Webster United Brethern Church was organized with 30 members and its building was erected in 1880. Its present pastor is Rev. Hauffman and its first pastor was Rev. G. W Tuttle.

The Township schools are divided into 11 districts. The first school in the Township was taught by Lyman Daniels in a small house near the South Webster Cemetery. He was from New England and had twelve or fifteen pupils.

There is but one Special, District, thatofSouth Webster, which is mentioned under that topic. Bloom Township has had seven months schools for many years and has paid each teacher $35.00 per month. The enumeration of the Township is close to 1,000.

was one of the first places settled in the Township. It was platted by John Bennett anl surveyed in 1853 by George S. Walton and William Tyrrell. Its population by census in 1900 was 441. Its manufactures are the Webster Fire Brick and Coal Company, as it was originally called, but now a part of the Portsmouth and Kentucky Fire Brick Company; and a Flour Mill owned by H. Pieper & Company. he Webster Fire Brick Company was organized in the fall of 1869.

Though formerly next to the largest it has been curtailed until it, at present, takes fourth rank among the townships in size, cantaining 30,766 acres. It was organized in 1820 from a part of Union Township. There have been a number of minor changes in its boundary, but the most sweeping changes were made in 1878 and on January 10, 1891. On the former date all that part of Union, west of a line following the meanders of the East Fork of McCullough, Brush Creek and Bear Creek was cut off from Brush Creek and included in Union. On the latter date Rarden Township was organized from its territory. It is the most irregular township and from the southwest to the northeast corners is a distance of fifteen miles. The narrowest place is about two miles. The records of the township have twice been destroyed by fire, the first time in 1867 and the last in 1883.

Trustees, John Walsh, T. H. B. Jones, Taylor Cook; Clerk, John Hockaden; Treasurer, Thomas Breslau; Justices of the Peace, J. G. Freeman and R. K. Day.

The valuation of its property in 1900 was: Real estate, $109,580; personal, $10,699; total, $180,329. Its ranks among the townships outside of Wayne was: Real estate, 12th; personal, 9th; total, 11th.

Brush Creek received its first inhabitants probably before 1800. Among the first settlers were Christopher Oppy, John Liston, Perry Liston, Henry Caraway, James Jones, James Wilson, William White, Joseph and James Walker, Zanthus Kennedy and Peter Randall. Other of the early settlers may be found under Rarden Township. All that might ,be said about the character of its surface and its products has already been said under Rarden and Union Townships and will not be repeated here. It is drained by Brush Creek and its tributaries, the principal of which is Rocky Fork, which has its beginning in the northwest part of Nile Township and enters this township at the southwest corner. Most of the township lies within its basin.

Otway is a village of 274 people situated on the Portsmouth and Galena turnpike and on the line of the Norfolk and Western Railroad. Brush Creek flows immediately west of it. The first house built in Otway was a log houses~ since removed, which stood just north of the brick house still standing, built by Moses Freeman in 1841. A post office was established in 1847, and Moses Freeman was the first postmaster. The office was abolished about 1850 and

Up to the time of the building of the Cincinnati and Eastern Railroad there was not even a hamlet here. But on the advent of the railroad, it became a station, and soon after a shipping point for the lumber products. Margaret and James Freeman platted the town and the plat was recorded March 29, 1884. It included 4.87 acres and contained twenty-one lots. July 30, 1886, Millie E., Margaret and James G. Freeman platted a new addition of nine lots, numbered from 22 to 30. This addition contained 1.38 acres and is known as Millie Freeman's Addition. September 27, 1887, the same parties platted a second addition containing 2.25 acres and known as the Margaret and Millie E. Freeman's Addition. It contained ten lots numbered from 32 to 41. The next addition was platted by James Oursler, E. K. Walsh and Levi Barker and is known as the Oursler Addition. The plat was recorded March 11, 1895 and contains nine-tenths of an acre, sub-divided into 9 lots, numbered from 42 to 50. The next addition was platted by Margaret and Millie E. and James G. Freeman, and is known as Margaret and Millie E. Freeman's Second -Addition. The plat was recorded February 28, 1890 and contained 2.26 acres subdivided into 12 lots numbered from 51 to 62. The Ralstin Addition was platted by George and Joanna Ralstin. The plat was recorded February 13, 1890, and contained 3.15 acres sub-divided into 9 lots, numbered from 63 to 71.

The first officers of the place were Mayor J. G. Hazelbaker; Clerk, John S. Smith. The present officers are: Mayor, R. K. Day; Clerk, Charles Nort; Marshal, Simon Crow; Council, James Walsh, George Ralstin, John Pieper, J. F. Gordon, G. W. Chabot, Levi Plummer; Treasurer, Thomas Breslau,

1L. Pieper & Co.. Plourime Mill. was built in 189% by Pieper and Whisiler. This mill is fitted up with four double stands of Barnard 2nd Lease rollers and and boliims system It has a grisi-mill atiached 2nd all

The Methodist Church was orsanized in 1896 and a tasteful edifice was erected first pastor was Rev. Wayne Runyan The presemt trustees are: J. J. Pieper. Joel Gillett. Dr. J. F. Gordon. James Moon. Joseph Smith and Vance Davis. fi has 9) members and an averase atiendance of 4 im the Sanday School J. J. Pieper is Superintendent

The postoffice is Youne be Whai is known 2s the Dry Run Church stands about three hundred yards east of this hamlet The organizaiion has been im existence for probably seventy-fve years. The present frame structure was erected im 188% The Bumbers 35 and the Sunday School averases 5% £Miles P.-

Other churches im this township are the Oswego Baptist and the Oswego Methodist churches amc the Berea Methodist Church near Pink postoffice on Rocky Fork. ;

The first school house im the township stood ome mile south of Otway where Georse Hazelbaker's dwellins now siands. [t was a log house and was ahbondoned about 1830 Before the division of Brush Creek to create Rarden Township there were thirteen subdistricts Aft present there are ecisht A uniform salary of $3) per month is paid to the teachers. The term of school is five months im the year.

The first school in Otway was taught by James G. Freeman in 187) ma small buildins owned by him It Iaier became sub-district No. 12, im Brush Greek Township and finally a special disirict in 1890. A new two room building year at a cost of $1.200 Im 180 another room was added. The teachers in 1902-3 and their salaries were R. K- Day, 345: Lora Sprad-