Brown Township (part 1 of 5)

End Of Fletcher

Dever, Perry 33m Mary 20f Duncan, Michael 28m Lydia 25f Caroline 4f John 4m Motter, Henry 62m Elizabeth 45f Edward 27m Elizabeth 24f Sophia 22Ff Tilman 18m Hamilton 16m Beamer, Thomas M.34m Louisa J. 31 f John 11m Wm. 9m Dicy 1G Mary Af Eliza .: 2f Beckenbaugh, Margaret 1 Archer, Lewis 23m Airheart, David 57m Catherine 52f Wm. 20m Hannah iver John 15m Mary J. 13f Sarah A. Sit David 9m Louisa TAR Henry 5m Calvin, Elizabeth 48f Samuel S. 26m George B. 21m Elizabeth 23f John 20m Wm. 17m James 15m Milton 12m Mary J. 8f Elvira Sf

Zoo0O00K

BAD: hers 22f fe) Beckenbaugh, Catherine 40f opnia Ft 0 Elizabeth 21f James - 18m =O Mary 18f Benjamin J. 9m =O Catherine 15f Mar Fuller, George W.26m .@) ee fe Mary 24f O Cornelia Sf Thomas Sm 0 Ann M. 4f Melifsa LF. fe) Motter, John 26m Wm. 15m Wharton, Oliver 43m P Jane 41f P Reeder, Joseph 60m Samuel 17m 0 Elizabeth H. otf, Phebe A. 14f Oo Daniel A. 18m Rebecca J. Of 0 Isaac 14m Garbry, John 35m 1@) Anderson, Esther 80F Hester A. 2oF; 0] Mary E. 8f 0 Toms, Jonathon 60m Margaret E. 4f 1@) Mary 50 f Eleanor 17f Beckenbaugh, George 43m M Sarah 32G 0 Toms, George O. 24m Elizabeth M. 12f oO Abner 23 Ff Mary S. 10f 0 Emanuel 21m George 9m .@) Eliabath 13f Florence Af 0 Emaline 15f John 2m .@) Marion 10m Eleanor 20f Potorf, Henry 53m P Mary L. 2f Drake, Thomas 63m NJ Brelsford, Daniel 26m Jane 46f .@) Nancy 24f Harriet A. 22% O Wm. H. 3m Martha J. 20f 6) Martha 2f Mary E. 16F oO Frances Tt Thomas J.W. 14m 0 Wiley, Rolanan C. 10in Charles S. 12m 0 Lucretia 2f O Brelsford, Daniel Sr.72m Motter, Henry 37m M Wiley, Rebecca 32f Lydia 26f P Mary E. 8f Mary J. Of O John 6m John 7m \@) Hannah Af Hannah E. if O Wm. H. 2m 0)

Village Of Lena

Allen, Edward 26m Caroline 23 fF Balsor, Peter 23m Mary J. 21f Elaza Li. 1f Cox, Hannah 45f Andrew J. 18m Elizabeth 14f Dobbins, Thomas C.26m Martha 7a We Celina 6f Elzina A. 5f Osker 3m Dobbins, George 63m Jane 61 f Ambrose 38m Harriet 27f Cox, Thomas 84m Dobbins, George 2m Merritt, Isaac 60m Margaret 5S Mary Ann 27Ff Caleb 25m Amanda 15f Brecount, John 65m Sarah 63 Ff Gedeon N. 19m Merritt, Nancy LER F Lucinda 18f

End Of Lena

Pearson, Peter F.58m Sarah 41f James, Mary A. 20f Pearson, Edward W.18m Isaac P. 13m James W. 6m Moore, Sinderella 8f Priscilla 6 f Mary E. SF John R. 1m Slack, Berkley 31m Deborah 27 Ff Francees whi Margaret 6f George 5m Moore, Wm. 53m Sinderella 4if Susanna 18f Wm. 16m Thomas 14m Catherine 12f James 10m Hastings, Robert 34m Isabella 28Ff Wm. J. 16m Ann 14f Robert 12m Sarah Of Isabella 4f Margaret oe Suber, George 54m Elizabeth 50f Wm. 24m Martha J 19f John C 18m Maria 16f James W.T 9m Anderson, Joseph 38m Hannah 40f Mary E. 18f Martha D. 13f Unice A. he & cont.

Hoblet, Joshua 25m 0 Minerrva 23 f oO Mary J. 3f 0 Berryhill, Samuel E.21m 0 Vanhorn, John 33m Pp Jane 28f O David P. 9m 10) Sarah J. 6 f Oo Edwin 4m .@) Margaret 1f 0 Anderson, Peter H.49m P Jane 48f P Caroline ay Pp James G. 20m Oo Daniel 18m .@) Harvey 14m .@] Sarah J. Of 0 Albert 8m 10) Johnston, Robert 40m 0 Sarah 40f O King, Amos 27m P Mary 30 Ff P Johnston, John 17m Oo Mary E. a hat Oo Beer, Tullis 38m O Mary 32f 10) Hannah J. 4f O Christina a) aie .@) .@) Bennum, Richard 57m oO Abigail SEER Oo Aaron 18m Oo Eliza 15F Oo Palser, Harris 9m 0 Susan 7 Ff .@) John 4m Oo Lucinda of O Wooly, Mary 7Ff oO Hunt, Isaac 60m Vt Jane 42f NJ Ruth 28f In cont.

Source changes here: from The History of Miami County, Ohio, by W. H. Beers & Co, published 1880; 38,169 words in this source stream.

Brown Township

Brown Township, in the extreme northeastern comer of Miami County, is bounded on the north by Shelby County, on the east by Champaign County, on the *outh by Lost Creek Township and west by Spring Creek Township, in Miami County. The country round about is watered by several streams of considerable importance ; of these, Spring Creek flows through the two northwest sections in the township, and passes from them into Spring Creek Township. Lost Creek, the most important water-course in the township, rises by three heads in the northern part of the township, and flows in a southwesterly direction to the central part of the western portion of the township, when it takes a course directly south, and enters Lost Creek Township at its northwestern section. Leatherwood Creek rises in the eastern part of the township, and flows in a northwesterly direction into Shelby County. It was so called from the great amount of that species of timber which skirted its banks. Ramp Run, another small stream in Brown Township, received its name on account of the great abundance of ramps, a vegetable production resembling Indian turnips, which grew along its course. The township contains some thirty sections, making about 19,200 acres of tillable land. At present, there are not more than ten miles of mud road in the township, which presents a cobwebbed appearance of free pikes, which have been built at an average cost of between $1,200 and $1,600 per mile.

The first white man who located himself permanently within the present limits of Brown Township was John Kiser, who emigrated from Virginia in the early days of the nineteenth century, and came immediately to Ohio. He settled first near Dayton, but, in 1806, came to this township and purchased the northeast quarter of Section 30, where he built his rude cabin and began life in this section of Miami County as a bachelor ; but, soon growing weary of a " life in the forest alone," he took to himself a wife, and began in earnest the work of clearing his farm and making a pleasant home for his family. This, for one man, was no small undertaking, requiring not only a great expenditure of muscular force, but also a will so determined as not to be thwarted by any common difficulty. Mr. Kiser, however, proved equal to the emergency, and soon had cleared a few acres of ground, from which he raised the first crop of corn and vegetables in the township. Isaac Kiser, the oldest child of this family, was bora in the fall of 1810, and was the first white child who had his nativity in Brown Township ; besides him, two other sons and two daughters were bora to Mr. Kiser. Isaac, the eldest, still lives near the spot of his birth, the oldest resident in the township. He is a man greatly respected by all, who, by his untiring industry, has succeeded in accumulating a goodly portion of this world's goods, which he does not hesitate to use for any laudable and benevolent purpose that may come under his observation. His sons, two of whom carry on the mercantile business in Fletcher, are wide-awake citizens. Mrs. Kiser has in her possession one of the coats worn by the Britishers during the Revolutionary war ; it is a sleeveless red jacket, and was taken during the war by a relative of Mrs. Kiser, from whom she received it. This, is, without doubt, the oldest article of apparel in the township, the sight of which reminds one not only of the ftitile attempts of Great Britain to rule the United Colonies, but also of the grand work accomplished by our forefathers, when they obtained for themselves and their descendants such desirable homes as are to be found not only in Brown, but in every township, almost, throughout the United States.

The second settler in the township was John Simmons, a native of Pennsylvania, who immigrated here in 1807, with his family of ten children, and located himself on Section 36 ; he, shortly after his arrival, entered several hundred acres of land in the vicinity, and was for many years the largest land-holder in the town - ship. Upon his arrival here he found the neighborhood sparsely settled, the Kisers being the only white settlers for miles around ; nothing daunted, however, by tne gloominess of the external surroundings, he went to work with a will to build or himself a home and name in the place he had chosen to live, the initiatory steps to which proceeding was the erection of a cabin of round logs, which 'contained two rooms, being what was known as a double log house, and the first of its kind in the township, as the house inhabited by Kiser contained but one room ana a little loft, to which access was had by means of a small ladder. The Simmons residence was for the time a rather pretentious structure. A porch extended me length of the house, and in summer this served as a dining-room ; the roof was o clap-boards manufactured by Mr. Simmons. The floors and doors were of puncheonplank ; the latter, swung upon the old-time wooden hinges, made a screeching noise on being opened, not calculated to be particularly soothing to persons o a nervous temperament Patent locks and modern bolts were not used m e construction of this dwelling ; instead, a wooden catch answered every Purpose- This was attached to the inside of the door by wooden pins, and was opened from the outside by a leather string which protruded through a gimlet hole and was iasened to the latch inside. At nights the house was locked by merely pulling m the string, thus making it impossible to open the door from the outside. The principal feature of this house was its window, which was of real glass - a substance by no means commonly used to admit light in those primitive dwellings. The canin of Mr. Simmons, however, was illuminated during the day by a small glass window, about 10x12 inches in size, and thus the use of greased paper for that purpose was dispensed with in that household.

The first year of his arrival here, Mr. Simmons, after building his house, succeeded in clearing two or three acres of land, from which he raised oorn enough for family use during the next year. In a few years subsequent to his settling here, he managed to clear more than fifty acres of his wooded homestead, from which he raised good crops of corn and a little wheat. There being no market near at hand, and farm products being exceedingly low, the inducements to farm extensively were not great, even had it been possible ; all grain, beyond what was necessary for home consumption, had to be carried to the neighboring towns for a market , and there being no regular roads at this time, and wagons not being yet in use, it will readily be seen that the means and modes of transportation were neither numerous nor convenient Most of the surplus grain in this township was for many years taken to Dayton for sale, till Piqua became a town, after which the narrow pathway through the woods to that place was frequented more than that which led to the more remote market, and hence the first sale of grain in Piqua from this township was made by a son of Mr. Simmons, who carried to that place a few bushels of corn on the back of the old family horse, which he disposed of after some trouble, for the then enormous price of 9 cents per bushel, which he received in cash. On so small a scale as this began the sale of grain in this township, which has since assumed, in comparison, proportions almost gigantic. _

The third settler in Brown Township was William Concannon, who emigrated from Pennsylvania in 1807 and entered a farm in the western part of Section 36. He had, upon his arrival here, a large family of sons and daughters, so that, in the work of clearing, he was not single-handed, as his children were, some of them, old enough to lend a helping hand in the arduous struggle for a living, which was to be obtained from the farm, which contained plenty of nothing but wood, vrater and wild animals. However, by the united exertions of himself and family, Mr. C. soon caused his immediate surroundings to assume a more agreeable aspect. While himself and boys did the chopping, the girls piled and burned the brush, so that, the spring of their arrival here, not only did they build their cabin, but also succeeded in redeeming two or three acres of the surrounding forest from its ^orthles9 condition, which they converted into a cornfield, from which they obtained grain enough to provide them with bread during the following winter. Mr. C. resided upon this place until his death, many years afterward. This family, with the two preceding ones, constituted, for some time, the whole popula- tion of the township. Mr. C. was a prominent man in the little colony, and, after the township was organized, figured conspicuously in its affairs till his death.

John Adney immigrated here from Pennsylvania, of which State he was a native, in 1807. Upon arriving in this township, he entered the southwest quarter of Section 31 and erected his cabin and put up a rude barn, as preliminaries to the more extensive operations which he expected to cany' on afterward. He was accompanied to this township by his family, consisting, at that time, of several sons and daughters. Mr. A. worked upon this place seven years, and succeeded in clearing quite a large portion of his farm, when he disposed of his property here to Nicholas Platter, in 1815, and Mr. A., with his family, swelled the mighty stream of emigration pouring westward, and sought a home where such an abundance of wood and water was not to be contended against. Mr. Platter moved upon the place immediately after the removal of Mr. A., where he remained for fifteen years, when he disposed of his property to a Mr. Hamilton, in 1830. As will be seen hereafter, Platter was among the first of those who took the initiatory steps in establishing what was, at that time, one of the most important branches of the manufacturing pursuits then being carried on in the township.

Alexander Oliver emigrated from Pennsylvania, with his family of three boys and two girls, in about 1808. He entered the northwest quarter of Section 30, upon which he built the first cabin and felled the first tree in that part of the section. Mr. Oliver remained upon this place till 1823, when, growing tired of the immense quantities of wood and water, the only redundant articles that might be made subservient to the use of man in this vicinity, he sold his farm and moved farther west, and procured a home among the prairies* At about this time in the history of this township, rumors became rife in the neighborhood concerning the fearful depredations of the Indians, not only in the State at large, but in the neighboring townships in particular. The terrible tragedy that has made the names of Dillbone and Gerard household words throughout Miami County, plunged the inhabitants of their respective neighborhoods into such a state of feverish excitement as was not to be allayed for the space of several years. Blockhouses were built, firearms procured, constant watch was kept, and all signs of danger rapidly reported from settlement to settlement. Brown Township, like the others, became submerged in a sea of feverish excitement, and preparations were made here to protect themselves and families from the fiendish cruelty of the red man. The few families in the neighborhood met at the house of Mr. Kiser in January, 1812, and decided to build a house where the inhabitants might meet and spend the nights fVee from danger. Accordingly, the blockhouse was built on Kiser's place early in the summer of 1812, and this was. the common rendezvous in all times of apprehended danger. Nothing occurred, however, to mar the peace of the little colony, and, their fears gradually subsiding, the old fort was finally abandoned as a place of refuge, and, instead, was used by Mr. Kiser as a stable and general storehouse for many years ; but a quarter of a century has passed away since the old house has fallen a prey to Time's destroying finger, and to-day not a vestige of the building remains to remind the dweller in this peaceful community of the turbulent scenes that were hourly expected to be enacted in the days when the old blockhouse was built. After the war was declared ended and comparative peace Sgain restored, the stream of immigration, which had ceased during the war, again began to pour westward, and quite a large portion of its surplus waters reached Miami County. Owing, however, to the fact that Brown Township is situated in a remote part of the county from the principal business centers, it was several years before the tributaries of the before-mentioned stream reached this vicinity. Among the first families to come to Brown Township after the war was that of the Munsells. Asa Munsell accompanied by his family, emigrated from Massachusetts, their native State, in 1818. They settled near Marietta upon their arrival m Ohio, hut, two years later, came to this township and located themselves permanently. . der Munsell, a son of Asa, entered a quarter-section of land, which was situated some distance east from the present site of Fletcher. Mr. M. was a man of energy,.

and noted for the uprightness of his character and unflinching integrity, and was always%deeply interested in all improvements necessary for the comfort and welfare of the neighborhood in which he lived. He built the first frame house in the township in 1820. He is also noted as having been the only inhabitant of Brown who ever occupied a seat in the Legislature of the State, to which he was elected, and filled to the satisfaction of all his constituents. He also took a prominent part in affairs pertaining to his county, for the good of which he was an indefatigable worker fill his death.

John L. Malloy settled on Section 25, near the present site of Fletcher, in 1821. He purchased his farm of eighty acres of John Simmons, and built his logcabin, the floor of which was of sawed boards, instead of the puncheons usually used for that purpose. Mr. Malloy, in conjunction with John P. Davis, engaged in the lumbering business, and they were the only two men in this township who took advantage of the transporting facilities offered by the river, in carrying their lumber to the south. They made many successful trips to New Orleans, and some of them are reported as having been exceedingly hazardous. On one occasion, they had waited several weeks for the river to rise, thatrthey might push off with an unusually large cargo of fine cherry lumber. They had grown somewhat weary and careless with the long delay, and, consequently, were not prepared for the emergency which came upon them, by the water rismg unexpectedly, and without previous indications of so doing, in the middle of the night, and it carried the boat, with all on board, rapidly down the stream as far as Troy, where, becoming entangled among the " Ninety-nine islands/' it was found impossible to extricate themselves. Toward morning, the boat grounded, and shortly went to pieces, the lumber being carried off by the swift current, while the proprietors, with difficulty reached the shore. Such were some of the difficulties experienced by those who attempted to carry on commercial relations With the South by navigation, in the early days of our history. Mr. Malloy was engaged in this work many years, and was, for the most part, eminently successful in au his operations. He subsequently, however, removed from Brown Township, with his fiunily, to California, where he became a bonanza'fcing, and died years ago, possessed of a large estate.

John H. Woloott, a native of New Jersey, emigrated with his family to Butler County, Ohio, in 1807, where he remained till 1820, when he came to Miami County, and located, first, in Lost Creek Township, where he remained one year, to Brown Township, in the spring of 1821, when he entered the north , , Section 5. Mr. Wolcott's family besides himself gnd wife, consisted of

_ boys and one girl, and, with the assistance of his boys, he soon caused the wilderness to disappear, in a great measure, fi'om the spot he had chosen for his nome. The first residence of this family did not differ materially from the dwellings of a majority of the first settlers in the township. The cabin consisted of a single room, with floor of puncheon-plank ; the greater part of one side of the *fken ,UP by the fireplace, which answered the triple purpose of iuiinace, grate and range. The sun sent its gladdening, cheerfril rays into this thr°^gh+1f' wi.ndow made of real glass, instead of the greased paper y T1'- * e "" of which a* exceed 10x12 incbis. Mr. Wolnrofaurinn a &arvey°r> and was the first regular operator in that amnn o- tho m f *own8k1P was first surveyed by him. As a citizen, he was one affair^ of a in always took great interest in all n. This familvTinai *** the first cabin on that seeing the farm as well as Wri°f G- 811(1 two ^rls> who all took part in dearformed in the early days of om 9harf ofTTaU other duties necessary to be perj y our settlement. Upon their arrival here, there was no greater part of the work was vet t« Ike - "st> a market- town was reached the load of grain to a gTwX ^ £'0ZY °f- **'!« ^ hon* to . pnce, it was necessary to ZfZTZ. 7 °nce dl8P03mg of the load for a cood a little here amTThttle gthere and even* Store to store. fortunate if he was so lucky as to dispose of hi? considered himself moved with his large Z?' - w remamed till 1820, when he He took a lease fo?the southwert qu^r1 o^h^T1 T°wn?hiP> Miami County, his boys, cleared the farm on which h^witodf^ \aii.d' the assistance of on this section was built by Mr Sills whinh op ** °* one'^a^* second log-cabin hous as any in that nefibKS Slil?? a"d comfort^ was as pnfreten fourteen years, this family decided to r!»Z ,n thl8 humble home for about abundance of forest LtH iTr fmol* *° a °ountiy where such a super- Mr. Sills started, with his family anTHi' ^^^nscquently, in the spring of 1834 desirable location f£ti£ wS in a mote and one girl, moved Cm tbfe ol^fn t? wh? his familJ of three boys fouryea^, ^hen beSdt where he remained for 1824, and was the first keeperof*a nnKMp^h^1^6 .^r- I?obbins> moved here in tavern-stand was bv no men no » ? blic-house in this part of the township. His considered Z^J'F2m'.or' at least> would not pretentious building and certainly ' bUt ati that fame it: waa considered & rather ing at that time a^ fa thfSi7 Ttf ****£ ^ limited amount of travelheight it boasted a single stor?^ tvf would justify in building. In *

«tely to this <mnty kettZ^nn thl,!^ h« emigrated in 1818 and came immedieabin on this section ^nd SL !! the fann before mentioned. He erected the third community in which he reriderif °TTthe n?08t '"dustrious, energetic men in the assiduously to the labor o/Zfwl locat,ng here, Mr. G. applied himself half of Section n°R emig?ite? *°m New Jersey in 1826, and entered the north °ectmn 11, Range 11, in this township, where he built his cabin of one

Fred Gray, from New Jersey, settled on the southeast quarter of Section 6, in Brown Township, in 1828. His family consisted of four boys and three girls; one of the former lost his life in the service of his country. Mr. Gray sold his farm in this township, after living upon it many years, and purchased another in Lost Creek Township, this county. At the present time, he resides in Lena, this township, being among the oldest residents of the place.

Maj. Manning emigrated from New Jersey, in 1818, and, coming to this township, entered his farm on Section 3. He built a house of round logs, the size of which was 18x20 feet. The hands who assisted in the raising of this house came a distance of six miles. So thinly was the township settled at that date, that men could not be procured for such purposes without calling upon all the inhabitants of the community for several miles around. In 1824, Mr. Manning built a hewed-log house, which, at that time, was considered the second best dwelling in the township, being judged of sufficient importance to justify the authorities in imposing a tax upon it.

John D. Corry, a brother-in-law of Maj. Manning, with whom he came to this township, was a native of New Jersey, from which place he emigrated in 1818, and, reaching Ohio, stopped in Dayton the 4th day of July of the same year. Mr. Corry was the first merchant in this part of the township, having purchased a small stock of goods, which he sold at his house as early as 1825. After having been engaged in this business for three or four years, he sold his property here and removed to Shelby County, subsequently moving on to Illinois, where he located permanently.

- Joseph Shanks emigrated with his family of five boys and four girls, from Pennsylvania, in 1794. He reached Ohio the same year and located near Cincin- ^*8 80,1 ^>e^erJ hearing of the wonderful fertility of the Miami Valley, came to this county and settled on Section 29 in Brown Township, in 1821. The roof of his cabin was made of good shingles instead of clapboards, and the floor of smooth puncheon, so that this house was considered among the most elegant in the township at that time. He occupied this house till 1837, when he built his present residence. Mr. Shanks arrived here in the fall, and consequently was not overstocked with provisions. He spent the winter in working wherever he could nna employment, and by his industry, managed to keep the wolf from the door till tile spnng of 1822, when he had cleared about four acres of his farm, on which e raised that summer a good crop of com. He also, the same year, put out quite of^dfruU.^1 tree8' tr°m which' in 4 few he obtained a plentiful supply

The only railroad in the toirohin rtf' pWorth'"gton and W. E. Myers. Central, now leased and operated by the PittebiiSh°P - ' Co!umbus & Indiana road, passing east and west through the «^«CTmn*tl & St R00*8 Rail- has been increased by a shuriemlil'ti A' .^nover> of Piqua The i®®3: The. ^ are 150x50 feet in size fnd^bl ^^'^ "as annexed in June, flmt house in the place was built by Bre^unt 1 Whlf "? Baty feet wide- The laneous store-room. The grain store Wbite, and was used as a miscelin this place many years and is doino- «? ?reeo"nt Bros, has been in operation steam saw-mill near it «ro i.8 d0I?S a thriving business. This store and the tf*se there are a blacLmittshop"1 dr^S^tore^d ' T in ?e plaoe' Besidea also one church, of which an account sfube - v shoe-shop in the place, as Lena was laid out bv Levi NT p^kk- 1 - C ln lts P^P61* place, town, in honor of his wifp^hut th ^^bins, in 1830, and was first called Elizabeth oMer to prevent °f ^ name «"

0h,0> making thenew name no better than tr* P ECe ?f the a®"10 name lnS any name not already aDDronri«^ k . HowoverJ despairing of findto make another attemPinZTCten^H °h'°. '2"* they included not thls day, Allen's Post Office in honor s * the ^ offlce was called, as it is to master in the township having hadTh^m^ Va"U8 4l en> who was the first Post- Postmaster, for his Dffi: " i830, at which time the

He occupied this r^T^vl^ vl^wh"^^ a !tore-room' the first in the place, earned on his business, till he was burned nnf Pf* UP a 8m?11 frame> *n which he b«e was laid out Elah Havhuret h.d v,!^!.1!^^ yeaP later Before the vilwhich he did all thi» Kio j ^ ^ built a little log shop, as earlv as 1824 in

!«ua and located here sh^v afte^rhL «T' "}? had emigI'ated from Pennsyl- The wants of the communit/aJL,? 80ttlelnents were made in this place. carned on in Lena, b^two di^tr^r.?ttended to' 811,1 the business of the place one wagon-shop, three phvsi^f^f ^,r,e8,0ne grocery store, three blacksmiths, store, one tailor and »S lh"fy-sb°P. one agricultural implement lots south of the same street, which is sixty feet wide, as is also Railroad street, the cross streets being only forty feet wide. Since the date of its foundation, the place has been enlarged by five additions, viz. : Parrot s Addition. Moses' Addition, Clark's Addition. Eichelbarger's Addition, and Council's Addition. The first place of business in the village was in a little log-cabin, built by Samuel Dougherty, in 1830. He kept a miscellaneous stock of goods, embracing almost everything necessary to meet the demands of his customers, from the stimulating liquid down to a paper of pins. The cabin in which he carried on his business, has been weather-boarded, and is, to-day, in a good state of preservation. Samuel Crane, who was about the second merchant in Fletcher, sold goods as early as 1835 ; after carrying on the business for some time, he was burned out The third merchant here, was Isaac Dukemineer, who erected a brick, and began business about 1850. After doing a good business for many years, he disposed of his property to Alonzo Montgomery. Isaac Kiser, Michael Duncan, and Solomon Breeount were also among the earliest merchants in this place.

The various branches of commerce are carried on here by two dry-goods stores, one drug store, one grocery store, four blacksmith-shops, two shoeshops, one fhrmture store, two milliner-shops, one hotel, one tin and- stove store, one barber, two grain warehouses, two physicians, one dentist, one dealer in patent medicines, two stock dealers, and one harness-shop.

The officers of the corporation are, Mayor and Justice of the Peace, Michael Duncan ; Clerk, J. G. Simmons ; Treasurer, W. A. Lewis ; Marshal and Supervisor, John Robbins ; Councilmen, A. McClintock, C. W. Crebors and J. P. Coffield.

Probably the first distillery in the township was built and operated by Nicholas Platter, who erected a copper still in 1820, which he worked for about ten a.?8 have manufactured a superior article of whisky. He disgwed of his place, which was on the southwest quarter of Section 31, to a Mr. Hamilton, m 1830, who carried on the business in his stead. The second distillwy in the township, was built on Section 25, by Daniel Newcomb, in about 1821. His business in this line was not very extensive, but he did considerable work for f n.e?% bore, for many years, and is said to have produced an excellent qualily oi wmsfcy The first blacksmith-shop in the township, was kept by Benjamin land e1"ter!d by Benjamin's brother David. Benjamin Bowersock subseu ghty acres of land for himself, and then built the second smithy m the township.

of a snln ron8^^11 " th? t?wnshiP was built by John L. Malloy, on the banks was about 1821 and^ at t TOUgh ,Se?tion 26.- where the mill was built. This n^wiLTtegMLPC^,50r purposes* Mr. Malloy also .cononly grist-mill in the townshin^in racier, at the same date, which was the first and to these industries very succ<^fhi?^m milU Were introduced- He devoted himsetf removed tp California; whSe dted"^ when he disP°sed of them and on the sam9 stream about half bm * tbe tbird saw mill in Brown Township, there was plenty of work for w^iIIlllMie?st from Gray & Porter's mill. However, J wort for each mill to do, and the whirr of the saws, as they which.ti,ne ^ has pass(^rthroI!fhlt^0me|tl»me:1 he disPosed of the ^ Ti ^htte, who is doing quite an extensive h V?ra hfn(i8> and is now owned The first steam «riat.>Sli «» « ?xten8,1ye business in that line.

road but, in a short time, this also w d^y^eL"«' neaJ Fleteher. at the rail- - Tbe. Coppock Bros-. who have been d^K:* flre and waa not rebuilt.

It is now the property of L W Colvin Jr* ')!'- °Ix'rat,on "bout twenty-five years, and unswerving honesty, is Lost ^ntl^a!^ ^ °f g0od , ,^ le only tile factory jn the townshin is « band lng large quantities of grain, built their first churehhn* F^her" in fslir" TcJwn®,'*P> was the Methodists. They <t was a brick building, and the first m-ilnT 01111 d<.0nated by Alexander OUver; Owing to the fact that the records omi"h* u^8® °f any kind in the township.

converted into cupboard Tl^re l '°n f lady in Flet«her, who has h*l it serve, many years The ,.i, ' u which capacity it has served, and promises to and at the pSt time ^ Was rebuilt some twenty-five or every two weeks Sim?l tbe *f°ffrt}' 18 worth about $3,000. Services are held' £""**» being si xty-nvl Q w Oiilmo ^ S«5abbat.'1 mornin»> ave^e

This has ceased to exisTlo^ a^o WTi bURIt °'* th® farm °f Edmund Yfttes, in 183 Q. day, January 29 1861 at wh;3? I- ^ HaP^18^ in Fletcher, was organized Toesbon. David £. Thoinas from W t,me tberf were.fi.fteen members in the congregab- J) Thomas, of Ulinois was tlien^ " i minister here till bis death, in 1864.

WilliamS. Kent, from Virginia, served the same length of time. Joseph N. Scott from Pennsylvania, then took charge of the congregation, over which he has presided ever since. The church, a frame structure, 36x46 feet, was completed in 1862, at a cost of $1,500. In the winter of 1867-68, Rev. Daniel Bryant, assisted by Elder Shepardson, of Piqua, had quite a revival, thirty-two persons uniting with the church. Other revivals, conducted by different ministers, have taken place at different times. Since the call of Rev. Scott, the congregation has been increased by thirty-one persons uniting with the church. The present membership is ninetynine. Church property is valued at about $2,000. Wilber Higgins is Superintendent of the Sunday school, which has an average attendance of sixty persons.

The Presbyterian Church in Fletcher was organized in the fall of 1837 by Revs. James Coe and Samuel Cleland, who were deputed to act in that capacity by the Presbytery at Sidney. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. Cleland, from Romans, eighth chapter and first verse, and the congregation was named the M Newton Presbyterian Church." Previous to the organization of the church here, Rev. F. A. Hem per, a licentiate minister, had preached for the people here. The congregation at first consisted of twenty members. The first ruling elder was William Brown. Matthew Dinsmore and James McQuillen were ordained elders, by Rev. Coe, at William Brown's schoolhouse. January 27. 1838. Rev. D. HGreen, formerty of Delaware, Ohio, the present pastor, resides in New Paris, and preaches for the people here every two weeks. Robert Scott is Superintendent of the Sunday school, which has an average attendance of forty. The church edifice is of brick, the whole property being worth about $4,500.

The Baptist Church at Lena is a branch of that denomination at Honey Creek, and was organized as a separate congregation June 23. 1 855. with forty-four members, all of whom had applied for and received letters of dismissal from the Honey Creek Church. The first officers of the organization were : Moderator, William Fusan , Clerk, William J. Wolcott; Deacons. Jeremiah McKee and James Wilson ; Singing Clerks, John R. West and William J. Wolcott. The first sermon after organization was preached by Rev. Matthews, on July 2 1 , 1 855. Rev. David Scott, the first minister, served the church six years, and Rev. William Matthews the same length of time ; T. N. Frazee served during the war two years, and was succeeded by T. J. Price, who preached here four years ; James Randle then took the charge for three years, after which James Simpson served the congregation six months, till the arrival of the Rev. Nixon, the present pastor, during whose time of service about one hundred and fifty persons have united with the church. B. B. Wheaton, oorge L. Wolcott and A. L. Brecount have labored as volunteer ministers at amerent times. The church property is valued at about $3,000.

A ri Cmversalist Church at Conover was organized at Lena, by Rev. E. Moore and 1. S. Guthrie, the first Sunday in February, 1868, with a membership of thirtynret °®cere were> Trustees Dr. W. S. Cox, J. A. Hill and J. Abott; Ben h am ' n 5 Clerk N. W. Cady ; first Deacons were, Calvin Hill and Moses reeeiveH ^ ®*oope» the first pastor, served three years, and during that tune

Between 75 and 80 L haV° nmted Wlth the church since its organization, edifice was erected inp 18 no^ comPose the congregation. The present brick are, ^s^^l^B R EE:71' at a cost of $3,700. Present officers Morris; Clerk Josenh White, and A. L. Brecount; Treasurer, Alfred pins for legs. The /oTwi SteS a Inllt sTab ^ °f ^ l0gS With Wooden one could pass through it at a timp thP t aud was 80 narrow that only pasted over a hole saw^ in the o^s Tht fi XZ ^Cel? ^ed PaP^ was " Aunt Sallie TupItpi- » Q Q - ** * ^ e first teacher in this old style academv idea how to shoot The secornTt^eh^0' ber busine8s to teach the youn£ McQuillon. The third wL^hnhl!^ n 'e townshlP was old " Aunt " Patty The second schoolhouse in Lm t Penmaa and the fourth George Layman, was built in 1818 Josenh WaS on William Manson'! fani , and eame here to school Zu? mud Z ^ *"* tefher in this Scholars Probably the third schoo°house in^ht to JnT * d,8tanc0e of four OT five miles, more taught here as eariy ^ 1828. & "P was on Sectio" H. John Dins-

William McFarland ftinoina|tftlthJ.875un teachers were employed ; 1876, Principal ;KIla White Assistant Wharton Assistant ; 1877, A. McClintock,

Ella Brown Assistant tart of the the Hf, ; 187,9' D' B' Earhart> PrinoiPal ; Mrs They have ^choo 3 ^ f th 3.?ar' and Albert Eane the remainder of the year

Secret Societies

Cox M. D. Treasurer ; J. F. Collins, Secretary ; E. F. Davis, T. ; S. L. Abiov B. H. White, Stewards. The oldest living member of the lodge is morton ; the youngest, James Wright. Joseph Frazier and . n are toTupward of sUty years of age. The property of the lodge is worth about

$1,000. ^ o ^ ^ Lena. - Industry Lodge, No. 256 received its chM^rfrom^tte Grand Lodge at Zanesville, Ohio, February 23, 1854. The charter way sold in 1876, and the present hall, thirty by fifty feet, was Tl^oldof 1877. The property is worth $1,000, for which amount it is 1"!"^ Jr1856 eat member of the lod^e is E. W. Yates, who joined the 13th of Decmber, 1^6- James Carter is the oldest person in the lodge, and Jared Wolco the /. O. O. F. in Fletcher. - Taylor Lodge, No. 322, received ite charterfromme Grand Lodge of Ohio, convened at Mansfidd May 14, 1857 the offl^rsof theGrend Lodge at that time being W. Chidsey, M. W. G. M. ; Hiram Viele, M. W. . - < q

Pardee, R. W. G. W.; Alexander E. Glenn, R- W.G.^.|WiUiamF.blato,RW^ Treas. The charter members were James Griffis, T. M. Beamer, J' v T p:nc|, Joseph Reeder, Oliver Toms, Emanuel Toms, Daniel BreUford and H.i-*- The present officers are A. McClintock, N. G.; G. F. Fryling, n .

mons, R. R; W. A. Lewis, P. 8.; E. F. Drake, Treasurer ; Dr. J. B. Beamw,^. J. H.Newman, W.; W. T. Shanks, R. S. S.; H. G. Kemp, L. |. S^ W. I***, R. S. N. G.; V. B. Sanders, V. G. R. S.; J. C. Wones, V. G. L. S.;, W.R. Lure, j., L. Davis, 8. V. G. At this date there are sixty active members in the ioug«- ^ Sanders and Charles Search are the oldest living members of the lodge, do ^ upward of sixty. The latter is the second oldest in membership of any of any secret organization in Brown Township. The building in which Y is the property of the society. The lower floor is rented to the Kiser >

The wheel of time has made some eighty annual revolutions since ***£ permanent white settler entered within the limits of what is now Spring. Township. To the youth eighty years seems a long time, but to him w reached the age of four-score years the scenes of his boyhood's days seem . ^

Spring Creek Township is bounded on the north by Shelby (kwinty^o east by Brown Township, on the south by Staunton Township, and on the w#s^ , Washington Township.

The superabundance of wood and water in this township were circumstanoes by no means inviting to the early settlers ; but they had heard the story P first settlers in our county and had seen the forest disappear before the man's ax, and knew that in order to make homes as pleasant as any in the of States, required only a determined will and muscular activity. Those natures had in their composition a liberal allowance of these essential elements, were in* proper persons to lay the foundations of new settlements and to begin deye op ing the immeasurable resources of wealth to be found in the West Accordingly* quarter of Section 12 and takiiur . minor, ** ltS source m the northwest those of Sprint Creek Inst Worn u gT L80u'her£ C0urS6' adds ite waters to quarter of Swtiou ?0* enterH Staunton Township, at the northwest tortuous Setefore^nttJ U«"C8te,:Iy di.rection and 80,1,6 of ihem a very surface of the rmnni.«i ptying^ their waters into the Great Miami River. The to the Southwest na"?(,cr of t)ie township is slightly undulating, sloping gradually "Zr^rL^JT " Wf bna* of ** Miami River in Spring Creek, of the townshin Tf i-ui oollslderablc usefulness in draining the northern part directly north L 11,0 northcast garter of Section 14, and flWs ship, bnt for al?!*» the surplus waters, not only of this townships of Shelln- Mmmi County. Orange, one of the southem townthe northeastern 90untf: bo""ds Spring Creek Township on the north. Brown, ship onthe £rth7Z7thP r Co.u?,ty' bounds lt on the ^ Staunton Township on the w«t rJ thi? 6rea? M,ami Blver separates it from Washington Townlatter situate*? in *1,^ cmbracu8 twehty-one bill and seven fractional sections ; the course of the rive e. western part of the township, are made so by the tortuous Indira TV" 'h,81Partof county. The Cincinnati, Columbus & passes dire^tu L^f ^ °n'e? tllc township at the central line of Section 6, and of Section 'if? U ?n(* west t^lrou^1 the township till it reaches the central part Washington t^GI] .lt assames a direction slightly northwest before it passes into Townshio°Rt The Da3rton & Michigan Railroad enters Spring Creek townshin of fk the to1wn®hip, where it takes a southeasterly course, leaving the almost pvan- 8f.ut l^ast quarter of Section 29. The township is crossed in is t|le pin hy a venous interlacing of free pikes ; of these the oldest townshin T?n<* na P'kc, which passes directly east and west through the Takin - i f86 ^)1Kes we^ huilt at an average cost of about $1,200.

Oreek v* JI? - corisideration the many advantages hitherto enumerated, Spring wnship will readily be seen to possess facilities for carrying on the in Miami County. An excellent system of draining has hee.i ntroduc^ Md extensively used by a majority of farmers in the township, so lands, which, three-quarters of a century ago, were considered utterl) wortWew and fit only as a home for the wild denizens of the forest, have Mtonij be^ reclaimed from their original worthless condition, but have been brought to toe highest degree of cultivation, and to-day are the most productive fan township. Had it ever entered the heart of man to predict in the dajs of toe township's infancy, that by the time their farms had been cultivated f

Were, he would have been considered by the settlers as a person whosepr^ominant passion was an inexcusable proneness to exaggeration, and yet the - many farms in the township that could not be purchased for t money per acre, and but very few of the land-holders in Spring Cree dispose of their highly productive farms for a less price than this. Almost e ve y species of forest tree indigenous to American soil were found here in su dance as to impress the early settler with the thought that even old Natu forgot or saw no reason why she should economize in the materials provi her use, and, apparently in a mood of apathetic indifference, grew extaravaga - } profuse both in regard to the kind and quality of these gifts which she so indiscriminately over all parts of this township. The kinds of tun abundant when the first settlers came here were the oak, beech, map e a while walnut, elm, hickory and basswood were found in quantities by no inconsiderable. The greater portion of these spontaneous products oi t have long since passed away, and now but a comparatively small P01^10^ township is timbered, and these wooded parts that still remain hftV® ** , thinned out for building purposes, as well as for fhel, that, instead oi tBc appearance it originally presented they have been converted into bea groves, which, threaded by murmuring streams of pure water, afford an mex ible quantity of excellent pasturage. Great quantities of the most durable stone are to be found in many parts of the township, and, from the quftmes being operated, not only is enough material for the stone- work of all buna within the township obtained, but there is also a considerable surplus ®ver is needed for home consumption, which is shipped, not only to different P . our own State, but also the demand from other States proves so extensive be highly remunerative to those who engage in this traffic. . , - m

The first white settler in the township was John Hilliard, who emigratea New Jersey in 1792 ; went first to West Virginia, where he remained till he to Ohio, and located in Hamilton County, coming from there to Spring Creek 10 ship, Miami County, the 4th of April 1797, and permanently located liimseii fractional Sections 30 and 36, Range 12. Previous to this, a Frenchman^ settled in a log-cabin near the same place, who kept a supply store and traa his wares to the Indians for their furs and venison, of which there was alway a great supply at that period ; but, as this trader had entered no land, Hnnaru became the first land-holder and permanent settler in the township. Mr. H. accompanied to his new home by his family of four boys and two girls. Two m » whose names were Broderick and Hutchinson, also journeyed thither with their families, at the same time, in company with the Hilliards, but, after pitching their ten here for only a short season, they grew weary of the place and determined to sees another, where fewer difficulties would have to be contended with, and according * .U^ 8^a^es' and took their march farther into the wilderness. There at this time, a small piece of ground, scarcely two acres in extent, which had been burned off by the Indians, and here this family raised the first crop of com, bea > and vegetables, that had ever been cultivated by members of the Caucasian race in inVr'm8 Creek Township. The family at first took up their residence settler. There bdn^L'^mark <]?nst'tuted. th® Principal article of diet for the old sary at timre^o fait? market>ng d°ne in Dayton at this time, it became necessupplies After a fe urney to Cincinnati, for the purpose of laying in family sented a I,neral procession in the community. That burial Dremoumi^ fr^ndr0^^ -h®"!? describe<i by an artist's pen ; the little group of the solemn awftd if f so,emn burial rites by the awe-strieken^atives, first7 time in the town«h- of bl8 race who 8aw the ligbt of the sun for the although WshMpr" P' nTblS gentl?man 18 at Present a resident of Piqua, and, the bl£d y 'Jnl»'red, yethis eyes kindle with enthusiasm and recounts the m m . raP,d].V through his veins as he describes the scenes and fami?v contended'^?11*8' °f interest> of those good old times. The Hilliard the settlement^ 0n® Wltj the dlfflcu,t|e? of frontier life for several years before Pm) v» hi increase(* bv the addition of any other families, grated hem 8et.tler in the township was John Dillbone, who immiand one son thT .^en"s3'lvama in 1804 or 1805. He was accompanied by his wife one son f ^mdy being increased, after their residence here, by the birth of Section 1 at t\°* ^u^lters- Mr. Dillbone located on the northeast quarter of cabin anH i tin?e an.unbroken wilderness. He immediately erected a rude his arrival hSl elearmg his ground preparatory to planting his first crop. Upon ing }mnfjQ T! ',Iic* Possessed notlnng to assist him in his labors but his two willwivThL o1, i*OUnd P^enty Work to do. There had, by the time of his obtained ^_i . momg-post established near the present site of Troy, and here they for a man no P£°vlslons they needed at first. Mr. Dillbone worked by the month Mr* mu* ^or money with which he bought his first cow. the cloth;,,,* * 1 e.wa® noted for being an excellent spinner, and manufactured all earlv scttiJL material for her family, for which purpose they, as well as the other in the fnli^V^i^o8 r?18e<* a fiel(I of flax> aQd it was while laboring with the flax, Pears nho, * lu- - t lat both these people met an untimely and horrible death. Indiana 11 - 8 .tlme' began to be entertained that a general outbreak among the other nlao^f lmnVn®nt- Whisperings of the terrible atrocities of the savages in manv kT 8. rcac ie« the ears of the white settlers here, and caused the hearts of sessed them m°re raP^^ under the dreadful apprehensions of danger that posflvintrri dillbone, being a bold, fearless man, disdained to be intimidated by the . 6 imors of the day, and expressed himself so freely on the subject as to in

Borne manner incur the suspicions of the Indians, who resolved upon his destruction, together with Mr. Gerard, of another township ; and so well did they lay their plans that they succeeded in murdering their victims the same hour of the same day. Mr. and Mrs. Dillbone were in the field pulling flax, while their children were all close by, under the shade of a large tree. The field was partially planted with com, and in this the red men secreted themselves, ready to seize upon the most opportune moment for the completion of their hellish designs. The sinking sun, casting its lurid glare on the surrounding forest, and the evening shades, fast settling down upon that sultry August day, warned the tired laborers that their day's work was about completed. Little did thej' dream how soon a period was to be put to their earthly labors ; but so it was to be. They suddenly were aroused to the knowledge of some intruder's presence by the barking of a dog, and Mr. Dillbone raised himself from his stooping posture to see what disturbed the peace of the dog, and the same instant fell dead, pierced in the breast by a bullet from the gun in the hands of an Indian, who at that moment sprang from his place of concealment in the com, in order to scalp his victim. Mrs. Dillbone, taking iu the situation at a glance, started to the corn for protection, but was overtaken in her flight by the savage, and a single blow from his tomahawk felled her to the ground, where, after taking her scalp, the Indian left her weltering in her own blood.

During all the time this butchery was taking place, the infant children were compelled to remain lookers-on of the dreadful scene which made them orphans, with no power to render the least assistance to their dying parents, and knew not how soon they would be called upon to share the same fate. At one time, the Indian walked toward them as if intent upon killing the remainder of the family, but, before reaching them, stopped a moment, and, looking satisfactorily around upon the ruin he had already wrought, seemed to think his brutal thirst for blood and vengeance appeased, as, leaving the children unharmed, he took to his heels, and was soon lost to sight in the wooded depths. The oldest boy, who, all this time, had held the seven-months-old baby in his lap, now rose and ran to the nearest neighbors, and, procuring the assistance of James McKinney, returned to ®P°^ where they found the victims of the terrible outrage, and removed them to Mr. McKinney s house. The horrible news soon spread, and the settlers, collecting together for miles around, went for the night to the blockhouse, expecting to hear of greater depredations, but, save the murdering of Gerard at the same time, no other scalps were taken, and the settlers finally returned to their homes. 1 he Indians who committed these horrible butcheries were never discovered.

Probably the third settler in this township was William Frost, who. with his wife, emigrated from North Carolina, in 1805, reaching Spring Creek the same year, where he entered the northeast quarter of Section 20. The first year of his iving here, was spent in building his cabin, and preparing a small piece of ground to plant in corn the following spring, and, being entirely without assistance, for y** 18 aJn^a here he had no children, the work progressed but slowly ; however, y constant application to the work before him, he managed to clear a piece of °f SevenU "w*. which, in the summer of 1806, he raised Ewt wn°- e.ver harvested in that part of the township. His son,

He^ S^Tnl.1!07' « Probably the second white boy bom in the township, °n the°ld homestead of his father, which he has succeeded n^hb^h^S^Mr1^^ "d "bich now is one of the most productive forms in the dav has with hi. V. youtb, had a great fondness for the chase, and in his the dav when this sr**.- > woods for hours, hunting squirrels, well remembering shot on, and the hun^1wn°MgameTa8 considered too small to waste powder and aged to kill a deer or twn°Ul<!iC??81<*er day sPent uselessly unless he had manseveral weeks The nni '.mi*** t^US Provide the family with the best of meat for whoCot^JtS tlle fa?°ry in the township is the property of Mr. Frost, nas operated it quite a number of years, and princes a g<5od quality of tile, u^8bterhc>^. .John R. McKinhere in 1805, having left his native State Pennsylvania t?, nshlP' He immigrated unmarried man, and consequently labored under minn the,8ame ^efr- He was an but, believing in the old adage which advises y "d disadvantages ; trying to cateh the bird, he b^ l^a one^in h^T" n * "*» **» lie moved his furniture, consisting of an oaken Mn? h* °? kut' mto which make ; and to this rather limited stock of hnnnphoM *?de e of h*s own by the way, is described as nonei^L Lo ^°^d g00df he added a bed> which, together with the few utensils nec^^v^ mJ* Ty PI ^WS are- These articles, the bulk of his earthly gear at that timp r cJj?lnar3r department, constituted the lonely bachelor K hU ^vd Lre^Lf^T*' hu°Wever- in store ** and. being a man of e^m,rdin^t^?i 0t e"!*red the whole 0f Section 32, nearly as much with his single pair 'of hands rfh ' succeeded in accomplishing would with the assistance of two or !w £ other farmers in the neighborhood years, Mr. McKinney Sired Afteur working alone for live

Panied to his Western home hv his"^ ''' '''.Iaul Geieerman. He was accombeing in the northern nart «? » S aI?e fami -v of son8 and daughters. This did his milling at Berry's Milf in'Thlt P' Deafr tfie Sb®11)J' bounty line, Mr. Bobo blazed through the woods for thi'no th - count/' ,to which place a pathway was Creek Townshin (bT. COn1ve,nience of th« settlers in this part of Spring had not yetlme * m'" on boree-back, and, as wigonf . woods was all that f? ^IS neighborhood, a simple path through the

»n considerable abundant RUf Especially hogs were raised by all the farmers discovered, to drivp thp of . ^ai roa<: 81 being at that time an invention yet to. be drove them through tr> a I??rket was the farmer's only alternative. They much of the wav^ino- ®,aItlm£re' ^ttsburg, Philadelphia and other places, and, the journey and return*3 woods, many weeks were required to make early settlers their <at/v»t^Wlng ^ uG ^act tbat *cnces were not kept up by the being ^ eSilfd!sHn^L^aTd the1woods at )ar^ and hogs, especially, not mixed with those hel^w ^r?.15, others ot their own kind, became, at times, it was found imoossi a dlffbr®nt herd, and, in attempting to separate them, necessary to deviL aJ6 d° 80 ^tislactorily to all parties, so that it was deemed could be avniripri 6 ?>me ^e&m b3' which this endless and unpleasant disputing even* man h«^ hi*, ^ ,ot marking was consequently agreed upon, so that of Ids neL^r wh?r rrk' ^ Whicl! Iie could distinguish his stock fwm that Ills own nvvfp ilp hich always bore a different mark from his. Each man chose kept for that rl in£ hls own stock, and this mark was recorded in a bcy'L' nat especial purpose, which was deposited with the Township Clerk, that, after this, all such disputes were settled by referring to this book, which contained such declarations as the following : " This is to certify that the mark used by Uriah Blue for the year 1815 will be two slits in the upper side of the right ear." Another reads : "The mark used by Gardner Bobo for the year 1815 will be a notch cut in the tip of the left ear." This settled the matter, and from that time on no trouble was experienced from this source.

At this period in the history of the township, the stream of immigration suddenly ceased for the time being. Wars and rumors of wars had spread throughout the country, and preparations were being made in all the States to repel the invading Indians. The few inhabitants of Spring Creek Township, anticipating an outbreak in their locality, convened in a meeting held for the purpose of devising means for self-defense, and decided on the erection of a blockhouse, where they might assemble at night and unite their forces for the mutual good ; this was built on John Hilliard's farm, a few rods from the present house. It was a large double log-house, built from round logs, capable of containing, at that time, all the population and much of the household goods in the township, and here the settlers would gather, with their wives and children, and pass the nights in comparative safety. Save the killing of the Dillbones, however, nothing occurred to disturb the peace of the little colony, and in time the old fort was abandoned, after which it was used by Mr. H. for a bam for a great many years, and then, yielding to the shattering influence of the elements, it crumbled away, and its very existence is a fact not remembered by more than one or two men in the township. After the excitement consequent upon the war was over and the fears of the people allayed, settlers again began to pour in from the older States. Among the first of these to reach Spring Creek Township was Samuel Wiley, who came here from Maryland in 1812 and settled on Section 25 and fractional Section 31. He was accompanied by his three sons. The family, after reaching Pittsburg, procured a raft and the services of a man to carry them down the Ohio to Cincinnati, which place they reached after a perilous voyage of several days, in which they all narrowly escaped drowning ; one woman of the company being thrown from the boat, succeeded in reaching a large rock in the middle of the river, from which she was released with lffieulty. Their destination was finally reached without the loss of any lives. I he family reached this township the same day Mr. and Mrs. Dillbone were killed- Samuel Wiley, Jr., was the father of sixteen children, and, during one presidential campaign, twelve of his boys voted for Buchanan. These were prominent men wherever they lived. Their grandfather, Samuel, Sr., had served as an aid to eorge Washington during the war of the Revolution, by whose side he had fought many a bloody battle during the struggle of our country for its independence.

nSection 25, entered by Mr. W., there are several mounds, which indicate the existence, in this locality, of a prehistoric race. The largest of these earthworks embraces about two acres in extent, and is some three feet high. Various pieces imairpl fount* uP°n the 8P°t> such as arrow-heads, pieces of potter}', and auainted with tkUPflD 8tone' 8° prove that this people were not wholly unacligence of thp ^ that they possessed more than the ordinary intelaUhouffh harilv <wD'. ,Upon tkis mound a human skeleton was plowed up, which, of a man at .judged, by those who examined it, to have been that floor and clapboard Toof the oh^ PU/ Up ? of one room> with Pu"che0? side. The table used hv r ^ of muti and sticks being built on the out- Kearas. Besides building u- was also made of puncheon slab, by Mr.

such as were needed to bring ord?r Z7lr L f ?xc,ellent Parts. and just held, to organize the townshfp the 4th of Ink- Vai?*1 C,ba?8- A meeting was April, 1815, the first towns! in f Juy\Ig14- and the first Monday in

Deweese, Clerk ; John Wilson and Tnpoh^w 'rP*'?*! ,*0y v Treasurer ; Lewis and William Concannon, John Rogers FzekteTBn0"8^ i®8 ' J?h"Webb, Lister ; Clark and Nathaniel Gerard knL® g?' AlexantIer Jackson. ®avid since ceased to be PUt 'F by David Gatesi >* bas long village receive.! it° V" among the occupied residences of the town The upoX^T ^ f,'°m t,1U Tndiantribe that formerly had a permanent camp manufactories wU a m^ "here L P tho fir8t tbi"g needed in *- of ' went to mill in Shelbv Ponnk". ^ ^ £>uM procurf meaI for family use. Settlers want of the dcodIp wL * ? °?er remote PIaces m 1808. when this great sidered a greatgConvetoeneertn ^ Mfl°M ^ for bread, this corn-cracker was coning for the^pl^M "Z n^r dh^Ti MtcKmney, being called upon to do the grindnecessity forconstant acting ,b,',t few moments to pass in idleness ; but this might always be , damPcn the spirits of the merry miller, who tinued to operate it k° dl8P°8ed °* 11 to Henty Orbison, who concommunitv^nd wL fM ° !',I6on> by the way, was quite an influential man in the township and county f equently caIled uP°n to occupy responsible positions in his mill inlbo^ai cg' >?b0 bad ®1ttled in the township in 1811, built the second grist- It is now thpnrnrL'J16 0?S?ted successfully a number of years, when it was sold., p operty of Thomas Patterson, but has not been used for years.

H18Tory Of Miami County

A grist-mill was connected with a carding-mill by Mr. Ross, in 1830, who did a good business in both branches for many years, when the property was burned ; he afterwards rebuilt and operated for some time, when another fire destroyed the whole thing, which was never rebuilt.

The first saw-mill in the township was built by Samuel Wiley, who, after putting a dam across the creek, erected his mill upon its banks in 1815. The demand for lumber for building purposes being great, Mr. Wile}' did an extensive business while running this mill, furnishing boards and planks for all the buildings in the township for several years. This mill has long since gone down, and not a timber remains to mark the spot upon which it stood.

About this date, Lewis Boyer, who had located in the township in 1810, started a distillery, not on a very extensive scale, it is true, but did a little work in that line for his neighbors, and is said to have manufactured an excellent article. Mr. B. had been a life-guard in the service of George Washington, and consequently was looked upon by his admiring friends as a great hero. His exterior was very uncouth, but he was one of those few men who are described as being diamonds in the rough, and is said to have been an unexceptional neighbor and valuable man in the community. He died in 1840, and was buried with all the honors of war. He was the second man in this township who fought side by side with the father of his country.

Elias Manning built a saw-mill on Spring Creek in 1815 ; after running it for awhile, he connected with it a grist-mill, with which he ground wheat as well as com.

Dr. Jackson, the first resident M. D. in the township, put up the next saw-mill in 1826, near Spring Creek. The power was produced by water which was procured by conducting it to the mill in a large trough made for that purpose. . The Doctor is said to have been quite successful in his profession, but his work intke saw-mill proved almost fruitless. He was a very eccentric individual, and invited men to help him raise his mill on Sunday, for which occasion he provided a large quantity of stimulating fluid. The crowd came, the mill was raised, and the occasion passed off satisfactorily to all concerned. Five or six logs were sawed after the completion of the mill, and then it was abandoned as an investment, which, in a financial point of view, was a failure. The Doctor subsequently moved farther west, where he died. Mr. Ross also had a saw-mill on the present site of Ro9S* ville, about 1825. David and James Caven also operated a mill of the same kind ns an early day . These old mills, however, have long since been leveled by the destroyer, Time, so that now nearly all manufactured articles needed in the township are procured at Piqua. The only works in this line of any importance is the furniture factory in Shawaneetown, which was first built by the present proprietors some ten or twelve years ago. The Cron brothers have, up to this year, empoyea m the business regularly about one hundred hands. The original buildings _ 400 Ihmtod for their steadily increasing business, the enterprising firm e iast year to erect a more commodious building, and last spring S.^n8trUCtl°n of tbe immense brick structure now in a fair way for com- Jr*? ,n^f *flng demand for their work speaks better than words of the ^ey manufacture. After the completion of the building flftv intend increasing their already large force of workmen by for v^ch^e^cit^pna0^? baXe taken place, and great improvements been made, for the efficiencv on d . Township cannot be too highly commended, have nearly all perished herfnh ai?yth.ln£ else> for> while her mills, and even churches, improving and to-dav - 8cb?°*8' 81nce their establishment, have been constantly ever before. The first schoolschool, taught by James T V011 Se?tlon 25> ln 1815. It was a subscription , who received for his services about $5 per month in the winter and " lx>arded round." This first instructor of the youth in this township was a native of the Emerald Isle, and is remembered as a peculiar individual. During a severe sickness, he had been salivated by the excessive use of calomel, which caused a deformity in all his joints, making it impossible for him to perform manual labor, yet, in the school-room, he is described as having been a host in himself, his only failing being a great fondness for whisky, of which he would partake freely every opportunity. Upon such occasions, woe be unto the tyro who failed to devote his attention to his books, or to recite his lesson in tones calculated to strike favorably the then critical ear of the teacher. On such occasions nothing seemed to appease the anger of the teacher, till, with his big stick, he had brought the blood from the back of the offending child. The second schoolhouse was built on ground now owned by Stephen Alexander, in 1816 ; another was built on Section 21, in 1820. The first frame schoolhouse was built in the township in 1830. Among the teachers who taught between 1815-25, may be mentioned James Sims, George Lempns, James Cregan, "Aunt Sallie " Tucker, Thomas J. Larsh and " Pat " Murphy. The report of the Township Clerk for the year ending September 1, 1879, is as follows : Balance on hand September 1,

1878, $2,096.80 ; State tax, $708 ; irreducible ftmds, $138.97 ; township tax for school purposes, $1,770.34 ; fines, licenses, etc., $3.50 ; total receipts, $4,717.61. Expenditures - Amount paid teachers, $2,374.50 ; amount paid for building sites, $85 ; amount paid for fuel, etc., $253.32 ; total, $2,712.82 ; balance on hand September 1, 1879, $2,004.79. There are eight schoolhouses in the township, requiring the services of eight teachers, the average wages of male teachers being $39 per month, and female $26. The average number of weeks the schools were in session was thirty-three. Three hundred and eighteen pupils were enrolled, and of these forty-six were between sixteen and twenty-one years of age.

At the present time, there is only one church in the township. The colored Baptists built their neat brick structure in Rossville, about sixteen years ago. At an earlier day, however, there were several denominations here. The Methodists held meetings in the township as early as 1815 ; Rev. Henry T. Bascom was their first minister. The Baptists built a log church in 1818, and the New Lights another, on Spring Creek, in 1819. The United Brethren also preached here in 1820 ; Jacob Antram was one of the first ministers here. Services were held in the different churches, until Piqua had attained a good size, and, church privileges there excelling those in the country, the inhabitants of this township mostly removed their membership to that place.

The first frame house in the township, was built by Henry Orbison, in 1817 ; it was tom down years ago. The first brick dwelling was erected by Charles Hilliard, in 1818, while the first stone residence was built by Joseph Hilliard, in 1816. This last is still standing, apparently in as good condition as ever. It has been remodeled since its erection, the second story, which was added, being of brick. The walls of this house are two feet thick, and in as good condition as when first built. Charles and Joseph Hilliard also put out the two first orchards in the township, in 1809. The largest orchard in the township, is the property of Thomas J. Statler. It contains 1,500 apple trees, one-half of which were planted in 1860, and the remainder in 1865, the whole covering fifty acres of ground.

The first burial-ground in the township, was on Section 25, where John Hilliard was interred. This was used for such purposes, previous to 1810. Mr. and Mrs. Dillbone were buried in a field lying on the Piqua & Urbana road. No stone marks the spot where they lie. Another graveyard, on the same road, was opened about 1820. Many of the old headstones have crumbled away, and the grounds, which have a gloomy appearance, have not been used for years.

The graveyard where the old Baptist Church formerly stood, is nearv f8 ancient as any in the township, and when the church was abandoned this ceased to be used. Cedar Grove Cemetery, near Piqua, is the property of the Jews. It is inclosed by a neat board fence, and contains but few graves. Thus closes the history of Spring Creek Township, which contains such facts as could be gleaned from tradition and from the remembrance of the few pioneers yet living. Judging the future by the past, and noting the changes and improvements rapidly being made in the works of man, it is safe to infer, that, by the time the cycle of her hundredth anniversary is completed, there will be events to chronicle, the magnitude and importance of which have not yet entered into the minds of the most sanguine of her citizens ; and the appliances now used in the production of her mechanical and agricultural products, will, by that time, be comparatively rude and unmanageable.

at his request, he wasSShf^^ 818ter8' and a lu8° circ^ of friends ; of which he Was a membZ ^fone^^"10"168 ofthe Maaoaic fraternity Thomas, of Piqua, whoTuow dec^ COnducted bJ D. E.' appropriate one: thefoneral of tt^Z* ' j 8ermon was an interesting and an hia relatives, members and friends TfoZ? nfi a^nded,!)y a lar8® concourse of best of men, peaceable loval .tJ"' TaUS ®®ded the earthly career of one of the children left are John, WiUiam C OiZam^ 'h i?® we^are of h" ««*- Of the bers of the church of their father moth' and w 1)0111 all are memgood education and is now enZ^.^h®1®1-' wd -h,e 1881 named bas received a Church. "g^ged m the ministerial profession of the Baptist whose decease occurred in 'i!^ h""l 8011 of WlUlam and Elizabeth McKee, tfves in IllinoiratX primTold^IfT1*^' "rS Co - h« fether - our! twelve children of whom nino a8f. ^ ^ears > they were the parents of was brought up to anricultuml J!® ,V"£' of whom Jeremiah is the fourth. He

«me previous to hTZfon^ E"ra",to ^ -re0eiTed * limited education ; a short followed many years in connection w^h*?®*1 m tb? brick-mason's trade, which he <fo, locating on Xt "s^ow^oL J" 1829> be emigrated to Miami service until De cemhpr^/ Pnvate under Capt John Logan, and remained in pity ; he has sinSthf^n J? i ^ 8ame year' when he was discharged in Jersey J20 acres, obtained ?anc* warrant 13,337 for 40 acres, and also 28,839 for

2. 13 l^they?fetft^tneo(f«^ WaS ^ in N.ew Jeree^ Jaa 7, 1791 ; June were needed to reaph wagon for Ohio, when time and perseverance they stopped for a de8tmatl0I1> which was Lebanon, Warren Co. ; there until April 181 Q wrh« !?me' an.^ ^en went to Middletown, where they remained Brown Townshin - loot? ®rai?rated to Miami Co., and entered land in Sec. 3, of four miles he his family and goods at his nearest neighbor's, a distance away the timhor looked up a suitable place to erect a hut, where he cleared they took DoaHoJotf^ ?. a lo^ cabin 18x20 ; this was finished in eight days ; hi one small waimn?' away their household goods, which were all comprised until thev nn.,!? « loa<1 » for a ^ew days their oooking was done by a large stump, fell the trees a their hut for such work ; they soon began to accessaries of life ° ^ a 8P°t on wbich to raise a few vegetables and other two neighbors .efj.taus they continued for several years, and at that time had but Hun a distance of two miles ; after many years' hard and toilsome - labor, they opened out a good farm. In 1824, there was a prospect of having a county road laid out, which would pass by Mr.' Manning's farm ; upon the hope of this, he erected a hewed-log house on the supposed line, which road was granted as soon as they could produce a sufficient number of petitioners ; the log house was said to be the second best in the territory of what is now Brown Township ; this was their residence until 1833. when Mr. Manning erected his present house (brick), on what is now the Lena Pike. Mr. and Mrs. Manning are the parents of seven children, viz., Parkhurst, Elsyanna, Isaac A., Johanna. Mary J., John C. and David ; of the above, three are now living. Mr. Manning has nobly assisted his children in acquiring property. Our subject and wife have trod the path of married life three score and two years, and now both enjoy good health. April 22, 1878, on looking from their window they beheld carriages, buggies, etc., concentrated at their gate, fiUed with friends and relatives from far and near ; all coming with baskets well filled ; this was for the sixtieth wedding day, but, owing to the bad weather in March, the celebration had been deferred until now ; the parties entered the house and the tables were soon spread with the many substantial viands and delicacies, which kind hands had brought ; when everything was in readiness, all surrounded the table and Rev. Lippincott offered appropriate thanks ; after which the repast was abundantly enjoyed, and the balance of the day was spent in social entertainment

DAVID C. MANNING, farmer ; P. O. Fletcher ; who was bom in brown Township, Miami Co. Ohio Feb. 3, 1835, is a son of Maj. Manning, whose biography will occupy a space in this enterprise. David was raised to farm labor, and also visited some friends who reside in Plainfield, N. J., after which he engaged in farming, and at present owns 774 acres, in Sec. 23, Brown Township, where he now resides and is weU situated. In 1856, he married Miss Caroline Throckmorton, who was bom in this township in 1838 ; they have two children, viz., George D. and Charlie E. ; Mrs. Manning is a daughter of George Throckmorton, whose sketch also appears in this volume.

DAVID 8. MANSON, retired farmer ; P. O. Fletcher ; was bora on the farm he now owns in Sec. 23, Brown Township, July 2, 1817 ; his father was bom m Pennsylvania, June 5, 1782, and emigrated to Ohio early in the nineteenth century , he was one of the patriots of the war of 1812 ; at the surrender of Gen. Hull he was taken prisoner by the Indians, who took him to Canada, where he afterward of a farm in Sec. 23 ; in 1816, his marriage occurred ; when David was but 10 years of age, his father died, and the care of the family devolved exclusively upon the mother, who now survives at the advanced age of 83. David S. was brought up on the farm in the pioneer days, when log huts were called houses, and rude og cabins were the only schoolhouses ;* the term of school was very much limited, as were the branches and modes of teaching. Mr. Manson is the oldest man liv- 2L? ^ to^8^P wbo has never made a permanent change in his place of reflizJJJPL' n ^.184t°' he married Bathsheba Robbins, who was bom in Mont- ^*U°' ***?-. 22> *821, and died April 24, 1845, leaving two children, of 26,1842 th ^ n°W 1Vlng' 7" > Phebe> bom March 26, 1841 ; William, bom Nov.

era - he ilfff If J?8"*' J®22. and is a son of David and Margaret (Williams) Math- Haiuton °f and f'9 wife of New York. They were married in

^grandparents of IsaTri^ i o JosePhlne have one child-Lawrence E. were both natives of Pennsylvania 8^fC, aud Margaret (Carter) Merritt, who married, and, in 1834 e"lgrated to Warren Co., Ohio, where they which he improved at home nntHnto Wln e"W«d the privilege of the schools, which he engaged at the i obtfm,n8 a hnowledge sufficient for teaching, in

Biographical Sketches

T. S. MOORE, fanner and stock-raiser; P. 0. Allen'*; was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, Feb. 29, 1832, and is a son of Isaac Moore, whose biography will appear in the memoir of J. M. Moore. T. S. was brought up to farm labor, and, receiving a limited education, remained at home until his majority : then he began life for himself, engaging in the carpenter's trade, which he followed six years ; he then tried farming in Johnson Township, Champaign Co., remaining there until 1873, when he sold out and removed to Miami Co. ; he purchased oO acres of land in Sec. 2, where he has since resided. His marriage with Miss Caroline H. Mathews was celebrated Oct. 26, 1855 ; she was born in this county m 1835 ; they have an adopted son - William C. (Mathews) Moore, a nephew of Mrs. Moore. Her parents, John and Ann M. Mathews, were both natives of New Jersey, bom early in the nineteenth century, and emigrated to this county, where they both died ; they were the parents of seven children, of whom three are now living.

JOHN W. MOORE, farmer and stock-raiser ; P. 0. Conover; was bom m Dearborn Co., Ind., Feb. 18, 1830, and is a son of Isaac Moore, whose biography will appear in this work. John, when about 6 months old, with his parents, emigrated to Montgomery Co., Ohio, remaining there about two years ; in 1833, they removed to Miami Co., where they have since resided ; here John W. received a limited education, and assisted his father on the farm until 18 years of age, when he began the trade of a wheelwright ; he carried on business seven years in Lena ; then engaged in farming upon rented land six years ; in 1860, he bought 80 acres of good land in Sec. 8, where he has since resided, and is nicely situated for life, with comfortable buildings, adding by purchase 40 acres more in Sec. 1. Oct. 2o, 1853, he united in marriage with Hannah Howland, who was bom in Miami Co. Aug. 4, 1833 ; they have two children, viz., Albert H. and Faran I. Mrs. Moore is a daughter of Albert and Caroline Howland, whose genealogy will appear under M. Duncan's sketch in this work.

J. M. MOORE, farmer ; P. O. Allen's ; is a son of Isaac Moore, who was bom in Wooster Co., Md., July 18, 1804, where he was brought up to agricultural pursuits, and received a limited education ; in 1818, he, with his parents, emigrated to Indiana, locating in Dearborn Co., where the parents lived many years and died at an advanced age ; Isaac remained at home until 1825, when he came to Dayton, Ohio, working on the canal for several years. In January, 1829, he married Maty Watkins, of Montgomery Co., Ohio, born Dec. 15, 1811 ; in 1833, they emigrated to Miami Co., locating on Sec. 2, Brown Township, where he bought his Pr^e*\ farm and was duly engaged in cultivating it until 1868, since then living a retired life. His wife departed this life Aug. 28, 1878 ; they had eight children, of whom five are living. J. M. was bora on his father's present farm July 25, 1842 ; he was raised to farm labor, which he is still engaged in on the home farm ; in his younger days, he received a limited education. Feb. 9, 1864, his marriage with Frances A. Slack was celebrated, who was bom in Bucks Co., Penn., Jan. 19, 1843 ; they have two children, of whom both are now living, viz., Charley and Clara.

TIMOTHY MORTON, farmer ; P. O. Conover ; was born in Howell Township, Monmouth Co., N. J., Feb. 22, 1799, and is a son of John and Mary (Longstreet) Morton, who were both natives of New Jersey ; they had eleven children, of whom Timothy is the only one now living ; John Morton was one of the patriots of the war of Independence, where he served a period of six months ; he and hi9 wife both died at advanced ages. Our subject was left very early in life to battle fw himself, and spent his boyhood days farming with various people until 16 years u ' Dien he commenced work in a manufactory of all kinds of cloth, which he followed until 1831 ; at this time, he emigrated to Ohio and bought his present mrm of 60 acres, in Sec. 11, Brown Township, Miami Co. ; this he has changed from its primeval state to a good degree of cultivation. Mr. Morton has held the office of Supervisor in Brown Township eight years, and feels interested in forwarding all public improvements. In New Jersey, in 1820, he married Mary w£° J*8 a native of that State, and died in Brown Township, Miami Co., m 1805 , by this union there were six children, of whom five are now living. IQ up on the farm and procured * .hls ®on> our subject, who was brought In 1857, he commenced in Hfe for^Sf hw* C°mm0U 8chools of Shelby Co. contmued until 1868, when he and hi^Ttil J fammg on rented land, which he ***. m Sec. 15, Brown TownsMp ' pur?*,eltWr P"5**1 farm of 105

1869, his marriage with PlAan^w cP' ®"ami > where they now reside. June 17 vania in 1849 aml etiiw^r Crated ! she was bom in Penney!' Sec. 15, Brown TownshWamfco the- t^1148 Whe" but a child- locating on and Mrs. Partington are thra Mus^m? * they now reside ; the children of Mr.

THOMAS J PENCE ftl^"oir LJoseph R and Charles Partington, ship, Miami Co., FebN 24' 1847 and Conove; 'waB born in Lost Cnfek Town! Pence ; James was a native of 1 r. , ?n of James T. and Nancy (Shidler) they had by this union sevtn children T°w"shlP> and Nancy of Pennsylvania ; was raised on the farm mb . ildren, all of whom are now living. Our subiect nected therewith, and in hiS fathe^ in the ^culfural duties Jonschools, where he obtained a f,?8 th« Privileges of the district of John and Elizabeth f (debased) and George W. Letitia is a daughter John died ; Elizabeth afWw^11 PownaJIj natives of Pennsylvania, where whose name is abovA m* Rerwapd came West, and died in Miami Co. Miles P., in 1851 ; was raised oifthA^88 *2 the 8ame. coun17 and State as his father, . jcg interest in its cultivaH^^^ir- bere be.now resides, and manifests an enterprise brated in 1871 * Tl H!S with Rboda A. Covault was cele- in the chemical compounds, where he remained until five years ago, when he located in the above village, and now is filling large demands for his medicine ; he has erected a complete laboratory, where he engages considerable assistance. The nuptials of G. H. Bundle and Amanda Hance were celebrated Nov. 3, 1874 ; she is a daughter of Alfred Hance, whose biography will be seen in this volume.

SAMUEL SAYERS, deceased, was bora in Staunton Township, Miami Co., in 1810 ; he was raised to the life of a farmer's son. In 1832, he married Jane Sims, who was bom in Virginia, in 1809; soon after their marriage they settled in Springcreek Township ; remaining there one year, they removed to Brown Township, locating on Sec. 35, which they cleared and greatly improved ; of the buildings we make particular mention ; they are large, commodious and the best fire proof secured buildings in the township of Brown. During his life Mr. Sayers purchased several farms, of which he was the owner when his decease occurred, May 29, 1877 ; during life he assisted each of his children, who were seven in number, to nearly $4,000 worth of real estate. His family are Martha J., the wife of John H. Mathers, in Mason Co., 111.; S. F., Francis D., now Mrs. James M. Moore, of Champaign Co., Ill; Margaret A., wife of Paul W. S. Pence ; Sarah E., now Mrs. Alexander M. Deweese ; Annette S., wife of James M. Caven, of Shelby Co., Ohio, and Harriette E., the widow of John R. McKinney. Mrs. Sayers is a daughter of James, Sr., and Margaret Sims, both natives of Virginia ; they emigrated to Ohio in 1830, locating on Sec. 35, Brown Township, where he accumulated con8^®^7 wealth, and passed from the stage of life in 1 862, Margaret, his daughter, preceding him seventeen years.

PETER SHANKS, retired farmer ; P. O. Fletcher. Peter Shanks was bom in what is now the incorporated city of Cincinnati, Aug. 15, 1795, and is a son o Joseph Shanks, who was bora in Delaware, and of German descent He married Mary Clawson, of Holland birth and Welch parentage; she emigrated to America in her youthful days, and the marriage was celebrated in Pennsylvania abou the time of the war of independence ; they afterward came West as far as Hamilton Co., Ohio ; there they remained a few years ; they then located in Montgomery Co^Ohio, where Mary died, and was interred in the Sugar Creek Baptist Cemetery of Washington Township, and Joseph afterward went to Indiana, and died in He - aware Co., near Muncie, at the age of 95 years, 11 months and 9 days; the chiidren by the above marriage were ten in number, of whom Peter is the only one now living. He was raised to farm labor, in Montgomery Co. ; here he, when bu a boy of 17, entered the service of 1812, under Capt. Richard Sunderland and Maj. Pnce, and secondly he was under Capt Lemon, of Clark Co., Ohio ; they were at Detroit, Mich., when peace was declared ; Mr. Shanks is now one of three patriots of that war living in Brown Township. About 1817, he entered 160 acres of lana m Sec. 29, Brown Township, where he at once commenced to open out a farm from Uie unbroken forest, and erected a hewed-log house ; the roof was of shingles (wbicn in at day were a rarity) ; in this he spent many days ; at present he has his term well improved, but has diminished it to 80 acres, from the fact that he, during life, has nobly assisted his children. May 10, 1821, he married Leah C. Schenks, and the following August located on the above-described farm. Their children were dted 'n infancy, and four are now living; Mrs.

for tw»iv ^ H1 *aith °f the Baptist Church, of which she was a mem Martha T mOn* ,N'niteen ?eare later, Mr. Shanks married for his second wife fnTdiLiin(iWCarr) Nf vshe died April 27, 1861, leaving two children, of whom the other is now liying. Mr. S. has been a devoted member 1880 & ?a^8t Church> «iace 1827% which faith he firmly stand8 * Democrat at wh- eief.tlon of Gen- Jackson for President, he has been a dead

Peter was a devoted farmer in tho TOWU Pownsliip, where they lived and feted a good farm in Sec. 36 r* pi,°.neer day8> and during life accumu- Elizabeth Bowersox wan u f A ownship. About 1827, his marriage with 1802, and dhdTC SS£* 1*875 ^ 8 "8<?ve <* PeknsyivanKm in Ier® the parents of ten children of whom**?*** years Previous ; they

1852, and has, by hard labor anH 1 entered the path of life for himself in Secs. 3i and 36, which is welfi^n^^1^"1,! "umillaW I35 acres of land office of Township Trusted which omiTh^' ?e,5"® ?cently been elected to the teader, who was born to 5f ThoM8' In 1856> he married Phebia who was bom in ^nnsvlvkntl^' .^V0' ,Fletcher: is 8 800 of Jacob Simmons, with his parents to Ohio the firet* ^ d?fI.of eighteenth centuiy, and came "ear Dayton, Ohio whero rht -Vear .?f the nineteenth century ; they settled

°f this memoir is a finHS t ,h,£ h<| at 'be of 6I> ahe at 83. The subject of the ancestry will aone^ T t^Char1?8 Sl"mons, under whose sketch a history his boyhood days wereT^n^^88^"1 ln Brown Township, Jan. 25, 1825 ; thereby receiving a limited L ?e farn? In 8ummer, and in winter at school, remained his winter ^ education ; about 1843, he began teaching, which ferm labor; he has durinaPff0,K UDtllj1u62' and deyoted his attention mostly to oonsiderable DroDertv erg Vb^ B°°d business habits and industry, accumulated 83, Brown Towrwhin 'wh-'>?,ICb a,{x!rt,on is nearly a ftill quarter of land in Sec. various offices of the'i-o ,C^.'8 WC3! lmproved. He has been elected to, and held, hnrn in PeMsytt^^ 1848- he married Sarah Ey^, who was'

Township, October i -and tbrasller; ^ O. Conover; was born in Brown under the meLj \ ^ i8 ?; 80,1 of Geor^e Suber, whose biography will be on his Dresenf / °f W' ?* ®ub.er> in 801116 Part of this history. J. W. T. was self duties in an. obtained a common education; he entered upon acres in Sec « J,, k . has since bire(l bis interest in his present farm of 110 has as fine a PurcilasinE °f the other heirs until he now owns the Bill farm ; he taught bv his fofk011*?8 an7 thflt vicinity. Mr. Suber, when but a boy, was almost exclusive! ^ Prin.clPles of the thrashing machine ; he has devoted, y j the thrashing season to that occupation, which is one of the necessary features of ever}" well -tilled country ; in the fall of 1869, Mr. Suber thrashed 52,000 bushels of grain, and, on the same separator, hulled 600 bushels of clover seed in the winter of 1879-80 ; he has shown himself capable of following that line of business with credit to himself and benefit to his customers. Oct 20, 1864, he married Elizabeth Verdier, who was born in Green Township, Shelby Co., Ohio, Sept. 2, 1844 ; they have had four children, of whom three are now living, viz., Lucinda J., Laura L., Edwin T., and Roy F., deceased.