Center Township

Center Township

letters, they would preach at his house "at early candle-lighting" on the evening of a certain day. The notice would accordingly be circulated throughout the neighborhood, and about sundown of the day appointed the people within a circuit of three miles, sometimes coming even from a greater distance, the men on foot and the women, usually with a child or two in lap, on horseback, would begin to assemble, and coming from all directions, some through the wood and others following the "cow-paths," as they were called. Their approach not infrequently would l>e signaled by the report of the firing of guns, as rarely did a man leave his home in those times, no matter what might be the occasion, without taking with him his rifle; and upon arriving at the place of meeting about the first salutation would be, What did von kill'" Before the religious services of the evening commenced the guns would be stacked in the chimney corner, or some other convenient place, and during their continuance the most earnest attention would be paid the words of the preacher.

The earliest and most traveled road of the township was that known as the Marietta and Zanesville road, along which a large number of the early settlers located. There was a great lack of hotel or tavern accommodations on this route, and the settlers were frequently called upon to entertain belated travelers. David Stevens kept a well known house of entertainment in the southern part of Bristol Township, and Daniel Seely, south of the Ludlow line.

.1 let ween these houses the only places where travelers were sure of accommodation were the houses of Lot Gard and Joseph 0. Linn. Meals were a i

The first mail upon this route was carried by a postman on horseback, whose trips between Zanesville and Marietta required two days each. He was also a "common carrier" and errand boy for the settlers, carrying small packages and making such purchases in "town" as the inhabitants of the country might require.- IJis approach was heralded by a shrill blast upon a tin horn. So rapid was the increase of travel upon this road that the postman on horseback soon yielded his place to a two-horse hack for carrying mad and passengers, this again being succeeded in a very short time by the four-horse coach. Afterward an additional line of four-horse coaches was placed upon the route. These lines continued until about 1S35, when the mail line from Marietta to Zanesville was transferred to a new road by way of McOonnelsville. Thenceforth the old road lost its character as a thoroughfare, and travel was diverted to the new stage-route.

James Conn was born in County Tyrone, Ireland. At the age of nineteen he emigrated to this country, settling in Baltimore, Md., where he resided for six years. He married Miss Eleanor Varner in 1*11 and reared a family of ten children, six of whom are living. Joseph V., one of the substantial citizens of Penn Township : Alary, Margaret (White); R. 1L, a prosperous farmer of Centre Township; James and Eleanor (Hastings). R. H. was born in Manchester Township in 1S28 and married Miss Catharine Hastings.

In 1 Sot'S lie removed to where he now identified himself prominently with the resides. He is one of the most prom- sheep industry. For six years he was inent fruit-growers in this section of one of the county commissioners, and the state, and was the first to intro- during the war was Provost Marshal duce budded varieties. He has also of the county and did efficient service.