Chester Township

Chester Township

Chester township is the second from the north line of AAIayne county and on the western line of the county, Ashland county, Ohio, being on its western border. It is seven miles from east to west and six north and south. AVith several other sub-divisions of the county, it was organized into a civil township March 5, 1816. Even before its real organization, it was styled Chestnut township, or the chestnut region, on account of its great growth of that kind of timber. In 1870 the township had a population of one thousand nine hundred and twenty-one. By the time the 1900 United States census was compiled it had decreased to one thousand six hundred and forty-eight.

The earliest settlers in the township were Judge James Robinson, Samuel Funk. Phineas Summerton, John Moyers, the Hillis boys and their mothers, John Emory, John Lowery, the Cunninghams, Joseph Aikens, James Fulton, Jacob AAArst, Adam Rumbaugh, John, Abram and Isaac Myers, Samuel Vanosdol, Phineas Davis, Anthony Camp, Michael Mowrey, Philip Hofflinger, Daniel and John Pittinger, Nathaniel Paxton, William and Hugh Adams, Benjamin Emmons, John Campbell, Thomas Johnston, John A,

Kelley, Abraham Ecker, Isaac White, Henry Sapp, John Hern and John Helman. As the comity is now bounded, some of these would be located in what is now Ashland county.

Chester township has within its borders the following platted towns and villages : Cedar Valley postoffice, Overton, New Pittsburg, West Union, or

Lattsburg (West Union) was platted by J. W. Hoegner for Jacob Grose, February 27, 1851. The name of the village was changed in 1855 from West Union to Lattasburg, after Ephraim Latta. Here John Fesig built the first house, a log structure on the northeast corner of the public square. He used it for both a shop and residence. Latta bought out Fesig and began the manufacture of hand sickles. The postoffice was established here May 14, 1867, when W. C. Baker received his first appointment, and who continued many years as postmaster. Samuel Bridenstein started the first store in which dry goods were carried. Henry Allspaugh was the first to practice medicine in the town. It is claimed by old residents that the first person to die was a woman who was buried in the middle of the road (as later surveyed out), between Fattasburg and the German Baptist church.

Concerning the first settler in Chester township, it may be here recorded that James Robison, brother of Thomas and David, so well known in the city of Wooster, was born February 17, 1787, in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and in 1813 immigrated to Wayne county, Ohio, temporarily stopping in Wooster, the same year building the saw-mill on Little Killbuck creek, in the southwest corner of Chester township. He then became a citizen of Chester township, three years prior to its organization. xA. saw-mill, in those early days, was next in importance to a grist-mill, and hence the name of Robison's Mills became universally and popularly known throughout the entire western part of Wayne county, and was for many years after its builder had been laid away with other pioneers of the county. While the mill itself has for more than forty years been in ruins and decay, yet the locality is often spoken of as "Robison's Mill.'' Mr. Robison, aided by a single indi\idual, spent three months in digging the race for the old saw-mill. The woolen factory, though not so ancient an institution as the mill, ranked among the best of its kind in the county, and was built at a very early period. During his presence in Columbiana county, in the discharge of his duties as a member of the Ohio Legislature, it was burned, as a result of defective flues. The saw-mill was also swept away by the flames. On his return, without indulgence in any surmises or complaint, he quietly set about rebuilding the factory and the mill. He placed in new and better machinery in both factory and saw-mill. Before the disastrous fire, he simply carded, spun and pulled, but after the rebuilding he made other additions and introduced the manufacture of yarns, blankets, cloths, etc.

Here was the waterpower, and Mr. Rohison had the enterprise and intelligence to utilize it. and it became not only a benefit, but a benefaction to the whole community. He was not a visionary man, but practical, and devoted himself to material enterprises. He had been a soldier in the war of 1812-14 and supplied the army of Gen. W. H. Harrison with provisions, at Fort Meigs, his wagon on one instance standing in the woods loaded with flour, on what is now known as the Rohison hill, to the south of Little Killbuck.