Gratis Township

Gratis Township

Gratis is the southeast township of the county, and may be described as rolling land generally. Along the southern line, measuring from the west line, is a strip of level land about three miles long by one and a half miles wide. When the county was first settled this land was wet and much of it swampy, but, by drainage, it has become the most fertile land of the county.

Twin creek touches section 3 and 2, but neither branch of the stream crosses the north line to exceed one-half mile. Elk creek touches sections 35 and 36, but slightly. Into these streams the whole township is drained by smaller streams flowing northwardly or southwardly from a ridge of high land that crosses the township east and west near the center line. It should not be understood that this ridge is a hill, for it is simply the top of the two north and south slopes, and in many places the traveler will cross the divide without observing it unless his attention be called thereto.

Along the eastern side of the township two streams, each called Pleasant run, have their source near the line between sections 13 and 24, one swinging north into Twin creek, and the other flowing south in Elk creek Along each stream is a fine body of gently sloping farm land, exceedingly fertile.

Beginning near the southern border, a road runs directly north, near and along the high land of the western slope for a distance of five miles, with the valley always in sight. There is no more agreeable pleasure drive in the county, the road being good, the view always pleasant and the outlook prosperous.

Along some of the streams is some broken land, but it is of small proportions, the land smoothing out as soon as the hill top is reached, and there are no hills of any great height. The climb from Pleasant run, east, of Greenbush, is the longest hill climb in the township, going up a hundred and thirty feet to the county line in a little less than a mile, but the slope is gradual all the way up.

carriage factory of I. Talbert & Sons, now Talbert & Company, at West Elkton. This is the only carriage factory in the county that has survived the fierce competition of the great factories. The only reason that can be given is that they do no cheap work, the buyer soon learning that he has the full quality of work that he paid for; naturally he brags of that fact, and that drives away no customers.

Gratis township is essentially a farming community, the main crops being those generally raised in this latitude. The houses and farms look comfortable and well kept, the land is productive and the farmers prosperous. The origin of the name of the township is given in the chapter on organization, at least that is the story told by Judge Jacob Chambers and George D. Hendrix, who got it from those who were prominent in the affairs of the county at the time it occurred.

Early Settlement

The first settlers of Gratis township were John Leslie and John Long, who, about 1800, some claim as early as 1798, located on section 36. Leslie took the south half and it has been a tradition in the township that near the banks of Elk creek stood a very large sycamore or cottonwood tree, some eight or ten feet in diameter, that was hollow at the base, with an opening some two or three feet in diameter, and he made it his home for about three or four months until he could find time to build his cabin. The next year Leslie brought his family of five sons and three daughters from Pennsylvania and there are many of his descendants yet living in this and the adjoining counties.

Shortly after Leslie, came Alexander Pugh from Georgia, who bought some eight hundred acres in Pleasant Valley, north of Greenbush. About the same time William Swisher settled on section 1, north of Twin creek, and near him, about the same time, Hezekiah Phillips settled; his daughter, Rebecca Phillips, is claimed to be the first white girl born in the county. In 1804 Abraham Neff settled on Twin creek and later built the first mill. In the same year Levi Kinman came, and Abraham Wimmer and Nicholas and Jacob Gift settled at Gratis. A little later, Daniel Boone settled south of Gratis on a stream that yet bears his name. It is claimed he was related to the hunter, Daniel Boone, of Kentucky, whence he came.

At the time the present United States Constitution was adopted, there existed a strong anti-slavery faction, and the Quaker element of the United States, by religion, precept and practice, had always insisted on the prin- ciple that Lincoln later expressed so well, that "No man was ever created good enough to own another man." This agitation forced the compromise on the slavery question into the Constitution, and also forced that principle into the Ordinance of 1787, that involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, should never exist in the Northwest territory.

The Quakers, on account of their tenets, had for years, in the border and Southern states, been derided and, in some cases, partly ostracised by their slavery neighbors, and looked upon the Northwest territory (for they were ever a reading people) as the land of freedom. Hence, when the danger of Indian forays had passed, great numbers of them sold out, and, with their families and what they could haul, headed for the Ohio river as the boundary line to be passed. Also many of the younger men came to hunt for homes in the territory, and, when found, they returned and brought back as wives the waiting sweethearts. These are the real reasons that caused many Quaker settlements in this state. These are some of the reasons that made the Quaker settlement in this township, to which must be added the fact that the Great Miami valley was then, as now, reputed to be one of God's garden spots, and the other fact that in those localities from which they came they had to depend much on people of their own faith for consolation in sorrow and for social enjoyment. Hence, when moving to a new country, they hung together.

During the years 1803, 1804 and 1805, over fifty families from the Carolinas and Georgia settled in southern Preble and northern Butler counties, the central point being around West Elkton, and of the number nearly all were Quakers and all acquired land. Some of them later became possessed of hundreds of acres, many farms yet being owned by descendants of the early owners. We will name a few and, so far as known, their location: Samuel Stubbs, from Georgia, settled in section 29. His grandson, S. N. Stubbs, still owns most of the farm. With Samuel came eleven brothers, it is claimed, who all settled in the township in that neighborhood or on the land nearby in Butler, and nearly all reared large families. Daniel Chrisman, from North Carolina, settled in section 11. Richard Brown, from Georgia, settled in section 20. Jonas Randall, from South Carolina, settled east of West Elkton. Christian Fall and Benjamin Fall, his son, settled near Greenbush. John Riner, from Virginia, settled in the eastern part of the township. Francis Jones, from Georgia, settled near West Elkton. Jesse Kenworthy, from South Carolina, settled on section 32. William Gifford, from North Carolina, settled east of West Elkton. Nathan Maddock and Samuel Maddock, his father, from Georgia, headed a colony of some fifty people to the land of freedom ; they settled generally in southern Preble and northern Butler. Samuel Maddock settled in section 32. Thomas Stubbs settled near West Elkton. Joseph Stubbs and his son, John, settled on section 34. Jonathan Roberts, from North Carolina, settled just across the line in Butler county, but many of the families have since moved into this township. George Kelley, from Virginia, settled near the middle of the township. Simeon Loop, from Pennsylvania, settled in the western part of the township. All the above named are claimed to have come before the close of 1805.

William Hixon, from Georgia, came in 1806 and settled in section 9. Thomas Talbert came in 1807 and settled near West Elkton. Elijah Mendenhall, from Georgia, settled in 1806 in section 34. Martin Sayler, from Maryland, settled on section 3 in 1809. He was a millwright and helped build most of the mills for a number of years. William Clevenger, from New Jersey, settled on section 24 in 1806. Nathan Homaday, from North Carolina, settled in section 18 in 1806. Peter Prugh, from Maryland, settled on section 26 in 1813. A few years later than the above we find the names of Job Smith, John Thomas, Joseph Muilendore, Jacob Furrey, Abraham Flory, David Branson, Elias Mackey and Jonathan Homer, who appear as owning land in the township. Those early settlers nearly all left large families and their names are still prominent in the community. Race suicide was unknown in that generation.

About 1848 the Congregationalists built a church at Greenbush, but the membership was not strong enough to support it, and some ten years later they sold out to the Methodists and United Brethren, who, for many years previous, had maintained organizations, and they continued to use it together until some twenty years since. Then the Methodists sold their interest to the United Brethren, which is now the only church in the place, numbering about fifty members. The pastor, Charles Snyder, serves both the church here and at West Elkton. It is said that the Sunday school numbers a great many more than the church, which predicts a bright future foe the church.

The German Baptists have the only country church in the township, a fine frame structure, located at the crossing of the Quaker trace and the Gratis and Camden roads. The first church was a small frame church about a mile east of the present building, on the same road, built in 1858, and locally known as the Brubaker church, but, proving too small and not centrally located, about 1890 the present site was purchased and a new building erected. The church seems to be in a prosperous condition. In 1874 they erected a fine brick church at the northwest corner of section 1, which was called Twin Valley, or Lower Twin, church, but as the years passed the population shifted, and it was found that a church located in Gratis would be more central and better accommodate the brethren. And as the old Presbyterian, later Reformed, church had died out, the building was for sale; so the church was bought, more ground purchased and the structure improved. Since about 1912 the old location has been abandoned. The church now numbers about seventy-five members and Aaron Brubaker is pastor.

Education

The first school taught in the township was in 1806, in a log school uouse about a half mile southeast of West Elkton, and soon thereafter there were other schools started, all subscription schools, of course. There are now seven good schools houses in the township outside of the villages. The township has been agitating the question whether to centralize the schools or join the south half to the West Elkton school and the north half to the Gratis school.

Since the above was written, just that result has been accomplished, and Gratis has also been given a strip off the south side of Lanier township, while West Elkton is seeking a strip off the north side of Wayne township, Butler county. The results will make two strong schools, with firstclass material.

The township now has the reputation of being one of the dryest of the dry, but traditions from the early settlers still linger, which indicate that it was not always thus. From 18 11 to 1830 there is said to have been from fifteen to twenty small distilleries in the township, nearly all, if not all, within the northern half of the township, for the Quakers, then as now, would have none of it. During those years, or a part thereof, Christian Fall, Daniel Chrisman and Peter Riner operated such stills, and there were others, each man using his own grain. Those who had no still, traded grain for whisky, and it now is averred that the quality was of the best. The use of whisky was so common at all gatherings, such as harvesting, log rollings and house raisings, that none but the strongest-willed and the bravest men dared refuse to furnish it; but the movement to curtail the trouble breeder spread because it was right, until today it is used only in secret. But the township was not alone in the distilling business, for there were during that time a hundred stills operated in the county for longer or shorter periods.

There are, or were (some are now forgotten), a number of small cemeteries, called family cemeteries, scattered about the township. Some settler lost a wife or child, or the settler himself died, and, the roads being only trails and there being no regular public cemetery, a little plot of ground, generally on high land, was fenced off on the farm. The body of the loved one was deposited there, and carefully guarded. As their neighbors lost some member of their families they were granted permission to bury on the family plot, and in this way sometimes quite a number of graves were made. One such, on the land formerly owned by Jonas Brubaker, who married Rebecca Phillips, the first white girl baby of the county, is now inclosed by an iron fence, and lies on the hill top about a hundred yards west of Fair View cemetery at Gratis. It is now kept up by the township trustees, as are several others.

Fair Mound cemetery, at West Elkton, now called locally the Quaker cemetery, was laid out in 1805, and the first person to consecrate the ground with her dust was Martha Maddock, one of the family that was so prominent in leading the hegira of Quakers from Georgia and the Carolinas to the land of freedom. She died in 1805, being the first white person to die in the township. The cemetery continued to be used until the limited space was practically filled a few years since, when it ceased to be generally used.

In 1870 a new, large and fine cemetery was laid out by the township trustees on the high land north of the village, and it is now occupied by many graves. The name, Fair Mound cemetery, is still retained for this one. In 1832 a public cemetery was laid out just west of Gratis, then Winchester, and the first burial was Richard Housel, the same year. But as time passed, the silent majority became too great, and in 1870 a new cemetery, called Fair View, was laid out, to which additions have since been made, until it now extends from the Eaton to the Camden road, and is one of the finest burial grounds in the county.

The Greenbush cemetery is located near the south line of section 13, the land really being willed in the first place by John Riner for a public cemetery, but there was an error in the will, which was later cured by a deed

All the cemeteries since 1875 have been placed by law in the care of the township trustees, and as we see, in the few short years of life, how rapidly the cemeteries are expanding, and then remember how long time is, we can not but think Bryant was right when he wrote:

Weather

There has been handed down a tradition from the early settlers that during the winter of 1803-4, there was a snow fall of over thirty-two inches, being the deepest ever known. I received the story from reliable old men of the township over forty years ago, who had been so told by their fathers.

One other incident I can not help relating was told me in 1880 by John Chrisman, as reliable an old man as lived in the township, who was born in 1797, and came to Pleasant Valley with his father in 1805. He said that during the winter season about the close of the War of 1812, I think about 1816, while he was yet a boy, some member of the family being sick, a doctor was sent for. He came, of course, on horseback, and when he reached the house in Pleasant Valley it was snowing so violently that it was impossible to see more than about a hundred feet, and the thunder was pealing and rolling so loudly that the doors and windows rattled. The doctor, without knocking, threw open the door, jumped inside, slammed the door shut, and exclaimed, "It's a thundering snow-storm,'' which Mr. Chrisman said so well described it that he never forgot it, and that he, before or since, never saw any such storm.

Pioneer Incidents

The early white settlers found no Indian villages in the township, except along Twin creek. Along the east part of the north line was a camp of Miami Indians, who seemed to belong to a band of that tribe that was lower down on that creek. They had a trail through the township, going to the trading post at Fort Hamilton, and hunting parties of Indians camped for short times at some of the springs, but no one was ever molested by them. It has been very seldom, if ever, that Quakers and Indians fought.

Stubbs, whose persistency, earnestness and energy succeeded in having Gratis township set off as it now exists, as told in the chapter on organization, where is found the story as told by George D. Hendrix. Samuel Stubbs took a prominent part in the early affairs of the county and was reputed to be a cool-headed man, fearless in his espousal of what he believed to be right. His people in the South having suffered at the hands of the British while he was a boy, the memory thereof never left him, and, although a Quaker, he strongly supported the War of 1812. Many of his qualities seem to have been inherited by his youngest son, Jesse Stubbs, who early in life began to take a part in the affairs of the political parties. In 1859 he was elected to the Legislature, in spite of his known anti-slavery views. He threw his influence and vote there to secure the election of John Sherman as United States senator, and the contest to defeat Sherman had been so fierce and bitter that the latter never forgot Jesse Stubbs. He was the most active and prominent member of the "underground railroad," that aided many escaping slaves to safety, and I have heard him say that he took pride in the fact that no runaway slave that reached West Elkton ever was caught - he just disappeared. At one time some half dozen slaves were secreted in the attic of his house while the slave hunters were riding the streets of the little town. Jesse Stubbs was bom on November 13, 1809, and died in 1888.

In 1877 D. C. Stubbs, locally called Clint Stubbs, was elected and served four years as representative. Like many other Quaker boys, he looked upon the Civil War as a fight for the freedom of the human race, and he could not stay at home in peace. So he enlisted as a private in the Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry and served nearly four years, returning home as lieutenant-colonel of his regiment. He was under Sherman from Chattanooga to the Grand Review, and his promotion tells the story of duty well done - no comment could make it better.

When Clint Stubbs was first elected to the Legislature that body was Democratic. One O'Connor had been elected as a representative from Dayton, and was placed on several important committees. O'Connor, by his dictatorial, vindictive, partisan methods and bitter speeches, embittered the Republicans, especially Clint, against whom he seemed to delight to launch his fiercest attacks, even to the extent of swelling his exaggerations until they could be only designated as lies. Clint some way got a "hunch," and, after the Legislature adjourned, a quiet Quaker could have been seen circulating through southern Michigan, gathering data for something. When the next session of the Legislature came he rose and preferred charges against O'Connor, that he was not an elector, and never had been, and never could be legally elected as a representative, because he had been sentenced as a felon to the Michigan state penitentiary; had served out his full term of several years to the last day, and had never received a pardon restoring him to citizenship. In proof thereof, Stubbs filed affidavits of identity and certified copies of the indictment, trial, sentence and service in prison. A committee was appointed, and reported that the charges were true, which report was adopted. O'Connor was unseated and dropped out of sight, but it was a long time before the Republicans permitted the Democrats to forget the "O'Connor Legislature." D. C. Stubbs was bom in 1838, and died in 1902.

There are but two incorporated villages in Gratis township. Greenbush is a collection of houses in the eastern part of the township, making a settlement with about forty people that formed about a store and a couple of churches located at the crossroads of the Pleasant Valley and West Elkton and Germantown roads.

The village of Gratis was originally called Winchester. The postoffice was named Gratis by the postal authorities, because there were other Winchesters in the state, but the people held on to the village name long after it became certain that the postal authorities would not change. When, in the run of years, a number of people had bought lots just outside and around the village, a movement started to extend the boundaries and change the name to Gratis, so there would be but one name. Accordingly, in 1902, the council petitioned the common pleas court to change the name to Gratis, and the court so ordered it to be done. About the same time they applied to the county commissioners to take into the corporation the surrounding territory, which also was so ordered, and the village assumed its present name and boundaries.

It is claimed that Peter Kulp built the first house, a cabin, in the place about the time or before it was laid out as a town. It was located on the west side of West street, a few rods south of South street. Shortly after the town was laid out people began putting up dwellings, and Benjamin Darragh started a little frontier store at the northeast corner of Franklin and West

Before the days of railroads the village did a large business, having two or three buggy and wagon factories, two large warehouses, four hotels and the largest and most commodious livery bam ever built in the county, erected by Fred Frieze on East street just south of South street. It was a brick two-story building, over a hundred feet, and at that time did a big business. There was also a pork house. All the transportation for those factories was done by teams, generally four and six horses, to Franklin, Middletown and Cincinnati. But the railroad came through Camden, large buggy and wagon companies were formed in the big cities, and, as was the case in so many little towns, business deserted because it had to do so.

John Bookwalter, bom in 1812, started a wagon shop and carriage factory in 1833 and carried it on, sometimes on a large scale, for nearly fifty years, dying about 1881. Peter Mikesell also during the same time had an extensive blacksmith and carriage shop, and both men employed a number of hands, until old age and the changing trend of business compelled them to desist. The warehouses bought grain and had it hauled to the canal at such points as paid the best prices.

Dr. Christian Sayler came, when a boy, with his father in 1809, after he graduated from the Ohio Medical College, and settled on what is now part of Gratis. He settled in the town and lived there all his life, dying in 1884, and from him these facts were obtained. He was a large-framed, powerful man, strong both mentally and physically, of varied attainments, and, although a doctor, he was the surveyor who laid out and superintended the construction of the pikes from Middletown, and from Hamilton through Gratis to West Alexandria.

Absalom Stiver, a lawyer, was once a representative and always resided in the village. He had a large practice, and it was his boast that during his life he had never had a demurrer filed against his pleading sustained by the court; that is, he was never demurred out of court. He died in August, 1892.

From 1835, for some twenty years, Gratis, originally Winchester, was one of the livliest little towns in the county, and even now most of the people own their own homes. The mail is received from Eaton every day. After the incorporation of the village there were two schools maintained, one in the town, and one in the country forming the district about two miles square immediately surrounding the town, the school house being located on the Camden road about a hundred rods west of West street. Before the Civil War an agitation began to unite the country and the town. In 1864 a vote was taken on the proposition ^d it carried overwhelmingly, so in that year the present two-story four-room brick building was begun, and was completely finished the next year, three teachers being installed. For the past forty years there have been four teachers, and the curriculum of the school now compares favorably with any. Some of the teachers who in the past have taught there as principal of the school are Jehu W. King, Lewis Mackey, C. C. Fetherling, Doctor Keplinger, R. E. Lowry (1878-85), Will Hileman, John Morris, D. A. Young, Charles Gruntle, Charles Moses, Walter A. Young and D. T. Hill (1914).

In 1832 the Methodist Episcopal church erected a frame edifice at the west side of the town, and it was used until 1869, when the present brick churcn, at the northeast corner of West and South streets, was erected, costing about three thousand five hundred dollars. It has been found to be a suitable and comfortable home for the membership, now numbering about forty-five persons, and accommodates a good Sunday school.

The Baptists organized a church in the town about 1836, and in 1839 built a brick church at the east side of the town. For many years it formed a strong church, but people died or moved away, and its membership dwindled until now for some fifteen years past the building has been closed and allowed to decay.

About the time, or before, the Methodists organized, the Presbyterians built a church in the village, but, like the Baptists, the congregation scattered in a few years. In 1866 the building and land were sold to the Reformed church, and the house remodeled ,* but that congregation also seemed to scatter, or, as I heard a preacher say in his sermon a short time ago, it got the dry-rot and perished. Again the house was closed for some years, there remaining but three or four members. In 1912 the German Baptists, or, as now called, the Church of the Brethren, bought the property and also additional land, again remodeled and repaired the church, and moved the congregation from Lower Twin church, abandoning the old site. They now have a strong society of about seventy-five members. The church seems in a prosperous condition and likely to endure for many years. The recent move was made largely under the leadership of Aaron Brubaker, the present pastor.

1849. For years they held church in the old Friends' meeting house, and later in a union church building, erected near the west side of the town. But, as the other churches grew, there seemed too much division and this one gradually dwindled and some years since died, the church building now being used as an implement house.

About 1882 or 1883 some evangelist preachers of the Dunkard or German Baptist faith, from the Virginias, began holding meetings in the village. They were called Progressive Dunkards and were strong and effective preachers, attracting good audiences. About 1884 they organized a church society, locally called Progressives, but the regular church name is "The Brethren." They held meetings for a time in the Methodist church. In 1888 they built their own church, a frame building at the southwest corner of East and South streets, and in 1896 they added a parsonage. The church soon proved too small and in 1904 it was remodeled and an addition added, giving them probably the most commodious and comfortable church in the township. The total cost was over eight thousand dollars for the church. On April 9, a fire started in a stable some three squares southwest of the church, and cinders, carried by a strong wind, set fire to the church and totally destroyed it, but, undaunted, the people have already started plans for rebuilding. The church has twro hundred and sixty members, all of whom are real Progressives, with a very strong Sunday school, and wre hope it will grow stronger than ever, carrying forward the evangelistic spirit that founded the church. George H. Jones has been the pastor since the spring of 1909.

The physicians of Gratis have been : Samuel Nixon, who located there at an early day ; then Dr. Christian Sayler, wrho continued in active practice until long after the Civil War, and was followed by his son, William Sayler, who died in 1886; the latter was succeeded by a brother, W. S. Sayler, who died some two years since. During the time of the first Doctor Sayler, Dr. Isaac Kesling, an eclectic, practiced in the village and enjoyed his full share of practice until his age compelled him to withdraw, some thirty-five years ago. From then, although other doctors located there, they only remained for brief periods, and moved away, the practice being chiefly what is known as country practice, requiring much riding. Dr. W. A. Crume is the only regular practicing physician now in the village.

A Destructive Fire

On the morning of April 9, 1915, a fire broke out in a stable in the southern part of the village and a strong wind swept the cinders diagonally across the town, setting on fire over forty buildings and destroying the Brethren church and some four bams, also setting fire to no less than thirty-seven other buildings. There was no adequate fire department. The telephone sent out the "S O S" call in every direction and soon help began coming from the towns and country around in automobiles, loaded with men and buckets. Over two hundred and fifty automobiles rolled in, and finally the bucket brigades conquered. The telephone and automobile kept Gratis on the map.

Odd Fellows

In 1850 the Independent Order of Odd Fellows organized Eden Lodge No. 147, and on January 18, 1867, they bought a fine brick building at the northeast corner of Franklin and East streets, using the second story for lodge purposes and renting the lower story for residence and storeroom. About 1888 they remodeled the building and built a third story and now have one of the most comfortable lodge homes to be found in any village of the same size. The lodge numbers between ninety and a hundred members, among them many of the most influential and energetic men of the community. The lodge is to be commended for the high standard of manhood it requires of its candidates.

On February 1, 1906, the Twin Valley Bank, of West Alexandria, established a branch bank at Gratis, known as the Twin Valley Bank (Branch), which gives the people of the village and community ready banking facilities.

West Elkton

West Elkton is located within a mile and a half of the south line of the township, and just grew up along a small branch. David Taylor, shortly after the settlement of the township, built a wagon shop and his cabin on the little stream that flows through the town and dug a well, being the first to locate. Gradually others built around him, buying such plats of ground as they desired, until, in 1847, a movement, headed by Jesse Stubbs and Nathan Hornaday, started to have a town laid out. The next year the plat was filed, but as the lots sold before, about a dozen in number, had been very irregular in size and shape, they had to remain so. They could not now be traced but for the painstaking care of the surveyor, James L. Street, who surveyed them and planted cornerstones so generally that he is easily followed. In the northeastern part of the state is Elkton, hence this place is called West Elkton.

The first store is said to have been opened by a man named Rockill about 1828. The first postoffice was established in 1844, and Rawley Wheeler was appointed postmaster. In i860 Argerbright & Talbert started a carriage shop in West Elkton, but in 1863 Isaiah Talbert sold out, on account of bad health, and W. S. Maddock took his place. In about 1869 Talbert returned from Miamisburg, where he had been engaged in the same business. With A. Van Trump and D. L. Wineland, Talbert bought out the business, and in 1871 he bought Van Trump's interest, and in 1874 Wineland's interest. A Van Trump and Thomas Stubbs at the time were running a saw-mill and other business connected with it, and they consolidated under the name of Van Trump, Talbert & Company in 1874. Later, about 1895, Talbert bought out his partners and took in three of his sons, and they are now doing a prosperous business. In July, 1914, the three-story brick building and saw-mill adjoining burned, but they have rebuilt on a larger scale than before. It is the only carriage factory of the county that has survived the competition with the big factories, the reason being that they did not try to compete in price, but aimed to excel in quality. The job had to be exactly as represented, and for forty years past the statement that it was a West Elkton buggy has settled the question of quality. After the fire they increased their room, and have now added the painting and repairing of automobiles and motor trucks. A visit to the shops will make the visitor wonder where all the work comes from, for these shops are the business heart of the town and community.

Nathan Hornaday

Perhaps the best remembered man who was a permanent resident of the village was Nathan Homaday, who was bom in 1812 and died in 1899 He was by trade a plasterer and stone mason, and by religion a Methodist, in which church he was for many years a local preacher. A man of medium size, strongly built, emotional, but clear minded, he was elected a justice of the peace in 1842, which position he held most of the time for fifty years. He was later mayor of the town, which office he held almost a lifetime. His sympathy always going out to the suffering or the wronged, he was ever a peacemaker in the community. With a courage and integrity that never fal- lered, he was an ideal justice of the peace. It is claimed that, although he had many cases tried before him, a jury being waived, he was never reversed by the common pleas court but once, and then the defendant refused to give any evidence, and appealed. From the evidence Mr. Hornaday had to decide the case. From outside knowledge he knew the matter was wrong, and tried to get the plaintiff to settle, but he would not, and he later lost the case. No attorney was ever able to influence his decision nor by honeyed logic lead him wrong. He won and held the love, respect and almost reverence of the community. He was for five years deputy United States collector of revenue.

The first church built in Gratis township, and, with much reason, claimed to be the first in the county, was a log church, built by the Quakers just south of town in 1805. In 1809 was replaced by a hewed-log house, which, in 1817, gave way to what was called the "old brick meeting house." The church was then called the Elk monthly meeting, taking its name from the sreek near the south county line. In 1872, after taking up subscriptions for a year or so, the present brick church was erected, and, save for some repairing and remodeling, it continues in use. It is a large, commodious and comfortable building, costing nearly five thousand dollars. The society has a membership of about two hundred, composed of some of the most prosperous farmers of the township. They have had a large Sunday school for years.

The Methodist Episcopal church in West Elkton was organized about 1850, and for two or three years the society met in the school house. In 1853 a union meeting house was built by the Methodists, Wesleyan Methodists and United Brethren, near the northeast corner of the town, and at the same time a union Sunday school wras started. All the named churches continued to use the house, but in the course of the next thirty years the Wesleyan Methodist organization became practically extinct, after which the other two went on together for a time. About 1897 the United Brethren concluded to erect a church of their own and did erect an edifice on Pike street, about a half square south of Camden street, at a cost of about three thousand five hundred dollars, to which, a short time later, they added a parsonage. The Brethren church was organized about the same time as the Methodist. Since the separation, the Methodists have continued to use the old union church building. They now number about thirty and the United Brethren number about one hundred and twenty members. The Sunday schools rival the churches in numbers.

Jacob S. Weinland, born in 1819 in Pennsylvania, came to Ohio when only seventeen years old, graduated from the Eclectic Medical College, and began practice in West Elkton in 1847, being the first physician to become a permanent resident of the village. He was not above medium height; but was rather corpulent in build. He was conscientious and painstaking in his treatment of his patients, looking after them with a fatherly care, and seemed to be unwearied in his efforts to benefit them as much as possible. Thus he. won and held the confidence and respect of the community. He had a large practice, being regarded by physicians as an expert in handling typhoid and malarial fevers. He died about 1883.

Dr. William C. Robertson started practice in the village about 1877, and succeeded in securing a remunerative practice, but died from heart failure about 1884. Dr. Elwood Holaday, a homeopath; Dr. A. W. Y. Conarroe, an eclectic, and Dr. Clara Robertson, widow of Dr. W. C. Robertson, are the present practitioners living in the village.

At an early day in the settlement there was a schoolhouse built on the Camden road, just at the west edge of the town, which, as rebuilt, was used until about 1871. In 1868 the Friends concluded that the children were entitled to better educational facilities than afforded by a sub-district school, and in 1869, after having taken up subscriptions for the purpose, they erected a four-room, two-story brick school house, just south of the village, calling it the West Elkton Academy, and employed teachers for the higher branches. After a year or so the two schools were united, and in 1878 the building was sold to the West Elkton district and continued to be used until 1911, when a vote was taken to bond the district, buy a more suitable location and build a modern, up-to-date public school building. The majority vote favoring the proposition, five acres were purchased and the present school building erected just north of the village in 1913* a* a cost of about twenty thousand dollars. They now have a six-room school building, second to none in the county. William T. Phenis is the superintendent.