Hanover Township

Hanover Township

THIS township occupies an important position in the early history of the county, situated as it is on the eastern line of the county, and upon the great highway of westward-bound emigrants. The larger part of the first and probably subsequent settlers of the county and of other counties west and north passed across this township up the valley of the Licking.

The first white man to enter the county must have placed his foot first upon the soil of Hanover township. Its physical aspects are also deeply interesting; containing, as it does, some of the grandest scenery in this part of the State.

Few evidences of the Mound Builders yet remain within its limits, enough, however, to prove beyond doubt that its soil was pressed by the foot of this mysterious people. Centuries ago human beings, or beings in human form, perhaps, swarmed in its beautiful valleys and over its hills; built their huts, their mounds, sang their songs, cultivated the lands, played their national games, worshiped their gods, and perchance were filled with the passions, hopes and fears of man, loved, married, died and have been swept from the face of the earth, leaving only these little hillocks as "Footprints on the sands of time. "

If the savage white man would let these mounds alone they might stand forever, but he will not do that To satiate his rapacious appetite for gold he drives his savage plowshare through them, and whittles them away piecemeal, until even the "footprints" are no more. A few of them are yet visible in this township, but none are worthy of particular mention; none are prominent, being generally of small size. There is one on the farm of John H. Hughes, between the canal and the Lick- ing river. It has been plowed over for years and greatly lowered and worn away, but is yet about eight feet high and thirty feet in diameter at the base. It was opened last winter by some curiosity hunters, and a quantity of human bones, in a more or less decayed condition, exhumed, but nothing was found of particular importance. There is also a small mound on the farm of P. R. Denman, in the north part of the township, about ten rods west of his house. It is a little larger around than the other, being, perhaps, forty feet in diameter at the base, but is only about five feet in height.

No Indian history of consequence is connected with the township. No permanent camps of these red sons of the forest had an existence here in historic times, though it was used by the Bowling Green Indians as a hunting ground.

The northern and southern portions of the township incline toward its center, [through which passes the main Licking river. The scenery along this stream is magnificent, but as it has been particularly referred to in another chapter will not receive attention here. The main tributary of this stream i$ the Rocky fork, which enters the township near the northwest comer, and passing a little east of south, enters the Licking* river a mile or more from the west line of the township Two or three smaller streams cross the northern part of the township, running south into the Licking. From the south the main stream is the Brushy fork, which, in an early day, was lined with underbrush and obstructed by drift wood - hence the name. The land along the Licking bottom is of the same quality as that of Madison, and needs no description. There is, however, less of it than in Madison. In the latter township there is a broad expanse of beautiful, level bottom land, the hills receding some distance from the stream. In this township they hug the river more closely, until at "Black Hand" the massive rocks shake hands, as it were, over the dark abyss through which the river finds an outlet. Much of the township is therefore hill or upland, and well adapted to grazing and the raising of wheat and other small grains.

The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis and the Central Ohio railroads, and the Ohio canal, pass across the township from east to west, the two latter following the valley of the Licking, and the former entering the township at the northeast corner and traversing it in a southwesterly direction, enters the Licking valley in Madison township. The Licking river was first used for transportation, and many a canoe and skiff, loaded with pioneers, their families and effects, and many others with the product of the woods, passed up and down this stream in pioneer days. After 1830 the canal-boat took the place of the skiff and pirogue, and soon after 1850 the railroad, that wonderful human civilizing machine, came to crown all other means of transportation.

Christopher Gist was the first white man known to history, to press the soil of Hanover township. This was one hundred and twenty-nine years ago. His story is told in another chapter of this work. Chaplain Jones passed through the valley in 1772, and was the second. He was accompanied by a trader named David Duncan. William - Dragoo was probably the third white man to pass up this valley. This was in 1786.

The father of the late Benjamin Elliott was the fourth, about 1790, and Captain Samuel Brady the fifth, about 1792 or 1793. Captain Brady, however, had with him a party of scouts. This comprises the list of white men who entered this valley, as far as known, until the coming of Messrs. Hughes and Ratliff, the first white settlers of the county.

Philip Barrack was, probably, the first permanent settler of this township. He was a native of Maryland, and early determined to make his home in Ohio. Accordingly, with his trusty rifle on his shoulder, his wife mounted on a two year old filly, and a few articles of clothing bound to the back of a two year old heifer, he started for Marietta, and after a tedious journey of some weeks, reached that place. Not liking the locality, he ascended the Muskingum river in a canoe, and finally the Licking river. This was in 1798. He squatted near where the Claypooi mills now are until the spring of 1801 (some accounts say 1802), when he removed six or eight miles further up the valley, settling near the Licking narrows. He was a man of energy, industry, enterprise, influence, conducting successfully his farm, together with a tavern and a distillery. His daughter, Millie, was probably the first white child born "on the waters of the Licking." His first cabin, or dwelling, in this township was built near the spacious brick he afterward erected, and consisted of merely a pen of round logs, with but three sides, the fourth being left open for the fire, something after the style of a sugar-camp house. He was a man of considerable tact, and fertile in those expedients, by which he was enabled to conduct his business without the aid of those tools which made industrial pursuits comparatively easy at a later day. Much is yet told of his ieatherwood traces, willow bark gears, husk collars, etc. *

In 1803, Jesse James and Jesse Haines squatted on the Thompson section. The former put up his cabin a short distance south of Barrick's house, and the latter squatted near Stump's saw-mill. In 1804, John Stateler began to clear land on Woodbridge's bottom, near the "ore landing." Matthias Denman came in the same year, and erected a cabin on the Woodbridge land. He was from New Jersey. The Denmans were powerful men and delighted in feats of strength. It is related of Philip and Hathaway Denman, sons of Matthias, that in a mauling frolic with John Stateler, they split two hundred rails in the morning before breakfast. At another time Philip Denman cut the timber and split five hundred rails by two o'clock p. m., on the Camp farm, and at another time his two brothers made four hundred rails in six hours. Two hundred rails were considered a day's work for two men.

Daniel Thompson, the largest land proprietor in the township, came in 1804. He owned four thousand acres, and built his cabin near the road leading from Boston to Toboso. He seems to have been unfitted for a frontiersman ; his large estate was soon frittered away in small tracts, for labor, stock, or anything which suited his fancy, and he soon left the county.

Rufus Enyart came soon after Thompson. He was the latter's son-in-law, settled on four hundred acres of land given him by Thompson, and erected a hewed log house, since occupied by his son, Daniel Enyart.

In 1806 Chester Wells and John Hollister came. They pitched a tent on the Rocky fork, a few rods north of Martin's house, in which they lived until they cleared a "truck" patch and planted corn and potatoes. They then built a cabin with two rooms and a space between Shortly afterward Captain Elisha Wells came and moved into the same house with Wells and Hollister, and the three conjoint^ erected, in 1808, a grist-mill where its successor * still running.

They, with others of the same family, became own ers of a section, or quarter township. Chester Wells had the east side of the section, and erected a frame house, and, a few years later, the brick house sintc occupied by Mr. Stump. Captain Wells owned the west side of the section, and John Hollister the middle. The latter erected a frame house on hk part, since occupied by Captain Coman. These were energetic, public spirited men, w'ho did much to advance the interests of the township.

From 1806 to 1809 there was a large addition of immigrants. Among them were Daniel Shadier, Samuel Varner, George I^earson, Michael Stateler, Peter Barrick, John Ratliff, James Johnson, and Zachariah Carlisle.

The township was organized April 19, 1808, being the third organized in the county. It era braced all the territory east of Newark township Records of the early doings in the township are lost. Among the early justices of the peace, however, was Zachariah Carlisle. His administration of justice was somewhat unique. He was altogether untrammeled by verbose forms and legal learning. His own ideas of right and wrong gov erned him in deciding a case, and this often involved him in difficulties with litigants. He rarely stopped to write subpoenas, but gave his order, verbally, to George Learson, the constable, who could neither read nor write, to "bring the defendant forthwith."

Religion received early attention in this township. Joseph Thrap was the first, and, for a long time, the only preacher. * He was a Methodist, and a zealous, earnest man, and much esteemed by all who knew him.

He was born in Baltimore county, Maryland, in October, 1776. His parents had been members of the Church of England, but, under the ministry of Robert Strawbridge, embraced the Methodist religion. Joseph, in 1796, served six months in the Virginia militia under Captain Dent, and received for this service a land warrant for one hundred and sixty acres. In 1799 embraced religion, attaching himself to the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1803 he married Jemima, daughter of Isaac Van Camp, a pioneer, who occupied five hundred acres of land near Morgantown by virtue of a tomahawk right.

Father Thrap was six feet in height; had an erect, firm, compact frame, and elastic step. He was always very patriotic, but was too old to bear arms in the Union cause in the great Rebellion, but encouraged thirteen of his grandsons to go. They were in many of the hardest fought battles of the war, and ail came back but one, who starved to death in Andersonville.

In the Spring of 1805, his father, with several other sons and daughters with families, settled on the Licking, and were soon organized into a Methodist society; and in April, 1806, the first quarterly meeting ever held in this region of the country was held in his cabin, which stood in the eastern edge of Licking, where the residence of Owen Dorsey now stands. He was there licensed to preach, and, finally, graduated to elders' orders.

In 1829, when the Protestant Methodist church was being oganized, he attached himself to that body, and remained an acceptable member until his death. As a preacher he was up to the medium standard, but in prayer he was often eloquent in speech, and overwhelming in power. He died at his residence near Irville, May 12, 1866, at the ripe age of nearly ninety years.

The pioneers of this township, as well as of all other parts of the county, represented almost every phase of religious belief, and were generally deeply imbued with a religious spirit There were representatives of nearly every religious denomination, but they were chiefly Methodists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians. Preachers of the various religious creeds frequently passed through the valley, and held services in the cabins of the settlers. The earliest Methodist meetings were mainly held at Zachariah Carlisle's cabin, and a little later at the cabin of Joseph Thrap. The first Presbyterian sermon preached in the township was by a colored man, the services being held at the cabin of Chester Wells. At a later date the Rev. Mr. Rose, of Newark, frequently preached. Early Episcopal services were frequently held at the house of John Hollister, and were generally conducted by Messrs. Rose and Putnam, or other reprentatives of Gambier college. No one denomination, however, felt able, or wrere strong enough in numbers, to erect a church, yet all felt the need of a building in which to hold religious services. This necessity finally culminated in the erection, about 1815, of a union church, which should be free to all denominations. It was a brick building, and stood on land now owned by Leonard Stump, in the northern central part of the township. The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis railroad now passes near where the church stood. It was in use about thirty years, or more. At some period of its existence it passed into the hands of the Protestant Methodist society. This society, about i860, or before, erected a new church near the site of the old one, where they continue to hold services. John F. Williams, Samuel Somerville (deceased), and Horace Fairbanks were prominent early members in this Protestant Methodist church. The present membership is, probably, twenty-five or thirty, and an active Sunday-school is maintained.

The Protestant Methodists were very strong in the Licking valley in an early day, and organized several churches in different parts of the valley; and probably the old Protestant Methodist church down on Brushy fork, in the southern part of the township, was among the earliest. It wras established by Joseph Thrap, and he and the Rev. C. Springer were the earliest preachers here. Among the early members Messrs. Phillips and Skinner were prominent, and were leaders in the organization. The church - a hewed log - was erected near the main fork of Brushy fork, about 1829 or 1830, and was used until 1852, when the present building was erected. The church building, proba- bly, did not cost over four or five hundred dollars, being built mostly by voluntary labor. The present membership is forty-five; services are held every two weeks, and an active Sunday-school is maintained during the summer.

The following regarding the attempt to establish an Episcopal church in Hanover is from an historical sermon by Rev. William Bower, delivered at Trinity church, Newark, January 20, 1869:

"The places in the county at which the Episcopal church has held her ministrations, giving them in the reverse order of their importance, are Hanover, Utica, Granville and Newark. There has been occasional preaching by our ministers in other places, but not the organization of any church. In these four places parishes were organized, and reports concerning them are preserved in our church records.

"The parish at Hanover was organized about the year 1830, by some missionary from Gambier, whose name I have been unable to ascertain. ' Probably Messrs. Rose and Putnam, as above stated.] It was very weak from the first, and very short lived. It depended for existence mainly upon the interest and support of the family of Mr. John Hollister, at whose house the services were usually held. After the Newark church was built, Mr. Hollister and family, in 1837, became members of that parish, and services at Hanover ceased. As far as I can learn the only two ministers who went with any regularity to Hanover (in addition to Drs. Sparrow, Wing, and others from Gambier,) were the Rev. R. T. Rogers and Rev. G. Denison; Mr. Rogers only for two months, Mr. Denison nearly two years. One short item from Mr. Denison respecting Hanover at that time, and I will pass on to another parish. From this item, those who are interested in temperance reform will be able to see, as far as that portion of Licking county is conceined, whether, respecting the use of liquor, we are going backwards or forwards. Mr. Denison writes of Hanover in the year 1830: 'Distillation of ardent spirits, once carried on extensively, is entirely stopped in this township, and one of the church officers said to me, I do not know of a single individual within a circuit of two miles, who has used a drop this harvest. Some of us, however, will suspect that while the church officer who volunteered this information, knew a great deal, there were some things going on among his neighbors of which he was ignorant. If not, it surely was a model township.

Jacob Winter, esq., gives the following brief history of the "Brushy Fork congregation," or Disciple church, located on Brushy fork, in the southern part of this township:

"The first preaching here was by Jesse B. Ferguson about 1837, and afterwards by William Hathaway, Albert Law, Ziba Brown, Dr. William Hayes, J. H. Jones, Asbury Gardner and William Atherton. This congregation was organized in the latter part of 1837, with Artemas Baker, his wife, one son and two daughters, Robert Wills and wife, John Oatman and wife, Jacob Palmer and wife, John Palmer and son, Ezekiel Skinner and wife, William Coomes and wife, and John Perry and wife, as first members. Artemas Baker, Jacob Palmer and J ohn Perry, were its first elders.

* * Their church edifice is a substantial stone structure, and was erected in 1838. It is situated about two and a half mile southeast of Clay Lick station, on the Central Ohio railroad, on the road across the Flint ridge to Zanesville, sometimes called the Mount Sterling road. The whole number of members enrolled from the commencement to the present tin*, (about 1870,) is about three hundred. Many of the original members have died, and many others removed west, leaving the present number about seventy-five or eighty."

There are three villages within the limits of this township - Boston (not the Hub) Hanover and Toboso. The first named, and of the least in size and importance, was first started It was about 1832 that John Hoyt put up a little shanty, and opened a grocery. He did a thriving business, and soon other buildings were erected, and the place promised to become an important point ; but the railroads changed the course of trade, and the

Three years later, Mr. Hoyt started a grocery on the flat, on Rocky fork near the grist-mill, and thus became the founder of the village of Hanover. This was in 1835, but no town was laid out until 1849.

William Wells, of Glastonbury, Connecticut, was the original owner of the quarter township upon | which Hanover is situated. He divided this land (four thousand acres) among his relatives, among whom were Chester Wells and John Hollister; the latter received twelve hundred acres, and upon it laid out the town November 26 and 27, 1849.

It was first called "Fleming" after John M. Flem | ing, who had become part owner of the land, but was changed to Hanover after the post office was established, that being the name of the office. | David Wyrick was the surveyor of the town plat, and laid it out on the east side of Rocky fork; it now extends to the west side of that stream. I Chester Wells was the first postmaster, and kept the office in Hollister's mill. George Hollister was the second postmaster, and has retained the office continuously until the present time. He now keeps a store in the village, and the old mill is yet in successful operation, having ground the staff of life for seventy-two years for the people of that part of the county. A saw-mill has always been attached to it. John Hoyt's grocery was in exist* ence many years before the town was laid out, but after that, Messrs. Francis H. and Christopher Woodbridge who kept store in Newark, and were nephews of Mr. Hollister, established a branch store here. John Hoyt erected and conducted the first hotel in the place. There are, at present, two stores in the place, beside that of Mr. Hollister, kept by E. P. Stone and C. P. Arnold; a foundry conducted by Mr. Hollister, where stoves are cast, and general repairing done ; two wagon and carriage shops, two hotels, a basket factory, about sixtyfive dwellings, three hundred inhabitants, two churches, a town hall and a large brick unionschool building. In this latter bnilding, which cost about six thousand dollars, three teachers are employed, and about one hundred pupils are in attendance.

The churches of the village are the Methodist Episcopal and Presbyterian. The first is an offshoot from the old church established by Joseph Thrap, the early meetings of which were held at Zachariah Carlisle's cabin about two and a half miles east of Hanover. Part of this congregation living in and near the town, built this church about 1852. It is a comfortable frame building, worth about two thousand five hundred dollars. The membership is thirty-five.

A union Sunday-school has been maintained nearly ever since the town was laid out; but in the fall of 1872 this church established one of its own, which has been well sustained, the membership being at present about sixty.

In the fall of 1867^ Rev. Daniel Tenny, pastor of the Second Presbyterian church of Newark, began preaching in the Methodist Episcopal church, of Hanover, once in two weeks, upon the invitation of Messrs. L. P. Coman, George Hollister, W. D. Evans, O. Z. Hillery, G. J. Hagerty, A. F. Hall, N. C. Fleming, John F. Williams, Henrv Montgomery, P. R. Denman, and others. Levi P. Coman, Martha A. Coman, Martha Seymour, and W. S. Coman, were the only members of the Presbyterian church who were living here at the time of the first communion service in 1869. At this time the following persons united with the church: Charles C. and Ruth R.

Hayes, from the Methodist Episcopal church of Granville; Darwin C. Wilhelm, from the Presbyterian church, at Duncan's Falls; Elizabeth Wilhelm, from the Congregational church of Granville. February 20, 1871, a series of meetings were commenced, at which the following persons joined this church: George Hollister, Amanda

Hollister, Laura Hollister, George G. Warman, Catharine Hagerty, Catharine Fleming, Charles W. Coman, Susan E. Coman, and Sarah E. Wood. The first prayer meeting was held at George Hollister's house, and was continued at various places until about June 1st, when permission was granted to occupy the town hall.

In March, 1871, Mr. Tenny resigned his pastorate in Newark, which necessitated his bidding adieu to the congregation here. He had preached every alternate Sabbath in the afternoon. During a portion of 1871 meetings were held in the town hall while the Methodist Episcopal church was undergoing repairs; it was also during this year that the* Methodists refused the further use of their church to the Presbyterians. Steps were immediately taken to erect a new church, and a meeting of the citizens, to take the matter into consideration, wars called November 6, 1871, at the town hall. One thousand dollars were subscribed at this meeting, and a committee appointed consisted of G. J. Hagerty, J. Coon, D. T. Enyart, G. Hollister, and L. P. Coman, to solicit subscriptions. This committee reported December 4, 1871, that two thousand and ten dollars had been subscribed, five hundred and ten dollars of which were received in Newark. The church was organized December 30, 1871, with thirty-five members. Of the first elders,' L. P. Coman was elected for three years, Allen T. Hall two years, and George Hollister one year. A. T. Hall and George Hollister were regularly ordained by Rev. Howard Kingsbury, of Newark. Mr. Coman had been ordained, having served as elder in the Second Presbyterian church of Newark. The first communion service was held July 14, 1872. The church is a fine brick edifice, erected in 1872, and was paid for in cash upon completion, costing four thousand seven hundred dollars.

completed he thought this and the Ohio canal might together make a town on his land at the lower end .of the "Narrows;" it was accordingly laid out on the south side of the Licking in 1852. Mr. Crumel Fairbanks built the first house and started a grocery and saloon. After the completion of the railroad a post office was established and E. Hickey was the first postmaster. Mr. Hickey now keeps store there, and J. V. Levingston a grocery. There is a warehouse kept by Mr. Oden, and about a dozen dwellings.

The Methodists organized a class here and erected the present church edifice soon after the town was laid out. Rev. J. Hooper was influential in the early stages of this church organization, and preached for the Methodists in this vicinity before the church was built, holding services usually at the house of John Hahn. Mr. John

| Hahn was one of the first members, as were also Jonathan Simpson and John Simpson. The membership is, at present, forty or fifty. A flourishing Sunday-school is in operation, having been ! organized about the date of the church organization.

"Dirt floors were universal. The chimneys were seldom built higher than the jambs, but the fireplaces were large enough to contain a great deal of wood. Around the fire* made in them the sons of labor gathered and enjoyed themselves with as keen a relish as though their homes were palata- It was in 1807 that puncheons were first used for floors, and in the same year Daniel Ward split a black-walnut tree and made the first table used 'on the waters of the Licking.* '*