Jersey Township

Jersey Township

THIS) township is in the western part of the county, and is bounded on the north by Monroe township; south by Lima; east by St. Albans, and west by Franklin county. It slopes gradually to the south. Black Lick, which flows into the Big Walnut; and the South fork of Licking, which has its source in this township, are its principal streams. The latter waters the southern part, while numerous tributaries of the Raccoon flow from the eastern and northeastern part The eastern half is what is called rolling land, and the western half is level or slightly undulating. The early settlers considered portions of it too wet for cultivation; but as the forest was cleared away, letting in the sun and air, it became apparent that the pioneers were mistaken, as beneath the dense beech shade lay a soil well worth the labor of clearing. It is generally productive. The township was covered with a good variety of timber, but beech was the prevailing timber, and it was considered as belonging to the "beech woods" in early times.

The Mound Builders left traces of their existence here, though their works do not appear to have been as extensive as in some other portions jof the county - but four mounds being visible within its limits, and these are not of large size, Perhaps its clayey soil was not adapted to their purposes.

nent encampments in this territory, but all had disappeared about 1812, wdien the war with Great Britain Began. Three years after this date, the first settlers found a few of their huts and wigwams standing, though greatly dilapidated, on a small stream called Indian run, half a mile northwest of the village of Jersey. Evidently its beech woods and pretty brooks made a paradise in which the Indian hunter delighted to roam.

In the month of February, 1815, Joseph Headley, Peter Headley and a colored man, left their homes at the falls of Licking in Muskingum county, and camped on the South fork near the present village of Jersey. They split puncheons and built a sort of structure in which they lived, and made sugar. Peter Headley soon went to the land office at Chillicothe and entered or purchased the southeast quarter of section twenty-four for himself ; the southwest quarter for Mr. Lewis Martin, and the northwest quarter for Richard Osborn.

Peter Headley, during the spring of 1815, built a cabin on his land, and moved into it in March, 1816, with his wife and two children, David and Elizabeth ; he was, therefore, the pioneer of Jersey township.

In May, 1816, Joseph Headley and wife, with their daughter, Polly, and Sarah Parritt joined Peter Headley and lived with him in his cabin. In November, 1816, William, son of Peter Headley, was born, being the first child bom in the township.

hunters. Peter, on one occasion, killed seven deer on his own place in one day ; at another time he killed two deer at one shot, and on another occasion killed a bear weighing over four hundred pounds.

Mr. Lewis Martin, also from New Jersey, prospected in Jersey township in 1815, and with his father-in-law, Richard Osborn, and a brother-inlaw, Mr. Vandegriff, with their families, also Mrs. Martin's brother, moved there, June 15, 1815, and occupied a cabin erected by Peter Headley. In a month Mr. Martin had erected a cabin on his own land - the land having been entered by Peter Headley for him. These were the first settlers of Jersey township. They were compelled to cut a wagon road several miles before reaching the land they had determined to settle upon.

Mr. Martin sowed some wheat in 1815, the first in the township, but it all run into straw and made nothing but horse feed. Martin was a prominent citizen, serving the township often in the different capacities of trustee and justice of the peace. He died February 2, 1872, and just two weeks after, February 16, the remains of his venerable wife were also deposited by his side. They were eightythree and eighty-one years respectively.

In March, 1816, Michael Beem, also a Jerseyman, and a Revolutionary soldier, who served in the body-guard of General Washington, and knew him well, came to Jersey and erected a cabin. He brought with him eight sons and one daughter, and lived in the township thirty-four years, dying December 12, 1850, at the age of nearly ninety-six years.

John Rhodes, and a son and daughter, came to Jersey in May, 1815, and lived three weeks in a sort of rail pen until they could build a cabin.

Samuel Williams and family, and Abner Whitehead and family, both from New Jersey, settled in this township, in September, 1816. Phebe Whitehead, a daughter of Abner, died January 18, 1819, her death being the first in the township. In 1820 Mr. Whitehead erected a small log mill, on the South fork, the first in the township. It stood north of the Jersey village, at the crossing of the Jersey and Johnstown road. Benjamin Parkhurst settled in Jersey in the spring of 1817. He was from New Jersey, and on his way west his son Peter was born on the Alleghany mountains. Soon after his arrival he erected a hand mill, upon which himself and a few scattered settlers ground grain, before other mills were erected. Amos Park, a Virginian, also settled here in 1817. Thomas Alberry settled here in 1817, building his cabin on the South fork, where the Worthington road crosses it, and where he died March 1, 1867, aged seventy-two years.

Elijah Meeker and family moved from New Jersey to this township in 1817. He had six daughters and three sons. The first marriage in the township was that of his daughter Susan to John Osborn. The ceremony was performed by Rev. George Callahan, a Methodist, probably the first preacher in the township.

David Meeker and family, and David Peffers and family, from New Jersey, settled here in September, 1817, and the following year Onesimus Whitehead and Elias Williams, with their families, from New Jersey, also settled here.

Wickliffe Condit and family were immigrants from New Jersey in 1819. Mr. Condit established the first tannery, and erected the first frame house in the township, Deacon Josiah Ward being the architect. Mr. Condit also had some agency in the sale of the first merchandise, having for his partners at different times E. O. Williams, A. D. Pierson, Dr. Beecher and Knowles Linnel.

Louis Headley, a young man, came with his father (Joseph) in 1816, married in 1822, and soon thereafter built the first saw-mill in the township, and also erected the first frame barn. The sawmill stood on the South fork, just south of the village of Jersey.

It will be seen that the early settlers of this township were nearly all from New Jersey, which fact gave the township its name. They were men of character and family, and were first-class pioneers.

The township was organized in 1820, by dividing St. Albans. Peter Headley, Richard Beem and Elias Williams were the first trustees; Amos Park, clerk ; David Chadwick, constable ; Enos Williams, treasurer; Charles Beardslee, lister, and Deacon

Josiah L. Ward, appraiser. Michael Beem was the first justice of the peace. By a unanimous vote of the citizens the township was named 41 Jersey."

The first school-house was erected in 1819, and was a primitive affair, the light being admitted through greased paper pasted over openings on each side of the house, made by cutting out a log. It stood on the farm of Onesimus Whitehead. Benjamin Alward was the first teacher.

Granville was the nearest post office for the first settlers. In 1 830 a post office was established at the point where Jersey village was afterward located. At present there is a second office in the township, called Beech post office.

Jersey village w*as laid out in 1832 by Wickliffe Condit, Lewis Headley, PMward Beecher and Andrew Pierson. It is not a large town, but still contains a post office, a few dwelling houses, and, perhaps, one hundred people.

This township is better supplied with churches than any other in the county, except Newark. Ten churches have been organized; nine only having an existence at present, a Methodist church having removed to Lima township. The Presbyterian was the earliest organized. Deacon Ward in 1819 began holding, meetings in the cabins of the settlers, for singing, prayer and the reading of sermons. The first sermons preached in the towmship were in July, 1817, by Rev. Benjamin Green, a Baptist preacher from Hog run, and by Rev. Timothy Harris, pastor of the Congregationalist church of Granville. Mr. Harris came into the neighborhood on Saturday evening, and put up with Mr. Whitehead, who fed his horse with green wheat, cut for that purpose. From this it is inferred that it was during the last days of June. Mr. Green was to preach at Mr. Beem's cabin the next day (Sabbath), and Mr. Harris went with Mr. Whitehead to hear Mr. Green in the forenoon, and in the afternoon preached, himself, in the same house. The second sermon by a Presbyterian in the township was in June, 1818, on a week day, at the house of Mr. Whitehead, by a Mr. Humphrey, a man of small stature, sent out as a missionary by the Connecticut Missionary society, who afterward settled on the Western Reserve. Other denominations sometimes held meetings in the settlements. Thomas Birch, a Methodist exhorter, held religious meetings occasionally; and so did Mr. Avery, an Old-school Baptist. His meetings were sometimes held at the cabin of Mr. Elias Williams, and sometimes at a log school house, which stood on a knoll between Mr. Isaac Whitehead's house and that of Mr. Lewis Condit

In the fail of 1819, Mr. Josiah Ward, who had been an elder in the Presbyterian church In Bloomfield, New Jersey, moved with his family into the neighborhood. He loved the worship of God, and could not endure living in a neighbor hood where the Christian's God was not recognized in some public manner. He, therefore, immediately proposed to his neighbors that they meet regularly every Sabbath, and have religious services. Accordingly, such a meeting was held in his own cabin, probably the first Sabbath after he occupied it. .

About ten months after this first meeting, July 28, 1820, Rev. Timothy Harris and Matthew Tay lor met at the house of Elias Williams, and organ ized the Jersey Presbyterian church, with eight members, four male and four female.

In 1821, a hewed log school-house, designed also for public worship for ail denominations, wa> raised as far as the eaves. It was probably not covered and finished in other respects until the fall of 1822, or perhaps 1823, some eighteen months or two years after the logs were put up. It stood in what is now the graveyard.

" Resolved, unanimously, That we employ Mr. Taylor tu preach one-quarter of the time for a year, if we can raise fur.d> sufficient to pay him."

In January, 1827, a committee was appointed "to wait on Rev. S. S. Miles, of Newark, and learn of him if he can be hired to preach for us; how much and what kind of pay he will take for a certain part of his time." The committee's report says: "Mr. Miles can be hired one-fourth of bis time for sixty dollars; one-fourth in cash and three-fourths in produce, delivered at Newark." The congregation agreed, to these terms; and so far as appears, Mr. Miles continued to preach on these terms until the fall of 1829, almost three years.

November 4, 1829, Rev. Charles Marsh Putnam preached his first sermon for the Jersey church, in a' log school-house on the side hill east of the late Isaac Whitehead's dwelling house. From the second Sabbath in January, 1830, when they first entered the log building, designed for schools and preaching, the congregation always had a home. In January, 1833, they began erecting a frame meeting house, as the log school-house was too small to hold the congregation ; and by the last of May following, it was so far finished as to be occupied by the Licking county conference of churches. This building was completed in 1836, and continued to be their house of worship until 1856, when a new church was erected. Mr. Putman occupied this church as pastor until the beginning of 1868, when failing health admonished him to cease his labors. By an act of Pataskala presbytery he was then made pastor emeritus. He thus sustained a nominal connection with the only church to which he ever ministered until his death, which occurred April 17, 1869. He was sixty-seven years of age, and had been pastor of that church forty years.

The house of worship dedicated in 1856, became too small for the congregation before his death, and some years ago ten feet were added to it at a cost of fifteen or sixteen hundred dollars, so that the church now has a comfortable and commodious house, with an excellent bell and organ.

Rev. - Andrew Thomas succeeded Mr. Putnam, and was installed November, 1869. The Jersey church, though never large in numbers, has been very efficient in sustaining a Sabbath-school and weekly prayer meeting, and in her contributions to the various benevolent boards sustained by the general assembly of the Presbyterian church.

The establishment of the Universalist church dates back to 1824, when the Rev. Mr. Curry preached a few sermons at the house of Michael Beem. A few sermons were delivered at the same place by the Rev. Mr. Rogers in 1825 and 1826.

The church was organized in 1829, and Rev. Truman Strong served it as pastor until 1833. Rev. Henry Jolly was pastor from 1833 to 1837, when Rev. Truman Strong again took charge and continued until 1841. It was during this last pastorate of Mr. Strong that the church was erected, in 1840, and a Sabbath-school organized in 1841, with Daniel Beem as superintendent. Rev. Mr. Case followed Mr. Strong, his charge beginning in 1842. He was succeeded by T. C. Eaton in 1844; Rev. Mr. Johnson in 1846; William Norton in 1848; Henry Gifford in 1849; Samuel Bijins in 1854, and Rev. W. B. Woodbury in 1857. Mr. Woodbury still occupies the pulpit of this church. The membership is about sixty. The Sundayschool was organized in 1841, and is yet in a flourishing condition.

Harmony Baptist church was organized September 27, 1837, by Elders George DeBolt and Eli Ashbrook, with sixteen members. John Boggs, Samuel and Lewis Wright were elected deacons. Elder John Hill preached occasionally at the house of Mr. Armstrong, from 1830 to 1835. Elders George DeBolt, Eli Ashbrook, James Biggs, Wain Taylor, J. P. Taylor, Samuel Meredith, Mr. Hanover and others have supplied the church. They have no regular pastor at present, the pulpit being supplied by Rev. G. N. Tussing, of Columbus. The present church was erected about 1874, and cost six hundred dollars. No Sunday-school is connected with it.

The first regular Baptist church was constituted June 2, 1845, by Rider William Smedmer, with twenty-four members. Mr. S. Gorman, a college student from Granville, preached a few sermons in 1838, and he and others officiated occasionally until 1845. They erected a church in 1846. Elder Smedmer was pastor from 1845 to 1847; followed by Elder Adams in 1847; Elder John Carter in 1861; Elder I). D. Walden and others in 1863; Elder David Adams in 1864; Rev. Simeon Sigfried in 1866; Elder Griswold in 1869.

Some of the principal original members were Abigail Woods, Swayne Williams, Gardner Woods, Mr. and Mrs. Urie Colgrove, and Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Philbrook.

A Sabbath-school has generally been connected with the church ever since its organization, and at present, a union Sabbath-school is held here, which is largely attended by the children of the various religious societies in this vicinity. John Stover is superintendent

The Catholics commenced religious services in 1837, at the house of Francis Carr in Jersey village; Rev. Young, of Lancaster, being the officiaing priest Services have been continued since that time. The present organization was probably effected about 1844, by Bishop Samuel; some of the earliest members being Roddy Lafferty, Patrick Duian, Daniel Cush, and Thomas and Edmond Hall. The first services were held in the houses of the members, but about 1855, the society erected a hewed log building, in which worship was continued until 1873, when the present large frame, named St Joseph's Catholic church, was built at a cost of one thousand dollars, besides a large amount of voluntary labor.

Father Clark is at present officiating, with a membership of thirty or forty. A Sunday-school has been long connected with the church, with a membership, at present, of thirty or more.

In 1818 Rev. George Callahan, a Methodist, preached at the house of Elijah Meeker, and in the following year a society was organized, with thirteen members. Rev. Abner Goff was the first circuit preacher.

The place of meeting was afterward changed to Mr. Green's in Lima township, and the further history of this organization, therefore, properly belongs to that township.

The Methodist Episcopal church, located on the Worthington road near the center of this township, was organized in July, 1844, by Revs. John Dillon and Isaac Warnock, at the house of Vachel Dickerson. The first members were Vachel Dickerson and wife, Solomon Wheeler and wife, Mary Albery, and James Banner and wife; these seven members constituting the organization. Meetings were held at Mr. Dickerson's house, near the present church edifice, which was erected in i860, and dedicated in 1861. It cost six hundred and fourteen dollars. A few of the leading ministers who have served this congregation, are Revs. Joseph Brown, Samuel C. Recker, James Gilruth, James Hooper, Joseph Adair, Joseph Crayton James B. Finley and Vaughn. The present pastor is Rev. Watson. A Sabbath-school has been kept up during the summer months, ever since the organization of the church, the present membership being about thirty-five.

On the twenty-seventh of March, 1853, Rev. S. C. Riker organized another Methodist society in the cabin of S. D. Ball, of twenty members. In 1855 they erected a church edifice, which they called "Union Chapel." B. T. Carter, William Dennis and W. S. Easton have been class leaders. The present membership is about thirty.

The United Brethren church was organized at Burnside's school-house in 1849, by Revs. Jefferson Babcock and George Hathaway, with fifteen members. It was called "Eden." They soon erected a log church which they occupied until 1865, when they built a frame, which stands on the line between Jersey and Monroe townships. Rev. Mr. Levingston was the first pastor.

When the new building was erected, the church was reorganized by Rev. William McDaniel, with the following as the principal members: Benjamin Green, Benjamin and George Clouse, William Clark, Joseph Smith, Elisha Green and wife, and William Burnsides and wife. The new edifice cost nine hundred dollars. The present pastor is Rev. H. A. Bovey, and the church is in a good, healthy condition, with a membership of sixty-five.

The Sunday-school was organized in 1867, and was, for a few years, held only during the summer months, but for the last five years it has been gaining in strength and interest, and has been continued the entire year. The present membership is about seventy-six.

A Christian Union society was organized in 1865, by Benjamin Green, after a series of services in the old United Brethren log church. Rev's Benjamin Green and Stevenson have been the principal preachers. Mr. Green is a grandson of the Rev. Benjamin Green who preached at Mr. Beem's house in 1817.

The present pastor of this church is Rev. R. W. Graham, of Granville, and the society is in a strong, active, healthy condition, with a membership of about one hundred.

The Sabbath-school is also well attended, having a membership of one hundred, with average attendance of sixty. This school has been in existence since the organization of the church, with .occasional intervals of rest. It was permanently established, however, about five years ago.