Kingston Township

Kingston Township

attending the academies at St. Albans and Bakersfield, Vt., and at Malone, N. Y., receiving a classical education. Mr. Wheeler followed teaching school in the East and West about ten years, receiving his first money for such services when about 18 years of age ; in 1842, he came to Ohio, and, in the following year, married Miss Mary Johnson, by whom he had one child, Myra ; in 1847, Mr. Wheeler came to this county, settling in Delaware City ; the next year (^1848), Aug. 10, he was again married, on this occasion to Lydia J. Davenport ; nine children have been the result of this companionship - Almon, Maria (deceased), William, John, Lydia Jane, Sarah Ann, Alfred, Harriet Emma and Mary Nettie. In Delaware, Mr. Wheeler was engaged in various enterprises of a business nature, and served the city as Marshal. He moved to Eden in Brown Township in 1860, since which time he has filled several township offices with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. He is in the possession of a comfortable home, and is a Knight Templar of Mount Vernon Commandery No. 1, Columbus, Ohio.

SHAKRAD HUBBELL, farmer; P. 0. Kilbourne ; was born Sept. 14, 1807 ; the son of Sullivan and Mary A. (Fulford) Hubbell ; the former was a native of Massachusetts; he came to New York, then to Pittsburgh, Penn., and subsequently moved to Washington Co., Penn., where he was engaged in burning lime ; the mother was born in Pennsylvania, ^nd died in Washington Co. about 1816. Sharrad is one of a family of eight children, and, in common with most others in those early times, had but limited school advantages. He was married, in 1827, to Elizabeth, a daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Sears) Waters; to them were born ten children - Calvin, Ann (deceased), Sarah, Mary A., Elizabeth, James, John, Louisa, Mehetable and Almira; Mrs. Hubbell died about 1840, in Licking Co., Ohio, to which locality they had emigrated about 1835 ; Mr. Hubbell was again married, in 1844, to Mary, a daughter of James and Catharine (West) Abrams ; her father was a native of VirginJk, born in 1782, and her mother in New Jersey in 1799, who, being bereft of maternal care by the death of her mother when quite small, came to Licking Co. in this State with John Vandevender, where she married Mr. Abrams, a veteran in the war- of 1812 ; Mrs. Hubbell was born Sept. 18, 1818, and is the mother-of several children - Alexander, Leroy, Harriet, Benjamin P., Mary Martha, Francis M., and Isabel (deceased). In 1850, Mr. Hubbell made a trip to California, returning in 1^52. He owns 120 acres of land, formerly the property of James and Wesley Abrams. He belongs to the Prohibitionist party, but cast his first vote as a Democrat, and subsequently joined the Republican party ; his wife and daughters are members of the M. E. Church. ABRAM HEINLEN, farmer; P.O.Kilbourne; is a son of Jacob and Mary (Wittenberg) Heinlen, both natives of Germany ; his father was born March 16, 1799, and his mother Dec. 8, 1803; they emigrated to Ohio about 1818; his father was a tailor in the old country, and a farmer here ; he died June 12, 1874 ; the mother died July 19, 1876 ; they had thirteen children - Rudolph j born April 25, 1823, died Feb. 18, 1824; Solomon, born May 26, 1825 ; Mary A., July 21, 1827; . John, July 3, 1829, died April 3, 1858 ; Emanuel, born Aug. 17, 1831; Jacob, Jan. 15, 1834; Isaac, June 25, 1835 ; Fanny, April 4, 1837 ; Rebecca, June 28, 1838 ; Abram, Oct. 14, 1839 ; Elizabeth, May 25, 1841 ; Lydia, May 13, 1843; Reuben, Nov. 6, 1846. Our subject was born in Westfield Township, Morrow Co.; he remained at home during his younger days ; enlisted in Co. B, 43d 0. V. I., under Capt. Marshman ; was in the battles of New Madrid, Island No. 10 and' Corinth. Was married, Feb. 6, 1870, to Lydia E., a daughter of John and Susan (Gingrich) Shults; her parents were born in Pennsylvania, and emigrated to Ohio at an early day ; they had thirteen children - Lucinda J., Lovina, Emanuel, John P., Geo. W., Mary A., Daniel V., Lydia, James F., William H., Francis F., Susan S., and Clara B. Mrs. Heinlen was born Feb. 7, 1851, in Delaware Co.; her parents were members of the Reform Church ; they are connected with the Shults family mentioned in the history of Henry Coleman, of

Biographical Sketches

Oxford Township ; after marriage, Mr. Heinlen settled for awhile in Marlborough Township, and in 1872 they settled on their present farm - of 102 acres, which he had bought in 1865 of P. D. Hillyer; they have brought it to a high state of cultivation, and are now in the enjoyment of the fruits of their labor ; he has been a member of the Township Board of Education ; was once a member of the Patrons of Husbandry, and votes the Republican ticket; they have two children - Thomas I., born July 5, 1871 ; Alton R., Oct. 19, 1873. Mr. and Mrs. Heinlen are members of the M. E. Church at Eden, in which he has been class leader and Superintendent of Sabbath schools. JACOB SHEET«, farmer; P. 0. Kilbourne ; is a son of Henry and Sarah (Reese) Sheets ; his father was born Feb. 2, 1780 ; was in the war of 1812, and died Aug. 13, 1856; his mother was born Dec. 22, 1786 ; they emigrated from Virginia to Ohio in 1836. The grandfather Sheets was a Revolutionary soldier. Mr. Sheets was one of a family of eleven children - Samuel, Peter, Solomon, Catharine, Henry, John, Daniel, Benjamin, Jacob, Mary A. and Rebecca, all of wKom lived to raise families. Our subject was born March 28, 1819, in the Shenandoah Valley, Va.; when he came to Ohio, he worked at chopping and splitting rails at 50 cents per 100, and cutting cordwood at 25 to 37 cents. In 1837, he engaged in a paper-mill in this couig;y for. Judge Williams, in whose employ he continued for eighteen years. He was married, April 30, 1846, to Celia, a daughter of S. W. and Mary H. (Thompson ) Knapp ; her father was born in Vermont June 19, 1794, and was an early settler in Ohio, and her mother Sept. 10, 1802, in Connecticut ; she came with her parents to Berlin Township in 1812, and lived for awhile in the old blockhouse. Mrs. Sheets was born Sept. 4, 1823, in Liberty Township. They settled on their present farm March 31, 1855, which now contains 185 acres, well improved. Considerable attention has been given by Mr. Sheets to the breeding' of Spanish sheep and blooded cattle. He started for himself with $2.50, and hired Col. Chester to make him an ax for $2.25, and the remaining 25 cents he paid as postage on one letter. He has been Justice of the Peace six years, and Director of County Infirmary six years. He votes the Republican ticket, and takes an active interest in the workings of the party. They have five children - Arthur, Elnora, Mary, Albert and Ella. They are both members of the M. E. Church.

JAMBS SHERMAN, farmer ; P. 0. Sunbury ; was born in York State Nov. 28, 1831 ; came to Licking Co., Ohio, with his parents in about 1838, where they remained for awhile, then removed to Rich wood. Union Co., near which place the father purchased a farm, and built a house, into which he moved his family ; not liking the country, he remained but one year, ' when he exchanged this farm for land in Trenton Township, Delaware Co., upon which he located ; in a few years he traded for a farm in Berkshire Township, which he sold in about six years, and went to Illinois. The son, James, stayed with his parents for a short time in Illinois, when he returned to Delaware Co., and married Miss Mary Stark April 8, 1855 ; it is thought that her mother was the first white child born in Kingston Township. Mrs. Sherman was born Sept. 15, 1834 ; they have had five children, one of whom is now dead ; the eldest, Ladoit 0., was born March 23, 1858; Clarence W., March 24, 1861 ; Elfred E., Oct. 20, 1862 ; Arthur C, Oct. 7, 1864 ; Emilie G., Nov. 19, 1868; Arthur C. died July 26, 1865. Shortly after his marriage, Mr. Sherman, with his wife, returned to Illinois, but came back to Delaware Co. in 1856, where he has been permanently located. In 1868, he purchased a farm in Kingston Township, consisting of 283 acres, for which he went in debt for about $9,000 ; but by industry and economy, he liquidated this debt, thus placing him among the well-to-do farmers of his township. When about 15 years of age, he took a contract to carry the mail from Sunbury to Ashland, which he followed for about seven years, also carried the mail from Sunbury to Mt. Gilead, for about four years.

E. D. VAN SICKLE, farmer ; P, 0. Berkshire; is a native of this township, and was born June 18, 1833, a descendant of a family of early settlers in Kingston Township. His grandfather, Peter Van Sickle, with his femily, settled hei^ in 1816, and purchased land from the Government. William G., the father of E. D., was born in Sussex Co., N. J., Oct. 9, 1804. He was married, Dec. 23, 1830, to Elsie A. Lott, three childrAi being born to them, of whom E. D. was the eldest. She was born Nov. 16, 1808, in Luzerne Co., Penn., and i'n 1816, came with her parents, Joseph and Samantha Lott, to Kingston Township. The house built by her parents was subsequently used as a place of worship for nine years. Her mother died about 1850 ; her father is still living, at the advanced age of 94 years. The father of

Source changes here: from 20th Century History of Delaware County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, by Lytle, James Robert, published 1908; 3,728 words in this source stream.

Kingston Township

The early settlers of this township were a God-fearing and Christian people, and believed implicitly in that religion that promises to the meek an earthly inheritance, and they brought with them the Bible, the prayer book and the hymn book, and they immediately applied themselves to the improvement of their homes, the construction of roads, and the building of churches and schoolhouses. For many years, religious services were conducted in private houses and in the early schoolhouses, and, when the weather was pleasant, meetings were held outdoors in the groves.

Kingston Presbyterian Church. This church was organized in 1818 by Rev. Ebenezer Washburn, who had come to Berkshire in 1817 and preached there and in Kingston Township. The first elders were John White, William Gaston and John Wan Sickle. Rev. Washburn supplied the church from 1818 to 1820, and William Matthews from 1821 to 1824. In 1822, the first church was built. In that year, the Presbyterians erected a log meeting-house near the center of the township, as well as the center of population at that time, on the present site of the Old Blue Church, the cognomen by which it is now so widely known; and. while this humble church edifice belonged exclusively to the Presbyterians, when not occupied by them its doors were thrown open for all denominations. The Presbyterians in numbers were the strongest and next in numerical strength were the Methodists, and then the Baptists. At this time, the church membership and the population were rapidly on the increase, and five years after this, in 1827, they raised by subscription the necessary amount to build on the old site a frame structure in place of the old one. This was quite an imposing church edifice for that day. Among the membership of this church, at this early day, were Moses Decker and wife, John Van Sickle and wife, John White and wife, Mr. Finley and wife, James Wheeler and wife, Isaac Finch and wife, Gilbert Potter and wife, John Brown and wife, Benjamin Benedict, William Wigton and his wife, Richard Waldron, Thomas Carney and his brother James and his wife, William Waldron and others. The Rev. Ahab Jinks was their pastor. When finished, all but the painting, a skillful painter was employed, who went to work, and soon had the outside painted a beautiful drab color. Not long after its completion, to the surprise of all. the color turned to a beautiful blue, which gave the church the church the name of the Blue Church, and it has ever retained that name, notwithstanding the change of color. This church was occupied until early in the 50's, when a new frame church was erected on the same ground. This church has been remodeled in 1907, and beautified, and is now a beautiful structure. Ahab Jinks supplied the church from 1827 to 1838. The membership at this time was one hundred and twenty-one. John Pitkins was pastor from 1841 to 1844; Ahab Jinks, second pastorate, from 1849 to J854; David McCarter from 1854 to i860; Calvin Mateer from 1861 to 1862 (Mr. Mateer afterwards went to China as a missionary and has done a great work in that country): Robert L. Adams, Sr., from 1863 to 1865; David H. Coyner from 1865 to 1866; J. L. Lower from 1868 to 1871 ; Rev. Best a short time; A. C. Crist from 1873 t0 1874; M. M. Lawson from 1875 to 1877; David H. Green from 1877 to ^78 ; John Mc- Dowell from 1878 to 1880; Nelson K. Crowe from 1881 to 1882; W. E. Thomas from 1883 to 1886; T. B. Atkins from 1887 to 1888; E. M. Scott from 1893 to 1900; Samuel Huecker from 1901 to 1906; H. Hoffman, a student of the Ohio Wesleyan University is the present supply. For Kingston New School, see Porter Township.

Corners. It was built in the year 1836, although the society that built it was organized ten years previous. The society held their meetings for many years in the old log schoolhouse, located on the first cross road west of Olive Green. This society also organized about the same time a Sabbath school, which was held in this schoolhouse. When the weather would permit, they would hold their quarterly meetings in a grove near by. where they had seats and a stand, and everything in readiness for the occasion ; but, when the weather was unfavorable or inclement, they used, by invitation, the Old Blue Church of the Presbyterians. The schoolhouse became too small to accommodate the congregation, and they changed their meetings to the dwelling- house of Mr. John Haselett. By his own personal effort, unaided by others, Mr. Haselett raised by subscription sufficient funds to build the church spoken of. The services of this congregation were irregular. The pastors who rode the circuit were compelled to hold meetings nearly every day of the week to get round once a month over their charge. Thus they were compelled to have week-day services and hold prayer meetings on the Sabbath. Moses Decker, the architect and builder of the Old Blue Church, was the architect and builder of the M. E. Church, aided by Mr. Reid M. Cutcheon. At this church the society met and worshiped for many years, when the question of repairing the old church came up ; it needed a new roof, re-plastering, re-seating and re-painting. All these needful repairs would cost nearly as much as a new church, with the assistance offered them; and then again, the congregation in numbers had outgrown the capacity of the church for their accommodation, and to repair it they thought would lie a useless expenditure of money and time. Olive Green is a village three-quarters of a mile distant, in Porter Township, and its citizens held out inducements to rebuild the church and locate it there. At a meeting of the society, the Board of Trustees were directed to rebuild the church at Olive Green, which was done accordingly; and the new and much more capacious edifice was erected in the year 1853. Many of the membership in the southern part of the township obtained their letters from the Olive Green charge and joined the M. E. Church at Berkshire.

The same year the Old Blue Church was built, Moses Decker, Isaac Finch, Samuel Finley and a few others, and their pastor. Rev. Mr. Jinks, came together and organized a Sunday school, and held it in the old log schoolhouse on the corner, near the church. It is thought this was the first Sabbath school organized in Delaware County. They organized at the same time the first Sunday school library in the county. It was made up of small Sabbath school books and kept by the superintendent, Mr. Decker, in a trunk. The M. E. Sabbath school was the second in order of time in the county, but it was organized several years afterward.

This township was set off June 8, 181 3, and is designated as No. 5 in the original survey. It is five miles square, and contains 16.000 acres of land. It is bounded on the north by Morrow County; mi the east by Porter Township ; on the south by Berkshire Township, and on the west by Brown. The surface of the land is generally quite level, though in the southern and eastern portions it is more undulating. As in other parts of the county, the most fertile lands are those which border the streams. While the grain crops do well in this township, the general character of the soil makes it better adapted for grass and grazing than for growing crops. Originally the land was heavily wooded with all the varieties of hardwoods that grow in this part of the State. The rich bottom lands were covered with spice bush, black haws and paw-paw underbrush ; wild plums, grapes and crab apples also grew spontaneously and in great abundance. These constituted all the luxuries of the early pioneers and in most cases were all he desired. These fruits, besides being used fresh in various ways, were also dried for use in the winter season, or preserved in maple sugar, this and wild honey being the only sweetening they had. Young horses and cattle were often wintered in these swails. and managed somehow to come through without grain or dry feed. The hogs were allowed to run at large, at first without brands or ear-marks, and these fed and fattened on acorn and beech-nut mast. In a few years these animals had increased so rapidly that they came to be regarded as public property, and anyone feeling in need of pork was at liberty to help himself.

Kingston is amply supplied with springs and streams of pure water, sufficient for home use and tor stock. Alum Creek is the largest stream and runs across the northwestern corner of the township. Little Walnut Creek is the next stream in size. It enters the township on the north about a mile and a half west of the north-east corner. It runs in a southerly direction, dividing the township into two nearly equal parts. It has numerous small tributaries, which are helpful in draining the township. Other streams are Butler Run, west of and nearly parallel with Little Walnut , Indigo Run is in the northeastern part of the township, and Taylor Run flows in the southeastern portion. Butler Swamp, the source of the run of that name, took its name from a man named Butler, who settled near it in 1807. It was supposed that this land would never be fit for farming, but clearing up and drainage has demonstrated the fact that it is not only tillable, but very fertile.

John Phipps was the first settler in this township. He came about 1807. and located in the southeastern part of the township, on or near Little Walnut. Little is known of him because he remained here only a short time before he returned East with his family. The same year, two brothers, Abraham and James Anway. came from Pennsylvania and settled in the same part of the township where Phipps had been. They raised large families. Soon after these men came George Hess from the same State, and located in the same neighborhood. He lived on the farm which he cleared until his death in 1835. He was married but had no children. The property afterwards was owned by Ceptor Stark. In 1809 came James Stark, Ji ihn Rosecrans and his four sons. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and John; Dr. Daniel Rosecrans and his four sons. Nathaniel. Jacob, Purlemas and Crandall, and Joseph Patrick ami wife. James Stark selected a farm of about 200 acres in the eastern part of the township. For many years he entertained travelers at bis house, which was the only hotel or tavern ever kept in the town- ship. The Sunbury and Mansfield roads crossed on his farm, and the locality came to have the name of Stark's Corners. He married a Miss Wilcox before coming here, whose family connection was very numerous, and he, having the confidence of a very wide acquaintance, was able to induce many settlers to come into the county. By a former marriage he had three daughters. One married a Mr. Perfect, of Trenton Township; one married Dr. Bige- Iow, of Galena, and the third married Benjamin Carpenter of the same town. They all had large families. By his second marriage he had one son, James N. Stark, who at one time owned two thousand acres of farm lands in Kingston and Porter Townships. Joseph Patrick was a remarkable man, having unusual intellectual ability, but he was afflicted with an impediment in his speech. He was well versed in history, and was successful as a business man. He accummulated a large fortune for his day, and by honest methods. Among the positions of trust with which he was honored was that of county treasurer. He removed to Berkshire Township at an early day. He married Sarah Taylor, daughter of Daniel Taylor, who emigrated from the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania, and settled in the southeastern part of the township on the run which later was railed by his name.

Dr. Daniel Rosecrans first located on Little Walnut Creek'. Later he sold this and bought a farm on Taylor's Run. lie was the firsl justice of the peace in the township. His son Crandall married Jemima Hopkins, who was related to Stephen Hopkins, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. They had three sons, the eldesl of whom was Major- General William Stark- Rosecrans. who won fame as a general in the war for the Union. A sketch of him will be found in the chapter devoted to the military history of the county. Sylvester, another of the sons, also became distinguished, but in a different sphere. After graduating from Wesl Point, lie joined the Roman Catholic Church, went to Rome for his theological training, became a bishop and was placed in charge of the Diocese of Columbus, lie was noted Ei r hi- great executive ability, his scholarship and his eloquence in the pulpit.

Previous to our second struggle with England, Solomon Steward, who had served in the Revolution, came here from the Green Mountain State. In 181 5 he married Xancy White, a sister of Mrs. Benjamin Benedict, ami soon alter settled in Porter Township. In 1812 Peter Van Sickle came with his young family from New Jersey. He located on land in the southernmost part of the township west of Little Walnut. He had two sons, William G. and Asa, and four daughters. The oldest daughter married Hon. Almon Stark, who for years was an associate judge of our Common Pleas Court. The youngest daughter became the wife of R. J. Lott. At his death Peter Van Sickle left quite an estate, besides giving his children much financial help as they started out in life. In 1814 two brothers, Richard and Charles Hodgden, emigrated from Connecticut and settled in this township. They "bached" it for a while together. Finally Richard married a Miss Place and Charles married a Miss Blackman. and after she died he married a Miss Brockover and moved to Union County. John White, from West Virginia, also came here in J 814. He purchased 1,000 acres of land, the northeast quarter of Section 1. He had a large family, some of whom had reached maturity, and these soon married and settled in the neighborhood. Mr. White immediately became prominent and influential in the township. John Van Sickle a cousin <if Peter Van Sickle came into t\v township about 1815. Both these men brought sufficient means with them to enable them to have such comforts and conveniences as were possible under pioneer conditions. John Van Sickle married Susannah Wicker, who was a native of the same county in New Jersey. They bad eight children, all of whom were married and reared families. David was a farmer in Kingston; Peter had a farm in Porter Township; William W. resided in Delaware; Elizabeth married George Blaney, of Porter Township; Mary married Charles Wil cox. of Porter; Esther married a Mr. Knox, and spent her life in Trenton Township; Dru silla married Dr. H. Bessee, and Jane married Lewis Buck, of Morrow County. John Van Sickle carried on farming on a large scale. Upon arriving at age, each of the children received from him 100 acres of land. He built a (lam and a grist- and saw-mill near Sunbury, and carried this on along with his farming. He was a consistent and active member of the Presbyterian Church, and with Dr. Fowler'; father was one of the founders and main-stays of the Old Blue Church at East Liberty. He spent his declining years in that village. Benjamin Benedict settled on a 150-acre farm about one mile below the center of the town, on Little Walnut in 1S15. He married a daughter of John White. They had two sons. Nelson and Sturgis. Benjamin Benedict died in 1877, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. He was highly esteemed by his neighbors for his industrious and honorable life. In 181G a man named Waldron also came into the township. He was from Xew York. His four sons were George, who lived in Brown Township ; Richard, William and Jonas. The next year Joseph Lott came from Luzerne countv. Pennsylvania, and settled on the East Branch of Little Walnut Creek. He reared two sons and two daughters. Riley T. and Josiah were farmers in Kingston. His oldest daughter became Mrs. William G. Van Sickle, and Eliza, the youngest daughter, married Ezekiel Longwell. In 1817, also, John Hall h cated on a wild tract of 100 acres on the Little Walnut. He married one of the daughters of John White, from whom he had purchased his farm. They had four children. Mrs. John J. Wilcox was their only daughter. William, their oldest son, went to Iowa where he practiced law. George W. also went West, where he engaged in farming, and John W. made his home in Delaware. Hiram Cuykendall, a veteran of both wars with England, settled on a farm in this township in [820. He died nearly seventy years ago at a great age. Tin imas and James Carney, two brothers, came from Luzerne County. Pennsylvania, Thomas in 1820 and James in 1823. They were both hard workers and set about clearing farms. Thomas married one of the Lott girls, and James brought his wife, who was Jane Ostrander beforeJier marriage, with him to the township. Both brothers raised families. Moses Decker came from New Jersey to Kingston in 1820. He settled in the eastern part of the township, near his brother-in-law, Isaac Einch, who had preceded him from the same State. Mr. Decker was a soldier in the War of 1 812, was the first postmaster of Kingston, a justice of the peace for a number of years, and prominent and well known throughout the county. He married a daughter of Hiram Cuvkendall. Moses Decker was a carpenter and millwright, and built many of the early mills in the county. The first frame barn in the township was built by Elder Wigton on his farm. It was framed, raised and completed by Mr. Decker. It was a neverfailing custom in those days to serve liquor of some kind, usually whiskey, at all raisings. On this occasion Mr. Decker forbade that any liquor be brought on the ground. It was thought that failure to provide this energizer would result in the people staying away, but help enough came, and the first attempt at raising the barn was successful. This was in 1827, and while the structure that was erected on that occasion has long since crumbled into dust, Mr. Decker"s influence for temperance is still at work, and Kingston still holds the reputation it long ago earned for the temperance and sobriety of its inhabitants. Mr. Decker lived to be upwards of ninety, and left numerous descendants in the county. Oliver Stark came from Pennsylvania to Kingston in 1825, being then twenty-four years of age. Four years later he married the first white child born in Kingston Township. Eliza Patrick, the daughter of Joseph Patrick. Oliver Stark was successful and prominent in his day. He was justice of the peace for twentyone years, and served as county commissioner for three years from 1846-49. He left a large estate when he died, which was shared by a number of descendants.

Other early settlers were Gilbert I and family who came from West Virginia in 1817, and purchased John Hall's first farm from him. A few years later, William Gas- ton, his brother-in-law, came from the same county and settled near by. He was followed within a few years by his brother John Gaston. The district where they settled came to be known as the "Virginia District." Daniel Maxwell, who by his first marriage with one of the Earns sisters, was a brother-in-law of the Gastons and Potter, settled on a farm near the center of the township. He married for his second wife, a Miss Haslett. He was a typical Virginia gentleman, intelligent, a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church, who was held in high esteem. For twenty years before his death he filled the office of justice of the peace, in which office he was succeeded by his son, William H. Maxwell. James Gaston, a native of the Emerald Isle and a relative of the Gastons we have mentioned, also settled in the "Virginia District." Elder Thomas Wigton came here from Pennsylvania in 1814, and settled on a hundred acres near the center of the township. He was a local preacher in the Baptist Church, but being broad-minded and tolerant of the views of others, he was popular with members of other churches than his own, for whom he often preached. In 1834 John Haslett came to Kingston from Augusta County, Virginia. He purchased 150 acres from Isaac Rosecrans in the east part of the township. He was a local preacher in the Methodist Church. Of good mental ability, kindly disposition, noted foi his southern hospitality, he was an enthusiastic and effective preacher. In 1834 Henry Sheets with his large and grown-up family settled in the woods in the northwestern part of the township. He had seven sons, the youngest of whom, Jacob Sheets, was for many years a justice of the peace. In 1824 Daniel Terrill immigrated to Kingston Township and settled on a farm in the southwest quarter-section. He was from Essex County, Xew Jersey.

Representatives of nearly all the nationalities that helped to establish the original thirteen colonies were to be found among the pioneers of Kingston Township: Puritans from New England, Dutch from Pennsylvania and Xew Jersev, English from the latter State and from Virginia, and Scotch-Irish from Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Their common dangers and common necessities tended to suppress the controversies that would naturally arise among people so radically different in racial characteristics, religion, temperament, habits of thought, manners and customs. They dwelt in harmony, their children intermarried, and today we have in the citizenship of Kingston Township, a race of men and women that for physical, mental or moral excellence are the peers of any other community.