Linton Township (part 2 of 2)

Linton township contains five churches; the Methodist Episcopal, two Methodist Protestants, the Presbyterian and the Catholic. The Methodist Episcopal is the oldest. , In 1812, Rev. John Mitchell organized a class near where Plainfield now is. The first members included Thomas Johnson, Robert Johnson, William Johnson, Hester McClain, her son James; Richard Williams and wife, Esaias Baker, Charles Baker, Sr., William Jefters, Conrad Powelson and Frank Smith. The school-house on Johnson's farm served as the meeting-house for many years. About 1830, the "radical split,". as it was commonly called, occurred. This rupture was produced originally by the question of lay delegation, and led to the formation of the Methodist Protestant church. Nearly the entire congregation of Plainfield " seceded," leaving only seven or eight members in the old organization. These were Thomas Johnson and wife, Robert Johnson and wife, William Johnson and wife and Susan Baker (her husband, Charles Baker, Sr., being among the seceders). This feeble renmant, however, was determined and active, as the erection of a house of worship a few years later will testify.- It was a large log building and stood across the creek from Jacobsport, on land donated by Thomas Johnson, who was the prime and main mover. The present church building, located in Plainfield, was erected about 1860. In 1875, it was somewhat enlarged and greatly improved. The present membership includes about 150 narties. A flourishing Sunday-school has been connected with the church for fifty years. It is superintended by C. F. Sangster.

At the time of the separation of the Methodist Protestant from the Methodist Episcopal church, there was some difference of opinion as to the proper place for holding meetings, but Bacon run was finally agreed upon. The first meetings were held in a school-house at that time on Mrs. Brels- ford's place. Several years later a log meetinghouse, called Pleasant Bethel church, was erected in the same locality. Rev. Cornelius Springer was the minister who introduced Protestant Methodism in Ihis community. Among the se- -ceders were Edmund Duling, Gabriel Evans, John and Francis Smith, Esaias Baker, William G.Dean, Jarris Gardner, John Dean, Jacob Waggoner, John R.Williams, Richard Williams, Rebecca Piatt and William R. Clark. In the list is included the names of several of the original members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

A few years later a society of the same denomination was formed in Jacobsport. Rezin Baker, Jacob Waggoner, John Loos, Sr.,and Harry Linder were among its first members. Services were first held in Robert Piatt's cabinet shop, afterward in the school-house. About 1842, the Jacobsport and Pleasant Bethel churches consolidated, and in 1847 the present church edifice in East Plainfield was erected.

Another society had been formed about 1831, in the Powelson school-house, through the instrumentality of Conrad Powelson. Soon after a building was raised on John R. Williams' place. It was known as the Covenant church. It finally fused with the Plainfield church. The present pastor is John jNIurphy, who serves a congregation in Plainfield of nearly 200 members.

The Methodist Protestant church at Linton was organized about 1857, in the brick schoolhouse, which now forms a part of John Heslip's hotel, by Revs. Robinson and Samuel Lancaster. Isajic Thompson, George Welker, C. T. Gaumer, John IMiskimen, Aaron Ransopher, James Dean and William Lawrence were among the men who gave it being. Services were held in the brick school-house, and the school-house which succeeded it, until 1870. Then the present commodious frame, witli its sky-pointing steeple, was erected. About a hundred members worship here. This and the P]ainfi«>ld church belong to the same circuit. The children in this vicinity have congregated every summer Sabbath for many years in the church to receive religious instruction.

road. The first sermon was preached August 15. 18.33, by Rev. James B. Morrow, of the Richland Presbytery. The next day the church was organized with a membership of fifteen, and Alexander Matthews, Sr., and Alexander Matthews, Jr., were ordflined elders. The original members were as follows: Alexander Matthews, Sr, and Hannah, his wife ; Alexander Matthews, Jr., Prudence, his wife, and daughters, Sarah, Maria and Amy; Margaret Potter, Maria Roberts, Lydia Ann Butler, Thomas B. and JIary Barton, John and Jane Glenn, and Martha McCune. The first ten were received on certificate, the last five on examination. The earliest meetings were held in the school-house at Plainfield. The first communion was celebrated June 8, 1834.

In 1847, an old wagonmaker's shop, on the site of the present church, was purchased and converted into a house of worship. Services were held in it till the present church was built, in 1867. It was dedicated, free of debt, in June of that year. Its cost was .|1,800. The church was supplied for nearly nineteen years by Revs. N. Conklin, N. Cobb, J. Matthews, D. Washburn, S. Hanna, William Lumsden and Robert Robe. Rev. R. W. Marquis was the first settled pastor, from 1852 to 1859. Then followed Rev. J. B. Akey (supply); Rev. John Sloore, D. D., two years; George W. Fisher, seven years; James B. Stevenson, one year; J. J. Gridley (supply); W. B. Scarborough, eightTyears, and A. B. Wilson, the present pastor. The present session consists of A. Shaffer, John L. Glenn, Jr., Robert Dougherty and Joseph Love. The membership is seventy-two Rev. Marquis, its first pastor, is buried in the church cemetery. Mr. John Gundy, residing at Snow Hill, Maryland, but owning land in the vicinity of this church, left it a legacy of $1,000. in 1874.

The Saint Mary's Catholic church, located in the western part of the township, was organized during or near the year 1840, by Father Gallaher, Quite a number of persons holding allegiance to this church had moved into this neighborhood previously. Among them were the following, who assisted in establishing the church here: Michael Hiser, Adam Mortine, David and John Wendel, Martin Henricks, Jacob Cline, Jacob

Shearer, John H. Baker, and David Bordenkircher. The organization was effected and first services held at the residence of David Bordenkircher. A log church was erected very soon afterwards, which continued to be the house of worship, till 1867, when the neati» little frame where they now hold service was built. The earliest ministers came principally from Zanesville, to administer to their spiritual welfare. Thoy were Fathers Gallahcr, William Burgess and William Diters. Father Bender, who succeeded, was from Newark. Since the organization of the Catholic church at Coshocton, the pastors of it have supplied this charge. The membership amounts to about sixty.

About the year 185S, a society of the United Brethren persuasion was organized about a half mile northeast from the Catholic church. John Michael, William Snites and John Stough were its main supporters. It was feeble in point of numbers from the. start, and became still more so by the subsequent removal of some of its members from this vicinitj'. It ceased to exist in 1867. The frame meeting-house, erected in 1859, still stands in moumental memory of its prior existence.

The first village laid out in the township was called Plainficld. It was located about a mile south of the present village of Plainfield, on the west bank of Wills creek, and platted October 10, 1816. Thoniiis Johnson, ;is executor of the estate of Richard Johnson, and Edward Wiggins were tlie joint proprietors, part of the village platted lying on Wiggin's laud, the northwest quarter of section 17, and part on Richard Johnson's, the southwest quarter of section 10. The road dividing the two sections was dubbed Coshocton street, and twelve lots were laid off" from each section facing this street. The road running north from this along the creek was called Water street, and nine lots belonging to Johnson's land fronted on it. The first house was built by Thomas Johnson for a tavern, in 1816. It was a two-story, loghewed building, and is still standing. Plainfield was then on the road between Zanesville and Philadelphia ; the road was traveled a great deal. Mr. Johnson kept a small stock of goods at his tiivern stand, and the following year (1817) a store, owned by Dwight Hutchinson, of Cambridge, was opened and managed by Joseph White, also of Cambridge. It was removed the next year and Mr. Luccock became the village storekeeper. The same year Benjamin Chambers started his tannery, as mentioned elsewhere in this chapter, and Mr. Johnson brought his distillery here. In 1817, John Vernon built a frame house in the village, the first of the kind built in the township. He was a carpenter and cabinetmaker by trade, and emigrated from New York. He died of consumption a few years later. Thomas Johnson became the first postmaster in the township here, his appointment dating November 27, 1819. The postoffice was afterward removed to East Plainfield. The little for some reason, was not a success. At no time did it contain many more than half a dozen houses. It was named, doubtless, from the plains surrounding it. Jacobsport was laid out in August, 1836, by Jacob Waggoner and named after him. He was the owner at that time of the northwest quarter of section 6, range 4. All the land lay east of Wills creek except a small piece in a bend of that stream. Deeming it a fine location for a village he laid it out into lots. At the time, there was a single log hut on this ground, one which had been occupied by Andrew Ferier when his mill was in operation. Thomas Piatt erected the first dwelling house, a comfortable frame building. Butler ife Shook owned the first store, opened about 1839. Several years previous to this Thomas Johnson had opened a store on his land adjoining Jacobsport, and in 1840 had a number of lots laid off contiguous to Jacobsport. Several years later his son John M. Johnson increased the number of lots and recorded the plat, calling the village East Plainfield. Though forming but one village, in reality each part retained its original name. Jacobsport was entirely hemmed in by the creek and East Plainfield and consequently had little chance to extend its limits. East Plainfield on the contrary had a whole quarter section before it and grew slowly but surely. In March, 1878, the whole was incorporated as one village under the name of Plainfield. Its first officers, elected April, 1878, were as follows: J. A. Mayhugl), mayor; David Duling, clerk; John Faniil-

Cora E. M Gui Re Fannie G. Jiguire

FRANCIS McGlTIRE, Jr., Lafayette township, farmer; postoffice, Coshocton; was horn April 12, l.Sl2,in this township; son of Francis McGuire, a native of this township. He was raised on the farm adjoining the home where he now hves. Mr. McGuire has always taken great pride in dealing in the finest blooded stock possible to be obtained, and without doubt has the finest flock of sheep in this part of the State, having selected strains of blood from the finest of Lee Archer's noted sheep of Washington county, Pennsylvania. He has always taken an active interest in the agricultural development of the county, and at the present time is one of the Directors of the Agricultural Society of this county. He was married, IMarch 29, 1871, to Miss Susan J. Russell, daughter of John N. Russell, of this township. They have two children, Cora E. and Fannie G.

The village is compactly built .nnd lies in the lower bottom land, close to the creek. It is concealed from view in almost every direction by the' terrace which rises abruptly behind it. Its present population is three hundred. As a business center it is not excelled in the county away from Coshocton. If contains three stores, two mills, one drug store, two hotels, one saloon, one jeweler shop, two shoe shops, three blacksmith shops, two harness shops, one tin store, one wagon shop, one tannery, one tailor shop, two churches, and three physicians.

During the summer of 1879 the township built a fine two-story hall, about thirty-six by fifty feet in size. Several township offices and a festival room occupy the lower floor ; the upper story is used as an audience hall.

The village of Linton, comprising 115 inhabitants, is situated in the southeastern part of the township on Wills creek, at the base of a steep range of hills. It was laid out in 1S49, by J. V. Heslip, the land which formed it being mostly in timber at that time. The first building was erected by I\[r. Heslip, in 1847, and was used iis a boarding house for the workmen employed by him in constructing a mill-dam. A saw-mill, grist-mill, distillery and tavern were built within a few years, all by Mr. Heslip. A great amount of business was done in the mills formerly, but they have lost much of their activity. The village contains two stores ' and the usual complement of shops. Joseph Heslip was the first postmaster, in 1847.

Bacon postotHce, situated on Bacon run, was established about 1858, with John H. Sicher as postmaster. A country store was started here several years after by William Fowler, and has been in operation most of the time since.

Maysville, situated in the southwestern corner of the township, was laid out in 1837, by Alexander Ballentine. It never jorospered, and for years - has flickered between life and death. It possibly numbers a half dozen houses, one of which is used as a blacksmith shop.

The population of the township in 1880 was 1,918, an increase of 318 in ten years. The early settlers were principally from the. States of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, with a fair sprinkling from the Emerald Isle. The hills in the western part of the township were settled almost exclusively by German and French emigrant.s. Descendants of most of the pioneer families still reside on the farms which their grandfathers wrestled from primitive wilderness, a fact which speaks well of the agricultural and social qualities of the township.