Morgan Township

Morgan Township

In the first division of the county one of the four townships was called Morgan, in honor of the brave native of [N^ew Jersey, Daniel Morgan, the distinguished General in our Revolutionary war, who was a member of Congress from 1795 to 1799, and died July 6, 1802 ; and in the general reorganization of townships in March, 1825, it was reduced to its present limits. Under the old dispensation we find the total number of voters at the October election, 1809, to have been 13. In October, 1813 Moses Merrit, Jacob Hanger, Abraham Oarnes were Judges; John Dunlap and John Boyle, Clerks. The number of voters had increased to 27, and among them were Jonathan Agnew, Ben. Leonard, Wm. Beam, Wm. Knight, Geo. Cooper, Philip Melker, Jacob Smith, and Smith Hadley. Other early settlers, besides the above named, were John Losh, Philip Smith, Thompson and Michael Mills, Abner and David Brown, Joseph and John Harris, John and Adam Fox, John Vance, sr., and John, jr., Jacob Babb, Azariah Davis, Titus Bigby, Cornelius Callighan, and the Harrods. The only ones of this old set now known to be living are Smith Hadley, Levi, Wm. and Sam. Harrod, and Philip Smith. Hadley is in Centerburg, Levi and

Sam. Harrod in Clay, and Wni. Harrod in Indiana, where lie moved some fourteen years ago. Philip Smith lives on Big Run, where he first located. His sons James and Wm. are in Olav, his daughter, Mrs. Henry McLain, is in this townt^hip, and Rebecca, wife of George Swank, lives in Union county. John J. Tulloss, a Captain in the war of 1812, emigrated from Fauquier co., Ya., in 1807. He was a brick maker, school teacher, and farmer, first in Licking and afterwards in Knox; his widow is living, aged 76, w^ith her children.

In 1816, at the October election, there were 35 voters. Among these was Caleb Pumphry, who died in 1817. There is not one of this familv now living in the county. They were very kind and hospitable, zealous Methodists, and as their house was a sort of head-quarters for itinerants, the fame of Pumphry's tavern, as it was called, was quite extensive. Bernard Recce was another old settler ; and another was Wm. Green, of Maryland, who moved into Morgan from Licking co., in 1816 ; he died in 1856. Of his 10 children the only ones living are Daniel of Harrison, Hugh of Chesterville, Mrs. B. McClurg and Mrs. J. Kegg in Indiana. Anotlier father of 10 was Bennet Thompson, of Ya., whose only child now in Knox is James, who was born in this township in 1827, married Mahala, daughter of Jesse Larue, in 1850, and has six children, of whom George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, noAv five years old, are twins.

John P. McLain emigrated from Seneca co., Pa., in 1828, and was for many years a prominent citizen. He was a large operator in stock and farm- ing, and about 1836-8, was interested in a store in Mt. Yernon ; he died in 1858, in liis 61st year. His sons, Charles S. and Abijah, are in Morgan^ and Wm. in TVys^ndot co. His daughters, Mrs. Sarah Welsh and Mrs. Amelia Hnfty are in Crawford CO.; Mary, wife of Morgan Booze and Cassandra, Levi Sellers are in this township. C. S. married Miss Berryhill ; Henry Miss Smith, and Abijah, Miss Hook.

Simon Litzenburg emigrated from Washington county. Pa., to this township in 1829, bought part of the celebrated prairie farm, and has lived upon it ever since. He is nOw in his 79th year. Henry Barnes married one of his daughters, and Dr. M. H. Litzenburg, of Cheviot, is one of his sons.

The West brothers and the E warts are deserving of notice. The former were natives of Brooke county, Ya. Samuel, in 1830, emigrated from Washing-ton county. Pa;, and is now in his 77th year. His wife, Mary Clear, was also a native of Yirginia, and is yet living. Of their eight children, four are living - Alexander Clear at the old homestead ; William H., of Logan county ; Thomas in Morrow county ; and Samuel, a Baptist preacher, in South English, Iowa. Amos West, Sr. is living, in his 72d year; has had 11 children, of whom those living are : Enos, in Tazewell county. Ills. ; William in Morgan ; Joe in Pleasant ; John in Le Boy, Ills. ; Amos in Buchanan county, Iowa ; Margaret in Morgan ; Ann Eliza, wife of John Penick ; and Elizabeth Woodruff. These are descendants of Jonathan West, one of the first born in Brooke county, Ya.

History Of

The E warts are from Greene county, Pa., and natives of Ireland - Robert and John, and their sisters, Mrs. Haver and Mrs. Ewart. John died in 1858. Haver emigrated from Greene county, Pa. They are intelligent and industrious people.

Jesse AJattocks, a native of Erie co.. Pa., who married Elizabeth Johnson, and has had six children, is worthy of note for two reasons, first, he has served 13 years as constable, and second, he furnished the country round with their baskets for gathering' corn, for many years, and therein has been a benefactor.

Source changes here: from History of Knox County, Ohio, Its Past and Present, Containing a Condensed, Comprehensive History of Ohio, Including an Outline History of the Northwest; a Complete History of Knox County ... a Record of Its Soldiers in the Late War; Portraits of Its Early Settlers and Prominent Men ... Biographies and Histories of Pioneer Families, Etc, by Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), Comp, published 1881; 3,210 words in this source stream.

Morgan Township

MORGAN belongs to the southern tier of townships, with Pleasant on the north, Clay on the east, Licking county on the south, and Miller township on the west. It was named after General Daniel Morgan, a noted officer in the Revolutionary war. As originally organized, May 2, 1808, it comprised within its limits the present townships of Morgan, Miller, Hilliar, Milford, the west half of Clay, the south half of Pleasant and the southwest quarter of Harrison. In the general reorganizations of townships in March, 1825, it was reduced to its present limits. It is well watered with numerous streams. Sycamore creek, the principal stream, rises in Milford township, flowing generally east and south through the townships, and with Tumas run finds its way into the Licking. Big run, which rises near the village of Martinsburgh, crosses the northwestern part, passing into Pleasant. The Rocky fork heads in the eastern part of Morgan, running in a southeasterly direction into Licking county. These are the principal streams, but several small brooks are found in various parts. Muck Shaw run and Owl creek water the northern part.

There are several mounds in the township, one of these, on the farm of James Campbell, is about five feet high and forty feet in diameter. Some years since it was opened, and ashes and charcoal were found, but no remains of human beings. In the immediate vicinity an unusually large number of Indian arrowheads were found by the early settlers. The other mounds have not yet been explored.

Agriculturally considered the land is excellent. The soil is very rich and productive, and Morgan township is noted for the wealth of its farmers, and the large crops of wheat, corn and vegetables raised.

The timber presents the usual varieties in Ohio - beech, sugar, poplar, walnut, ash and oak. Although much of this timber has been cleared away, there still remains large forests of red and white oak, beech, sugar and poplar, and it is claimed that there is more valuable timber in Morgan than any other one township in the county. The land is owned comparatively by a few individuals, and is not divided into small farms as is general throughout the county.

The inhabitants are made up largely of Virginians and Pennsylvanians, and their descendants. The Pennsylvanians preponderate. There is also a sprinkling of the New Jersey and Maryland elements. There are but few foreigners in this or the other townships in the southern part of the county. The absence of the foreign element is a noticeable feature, and probably but few localities in Ohio, of equal population, can compare with it in this respect.

John Green was probably the first white man to settle within the present limits of Morgan. He came from Maryland about the year 1805 or 1806, entering land in the northwestern part of the township. He was a prominent citizen in early times, and served as justice of the peace and in other local offices for many years.

Cornelius Bartalow, sr., was one of the very first to settle here. He emigrated from Martinsburgh, Virginia, in 1806, and located forty acres of military land near the village of Utica, Licking county. When he came Indians were numerous, and were about all the neighbors he had for some years. After residing some years here, he removed to Clay township, near the village of Martinsburgh, where he died in 1814, and was the second person buried in the cemetery at that place.

Azariah Davis came from Green county, Pennsylvania, and settled in Utica, Licking county. He was born in 1756, and was a participant in the war for independence. The season prior to his removal from Pennsylvania, he harvested a crop of wheat which he threshed and hauled to Zanesville, Ohio, where he had it ground into flour and stored in a mill at that place. As often as the necessities of his family required it he went to Zanesville and procured flour from this storage. By this precaution his family was well provided with breadstuff's until he could clear up a patch of land and raise a crop. Although Mr. Davis lived several years among the Indians, he had little difficulty in living peaceably with them. He raised a family of nine children, all of whom are dead but Mrs. Rachel Stevens, who resides at Utica, Licking county, in the eighty-fourth year of her life.

Jacob Hanger came from Virginia about the year 1809, and settled in the southeastern part of the township. He was married to Miss Rebecca Davis about 1796, and reared a family of twenty children, ten sons and ten daughters. He was a man of strict integrity and iigured quite prominently in the early history of Knox county. He served twenty-one years as justice of the peace in this- township, and was otherwise honored by his neighbors with local offices. He died in 1834.

The Pumphreys were arnong the pioneer families of Morgan who were quite prominent in its early history. They were zealous Methodists, distinguished for their piety, intelligence, and hospitality, and their home was the stopping place of all the early itinerant ministers of that denomination. Caleb, the patriarch of the family, died in 1817. There are none of the family now residing here.

John Sellers, still living in Morgan, is the largest landholder in the township. He is the owner of eleven hundred acres of valuable land. Mr. Sellers came from Green county, Pennsylvania, in 1823, located two hundred and fifty acres of land in the northern part of this township, erected a cabin, returned to Pennsylvania, and permanently removed to Morgan in 1824, where he has since resided. He is possessed of great energy and perseverance, which is no doubt the secret of his success in accumulating property. He is now about eighty-five years of age. In connection with Mr. Seller's history it would be proper to mention the memorable tornado, known as the "Burlington storm," which passed over his place on the eighteenth day of May, 1825. It originated near Burlington, now Homer, Licking county, entering the southwest corner of Morgan, and sweeping across the township from southwest to northeast. Its path through this township was from one-half to three-fourths of a mile m width. It caused a terrible destruction of timber, fences, cabins, etc. Thousands of forest trees were uprooted or twisted off at the tops; houses were torn down or unroofed, fences prostrated and the rails carried through the air, shingles were blown from Homer into this township, and a featherbed was taken up from a dwelling house and lodged in a tree in Harrison township, several miles distant. James Honey had five head of cattle and three horses killed, and Mr. Sellers had many acres of timber prostrated. After it became thoroughly dry he fired it, and it was completely consumed. He was saved the labor and expense of chopping down the trees and rolling the logs together, and thus the old adage was verified that "it is an ill wind that blows nobody good." The roads in the township lying in the path of the tornado, were all blockaded by the fallen timber, and all the able bodied men in the neighborhood were buby in removing the debris, and bringing order out of confusion. Providentially no one was killed or severely injured in this township, although there was a loss of life in other places where the storm passed by. It spent its force among the Mohican hills.

Aaron Davis came from F 'sex county. New Jersey, in 18 19, and was at one time the only Whig voter in this township. In course of time he was reenforced by another Whig, a Mr. Mc- Farland.

Mr. Davis was of Revolutionary stock, his father, Joseph Davis, havmg served several years in the patriot army, being for a time one of General Washington's body-guards. When the British army occupied Elizabethtown, New Jersey, he was engaged to be married in two weeks, and had purchased his wedding suit, which the British secured with the other plunder, and he afterwards saw an English officer wearing it. The proposed marriage was postponed until after the close of the war.

Aaron Davis resided many years in this township, and was an honorable, upright citizen and an active working member of the Martinsburgh Presbyterian church. He died in 1842.

John F. McLain, another prominent citizen, removed to Morgan from Pennsylvania in 1828. He was a large landholder and extensive stock dealer, and was several years part owner of a store in Mt. Vernon. He died in 1858.

in 1815. He hauled his household goods in wagons from Pennsylvania, and was sixteen to seventeen days on the road, settling in the eastern part of Morgan township, where he resided until his death, which occurred in June, 1867. His son Samuel, who was born in 1800, and who now resides in Licking county, was also an early settler in this township, having removed with his father in 1 8 15 from Pennsylvania. He was married in 18 19 to Miss Betsey Hannah, by whom he had ten children ; only one, his son Lee, is now residing in Morgan township. Another of his sons, William Bell, has long been a prominent Democratic politician of Ohio. He has served several terms as sheriff and auditor of Licking county; was elected secretary of State in 1864, and served one term as railroad commissioner, by appointment of Governor Bishop. Samuel Bell is still living in the enjoyment of reasonable health and a competency. He has long been an earnest member of the Bell Disciple church.

John Clutter came from Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1818, and settled near the centre of the township. He has been twice married, and reared fourteen children. He has been a member of the Owl Creek Baptist church thirty-six years, and has served several terms as justice of the peace. Eight of his children are still living, and all but two residents of Knox county.

Jacob Sperry was an early settler, and influential man in -this township. He was born in Hardy county, Virginia, April 24, 1789, and removed to this township in 181 2, settlmg about two miles from Utica, Licking county. He was married January 6, 1813, to Miss Mary Wilson, of Virginia, who bore him seven children. He was a prominent and active member of the Owl Creek Baptist church, not in its early history, but in later years. Mr. and Mrs. Sperry were killed by the cars of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad while crossing the track, with their team on the second of August, 1872.

James Honey came from Virginia in 181 8, and settled on the third military section. At that date wild animals were numerous, and he had much trouble in protecting his flocks of sheep from depredations by wolves. His neighbors, when he first moved into the township, were John Green, Jacob Sellers and John Lash. For some years he hauled his wheat to Zanesville, where he sold it for thirty-one and one-fourth cents per bushel, and paid five dollars per barrel for his salt. He is still a resident of Morgan, and is eighty-seven years old.

David Campbell, who was born in Ohio county, Virginia, in 1793, came to Morgan in 1824, locating one hundred and forty acres on military lot, No. 14. He was married in 181 7, to Miss Maria Vance, of Virginia. They had three children: James, Elizabeth and Margaret. James still resides in the township, and is a Republican politician of some local prominence, and a leading member of the Baptist church. Among the early settlers in addition to those mentioned were Abram Debolt, Moses Mariott, John Boyle, John Dunlap, William Beam, Samuel Harrod, Philip Melker, Philip Smith, Abner Brown, George Cooper, John Harris, Jonathan Agnew, John Vance, Michael Mills, Titus Rigby, Cornehus Callihan, Abraham Carnes, Isaac Beam, Smith Hadley, David Debolt, Bernard Reece and William Green. As far as ascertained they are all dead.

The Browns were a prominent family, and among them several good hunters. On one occasion the elder Brown, needing some articles that could not be had without money, determined upon securing a bear, as bear hides always brought the cash. For this purpose he went out one moonlight night, taking his dogs, his flint-lock rifle and one of his sons, the latter carrying an axe. The dogs were successful in treeing a bear, and Mr. Brown fired at it, but on account of the insufficiency of light only wounded it in the leg. This was, however, sufficient to bring bruin to the ground, where he was fiercely attacked by the dogs, several of which he wounded in the fight, and one was killed. The boy came bravely to the rescue with the axe, and the bear was finally dispatched. Adventures of this character were frequent in those days.

The first wedding in the township was that of Thomas Huston and Elizabeth Brown, and the first funeral was that of Calvin Brown, and the second that of a Mrs. McLain. John Harrod was the first person buried in the Owl Creek Baptist cemetery, and Ziba Leonard, sr., the second. James and Asa Beam probably built the first saw-mill. It was I situated on the head waters of the Rocky fork.

The first ro?.d was the one leading from Mt. Vernon to Newark, which was cut out about 1805 or 1806. The second was the Utica and Martinsburgh, laid out about 181 7.

Ziba Leonard, jr., now living in Martinsburgh, claims to have taught the first school. The schoolhouse was a small log cabin, on Benjamin Bell's farm. It had no floor and greased paper constituted the windows. It was in the summer when he taught this school, and neither the teacher nor any of his scholars wore any covering on their feet during the entire term.

Among the students who attended this school were Luther Brown, Eleazer Brown, Joseph Hunt, James and Asa Beam, Maria Spratt, Uriah Reece, and John Hays. Mr. Leonard charged one dollar and a half per scholar for tuition, and says he "never got half of that." James Kirkland probably taught the second school in the township. All of the householders in Morgan township who had children of sufficient age, patronized these schools. The log school-houses have been supersceded by neat and commodious brick and frame buildings.

Probably the first church in Morgan was built in the western part, on the Mt. Vernon and Newark road, about 1807 or 1808, and was of logs. Benjamin Leonard, a bachelor, and a very zealous Presbyterian, was the prime mover in its erection. In this house, on the Sabbath day, a few individuals religiously inclined would assemble. Leonard would lead in prayer, and read a sermon from an old book published in England two hundred years ago, and which is now in possession of Ziba Leonard. He would also appoint prayer meetings to be held on week-day evenings, in the settlers' cabins: and he never neglected an opportunity to sow the seeds of gospel truth. His earnest, unpretentious labors were blessed, and their fruits are seen to this day. The Martinsburgh Presbyterian church, one of the strongest country churches of that denomination in the county, sprung from this little band of Christian pioneers; for after worshipping some years in this little log church the organization was transferred to Martinsburgh and merged into the Presbyterian church of that village.

The Owl Creek Baptist church was organized in 1809, by the Rev. Amos Mix. The society worshipped in a log church from 1809 to 1842. In the latter year a neat and substantial frame hou.se of worship was erected, at a cost of six hundred dollars. The present brick structure was built in 1865, and dedicated February 4, 1866. Its cost was forty-two hundred dollars. This old organization is one of the strongest Baptist churches, both numerically and financially, in the county. Rev. Amos Mix was its pastor from 1809 to 181 7; Thomas Rigdon, 1817-33; Revs. Ashbrook and James Berry, 1833-4; Rev. Kauffman, 1834-7; James Seymore, 1837-42; D. E. Thomas, B. Thomas, and Benjamin H. Pierson, 1842-4; D. D. Walden, 1844-7; C. Piatt, 1847-52; E. N. Willoughby, 1852-4; N. Martin, 1854-7; Rev. Wilson, 1857-8; Rev. Fink, 1858-^9;, Rev. Stanley, 1859-63; John Letts, 1863-8; D. B. Simms, 1868-71; C. King, 1872; L. Yarnall, 1872-4; A. J. Wiant, 1874-8. The present pastor, J. Tudor Lewis, settled with the church ui May, 1879.

The original number of members was twelve. The present membership is one hundred and ninety-six. This church has been visited with several revivals. During the pastorate of the Rev. D. E. Thomas, in the winter of 1843, sixty were added to the church; in the winter of 1854, thirtyseven; in the winter of 1859, fifty; and in the winter of 1865, forty-eight. A parsonage was erected in 1858. A Sabbath-school was organized in 1840; W. O. B. Honey is the present superintendent.

The Bell church, Disciple was organized in 1829, and in 1834 a neat church edifice was erected on the farm of Benjamin Bell, sr., in the southeast corner of Morgan township, and on the line between Knox and Licking. The original membership was ten, viz: Rev. James Porter, Benjamin Bell, sr., Stephen Harris, Isaac Henthorn, and their wives; Elizabeth Bell and Isaac Stout. Rev. James Porter preached for this church several years.

Davis, John Sargeant, James Mitchell, Jesse B. Ferguson, Arthur Critchfield, James J. Moss, William Hayes, J. H. Jones, Andrew Burns, Abner Lemert, David Sharpless, David Weaver, Jonas Hartzell, Isaiah Jones, David G. Mitchell, and Benjamin Bell, jr., have preached at various times to the congregation. Being contiguous to Licking county, a majority of the members are residents of that county. There are about one hundred and fifty members at this time. The Bell church is one of the strongest, numerically and financially, of the Disciple churches in the county. A flourishing Sunday-school is sustained.

There are no other church organizations or edifices in the township at the present time. In the early history of Morgan, the Methodists held frequent meetings in the houses of the settlers, but they did not erect a church for worship. John Green, esq., and Caleb Pumphry were very zealous members of the Methodist church at an early day, and labored ardently for its success, but the organization finally disbanded, and the members connected themselves with the Uticaand Martinsburgh Methodist societies.

Rev. James Scott, the pioneer Presbyterian preacher of Knox county, frequently preached to the pioneers of Morgan. The citizens generally are believers in the religion of Christ.

There are no villages in this township. An effort was made to establish one at an early date in its history ; some lots were sold but no buildings erected thereon, and the project was abandoned. The .people do their trading at Mt. Vernon, Utica and Martinsburgh.

There are no physicians or lawyers resident here, nor has any post office been established in Morgan since its organization, the inhabitants receiving their mail matter at Utica and Martinsburgh.

The press is liberally supported by the citizens of this township, a large number of both secular and religious papers being in circulation.

Source changes here: from History Knox County, Ohio, by N. N. Hill., Jr, published 1881; 3,119 words in this source stream.

Morgan Township

ORGAN belongs to the southern tier of townships, with Pleasant on the north, Clay on the east, Licking county on the south, and Miller township on the west. It was named after General Daniel Morgan, a noted officer in the Revolutionary war. As originally organized, May 2, 1808, it comprised within its limits the present townships of Morgan, Miller, Hilliar, Milford, the west half of Clay, the south half of Pleasant and the southwest quarter of Harrison. In the general reorganizations of townships in March, 1825, it was reduced to its present limits. It is well watered with numerous streams. Sycamore creek, the principal stream, rises in Milford township, flowing generally east and south through the townships, and with Tumas run finds its way into the Licking. Big run, which rises near the village of Martinsburgh, crosses the northwestern part, passing into Pleasant. The Rocky fork heads in the eastern part of Morgan, running in a southeasterly direction into Licking county. These are the principal streams, but several small brooks are found in various parts. Muck Shaw run and Owl creek water the northern part.

There are several mounds in the township, one of these, on the farm of James Campbell, is about five feet high and forty feet in diameter. Some years since it was opened, and ashes and charcoal were found, but no remains of human beings. In the immediate vicinity an unusually large number of Indian arrowheads were found by the early settlers. The other mounds have not yet been explored.

Agriculturally considered the land is excellent. The soil is very rich and productive, and Morgan township is noted for the wealth of its farmers, and the large crops of wheat, corn and vegetables raised.

The timber presents the usual varieties in Ohio - beech, sugar, poplar, walnut, ash and oak. Although much of this timber has been cleared away, there still remains large forests of red and white oak, beech, sugar and poplar, and it is claimed that there is more valuable timber in Morgan than any other one township -in the county. The land is owned comparatively by a few individuals, and is not divided into small farms as is general throughout the county.

The inhabitants are made up largely of Virginians and Pennsylvanians, and their descendants. The Pennsylvanians preponderate. There is also a sprinkling of the New Jersey and Maryland elements. There are but few foreigners in this or the other townships in the southern part of the county. The absence of the foreign element is a noticeable feature, and probably but few localities in Ohio, of equal population, can compare with it in this respect.

John Green was probably the first white man to settle within the present limits of Morgan. He came from Maryland about the year 1805 or 1806, entering land in the northwestern part of the township. He was a prominent citizen in early times, and served as justice of the peace and in other local offices for many years.

Cornelius Bartalow, sr., was one of the very first 'to settle here. He emigrated from Martinsburgh, Virginia, in 1806, and located forty acres of military land near the village of Utica, Licking county. When he came Indians were numerous, and were about all the neighbors he had for some years. After residing some years here, he removed to Clay township, near the village of Martinsburgh, where he died in 1814, and was the second person buried in the cemetery at that place.

Azariah Davis came from Green county, Pennsylvania, and settled in Utica, Licking county. He was born in 1756, and was a participant in the war for independence. The season prior to his removal from Pennsylvania, he harvested a crop of wheat which he threshed and hauled to Zanesville, Ohio, where he had it ground into flour and stored in a mill at that place. As often as the necessities of his family required it he went to Zanesville and procured flour from this storage. By this precaution his family was well provided with breadstuffs until he could clear up a patch of land and raise a crop. Although Mr. Davis lived several years among the Indians, he had little difficulty in living peaceably with them. He raised a family of nine children, all of whom are dead but Mrs. Rachel Stevens, who resides at Utica, Licking county, in the eighty-fourth year of her life.

Jacob Hanger came from Virginia about the year 1809, and settled in the southeastern part of the township. He was married to Miss Rebecca Davis about 1796, and reared a family of twenty children, ten sons and ten daughters. He was a man of strict integrity and figured quite prominently in the early history of Knox county. He served twenty-one years as justice of the peace in this township, and was otherwise honored by his neighbors with local offices. He died in 1834.

The Pumphreys were among the pioneer families of Morgan who were quite prominent in its early history. They were zealous Methodists, | distinguished for their piety, intelligence, and hospitality, and their home was the stopping place of all the early itinerant ministers of that denomination. Caleb, the patriarch of the family, died in 181]. There are none of the family now residing here.

John Sellers, still living in Morgan, is the largest landholder in the township. He is the owner of eleven hundred acres of valuable land. Mr. Sellers came from Green county, Pennsylvania, in 1823, located two hundred and fifty acres of land in the northern part of this township, erected a cabin, returned to Pennsylvania, and permanently removed to Morgan in 1824, where he has since resided. He is possessed of great energy and perseverance, which is no doubt the secret of his success in accumulating property. He is now about eighty-five years of age. In connection with Mr. Seller's history it would be proper to mention the memorable tornado, known as the "Burlington storm," which passed over his place on the eighteenth day of May, 1825. It originated near Burlington, now Homer, Licking county, entering the southwest corner of Morgan, and sweeping across the township from southwest to northeast. Its path through this township was from one-half to three-fourths of a mile in width. It caused a terrible destruction of timber, fences, cabins, etc. 'Thousands of forest trees were uprooted or twisted off at the tops; houses were torn down or unroofed, fences prostrated and the rails carried through the air, shingles were blown from Homer into this township, and a featherbed was taken up from a dwelling house and lodged in a tree in Harrison township, several miles distant. James Honey had five head of cattle and three horses killed, and Mr. Sellers had many acres of timber prostrated. After it became thoroughly dry he fired it, and it was completely consumed. He was saved the labor and expense of chopping down the trees and rolling the logs together, and thus the old adage was verified that "it is an ill wind that blows nobody good." The roads in the township. lying in the path of the tornado, were all blockaded by the fallen timber, and all the able bodied men in the neighborhood were busy in removing the debris, and bringing order out of confusion. Providentially no one was killed or severely injured in this township, although there was a loss of life in other places where the storm passed by. It spent its force among the Mohican hills.

Aaron Davis came from Essex county, New Jersey, in 1819, and was at one time the only - Whig voter in this township. In course of time he was reenforced by another Whig, a Mr. Mc- Farland.

Mr. Davis was'of Revolutionary stock, his father, Joseph Davis, having served several years in the patriot army, being for a time one of General Washington's body-guards. When the British army occupied Elizabethtown, New Jersey, he was engaged to be married in two weeks, and had purchased his wedding suit, which the British secured with the other plunder, and he afterwards saw an English officer wearing it. The proposed marriage was postponed until after the close of the war.

Aaron Davis resided many years in this township, and was an honorable, upright citizen and an active working member of the Martinsburgh Presbyterian church. He died in 1842.

Johr. F. McLain, another prominent citizen, removed to Morgan from Pennsylvania in 1828. He was a large landholder and extensive stock dealer, and was several years part owner of a store in Mt. Vernon. He died in 1858.

in 1815. He hauled his household goods in wagons from Pennsylvania, and was sixteen to seventeen days on the road, settling in the eastern part of Morgan township, where he resided until his death, which occurred in June, 1867. His son Samuel, who was born in 1800, and who now resides in Licking county, was also an early settler in this township, having removed with his father in 1815 from Pennsylvania. He was married in 1819 to Miss Betsey Hannah, by whom he had ten children ; only one, his son Lee, is now residing in Morgan township. Another of his sons, William Bell, has long been a prominent Democratic politician of Ohio. He has served several terms as sheriff and auditor of Licking county; was elected secretary of State in 1864, and served one term as railroad commissioner, by appointment of Governor Bishop. Samuel Bell is still living in the enjoyment of reasonable health and a competency. He has long been an earnest member of the Bell Disciple church.

John Clutter came from Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1818, and settled near the centre of the township. He has been twice married, and reared fourteen children. He has been a member of the Owl Creek Baptist church thirty-six years, and has served several terms as justice of the peace. Eight of his children are still living, and all but two residents of Knox county.

Jacob Sperry was an early settler, and influential man in this township. He was born in Hardy county, Virginia, April 24, 1789, and removed to this township in 1812, settling about two miles from Utica, Licking county. He was married January 6, 1813, to Miss Mary Wilson, of Virginia, who bore him seven children. He was a prominent and active member of the Owl Creek Baptist church, not in its early history, but in later years. Mr. and Mrs. Sperry were killed by the cars of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad while crossing the track, with their team on the second of August, 1872.

James Honey came from Virginia in 1818, and settled on the third military section. At that date wild animals were numerous, and he had much trouble in protecting his flocks of sheep from depredations by wolves. His neighbors, when he first moved into the township, were John Green, Jacob Sellers and John Lash. For some years he hauled his wheat to Zanesville, where he sold it for thirty-one and one-fourth cents per bushel, and paid five dollars per barrel for his salt. He is still a resident of Morgan, and is eighty-seven years old.

David Campbell, who was born in Ohio county, Virginia, in 1793, came to Morgan in 1824, locating one hundred and forty acres on military lot, No. 14. He was married in 1817, to Miss Maria . Vance, of Virginia. They had three children: James, Elizabeth and Margaret. James still resides in the township, and is a Republican politician of some local prominence, and a leading member of the Baptist church. Among the early settlers in addition to those mentioned were Abram Debolt, Moses Mariott, John Boyle, John Dunlap, William Beam, Samuel Harrod, Philip Melker, Philip Smith, Abner Brown, George Cooper, John Harris, Jonathan Agnew, John Vance, Michael Mills, Titus Rigby, Cornelius Callihan, Abraham Carnes, Isaac Beam, Smith Hadley, David Debolt, Bernard Reece and William Green. As far as ascertained they are all dead.

. The Browns were a prominent family, and among them several good hunters. On one occasion the elder Brown, needing some articles that could not be had without money, determined upon securing a bear, as bear hides always brought the cash. For this purpose he went out one moonlight night, taking his dogs, his flint-lock rifle and one of his sons, the latter carrying an axe. The dogs were successful in treeing a bear, and Mr. Brown fired at it, but on account of the insufficiency of light only wounded it in the leg. This was, however, sufficient to bring bruin to the ground, where he was fiercely attacked by the dogs, several of which he wounded in the fight, and one was killed. The boy came bravely to the rescue with the axe, and the bear was finally dispatched. Adventures of this character were frequent in those days.

that of a Mrs. McLain. John Harrod was the firgt person buried in the Owl Creek Baptist cemetery, and Ziba Leonard, sr., the second. James and Asa Beam probably built the first saw-mill. It was - situated on the head waters of the Rocky fork.

The first rozd was the one leading from Mt. Vernon to Newark, which was cut out about 1805 or 1806. The second was the Utica and Martinsburgh, laid out about 1817.

Ziba Leonard, jr., now living in Martinsburgh, claims to have taught the first school. The schoolhouse was a small log cabin, on Benjamin Bell's farm. It had no floor and greased paper constituted the windows. It was inthe summer when he taught this school, and neither the teacher nor any of his scholars wore any covering on their feet during the entire term.

Among the students who attended this' school were Luther Brown, Eleazer Brown, Joseph Hunt, James and Asa Beam, Maria Spratt, Uriah Reece, and John Hays. Mr. Leonard charged one dollar and a half per scholar for .tuition, and says he "never got half of that." James Kirkland probably taught the second school in the township. All of the householders in Morgan township who had children of sufficient age, patronized these schools. The log school-houses have been supersceded by neat and commodious brick and frame buildings.

Probably the first church in Morgan was built in the western part, on the Mt. Vernon and Newark road, about 1807 or 1808, and was of logs. Benjamin Leonard, a bachelor, and a very zealous Presbyterian, was the prime mover in its erection. In this house, on the Sabbath day, a few individuals religiously inclined would assemble. Leonard would lead in prayer, and read a sermon from an old book published in England two hundred years ago, and which is now in possession of Ziba Leonard. He would also appoint prayer meetings to be held on week-day evenings, in the settlers' cabins; and he never neglected an opportunity to sow the seeds of gospel truth. His earnest, unpretentious labors were blessed, and their fruits are seen to this day. The Martinsburgh Presbyterian church, one of the strongest country churches of that denomination in the county, sprung from this little band of Christian pioneers; for after worship- ping some years in this little log church the organization was transferred to Martinsburgh and merged into the Presbyterian church of that village.

The Owl Creek Baptist church was organized in 1809, by the Rev. Amos Mix. The society worshipped in a log church from 1809 to 1842. In the latter year a neat and substantial frame house of worship was erected, at a cost of six hundred dollars. The present brick structure was built in 1865, and dedicated February 4, 1866. Its cost was forty-two hundred dollars. This old organization is one of the strongest Baptist churches, both numerically and financially, in the county. Rev. Amos Mix was its pastor from 1809 to 1817; Thomas Rigdon, 1817-33; Revs. Ashbrook and James Berry, 1833-4; Rev. Kauffman, 1834-7; James Seymore, 1837-42; D. E. Thomas, B. Thomas, and Benjamin H. Pierson, 1842-4; D. D. Walden, 1844-7; C. Platt, 1847-52; C. E. N.

ninety-six. This church has been visited with several revivals. During the pastorate of the Rev. D. E. Thomas, in the winter of 1843, sixty were added to the church; in the winter of 1854, thirtyseven; in the winter of 1859, fifty; and in the winter of 1865, forty-eight. A parsonage was erected in 1858. A Sabbath-school was organized in 1840; W. O. B. Honey is the present superintendent.

The Bell church, Disciple, was organized in 1829, and in 1834 a neat church edifice was erected on the farm of Benjamin Bell, sr., in the southeast corner of Morgan township, and on the line between Knox and Licking. The original membership was ten, viz: Rev. James Porter, Benjamin Bell, sr., Stephen Harris, Isaac Henthorn, and their wives; Elizabeth Bell and Isaac Stout. Rey. James Porter preached for this church several years.

Davis, John Sargeant, James Mitchell, Jesse B. Ferguson, Arthur Critchfield, James J. Moss, William Hayes, J. H. Jones, Andrew Burns, Abner Lemert, David Sharpless, David Weaver, Jonas Hartzell, Isaiah Jones, David G. Mitchell, and Benjamin Bell, jr., have preached at various times to the congregation. Being contiguous to Licking county, a majority of the members are residents of that county. There are about one hundred and fifty members at this time. The Bell church is one of the strongest, numerically and financially, of the Disciple churches in the county. A flourishing Sunday-school is sustained.

There are no other church organizations or edifices in the township at the present time. In the early history of Morgan, the Methodists held frequent meetings in the houses of the settlers, but they did not erect a church for worship. John Green, esq., and Caleb Pumphry were very zealous members of the Methodist church at an early day, and labored ardently for its success, but the organization finally disbanded, and the members connected themselves with the Utica and Martinsburgh Methodist societies.

Rev. James Scott, the pioneer Presbyterian preacher of Knox county, frequently preached to the pioneers of Morgan. The citizens generally are believers in the religion of Christ.

There are no villages in this township. An effort was made to establish one at an early date in its history ; some lots were sold but no buildings erected thereon, and the project was abandoned. The people-do their trading at Mt. Vernon, Utica and Martinsburgh.

There are no physicians or lawyers resident here, nor has any post office been established in Morgan since its organization, the inhabitants receiving their mail matter at Utica and Martinsburgh.

The press is liberally supported by the citizens of this township, a large number of both secular and religious papers being in circulation.