Newton Township

Newton Township

^HE Mound Builders once occupied the terril tory which now forms Newton township. They ected some works, the chief of which is a small one mound between the North fork and the Clear rk, on the farm formerly owned by M*. John eed; also a large earth mound on the farm of the te Benjamin Elliott, not far from the junction of e Brushy fork and North fork; and a small stone ound on the hill west of the Coffman mill.

There is no Indian history of especial interest mnected with the ^township. The Wyandots , klawares and Shawnees roamed through it extenvely, using it as a hunting ground, and most likehad temporary encampments within it, but none : a permanent character, nor any village within istoric times, at least

The Clear fork, Brushy fork and North fork are te principal streams. The "Big spring," east of te North fork, forms a tributary to the latter, imetimes called "Spencer's run," and is a considable stream.

The spring is upon the farm on which General >hn Spencer settled in 1805, and in early times imished an amount of water sufficient to drive a tw-mill and a grist-mill It was probably the rgest spring in Licking county, but, doubtless, in common with other streams, flows less water now than it did at the time of the first settlement of the county, before the land was cleared, and the obstructions in the streams removed, and when the evaporation was inconsiderable. Spencer's run is not much over a mile in length.

There is considerable alluvial soil along these streams, but elsewhere in the township the land is rolling, and in some places hilly. It is, however, rather productive, especially in the North fork and Clear fork valleys; also along the Brushy fork and in other localities.

Its early settlers were mostly from Virginia and western Pennsylvania. John Evans came from Virginia and settled in what afterward became Newton township, in 1803, and was its first settler. His brother, George Washington Evans, either came at the same time or not long afterward, and had a temporary residence with, or near, his brother, before he settled near the Indian village of Raccoon town, now Monroe township, in 1807, and became the first settler in that township.

was called, and Chiswold May, his son-in-law, both Virginians, settled on Spencer's run. The latter was a noted hunter. Mr. Humphrey was a somewhat singular, indeed an eccentric character, and had passed with honor/through the Revolutionary war. He was one of General Wayne's forlorn hope at the storming of Stoney Point.

General John Spencer came from Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, in the spring of 1805, and settled near the Big spring. Stephen Robinson came during this or the succeeding year.

William Morrison came from Pennsylvania and , settled in this township, on or near the borders of the Welsh hills, during this or the previous year.

The immigrants of 1808 were James Stewart, Samuel Stewart, Thomas and William Gray and Nathan and Samuel Preston, though the Preston brothers may have arrived a year later. They all --^came from Pennsylvania, as did also Captain t James Coulter, who settled in 1809 or 1810. Captain Elias Hughes, George Woods and Joseph Laird, became settlers in 1809 or 1810.

Henry Benner, John Bevard, and perhaps others came to Newton in 1810; and these were followed in succession by Major John Huston, William Spencer (brother of General John), Colonel John Waggoner, Peter Pence, David Marple and others, who were principally Virginians and Pennsylvanians. Zachariah Albaugh, the veteran centenarian revolutionary hero; John Keim, Christian Stout, Bazaleel Moreland, Edward Thomas and others were settlers of a later date. These were also Virginians and Pennsylvanians.

James Maxwell taught the first school in the township. This was in a small log cabin schoolhouse which stood on the land now owned by Mr. Bullopk, near St Louisville. William Morrison, father of a late fellow citizen, William P. Morrison, was also a pioneer school teacher in Newton. He taught in 1808, in a log structure erected for a stable, on the farm long owned and recently occupied by the late venerable Maurice Jones. Mr Morrison was a man of considerable ability and learning. He received his education in Massachusetts, his native State, where he attended an academy, having John Quincy Adams, once President of the United States, as a fellow student Alexander Blackburn taught school in a log school-house that stood on the land now owned by James Stewart, one of our county commissioners, then near General Spencer's residence, about the year 1810, and for several years afterward About the same time the aforesaid Maxwell taught in a log school-house wr.ich stood on the farm of Isaac Harris, near the Clear fork.

The house was built by George Harris, Stephen Robinson, and a few others in that neighborhood About the year 1815, Archibald Wilson commenced teaching in Spencer's school-house He followed teaching several years; having a collegiate education and considerable ability. He served during the War of 1812, on the staff of General Gaines, on the northern frontier, in which service his health was greatly impaired.

About the year 1806, Mr. John Henthom bulk a grist-mill on Spencer's run. It was a mere corncracker, about twelve feet square, with buhrs or millstones about the size of a large grindstone. Mr. Stephen Robinson erected a saw-mill on tbe North fork in 1808, and noj long after a grist-mill also, on the same stream.

Judge Elliott built a saw-mill on Spencer's run in 1814. William Spencer came to Newton in 18 r 6, and during the next year erected a grist-miO near the Elliott saw-mill on the same stream. During the War of 1812 George Harris built a saw-mill on the Clear fork; and soon thereafter David Harris erected a grist-mill on the same stream. John Keim built a saw-mill near the mouth of Clear fork about forty years ago.

The pioneer preachers of this township were John Emmett, Michael Ellis, William Knci; James Smith, Abraham Fry, John Green, a si Messrs. Cloud, Daniels, Gruver, and McClelland These held religious meetings here before 18m Rev. James B. Finley regularly traveled a droJ rhich embraced Newton township, in the years 810 and 1811. He preached regularly at the louse of Mr. Stephen Robinson while on this ciruit, and, probably, at the house of Mr. Nathan Heston, who was an acquaintance and friend of iis, they having previously lived near each other in he southern part of the State. Mr. Finley was a -rominent preacher in Ohio nearly half a century. Iis father had given him a good education, which, dded to more than the usual amount of intellectual ower, made him a preacher of considerable force, iis father had charge of the Presbyterian church t Cane Ridge, Bourbon county, Kentucky, where .Tas held the celebrated camp-meeting in August, 801. At this most remarkable camp-meeting or- *inated the religious exercises known as the jerks." Mr. Finley was, in his youth, much iven to the vices prevalent in frontier communiies, but he attended the Cane Ridge camp meetig, and was induced by the teachings there imarted to him, and by the inspirations he then eceived, to commence a Christian career which ave to the people of the west the ministerial serices of an efficient pioneer preacher for more than fty years. He was a plain, blunt, bluff, outpoken man, and wielded considerable influence in is denomination. He spent some years as a misionary among the Wyandots , and for a long time erved as chaplain in the Ohio penitentiary. He as widely known as a bold advocate of tempernce. He indulged much in a pugnacious spirit; 1 fact, his temperament was of the combative sort, nd he devoted much of his time to fighting schislatics, errorists, distillers, Calvinsts, slave-holders, hiskey-sellers, and sinners generally, of all classes.

Mr. Finley was born in North Carolina in 1781, ut his childhood and youth were spent in the canerakes and frontier settlements of Kentucky. He rew into manhood in the midst of rough backoodsmen and untutored, pugilistic associates. Lfter spending many years among the half-civilized Vyandots and State prison convicts, it is not surrising that he never attained to those superior derees of polish in manners, speech, and deportment, iat belong to the higher plane of civilization; but [>ntinued somewhat pugnacious in temper, rustic 1 manner, and harsh, blunt, rough-spoken in adress.

Rev. E. Bowman was Mr. Finley's successor on the circuit. He was a man of considerable ability and power in the pulpit. During his term of service (1811 and 1812) he adopted the Arian sentiments and propagated them with some success. A number of the local preachers, and many of the members on his circuit, abjured Methodism and adopted Arianism or Socianism, which culminated in a number of Christian, often called New Light, churches on this old Methodist circuit.

A society of Christians was organized in the Clear Fork valley, who subsequently erected a house of worship at the junction of the Utica and Johnstown roads, now Chatham. This church was occupied many years, but was finally superceded by the erection of one west of it, in McKean township, and by another in St. Louisville, to which the members of the former transferred their membership.

The controversy started by Rev. Mr. Bowman raged a dozen or twenty years. Much acrimony of feeling, through this and other portions of central Ohio, was manifested by both parties to the controversy. Armeriianism was the party in occupancy and possession, and Socianism contested with zeal, energy, and ability, for the supremacy. Religious disputations were the order of the day, which naturally engendered much partizanship, and, sometimes, harsh and uncharitable feeling. Some law-suits and rending of churches followed, accompanied by a harsh spirit of proselytism indulged in, probably, to an equal extent by both sides.

"Halcyon" preachers, so called because they propagated a gospel of peace, came along occasionally in early times. The earliest of these ministrations was held in 1810, at the house of a Mr. Henthorn, who lived on the North fork above the Robinson mills. Mrs. Donavan was present at this meeting, and has furnished an account of it. She says that a pet pig belonging to the family, which harbored among the bushes or green boughs that adorned the chimney hearth on this occasion (it being summer time) caused some interruption to the flow of halcyon eloquence, during the progress of the sermon, by sometimes coming out of his nest, making raids into the audience, and exciting their risibilities by his antic gambols, to the great disgust of the preacher.

Rev. Abner Goff was an early-time Methodist preacher of Newton township, whose home was on the North fork, near St. Louisville, many years, but he belonged to a more recent period, by a few years, than the foregoing.

Rev. Peter Schmucker, a Lutheran minister, and father of the Hon. Isaac Smucker, yet living in Newark, was among the later pioneer preachers of Newton township. He often held religious services, preaching generally in English, but sometimes in the German language, at the school-house near the residence of General John Spencer, who with Mr. John Keim and their families, with others in the neighborhood, gave those labors their countenance and encouragement. He also, in co operation with the aforenamed gentlemen, organized a Sabbath-school in 1826, probably the first established in the township, or in that section of the county. Funds were raised with which a Sabbath-school library was purchased, and a good degree of success attended the school a number of years. These were the incipient steps in the work of the permanent establishment of Lutheranism in*Newton township.

At present there are five churches in the township. Two of these are Methodist, two Lutheran, and one Christian or New Light. One of the Methodist churches was organized at the house of Stephen Robinson in 1810, by Rev. James B. Finley. Stephen Robinson and wife, Joseph Lair and wife, Jesse Harris and wife, Samuel Paine and wife, John Paine and Catharine Lair were the original members. This society has a membership of nearly one hundred, and has its church in Chatham. Connected with this society is a Sabbath-school of one hundred pupils.

A Baptist church was organized in the township in an early day, and Rev. John Fry was one of its early-time preachers. The society was never very large. They erected their first church edifice in St. Louisville in the earliest years of that village, and in 1849 sold it to the Christian or New Light society. Soon after, they erected a small log church on Lost run, about three miles east of St. Louisville, just over the line in Washington township, which is now occupied. Rev. John Pritchard has been nearly thirty years pastor of this church.

The Christian church was the second one organized in the township. It was first established on the Clear fork, and its original building erected there; but the society was afterward transferred to Sylvan ia, St. Louisville, and Mt. Hermon in McKean township. Rev. John Lee for many years occupied the pulpit of this church. The society in St. Louisville is not numerous.

The oldest of the two Lutheran organizations has a good church building in St. Louisville, with a membership of over one hundred. It was organized about the year 1839. Revs. Andrew Henkle and Peter Schmucker were the pioneer preachers within the bounds of this congregation. The Messrs. John, William and Simon Haas and John Koontz were among the original members of this efficient organization. Its ministers were Rev. Solomon Ritz, who organized it, followed by Revs. Bishop, Joseph Wolf, Moyer, Barnes, Shaffer, William Gilbreath, J. L. Gilbreath, J. J. Miller, P. N. O'Banon, George Sinsebaugh, W. G. Kile, T. S. Smedley and others.

Their church edifice is the best in the township, A flourishing Sabbath -school is connected with this church, which averages about one hundred pupils.

The Second Methodist church, or Newton chapel, was organized in Mary Ann township, at the house j of Mr Seth Carver, in 1834, by Rev. George Han newalt. Services were subsequently held in Chilcoat's school-house in this township, and then in j Lock's school-house. The chapel was erected d ii-j ing the summer of 1856, and dedicated in the spring of 1867, the land on which it stands being donated to the society by James Thrapp, who, with J. E. Thrapp and Jeremiah Stout, constituted the building committee.

The original members of this church were Seth Carver and wife, James Thrapp and wife, Isaac Harris and wife, David Moats and wife, Edward Thomas and wife, Mrs. Trippier, Joseph Evans, and perhaps a few others. The pastors have been Revs. Cunningham, Mark, Harvey, Ryland, Taylor, Lonnes, Fink, Gardner, Fleming, Ferris, Reed and others. The society is self-supporting, having * membership of fifty or more. T he Sunday-school was organized about 1840; the present member* ship being about fifty.

The first camp meeting held in Newton township was in 1810, or possibly a year later. It was held on the land of Stephen Robinson, now owned by Rev. John Lee. The place was long called Camp Hollow. The second camp meeting was held in 1815, on the Clear fork, on or near the site of the village of Chatham, and was conducted by Rev. John McMahon.

Newton township was organized in 1809. Judge Elliott, father of the late Benjamin Elliott, laid out its first village in 1805, calling it Fairfield. It was situated on the south bank of Brushy fork, about three miles north of Newark, on the Mt. Vernon road. It ultimately came to be called Cannonsburgh, in honor of Thomas Cannon, the tavern keeper of the village. It never grew, and its lots were, after a time, vacated. J udge Elliott is more fully noticed in the chapter on the "First White Men."

Chatham, called at first Harrisburgh, was laid out by Colonel John Waggoner in 1829. It has been a post town nearly fifty years. Its inhabitants in 1850 numbered two hundred and eight At the census of 1870 they had declined to one hundred and fifty-two, and in 1880 to one hundred and thirty-three. Should this decrease continue it is only a question of time with the existence of the place. It did not long retain the name of Harrisburgh.

St. Louisville was laid out in 1839 by John Bell and Stephen Ritter. Subsequently additions were laid out by John Evans and Wesley Coffman. It early became a post town, superceding the post office at Newton Mills, half a mile below. Some of its postmasters were: Elijah Goff, David Carver, Daniel Albaugh, Jackson Belt and Perry A. Harris. The population of the village in 1850 was one hundred and nine; in 1870, one hundred and sixty-six; n 1 880, two hundred and fifteen.

Vanattaburgh is a manufacturig point which ias been gradually growing into a village of artisans, who, with their families, number a hundred more. It has a foundry and some factories; also 1 grocery store, post office and church. It has iad its principal growth since the completion of the

Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark railroad. The first post office established in the township was at Newton Mills, seven miles north of Newark, at the crossing of the North fork by the Mount Vernon road. Colonel John Waggonor was the first postmaster, and was succeeded by Major John Huston. Ultimately the office was removed to St. Louisville, and Nathan Hadley appointed postmaster. The Chatham office was the second one established in the township. This was about 1831. Messrs. Gosnell and Myers were the early postmasters. The Vanattaburgh office was the third and last one established. Messrs. Vanatta (from whom the town received its name), Boggs and S. R. Wilson have been postmasters.

Mr. Samuel Stewart, county commissioner in 1814-15, was Newton township's first county officer. General John Spencer was representative in the legislature of the State from 1814 to 1817, and State senator from 1818 to 1822, inclusive. Colonel William Spencer, was elected county assessor in 1827 for two years, and to the office of sheriff in 1830, and again in 1832. John Bell was elected to the legislature in 1852. Captain James Coulter held the office of coroner a number of years. John Stewart was elected county treasurer in 1839 for two years. James Stewart was county commis sioner several years.

The population of the township in 1840 was one thousand two hundred and forty-seven; in 1850, one thousand three hundred and sixty-four; in i860, one thousand three hundred and ten, in 1870, one thousand three hundred and three, and in 1880, one thousand three hundred and thirtytwo.

"That one evening, on one of his tours down the North fork of Licking, in the winter of 1810-11, he heard not far off the report of a gun, followed by screams, apparently from some person who had been shot. It was about twilight, and he proceeded to the house, near by, of Mr. Stephen Robinson, where soon a messenger arrived, who announced that a man had been shot at the creek.

"Mr. Finley, with others, at once went to the relief of the victim, whose tracks they were able to follow by the blood, which had spurted from the gun-shot wound, at every jump, as from a stricken deer.

* * They soon found him in a cabin with a family, where, probably he had his home, he being a single man. Mr. Finley assisted in binding up the wound, and the party then returned to Mr. Robinson's."

The foregoing paragraph'f rom* M r. Finley's notebook refers to an attempt made about seventy years ago, to kill a Mr. William K inning, who had recently become a settler in this township, and was boarding with a family whose residence was on the west of the North fork, near to or on the farm of Stephen Robinson.

Kinning received the shot while crossing the creek on a log. Tracks in the snow and other circumstances pointed to a man as the assassin who lived on the east side of the North fork.

The suspected culprit fled, but was pursued, captured and put into what was a very poor apology for a jail, in Newark. This attempt at murder intensely excited the entire community. Hon. William Stanbery wras engaged as counsel to defend him, but before the day of trial came he escaped from jail, and has not since been heard from.

Kinning finally recovered. He was an eccentric Scotchman who generally kept a good horse, and traveled extensively, absenting himself sometimes for months, his whereabouts being, at such times, unknown here. His wound in the hip left him somewhat lame, and he was charged with itinerating as a mendicant, in the assumed character of a crippled soldier of the War of 1812. Be that as it may he somehow became possessed of a considerable sum of money, principally in bills issued by the Granville Alexandrian society. One day, when on one of his mysterious tours, he heard of the failure of this library and banking company, and at once started for the office of the association for the purpose of securing his money. The doors were closed, and after several calls, failing to obtain admittance, and becoming, in the meantime, pretty well filled with whiskey, a beverage few Scotchmen reject, he secured a maul, and attempted the enforced resumption of specie pay ments by battering down the door. A crowd soon gathered, compelling him to desist, and fearing arrest, he mounted his horse, and rode rapidly to Newark.

He called at Colonel Gault's for another drink, then started on double quick time, and had just passed out the east of the square as the Granville

In 1805 Richard Humphrey and his son-in-law, Chisholm Mav, lived on Spencer run, near where the Henthorn mill was erected General Spencer lived near the head of the run not far from the spring.

Ope day, during the summer, while the general was at work in his corn-field, and Mrs. Spencer was away from their cabin, a huge bear came along and seized a pig of good size near where a little fouryear-old, their son, and a sister older, were playing.

The squealing of the pig arrested their attention, and they had barely time to get inside of the cabin before the bear came along with the pig, passing near the cabin door. The sister, being older and stronger, helped the boy up into the cabin loft Bruin ran down near the cabin of Mr. May. The latter seeing him, and being a hunter, took his gun and dogs, pursued, overtook and killed him.

It is owing mainly to the fact that this bear selected the pig in the yard, and not the boy, that Newton township was, until 1874, indebted for the continued presence of Col. William Spencer, whose residence there dates further back than that of any man who was living in the township at the date of his death.

General John Spencer, Elias Hughes, and the centenarian hero of Revolutionary fame, Zachariah Albaugh, may appropriately be named as among the most noteworthy and patriotic of the settlers of the township. The latter was born in the Shen* andoah valley, Virginia, and was removed by his father in early life to Maryland, where he resided at the beginning of the Revolutionary war, being then eighteen years of age. At this age he entered the army as a private, but subsequently became an officer, and served during the entire war. He participated in the sanguinary battle of German town, October 31, 1777.

At the close of the war he removed to West moreland county, Pennsylvania, where he lived, near the residence of General St. Clair, until 1817* when he emigrated to Licking county. Here be lived (with the exception of a short time spent ia

Knox county) in comparative retirement during the last forty years of his life; finally closing his eventful career on the ninth day of November, 1857, at the advanced age of one hundred years or more. His death occurred at the residence of his son in Newton township, where he was buried with the honors of war.

He was long a pensioner of the Government whose freedom he assisted in establishing. He had outlived his age and generation, and consequently, during many of the latter years of his life, his intercourse with mankind was limited; but he retained until within a short period before his death, his mental faculties to a remarkable degree.

Mr. Albaugh was of German descent, and his education had been mainly in the German language, though not exclusively. During a considerable portion of his life he was engaged in teaching, both in German and English. His reading had been more extensive than was usual with his cotemporaries, and he was consequently more intelligent, and possessed of a wider range of information than was common during the last century among men in the humble walks of life.

In religion he was a Lutheran; and attributed his long life mainly to his almost total abstinence from intoxicating liquors, his general conformity to the laws of health ; and it was probably owing, in a great measure also, to his cheerful disposition, hilarious temperament, and his disposition to look on the "sunny side of things." Wise, indeed, is he who can live such a life, but rarely is such a life to be found.

Captain Hughes was the first settler in the county and an early settler in this township. The leading incidents of his eventful life are presented at length in another chapter of this work.

General John Spencer was born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, in 1780, came to Newton township in 1805, and reached the termination of his active, patriotic, and useful life, April 1, 1827, aged forty-seven years. He was a first-class pioneer, a roan of generous impulses, of kindness of heart, ot undoubted courage, of unquestioned patriotism, of great integrity of character, of many excellent qualities which he exhibited in the varied relations of husband, father, citizen, neighbor, friend, soldier, commander, magistrate, and legislator. It may be stated in evidence of the high estimation in which he was held by his fellow citizens, that he occupied civil or military positions nearly the entire period of his residence in Licking county.

His soldierly qualities developed in the War of 1812. He entered the service during the first year of the war, was surrendered at Detroit, and thus became a paroled prisoner of war. With some this would have been a sufficient reason to remain at home until exchanged, but in 1813, when the northern frontier was menaced, he recruited a company and went again to the front as captain.

During General Harrison's visit to Newark, in 1836, he had a conversation with AmosH. Caffee, esq., in relation to the events of the War of 1812. During this interview the services of General Spencer, as a military officer, came under review'. General Harrison observed that soon after Spencer joined him, he detailed the troops to pursue General Proctor, it being just before the battle of the Thames and omitted Captain Spencer's company. Knowing the captain to be a paroled prisoner, he did not wish to put him in jeopardy, but intended to assign to him duty in the rear, where he would not be exposed to capture. Of this Captain Spencer complained to the general, telling him that he did not know what he had done that he was not of the detail General Harrison replied that he knew him (Spencer) to be a brave man, but that as he was a paroled prisoner, if he was captured, nothing that he could do would save his life. "And is that all?" replied Captain Spencer. "General," he continued, "it is for you to say whether I shall go at the head of my company or as a volunteer in the ranks, for I am going with you." Captain Spencer and his company were included in the detail. General Harrison observed, however, that if the tide of battle had turned against him, he would have made special effort to protect Captain Spencer's company and its brave commander from capture. He had several narrow escapes during the war, his clothes being penetrated by the enemy's balls a number of times. His scabbard was struck by a bullet, in the battle of Brownstown, which broke the blade into a number of pieces, the flattened ball lodging in the bottom of the scabbard.

When the swollen, turbid waters of the North fork closed over General Spencer, the career of a liberal-minded, independent man was arrested ; the impulses of a generous nature were extinguished and a heroic life went out.

Under the inspirations of the teachings of General Spencer, Captain Hughes and others, the early settlers were very patriotic. The township furnished the two captains, above mentioned for the War of 1812, and kept up a company of volunteers as long as any other portion of the county, after the war was ended. It was commanded respectively by John Spencer, David Harris, William Spencer, Hite, Hannah, Belt, Farmer, and others.

The "Newton Blues" had a long and honorable career, going out among the last of the independent volunteer companies that originated during the War of 1812.

Colonel William Spencer, a son of General John Spencer, *was born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania in 1802, and was brought with the family of his father to "Big spring" when three years of age. He entered public life soon after becoming eligible, and held many stations of trust, honor and emolument in military and civil life. His first position was that of magistrate. In 1827 he was elected county assessor, and served as such two years, when he became sheriff of the county, serving from 1830 to 1834; in the latter year he was elected county auditor, and served, by re-election, until 1841. For a number of years he served asa member of the board of public works of the State, and when, in 1851, the office of clerk of the court became elective under the constitution, he was elected to this office, serving three years, and retiring in 1855. He was subsequently city clerk, president of the city council, and held other offices. Except a few years spent in the west, he was a life-long citizen of this county, and one of the best known of its public men. He was the cotemporary of Colonel Gault, Colonel Stadden, Major John Stewart, Colonel J. B. W Haynes, Hon. William Stanbery, Major Anthony Pitzer, General Augustine Munson, Amos H. Caffee, William P. Morrison, Lucius Case, Rees Darlington, Bryant Thornhill, Joshua Mathiot, Judge Searle, Judge Haughey, Colonel James Parker. General Jonathan Taylor, Hon. Daniel Duncan, George H. Flood, Benjamin Briggs, and many other prominent men, and outlived them all. He took an active part in the organization of the Pioneer society and was one of its officers until he could serve no longer, by reason of his continued stay at Columbus, where he was clerk of the lessees of the Ohio canals. He died April 27. 1874, aged seventy-two years.