Nimishillen Township

Nimishillen Township

Tho name ia of Indian origin, and probably commemorative of peculiarities of lands. Tbo depot of tho Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad, which traverses tho township, is built on the site of Loutzonheiser'a house. The old township records were destroyed, - an irretrievable loss. From Adam Lout- Ecnhoifcr, resident of Louisville since January 30, 1308, and the first born white in the township, we glean these fragments of its history.

Tho first settlors who camo here on or. before ISDO and settled were John Bowers and family, located on land now owned by Bollinger, John 'I'homaB, eastern part of tho township, on Lofong's land ; and a group consisting of John Rupert, George Saner. Daniel Matthias, George Ively, Harmon Obenowor, and Henry Loutienheiser eamo out in 1807, and settled near Harrisburg. Adam Rupert camo out alone in 1805, and scleeted tho sections of Henry and John, near where all settled. Ulrich Shively settled westward of present site of Louisville.

The reason of their settlement being made near Harrisburg, was tho elevated location and the heavy poplar and chestnut limber. Tbcy thought the land lying lower and westward was poor, while tho revorso waa true. Tho low ground ia gravelly, Iho high a heavy olay. Wheat is an uncertain crop through its liability to winter-kill.

John Warner and brothers made a scttlemoDt in the northwest comer of tho township in 1807, and found good level agricultural lauds. John Eby, nn 1807 settler, put up a saw- and grist-mill on the Nimiahillcn, a mile and a half west of Louisville, in 1310, the first of the kind erected. The first sleom saw-mill was put up and run by Henry Hoover, on tho east lino of tho township. Its career wna brief; soon exploding, it killed John Reed, tho fireman. Henry Leah was killed at a raising by tho falling of a log, - the first death by accident in tho township.

During 1808 many families moved in. Some carried pooket-compasses, ond, keeping tho direction of their claim, cleared their way to it with axes. On arrival, the wagon became the homo until a shelter could bo made; this took but a day or two, and then work at clearing by all hands began. The first shelter waa generally about twelve feet squore, and when ciroumstanccs improved, the cabin made a comfortable abccp-pcn, secure from storm and prowling wolf.

Harrisburg, to the northeast, is the oldest village, ond was laid out by Jacob Molthins in 1830, at tbo crossing of tho Lexington and King's roads. It grew to be quite a flourishing place, until the completion of tbo railway farther south sounded its knell, and it is now a quiet village of obout twenty families.

David Rohn was its early storekeeper. Christian Bargcr put up a dwellinghouse to start the town, and a man named Wolf kept a tavern and store combined, A tannery waa run by Samuel Connol.

Louisville, a flourishing town of a thousand people, is an outgrowth of tbo railroad and of plucky enterpriae. It had been laid out in the fall of 1333, by Henry Loutienheiser and Frederick Pinnel. These soon sold out. A start was mode in building by Henry Wolf's putting up a hewed-log bouse, and keeping in it a store, tavern, ond bar combined. Solomon Georges opened the first regular store, while binoksmitbing was done by Andrew Gongnnour. Produce had no local market. Wheat waa hauled to Cleveland, then, the canol being built, to Massillon, and finally, when the railroad was finished, to Louisville, John H. Klippnrt, a merchont, built a warehouse and became tho first homo wheat buyer. Henry Matthias, an old resident of Lonisvillo, affirms that Henry Wiutrodo was the first township clerk; Jacob Tombaugh, tho constoblc; Michnel Ringer and A. Motz, fence-viewers ; Matthew Rowes and John Rupert, trustees ; and H. Loulzenheiscr and Rowes, supervisors. There wore but two roods, - tho Lexington was jiartly graded by local and County aid. Stark's roada are free; tho toll-gate is an unknown institution in any of her townships.

The first justice of the peace waa Daniel Matthias. Tho first school-houao was built on Ulrich Shenley's lond, about 18U. Tho school was taught by Lowia Probat, and numbered twenty pupils.

An old trail from Canton to Georgetown, through Louisville, was straightened and known ns tho State road. Tbo surveyor was Michael Slump; the viewers, John Whipple, John Augustine, and Tbomaa Anderson. Tho first religious oxoroiscs were held by tho Dunkards, led by Rev. Gontz, at their bouses. Meetings of other sects were held evenings, experiences related, hymns sung, and prayers offered. Roman Catholics built their first ohuroh in Louisville during 1830, Louis Qrois, pastor. Tho society have a fine structure, and about nine bun. dred persons aro attached to that belief. Edword Carroll was tho first Catholic lo solllo in Nimishillon. Louisville's first postmaster waa Samuel Petree, in 1835. and Henry Loutzcnheisor built the firat brick houeo in tho town. Tbo people are quiet and sociable, diligent and enterprising, A lodge of Grangers meota in tho town. In portions of tbo township one aeos spuelous red painted barns, and curiously enough the houses aro frequently much the poorer habitation,

The organlzotion of Marlborough Township took place M^reh 4, ISIO, It originally formed part of Lexington, and with it bos an identical history. In tho year 1806, Abraham Wilemon cut the Drat slick of limber in the township. The land of this, aa well as other townships, was entered at Iwo dollars per acre, payable in three installments at the laud office in Steubenville. In tho reduction of price for Government land to one dollor and twenty-five cents per oere, there was a douse in tho act permitting all who had forfeited iheir land, by not paying the second and third installments, to re-enter other tracts, at the role of ono dollar and hventy-fivo cents per acre, lo Iho nmouul they had paid on their forfeited entries. News, then, did not como by telegraph, and the early settlers were long ignorant of the now clause. Rascals took advantage of this to buy. for a few dollars, the Bolllor'a ontry-papora, he thinking them worthless, and then using them lo enter new lands. Fortunes had their origin in this sharp practice, and ono real estate operator, who started in this way, died worth a million and n half dollars.

Iiidinns wore numorous, but, doBliDg with Ibo FrioDds, disoiplos of Pcnn, wero nlwtiys iioncpnblo, until the war of 1S12, when tlioy stopped iiiloroourso with llio wliiles, linnlly vfithilrowaltogctlirr, snvo nn ooensioiml iiidividuiil on a journoj-. Tlioy lind no feltlomontj, but triippcil in Deor, Bcnoli, nnd the Muhoning, nnd iiiiido ninplo sngnr from llio cinnpnc( ^rnvps of fiigiiL-.treos in Ibis soclion. Up to I3.|l), Bclllors believed (but Icitd exislod in this viiiinity. A primitive Indian mill consistod of n boUowcd stump, n bont sii|.ling, ond n. thong-bound atono ns pcstlo lo crush tho inaiic. Wild gaDic wua plenty ; bodvor soon disapponrcd ; oticr were found lilt 1813. Bears were IroublcBomo foes lo tbc sivine, gnnwiog Iboiu by the nook iinil driving them to tho woods, aoil Ibero fcnsting. Tho last bonr was ?oon in ibia ocigbborhnod in 1830. Duor wore plenty till ISli'a great ico-crustcd snow, whun, preoludcd from travel, llioy perished by hundreds. Wolvog wero numerous, nnd rniscd their dismal howl ns the shades of evening fell ; wild turlteys were aocn in flocks of hundreds. Jobn Mccso killed one hundred and eighty from one flook, nnd sold them at a few ooots apieoo at Now Lisbon. Poroupinos woro very plenty. Unltlesnakos woro numerous; in 1812, John Grant lost an ox by tho bito of ono. Tho last ono rcntcuibcrcd was seen in Lexington To\ynabip, in 1850, Bees were plenty. Honey cnnio nest, as a cash article, to maple sugar. The pioneers became expert in finding tho rioh tronsnrefl of Ibo hollow trees. Squirrels bceame a pest in 1S27. A squirrol-hnnt was had, ondsovcnicen hundred killed in ono day. Thomas Grant, of Lexington, shot nearly two hundred himself, and won tho prize offered. The first barrel of salt ovor teamed into the township was in 1814, and cost twelve dollars. Previously it had been packed on horsoback. Sail-works were started on Yellow Creek, and reduced tho price to six dollars.

Tbc township is six miles square; it is well watered, and to the northwest contains an inmonso bed of peat. There are two towns within its borders: New Baltimore, near the centre of tho northern jiart of Section 4, and Marlborough, in tho centre of Section 14. William Poiinook, .Sr., settled in the northwest of thisBeolion in IS18; bis sou?, William and Mosos Pennock, Dempsey Johnson, and' Samuel Kllipon laid out the town of i\Iarl borough, in 1827. The first chureh was erected by tbe Quakers, in 1S2-1, and in 1825 tho first sobool-house was buill, about one mile oast of tho town. Tbe first road laid out ran from Marlborough to Canton. It was granted on the petition of George A. Hox, and surveyed by MoCluro about 18117. The two first justices, serving for tbe eptire northern part of tho County, were J. Loutzenheiscr and J. F. Leonard, elected, in 1807, to sorvo throe years. James Gaff and Georgo Wike suaceoded them.