Noble Township (part 2 of 8)

During the first quarter of the nineteenth century there was a steady tide of emigration from the older States {o the Northwest Territory. By 1830 the region now embraced in the county of Noble contained a population of several hundred people, as shown by the tax records of the different counties, to which the territory at that time was subject. The life of the pioneer families of Noble county was not different from that of the people of other frontier settlements. Everybody lived in a log cabin, ate corn bread, and wore homespun clothing. Those who came first tried to find a suitable location convenient to a spring of living water, and when this was not convenient a well was dug, which was usually furnished with the sweep and the "old oaken bucket" made famous in song. The log cabin of pioneer days is fast passing away. A few remain standing, here and there, like monuments to the memory of a bygone civilization, and these are fast crumbling to decay. Another generation and the log cabin will remain only in the history and traditions of the people. It is purely an American institution and the following description of the manner of its construction may be interesting to the younger readers of this history, who have never had the pleasure of attending a "raising":

"When the settler had found a spot to his liking he began clearing the ground of the trees, reserving the largest and best logs to be used in constructing his cabin. For this, trees of nearly uniform size were selected and cut into suitable lengths, generally fifteen to eighteen feet. On an appointed day as many of the scattered neighbors as could be assembled gathered at the place to assist the newcomer in 'raising' his house. After the ground-logs were laid, the others were raised to their places by the aid of handspikes and 'skidpoles,' and men standing at the corners notched them as fast as they were placed in position. The place of 'ecornerman' was one of distinction, and the men chosen for these positions were supposed to be particularly skillful in the use of the axe.

"The cabin was usually raised to a height of seven or eight feet, and then the laying of the gables began. These were formed by shortening each log successively and giving the ends the right slant. The gables were held in position and the framework of the roof formed by small, straight poles laid about two and a half feet apart, and extending from one gable to the other. These poles supported the shingles or 'clapboards,' as they were called, forming the roof, and the clapboards were held in place by weight poles stretched across the roof in the same manner as the poles beneath the clapboards, and secured by chunks of wood fitted closely between them at each end. The clapboards were usually about four feet in length, made from straight-grained oak, split in the requisite thickness. or the splitting an instrument known as a frow was used, which was merely a straight blade, fixed upright at right angles with its handle, and driven by a mallet.

and daubed' with clay or mud, and all holes through which cold or rain might enter stopped. The walls had to be rechinked frequently, as the rain loosened and washed out the filling. _ One or two small windows were made by cutting out a square hole in the walls. Across the window sticks were fastened, and to them greased paper was attached to admit the light and keep out the cold. A doorway was made by cutting out a sufficient space in the logs if a saw was to be had - otherwise it was made by laying short logs on each side until a sufficient height had been reached, when the logs were laid extending the whole length of the front of the cabin. The door was made of splits or clapboards, fastened to wooden cleats by wooden pins. The hinges were also made of wood and fastened to the door in a similar manner. A wooden latch was then arranged on the inside of the door to be lifted from the outside by a leather string drawn through the door. When the string was drawn inside the door was securely fastened. From this manner of fastening the door arose the old saying. "The latchstring is always out,' synonymous with hospitality.

"The chimney of the pioneer dwelling stood outside, at one end of the cabin. It was built either of stone or of sticks and mud. The fireplace was generally a huge affair. A space for it was left in the logs, or -else one was cut for it after the walls were erected. The back and sides of the fireplace were made of large, flat stones; the width was sufficient to admit a log six or eight feet long. In the fireplace hung a crane, with iron hooks (or wooden ones when iron could not be obtained), upon which the pots and kettles of the household were suspended.

"The floor of the cabin - if it had one, which was not always the case - was made of puncheons, or boards split from logs and hewed to the required thickness. * * * Over the doorway, in forked cleats, hung the pioneer's trusty rifle and powderhorn."

_ The furniture of the cabin was generally homemade. A puncheon table, sometimes having legs made of saplings, but more frequently built stationary against the wall, served both as kitchen and dining table. Puncheon benches took the place of sofas and three legged stools were more common than upholstered chairs. Bedsteads were constructed by fastening a forked stick to the floor to hold one end of a pole, the other being supported in a crack between the logs. Across this pole others were laid crosswise to support the "straw tick" that took the place of a mattress. Sometimes a feather bed was placed on top of the straw tick, forming a comfortable if not luxurious couch. Cooking stoves and ranges were unknown. A long handled skillet, or spider, was used for frying meat and also for baking bread. A clapboard smoothed off served as a "Johnny-cake" board, the cake being baked by plastering the dough on one side of the board and propping it up before the fire. In the preparation of a meal the housewife usually wore a deep sunbonnet tc shield her face from the. fierce rays of the great fireplace.

Think of a life like that, ye of the present generation, who live in steam-heated mansions with plate glass windows. The old fashioned spinning wheel that ornaments your parlor was to the pioneer damsel a necessary utensil in the preparation of the family's clothing, or perhaps her own trousseau. Flax was raised for summer wear and for table cloths and sheets. This must be pulled, bleached, broke, hackled, seutched, and spun before it was ready for the loom, and much of this work fell to the lot of the women. Wool was carded and spun by hand, dyed with a decoction made from the bark of trees, and both woolen and linen goods were woven on the old hand loom. Shoes were a luxury and even the ones they had were of the coarsest kind. Yet this existence was not without its advantages. If the pioneer lacked the conveniences of modern progress he was also without its drawbacks. With venison, wild turkey, and bear meat to be had almost for the asking he did not fear the clutches of the "Beef Trust."" No board of trade could corner the wheat market so long as he had the old water mill in the neighborhood to grind his turn of corn. If all commercial transactions were in the nature of barter, he had but little use for money and was therefore not terrified by the thought that the failure of the bank might bring disaster. The problems of sanitation and water supply, that vex the city authorities of the twentieth century, gave him no concern. He had plenty of outdoor exercise, ate wholesome food at regular intervals, and as a result the indigestion and dyspepsia that follow late suppers, where wines and salads constitute the principal features of the menu, were to him practically unknown. On his hunting excursions he would throw himself flat on the ground and quench his thirst from some convenient. pool or stream of water without the haunting fear of microbes or bacteria. The life was one of hard work, but it was not without its diversions. The men had their log rollings, raisings, shooting matches, ete. The log rolling was a contest in physical strength from which as much real pleasure was derived by the participants as the later generations get from a prize fight, while the contests in skill with the rifle were occasions that were looked forward to with keen anticipation. Among the women the contests were with the spinning wheel and with the needle at the frequent "quiltings" that were held throughout the frontier settlements. To spin "six cuts" a day was an achievement of which any maiden could boast, and when this feat was accomplished in addition to doing the regular housework it challenged admiration. The young woman who could do this was looked upon as a desirable match for any thrifty young man that might be contemplating matrimony. Another popular amusement was the "house warming." When a new cabin was completed this ceremony was necessary. to dedicate it to the use of its intended occupants. If there was a fiddler within reach, and there was usually one in every neighborhood, he was summoned, the young people gathered from far and near, and to the music of the solitary violin they danced the Virginia reel and the country cotillion with as much enthusiasm, and perhaps far more real enjoyment than the urban belle of today threads the mazy waltz to the strains of a five hundred dollar orchestra. Then there were the husking bees, where both sexes participated, and where the mirth ran high when some bashful swain found the "red ear.""* Hence, the life of the pioneer was not altogether cheerless. The frontier school, where the three R's constituted the course of study, turned out strong rugged men intellectually, and when the itinerant minister held divine services in some cabin the hymns were sung with as much zeal and the prayers offered with as much sincerity as in a temple with stained glass windows and towering spire.

Many of the streams of Noble county derive their names from some early settler or from some incident that transpired along their course. "Dye's Fork," took its name from Ezekiel Dye, the first settler of Brookfield township. 'Reasoner's Run," in Jackson township, was named for the hunter and trapper from Guernsey county, who had a camp on the stream before any permanent settlers came to the locality. "Sailor's Run," which flows into Duck Creek a short distance below Carlisle, was named for Jacob Sailor, an early settler on the stream. "Whisky Run," in Beaver township, takes its name from the fact that in early days Jacob Clinedinst, Michael Upmeyer, George Peters, and James Eagon all operated distilleries along the course of the creek. "Opossum Run," in Seneca township was so named because the men engaged in cutting out the State road through the township killed an 'opossum on the banks of the stream. ''Perry's Den," a curious natural formation near Ava, received its name from the fact that in former times a noted outlaw and horse thief named Perry used it for a retreat. Thus the early pioneers left their names to some of the natural features of the county as irrevocably as they left the impress of their 'character upon its institutions.

* At a corn husking, or husking bee, as they were generally called, the finder of a red ear of corn was entitled to kiss the young lady next to him. If the finder was a young lady the privilege of bestowing the kiss fell to the young man at her right hand.

Slavery Question

Lwp1an ReELATIONS - GENERALLY Frrenpty Natives - Lastr Act OF Hostitiry - Earty Roaps - Tue Frperat T'rarm - Perririon FoR A Roap in Seneca Townsurp - Roap to Tuompson's Miu - Tuer Center Roap - First Roap tro CanpwEeLL - StTaTE Roaps - Post Orricrs - OtiveE - Wuarron - Bates' Mirt - SUMMERFIELD - SHARON - HOSKINSVILLE - EarLy Mart Car- RIERS - Post Orrices 1x 1903 - Earty Towns anp VILLacges - OLIvE - SaRAHSVILLE - SUMMERFIELD - SHARON - HIRAMSBURG - CaruistE - Movntr Erurarim - "Moss Tavern" - BatTEsvILLE - HAarRIETSVILLE - Hosxinsv1LtLtE - Rocuester - Muippie- BURG - WHIGVILLE - Matrom or Socum - Tue Otp VitLtaceE or Lexineron - Earty Incinentrs - A Novet Marriace CEre- MONY - AN ARTICLE OF AGREEMENT - WHISKY a NECESSITY - CiprerR on Exection Dayv - A Harvesting Incipentr - THE SLAVERY QUESTION.

Marietta bands of discontented savages wandered over the lands of the Ohio Company threatening the settlers and occasionally killing some unfortunate individual, whom they found in a position where he could not offer resistance. The last of the hostile demonstrations at Marietta took place in May, 1794. At that time a man named Robert Worth was killed within a few rods of the fort. In the following February Jonas Davis was killed near Belpre, and in the spring of 1795 five young men, William Ford, Jacob Proctor, John Waterman, William Hart, and Sherman Waterman, were attacked not far from the old Waterford garrison. The young men had drawn donation lois on the south branch of Wolf creek, about three miles from the fort, and were at work clearing their lands when the assault was made. They had previously erected a small blockhouse and as soon as the Indians began their attack they made for its sheltering walls, though Sherman Waterman was seriously wounded. Once inside the blockhouse they succeeded in driving off the savages. This was the last act of hostility on the lands of the Ohio Company and it occurred several years before the first settlement was established in the present boundaries of Noble county. For many years some of the Indians paid an anuual visit to their hunting grounds, but on such occasions they refrained from any hostile demonstrations, sharing the game they killed with their white neighbors and eating at their tables.

One of the greatest needs of the Noble county pioneers was that of highways. For several years the old Federal Trail, opened in 1791, was the only thoroughfare through this section of the State. It left the Ohio river at the mouth of Grave creek and crossed the western part of Noble county. Near the present village of Renrock the trail forked, one branch running through Morgan county and crossing the Muskingum river at Gaysport, and the other leading toward Chillicothe. An old Indian trail along the west fork of Duck creek was used for some time as a sort of a neighborhood road, finally broadening into a public highway. But time has wrought many changes. The road was straightened here and there to conform more nearly to the lines of the surveys, and all trace of the old trail has been obliterated.

On September 3, 1810, a petition, signed by quite a number of the settlers along the proposed line of the road, was presented to the commissioners of Guernsey county, asking for the opening of a road, "to commence on the headwaters of the Seneca, and thence down the same, by Cornelius Bryan's, Jacob Yoho's, ete., to the town of Cambridge." The commissioners granted the prayer of the petitioners and appointed Elijah Stevens, John Carpenter, and Frederick Miller viewers, and Elijah Beall survevor. The road was completed the following spring. The opening of this road stimulated the demand for another and on April 22, 1811, the commissioners were made the recipients of another petition, this one asking for a road from Cambridge "to strike Buffalo Fork of Will's Creek at or near the mouth of Muddy Fork, thence on the same direction to strike the south boun- - dary of Guernsey county, at or near the center of the sixth township of the ninth range." James Cloyd, Daniel Bean, and William Tal- 'bot were appointed viewers, and the report returned to the commis- 'sioners was signed by them, and by George Archer and John Waller, as chain bearers, and by Lewis Waller as axeman. It set forth that the viewers had met "on the first Monday in May, at the honse of Thomas Stewart, innkeeper, and proceeded without delay to view the same."

The next effort on the part of the settlers to secure a local road was in the spring of 1815 when a petition was presented to the commissioners of Guernsey county for a road on Seneca fork, beginning at William Thompson's mill, but the records do not show whether the request was granted. About that time, however, a road was cut out from the salt works in Olive township to Marietta. In 1816 a road was opened between Carlisle and Woodsfield. It had been "bushed out" some time before, as had also trails to the neighborhood of East Union, and to Bates' mill. The two latter trails were afterward developed into roads.

What is known as the "Center road," running from MeConnelsville to Woodsfield, was opened through Sharon township in 1817. On October 26, 1818, Robert Caldwell, and a number of others, appeared before the board of county commissioners of Guernsey county and asked for the opening of a road "to commence at or near the twelve-mile tree on the road from Cambridge to the Washington County line; thence nearly a south course to Benjamin Thorla's, on Duck Creek; thence to Robert Caldwell's to interseet the New Philadelphia road, to the Washington County line near Captain Blake's. The commissioners appointed Martin Crow, John Keller, and James Thompson viewers, and George Metealf surveyor, and upon the recommendation of these gentlemen the road was ordered to be opened.*

In the meantime several roads, known as State roads, because constructed under the supervision and at the expense of the State, were opened through the Ohio Company's Purchase. The State road from Barnesville to MeConnelsville ran through Batesville, Sarahsville, Belle Valley, Hoskinsville, and the Dye Settlement. That from Belmont county to Marietta ran via Calais, Summerfield, and Carlisle. At Summerfield it was crossed by a road running from Zanesville to Sunfish on the Ohio river. As the development of the country proceeded other roads were constructed, but the ones named constituted the principal thoroughfares of the early inhabitants of Noble county.

Along with the building of roads came the establishment of post roads and offices. For some time the infant settlements were compelled te eo ie Marietta for mail. Later pest ofices were established at Woodsfield and Cambridge, which brought the facilities of the post office department a little nearer, but the journey had to be made over roads that were sometimes almost impassable, and were never very good, so that a trip to the post office was no easy matter. The oldest post office within the county was probably the one established at Melce's store in Olive township, in 1820, with Robert McKee as postmaster. It was supplied with a weekly mail from Marietta, under the Star Route svstem of delivery. Upon the establishment of the Macksburg office the mail was brought from that point and the route was extended to Washington in Guernsey county. About the year 1827 a mail route was opened from McConnelsville to Cambridge, a man named Johnson being the contractor, and Jason Tilden the first mail carrier. Shortly after it was started, a post office named Wharton was established at Andrew Wharton's store, in Brookfield township, which was the second office of which there is any record within what is now Noble county. During the next two years several new offices were cpened, viz.: at Bates' mill, with Timothy Bates as postmaster; Summerfield, with James W. Shankland as postmaster ; Sharon, with Rev. Robert Rutherford as postmaster; and at Hoskinsville, where Col. Erastus Hoskins had charge of the office. The office at Bates' mill was called Batesville, and was supplied with a weekly mail on the route from Barnesville to McConnelsville. It is said that Timothy Bates' report to the department at the end of the first quarter was "No letters, no papers; hope for better luck next time." On the same route was the Hoskinsville post office. At the Sharcn office two newspapers were taken, so that the weekly mail at that point was always certain to contain something, though it frequently happened for weeks at a time the mail contained no letters. The two papers were the Londen Pall Mall Gazette, taken by Peter Ackley, and the Pittsburgh Christian Advocate, taken by John Lyons. Letter postage in those days was twenty-five cents, if the letter came any distance, and this no doubt had a tendency to discourage correspondence, especially as ready money in the pioneer settlements was somewhat scarce. Generally the recipient of a letter was looked upon as an important personage, and whoever received one nearly always shared the information it contained with his neighbors at his earliest opportunity. Sometimes the mail carrier was equipped with a tin horn, which he blew as soon as he arrived within hearing distance of the office to announce his arrival. Then all the neighbors within reach assembled at the post office, the small boys looking upon the carrier with much the same curiosity they assemble at the railroad station in the present generation 'to see the train go by."

Some of these old offices have long since been discontinued, but for every one that has gone ont of existence a score of new ones has been established. In 1903 Noble county had forty post offices, viz. : Ava, Batesville, Belle Valley, Berne, Brookton, Caldwell, Claytonia, Cliffyville, Crooked Tree,* Dexter City, Dudley, Elk, Flag, Fredericksdale, Fulda, Gem, Glenwood, Haga, Harrietsville, Hiramsburg, Honesty, Hoskinsville, Keith, Kennonshurg, Kilmer, Leeds, Me- Cleary, Middlecreek, Mount Ephraim, Mount Zion, Nobleville, Olive Green, Renrock, Rich Valley, Ridge, Sarahsville, Sharon, South

*In May, 1854, James H. Steadman laid out a village in Jackson township, which he named Jacksonville, but upon the establishment of a postoffice there

Olive, Summerfield and Whiegville. Of these forty offices Ava, Batesville, Belle Valley, Berne, Caldwell, Dexter City, Fulda, Harrietsville, Mount Ephraim, Renrock, Sarahsville, Sharon, South - Olive, Summerfield, and Whigville are authcrized to issue and redeem meney orders, and the daily business of any one of these offices is more than that of all the cftices in 1830 for a month. This shows the development of the county along commercial and industrial lines.

With the opening of roads and the establishment of post offices there caine naturally the formation of villages, some of which have continued to flourish, while the vicissitudes of civilized progress have doomed others to decay. The oldest village in the county was that of Olive, which grew up arcund Robert McKee's store, about threefourths cf a mile from where Caldwell now stands. After the location of a pest office at McIKXee's in 1820 the business of that portion of the county began to concentrate there, though no plat of the village was filed until several years afterward. When the county of Noble was formed the first courts were held at Olive and it was a place of some importance. But when the county seat was located at Caldwell, some years later, the new town so completely overshadowed the old one that Olive gradually declined until but little of it remains except in the memory of the older inhabitants. In its palmy davs it was an important center for the buying of leaf tobacco, which was hauled to the Ohio river for shipment.

On June 19, 1829, according to the records of Morgan county, Benjamin Thorla, acting for John Devolld and Ezekiel Bates, surveyed the town of Sarahsville, and on September 28, of the same year, the plat was duly recorded. The town was named Sarahsville in hong1 of John Devolld's wife. About four years before the plat was filed Mr. Devolld had built a two story house on the site of the town. This was probably the first brick house in Noble county. At the time the town was laid out a few cabins stood near Mr. Devolld's residence. In one of these Devolld kept a small stock of goods, and he can therefore justly claim the honor of being the first merchant in Sarahsville. Additions to the original plat were afterward made by James M. Rownd, George Bell, and Samuel Aikens. Sarahsville was the first county seat of Noble county, and is still a town of considerable importance.

Two years after Sarahsville was founded the town of Sharon was surveyed and platted under the direction of Robert Rutherford and Edward Parrish who owned the land upon which the village was located. A Presbyterian church had been erected there in 1823 and the establishment of a post office contributed still further toward making a center of population. The original plat consisted of fourteen lots, not much of a city, but there was a time when Sharon was one of the most prosperous towns of the county. Among the early business enterprises conducted here was the pork packing business of John and Isaac Parrish and Reuben Israel. Sharon was also a great market for leaf tobacco. One of the first buildings erected in the place was a log school house, which stood upon the site afterward occupied by the Masonic hall. Thus Sharon early placed itself on record as the friend of education and in later years it maintained the reputation. Soon after Noble county was created Rev. Randall Ross founded a school here, known as Sharon College, which for many vears was recognized as one of the best educational institutions in Southeastern Ohio.

Summerfield is one of the oldest towns in the county and is one of those that was fortunate enongh to be located where it came in contact with railroad communication in later vears, thus retaining its prosperity. The first lots were laid off in 1817 by Moses Horton, but the official plat of the town was filed in the rezorder's othce in Monroe county in 1827. The town was named in honor of Rey. John Summerfield, a prominent Methodist preacher in early davs. Jame: W. Shankland was the first merchant in the place and David West kept the first tavern. Several additions have been made to the original plat.

In 1836 Hiram Calvert emploved John F. Tallev to lay ont a village in Noble township. A plat was accordingly made, showing twenty lots, and filed with the recorder of Morgan county, of which Noble township was then a part. The town was named Hiramsburg, after its proprietor. Samuel Stevens had established a store there before the town was laid out. Asa Burlingame was the first. postmaster and also proprietor of the first hotel. One of the early business men of the place was Reason Calvert, who manufactured potash from wood ashes. He also manufactured linseed and castor oils.

Carlisle, (Berne post office), was laid out in the year 1838 by Richard Warfield, on the lands of John McBride and Enoch Archer. Before the village was founded James Tnttle had a small stock of goods there, and Solomon Wolf had conducted a blacksmith shop there for several years. In early days Carlisle was a great leaf tobacco market. The tobacco was packed and shipped to Baltimore. Contemporary with the founding of Carlisle the village of Mount Ephraim, on the old Barnesville and McConnelsville State road, was platted for Ephraim Vorhies, after whom it was named. For several years prior to that time Vorhies had conducted a tavern there. It was a large double log building, known far and wide as the "Moss Tavern" because moss had been used to chink the spaces between the logs instead of mortar. In 1839 Crawford Glover opened a store but in a short time sold out to Asbury Gardiner. One of the first tan- neries in this part of the country was operated at Mount Ephraim by an Englishman named Henry Steel, who conducted his business successfully for more than a quarter of a century.

Batesville was first platted for William Finley, and named Willlamsburg, after its founder. The survey was made by Lebbeus Fordyce and the plat recorded with the authorities of. Guernsey county in 1827. When the post office was established at Timothv Bates' mill, near the village, the name of Batesville was applied to the office and this name soon became aitached to the town itself. The town was of slow growth, thongh in after vears it became an inportant trading center.

The vear 1839 saw the projection of two new towns, Harrietsville, on the East fork of Duck creek, and Ucskinsville, in Noble township. Harrietsville was surveved and platted Iv Mitchell Atkinson, the survevor of Monroe county, for Moses T. Spencer. The village was named for Mr. Spencer's daughter Tarrict, who was the first postmistress. Tloskinsville was platted by John F. Tallev for E. E. Parrish. The survey was made in February, 1839, but the plat was not filed with the recorder of Morgan county until October 22, 1840. The place was given the name of Hoskinsville in honor of Col. Erastus Hoskins, who was the first postmaster. Rochester, also Joeated in Noble township, was founded by Robert Hellver in 1841, the survey and plat being made by Samuel Aikens. The town never met the anticipations of its founder. The post office called Nobleville is located here, thangh the only business is a small country store.

Other early villages are Middleburg, in Jefferson township: Whigville,* in Marion township; and Matrom, in Olive township. Middleburg was laid ont in 1844 by Church Tuttle, who was the first merchant and postmaster in the place. In early vears it was an important center, and has never lost all its popularity in this respect. The public schools of Middleburg have long been regarded as among the best in the county. The village of Matrom was laid out in the spring of 1846, Joseph Schofield being the proprietor and George Bell the surveyor. For a time it prospered but a half century after it was founded it consisted of only a few dilapidated houses. Of this village, Watkins says: "Even its name has passed away; and, instead of high-sounding 'Matrom,' plebian 'Socum' has taken its place. 'Socum' is supposed to have been derived from 'soak 'em,' which title was fastened upon the place on account of the bibulous and whisky-selling habits of its inhabitants."

* Whigville was first laid out as Freedom in 1846 on lands belonging to William Leeper and Henry and Samuel Large. The name was changed to Whigville by an act of the Ohio legislature, March 10, 1891.

they projected the town of Lexington in 1818. A town was duly laid out but the proprietors were unable to pay for the land, which proved a serious drawback for the embryo metropolis. Considerable was done there for awhile but the establishment of Summerfield a few vears later attracted some of the merchants and traders to that peint and Lexington began to languish. In 1883 those owning lots in Lexington were Martin Crow, William Sutherland, William Caldwell, John Miller, William Sutton, David Sutton, William Shankland, and David Rose. About the year 1850 James W. Shankland acquired the title to all these lots and converted the erstwhile city of Lexington into a farm.*

During this period of development a number of interesting and amusing incidents occurred, that go to illustrate the el eke SG pioneer population. Among the Irish settlers in Marion township was aman named Hugh Waybrant, who was one of the early justices of the peace. On being called upon for the first time to perform the marriage ceremony his embarrassment was plainly visible. He was not thoroughly acquainted with the form of ceremony used by civil magistrates, but he felt positive that some "swearing" must be done to make the marriage binding. When the happy couple appeared before him something like the following dialogue ensued: "Do you take this woman for your wife?' "I do." Then, turning to the woman, "Do you take this man to be your husband?' "I do," again came the reply. 'Then, I'll be d d if you ain't married." Although this novel ceremony was something out. of the ordinary it has never been recorded that the couple were ever the worse off for it, and possibly many a marriage has occurred in some stately sanctuary, with all the adjuncts, such as orange blossoms and a wedding march pealed forth from a great organ, that has not been productive of so much happiness, cr in which the contracting parties have not felt half so much the solemnity of the obligations into which they were entering.

The majority of the early settlers were men of limited education, and many were unable to read and write. Yet they were mostly men of staunch convictions of right and wrong - men whose word was as good as their written agreement. It sometimes happened, in their dealings with each other, that: one of the parties would insist on a written contract. One of these old documents has been preserved and is here subjoined as a literary curiosity. In reproducing it the original spelling, etc., has been followed as closely as possible.

Caldwell of the Second part of Olive Township & County & State as aforesaid. the S? Gorby doath on his part agree to build the S4 Caldwell A sow Mill and grist mill forebay he is To take the timber from the Stump The Timber is to be got out in first rate Stile, The poasts of the Lower part of the Mill to be 12 by 12 inches Squair, he is to Fraim the Mill & put in the running Geers in first rate workmen Like manner. He further agrees to make a mill that will Saw as fast as anny other man can with the Same head of or if he dont he is to Have nothing for dowing S* work, the S* gorby is to have the timber hewed by the of June next and the mill Fraimed by the first day of August next And The mill redy to Saw by the first of Nov. Next "the S* Caldwell doath on his part agree to Pay The S® gorby one hundred Dollars As soon as the Mill performs as he has Agreed to make her perform the S? Caldwell is to do all the hawling & to Furnish Plank for the forebay and other uses about the iill allso brases, 2 Shute Pieces timber for Saw gate. We have boath hereunto set our Hand and Seals this 9 of May A. D 1836

This contract was witnessed by one William Lanam and it is said the mill '"'performed as he had agreed to make her perform," and that Gorby received his hundred dollars according to the agreement.

Among the early settlers whisky was regarded as a_necesssity. Every neighborhocd had its still, and often more than one. In 1830 five distilleries were in cperation in Olive township. They were conducted by Israel Spencer, Michael Shriver, Isaac Devore, William Free, and Israel Blake. No log rolling, raising, husking or harvesting bee was complete without whisky. If one neighbor called upon another it was considered the proper thing to treat the visitor to a drink and any one refusing or neglecting to comply with the custom was regarded as being inordinately stingy. The price of whisky ranged from twenty-five to forty cents a gallon, and the farmer could take a bushel of corn to the still and get it exchanged for a gallon of liquor any time. Notwithstanding the free use of whisky, intoxication was a rare thing and a habitual drunkard was almost unknown. Sometimes amusing incidents grew out of this general use of ardent spirits. An election was held in 1816, at the house of a man named Jordan, not far from the present site of Hiramsburg. As this was the first election in that part of the country some of the pioneers deemed it a suitable occasion for a little celebration. They therefore sent to Marietta, secured a barrel of cider, and then "fixed" it by the addition of something stronger. Cider was a scarce article in those days and the voters partook freely of the doctored article which had been provided by their generous neighbors. By the time the polls closed a large majority were so far under the influence of the seductive drink that they were unable to get home without assistance. Those who were sober enough set about getting the inebriated ones to their places of abode. All who could sit up were placed on horseback and those who were not able to hold up their heads were thrown across their horses, like sacks of grain, and accompanied by some more sober neighbor set out for home. Aside from a headache, or a scolding from the "good wife," no evil results followed and the whole affair was treated as a good joke.

In Seneca township lived a man named Daniel Meade. He was a devout Methodist, and one harvest he announced. his intention of having his wheat taken care of without the use of whisky. When it was about ripe he called on several of his neighbors to come on Monday morning to help him harvest it, at the same time telling them of his determination to have no whisky on the premises during the harvesting. What was his surprise, on rising on that Monday morning, to discover his entire field of wheat already "in the shock." His neighbors had gathered Sunday night, and having provided themselves with a generous supply of whisky, they had harvested the entire field by moonlight.

Between the years 1880 and 1845 a number of Noble county pioneers were interested in the operations of the "Underground railroad" and many a negro, in escaping from slavery has received their assistance. Among the more active of these were Benjamin Hughes and William Steel, living near Stafford, Thomas Large, William Wilson, Alexander Franklin, Moses Horton, Nathaniel Capell, and John M. Rownd. The last named was in the merchandising business in Summerfield, and his place of business was a station on the Underground railroad. His son, James S. Rownd, was accustomed to tell a story of his experience on one qccasion during his boyhood. Going to a rag bin in the rear of his father's store, to get some walnuts he had concealed there, he was surprised to find a big, black negro man concealed in the bin. Boy-like he rushed ont and was about to give the alarm, when his father caught him by the arm and explained to him that he was not to say a word to any one of his discovery. Upon his return from school that afternoon he peeped cautiously into the bin, but the negro had been spirited away. John Lemmax, an old settler of Marion township, relates the following pas which goes to show how high the feeling ran in those

"In 1845, Peter M. Garner, Creighton Lorraine and Mordecai Thomas, while aiding some slaves to escape at Belpre on the Ohio, were surprised by a party of slaveholders just as they were getting out of the skiff. The slaves were returned to bondage and Mr. Garner and his companions arrested and placed in jail at Parkersburg, Va.

The claim was made that they were beyond low water mark, and therefore on Virginia territory. They were kept in jail for several months, and then the case was brought to trial. A verdict, however, was not reachéd, and they were again'confined. Governor Bartlett, of Ohio, interested himself in the matter and asserted that their arrest was in violation of the constitution of the United States, and a scheme to kidnap citizens of Ohio, whom they thought to be abolitionists. They were again brought to trial, Ohio being represented by Hon. Samuel F. Vinton. The court held that they were on Ohio territory when captured, and therefore not amenable to the laws of Virginia; they were consequently released."

First Counties In Oun1to - Apmission Into tHE Unton - Forma- TION OF QGurEeRNsSEY County - Monror - Morcan - Earby Townsuip OrcanizaTions - A County Seat War - AGITATION ror a New County Begun - Wuie Sentiment - First Peti- TION TO THE LEGISLATURE - How THE County was NamepD - DIFFERENT Strorres - MermoriaL or 1849 - Furt Text anp Names or SigNers - Ezra McKerr Extrectep REPRESENTATIVE - Loxssyists - PassaGE oF THE Orcanic Act - FvuLi Text or THE Law - Bovnparires - First ELection - LocaTIon OF THE County SEAT - SARAHSVILLE SELECTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS - Tnueir Report In Furr - First Mretine or THE Boarp or County ComMISSIONERS.

HE DEVELOPMENT of Noble county as'a separate political organism was something like the sculptor's statue concealed within the block of marble - a great deal of rough stone had to be broken off before the statue stood revealed.

The first county organization, affecting the territory now comprising the county of 2 Noble, was that of w ashington county, which was established cn July 26, 1788, by a proclamation of Governor St. Clair. By this proclamation the boundaries of Washington county were fixed as follows:

"Beginning on the bank of the Ohio River where the western boundary line of Pennsylvania crosses it, and running with that line to Lake Erie; thence along the southern shore of said lake to the mouth of Cuvahoga River; thence up said river to the portage between that and the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum; thence down the branch of the forks at the crossing place above Fort Laurens; thence with a line to be drawn westerly to the portage of that branch of the Big Miami on which the fort stood that was taken by the French in 1732, until it meets the road from the lower Shawanese town to Sandusky ; thence south to the Scicto River; thence with that river to the mouth and thence up the Ohio River to the place of beginning."

If the reader will take the trouble to secure a map of Ohio anid trace these boundaries he will discover that the county of Washington, as first created, included nearly half of the present State of Ohio.

When Ohio was admitted into the Union of States, in November, 1802, it consisted of the counties of Washington, Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson, Ross, Fairfield, Trumbull, and Belmont. Of these counties Belmont*was the only one, except Washington, that had any influence upon the section from which Noble county was afterward erected. Belmont county was created in 1801, being the last county established before the admission of the State into the Union. ° Muskingum was established in 1804, the territory comprising it being taken from Washington and Fairfield counties. Guernsey county was formed from parts of Muskingum and Belmont in 1810, the new county embracing a large portion of the territory now included in Noble. A generous slice was taken off the eastern part of Guernsey county in 1813, to become attached to the new county of Monroe. Four years later the creation of Morgan county still further reduced the size of Guernsey. Before the erection of Morgan county the eastern boundary of Guernsey was located near the center of the present township of Olive, in Noble county.

From the earliest settlement until about the year 1820 the pioneers of Duck Creek and its tributaries had very little to do with civil organization of any kind. They were buffeted about by the organization of new counties, sometimes to their benefit and sometimes to their disadvantage, but always without their being consulted as to the change. Several townships had been organized, the oldest of which are Seneca and Buffalo.* Seneca was organized by the Guernsey county authorities, April 23, 1810, and Buffalo on June 5, of the same year. Part of Seneca was taken to form the township of Beaver, June 3, 1816, the new township being also in Guernsey county. At the same time Olive township was created from part of Buffalo. After the erection of Morgan county, Olive township was reorganized by the authorities of that ccunty in 1819. Brookfield and Noble townships were also organized by the Morgan county commissioners the same year. Another township created that year by the Morgan county authorities was that of Olive Green, so named from the stream that flows through it. The records of the county show that Jonathan Hughs was commissioned justice of the peace for Olive Green township, August 18, 1819. A few years later the political complexion of the township was changed, General Jackson became the idol of the Democracy, and the name of the township was changed to Jackson. Enoch township was organized as a subdivision of Monroe county in 1822. Marion and Elk townships were organized at the same time, by the same county. No further township organizations were attempted until after the formation of Noble county in 1851.

The first agitation for a new county, in the Duck Creek Valley, had its inception in the location of the county seat of Morgan county. Those living in the eastern part of the county were dissatisfied with the location of the county seat at MceConnelsville, and immediately petitioned the legislature for the passage of a bill providing for a relocation. The petition was met by a remonstrance from the citizens of the western part of the county* and the legislature declined to take any action in the matter. To offset this agitation, and to prevent a repetition of it, the people in the western part of the county secured the passage of a bill, on December 24, 1819, annexing townships six and seven of range eight, in which most of the recalcitrants lived, to Monroe county. While this movement served to relieve the friends of McConnelsville of all further annovance, concerning the removal of the seat of justice of Morgan county, it did not pacify those who had started the agitation. Thev interested others in their cause, and when, in 1845, the legislature took two townships from Athens county and annexed them to Morgan, the size of that county was so increased that those who had been attached to Monroe county by the act of 1819, together with some of their sympathizers in Monroe and Guernsey counties, began to advocate the erection of a new county. About this time the movement received an impetus from an unexpected quarter. After the annexation of the two townships (Homer and Marion) of Athens county to Morgan county the Whigs carried the latter, which prior to that time had been reliablv Democratic. As the eastern part of Morgan was strongly Democratic many of the Whig leaders favored the organization of a new county, in which this portion of Morgan would be included, in order to retain their political power in that part remaining.

The first petition was presented to the legislature of 1846, and it was in connection with this petition that the county received the name of Noble. There seems to be some dispute as to why this name was selected. In an atlas of the county, published in the seventies, the statement occurs that the county was named in honor of James Noble, one of the pioneers and a prominent citizen in early times. Another story is that when the petition was sent up to the legislature it contained no suggestion as to the name of the proposed county. Daniel Pettay, a lawyer of Sarahsville, who had charge of the petition, was asked $0 supply the deficiency and he gave the name which the county still bears. This story does not state how the name came to be selected by Mr. Pettay, but if it be true it was probably chosen with reference to the pioneer family of that name. Still another

__*It is said that this remonstrance contained '' not only the names of all the inhabitants of McConnelsville and vicinity, but also the names borne on all] the rolls of the militia captains of the neighborhood."' account relates that when the petition was first. presented to the legislature it was referred to the committee on new counties, of which Warren P. Noble, of Seneca county, was chairman. He was not very favorable to the scheme to create a new county, and in order to secure his influence, the friends of the petition gave the county the name of Noble, at the same time creating the"impression that it was named in honor of the chairman of the committee. In view of the fact that one of the townships of Morgan county had been named Noble, some twenty-five years before, it is more than likely that the name of the county was selected with some reference to the family of Pennsylvanians, who settled on Duck Creek in 1812. No action was taken by the legislature of 1846, and another petition was presented to the sessions of 1847 and 1848, but without results. In December, 1849, the following elaborate memorial was prepared and again the matter was brought to the attention of the general assembly.

"The subscribers respectfully represent that they are residents within the territory that is sought to be erected into the new County of Noble; that they resided in the territory, as they now do, at the time the county of Morgan was erected in 1817; that by reference to the law creating the county (see vol. 16, p. 42) and the map of the county, as described in the law, township 14 in range 14, now a part of York Township, was divided, and a bend in the Muskingum River in township 9 of range 11, now Windsor Township, embraced within the limits of Morgan County, forming irregular lines and extreme points south and west, against the ranges of entire townships on the east where the heaviest portion of the territory, population and taxpaying at that time existed. This was not necessary to form the lines or obtain the territory for the county. Without these extreme points and irregular lines, your petitioners being included in the aforesaid territory, there was a large surplus beyond the constitutional area. That when the general assembly appointed commissioners to fix the seat of justice (see same vol. 16, p. 198), your petitioners, with many others of the citizens who were taxpayers, believed that the seat of justice should be located near the center of the territory then forming the county, or towards the eastern boundary, to concentrate the greatest portion of the territory and population. A site in township 6 of range 9 was fixed upon for that purpose.

decided upon townships and established the county seat at McConnelsville. To justify this and reconcile the eastern portion of the county, it was held out as an inducement, that the territory which 1s now sought, and which should be erected into Noble County, was sufficient to create a new county, and that it would be done at no very distant day; and your memorialists, with respect, but positively, allege that the idea of creating a new county in this territory not only materially influenced the determination to fix the seat of justice at MeConnelsville, but was still more material in reconciling your memorialists and others to the location of the seat of justice so far from the center of the territory and population. That after the county was organized and taxes levied, of which your memorialists paid their proportion, to defray the expenses of organization and the erection of public buildings, in 1819 (see vol. 18, p. 4), a portion of the eastern part, including two entire townships on the eastern side of Morgan, were by your honorable body attached to Monroe County. At the time of this annexation, as well as at the erection of Morgan County and locating the seat of justice at MeConnelsville, General Robert McConnel was the proprietor of the tract of land adjoining and on which the town of McConnelsville was located, residing in the County of Muskingum; and adding the aforesaid townships to Monroe County, already large in territory, was to more effectually divide the territory that should be included in the County of Noble between the Counties of Morgan and Monroe, and weaken the claims and increase opposition to the new county. And although it is most apparent that in forming the original boundaries of Morgan County, the location of the seat of justice, and in transferring a part of the territory of Morgan County to Monroe, there was much forecast and sagacity, yet it operated unequally and unjustly on the population of that territory, and still continues to do so. The subject of the new county to be formed of this territory, from that time to this, has never been lost sight of by its inhabitants. It has continued to increase in wealth and population; embracing a small part of the south side of Guernsey County, the eastern part of Morgan County, ' the western part of Monroe County, and a small part of the most northern part of Washington County.

"By the formation and. its geographical position, this territory should be united, in justice to its inhabitants, as well fully and prop erly to develop its resources. The new county, properly formed, would soon stand forward among the best in the eastern part of the State of Ohio. As the lines of the respective counties now exist, the inhabitants within the territory are placed at great, and from the formation of the country, at most inconvenient distances from the respective county seats. The new county, properly formed, would leave sufficient territory in the respective counties of Guernsey, Mon- roe, Washington and Morgan, and their respective lines and boundaries more regular and less deformed than at present, and their respective seats of justice equally and more central than they now are. The new county would present regular lines, conforming to the country, and leave no one extreme point more than fifteen miles from the center. Your memorialists believe that the cost of organizing the new county and erecting the public buildings would not be onerous to the taxpayers; but they are satisfied from the experience of the past, that the amount of money paid by the inhabitants of this territory in attending at their respective county seats, including money paid for bills and loss of time, exceeds the amount of tax now paid, or that would have to be paid if the new county were formed. The amount of debt owing by Monroe County, and the public property and public buildings lately obtained and commenced in Morgan County, and the contemplated erection of further public buildings in Morgan County, would and will inflict greater and more increased taxation on the inhabitants of the largest portion of this territory than would be necessary to raise if the new county were erected. But aside from all other considerations, if there are any advantages arising from the civil organization of counties, as they believe there are, your memorialists are entitled to them in the County of Noble, and most respectfully entreat a careful regard to the subject, and its erection at your present session."

The legislature of 1849 failed to pass an act creating the county and the memorial was strengthened by the addition of more signatures and presented to the legislature of 1850. At the election of 1850, Ezra McKee, who lived in that part of Morgan county seeking to be included in the county of Noble, was elected representative from Morgan county. Two of his brothers, John and Robert McKee, were signers of the memorial, and he was heartily in favor of the erection of the new county. His election was a great encouragement to the advocates of the proposition, and when the assembly met a number of lobbyists were at the capital to use what influence they could to secure the passage of an act creating the county. Foremost among these lobbyists was Samuel McGarry, who had been in attendance at every session of the legislature since 1846, doing what he could to secure the establishment of the new county.* At the previous sessions considerable opposition to the project had been manifest, but at the session of 1850 this dwindled away. A bill to create the county of Noble was introduced early in the session, but it did not become a law until March 11, 1851, when it was signed by John F. Morse, speaker of the house of representatives, and Charles C. Convers, president of the senate. Besides establishing the county of Noble the act provided for the re-adjustment of the boundaries of seme of the counties affected by the measure. The sections relating to Noble county were as follow:

"See. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Stale of Ohio, That so much of the counties of Washington, Morgan, Guernsey and Monroe as is included in the boundaries hereinafter described be and the same is hereby enacted into a separate and distinet county, to be known and designated by the name ef Noble, to-wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of township number 5, in range number 9 in Morgan County; thence north to the northwest corner of said township 5; thence west to the southwest corner of section number 34 in township number 7, in range number 10; thence north on section lines to the north line of said township 7; thence west to the northwest corner of said township 7; thence north to the southwest corner of Guernsey County: thence east to the southwest corner of township number 8, in range number 9 in said connty: thence north to the northwest corner cf section numler 18 m said tewnship S: thence east on section lines to the east line of said township eight; thence north to the northeast corner of said township 8: thence east to the southwest corner of section number 22 in township number 1, of range number 1 of the military lands: thence north to the northwest corner of section number 19 in said township 1; thence east on section lines to the east line of said township 1; thence north to the northwest corner of township number 8, in range number 7 in said Guernsey County; thence east to the west line of Belmont County; thence south to the southwest corner of Belmont County: thence west to the southwest corner of section number 19 in said township 8, in range 7; thence south on section lines to the northwest corner of section number 19, in township number 6, in range number 7 in Monroe County ; thence east to the northeast corner of section number 13 in said township number 6; thence south on section lines to the

*Samuel McGarry was a lawyer of Sarahsville and one of the leading citizens of the community. After the creation of Noble county he was the first southeast corner of section number 18, in township number 4, in range number 7 in Washington County; thence west to the east line of township number 5, in range number 8 in said county; thence north to the northeast corner of section number 25 in said township 5; thence west to the southwest corner of section number 23; thence north to the northwest corner of said section 23; thence west to the southwest corner of section number 15; thence north to the southwest corner of section number 10; thence west to the southwest corner of section number 8; thence north io the northwest corner of section qa pee 8; thence west to the west line of said township number 5, in said range number 8; thence south to the southeast corner of Morgan County; thence west to the place of beginning.

"Sec. 3. That all suits, whether of a civil or criminal nature, which shall be pending in those parts of Washington, Morgan, Guernsey and Monroe Counties so set off and erected into a new county, and within those parts of Washington County hereby attached to and made a part of the County of Monroe, previous to the first Monday in April, eighteen hundred and fifty-one, shall be prosecuted to final judgment and execution within the counties from which such parts shall be taken, the same as if this act had not been passed; and the officers of such counties respectively shall execute all such process as shall be necessary to carry into effect such suits, prosecutions and judgments; and the collectors of taxes of said counties respectively shall collect all taxes that shall have been levied and remain unpaid in the said several portions of said counties, at the time of the passage of this act, the same as if this act had not been passed.

"See. 4. That all justices of the peace and other township officers within those parts of the counties of Washington, Morgan, Guernsey and Monroe which are hereby erected into the County of Noble, and within that part of Washington County hereby attached to and made a part of the County of Monroe, shall continue to exercise the functions and discharge the duties of their respective offices until their 'respective terms of service shall expire, and until their successors shall be duly elected and qualified, in the same manner as if they had been commissioned or elected for said new County of Noble or for the county to which they may be attached; and all writs and other process within the territory hereby erected into said new County of Noble, shall be styled as of said County of Noble, on and after the first day of April, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.

"Sec. 5. That the legal voters residing within the limits of the County of Noble shall, on the first Monday in April, in the year eighteen hundred and fifty-one, assemble in their respective townships, at the usual places of holding elections therein, and proceed to elect the county officers for said county, as prescribed in the act to regulate elections, who shall hold their offices until the next' annual election, and until their successors shall be duly elected and qualified. And at said first election all the voters residing in fractional townships taken from Monroe County shall vote in the townships immediately west thereof; those residing in fractional townships taken from Washington County shall vote in the townships immediately north thereof; those residing in fractional townships taken from Morgan County shall vote in the townships immediately east thereof; and those residing in fractional townships taken from Guernsey County shall vote in the townships immediately east and south thereof; and the clerks of the several townships included in the County of Noble shall give twenty days' notice of said election, which notices shall be in writing and posted up at the usual places of holding elections in their several townships.

"Sec. 6. The Commissioners of the Counties of Washington, Morgan, Monroe and Guernsey shall have power, immediately on the passage of this act, to attach the fractional townships made so by this act to the other townships, or to organize such fractional townships into separate townships in their respective counties; and this power shall extend to the commissioners of the County of Noble to dispose of the fractional townships included within the limits made by this act.

"Sec. 7. The said County of Noble is hereby attached to and made a part of the eighth judicial cireuit of the State of Ohio: and the court of common pleas and the supreme court of the said County of Noble shall be holden at some convenient house therein, to be designated by the associate judges thereof, until the permanent seat of justice of said County of Noble shall be established according to Jaw.

"Sec. 8. That George McCullough, of Jefferson County, Martin Heckard, of Meigs County, and Lafayette Emmett, of Knox County, be and they are hereby appointed commissioners to fix upon and locate the seat. of justice of said County of Noble, agreeably to the provisions of the act entitled 'An Act for the Establishment of Seats 'of Justice.'

"See. 9. That nothing herein contained shall be so construed as 'to alter or change any representative, senatorial or congressional district.

"Sec. 11. That nothing contained in this act shall be so construed as in anywise to operate as a release or discharge of any person, residing within the territory taken from the County of Guernsey by. this act, from any State, county, township or other tax heretofore assessed and levied by the officers of said Guernsey County, or on account of any tax hereafter to be levied upon the real or personal property on account of any subscription to any railroad company heretofore made or hereafter to be made in pursuance of any vote heretofore taken in said Guernsey County, and that the same shall be forever a lien upon the said property the same as if the said territory had not been detached from the County of Guerngey.

"Sec. 12. The officers in the County of Guernsey, whose duty it shall be to assess and collect any tax hereafter to be levied for the payment of the principal or interest of any railroad subscription hereafter to be made in pursuance of a vote heretofore taken in favor of such subscription, shall proceed to levy and collect the proportionate share of the same off the property in the territory taken from the County of Guernsey by this act, the same as if said property remained in the County of Guernsey; and the said officers are hereby invested with all the powers in the collection of the same as are provided by law for the collection of State or county taxes."

As the description of the boundaries as given in section one of the organic act are somewhat technical, a more general description may enable the reader to form a clearer conception of the origin of the county. The townships of Beaver, Wayne, Seneca, and Buffalo were taken from Guernsey county; Marion, Stock, Enoch, nearly twothirds of the eastern side of Center, and all of Elk, except four square miles of the south end, were taken from Monroe; Olive, Jackson, Sharon, Noble, Brookfield, and the western part of Center, were taken from Morgan; the four square miles that form the southern part of Elk township, and that part of Jefferson lying directly west, originally belonged to Washington county.

Immediately after the passage of the act creating the county, steps were taken to carry out its provisions. In pursuance of section five, an election was held on Monday, April 7, and the following county officers were elected: Robert Barclay, auditor; Samuel McGarry, treasurer; Joseph Schofield, sheriff; Jabez Belford, prosecuting attorney ; Robert Hellver, recorder; John H. Jeffries, surveyor; Jacob Lyons, John Noble, and Timothy Smith commissioners. On April 3, the commissioners who had been appointed to locate the county seat gave twenty days notice of the time and place of meeting, and at the expiration of that time they made the following report: _

"The undersigned George MeCullongh, of the County of Jefferson ; Martin Heckard, of the County of Meigs; and Lafayette Emmett, of the County of Knox, commissioners appointed to fix upon and locate the seat of justice of Noble County by the act entitled "An Act to Erect the County of Noble,' passed March 11, 1851, having agreeably to the provisions of the act entitled 'An Act Establishing Seats of Justice,' passed February 3, 1824, previously given twenty days notice to the inhabitants of the said County of Noble, of the time, place and purpose of our meeting, met pursuant to said notice on Wednesday, the 23d day of April, 1851, at Sarahsville, in said county, for the purpose of fixing upon and locating the seat of justice of said Noble County, and after having been duly sworn according tv law, proceeded to the discharge of our duties as commissioners aforesaid; and having duly and carefully examined the different localities pointed out by the inhabitants of said county, and duly weighed the arguments in favor of each, we do fix upon and locate the seat of: justice of said County of Noble at the town of Sarahsville, in said county." :

The report was dated at Sarahsville, April 24; 1851, and signed by all three of the commissioners. The location of the county seat was the last act necessary to fulfill the requirements of the organic law, and on April 29, 1851, the newly elected county commissioners met for the first time in their official capacity.

Karty Civit Instirutions - First Courts - New Orricers In- STALLED - REORGANIZATION oF TownsHips - Bounparles - Cuancres Arrerwarp Mapr - ELecrTion For JUSTICES OF THE Prace - SuccessruL CanpipaTesS - SETTLEMENT witH ADJOINIna CounTixes - Times anp Paces or Mreetinc - First News- PAPERS - AN Ecuo or THE Location oF THE County SratT - Orrices RENTED ror THE County Orricers - First Tax Levy - A Jatt Orperep - Descrirtion or THE Buitp1Inc - Cost - TROUBLE WITH THE Conrractor - Finatty Accepren - A County Seat War InavGuraTED - SECTIONAL DIFFERENCES IN Poxiitics - Acr or 1854 - Sprciat Erection OrperrEp - ANIMATED CaMPAIGN - ANALYSIS OF THE VOTE - ParTY OF THE SoutH Vicrorious - LiTiGaTION - PuLat oF CaLDWELL Sur- VEYED - Town Namep - SitTe DrEEDED To THE COMMISSIONERS BY SaMUEL CaLpwELL - Conrract For Court Hovusre - TeEm- PORARY QuARTERS - First Sate or Lors - First NEwsPAPeER IN CaLDWELL - Boarping SHanty - Orper To Remove County Orrices - New Jart - First Hotrers - ANoTHER NEWSPAPER - FEarty Cuurcues - Cowunty Inrirmary Estasitisnep - In- FLUENCES OF THE Civit War.

RIOR to the location of the county seat or the election of county officers the first session of the court of common pleas was held at the town of Olive, the record of that first court being as follows:

"The State of Ohio, Noble County, SS: Be it remembered that on the first day of April, A. D. 1851, William Smith, Gilman Dudley and Patrick Finley, Esquires, produced commissions from his excellency, Reuben Wood, Governor of Ohio, appointing each of them associate judges of the court of common pleas of Noble County; also certificates on their several commissions that they and each of them had taken the oath of allegiance and office. Whereupon a court of common pleas was holden for the county of Noble on the first day of

April, 1851, at the office of Robert McKee, in the Town of Olive in the said county of Noble: present, the Hon. William Smith, Gilman Dudley and Patrick Finley, associate judges of said county.

"Appointment of Clerk. - It is ordered by the court that Isaac Q. Morris be appointed clerk of this court until the next term thereof. Thereupon the said Isaac Q. Morris appeared and gave bond according to law, and gave the necessary oath of office.

"Ordered that the court of common pleas and the supreme court in and fer the County of Noble be held at the Methodist meeting house at Olive, in Noble County, until the permanent seat of justice of Noble County be fixed according to law.

The second term of court was held in the Methodist church at Olive, beginning on June 19, 1851. At this session Archibald G. Brown, judge of the eighth judicial district, presided, the three associate judges also being present, as well as the new sheriff, Joseph Schofield. Three cases were tried. Two of these were adjudicated by the court and the third was tried by a jury composed of Benjamin Tilton, Simeon Blake, Samuel Marquis, Jacob Crow, Jacob Fogle, John Mitchell, W. F. McIntvre, William Tracy, David McGarry, William J. Yeung, John MeGarry, and Dr. David MeGarry. This was the first jury ever impaneled by the courts of Noble econnty. The case it was called to try was one on appeal from the commen pleas court of Morgan couny, in which Jchn Liming charged Absalom Willey with defrauding him in a horse trade. During the session the court ordered an election for justices of the peace in the several townships; appointed William Reed, Benjamin Mott, and Benjamin S. Spriggs school examiners for a term of three vears; accepted the bond of Prosecuting Attorney Belford; issned naturalization papers to James Best, formerly a citizen of England; appointed Luke Dilley and James McCune county auctioneers, and transacted a number of minor matters. _

When the hoard of county commissioners met on April 29 the county officers, who had been elected on the 7th of the month, filed their bonds and entered upon their duties. On the first dav of the term a number of petitions were presented to the board, asking for the erection of new townships or for changes in the township lines. The petitions were examined and laid over until the following dav when they were taken up again, and made the special order for Thursday, Mav 1. On the final hearing the townships of Jefferson, Center, Sharen, Stock and Wayne were erected and the houndaries-of all the others, except Jackson, were altered. According to the records of

Beaver Township, altered so as to include and he composed of the following territory, to-wit: "Commencing for the same at the southeast comer of section 1, in township number 8 of range 7; thence north along the range line to the northeast corner of section 6 in said townsh'p and range; thence west along said township line to ths northwest corner of the east half of section 30 in said township and range ; thence south through the center of said sections 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, and 25, to the southwest corner of the east half of said section 25 in said township; thence east along the township line to the place of beginning: containing 27 sections."

Brookfield, as originally organized by the commissioners of Morgan county, was a full congressional township of thirty-six sections. In the reorganization by the Noble county authorities the boundaries were fixed "commencing at the southeast corner of section 35 in township number 7, of range 10; thence north along the section line te the northeast corner of section 2, in said township and range; ihence west along said township line to the northwest corner thereof ; thence south along said township line to the southwest corner thereof; thence east along said township line to the place of beginning; containing thirty sections."

The boundaries of Buffalo township began "at the southeast corner of section 36 in township number 8 of range 9; thence north along said township line to the northeast corner of section 13 in said township and range; thence west along the section line to the northwest corner of section 18 in said township and range; thence south along said township line to the southwest corner of section 31 in said township and range ; thence east. along said township line to the place of beginning ; containing twenty-four sections.

The boundaries of Center, one of the new townships, were fixed: "Commencing at the southeast corner of section 28,* in township number 7, of range 8; thence north along the section line to the northeast corner of section four, in, said township 7, range 8; thence west along the township line to the northwest corner of section two, in township number 7, and range number 9; thence south along the section line to the southwest corner of section 35, in said township number 7, and range number 9; thence east along the township line to the place of beginning; containing thirty sections."

*The record says '' Section 38'' but as there are but thirty-six sections in a township «:f the original survey such a number is out of the question. As a matter of fact, the southeast corner. of Center township is located at the southeast corner of section 28, which was doubtless the one intended in the ber 7; thence north along the section line across township number 5 of range number 7, to the northeast corner of section 13 in township number 6 of range number 7; thence west along the section line to the seventh range line; thence south along the seventh range line to the southwest corner of section 36 in township number £ of range number 7; thence east along the section line to the place of beginning: containing 32 sections."

The boundaries of Enoch township were established, "commencing at the southwest corner of section 31 in township 6 and range 8; thence east along said township line to the southeast corner of section 33 in said township and range; thence north along the section line to the southwest corner of section 27 in said township and range; thence east along the section line to the southeast corner of said section 27; thence north along the section line to the northeast corner of section 10 in said township and range ; thence west to the northwest corner of said section 10; thence north to the northeast corner of section 4 in said township and range; thence west along the township line to the northwest corner of said township number 6 and range 8; thence south along said township line to the place of beginning: containing twenty-two sections." f

Jackson township, which embraces a full congressional township, remains as it was established by the Morgan county authorities in 1819. In fixing the boundaries of Jetferson county the commissioners had one of the hardest problems relating to township lines. Along the southern border of Noble county there was a diversity of opinion as to the necessity for the erection of a new county. After the passage of the organic act some of the residenis in that section wanted to be included in the new county while others were just as desirous of being left out. In order to satisfv all these, the southern boundary of the township presents a rather peculiar appearance upon the map. The lines were finally fixed: 'Commencing on the seventh range line, at the southeast corner of section 24, in township number 5, of range 8; thence north along the seventh range line to the northeast corner of section 24 in township number 6, of range 8; thence west along the section lines to the northwest corner of section 23, in township 6, range 8; thence south along the section lines to the northeast corner of section 34, in township 6, range 8; thence west to the northwest corner of said section 34; thence south to the southwest corner of said section 34; thence west along the township line to the northwest corner of township number 5, range 8; thence along said township line to the southwest corner of section 6 in said township number 5 of range 8 ; thence east to the southeast corner of said section 6; thence south to the southwest corner of section 8, in township number 5, range 8; thence east to the southeast corner of section 9, in township number 5, of range 8; thence south to the southwest cor- ner of section 15, in township number 3, of range 8; thence east to the southeast corner of said section; thence south to the southwest corner of section 23 in township number 5, range 8; thence east to the place of beginning: containing 23 sections."

Marion township was formed from the fractional townships taken from Union and Seneca townships of Monroe county. The eastern half of the new township came from Seneca and the western half from Union. The boundaries fixed by the commissioners of Noble county were: 'Commencing on the seventh range line at the southwest cor- - ner of section 31, in township number 7 of range 7; thence east along said township line to the southeast corner of section 25 in said township number 7 and range 7; thence north along the section lines to the northeast corner of section 30 in said township number 7 and range 7; thence west along said township line to the northwest corner of section 36 in said township number 7 and range 7; thence south along the seventh range line to the northeast corner of section 1 in township number 7 of range 8; thence west along the said township line to the northwest corner of section 3 in said township 7 and range 8; thence south along the section line to the southwest corner of section 22 in said township number 7 and range 8; thence east. along the section lines to the seventh range line; thence north to the place of beginning: containing twenty-four sections."

The record regarding Noble township reads: "Commencing at the southeast corner of section 34, in township number 7 of range 9; thence north to the northeast corner of section 3, in said township number 7, range 9; thence west along the township line to the northwest corner of section 1, in township number 7, of range 10; thence east along the township line to the place cf beginning: containing thirty sections."

Olive township, lying directly south of Noble, began "at the southeast corner of section 36, in township number 6 of range 9; thence north to the northeast corner of said township number 6 of range 9; thence west along said township line to the northwest corner cf the east half of section 5 in said township number 6 and range 9; thence south through the center of sections number 5, 8, 17, 20, 29, and 32 to the southwest corner of the east half of section 32 in said township number 6 and range 9; thence along said township line to the place of beginning: containing twenty-seven sections."

The boundaries of Seneca township were aliered: 'Commencing at the southeast corner of section 36, in township number 8, range number 8; thence north along the seventh range line to the northeast corner of section 13 in said township and range; thence west along section lines to the northwest corner of section 18 in said township and range; thence south along the range line to the southwest corner

Sharon township was erected to provide for the fractional townships taken from Morgan county. The boundaries begin "at the southeast corner of the west half of section 32, in township number 6, of range number 9; thence north through the center of sections 32,29, 20, 17, 8, and 5 to the northeast corner of the west half of section 5, in said township number 6 and range 9; thence west along township lines to the northwest corner of section 3, in township number 6. and range 10; thence south along section lines to the southwest corner of section 34 in said township and range; thence east. along township lines to the place of beginning: containing twenty-seven sections."

Stock township, next to Jefferson, has the most irregular boundary lines of any township in the county. These lines are described on the commissioners' record as "commencing on the seventh range line at the southwest corner of section 32 in township number 6 of range number 7; thence east along the section lines to the southeast corner of section 26 in said township number 6 of range number 7; thence north along section lines to the northeast corner of section 30 in said township and range; thence west along said township line to the seventh range line; thence south along the seventh range line to the northeast corner of section 25 in township 7, range 8; thence west along section lines to the northwest corner of section 27 in said township number 7 and range 8; thence south along section lines to the southwest corner of section 3 in township number 6 and range 8; thence east to the northwest corner of section 4 in said township number 6 of range 8; thence south along the section line to the southwest corner of section 14 in said township number 6 of range 8; thence east along the section line to the seventh range line; thence north along the seventh range line to the. place of beginning: containing twenty-three sections."

Wayne township is also made up of the fractional townships taken from Richland, Beaver, and Wright townships of Guernsey county, and contains four sections of the military lands - all there is in Noble county. The record describes the boundaries as "commencing on the seventh range line at the southwest corner of section 31, in township number 8, of range 7 ; thence east along the south line of said township to the southeast corner of the west half of section 25 in said township; thence north through the center of sections number 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 to the north line of said township; thence west along the north line of said township to the seventh range line; thence south along said seventh range line to the northeast corner of section 20 in the first township of the seventh range of military lands in the Zanesville district; thence west to the northwest corner of section 19, in said township number 1 and range 1 as aforesaid: thence south to the southwest corner of section 22 in said township number 1, range 1, on the Ludlow line; thence west along the Ludlow line to the northwest corner of section 6, in township number 8 of range 8; thence south to the southwest. corner of section 7, in said township number 8 and range 8; thence east to the southeast corner of section 12, in said township number 8 and range 8; thence south along the seventh range line to the place of beginning: containing twenty-five sections."'

During the next three vears a few changes in the boundaries, as established by this first order, were made. The first of these was in March, 1852, when the commissioners, in response to a petition signed by twenty-five citizens, ordered the west half of sections 25, 26, and 27, and the east half of sections 31, 32, and 33 to be taken from Wayne township and annexed to Beaver. On March 7, 1854, a petition signed by fourteen persons was presented to the board of county commissioners asking for a change in the line between Elk and Stock townships. As a result of this petition sections 25 and 31 in Elk. township were attached to Stock. In June, 1855, twenty-eight taxpayers petitioned for a readjustment of the line hetween Center and Enoch townships, and the commissioners ordered that sections 31, 32, and 33 be taken from Center and attached to Enoch. At the September term, of the same vear, Abraham Bryan and some of his neighbors asked the commissioners to restore the north half of section 31 to Center township, which was accordingly done. With the exception of these changes the township lines in Noble county stand today as they were established by the commissioners at their first session in 1851.

Under the order of the court of common pleas at the June term an election for justices of the peace was held on the twelfth of Julv. In some of the townships the justices who held office prior to the issuing of the order were allowed to continue. So far as the records of this election are obtainable they show that Daniel Pettay was elected in Center; John Archibald, in Sharon; John Moore, in Brookfield ; Reuben Wood, in Stock ; James Rich and Abner Williams, in Wayne; Moses Spencer, in Elk; Alfred Ogle, in Enoch; Samuel Gebhart, in Beaver; and John Stevens, in Buffalo.

In accordance with an order passed by the commissioners at the first session the board met with the commissioners of Morgan county at McConnelsville, on Monday, May 12, 1851; the commissioners of Washington county at Marietta, on Friday, May 16; the commissioners of Monroe county at Woodsfield, on Wednesday, May 21; and the commissioners of Guernsey county at Cambridge, on Monday, May 26. The object of these meetings was to make settlements with the different counties from which the territory comprising Noble county had been taken, and to secure Noble county's share cf the revenues remaining in the several county treasuries at the time the county was erected.* The establishment of a new county attracted the aitention of newspaper men as being an inviting field for the exercise of their talents. The Democratic majority in the county was nearly one thousand, and it was probably natural that Demecratie editors should display greater energy in preempting the field. William H. Gill and Robert Teech, both of whom were members of the Constitutional Convention of 1851, founded the Democratic Courier at Sarahisville, soon after the county was organized. The first issne of the paper appeared in Mav. The Whigs, however. were not far behind, for in July Oliver P. Wharton and Richard HW. Tanevhill began the publication of the Noble County Investigator at Olive. Several important matters were disposed of by the commissioners at their June term. The commissioners appointed by the legislature to locate the county seat were to receive three dollars a day for their services. George MeCullongh presented a bill for eleven davs, and Martin Heckard and Lafavette Emmett for fifteen davs each. On June 2, the board ordered warrants drawn for the several amounts, so that it ecst the people one hundred and twentv-three dollars to have located the seat. of justice. As no public buildings had vet heen erected it was necessary to provide quarters for the varions county officers. Rooms were rented from Dr. J. F. Canell for the recorder and treasurer; the clerk's office was obtained from a man named Axtell; and the auditor's office from William Tracy. The rents varied from one dollar to one dollar and fifty cents per month, ineluding fuel. On June 25 the board made its first levy of taxes: for county purposes, $7,000; for townshin purposes, $1,200; for school purposes, $2,778; and for public buildings, $2,100. The next dav it was ordered that the court house and jail be located unon the public square in Sarahsville, and notice to contractors was given, through the medium of an advertisement in the Democratic Courier, that the board would receive bids on July 28, 1851, for the erection of a jail. The specifications provided for a building thirty by forty feet. two -stories high; the first story to be of stone and to be nine feet high; the second to be of brick, ten feet. between floor and ceiling. The windows in the first story were to be thirty inches square and covered with an iron rrating. Those in the second story were to each have

*The matter of adjusting these relations seems to have been attended with some difficulty. In March, 1852, the authorities of Guernsey county made a demand upon Noble county for about $700 for bridges located in that part of Noble that had been detached from Guernsey. The feeling is shown by the twenty-four lights of 8 by 10 inch glass. The second story was also to be divided into "common rooms." On July 29-the board entered into a contract with John B. Heaton, for the construction of the jail for the sum of $2,230, the building to be completed by the first day of August, 1852. The jail was never finished according to the agreement, for before the time arrived when it was to be turned over to the commissioners Heaton threw up the contract and left the county. In December, 1852, his bondsmen, Harrison Secrist, Thomas Dyson and Joseph Potts, were notified that they would be held for damages on account of the failure to carry out the contract, and a month or so later the board accepted the jail, although the record was made to show a protest on the material and workmanship used in the construction of the building.*

Searcely had the organization of Noble county been completed when a contest arose over the location of the county seat. In fact, the difference of opinion existed before the passage of the organic act by the legislature. The action of the commissioners in selecting Sarahsville was no doubt the most reasonable decision they could have reached, as Sarahsville was the most centrally located of any ofthe towns in the county at that time. However, many of those living in the southern part of the county were dissatisfied with the selection, as being too far north of the geographical center of the county. As soon as it was definitely known that Sarahsville had drawn the prize those in the south began to manifest their displeasure. Bribery was openly charged and a determination announced to continue the fight until the seat of justice should be more centrally located. As is usual in such cases the newspapers of the county took sides in the matter and the contest grew in intensity. The Democratic Courier warmly advocated the retention of the county seat at Sarahsville, while the Investigator just as strongly adhered to the cause of the opposition. Although nominally a Whig paper, the Investigator now assumed the role of an independent publication, and advocated the election of a "People's Ticket," which was made up of both parties, the issue being the location of the county seat. National politics was submerged in the all absorbing question. The fight was not always conducted with "dignity and decorum." Epithets were hurled at each other, blows were sometimes exchanged, and altogether a great deal of bad blood was exhibited. The opponents to Sarahsville finally settled upon a location described as "the northeast quarter of section 3, in Olive Township," and from that time their campaign was directed with more system and effect. Political differences were made

* After the removal of the county seat to Caldwell this jail was used for various purposes until 1871, when it was sold to the Sarahsville Methodist Episcopal Church for $200.

up along these lines and no matter whether the voter was Whig or a Democrat he was expected to identify himself with either the party of "The North" or "The South."

The party of the South showed good generalship in the election of county officers. They permitted the Sarahsville faction to elect practically all the candidates except the majority of the board of commissioners, thus delaying the erection of public buildings at the seat of justice. Had the party of the North once succeeded in electing a majority of the board, and then hurried the erection of a court house, the removal of the county seat would have been rendered highly problematical. One effect of the agitation was to bring about the establishment of a new paper at Sarahsville. In August, 1852, Oliver P. Wharton, who was one of the founders of the /nvestigator at Olive, became associated with Dr. J. F. Capell and started the People's Organ at the county seat. Paradoxical as it may seem, the new paper was an enthusiastic advocate of the Olive township site. The Democratic Courier had in the meantime changed hands, Samuel MeGarry and William Tracy becoming the proprietors. It continued to battle heroically for Sarahsville, but the establishment of the People's Organ, "right in the heart of the enemy's country," undoubtedly weakened the party of the North, and inversely encouraged the party of the South. Thus matters went on until the mecting of the legislature of 1854. At that session there was a strong lobby representing the Olive township site, and on April 29, 1854, a bill was passed anthorizing the people of Noble county to decide by popular vote the location of the county seat. Immediately upon the passage of the bill both sides buckled on their armor and prepared for the final strnggle. The election was called for the second Tuesday in October, which gave plenty of time for the discussion of the merits of the two locations. And good use was made of the time. At the mills, at the postoffices, wherever two or three of the citizens happened to meet, the county seat question was the all absorbing topic.