Osnaburg Township

Osnaburg Township

At a mooting of tho Commissioners held on the Ifith of March, 1809, this township was hounded and named Osnnburg. Tho first election was ordered to bo held at William Nailer's house. The first collector wos James Price, and the amount of tax first levied in tho township was nineteen dollars and fifty cents. Among tho settlers prior to 1811 wo find tbo names of Shoffcr Hartman, Henry Shull, Michael Flora, Jacob Troxoll, and Thomas Scovey.

Tho aurfaeo is one of Iho most broken and hilly in Stark County, but it is a fine farming scotion. Tho traveler sees good houses and subalnntinl barns along tho zigzag roads. Wheat is the staple grain, and the bills aro green with promise of a coming crop. Coal is plenty : almost every farm has two veins of coal, one four and a half feet thick and nine feet below, tho other three feet thick. Tbo upper vein is being worked. Dr. Whitoleather's mine, near Oanaburg, with eight hands, produocs si-xtcon hundred bushels doily, which, at ten cents per bushel, yields a handsome income.

There aro two villages in the township. Osnahurg, in tho northwest, was settled by Ponusylvanians : it is a place of three hundred to four hundred inhabitants. It has three ohurclies, two hotels, and an exoellent sobool-building.

Maploton, to the southeast, is politioally a Republican alronghold. It has two dry-goods stores, and other business buildings. George Snyder ia tho present postmaster, and one of tho oldest residents. There is hut one mail a week. The pioneer settlors of tho township were Peter Mottioo, Miohaol Engle, David Edwards, James Price, Jacob Kitt, Robert Liilimor, Abraham Bair, the Thomases, Bossamon, a Methodist minister, and John Siuas, ono of the first justices. Those camo partly in 1804, and some as late ns 1807, and located near Oanaburg. Alexander Cameron aettled, about 1307, south of tho village of Maploton. on tho Little Sandy, and Raiser Augustine and George Poo took sections adjoining him,

Frank Ako and Douglass Wilson and families settled in Section 32 in 1S11. There were no roads, and each settlor out his own road to hia section.

Cbristiau Koontz, an early morohont, began business with half a dollar, and by fair dealing amassed a million, Eaoh of three sons has a controlling interest in as many national bonks,

Tho pioneer proaoUcr of tho Baptists was'Edward Otis; meetings wore held once a month at Mr. Englo'a house. Polly Kitt, now wife of Joseph Doll, rosidents of Osnoburg, was the first white child born in tho township; sho is now, in 1875, in her sovontiotb year, a sprightly and companionablo old lady. Sieknoss was uncommon. There was no resident physician, and when medical aid was needed Dr, Hartford wos called from Canton, Tho first funeral was in tho spring of ISII, when Mrs, Millig.-kn was buried. Her coffin was a rough box, ,Rov. Hutchinson sang a verso beginning " From all who dwell bonealh tho skies," and that was all there was of ceremonies.

Abraham Bair ran a aaw-mill, near by, at tho same date, Tho nxo and eroas-cut saw were tho early implomenta for house and furniture making. Trading was generally done at Canton or Waynesburg. A. Bair seems to have boon a teacher as well asBowyer, and having built himself a now house, used his old one, in 1322, for his aohool-room.

Jacob Kilt, already mentioned, still lives in Huntington County, Indiana, at tho advanced ago of ninoty.sevon years. It is said of him that when he wna in search of a location, in 1804, ho sow a fine rapid-flowing brook, and, tracing it to where it gushod from the earth a strong spring, he struck hia staff into the earth, exclaiming, "This is my quarter scotion." Here, ono milo south of Osnahurg, ho built his oobin and lived many years. In 1811 flro dostroyod his homo, but his neighbors rallying, soon rebuilt it, Mrs. Barbara Kitt, his wife, wa* tho Drat white woman in the township, and came in 1805. George Latimer was the second birth and the first male child born in tho township, in October, IS05,

Tho brat school-master in Osnoburg was Robert Thompson ; the second, William Nailor. They were supported by Ibo Kitts, Studybokcrs, Latimer-<, and Bairs. Tuition was dear, at half a dollar per child for three months. Revs. Weir, a Lutheran, and Fauat, German Rorormcd, organized the first ohuroh during 1820, with about twenty-five members. Tbo first sermon wos preached by Rev. Lambriek, Lutheran, in Minnieh'a house, in the year 1814. A Suuday-school was commenced in Mapleton about 1827. Rudolf Bair, in 1808, became tho first juatioc, and had, with his successor, Sluss, the jurisdiction from the Ohio to Lake Erie. Hocking Smith was the first constable, John Holly, first weaver: Henry Long, blacksmith ; Jacob Kitt, distillery; Mr, Hondlin. cabinet-maker; and Ira Wood, physician. How singular that tho aged forget events of recent date, and recollect, as though a thing of yesterday, these interesting items of a well-nigh forgotten paat !