Richland Township

Richland Township

The early settlers of this township were John I\Iurphey, Emanuel Ruft"ner, Daniel Stevenson, Thomas William and Isaac I jams. The three brothers reared eight sons who became prominent township men, the most distinguished of whom was Joseph I jams, a great merchant in his time. William Wilson and his sons, William, Thomas, Joseph, Isaac and David. The daughters, also Mrs. James Richie, and Mrs. Col. Wm. Sumner and Mrs. Herron were prominent people ; bold and fearless pioneers. William Coulson was not an early settler, but he was the most able and Jistinguished man of Rushvlle, or of Richland township ; a great pioneer merchant. He lived beyond 90 )'ears.

Rush Creek

The first settlers in this township were the Youngs (in 1799), Andrew. Ashbaugh, Fredk. Ashbaugh, John Ashbaugh, Sr., John Ashbaugh, Jr., Joseph Miller and their wives.

The Ashbaugh family arrived at the Carpenter settlement on Hock-Hocking the evening of December 31, 1799, and on the morning of January i, 1800 their son, David, was born in one of the Carpenter cabins.

The early settlers of Violet township were H. Donaldson, A. Donaldson, Ed. Rickets, W. Hustand, Dr. Tolbert, Abraham Pickering and M. Fishpaugh.

Source changes here: from History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, by Miller, Charles Christian, published 1912; 3,084 words in this source stream.

Richland Township

Richland Township is bounded on the north and east by Perry County, on the south by Rush Creek Township, on the west by Walnut and Pleasant Townships.

It is believed that this township was so named because of the richness and fertility of its soil. Richland was cut down in 181 7 by striking off two tiers of sections, from its eastern side to be attached to Perry County, thus reducing its dimensions to four sections wide by six in length - the smallest township in Fairfield County.

Among the first settlers, were: William Wiseman, Theodore Turner, Stephenson and Ijams families and Judge William McClung. Judge McClung was a prominent public man and died in West Rushville in 1876, at a very advanced age. Abram Geil, James Rowland and Jesse Rowles are likewise mentioned as among the pioneers in the township. Mordecai Stevens was an early settler and leading farmer; he lived and died on the land first entered by his father. William Coulson was a leading man of Rushville, both in trade and as an active and devoted Methodist. Patrick Owens is said to have sold the first goods in Richland ; and Moses Plummer, the proprietor of the first mills on Rush Creek, between the two villages, in the year 1802.

These villages, as well as Richland Township, shared with all other parts of the county in the early organization of religious societies and churches; but their first meetings were held in the log cabins of the settlers, Rev.

Dr. Nathaniel Waite was a physician in West Rushville at an early day; and Dr. Ide of East Rushville. The first postmaster was Marquette. Harper is named as the first blacksmith.

In former years vast quantities of tobacco were packed and shipped from both the Rushvilles. It was a staple product of that end of the county. The leading men in the tobacco trade were the Ijams, Coulson and Vansant.

Zane's trace passed through East and West Rushville and in 1840 was made a turnpike. The Toledo and Ohio Central R. R. passes through this township midway between the two villages. East and West Rushville. There are two villages in the township - East Rushville (now known as Rushville) and West Rushville. East Rushville was laid out in 1808 by Joseph Turner and called Clinton. Soon afterwards the name was changed to East Rushville.

The settlers of Richland Township have special religious advantages for in the Stevenson settlement as early as 1806 or '07 there was a Methodist campnieeting - the first in Ohio. James B. Finley, the famous pioneer M. E. preacher, Charles Waddle, James Quinn, Jacob Young, and Asa Shinn were attendants and participated in these meetings. The first church erected in the township was by the Methodists in 1810. It was located on Section 28 in a log cabin. In 1830 it was merged into the East Rushville M. E. Church. Rev. Howard McDaniel is the pastor of this church and he also preaches at Pleasantville, West Rushville and Marsh's Chapel. The teachers of Rushville are R. E. Stone, superintendent ; Guy Garwood, principal ; Harry Dauterman, grammar department; and Amy Beery, primary.

The lodges of the town are Masonic Lodge with the following officers : T. H. Fahrer, W. M. ; R. W. Hyde, S. W. ; Dr. E. P. Trumper, J. W. ; B. F. Linville, secretary; C. C. Swinehart, treasurer ; F. G. Love, S. D. ; C. K. Hyde, J. D. ; and W. M. Combs, tyler. The Eastern Star Lodge has the following officers: Mrs. Jennie Murphy, W. Matron; Mr. F. G. Love, W. Patron; Mrs. Etta Elder, A. M. ; Mrs. Rosetta Linville, conductress ; Mrs. Emma Lewis, assistant conductress ; P. R. Murphy, secretary; Mrs. Harriet Kuhn, treasurer; Mrs. Rebecca Clum, Adah; Miss Hattie Parks, Ruth; Mrs. Rosetta Phillips, Esther; Mrs. Virginia Book, Martha; Mrs. Uphemia Crist, Electa; Mrs. Clementine Kerr, chaplain; Miss Ida McDaniels, organist; Miss Catherine Combs, warder; Mr. J. C. Elder, sentinel ; and Miss Emma Kuhn, marshal.

And Representative Citizens

The city officials of Rushville are the following: J. C. Elder, Mayor; J. M. Lidey, clerk; S. B. Neely, treasurer; S. S. Turner, marshal ; and Dr. W. C. Lewis, health officer. The councilmen are C. R. Turner, president of council ; Owen Smith, James F. Morrow, David Funks, T. A. Stoltz and T. G. Swinehart.

The township officers of Richland township : P. F. Benadum, Henry Anneshansley and William Westall, trustees ; John Johnson, constable; D. H. Fahrer, treasurer; R. W. Hyde, clerk; Jesse Steth, justice of the peace; Emanuel Shoemaker, justice of the peace; Jacob Crist, assessor; Rushville School Board is composed of the following members : J. H. Fultz, R. W. Hyde, Ray Nickum and F. F. Lewis.

Rush Creek lies south of Richland, and borders on the east of Berne and Pleasant Townships. Settlements began in this township in 1799. It is a six section township containing 23,040 acres of land. Bremen is its village and is situated about the middle of the township. Rush Creek and Raccoon are the principal streams that pass through it. The Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley railroad cuts it in the center. Nearly all the surface of Rush Creek is arable and fertile. The names derives from Rush Creek, its principal stream.

The survey of this township, and of that part of the country, was made by Elnathan Scofield, an early citizen of Lancaster, soon after the first settlement of the county.

The names of the men who first entered land within the bounds of Rush Creek Township, mostly along Rush Creek, here follow : John Larimore, William Thompson, John Carr. David Martin, William Martin, John

In 1810, Samuel Hammel built the first mill on Rush Creek ; and a little later Mr. Lieb built a saw and grist-mill, also on Rush Creek ; Casper Hufford also built a grist-mill on Raccoon very early in the settlements.

The settlements began along the creeks in 1800, but the eastern portion of the township was settled later. Many of the first comers settled down on the squatter plan, and afterwards when the land came into market, bought their places at two dollars an acre. It is that no competition was gone into in the purchase, which was the result of mutual understanding among the squatters.

One of the Larimores was the first justice of the peace, and Charles McClung was elected to the same office in 1804. William McClung, a brother of Charles, was a prominent citizen of the township. He was a soldier of the War of 1S12, serving under General Sanderson, who was then captain of a company from Fairfield County. Subsequently he represented the county in the State Legislature and was Associate Judge of the Common Pleas in 1840 and 1841.

The Presbyterians were the first to hold religious services in the township and their first church was of hewed log, built in 1807 in the northwest part of the township. There are now two churches of this belief; one in Bremen and one in Section 25, called Bethel Church.

The Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in section 34 was built in 1835. Blasius Schmeltzer built the church with all the other buildings and donated these with 80 acres of land to the church.

Two railroads pass through Rush Creek Township, the Toledo and Ohio Central with the only station of the township at Bremen, and the Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley with a station also at Bremen. There is no electric line through this township. (1912.)

The township officers of Rush Creek Township are as follows : Trustees - Charles Seifert, Ed. Young and J. W. Rittgers. Treasurer - F. M. Bunn ; clerk - J. W. McCullough ; constable - Elijah Hillyard; school board - Reuben Weltz, Wes McCandlish, Clint Shaw, Sam Rowles, A. H. McVeigh. The tax duplicate is $1,980,340.00.

Bremen is the only village of Rush Creek Township; it was platted in 1834 upon the southeast corner of Section 16. or the school lands, by George Beery. At the end of 50 years it only had about 200 population. In an early day mail came to Bremen only once a week from McConnellsville, being carried on liorseback each Friday morning and the return trip being made on the following day. As late as 1854, twenty years after the village was laid out, it had no railroad, but July 4, 1855, the first train passed through Bremen on the Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley R. R., and that caused as much excitement in those days as the finding of gas and oil in these later days.

The families in the early day at Bremen were people of integrity and thrift. Some of the names to be found are : Hughes, Rhodahaver, Beery, Moore, Ashbaugh, Stewart, Rowles, Leib, Stemen, Everett, McCullough, Houston, Cameron, Black, Moyer, Johnston, Kelsey, Davis, Young, Sanderson, Poling, Shaw, Martin, Thompson, Neeley and Mc- Clung. The last twenty years the following have been household words about Bremen; Purvis, Ricket, Cusac, Shelhamer, Strayer, Driver, Kagay, Bell, Black, Ruff and Huddle.

The commercial history of Bremen did not begin till 1907, when the first oil well of the Old Bremen Co. "came in" with a good showing of oil. From that day to this, Bremen has been the center of one of the best oil fields in Ohio, having not only a good quantity of oil but the quality is the same as Pennsylvania oil and commands the same price.

Over 1 50 stock companies have been formed (a more extensive description will be found in Chapter VII.) and the most striking peculiarity of the Bremen field is that nearly all the territory is controlled by local people. Every farmer within the radius of 15 miles from Bremen, who has the price, has a variety of stocks ; some of them pay, some do not.

The town is wide awake, up-to-date, improving all the time, because of its good, substantial citizens. In 1890 its population was 244, in 1900. 466 and in 1910, 925.

The paper, the Bremen Derrick, is published by W. J. Mortal and son. The largest Department Store in Fairfield County is the Shelhamer Store in Bremen. It was established in 1877.

In February, 1903, this store with 15 other buildings burned to the ground. The Shelhamer store, a two-story brick block, was rebuilt the next year, but the other buildin'gs were not rebuilt until the last five years. In this store there is nothing omitted that is to be found in first class department stores. Other stores in Bremen are : Leonard & Kennedy, hardware ; Bell & Bell, hardware ; George A. Staker, furniture and undertaking; Wehr & Son, grocers; Olive & Son, grocers; Rufif & Son, meat market.

There are two banks in Bremen : The Bremen Bank Co., H. H. Shelhamer, president; George Baldwin, cashier; and the First National Bank, H. E. Young, president; and A. D. Hufford, cashier.

The following industries are found there : Oil Well Supply Co., Higbee Tool Co., Westerman Boiler Shop, Voviard and Seyfang Supply Co., Bremen Mill & Lumber Co., Bremen Manufacturing Co., and Turner Mill Co.

The Water System is ideal. There is a reservoir of cement, perfectly enclosed ; water soft and absolutely pure ; capacity of reservoir, 5,000 barrels ; pressure 75 lbs. per square inch.

There are three physicians in Bremen : Dr. A. A. Bradford, who graduated from the Toledo Medical College in 1885 and came to Bremen in 1893; Dr. C. W. Brown graduated from Starling Medical College in 1910 and came to Bremen that year; and Dr. Mc- Adoo. Ray Spurgeon and W. M. Scott are dentists located here. J. F. Thompson is an attorney-at-law, and E. R. Johnston, a Civil Engineer.

A lodge of F. & A. M. was organized at Bremen in the fall of 1909. It worked under dispensation until January 20, 191 1, when it was duly chartered, dedicated and instituted with forty members.

The lodge has been prosperous and harmonious, enjoying a strong spirit of brotherly love. The inspiration of the truth of its teachings and the strong enthusiastic moral character of its members have imbued the institution with strength and zeal not often found in so young a society. Thirteen applicants' petitions were received at its first stated meeting. At this writing, March i, 1912, there is a class of seven apprentices. Not all who have knocked at the door of Free Masonry have entered the sanctum sanctorum. As no society is stronger than the mean average of its members, this lodge recognizes the fact that to be strong, be a force for good, and accomplish results worth while, the standard of moral character must be high.

them. It is to this ambitious spirit of reaching up for higher things, that makes us grow stronger in temperance, prudence, fortitude and justice, and all the other good qualities that ennoble the soul, fitting us for that Celestial Lodge not made with hands, eternal in the heavens above.

The officers of the lodge during its formation period have been men of strong character and prudent forethought. Bro. J. M. Lidey was the first W. M. and it is to his wise counsels that the lodge has been built up and its success achieved. The present officers are: S. W. Crawford, W. M. ; A. F. Turner, S. W. ; H. D. McCandlish, J. W. ; E. T. Purvis, Chaplain ; Ray Spurgeon, S. D. ; J. H. Griggs, J. D. ; L. H. Kennedy, treasurer ; W. C. Ricket, secretary; L. T. Colbourne and C. E. Thompson, stewards; C. E. Miley, tyler.

The following are the officers: Noble Grand, Geo. Jourdan; Vice Grand, E. R. Johnston; Rec. Secy., Ray Spurgeon; Financial Secretary, R. R. Black; Treasurer, Robert Funk. The membership is 87. The lodge was instituted October 4, 1873, and of the eleven charter members nine are still living, two having died in the past two years. The oldest members are Noah Westenberger and S. H. Alexander, each having been a menroer 41 years. The lodge meets every Wednesday night in its own building.

There are four ciiurches in Bremen. The First M. E. church had a humble beginning one hundred years ago. The original society built a small house of worship about two miles northeast of Bremen where Grand view Cemetery now is located. A very few are living who worshipped in this building. In the early fifties the congregation built a church in Bremen on Broad street. This building after ser\'ing for worship for nearly fifty years is now used as a dwelling. In 1900 the present commodious building at the corner of Mulberry and Walnut streets was dedicated. The society consists of about 375 members. J. Vernon Stone, the pastor, graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1906 and from the Boston School of Theology in 1908.

The First Presbyterian Church is served by Walter D. Hanell, pastor. He was graduated from Ohio Northern University and afterwards from Lane Theological Seminary in 1904. He began his work in Bremen, March I, 1911.

Bremen has excellent schools. There is now (191 2) being erected a thoroughly modern fire-proof building, with an auditorium that will seat 500. This building will be used for the grades. It is beautifully located, having a plot of four acres of ground. The following superintendents have served in Bremen: Superintendent Morris, 1888-89; M. E. Osboume, 1889-1905; E. E. Atwell, 1905- 1906; S. M. Archer, 1906-1908; P. W. Fattig, 1908-1909, W. L. Davis, 1909.

The High School is of the first grade and was organized in 1889. Since that year it has graduated 67 - 32 boys and 35 girls. The following is the list of alumni with addresses : 1900 - James Turner, Bremen, Ohio; 1902 - George Blosser, Lancaster, Ohio; Grace Rowels, Athens, Ohio; Raymond F. Kagay,

Teachers - Superintendent, W. L. Davis, M. S. in charge of the schools for three years. Principal, C. F. Kreider; assistant principal, C. W. Brashares; Daisy McCullough, seventh and eighth grades ; Doris Robinson, fifth and sixth grades; Bessie Hufford, fourth grade; Belle Houck, third grade; Jennie Krout, second grade; Rebekah Robinson, first grade.

Dr. Oliver Perry Driver

His preparatory education was obtained at Fairfield Union Academy, graduating in the class of 1877, when that famous old institution was known as "The Southern Ohio Normal School." In the same class with Dr. Driver were Misses Carrie and Addie Ashbrook, Messrs. Will C. Varsant. Dr. C. E. Baker and the writer.

entitled "Drifting." This poem was of marked ability from every point of view. It inspired to higher thoughts, more exalted feelings and nobler acts, evincing the high poetic talent of the author.

To write poetry, and to love it, was characteristic of Dr. Driver. Like Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes - he wrote poems while following the practice of medicine, and his friends always expected a poem at every banquet, or special occasion. He could have said, as truly as Dr. Holmes :

His chosen profession, however, was not authorship, but medicine, and to the faithful practice of this art he gave his life. One can never forget his bright wit which sparkled through all his conversation. His humor was a constant quality - always uplifting the burden of some one, and giving men hope. The rare sparkle of his eye betokened the college prank, the joke, or the humorous story; his pathos showed a heart as tender as a child ; his seriousness indicated a clear logical reasoning upon the things that abide.

It has often been a matter of regret to the writer that Dr. Driver did not devote more of his time to the cultivation of what Goldsmith calls "polite literature," and especially of poetry. While Old Fairfield has produced her Enoch Sites in mathematics ; her Ewings, Hunters. Stanberys, Shermans, Reeses, Beechers and Medills in statesmanship, law and military science, she could have claimed, also, equal rank in the realm of poetry had Dr. Driver devoted his time more largely to this art. Yet his achievements in this line are by no means without merit. The following poem, written in his early manhood, evinces some of the qualities of mind and heart which give to the poet his beauty and his charm. The closing stanza of this sweet lyric is prophetic of his own death - and the whole fulfills the definition "A poem is the very image of life expressed in eternal truth :"