Somers Township

Somers Township

Somers township originally comprised all the townships of range 2, until reduced to township 6, range 2, as stated in this history in the chapter on Organization. The township officers elected in 1808, mostly resided in or near Eaton.

The township has a wide variety of soil, creek bottom land of the best, long hill slopes, and level uplands that required ditching to make the rich loam productive, and some hilltops that are not so productive. The land on the east side of Seven-Mile creek generally slopes up pretty steeply to the upper levels, and in the lower course of the stream the same condition prevails on the west side of the stream. Even the hillsides afford good pasturage, and are capable of cultivation, except in the south couple of miles of the township. Really the roughest land of the township is along three streams, Paint creek, Rush run and Beasleys branch. Paint creek enters the township in section 5, and flows on peacefully enough for a mile or more where originally a high ridge intercepted its progress, and through that ridge the stream twisted and squirmed its way, slashing out the deepest gorge in the county for about a mile and a half of its course. It then emerges from the confines of the ridge and swings on to its outlet in Seven-Mile creek. The hills along the course of the stream, where it was wearing away the obstructing ridge, of course, are abrupt, but the rough land extends for but short distances on either side of the stream.

Rush run, flowing into Seven-Mile creek within less than one-half mile of the county line, has its source some four miles northeast thereof, along the east line of the township, and the waters of the stream in that four miles tumble down hill three hundred feet, in their headlong rush to reach the outlet, hence the name. Of course along such a stream are many abrupt hills, but not such a deep cutting as on Paint creek, because the stream is much smaller. The rough land extends only for short distances, seldom passing a half mile on each side of the stream.

Beasleys branch has its source in Gasper township and also has cut its way across an intercepting ridge in its course of some three miles to its out- let in Seven-Mile creek, about a half mile north of Camden. In its course it falls some one hundred and sixty feet, which of course, would indicate rough land, until it breaks through the ridge, but not so rough or as large an area of rough land as the other two streams. Seven-Mile creek flows across the township near the middle line, and drains the entire township. From the hilltops on either side of Seven-Mile can be seen long vistas of the valley, affording some of the finest, if not the finest, pastoral scenery in the county.

Along Seven-Mile creek are some of the finest bottom-land farms in the county. The bottom-land, however, is .not always on the same side of the stream, but shifts from side to side as the stream washes the eastern or western hills. Seven-Mile and Paint creeks are the only streams that are always flowing, the others, during the summer, having only pools of water. The western and eastern two miles of the township generally consists of level or rolling land and is as productive as any in the county.

Early Settlement

The Miami Indians had a village along Paint creek and the township was one of the first settled, apparently having proved more attractive to settlers than the other townships. Those hilltops where they could look out over the valley must have been attractive alike to Indians and the early white man.

One of the first settlers was David E. Hendrix, who, in 1803, settled on the land where Camden is now located and began chopping out a farm. There was born George D. Hendrix, who claimed to be the first boy bom in the county. In 1806 David Hendrix sold out and moved to Eaton, where he resided the rest of his life.

In 1803 three Pottenger brothers came, John and Robert Pottenger taking land in section 10 and Dennis Pottenger in section 2. Robert later moved to Indiana, but John and Dennis remained and each reared a large family, many of their descendants still residing in the township.

Thomas Newton and John Newton, William Irwin and Abram Irwin, Matthew McClung and Elisha Carter all came in 1803, or the early part of 1804, and about the same time came William More, who laid out the town of Camden, and died there in 1833. In 1805 Isaac Sutton settled near Camden and John Lamm in the south part of the township. John Zimmerman also arrived in 1805 and in the same year William Stubbs settled in section 36. John Wright came in 1806 and settled near the south line of the township. The Wrights of Israel township are his descendants. Thomas Mur- ray also came in 1806, and in the same year John Llewellyn settled on Paint creek. George Hanger arrived in 1808. Only a year or two later George and Giles Davis settled in section 12. John K. Steele and Philip Llewellyn arrived in 1810. During the next four or five years, Richard Stephen, William S. Douglas, Samuel Fowler, Charles Beall, William Bennett, John Reeve, Michael Dillman, George Hornaday, Stephen Payne and Allen Hubbard all became settlers in the township.

About the fore part of the twenties of the last century. John Mills, Peter Shaefer, Zacharia Thornburv, James Taylor, David Marshall, John Ross, Azel Pierce. James Barnett, Louis Loop and Jonathan Hewitt cast in their lots to help make Somers township a success. There were many other early settlers whose names can not now be recalled, but these are given because, to the writer's knowledge, many of them, if not all, have numerous descendants living within the county. | 1

Early Church Organizations

The Christian church organized a society early in the settlement of Somers township and built a church near Barnetts mill, called Bank Spring church, but abbut the year 1840 the organization was so weakened by members moving away or joining other churches, that the building finally passed into the hands of the Universalists, and then was finally abandoned.

The Methodists organized a society or class in the early twenties in the northeastern part of the township and held meetings at the houses, or in bams in warm weather, until about the year 1830, when they bought a small frame building and moved it to the site since called Macedonia chapel. About the year 1868 they replaced this structure with a brick church. This is the earliest country church in Preble county that has continued down to the present time, the congregation still having a live church and Sunday school. They number some sixty members, with a Sunday school as numerous.

William Lowe, living about a mile and one-half west of Camden, was an enthusiastic adherent of the United Brethren church and, about 1840, began inviting preachers of that faith to hold meetings during the warm weather at his barn. This continued for several years, after which a frame house that could be heated was utilized. The services attracted many hearers and about the time of the outbreak of the Civil War, Lowe donated an acre of land for a church. A brick building for the church was erected thereon, which was called Lowe's chapel, and which ever since has borne that name. It was a strong working force for good in the community and had an active membership of the best people of the surrounding county, but people died or moved away and methods of travel improved so that people sought the village churches, until now services are only held occasionally.

Early Industries

In 1816 a grist-mill was built by Major Robinson on the east side of Seven-Mile creek, just north of Camden. In 1831 this mill passed into the hands of James Barnett and sons, who rebuilt it and put in three sets of burr-stones. In 1816 John Stubbs also built a mill about a half mile south of Camden on the east side of Seven-Mile creek, which also passed into the hands of the Barnetts, and both mills finally were owned and operated on a very extensive scale by James Barnett and William Whitesides, as Barnett & Whitesides, for a number of years.

In 1862 the south mill was destroyed by fire and was replaced by a much larger and costlier mill, which also burned about 1875. From about 1850 to about 1871, the firm did a very large business and during the Civil War and after, manufactured and shipped large quantities of flour, also shipping much grain, and was regarded as one of the strongest and largest firms engaged in that business in southwestern Ohio ; but the continued shrinking of prices that followed the Civil War. for four or five years, proved too great for them. The depression that preceded the 1873 panic pulled the firm down and it failed for a large amount, and, like the fall of a mighty oak, swept down a number of the smaller timber with it.

The Camden mill was run for a number of years, but on a constantlydecreasing business, and for years past silence has reigned where the whirring wheels once made music.

The oldest cemetery in Somers township probably is the old cemetery on the hill in the northwest part of Camden, but no one now is able to say just when it was made a cemetery; probably previous to 1820. It is not now used. In the southeast quarter of section 7 is what is locally known as the Lowe cemetery, started about 1840 on the farm of William Lowe, and now but little used.

The Camden cemetery is located on the Eaton and Camden highway about one-half mile north of Camden. It is claimed there were some burials made there during the Civil War, but the real public cemetery was started in 1873, in which year the township trustees purchased about eight and onehalf acres for cemetery purposes and they now have a very fine burial ground.

The Town Of Camden

Camden is located in the valley of Seven-Mile creek, on the west side of the stream, with the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis railroad along its eastern side. It was laid out in 1818, as stated in the previous chapter on Organization, on both sides of the road leading from Eaton to Hamilton.

The town was incorporated by act of the Legislature in 1832 as Newcomb, the name being that of the senator from this district who pushed the bill through the Legislature, but in 1839 the townspeople had the name changed to Camden. When originally laid out, the proprietor had given it the name of Dover. Ira K. Place was the first mayor.

In 1824, the postoffice was established as Newcomb and Ira K. Place is said to have also been the first postmaster. Since those times both the mayor and postmaster have been changed about the usual number of times.

The town is most handsomely located and is underlaid with the mightiest bed of gravel in southwestern Ohio. Seven-Mile creek has quite a strong fall and drainage is steady and rapid. All these things have combined to render the village a healthful place, while the view up and down the valley from the eastern and western hills is probably the finest in the county.

Growth Of School System

The first school is said to have been held in a log school house just north of Camden, in the northwest quarter of section 10, soon after the War of 1812. Later a school was held in an old building in the town. Sometime between 1830 and 1840, the exact date of which no one is now able to give, a school house was erected on Central avenue in Camden a short distance west of the railroad, and it continued to be used until the school law, under the constitution of 1851, gave directors more power, when they purchased a site at the northwest corner of Central avenue and Lafayette street, and in 1853 erected a four-room brick school house, at that time, perhaps, the best school building in the county, which for many years supplied the town's needs. As the village grew this building became too small, however, and in 1904 it gave place to the present two-story, eight-room building, which well answers the purpose and which contains the modem improvements necessary to make school a pleasant place for both pupil and teacher. This building cost about fifteen thousand dollars, finished and furnished. In 1914 the school enrolled one hundred and sixty-seven pupils, of whom seventythree were in the high school.

Churches In Camden

The first church organization at Camden was the Methodist Episcopal, which organized a class there soon after the town was laid out, and about 1825 or 1826 a church was built on the hill, west of Camden, where the old cemetery is, and was used as such until about 1836, when the congregation purchased the land at the southeast corner of Hendrix and Lafayette streets and erected a new church. In 1849 or 1850, the old church proving inadequate, it was replaced by a larger frame church and about 1872 a parsonage was built. Again the church proved too small, being insufficient for the congregation's needs, and about 1888 the old church gave way to the present comfortable and commodious brick church, which seems fully adequate; but we hope the membership continues to grow until they have to build bigger. It now has two hundred members. W. M. Keller is pastor.

The Presbyterian church was organized on April 27, 1833, with thirtynine members, who, within a couple of years, erected a frame church on South Main street which for that time was regarded as a very fine church. After the building was abandoned as a church it was known for many years as Fowlers hall.

In 1878 the Presbyterians purchased a lot on North Main street and erected thereon a very good and comfortable frame church, costing about five thousand dollars, which furnished them a very satisfactory church home. This church now has a membership of about one hundred and twenty-five and a Sunday school of about the same enrollment. A parsonage was built about 1902. The regular pastors, so far as known, have been, Robert Irwin, 1836, who organized the Sunday school the first year of his pastorate;

The Universalist church was started about 1864, by Rev. T. S. Guthrie, a very able and eloquent preacher of that denomination, who that year preached a number of sermons at the old Bank Spring church, and in 1865 organized a society in Camden, rented the ,use of a hall, and began holding regular services. The society grew rapidly and in 1869 a lot was purchased at the northeast corner of Central avenue and Lafayette street, and a comfortable brick church was erected the. same year at a cost of about five thousand dollars. The church membership has decreased until now services are not held regularly.

Early Stores And Hotels

The first store in Camden was started by James Black, the same year in which the town was laid out, later followed by Hezekiah Broadbury, who conducted a store from 1825 to .1840. About 1834 Clinton Chadwick bought the store of Chadwick & Richards, and for more than thirty years carried on the business very extensively, and is better remembered and more talkedof than any store keeper that the village had until recent years. About 1850 Ben Myers started a store and also engaged in the pork packing business, continuing the former for many years. The first store keeper, James Black, was also the first tavern keeper, followed by Ira K. Place, the first mayor.

Probably the largest building to be occupied as a hotel was built in 1846, by Payne and Pottenger, at the southeast corner of Main and Hendrix streets, and was occupied as a hotel for many years. This hotel was called the Preble House and was sold about 1870 to S. J. Danser, being afterwards known as the Danser House. It passed through various phases of success and innocuous desuetude, until, about seventeen or eighteen years ago, it was destroyed by fire and part of the land it covered is now occupied by the Masonic temple.

Camden Physicians

There have been quite a number of good physicians in Camden, and there are now some four or five most excellent physicians resident there, but

Dr. Lurton Dunham, born in 1805, was graduated from the Ohio Medical College and began practice in Camden about 1832. He always was regarded as a very able man, in 1840 being elected a state representative, but his name is best known as a doctor and business men. He had a large and remunerative practice, and being a foresighted and energetic business man, he invested wisely, and accumulated a competency that put him beyond the necessity of following his practice. A few years before his death he took into partnership J. S. Ferguson, and practically retired from active practice, dying in 1870. His widow, Susan Dunham, died but a few years ago. J. S. Ferguson, who was born in Oxford, Ohio, in 1834, of Scottish parentage, was educated in Miami University, and was graduated from Ohio Medical College with the class of 1857. In 1861 he began practice at Somerville, but later became assistant surgeon in the One Hundred Sixty-seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry and later was engaged in the hospital service. In 1865 he formed a partnership with Lurton Dunham and after the latter's retirement continued the practice alone, acquiring a wide and profitable practice. He was a man but little under six feet, of strong build, of courteous, kindly and lovable disposition and he made and held his friends. He stood high as a physician and his advice and counsel were much sought. He was honest in his judgments and frank and courteous in expressing his opinions, and moderate in his charges. As his integrity was that of a Scot, it was unbending. He was a good business man and accumulated enough to make him comfortable. He suffered for many years with some heart trouble, and his wife often rode along with him for fear a fatal attack might seize him, but she preceded him across the River of Death several years. He died in 1914, leaving two sons and a daughter.

Dr. Robert Homsher, born in 1822, was graduated from the Physio- Medical College of Cincinnati in 1852 and began practice in Camden. He enjoyed his full share of the practice in the community. Gentle, quiet and kind, he was loved and respected most highly by those who knew him best. He died on May 22. 1888. He had been master of the local Masonic lodge for about twenty-five years. He was followed in the practice by his son, George W. Homsher.

Fraternal Societies

Camden Lodge No. 159, Free and Accepted Masons, was organized on May 18, 1848, the charter members being Jonathan Crowley, Andrew Weist, Andrew Coffman, Charles C. Bruce* Jacob S. Showalter, Perry Hestle, John C. Campbell, Ebenezer P. Justin, John Brower, Daniel B. Corry, Harrison Perham, Isaac G. Eson, Samuel D. Clayton and Adam C. Dean. The lodge grew and for fifty years rented a number of different rooms in which to hold its meetings, at the end of which time a movement was started among the members to build and own their own lodge room. After keeping up the agitation for some ten years, the agitation won and the lot at the southeast corner of Main and Hendrix streets was purchased. Money was raised to erect a three-story brick building, with modem improvements, for a lodge hall and the building was completed in 1912, the lodge now having one of the finest halls in the county. The lodge numbers one hundred and twelve members. The total cost of the temple was about twelve thousand dollars.

Western Star Lodge No. 109, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organized on June 8, 1848, with nine charter members, the charter being dated April 21, of that year. In 1851 the Odd Fellows built a third story to the building at the northwest corner of Main street and Central avenue, and in 1874 they purchased the whole building, renting the lower story. The lodge numbers about one hundred and twenty-five members.

A Daughters of Rebekah lodge, No. 125, was organized in July, 1880, and has a membership a little less than that of the Odd Fellows lodge, and uses the same building.

The Knights of Pythias lodge. No. 259, was chartered in 1887, with some thirty members, and now numbers about one hundred and twenty members. This lodge rents a lodge room on the west side of Main street.

Public Improvements

In 1891 the village purchased a lot just east of the Universalist church on Central avenue and erected thereon a brick town hall, one of the most commodious in the county, at a cost of about fifteen thousand dollars. About 1897, an electric light plant was erected and the village is now well lighted, both on the streets and commercially.

In 1890 Pucket & Glenn started a private bank, which soon got a fair share of business, but it really was but a branch of the Hillsboro bank. In 1893 the parent bank became insolvent and took the Camden bank down

The business of the town is in the aggregate very considerable: three grain elevators, two coal yards, a lumber yard, five groceries, two dry-goods and grocery stores, three bakeries, one butcher shop, two hotels, one restaurant, one merchant tailor, one bank, three hardware stores, three blacksmiths, two auto-repair shops, four garages, two shoe stores, two drug stores, two stock-yards, one cement factory, one cannery, one poultry shipper, two tobacco warehouses, two livery barns, two milliners, and last, but not least, one old-fashioned shoe shop, where the sound of the hammer is heard most of the time.

In 1885, W. E. McChristie started the business of taking pictures on a large scale, and enlarging and mounting old family pictures by photography. He later built a large brick building at the northwest corner of Main and Hendrix streets, naming his business and his building "The NonparieL" For a number of years he did a most extensive business, both by express and through the postoffice, his work being found in nearly every state of the Union, comprising some of the finest work to be found in his line, and the business seemed to be permanent ; but the big companies began to cut in on his business and in 1908 he closed his place, sold out and moved to Cincinnati.