Warren Township

Justices Of The Peace

WARREN TOWNSHIP was formed March 31, 1819, from all that part of Tuscarawas County included in Township 15, Range 7, and the west half of Township 14, Range 6. It was thus six miles in width north and south, and nine in length east and west This land had previously formed a part of One Leg Township. When Carroll County was organized in 1832, two-thirds of WTarren Township, as then constituted, became the territory of the new county, leaving but eighteen square miles of the township in Tuscarawas County. This tract was too small to maintain an organization, and Warren must either acquire new territory or be dismembered. Through the efforts of Judge Israel Lappin and others, the Commissioners ceded to the shattered township a strip half a mile in width, two and one-half sections, from the eastern part of Fairfield, and one and a half sections from the northeast corner of Goshen. The original eighteen sections belong to the seven ranges; the first survey made in the State, and the four sections, afterward acquired, form a part of the the United States Military District Congress land.

The earliest settlers were mostly Pennsylvanians, a minority hailing from various other States. They were an excellent class of pioneers, sturdy, and self-reliant, and their salutary impress upon the moral character of the community is still felt, for the people are to-day as intelligent, enterprising and adherent to the cardinal virtues, as may be found anywhere in the county. The fact that many of the oldest families are still well represented in the township bespeaks an excellent quality of farming land, and the thrift and contentment of its possessors. When the first pioneers made their appearance in this locality, the land in the seven ranges could be entered only by entire sections of 640 acres.

John McCrary was the pioneer settler of the township. He was a Pennsylvanian, and entered Section 28. In 1804, he arrived after a long and toilsome journey, with a maiden sister, Margaret, and a brother, WTilliam Mc- Crary, and family. They erected the first cabin within the township, near the eastern line of Section 28, on the northern bank of Indian Fork, in which they all dwelt, and near which they cleared the first year about six acres of land. They had no neighbors, save roving Indians, nearer than eight or ten miles. John McCrary was at this time an old bachelor. He had followed boating and trading on the Ohio and Mississippi, extending his business trips to New Orleans. He decided to invest a portion of his savings in Western land, and accordingly entered Section 28. Having a large surplus of money on hand after making the first payment on the land, he loaned it to a New Orleans trader, who soon after failed in business, and Mr. McCrary had no further means with which to meet subsequent payments. In consequence he was obliged to sell his section, and succeeded in disposing of it advantageously to a non- resident of the county. An act of Congress having been passed, permitting the entering of land in quarter sections, John McCrary located and removed to the southeast quarter of Section 2, Fairfield Township. William McCrary, his brother, who had come with him, entered the southwest quarter of Section 29, Warren Township, and removed thither with his family. His religious preferences were with the Seceders, and occasional services of this denomination were held at his cabin. In his old age, he sold out, and started with his family, by team, for Southeastern Indiana, but, before reaching his destination, died at Cincinnati.

The next section entered and occupied was 35. Samuel Lappin, a farmer from Fayette County, Penn., had removed to what is now Jefferson County, Ohio, about 1803, and soon after entered into an arrangement with James and Finley McGrew and John Leatherman by which he was to locate and enter a section of land, to be divided equally among them and equally paid for. Coming to the extreme western line of the seven ranges, Mr. Lappin selected Section 35, through the eastern part of which flowed One Leg Creek. Finley McGrew was a surveyor, and divided the land into four equal parts, by running three lines east and west through the section. The northern part became Lappin's. The two McGrews obtained the central half, and Leatherman the southern division. Lappin was. the first of them to settle on this tract. He marie a journey out in the spring of 1805, accompanied by two employes, with whose assistance he constructed a rude log cabin. Then returning to Jefferson County, he piloted his family to their future home, arriving June 18, 1805. The cabin into which they moved contained but two apertures - one in the roof for a chimney, and a door way. It was doorless and floorless for some time. Mr. Lappin remained upon this farm through life, and died at the age of eighty-Beven years, leaving a family of five children. Both he and his wife, Nancy, were members of the Methodist Church. He was Justice of the Peace while this territory was in One Leg Township, and Commissioner of the county. His son, Judge Israel S. Lappin, now in the eighty-third year of his age, is still an active and highly respected resident of the township.

Finley McGrew died, unmarried, before removing to Warren Township, and James McGrew became, by purchase, the owner of his Western estate. He removed to it from Westmoreland County, Penn., several years after the Lappins arrived. He was of Quaker ancestry, and, after a residence of many years in Warren Township, moved to Sandusky County, Ohio, where he died John Leatherman was also a Pennsylvanian, and emigrated to Section 35, with a large family, about the time the McGrews came. He was a Dunkard minister, and conducted religious services at his own cabin. Later in life he became a resident of North Bend, Ind., where he died at the age of ninetythree years.

In a few years, other settlers began to arrive in the neighborhood. Among the earliest were Joseph Hayes, John Edgington, John Davy, Martin Huffman, James McKee and Abel Williams, all of whom probably arrived before 1812. Joseph Hayes entered and settled on the southwest quarter of Section 26. He was a Marylander and a Baptist, and died and was buried on his farm. His family is scattered. John Edgington, hailing from Brooke County, Va., entered laud in Sections 33 and 34. Both he and his brother Aaron occupied farms in the latter section, and both in after life removed from the county. John Davy emigrated from Frederick, Md., in 1808, and entered and settled on the southeast quarter of Section 1, of the land taken from Fairfield Township, where he died many years later. Buth (Dorsey), his wife, was a noted midwife and medical practitioner in pioneer times. Martin Huffmann's pioneer home was in the southwest quarter of Section 30, which he occupied through life. James McKee entered and removed to the northeast quarter of Section 11, of the former Fairfield Township land, about 1808, coming from Pennsylvania. He raised four children - Robert, James, William, and Mary Ann (Van Buskirk) - and lived in the township to the day of his death; his son William still occupies and tills the old homestead. Abel Williams was a Revolutionary soldier. He entered the northeast quarter of Section 10, and emigrated to it from Pennsylvania with a large family, dying not many, years later. Joseph Van Buskirk, born in 1782, came from Pennsylvania to Section 34, in 1812, and was thenceforth a life-long citizen of the township. He was a Presbyterian by faith, and reared a family of twelve children. Henry Moughiman, in 1816, emigrated from Washington County, Penn., and settled on the northeast quarter of Section 23, entered by his father-in-law, Daniel Shuster. Mr. Moughiman and his wife both died about 1868, leaving a numerous posterity. Daniel Shuster was one of the early settlers. He came to the township, an old man, from Washington County, Penn., and did not survive many years. His family consisted of two sons, Samuel and John, and nine daughters, and for each of his children he provided a quarter section of land. To Samuel was given the northwest quarter of Section 27, where he died. John occupied the northeast quarter of the same quarter, and afterward removed to Hardin County, where he died. John Yant, a brother-in-law of Daniel Shuster, removed from the same county to the southeast quarter of Section 22, which he had entered, and where he afterward died. George Tressel, with his wife Catherine (Shuster) and family, emigrated in 1808 from Pennsylvania to the northeast quarter of Section 36, entered by Daniel Shuster, where he raised a large family, and died at a good old age. Jacob Steese, in 1816, settled on the southeast quarter of Section 23. He had emigrated from Northumberland County, Penn., to Harrison County, Ohio, in 1806, and thence removed to Warren Township.

Besides the above, the following land owners were living in the township in 1820; Absalom Butler, Thomas Cordery, Abraham Lane, Robert Meek, Jacob Riggle, George Strawn, John and Ephraim Sparks, Samuel Slutts, Philip Suter and Peter Sell. Many of them had come many years before that date. Abraham Lane was a Marylander. He owned fifty acres in the southwest quarter of Section 29, and died in the township. Absalom Butler, his son-inlaw, was the possessor of a small piece of land in the northeast quarter of the same quarter. He remained but a few years, then moved West. Thomas Cordery was well advanced in life when he became the owner and occupant of the southeast quarter of Section 20. He came from Maryland, and died in this township. Robert Meek was a Virginian, and purchased a farm in Section 34, entered by John Edgington, and afterward removed to Iowa, where he died. Jacob Riggle settled on the northeast quarter of Section 33. George, David, Philip and John Riggle were also early settlers. George Strawn came to the southeast quarter of Section 10, from Pennsylvania, at an early date, where he lived to a good old ago. John and Ephraim Sparks, brothers, from Fayette County, Penn., settled on the northeast quarter of Section 9, which was entered for them by their father. Both were citizens of Warren Township through lifa William Slutts was the first settler on the northwest quarter of Section 36, but soon after sold his possessions here to his brother Samuel. Philip Suter entered the northwest quarter of Section 29, settled there, and afterward laid out New Cumberland. Peter Sell, a son-in-law of Abraham Lane, was the owner in fee simple of fifteen acres, in the northeast quarter of Section 29, but after a brief residence here for some yeare, disposed of this realty, and became a citizen of Zanesville.

Indians frequented the valley of One Leg during the period in which the white settlers took possession of the land, but so far as known amicable relations were always maintained between the two races. The first settlers, before their number equaled that of their dusky neighbors, stood somewhat in dread of them. The red men occupied the valley usually only during the summer as a hunting ground, but occasionally a party remained through the winter. A large party of them encamped near New Cumberland during the winter of 1808-9. They often visited the cabins of the whites, but invariably left their guns outside as a token of friendship. Mrs. Lappin made it a rule, which she followed without exception, to treat the Indians to victuals whenever they visited her husband's cabin, and thus secured their firm friendship. Mr. Lappin had brought no gun with him to his Western home, but the Indians often supplied him with turkeys, venison and other wild game in return for which they received bread and potatoes or other favors. During the troublesome period of the war of 1812, the Indians left this region. One old man, John Henry, departed with great reluctance. He had become strongly attached to the Lappin family, and assured them, with tears in his eyes, that if any danger menaced them during the war, he or his son would apprise them of it. The war checked emigration, but at the termination of hostilities the settlement of the township was renewed, and rapidly continued till all the lands were taken. A few of the Indians returned, and for a time haunted their old hunting grounds, but the encroaching corn-fields of their successors in the possession of the soil drove them at last to a wilder Western land.

The surface of the township is well adapted to agricultural purposes. One Leg Creek, flanked by a beautiful valley a half mile in width, meanders through much of its territory. Numerous rivulets enter the channel of tho principal stream, and along their banks are level vales, which possess a rich soil. The hills back of these are mostly rolling, with little of the steep ruggedness found in some parts of the county. A forest growth covered the land so dense that the pioneers believed centuries must elapse before it would all be removed. They had little inducement to fell the stately timber, for agricultural products were not in demand, and commanded no price that would stimulate their production, until after the Ohio Canal was completed. The bottom lands wore at first considered the best, but now the uplands are regarded as equally valuable for corn and superior for wheat.

One Leg Creek received its name from a red man dwelling near its mouth, who in some now forgotten way had lost one of his limbs of locomotion. This stream was declared navigable by the State Legislature in 1808, but in 1816 the act was repealed, probably to permit the construction of mill dams across its bed. In early times the stream had greater volume than now, and the Corderys once made a trip by boat down its placid waters into the Tuscarawas as far as Coshocton and returned in the same way laden with com. A disposition has been manifested by some of late to substitute the more euphonic term Connotton for the early cognomen of Warren's principal stream, but not without determined opposition. Judge Lappin is the stanch supporter of the ancient title, One Leg, and has clearly shown that name to be the proper appellation of the creek.

New Cumberland was laid out by Philip Suter in May, 1826, on the northwest quarter of Section 29. The plat included thirty-two lots, each three perches in width and twelve in length, sixteen of them fronting on Main street, which extends east and west, and sixteen on Cross street, extending north and south. James Meek, in 1841, made an addition of ten lots east of South Cross street; and, in 1847, John Suter made an addition of twenty lots on East Main street. Shortly before making the plat, Mr. Suter induced Samuel Lappin, Jr., to open a store on the site of the village. John Black, a wagon - maker, built the first house, and kept the first tavern. His residence here, however, was very brief, for the Ohio Canal, then building through Bolivar, attracted him thither, with the prospect of more work. Israel S. Lappin erected the next dwelling, designing to follow the avocation of house-carpenter and cabinet-maker. His brother Samuel, however, dying in 1827, Israel abandoned his craft at the solicitation of friends and took charge of the store, continuing a merchant of the little village fourteen years. David McConnell started the second store about 1830. A post office was established in 1831 or 1832, with Mr. McConnell as Postmaster. Since its foundation, the village has been the center of a fine agricultural trade. It can boast of no extensive manufactories. It reached the zenith of its glory in point of population in

1850, the census for that year accrediting it with 203 people. Since then it has slightly declined; in 1880 having a population of 163. During its prime, the little village aspired to incorporation, and secured a charter. Joseph Kerr was elected Mayor in 1849; but, resigning the same year, Joseph Hunt was appointed by the Council to fill the \acancy. John McNall was also soon after Mayor by appointment. Daniel Stoody was elected to this official position in

1851, and James Stein in the following year. The people soon tired of maintaining the village government, and by common consent it was allowed to lapse through neglect to elect officers. New Cumberland now contains a hardware store, a shoe store, a dry goods store and grocery, a clothing store, a drug store, a notion store, two blacksmith shops, one shoe shop, one harness 8b op, a schoolhouse and three churches.

The Methodist Church was the first one built. The date of its erection was about 1830, and the location was the site of the present edifice on Cross street, which is larger than the old one, and was built in 1878, during the pastorate of Rev. John Hunter. The first Methodist class in the township met at the cabins of its members - at Abel Williams', Samuel Lappin's and elsewhere. Among the earliest members besides these two, were William Hall and Daniel Smith. One of the most successful revivals was conducted by Rev. Henry Wharton, in the old church, during which about eighty members united with the church. Rev. Weaver is the present minister, and the society is in a prosperous state.

The Lutheran congregation, whose church now stands at the eastern extremity of Main street, was formed by the union of two organizations - one, which owned a meeting house, and met for services in Carroll County, and one, whose house of worship, called the Tressel Church, was a hewed-log house, situated on Section 36. Among the early members were George Tressel, John Welch, Thomas McCrary and Henry Moughiman. Rev. Emanuel Green - wold was the pioneer minister. After the consolidation of the two congregations, a large church structure was built in New Cumberland, which, proving to be too roomy, was divided into two apartments, one of which was occupied as a school room, and the other for religious meetings, until the present church building was constructed.

The Presbyterian congregation was organized early in the history of the township. It is now occupying its second church edifice, and has a good membership. Robert Hays, D. D., is the present pastor.

In the southwestern part of the township, in the northwestern part of Section 1, stands an old frame Methodist meeting-house, known as the Holmes Church. The membership of the society that worships here is small, but its existence dates back more than forty years. Among the early members were

The Baptiste at one time had occasional preaching in the township at dwelling houses, but have had no church building. The first sermon preached in the township was by a colored minister, probably of the Methodist faith, at Samuel Lappin's cabin.

The first schoolhouse was a rude log structure, built in 1812, and situated in the southwest part of Section 86. William Vaughn was the first schoolmaster. He was a traveling surveyor, and taugnt one term of three months, receiving 50 cents per scholar for his services. After his departure, the farther needs of education were realized, but no teacher was at hand. At last Samuel Lappin undertook to conduct a school during bad weather, unwilling to assume duties which would interfere with the clearing of his farm. His proposition was acceptable to the patrons of the school, for many of the school children also were required to labor whenever the weather would permit. Mr. Lappin taught for several winters.

The earliest settlers were obliged to travel long distances to mills or dispense with flour and fine meal, and this latter alternative was often adopted. However, about 1820. George Stoody erected a saw and grist mi 11 on One Leg Creek, in the northern part of Section 83. Jacob Biggie soon after obtained possession and operated it until his death. John Biggie, George Biggie and others were its successive proprietors until 1877, when Stoneman & Lucas purchased it. James N. Smith soon after purchased the interest of Jesse Lucas, but in October, 1879, Bobert Stoneman became and has since remained sole proprietor. The mill has recently been repaired, and does a good custom business. In early days a carding mill was also operated here. Another grist mill in the township, on One Leg Creek, is located in Section 21, and at present is operated by Isaac Moughiman. Mr. Haycock was an early proprietor. A water saw-mill, fed by Indian Fork, stands on Section 22, and is now owned by Patrick Daugherty. It was built by Jacob Steese, and formerly did a heavy business.