Washington Township

Washington Township

The history of this township, though not extensive, is replete with interest, and dates back almost as far as any other in the county, and, fortunately, can be verified in the details here given, by persons yet living, particularly the venerable Mrs. Elizabeth Boggs, from whom many interesting incidents have been obtained, and who.came here, with her husband, in 1805.

The first settler was Isaac Prior, who came with his family, trom Pennsylvania, and settled on the Wheeling road, tive miles from Zanesville, A. D. 1801; the land is now owned by A. C. Howard. He made the first clearing, and planted the first corn in the township. He built the first hewed log house, and kept the first tavern, or hotel - these terms had the same meaning.

John Dickson came soon after and built his cabin and cleared three acres, near ''Three-mile Spring ;" he, also, kept a place of entertainment.

John Slack, from Loudon county, Virginia; came in 1806, and built a hewed log house - which he roofed with shingles - about five miles from Zanesville, on land now owned by James Galloway. He, with his sons, Jacob and George, opened a road from his house to the Wheeling road, on the route now. used as the Adamsville

Moses Boggs, from Delaware, came in 1805, and purchased land from Noah Zane, in the eastern part of the township. He had a family of six children - three boys and three girls. He was a County Commissioner from 1840 to 1843.

During this year, came, also, Joseph Evans and tamily, George Crain and family ; Joseph Vernon, wife, and twelve children ; John Echelberger, Jacob Livingood, and Elijah Hart. The latter two were from Pennsylvania. John Walters came soon after, probably early in 1806, during which year General Robert McConnell, from Pennsylv ania, came and settled on the land now owned by William Fox. It is said that tavern stand formerly kept by Job Dickson, and kept tavern there until his death, June 21, 1816, and the property was rented to George Huff. George Swank, from Loudon county, Virginia, came in 1811, and located on the farm now owned by his sons. He is remembered as a very

The following are believed to have come here before 1816, but the time cannot now be fixed: Isaac Beatty, J. W. Spry, William McConnell, Spencer Lehew, John Price, George Jay, William Keatly, Albert Cole, and Samuel Cassel ; and the Suttons and Batemans probably came before 1820.

The first road was opened by Jacob Slack, from what is known as Conrad's place to the old Wheeling road, intersecting the latter a short distance east of the late James Moore's farm. This wasin the summer of 1806, and, in 1813, the Adamsville road was surveyed, and located on this tract; it was the first county road in the township.

The Baltimore and Ohio R. R. passes across the township at its lower third, from one side to the other, and gives the benefit of that important road to the township, for all purposes. The "C. & M. V." traverses the western border-of the township, crossing the ''B. & O.," at Zanesville, and diverging from it at section five, in this township, having run parallel with that road from Zanesville to this point, thus giving the township the benefits of competing lines to this point.

Gilbert Station, located on the C. & M. V. R,. R., six miles from Zanesville, on the property of O. C. Shirtz, derives its name from Gilbert Beatty. In 1872, Mr. Shirtz built a storehouse, and started a postoffice, at this place. In 1875, he opened a general store, and built a large building for a flouring mill, and grain house; this, however, has not been completed. Mr. Shirtz is the first and only postmaster. In 1879, he built a blacksmith shop. These enterprises constitute all there is, beside the railroad business, at Gilbert Station.

A petition having been presented, from a number of the inhabitants of Zanesville township, north of the military line, praying that a township may be struck off from the said Zanes- the same necessary for the convenience of the inhabitants and township officers, whereupon, the Commissioners order a new township to be struck off, according to the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of township one, in range six, on the military line, thence running west with said military line, to the southwest corner of Beeford's farm, on the Wheeling road, thence north, with the west boundary line of Beeford's farm, until it strikes Joseph Sheets' land, thence west aiid north with the west boundary of said Sheets' land, to lands belonging to John Lehue's estate, thence west and north with the west boundary of Lehue's land, on the line . between JLehue's land and Jettrey Price, with said line northerly to Mill Run, thence down Mill Run to the Muskingum river, thence up the river till it strikes the east and west line, through the centre of township two, in range seven, thence east with said line between Jackson and Copeland's land, and on with said line until it strikes the range line between ranges six and seven, at the northeast corner of the fourth quarter, of the second township, in the seventh range, thence south with the range line, between range six and seven, to the place of beginning, which shall constitute a new township, to be called Washington township ; also, ordered that the Auditor advertise for an election, to be held at the house of Mathias Colshier, on the twenty-second day of June, instant, to elect a sufficient number of township officers, in, and for saidtownship of Washington. [See Commissioners Journal of this date, pages 87 and 88. |

The first election held in Washington township, was at the house of Mathias Colshier, on the 22d day of June, 1822, for township offigers. Joseph Evans, Anthony H. Woodruff, and George W. Jackson, were Judges, and John Howell, and Wm. Evans were Clerks.

The first claim against the township was in favor of Samuel Barstow, for burying John Mc- Casky, December 28th, 1822; the amount received was $12.18.

The boundaries of Washington township are as follows: On the north by Madison township, south by Wayne township and a part of the city of Zanesville; east by Salem and Perry townships, and west by the Muskingum river and Zanesville,

Topographically. - The variety of landscape is remarkable. The surface is-generally undulating, with large areas of bottom lands of rich sandy loam, very productive and well adapted to garden products. The uplands are dotted with wood and field, and the entire township: is well watered. Mill Creek, Coal Run, Blunt's Run and a number of smaller, nameless streams, penetrate the western portion of the township, and flow into the Muskingum river. And the eastern portion is watered by Little Salt Creek and its tributaries. Many of the pioneer cabins are still to be seen, in marked contrast with the pleasant homes of later times.

Early Taverns

The first tavern, kept in what is now Washington township, was by Isaac Pryor, who came from Pennsylvania in 1801, and located on the Wheeling road, five miles from Zanesville. He was a great hunter, and kept his table well supplied with all kinds of game.

William Manahan built a brick house fora hotel in 1832. It was located about four miles from Zanesville. It is now occupied by Samuel Smith, but not as a public house.

The days of taverns, as they used to be, have drawn to a close, and the name is seldom heard. The humblest effort at accommodation of the traveler, is dignified with the title of hotel.

built by Isaac Pryor, on the farm now owned by A. C. Howard, and the second, by John Slack, who came from Loudon county, Virginia, in 1806. The latter was on land now owned by James Galloway, on section twelve.

The first mill was a saw mill, built by William McConnell, in 1810. Fhe second was by Wm. Beatty. The latter was run by ox power, (a tread mill). Place unknown.

The First Coal Mined

The first coal mined in Muskingum county, was in Washington township, on Mud Run, by John Bates, in 1811. He hauled coal to Zanesville and sold it by the bushel, one or more. In 1814, John Spears opened a bank and dug what he wanted for his own use. j

The First And Subsequent Schools

The first school house was the conventional log building, with puncheon floor, slab seats and desks, and a fire place in imitation of the crater of a burning mountain. It was built in 1816, on land near were Bowers' and Vernon's farms corner, and on the former. The first teacher was Ellen Spinner. Samuel Cassel taught school in a similar temple on the Walton place, about the same time.

March, 1826, the Trustees divided the township into five school districts. District No. 1, contained twenty-four house-holders ; No. 2, contained thirty-one house-holders ; No. 3, twentyfour house-holders; No. 4, eighteen householders; No. 5, thirty-five house-holders. So that from the above recital, one school district has been added, and éach has a school house and school. '

Wesley Chapel M. E. Church

This organization first appears on the minutes of this circuit, January tst, 1816. The first class, however, was organized about 1808. The early meetings were held in' private houses and in groves. The homes of John Bowers, Joseph Bowers, Isaac Beatty and John Vernon, were among the places of meeting. The society continued to worship in this migratory manner until 1823, when a hewed log building was erected for this purpose, and dedicated in the fall of that year. The building was built by the male members, who plied their own skill and teams, and raised the building. A few nails and a small quantity of glass added, and they had a meeting house free from debt. It was located on the farm owned by John Bowers, Sr., near the Perry township line, and was sometimes called ''Bowers' Church." It was used as a place of worship until 1846, when anew house was erected on George Border's farm, in Perry township. This building cost about one thousand and sixty dollars. It is a frame structure, 4ox58 feet.

The first Sabbath-school was organized by Joseph Church, in the summer of 1833, and was only continued about three months, when it was given up until 1851, when it was again organized by the Rev. D. P. Mitchell, with J. W. Spry as superintendent. The school still continues, and is in a prosperous condition.

The Village Of Jackson

The village of Jackson was surveyed into lots, and recorded October 20, 1830; the site ison the land owned by Spencer Lehue, four miles east of Zanesville, on the National Pike. It is a quiet village, without a store, tavern, or postoffice, and seems chiefly to serve as a monument of the engineering of Charles Roberts, who surveyed and platted it. If any one desires to avoid the bustle of life, and to enjoy the felicity of _perfect quietness, where only the neighbor's gossip is likely to interrupt his philosophic, or other meditation, commend him to Jackson. This state of things has been maintained for the last half century, and it is likely to continue, so make a note of it for the benefit of tourists : for sur ely they will rejoice to find a place that has neither been written up, nor sketched; here is a virgin field for them.

Pleasant Grove M. E. Church

The church was organized at the brick school house (on John Orr's farm), in 1842. A class was formed at that time,consisting of John Wall, Amanda Wall, James Walwork, Margaret Walwork, Lucretia Brown, Patsy Shiflet, Lloyd Bishop, Mrs. Bishop, James Smith, Margaret Smith, and Nellie Hart. Stephen Schafer was class leader. The meetings were held in the

A Sabbath-school was organized soon after the class, and numbered thirty scholars enrolled. The superintendents have been, Stephen Schafer, James Smith, John Wall, Robert Bailey, Turner Wolf, Washington Reed, and James Wall, the present incumbent. The present enrollment is hfty.

| CeEr1TrrIcATE. - John Wall certifies thisi to be the best account of the church and Sunday school that can be produced at this age of the world. ] the Washington Township Baptist Church, was composed .of a membership drawn from the church in Salem township. In 1842, a petition was presented to the Salem church, asking leave to organize a church in the township in which the petitioners lived, which was Washington, The petition was signed by the following persons: Samuel Barstow, A. H. Woodruff, Sr., Robert Combs, Amy Presgrave, James Miller, W. H. Barstow, A. rie oodruff, Jr., Elga Combs, Mary Leach, Mary Cobb, Harriet Bate-

The petition was granted, and the new association thus formed built and consecrated a church in 1843, Rev. William Sedgwick being their pastor. He was assisted at this time by Rev. R. H. Sedgwick. The first clerk was George Presgrave. Soonafter the church was organized, a Sabbath School was organized, with Samuel Barstow as Superintendent; the school has been kept up and became an important adjunct of the church.

Washington Chapel

The Methodist Episcopal Church having this name, is located on the farm of Thompson Hague, one and one-half miles north of Coaldale. This society met in the Woodruff, or Barstow school house, until the erection of their present church edifice in 1848. Two of the class leaders following the formation of the society, were Isaac Franks and William Catlin. The various pas-

Wyrick, D. P. Mitchell, Robert Boyd, I. N. Macabee, Hamilton, Henry Snyder, Hustom; -Hare, N. C. Worthington, Evans, Hugh Edwards, McCormick, Hattield, Knowles, Webster, J]. Q. A. Miller, Phillips, Anderson, Knight, Raider, and Hoover, the present incumbent.

The tollowing named have been some of the more prominent members: Job Morgan, Jacob Walters, William McCashland, Albert Jones, Joel Jones, Robert Jones, Jonathan Malox, and Joseph H. Bowers. The present church is aneat frame building, 28x40. It was built by contributions of both material and labor, so that its cost can not be ascertained. When the church it had a membership of twenty or twenty-five. At the present time, there are not more than fifteen members. As high as ninetyone members have been connected at one time with the society since its organization.

Previous to 1877, a flourishing Sunday School was connected with the church. Since that date, The average attendance: of scholars, used to be about sixty. The Superintendents have been, Isaac Franks, Robert Jones, Peter Huffman, Josiah Keys and William McCashland.

St. John'S Lutheran Church

This society first worshiped in a log house, situated on land leased of David Shick, in 1863, and who, in reality, donated the use of the land for thirteen years, receiving the least compensation known inlaw, the sum of one dollar, thus reserving his title to thg site. This was on the farm of Jesse Romine, Jr., one mile north of Jackson. The old church was torn down in 1876 and the present frame edifice erected, at a cost of $650.00, of which $400.00 was assumed by Samuel Shick.

The present church was dedicated by Rev. Reck. The regular pastors have been Rev's. George Linsibaugh, William M. Gilbreath, Logan Gilbreath, John Bocker, George Shrieves.

St. John's Union Sunday School was organized prior to the formation of the church, in 1863, in the same cabin in which St. John's Lutheran Church worshiped. And it followed the fortune of the church, being, as all Sunday Schools truly are, a teeder to the church. The school is prosperous ; the number of scholars enrolled is forty. The Superintendents have been Samuel Shick, James McGee, David Shick, A. Martin, Mrs. Maggie Shick, Miss Katie Boggs and John Mitzlett.

The perils of war are never courted, no matter how bravely men may talk. Yet no danger ever deterred the pioneer settlers of Washington from taking down their '' fire-locks,"' when the enemy appeared near their borders. Indeed, many a time they had gone in quest of the red skins, who trespassed on the rights of their neighbors. And up to the close of the war of 1812, our pioneers were often under arms, and many of them | laid their lives on the altar. of sacrifice for their country. It is therefore to be regretted that a complete list of those who thus struggled for the liberties we enjoy cannot now be given. The following persons are known to have been of that honored number :

We are indebted to Elizabeth Boggs, relict of Capt. Robert Boggs, for this list of names. Mrs. Boggs was a hale lady of eighty-two in 1880 - doing her own work, and sometimes walked to Zanesville and back, a distance of ten miles, and did not complain.

The patriot spirit descended from sire to son, and accordingly, when the war of the rebellion became a horrid fact, and the cry, to arms! rang out o'er the land, it was heard in Washington township, and everywhere they responded, '"*heream I, send me!" They marched to the field at their country's call. For the sake of the tiresides made desolate, and to emulate 'the example of the surviving heroes, we would like to present their names, but have to content ourselves with the Regimental Rosters, which do not specifically locate the home of the soldiers ; and. we do not wish to offer even a complement that may be doubted. .

In the above section, Nos. 4, 5, and 6, were seen near Coal Dale, and the rest of the section at Rocky Point. In the slate over the upper coal, fine chonetes and other fossils, changed to pyrite, are found at Matthew's coal bank, in the north part of this township.

The following geological section was taken near the line between the corporate limits of Zanesville and Washington Township. The upper part, containing the Alexander coal-seam, was taken on the land of D. Hart:

The coal has a good reputation for household use, and is extensively used along the line of the National road. ee Report, 1873, volume 1, pp. 329-330-1 ; E. B. Andrews, Assistant Geologist. ]

Coal number six, only, is mined here, as number five yields a coal of too poor quality to be marketable. Near this locality, a cannel coal, probably coal number four, is seen in the bed of the creek, and is eighteen inches thick. 'The two beds, six and five, are seen on the property of Moses Robinson, and on that of Messrs. Fisher and Mangold, near the Adamsville road. They are each three and one-half feet thick, but the upper one alone is now worked. Number five was formerly mined by stripping, on Mr. Robinson's property, near the school house.

The coal above the parting is very pure, and makes an excellent coke, very compact, and handsome. Two coking ovens were in use at the time of examination, and two more were being built. Below the parting, the coal is very poor, and often it is two-thirds pyrites. Streaks of pyrites occur occasionally in the coal above, but are very thin, and not extensive. Mr. Matthews_ ships about sixteen hundred tons per

Mr. Menefee claims that the bed is entirely free from pyrites, and that neither streaks nor nodules have ever been seen. The entry has been driven only forty feet, and has hardly reached sound coal, so it would be injudicious to speak positively in this connection. The coal i is quite pure, shows little tendency to break up on exposure, and exhibits no incrustation of copperas on the outcrop. Fifteen feet below the coal is a bed of iron ore three feet thick, containing about eighteen inches of what has been pronounced an A specimen was procured for analysis, but, unfortunately, has been mislaid. At the time this locality was visited, Mr. Menefee was negotiating for the sale of this bed to a Zanesville firm, at a royalty of thirty cents per ton. The deposit is evidently extensive, as it was traced from this point east, and north, through the township to the opening in coal number six, belonging to Mr. White, on the Adams-. ville road. he horizon is one at which ore is. found at numerous localities throughout the coal field in the State, and the deposit here merits. careful attention.

ship. Though identifying this bed with coal number five, of the State section, I doubt the propriety of so doing, especially as there is no associated rock by wich to prove its identity. It would seem more probable that it is an intercalated bed, if one may judge from its sudden origin, and expansion. It is absent over a greater

Ohio. They keep constantly on hand a good supply of foreign and domestic piece goods, from which they can suit the most critical, and furnish the most indigent with custom-made clothing. They are generous in prices, and genteel in their way of dealing. One particular feature that demands the patronage of all, is that they can fit as neatly and artistically as can be done in the large cities, and always in the latest styles. They solicit the patronage of all, and feel sure that when once received they will retain it, and customers will not go elsewhere for either goods or well made and well fitting garments.

Coal number three, though here only twentytwo inches thick, becomes thirty inches at another point about a mile east from Mr. Menefee's, where it is worked. It is highly esteemed by some, as it makes a cheerful fire. A layer of bituminous coal, three inches thick, is found at the bottom.

The limestones are all blueish. The gray limestone is apt to be shaly, is less tough, and more granular than those below. It has been used successfully as a flux. The middle limestone is cherty, with the flint irregularly distributed through it. Near Mr. Matthews' coal by fie flint. The ore, so well rarked 3 in Madison, Jackson, Licking, and Muskingum, is absent here, or rather is only traceable by means of a few scattered nodules accompanying the chert. The ore resting upon the.gray limestone is Of no value, being imbedded i in sandstone. The sandstones along the river, between numbers six and four are-compact, and would doubtles be excellent for building purposes.

Coal number seven, was seen at only one point. It is seventy-five feet above number six, and is not more than nine inches thick. South of the Central Ohio Railroad it is mined extensively, and is four to five feet thick.