West Chester Township (part 2 of 2)

In the early days before 1830 Westchester was quite a manufacturing place. At the lower end of the town was a flax-seed oil mill, a fulling mill, a carding mill, a saw mill and a grist mill. They were built bv Samuel Burnes and were operated by a tread mill run by oxen. James Cummins started the first tan yard about 1810. This tan yard was conducted by various persons until about 1875. Mr. McLean owned it last. Jared Parrish owned it some forty years. His brother, William Parrish, preceded him in the business. The first tavern was kept by Ezekiel Gard, in which business he continued for over forty years. John Caldwell had a farm and a tan yard, The first store was kept by a man by the name of Anderson. He was succeeded by James Freeman. Jeremiah Day was the first blacksmith. He afterward conducted a store in the Cummins property. Zadock Wharton also kept store for many years. He was a quaint old character and wore a queue about fifteen inches long done up very artistically in ribbon. Thomas Kennard and his brothers, George and William, conducted a shoe shop before 1830. They did quite a business and employed a number of helpers. William Foster had a woolen mill which he ran by steam ; he also ground corn into meal. It was the only steam mill of any kind in that part of the country and was located near the Gard tavern. Joseph Layman, store keeper, kept the brick house, where William Van Hise lived, in 1833. Other business men about that time were Jesse McMacken, tailor; John Bundy, wagonmaker ; George Jameson, blacksmith, Dr. Opdyche was a practicing physician. He was what was termed a "dandy-up-to-date. He wore a ruffled frill bosom shirt, a swallow-tail coat with brass buttons, and a white fur hat.

Westchester has had a newspaper for several years. It is called The Miami Valley Times, and is published weekly by the Times Publishing Company.

The first school house stood south of town on the farm of the late J. C. Wakefield, and was built before 1810. The second school house was built near the first and was a frame building. The third was also frame. The fourth school house is the

The Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1818. Prior to the building of the church the society met at the homes of the members for worship. Charles Legg and Duran Whittlesey collected funds with which to build the first church edifice, which was of brick. The lot was donated by Hezekiah Smith, who was a Baptist preacher and founder of the town. This building stood until 1848, when a larger and more substantial brick church was built. Among the early preachers were Arthur W. Elliott, Rev. James B. Finley and Rev. Goddard.

A Presbyterian church was organized at Westchester between 1830 and 1840, but soon ceased to exist. The church was built in 1842. The society flourished under the leadership of Jerry Day and Enoch Conover. The Cumberland Presbyterian church is a scion of the Sharon church in Hamilton county and was organized in 1869. It worshiped for a time in the old Presbyterian church but, about 1882, a handsome new church edifice was built, in dimensions thirty-eight by fifty-nine feet and costing thirty-three hundred dollars.

The Catholic church is a very handsome structure and was organized in the early 'sixties. Services were held at first in the Grange hall. The parish numbers about one hundred and fifty members.

The Union township cemetery is located near the village. It was laid out in 1870, according to the present plan. The o cemetery, which is a part of the present grounds, has been in existence for seventy-

Mauds was first known as Shoemaker. It takes its name from Richard Maud, the first postmaster of the town. The town had its beginning with the construction of the Big Four Railroad from Dayton to Cincinnati. The first house erected in the town after the railroad was built was by Henry Stickles. It is used as a boarding house and saloon. John Steinman is the present proprietor. There is a church, store, saw mill and blacksmith shop located here.

Gano is a small station on the Big Four Railroad near the southern part of the township. It was laid out in 1874 by Charles Gano, a promoter of the Short-line railroad. Charles Gano, Jr., in 1879, built a large steam flouring mill and did a fine business, but unfortunately the mill burned soon after it was constructed. A well, one hundred and twelve feet deep, was dug near this mill for water, but natural gas was discovered and from that time until now it has escaped from the well. There was quite a volume of gas discovered, and while the mill was in operation it was conducted by pipe into the mill and was used for drying the grain. Gano was originally intended for a suburban residence place, but the scheme failed. It has now dwindled into a town of very little trade importance, though it is situated in the midst of one of the richest agricultural districts in the state.

Rialto is located on the canal about seven miles from Hamilton and is the site of the Rialto paper mills. At Crescentville, a mile below, is also an excellent mill. Book, news, roofing and wrapping papers are manufactured in large quantities.

Pisgah is the highest point in Union township and is a small village named by William Belch, and so called from an old church that formerly stood on this land. William Belch came here about 1812, and kept the first hotel in the village, which was continued by his son for several years. William and James Van Hise started a hotel and store about 1838. In 1843 the postoffice was established. James Irwin settled here before 1800 and later run a still house and a tannery. He was the grandfather of ex-Governor William Irwin, of California, who was born here and went to the Pacific coast during the gold fever in 1849. He edited a leading newspaper for several years. Later he became a member of the state legislature and was elected governor of the state.

The Pisgah schools have been very successful and have had good teachers. Among the early teachers were Robert Caldwell and Mitchell Dalton. J. C. Slayback taught here in later years.

The people of Pisgah, in the early times, attended church at Muddy Creek. This was a Baptist society. Subsequently the Presbyterians erected a church building on the Belch property. Among the early preachers were Rev. Graves, of the Presbyterian church, and Elders Bryan and Lemon, of the Baptist church.