Wheeling Township

Wheeling Township

The township of Wheeling was organized September 5, 1810, and an election for two Justices of the Peace ordered to be held at tiie house of William Gibson Saturday, September 15, 1810. It was

BO named by Robert Atkinson, John Hedge, Panl Dewit and others, v/ho had removed into the locality from the east side of the Ohio River, some miles above Wlieeling. Tiic township at its organization included the territory now forming Liberty Township, and the place of election was the old Gibson residence, on the east bank of Wills Creek, opposite the present village of Liberty. How long this continued cannot now be determined, as the Commissioners' journal does not show when Liberty Township was organized; but April 8, 1819, it was ordered that the south row of sections in the third township and third range be stricken off Wlieeling Township and attached to Cambridge. The organization of Liberty must have taken place some time between the date last named and the 3d of December, 1822, as on the latter date it was ordered that the south row of sections in the fourtli townsliip and third range be stricken from Wheeling and attached to Liberty Township.

The first, settler was Robert Atkinson, who settled on section 21', but somebody from Belmont County, Ohio, entered the quarter-section before Atkinson, whereupon he moved across Wills Creek and located on apart of the sasne section. At this time his only neighbor was a man by the name of Bird, who had located at the big spring where John Booth afterward lived, and where he had built a shanty and cleared off a small piece of ground; this was eight miles distant and is across the line in Tuscarawas County. This man Bird had no family and less principle, as the sequel well shows. Atkinson's wife died whik; thus living, and Bird and some Indians living in huts along the creek bottom helped him to bury her; and then Atkinson got Bird to take care of his property while he went back to Virginia for another wife. During his absence Bird took a canoe which Atkinson kept in the small creek, filled it with the most valuable goods taken from Atkinson's cabin, then passed down the stream into Wills Creek, thence into the Muskingum River and disappeared, never being heard of after passing Zanesville. Hence the stream is called Bird's Run to this day.

Maryland, Edward Wilson and Joseph Cowgill from Belmont County, also seven families from Yellow Creek, in Jefferson County, namely, William Maple, Thomas Dennis and Thomas Fuller and his four sons, and the settlement was called FuUerton for many years.

In 1810 three families came from Virginia, as follows: Paul Dewitt, who settled on section 19; John Hedge on section 11, and Abraham Furncy on section 9. At this time the eastern end of the township was a dense wilderness. A number of Indians hunted and fished along the streams and lived in huts. They left about the time of the breaking out of the War of 1812, when they became fearful of the whites.

In 1814 the settlements were but few, and, with the 'exceptions already named, were confined to the valleys along Wills Creek and Bird's Run, and consisted of the Atkinsons, Hedges, Fullers, Furneys and others.

Until 1815 or 1816 land could not be taken up in less than quarter-sections, but about that time it was surveyed into half and half-quarter sections, when settlements began to be made along tlie ridges.

The first school established in the township was near to what is now Bridgeville. The next was known as Bell's, on the ridge near where an old graveyard may now be seen.

The first church organization in the township was by the Baptists in 1820. It was near Bridgeville, and the first preachers were Rev. John Meek and Rev. William Spencer, from somewhere on the Muskingum River.

Source changes here: from History of Guernsey County, Ohio, by Sarchet, Cyrus P. B. (Cyrus Parkinson Beatty), published 1911; 878 words in this source stream.

Wheeling Township

Wheeling township, organized in September, 1810, is in the extreme northwestern corner of Guernsey county, and is seven and a half miles long, from east to west, and four miles wide in the narrowest place; it contains about thirty-three sections of land. Coshocton county is to its west, Tuscarawas to its north, Monroe township, east, Liberty and Knox south of it.

Wills creek is its principal stream. The line of the railroad now known as the Pennsylvania follows the creek valley down through this township and on into Liberty township, en route to Cambridge. The villages of this sub-division of the county are Bird's Run and Guernsey, both station points on the railroad.

The history of the schools and churches will be found in the general chapters, while the village history, plattings, etc., will be found farther on within this chapter.

The first settler was Robert Atkinson, who settled on section 21, but some one from Belmont county entered the section before Atkinson, whereupon he removed across Wills creek and located on a part of the same section. At this time his only neighbor was a man named Bird, who had located at the big spring where John Booth later resided, and where he had built a shanty and cleared up a small piece of timber land. This was eight miles distant and over in Tuscarawas county. The man Bird had neither family nor principle. Atkinson's wife died, and Bird and some of the Indians helped him bury her. after which Atkinson went back to Virginia to get another wife, leaving Bird there to take care of the property he had. During his absence, Bird loaded the household effects into a boat and went down the stream into the Muskingum river and forever disappeared. Hence the creek was named "Bird's Run."

In 1806 William Gibson settled on Wills creek, three miles above, and 1807 found Philip Shoff a resident. In 1S10 came three Virginia families - Paul Dewitt, John Hodge and Abraham Furney. All was a wild wilderness and Indians lived in rude huts and fished and hunted along the streams. These tribes left about 1812. Until 181 5 land could not be taken up here in less than quarter sections.

Among the pioneer band who settled in Wheeling township, and their sons and daughters, may be named the following list of persons who, in 1876, were recorded as being at that date seventy-six or more years of age : George Shroyock, Alexander Mitchell, Mrs. Alexander Mitchell, Jacob Banker, George Gibson, Mrs. Jane Gibson, David Walgamott, Mrs. S. Walgamott, Elizabeth Carr, James Mercer, Amanda Hamilton, N. Chamberlain. Zachariah Black, E. Johnson, William Leech, Joel Brown, Fred Bristol, W. Anderson, John Lytle, St., Richard Leverson, Henry Wilson, Mrs. C. Wilson, James Miskimmin.

William Vansickle, Jr., born in this county in 1840, married Elizabeth Redd and settled on a farm in Wheeling township, becoming a permanent settler there.

John Marlatt was born in Virginia in 1794, and lived in Columbiana county, Ohio, until 1809, when he married and resided in Coshocton six years. From that time to 1869 he lived in Wheeling township. He and his wife were the parents of twelve children, six of whom survived until 1882. Mr. Marlatt owned four hundred and thirty acres of land and held numerous local offices in his township and county.

Other early comers to Wheeling township were James Mercer, John Alloway, Joseph Furney and John Keast. The last named was from Cornwall, England. These pioneers found a rough, wooded country and all had to be hewed and grubbed out from a forest in order to provide suitable fields for the cultivation of crops and good building sites. This took a great amount of hard work and of a character of which the present-day young man knows nothing. The fathers and grandfathers opened up and made it possible for the dwellers of the twentieth century to live and enjoy what they do.

Town Of Guernsey

This is a platted, incorporated place of some commercial importance. It was platted in section 4, township 2, range 3, of the military school lands, by John Fordyce, J. W. Robins and Madison Robins, November 7, 1872. A postoffice was established here almost a half century ago. It is now located in a general store belonging to E. C. Lawyer, the present postmaster. There are numerous dwellings and a neat church building, that of the Protestant Methodist denomination.

about forty years ago. It is now kept in the general store of L. D. Carrothers, postmaster. There are two churches represented here, the Baptist and the Methodist Episcopal.

Upon A High Hill

Upon a high hill in Wheeling township, near the county road leading from Guernsey to Bridgeville, is a rock whose strange formation and majestic appearance excites wonder in every beholder. It resembles an immense haystack in shape, being about forty feet in height, twenty-five feet in circumference at the base, thirty-five feet at the bulge, and thirty feet at the top. The view from the summit extends over four counties and is said to be grand. The sides of this peculiar rock are carved with hieroglyphics that would make an interesting study for the student of aboriginal history. We are indebted for these facts to D. F. Stanley. - Jeffersonian, March 8, 1883.