A Complete History of Fairfield County, Ohio
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" A COMPLETE HISTORY FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO, HERVEY SCOTT, 1795-187 0. SIEBERT & L1LLEY, COLUMBUS, I'lllO : L877. r^-Tf INDEX. PAGE. Bar of Lancaster 16 Baptists, New School 120» Band of Horse-thieves 148 Births and Deaths 157 Binninger, Philip 160 Banks of Lancaster 282 Commerce of Fairfield County 18 Choruses 27 Carpenter's Addition 34 County Jail , 36 Court of Common Pleas 52 Canal Celebration 59 Court of Quarter-Sessions 78 County Fair 96 Catholic Church 138 County Officers 144 Colored Citizens of Lancaster 281 Cold Spring Rescue 289 Conclusion 298 Dunker Church 142 Enterprise 20 Episcopal Church 135 Emanuel's Church, St 137 Evangelical Association (Albright) 140 First Settlement 4 First Born 7 First Mails and Post-route 12 Fourth of July 31 Finances of Lancaster in 1827 32 Finances of Fairfield in 1875 36 Fairfield County in 1806 36 Fairfield County in the War of 1812 79 Growth of Lancaster 11 Ghost Story 61 Grape Culture 68 General Sanderson's Notes 98 Germau Reform Church 136 IV INDEX. PAGE. Gas-Light and Coke Company 281 Governors of Ohio 287 Horticultural Society 119 Hocking Valley Canal 150 Introduction 1 Inscriptions in Kuntz's Graveyard 61 Incorporation 21 Judges of Court 278 Knights of Pythias 73 Knights of Honor 73 Knights of St. George 75 Lancaster 6 Lancaster Gazette 5S Lutheran Church, first English 136 Land Tax 160 Mount Pleasant 10 Medical Profession 16 Miscellaneous 21 Miscellaneous 65 Masonic 69 Methodist Church 122 New Court-house 35 Nationality 156 01 1 Religious Stanzas 23 Old Plays 28 Ohio Eagle 57 Other Papers 59 Odd Fellowship 71 Ornish Mennonite Church 139 Primitive State of the Country 2 Public Square 34 Physicians 59 Patrons of Husbandry , 74 Political 120 Protestant Methodist 128 Pleasant Run Church 129 Presbyterian Church 131 Public Men t 152 Phrophesy 297 Presidents of United States 288 Ruhamah Green (Builderback) 8 Relics 56 Rush Creek Township in 1806 157 Refugee Lands 80 Reform Farm 80 PAGE. Representatives in Congress 82 Kepresentatives and Senators, State Legislature 109 Rebellion of 1861 112 Regular Baptist Church ] 28 Railroads 285 St. Joseph's Benevolent Association 75 Statistics 79 St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church 135 Towuships 82 Typhoid Epidemic 152 Personal Recollections and Personal 161 Ashbaugh, John 177 Beery, George W 173 — Bope, Jacob 199 Barr, Thomas 292 Chaney, John 161 Carlisle, B. W 165 Cherry, Thomas 204 Crook, John 209 Crumley, Daniel 216 Courtright, John 219 Cole, Thomas 222 Ewing, Hon. Thomas 171 Ewing, Thomas E 232 Fishbaugh, Mordecai 211 Foster, David 238 Foster, F. A 243 Griffith, Samuel 276 Hunter, Hocking H 172 Harmon, George 214 Hathaway, A 248 Heyl, Christian 252 Hunter, Andrew 264 Jackson, Thomas 196 Iric, John 220 King, Mrs. Flora 176 Kester, Samuel 296 Leonard, Henry 182 Leist, Michael 192 Leith, John 158 Lyle, David 228 Lamlis, Martin 237 McClung, William ; 176 Murphy, William 203 INDEX. PAGE. Murphy, Theodore 218 McClung, Mrs. Jane 268 Peters, Wesley 230 Eadibaugh, Mrs. Mary 206 Eudolph, Christian 241 Eutter, Mrs. Catharine 262 Eeam, Jonas A 178 Eeece, Thomas 277 Sheaffer, Jacob 207 Sites, Frederick 234 See, John 255 Shawk, Charles 261 Sherrick, Elizabeth 266 Stemen, Nicholas 167 Sherman, Judge Charles 172 Stewart, Levi 179 Van Pearce, Mrs 242 Vandemark, Elias 245 Vanzant, John 271 Williams, John 173 Wiseman, Joseph 194 Young, Mrs. Eachel 258 ERRATA. Page 282, last paragraph, forjudge Schofield read Philomen Beeeher. In the notice of Lancaster Drug Stores in 1876, page 19, for Wetzler read Wetzel. On the 19th page, and seventh line from the bottom, read James McManamy. On page 20, in list of practicing lawyers, five names were omitted, viz.: Tallman Slough, J. S. Sites, David Clover, New- ton Schleich and John McCormick. These are all practicing Attorneys in 1877. Page 119, in second and third paragraphs from top, for John C. Boviny read John C. Rainey. In State Legislature, years 1866 and 1868, page 110, read U. C. Rutter. On page 128, second paragraph from bottom, for Rev. George Debott read Debolt. Page 56, in "Gins.ng Wanted," read Daniel Arnold for Daniel Arnott. SEE L.C PHYSICIANS. In the enumeration of the physicians of Fairfield County, the following names were unintentionally omitted: Dr. G. Miesse, Sen., will be remembered as a highly eminent practitioner of medicine in the neighborhood of Dumontsville for many years. About 1840, or a little later, he removed to Greenville, Dark County, Ohio, where he still resides, at the age of 70 years. Dr. G. Miesse, now of Lancaster, is his son. Dr. Miesse, Jr., is known for his distinguished ability as a pianist and composer of music. He makes a speciality of treating chronic diseases. Dr. M. H. vliesse is a physician of Royalton. Dr. Jonas Wiest, now of Circleville, was formerly a practi- tioner at Dumontsville, this County. Dr. Chas. Babcock and Dr. Barlow were former homeopathic physicians of Lancaster. Dr. Lurch of Amanda is a physician of many years practice, and is extensively known. Dr. Thomen, resident physician at Baltimore. Dr. Rutter, medical practitioner of Clear Creek. Dr. Thomas, resident physician of Rushville. Dr. Hummel is a practitioner of Baltimore. The difficulty the author has experienced in receiving re- sponses to inquiries, is the apology for these names not ap- pearing in the proper place. Jacob Wiest emigrated from Pennsylvania and settled in Greenfield Township, this County, in May, 1822, where he con- tinued to reside untill the time of his death, on the 24th of Nov., 1872, at the great age of S8 years, 11 months and 9 days. He was the father of twelve children, of whom four have de- ceased and eight are living. There were also living at the time of his death, 96 grand-children and 129 great grand-chil- dren. Mr. Wiest was a soldier in the war of 1812. His tomb is near Dumontsville. John Zeigler is almost the hist surviver of the original settlers of Fairfield County. He settled on the place where he now resides with his son Noah, five miles north of Lancaster. among the very earliest of the settlers of the County. His age is 92 years. Benjamin Wiest, still living at the age of 7<> years, was an early settler of Greenfield Township. Joseph Miesse, Sen., was among the early settlers of Green- field Township. The Miesse's of the County are his descend- ants. He died many years ago. He was the founder of Miesse's church near Dumontsville. This church is known as the "coal mine" church, from some tradition. The following names are miss-spelled in the text, but are here rendered correctly : In "grape culture," J. F. Bovring should be read F. J. Boving. In "Knights of Pythias," page 73, read John A. Heim for John A. Hern. Page 76, in "Constituent Members," the first name should be L. C. Butch instead of D. C. Butch. Also, on page 75, 2nd line from the bottom, read L. C. Butch for L. C. Butler. Wherever the name Newton Sclich occurs, it must be read Newton Schleich. The name of the pastor of the presbyterian church at Lith- opolis was given to the author as Brown, and so written on page 135, top line. The correct name is Downe. Abraham Seifert has served a^ County Recorder, Probate Judge and Member of the house of Representatives of the State Legislature. By some strange inadvertance his name appears variously spelled in the text, under the proper heads "Adam Seifert" ; "Abram Seifert" ; "Adam Syfert." On page 144, in "Probate Judges," third line from the bot- tom, Wm. T. Rigley must be read Wm. L. Rigby. Also, on page 153, the name is spelled Bigby intead of Rigby. The spelling of names, especially those derived from foreign languages, is sometimes various. It will be found however, that with the foregoing corrections, this volume will be com- plete, and it is hoped satisfactory. HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, 0. A history of Fairfield county in 1876, just seventy-six years subsequent to its first organization, has been no easy task; first, because the pioneers have nearly all passed away; and secondly, because there are no records of much that would be requisite to make up a complete history. This is much to be regretted. So far as they could serve me, how- ever, 1 have collected from state histories, and from state and county records, statistical and other matter. Beyond this I have collected from living witnesses who have been life-long citizens of the county, so much of personal history, and inci- dent, and anecdote, ' together with pioneer reminiscences, as it has been possible to do. Much of this, however, as above remarked, is lost, because those who first broke the forest and planted civilization and religion in the Hocking Valley, were dead before the conception of this work by the humble writer had been formed. This occasion is taken, however, to say, , that the book is presented to the public as a pretty full and, as is believed, an entirely correct and authentic history. Nevertheless, brevity and condensation have been observed, because the author has desired to bring the work within the financial ability of every citizen, by producing a cheap book. But readers must excuse the limits of personal history, since, to write out even brief notices of all pioneers who deserve mention, would require several volumes. Our history begins with the beginning of the white settle- ments in the Hocking Valley. Beyond that, through the ages of the unknown past, there is no vista for our eyes; noth'ng to count the centuries by; and imagination is content to picture an indefinite routine of years during which the awful solitude was only broken by the discordant utterances of wild beasts, and the scarcely less savage war whoop of the red man.