HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY

CHAPTER XXXVI.

MADISON TOWNSHIP.

Madison township was established in 1812. The first families in the township were the Shaeffers. Isaac Shaeffer, Abram Shaeffer, Martin Landis, Sr., and Abram Ream, came from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in the spring of 1798, coming from Pittsburg in flat- boats, ascending the Hocking River in dug-outs, and landing at "Hunters Crossings" a week or so after Hocking H. Hunter's father and family arrived. They came merely to spy out the country, and soon returned home, but came again, probably, in the fall of that same year. Isaac Shaeffer settled near the Defenbaugh mill, which he built in 1804. Andrew Shaeffer settled where Mr. Koehler lives now; Martin Landis where his son, Martin Landis, now lives. The arrival of these men, being the first of the township and county, it is needless to add that all was a wilderness. Their little round cabins were of the simplest, rudest make, and such only as one or two men could, of themselves, in a few days erect. Isaac Shaeffer married Julia Ream, and Andrew Shaeffer, his brother, married Barbara Ream, her sister, both daughters of Abram Ream, the pioneer and builder of the old Ream mill. Martin Landis married Barbara Shellenberger, and had brought his family, consisting of wife, his child, David, and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Shellenberger, with him. These men all entered large tracts of land and industriously improved the country, building mills, school-houses, shops, etc. A Mr. Pickle was the first blacksmith in the township. The shop was built on Mr. Landis's farm. Soon after this shop was built a Mr. James Whitecotton, from North Carolina, built a blacksmith shop near Clearport, just opposite where Mr. Van Wey now lives. The first school-house in the township was built on Mr. Landis's farm, also near his present house. This building burned down, and another was built on the same ground. Mr. Cole, an old gentleman, was the first teacher in the township. Mr. Andrew Shaeffer, Valentine and William Wolf, built a school-house, soon after this, on the Shaeffer farm, in which a Mr. Phillips taught a long time. This house was used also for an election house. The Landis school-house was used by the Mennonites for a church, where a Rev. Mr. Welde, the first minister of the township, often preached. The first mills were built by Messrs. Landis, Friend, and Shaeffer, about the same time. The Friend mill was the uppermost one, and built in the edge of the township. The Landis mill was on his place; the wheel was a flutter. The most important, and probably the first, was the Shaeffer, afterwards known as the Defenbaugh mill. This was built in 1804, and in 1807 was sold to Adam Defenbaugh, who kept it until 1827. It was afterwards owned 232

by Augustus Boden, John Crooks, and Daniel Stoneburner, brother-in- laws; Dr. George Boestler, of Lancaster, and his brother, Daniel; Joseph Dum, of Amanda; Daniel Defenbaugh, Samuel Campbell, and Isaac Marshall. Mr. Marshall tore it down in 1873, and started the store now at that place. The Peter Hays mill was where the widow Boulsby now lives. It was sold about 1830 to James Goben and Jesse Bright. Samuel and Ephraim Loman had it a few years. Mr. Slife and Waldon had it afterwards. Just below this, at Written Rock, was the old Ring and Rice mill. That also did a good business. Augustus Boden had a distillery also at the Defenbaugh mill, and just above this point is the Terry mill, built by Frederick Welscheimer, who was killed in Amanda afterwards by being thrown from a horse, in front of Mouser's tavern. His widow ran it some years after his death, and it was then, sold to Amos Rice, who had it in 1838. Young, John Lyon, and James Terry afterwards owned it. Sebastian Carpenter built a gristmill on Muddy Prairie, and it was afterwards owned by Christian King, John Lysinger, Eliot Griffith, Isaac Wolf, and is now owned by the Guysie heirs. The upper mill on Muddy Prairie was built by Isaac Shaeffer, the saw-mill as early as 1815, and the grist-mill as late as 1830. It was owned afterwards by Joab, his son, and now by S. V. Wolf and a Mr. Shaeffer. William Guy also had a mill on Clear Creek, near Mr. Landis, also a distillery, in an early day, but both went down in a few years. Ezra Wolf built one at the head of Kuntz's Run. John George Mack, who came from Pennsylvania in 1812, built a mill on Oil Run in 1836. He died in 1853. Samuel Watson also had a mill below the Terry mill. This was swept away by a freshet, and was never rebuilt. The powder-mill was built by Sebastian Carpenter in a very early day on the race near Dr. Rutters, and where the road makes a turn towards Clearport. A Mr. Jacob Bixler also had a powder-mill where John Abbott's house is now. Emanual Carpenter, the father of Sebastian, coming to Clearport as early as 1800, bought a large tract of land, part of which is now owned by John Abbott. His son, Sebastian, carried on the powder-mill for many years, and manufactured a good quality of rifle powder. He made his charcoal of sumach wood; his saltpeter was obtained in quantities under the rocks in the hills, but the sulphur from the east. A large mortar was filled with these ingredients and mixed by pestals run with water-power. The powder was grained by taking a quantity on a board and combed down with an ordinary brush. A little water would be sprinkled on the mass occasionally to prevent the friction from igniting it. It was dried in ovens under which hot air was made to pass. Still-houses were numerous in this township. As the early settlers could not flatboat their produce to market down Clear Creek, they had to make their corn into "lake water" and drink it. For the manufacturing of this article almost every section or so of land had a still-house. The first one in this region was an old-fashioned copper still, brought out by Samuel Shaeffer (brother to Isaac and Andrew), who came in 1802, and settled where Jacob G. Shaeffer now lives. He would manufacture about eighteen gallons of whisky a week. Silas Philips had 233

one on property now owned by John Marshall, Sr., opposite Van Wey's; Frederick Welscheimer, one on the farm now owned by William Johnson; and Johnny Dindora, the famous one on the road from Hamburg to Hopewell. One was operated by James Watson, opposite 'Squire Abbott's house; one by William Guy, on George Reigle's place; one by Andrew Pearce, on John Landis's property, and another hard by. There were also shops, carding machines, spinning-bowl factories, sickle factories, etc. A Mr. Akers, first a blacksmith, manufactured sickles afterwards. He had his shop at the Defenbaugh mill as early as the year 1824. His grindstone was turned by water-power. On Kuntz's Run, a stream that empties into Clear Creek at this mill, a little above the wolf den, where the water poured over a rock, a Mr. Graham had a spinning-bowl shop. The lathe was turned by water, and the stream was strong enough to whiz it constantly. He would, however, turn out but a wagon load at a time, then peddle. This hollow was, from this circumstance, called "Spinning-bowl Hollow." At its confluence with Clear Creek, Augustus Boden had a still-house. There was also a woolen factory in the neighborhood. Among those who were first in Madison township after the Shaeffers arrived were Emanuel Carpenter and family, Valentine and William Wolf and families, the Martins, Hedges, Macks, Abbotts, Van Weys, Tooles, and many others. These early settlers would go to Orin Abbott for goods and groceries at the Defenbaugh mill, where he kept the first store in the township, and many of them would attend church in the old school-house, on Martin Landis's place, where the Mennonites held forth. A regular place for worship was not built until in the year 1826, when the St. John's (Lutheran) church was erected on the Sweyer farm, Rev. Steck being the first pastor, then John Wagenhall, who served fourteen years. Its membership at one time increased to two hundred. The building was torn down in the fall of 1877 and a new edifice was erected in Hocking township in that year. Rev. W. H. Brown was the first pastor here. The officers are George Kerns, Jacob Simon, elders; H. W. Kerns and John Oberdorfer, deacons; Ezra Valentine, Isaac Kerns, Frank Kerns, trustees; J. Doner, secretary and treasurer. Rev. J. Beck is pastor. The second church was built by the Methodists in the year 1834, and called Hopewell. Many of the old settlers will remember the debating society and religious service carried on in the school house at this point long before the church was built. The second building, the one now standing, was erected in 1844. John DeLong, John Carpenter and others were the principal men. Revs. Bruce and Hand were the first preachers; Rev. Dickson is pastor now. The third church was the German Reformed, built in 1842, called Mt. Carmel. Rev. Henry Dilliard was the first pastor. The fourth church was Mt. Zion, built by the United Brethren, in the south-west portion of the township; Rev. Little was the first pastor. Moses Shaeffer built the church. The fifth church was built by the Lutherans in the north-east 234

portion of the township, on lands donated by Frederick A. Martin, and was built in 1852. Pine Grove church was built in 1858, by the United Brethren. It stands in Rich Hollow. Clearport is a good business point in the edge of the hills and on Clear Creek within easy distance of one of the most fertile valleys in the State. It was established in 1853. Orin Abbott was in charge of the store and with Isaac Shaeffer and others succeeded in getting a mail. Mr. Abbott had the first store, and afterwards his sons, John and Lafayette Abbott, now Lafayette Abbott alone. The store is one well filled with a general assortment of goods, that would do credit to any place. Drs. Rutter and Huffner attend the sick. Dr. Porter was formerly a physician of this place. 235