Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/435

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��HISTOEY OF KICHLAND COUNTY.

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��extent that he died the following day. This was the first death of a white person in the town- ship so far as known.

A few white people, it is ascertained, fre- quented this territory- before the Currans came, but the}' cannot be called settlers ; the}' were trappers and hunters — backwoodsmen in the full sense of the word — and the}' remained just long enough after other white occupation to have their names preserved in history, and then disappeared, to perish, probably, at their perilous calling, alone in the gTeat forest,

"Unwept, unhonored and unknown." Their names were James Champion and a Mr. Girard. It is said, also, that a Mr. Brubaker, and some other hunters whose names are not remembered, frequented this excellent hunting and trapping ground at a very early day. Two

men named Eben Bolt and Brown are

said to have commenced a settlement by clear- ing ofl^ a little patch of ground, but they disap- peared, and were not heard of afterward.

It is a mooted question as to whether the Currans were the first actual settlers, as some of those who settled in the northern part of the township came about the same time. It has been stated that the Currans came in 1815. If this be true, they were, probably, the first settlers ; but the weight of evidence seems to bring them here in the spring of 1816, at which time their cabin was erected ; and this same year, probably in the spring, John Bennett Taylor and Robert Henry came, and made a settlement in the northern part of the township, as before stated. These two were soon after (it is believed the same year) followed by Adam and Griles Swan, and Joseph Rockwell. John B. Taylor settled on Section 14, the Swans on Section 10, and Mr. Rockwell on Sec- tion 23. These were followed within the next two years by Henry Taylor, who settled on Section 14; Isaac Marvin, Section 10; Wilson Rockwell, Section 14 ; James Smith, Section 14, and Charles Taylor, Section 15. Walter

��Taylor came in 1819, settling on Section 12, and Ahnon Hayes in 1820, settling on Section 15. The early settlers who came a little later were John Drake, Section. 1 5 ; Calvin Clai'k, Section 10; Thomas McLaughlin, Section 9; Greorge, Hugh and Robert Fulton, Section 16; Adam and Peter Miller, Section 16 ; Carson Craig, David Funk, John Craiglow and John Rice, the latter mentioned in another chapter as being with Commodore Perry in the battle on Lake Erie.

The people who settled in the northern part of the township were sharp, shrewd, live, go- ahead Yankees from Connecticut, and, in addi- tion to their enterprise and thrift, were well- educated, the two Swans being graduates from Yale College. They came here to make money, and most of them succeeded. The Taylors erected a carding-mill, propelled by horse- power. It was of logs, and certainly a primi- tive affair, but answered the purpose several years. Henry Crum now occupies the farm where the mill stood. In addition to this, the Taylors brought on a small stock of goods, suitable for traffic among the Indians and earlj- settlers, consisting mostly of hardware, cutlery, groceries, etc. Henry, who was induced to come by his brother Bennett, and came in 1817, brought this stock with him, and managed this branch of the business. He was the first mer- chant in this part of the country, and kept his goods in his cabin. He did not, however, re- plenish his stock, and soon sold out. He was also a blacksmith, and erected the first shop of that kind in the township, working at his trade while closing out his stock, and making for the Indians, knives, tomahawks, etc.. and repairing their guns. He was an ingenious and skillful workman, and was the father of Mrs. W. R. Bricker, of Shelby. Hayes was also a black- smith, and erected the second shop. He relates that while w'orking in his shop one day, he was visited by half a dozen Indians, who, upon leaving, and after getting a short distance away.

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