Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/545

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

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��the Revolution, serving the first two 3'ears at Fort Du Quesne (Pittsburgh) ; then marching over the Allegheny' Mountains, joining the army of Gen. Washington at Valley Forge, where he suffered through that terrible winter. He was in the battle of Princeton, and all other opera- tions of the army at that period. He was a member of the Methodist Church from 1816. AVhen he died his children numbered eleven, his grandchildren seventy-nine, and great-grand- children one hundred and thirteen.

Another gentleman, who honored Mifflin with his presence in 1815, was Robert Bentley, whose reputation extended beyond the boundaries of townships, counties, and even States. With his famil}', he camped about a week upon the south- west quarter of Section 10. while he was build- ing his cabin. He brought with him two yoke of oxen, two horses ahead of them, two cows, two calves, and a fine mare, upon which Mrs. Bentlev rode with her child Mary, who subse- quently became the wife of Dr. William Bush- nell. The only road in the township was the State road from Wooster through Mansfield to BucTrus — a mere trail sufficient for the passage of a wagon.

Mr. Bentley was appointed Associate Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in 1821. and served seven 3-ears. In 1828, he was elected to the State Senate, and was re-elected in 1830, serving in that capacity four years. In 1839. he removed to Mansfield, where he resided at the time of his death in 1862. He was for some time connected with the military service, was a Major General of militia, and a promi- nent military man in his day.

This township was surveyed by James Hedges, Deputy United States Surveyor, in 1807. The first schoolhouse was built on Section 16, by Andrew Newman, Christian Hoover and Robert Bentley. It was near the present site of Koogle's Schoolhouse. The first teacher was Margai'et Halston, who taught during the summer. She lived in the Weller settlement. Previous to this.

��however, schools were kept in the log huts of the settlers, and meetings of all kinds were held in houses, barns, sheds and out of doors, as seems to have been the practice everywhere in the new settle ments before schoolhouses or public build- ings of am' kind had an existence.

The first church in the township, so far as can be ascertained, was built on the southeast quarter of Section 17, in 1825. It was of logs, and never acquired the dignit}- and respecta- bility attaching to doors and windows. James Rowland, of Mansfield, was the first minister. After its abandonment, the congregation came to ^lansfield. x\bout the same time, a log church was erected near Petersburg by the German Reformed people. This was used by people of all denominations for many years, and when it was abandoned, another log church was erected near the same place. It was on the northeast quarter of Section 14, and was erected through the influence of the Messrs. Cullers, who were its principal supporters. The first Pastor was George Lighter, followed b}' Mr. Huffman. The date of its erection was about 1840. When better churches were erected in Petersburg, this church was aban- doned. But two chui'ches now remain in the township, outside the villages of Windsor and Petersburg, having an organized existence. One of these is the German Reformed, erected in 1851, on the southwest quarter of Section 30. It cost about $500. For many years pre- vious to its erection, services were held in the log schoolhouse, and afterward in a stone schoolhouse, on the northwest quarter of Sec- tion 32. These two schoolhouses have gone down with the lapse of time, a neat ft-ame now serves the purpose, as is the case over other parts of the township. The principal founders of this church were the Ballietts, who are quite numerous and influential in that neighborhood. The first ministers in this organization were Samuel and George Lighter and Solomon Ritz. After several years, the attendance failed, and

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