Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/548

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUXTY.

��Presbyterian church was organized, under the name of '• Mifflin," in 1851. Eev. W. T. Adams was the first Pastor. James Rowland, of Mans- field, also preached in this church. They wor- shiped in what is called the Union Church, built in 1851, through the influence of John Lemon, Luke Silby and Jonas Balliett, who were appointed trustees. This church is free to all denominations, and has lieen used by the Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists and Al- brights. The latter occupied it for a Sunday school several years, but finally consolidated with the Lutheran Sunday school, organized in 1853, and is still in a flourishing condition. The first Superintendent was Elias Troutman. of Mans- field. The present Superintendent is C. C. Sta- man, and the membership al)out three hundred. The present minister of this church is Rev. J. A. Hall. The Union Church is at present un- occupied.

The town of West Windsor was laid out March 21, 1837, by Joseph, Henry and A. T. Page, and Roger Moses. It is six miles from Mansfield, on the road to Ashland and Olives- burg. The Pages came from Windsor County, Vt., hence the name of the village. Joseph Page purchased the land on which Windsor is situated, of Archibald Gardner, who settled here, as before stated, in 1811. He (Page) had five children — Thomas, Henry, Alanson T., Mary and Febe. Alanson T., in company with John Conn (who afterward went to Yun Wert, Ohio), started the first store in 1839. It was in a frame building, which is yet standing on the

��Windsor Run, a tributar}' of the Black Fork. The place never grew up the expectations of its founders, and when the Atlantic & Grreat Wes- tern Railroad passed within three-fourths of a mile of it in 1864, part of the business went over to the station, and the little village took a Rip Van Winkle sleep. At present, there is a grocery, kept by John Baker, two shoe-shops by Phillip Heiserman and Peter Broach, a blacksmith-shop by Charles Barr, and a wagon- shop by Jacob Marti. There are about seventy inhabitants.

A Baptist church was built here in 1840. Mr. Page gave the lot on which it stands. The original members were Mrs. Kagey, Mrs. Irvin, Jonas Balliett and wife, Joseph Page, wife and son, and John Woodhouse. The latter is still living in one of the oldest, if not the oldest, brick house in the township.

The first minister was Re^'. Mr. Thorp, fol- lowed by Justus Taylor and Henry Brown. The Baptist attendance having failed, the Methodists organized a church in 1869. The present min- ister is the Rev. Mr. Hoydon ; the membership is about twenty. Thi'ee years ago, a Sunday school was started, with Allen Haverfield as Superintendent. The present membership is aljout twenty -five.

In 1820, the population of the township was 467 ; in 1830, 1,118 ; in 1840, 1,800 ; in 1850, 1,997 ; in 1860, 1,790, and in 1870, 1,679. It remains for the census of 1880 to show whether there is an increase or decrease.

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