Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/551

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COL XT Y.

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��aud Melzer Coulter, Section 19 ; David and Charles Sclirack, Section 34 ; David Ellis, Sec- tion 17 ; Fredei'ick Cromer and David Craw- ford, Section 26 ; iVbraliam Baughman, who came in 1812 or 1814, Section 25 ; Christian Grood, Section 3 ; John Douglas, Section 28 ; Frederick Switzer, Section 13 ; and Solomon Gladden, who came in 1817. Mr. Switzer came in 1817, and Mr. Douglas in 1818.

Of the settlers above named, a few came in 1809, with David Hill ; others followed in 181U and 1811, and all of them were here by 1818. Adam Wolfe came in 1816, and William Mc- Danel in 1819. both settling on Section 26. The majorit}' settled along the Rocky Fork and Switzer's Run. These, aud perhaps others whose names are not recorded, w^ere the men who laid the foundation upon which rests the prosperity and happiness of the people of ^lonroe. They came mostlj' from Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. A few were from Virginia. They were a hard}' people, inured to hardships and dangers before they came here, and were men of sterling integrity and worth, and of strong convictions. In re- ligious belief, they were generally Lutherans. It is somewhat remarkable that, of the five churches in the township, four are Lutheran. As in other parts of the country, wherever a few settled near each other, the}' organized a school and a religious society in their cabins.

The first schoolhouse was located on the farm afterward owned by R. Oldfield, near Lucas ; now owned by Josiah Rummel. One of the earliest schoolhouses was located on Section 26. It was of hewed logs, covered with a clapboard roof, etc., as was usual in that day. Some of the teachers in this house were John Clark, John Tucker, William Wigton and Joseph Wolfe. This district embraced a large part of the township, children coming several miles through the woods to school. The same house was frequentl}' used for religious meet- ings, singing schools, etc. One of the first

��schools was also opened in the northern part of the township, near the Mount Zion Church. The school was first kept in private houses, and afterward in the log church.

One of the earliest schools was located on Michael Shinnebarger's land, and one also near what is now called the Hastings Post OflSce. This post office was established in 1829, being the first one established in the township. John Tucker was one of the early school teachers. He was a New Hampshire Yankee, and was one of Johmi}' Appleseed's converts, and also a doctor.

The Rev. Michael Schuh, one of the founders of the Mount Zion Church, was a very learned man — a German scholar, and for a long time kept a select school in the old log church, which he was instrumental in erecting, on the site of Mount Zion Church. It was a high school or seminary, and was started about 1820. Many of the influential men of the township were partially educated there. Mrs. John Swigart, before mentioned, came from Washington County, Penn., and settled near New Lisbon in 1804 ; and in what was then called the Twenty- second Township, now Orange Township, Ash- land County, in 1814. She removed from there to Monroe in 1821. Solomon Gladden, John Lambright and Adam Wininger were her neigh- bors then. Mr. Gladden came to the township in 1816, but did not settle permanently until 1817. He was a ver}' excellent, well-informed and prominent man ; serving man}' years as Justice of the Peace, and one term in the Legis- lature. He was also something of a military man, commanding the Perryville rifle regiment, and serving with credit in the war of 1812.

Mrs. Swigart says that thirteen soldiers were buried on the bank of the Rocky Fork, near where the first settlement in the county was made, at Beam's Mill. These soldiers died while they were in camp near the spring there, and before the block-house was erected. They were buried on the point of the hill, above the

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