Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/557

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUXTY.

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��been so obstructed by mill-dams that any kind of navigation is impossible.

The earliest settlers in IVIonroe went to Fred- ericktown and IMount Vernon for their grind- ing, and afterward to Herring's mill at New- ville, in Worthington Township. Peter Zubj' has the honor of erecting the first mill in Monroe, about a mile east of the present vil- lage of Lucas, on Rocky Fork, in 1820. It was a "little choppin' mill," as the old settlers express it, by which it is meant to convey the idea that it was a small affair and did not do fine work. It is fair to presume that a little improvement has been made in milling since that time. Mr. Zuby erected both a saw and grist mill, both of which are yet in opera- tion, and are now known as the Doran Mills. Mills were erected from time to time, until they numbered twelve or fifteen, including saw-mills. The second saw-mill was built b^' a Mr. Ailer, half a mile from, and a little south of west of, Lucas, about 1822. This mill is still in operation, being now owned by Mr. Williams. The second grist- mill was built on the Rocky Fork, half a mile east of the present village of Lucas, in 1830, by Reinhart Oldfield. Later, it was owned by Abraham Marks, and is now owned and opera- ted by Silas Rummel. A splendid saw-mill, one of the ])est in the township, is also at- tached to the mill. One of the earliest saw- mills was erected by the McBrides, within the present corporation of the village of Lucas, about 1820. It is still running, having been repaired and rebuilt several times. One of the earl}- saw and grist mills was that of Charles Schrack, on that pretty little tributary of the Clear Fork called Switzer's Run, in the southern part of the township. It is a water mill. The third mill in the township was built in 1830, by Mr. LaRue, on Rocky Fork, about one mile west of Lucas. It is now owned and operated b}' Mr. Mathews. In 1835, John Swigart liuilt a saM^-mill on Thomp- son's Run, below and near the Hastings Post

��Office. Jacob Culler also built a saw-mill in 1832, on the Rocky Fork, below the old Zuby mill, and still further down the stream is a saw- mill built by the Beasores about 1855, now known as the Mower's Mill. About 1846, John Culler built a woolen-mill one and a half miles east of Lucas, near Jacob Culler's saw- mill. It has never done a large business, but is yet, occasionally, in operation.

Monroe can boast of only one village at present — Lucas — though an attempt was made man}' years ago to start a town at what is known as the Six Corners, near the center of the township, where a number of roads cross. Mr. William Wigton owned the land where a village was blocked out, which was first called Mechanicsburg, and afterward Pinhook. Mr. Wigton came to the township in 1826, and was Justice of the Peace sixteen 3'ears. Chris- tian Welty bought an acre of gi'ound of JMr. Wigton, laid out the town, the plat of which was, however, never placed on record. Mr. Welt}' built the first house, and worked as car- penter in the neighborhood. Soon after, James Greer built a two-story blacksmith- shop, and the town gi-ew until it contained five or six dwellings, a grocery, a few shops. a post office, called Six Corners ; and a hotel, kept for some time by William B. Miller. At present, no liusiness is done there, and only about three occupied dwellings and the blacksmith-shop, remain of the town. The post office has disappeared. Soon after it Avas started, an eccentric character by the name of Nicholas Swarenger, came along and gave it the name of "Pinhook," which name the place will probabl}' retain as long as time shall last.

Lucas was laid out in 1836, by John Tucker, before mentioned, who acted as agent for his brother David, the proprietor of the town. It is pleasantly situated, about seven miles southeast of Mansfield, on the Pennsylvania Central Railroad, and on the Rock}' Fork of the Mohican. It is on the west half of the

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