Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/583

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

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��Republican, votes Avere polled, and twelve Fed- eralist.

The elections were originalh' held for Sharon as the}' are now for Jackson, at Taylor" s Cor- ners. Henry Taylor's house was the place of public meetings, elections and militia trainings. In an early day, long l.iefore the town of Shell\v was thought of, the trail before mentioned was cut from Mansfield along the Indian trail, which followed up the Rock}- Fork, and diverging near Spring Mill, crossed to the head-waters of the Black Fork, up which it followed to where Shelby is now located, and continuing on north, connected with Beall's trail at PhTnouth. About 1815 or a little later, a road was also cut by the early settlers, diverging from Beall's trail near Shenandoah, passing through Trucks- ville, to the present site of Shelby. This road probably followed an Indian trail part of the wa}-. This Indian trail was a branch of the main trail (the "trunk line," ), which followed the general course of the Black Fork for a short distance, and was the great highway of the In- dians between their villages on the Sandusky River and Plains to Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh). This branch trail left the main trail near the northern line of Franklin Township, and taking a course a little south of west, passed through the present site of Shelby, and on to the Delaware town on the head-waters of the Sandusky River, near Leesville. The crossing of these two roads at Shelby probalily had an influence in determining its location. Along this trail came the early settlers of the north- ern part of Jackson and Franklin Townships, and also the ^Marvins, Wilsons and Whitnej'S, who settled in the northern part of Sharon. Other settlers from AVestern Pennsylvania came along the road from Mansfield, hence at the point on the Black Fork where Shelby now stands, these Western emigrants met. and here a settlement sprang up.

John Gamble came from New York State, and erected the fii'st mill in the township, on

��the corner now occupied b}' Kerr & 3Iarvin's drug store. Dr. Bushnell, of ^lansfield, says he was often called to attend the pioneers in the vicinit}' of Shelby, in their sickness, and long before an}' town was laid out the place was known as " Gamble's Mill."" The mill was built of logs and run by horse-power. Those who brought grists to this mill usually ground it themselves. They would hitch their horses or oxen to the sweep, grind their gi'ist, and Ijolt it by hand. Gamble purchased the land upon which he erected his mill and cabin, of Eli Wilson, who had entered it. The Gamliles were intelligent people and good citizens. Hugh Gam- ble, a brother of John, is yet living near Shelby, at an advanced age. He was a member of the Legislature, and a man of strength and influ- ence. Among the earliest settlers gathered about Gamble's ]Mill, were Mr. Raymond, Leonard May, Rev. Hubbard Du Bois, and a family by the name of Gump.

Gen. Wilson erected the first saw-mill on the Black Fork, about the time Gamble erected his gi"ist-mill. This saw-mill was in operation many years.

John Kerr came to Sharon in 1826, settling on Section 29, where, in 1829, he erected a gi'ist-mill, and afterward, in 1833, a saw-mill. David Kerr was the fii'st miller in the grist- mill. It was destroyed by fire in 1875.

Joseph Coltman, who settled in Sharon at an early day, and came froiji Martinsburg. Ya.. was something of a mill builder.

He first erected a horse-mill in the south- eastern part of the township, and afterward two water-mills, one of which was located on what is now the Post farm. These mills were in operation a numlier of years.

In 1839, John A. Duncan erected a grist-mill on the Black Fork, at Shelby. It was pro- pelled liy water at first, but steam was after- ward added. It ran only about ten or twelve years. The same building is now used as a carriage factorv bv Sheffler & Barkdall.

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