Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/602

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��HISTOEY OF RICHLAND COUXTY.

��1858, at a cost of about $500, on the southeast quarter of Section 26. The organization dates back to 1851-52, and was established through the influence of Rev. A. E. Brown, in a school- house, a few rods south of the present location of the church. The principal original members were John Scott and wife, Thomas Scott, Sr., William Plancy and famil}-, Kobert Patterson and wife, and J. Bartholomew and wife. Fol- lowing the Rev. A. K. Brown were N. T. Brown, George Hiskey, "William Simpson and others. A union Sunday school is now in working condition, with a membership of about sixt^-.

The first school in the township was taught by John C. Gilkison, on the southeast quarter of Section 1. His pupils were Jacob CofRnberry, George Cofflnlierry, A. B. Cofflnberry, John Bartlej^, Susan Bartley, Nancy Condon, Joseph CuiTcn, Elizabeth Curren, John, James and Jane C. Welch. For several years, there were no schoolhouses, schools being kept in private houses and barns. It is believed, the first school- house was on the Rallston farm, two miles north of Ontario, It was a primitive aflTair, made of logs, with a puncheon floor, a fireplace of ample proportions, and logs hewn flat on one side for seats. Hundreds of such buildings dotted the country in those days.

The first saw-mill was built in 1817, by Con- don & Welch, on the northwest quarter of Sec- tion 1, and the first grist-mill by Ex-Governor Mordecai Bartley, on the same section, where Spring Mill now is. This mill has l)eeu burned down, and destroyed or removed, and rebuilt several times. About the same time, the Purdy mill, before mentioned, was built, and also one on the head-waters of Clear Fork. Xear this last was also built a saw-mill and several stills for the manufacture of spirits. These mflls gave to the place the name of Millsl)orougli. It is pictui-esquely situated among the hills, and started with fair promise for a future tovyn. It has the honor attached to age, being the first

��town in the township. It was laid out on part of the northeast and northwest quarters of Sec- tion 28, by John S. Marshall, Deputy County Surveyor, October 29, 1831. The mills wore built in 1818, b}' John Garretson, who came from New York. Before the establishment of these mills, settlers went as far as Mount Ver- non, in Knox Count}', to do their milling. Uncle Jesse Edgerton, as he was called, occa- sionally hitched four horses to his large Penn- S3-lvania wagon — "schooner" — and taking his own and his neighbors' grists, hauled them to Mount Yernon. In addition to his mills, Gar- retson also built a house in which he kept hotel for some time. This stand was afterward kept by John Martin. The place at one time — about 1830-35 — boasted of two dry-goods stores, kept by John Evans and John Williams. The earl}' settlers in this part of the township were James Woods, John Garretson, Samuel and David Mitchell. Joseph and Lewis Day, John Milligan and Samuel Estel. Estel was a veteran of the war of 1812, and established a tanyard in 1818 on Section 23. John Stewart did most of the surve3'ing in this township. The railroads assisted in the death of Millsbor- ough. It has been dead many 3'ears ; even the sound of the mills has ceased.

The next attempt to build a town in the town- ship was in the woods, on the trail leading from Mansfield to Bucyrus, about eight miles from the former. It was called Newcastle ; however, Onta- rio and Newcastle were both laid out in the same month, Decemljer. 1834. and on the same section, 21. Newcastle was laid out by Frederick Cassell and Adam Webl)er, the name of the former sug- gesting the name of the place. It was surveyed by John Stewart. Adam Weliber kept tavern there for some time, but the place never grew up to their expectations. No business is done, and the place has fallen into decay. Its pres- ent population is about forty. Even the Atlan- tic & Great Western Railroad, which ivan its first passenger cars through it in 1864, failed to

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