Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/635

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

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��Superintendent; Joseph Ward, Sr., Secretar}' and Libi-arian. A collection was taken up here and forwarded to New York for books, and these were the first Sabbath-school books introduced into the township. There was a small school also in the west part of the township, with Charles Palmer as Superintendent. All these schools went down after a brief struggle for support ; but after the building of commodious church edifices at the various points already indicated, they were all reorganized on a per- manent Imsis, and have continued with brief intermissions ever since. Some of them are ver}' prosperous and successful. These schools were superintended alternately by Ezra Os- bun, John Ward, William Hagerman, Newton Charles. Freeman Osbun, and others at Mil- ton ; Charles Palmer, James Hughes, Henr}' Golladay, Allah Haverfield, David Hughes and others, at Franklin, and Dr. Crabbs, William Burget, William Foulks, at Olivesburg.

The village of Olivesburg was laid out by Benjamin Montgomery in the year 1816, and called Olivesburg in honor of his oldest daugh- ter, Olive. In 1821, the village contained one tavern, kept by Benjamin Montgomery ; one blacksmith-shop, b}' Abel Montgomery ; one tailor-shop, by John Grum ; one cabinet-shop, b}- Thomas Beach ; one tannery, by Joseph Burget ; one horse-mill and water-mill, by Jon- athan Montgomer}^ ; one wheelwright-shop, by William Lee, or James Hall, and about the usual per cent of loafers.

It was suggested to the writer by an old set- tler, that the history of Weller Township would be incomplete without some allusion to the witchcraft excitement that prevailed some fift}' years ago. It will, perhaps, ])e looked upon by some as a matter almost incredible that such things took place at so comparatively recent date, and we should feel reluctant about plac- ing them on record were there not living wit- nesses to substantiate all the statements made here: It was about the year 1831 or 1832,

��that a family living on the farm now occupied b}- the county infirmarj', conceived that they were annoyed by enemies who were endowed with the powers, qualities and attributes of witchcraft. A Mrs. Holstein, living at that time on the farm now occupied l)y Alanson Martin, was one of the parties thus charged, and that, in the exercise of powers and capac- ities above mentioned, they entered into their churns, sugar-kettles, etc., and prevented the butter from coming and the sugar from grain- ing, etc. At other times, the old lady would fancy they had taken partial possession of her person, and she would commence a series of gymnastic performances, swaying her bod}' and limbs to and fro, looking m3'steriousl3- out into vacancy and uttering sepulchral tones ; then she would take a silver half-dollar and clap it on the calf of her leg and kick like a mule in her efforts to throw it off In the night, mys- terious noises were heard up-stairs and down ; there were hissings and screechings, and run- ^nings to and fro. In the morning, piles of meal 'would be found in one corner, piles of salt in another, and torn shreds of old faded calico dresses would be scattered hither and thither. Neighbors were called in to witness the •■ pro- ceedings," and, according to the Scripture. '• some believed, and some believed not." A large portion of the more intelligent part of the community scouted the whole thing and stood aloof from all the proceedings. It was thought by many, that the object of the old woman was to excite hatred toward old 3Irs. Holstein. The excitement, however, continued to increase in a class of community who either did, or feigned, to believe it. Finall}-, a meet- ing of the " believers '-' was called to take steps looking toward the abatement of the nuisance. A man by the name of WA'coff, a connection of the troubled family, was Chairman of the meet- ing-

Wycoft' settled on the western slope of the Big Hill in 1815. He was a man of immense

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