Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/643

 HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

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��another through the heart settled him. McKee's limb was badly lacerated, and he remained a cripple for life.

Two young men, Henr}- and John Nail, sons of one of the earliest settlers, went out one day to hunt their horses, which were allowed to roam in the woods in summer. The}' caiTied their rifles, and were accompanied by two trusty dogs. When several miles from home, the dogs treed a young bear, which one the boys shot and wounded. It fell to the ground and set up a piteovis cry. Both had fired, and their guns were therefore empty, when the mother of the cub appeared and rushed upon the slayers of her 3^oung with savage gi'owls. The boys had neither time to re-load or climb a tree, but fortunately the dogs came to the rescue and at- tacked the bear fiei'cel}', upon which she unex- pectedly beat a retreat. They carried the cub home, and had roast bear meat for dinner.

One of the earliest settlers of Worthington, Frederick Herring, erected a mill on the Clear Fork, near the present site of Newville, which was probably the second mill expected in the county. Beam's being first. The mill was re- sorted to from great distances b}' the early set- tlers. It was in operation nearl}' fifty years. Clear Fork fui-nished excellent water-power, and man}' mills have been erected from time to time on its banks. Another of the Hex-rings, David, erected a large three-story frame mill, about 40x60 feet, in 1841, two miles below In- dependence, on Clear Fork. Some years ago, this was converted into a woolen-mill, and is now owned and operated by Alexander & Zent, of Bellville. Its machinery is first class, and it is capable of doing a large business.

About a mile above Independence is a grist- mill now owned by J. & E. Plank, erected about 1820, by Jacob Myers. It has changed hands several times and been rebuilt, but is now in first-class condition and doing good work. About 1850, Jacob Armentrout erected a grist and saw mill one mile northeast of Inde-

��pendence. It is now owned and operated by D. J. Hummel. These are all water-mills, and have saw-mills connected with them. In addi- tion to these, saw-mills have been erected in various parts of the township on the swift little streams and near running springs.

The first brick house was erected by William Darling, about 1828. The first voting place was at the house of Robert Phipps, on Sec- tion 17.

The religious sentiment of this township is well developed ; the larger portion of its peo- ple being connected with some church. It is found here as elsewhere, that, long before the people were able to erect churches, they had preaching at private houses and the old log schoolhouses that began to spring up here and there in the woods, as the settlements grew. Among the earliest ministers were the Rev. James Johnson, of Mansfield ; William Hughes, Greorge Leiter, Shadrick Rhuark, George Hiskey and others. One of the earliest church build- ings was the old Union, or United Presbyterian, located on Section 8 ; erected, and the society organized, through the efforts of Rev. James Johnson, who was its first Pastor, The first and most influential members were the Laf- fertys, Halfertys, Ramseys, John Robinson, William Wilson, Peter Alexander and others. The first building was a hewed log, and in after years (about 1831), a frame addition was built. This building and organization have long since disappeared, and nothing remains to mark the spot but the graveyard in the vicinity.

In an early day, the Rev. William Hughes established the church now known as the Clear Fork or Bunker Hill Presb}'terian Church, lo- cated on Section 23. Rev. Hughes preached many years to the people of this neighborhood before the building was erected. The first building was a hewed-log, and the second, the pi'esent frame, was erected about 1850. To this church belonged, in an early day, the Mof- fats. Pilchards, Hazletts, McClellands and

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