Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/687

 HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

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��man Reformed and Methodist Episcopal about 1840 ; the Old School Presbyterian of Orange in 1834, by Russell Bigelow, the famous mis-

��sionary ; the United Brethren Church building was erected in 1850, and the St. Jacob's Ger- man Reformed in 1853.

��CHAPTER LXXIIL

VERMILLION TOWNSHIP.*

Formation — Survey — Indian Trails — Timber — Early Settlers — Indians — Gen. Beall and the Battle of CowPENS — First Roads — Mills and Distilleries — First Justices of the Peace — Education — Churches — Infirmary — Hayesville — Whisky as a Motor.

��AUGUST 9, 1814, Vermillion Township was formed. It occupied in the northeast corner of " Old Richland," a territory which has since been divided into six townships, being then eighteen miles from north to south, and twelve east and west. Within the same year, how- ever, this territory was again divided by a line through the center north and south, the east half retaining the name of Vermillion. In 1815, Vermillion was reduced to its present dimen- sions, six miles square, in the southern part of the territory. It was then on the east line of Richland, but became a part of Ashland County in 1846. It was surveyed by Jonathan Cox in 1807. James Hedges ran the southern line, and found great difficulty in getting it cor- rect. He went over it three times, and on the third survey says : " I find the chaining correct. I am much peiplexed to know the cause of my westing, or inclining south. The variation must operate very partial, or my compass must have been unluckly altered." He then re-surveyed the west boundar^^, and, coming to the south- west corner, observes : " Here I experience troubles of a new kind ; having already spent two days and a half waiting on an Indian chief, who appeared hostile to our business ; also laboring under the difficulty of a hand being- absent thirteen days, on a tour for provisions ; in the mean time having lived eight days upon boiled and parched corn, I now find ni}- camp


 * Now in Ashland Count}', formerly in Richland.

��robbed of some necessar}' articles, and two hands that I left to keep the same, revolted and run away. My range and town lines not being finished, and expecting shortly other surveyors after me to subdivide ; all these difficulties con- spire to make me unhappy. No alternative re- mains but to proceed to Owl Creek and get hands and provisions, this being the 20th of October, 1806." This suspended operations until April, 1807, -when Jonathan Cox proceeded to subdivide the township into sections. . In running along the east boundary-, Mr. Cox came upon Indian trails, much traveled, running northeast. All these trails in this part of the countr}- bore northeast toward Sandusky, and southeast in the direction of Fort Pitt, Wheel- ing or Mingo Bottom, near the present site of SteubenviUe. The trails mentioned here doubt- less passed over to Greentown, along what is known as the old Portage road, and lead from Mohican John's town. About one mile south of the northeast corner, he found a trail much traveled. Along the west boundary, in the southwest corner, were also trails much traA'eled. The land is described as fertile, the ascents and descents sloping and gentle ; the timber — oak, hickory, ash, sugar maple, with some black walnut and chestnut.

The following names comprise a partial list of the earliest settlers in this township. Sterl- ing G. Bushnell. 1821 ; Thomas D. Roe, 1815 ; Rev. John Cox, 1823 ; Joseph Duncan, 1824,

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