now resides. He is a prominent farmer and breeder of sheep. Mr. Richey was married in 1850, to Helen C. Hammond, of Jefferson County, Ohio. Six children have been born of this union: Melville, George M., Charles W., Carrie, Harry B. and Lucerne A. The family are all connected with some branch of the Methodist church. George Richey, brother of Andrew, has been a minister for forty years.

William Lowrey came from Fayette County, Pa., in 1810 or 1811, and settled on a half section of land, where his son, Rev. William D. Lowrey, now lives. The family began housekeeping in a cabin without a floor, and with a table made of puncheons. In 1826 Mr. Lowrey built the house at present occupied by his son. He was a prominent citizen, and served as justice of the peace and county commissioner several terms. He was also an elder in the Presbyterian church until 1835, and afterward held the same office in the Cumberland Presbyterian church. He died in 1861, at the age of eightyone years. He was an earnest antislavery man; a Whig, then a Republican.

William D. Lowrey was born December 22, 1815, on the farm where he now lives. In early life he taught school and in 1846 was ordained a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and has been in the ministry of that denomination ever since. In 1848 he married Lydia Ann Vernon, of Monroe County; children: Ezbon F., Catharine S., William C., Lydia A. and Tyndall W.

John Vorhies, Joseph Reeves and Jacob Yoho, were among the pioneer settlers of the township. Jacob Yoho built a log barn in 1805, which is still standing, with the date upon it.

On one occasion, Daniel and John Vorhies, were out hunting for rac coons with a dog and axe. They chanced to come across larger game and treed a large bear. One of the boys went to Joseph Reeves after a gun, while the other remained to keep watch of the bear. When the bear saw that he was guarded only by one boy, he endeavored to descend from the tree. The boy cut a withe, and by lashing the flanks of the bear succeeded in keeping him treed until his brother returned and shot him.

Timothy Bates hunted a good deal in early years. Once he shot a bear, removed the entrails, bent down a sapling and placed the bear upon it. The tree righted itself and the bear assumed a very natural position, looking as though he was alive and rearing upon his hind legs. Joseph Reeves' girls came across him while hunting for their cows and returned home much frightened.

Isaac Mendenhall was a pioneer settler. On one occasion he and another hunter were after a buck with dogs, wounded the animal and finally got him at bay. To get out of his way Mendenhall climbed a young tree. The tree was too slender to bear his weight, bent over and threw him upon the neck of the infuriated animal. He clung to the deer and threw him down. Finally his companion came to his relief

The early religious meetings of the township were held in a double log barn belonging to John Vorhies. An old resident says he has often seen among the congregation half a dozen or more young boys dressed only in a linen shirt.

September 3, 1810, a petition was presented to the commissioners of Guernsey County for a road, "to commence on the headwaters of the Seneca, and thence down the same, by Cornelius Bryan's, Jacob Yoho's, etc., to the town of Cambridge." Elijah Stevens, John Carpenter and Frederick Miller were appointed viewers, and Elijah Beall surveyor.

Hon. Thomas C. Williams, the present representative of Noble County in the legislature, was born in Wayne Township, on the farm he now occupies, May 13, 1848. His father, Abner Williams, was a native of New Jersey, and one of the early settlers of the county. His mother was a native of Virginia, and was the mother of nine children: Alvin, Lydia B. (Day), Amy S. (Kinzie), Louisa M. (Brill), Edith G. (Stoneburner), Phebe E. (Stoneburner), Aaron W., Annie E. and Thomas C. Aaron W. was a member of Company G, Seventyeighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died in Memphis, Tenn. Alvin W. is a farmer of Wayne, and Amy S. and Annie E. deceased.

Thomas C. was reared on the homestead farm and received a thorough common-school education. He read

his life's profession, but the death of his brother necessitated his return to the farm, since which time he has devoted his energies to agriculture and politics. He has identified himself with all matters of public import and holds a foremost position among the best citizens of the county. In the legislature he is regarded as an efficient member. He married, in 1870, Miss Mary J., daughter of William Henderson, of Guernsey County, Ohio. They have a family of three children.

Isaac W. Danford, the present clerk of courts of Noble County, is a son of Eli Danford, and was born near Mount Ephraim, Seneca Township, April 11, 1856. Adverse circumstances gave him only small educational advantages; he attended the common schools and worked on a farm to pay his expenses. For several years he was a successful teacher. He then turned his attention to mercantile business, and from 1882 to 1887 was a merchant at Kennonsburg. He served three years as postmaster at Kennonsburg, and was township clerk for six years. In 1886 he received the Republican nomination for clerk of courts of Noble County, was elected, and is now discharging the duties of that office. He married Margaret M. Stitts of Wayne Township. Her father was a soldier in the Union army in the late war and was killed at Vicksburg. To Mr. and Mrs. Danford have been born five children: Carl S., and Charlotte, dead; Clyde F., Birdie May and Eli, living.

Charles Arndt came from Washington County, Pa., in 1836 and settled near Sarahsville, where he entered 160 acres of land, to which he added eighty acres. He disposed of his farm and removed to Greenwood in 1861, where he died in 1864. He followed the vocation of a carpenter and cabinet-maker. He was an exemplary man and an elder in the Presbyterian church. David, a son, was born in Pennsylvania in 1831. He learned the trade of a carpenter, which, in connection with undertaking, he followed many years. 1859 he married Betsey, daughter of Edward Ward. They had four girls and one boy; a daughter, Alice, is a teacher of reputation.

Texana is a graduate of the deaf and dumb institute of Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Arndt, like his father, is a very reputable citizen. For three years he has been trustee of the township. In his religious belief he is a Presbyterian, in which he is an elder. His brother was a lieutenant in the Eighty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died from disease contracted in the service. Charles, another brother, was a member of the Ninety-first Ohio Volunteer In

fantry. The family are of German extraction.

Abraham Thompson was born in Guernsey County. In 1861 he enlisted in Company H, Seventy-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served until the close of the war. He was wounded by a shot through the leg at Atlanta, and Gen. M. D. Leggett carried him from the field to the hospital, a distance of nearly two miles. Mr. Thompson is almost blind from the effects of disease contracted in the service.

John Miley, a son of one of the Noble County pioneers, was born in Center Township in 1828. He is a Republican, a farmer and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1851 he married Mary Coen, of Seneca Township. Their children are: Martha E.. Abraham V. (deceased), Richard B. (deceased), Charles W., and Eva L.

George W. Robinson was born in Beaver Township. Beaver Township. In 1861 he enlisted in Company F, Twenty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until July 8, 1864, when he was discharged on account of disability. He was captured at Chickamauga and held a prisoner at Richmond and Danville for over seven months.

ELK

LK TOWNSHIP is first mentioned upon the records of Monroe County in the year 1822, when Isaac Davis was appointed lister. The amount of county levy in the township for that year was $16. In 1823 Matthew Gray was collector for the township, and the tax amounted to $15.65. In 1824 the tax was $14.45; Matthew Rogers, collector. No description of the boundaries of the township is found except in the commissioner's journal for 1836, when they were as follows: Beginning at the southeast corner of section 13 in township 5 of range 7; thence west four miles; thence north six miles; thence east four miles; then south six miles to the place of beginning. The township, therefore, embraced all of its present territory except the two northern and four southern sections. The two northern sections came off Franklin Township, and the four southern ones were taken from Washington County.

The commissioners of Noble County, May 1, 1851, altered the boundaries of Elk Township, making them as follows:

"Commencing at the southeast corner of section 18 in township number 4 of range number 7; thence north along the section line across township number 5 of range number 7, to the northeast corner of section 13 in township number 6 of range number 7; thence west along the section line to the seventh range line; thence south along the seventh range to the southwest corner of section 36 in township number 4 of range number 7; thence east along the section line to the place of beginning-containing 32 sections."

This township formerly included sections 25 and 31 of Stock Township, which were transferred to the latter by order of the county commissioners, March 7, 1854.

Moses Spencer was the first justice of the peace in this township after the erection of Noble County. He qualified for entering upon the duties of his office August 23, 1851.

From the earliest tax duplicates found on file in the auditor's office in Morgan County-those for the year 1833-the following list of holders of real estate in Elk Town

ship in that year is obtained. This is, therefore, an authentic record of nearly all of the pioneer settlers of the township, together with the number of acres owned by each, and the value of the same in 1833:

George Bonar, section 29, 162 acres, $182; David Bonar, section 23, 162 acres, $182; William Brown, section 23, 81 acres, $92; Shadrach Burton, section 36, 67 acres, $74; Jesse Dennis, section 32, 139 acres, $139; Enoch Enochs, section 36, 79 acres, $99; Matthew Gray, section 26, 157 acres, $216; James Lloyd and Joseph Pickard, section 32, 139 acres, $175; Frederick Miller, section 29, 161 acres, $200; Wine Rood, section 35, 146 acres, $182; Isaac Worstel, section 21, 80 acres, $100. Number of acres, 1,452; valuation, $1,731.

Among the owners of personal property in the township in 1833 are found the following names, which do not appear on the foregoing list: John Brown, David Crum, Jesse Davis, Kinsey Davis, Isaac Davis, Widow Enochs, Hiram Forshey, John Forshey, John Forshey (2d), Wealthy Ingraham, Francis Miller, George Miller, Michael Martin, John Pryor, Samuel Pryor, Seneca Fletcher, John Rake, Jacob Rake, James Sweeny, Moses T. Spencer, Philip Koon, Francis Ferrell, John West, Oliver Ingraham.

The total tax of the township was as follows: On real estate, $19.47; on personal property, $21.28; total, $40.75.

In the same year James Young, on section 13, of township 6, range

7, was taxed for 161 acres, valued at $227, in Franklin Township.

Prior to 1812 Jesse Davis and family, from Pennsylvania, settled in this township. His children were Isaac, Kinsey, Jesse, Nathan, Rebecca (Mrs. James Sweeny), Rachel (Mrs. Francis Miller), Polly (Mrs. Emanuel Hupp), Annie (Mrs. Henry Pryor) and Louisa (Mrs. William Enochs). Enochs). The family became scattered, and now has but few representatives in the county.

Frederick Miller was a veritable pioneer- a backwoodsman and a hunter. He had served in the Indian War, and had the pioneer's hatred for the red race. He always wore a hunting-shirt, and carried knives at his belt. When he became too enfeebled to walk, he procured a mule, which he rode for years. He was very eccentric, and had an unvarying price for everything he sold, which was not regulated by the market quotations. He always asked thirty-three and one-third cents per bushel for corn, fifty cents per bushel for wheat and a "fi' penny" bit per pound for meat. He would sell only to those who needed supplies, and never to a speculator. He was the father of Francis Miller, who died in this township.

Samuel Pryor came to this township at an early date. The Pryors were of German origin and had lived on Captina Creek before coming here. Samuel was the father of Elijah, John, Henry, William, Mary, Nancy, Sarah and Elizabeth. Henry is the only survivor. He lives in Minnesota. William died in this