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remained behind of the men. Weaver stopped to put a heavy charge in his gun, and had just completed the act and was about to set forward when down the creek he saw men, dogs and bear coming back with as great celerity as they had departed, only the conditions were reversed, and instead of many for the one, it was one for the many. Weaver waited till the bear was within ten feet of him, when he fired

with fatal effect.

George Noggle and T. C. Neave, William and Simeon Chapman and Adam Belles were all of that class known as early settlers in this township. It is said that, when this township was organized, a game of cards was played by H. D. Williams and John Douglass on the one side, against Easton Morris and T. C. Neave on the other, to determine who should have the honor of giving to it a name. The first party won, and they two playing again between themselves, the game was won by Williams, but Neave was so anxious to name the township, that he paid Williams $10 for the privilege, and then named it after himself. Fort Jefferson, built by the soldiers of St. Clair, in 1791, was the first structure erected by white people in the county. There is much of real interest connected with this old post which should be gleaned and placed on record.

The schoolhouses of this township are all of brick, well built, comfortable, and supplied with the apparatus needed to advance school work.

There are a number of churches in the township, among which are a Methodist and a Union Church at Fort Jefferson, a United Brethren near Weaver's Station, and a church at Sampson. The village of Fort Jefferson was, laid out in 1818, and Sampson in 1846. There are about fifty miles of road, much of which is piked. The population in 1870, of Neave Township, was 1,093.

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP.

In June, 1838. Van Buren Township was organized, and named after the President then in office. James Gower, an early settler and a present pioneer of ninetythree years, was the "moving spirit" in its formation, which was not accomplished without much opposition and difficulty, and this now aged man was he who gave the township its name. It was taken from the south end of Adams and the east end of Neave, and contained all of Township 8 north Range 4 east, that is in this county, and all of Township 9 north, Range 3 east, except Sections 5, 6, 7 and 8, which are included in Greenville Township. In June, 1839. Franklin Township was formed, containing all of Van Buren east of a line running north from the southwest corner of Section 36, Township 9 north Range 3. The township, as now constituted, contains twenty-six sections. The surface is extremely level and the soil excels in fertility, being of alluvial formation, with good body to it. In years past, from one to five feet of water covered most of the surface, during half the year. Now, by an artificial system of drainage, it has been reclaimed to the uses of civilization, and is producing a hundred fold. The eastern part of the township is not so well advanced in improvement as is the rest, from the fact that its lands were, for many years, held mostly by speculators, who would not or at least did not either dispose of or improve it. There are no considerable water-courses in the township, the channels by which its surface is drained being small tributaries to Greenville and Panther Creeks. An extensive moraine passes from north to south through it, along the track of which are found an abundance of bowlders, many of which are of remarkable size, being from ten to twelve feet in diameter. Some gravel beds have been deposited on its surface, which afford convenient and valuable material for the improvement of public highways. The roads are mostly in good condition, the larger proportion of them being piked. Some of these, however, from much travel and heavy hauling, are well-nigh worn out, and need considerable repairs. The staple products are corn and wheat, the soil being admirably adapted to the cultivation of the former grain. Barley, oats, rye and tobacco are raised to a considerable extent. The entire township is thoroughly

agricultural, and in 1870 contained a population of 1,212, a small part of whom were colored and some foreigners. A few settlements were made within the present limits of the township before the close of the first quarter of a century, but improvements were slowly made, and for many years the clearings formed a small part of the area of the lands, owing to the wet, swampy condition of the country. Just who was the first settler and when he moved in, cannot be known with precision. There were probably no settlers in Van Buren Township previous to 1818, about which time several men built them cabins within its present limits. Samuel Pearce, Samuel Martin and Elias Burt were probably the first to erect houses in Van Buren, in about 1818. Eli Townsend and Jacob Sebring followed soon after. In the spring of 1820, came John Charkwith, and settled in the extreme southwest corner of the township. He was born in New Jersey, and came to this part of Darke County from Montgomery. Isaac Byers, who was the first Justice of the Peace, moved up from Preble County the same spring; a Virginian by birth, he yet preferred this section to his native State. His widow still survives. James Gregory settled, about this time or perhaps a year or so sooner, on lands he afterward sold to Benjamin Roe, and now owned by William Shields. David and William Byers, brothers to Isaac, came soon after he had got located. Richard and James Gower moved, in 1826, into the extreme north part of the township, where they were among the first settlers. John Fourman entered land in the southeast part of the township. Mordecai Ford, who was the first Clerk in Van Buren, was, also, a pioneer. Jacob Potoff, at Nineveh, was an early settler at that point, and is remembered to have built the first blacksmith-shop in the township. Several others are deserving of mention in this connection, as pioneers of Van Buren, but authentic accounts of them have not been gained. The first election of the township was held in the smithery of Potoff, at Nineveh, at which time there were about forty or fifty votes cast. Improvements progressed quite slowly for some time, the characteristic pioneer cabin prevailing for many years. Finally, these began to give way to the more pretentious frame buildings, and occasionally a brick residence made its appearance. The first two of the last-named were built by John Fourman and John Walker. At the present day, there are many fine frame dwellings and substantial brick residences in the township.

There being no water-power facilities of any consequence, manufacturing industries developed slowly. The first mill of any kind in Van Buren was an old "flutter-wheel" saw-mill built by John Fourman, on Panther Creek. This establishment furnished lumber for a large tract of country for a considerable period, some of the buildings in the extreme southern part of the county having been furnished with lumber from this mill. The second mill of this kind was erected near Jaysville, by Messrs. Kilbourne and Jay. There are now four saw-mills in the township, with capacities ranging from three to six thousand feet per day. These represent the manufacturing interests of Van Buren.

Schools began in a small, crude way, about a half-century ago, and have steadily advanced to their present flourishing condition. There is a great contrast between the pioneer log houses and their rude belongings, as compared with the newest structures. Then a single small rude house stood on the land of William Townsend, and within was Mordecai Ford, well skilled to rule and ferule. Now there are eightsubstantial brick buildings, having ten rooms, and requiring the employment of eight teachers. School statistics for the year ending August 31, 1879. are as follows: Amount paid teachers, $1,906.20; expense of sites and buildngs, $2,143.14; incidental expenses, $499.97, and the entire expenditure was $4,549.31. There were eight gentlemen and five ladies, or a total of thirteen teachers employed, at wages averaging, for males, $39, and for females, $20; 212 boys, 180 girls, or a total of 392 pupils attended the schools; the average monthly enrollment was, of boys, 161; of girls, 139; total, 300. Daily attendance of boys, 114; of girls, 99; total, 213.

To the Christian denomination belongs the honor of having first borne the Gos

pel into the forests of Van Buren. The pioneers of this sect were Revs. Sneithen, Ashley, Williams and Mordecai Ford. They erected their first church in 1851, at Delisle. There are now three churches in the township. Two United Brethren and one Methodist. The former at Abbotsville, and the Methodist at Jaysville, were built about the same time, not far from 1850. The other United Brethren Church was built about 1868 or 1870, at Nineveh, and was called Keyler's Chapel, from the name of him who was the means of its construction.

There are but two cemeteries in the township, one of which, old and dilapidated, is now almost abandoned. The first was established nearly fifty years ago by the society of the Christian Church, and is known as the Abbottsville cemetery. The second was recently established under the auspices of the Township Trustees, and is located upon a fine tract of six acres, inclosed with a substantial board fence.

There are several small villages in the township, but the tendency was to farms exclusively. The proximity to Greenville and Arcanum to a great extent dispenses with the necessity of more than exist. The first regularly laid out town in the township was Abbottsville, deriving its name from its founder, Abbott. This center for a time made an advance which promised much to its anxious inhabitants, but it was a transient effort, and its existence is known only to the pages of history. The eager speculation of that day caused the platting of thousands of sites which showed in later years a few ominous-looking houses and straggling occupants and seeming mourners of a drifting center of settlement, and Abbott was one of those not favored. Storekeeping was first engaged in by George and William Falkners and in addition to the store, there was a wagon and blacksmith shop. Delisle, now the only village regularly laid out in Van Buren Township, was platted under direction of the widow Fairchild in 1850, and a building for the purpose having been erected, the pioneer store in the place was opened by John Tillman and Jesse Lease. Aaron Vanatta was the first smith. The village, as at present constituted, contains a dry-goods and grocery store, a blacksmith and a wagon shop and sawmill. It is located on the Dayton & Union Railroad, which gave rise to the place. Jaysville is a small hamlet on the same road, and is located about five miles south of Greenville. It contains a single store and a saw-mill. In the township, there are three post offices-one at Delisle, at Jaysville and at Poplar Ridge, in the northeast part of the township.

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.

This township comprehends thirty sections, or over nineteen thousand acre, of land. It lies in the eastern tier of townships, and was formed in June, 1839, from a portion of Van Buren Township. It received its name from the illustrious printer, Benjamin Franklin, and possesses a surface almost a monotonous level, the sameness being broken here and there by occasional gravel drift or cairn.

The soil is extremely fertile, and is composed of a rich alluvial formation of well-nigh inexhaustive durability. Formerly, it was very wet, but has now been nearly all reclaimed by general and thorough drainage. The principal stream is Painter Creek, which flows diagonally across the township. Entering in the southwest corner, it trends to the northeast till it reaches the northeast corner of Section 18, whence it takes an almost due east course, passing out of the township in the southeast corner of Section 9. This, with its tributaries, constitutes the central drainage system of the town. The northern part is drained by tributaries of Greenville Creek, and the southeastern by tributaries to the Stillwater.

In the way of improvements, Franklin Township is not in the van, but, since 1870, rapid advance has been made in this respect. The chief products are corn The cultivation of tobacco has become a subject engaging consider

and wheat. able attention.

The manufacturing interests are not extensive, there being only three saw-mills in the township.

The German Baptists had the first organization in the township. Philip Younce, a minister of this society, preached the first sermon in this part of the county. Having held meetings for some time at their several homes, the people at length erected a building on land now owned by Samuel Bean, for such use as occasion might require, and the Baptists therein held services.

The Christians were the second religious sect to form an organization in Franklin, and, in time, built them a church on land now owned by John Spidel The sect has now two organizations in the township, the one named, and the other in the northeastern part of the township. This latter society was formed, in 1877, with seventy members, now increased to one hundred.

The "Brethren in Christ" have had a society since 1863. with twelve members, by Revs. John Winger and Jacob Swank. numbers thirty-eight members.

This was founded.
The society now

The German Baptists now have a fine church building on the farm of John Flory. The above denominations comprise all the religious bodies in the township.

Daniel Oakes is by some accredited with having been the first white man to build a cabin within the limits of Franklin. He came hither from Montgomery County, and settled on the banks of Panther Creek, on land now owned by Hiram Rhodes. Theophilus Penny arrived about the same time as Oakes, and entered land now owned by Jacob Swinger. Eli Inman was the pioneer in the northeast corner of the town, to which he removed from Miami County. Elisha Penny, Christian Newcomer, Martin Brant, Jacob Stauffer, Henry Finnifrock, William and John Hess, Samuel Hall, John Hayworth, John Karl, Gideon Varnum, Jacob Marker, Varnum Aldrich, Charles Birch and John Brooks were all early settlers in Franklin. Hall and Hayworth came in 1824; Eli Inman, in 1826. William Hess, in 1829 or 1830, opened a little stock of goods and groceries, consisting principally of whisky and tobacco, these being disposed of to the settlers; there was received in exchange staves, hoop-poles, skins and pelts.

In 1830, Jacob Marker, an old wagoner, came and settled on land now owned John Swinger. He had a good team of horses, and a strong wagon, and his services were in almost constant demand, hauling staves, etc., to Dayton, loading back with salt and other goods for the stores on his route, and to those of Greenville, Adams' mill, etc. Until the date of the township's formation in 1839, the settlers voted at New Harrison or Adams' mill, as the little settlement was then called.

The first schoolhouse built in the township was put up by John Hess in 1838. on the present farm of Hiram Rhodes, on Section 19. on Panther Creek. Prior to this, however, school had been taught for some time in a private house owned by William Hammel, and located on the Swinger farm. The first teacher was David Clevine. There are now in the township seven brick schoolhouses and one frame. There are 655 youth of both sexes in the township, ranging in age from six to twenty-one. Between sixteen and twenty-one, there are 131 persons. The amount paid teachers was $2,111.26; contingent expenses, $264.24; total, $2,375.50. Value of school property is $8,000. The average wages is $38 and $18, and the average time of school session for the year was thirty-four weeks. There is but one village in the township; it is known as Vienna. It is situated on the Greenville and Milton turnpike, in the south central part of Franklin, and was laid out in 1870 by George Wright and John Hayworth. The hamlet contains two drygoods stores, a confectionery and a saloon. There are in Franklin two post offices, and the population in 1870 was 1,366.

On October 23, 1879, Wiley Coulter was shot to death by Monroe Roberson in Vienna. He died on the evening of the next day. Roberson was tried in February, 1880, and March 6, was sentenced by Judge Meeker to be kept in solitary confinement until Friday, July 16, 1880, and on that day to be hanged by the

neck until you are dead, and may God have mercy on your soul. Such is the penalty to follow an outraged law.

MONROE TOWNSHIP.

Monroe Township was laid off in June, 1836, being taken from the east end of Twin Township, and contained all of Township 7 north, Range 4 east, that is in the county, and the eastern tier of sections of Township 8 north, Range 3 east. This is the southeastern township of the county, and is bounded on the north by Franklin Township, on the east by Miami County, on the south by Preble and Montgomery Counties, and on the west by Twin Township. Ludlow's Creek runs diagonally across the northeast part of the township, entering the east half of Section 6, and running south by east, leaves the township from the center of Section 16. This creek has many small tributaries that afford excellent outlets for the many underground drains that farmers are putting in to dry out and warm up the land. In an early day this township was very low and wet, but, owing to the large quantity of decayed vegetable matter, these low lands are very productive; in fact, what was once swamp and quagmire is now choice farming lands.

There is no village or city within the boundaries of this township, but a place that bears the name of Pittsburg, of which, perhaps, in a day away back in the past, some had an idle dream of future greatness. But, alas, the ravages of time, the destroyer of all things, have lain in the dust the ambitions of its founders, and Pittsburg lives only in name and story.

The first to brave a settlement in this township, and undergo the privations and hardships of a pioneer life in a wilderness, was Asa Jones and Henry Addington, who built their cabins on Section 8, in about 1819. They were followed the next year by Mr. Mote and family, who were the third actual settlers in the township, and he lived only one year after his settlement when he died, the first death that occurred among the settlers. His remains were taken to Milton, Miami County, for burial.

Thomas Jones, brother of Asa, came in 1823, and settled in the northern part of the township, and George Gabel in the southern part in the same year. Among others who settled in the township in an early day were William and John Richardson in the northern part, Samuel Cams and Peter Shank in the southern part, and Joseph Brown, Peter Abram and John Snorph in the southwestern part. Settlers came in very slowly, which can be attributed only to the wretched state of the country at this time.

Reader, imagine, if you can, this beautiful country of to-day, shrouded in the mantle that nature gave it, a dense forest, gloomy and almost impenetrable swamps, not a mark of civilization to greet the eye of the hardy pioneer; no churches, no schools, with nothing but the howl of the wolf, the screech of the panther, the rapid flight of the timid deer; the whoop of the red man or the whiz of his arrow, to break the enchanted stillness that reigned supreme in nature's wild dominion. Such was the condition of this now beautiful township of Monroe, with its highly improved and productive farms, its fine residences, its commodious barns. its churches, its schools, its roads; and, can we not truthfully say, we owe as great a debt of gratitude to those early pioneers, as we do to our fathers that broke the chain of oppression, and freed our beloved country from the despotic rule of cruel tyranny. We certainly do, for freedom and civilization go hand in hand; advancement and development are the fruits of liberty, and most nobly have these pioneers discharged the duty intrusted to them, and we are in the possession to-day of the fruits of their labor and privation.

CHURCHES.

In an early day. these pioneers, like the Israelites of old, were without a place in which to worship. but with a spirit true to devotion, they met in each others'

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