Notebook on Green Township and Smithville Area History by Daniel L. Kieffer

Notebook on Green Township and Smithville Area History by Daniel L. Kieffer

Pre-Green Township

Dark and Fearful in aspect; deep beyond measure in magnitude; dense and unbroken in itself; and interwoven thickly with vines of venom, thorns and under-brush and high rankling weeds of every description, was the veil of forest which once covered the face of this country. Devoid of habitations of man, unsoiled in sheet, it lay over the entire field of Green township, up to 1811. Indians and wild beasts sporting through swamps and dusky avenues; serpents and reptiles hissing from their lurking places, abounded in swarming populaces all over the land; while the hawk and the buzzard in loud screams acclaimed dominion over the feathery tribe, which seemed to join in emission of uncouth notes from every tree-top. Amid this wild state of things, the first settlement was made upon the soil of Green.

Naming of Green Township

Afterward, when brought into the province of organization, the township took its name from General Green. This township is located north east from the centre of the county, and is designated as township No.17 of range 12 in what once was called "The New Purchase".

Green Boundaries

It is bounded on the north by Milton, on the east by Baughman, on the south by East Union, and on the west by Wayne. The surface of the township is slightly rolling, and in soil very fertile and productive. Its principle streams and Little Chippewa in the south east running north west, and Sugar Creek in the northwest running south east. Both of these streams are emptying into the Tuscarawas. It is six miles square and contains thirty-six sections. Green township is well-watered each quarter-section being supplied with at least one good spring. When found in its pristine state, it was vocered all over with a dinse and heavy forest, with the exception of a square spot of about twelve acres on the south west quarter of section three. This spot being entirely clear from ay timber, stump, and even roots. Tall and heavy timber surrounded it on all sides; but when and by who it was cleared or what caused it this to be, has never been discovered. As it appeared that some corn had been raised, thereon by the Indians, the early settlers called it "The Indian Field". Green in general had more heavy timber than any of the other townships in the county. The largest tree ever found within the county was a "White Oak" which stood on the southeast quarter of section 22 in this township. This large tree measured a little over 23 feet in circumference, stump high. The timber covering the upland, chiefly consisted of white oak interspersed with hickory, chestnut, red oak, black oak and walnut; and that on the bottom land and along the streams, principally consisted of sugar, maple and beech, mixed with hickory and ash and elm. Thick underbrush abounded all over the township. Rank grass grew in abundance upon the low land and along the streams while tall weeds of every kind stood up from the soft, wet soil in their green, living richness, to the height of from tow to six feet, all over the land. The fast of the township being thus covered, presented it in aspect as a most dreary wilderness.

First Exploration

The first exploration ever made through the township was made in the fall of 1802 by a company of four young men who had come from Pennsylvania to Cleveland who, by some motive or other, were propelled to make a strike southward, aiming for a little town which had just been laid out on the Muskingum, at the junction of the Tuscarawas with the Walhonding river, then called "Tuscarawa", now Coshocton, the seat of Coshocton county.

First Death

On the third day of their journey, after reaching what afterwards was made the south east quarter of section No. 5 of this township (now the farm owned by William Pontius) not having quite half the distance of their tramp, they got into some difficulty with the Indians, when one of the young men was shot through the breast and instantly died. The fall passing through his body and entering into a small sized oak tree, which the Indians for some reason or other instantly knotched from the ground up as high as they could reach-perhaps as a monument of their bloodshed. With much terror and dismay the three surviving young men lastened from the scene without witnessing what was done with the body of their slaughtered companion. Having in view of retrace, in case they should become lost, blazed the trees along the line of their route, two years afterwards, tow of these young men, in company of some others, made a tramp back on the same route. They again saw the "Knotched white oak" but neither clew nor trace could be found of the body, which two years ago they had seen fall in crimsoned carnage at its root, by the ball of the "red man"! This was the first death known to occurred upon the soil of Green township.

First Settlement

The oak thus struck by the fatal ball stood until within a fear years. It is claimed by some of the Green was settled as early as 1804. This, however, is absolutely erroneous. The first settlement made within its limits was made in the Spring of 1811 by Michael Thomas who, with his wife and seven children emigrated from Washington county, Pennsylvania, and settled upon the south west quarter of section No. 33, now known as "the Bechtel farm". Isolated ad alone was this family in the wilderness of Green until some time in the summer of the succeeding year when Thomas Boydston and his wife, who had just been married, came from Green county Pennsylvania and settled on the north west quarter of the same section. These were all the white people within the township of Green until the spring of 1814. Lorenzo Winkler with his family came from Monongahala county, Virginia, and settled on section No. 22. These were the first threee white fmailies within the limits of the township.

In consequence of the slow emigration to the west, on account of the War of 1812, the township became settled very slowly up to 1815. Its earliest settlers were nearly all of English and Irish descent among whom were, beside those named, George Boydston, David McConahay, David Boydston, Thomas Hayse, Davis Antles, Thomas Dawson, John Wade, George Smith, Benjamin Boydston, Thomas Smith, Jacob Breakfield, John Harris, James Sparks, John McFaddin, Barter Harris, James Sparks, John McFaddin, Samuel Ferguson, William Sparks, John Hobbs, Frances Shackler, Isaac Robbins, Phineas Burrwell, Thomas Johnston, John Bigham, Robert Calvins, Jacob Cook, Charles Kelly, William Ruffcorn, George Carson, Jacob Breakbail and Thomas Alison.

Green Township Official April 1817

Not struck off, the township in legal measures, remained with East Union until 1817. It now had attained a population of 147 of which 26 were legal voters. On application it then was struck off, named, and became organized. On the 7th day of April in 1817 the electors convened at the residence of William Barnett, a small log cabin then on the north east quarter of section 21, for to elect their own officers for the first time.

First Election

First Judges

By unanimous acclimation, on motion of David Boyston, Thomas Hays, David MCConahay and Thomas Davison were appointed Judges;

First Clerks

and Thomas Boydston and Jacob Breakfield Clerks, for to hold the election.

First Elected Officers

The officers elected were as follows: David McConahay and George BoydstonJustices of the Peace; Peter Flickinger. George Boydston and Thomas Hays Trustees; Thomas Dawson, Treasurer, David Boydston, Clerk; Lorenzo Winkler, Lister and appraiser; George {{Surname|Smith, Constable; Jacob Breakfield, Overseer of the poor; John Harris, Fence Viewer, and Douglas Wilfort, Supervisor. These were the officers of the townshipfor the first year after its organization.

Green remained in one undivided district until the 18th day of April 1818 when the Trustees divided it through the centre, east and west into two equal road districts-designating the southern half of the township ad district No. 1 and the northern half as district No. 2 assigning District No. 1 to David Burgan, and that of Number 2 to Jacob Kieffer as Supervisors. For one year before this division being made the one Supervisor had jurisdiction over the entire remained in two districts.

First Highways

On the 4th day of March 1822, the first division line was erased and the township laid out into three districts. The part of the Portage road now running through the northern western part of the township, was the first public road opened in Green, the survey of which was made in the spring of 1817. This survey was made by Cyrus Spink who was assisted by Joseph Barkdoll. Thechain was carried by George Bender and Adam Kieffer, and Peter Flickinger carrying the axe as marker. The next road opened in Green was run through the southern part of the township, then called the Wooster and Kindle road. It's survey was made in 1818.

Labor & Food

The disadvantages and inconveniences under which the settlers of Green for the first ten years were compelled to labor on account of the few and poor roads, in addition to the hardships common to pioneer life, were many and very great; one of which was the great distance to flouring mills. At times some were obligated to go to Cuyahoga Falls in Summit County for milling or to Canton in Stark County. On account of the Great distance and bad roads men who oft times remain for their "Grist" in which case many a time weeks intervened ere their return. For instance, Robert Calvins one morning making ready his "Ox team" for a trip to the Caton Mills, loading a little wheat in view of getting it converted into flour, was interrogated by his wife as to what she and the "little ones" were to subsist on during his absence, replied that there was a little bran in what they call "a sugar trough" covered up with some clap boards which she might make use of, and that he thought the potatoes which they had planted had by that time taken root enough so that the old ones could be extracted from the hills without destroying the younger growths, that by using them in addition to the beans, they perhaps could get along until he returned. Many instances consequent to want and privation equally stern and severe might here be given, which, from want of time and space, must be excluded.

First Births

The first born in the township was Martha, daughter of Michael Thomas. She was born on the 25th days of September in 1812. The second birth was that of Richard Antles, who was born on the 3rd day of February 1813.

First Marriages

In 1815 the first wedding was had in Green which was solemnized by Priest Jones in the marriage of Liverton Thomas to Ann Wade.

First Occupations

In 1815 George Blair, the first showmaker in Green settled on the north west quarter of section No. 10, the farm now owned by A. H. Myers. In the year Jonathan Casebier settled on the northeast quarter of section No. 32, he being the first blacksmith in the township, this being the farm now owned by Daniel Wenger. In 1819 the first sawmill was put up in the township which was built by Thomas Smith on the site whereon the grist mill of Smithville now stands. The first fram building in Green was put up in 1822 on the north east quarter of section No. 19 now the farm of Cyrus Hoover. This was a small dwelling house of George Boydston. In 1826 the first bank barn was put up. It being built by John Zook on the south west quarter of section No. 28 now the farm of R. Buckwalter. In 1827 peter Flickinger put up the first brick house in Green- it being the present residence of J. M. Flickinger.

Mill

In the fall of 1815 John Wade got up a "hand mill" whereon to crush corn for family use. This mill was established upon the farm now owned by D. L. Kieffer and simply consisted of a lower stone of about two feet in diameter which he had hammered as near round as he could with the pole of an axe, then putting around it a hoop made of a large piece of hickory bark, and, placing a stone of similar shape on top of the lower, through the centre of the upper a hold being picked with one iron wedge, in which hole an upright stick of wood being fastened with a crosspiece over it in the shape of an auger handle. This mill was executed by lifting the upper stone when throwing a handful of corn on the lower and replacing the upper then grasping each end of said crosspiece and turning it with vigor as your would turn an auger handle in the act of boaring a hole.For years some of the early settlers were compelled to resort to this tiresome contrivance. Sometimes two or tree of the neighbors would meet there before daylight and help each other to run it "turn-about", then at night go home with a mite of meal which would last them but a few days! They called it the "Sweat Mill" because by sweat it was run. In course of time there was put up a small mill which was run by horse power and the sweat mill was denounced a "nuisance" and became abandoned.

Indian Village

On section No. 21 were seen remains of a small Indian village of which seven huts appeared as late as 1819. In the fall of that year, one one sunny afternoon, in the golden season of "Indian Summer" after the many colored forest had shed its "verdent honors" a company of about a dozen of the red-faced trive returned from the west once more to look upon their abandoned hamlet. After viewing it and its changed surroundings and the many changes which had, since their departure fallen from the hands of the pale-faced race upon things in general, some of them were moved to tears. And, oh! Who could read their feelings! They looked at the fast sinking sun - at once arose - set on fire their last seven huts in Green towsnship then again wended themselves Westward.

First States Warrant

The first states warrant ever issued in Green township was issued on the 5th day of April in 1818 by George Boydston, the first justice of the peace in the township. The action being brought on complaint of Cephas Clark against John Freasure for assault and battery. It appears that a difficulty arose out of Freasure's pretension by profession to be a "fortune teller" - that Clark had his fortune told by Freasure "on tick" - that the favorable predictions alleged by Freasure, and, consequently a most fearful infliction of battery by Freasure upon the body of Clark. Both Clark and Freasure were residents of East Union township, but in view of increase of costs, the case was brought to Green township.

Religious Services

In 1812 Green had the first sermon preached. Among the earliest institutions of all nations are those which record religious worship. It has been so from the beginning. The uninstructed savage will infer the existence of a God and His attributes from the general order and mechanism of nature. The temporary irregularities of the natural world around us, even lead to religious veneration of the unknown Power which conducts it. Incited under these impulsion's and elicited under aspiration at the truth of Christianity, those who made the first settlement upon the soil of Green sought early to assemble for to worship.

So, the first sermon preached in Green was delivered on the evening of the 8th day of October in 1812 in the little round log cabin dwelling of Michael Thomas, which was already stated "the first abode of man" in the township. There were but two families in Green at the time, but this cabin not standing very far from the East Union line, some came from that township, making a congregation of sixteen. Early in the evening after perhaps a dozen had convened at the cabin of Mr. Thomas, a young minister called "The Rev. Mr. Gray", who being stationed here as a missionary was seen coming along on horseback, winding around through underbrush and frost-bitten butter weeds, when all ran out to meet him. Under "fervent greetings warm" he pressed their hands exclaiming, "I believe I have found my little flock in the desert!" After supper of venison and was served from the table made of split clapboards, the minister took his text from the 9th verse of the 72nd Psalms: "They that dwell in the wilderness shall now nefore Him". His discourse was congruent, eligible, sweet and impressive - commending his little flock to Him who smiled upon the "Faithful" in the wilderness of old.

The first house of worship erected in Green was the old woo-colored churchlet still standing on the eastern border of the village Smithville. On the 16th days of June 1830, James Hazlett conveyed by deed a lot of about 1 1/2 acres of ground to the Presbyterian Church congregation of Green in appropriation for a church yard and burying ground, whereon this little church building was erected in the fall of the same year. The job was undertaken and executed by John Graham and Hugh McIntyre. Nearly all christian denomination then here aided in building this house, and for many years of nearly all denominations from different townships met here to worship. Disputations on doctrinal points were not indulged in there, but under motives of purity and one-ness of heart were then the greetings at the "Shrine of Grace".

Here in this little church building many a youth has heard the first sermon preached, and many of the aged who are still among us here awakened to the duty of Christianity.

Cemetery

The first grave opened on this burying ground was that of "little Johnny" who had been the flowers of three summers - a child of William Lang, in 1830. It was the afternoon of the 2nd day of November and the little boy with meekened face and folded hands was placed above his lovely little tomb in the woods, and the light of the world shone upon him the last time forever! But, many a grave has since been gathered to that of little Johnny. Many of the early settlers who strove hand in hand in subduing the wilderness here are resting side by side, while the little church building, still shadowing forth the sacredness of its ancient simplicity, seems though in silent reverence to hold communion with the peace of their ashes! It is here that the aged Daniel Davidson, perhaps the latest of the Revolutionary heroes, lieth entombed.

Education

In 1818 the first school was taught in Green. The first emigrants to the township were from western parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia from localities were to some extend, they had been taught to see and feel the value of education. Stimulated under this sense of feeling with keen vehemence they looked forward to the day that might open to them a school for to educate their children. But, under the servitude of want and privation then holding regency over the domain of the wilderness, they were for the first seven years denied the sacred object of their desire. It was now in the fall of 1818, and a young man by the name of Peter Keane, who had made progress in literature at the University of Oxford in England, and had for some time been teaching in Canada, crossed Lake Erie and striking south happened to come to the settled portion of Green township. On his survival here and after making known his profession as a teacher with much joy and gladness the citizens procured his service for one year. There not being any place in the township wherein to hold school, and to arrange matters in accordance with convenience as far as possible under the rude circumstances, the centre of the most thickly settled part of the township was deemed the site eligible for the a schoolhouse, which fell upon the northwest quarter of section No. 23 now the farm owned by Christian Yoder. Accordingly, and fourthwith there was erected on the site chosen a round-log cabin, 18 by 22 feet adorned with a split-puncheon floor- clap board and weight-pole roof- stick and mud chimney built up on the outside with a large fireplace inside - with two windows, one on each long side, about 10 inches high and 8 feet wide over which were papers pasted saturated with bears oil in service of glass panes. The seats were also made of split-puncheons and the door and desks of clap-boards. Thus finished and furnished the first school house in Green township. The teacher then taught Orthography, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. The text books used were the United State Spelling Book, the Testament, Murrays English Reader, and the Western Calculator.