Jackson County, Ohio

History and Genealogy


Jackson County History


Scioto Township


Scioto Township is one of the western townships of Jackson County. Its boundaries are as follows: north by Liberty Township, east by Franklin Township, south by Hamilton Township and Scioto County and west by Pike County.


Topography and Streams

The township of Scioto is hilly, but well adapted to grazing and to agriculture, especially along the streams. The streams are only small tributaries. From the north center of the township, flowing southwesterly, is Brushy fork of the Little Scioto River, which flows through Scioto County to the Ohio River.

Buckeye Creek, which flows northwest into Salt Creek, rises in this township, and drains a little of its northern portion. A branch of Big Buck Lick Creek rises south of the center of the township and flows south. A few thread-like streams flow from near the eastern border eastward beyond the limits of the township, all of which show the township to be of higher elevation than the immediate portions of the surrounding country. No stream finds a course through the township, but its waters are sent forth through numerous small ones in almost every direction. Coal and iron are distributed generally throughout the hills, considerable having been dug out and hauled away.


Organization

In July 1816, the county commissioners granted the petition from the inhabitants of the below described territory, asking to be formed into a new township to be known by the name of Scioto. The petition is as follows:

Beginning at the northeast corner of section 2, in township 6, range 19, and running south along the section lines to the county line at the southeast corner of section 35, township 5, range 19; thence west to the southwest corner of the county; thence north along the county line; thence east to the place of beginning.

The township, as thus described, embraced only a part of the present township of Scioto, together with all of Hamilton, except the eastern tier of sections and a part of Scioto County. In 1825, Hamilton Township was formed from the southern part of Scioto Township, and it was reduced to its present size.


Settlement

The date of the earliest settlement in this township is but a few years later than the earliest in the county. John Graham is recorded as having received by patent from the Government and entered the southeast half of the southwest quarter of section 35, in the year 1817. Edward Crabtree entered in a like manner a quarter of section 30 in 1818. Mr. Tolbert, father of Thornton Tolbert, entered a quarter of section 25, adjoining the land of Edward Crabtree, and about the same time Samuel McDowell entered a portion of section 20.

Other of the early settlers were Joseph Graham, William Thomas, Lewis Crabtree, George Bowen, Peter Keller, Jacob Culp, David Walton, and others. The earliest records to be found show the following corps of officers for the year 1823, viz.: Trustees, Seth Graham, Nathaniel Scott and John McDowell; Treasurer, Peter Kelan; Clerk, John McDowell, Jr.; Lister, Henry Culp; Overseers of the Poor, Edward Crabtree and Isaac Miller; Constables, Nathan Burgess and John Burges; Justices of the Peace, Samuel McDowell and Alexander Anderson.

For the present year (1883), the officers are as follows: Trustees, W.B. Pratt, Adam Shier and Evan Crabtree; Treasurer, J.W. Hays; Clerk, W.A. Russell; Assessor, John Eaton; Constables, Daniel Martin, James Evans and A.M. Davis; Justices of the Peace, James Davis, Robert Beatty and Joseph Wiseman.


Population and Valuation

The population of each decade since 1840 is as follows: 1840, 931; 1850, 1,347; 1860, 1,484; 1870, 1,505; 1880, 1579. In politics the township is Democratic. The chief industry of the inhabitants is farming and stock-raising. The mining of coal and iron ore has given employment to some. Since the township contains six more sections than a regular congressional township, it has a surface of 25,919 acres of taxable land, ranking second in this respect in the county. The value of the lands as assessed in 1882 was $246,361; the value of the chattel property in the township was $124,164.


Schools and Churches

The township has nine school districts, with an average of about sixty-six pupils enumerated in 1883.

Sub-district No. 1, Buckeye School, has eighty-five pupils; Sub-district No. 2, Cove School, has eighty-two; Sub-district No. 3, Miller's School, has sixty-six; Sub-district No. 4, Dixon School, has fifty-two; Sub-district No. 5, Baker School, has sixty-three; Sub-district No. 6, Fairview School, no report; Sub-district No. 7, Grahamsville School has ninety-four; Sub-district No. 8, White School, has forty-five; Sub-district No. 9, Crabtree School, has forty-seven.

The New Zion Protestant Methodist Church was organized in the spring of 1879, and built their church in the fall of the same year. The pastor was the Rev. Gaines Tyra, and the Trustees were Perry Yeager, Adam Yeager and James Halterman. The membership numbered about thirty. Rev. William Hollinshed is the present pastor. The Trustees for 1883 are William Swanson, George Lamb and Harvey Moseberger. At present the congregation is not quite as large as when organized. Services are held every two weeks. The value of the church property is $600. The church is located on section one.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1845 by Rev. Daniel Clark and Rev. Mr. Warwick. The members at that time were Kelley Daniels and wife, Thomas Morgan and wife, Tirns Hanna and wife, and Samuel Vaughn and wife. They held their meetings in the residences of the members for a while, and then in the schoolhouse up to the year 1862, when they built a church. Rev. John R. Prose was the pastor of the organization at the time they built the church. the Trustees were David West, Ely Tope and Amos Tope. The membership was about fifty. About a year after the completion of the church, it was burned down, having been set on fire. After the church was burned they again held their meetings in the schoolhouse until 1878, when they built the present building. The pastor at that time was the Rev. David Storer, and the Trustees were Joseph Armstrong, Lewis Gilland, James Vandivort, E. Jordan and Joel Wiseman. The Rev. Samuel A. Crosby is now the pastor; and the Trustees are Joseph Armstrong, Lewis Gilland and Joel Wiseman. At present there are about seventy members. Sabbath-school every Sunday; Superintendent S.B. Vandivort; Secretary, Charles Hunter. The average attendance is fifty. Value of church property, $700. The church is located on section 4.

The Protestant Methodist Church, known as Looman's Chapel, was organized in 1859 by the Rev. Jacob Nichols, at Mr. Vincent Crabtree's residence. The members were Vincent Crabtree and wife, Mrs. Rachel Stinebaugh, Mrs. Annie Crabtree, Miss Jane Anderson and Mr. James McQuality. The meetings were held at Mr. Crabtree's house until 1876, when they built the present church edifice, which was dedicated by the Rev. Perry Orr. The Trustees were Philip Russell, Samson C. Nye and Jacob Smith, and the membership was about twenty-three. The present pastor is the Rev. William Hollinshed, and the Trustees are Vinton Crabtree, Benjamin Garrett and Samson Nye. They have now twenty-eight members. It has a regular Sabbath-school.

The Providence Free-Will Baptist Church was organized 17 Dec 1843 by the Rev. Isaac Fullerton. The members were Robert Clem, Miss Polly Bennett, Mrs. Mary Keller, Mrs. Matilda Crabtree, Miss Elizabeth Keller. They held their meetings at the homes of the members. The church was built in 1865, and dedicated by Rev. Isaac Fullerton, the same pastor who organized it twenty-two years before. The members had increased during that time to about forty. The Trustees were Enoch Crabtree, William E. Crabtree and John Coles. The present membership reaches fifty-five, Rev. Samuel McDonald being the pastor. The Trustees are Enoch Crabtree, Jesse Osborn and Edward Enslow Crabtree. Services are held once a month. The church is located on section 31.

The German Presbyterian Church was organized in 1839 by Rev. Mr. Tianarber, with about eighteen members. They built a log church the same year on the place of William Wade, on section 20, the Trustees at that time being Henry Lesser, Jacob Phleger and Henry Weaver. They held their meetings there until 1877, when they built a new frame church on Jacob Lesser's farm, on section 21, the pastor being the Rev. Mr. Stahgo, and the Trustees: Henry Baker, Jacob Gahm and Henry Gahm. When they built the new church their membership had increased to thirty-five. The present Pastor is Rev. John Grado. The Trustees are: Jacob Gahm; Frank Wilking and Conrad Miller. Services are held every two weeks. The membership is about the same as in 1877. Sabbath-school is held every Sunday, and has an average attendance of thirty scholars; Superintendent, Henry Gahm.


Villages

Lewisville, situated on section 27, has a general country store and a post office kept in the store. Lewis Nye is owner of the store and Postmaster. Petersburg, located almost in the center of the township, has a country store and post office, both kept by Jacob Flaker, and a blacksmith shop.

Grahamsville has a store and blacksmith shop, store owned by Jacob Pierce, located in southwestern part of the township. A portion of the Ohio Southern Railroad runs through the northern part of the township, and has two stations within its limits, viz: Whitman's and Cove's Stations.

A tanyard was established in this township at a very early day by William Lyons. It was on section 24, on land now owned by William Howard. It is said to have been the first tannery established in the county.

The saw and grist mill now owned by Enoch Crabtree was built by David Walton in 1823. Mr. Walton sold it in 1829 to Daniel White; Mr. White sold it in 1832 to William E. Crabtree, and he sold it in 1852 to its present owner, Mr. Enoch Crabtree.


From History of Lower Scioto Valley, Ohio (1884)