Julie Shafer
History of Logan County 1880 Pleasant Twp
CHAPTER XIV.* PLEASANT TOWNSHIP THE EARLY SETTLEMENT SOCIAL LIFE IN THE BACKWOODS IND USTRIES RELIGIONS ETC.
"Man's fame, so often evanescent, Links here with thoughts and things that last; And all the bright and teeming present Thrills with the great and glorious past."
LOOKING upon the map of Logan County we find a large tract of land in fo rm an oblong square, its longest diameter east and west; its location sou th of the "Greenville treaty line," adjoining the Shelby County line. Th is territory is designated as Township 1, Range 8, of the Congressional su rvey, and is bounded north by Bloomfield and Washington, south by Miami, e ast by Harrison and Union, and west by Salem Township in Shelby County. the principal watercourse is the Miami River, which flows in nearly a due s outh course through the township, centrally. On the west are two small tri butaries without names and unimportant. The eastern portion of the townsh ip is traversed by the Buckongehelas, a stream affording power for numero us mills. The soil east of the Miami is a rich yellow clay, slightly mix ed with gravel and well adapted to wheat culture, while westward a black l oam predominates, yielding bountiful crops of corn and grass. The farm bui ldings and improvements generally, are of a substantial character, and ful ly equal to the average in this portion of Logan County. The surface featu re of the township are varied, and presents to the eye a panorama of surpa ssing loveliness, coming from the north you pass through a stretch of coun try perfectly level, and with the exception of an occasional strip of wood land, covered with a heavy growth of gold wheat. Southward, as you near the river, the surface becomes rolling with a gentle descent from either di rection and at intervals cut by ravines, down which, during the fall and s pring, flow streams of no mean dimension.
To stranger eyes the name of this township, Pleasant, seems particularly a ppropriate, for surely no more beautiful or pleasing scenery exists in the county than is found along the valley of the Miami at this period, and imagination can readily paint the scene that met the view of the har dy and resolute men who first penetrated this region. They found a land fe rtile as heart could wish, fair to look upon, and fragrant with the thousa nd fresh odors of the woods in early spring. The long, cool aisles of the forest led away into mazes of vernal green, where the swift deer bound ed by unmolested, and as yet unscared by the sound of the woodman 's ax or the sharp ring of the rifle. All about them was displayed the lav ish beauties of primitive nature. The luxuriant growth of the oak, the wal nut, maple, beech, chestnut and sycamore, with the lesser shrubs, the dogw ood, the crabapple and the wild plum, and the heavy hanging grape vines, g ave evidence of the strength of the virgin soil and the mildness of the cl imate. The forests which covered the land furnished an abundance of food f or the smaller animals, and the deer, as common as the cattle of to day, g razed upon the rich grass of the lowlands and browsed upon the verdu re in the little glades. Other animals were abundant. The bear and the e lk were occasional visitants, while the forest teemed with wild hogs, th at roamed about in droves and fattened upon the abundant mast. Wild turke ys appeared in vast flocks, and in the season came the migratory fowls and tarried by the streams. The river had its share of life, and fairly swa rmed with fish. But the pioneers came not to enjoy a life of lotus eatin g. They could look forward with happy anticipation to the life they we re to lead in the midst of all this beauty, and to the rich reward that wo uld be theirs; but they had first to work. The dangers, also, to which th ey were exposed were serious ones. The Indians could not be trusted, and the many stories of their outrages in the earlier eastern settlements ma de the pioneers of this section constantly apprehensive of trouble. The la rger wild beasts were much dreaded and the smaller ones a source of gre at annoyance. Added to this was the liability to sickness which always exi sts in a new country, and that continual feeling of loneliness not easi ly dispelled. This was a far great trial to the men and women who first dw elt in this western country than is generally imagined. The deep seated, c onstantly recurring feeling of isolation made many stout hearts turn ba ck to the abodes of comfort, to the companionship and sociability of the ir old homes, but such was not the intention of the rugged sons of toil w ho first peopled the Township of Pleasant.
Early in the month of March, 1809, James Moore and Robert Dickson, each wi th two yoke of stout oxen attached to heavy covered wagons in which were t heir families and a few necessary articles of household goods, began fr om the interior of the State of Kentucky, the long and tedious journ ey to Logan County, Ohio, a locality represented to be if not a veritab le land of "milk and honey," at least, closely allied to it. After numero us mishaps by "flood and field," the cavalcade arrived in safety at Cincin nati and was, with much vexations delay, ferried across "La Belle Rivere ," an achievement not unattended with danger, in its then swollen conditio n. From this place northward to Urbana, the route was, for the most par t, but a blazed trail, dodging about, first this way and that, wherever co nvenient, and scarcely passable at all, at this season of the year. Urba na was reached at last, and from here, the place selected for a home, the journey was made through an almost trackless wilderness. At last the "M ecca" of their pilgrimage was reached, and a rude encampment made upon the east bank of the Miami River, a short distance above the site of the pr esent hamlet of Logansville. The land, previously purchased consist ed of a fractional section, embracing some 300 acres, including, and exten ding north along the river northward from Logansville. In the division M r. Moore became the proprietor of the north half of this tract; his pione er log cabin was erected not far from the site of the old homestead, was o ccupied by Newton N. Moore. Mr. Dickson's cabin stood nearly one half mi le to the southwest. Forced to rely entirely upon their own efforts, the se pioneer houses were, of necessity, little more than huts; made entire ly of small logs, roughly put together, they answered for temporary shelte r, until the arrival of other settlers, by whose aid more substantial dwel lings were built. Mr. Moore's family at this time consisted of a wife and four children, only one of whom is now living in the township, Denni s, whose head is "Thickly silvered o'er with care," and round whose pathw ay naught now remains, as a reminder of those early days save perhaps, the "silent city of the dead" upon the home farm, where rest the remai ns of many whose strong hands have helped to subdue the might forest. the family of Mr. Dickson consisted of a wife and three children, now all d eceased, though many descendants of the family still reside in the vicini ty of Logansville. Two Years pass away, and still these two families are the sole white occupants of the territory embraced within the limits of wh at is now Pleasant Township; the hardships and privations they endured dur ing this period would have discouraged less determined ones. The nearest g rist mill was at Urbana, at the same place was also a store, where the com monest goods were sold at enormous prices: tea, $2 per pound; salt, $5 p er bushel of fifty pounds, and calico, which now sells at eight cents, so ld readily for $1 per yard. During the fall of 1811, Alfred Mathews and Jo hn Means, each with large families arrived in the township, and made settl ement, the former upon a tract of land some two miles east of Logansvill e, and the latter about one and one half miles to the south of Mr. Moore 's on the west bank of the river. Alfred Mathews, Jr., is the only survivi ng member of these families now residing in the township. These four famil ies constituted the entire white population of the township until after the close of hostilities with Great Britain.
Among the settlers who arrived immediately subsequent to the close of the war were: Alexander Piper and family, who came from Nicholas County, Ky ., in the fall of 1818. The farm upon which they first settled is now own ed by Dennis Moore. William D. Piper is the only one of the family livi ng in the township. Robert Ellis, also from Kentucky, made settlement up on lands, still occupied by the family, to the northwest of Logansville. R obert McMullen, purchased a tract of land adjoining Mr. Piper's. These a re believed to be all who became actual residents prior to the year 182 0. This locality, as is very newly settled country, was infested with a cl a** of nomadic people, known as squatters, whose sojourn was usually brie f, yet whose departure was heartily welcome. The next settlers were: Pet er Hanks, Addison Henderson, John Hill, Samuel Geise, Daniel McKinnon, and possibly others whose names are forgotten, but as the settlement soon b ecame general we will not follow it further.
During the war of 1812, the utmost alarm and uneasiness prevailed in the s cattered settlements, by reason of which the Government ordered a compa ny of soldiers into the vicinity for protection. Immediately on their arri val they proceeded to the erection of a "block house." Its location was up on a high point of land, about one mile east of the present village of Log ansville. The structure was composed of two buildings, some twenty feet sq uare, connected at the second story and well provided with port hole s. It was of little importance, however, as the troops were withdrawn so on after its completion.
As the settlement increased the asperities of life were softened, its amen ities multiplied. Social gatherings became numerous. The log rolling, harv esting and husking bees for the men, and the apple butter making and quilt ing parties for the women, furnished frequent occasions for social interco urse. The early settlers took much pleasure and pride in rifle shooting, and as they were accustomed to the gun as a means, often, of obtaining subs istence, and relied upon it as a weapon of defence, they exhibited conside rable skill, and "shooting matches" were of frequent occurrence. These tri als of skill were not governed, as are the "rifle clubs" of the present da y, by a complication of "rules," by which, perhaps, the best shot in the t eam makes the "poorest string," but the best marksman won. The event of mo st importance, however, in the sparsely settled new country was a weddin g. The young people had every inducement to marry, and generally d id so as soon as able to provide for themselves. When a marriage w as to be celebrated, the settlers within a radius of several miles turn ed out. All went on horseback, if able, riding in single file along the na rrow trail a couple often riding upon one horse. After the ceremony ca me the dinner, a substantial backwoods feast of bear or deer meat, po rk or fowls, with such vegetables as could be procured, during the discuss ion of which the greatest hilarity prevailed. After dinner the dancing beg un, and was usually kept up during the entire night. The pioneer weddi ng in Pleasant township occurred in 1812. Sarah Leonard and David Mathe ws were the "happy pair." An event of some importance in the annals of o ur colony was the advent, during the early summer of 1810, of a youthful s tranger into the family of James and Catharine Moore. It was a girl, th us verifying the oft repeated statement that this sex "are always first, e verywhere." No doubt the little lady ruled all the inmates of that humb le home quite as regally in her dress of calico as does the elegantly atti red "baby" of the present time with its nurse, mother and aunties, n ot to mention its dear "par," and the rest of mankind, dancing attendan ce to its real or imagined wants. The little Miss Moore grew to womanhoo d, became the wife of John Moore, and eventually located in Zane Townshi p, where she died some Years since. The circumstances attending the fir st visit of the grim monster, Death, to the infant colony, are touching ly sad. It was during the summer of 1810, soon after the birth before refe rred to, that William, son of James Moore, was taken violently ill wi th a fever. He grew rapidly worse. The nearest physician was at Urbana, and thither a messenger was dispatched to summon him. He came at once, b ut only arrived in time to witness the death of his patient. A rude coff in was prepared of plank split from a tree near by, and tender hands ma de ready this rough receptacle for all that remained of the bright, beauti ful boy. A grave was prepared in the adjacent forest, and here, amid the d im solitude, the sunlight casting slanting rays through the branches of the trees, with no minister of God to pronounce the solemn ritual, no funer al choir to "chant the last sad requiem," he was laid to rest, there to pe acefully sleep on and on until that last great day when the sea, shall gi ve up its dead."
The greatest inconvenience was caused, perhaps, by the absence of grist mi lls. The nearest was at Urbana. The only road leading thereto was a blaz ed trail, nearly impassible with a wagon, hence, it was customary to p ut a bag of grain upon a horse, mount one of the younger boys on top, and start the whole for Urbana. Arriving at the mill, which was a rude affa ir, with small capacity, it was frequently the case that a previous arriv al would occupy the mill for the remainder of the day, and a stay until mo rning was rendered necessary, but as the folks at home were prepared for s uch emergencies, rarely any uneasiness was felt, or, as was sometimes the case, the boy would get his grist ground just before night, and starti ng for home, be overtaken by the darkness and the wolves. Sometimes it bec ame expedient to tie up and spend the intervening hours, till daylight, am ong the branches of a friendly tree, but usually an extra amount of bir ch was applied to Dobbin, and the family roof tree gained in safety. In ab out 1819 20, James Moore put in operation the pioneer grist mill in Pleasa nt Township. The building was of logs, and stood on the west bank of the M iami River. A short time subsequent Mr. Moore constructed a frame saw mi ll adjoining the first. These pioneer industries were of the greatest impo rtance to the settlers in the vicinity, not only in preparing the crude el ements for bread, but furnishing lumber for the floors, doors, etc., of the cabins. These mills have been several times rebuilt, and are now own ed by John Long. In 1825 Mr. Moore built a distillery near the mills, th us furnishing a market for much of the corn grown in the neighborhoo d. It was in operation some fifteen Years. The second grist mill in the to wnship was built by Washington Firestone, on Indian Run. It was only in op eration a few Years. Thompson Dickson built a tannery just west of Logansv ille in 1826, which was successfully conducted for many Years. In those ea rly days the general hospitality exhibited rendered hotels superfluous. the "latch string" was out at every cabin, and the weary traveler was alwa ys sure of a welcome and the best the house afforded; but as the settleme nt grew older, and the desire for wealth became predominant, that genia l, social welcome ceased, and the tavern came into existence. To meet th is want, John Dickson, in about 1835, opened a house of entertainment at L ogansville. It was quite a commodious affair. A few Years later Joseph Dav ison became the host of a second hostelry, in the same hamlet.
For many Years during the early part of the settlement there were no roa ds in the township, the travel being along trails, approximating the direc tion you wished to go, less attention being paid to the points of the comp a** than to the convenience of the builder, hence these routes quite oft en brought to mind the adage. "The longest way round is the nearest way ho me." The first legally constituted road in the township was cut throu gh in about 1830, and ran in a general northwest course from DeGraff to Bl oom Center, crossing the Miami River at the point now spanned by the Moo re bridge. This road is now a fine graveled turnpike. In early times the r iver was crossed by means of a small ferry boat, built by James Moor e, of which it is said, that the chances of getting wet were about equa l, whether you rode in a boat or waded across. However, during the high wa ter in the fall and spring months, this boat was of considerable utilit y. The finest bridge in Logan County is the one crossing the Miami River i mmediately west of Logansville. It is of the high truss model, and is cons tructed entirely of wrought iron. Its entire length is 187 feet with two s pans, supported at the ends and in the center by solid masonry. It was bui lt by the Cleveland Bridge and Iron Company during the winter of 1879 8 0. The masonry by John M. Watters of Jefferson, Ohio. Entire cost $9,37 6. The work was all done under the supervision of S. A. Buchanan, Civil En gineer for Logan County, and reflects credit upon all connected therewith.
The early mails were carried on horseback, and reached Loganville once ea ch week, during favorable weather. John Dickson kept the first postoffic e. It was established about 1830. Lewis Young is the present Postmaster. the old mail line from Bellefontaine to Sidney, via Logansville, was long s ince abandoned, and now a daily mail is received from DeGraff.
Messrs. Thompson and William Dickson, sons of the original proprieto r, in the year 1827, made a plat of a portion of their real estate upon the east side of the Miami, and this embryo village they named in hon or of the celebrated Mingo Chief, whose burning speech to the messeng er of Lord Dunmore, in 1774, has become immortal. Logansville is yet in i ts infancy. It contains one general store, one drugstore, a church, schoo l, two blacksmith shops and a Grange hall. The history of the latt er is as follows: Pleasant Grange, No. 485, P. of H., was organized on Jan uary 29, 1879, with thirty charter members. Its meetings were held in the hall over Young's store for one year, when a purchase of the Presbyteri an meeting house was effected. This has been refitted, and here the socie ty meets on Saturday evening of each week. The membership now numbers sixt y. The succession of Masters is R. J. Smith and John Hannah. The history of the churches dates from a period near the close of the w ar of 1812, and is of considerable interest. Early in the summer of the ye ar 1815, all itinerant preachers of the New Light or Christian faith, a de nomination having its origin at a camp meeting held at Cane Ridge, Kentuck y, near the dawning of the present century, came into the settlement, and announced a meeting at the log house of James Moore. At the appointed t ime the entire settlement turned out, and so much interest was manifest ed that another meeting was announced. This was followed at interva ls of a few weeks duration, by others until about 1824, when the famili es of the four original settlers: James Moore, Robert Dickson, Alfred Math ews and John Means, united in the formation of the first religious socie ty in Pleasant Township, and not long afterward, a log meeting house was b uilt in Logansville. A few Years later a society of the Presbyterian denom ination was formed here, and they united with the Christians in the edifi ce of a comfortable frame church, (now the Grange hall). In this the origi nal organization met for worship until 1876, when the present substanti al church edifice at Logansville was erected. This society has now a lar ge membership, and in connection a flourishing Sabbath School. In poi nt of chronological order the Methodist Episcopal Church ante dates the Pr esbyterian. The date of its formation was not far from 1828. A hewed log m eeting house was erected at Logansville, and regular religious services or ganized. For a time the society gave promise of success, and its members i ncreased, but eventually the tide set adversely, the membership, by dea th and removals, decreased, until at last services were discontinued, and the old log chapel went to decay. In the northeastern part of the towns hip stands a pretty little church, built by the Society of United Brethre n, a few Years since. A small society still worships here.
The school interest has been fostered from the earliest settlement in the township, and the commodious school buildings of to day with their clea nly and well kept surroundings, attest the continuance of that fostering c are. Immediately subsequent to the close of the war of 1812, a small log s choolhouse was erected upon what is now the McMullen farm, just east of Lo gansville, and in this building a man named Wilson commenced a term of sch ool the fall following, all the children in the township were in attendan ce upon this school.
The schoolhouse was of the most primitive character unhewn walls, punche on floor, seats and door; greased paper windows, and the wide throated sti ck chimney. "And yet," one of the dozen scholars, the only one now livin g, remarks: "the memory of that old homely schoolhouse is far more pleasi ng to me than to look upon the huge piles of brick and stone constituti ng the school buildings of to day." Upon the organization of the townshi p, a division into sub districts was effected, and a number of frame schoo lhouses erected. The first of these was erected in Logansville, on the si te at present occupied by the brick schoolhouse. Following are the scho ol statistics for Pleasant Township for the school year ending August 3 1, 1879: Whole number of pupils enrolled ................. 363 Whole amount paid teachers ................ $1,748.23 Whole number of schoolhouses ...................... 7 Value of schoolhouses and grounds ............ $3,500. The writer has been unable to learn anything in relation to the organizati on of the township, except that the first election was held at the hot el of John Dickson's, in Logansville. Several persons now live in the town ship who were present at this election, but none of them are able to gi ve the date or the names of the officers elected. The records in the offi ce of the Township Clerk do not date back but a few Years. __________
Historical Review of Logan County Page 99 - 100
Pleasant Township
Pleasant township was organized in 1831 and it was originally part of Mia mi Township.
The first settlers in Pleasant Township were James Moore and Robert Dickso n, who came from Kentucky in 1809; they brought with them two yoke of ox en each, and their household goods, together with their families and settl ed upon three hundred acres of land north of Logansville, Moore taking the north half and Dickson the south half. There was absolutely nothing b ut an unbroken wilderness for the reception of these people, and they we re in fact pioneers without roads, without neighbors, without opportuni ty for barter or sale; they were in the midst of a wilderness as unbrok en and unclaimed as could have been found anywhere upon the face of the ea rth. They set about to make habitations and for the following years devot ed themselves to clearing their land, subsisting in te meantime upon wi ld game, the fish from the river, and the grain they were able to get fr om their newly cleared fields.
Their nearest markets were at Urbana, where the prices of commodities of a ll kinds were so great they were prohibitory; tea, two dollars a pound; ca lico, one dollar per yard, and salt ten dollars per barrel.
Moore had a wife and five children and Dickson a wife and three childre n, and this was the beginning of Pleasant Township. These men lived to s ee this township thickly populated, its forests cleared away and its fiel ds brought under cultivation.
It was not until 1811, that other settlers moved into this section of the county, when Alfred Mathews and John Means, with their families, arriv ed and settled in the township.
There were no other settlements until after the war of 1812, when Alexand er Piper, Robert Ellis, and Robert McMullen came from Kentucky to join the small forces in the field, and they were the only settlers until 1820.
After this time came Peter Hanks, John Hill, Daniel McKinnon, Samuel Geis h, and Addison Henderson. During the war of 1812 the government sent a com pany of soldiers to Loganville, and erected a block house about one mile e ast of that place.
James Moore built a grist mill in 1820, to which he added a saw mill, and to them again added a distillery: these mills were all situated on the Miami; just north of Logansville where John R. Long for so many years h ad his mill.
Thomas Dickson built a tannery which at that early day was a most importa nt industry.
John Dickson about 1835 built a tavern at Logansville, and the buildi ng is still there, while the builder is long since dead. His house was lo ng noted as a most famoust place of entertainment.
A road was cut from the direction fo DeGraff to Bloom Center, running thro ught Logansville, about 1830. It crossed the Miami at Moore's Mill, whe re a rough ferry boat was kept by Moore, and a small charge made for cross ing. __________
CHAPTER XIV.* PLEASANT TOWNSHIP THE EARLY SETTLEMENT SOCIAL LIFE IN THE BACKWOODS IND USTRIES RELIGIONS ETC.
"Man's fame, so often evanescent, Links here with thoughts and things that last; And all the bright and teeming present Thrills with the great and glorious past."
LOOKING upon the map of Logan County we find a large tract of land in fo rm an oblong square, its longest diameter east and west; its location sou th of the "Greenville treaty line," adjoining the Shelby County line. Th is territory is designated as Township 1, Range 8, of the Congressional su rvey, and is bounded north by Bloomfield and Washington, south by Miami, e ast by Harrison and Union, and west by Salem Township in Shelby County. the principal watercourse is the Miami River, which flows in nearly a due s outh course through the township, centrally. On the west are two small tri butaries without names and unimportant. The eastern portion of the townsh ip is traversed by the Buckongehelas, a stream affording power for numero us mills. The soil east of the Miami is a rich yellow clay, slightly mix ed with gravel and well adapted to wheat culture, while westward a black l oam predominates, yielding bountiful crops of corn and grass. The farm bui ldings and improvements generally, are of a substantial character, and ful ly equal to the average in this portion of Logan County. The surface featu re of the township are varied, and presents to the eye a panorama of surpa ssing loveliness, coming from the north you pass through a stretch of coun try perfectly level, and with the exception of an occasional strip of wood land, covered with a heavy growth of gold wheat. Southward, as you near the river, the surface becomes rolling with a gentle descent from either di rection and at intervals cut by ravines, down which, during the fall and s pring, flow streams of no mean dimension.
To stranger eyes the name of this township, Pleasant, seems particularly a ppropriate, for surely no more beautiful or pleasing scenery exists in the county than is found along the valley of the Miami at this period, and imagination can readily paint the scene that met the view of the har dy and resolute men who first penetrated this region. They found a land fe rtile as heart could wish, fair to look upon, and fragrant with the thousa nd fresh odors of the woods in early spring. The long, cool aisles of the forest led away into mazes of vernal green, where the swift deer bound ed by unmolested, and as yet unscared by the sound of the woodman 's ax or the sharp ring of the rifle. All about them was displayed the lav ish beauties of primitive nature. The luxuriant growth of the oak, the wal nut, maple, beech, chestnut and sycamore, with the lesser shrubs, the dogw ood, the crabapple and the wild plum, and the heavy hanging grape vines, g ave evidence of the strength of the virgin soil and the mildness of the cl imate. The forests which covered the land furnished an abundance of food f or the smaller animals, and the deer, as common as the cattle of to day, g razed upon the rich grass of the lowlands and browsed upon the verdu re in the little glades. Other animals were abundant. The bear and the e lk were occasional visitants, while the forest teemed with wild hogs, th at roamed about in droves and fattened upon the abundant mast. Wild turke ys appeared in vast flocks, and in the season came the migratory fowls and tarried by the streams. The river had its share of life, and fairly swa rmed with fish. But the pioneers came not to enjoy a life of lotus eatin g. They could look forward with happy anticipation to the life they we re to lead in the midst of all this beauty, and to the rich reward that wo uld be theirs; but they had first to work. The dangers, also, to which th ey were exposed were serious ones. The Indians could not be trusted, and the many stories of their outrages in the earlier eastern settlements ma de the pioneers of this section constantly apprehensive of trouble. The la rger wild beasts were much dreaded and the smaller ones a source of gre at annoyance. Added to this was the liability to sickness which always exi sts in a new country, and that continual feeling of loneliness not easi ly dispelled. This was a far great trial to the men and women who first dw elt in this western country than is generally imagined. The deep seated, c onstantly recurring feeling of isolation made many stout hearts turn ba ck to the abodes of comfort, to the companionship and sociability of the ir old homes, but such was not the intention of the rugged sons of toil w ho first peopled the Township of Pleasant.
Early in the month of March, 1809, James Moore and Robert Dickson, each wi th two yoke of stout oxen attached to heavy covered wagons in which were t heir families and a few necessary articles of household goods, began fr om the interior of the State of Kentucky, the long and tedious journ ey to Logan County, Ohio, a locality represented to be if not a veritab le land of "milk and honey," at least, closely allied to it. After numero us mishaps by "flood and field," the cavalcade arrived in safety at Cincin nati and was, with much vexations delay, ferried across "La Belle Rivere ," an achievement not unattended with danger, in its then swollen conditio n. From this place northward to Urbana, the route was, for the most par t, but a blazed trail, dodging about, first this way and that, wherever co nvenient, and scarcely passable at all, at this season of the year. Urba na was reached at last, and from here, the place selected for a home, the journey was made through an almost trackless wilderness. At last the "M ecca" of their pilgrimage was reached, and a rude encampment made upon the east bank of the Miami River, a short distance above the site of the pr esent hamlet of Logansville. The land, previously purchased consist ed of a fractional section, embracing some 300 acres, including, and exten ding north along the river northward from Logansville. In the division M r. Moore became the proprietor of the north half of this tract; his pione er log cabin was erected not far from the site of the old homestead, was o ccupied by Newton N. Moore. Mr. Dickson's cabin stood nearly one half mi le to the southwest. Forced to rely entirely upon their own efforts, the se pioneer houses were, of necessity, little more than huts; made entire ly of small logs, roughly put together, they answered for temporary shelte r, until the arrival of other settlers, by whose aid more substantial dwel lings were built. Mr. Moore's family at this time consisted of a wife and four children, only one of whom is now living in the township, Denni s, whose head is "Thickly silvered o'er with care," and round whose pathw ay naught now remains, as a reminder of those early days save perhaps, the "silent city of the dead" upon the home farm, where rest the remai ns of many whose strong hands have helped to subdue the might forest. the family of Mr. Dickson consisted of a wife and three children, now all d eceased, though many descendants of the family still reside in the vicini ty of Logansville. Two Years pass away, and still these two families are the sole white occupants of the territory embraced within the limits of wh at is now Pleasant Township; the hardships and privations they endured dur ing this period would have discouraged less determined ones. The nearest g rist mill was at Urbana, at the same place was also a store, where the com monest goods were sold at enormous prices: tea, $2 per pound; salt, $5 p er bushel of fifty pounds, and calico, which now sells at eight cents, so ld readily for $1 per yard. During the fall of 1811, Alfred Mathews and Jo hn Means, each with large families arrived in the township, and made settl ement, the former upon a tract of land some two miles east of Logansvill e, and the latter about one and one half miles to the south of Mr. Moore 's on the west bank of the river. Alfred Mathews, Jr., is the only survivi ng member of these families now residing in the township. These four famil ies constituted the entire white population of the township until after the close of hostilities with Great Britain.
Among the settlers who arrived immediately subsequent to the close of the war were: Alexander Piper and family, who came from Nicholas County, Ky ., in the fall of 1818. The farm upon which they first settled is now own ed by Dennis Moore. William D. Piper is the only one of the family livi ng in the township. Robert Ellis, also from Kentucky, made settlement up on lands, still occupied by the family, to the northwest of Logansville. R obert McMullen, purchased a tract of land adjoining Mr. Piper's. These a re believed to be all who became actual residents prior to the year 182 0. This locality, as is very newly settled country, was infested with a cl a** of nomadic people, known as squatters, whose sojourn was usually brie f, yet whose departure was heartily welcome. The next settlers were: Pet er Hanks, Addison Henderson, John Hill, Samuel Geise, Daniel McKinnon, and possibly others whose names are forgotten, but as the settlement soon b ecame general we will not follow it further.
During the war of 1812, the utmost alarm and uneasiness prevailed in the s cattered settlements, by reason of which the Government ordered a compa ny of soldiers into the vicinity for protection. Immediately on their arri val they proceeded to the erection of a "block house." Its location was up on a high point of land, about one mile east of the present village of Log ansville. The structure was composed of two buildings, some twenty feet sq uare, connected at the second story and well provided with port hole s. It was of little importance, however, as the troops were withdrawn so on after its completion.
As the settlement increased the asperities of life were softened, its amen ities multiplied. Social gatherings became numerous. The log rolling, harv esting and husking bees for the men, and the apple butter making and quilt ing parties for the women, furnished frequent occasions for social interco urse. The early settlers took much pleasure and pride in rifle shooting, and as they were accustomed to the gun as a means, often, of obtaining subs istence, and relied upon it as a weapon of defence, they exhibited conside rable skill, and "shooting matches" were of frequent occurrence. These tri als of skill were not governed, as are the "rifle clubs" of the present da y, by a complication of "rules," by which, perhaps, the best shot in the t eam makes the "poorest string," but the best marksman won. The event of mo st importance, however, in the sparsely settled new country was a weddin g. The young people had every inducement to marry, and generally d id so as soon as able to provide for themselves. When a marriage w as to be celebrated, the settlers within a radius of several miles turn ed out. All went on horseback, if able, riding in single file along the na rrow trail a couple often riding upon one horse. After the ceremony ca me the dinner, a substantial backwoods feast of bear or deer meat, po rk or fowls, with such vegetables as could be procured, during the discuss ion of which the greatest hilarity prevailed. After dinner the dancing beg un, and was usually kept up during the entire night. The pioneer weddi ng in Pleasant township occurred in 1812. Sarah Leonard and David Mathe ws were the "happy pair." An event of some importance in the annals of o ur colony was the advent, during the early summer of 1810, of a youthful s tranger into the family of James and Catharine Moore. It was a girl, th us verifying the oft repeated statement that this sex "are always first, e verywhere." No doubt the little lady ruled all the inmates of that humb le home quite as regally in her dress of calico as does the elegantly atti red "baby" of the present time with its nurse, mother and aunties, n ot to mention its dear "par," and the rest of mankind, dancing attendan ce to its real or imagined wants. The little Miss Moore grew to womanhoo d, became the wife of John Moore, and eventually located in Zane Townshi p, where she died some Years since. The circumstances attending the fir st visit of the grim monster, Death, to the infant colony, are touching ly sad. It was during the summer of 1810, soon after the birth before refe rred to, that William, son of James Moore, was taken violently ill wi th a fever. He grew rapidly worse. The nearest physician was at Urbana, and thither a messenger was dispatched to summon him. He came at once, b ut only arrived in time to witness the death of his patient. A rude coff in was prepared of plank split from a tree near by, and tender hands ma de ready this rough receptacle for all that remained of the bright, beauti ful boy. A grave was prepared in the adjacent forest, and here, amid the d im solitude, the sunlight casting slanting rays through the branches of the trees, with no minister of God to pronounce the solemn ritual, no funer al choir to "chant the last sad requiem," he was laid to rest, there to pe acefully sleep on and on until that last great day when the sea, shall gi ve up its dead."
The greatest inconvenience was caused, perhaps, by the absence of grist mi lls. The nearest was at Urbana. The only road leading thereto was a blaz ed trail, nearly impassible with a wagon, hence, it was customary to p ut a bag of grain upon a horse, mount one of the younger boys on top, and start the whole for Urbana. Arriving at the mill, which was a rude affa ir, with small capacity, it was frequently the case that a previous arriv al would occupy the mill for the remainder of the day, and a stay until mo rning was rendered necessary, but as the folks at home were prepared for s uch emergencies, rarely any uneasiness was felt, or, as was sometimes the case, the boy would get his grist ground just before night, and starti ng for home, be overtaken by the darkness and the wolves. Sometimes it bec ame expedient to tie up and spend the intervening hours, till daylight, am ong the branches of a friendly tree, but usually an extra amount of bir ch was applied to Dobbin, and the family roof tree gained in safety. In ab out 1819 20, James Moore put in operation the pioneer grist mill in Pleasa nt Township. The building was of logs, and stood on the west bank of the M iami River. A short time subsequent Mr. Moore constructed a frame saw mi ll adjoining the first. These pioneer industries were of the greatest impo rtance to the settlers in the vicinity, not only in preparing the crude el ements for bread, but furnishing lumber for the floors, doors, etc., of the cabins. These mills have been several times rebuilt, and are now own ed by John Long. In 1825 Mr. Moore built a distillery near the mills, th us furnishing a market for much of the corn grown in the neighborhoo d. It was in operation some fifteen Years. The second grist mill in the to wnship was built by Washington Firestone, on Indian Run. It was only in op eration a few Years. Thompson Dickson built a tannery just west of Logansv ille in 1826, which was successfully conducted for many Years. In those ea rly days the general hospitality exhibited rendered hotels superfluous. the "latch string" was out at every cabin, and the weary traveler was alwa ys sure of a welcome and the best the house afforded; but as the settleme nt grew older, and the desire for wealth became predominant, that genia l, social welcome ceased, and the tavern came into existence. To meet th is want, John Dickson, in about 1835, opened a house of entertainment at L ogansville. It was quite a commodious affair. A few Years later Joseph Dav ison became the host of a second hostelry, in the same hamlet.
For many Years during the early part of the settlement there were no roa ds in the township, the travel being along trails, approximating the direc tion you wished to go, less attention being paid to the points of the comp a** than to the convenience of the builder, hence these routes quite oft en brought to mind the adage. "The longest way round is the nearest way ho me." The first legally constituted road in the township was cut throu gh in about 1830, and ran in a general northwest course from DeGraff to Bl oom Center, crossing the Miami River at the point now spanned by the Moo re bridge. This road is now a fine graveled turnpike. In early times the r iver was crossed by means of a small ferry boat, built by James Moor e, of which it is said, that the chances of getting wet were about equa l, whether you rode in a boat or waded across. However, during the high wa ter in the fall and spring months, this boat was of considerable utilit y. The finest bridge in Logan County is the one crossing the Miami River i mmediately west of Logansville. It is of the high truss model, and is cons tructed entirely of wrought iron. Its entire length is 187 feet with two s pans, supported at the ends and in the center by solid masonry. It was bui lt by the Cleveland Bridge and Iron Company during the winter of 1879 8 0. The masonry by John M. Watters of Jefferson, Ohio. Entire cost $9,37 6. The work was all done under the supervision of S. A. Buchanan, Civil En gineer for Logan County, and reflects credit upon all connected therewith.
The early mails were carried on horseback, and reached Loganville once ea ch week, during favorable weather. John Dickson kept the first postoffic e. It was established about 1830. Lewis Young is the present Postmaster. the old mail line from Bellefontaine to Sidney, via Logansville, was long s ince abandoned, and now a daily mail is received from DeGraff.
Messrs. Thompson and William Dickson, sons of the original proprieto r, in the year 1827, made a plat of a portion of their real estate upon the east side of the Miami, and this embryo village they named in hon or of the celebrated Mingo Chief, whose burning speech to the messeng er of Lord Dunmore, in 1774, has become immortal. Logansville is yet in i ts infancy. It contains one general store, one drugstore, a church, schoo l, two blacksmith shops and a Grange hall. The history of the latt er is as follows: Pleasant Grange, No. 485, P. of H., was organized on Jan uary 29, 1879, with thirty charter members. Its meetings were held in the hall over Young's store for one year, when a purchase of the Presbyteri an meeting house was effected. This has been refitted, and here the socie ty meets on Saturday evening of each week. The membership now numbers sixt y. The succession of Masters is R. J. Smith and John Hannah. The history of the churches dates from a period near the close of the w ar of 1812, and is of considerable interest. Early in the summer of the ye ar 1815, all itinerant preachers of the New Light or Christian faith, a de nomination having its origin at a camp meeting held at Cane Ridge, Kentuck y, near the dawning of the present century, came into the settlement, and announced a meeting at the log house of James Moore. At the appointed t ime the entire settlement turned out, and so much interest was manifest ed that another meeting was announced. This was followed at interva ls of a few weeks duration, by others until about 1824, when the famili es of the four original settlers: James Moore, Robert Dickson, Alfred Math ews and John Means, united in the formation of the first religious socie ty in Pleasant Township, and not long afterward, a log meeting house was b uilt in Logansville. A few Years later a society of the Presbyterian denom ination was formed here, and they united with the Christians in the edifi ce of a comfortable frame church, (now the Grange hall). In this the origi nal organization met for worship until 1876, when the present substanti al church edifice at Logansville was erected. This society has now a lar ge membership, and in connection a flourishing Sabbath School. In poi nt of chronological order the Methodist Episcopal Church ante dates the Pr esbyterian. The date of its formation was not far from 1828. A hewed log m eeting house was erected at Logansville, and regular religious services or ganized. For a time the society gave promise of success, and its members i ncreased, but eventually the tide set adversely, the membership, by dea th and removals, decreased, until at last services were discontinued, and the old log chapel went to decay. In the northeastern part of the towns hip stands a pretty little church, built by the Society of United Brethre n, a few Years since. A small society still worships here.
The school interest has been fostered from the earliest settlement in the township, and the commodious school buildings of to day with their clea nly and well kept surroundings, attest the continuance of that fostering c are. Immediately subsequent to the close of the war of 1812, a small log s choolhouse was erected upon what is now the McMullen farm, just east of Lo gansville, and in this building a man named Wilson commenced a term of sch ool the fall following, all the children in the township were in attendan ce upon this school.
The schoolhouse was of the most primitive character unhewn walls, punche on floor, seats and door; greased paper windows, and the wide throated sti ck chimney. "And yet," one of the dozen scholars, the only one now livin g, remarks: "the memory of that old homely schoolhouse is far more pleasi ng to me than to look upon the huge piles of brick and stone constituti ng the school buildings of to day." Upon the organization of the townshi p, a division into sub districts was effected, and a number of frame schoo lhouses erected. The first of these was erected in Logansville, on the si te at present occupied by the brick schoolhouse. Following are the scho ol statistics for Pleasant Township for the school year ending August 3 1, 1879: Whole number of pupils enrolled ................. 363 Whole amount paid teachers ................ $1,748.23 Whole number of schoolhouses ...................... 7 Value of schoolhouses and grounds ............ $3,500. The writer has been unable to learn anything in relation to the organizati on of the township, except that the first election was held at the hot el of John Dickson's, in Logansville. Several persons now live in the town ship who were present at this election, but none of them are able to gi ve the date or the names of the officers elected. The records in the offi ce of the Township Clerk do not date back but a few Years. __________
Historical Review of Logan County Page 99 - 100
Pleasant Township
Pleasant township was organized in 1831 and it was originally part of Mia mi Township.
The first settlers in Pleasant Township were James Moore and Robert Dickso n, who came from Kentucky in 1809; they brought with them two yoke of ox en each, and their household goods, together with their families and settl ed upon three hundred acres of land north of Logansville, Moore taking the north half and Dickson the south half. There was absolutely nothing b ut an unbroken wilderness for the reception of these people, and they we re in fact pioneers without roads, without neighbors, without opportuni ty for barter or sale; they were in the midst of a wilderness as unbrok en and unclaimed as could have been found anywhere upon the face of the ea rth. They set about to make habitations and for the following years devot ed themselves to clearing their land, subsisting in te meantime upon wi ld game, the fish from the river, and the grain they were able to get fr om their newly cleared fields.
Their nearest markets were at Urbana, where the prices of commodities of a ll kinds were so great they were prohibitory; tea, two dollars a pound; ca lico, one dollar per yard, and salt ten dollars per barrel.
Moore had a wife and five children and Dickson a wife and three childre n, and this was the beginning of Pleasant Township. These men lived to s ee this township thickly populated, its forests cleared away and its fiel ds brought under cultivation.
It was not until 1811, that other settlers moved into this section of the county, when Alfred Mathews and John Means, with their families, arriv ed and settled in the township.
There were no other settlements until after the war of 1812, when Alexand er Piper, Robert Ellis, and Robert McMullen came from Kentucky to join the small forces in the field, and they were the only settlers until 1820.
After this time came Peter Hanks, John Hill, Daniel McKinnon, Samuel Geis h, and Addison Henderson. During the war of 1812 the government sent a com pany of soldiers to Loganville, and erected a block house about one mile e ast of that place.
James Moore built a grist mill in 1820, to which he added a saw mill, and to them again added a distillery: these mills were all situated on the Miami; just north of Logansville where John R. Long for so many years h ad his mill.
Thomas Dickson built a tannery which at that early day was a most importa nt industry.
John Dickson about 1835 built a tavern at Logansville, and the buildi ng is still there, while the builder is long since dead. His house was lo ng noted as a most famoust place of entertainment.
A road was cut from the direction fo DeGraff to Bloom Center, running thro ught Logansville, about 1830. It crossed the Miami at Moore's Mill, whe re a rough ferry boat was kept by Moore, and a small charge made for cross ing. __________
