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Historical Collections of Ohio

By Henry Howe

Vol. I

©1888

 

HOLMES COUNTY

 

Page 734

 

Holmes County was formed January 20, 1824, and organized the next year.  It was named from Major HOLMES, a gallant young officer of the war of 1812, who was killed in the unsuccessful attack upon Mackinac, under Col. CROGHAN, August 4, 1814.  Fort Holmes at Mackinac was also named from him.

 

 

Page 735

peaches, 24,153; pears, 1,110; wool, 211,529 lbs.; milch cows owned, 6,868.  School census, 1888, 7,029; teachers, 171.  Miles of railroad track, 47.

 

 

 

 

Population of Holmes in 1830 was 9,123; 1840, 18,061; 1860, 20,589; 1880, 20,766; of whom 17,436 were born in Ohio, 1,345 in Pennsylvania, 105 in Indiana, 96 in Virginia, 74 in New York, 2 in Kentucky, 782 in German Empire, 177 in France, 71 in Ireland, 45 in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland, 5 in British America, and 18 in Sweden and Norway.  Census, 1890, 21,139.

 

The following historical and descriptive sketch of Holmes county and of Millersburg, the county-seat, was carefully prepared by one of its venerable citizens, Mr. G. F. NEWTON, of Millersburg.  It being more full than that in our first edition we substitute it.

 

The territory included within the county of Holmes was taken from the counties of Wayne, Coshocton and Tuscarawas: from Wayne, 87,440 acres, from Coshocton, 162,200 acres, and from Tuscarawas, 16,200 acres; total area, 267,840.  A line running diagonally through the county from east-northeast to west-southwest, commonly known as the “Indian Boundary” line, separates the United States military district and the Indian reservation (new purchase).

 

The territory north of this line was surveyed into townships of six miles square, and again into sections of 640 acres.  That south of said line is surveyed into townships of five miles square, and again into quarter townships of 4,000 acres. Some of these quarter townships were again divided into 100 acre lots for the private soldiers of 1776.  Within this county 480 of these 100 acre lots were given to the soldiers of the Revolutionary war. Six of the 4,000 acre tracts of land were set apart as schools-land for the Connecticut Western Reserve and subsequently sold at public sale.  The remainder of this territory was surveyed into sections of 640 acres and sold at private entry at Zanesville.

 

The valley of Killbuck river passes from north to south through the centre of the county; the valley is deep and adjoining hills high and steep. On each side of the river, seven to nine miles distant, is a high ridge of land, separating its waters from those of the Mohican and Tuscarawas.  From the valley to the hilltops are innumerable springs of pure water, many of them very strong, which in their rapid descent to the river furnish good water-power.

 

In the northwest corner of the country is Odell’s Lake, a beautiful body of pure water, in places thirty feet deep.  It is half a mile broad, two miles long, and abounds in fish.  It furnishes water-power sufficient to run a large flouring mill.  The P. Ft. W. & C. R. R. has constructed a station on the north side of this lake.  Since then it has become a popular place of resort for pleasure and fishing parties.

 

All the valleys of this county are very productive when properly cultivated, and those of Paint, Martin’s and Doughty’s creeks are wide and beautiful.  The chief productions are wheat, corn, oats, hay, sheep, cattle and horses.  Taking into consideration its size, Holmes is hardly surpassed by any county in the State for its productions of wheat and fine horses.

 

 

Page 936

 

equally valuable with other parts.  Coal has been successfully mined in every township of the county and in some of them extensively.

 

FIRST SETTLEMENT.

 

In July, 1809, Jonathan GRANT, of Beaver county, Pa., and his son, then a boy, built the first cabin in the county.  They came on foot through the woods, carrying a gun, ammunition and tools for doing their work.  Their cabin was on Salt creek, in Prairie township, about one mile east of the Killbuck. They made a clearing and sowed a large patch for turnips.  GRANT then fell sick, and for twenty-eight days lay on a bed of bark and leaves, and subsisted chiefly on roots, attended only by his son.  He became reduced to a skeleton, and the boy was but little better.

 

An Indian passing along the valley discovered the cabin and stopped.  He told GRANT that “Pale Face” and his family were encamped in the Killbuck valley, at a big spring, and pointed the direction.  The boy went and in a short time returned with Jonathan BUTLER, who had, with his father-in-law, James MORGAN, reached the valley the day previous.

 

Through the timely assistance of BUTLER, GRANT soon recovered and became of much service to his new acquaintances. GRANT could speak the Indian language, and was with the surveyors as their “lookout” while surveying the “new purchase,” and knew all about the country, as well as being a great hunter.  His patch of turnips turned out abundantly and of excellent quality, and proved of much service that fall and next spring.  GRANT did not return home to his family in Pennsylvania until cold weather.

 

In April, 1810, Edwin MARTIN, then John L. DAWSON, David and Robert KNOX, settled on Martin’s creek, about one mile south of Grant’s cabin.  A few days later a dozen or more families settled in that neighborhood, Grant’s among them.  Settlements were commenced on the east end of this county–then Tuscarawas–along the valleys of Walnut and Sugar creeks, in 1809-10, by the TROYERS, HOCHTELLERS, WEAVERS, MILLERS, DOMERS, BERGERS and others: also on Doughty, the CARPENTERS and MORRISONS.  In 1810-11 Peter CASEY and others settled on the Killbuck, near Millersburg; and Abraham SHRIMLIN farther south on Shrimlin creek. Peter SHIMER, Jacob KORN, Thomas EDGAR and others, near Berlin; and the FINNEYS, MACKEY, HEVELANDS and others, in what is now Monroe township, then in Coshocton county.  In 1810-11 the PRIESTS, BONNETS, NEWKIRKS, DRAKES and QUICKS settled in the valley of Mohican, then Wayne county.

 

In 1812 the settlers fearing the Indians built a block-house on the DAWSON land, half a mile east of Holmesville; but the Indians not becoming troublesome it was used but a short time.  Col. CRAWFORD on his unfortunate campaign crossed the Killbuck north of Holmes, and camped at night near the “big spring,” May 30, 1781; there one of his men died that night, and his burial-place was marked on a beech-tree near by.  At this spring Jonathan BUTLER settled, and February 4, 1810, his daughter Hannah was born. The spring is known as the first burial and first birth-place of white persons in the county.

 

On the organization of the county the associate judges of the Court of Common Pleas appointed were: Peter CASEY, William HUTCHINSON and George LUKE.  They met at Millersburg, February 18, 1825, and organized the court.  They appointed James S. IRVINE clerk of court and county recorder, and Samuel ROBINSON county surveyor.  They also issued a proclamation for an election to ensue April 4^th, for the necessary township and county officers, whereby Daniel HUTCHINSON was elected sheriff; Anson WHEATON, coroner; Seth HUNT, auditor; for county commissioners, David I. FINNEY, Griffith JOHNSON and Frederick HALL.  The commissioners at their June term organized the county into townships, which remain unchanged.