GRATIS  TOWNSHIP

        Gratis is the southeast township of the county, and may be described as rolling land generally. Along the southern line, measuring from the west line, is a strip of level land about three miles long by one and a half miles wide. When the county was first settled this land was wet and much of it swampy, but, by drainage, it has become the most fertile land of the county.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The first settlers of Gratis township were John Leslie and John Long, who, about 1800, some claim as early as 1798, located on section 36. Leslie took the south half and it has been a tradition in the township that near the banks of Elk creek stood a very large sycamore or cotton wood tree, some eight or ten feet in diameter, that was hollow at the base, with an opening some two or three feet in diameter, and he made it his home for about three or four months until he could find time to build his cabin. The next year Leslie brought his family of five sons and three daughters from Penn­sylvania and there are many of his descendants yet living in this and the adjoining counties.

     Shortly after Leslie, came Alexander Pugh from Georgia, who bought some eight hundred acres in Pleasant Valley, north of Greenbush. About the same time William Swisher settled on section I, north of Twin creek, and near him, about the same time, Hezekiah Phillips settled; his daughter, Rebecca Phillips, is claimed to be the first white girl born in the county. In 1804 Abraham Neff settled on Twin creek and later built the first mill. In the same year Levi Kimnan came, and Abraham Wimmer and Nicholas and Jacob Gift settled at Gratis. A little later, Daniel Boone settled south of Gratis on a stream that yet bears his name. It is claimed he was related to the hunter, Daniel Boone, of Kentucky, whence he came.

The Quakers, on account of their tenets, had for years, in the border and Southern states, been derided and, in some cases, partly ostracized by their slavery neighbors, and looked upon the Northwest territory (for they were ever a reading people) as the land of freedom. Hence, when the danger of Indian forays had passed, great numbers of them sold out, and, with their families and what they could haul, headed for the Ohio river as the boundary line to be passed. Also many of the younger men came to hunt for homes in the territory, and, when found, they returned and brought back as wives the waiting sweethearts. These are the real reasons that caused many Quaker settlements in this state. These are some of the reasons that made the Quaker settlement in this township, to which must be added the fact that the Great Miami valley was then, as now, reputed to be one of God's garden spots, and the other fact that in those localities from which they came they had to depend much on people of their own faith for con­solation in sorrow and for social enjoyment. Hence, when moving to a new country, they hung together.

During the years 1803, 1804 and 1805, over fifty families from the Carolinas and Georgia settled in southern Preble and northern Butler coun­ties, the central point being around West Elkton, and of the number nearly all were Quakers and all acquired land. Some of them later became pos­sessed of hundreds of acres, many farms yet being owned by descendants of the early owners. We will name a few and, so far as known, their location: Samuel Stubbs, from Georgia, settled in section 29. His grand­son, S. N. Stubbs, still owns most of the farm. With Samuel came eleven brothers, it is claimed, who all settled in the township in that neighborhood or on the land nearby in Butler, and nearly all reared large families. Daniel Chrisman, from North Carolina, settled in section n. Richard Brown, from Georgia, settled in section 20. Jonas Randall, from South Carolina, settled east of West Elkton. Christian Fall and Benjamin Fall, his son, settled near Greenbush. John Riner, from Virginia, settled in the eastern part of the township. Francis Jones, from Georgia, settled near West Elkton. Jesse Kenworthy, from South Carolina, settled on section 32. Wil­liam Gifford, from North Carolina, settled east of West Elkton. Nathan Maddock and Samuel Maddock, his father, from Georgia, headed a colony of some fifty people to the land of freedom; they settled generally in southern Preble and northern Butler. Samuel Maddock settled in section 32. Thomas Stubbs settled near West Elkton. Joseph Stubbs and his son, John, settled on section 34. Jonathan Roberts, from North Carolina, settled just across the line in Butler county, but many of the families have since moved into this township. George Kelley, from Virginia, settled near the middle of the township. Simeon Loop, from Pennsylvania, settled in the western part of the township. All the above named are claimed to have come before the close of 1805.

William Hixon, from Georgia, came in 1806 and settled in section 9. Thomas Talbert came in 1807 and settled near West Elkton. Elijah Mendenhall, from Georgia, settled in 1806 in section 34. Martin Sayler, from Maryland, settled on section 3 in 1809. He was a millwright and helped build most of the mills for a number of years. William Clevenger, from New Jersey, settled on section 24 in 1806. Nathan Hornaday, from North Carolina, settled in section 18 in 1806. Peter Prugh, from Maryland, set­tled on section 26 in 1813. A few years later than the above we find the names of Job Smith, John Thomas, Joseph Mullendore, Jacob Furrey, Abraham Flory, David Branson, Elias Mackey and Jonathan Horner, who appear as owning land in the township.

DISTILLERIES.

The township now has the reputation of being one of the dryest of the dry, but traditions from the early settlers still linger, which indicate that it was not always thus. From 1811 to 1830 there is said to have been from fifteen to twenty small distilleries in the township, nearly all, if not all, within the northern half of the township, for the Quakers, then as now, would have none of it. During those years, or a part thereof, Christian Fall, Daniel Chrisman and Peter Riner operated such stills, and there were others, each man using his own grain. Those who had no still, traded grain for whisky, and it now is averred that the quality was of the best. The use of whisky was so common at all gatherings, such as harvesting, log rollings and house raisings, that none but the strongest-willed and the bravest men dared refuse to furnish it; but the movement to curtail the trouble breeder spread because it was right, until today it is used only in secret. But the township was not alone in the distilling business, for there were during that time a hundred stills operated in the county for longer or shorter periods.

CEMETERIES.

There are, or were (some are now forgotten), a number of small cemeteries, called family cemeteries, scattered about the township. Some settler lost a wife or child, or the settler himself died, and, the roads being only trails and there being no regular public cemetery, a little plot of ground, generally on high land, was fenced off on the farm. The body of the loved one was deposited there, and carefully guarded. As their neighbors lost some member of their families they were granted permission to bury on the family plot, and in this way sometimes quite a number of graves were made. One such, on the land formerly owned by Jonas Brubaker, who mar­ried Rebecca Phillips, the first white girl baby of the county, is now enclosed by an iron fence, and lies on the hill top about a hundred yards west of Fair View cemetery at Gratis. It is now kept up by the township trustees, as are several others.

Fair Mound cemetery, at West Elkton, now called locally the Quaker cemetery, was laid out in 1805, and the first person to consecrate the ground with her dust was Martha Maddock, one of the family that was so prom­inent in leading the hegira of Quakers from Georgia and the Carolines to the land of freedom. She died in 1805, being the first white person to die in the township. The cemetery continued to be used until the limited space was practically filled a few years since, when it ceased to be generally used.

villages.

There are but two incorporated villages in Gratis township. Greenbush is a collection of houses in the eastern part of the township, making a settlement with about forty people that formed about a store and a couple of churches located at the crossroads of the Pleasant Valley and West Elkton and Germantown roads.

gratis.

The village of Gratis was originally called Winchester. there would be but one name. In 1902, the council petitioned the common pleas court to change the name to Gratis, and the court so ordered it to be done.

It is claimed that Peter Kulp built the first house, a cabin, in the place about the time or before it was laid out as a town. It was located on the west side of West street, a few rods south of South street. Shortly after the town was laid out people began putting up dwellings, and Benjamin Darragh started a little frontier store at the northeast corner of Franklin and West streets, in which he kept such groceries, hardware, dry goods and notions as were called for in those early days.

John Bookwalter, born in 1812, started a wagon shop and carriage fac­tory in 1833 and carried it on, sometimes on a large scale, for nearly fifty years, dying about 1881. Peter Mikesell also during the same time had an extensive blacksmith and carriage shop, and both men employed a number of hands, until old age and the changing trend of business compelled them to desist. The warehouses bought grain and had it hauled to the canal at such points as paid the best prices.

Dr. Christian Sayler came, when a boy, with his father in 1809, after he graduated from the Ohio Medical College, and settled on what is now part of Gratis. He settled in the town and lived there all his life, dying in 1884.

Absalom Stiver, a lawyer, was once a representative. He died in August, 1892.

PHYSICIANS.

The physicians of Gratis have been: Samuel Nixon, who located there at an early day; then Dr. Christian Sayler, who continued in active practice until long after the Civil War, and was followed by his son, William Sayler, who died in 1886; the latter was succeeded by a brother, W. S. Sayler, who died some two years since. During the time of the first Doctor Sayler, Dr. Isaac Kesling, an eclectic, practiced in the village and enjoyed his full share of prac­tice until his age compelled him to withdraw, some thirty-five years ago. From then, although other doctors located Dr. W. A. Crume is the only regular prac­ticing physician now in the village.

WEST  ELKTON.

West Elkton is located within a mile and a half of the south line of the township, and just grew up along a small branch. David Taylor, shortly after the settlement of the township, built a wagon shop and his cabin on the little stream that flows through the town and dug a well, being the first to locate. Gradually others built around him, buying such plats of ground as they desired, until, in 1847, a movement, headed by Jesse Stubbs and Nathan Hornaday, started to have a town laid out. The next year the -plat was filed, but as the lots sold before, about a dozen in number, had been very irregular in size and shape, they had to remain so. They could not now be traced but for the painstaking care of the surveyor, James L. Street, who surveyed them and planted cornerstones so generally that he is easily followed. In the northeastern part of the state is Elkton, hence this place is called West Elkton. The first store is said to have been opened by a man named Rockill about 1828. The first post office was established in 1844, and Rawley Wheeler was appointed postmaster. In 1860 Argerbright & Talbert started a carriage shop in West Elkton, but in 1863 Isaiah Talbert sold out, on account of bad health, and W. S. Maddock took his place. In about 1869 Talbert returned from Miamisburg, where he had been engaged in the same business. With A. Van Trump and D. L. Wineland, Talbert bought out the business, and in 1871 he bought Van Trump's interest, and in 1874 Wineland's interest. A. Van Trump and Thomas Stubbs at the time were running a saw-mill and other business connected with it, and they consolidated under the name of Van Trump, Talbert & Company in 1874. Later, about 1895, Talbert bought out his partners and took in three of his sons, and they are now doing a pros­perous business.

NATHAN HORNADAY.

Perhaps the best remembered man who was a permanent resident of the village was Nathan Hornaday, who was born in 1812 and died in 1899-He was by trade a plasterer and stone mason, and by religion a Methodist, in which church he was for many years a local preacher. A man of medium size, strongly built, emotional, but clear minded, he was elected a justice of the peace in 1842, which position he held most of the time for fifty years. He was later mayor of the town, which office he held almost a lifetime, his sympathy always going out to the suffering or the wronged, he was ever a peacemaker in the community. With a courage and integrity that never faltered, he was an ideal justice of the peace. It is claimed that, although he had many cases tried before him, a jury being waived, he was never reversed by the common pleas court but once, and then the defendant refused to give any evidence, and appealed. From the evidence Mr. Hornaday had to decide the case. From outside knowledge he knew the matter was wrong, and tried to get the plaintiff to settle, but he would not, and he later lost the case. No attorney was ever able to influence his decision nor by honeyed logic lead him wrong. He won and held the love, respect and almost reverence of the community. He was for five years deputy United States collector of revenue.

PHYSICIANS.

Jacob S. Weinland, born in 1819 in Pennsylvania, came to Ohio when only seventeen years old, graduated from the Eclectic Medical College, and began practice in West Elkton in 1847, being the first physician to become a permanent resident of the village. He was not above medium height, but was rather corpulent in build. He was conscientious and painstaking in his treat­ment of his patients, looking after them with a fatherly care, and seemed to be unwearied in his efforts to benefit them as much as possible. Thus he won and held the confidence and respect of the community. He had a large prac­tice, being regarded by physicians as an expert in handling typhoid and ma­larial fevers. He died about 1883.

Dr. William C. Robertson started practice in the village about 1877, and succeeded in securing a remunerative practice, but died from heart failure about 1884. Dr. Elwood Holaday, a homeopath; Dr. A. W. Y. Conarroe, an eclectic, and Dr. Clara Robertson, widow of Dr. W. C. Robertson, are the present practitioners living in the village.