Washington County

The territory embraced in Muskinghum township was formerly embraced in Adams township as established by the Court of Quarter Sessions convened at Marietta in March, 1797. Ever since the formation of old Adams township, it has been crumbling away to establish the several northern townships and prior to the year 1801 Muskingum township was included within the limits of Marietta, Fearing and Union townships. The name "Muskingum" is appropriately derived from the river which runs through the extent of the township.

On April 18, 1861, the Ohio Legislature passed the following bill:

TO ERECT the TOWNSHIP OF MUSKINGUM IN WASHINGTON COUNTY.

Section I. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, that the territory now constituting parts of the townships of Marietta, Union, and Fearing, in the county of Washington and bounded as follows, to-wit: Beginning at a point on the Muskingum River, where the same is intersected by the west line of a seventy-eight acre lot, numbered sixteen, in Bear Creek allottment of donation lands, running thence south on said line to the southwest corner of said lot numbered sixteen, thence west to the northwest corner of an eighty-five acre lot, numbered twenty-two, in Rainbow Creek allottment of donation lands, thence south on the west line of said lot numbered twenty-two, to the north line of Wiseman's bottom allottment of the donation lands, thence east on said line to the Muskingum River, thence down said river on the west bank thereof until the same is intersected by the west line of one hundred and sixty acre lot, numbered four hundred, thence south on said line and its continuation to the south line of township numbered three, in range numbered eight, thence east on said line to the east bank of the Muskingum River, thence down said river to the south line of commons lot numbered twenty-eight, thence northeasterly along the corporation line of the city of Marietta to the southwest corner of commons lot numbered seventeen, thence easterly along the south line of commons lot numbered seventeen, to the southwest corner of commons lot numbered twelve, thence easterly along the south line of commons lot numbered twelve, to the southwest corner of commons lot numbered fourteen, thence north on the line of original survey to the south line of Fearing township, thence east on said line to the east line of three acre lot numbered three hundred and two, thence north on the east line of a range of three acre lots numbered three hundred and eighty-nine, thence west to the east line of section numbered twenty-five in township numbered three, of range eight, thence north on the section line to the sorth line of Salem township, thence west on said township line to Bear Creek, thence down said creek to the Muskingum River, thence up said river to a point due north of the place of beginning, thence south across the river to the place of beginning, be and the same is hereby erected and constituted into a new township to be designated as Muskingum township, and that the eastern boundary of Union township, the western boundary of Fearing township, and the northern boundary of Marietta township be so changed as to conform to the lines of said Muskingum township.

Section II. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the dale of its passage.

The boundaries of the newlv-established Muskingum township, as thus defined, still exist and the township, then as now, is bounded on the north by Adams and Salem, on the east by Fearing and Marietta, on the south by Marietta city and township and Warren, and on the west by Watertown.

The elections are now held at Unionville, on the Muskingum River.

A petition was presented to the Board of County Commissioners at the June session in 1877, praying for the dissolution of Union township. At the commissioners' December session of the same year the following was ordered:

The petitioners having made application at the June session of 1877 for the partition of Union township among the townships of Adams, Muskingum, Warren and Watertown, and the board being of the opinion that it is necessary and expedient that the prayer of said petitioners be granted, hereby order that said Union township be divided, and annexed to the adjoining townships—Watertown, Adams and Muskingum.

To Muskingum the territory beginning at the northeast corner of one hundred and sixty acre lot No. 392, west to the northwest corner of said lot No. 392, thence north to Wiseman's Bottom, thence east to the Muskingum River, thence following the course of the Muskingum to the northeast corner of one hundred and sixty acre lot No. 413, thence south to the place of beginning, containing section eight, one hundred and sixty acre lot No. 413, part of Donation line (lot No. 418) and all of Wiseman's Bottom allottment that lies in Union township.

Naturally the fertile bottoms of the "donation" land were the centers of the first settlements, and so we find that the first settlements in Muskingum township were made in Rainbow and Wiseman's bottoms. These bottoms were named for the backwoodsman, Wiseman, who entered about 400 acres of bottom land lying along the Muskingum while Virginia still claimed the right to the Northwest Territory. Wiseman disappeared after remaining long enough to give his name to the neighborhood. The Rainbow settlement was begun April 29, 1795, by a company of several families from Marietta, who had drawn land located on the western shore of the Muskingum River. On the farm now owned by J. E. and A. R. Stacy, a block-house was erected. This was centrally located and served as a shelter and protecting roof until the cabins could be built.

The first settlers in Rainbow were Israel Stone and family. He located on the farm now owned by the S. S. Stowe heirs. Other early settlers were Stephen Smith, Ebenezer Nye and sons, Simon Wright, Archibald and Mary Lake, Captain and Mrs. Abel Mathews and family, William Stacy and Joseph Stacy, sons of Col. William Stacy, Preserved Seamon, Cogswell Olney, John Dyar, Sr.

The first settlers in Wiseman's Bottom were: Col. Joseph Barker, Israel Putnam, Capt. J. Devol and John Russell.

The territory forming the eastern boundary of the township and known as "the ridge," because it divides the waters of Duck Creek from the Muskingum, was not generally settled until a comparatively recent date.

The first school in Wiseman's Bottom was located on the Muskingum River, on the land then owned by Israel Putnam.

The earliest teacher whose name can be ascertained was Miss Esther Levings. Abigail Poole was in all probability the next. She was followed by Theophilus Cotton. Not long after the erection of the school house on the river it was found that the building was too near the water and liable to be surrounded during a heavy rise in the river. On this account it was deemed advisable to remove the school house farther back on higher ground. Accordingly this was done, the building being located on Israel Putnam's farm, where, in 1816, through Mr. Putnam's instrumentality, a commodious brick school house was erected, which served the double purpose of school house and church. In this building the people of the neighborhood continued to worship for a number of years. The people were of various denominations, but in those earlv davs they worshiped in common. Rev. Joseph Willard, an Episcopal clergyman of talent, is remembered to have been the first minister who preached in the school house. When the school house was first moved back from the river the teachers were Colonel Stone, Mr. Brown, of New England, a Mr. Allen, and perhaps others. Whipple Spooner was the first teacher in the brick house.

In early times Rainbow had two neighborhood school houses, which, in this modern day, have been consolidated into one. These were what were known as the "upper" and "lower" school houses, the former being located on the Muskingiun, not far from Stephen Smith's place, and the latter being on the site of the present school house of the neighborhood, immediately in the bow of the river.

Nathaniel Dodge is said to have been the first teacher in the "lower" school. The first teacher in the "upper" school was Mr. Walbridge.

An interesting document testifying to the Christian fidelity of the early pioneers in Muskingum township is an old subscription paper drawn up in 1810, which appears to be in the handwriting of Col. Joseph Barker. The object of the subscription was to establish divine worship in Rainbow and Wiseman's Bottom. None of those whose names apppear below are now living. It reads thus:

Please pay in money or produce to Mr. Thomas Lake, on or before the fifteenth day of December next, for the purpose of introducing the regular preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and for inculcating and introducing habits of good order, morality and piety, by holding up to public view examples worthy the imitation and practice of the rising generation.

The subscription paper provided for a cash subscription, but there was none made of that kind. Then comes a list of subscribers:

Adams, April 2, 1810.

Subscribers' Names, Produce.

Joseph Barker ................................ $5 00

Jasper Stone ................................... 3 00

Joseph Stacy ................................... 4 00

Sylvanus Newton ............................ 6 00

Sardine Stone ................................. 2 00

Joseph Stapy, Jr............................... 1 00

Stephen Smith ................................ 1 00

Thomas Lake ................................. 6 00

John Russell ................................... 3 00

Simeon Wright ............................... 2 00

Isaac Walbridge .............................. 1 00

Benjamin F. Stone .......................... 3 00

William Stacy, Jr............................. 1 00

John Deem ................................... 1 00

William Stacy................................. 3 00

Ephraim Mathews, thirty cents for each day's preaching.

Squire Prouty.................................. 2 00

Joseph Wood ................................. 4 00

Resolved Fuller ............................... 1 00

Preaching services were regularly held in the several school houses from time to time when a minister could be found.

The only churches in the township are the German Church on "the Ridge" and the Colored M. E. Church on Rainbow Creek. "The Putnam-Rainbow branch" of the First Congregational Church at Marietta holds services in the Putnam and Rainbow school houses on alternate Sundays.

In 1807 Captain Devol erected a very large frame flouring mill near where the present mill now stands. Its large under-shot wheel is said to have been more than 40 feet in diameter, it being the largest mill-wheel ever seen in the West. In 1866 Mjajor Putnam erected the mill at Devol's Dam, which was considered the best mill on the river.

The community in Wiseman's Bottom was fortunate in having among its members two men of such marked mechanical skill as Col. Joseph Barker and Capt. Jonathan Devol. Both of them were skilled architects, Captain Devol being a shipwright by trade, and Colonel Barker a house-builder. About the year 1800, ship-building having become an important industry at Marietta and on the Muskingum, these men readily took part in the work for which they were so well adapted by previous education and natural skill. The dense forests on either side of the river furnished excellent material for the work. Giant oaks were felled, and under the skillful hands of these men were joined together and moulded into symmetrical shape. Noting first the work of Colonel Barker, we find that his shipyard was on his farm on the east bank of the Muskingum. In 1802 he constructed two ocean vessels. One was a brig, built for Messrs. Blennerhassett and Woodbridge and named the "Dominic." after the name of Mr. Blennerhassett's oldest son. The other was a schoone called the "Indiana." This last-named vessel, together with the "Louisa," built in 1803, were for E. W. Tupper of Marietta. During the fall of 1806 he was employed by Harman Blennerhassett to construct 15 large bateaux for the use of the expedition of Aaron Burr to Mexico. The fate of these boats and this intended expedition is more fully described elsewhere in this work.

Captain Devol's ship-building was quite extensive. He also worked along the Muskingun upon his farm. In 1801 he built a sloop of 200 tons for B. I. Gilman, a merchant of Marietta. The vessel was wholly constructed of black walnut, and was named after the river by whose side it was built. In 1802 he built two brigs of 200 tons each, the "Eliza Greene" and the "Ohio." In 1804 the schooner "Nonpareil" was built. The passage of the "Embargo Act." in 1807, suspended all further operations on this line.

THE WASHINGTON COUNTY CHILDREN'S HOME.

Is beautifully situated near the Muskingum River in Muskingum township. The Home is situated on the east bank of the Muskingum River, about one mile north of the corporation line of the city of Marietta. It is the first Home in the State established under the act of the Legislature passed March 20, 1866, the act itself being a response to petitions from this county.

The farm contains about 100 acres favorably located, and from the buildings and grounds is presented a beautiful and picturesque view of the Muskingum Valley.

The object, as carried out, has been to afford an asylum to indigent children of the county under the age of 16 years, until suitable homes can be provided for them with kindly disposed persons, and all reasonable efforts are made for their improvement in industrious habits and morals while they remain in the Home. Children from other counties may also be admitted on terms approved by the trustees.

At the June session of 1866, following thepassage of the act authorizing Children's Homes, the Board of County Commissioners—Messrs. J. J. Hollister, Dr. James Little and George Benedict—initiated proceedings for the selection of suitable premises for the permanent location of the Home which resulted in the selection of the present site and a contract was made for its purchase. At the same session Col. W. R. Putnam, W. S. Ward and F. A. Wheeler, Esqs., were appointed the first Board of Trustees. Prior to this time, Miss Catherine A. Fay had about 30 children at her "Home" in Lawrence township under an arrangement made with her by the directors of the County Infirmary, who were ready to be transferred to the new Home as soon as the buildings could be made ready for occupation, which occurred April 1, 1867.

The first matron, with many of the responsibilities of superintendent, was Mrs. A. G. Brown, who discharged her duties successfully one year. Mrs. Brown was succeeded bv Rev. Ira M. Preston and wife, who resigned at the close of their year, and were followed by Dr. S. D. Hart and wife, who were continued superintendent and matron from April 1. 1869, until the lamented death of Mrs. Hart, August 27, 1884. Immediately afterward Dr. Hart was asked to continue as superintendent, and Miss E. A. Nixon, who had been teacher since 1870, was promoted to be matron, a place her long experience in the Home greatly aided her to fill to the entire satisfaction of the trustees. Dr. Hart was succeeded by S. L. Grosvenor, and he in turn by J. N. Bell. After the death of Mr. Bell, Principal J. L. Jordan of the Harmar public schools, was elected superintendent and is still in charge. Mrs. Jordan is matron. In the present Board of Trustees are S. J. Hathaway, president; L. W. Ellenwood, W. F. R.obertson, and W. A. Sniffen, Mr. Hathaway is the senior member in years of service. About 1889 the system of assigning children to homes was revolutionized. Since that time instead of waiting for people to come and select children, homes have been sought through the aid of the Cincinnati Children's Home, a private institution under strong Christian influence. The Cincinnati Institution employs an agent and visitors to seek homes for children. He follows up the children thus placed, visits them at least once a year until they are 21, and reports to the trustees of the Home in Washington County. The result has been, that while the number passing through the Home every year has increased, the number of inmates at any one time has been much smaller. The County Children's Home is made a stopping place until another home can be found in a good family.

The first building used as a Home was a large two story brick, originally constructed by Prof. Samuel Maxwell as an advanced school for boys, the cost of the farm and buildings being at the time $18,000. Subsequent additions and buildings have been made so that the value of the premises now is estimated at $30.000. One large building of three stories has been erected, the first floor being used as a school room, and the second and third as a dormitory for the boys.

Source: History of Marietta and Washington County, by Martin R. Andrews, MA, 1902, Transcribed by C. Anthony