From Atlas of Madison County by J.A. Caldwell, Condit, Ohio (1875)
Paint Township was organized for civil purposes by the County Commissioners in 1815, and is composed of parts which formerly belonged to Union, Stokes and Range Townships. Among the early settlers of this township were Andrew Sifrit and his sons John and James, and David Watson, 1808, from Virginia; the Phifer family, in 1809; Robert Hime, 1809, Peter P. Helphenstine, Peter Buffenburgh, Abraham Freshour, James Withrow, John Armstrong, and Samuel Vasterville, in 1810; Martin, Daniel, Abraham, Charles and Lewis Higgins, in 1811. This township is in a state of good cultivation, good roads and some very fine dwellings. James Sifrit lives now about one mile from where his father first settled, at the good age of 79, hale and hearty; he has lived to see this country which was composed of oak openings and prairies, no roads, no towns, no villages, no churches and no schools, to be dotted all over wtih good improved farms, schools, churches, towns, villages, railroads and good turnpikes, and to see land advance from fifty cents an acre to sell from fifty to one hundred-and fifty dollars per acre, in the space of sixty-six years.
From History of Madison County, W. H. Beers & Co, Chicago, 1883
This township occupies a position in the western tier of the townships of Madison County, and is bounded on the north by Union Township, on the east by Union and Range, on the south by Range and Stokes, and on the west by the county of Clark. The surface is generally very level, and contained in its original state, as the first settlers found it. large and extensive prairies and oak openings; the western, southern and central portions possessing but little heavy timbered land in its primitive state. Bordering on Walnut Run, in the northern part, and along the eastern portion of the township, the surface is more undulating, with here and there portions approach a slightly hilly condition, the most of which was heavily timbered. The principal species of the trees of the forests were white, black and red oak, hickory, walnut, elm and maple. In the oak openings, the prevailing timber was burr oak. The township is well watered by Walnut Run and Paint Creek and their numerous tributaries. The former crosses from west to east through the entire northern portion of the town. ship, while Paint Creek consists of two forks, the West and East Fork. The former rises in Clark County, and enters Paint Township near its northeast corner, takes a southeast course, and unites with the East Fork in the south central portion of the township, then flows south into Stokes Township. The East Fork rises in the northern part of the township on the Addison S. Jones farm, flows southeast to the center of the township, thence turns to a southwest course and unites with the West Fork as above mentioned. The soil is exceedingly rich and fertile, the oak openings and prairies possessing a deep black foam, while the more undulating portions of the north and eastern parts of the township are a mixture of loam and clay, and underneath these is a stratum of blue clay mixed with limestone, and through this we reach a bed of gravel, the structure and composition being favorable to the retention of moisture and its protection from long-continued droughts. It is a very strong, productive soil, and well adapted to the growth of grass or grains. In an early day, these prairies produced for the early settlers an abundance of pasturage for their stock, and many of them entered largely, and some exclusively, into the stock business, the sedge on these prairies often reaching the wonderful growth of six to eight feet in height. Right in the center and heart of this township and of this beautiful prairie settled a young Virginian about 1810, and, entering upon the stock business, finally fenced in a large scope of this fine pasturage, increasing his business from year to year; became a rich and wealthy man, owning his thousands of acres of this beautiful and rich country. By a fair degree of business tact and shrewd financiering, this man's coffers were almost spontaneously filled to overflowing. And this is only one of many, who, in greater or less degree, have become wealthy in Madison County by entering upon the stock business in an early day, and reaping the fruits of these natural advantages afforded by these great and productive prairies.
A country possessing such natural resources could not long escape the observation of those pioneers and frontiersmen who were so rapidly pushing from the rising toward the setting sun. To those men from the rock bound hills of Virginia and other States in the East, such a country as this held out attractions they could not resist, and we early find the domains of Paint being occupied by the white man. From the best sources of information we have been able to obtain, it appears that the first pioneer of Paint Township was Andrew Sifrit, who was born near Winchester, Va., in 1750. When but a young man, at the first call for troops in the commencement of the war of the Revolution, he enlisted as a private soldier, and served for eight long years. For these services he subsequently obtained a warrant for 200 acres of land. He was married to Susan Shrock, by whom he had nine children. Mrs. Sifrit died, and he married for his second wife Miss Hannah Morrills, a native of Virginia, by whom he had twelve children. Thus he was the father of twenty-one children. In 1803, he, with his family, emigrated to Ross County, Ohio, where they remained one year, and in 1804 came to Madison Couuty, settling in Paint Township, on land now owned by John Paulin, on what is called Sifrit Run. This, it is believed, was the first white settler in Paint Township, as it is now known, but at that date was Darby Township, in Franklin County.
Let the reader of the rising generation imagine the surroundings of this pioneer family. Not more than half a dozen families as neighbors (if you may term them such) within a scope of fifteen miles; nothing in the daytime but the sound of the ax and its distant echo to cheer their lonely lives, as he fell the giants of the forest preparatory to erecting a log cabin for a dwelling place for his large family; at night, their slumbers disturbed by the howl of the wolves and the mingled cry of other beasts of prey; and the whole intensified by the fear of the savages, who were then in plentiful numbers all through the country! Do you wonder that it took bone and muscle, and, more than all, a great degree of fortitude and moral courage to go through all this? To purchase goods or get milling done they had to go forty miles to Chillicothe, and much of the way over terrible mud roads, and some of the distance no road at all, only as they cut and made it. But here, with such surroundings, Mr. Sifrit and his family began. They erected a double log cabin and commenced to make a farm and a home. They had willing hands and hearts, and knew how to labor; and from year to year their conveniences and comforts began to appear, neighbors were settling all around them, and everything began to wear a more pleasing aspect; and before Mr. Sifrit's death, he was permitted to see the opening up of a magnificent country, and the future prosperity of his children fully assured. He died in 1817. at the advanced age of nearly ninety-eight years.
Of Mr. Sifrit's children by his first wife, five came with him to this county—Catharine, James, Mary, Elizabeth and John. James, the elder son, was a young lad when they came to this county, and was able to render his father and family great assistance in their first labors here. He married Elizabeth Higgins, by whom he had six children, three now living—Nathan, John and Lovinia. Mr. James Sifrit spent his life as a farmer and stock-raiser; was quite prosperous, and at his death owned between 300 and 400 acres of land. He died in April, 1881, aged eighty five years. John, the youngest son, married Harriet Chapman, by whom he had eleven children; two only survive—Joseph and Jacob. In 1835, John, with his family, removed to Marion County, Ohio, where he died about 1849, just in the prime of life. He was quite an energetic, active business man, and had acquired between 400 and 500 acres of land. He served as a Justice of the Peace several years. Of Mr. Andrew Sifrit's children by his second wife, seven now survive—Susan, now Widow Earl, residing in Seneca County. Ohio; Nancy, wife of Daniel Kingery, and resides in Illinois; Julia Ann, now Widow Roe, residing in Minnesota; Jacob, a resident of London; Lawrence W., residing in Franklin County, Ohio; Maria, now Widow Hamm, residing in Iowa, and Michael, also a resident of Iowa.
Peter P. Helphenstine, a native of Virginia, was a Major in the war of the Revolution, for which services he received land grants for a large amount of land. In October, 1805, he started for Ohio, and, arriving at Chillicothe, he became acquainted with Col. Elias Langham, who was going up into the "Barrens" to lay some warrants. David Watson had accompanied Mr. Helphenstine from Virginia to Ohio, and now they associated with Col. Langham and came up to Madison County to locate and lay and survey their lands. They finished their work about February 14, and returned to Chillicothe. Mr. Helphenstine and Mr. Watson remained there till in September, 1806. They returned to Virginia and at once made preparations to remove to Ohio. Mr. Helphenstine and family, Jonathan Minshall and family and Walter Watson and family, with their connections, to the number of thirty-nine persons, with six or seven wagons, started for their new home in tho wilds of Ohio. They arrived at Chillicothe the last of October, 1806. There they left their families, while Mr. Watson, with his family, located upon a place which his son David had previously rented for him, and Mr. Helphenstine proceeded to his land, and, with the assistance of David Watson and others, erected a cabin, and, in January, 1807, moved his family from Chillicothe into the cabin, in his new and permanent home, and here Mr. Helphenstine remained through life, being, it is believed, the second settler in Paint Township. He was an excellent neighbor and citizen, a devoted Christian, and lived and died highly esteemed and respected by all who knew him. Some years later, Henry Helphenstine, a brother of the above, became a settler of Paint Township.
David Watson was born in Maryland October 17, 1783, and, with his father, Walter Watson, and his family, became settlers of Ohio in 1806, and in 1807, with Mr. Helphenstine and family, David came to Paint Township, and here was married to Mary Helphenstine, for whom he formed a special attachment when she was but ten years of age, while residing in Virginia. They commenced in life with nothing, as poor as any person ever started out in life. But we will not here devote space to portray a history of this valuable citizen's life, as it is fully given in another part of this work. Suffice it here to say that Paint Township may well be proud of having been the place of residence of one whose life was so full of activity, success and usefulness. George Blougher, of German descent, came with or about the same time as Robert Hume, in 1804. He worked one year for him, clearing his land, for which services Mr. Hume deeded him 100 acres of land, upon which he settled and remained through life. He was a very honorable man, a good neighbor and a worthy citizen. About 1810-12, a Mr. Harpole settled on the Hume land, and became owner of quite a large amount of land, but of him and his we know but little.
James Withrow, a native of Pennsylvania, came to Madison County and located in Paint Township, on Walnut Run, in 1807, and, one year later, brought his family to his new home. Here he took up 250 acres of land. All the country around was a vast wilderness, in which he had but three neighbors—David Watson, Jonathan Minshall and Peter P. Helphenstine. Indians were still here, and were frequent visitors at their house. They were generally friendly and peaceable, but frequently too free or officious, and would borrow or take things out of the house, such as cooking utensils, sometimes keeping them a long time, but would generally return them. They would frequently borrow corn-meal and provisions of various kinds. Corn-meal in that day was an item of sonme value, when they had to go forty-five miles to Chillicothe to get grinding done. Sometimes they would have their supply of meal nearly exhausted, and they would hide it in the straw tick in the bed. On one occasion, Indians searched the house all over, and even the bed, but did not happen to find it. Mr. Withrow never allowed them to bring their guns in the house, but had them leave them outside. At one time, Mr. Withrow having gone to Chillicothe to mill, the Indians came and wanted to bring their guns inside the house, but Mrs. Withrow required them to leave them outside. They came in and sat by the fire. Mrs. Withrow was spinning, and she observed them talking with each other, and apparently displeased about something. By their motions she could understand that they were talking about scalping her. With all the courage she could command, she instantly ordered them out, of the house, and by continued firmness finally succeeded in getting them away. Such trials of their courage and fortitude were quite frequent in that early day, and it seems those noble pioneer women were peculiarly fitted for the occasions they had to meet. Mr. Withrow was quite a military man, and was a Major in the militia for many years. He, in later years, after his farm began to produce wheat, hauled it. to Urbana over the then terrible mud roads, and sold it at 87 cents per bushel. The last hat he purchased for himself he bought at Urbana, for which he gave fourteen bushels of wheat. He erected a saw mill on Walnut Run about 1815, which was the first mill in this vicinity, and one of the first in the county. This mill was run by water, and remained in use about ten or twelve years. Mr. Withrow was no office-seeker, and desired no notoriety in that way, but was an active, industrious man, and devoted his life to his farm interests. His character and integrity were beyond reproach, and was a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church, having brought with him, when he came here, a letter of his membership in the church where he lived in Pennsylvania, bearing date 1803, and connected himself with the church at London, in which church he was an Elder many years.
Of their family of seven ehildren, Ann, the eldest, married Abraham Phifer. She died about 1873. Margaret died unmarried. David married Mary Harvey, and settled in Paint Township, where he died without issue. Isabel married John Stroup, by whom she had five children; is now a widow and resides in London. One of her daughters is the wife of Mr. McLaughlin, proprietor of the Phifer House. Another of her daughters, Rebecca, married Joseph Foos, emigrated to California, and was said to be the first woman who ever went through on the overland route. She is now a resident of Australia. Robert married Ann Carr; resides in London; was formerly Sheriff of the county, but is now retired from all active business. Washington married Catharine Truman and settled on the home place. Then he purchased a farm, which, a few years after, he sold, and in 1842 purchased the Robert Hume land, upon which he resided till, in 1878, he removed to his present place of residence, in Newport, where he has since resided, retired from all active business. His life has been devoted to farming and dealing in stock. From 1836 to 1853, he gave his special attention to buying stock through the Western States, and driving them over the mountains to the Eastern markets, and during this business of seventeen years' duration, there was but one year in which he did a losing business; the sixteen years were successful, and yielded him good profits. His business life has been one of activity, crowned with success, having accumulated a large amount of property. His principal fault in life has been in being too kind-hearted and accommodating for his own financial good, as he has paid over $40,000 security money. But, notwithstanding these misfortunes, he has an ample competency left, and a clear conscience that he has faithfully discharged all obligations, no matter how unjust some of them may have been. Mr. Withrow has been employed to settle up a great many estates in his community, and has filled many of the important offices of his county and township, and is one of the pillars of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Newport, of which he has been a member since the winter of 1854, and has filled most of the important offices of the church. Samuel, the youngest child of Mr. James Withrow, married Charlotte Rankin and resides in London; is engaged in farming, which has been his principal business through life.
John Stroup was a native of Pennsylvania, and settled on the Buffenberger land about 1810, where he remained through life. He devoted his life to farming; had a family of five sons and two daughters; one now survives, and is a resident of Range Township, now Widow Nancy Timmons.
John Phifer, a native of Virginia, emigrated to Madison County about 1810, and located on Paint Creek, on what is now known as the Buffenberger land. He was a blacksmith by trade, which business he followed, in connection with farming, through life. He had a family of three sons and four daughters, all now deceased. Mr. Phifer was an exceptional man for honesty, integrity and uprightness of life. Industrious and faithful in business, kind hearted and liberal, ever ready with his means and influence to aid in every moral progress and improvement, and died at a good old age, loved and respected by all who knew him.
George Phifer, son of the above, married Tabitha Dean; was also a blacksmith by trade, which business he followed several years. After his marriage, he located at London and became one of the active business men of that place. He erected the Phifer House; also the block on the opposite side of High street now occupied by Wolf's clothing store and others. During this time, he was carrying on an active business as a farmer and stock-dealer, and was also for several years engaged in the tanning business—in all which enterprises he was remarkably successful, and died possessed of a large amount of property. Abraham, son of John and brother of George Phifer, married Ann Withrow and settled near his father; devoted his life to farming; was very prosperous, and at his death owned 600 acres of land and several thousand dollars in money. John, the third son, died when young. The daughters were named Dolly, Clara, Betsey and Nancy. All married and had families, and became prosperous and good citizens.
Peter Buffenberger a native of Virginia, while a young single man, emigrated to Madison County, Ohio, and in 1810 located on Paint Creek, in this township, and entered at once largely into the stock business on the prairie, and was very successful. About 1816, he fenced in a large tract of these prairies. He accumulated a large estate, and when, at the advanced age of seventy-five years, married a young lady. Miss Angeline Hutson, by whom he had two children—Eugeue and May. The former married a Mr. Crawford, of New York. Mr. Buffenberger died a few years after his marriage, leaving his family 4,200 acres of fine land, besides 700 acres which he had previously deeded in fee simple to his wife. His wife subsequently married for her second husband Mr. Colburn, and they now reside in New Jersey, and Mary, her youngest daughter by her first marriage, who is unmarried, resides with them. About 1810, George Linson, a native of Virginia, settled on Paint Creek, just below the Buffenberger tract of land. He was married in Virginia, and came here in very limited circumstances; entered upon the stock business; was very successful and made money rapidly, becoming the owner of over two thousand acres of excellent land. He was the father of five sons and two daughters, of whom two now survive—Margaret, now Mrs. Shough; and Jesse. The former resides in Pleasant Township, this county; the latter in Fayette County.
George Chappell settled near Walnut Run about 1810, and remained a resident of this township till death. He was a native of Virginia; married Margaret Green; had four sons and two daughters, all deceased but two—Thomas and Charles, who are now residents of Illinois. Mr. Chappell served as a Justice, of the Peace for many years, and while in that office used his best efforts to get parties to compromise, and thus avoid all litigation, if possible; was a most excellent man and faithful officer. John C. Jones, though not an early settler of Paint Township, having settled here in 1844, yet he was born in East Tennessee in 1817. came to Ohio in 1821, grew to manhood, and has been prominently identified with the growth and progress of the county from a very early day. He has served as Director of the County Infirmary, as a Justice of the Peace, as Township Trustee and other minor offices. He is now quite advanced in years, having spent a long and useful life, devoted to the interests of his county and the community in which he has lived. Rev. William Sutton, a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, was, it is believed, born in Virginia, but became a settler of Paint Township about 1810, locating on the Hume land. He married Hannah Coberly; resided here but a few years, when, as a Methodist minister, he had to adopt the itinerant life they live; but the greater portion of his life was spent in the service of the ministry within Madison County. He died at Mt. Sterling, although his home and residence at the time of his death was in London, and there his body was taken for interment. He was an excellent man and faithful Christian minister Lewis Higgins. a native of Virginia, settled on the Hume tract of land about 1811.
Reuben Gregg, a native of Virginia, emigrated to Chillicothe in 1810, and to Madison County in 1811, and located in Paint Township, about half a mile below where the village of Newport is now situated. He married Phoebe Harpole, and remained a resident here till his death. Thomas Coberly, a native of Virginia, emigrated to Ohio and purchased 100 acres of land in Paint Township about 1810, upon which he located, and where he resided till death. He was an industrious, hard-working pioneer, and raised a family of four sons and three daughters. Of these, William served in the war of 1812, and subsequently became an extensive farmer and trader, which occupations he followed through life. James Chapman was born in Frederick County, Va., in 1801. In 1816, he became a settler of Paint Township, and subsequently married Ann Chapman, a native of Virginia, by whom he had nine children; three now survive. Mr. Chapman is now eighty-one years of age, is hale and hearty, with good eyesight, and is now one of the few early pioneers yet surviving.
From History of Madison County, Ohio, Chester E. Bryan, Supervising Editor, B.F. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis (1915)
Paint township occupies a southern position in the western tier of townships in Madison county, being bounded on the north by Union township, on the east by Union and Range townships, on the south by Stokes township and on the west by Clarke county. While the territory enclosed within the boundaries of the present Paint township began to_ be settled as early as 1804, it was the last township but one to be erected. From the commissioners' records we quote the following, under date of June 7, 1853:
"A petition was presented to the commissioners, asking for a new township, to be called Paint township, to be composed of parts of the townships of Stokes and Union. Beginning at the county line near Peter Slaughter's, thence running an easterly direction to the line of Range township; thence a northerly direction to the line of Range township; thence a northerly direction with the original township line to the corner of Stokes and Union townships; thence northeast so as to include Baskersville's, and to continue in that direction far enough to include Robert Reed, or some point so as to get enough territory; thence a northwesterly direction to the line of Clark and Madison counties at some point north of William T. Jones'; thence a southern direction with the county line to the beginning. Therefore, it is hereby ordered by the commissioners of Madison county, that the foregoing described territory. or as near as may be deemed proper, be, and is, established a township, which shall be known by the name of Paint; and be it further ordered that Henry Alder, surveyor of the county of Madison, and John T. Maxey proceed to survey and establish the lines and boundaries of said township, erecting proper monuments at the several corners thereof. Ordered by the commissioners that the legal voters within the territory heretofore described meet at the residence of James Phifer, on Saturday, the 25th day of June, 1853, and there and then proceed, as provided by statute in such cases, to elect all necessary ofiicers for said township."
Again, on June 6, 1855, we find the following among the commissioners' records: "A number of citizens of Union township presented a petition that the line dividing the townships of Union and Paint be so changed that they may be included within the boundaries of Paint township, to wit: Beginning at the angle in said line between the residence of Washington Withrow and H.Langham; thence north so as to include John Ham, Sr., John C. Jones and Job Coberly, Sr., in Paint township; thence near a straight course to the junction of the Midway and London turnpike road and the old Xenia road, that being the Paint township line, or near that place where Paint township lines strikes the old Xenia road." This petition was granted, and Nelson Baker appointed to survey the line.