Madison County History and Genealogy

History and Genealogy



History of Madison County


Pleasant Township Pioneers


From History of Madison County, Ohio, Chester E. Bryan, Supervising Editor, B.F. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis (1915)

Pleasant township was one of the earliest settled portions of Madison county. This was undoubtedly due to its position geographically and its close proximity to the older counties, especially Ross county. Chillicothe, in Ross county, early became a sort of asylum and trading center for the pioneers and settlers in all the counties around. From the Ohio river up the valley of the Scioto, early settlements were made, and Chillicothe early became the principal trading point of the frontier. From this base of supplies, the pioneer and huntsman pushed up the Scioto and its numerous tributaries—Paint, Deer and the Darby creeks—and it seems that the two last-mentioned streams were early visited by those in quest of game and a location, as it soon became known that along these streams were found, in plenty, herds of deer and immense flock of wild turkeys, and, what was more important than all, as good a body of land as the sun ever shone on.

The first settlers were James and William Hewey and David Martin, who built their cabins on the northeast bank of Deer creek in 1797. This afterwards became known as the Gabriel Alkire farm. They emigrated here from Kentucky, but are believed to have come originally from Virginia. To the southeast a short distance from where they built their cabin was an Indian camping ground and also a burial ground. James Hewey was married, but William remained single and lived with his brother. They erected a cabin, made some improvements and here they remained until their deaths. Nothing further is known of them. David Martin built his cabin on the same farm, a little northwest of the Heweys. He also came from Kentucky. Nothing further is known of either of these families of pioneers. No children were left to preserve their name or fame.

The next to venture into the wilds of the present Pleasant township was William Alkire. He had emigrated to America with his brothers, Monus, Michael and John, from Scotland before the outbreak of the American war for independence, and all four of the brothers served in that struggle on the side of freedom. They later all moved to Maryland, but finally Michael and William removed to Kentucky, one of the others to Tennessee and the fourth remained in Maryland. William Alkire, son of the previously mentioned William, came with three of his sons to the Northwest territory in the fall of 1799 and purchased fourteen hundred acres of the Baylor survey, No. 464, on Deer creek, in what is now Pleasant township, Madison county. The sons erected a cabin and began clearing the land that fall, while the father returned to Kentucky and in the spring of 1800 brought the remainder of the family to their new home. Mr. Alkire was the father of fourteen children, eight sons and six daughters all of whom grew to maturity. The sons were Robert, Isaac, Abraham, Jacob. Monus, William. Joseph and John. Of the daughters, three married and moved to the West, one died, and Margaret and Lydia married and settled here. Mr. Alkire died in 1825.

Peter Long, of German descent, who settled in the northeast part of the township soon after 1800, was one of the earliest settlers of the township. Two of his sons, Jacob and John, never married and spent their days on the old home farm. One daughter married John Oglesbee and lived on a portion of the place. William Woods, a native of Maryland, born near Washington, D. C., married Elizabeth Dickinson and soon afterward removed to Greenbrier county, Virginia; thence, about 1801, he came to Ohio and settled on Duffs fork in this township, and there resided until quite aged, when he removed to the home of his son, William D., who then owned a mill east of Mt. Sterling, and resided with him until his death. When he came to this county he purchased six hundred acres of land on Duff's fork, and during the War of 1812 the army opened a military road through his farm, known as the "Langham trace," over which the soldiers passed to join General Harrison's army in the Northwest. Mr. Wood was the father of the following children: William D., Anna, Jonathan, Phebe, Rhoda, John and Mary.

John R. Robinson, a native of South Carolina, settled on land in the southeastern part of the township about 1806, and became quite an extensive farmer and stock raiser. He was a prominent and reliable citizen, and served the township for several years as a justice of the peace. He was the father of seven or eight children.

John J. Smith married Rachel Alkire and. with his father-in-law, came to Ohio about 1805-6, settling in Pleasant township. Smith was a native of Kentucky. Mr. Alkire, his father-in-law, settled on the east bank of Deer creek, just in the edge of Pickaway county, and a few years afterwards, probably about 1810-12, built a grist-mill on the west bank of Deer creek in this township, just opposite his tract of land. This mill was built of logs, with "raccoon buhrs," and was run by water power, with a bolting attachment that was operated by hand. This mill was operated by him for several years, when it came into the ownership of his son-in-law. Later Mr. Alklre moved to Sangamon county, Illinois. Mr. Smith rebuilt the grist-mill and attached a saw-mill; finally, he sold it to Otho Williams and William Leach, who were succeeded by William D. Wood, and he by Elijah Atkins. This was one of the first, if not the first, grist-mill erected in the township.

Forgus Graham, a native of Virginia, married Elizabeth Trimble and emigrated to Kentucky; thence, in 1806, moved to Pickaway county, Ohio, and in February, 1807, came to Madison county and settled. Here he lived between fifty and sixty years and then removed to Indiana, where he died at an advanced age. His wife died while living in Madison county. They had twelve children, one dying in infancy: James, Washington, Joseph, Walker, Jane, Margaret, Malinda and Eliza, all of whom married and moved to the West; the others, John, Polly and Robert, married and remained in this county. Mr. Graham was an earnest worker in the Christian church and a minister in that church for a number of years. He and George Alkire organized a Christian church in Pleasant township that was known as the Antioch church. Mr. Graham's house was a preaching place for several years prior to the building of the church edifice, and his "latch-string" was ever out for the admission of the ministers, brethren and friends of the Christian work. He began life poor, gave largely and liberally, and labored earnestly all his life for the Christian cause. He owned about five hundred acres of land.

William Creath, a native of Virginia, emigrated to Kentucky; thence about 1808, to Ohio and settled in this township, one mile north of Mt. Sterling, where he and his wife, Margaret, lived and died. They were the parents of seven children: James, John, George, William, Samuel, Margaret and Jane M. James, the eldest, served in the War of 1812, while William, Margaret and James married and settled in this township. Thomas Anderson, also a native of Virginia, emigrated to Kentucky in an early day, thence, about 1805-6, removed to Ohio and settled on Oppossum run, in Franklin county, and, about 1811, removed to Pleasant township and settled near Mt. Sterling, on the Loveberry farm, where he devoted his attention to farming for the remainder of his life. He served as a lieutenant during the War of 1812. He married Rebecca Cochran, of Virginia, by whom he had eight children.

John Riddle, a native of Pennsylvania, born near Mifflintown, emigrated to Ohio and settled at Staunton, near Troy, Miami county. He was one of the pioneers of that county, and served during the War of 1812 as a teamster, being surrendered to the British by General Hull at Detroit; but he was afterward recaptured and his team returned to him. About 1815, he removed to Madison county and settled in Pleasant township, on land afterwards known as the Puckett farm, and a few years after moved to what is now the north part of Mt. Sterling, on the London road. He remained a resident of this township the remainder of his life, and died at Mt. Sterling, on January 9, 1858. He was twice married; by his first wife he had seven children, and by his second wife, three.

Others that should be mentioned as early settlers and residents of this township are William Ware, E. Fitzgerald, George Kious, David Heath, John Puckett, Robert Abernathy and Isaac Moore, the Davidson family, Elijah Bragg, G. W. Ingrim, the Timmons family, Drs. Samuel and William McClintock, Dr. D. E. McMillin. These were hardly pioneers of the township, but were among its most prominent early residents and were founders and promoters of the progress and prosperity of the township.


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