The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1867-03-14
Historical Sketches of
Highland County.
compiled Chi.ag from sooTi "H''orv Of HighlaHd, ,r
isiih additions aud Correction nom
Oiher Authentic Sources.
RY THE EDITOR.


lie Buys Jacob Smiths lHU-Bai,byisyge
Laid out by lfaSSie IN 1sO4-,Tqcob and
John RockhoId Build the First House IN
me 1o0r'-"Ne,C amsterdam" Decliaes-
Ne'0 Settlers in By1tS6creek Tp.-The
FHSF5, Hatters, Suffers, Wltiams, Wash
burns, Reeds, &c.-ReU. Benz. Tanpelt-
The Co1e1t1yman NIL on E. Fork of Brush
CTeek-Pioneer Substitutes for "Green-
6aohs"-Ftrst Settlement of Union tn. il,
lsO2-Sketch Of adams, the First Settler
Il Type Of One Class Of the Ea,ly Pioneers
-1t0o Glasses Of Pioneers Deserted.
The first grist mill built and put in sue
cessful operation in the county of High.
land was built by John Gossett, in the
year 1901. Its location was on WhiteoaI,
Creek, miles south Of New Market, near
the present site of "Sonner's MILL Tho
mill house was a pretty good-sized struc-
ture, built of hewn logs, with clapboard
roof. One John Smith, a Scotchman, IA
miliarly known throughout the then
sparsely populated settlement as "Scotcb
Johnny" was the millwright. "snitb "
(says Mr.. Scott,) ''was not only a man of
considerable scientific attainment. but is
remembered as remarkably amiable apd
honorable in all his intercourse with 9th
ers. His mOdesty and difidence caused
him to seek retirement, thus hiding his
talents from public view. For his services
IN constructing this mill he received 100
acres of land, on which he settled quietly
down, and spent the remainder of his davs
in the peaceful and pleasant occupation of
4 farmer"
The construction of a mill in those davs
was no easy matter, all the lumber having
to be cut with whip saw from the solid
log. The irons had to bo brought from
Kentucky. Mr., Gossett made the mill
stones himself out of two large boulders
which he found in the neighborhood. He
also did the masonry. There was nreot re-
joicing throughout the settlement when
the mill was completed, and the people
had no longer to send their corn to the
Falls of Paint,
About two years after Gossctt built his
mill, he sold it to Lewis Gibler, who mov-
ed into the Heighborhood with several 9TH
er families, from Shenandoah county, yir-
ginia. Mr.. Gibler was a kind-hoarted man
and it is related of him, that .when n
stranger would apply for meal or flour. he
would ask him if he had the money to nav
for it. If answered in the Affirmative bn
would tell him he could go and purchase
Ill.
elsewhere-that his surplus meal and flour
was for the poor who had just come into
the settlement, and who, without money.
might not be able to procure bread"
Mr.. Gossett emigrated from Pennsyl-
vnnia to Bourbon county, Kentucky, and
in 1874 was employed in hauling supplies
to Wayne's army in the Northwest. In
1897 he removed to Chillicothe, but after
residing there about two years, removed
to the settlement on Whiteoal, where he
resided for manly years. He finally sold
out on Whiteoak, purchased land and set
tied on the road from New Market to the
Falls of Paint, about miles east of New
Market, where he spent the remainder oi
his life.
ain the sprihE Of tsO2, Nfassie's mill a,
the Falls of Paint, was washed away bv n
Hood. He did not rebuild it, but the fol-
lowing year bought ont Jacob Smith, on
the opposite side, who moved away.
"The next year (lSO4) NIassie laid out the
town of cambridge, Ross county, which
he named in honor of America's great naval
hero, Commodore VIM. Bainbridge. Soon
after the town was laid off, Massie employ
led Jacob and John RoCkhOld, who had
settled at the Falls of Paint two years pre-
vious, to build a hewed log house for a
store-room. This was the first house
built on the town plat, and was filled, as
soon as completed, with stock Of good,
belonging to Massie. From that time 'lNeu
Amsterdam rapidly declined, and the site
once so big with promise, has long since
been plowed up and cultivated as a corn
field"
In 1909 the settlements at Sinking Spring
and vicinity received a considerable num-
Der of newcomers. Among them were
, Simon, Peter and Martin Shoemaker
brothers, from Virginia, the first of whom
was afterwards a soldier in the war o
1912, and taken prisoner at Hull's sur
render. John Fulk also moved in from
Virginia; he too was in the war of 1872
Besides these, the "Old Dominion" furn
ished this year the following new settler
to the present township of Brushcreek
viz: George Suiter, George CurseweIl, ia
cob Fisher, Abraham Boyd, Peter Stults
DR.. John Caplinger, Capt. Wilson, Capt
John Roads, Henry Countryman and hii
three sons, Martin, John and Henry, Rev
Benz. vanpelt and perhaps others, Capt
Wilson was the first militia captain in tn,
township, and was afterwards in the wal
} of ~, and promoted to Major. Capt. Johr
Roads was the second militia captain il
the township and was also in the war of 10
In the same year, John Halter, a Revo
lutionary soldier, came from Pennsylvania
and settled in Brushcreek, and from thu
same State came also James Washburn
James Reed, Leonard Reed, Michael Snively
and John Lowman. Lowman settled OF
sundsh creek, about miles east of Sink
ing Spring. The Countrymans settle,
about 8 mileN northwest Of Sinking