The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1873-06-26
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BX L I. I.
CHAPTER Xxx.

HILL
CHAPTER Xxx.
Levi Burden, the father of Amos Bur
den, citizen of the township, was in thu
order of election the eleventh justice O
the peace Of the township. James Akey
the eighth justice, lives now in Logar
county, Ohio. Fyfl |.4t
Mahlon Allison moved into this town.
ship from Salem, and was elected the six.
teenth Justice of the peace. He started 6
carding and Woolen mill at Linaville
he left this township for CuyahogS
county. ~
Thomas Wright built the Touring mills
yet known in Smith township as Wright's
mills, from which locality he came to this
township and was elected the fourteenth
justice. He owned the Salady addition
to Alliance, and from the FIRST house north
of the P. Ft. w. & @. r, R. he and his
family moved to the state of Texas, where
he died ! and also several members of his
family deceased there. His widow re-
turned and now resides IN the township.
E N Johnson, Sem, was the twelfth in
the line Of commissioned justices. BE
still resides on his farm, where he settled
in 1S2S,-located on the western suburbs
of the village of Mt. Union. When MIR.
Johnson was q magistrate, Lexington
township embraced all the territory of
Washington township. 9JI
John G Morss, formerly a resident of
Limaville, now of Dekora, Iowa, lawyer
by profession, was q courteous gentleman
and excellent citizen. Notwithstanding
his political convictions classed him with
the minority party OF the township, he
was four times elected justice Of the peace
In Lexington township.
Mr.. B B Green, the thirty first justice
of the township lived in Limaville for a
time was concerned in the pottery busi-
ness. He now resides in Dekora, Iowa
Joseph johnson came to the township
from Washington county, Pa, and settled
In 1928 on the farm he now occupies west
of Alliance. He was commissioned the
fifteenth magistrate Of Lexington town
ship on April 2Sth, 1887.
Mr., Abraham GaskIll was the son fthe
first settler, Nathan Gaskill, he yet resides
on farm in the north west corner Of the
township. Abraham Gaskill was three
times elected justice in Lexington town
ship. His first commission is dated April
29th, 1910. -rr rFr~- q.
Thos Wood (deceased), was son of
Thomas Wood and brother to Matthew
Wood, the life assessor OF Lexington town
ship. He was twice elected justice of the
peace.
Robert NJ Buck, deceased, was prac-
ticing physician. Though of democratic
politics, he was elected justice in 1852.
A L Jones, Esq, is q lawyer by profess
sion, came to this township about 1850
from Columbiana county and was com
missioned Justice in October 18th, 1856
Mr.. Jones still resides in this city prac-
ticing his profession.
John Ellison, deceased, came to this
township from Marlboro; he was twice
elected justice. His widow and two
daughters now reside in this city. ID G
Ellison, the affable cashier of the First
National Bank, is q son of John Ellison.
William Beeson, Robert r Barr, Tai
mage w Leek, w Richmond, L w Roach,
Simon johnson have each discharged the
highest judicial functions of the township.
Jacob P Zaizer, at present one of the act
ing justices of the township, is merchant
and resides in Limaville. There have
been forty-two justices Of the peace elected
or commissioned in Lexington township.
Joseph Barnaby, the present acting JUS
tice in the Alliance precinct, has been
elected to the position three times. The
first commission to Nathan Gaskill IS
dated May 10Th, 1917, the last issued to
Joseph Barnaby on March 29th, 1873 !;
half century Of time.
Alliance is the name given to the cross
ing of the Ohio and Pennsylvania and
Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroads, AL
lance ~Was-named- Gen. Robinson,
deceased, of Pittsburgh. The lots around
the crossing We're surveyed chiefly by the
county surveyor, Mr.. Whitacre, in 1851,
and the proprietors of the adjoining land
were Simeon Jeanings, Joseph ]. Brooks
/. N. Webb and Elisha Teetsrs. if
Freedom hes upon the south side of the
Mahoning, and was started about the year
1928, by Matthias Hester. The religious
society that was first organized at Will
Transport was Of the Methodist faith !;
William Teeters and wife, and Perry
Chance and wife. were among the first
members.
And now that the town was located, it
became necessary to improve it. Accord
ingly house was built by Mr.. Hester,
the first house ever erected in Alliance,
and which is now standing, and occupied
by Mr.. Olliger. The same year Mr.. Hes
ter started store, thereby being the first
to establish mercantile pursuits In the
town. Mr.. Hester gave the town the
name of Freedom by which 1T was known
until ten or twelve years after its origin,
OF until the completion of the @. d P, and
P. Ft. w. & @. Railroad, when the Rail
= road companies gave it the name of AL
lance. Mr.. Hester made public sale Of
lots, the same year in which the town was
laid out, and disposed of several, upon
which buildings were soon erected. In
1S41, or about three years later Mr. s.
Shaffer came here from Pennsylvania, and
opened another store. Here was the first
competition IN trade in Alliance. And
from these two insignificant establish
ments have sprung the 80 odd business
houses of to-day. Verify, their progeny
has been prolific. For the first ten or
twelve years, the growth Of the town was
very slow the accessories were few and
infrequent. Another store was added. a
small brick school house, church, and q
few dwellings comprised the principal I'M
provements. There was nothing here at
this early day to attract immigration.
The country was almest wilderness,
theTs was no milling privilege, there were
few comforts Of any kind to be obtained,
and many annoyances and inconveniences
were submitted to. The Post-ofice was
two or three miles distant. There were
no markets for surplus products nearer
than Massillon, 26 miles away, and to
that point farmers would haul their grain,
receiving for it 40 or so cents per bushel.
Our merchants supplies We're purchased
at Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and .rena-
ported by canal and river to Wellsyille,
and from thence by wagons to this place
In those days it required from four to six
weeks for our merchants to make the trip
to Philadelphia, purchase goods and re-
turn. Now with our present rNilroad
facilities, the same trip may be easily ac-
complished in the space of oneweek. The
ground upon which the city now stands,
was at the time Of the location of the
town, owned by the following gentlemen
Matthias Hester, VIM. Aultman, Michael
and John Miller, Mr.. Scott and Mr.. Cas-
siday. These gentlemen made numerous
additions to the town, and public enter
prises, in the way ofland for the purpose
Of stimulating and encouraging the i'm
provements OF the town, but its progress
was very tardy, and twelve years after its
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