The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-05-17
Disfnriral
For the DEMOCRAT
History Of the EARLY Settlement
OF
Plain Township Stark County,
(coNcLUDED,)

Plain township was organized in 1909
The first election was held on the first
Monday in April, at the house OF George
Harter. The officers elected had jurls-
diction over Jackson, Lawrence, as far
as Tuscarawas river, Franklin and
Green. now a part of Summit county, as
these townships we're yet without civil
organization.
The first volume Of the township
record has been lost or mislaid, and it
cannot be ascertained who were the first
officers elected, but it is in the memory
of persons still living. that the first JUS
tices were James Gaff and George Wyke;
Abraham Van Meter. Clerk; Jacob
Warshler, Treasurer, and Henry Friday,
Constable. There was considerable
trouble to get second Constable. Sew
eral different persons were elected or ap'
pointed, but rather than serve paid the
fne ofS2,oo. At length, David Eby ac>
cepted, and during his term OF office but
one summons was served. While stark
county was yet under the jurisdiction of
Columbiana, it was divided into two
townships, Canton and Lake. James F..
Leonard and Henry Loutzenheiser were
commissioned as Justices Of the Peace.
At the same time, David Bachtel was
Constable.
The first marriage in the township was
Catharine Harter TO David Clay in 1870.
Three soldiers of the revolution ended
their days in Plain. John Keefer uncle
of Solomon Sell, enlisted in Pennsyl>
vania,-partcipated in the battles of
Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown,
and Monmouth-died in 1884, and is
buried at Zion church, Moses Nelson
died about 1870, and is buried IN the
Weaver graveyard. Christopher Bur
CERT died at the Infrmary. The fol-
lowing residents of Plain were SOL
,diers in the war 1872; David Shook,
Jacob Essig, Adam Essig, Abraham
Bair, John Shinnaberger, John Holtz and
Jehu Grubb. Jacob Essig was the last to
answer the roll call on earth.
The first mill in the township was
built by George Adam Rex in 1911, on
the present site of the Sommer's mill.
In few years after, it was purchased by
John Shorb for his son.in.law, Paul
Ryder, Ryder died, and the widow
married Jacob Hostetter, who run the
mill for a number of years. The mills
of Henry Everhard, David Wise, Cons
rad Rufner and John Trump, were all
built between ISI2-I4.
A store was started at the Rex mill at
an early day by Abraham Holm and his
son Jacob, who did the business 1t
proved failure pecuniarily. The first
tahyard in the township was carried on
by Holm on the southwest quarter of
section 10,
The predominant religious faith Of the
early settlers was Lutheran and German
Reformed. A joint organization of the
two denominations was formed in 1914,
and log church erected on ground dos
mated by Henry Warstler, from which it
took the name Of Henry Church.
Henry Warstler was taken sick and died
while the building was being raised.
He was the third person buried on that
ground, Valentine Speelman atterward
gave one half acre of ground to the
church, The first burial in the yard at
tached to the church was child of Peter
.Swinehart in 1903. Soon after, the wife
of Christian WarstIer, who died Of con-
sumption,
Religious service was alternately held |
by Rev, Benjamin Foust German Re-
formed, and Rev. Anthony Wler
Lutheran. For the government of the
two bodies, a constitution was framed,
June "a, 1874, and signed by members of
both denominations. The following are
the signatures to the original document,
all written in German: