The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-01-31
OUR EARLY HISTORY.
NIMIsHILLEN TIP, STARK COUNTY.
Its Early Settlement - Names Of the Pioneers,
Incidents, &C., sc,


silla. Prefix to this word, nj, which
probably meant stream, or water, and
you have ni.mi8silla, since corrupted into
Nimishillen. Col, Bouquet, British
officer stationed at Fort Du Quesne (now
Pittsburgh in his narrative of an expe-
dition through this section in 1894, gives
the orthography of the stream nemenche-
It8, from which the present name was
evidently derived.
The first settler in the township was
John Bowers from Maryland. He en-.
tered the south.half of section 80 in 1905,
and in the following spring, moved out
with his family and commenced an i'm
provemenL on the east quarter. The
winter following, his son John, then a
stout boy, was taken sick with fever.
There was no physician near, and the
parents were compelled to rely upon
their own resources to do what they
could for his relief Teas made from
roots and herbs, reputed sovereign reme-
dies in fever, were freely administered,
but without avail, The son continued
to grow worse, and in few days died.
1t was a terrible shock to the family.
The mother blamed it all upon the new
country, and regretted having left their
eastern home. The few distant neigh.
bors were promptly on hand to condole
with the afflicted family and render such
assistance as was in their power. Arude
coffin was constructed out of an old
wagon box, and the boy buried in the
woods, some distance from the cabin.
A tree was fell across the grave to pro-
tect it from the wolves. Bowers sold
this quarter to Bollinger, and removed
upon the adjoining quarter west, where
he died about forty years ago. John
Bowers was one of the early County
Commissioners, and also Tax Collector,
when the Office was distinct from that OF
Treasurer. He is yet remembered pass
ing from house to house, with a Cyin-
drical tin box strapped over his shoulder,
which contained his papers.
There was an Indian trail running east
and west, that passed through the town
ship. John Thomas, resident of Co.
lumbiana county, with the help granted
by the Commissioners, had this trail
widened, 80 as to make it passable for
teams. 1t was afterward known as the
"Thomas road" 1t is the same road rum
ming from Lexington, through Freeburgh
and Louisville to Canton. PentiCost &
Scott, a firm of land spectators, laid out a
town on this road, on the southwest
quarter OF section %, and called it "Nim.
ishillentown." Their idea was to make
a strike for the county seat. Daniel L.
Mcclure, Surveyor, made a plat of the
projected town, giving the streets attrac.
tive names. A square was donated for
the court. house and Jail, one for school
and another for a church. The proprie.
tors erected cabin, covered it with
clapboards, fastening them with nails
wrought by blacksmith in New Lisbon
In the cabin the two men kept bachelors
hall, and as emigrants came from the
east to purchase land, either for home
or on speculation, they beset them to
purchase a lot in the new town. Mean.
while, Osnaburgh and Canton began to
loom up as prominent sites in competi.
tion for the county seat, both being more
centrally located. Itsoon became evident
that the contest for the courthouse was
between these two towns. A few lots Of
Nimishillentown were sold, but no inn.
provements made, and the project of q
town abandoned. The site of Mimi.
shillentown, the first paper town Of
Stark county, is now cultivated field.
In 1906, Daniel Matthias, with wife
and three children, and his father, then
Widower, came from Fayette county
Pa, and settled on the southeast quarter
of section IA. Unloading their cooking
and farming utensils, they biUo,tdcked un,
der a tree, until the men erected cabin
Jacob Matthias, brother of Daniel, came
out at the same time, with wife and
two children, and settled near by. A
child was born to Mrs. Daniel Matthias
in October, 1906, which was the first
white child born in the township. In.
diaDs were accustomed to camp along
the creek during the season of hunting
and fishing. They were inoffensive, bul
like the tramp" of the present day, per.
sistent beggars. They were particularly
fond of whisky, and when once INDUCED
with taste, there was no let up to theil
opportunities for more "whisk," as they
called it. Matthias brought keg of sew.
eral gallons with him from P Pennsylvania
On the occasion of visit from several oil
the tribe. he treated them each to q
drink. This soon spread among the rest
and it was not long until he was be.
sieged by such numbers, that his supply
of the stimulant was soon exhausted; nor
would they accept his statement that he
had no more, until he exhibited the
empty keg, when they made fruitlees ef-
forts to squeeze out few more drops,
The great eclipse of 1911 is we'll re.
membered by Mrs. Matthias. She was
away from home on that day, on visit
to neighbor. On her return home, il
suddenly began to grow dark, although
the sun had just been shining brightly.
1t was soon 80 dark, that she was un-
able to see the path, and she was COM
PEELED to stop until the darkness passed
away. She was much frightened and
supposed the world had come to an end.
Henry Loutzenheiser and John Ru-
pert, brothers.in-lsw, from Westmore-
land county, Pa, came out in the sum-
mer Of 1867, and with the help of a hire
ling, made clearing on the southwest
quarter Of section II, and erected a cabin
about twelve feet square. Rupert made
a clearing upon the adjoining quarter,
and built cabin the same year. Lout.
zenheiser sold his land a few years af.
ter to Martin Houser, a revolutionary
soldier, and bought the quarter upon
which Nimishillen town had been 10.
Gated. Michael Rupert, uncle of Henry
Loutzenheiser, married an Indian squaw,
and by her had several children. His
brother Martin and cousin Martin Hou.
ser, were both taken prisoners during
the revolutionary war, by the Indians
while driving cattle to the army. In
1922, he built the brick house yet stand.
ing in Louisville, which was the first
building of brick in the township. For
many years he kept tavern here, right
atthe Spread EaRle. The houEe wa