The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-02-24
A SCRAP OF HISTORY.
Something About the Early
Settlers of Pike Township.
THE NAMES QUITE FAMILIAR.
A Methodist Circuit Rider who Travelled
415 Miles to Preach at a Salary of
$50 Ycar-An Interest
ing Tale.

improvements of mankind In the way
OF constructing railroads over our country
which ave been completed by time ard
hard labor, forming vast network Of
iron reaching out to our neighborlng
states, it shows the vast improvement
over early times.
But to return to the early settlers of
Pike township. The first were George
Young, James Eakins, John Shut and
Jacob KemeIy. or Eakins, Shut and
Kemery but little is remembered. Eakins
settled on the farm occupied by James
Evans about 1908, the farm on which my
grandfather lived and died in Tus-
carawas county. This tract of land at
that time formed part of Pike township.
Shut lived to the age of 92 years and
Kemery to 81 years. Young was a native
of Maryland and was married at the
early age of 10 years and remained in
Pennsylvania few years In 1906 he
came to Stark county. He leased piece
Of land in section 0. His nearest neighbor
was John Nichols, four miles northeast,
building q mill on Nimishillep, and
John Farber of Tusearawas county, dis
tant five miles. He built log cabin,
with puncheon to serve as table,
blocks for chairs and sugar trough for
q cradle or bread tray as circumstances
required. The first winter spent by the
young couple in Pike was a long, dreary
one. Indians were lowering about the
country for something to eat. Mr.. Young
in 1911 entered the northwest corner of
section 81, where he built a cabin, and
upon this farm he lived and died but
few years ago at the age of 81 years. The
farm is now owned by Robert Carnehan
During the war of 1912 he was drafted
three times, each time furnishing sub
stitute. He kept the first store in Pike
township and was Of German descent.
Another pioneer of Pike township
was Jonathan Gable, who settled here in
1911. The spring Of 1912 there was
notice served on him that he had been
drafted in the United States service
and that he must appear at a cetain place
on n certain day, properly armed and
equipped according to law, or furnish
q substitute. He hired substitute for
500. The substitute had no gun and he
was then forced to part with his trusty
rifle, which caused mora regret than part
ing with the $50. Mrs Gable would
put her children TO bed at night ana then
90 out with her husband and help him
in rolling logs and burning brush. She
could split rails, build fences, cut cord
wood and in harvest filed she made a
regular hand. Tn y worked a sugar
camp on the east side of Nimishillen and
Mis-. Gable would cross in canoe to
gather in the sugar water and bring it
over. One time the stream was high AID
the current rapid she used a pole to push
the canoe through the water. Toe pole
caught in her dress and threw her out.
The water took her up to her neck but she
kept hold of the canoe and pushed it
ashore.
In 1912 Pitney Guest and Benjamin
Miller arrived. Guest was Miller's SON
in-law and both families were from New
jersey. Miller was revolutionary
soldier and served under Gen. Green.
A short time ago at Sparta Frank Dine
found sword in the bottom of the creek
that had the name Of Gen. Green on it,
supposed to have been a sword of revolu-
tionary fame. Guest was a shoemaker
by trade. He was drafted in the war of
1912 in the last call for troops, but peace
was declared before he was ordered to
the front. He was killed at the Ft.
Wayne crossing of South Market street,
Canton, by the running away of his
team in 1856. His widow died in 1874
at the age of 92.
During the year 1919 Henry Board
ner and Philip Sefert came in. From
1919 to 1915 the following settlers came
in: Amos Janney, John Russell, Michael
Holm and his son John, George Fetters,
Christian Hiple, John Bachtel, Daniel
Failor, Joseph Keel, the Henlines, Kai-
sers, Shroyers, Weavers, Peter Hockan
smith, and the Howenstines. Other
pioneer settlers Of the township were
Michael Worley, Jacob Miller, John
Richards, Jacob Flora, Michael Apley,
John Canres, Bartley Williams, John
Nswhouse, John Bernheimer, Martin
Mckinney, Jacob Bowman, Daniel
Bryan, the Princes, Hemmingers, Paint
ers and others whose names are not re-
msmbered. The majority of these came
from the old keystone state and were
either Pennsylvania Dutch or Quakers.
In Pike township several neighbors
would join together and load a canoe or
dug out With their surplus produce and
float down the Nimishillen, Sandy and
Tuscarawas to place called the station
and exchanged their cargo for whiskey,
tobacco, iron nails, salt, pepper, coffee
etc.
Ell Miles lived in Sandy township |
Mrs. Miles took her babe and started to
make visit to Edward Jackson 5 in the |
southern part of this township. When |
she got short distance south of Sparta
night overlook her and the wolves We're
upon her track, She sought place of
safety Climbing a large tree upon
which limb had grown out forming a
seat, another in just the right position to
rest her feet upon and still another to
support her back, just as comfortable
position as it We uld have been possible to
find. The wolves soon appeared and one
of the hungry pack stayed all night un-
der the tree aud did not leave until day
light drove him to his cen. Mrs. Miles
had taken her apron and tied herself and
child fast to the tree. After the wolf
left she came down from the tree ana
found herself near the neighbors she was