The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-06-17
OF THE TOWNSHIP OF NlM-
lSHIlLEN
THE EARLY SETTLERS
First White Child Born in
the Township.

er's grove. The attendance though
small was of that number who are al.
ways ready to lend hand in the ad.
vancement of educational matters
This district is one in which some
of the first settlers of Nimishillen
township located and therefore was
among the first of our rural schools
to be organized We purpose giving
history of this school, but before
doing so shall endeavor to give his
tory of the township up to the time
when this school was organized.
Nimishillen was named after the
stream which takes its rise in the
township. Tradition tells us that the
stream was named from the black
alder which at one time grew abund-
antly along its banks, the Indian name
cf which is said to be Missilla. Prefix
to this mi which probably meant
stream or water, and we have Nim-
isslla. Col. Bouquet, British officer
stationed at Fort Duquesne (now
Pittsburg) in his published narrative
of an expedition through this section
in 17G4 gives the orthography of the
stream as Nemenschelus. The first
settler in the township was John Bow
ers from Maryland He entered the
south half of section 80 in 1905 and
in the following spring moved out
with his family and commenced an
improvement on the east quarter.
John Bowers later sold this farm to
Bolinger and is the farm of the late
Jesse Hershberger located southwest
of town. In the winter of 1867 a
little incident occurred which we get
from the history of Stark county. Mr..
Bowers son John, then a stout boy,
was taken sick with fever. There
was no physician within reach and
the boy grew worse, the family had
exhausted their efforts to relieve him
without success. They sent for a few
distant neighbors who were prompt to
respond to the call. Their added ex.
perience and domestic remedies proved
alike unavailing and the poor boy died.
1t was a terrible shock to the family.
The mother blamed it all on the new
country and regretted having left
their eastern home. A rough coffin
was made out of an old wagon box
and the boy buried in the woods some
distance from the cabin II was a
solemn occasion. long remembered by
the few in attendance. A tree was
cut so as to fall across the grave in
order to protect the body from the
wolves. John Bowers after selling this
quarter to Bollinger made settlement
on the adjoining east quarter and while
here was elected county commission
er and afterwards tax collector. wnen
the office was distinct from that or
! treasurer. In 1906 John Cans, of Fay
cite county, Pennsylvania, entered the
southeast quarter of section and set
tied thereon the same year with his
family. This place is now owned by
Peter Linder and situated near Barry
vile.
The same year, 1906, the Matthias
brothers, Daniel and Jacob, and their
father, a widower, came from the
same county in Pennsylvania. They
settled on section IA, which is sit
uated in the Linden Hall school dis.
trict which land is now owned by Vic
tor Joliat, Frank Gremminger and
Mrs. Lydia Shaffer, Unloading their
cooking and farming utensils they
bivouacked under tree until the men
erected cabin. In the fall of 1906
child was born to Mrs. Daniel Ma,
thias which was the first white child
born in the township. Henry Sanor
made settlement at this time made
an opening Oh the same section.
At this period Indians were roam
ing over the country, a small camp
of them were located on what is now
the Gremminger farm. They were in
offensive but persistent beggars es-
pecially when they knew any of the
settlers had any "whisk" or fire water.
Matthias had brought a keg of several
gallons with him from Pennsylvania,
and having treated some of the tribe
to a drink on one occasion he was
soon besieged by such numbers that
the supply of stimulant was soon ex-
hausted. Nor would they accept his
statement until he exhibited the empty
keg when they made fruitless efforts
to squeeze out few more drops.
There was a. Indian trail running east
and west through the township. John
Thomas who settled on what was later
known as the Leefong farm, with the
help granted by the commissioners
had this trail widened so as to make
1t passable for teams and was after
ward known as the Thomas road
Much of the road still remains in use
from Lexington via Freeburg and
Louisville to Canton. This Is why
the road does not run with the sec
tion lines or to use the common ex'
preston Square with the world, >
Penticost & Scott, land spectators
laid out town on this road on the
southeast quarter of section 28 and
called il Nimishiiientown. Daniel
! l.. Mcclure made beautiful plat OF
/ the town, which was exhibited tc
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