The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-07-14
nay become a township charge.

| ONeIseeTs VI the pOOT.
October 10th, 1919. Served the
above notice, the costs and mileage
being 35 cents.
Benjamin Price, Constable.
The duties required of the fence
viewers was to ascertain the condition
of the fences along the public highway
and division lines, also to see that per-
sons owning stock kept It within proper
| bounds, or If wishing to let 1t run
at large, to see that they were properly
branded with some ear mark by which
| the property could be readily recog-
nized by the owner. The ear mark or
| brand, whatever 1t was, had to be re-
corded on the township records by the
clerk, in order to make the claim of
| the owner good in case of disputed
| property the stock bearing the mark
| upon record being proof satisfactory
that the right owner would get his
property. We find upon the old records
quite number of ear marks and
| brands entered by different persons in
order to recognize their property, and
we take the liberty to copy few of
them, to give the reader clean under
standing of the law as it was at the
time when they were made.
Nicholas Stump-His ear mark is a
crop off the left ear and hole in the
same. Recorded June Sth, 1915.
Abraham Sheplar, Clerk
Martin Henline-His ear mark Is a
| half crop off the right ear. Recorded
June 18th, 1915.
Abraham Sheplar Clerk"
John Brown-His ear mark is one
hole in the left ear. Recorded June
| 18th, 1915.
Abraham Sheplar, Clerk
John Price has entered his ear mark
for his cattle etc, tow-wit: A crop
off the left ear and a semicircular piece
Tor half penny) off the upper side of
the same ear. Recorded January 18th,
1920.
Alpheus Brown, Clerk"
The first division of the township in
to permanent road districts was made
remained until the 2nd day of March
1926. The township. was then divided
into four districts. District No. 1, con-
tanned 6A sections of land; No. 2,
tx sections; No. 8, 10 sections, and
No. 4, Ga sections, in all 80 sections
or the entire township. This division
remained unit the End day of March
1929, when district No. g. was divided
into two districts Since that time
there has never been any changes made
in the districts. There has annually
been five supervisors elected, one for
each district, since the last division
The first grist mill in Pike township
was built by Amos Jauney about the
year 1911. 1t was erected on the MINI
ishiIlen Creek, short distance south of
the town of Sparta, and from descrip-
tions given it must have been a very
primitive affair.,n,. ..s... .........
Instead of frame, four posts were
set in the ground, one at each corner;
these were forked at the top into which
poles were laid to support the roof
which was made of clapboards. The
sides were never weatherboarded A
water wheel was made by taking the
trunk of tree about one foot in diam
eter and eight feet in length. In this
holes or mortises were made probably
six in number, about one foot from
each end, and in line with the other,
and into these mortises small pieces
of timber were placed about five feet
long with planks pinned to them at the
outer ends to give surface for the water
to run against. This wheel was made
to rest upon forks set up for the pur-
pose. To the end of this wheel rude
driving wheel was attached with
shaft having a turner head to run the
buhr. The buhrs were three feet In
diameter, and made out of quartz
powders found on the Sugar Creek
plains west of Sparta, distance Of
about ten miles The bolt to separate
the meal from the bran was piece of
cloth which each customer operated
for himself. Rude and primitive as
was this mill, and others of similar
construction, they were, however, a
great improvement over the tin crater,
coffee mill and pounding block. jan
ney also built the first saw-mill in the
township. This was done year or
to the grist-mill. The structure in all
its details was similar to the first, but
was of immense service to the young
settlement. Pitney Guest was the first
shoemaker, George Young the first mer-
chant, and Luther Drury the first
known blacksmith in Pike. With the
advent of tradesmen of different kinds,
the pressing wants of the settlers were
in measure supplied, which proved
Of great advantage and was appreciated
accordingly.
The town of Sparta is situated on the
section line between No. 23 and rs, on
the bank of the Nimishillen Creek,
and was laid out by Amos Janney. The
plat upon which the town is built was
recorded in the Recorders Office, and
has the following date affixed to it:
Third month, twenty-second day 1916"