EFFERSON TOWNSHIP was erected by the commissioners of Noble County, May 1, 1851, with boundaries described as follows:

"Commencing on the seventh range line, at the southeast corner of section 24, in township number 5, of range 8; thence north along the seventh range line to the northeast corner of section 24, in township number 6, of range 8; thence south along section lines to the northwest corner of section 23, in township 6, range 8; thence south along the section line to the northeast corner of section 34, in township 6, range 8; thence west to the northwest corner of said section 34; thence south to the southwest corner of said section 34; thence west along the township line to the northwest corner of township No. 5, range 8; thence along said township line to the southwest corner of section 6 in said township number 5 of range 8; thence east to the southeast corner of said section 6; thence south to the southwest corner of section 8, in township number 5, range 8; thence east to the southeast corner of section 9, in township number 5, of range 8;

thence south to the southwest corner of section 15, in township number 5, of range 8; thence east to the southeast corner of said section; thence south to the southwest corner of section 23 in township number 5, range 8; thence east to the place of beginning-containing 23 sections."

Before Noble County was formed the northern portion of Jefferson Township belonged to Enoch Township, Monroe County, and the southern portion to Aurelius Township, Washington County. The ragged outline of the western part of the township is a result of a compromise between those who favored and those who opposed the formation of Noble County, the zig-zag line leaving some of the prominent dissatisfied ones in Washington County.

Jefferson is one of the hilliest and most uneven townships of the county. The surface is chiefly drained by the Middle and East Forks of Duck Creek and numerous small tributaries. The streams of the western part of the township flow into the West Fork of Duck Creek. Of late years Jefferson Township

the trouble of building fences and keeping them in repair. All the early settlers did more or less hunting. Deer and wild turkeys were abundant, and wolves were occasionally seen. The land along the creek was timbered with a heavy, dense growth of large trees.

among the very first settlers. His wife was Rachel Archer, one of the Archer family who settled in the vicinity of Carlisle about 1810. They had two children when they moved to this locality. One of the characters who frequented this part of the country in early years was an old hunter know as Mull Ryan. Indians had not entirely left the country when Hupp came, and on one occasion Ryan terrified the family by ap

John Hall, from New England, settled on the East Fork soon after the War of 1812. He had served as a teamster in that war. He married a daughter of David Ales and lived in the same neighborhood. James S. Hall, his son, is among the oldest residents, having lived on his present farm since 1836. At that date there were very few settlers on the ridges. Mr. Hall, in his younger years used to go to mill in Marietta and Lowell. Marietta was the nearest trading point for all the early settlers, and there they traded maple sugar, deer skins, venison, etc., for salt and groceries. Most of the travel was on horseback. Pack-saddles were used in place of wagons for carrying goods. Except the State Road from Barnesville to Marietta which led ria Carlisle, Middleburg and Salem, there were no early roads through the township.

George Hupp, of Pennsylvania, of German origin, came to the township

giving a loud war-whoop. Hupp seized his gun, and would have soon ended the fun had not Ryan made himself known and begged him not to shoot. George Hupp died early. His children were Nancy, John, Philip and Elizabeth, deceased; Mary, Cynthia, Henry, Rachel and George, living; Daniel, deceased. Henry and George still live in this township. Mrs. Hupp married Peter Karns after the decease of Mr. Hupp, and had several children.

George Hupp was born in 1821 and brought up amid the scenes of pioneer life. He was married in 1843 and located on his present farm in the same year. His wife's maiden name was Elizabeth Grove, and she was born in West Virginia. They have reared eight children, six of whom are living: Susannah C., George W., Harriet J. (deceased), Alfred O., Nancy E., Daniel D. (deceased), John B. and Rachel A. Mr. Hupp has served as township trustee. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which his father was an exhorter.

William Heiddleston is the oldest

man in the township, and one of the few early settlers who are still living. He was born in Scotland, January 1, 1793. After coming to Summerfield and living some years in that vicinity, he came to his present farm about 1832. Mr. Heiddleston says this was then the most thinly settled region between Summerfield and Marietta. In early years he drove a team to Zanesville, Wheeling and Marietta, hauling goods for the merchants of this section of country. The roads were very bad, and he always took an ax along in order to cut out fallen trees from the track, and frequently found a use for it. He married Martha McClintock, whose father, William McClintock, was an early settler near Summerfield. For his second wife For his second wife he married Miss Cowles. He is the father of fifteen children, ten of whom his first wife bore. Mr. Heiddleston is a remarkably well preserved old man and is still strong both mentally and physically.

An old log school-house stood on the present William Heiddleston farm about fifty years ago, and was the earliest in the neighborhood. Alfred Ogle was an early teacher. The early schools were few, owing to the scattered condition of the settlement, and the children of the pioneers generally grew up with limited educational advantages.

Hezekiah Cousins, who lived to be upward of ninety years of age, was an early settler on the creek. Wesley Luke lived in the southern part of the township. James Clark came quite early. The western part of the town- |

ship had few early settlers. There were many transient squatters, who abandoned their locations after a year or two, and left in search of more promising fields.

Thomas Morris and family came from England in 1830, and settled on the farm which John F. Morris, Esq., now owns. Here he had one of the early grist-mills run by horse-power. Andrew Morris, a brother of Thomas, came a little later.

Humphrey Pedicord was quite an early settler on the farm now occupied by W. Warren.

James Mitchell is one of the old residents. He has been living in the vicinity of his present home since

1837.

John Hesson, who now lives in Lawrence County, settled in this township quite early. Benjamin Hinton lived north of George Hupp, in 1843. Peter Gray was an early resident upon the present Shafer place. James Whitmore and Thomas Turner settled about 1840 on the farms where they died.

George Hupp, Sr., was one of the early hunters. He killed several elk, many deer, and once shot a panther. He also tanned and made powder, which he sold to the early settlers.

Philip Craig, an easy-going, honest man, somewhat peculiar in his ways, was among the early settlers. He was something of a hunter, and left the county after it became too thickly settled to suit him. In the same neighborhood lived two early settlers, each by the name of Samuel Dugan. David Ward lived and

died south of the Heiddleston farm. George Gillespie lived near.

Philip Kitts cleared the Watson farm above Middleburg. He owned the land on which the village is, and sold it to Church Tuttle and Liberty Curtis.

Henry Woods, an Englishman, was the first blacksmith of the township, and was an unusually good workman. He lived on Ales' Run, in the southern part of the township.

Church Tuttle, the founder of Middleburg, was a Yankee and a most excellent man. He was shrewd, intelligent and possessed excellent possessed excellent judgment. He was an early abolitionist, and was identified with the Underground Railroad, being one of its most active agents in this section. He served as justice of the peace a number of years. From here he went to Washington County, and recently died in Marietta.

Wesley Neptune came to Middleburg in 1845. For over forty years Mr. Neptune has been a resident of this section, and has been one of its prominent and progressive citizens.

Samuel S. Neptune was one of the pioneers of this part of the township. He located a farm near Middleburg, obtaining his deed from the government. He was a worthy citizen. He married Miss Mary Pickering, a Quakeress, and reared a family of eight children, six of whom are living. Elias P. Neptune, a son, was born in Monroe County, and is one of the thrifty farmers of the township; he owns the Andrew Morris homestead.

Thomas Morris, whose name is prominently mentioned elsewhere in

this chapter, was a native of England, and came to this country with his family, which consisted of his wife and four children: Andrew, Margaret, John F. and Jane, in the early part of 1830. For a few months they stopped in Virginia, where a daughter, Ann, was born to them. Christmas day, 1830, witnessed their arrival in Jefferson Township, then a new and sparsely settled region. Mr. Morris had entered a quarter section of land, the deed of which, signed by Andrew Jackson, is now in possession of his son, John F. On this farm the elder Morris lived until his decease in 1864. He was a man of more than ordinary intelligence and a leader in all matters. He served in many minor official positions, and was very generally esteemed. His wife, whose maiden name was Jane Fairbrother, was the mother of ten children, six boys and four girls. John F. was born in England in 1826. He and a brother, Arius, are the only sons residing in the county. John F. resides in the old homestead. He is thought to be one of the oracles of the township, having been a resident for over a half century. He married Miss Cynthia Carmichael, a native of the township. They have eight children living.

Andrew Morris was born in Lancashire, England, in 1797 and emigrated to this country in 1829, and first settled near Germantown, Pa., where he found employment at his trade, that of a weaver. He came to Jefferson Township in 1836, and settled on the farm now owned by Elias Neptune, on which he was the first