390 - HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY.

CHAPTER XI.

NORTH BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP-DESCRIPTION-SETTLEMENT-EARLY IMPROVEMENTS

CHURCHES-SCHOOLS AND VILLAGES.

"STRANGER, you commenced this business just a little too late," is a remark that is often made to us in our perambulations through the country in search of its early history. "All who could have told you about the early settlement here are (lead and gone," say they, and we find it but too true. There are few neighborhoods in this section of the State where facts pertaining to original settlements can be obtained from first hands. Every year, the chances of preserving the early history of the county are becoming fewer and ere long will be lost forever. The devastating sweep of time and the progress of art are remorseless and unsparing of primitive landmarks, how ever dear they may have been to a former generation, and however sacred the memories that cluster around them. The relics of' the pioneer will soon be forgotten by the busy generations that have succeeded him.

"The old log cabin, with its puncheon floor-

The old log cabin, with its clapboard door

Shall we ever forget its moss-grown roof?

The old rattling loom, with its warp and woof?

The old stick chimney of 'cat and clay-

The old hearthstone where we used to pray.'

We'll not forget how we used to eat

The sweet honey-comb and the tat deer-meat,

We'll not forget how we used to bake

That best of bread, the old Johnny Cake."

These lines, from a rural bard, contain a sentiment that was familiar to the pioneer, but to the present generation it is as a " sealed book," except so far as it is interpreted by some " aged dame or tottering sire " who still survives, and can tell of the time when they " fought the Indians, the bears and the wolves," for a foothold in the Great West.

North Bloomfield Township lies in the north tier of townships of Morrow County. It is bounded on the north by Richland County, on the east by Troy Township, on the south by Congress, on the west by Washington, and is designated as Township No. 19, in Range 20, of the Congressional survey, and had a population of 1,194 in 1870. It originally extended north to the Mansfield and Galion road, but, upon the formation of Morrow County, one tier of sections was added to Sandusky Township in Richland County ; thus it is one tier of sections short of a Congressional township. The township is well drained by the several little streams that have their source within its limits. and their numerous tributaries. The North Fork of the Mohican rises in Section 23, and flows nearly north for six or eight miles, when it changes its course to the eastward, and passes out into Troy Township through Section' 12. The Clear Fork of the Mohican rises also in Section 23, flows in a southeast direction, and passes out through Section 36. The Whetstone has its source in Section 27, flows west for a few miles, and then changes southward, passing into Congress, near the little village of West Point. A number of other rivulets and brooks traverse the township, which are nameless, but which form a natural system of drainage. The surface of North Bloomfield is sufficiently rolling as to require but little artificial draining, but cannot be termed hilly or broken. It is one of the finest farming regions in Morrow County, and the comfortable and even elegant farm-houses denote the prosperity of the people. Grain of all kinds is extensively grown, while considerable attention is paid to stock-raising. The township was originally covered with fine timber, consisting of oak, wal nut, beech, hickory, elm, ash and other species

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common in this section of the country. About two miles of railroad is within the Township limits, but there is no station nearer than Iberia or Galion, the former in Washington Township, and the latter in Crawford County. No large cities or manufacturing establishments are to be found in the township, but it is wholly a farming and stock raising region. Its schools compare favorably with any township in the county, and seven church edifices point their spires heavenward.

The first settlement in this township was made in the northeastern part, near the village of Blooming Grove. A man named Maxwell, whose first name could not be ascertained, settled here about 1820, it is supposed. He was from Pennsylvania, and sold out to Ebenezer Harding when he came in the spring of 1821 or 1822, after which he moved to the far West. This was doubtless the first actual settlement made by a white man in what is now known as North Bloomfield Township, and was made nearly sixty years ago.

Next after Maxwell came the Hardings. Amos Harding, the patriarch of the Harding family, came first, and settled in what is still Richland County, about the year 1819. Ebenezer, one of his sons, came next, and bought out Maxwell, as we have seen, in 1821-22. The next year, his two brothers, Geo. T. and Salmon E., came and settled near him. While the elder Harding settled north of the village, his sons settled south of it, in what is now Bloomfield Township. Salmon laid out the village of Blooming Grove, and afterward sold out and moved to Galion, where he died several years ago. He was brought back and buried in the village cemetery, near where a large portion of his life had been spent. When be laid out the village, he gave a lot of ground for a graveyard, and requested to be buried there, a request that his friends and relatives fulfilled. Ebenezer did not remain long, but sold out and moved further West. George died here, but has a son still living a short distance from the place of his father's early settlement, and is the last of the third generation of, the Harding family in this neighborhood. He lives just over the line in Richland County, but has always lived in the neighborhood. From him we learned many facts of interest connected with the early settlement of this section. He used to go to old Benny Sharrock's to mill down on the Whetstone, when be was a lad but seven years old, and was so small they had to tie both him and the sack of corn on the horse. Once be was belated, and the shades of evening settled down before be reached home. His father and mother became somewhat fiightened, and, unable to endure the suspense, the former mounted a horse and went in search of him. He had but a short distance to go, when the trails separated, and either one went to the mill. He deliberated some time as to which to take, but finally made up his mind and hurried on. Scarcely had be passed out of sight, when the boy came in on the other trail and pursued his way on home, ignorant of the fact that his father had gone the other trail to meet him. Upon his arrival at home, his mother hastily lifted him from the horse, jerked the bag of meal off, and mounting, immediately took the back track after the old gentlemen, to try, if possible, to prevent his going onto the mill. When lien we remember that wolves were plenty, and when maddened by hunger did not hesitate to attack grown-up people, we can realize readily the anxiety of the parents when their boy was detained at the mill until after nightfall.

Mr. Harding remembers Galion when there were but two houses in it, and the place was called "New Moccasin," and afterward "Spongetown," and still later it enjoyed several other names equally as rude. He also remembers Mansfield when it consisted merely of an old block-house, which was, at a later day, improvised into a jail and court house the upper story used for a court room, and the lower for a prison. Indians were plenty in those days, but none lived in the immediate vicinity, but often passed through from Upper Sandusky to Mount Vernon. Their hunting grounds embraced all this country, and squads used to come down and bunt for weeks. On these. bunting excursions they would trade venison to the pale-faces for tobacco

392 - HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY.

and whisky. "Capt." Dowdy, an old chief, used often to come here to hunt. They were friendly toward the whites and did nothing out of the way, except to steal little things sometimes, for which they had a strong penchant.

From the settlement of the Hardings up to 1827 the following families came in and located farms: James Stearns, Hiram Stephens, James Wells, - Bascom, James Kerr, Isaac Barnes, John Crawford, Amos Webster and perhaps others. Stearns, Wells and Stephens were from Pennsylvania. The first named settled in 1823-24 ; the other two in 1825. All cleared up farms, but are now dead. Bascom and Kerr came about the same time, and were also from Pennsylvania. Kerr was Bascom's son-in-law, and they came to the country together. Bascom settled where Mrs. Crawford now lives. Ile and his wife are both dead and lie in the little graveyard at Ebenezer church. Kerr settled near Bascom and where his widow still lives. He died in 1867. His first wife died early, and his second wife was a daughter of Isaac Barnes, also an old settler of the township, and a native of Western Virginia. He entered the land now belonging to Mr. Rule at West Point. Ile sold out and moved to Wisconsin, and afterward to Minnesota, where he died. Bascom and Kerr came all the way from Pennsylvania in wagons, then the common mode of traveling, and they settled here in an unbroken forest. Mr. Kerr's widow, who is still living, is a women of intelligence, and possesses an excellent memory, and communicated to us many items of historical interest. Crawford, like a large majority of the settlers in this section, was from Pennsylvania. His wife was a sister to James Braden, and Braden's wife was a sister to Crawford. They swapped sisters, as it were. Crawford came about 1826, and settled where his widow still lives. He died about three years ago. Braden came also from Pennsylvania about 1835, and is dead, but his widow is still living. These early settlers, viz., Kerr, Crawford and Braden, who lived in this neighborhood almost in sight of each other, are dead, leaving widows living upon the' places of their early settlement. Amos Webster,! another Pennsylvanian, and a brother-in-law to the Hardings, settled in the no northeast corner of the, township soon after them. He cleared up a farm, sold out and went to Indiana afterward to Iowa, where he died.

William Buckingham settled a little northeast., of West Point in 1831. He came originally from Pennsylvania and settled in Knox County as early as 1828, from whence he came to this settlement. He died in 1837, but his widow lived until four years ago, and died at the age of eighty-four years. John Elder, from Pennsylvania, was the first settler in the west, part of the township, and entered the land where his son, Samuel Elder, now lives, when it was an untouched forest. Not a tree amiss, as the latter gentlemen informed us, except now and then, where "one had been cut down for honey or a coon." Mr. Elder settled first in Troy Township, in 1829, and, in the fall of 1830, removed to this section, where he died in 1837. Samuel, who lives on the old homestead, remembers hauling corn from the old place in Troy Township, the first winter they lived here. It was a winter of unusual severity, and, with oxen hitched to a large sled, they would go back and forth through the snow, taking two days to make a round trip, and carrying their provisions with them, as the country was not as thickly settled as it is now.

Jacob Sief was the next settler after Elder, and came in 1829. He was originally from Baden, Germany, but had lived some time in Columbiana County, O., before settling here. He has been dead forty years or more, but has three sons still living in the neighborhood, Jacob, Gotlieb and Philip. Daniel Bolgard, Philip Flook and Vincent Dye were Pennsylvanians. Bolgard, whose family consisted of several children, came soon after the Elders, and, though they were somewhat deficient in education and refinement, were withal warm-hearted people. The old gentleman died but a son, Enoch Bolgard, is still liv-

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ing. Dye came about 1832-33. His son, Vincent Dye, Jr., occupies the old homestead-his father is long dead. Tom, another son, went to California, where be remained some time, and then ..panic back here imbued with all the elements of border life. He still lives in this county. Flook settled I about the same time as did Dye. Be has as been dead many years, and Mrs. Overley lives now upon the place of his original settlement. John Warner came to the settlement a few years after the hiders. He is still living in the southern part of the township. Henry Snyder, from Pennsylvania, ,settled here in 1834. He moved to Indiana, where be afterward died. Arch McCoy and Rev. ,Mr. Hosler were early settlers; the one was an early teacher and the other a preacher. McCoy went to Missouri, where be became a prominent man, was elected to the Legislature, and was also a delegate to the National Democratic Convention that nominated James Buchanan for President. He was killed in Missouri during the late war, but by whom was never known. Both parties were accused of the deed. He was somewhat fickle in party principles, and, upon removing to Missouri changed from a Whig to a Democrat, because he found the latter in power, and much the stronger party. Mr. Hosler who was a preacher of the Albright denomination, removed to Illinois, where he died. William Kenyon, another of the early settlers of this township, came from the Isle of Man originally, about 1831-32. He and his wife are both dead, and sleep in the little burying ground at Ebenezer Church, of which they were members in life. A son is still living, also a daughter, the wife of Mr. McFarland. William Harris and James Appleman were pioneers of this township. Harris is dead, but Appleman, who came from Pennsylvania, lives with his son, on the place of his original settlement. He says it has been almost sixty years since be pulled off his coat and commenced clearing a farm here.

This comprises a list of the early settlers of the township to a period where the tide of immigration began to flow in with such force as to render it impossible for the historian to keep pace with it. Farms were opened and cleared up in every neighborhood, and the pioneers' cabins dotted the plains and valleys, while domestic animals, such as hogs and cattle, filled the forests instead of bears and wolves. The latter lingered, however, and were only driven after the Indians by bard knocks. They resisted the encroachments of the invaders as stubbornly and as fiercely, in their way, as did the savages themselves. The grand transformation has been complete. Sixty years ago, the pioneers found an unbroken forest, marked only by Indian trails. To-day, the historian finds flourishing farms, beautiful homes, and churches and schoolhouses, where erst the woods stood dark and dismal. Truly, the wilderness has been metamorphosed into a veritable paradise.

One of the great sources of worry to the pioneer is the obtaining of provisions and the necessaries of life. Meat was easily procured, for, when tired of bacon, it was an easy matter to kill a deer; often these animals were shot from the cabin door. But bread was not so easily attainable. To go to Mount Vernon and Frederieksburg to will was common, and to be detained several days was equally common. A mill patronized considerably by the early settlers of this township was a little concern kept by " Uncle Benny " Sharrock, he was called. It was little more than a corn cracker, though he ground corn, wheat and buckwheat, all on the same run of stones, which were made of concretions, or "nigger heads," as more commonly called. It was said that" Uncle Benny" could make more flour from a bushel of buckwheat than any miller within fifty miles, and 33 pounds to the bushel was but ordinary work for him. The first birth, death and marriage in North Bloomfield are not remembered. But that births and marriages have occurred, the present population is the best of evidence, and that the "pale horse and his rider" have been abroad in the township, the number of thickly populated cemeteries bear incontestible proof.

The roads in the township are excellent, and

394 - HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY.

intersect every portion, generally being laid out on section lines, instead of angling wherever it was found convenient to run them. The first road in North Bloomfield was that passing through the village of Blooming Grove, running from Galion to Lexington. It is one of the roads of the township that was laid out regardless of section lines, but rather to the sound of the dinner-horn. The story is told of the engineer who surveyed it, that, whenever he heard a settler's horn blow for dinner, he would vary the line so as to strike his cabin, which is the cause of its zigzag course. The next road through the township was the Mansfield and Marion road.

A post office was established at the residence of William Wallace, who lived on the State road running from Delaware to Mansfield, three miles south of the village of Blooming Grove, at a very early day. Wallace was the Postmaster, and the name of the office was Barcelona. He kept it until it was moved to Blooming Grove, upon the laying of it out as a village. The names of the first physician and the first blacksmith in the township have been lost in the "obscurity of the past."

Simultaneously, almost, with the howling of the wolfe, was heard the voice of the preacher, as one crying in the wilderness." The circuit rider, that pioneer minister of the Cross, was early in the field, and, long before there were any churches or schoolhouses in the township, the people gathered at some neighbor's cabin, or in the warm weather collected in some cool grove, where

"Earth's unnumbered flowers

All turning up their gentle eyes to heaven;

The birds, with bright win" glancing in the sun,

Filling the air with rainbow miniatures."

seemed to join with them in praises to the Most High. Rev. Mr. Hosler (of the Albrights) was one of the early preachers of the township, and is the first one remembered in the west part of it, where he used to preach every two weeks at the house of Peter Ferestermaker. Elder Knapp, Revs. Bell, Camp and DuBois were also early preachers. The township is well supplied with churches at the present day, and if the people are not very religious it is their own fault, for they certainly do not lack church facilities. Pleasant Hill Methodist Episcopal Church is located about three-quarters of a mile west of the village of West Point, just north of the line between this and Congress Township. Just when the society was organized, is not known, but at an early date. The house, which is a log building, was erected about 1846, but the' society was organized long before, and services held in people's houses. The house was built by the people of the neighborhood, Henry Sipes and his sons doing the largest part of it. The church and circuit were organized by Rev. Zephaniah Bell, from Mt. Gilead, and was included in the Mt. Gilead Circuit. Rev. Mr. DuBois was the preacher when the church was built. The membership is now about fifty, and the Pastor is the Rev. Mr. Buxton, who is in charge of the Darlington Circuit, of which this is apart. Among the early members of this church were Henry Sipes and wife (he was the first class leader), Richard Iiams and wife (his house was the preaching place), Isaac Barnes and wife, and others of the early settlers. A Sunday school is carried on during the summer season, and, at the present writing, has just been organized for the summer, with David Elder as superintendent, and some seventy-five attendants.

Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal Church, located on Section 20, was originally organized at the house of James Braden about 1835-6. Some time after organization, headquarters were changed to the house. of James Kerr. Among the early members were William Kenyon and wife, John Crawford and wife,. James Braden and wife and James Kerr and wife. It was organized by Rev. Z. Bell, the founder of Pleasant Hill Church mentioned above. The Church was built in 1846, and is a frame building. With some modernization, it is still doing duty as a house of worship. Rev. Mr. DuBois was the preacher at the time of its erection; the

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present Pastor is Rev. Johnson. The membership has been much depleted by death and removals, and numbers about forty. A Sunday school is carried on during, the summer, but has not yet been resurrected for the season just opening. A pretty little cemetery lies adjacent to the church, where sleep many of the pioneer members. The first burial in it was a child of Kenyon's, and the next a child of Kerr's.

The brick church is located near the "Half Acre" school house, and belongs to the denomination known as German Reformed; the services of the church are conducted in the German language. The church was built in 1857, and is an elegant brick structure. It is in a flourishing state, having nearly one hundred members, with a good Sunday school during the summer season, but is not yet opened, Rev. Mr. Marcus, of Crestline, is the present Pastor of the Church. There was at one time a United Brethren Church near the site of this, but it has long since passed away.

The Old School Presbyterian Church, about a mile south of the village of Blooming Grove, was built not far from 1850-perhaps as early as 1848 - and is a frame building. It has generally been supplied from Galion. Rev. Mr. Blaney was the minister when the church was built, but there is no regular pastor now. Rev. Mr. Thompson, of Galion, used to preach for the church every two weeks. Before the church was built, preaching was held at George Marshman's, who was one of the old members. Mr. Ferguson was one of the pillars, and, as the old members died off, its strength departed, until, at this time, the society is almost extinct.

Education received the earnest attention of the pioneers, and at an early day the log school house made its appearance. Even before the people were able to build these primitive temples of learning, schools were taught in deserted cabins, barns, old stables, or any kind of a building found vacant. The first school of which we have any account in this township was taught by Arch. McCoy, in a rude log cabin near Aaron Sief's, which had been built for a dwelling. This small be inning in the way of education has developed into a system surpassed by no township in Morrow County. There are eight school districts now in the township, in each of which is a comfortable school house. The following statistics are from the last report made to the County Auditor: Balance on hand September 1, 1878- $1,661.96 ; State tax, $531 ; local tax for school-house purposes, $840.32; amount paid teachers within the year, $1,681.85 ; total value of school property, $8,500. Teachers employed, males 8, females 7; monthly wages paid, males, $35, females $22. Number of pupils enrolledmales 176, females 138 ; average daily attendance, males 105, females 91. Balance on hand September 1, 1879, $1,176.69.

North Bloomfield is Democratic in politics, and., when questions of importance are up, good majorities are usually given. In the late war, its patriotism was beyond question, and the bravest and best of its sons offered themselves for the defense of the Union and the Constitution. The town house of North Bloomfield is situated two miles south and two miles west from Blooming Grove. This is where elections are held, and where all the township business is transacted.

The village of Blooming Grove was laid out by Salmon E. Harding, upon whose land it was mostly located, and the plat recorded in Richland County March 5, 1835. A small portion of George T. Harding's land was embraced in the original survey, and, since it was laid out, several additions have been made to it. The town is on Section 11, of Township 19, and Range 20 of the Congressional survey. The first residence was built by William Johnson, and the first storehouse was built by Carl & Dunlap, who were the first merchants. This storehouse stands on the northeast corner, and is now owned by Dr. Jones. Carl & Dunlap were succeeded in the mercantile business by a man named Whitaker, who carried on a store for some years. The post office was established here, or, rather it was removed from Wallace's to this place, in 1841, after it was laid out as a town, and the name changed from Barcelona to Corsica,

396 - HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY.

partly. because at that time there was but one other office in the United States by that name, and partly because of the admiration entertained by the citizens for the First Napoleon. As a mark of respect they called it after his birthplace, the Island of Corsica. I. G. Barker was the first Postmaster after it was removed to Blooming Grove. He was succeeded by John Clark Johnston, who held the office for twelve 'years. Mr. Johnston comes of a noble family. He is a second cousin to the Confederate General, Joe Johnston, though he says he does not like to acknowledge the relationship. We are not quite so radical as. that in our opinions, for, although Joe Johnston was on the wrong side of the fence in the :ate unpleasantness, yet he ranked among the greatest Generals of either army. He also claims to be the fourth generation from Oliver Cromwell. We should be less proud of this than of a relationship to Joe Johnston. After many changes in the post office department of Blooming Grove, Chris Williams has succeeded to the office. J. C. Johnston was the first blacksmith of the village, and opened a shop in 1836. The present sum.. mary of business is as follows: Two stores, one by Henry Bachman, and another by J. F. Keller; one wagon shop, by Siegesmund Baker; two blacksmith shops, by J. C. Johnston and Abram Evans; one hotel, by J. R. Dille-the first tavern in the place was kept by old Johnny Johns, as be was called; two physicians, Dr. McFarland, Homeopathist, and Dr. Johns, old school; one schoolhouse, Miss Appleman, teacher. A two story schoolhouse will be built during the present (1880) summer.

Blooming Grove is a quiet and moral little village, and is without saloons. They are institutions that the good people do not allow inside of the corporate limits of the village. A Dutchman came there once for the purpose of opening a saloon, and had made all his arrangements for the business, when he was told that the people would not tolerate such a movement, and that he would be presented to the grand jury at its first term. " Py Gott," said be, " I no stay," and he didn't. An old preacher once told some of the citizens that they were a "peculiar people," that they would quarrel among themselves on politics and religion, and. five miles from home, they would fight for each other like dogs. Not only is Blooming Grove a moral town, but it is a very religious one. There are three churches inside of the corporation, and (Old School Presbyterian) just south of another the town.

The Bloomfield Baptist Church was organized October 23, 1833, and was a part of the Springfield church. When they became sufficiently strong, a society was formed by the Rev. Frederick Freemen. The first church was a frame building, and stood three-quarters of a mile north of the village. It was then in what is now Richland County. After Morrow County was laid off, it was moved across the line, within a few hundred yards of where the present church stands. There it remained, and was used by the society until 1870, when the present brick edifice was erected at a cost of about $2,500. The church at present has no regular Pastor, and a membership of only about thirty. It has been much depleted by death and removals in the last few years. An excellent Sunday school is maintained the year round. There are fifty-four enrolled members, under the superintendence of Christopher Bowser. Elder Hall was the Pastor of this church for many years, and still preaches in it whenever he can do so conveniently.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Blooming Grove was organized about 1835. Preaching was had sometimes at the house of James Harris and at other houses in the neighborhood. About 1840 they moved to town and occupied the schoolhouse. In 1848, a frame church was built. This house does not seem to have been built upon a rock, for when the "winds blew and the floods came and beat upon that house, it fell," or rather it was blown away in a storm, and dropped upon an adjoining lot. The people gathered together and put it back on its original site,

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where it did duty until 1871, when the present handsome brick, now occupied, was built. This edifice cost $3,000, and is of modern architecture. Rev. Mr. Johnson is Pastor, and the membership is not far from one hundred. A few years ago, just after the close of a revival, there were over two hundred members, but many have "fainted and fallen by the wayside." A Sunday school is maintained throughout the year, of which Dr. McFarland is Superintendent. He is said to take great interest in it, and to devote a great deal of time and labor to the good of the children.

Rev. Logan Harris, now a Bishop in the M. E. Church, was one of the first ministers who preached in the village of Blooming Grove. He was raised in the township of Troy, near by, and is remembered as a rather bad boy, of whom many hard stories are told. Elder Knapp held the first revival in the town. He was a local preacher, and a good one. Some roughs threatened to put him out of the house if be came over and attempted to bold meeting. When told of the threats, he said: " Well, as I never have been put out, I will go and let them try it." He went, but was not molested.

There is an organization of the Adventists in Blooming Grove, formed a year or two ago. They have quite a stylish edifice, built in 1879, and as a religious society, are creating considerable interest. The head of this denomination is, we believe, at Battle Creek, Mich. One of the tenets of their religion is, that one-tenth of everything a believer possesses must be "given to the Lord." Some irreverent fellow recently remarked that, "one-tenth of everything they have, must go to the Lord via Battle Creek." The Treasury, it appears, is there; and everything is collected at that point, and there devoted to religious purposes.

In connection with the Christian Churches, it is not out of place to mention those benevolent organizations which, though not strictly religious, are highly moral in their teachings. A lodge of Odd Fellows was organized in the village in 1873. It was instituted on the 20th of August of that year, as Corsica Lodge, No. 556, I. O. O. F., and had among its charter members Siegismund Baker, W. Enck, S. A. Numbers, and D. K. Mitchell, who were the first officers, and ranked as their names are given above. There are on the records sixteen members in good standing, and the following are the present officers: Enoch, F. Bachman, N. G.; Nelson Chapin, V. G.; Abram Evans, Secretary, and George B. Baggs, Treasurer. The lodge was instituted by John E. Bell, Grand Master, and W. C. Earl, Grand Secretary.

There is a very pretty cemetery adjacent to the town. The land was given for a burying ground by Salmon Harding, and was the first public graveyard in the neighborhood. Several additions have been made to it since by purchase. Within its limits sleep many of the pioneers of the country. It is well kept, and the number of beautiful stones and monuments shows the affection of the for the dead.

The village of West Point is situated on the line between North Bloomfield and Congress townships, and is about as nearly divided between the two sections as it well can be. The store and the post office are in North Bloomfield, while the church and the schoolhouse are in Congress, and the residences are about "'alf and 'alf," as an Englishman might say. The history of West Point will be more particularly given in the chapter devoted to Congress Township.