Athens Co. Troy Township
Cities of Coolville, Hockingport and Torch
Most transcriptions on this webpage made From the History of the Hocking Valley 1883:
transcribed by Sandra Mitchell Quinn
Some of the first settlers from the "Harris History" are listed as: Asahel Cooley, Levi Stedman, Daniel Stewart, Kingman Dutton, Samuel Dutton, Abram Brookhart, Jonas Smith, Silas Blizzard, Martin Griffin, Benajah Hoyt, Xerxes Paulk, Joseph Guthrir, Barrows, Wm Pilcher, Asahel Cooley, John Torrence
Among those who constituted some of the members of the 40 person party, who left their New England homes and found their way until they reached Belpre in 1798 and found their way to Troy in 1799, were Eleazier Washburn, the Noahs, Cyrus and Xerxes Paulk, Horace Parsons and Ephraim Frost. Xerxes Paulk and Horace Parson were Baptist preachers and the latter was pastor of the First Baptist church in the township for thirty years. The first election of township officers were held in the home of Ebenezer Buckinghham, Stephen Buckingham was township lister for that year. Kingman Dutton, father of Samuel Dutton, settled at the mouth of the Hocking River with his family in 1806. At that time there were only two roads in the township, one passed through the center, running from Belpre to Chillicothe, the ferry of which was kept about two and a half miles above the present site of Coolville by Xerxes Paulk; and another from Belpre down to the Ohio to the mought of the Hocking up the eastern bank of the river to Federal Creek where it intersected the Federal Creek road from the Ames settlement. At the early period the great majority of emigrants to Athens county used to come down the Ohio River to the mouth of the Hocking River, and then ascend that river in pirogues or canoes. Kingman Dutton kept a number of these crafts, and he and his son carried on the business of conveying emigrants and their goods up the Hocking. Abram Brookhard settled in Troy in 1811, and was township trustee for several years. Jonas Smith, who came in 1810 was township trustee for several terms, Silas Blizzard and Martin Griffin came in 1810. The township records prior to 1837 are lost.
From: Susan Bedson
Subject: Troy Sunday School
Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 21:56:15 -0700
I have just received my grandfather's autograph book. It was given to him by the Troy Sunday School, December 25, 1887, he was 11 years old. Autographs are from: Edwin Warren, Coolville, Ohio Ethel Smith C. G. Russell, Coolville, Ohio Mollie Stella Ford H. Lyon, Antioch, Ohio ? Russell, Frost, Ohio Henry Lewis Ada McGee, Frost, Ohio Tina Buff, Frost, Ohio copyright 1997-2002 transcribed by Sue Bedson
Coolville Coolville was one of the first settlements of Athens county, with Athens and Nelsonville being the first towns laid out. Simeon W. Cooley and his brother Herman settled on the land upon which the village is located. In 1818 Samuel Cooley laid out the village of Coolville. IT was quite a center of trade. Besides the Cooley's there were John Frame, Jedediah Fuller, John Pratt, Waterman Lewis, Reuben Blair, Harley and Loran Lewis, Eleazer and Roswell Washburn, J. A. Dinsmore, Jabez Hoyt, Alfred Hobbie, M. L. Bestow, Nathan Hatch, Jacob S. Miller, Henry Lord, J. Press and Curtis Sherman. These settlers were nearly all from New England and the town had the appearance and the management of some of the old towns of Massachusetts. Business owners: A. P. Frame general store, J. A. Palmer and Co. general store, J. Cole and Co. general store, Davis and White furniture, Taylor and Son drugs, H. C. Cooley groceries, Mrs Allie White, millinery, Roberts and Fuller millinery, Misses Pewthers millinery, Albert WEdge shoe store, Joseph Cary shoe store, Wm. Lyons shoe store, Seth Bailey hotel, L. L. Lomann blacksmith, George King tannery, J. M. Tidd saddlery and harness. The Cooleys owned and operated the first flouring mills and had both water and steam power. The Cooley's mill was erected in 1817 and lasted until 1882, being as fine a mill as any could be found in the area. Postmasters of Coolville The postoffice was started in 1822 Jacob Miller 1822-1824 Alfred Hobby 1824-1840 R. B. Blair 1840-1841 Eps Story 1841-1842 James M. Miller 1842-1843 John Pratt 1843-1857 James K. Davis 1857-1862 Wm. F. Pilcher 1862-1876 Fannie Pilcer 1876-1881 A. S. Tidd since 1871 Excerpt from the History of the Hocking Valley page 657
Hockingport Hockingport was one of the earliest settlements of Athens county. The first settlers were Charles Devol, E. H. Williams, Samuel Dutton, Sylvester A. Gibbs, Benjamin Huntington, Benjamin Brookhart,David Davis, George and Alonzo Williams. It was, before the railroads came in, the most important pointin the county besides Athens. IT was the shipping point for the whole lower half of the Hocking Valley.
Torch Located in eastern Troy Township. Had a population of about 75 persons in 1873, it had two stores kept by William Walden, and A. H. Knowles, a blacksmith and wagon shop and a steam flouring mill owned by a Mr. Bell.
Biographical sketches for Troy township are listed on these persons in the History of the Hocking Valley: Seth Bailey, Marcus L. Bestow, William Bingman, William George Boyd, Sherman Brewster, H. F. Bumgardner, George K. Campbell, A. D. Carlton, Edwin L. Carlton M.D., Jefferson Cole, Mrs. Fanny E. Cooley, John DeWolf, William A. Dinsmoor, A. Pl. Frame G. W. Fox, Reuben Gillilan, Jesse Green, J. E. Hartnell, C. H. Hays, C. B. Hitchcock Milton Humphrey, R. F. Humphrey, Cornelius Jeffers, Manasseh Jennings, W. N. Kennedy, Charles E. Keyes, C. L. Knowles, Abner Lewis, Waterman Lewis, Samuel Livezey, Elizabeth McKim, Mrs. Mary L. McKim, John Mitchell, Lafayette Mitchell, Joseph Morrison Montgomery Morrison, John Parker, Thomas Richardson, David Russell, William Scarlott, G. B. Simms, Josephus Tucker, Theodore C. Walker, William Weatherby, F. W. Wedge, S. C. White, Mrs. Dorcus Wilson.
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