James R. Sheldon

As printed in 1881

James R. Sheldon was born in Noble county, Ohio, August 13, 1840. He removed with his family to Watertown township in 1874. He married, April 18, 1861, Mary Haynes, by whom he had three children, two of whom are living. Mrs. Haynes died October 17, 1869. April 24, 1872, he married Elizabeth Yarnall, who was born December 9, 1845. This union was blessed with three children. Mrs. Sheldon, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Way, was bereaved of her first husband January 13, 1870. Mr. Sheldon served in company A, One Hundred and Sixty-first Ohio volunteer infantry during the Rebellion. Both Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon are members of the Presbyterian church.

Mrs. Mary E. Blakeley, daughter of William Sheldon, was born in Noble county, Ohio, December 5, 1835. She was married to Edward Blakeley, July 28, 1859. He was born in England, August 3, 1836, and emigrated with his father, John Blakeley, to America, in 1843. Mr. Blakely died in Noble county, leaving two children— John A. and Mary A., who were born October 18, 1867. Mrs. Blakeley settled with her family in Watertown township, in 1878. She is a member of the United Brethren church.

It will be seen from this general synopsis of the settlement of the township that the first improvements were made at the forks of Wolf creek. The bottoms along the South branch as far as the donation line were next occupied. The English emigrants those the valley of the West branch. The first settlement at the headwaters of Rainbow was ma‘e by the Sandusfield, Massachusetts, party in 1797. The Starlins and a few others were the only early settlers north of this neighborhood.

The German emigration began in 1835, Conrad Bohl being one of the first. The population of the northern part of the territory formerly included in Union, is largely German. It remained unimproved till as late as 1840. The southern part of this portion of the township is inhabited by people of Irish nativity, who settled in 1842-4. They were mostly engaged as laborers on the Muskingum river improvements, and then invested their earnings in the adjacent lands which at that time could be purchased at low rates. They are an industrious, hard-working class of people, and have done much towards improving the county.

Watertown enjoyed school privileges very early in her history. A school was taught during the winter of 1799, in the Sandusfield neighborhood, by Nathaniel Gates. He was a popular teacher and pupils attended from the creek settlements. The closing exercises of Mr. Gates’ school were attended by the parents, who manifested a live interest in the education of their children. Good teachers were, however, at that period very scarce. Teachers, as a rule, had no training, and it seems little sense. The unsparing use of the rod made the schoolroom a place of persecution, and the murder of the king’s English was lamentable. The girls were taught reading and writing, while arithmetic was added to the course of study for the boys. Webster’s spelling book and the Bible were the only text books used at first; in later years the American Preceptor and Columbian Orator came into use. Miss Peck, Colonel Augustus Stone, Judge Deming, Jason Humiston, and Horace Wolcott, were among the early teachers in the Sandusfield district. Another early school-house was in the West Bratich neighborhood. Some old citizens retain vivid recollections of whipping received in this building. Smith Green is one of the best remembered teachers. Another early school-house was located in the Starlin neighborhood. Mr. McGehan was one of the first teachers. The building was also used as a meeting-house, by the settlers of all denominations in that neighborhood, but chiefly by the Methodists.

Wolf creek furnishes good water power except during dry seasons. At many places along its course a rapid current and high banks provide excellent mill sites, but periodical low water is a discouraging circumstance.

We have already mentioned the old Wolf creek mill owned by Captain Dodge, Cclonel Oliver and Major White. After Indian hostilities had subsided this mill was found too small to meet the demands of the flourishing settlement, and a frame mill was constructed just above the old building, which, after the death of Major White, was in charge of his son, Peletiah White. This structure was swept away by high water, and a third and larger one built near the same site which was in after years owned and run by Haffield White, jr., grandson of the major. The foundations of these buildings are yet to be seen, and many interested persons have procured pieces of the decaying timbers and are preserving them as relics.

Solomon Lewis, a son-in-law of Mr. White, built the second mill in the township. It was located on the south branch near the forks. This was also a combination of saw-mill and grist-mill. It next came into possession of a Mr. Bartlett, and was owned by him when destroyed by fire.

The mill now known as the Ryan mill, on the south branch, about two miles below the village, was built about 1830 by William and Samuel Beswick.

The Watertown mill was built by John Paine, about 1825. He came with a party from Rhode Island on their way to one of the western States, but was delayed in this township by high water, there being at that time no bridges. While stopping with the hospitable people of the neighborhood the party were strongly impressed with the country, and after sending one of the party to examine the locality to which it had been their intention to go, they purchased lands and settled in this township. Samuel Paine, who was a miller, commenced operations for the construction of this mill. It was afterwards owned by Dennis Ryan.

As printed in history of washington county, ohio (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.