Newton, Muskingum County's First Township

 

Newton Township was formed in 1802, one year before Ohio's Statehood, and two years before Muskingum County was formed from Washington County. White settlers had been filtering into the "Ohio Country" in ever increasing numbers following the end of the Revolutionary War, and the creation of the Northwest Territory (1783). The Shawnee Nation, the original settlers, joined the Northwestern Confederacy of Native American nations and resisted the encroachment on their lands for nearly 10 years. Their defeat at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, and the signing of the Treat of Greenville forced the Native peoples to move further west. A flood of white settlers into the area began from that point.

Much of what we know--or think we know--today  about Newton's (and all other townships') early history comes from History of Muskingum County, Ohio, published by J. F. Everhart & Co. in 1882, and Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Muskingum County, Ohio, published by The Goodspeed Publishing Co., in 1892. While there are nuggets of real history to be found in both books, there is also fictionalized "history." County histories became very popular in the late 19th century, and local families would "subscribe" in order to get their family's name and story into a book. Wanting to portray themselves and their ancestors as pillars of the community, some family members couldn't resist embellishing the facts--or just plain making them up. So if you consult these and other books of this period to find out about your family, don't take everything you read at face value.

Gladstone grist mill, White Cottage

With that in mind, the "facts" of Newton's early settlement include:

• Jacob Smith from Loudoun County, Virginia was the first known white settler to buy land (1797) and build a cabin (1802). 
• The first townships trustees were Benjamin Redman, John Beckwith, and Andrew Crooks.
• Andrew Crooks built the first tavern in 1804, before the first road had been cut in the township (1805); he also provided land for the first schoolhouse as early as 1800.
• Between 1802-1812, a number of mills sprang up along Jonathan's Creek, the major stream that ran through the township from southeast to northwest: Moses Plummer built the first grist mill and a sawmill; John Lenhart and Anthony Mauk established the first whiskey mill.
• The first cemetery (now defunct) was located on land belonging to Benjamin Croy: Peter Fauley was the first burial (1815)
• New Milford [Roseville] was laid out by Ezekiel Rose in 1812.* 
• Uniontown [Fultonham] was laid out by John Porter and Henry Hummell around 1813. (East Fultonham came into being some years later with the advent of the railroad.)
• Newtonville [White Cottage] took root around 1815.
• Methodist Church circuit riders served the township prior to the organizing of permanent churches; Goshen Methodist Church near Roseville and Uniontown Methodist church were organized around 1830. No church buildings of any denomination were erected in the township

  

  This crockery piece sold for a modest
  $175, but one Rambo Pottery piece
  recently went for more than $8000

  before 1835.
• Because of the quality of the clay soil in Newton, pottery-making became an important local industry from the township's early days. Almost all of the many potteries were "bluebird potteries",  family-owned and operated. (See the blog post Potters Here, There, and Everywhere) A few of the local potters, like Joseph Rambo, became very well-known, and today wares bearing Rambo's signature bring very high prices at auction. 

*Roseville straddles the boundary between Muskingum and Perry County, so if you're researching New Milford/Roseville ancestors, be sure to go to both county courthouses.