LAWRENCE COUNTY OHIO - History of Rome Township (published 1882, 1887) *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman July 14, 1999 *********************************************************************** From Atlas of Lawrence County, Ohio Hardesty 1882 From Atlas of Lawrence County, Ohio 1887 D.J. Lake & Company First called Center Township but changed to Rome Township in 1821-2, it comprises 37 Sections. The first actual settler, Joseph Miller, built the first log cabin in 1787 at what became known as Haskellville. Others who followed soon afterward were Joel Gillett, A.T.F. Fuller, Samuel Swain, Jacob Proctor and Robert Hall. James Miller, son of Joseph, was the first recorded birth. The first school, located in Section 22, was taught by Enoch Doddridge in 1815. The first sermon was preached in 1820, and in the same year James Haskell, minister, organized the first church society, Methodist Episcopal. Thomas Walton wrote, that after he came in 1819, he settled in the township, laid out the town of Millersport for Jacob Miller, who built himself a brick house. Joel Bowen sold meat and whiskey to hands on the keel boats. He sold some very small hams that the boatmen dubbed "dog hams". It was thus that the farm became known as Dog-Ham Shoal Farm and the river shoals became known as the "Dog Ham Ripple". The apple variety which became known as "The Rome Beauty" is credited to Alanson Gillette. As a lad of eight or nine years old his father, Joel, had given him a tree sprout which had sprung from below the graft of trees he had bought in Marietta. The sprout which the boy planted was the original Rome Beauty apple tree which is well-known to this day. Early Settlers are: BELL, Benjamin BELL, Isaac DODRIDGE, Enoch FULLER, A.F.F. HALL, Robert HASKELL, Rev. James GILLETT, Joel MILLER, Joseph PROCTOR, Jacob SWAIN, Samuel Name Post Office Occupation Nativity Date of Settlement Eaton, L.D. & J.P. Labelle Farmers & Fruit Growers Lawrence Co., OH unknown Edwards, Henry Labelle Farmer Loudoun Co., VA 1854 Eckhart, Charles Athalia Farmer Hanover, Germany 1845 Ellett, S.H. Labelle Contractor & Builder Cincinnati, OH 1876 Fuller, S.S. Labelle Stonemason & Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1817 Farley, T.J. Labelle Farmer & Market Gardener Monroe Co., OH 1845 Forgey, M. Proctorville Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1825 Guthrie, A.M. Proctorville Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1853 Guthrie, J.B. Proctorville Teacher Lawrence Co., OH 1865 Gillett, P.F. Labelle Artist & County Recorder Lawrence Co., OH 1832 Gardner, O.W. Proctorville Farmer & Market Gardener Lawrence Co., OH 1851 Hall, C.H. Proctorville Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1836 Hall, J.M. Proctorville Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1849 Hall, S.B. Labelle Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1855 Holschuh, John Miller's Miller Noble Co., OH 1872 Hughes, C.B. Labelle Broom Manufacturer Illinois 1845 Henderson, D. Miller's Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1840 Kaneff, Geo. W. Athalia Farmer Belmont Co., OH 1867 Laffoon, A. Labelle Postmaster & Grocer Lawrence Co., OH 1848 Losey, W.M. Labelle Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1852 Miller, A. Miller's Farmer & County Commissioner Lawrence Co., OH 1830 Miller, E.R. Labelle General Speculator Lawrence Co., OH 1864 Miller, H.M. Labelle Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1859 Miller, Abraham Athalia Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1819 McCown, M. Miller's Blacksmith & Farmer Kanawha Co., WV 1838 Morrison, Thos. D. Scott Town Farmer Guernsey Co., OH 1865 Norris, J.B. Ironton Teacher Monongalia Co., WV 1883 Neal, J.A. Labelle Farmer Gallia Co., OH 1834 Ross, T.W. Labelle Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1837 Rucker, J.W. Bartramville Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1855 Swain, C.W. Miller's Blacksmith & Wagon Maker Lawrence Co., OH 1853 Stutler, J.C. Proctorville Engineer Wood Co., WV 1865 Schultz, J.B. Athalia Contractor & Builder Germany unknown Sayre, E.F. Miller's Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1854 Turley, C.H. Labelle Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1846 Turley, J.B.R. Labelle Farmer & Market Gardener Lawrence Co., OH 1844 Thomas, A.R.O. Labelle Farmer Monroe Co., OH 1848 Terry, Julius Bartramville Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1828 Trumbo, R.L. Miller's Speculator Lawrence Co., OH 1853 Varnum, G.C. Miller's Merchant Lawrence Co., OH 1848 Varnum, Moses Miller's Farmer & Carpenter Lawrence Co., OH 1832 Wilson, Albert Proctorville Farmer Cabell Co., WV 1865 Wilson, Theodore Labelle Teacher Cabell Co., WV 1861 Wilkes, Silas Labelle Farmer Lawrence Co., OH 1839