Birthplace of our parents, Harley and Nellie Euans Marquis and final destination of our forefathers who were among the first white settlers of this area.

I. Chapter XIII, p.138 "Ohio in the Centennial"
An address of Edward D Mansfield, LL.D., Philadelphia, August 9, 1876. "One hunder years ago (1776) the whole territory from the Allegheny to the Rocky Mountains was a wilderness, inhabited only by wild beasts and Indians. The Jesuit and Moravian missionaries were the only white men who had penetrated the wilderness or beheld its might lakes and rivers. While the thirteen old colonies were declaring their independence, the thirteen new states, which now lie in the western interior, had no existence and gave no sign of the future."

I. Chapter VI, p. 60. "The occupation of the West by the American, really dates from the campaign of General Clark in 1778, when he captured the British posts in the illinois country and Vincennes on the Wabash. Had he been properly supported, he would have reduced Detroit, then in easy reach and poorly defended. As it was, however, that post remained in charge of the British till after the close of the war of the Revolution."

The war virtually ended by the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781. The struggle was prolonged, however, by the British in the vain hope that they could retrieve the disaster, but it was only a useless waste of men and money. America would not be subdued. "If we are to be taxed, we will be represented, else we will be a free government, and regulate our own taxes." In the end they were free. The final peace treaty was ratified by Congress on July 4, 1784.

At this time, there existed the original thirteen countries: Virginia loccupying all Kentucky and the Northwest, except for the portion of Michigan and Wisconsin claimed by MassachusettsJ, the upper portion of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, and the lower strip of Michigan Iclaimed by Connecticuti. The Spaniards claimed all of Florida and a narrow portion of lower Georgia. Spain also claimed all the country west of the Father of Waters and remained in control of that land until the Louisiana Purchase in 1803."

II-p. 181.
Logan County derived its name from General Benjamin Logan. The county was struck off from Champaign Co. on March 1, 1817, but did not officially organize until 1818. The county territory was a favored land of the Shawanoe Indians, who had several villages on Mad River that were known as the Macacheek towns. The names and positions of three of these towns are given to us by an older settler: Macacheek, near West Liberty; Pigeon Town, about 3 miles northwest; and Wappatomica, just below Zanesfield. These towns were destroyed in 1786 by a body of Kentuckians under General Benjamin Logan. iNote: on page 181 of Antrim's History, it is mentioned that Colonal Daniel Boon had charge of the advance troops.J

II-p. 212
Remarks of Joshua Antrim at the Pioneer's Picnic, Logan Co. Fairgrounds, on September 10, 1870.

"The first settlers of this county did not come here actuated by the spirit of adventure. They did not come merely for the purpose of hunting and trapping, as did Boone, Kenton, and others -not that I would say anything disparaging of those venerated names - but the first settlers were a different class of men. The first white men that set foot on the soil of Logan County were reared, the most of them, near Philadelphia, in New Jersey (III-p.10) where they were familiar with the refinements, comforts and conveniences of a highly cultivated people. Bred to agricultural pursuits, they first sought a home in the state of Virginia. From there, they came to Logan County to seek a permanent home. Many were Quakers, and were actuated by the noble spirit of the founders of their sect, Fox and Penn. They were not prompted by any mercenary motives of speculation.

[Marjorie Marquis note: Our first forefather came to America from England or Wales to New Jersey, and was a weaver. His son, Julius, was considered a prominent man in his day and the town of Juliustown, NJ, was named for him or by him. His son, Moses Euans, was born there. Moses was a Revolutionary war soldier, and the pioneer settler of Logan County.]

Actuated by the noble spirit of the illustrious founders of their sect, Fox and Penn; not were they prompted by any mercenary motives of speculation. Out of the reach of civilization, 100 miles from any markets -- Zanesville, Chillicothe and Cincinnati being the nearest we see them wending their way through the majestic forests of Ohio, to their new home in this county, surrounded by an entirely different Class of circumstances from those they had ever seen before. They set themselves down in the dead of winter, in their little tents, with no one to greet or welcome them to their new home. Naught was heard save the sighing of the winter's wind as it passed through the naked tops of the lofty forest trees that waved for miles around to the winter's blast. They soon became familiar to the crack of the Indian's rifle and the war hoop. Thus defenseless and alone did they trust to the God of their fathers; in peace and quietness did they pass through life.

The First White Settler in Logan County
The first white settler in Logan county was Job Sharp, who came to what is now Zane township, on Christmas day, 1801, with a four horse team (The Indians had taken Job Sharp and Simon Kenton prisoners during the Revolutionary War. They were taken to Wapatomica, now Zanesfield . traveling over this section of the country. What he saw so pleases him that he decided if he escaped, he would make it his home. In 1800 he traded 500 acres of military lands in Virginia for a like acreage.

Here, from a clipping I found -His wife Phoebe, and three children and Carlisle Haines, his brother-in-law, composed the little group. He settled on the farm now owned bv Lucius Cochran. (To think I played on this farm when I was a little girl and didn't know the history) They hastily erected a rude shelter to protect them from the winter blast, from the majestic forest that waved over their defenseless heads The day they arrived, the ground being covered with snow they found four bee trees. They discovered these trees by seeing the bees lying on the snow. In the spring of 1802, Mr. Sharp set out the first apple orchard containing about four acres; most of the trees are still standing and bearing fruit.

(From a clipping I found-- In 1802 Josuhua Sharpe, aided by John Chapman (Johnnie Appleseed) set out four acres of orchard on the old farm, the tree, coming from Johnnie's nursery on Big Darby) A pear tree now stands by the door that was brought from Chillicothe as a riding switch by the next year after they had settled here which has born fruit more or less every year since it commenced bearing Here too, in 1805 was built the first grist mill. It was run by the water that came from two fine spring on the premises which were united near the headgate. Though Mr. Sharp built this little mill for his own accommodation with no thought of public utility, as soon as it was known people came from a great distance to get their corn and wheat ground.'

"Here too, the first respectable hewed log house was erected in 1808, with a shingle roof. It had two stories, three rooms and cellar and two bedrooms upstairs. I am told by an old pioneer that the first roof was put on with wooden pins and the lumber was all sawed with a whi~saw. In the years 180~34~5, the relatives and acquaintances of Mr. Sharp settled around him and like himself most of them being Quakers, they built the first meeting house in the county which was also used for a schoolhouse. It was built in 1807. The Methodists those indomitable pioneers of religion were among the early settlers of the county and they and the Quakers held their meetings alternately in the same log meeting house.

p. 214-"Nothing occurred seriously to mar the peace and happiness of this part of the country until 1812, when the tocsin of war was again sounded, and public attention was diverted from the peaceful pursuits of domestic life, when the British again attempted to place the iron heel of despotism on the neck of the American people, and aroused the. slumbering malice of the Indian against his white brother by offering a price for American scalps. The Indians then threw down the calumet of peace they had been smoking and grasped the war club and scalping knife, and flourished them again over the heads of the defenseless pioneers. It was then that our young men, always ready to respond to the call of their country, left the peaceful pursuits of life and buckled on their armor and rushed to the rescue of their country from British tyranny. It was then that those rude defenses block-houses were built in this country, namely, Zanesfield (and Josenh Euans had his men quartered in 1813." (He was my great uncle and his brother, my great grand father, William Euans served under him) (William was also Justice of Peace in 1819-1820).

Middleburg, Ohio History
I-p.480
The village of Middleburg was laid out and the plat recorded May 24, 1832. Columbus street runs east and west through the center and Urbana street north and south, also through the center. At this time there were a few buildings scattered along these "streets" but in a few years other residences and stores were built until quite a village grew-a newspaper (1836) General stores, (one dealt largely in hardware as well as general merchandise, adding to his business that of beef and pork packing and shipping same, and a Grange.

According to the Census of 1880, Middleburg had a population of 272. My father was born in 1879 and mother in 1882. In 1880, there were two general stores, one drug store, one carriage factory, two blacksmith shops, two shoe shops, one saddlery shop, one shingle factory, one pottery and tile factory. The latter enterprise was started about 1850 to meet the great demand for sugar crocks, and is carried on at present by the Marquis Bros.

The town also contains a fine Township house built in 1879, a frame structure. This was the Town hall my mother reminisced about--when she was a girl all the families in the community would meet in the Town hall on Christmas Eve for their Santa Clause. How excited they all were to receive a sack of hard candy and it was a special treat if the children got an orange. There is also a very fine hotel in the town underlying which is a thick vein of limestone of which their is a fine quarry near.

The town is on an eminence and great difficulty is experienced in finding a supply of water. A shaft was sunk 96 to 75 through solid limestone before striking a good flow. A few years ago the enterprising citizens of the village placed a hydraulic ram in one of the springs on the old Sharp farm about half a mile distant from the town, and now a good supply of water is forced through pipe into the central part of the town, where it pours a refreshing stream sufficient to supply all the citizens.

Many churches were built over the years. The first schoolhouse was located near Joshua Inskeep's. It was a log building of the rudest sort with puncheon floor and huge fireplace, with greased paper pasted over an aperture, as a substitute for glass. Here, nearly all the youth, in what is now Zane Township, attended school in that day and learned to read by means of Webster's Speller, the Testament and Columbian Orator, or were instructed in the mysteries of figures by the aid of Pike and the Western Calculator. This, however was burned and was succeeded by a frame in 1820. Geography was introduced in 1838. The township, 1880) contains six school districts, in five of which are substantial frame schoolhouses, while in the village there is a fine two story building erected in 1874, at a cost of about $2,700.

The two lower rooms of this building are occupied by the schools of the village district, while the upper part, built by the township, is open to pupils from all the districts.

The schools of Zane Township are above average and employ female teachers usually in the sub-districts. Grandma Euans, then Helen Lavilla Cochran, taught from 186~1874 at an average salary of about $38 per month, continuing from seven to eight months in the year. In the township school, a good male teacher is employed for six months in the yeax at a salary of about$47 per month.