Scott Township - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Although we are celebrating our 200th year of the county, Scott Township was a bit slow moving, as it really didn’t steer anyone there until 15 years later and it was about 15 after that when the last of the acreage was purchased through land grants.  Four waterways are in the township, Big Raccoon, Corn Stalk, Indian and Rattlesnake creeks.  The largest town, New Market, just experienced a wonderful celebration of their 150th birthday and a great time was had by all!  The Civic Band was enjoyed playing some patriotic numbers.  Several vendors kept the folks’ tummies full; there was a super car show with many interesting vehicles old and new, tractors and such; an interesting fire engine display; a memorial room that displayed a tribute to the 90-year olds was nice; photos of their 100 year celebration; long-time barber Steve Powers’ seat and some photos; school photos and yearbooks; several quilts; a time capsule that would hold goodies for the next 50 years and would be opened in 2072; and many comments on what a great time was had by all getting to see so many old friends and meeting several new ones!  What is rather unique about NM is that it is centered where Union, Scott, and Brown all come together thus someone living on one side of New Market might live in Brown but in the same town someone else could live in Scott or Union. Putnam County also touches Scott on the South as does Clark on the east and it’s only just a couple of miles away from Ripley. A committee also did some sprucing up downtown for the celebration and it gave a pleasant, relaxing atmosphere. Thanks to Greg Crum for the wonderful video of the celebration found on the New Market FB page and to everyone’s hard work on such a fine two-days.

Speaking of pleasant and relaxing another Scott Township town I always enjoyed was Parkersburg – went to several weddings there in the nifty church, enjoyed drinking from the fresh water tap (spring) and we had some good friends we’d visit and go to the little gas station for some goodies.  Pretty well gone now, there used to be some other reasonably active towns, such as Lapland and Pawnee. Scott, too, is 36 square miles. One of the earliest Scott Township settlers was Jacob Shuck, followed by John Danner, the Lemons, Goyer, and Jacob Winters. Thomas Faithful was one or the first Justice of the Peace. John Wren, Joshua Swank, William Frame, John Drennon, AW Armstrong, Noble Welsh followed by Graybills, Watkins, Gotts, Hostetters, Myers, Gills, LaFollettes,  Byrds, Warbrittons and many more.  One pretty funny early story about the area centered around Nathaniel Parker a citizen of Swanksville in Putnam County and as the last one living there he decided to uplift his post office and relocate it in nearby Scott Township in Montgomery County.  Some Putnam citizens got irate but the government thought Uncle Nate would make a good political power as the new postmaster of the newly formed Parkersburg.  Others complained about the name so for two years it was known as Faithville (after one of the complainers) for a couple of years then went back to and as we all know, remains such today.  Parker was the postmaster until about 1840 when Robert Ramsey held it for quite a number of years and was also a local minister.  

Surprised we’ve not heard more on this family, as Rev. John Secrest travelling in the area gave the first sermon in 1825 and it was nine years later when the first store came into Parkersburg opened by James Secrest.  Robert Ramsey and Jacob Durham opened another and later, Ben Wasson kept a store in the young village.  For many years, the James family had stores there.  Ever the entrepreneur, Nate Parker took wool which he carded himself (1881 Beckwith History p 408) along with furs, chickens, turkeys and hauled them all to Chicago for trading for what he felt the local folks might need.  During a particular ten years (40-50) Parkersburg was quite a happening place with three dry good stores, four blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, two cabinet shops and ready for this – two hotels, the first proprietor being Noble Welch. There was a saw mill and grist mill. The first school teacher seemed to be a “Miss Anderson” who taught in a vacated old cabin and William Bruce taught in one too in the late 1820s and early 30s.  A few years later the citizens built a school right in the center of Scott Township and it was also used for any public meetings town or township related.  “David Swank is believed to be the father of Methodist in this portion of Montgomery County.  Honest, earnest and active, he and William Frame organized the Methodist Church forming it in the late 1820s.  Services were conducted for many years in the school house in Parkersburg but in 1841 a plain church 30 x 40 feet was erected for the ever growing group.  It costs $1,550 and was 36 x 46 and began with a nice membership of 60 folks.  The Providence Baptist Church began about that same time (late 1820s), with Jonathan Keeney as its organizer.  Rev. John Clemmons began as the pastor but from 1835-1860 John Case never stopped working for his church.  Their first church was built in 1849.  Rev. John Thompson a go-getter minister of Crawfordsville, along with local families, Hester, Hostetter, Gilbert, Lockridge, Adams, Westfalls began the Presbyterian Church there.  Samuel G Lowery was their first minister beginning in 1837 and was quite successful then in 1841 Samuel Lowery came and Rev. Moody Chase came.  He was loved by the people and he in turn loved them so much so that he purchased a farm in the area and remained.  For a time, Caleb Mills and Rev. EO Hovey of Wabash came and held services.  There were also in the earlier years a German Baptist (Dunkard) church.  Today, there is one active church (Christian) in Parkersburg and New Market is blessed with three quite active ones (Baptist, Christian and United Methodist).  

Of course, farming has been the main stay in Scott Township since its formation and although there are those working in area factories, teaching school, a senator (Phil Boots), college coaches and many various jobs, there are still the large farmers.  Some I remember through my lifetime in this area (thanks Nancy): Bannons; Eads; Frames; Rices; Saylers; Simpsons and probably missing several more.

Schools were built as early as the 1830s, but New Market itself had no building until at least 1870 which was a subscription school that was held in one of the earliest residents built there with Molly Buchanan as teacher. No record as to the number of pupils or what subjects were available. Just a few years later, citizens donated timber, land and labor to build a one-room building for the purpose to teach “Readin, ‘Ritin’ ‘Rithmetic!”  It didn’t take long for the school to become extremely over-crowded so in 1881 a room was added on and blackboards added to each to separate the rooms but could be pulled back so there would be more of an auditorium room.  A dozen years later another room was added on giving NM a three-room school.   The township trustees elected the teachers and were paid generally with cash, but occasionally with donations of food or wood or just as often with free room and board.  Eighth graders took exams and received diplomas on the passing of such.  State teacher’s exams were also required.  In 1898, another great increase of students made it necessary for a better building and thus a two-story brick building of six rooms (four down housing grades 1-8 and two up for the high school folks) and also with a basement, the building erected just east of the present grade school building.  It was the first consolidated school bringing in children from Scott and Union Townships as well as the city of New Market. They were even given free transportations but those in Brown Township were required to furnish their own. Students who rode their own horses in to town boarded them at a livery stable. The man had them hitched and ready to go and they were ready at break-neck speed to get out of there.  The first graduate of New Market was Alma VanCleave. She was born April 23, 1879, to Edwin and Sarah Proctor Hicks VanCleave, their last child of seven and was the first and only in that first NM graduating class. She went onto graduate from Valparaiso and attended what became Indiana State and the very best thing was she came back home to teach (Swamp College, Center Grove, Waveland, Shannondale, Kirkpatrick and Shannondale. She taught 32 years. For the first couple of decades entertainment consisted of spelling and match bees, Christmas programs, pie and box suppers (often with the young ladies baking a pie, decorating the box up and at the auction of the boxes, the guy who purchased it ate what she had brought (my own grandparents met that way) and the money went to the school.  There might be speeches, or debates or there might be a contest for the prettiest girl usually with the winner having a fellow who brought lots of pennies to vote.  In 1902, New Market had another plus becoming the first commissioned high school in the county. Mainly it was the three R’s but in the 1910ish they added English Literature, Latin, Ancient History, music and art then in 1912 a domestic science class appeared.  Early on they also tallied a junior high department (1919). Seemed to have been only two yearbooks (1909 and 1915) until 1946 when it began as a yearly duty of the senior class.  

The earliest basketball team on record (1904) included: Newton Busenbark; Fern Busenbark; Roy Demoret; Harry Galey; Ed Groves; LD McMullen and Clay Rice but it was four years later it had an official team with Ralph Bell; Everett Long; Claude Martin; Byron Miller and Frank Proctor; coached by Mr. NC Neal. The games were played outside on courts and of course mainly were played in the spring and fall.  (You can read more about the early sports history on the Montgomery County INGenWeb page) here: http://ingenweb.org/inmontgomery/alumni%20south/history-of-nms-1870-1971.html.

In 1928, a 20-room brick school was built (photo from the GenWeb page). A few of the schools also had coliseums for graduations, sports events and such and New Market had had one but it was torn down in this time frame.  New Market also had another first the first hot lunch program.  It was hard to get started but folks donated food, organizations began to help, mothers volunteered to cook until finally it worked well enough to hire help.  Until 1971 when Southmont School Corporation began, most of the small towns had their own Grades K-12 buildings (Alamo, Ladoga, New Ross, New Market, Waveland) and then the consolidation kept the schools as grades until the last few years when more and more are being demolished.  Only New Market, Ladoga and Walnut Township remain.  Today, the junior high and high school students go to Southmont School on Highway 231 South (41).

As you can see the development of the schools and churches continue to change the country feel of the old times, but overall, we remain a good farming community!   ---kbz