Walnut Township - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Walnut Township is located on the E. line of the County in the SE quarter. It is bounded on the E. by Boone Co, on the N. by Franklin Twp, on the W. by Union and on the S. by Clark. Walnut is a favored township, being well supplied with all that is necessary to constitute it a desirable place for the agriculturalist. The soil is rich, and produces abundantly. The timber in this township is of the best quality, and is largely manufactured into building material, staves and headings.

A small stream, one of the tributaries of Sugar Creek, runs through Walnut Twp. near its center. It is only valuable for stock water and drainage. The public highways are good, except in the low grounds in wet seasons. The people are well supplied with school houses, Churches and lodges.

New Ross, in the SE corner of the township, is a live and beautiful place. Its people are intelligent, affable and enterprising. The town is yet quite small, but the prospects are very flattering for a place of some notoriety, as there is to be a junction of railroads just E. of the town. This addition will evidently be considerable advantage to the already interesting village of New Ross.

We must not leave this history without making mention concerning a boy that we met at this place. It is so very seldom that we meet persons whose every feature and deed show honest intentions, that when we do occasionally come in contact with one of this sort we feel inclined to tell others of it. This boy is young and handsome; he is manly and noble in his thoughts and if we mistake not, will do to trust in any position. This boy is now a clerk in a dry goods store at New Ross; his name is Marcus B. FRAIZER (sic); his name and age are given in this directory. The vote of Walnut Twp. is over 400, being Republican by a small majority.

Secret Organizations

New Ross Lodge, IOOF, No. 397; membership 41; value of Lodge property, $2,000; instituted 1872.

New Ross Grange, No. 622; membership 80, James C. HARRIS, Sec; value of property, $500.

There are two Churches at New Ross, and others at Fredericksburg, a handsome village just No. of the railroad in the W. part of the township. There are also several Churches in the country, all supplied with good ministers, Sabbath schools and teachers, so that Walnut Twp. is well up in the scale of morals.

Walnut Twp. has 8 schoolhouses, all good, valued at $5000; number of teachers employed, 10; number of children enrolled, 568; average attendance, 463.

We recently had occasion to make a journey to New Ross, and we write this that the people of Walnut may "see themselves as others see them." We entered the township near the home of Hannibal Trout, and we desire to say that in our opinion no one is better "fixed" for farming than he. His implements are first-class and his land is evidence of a high state of cultivation. His nearest neighbor on the south is Robert Finch, who is interested in the manufacture of tile, having a new steam engine, tile mill and sawmill all in operation in connection with a large and well-improved farm. John Lockridge lives one-half mile south, and everything about him seems to prosper. Here is three of Montgomery County's best and most successful farmers living side by side, differing in politics and religion, but alike in prosperity and the respect of all who know them. They are self-made men, owing their prosperity to their individual efforts, have each been prominent in politics, all unsuccessful in that direction, and are now private citizens. We came to the "State road," as it is called, near the residence of Mills Martin, another of Walnut Township's energetic farmers and a staunch Republican. This road from Mace to New Ross should be graveled. Walnut has been behind the times in the matter of gravel roads, but is fast awakening. We noticed but few cattle or hogs feeding and presume they are scarce. We saw some hogs feeding for spring and summer market. The next farm to which our attention was called was that of Alex. Conner, a recent purchase in which he is making much improvement. Alex. has sold his threshing machine and will devote himself to the farm. It is a pity, for his is an excellent feeder. But here is the magnificent red barn and other conveniences of Ben Walkup, who is now in Kansas and will probably make that his future home. And the immense new tile factory of Booher & Custer, who are preparing to manufacture tile for the whole universe and have some left. New Ross is a lively growing town and when the new railroad (to be finished this Summer) is completed it will bring a healthy boom and make this a good market and first-class shipping point. Inquiry developed the fact that New Ross will have two candidates for nomination for Trustee before the Republican convention at Mace on the 22nd inst., Bob Green and John Inlow. The name of Wm. Walkup is also mentioned in this connection; while Mace will present Wm. Ward for the sacrifice, and Maxwell and Perry will represent Tiger Valley. The Democracy talks of Jim Robbins, of Wildcat Swamp, Sperry, the stock dealer or William Loop, of Mace, to lead their "forlorn hope." There seems to be a kind of rivalry between these towns, Mace and New Ross, over the Trusteeship, which is not good-natured, and it is probable that the next Trustee will not be chosen from either place. Republicans should not let petty troubles divide them but unite on the strongest candidate and thus insure his election. The party was never in better fighting order and is sure to win if united. We rode to Beckvillethrough the Williamson free gravel road. Couldn't ride over it because the bottom had fallen out. The question agitating the contractors is, who will pay to put it in order? It passes through a beautiful strip of well-improved country. We understood that our old friend Chris Walkup, the philanthropist, is circulating a petition to the next Legislature to amend the constitutions of certain old bachelors and widowers so that marriage will be compulsory. Be that as it may, the town of Beckville is growing, and corner lots are in demand. Bowman's sawmill runs day and night. A free gravel road is building to Mace, and the grocer, John Jones, sells more goods than anybody in town. Elijah Mount, the present efficient Trustee, lives near Beckville. We made some inquiry about the Robert Finch gravel road and traversed nearly the whole of it. Where the contractors quit graveling, the gravel put on is a little over nine feet wide and the grade in places in not more than fifteen feet in width, while the contract calls for a grade twenty-two feet wide and the width of gravel 12 feet. The road is not completed yet. The contractors have presented a modest bill of $375 for extras. The question arises what would have been the amount of extras if the road were built according to contract? However the end is not yet.

Keeney, Charles

Kelley, John

Kenyon, James B.

Kimbler, John

Kimler, Richard

Kinler, Moses

Kiser, John

LaFollett, Usal

LaFollett, William

Lambkin, Matthew

Lambkin, Samuel

Lee, James

Lewis, Charles

Linn, John

Lockridge, William

Logan, Amsy

Long, Frederick

Long, Henry

Long, James

Long, William

Loop, John

Lytle, Robert

Maltbie, Warren M.

Martin, Evi

Mayberry, Caswell

McCoy, William

McCuthchen, Jos.

Miller, Henry

Morris, Daniel

Nelson, William

Oliver, Elias

Oliver, Thomas

Oxley, Cecily

Oxley, William

Oxley, John S.

Peffley, John

Poage, John

Pogue, John H.

Pottenger, John

Reed Patton, Isaac

Roark, John

Roark, William

Robbins, Gerardus R.

Roby, John

Sandy, Henry

Sandy, Wm. H.

Schenck, Aaron

Schooley, John

Schooley, Samuel

Scott, Joseph

Scott, James O.

Smith, John

Spohr, David

Spohr, Joseph

Stewart, Andrew

Stewart, David

Stewart, Joseph

Stewart, Moses

Stewart, Aaron S.

Stipe, Joseph

Strain, James

Streatch, Joseph

Thompson, Joseph

Thorne, Geo. W.

Todd, Johnston

Trimble, Elijah

Vansoyoc, Godfrey

Wade, Joseph

Wade, William

Walkup, John

Wandless, Stephen

Watkins, George

Watts, John

West, Jeremiah

Wilhite, President H.

Williams, Lewis

Williams, Warren

Williams, Moses

Wilson, William

Winger, Rachel

Winter, Jesse

Winter, John

Winter, Jonas

Winter, Mary

Wise, Michael

Wright, James

Youel McCuthchen, William

Youel, William N.

Young, John