fixed by his son, George Boyles, who is still living in Andrew county, Missouri, and who was born in Canaan township June 5, 1795. He was, beyond doubt, the first white child born in Athens county.

He says

he was born "on the school section between the graveyard and the river." Mr. Hocking H. Hunter, of Lancaster, Ohio, has frequently been accorded the distinction of having been the first white child born in the Hockhocking valley. He was not born till August 23, 1801. It hardly admits of a question that George Boyles, a native of Canaan, was the first white child born on the waters of the Hockhocking.

John Boyles, son of Peter, was born in Pennsylvania in 1791, came to Canaan township with his father's family in 1795, and lived there till his death in 1849. Some of his descendants still reside in the county.

Peter W. Boyles, son of John Boyles, was born in Canaan township, December 20, 1820, and has since passed his life in this county. He now owns and lives on the "Daniel Stewart farm" in Rome townshipprobably the best farm in the county. Samuel S. Boyles, another son of John, lives in Lodi township. Both he and Peter W. are prosperous and highly respected citizens.

Samuel Gillett was born in Hartford county, Connecticut, September 26, 1785, and came to Athens

county in 1818.

He first settled in Ames, where in

He

1819 he established a tannery, which was located near where the old brick church stood in after years. frequently tanned the skins of wild animals, panthers, bears, etc., which were, even as late as that, sometimes used for clothing or household purposes. In 1823 he removed to Canaan township, and settled on Stroud's run, about four miles east of Athens. He and his present wife were married in 1809.

Abel Miller came to Athens county in 1802 from Middletown, Connecticut. In 1803 he purchased land two miles below the town of Athens in what is now Canaan township, and built a log cabin the same year. In a few years he had opened a fine farm, which is still known as among the best in the valley. Mr. Miller was for a long time county surveyor. He surveyed the two college townships at one time, preparatory to a leasing of the lands. He was appointed a trustee of the Ohio university in 1808, and served in that capacity till 1825 when he resigned. He was several times. elected a justice of the peace, and served seven years as an associate judge. He died April 23, 1827, at the age of fifty years. Judge Miller was a man of large acquaintance, and deserved popularity through this and adjoining counties. He was a superior judge, a good

citizen, and an excellent man.

Captain Parker Carpenter, a native of Killingly, Connecticut, came to this township in 1817, and settled on a new farm a little north of the present village of New England. He served in the war of 1812, before leaving Connecticut. A few years before his death he removed to Athens township and settled on a fine farm about two miles from Athens, where he died November 6, 1852, aged seventy-three years. He was an excellent citizen. Some of his descendants still live in the county, and are highly respected.

Joshua Hoskinson was born in Maryland in 1791, and settled with his father's family in Canaan township in 1810. Deer, bears, and wolves were quite plenty in this region at that time. In his younger days Mr. Hoskinson was fond of hunting, though he says "Peter Mansfield and William Burch were the best; they caught and killed more wolves than any men we had." Mr. Hoskinson volunteered in the war of 1812, and entered the service under Captain Jehiel Gregory of Athens.

He says:

"We went into winter quarters on the head waters of the Scioto, about the time that the British and Indians took possession of the French settlement on the Maumee river. General Tappan called for volunteers from his brigade to go on an expedition against the British on the Maumee, and I volunteered. There were about seven hundred officers and men. We took five days' rations and started, I think, on the 7th of November, 1812. On the 13th, we came to the rapids of the Maumee.

That night our scouts reported that the river was rising. Captain Gregory led the battalion forward, and with great difficulty we waded the river. But we went no further nor met the enemy. The failure of our provisions was, I suppose, the reason of our hasty return. On our march back to camp we were three days without anything to eat except spice-bush and slippery-elm bark. When we were about a day and a half's march from camp, and nearly starved, we were met by pack horses with flour."

Mr. Hoskinson was county commissioner twelve ・ years, justice of the peace six years, and has held other local offices.

William Henry was born in Newport, eight miles above Marietta, October 18, 1804, and came to Athens county with his father's family when sixteen years of age. He married a daughter of Captain Parker Carpenter, and ultimately settled in Canaan township on the farm formerly owned by Colonel William Stewart, on the Hockhocking, about eight miles below Athens. Mr. Henry is an excellent citizen and highly respected.

TH

CHAPTER XII.

Carthage Township.

HIS township, originally a part of Troy, was separately organized in 1819. The following appears in the records of the county commissioners :

"November 10th, 1819-Resolved, that all that part of the township of Troy included in township No. 5, in the 12th range and the east half of township No. 4, in the 13th range, be a separate township by the name of Carthage."

And at the same session the inhabitants were directed to meet on a specified day and elect township officers.

The first justice of the peace in Carthage was Milton Buckingham. Joseph Guthrie and Francis Caldwell were also among the earliest. Among the early township trustees were Stephen Buckingham, Joseph Guthrie, Francis Caldwell, Alexander Caldwell, Moses Elliott, and B. B. Lottridge.

Joseph Guthrie built the first grist mill in the township about the year 1820, on a small stream on his farm.