Ohio History Journal

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THE LIBRARY OF AN EARLY OHIO FARMER

THE LIBRARY OF AN EARLY OHIO FARMER

by ROBERT H. IRRMANN

Assistant Professor of History and Government, Denison University

Though not among the "founding fathers" of Blendon Town-

ship in Franklin County, Gideon W. Hart is noted by William

Martin, one of the county's early historians, as among those who

"subsequently" settled there after the initial waves of migration in

1806 and 1808. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, on July 16, 1785,

Hart first came to Franklin County in 1816, and settled there per-

manently by 1818. He took up 380 acres of government surveyed

land in section one, on Big Run, and there turned to farming, apple

growing, and running a sawmill.1

By profession Hart was a surveyor and through interest an

amateur militiaman. He was a colonel of the militia and also served

many years as a justice of the peace.2 He was first elected to serve

as one of the two justices of the peace for the township in 1824.

Re-elected to his justiceship in 1827, he resigned within the year.

He stood for the same office the following year, and was a suc-

cessful candidate. In the elections of 1831 and 1834 he was re-

elected, and served until his last term expired in 1837. In all he

served his township in this capacity for over twelve years.

In his survey of Ohio, about 1830, John Kilbourn remarked

that Blendon was "fertile and well watered by Alum and Big Wal-

nut creeks, both of which run across its whole extent from north

to south. Along these streams are some mill seats already improved,

and numerous fertile and well cultivated farms."3 The population

of the township as recorded by the census of 1830 was 666 inhab-

itants.4

 

1 William T. Martin, History of Franklin County (Columbus, 1858), 235; W. A.

Taylor, Centennial History of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio (Chicago and Co-

lumbus, 1909), II, 360-363; Williams Bros., pubs., History of Franklin and Pickaway

Counties, Ohio ([Cleveland], 1880), 470.

2 Williams Bros., op. cit., 470.

3 The Ohio Gazeteer; or Topographical Dictionary [of the] State of Ohio (10th

ed., Columbus, 1831), 91.

4 Warren Jenkins, The Ohio Gazetteer, and Traveler's Guide; containing . . .

General Register (1st rev. ed., Columbus, 1837), 82.

185