--- PRIOR to the organization of Noble County, the territory of Marion Township was included in Union and Seneca Townships, Monroe County.  The former was organized in 1822, and included township 7 of range 8.  The latter was first erected in 1815, but did not extend west to the county line, as it was afterward made to do.  In 1836 a description of its boundaries shows that Seneca Township embraced township 7 of range 7.  The twelve eastern sections of Marion therefore came from Seneca Township, and the twelve western ones from Union Township.
     Among the names of owners of real estate appearing on the tax duplicate of Monroe County in 1833 were the following whose lands lay within the present limits of Marion:
     George Brown, Section 24, 162 acres, $184;
     Samuel Craig, Section 13, township 7, range 7, 81 acres;
     Joshua Craig, Jr., Section 1, same township and range, 82 acres, value appears on the Enoch Township tax $103;
     Michael Danford, Section 1, 80 acres;
     James Lemmax, section 11, 78 acres, $98;
                                 same section 12, 78 acres, $98;
     William Osborn, Section 12, 80 acres, $90.
     These names duplicate, the reason probably being that the owners of the lands described resided within that township, which as then constituted was the sixth township of the eighth range.  On the Union Township tax duplicate for the same year were the names of the following owners of real estate in the twelve sections of the seventh township of the eighth range, now included in Marion:

     In that portion of the township taken from Seneca Township (sections 25 to 36 inclusive of township 7, range 7), were the following owners of real estate in 1833:

The foregoing tax-list - the earliest on file in Monroe County - would indicate that the country about Summerfield was already well settled in 1833.
     Marion Township was erected by the county commissioners, May 1, 1851, "so as to include and be composed of the following territory, to wit:
     "Commencing on the seventh range line of the southwest corner of section 31, in township number 7 of range 7,; thence east along said township line to the southeast corner of section 25 in said township number 7 and range 7; thence north along the section line to the northeast corner of section 30 in said township, number 7 and range 7; thence west along said township line to the northwest corner of section 36 in said township, number 7 and range 7; thence south along the seventh range line to the northeast corner of section 1 in township number 7 of range 8; thence west along the said township line to the northwest corner of section 3 in said township number 7 and range 8; thence south along the section line to the southwest corner of section 22 in said township number 7 and range S.; thence east along section lines to the seventh range line; thence north to the place of beginning: containing twenty-four sections."
     David West, a native of the State of Delaware, now eighty-two years of age, resides in Fairview, Guernsey County.  Mr. West states that he came to the place where Summerfield now is on the 15th of May, 1812.  It was all a wilderness, not a stick of timber had been cut.  He remained but a short time, then returned to Barnesville, where he remained four or five years.  He then returned to what is now Summerfield, where he worked at his trade (shoemaking) and clearing up land.  After his family had grown up, he removed to Guernsey County.
     Other settlers, who came originally from Delaware, were Nathaniel Capell, Ananias Banum, Archelaus Lingo, William Lingo, James Shankland, Asa Barton, Thomas Cochran, and William Burcher.  These were mainly men of limited education, but well able to defend themselves in an argument.  Nathaniel Capell was especially gifted in this direction, as were also two of his sons, William and James.  The latter was a man of much more than ordinary ability, and public discussions or in the pulpit was able to hold his own with any opponent.  Among the oldest residents now living in Summerfield and vicinity are Mary Capell, now the widow of Richard Horton; Elizabeth Lingo, widow of James Osborne; Mary Shankland, widow of Liston Prettyman now living with her mother, the widow of James Shankland and John Shankland, on the old homestead.
     Joshua Wolf was an early settler on the Taylor farm, near Lexington.  He kept tavern.  His place was a great resort in early times.  Many shooting-matches were held there.  Wolf also followed blacksmithing.  His father, John Wolf, a veritable backwoodsman, was an early settler at Lexington and had a blacksmith shop here.
     The Irish settlement began in 1817.  In that year came Moses Horton, who bought the land on which the town of Summerfield now is, and a few years later laid off some lots where the road from Zanesville to Sunfish on the Ohio River and the Barnesville and Marietta road crossed each other.  He prophesied that it would become a large town.  "Yes," said William Earheart, deeming his ideas rather visionary, "when the Ohio River comes to it."  Though Mr. Horton's hopes have not been fully realized, the town is now second in the county, and has a railroad instead of a river connecting it with larger places.
     About the same time with Horton came Joshua Craig, George Acred, Hugh O'Neill, Thomas Franklin, Patrick Peppard, William Osborne, Samuel Osborn and James Osborn with their mother and their sisters, Mary, Kitty and Betsey; William McClintock, James Lemmax, Eliza Large and five sons and one daughter came in February of 1829.  Hugh Waybrant, John Waybrant and Thomas Tackaberry.  Later came William Craig, Wyndham Sparling, John Cleary, Edward Cleary, Thomas Burns, Anthony Kilroy, Crumlin Ferris and Joseph Mitter.
     A few of the early settlers became discouraged and left, but the most of them stuck bravely to their work and made good homes for themselves and their families.  George Acred, Patrick Peppard, Thomas Tackaberry, Thomas Burns and John Waybrant, of the Irish settlers, became disgusted and returned to Pittsburgh.
     It is difficult to understand how men and women, accustomed as many of them ad been to the ways of luxury and civilization, could patiently endure the hardships of pioneer life and withal enjoy themselves therein.  But that they did there is abundant evidence.  They were industrious and diligent workers, and wielded the axe or the grubbing hoe with sturdy hands, inspired and encouraged by the hope that in this way only could they win for themselves a farm and a home.
     The Irish were looked upon with a good deal of suspicion by their neighbors, who came from Maryland, Virginia, and other Eastern States.  This caused them to cling closely together and to render all possible assistance to one another.  Their characteristic (START Right Column page 384)

[Portrait of S. B. Philpot]
 

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