Bartlett

Marietta Register (Tri-Weekly), September 4, 1890

Some of the Early and First Settlers of Wesley Township.

James Rardin was amongst the first. He came to this township with his father's family in 1804 and lived here until July, 1889, when he died. He lived in the township longer than any other man and died in his eighty-ninth year. When he came, there was only one house in what is now Plymouth, and only one between here and Marietta, and only six or seven cabins within a range of seven or eight miles. 

Wild animals were plenty, such as deer, bear, wolves, panthers and wild cats; wild turkeys were also numerous. Indians often passed through the township on trading expeditions. About 1837 the wild game, except deer and turkeys, had all disappeared. The former at that date, and for two or three years after, were quite plenty, good hunters often killing from two to four in a day.

John Bachelor, an old man and one amongst the early settlers, was one of the most successful hunters of that day. He lived to see the large game all pass away and had to come down to shooting squirrels, and died soon after.

James and Carmi Smith have lived in the township longer than any other persons here. James was born in 1809 and came here with his father's family in 1810 and has lived here ever since. Carmi was born in 1812; has lived a few years in Fairfield Township, also a few years in Belpre, but has come back to settle in Wesley and says he expects do die here.

James Smith owns and occupies the farm his father settled on in early times. Stephen and John Randolph own and occupy the farm that their father settled on. Andrew Rardin owns and lives on a part of the farm that his father first settled on. Thomas and Abigail Swain occupy the farm owned by William Ellis, Abigail being a daughter of William Ellis. There are no other farms to my knowledge that are occupied by the descendants of the early settlers of the township. All have changed owners and some of them many times.

Wesley Township was originally quite heavily timbered, especially the northern part along Wolf Creek and Coal Run, with poplar timber. In early times there were often poplar logs cut that were sixty and eighty feet in length, that would square eighteen to twenty inches, and floated down Wolf Creek to Beverly for flatboats. But now there is but little good poplar timber left in the township. If some of the land along Wolf Creek and Coal Run had the timber on it that it had in its original state, it would be worth many times its present value.

West End.