Early Land Entries of Paoli Township

This information is taken from Goodspeed’s 1884 History of Orange County, pp. 376-377. This list includes "all the land bought of the Government in the present Paoli Township prior to January 1, 1820."

The names below were the only entries in the present Paoli Township, prior to January 1, 1813. The second list shows 1813-1820.

The following men (and one woman!) entered land in this township from January 1, 1813, to January 1, 1820:

 

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                                             VOTERS IN NOVEMBER, 1816

Jonathan Doan, Thomas Braxtan, George Wolfington, Ephraim Doan, Martin Willard, Jamas Sutton, John Brown, William Dicks, Paton Wilson, Jesse Martin, William Killams, John Maris, Thomas Atkinson, Aaron Maris, Daniel Dawson, James Atkinson, Absalom Davis, Thomas Maris, William Lindley, Sr., James McVey, James O’Cannon, Jonathan Jones, Gilbert Kiliams, Simon Reubottom, Isaac Wells, Owen Lindley, Sr. Owen Lindley, Jr., Thomas Lindley, Sr., Barnabas McFall, Willoughby Blake, Joseph Wells, David Henderson, Benjamin Freeman, Robert Holaday, Levi Johnson, Thomas Maxedon, Thomas Reubottom, George Sutherland, Abraham Holaday, Thomas Inman, Henry Sanders, Robert Atkinson, Ezekiel Henderson. Moses Speer, Edward Bryant, John Owen, Joseph Pearson, Abner Lamb, Peter Quackenbush, Levi Gifford, Jesse Dobbs, John Dougherty, James Lindley, Jr., Jesse Fulton, Alexander Clark, Samuel Lindley, Jesse Gifford, Henry Holaday, William McVey, William Crow, Abraham Bosley, Jonathan Lindley, Jr., Clayton Lynch, Thomas Lindley, Jr., Jesse Fulton, Jr., John Dunbar, John Dougherty, Jr., Evan Jones, William Trueblood, Jonathan Newland, William Crawford, Daniel Willard, James Crow, Thomas Lindley, Evan Hyatt, Jacob Holaday, William Lindley, Jr., Samuel Holaday, Joseph McGrue, Gabriel Freeman, Benjamin Turley, Zachariah Lindley, Daniel Freeman, Sr., William Freeman, Eli Newland, Thomas Lindley, Joseph Reubottom, William Lindley, Stephen Thomas, John Pike, James Pearson, Jacob Lane, Robert Vest, John Campbell, Joshua Freeman, William Woodrum, William Milliken, John Pickard, Ephraim Owen, George Duncan, Joseph Willard, John Doan, Jesse Wells, John Hill, James Lindley, James Henderson, Nathan Wells, Warner Davis, William Matthews, James Jones, John Crow, Simon Dixon, Abraham Borland, Hugh Holmes, John Scott, Alexander Kearby, Joseph Scott, Silas Dixon, George Monarch, Henry Pickard, David Doan, Joshua Burnham, Jesse Holowell, Robert McCracken, William Bales, Joseph Farlow, Nathaniel Newland, Stephen Stations, George McCoy, John Moon, William Holaday, Henry Wolf, Evan Owen, Nathaniel Vest, Jonathan Lindley, Sr., Thomas Clark, Thomas Starks, John Faris, Richard Wall, Henry Dougherty, James Wolfington, Joel Charles, Thomas Wood, Joshua Hadley, Benjamin Leach, John Hadley, Joseph Cox, Edward Kearby, Duncan Darrock, Zachanias Wells, Abraham Elliott, Ebenezer Doan, Jacob Moulder, Samuel Chambers, John McCracken, Edward Moore, Nicholson Millis, Ransom Davis, Daniel Robbins, John McVey, John G. Clendenin, William Wells, Robert Holaday, James Wilson, John Williams, Joseph Wicks, James Eastridge, Michael Hepron, John Hunter, Jonathan Lomax, John Lynch, Zacharias Dix, Thomas Lynch. Stephen McPherson, Jacob Condrey. Joseph Channings, Daniel Darrock, Henry Towel, Jesse Davis, John Fulton, Moses Alderson and John Pinnick: total. 182. Abraham Elliott, Inspector; Ebenezer Doan, Jacob Moulder and John Lynch. Judges; Thomas Lynch and S. McPherson. Clerks. One hundred and twenty-eight votes were polled for Jonathan Lindley for Representative, and fifty-three for John Pinnick and one for Benjamin Blackwell. Neither of these candidates was elected.

 [Note the names of several other Holadays--brothers, cousins???]

                                             THE SETTLEMENT OF PAOLI TOWNSHIP

It is not definitely known who was the first permanent settler in the present township of Paoli. The earliest residents are gone, leaving no record of their settlement, not even tradition, touching this question, the only light on the subject being the information furnished by the entries of land, as shown by the "Tract Book". Jesse Hollowell made the first entry on Section 11, Township 1 north, Range 1 West, on the 26th of September. 1810, but, so far as can be learned, he did not reside there. The second entry was by Thomas Atkisson, on Section 13, same township and range February 13, 1811. This man moved upon this land, built a log cabin, and, so far as known, was one of the first, if not the first, settlers of Paoli Township. These entries were two or three miles east, southwest of Paoli. Jonathan Lindley bought on Section 8, Township 1 north, Range 1 east, in March 1811, and settled there the same year, likely in the fall, and he thus became one of the very first settlers of the township. Solomon and William Cox both bought land on Section 18, Township 1 north. Range I east, in May, 1811, and both settled there soon afterward with their families. This was about two and a half miles west of southeast of Paoli, Thomas Hopper and Thomas Farlow, both located in the township in 1811, the former on Section 1, just south of Paoli, and the latter on Section 14, two miles and a half southwest of Paoli. Owen Lindley, later in the year, located on Section 17, about a mile east of the Coxes. It is quite likely that several other families squatted in the township daring the year 1811, and the following year bought their lands, The families settling in the township in 1812, were those of Theodore Braxtan, William Lindley, William Holaday, John Dougherty, Charles Bailey, Joseph Farlow, Thomas Lindley, David Darrock, Thomas Braxtan, Samuel Lindley, Robert Holaday and Adam Davis. After 1812 the settlement, for a time, was quite rapid, the families being mainly of the Quaker sect, good, sober, industrious Christians, who come almost wholly from North Carolina, and from Orange County, of that State.

 

POPULATION OF ORANGE COUNTY

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 No doubt the Friends or Quakers were the first to hold religious services in Paoli Township. Members of this sect had come in for permanent settlement as early as the war of 1812, and no doubt at that time founded their organizations, which endure until the present day. It is likely that the old Lick Creek Meeting-house on Section 8, Township 1 north. Range 1 east, was erected as early as 1813, and was, without question, the first structure of the kind in the county. It was built of logs, and was used about twelve years, and was then replaced by another erected in the same place, and this in turn was used until the present one was built, about twenty-five years ago. Among the early members of this class were Thomas Maris, William Lindley, Jonathan Lindley, Owen Lindley, Sr., John Maris, George Maris, Robert Hollowell and his sons, Enoeli Thompson, James Crane, David Lindley, Ephraim Doan, Samuel Chambers, John, Jesse and George Towel, Silas Dixon, and many others. Amy Moore was an early preacher of this denomination. All are familiar with the peculiar customs of the Quakers, how different they were from the other denominations of Christians. Eleanor Chambers was an early preacher. This class is yet in existence with the great-grandchildren of the early settlers as members. In about 1818 the Newbury Meeting-house of the Friends, situated west of Paoli on the old Indian boundary line, was built of logs, and was used many years. It stood on Section 34, Township 2 north, Range 1 west, and on the twenty-eighth day of the eleventh month, 1826, the Trustees of this society, Abraham Osborn, Thomas Lindley and Ebenezer Doan, bought two acres for $50, of Alexander Clark and Henry Towel. This was the land upon which the old church was then standing, having been built there by the sufferance of the owners. The above men were the leading members of this society at that time. Prominent, also, were Joseph Allison, Noah Hadley, Jesse Towel, Ephraim Doan and many others, including the families of the above. This old society yet endures. Another early society of the Quakers was in the southern part of Paoli Township at Beach Chapel. This was a branch of the Lick Creek Church, and its early members were the above-named families and others. The church was built about 1826, and has been succeeded by several others. The Farlows, Joneses, Moores, Atkissons, Lindleys, Doans and Towels were prominently connected with this society at a little later date. The various organizations of Friends have exerted a powerful influence upon the morals of the county.

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 Before the creation of Orange County, while it was yet a part of Washington County, and for a short time after its creation and organization, Paoli Township was known as Orange Township, and was of greater extent than at present. On the 10th of February, 1817. the County Board reorganized the townships of the county, and gave Paoli name and bounded it as follows: Beginning where the base line crosses the meridian line; thence west four miles: thence north ten miles; thence east eight miles; thence south eight miles; thence west four miles; thence south two miles to the place of beginning. Soon after this the boundary was changed to what it is at present.

EARLY LAND ENTRIES

Paoli Township - Township 1 north, Range 1 east, Section 5. Theodore Braxtan, October 29. 1812; Section 8, Jonathan Lindley, March 18, 1811, William Lindley, July 3, 1812; Section 9. William Holaday, December 24, 1812, John Dougherty, December 23, 1812; Section 17, Owen Lindley, November 12. 1811; Section 18, Solomon Cox. May 25, 1811, William Cox, May 26, 1811; Sections 20 and 21, Owen Lindley, November 12, 1811. Township 2 north, Range 1 east - Section 29, Jonathan Lindley, October 29, 1812; Section 31, William Lindley, November 2, 1812; Section 34, Charles Bailey, December 2S, 1812. Township 1 north, Range 1 west - Section 1, Thomas Hopper, September 12, 1811; Section 3, Jonathan Lindley, January 29, 1812; Section 11, Jesse Hollowell, September 26, 1810, Joseph Farlow, January 21, 1812; Section 13, Thomas Atkisson, February 13, 1811; Section 14, Thomas Farlow, September 12, 1811. Township 2 north, Range 1 west - Section 18. Thomas Lindley, March 27, 1812, David Darroch, June 27, 1812, Jonathan Lindley, March 27, 1812; Section 24, Thomas Braxtan, March 27. 1812, Samue1 Lindley, March 27, 1812; Section 35, Robert Holaday, March 17, 1812; Section 86, Adam Davis, October 19, 1812. The above were the only entries in the present Paoli Township, prior to January 1, 1813. The following men entered land in this township from January 1, 1813, to January 1, 1820: Alexander Kearby 1819, Robert Vest 1819. Aaron Maris 1816, John Maris 1815, Simon Reubottom 1818, Jesse Hollowell 1813, Adam Davis 1814, Jesse Cox 1818, James DePauw 1817, Jonathan Lindley 1814, Wyatt Hanks 1816, Clement Horsey 1817, James McVey 1815, Samuel Chambers 1815, John Lynch 1818, R. Crow 1815, J. Newlin 1819, Lewis Thomas 1819, John Stout 1819, Thomas Lindley 1815, William Lindley 1813, Ephraim Bentley 1819, J. M. Lewis 1818. William Carmichael 1819, G. Sutherlin 1819, Samuel Johns 1818, Levi Gifford 1818, Thomas Vandeveer 1817, Robert Field 1814, Edward Millis 1813. William McMahon 1818, John Thompson 1818, William Milligan 1816, Ephraim Owen 1815, Jonathan Lindley 1813, John Snyder 1819, Joseph White 1819, Dennis Hungate 1817, John Henry 1818, John Johnson 1815, David Johnson 1818, Jonathan Stout 1818, William Constant and John Gain (colored) 1817, Larkin Davis 1819, John Jones 1819, Alexander Clark 1819, Daniel Darroch 1819, Thomas. Maris 1815, Thomas Braxtan 1817, Jacob Moulder 1819, Reuben Stout 1818, George Duncan 1819, Thomas Lindley 1815, William Boles 1814, John Watson 1813. Daniel Austin 1817, Esau Spirey 1819, James Pearson 1817, Charles Taylor 1817. William Trueblood 1815, George Farlow 1815, Zachariah Lindley 1816, David Doan 1815, Thomas Hopper 1816, Esau Jones 1815, Jonathan Doan 1815, John Williams 1816, John Wolfington 1816, John Pinnick 1815, Hugh Meady 1816, Benjamin Morris 1815, Solomon Stout 1815, Owen Lindley, Sr. 1815, James Henderson 1815, Isaac Scott 1817, James McVey 1815, Ransom Davis 1814, Simon Dixon 1816, Josiah Trueblood 1816, John Campbell 1819, Henry Richard 1817, Elizabeth Shirley 1815. Adlai Campbell 1813, William Trueblood 1814, John Bigelow 1816, Paton Wilson 1815, Ezer Cleveland 1816, William Handy 1813, James Crow 1815, John Hill 1815, Ebenezer Doan 1813, Adam Davis 1815, Samue1 Chambers 1816, Zachariah Lindley 1816. The above was all the land bought of the Government in the present Paoli Township prior to January 1, 1820.