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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.
��Independence was laid out on the northwest quarter of Section 20, January 12, 1848, by Daniel Spohn. In the early days of its existence it was nicknamed Spohntown"and "Squeelgut," but was named Independence b}' Thomas B. Andrews, rather in a spirit of defiance at the attitude of Bellville, which was not a friendly' one to the aspiring village. Andi'ews was its first Postmaster, and. before the town was laid out, kept the office in his house near the site. After the town was laid out and a warehouse erected, he moved the office into the warehouse. The land upon which the town stands was entered on the 18th of May, 1820, by William Simmons. The town plat was surveyed by -Joseph Hast- ings. Mr. Andrews was instrumental in getting the town established and laying it out, taking a lot for pay.
The first store was started by William Lam- ley, who kept groceries and whisky. It may be remarked here that Independence is a tem- perance town, and will not allow (since the Bowersox affair mentioned in another chapter) any saloon to exist in the place. Lamley's store was a small frame building, near the rail- road, in the north end of the town. He after- ward erected a building, which is now occupied by Downing as a store, and started a hotel. Joseph Geary kept this hotel, the first in the place. David Teeter erected a second hotel. John Diltz. a carpenter and present Postmaster, erected the next dwelling, and shortly after, Daniel Garber erected a shoe-shop on Main street. William Clapper erected the next building and kept boarders.
Gen. G. A. Jones came up from Mount Vernon, erected a warehouse, started a store and dealt in produce. In 1856, I. W. Pearce purchased the warehouse of Jones, conducted the business, and was also railroad agent. This gentleman at present keeps the principal store in the place, and does what banking business is necessary.
When the town was laid out, the schoolhouse — a frame — was a short distance south of town.
��In 1868, the present building was erected. It is a two-story frame, and occupied by two teachers and about one hundred pupils.
In 1877, the village wa^ incorporated, the first Maj'or being J. M. McLaughlin ; the sec- ond and present Mayor, George W. McBee.
There are four dry-goods and gi'ocery stores, one hardware, one stove and tin, and several smaller establishments ; two churches, one ho- tel, and a proper proportion of mechanics and professional men. The population is about four hundred. The place stands in a great bend in the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
One of the noted places in this township, whose history dates back to early Indian days, was known by the seemingly profane name of " Helltown." It is thus described by Dr. J. P. Henderson :
" Helltown was situated on the right bank of the Clear Fork of the Mohican, one and a half miles below Newville. It occupied a high bank, where the stream is low and easily forded. A few hundred yards above, on the margin of the creek, issues a fountain of water, and near the same place, on the opposite side, Switzer's Run empties into the Clear Fork. The ground on which the village stood is a rich, alluvial and loamy bottom, extending some distance to the east, and, when first seen by the writer, was overgrown with wild plum-trees, three apple- trees, evidently volunteers ; and all around and east of the town stood a luxuriant growth of wild cherry-trees of the size of a man's thigh, and interspersed were a few ver}' large sugar maples. This bottom had evidentl}^ been cleared, and at an early day small conical ele- vations were to be seen, presumed to have been hills where corn had been cultivated. Back almost immediately from the village, and where the ground gradually ascended from the creek, was the graveyard, where about sixteen graves were originally counted.
This village was occupied by a tribe of Del- aware Indians, who emigi'ated from Eastern
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