‘History of Butler County — 1883’ details Clinton Twp. history
Kathy Allen, a Clinton Township supervisor and founder of the new township historical committee, maintains that the municipality was settled by hardworking men and women of exemplary moral fiber, which allowed the township to flourish.
According to “History of Butler County — 1883,” Allen is correct.
“Clinton contains no villages, but is a quiet, orderly, rural community, peopled by men of thrift and intelligence,” the writer states. “No public house or licensed drinking saloon has ever been maintained within the bounds of the township; all the temptations and allurements to vice and crime are at a distance from this prosperous locality, and safe in Christian homes, with examples of pure and useful lives constantly before them the youth of today are growing to the estate of manhood and womanhood, educated and fitted to fill the places of those who soon must pass away.”
Many settlers and early residents of Clinton Township were Irish and English immigrants.
Thomas Watson, who was born in County Down, Ireland, served in the Revolutionary War under George Washington.
He was taken prisoner at the Battle of Brandywine, but escaped and made his way to a settlement known as “Conococheague,” where he learned the cooper’s trade and married.
Watson came to present-day Clinton Township in 1797, and settled “with Indians, bears, panthers and wolves …”
He lived to be 87, and his son, James served in the War of 1812. James fathered 13 children, eight of whom survived to adulthood.
Thomas Lardin, another native of the Emerald Isle, arrived in Clinton Township in about 1803. Lardintown, named for the family, was a hamlet in the township that contained six homes, a grist mill, blacksmith and wagon shops and a small store.
A story told in the book recalls that Patrick Harvey, Clinton Township’s original settler, was on his way to “Sarver’s Mill,” when he began tracking a bear.
The bear ran into a den of rocks, so Harvey returned home to gather his neighbors in an effort to capture the bear.
The small band of hunters returned to the rock den, and the bear showed itself several times upon the barking and lunging of the men’s dogs.
After several shots, the bear was quiet in its den, but for an occasional growl.
“Harvey said ‘Hold on, I’ll go in and try him,’ and “having caused a rope to be tied to his leg, so that he could be drawn out in case of attack, he took his gun in his hand and crawled into the dark cave,” the book states. “Presently, he saw two large, angry eyes, glaring like balls of fire. Bringing the weapon to his shoulder, he aimed directly between them, fired, and soon the bear was dead.”
Harvey took the rope from his leg and attached it to the bear, which was drawn out of the cave by Harvey’s neighbors.
“He was a huge fellow, and his hindquarters dressed over a hundred pounds each,” said the book.
Other interesting facts about Clinton Township in the book include:
— Francis Anderson built the first sawmill in the township, on the Riddle farm. He also owned one of the first wagons ever brought to the settlement.
— The first and only gristmill was the Lardin Mill.
— David Walter built the first frame house about the year 1840. Probably the second was built by Adam Ekas. John Wiley had the first brick house in the township.
— The first store was started by James Wood, around 1838.
— About 1848, Arthur Kirk built a carding mill and woolen mill, in the northern part of the township.
— Riddle’s Cross Roads was the only post office in the township. The date of its establishment could not be ascertained.
