Quakers and Methodists

Some of the first pioneers to settle in Ohio after the American Revolution were of the Quaker religion, and John Garwood, Sr. was a Friend. Considered to be the very first settlers in the region, he and his wife Esther Haines migrated from Virginia between 1803 and 1804 and built their cabin on Otter Creek, where today stands the village of East Liberty. A year later, the first Friends meeting house was built about 1.5 miles south, where the only thing left today is the Darby Creek Cemetery. Methodists and Quakers shared this first church building for several years until a Methodist building was built near the village of Middleburg. In 1810 John Sr. met the community's need for a flouring-mill when he built one near his home. His mill quickly became a common meeting place where a village and post office sprang up around it and all roads and trails diverged from it for a great distance. The mill on Otter Creek was such a well-known center that the village around it was called Garwood's Mill (Perrin, et.al., 1880, pages: 479, 536, 540, 542, 539).

John Garwood, Sr. is my husband's great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather as follows: John Garwood, Sr. > Margaret Garwood > Job Inskeep > Sarah Ann Inskeep > Etta May Morton > Glen Owen Bishop > Jimmie R. Bishop > Bruce Bishop > Dusty Bishop

Several of John Sr.'s children and their spouses migrated to the same region of Ohio between 1805 and 1806. Altogether came six sons and five daughters (and of course, many grandchildren). One of his daughters, Margaret, was the wife of Methodist minister Joshua Inskeep, also from Virginia. Joshua and Margaret settled in Zane Township, probably near the village of Middleburg. Johnny Appleseed came through and planted a nursery on the Inskeep farm in 1810. How cool is that? :) Noted as being a man of "most remarkable pluck," Joshua Inskeep built the first brick house in the township of Zane, a building which was still standing in 1880, and which I hope is still around today, but have not yet been able to locate. Generous hosts, Joshua and Margaret were known to entertain 50 to 75 people during Methodist quarterly meetings. In 1815 Joshua built the first saw-mill on Mill Branch, where there was a Methodist church and a schoolhouse, and the area became known as Inskeep's Mill. In 1836, Joshua donated more than half the funds to build an elaborate new Methodist Church building, but the project was too large for the congregation and was later sold to be used as a carriage factory (Perrin, et. al., 1880, pages: 467, 471, 479, 483-84, 536, 641).

Joshua Inskeep is my husband's great-great-great-great-great-grandfather as follows: Joshua Inskeep > Job Inskeep > Sarah Ann Inskeep > Etta May Morton > Glen Owen Bishop > Jimmie R. Bishop > Bruce Bishop > Dusty Bishop.

John Garwood, Sr. settled near East Liberty,
and Joshua Inskeep settled near Middleburg
(click to enlarge)