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Crooksville History as told by the late Guy E. Crooks

Guy E. Crooks

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Jacob Reed

BEFORE CROOKSVILLE EXISTED

I have often been asked the following questions: "Where did Crooksville get its name? Was it named for you or some of your ancestors? Was there at some time a­bunch of "Crooks" located in this community? Do all the crooks come from Crooksville? Is it a crooked town, morally, etc?"

Being one of the oldest residents of Crooksville, and being a resident of the commtmity in which Crooksville is located for seventy-five years, some time before Crooksville was ever thought of or even dreamed of, I will try as best I can to answer the above questions by giving you a brief history of our beloved city "Crooksville.',

Some time between 1820 and 1825, there was a young man living somewhere in the New England states by the name of Jacob Reed of wealthy parentage, who inherited quite a large sum of money. On receiving his inheritance, he immediately left his native land and traveled westward seeking a country in which he could invest his money and multiply his fortune. After reaching the state of Pennsyl­vania, he met a young lady by the name of Lydia Reem. It was a case of real love. at first sight. Jacob proposed, Lydia accepted, and the wedding followed. Immediately, Mr. Reed, accompanied by his new bride, continued west until he reached Harrison Township, Perry County, Ohio, establishing a temporary residence near the Iliff Methodist ChuTch. Mr. Reed started out to view the new surround­ings by following the South Fork of Jonathan Creek from Stringtown through the heavy timber section to a point where Ma.in Street of Crooksville now crosses that once beautiful stream of pure water, that was filled with all .kinds of fish. There he rested, fully convinced that this was his "Promised Land." He proceeded to negotiate with the Fed�ral Government for a parcel of land on the East side of the creek along the section line running East and West on the South side of now Crooksville. He bought and paid for same and received a warranty deed, signed by the late President James Monroe. This deed is in the posses­sion of some of the descendants of Mr .. Reed, but cannot be located at this time. Later he purchased another parcel

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Jacob Reed

BEFORE CROOKSVILLE EXISTED

I have often been asked the following questions: "Where did Crooksville get its name? Was it named for you or some of your ancestors? Was there at some time a­bunch of "Crooks" located in this community? Do all the crooks come from Crooksville? Is it a crooked town, morally, etc?"

Being one of the oldest residents of Crooksville, and being a resident of the commtmity in which Crooksville is located for seventy-five years, some time before Crooksville was ever thought of or even dreamed of, I will try as best I can to answer the above questions by giving you a brief history of our beloved city "Crooksville.',

Some time between 1820 and 1825, there was a young man living somewhere in the New England states by the name of Jacob Reed of wealthy parentage, who inherited quite a large sum of money. On receiving his inheritance, he immediately left his native land and traveled westward seeking a country in which he could invest his money and multiply his fortune. After reaching the state of Pennsyl­vania, he met a young lady by the name of Lydia Reem. It was a case of real love. at first sight. Jacob proposed, Lydia accepted, and the wedding followed. Immediately, Mr. Reed, accompanied by his new bride, continued west until he reached Harrison Township, Perry County, Ohio, establishing a temporary residence near the Iliff Methodist ChuTch. Mr. Reed started out to view the new surround­ings by following the South Fork of Jonathan Creek from Stringtown through the heavy timber section to a point where Ma.in Street of Crooksville now crosses that once beautiful stream of pure water, that was filled with all .kinds of fish. There he rested, fully convinced that this was his "Promised Land." He proceeded to negotiate with the Fed�ral Government for a parcel of land on the East side of the creek along the section line running East and West on the South side of now Crooksville. He bought and paid for same and received a warranty deed, signed by the late President James Monroe. This deed is in the posses­sion of some of the descendants of Mr .. Reed, but cannot be located at this time. Later he purchased another parcel

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2 HISTORY OF CROOKSVILLE

joining his land on the North from a man by the name of Bell. Each of the two parcels extended over the creek several hundred ards West near the present Buckeye Street. E:e then purchased another tract of land on the West side o:f the creek from the State of Ohio, containing one .hundred and sixty acres or more making in all be­tween three and four hundr __ ed acres of land that he owned. He built bimi,elf a humble home on the bank above the creek on the East side near where the residence of Mr. Wilson W

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nter now stands. It was before the days of steam saw mills and Mr. Reed kne-w that to dispose of the timber on his land at a profit it must be converted into lumber.He proceeded at once to co:atrol the water in tbe creek bycutting a channel n:om the main creek at a curve south of where the Zanesville and Western Raih-oad now crosses this strecim to a _point north near where Lewis Wright Shoe Shine Emporium now stands. He then built two dams, one across each channel connecting them by a stone wall, mak­ing a large basin of water for a mile or more above the dams. Over the east dam, a few feet south of where Tom Maxw�ll;; store building now stands, he constructed a saw l!l!lill which operated by water power. He cut and sawed th� timber on bis land and sold it in the markets. The small strip of land sur-rounded by the two streams of watel' was not accessible only at dry seasons in the summer or when the c'reek was frozen over in the Wil;lter. This island was covered with soft maple trees, briars and bushes where drift rubbish would gather after the floods each spring and presented an unsightly appearance. This strip of land in later yea1·s was gh en the name of 'Coney Island." (I will mention this island later.) It was no unusual sight -to ML". Reed's family to watch the deer visit a spring below his residence and quench their thirst. This spring is still supplying water today the very best of fresh soft drinking water.

Mr. Reed. was a good financier and accumulated a con­siderable sum of money .from the sale of his lumber, and the products of his fa;rm. As be cleared the land and turn,ed the- forest into meadows and pasture fields, he multiplied his herds cif cattle and flocks of sheep. He and his faithful wife coveted a more palatial home in which to live. They

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HISTORY OF CROOKSVILLE 3

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joining his land on_ the N

orth from a m

an by th

e name of

Bell.

Each

of th

e

two

parcels ex

tended over

the creek

several hun

dred yards

West

near th

e _p

resent B

uckeye S

treet. Ji

e then purchased another tract of land on

the W

est side of the creek from the S

tate of Oh

io, containin

g one .

hundred and sixty acres or m

ore, makin

g in all be­

tween

three and four hundr .. ed acres of lan

d that he own

ed. H

e built him;,elf a hu

mble hom

e on the bank ab

ove the_

creek on the E

ast side n

ear w

here the residence of M

r. W

ilson W.it,ter now

stands. It w

as before the days of steam

saw m

ills, and Mr. R

eed .knew

that to dispose of the-tim

ber on his land at a profit i1: m

ust be converted :into lu

mber.

He proceeded at once to control the w

ater in the creek by

cutting a channel from

th

e m

ain creek at a cu

rve south of

whexe the Z

anesville an

d Western R

ailroad now crosses this

strecim to

a point north ne<!-r w

here L

ewis

Wright S

hoe Shine E

mporium

now stands.

He th

en built tw

o dams, one

acrnss each chann

el connectin

g them by

a stone w

all, mak

­ing a large basin

of water for a m

ile or more above the

dams.

Over the east dam

, a few feet south

of where T

om

Maxw

ell';; stote building now

stands, h

e constru

cted a saw

mill w

hich operated by w

ater power.

He cut an

d sawed

the-tim

ber on his lan

d and sold it in the m

arkets.

The

small strip of lan

d sur-rounded by the tw

o streams of w

atet w

as not accessible only at dry seasons in th

e summ

er or w

hen the creek w

as :frozen

over in the wi1,1ter.

This island

wa. s

covered w

ith soft m

aple trees,

briars, an

d bushes,

where

drift rubbish

would

gathet after

the floods

each

spring and presented an

unsightly appearance. T

his strip of land in

later years w

as given the name of "C

oney Island." (I w

ill mention th

is island later.) It w

as no un

usual sight

to M

r. Reed's fam

ily to watch

the deer v

isit a sprin

g below

his residence and qu

ench their thirst.

This spring is still

supplyi'n

g water today, the very best of fresh soft drin

king

water.

Mr. R

eed was a good fi

nancier and accum

ulated a con­siderable sum

of money .froni

the sale of his lum

ber, and the products of his farm

. A

s be cleared the land and turn, ed

the forest into meadow

s and pasture fields, h

e multiplied

his herds of cattle an

d flocks of sheep.

He an

d his faithful w

ife coveted a more palatial hom

e in which to live.

They

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