>From the book Nine Communities of Monroe Co., Ohio put out by the Monroe County Historical Society JOHN JONES CALLED IT BETHEL NOW IT IS STAFFORD, THE METROPOLIS OF FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY, OHIO. IT HAS GOOD SCHOOLS, CHURCHES AND SOCIETIES AND GREAT RESOURCES, OUT OF WHICH ITS FUTURE GREATNESS IS TO BE MANUFACTURES. IT HAS ENTERPRISING BUSINESS MEN AND PATRIOTIC CITIZENS, WHO BELIEVE IN ITS FUTURE. ALL OF WHICH FACTS ARE SET FORTH IN THE FOLLOWING COLUMNS BY OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT. An Irishman who answered to the euphoneous but familiar name of John JONES, became in the early part of the present century the woner of the southwest quarter of section eight, range seven, in what was then Bethel twp, Monroe Co., Oh. This portion of land is situated on the watershed between the Little Muskingum and the waters of Road Fork, a tributary to the east fork of Duck Creek. It is probably impossible to form a correct estimate of the sort of man JONES was. The many little incidents in his life that might have served in making up a fair estimate of his character have been obscured by a single one that has served to keep his memory green. It seems JONES was a hunter, and was on one occasion watching a deer lick waiting for a chance to shoot a deer, when being overcome with fatigue and much watching he fell asleep to be rudely awakened by a wild cat springing on his head and proceeding to the business of scalping him. John JONES arose from the struggle with scars about his head that lasted him all his life. Worse than these, in his estimation he found himself imortalized as the horo of an epic poem written in that jungling style that catches the pepular fancy at once. Thomas MARTIN wa the poet and his literary effusion is still preserved in various forms more or less corrupted by tradition. The poem refered to related the particulars of JONES' encounter with the wildcat in graphic style and was for many years famous, not so much for its literary merit perhaps, as for the effect it had on its hero. It was repeated all over the country by everybody and laughed at as something funny till it worked JONES into a state of passion that scarcely ever slumbered and broke out violently whenever a mischievous boy from a safe distance would shout at him a choice extract like th opening lines of the dity: "Old Jone down on the turnpike breaking up stone Along came a wildcat and jumped on Jones." Jones it seems had a son Morgan and a daughter named Polly, and the small boy delighted to yeall at the old fellow these lines: "Polly with mush-stick Morgan with the ladle Laid on the wildcat as long as they were able." The Jones family finally destroyed the wildcat according to the veracious bard, but Jones was left blind of an eye and his head was marked with great red scars. Though the wildcat was killed the poet could not be so easily disposed of and his rhymes in the mouths of children were a constant source of annoyance and the cause of a vigorous profanity from old Jones. This particular Jones family had emigrated, and this story of the wildcat is about the only thing tradition has handed down to us to preserve their memory. This peevish Irishman in 1835 founded on his farm a village, and called it Bethel. The road that might lead from Woodsfield to Marietta via Harriettsville crosses the little Muskingum east of the site of the town, and where it stands runs east and west. The slope up from the creek is gentle, and in the half mile up which you must go to reach the site of the town, the grade is uniform and easy. The bed of the Little Muskingum is much higher than Road Fork, so that after passing over the ridge the road descends much more rapidly and is soon lost to view in the sinuosities of the narrow hollow of that stream. A road turning squarely to the south, east of the real top of the ridge, was made the center of the town. West of this fork of the road perhaps one-third of a mile and on the Duck Creek slope of the ridge another branched off to the north, leading to Summerfield, the nearest town in that direction. The ridge in the town is indented by a gently sloping shallow hollow or depression that leads to the South gradually growing into a small stream that turns to the eastand empties its waters into the Little Muskingum. The higher part of the ridge is west of this depression and Main street runs straight up the face of this and plunges into the narrow valley of the Road Fork, and so leads on the way to Marietta. North a short distance from the center of the village the ridge is cut into by a deep ravine from the east that causes it to abruptly deflect to the west, so that directly north there was a limit to suitable building ground. This land was owned by James CARMICHEL who came from Virginia and settled here in 1820. He was for many years an honored citizen and held the office of Justice of the Peace. He was a son of John CARMICEL, who was a soldier of the revolution and fought at the battle of Bunker Hill, losing an eye by a bayonet thrust in that engagement which did not prevent his fighting it through till the end of the war. He lies buried in the Stafford cemetery. Carmicel's land extended down to the rear of the lots on the north side of Main street. At this time the country was but thinly settled and the hills to be seen from the elevated position occupied by the youthful village were for the most part covered by the primeval forests. these were only broken hereand there by small clearings. Bethel has no mention in the "Ohio Gazetteer" published in 1837. the twp of the same name contained thrity-four square miles and was bounded on the north by Franklin and Wayne, east by Washington and Wayne, west by Elk and south by Washington county. These boundaries were subsequently re-arranged I believe when Noble county was formed in 1851. The population of the twp was 260 in 1837. Among the early settlers in the neighborhood at that time and whose families are still represented near the village was William WILSON, grandfather to Capt. Thomas WILSON and Rev. Geo. WILSON, now of Summerfield. He settled near here in 1818, and representative of the fourth generation from him in direct line is now principal of the Stafford schools in the person of T.E. WILSON, son of Capt. Thos. WILSON. The SOUTHERLANDS, Thomas MARTIN, Wm. BONAR, and Woodman OKEY belong to this list. Okey settled near here in 1827, having first come from Belmont county, the place of his nativity, to Woodsfield, in 1813. He was for thirty years a Justice of the Peace and spent the closing years of his life in Stafford, dying in 1865, at the age of 73 years. he was an uncle of Judge W. OKEY, of Woodsfield. the family is numerous and influential in the county. Of the names mentioned none seem to have been residents of the town in its earliest history. Three or four log cabins comprised the whole town one of which is still standing next to YOCKEY's dwelling on Main street, and another on the north west corner of the cross street. JONES kept the postoffice, tradition has it, but the spot is not pointed out with certainty. Bethel, under the administration of its founder, did not prosper. It was in danger of fading from the map. Perhaps five or six houses and a log church would have covered the whole business when Wm. STEEL took up his residence here in 1845. William STEEL was a Scotchman, cousin to William E. GLADSTONE the great English Statesman, and had in his make-up many of the strong points of his illustrious relative. he was a man of learning and had with it a good share of the Scotch strong common sense and the love of liberty and morality characteristic of his race. He was of courteous manners but in the sharp encounters of the times he took his own views and maintained them with a courteous firmness and an intelligent offer of reasons for his opinions that won the respect even of those who differed from him. He had a high sense of honor and was fearless in maintaining what he believed to be right without regard to the expediency of enforcing his views. He was stern moralist and a striclty temperate man who enforced his views on these subjects by all the means at his command. He believed the Declaration of Independence in defining human rights laid down a platform broad enough to hold the whole human family without regard to race. Profanity disgusted him and he sternly checked any ebulitions of it in his presence. he loved his adopted country and steadily labored for its good. He believed all men should be free and hunted for opportunities to confer that boon on slaves escaping to Canada, and boasted that no one was ever recaptured on the line that had one of its important relays at his house in Stafford. He was strongly in favor of popular education, and encouraged it to some purpose. He was endowed with such energy that he made his presence felt. He had the strength of character to impress his individuality on his surroundings. it is indisputably true that he gave to the village of Stafford the leading characteristics that distinguish it from other villages of this part of the state. It has always been a temperate town. It has maintained since the days of Steel schools, superior to most villages of its size, while any stanger will be struck with the absence of loud profanity among men and boys on the street as compared to other towns. It is fair to say he was not appreciated in his day but as time goes on the older men who knew him speak of him with constantly increasing respect and some at least speak of his helpfulness to them when they were beginning life, while his bitterest enemies will hardly dispute the qualities attributed to him. The urchins of Stafford sing or repeat ribald rhymes in derison of the founder of Bethel, but no such indignity attaches to the memory of the man who changed Bethel to Stafford and impressed his individuality on the new town to take on a new life under its new name. STEEL came to the United States in early life; was engaged in merchandising at Barnesville and afterwards at Woodsfield, removing here in 1845. He was appointed Probate Judge by Gov. CHASE in February, 1857, to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of J.W. OKEY. Of Steel's sons one is cashier of a bank in Portland, Oregon; another was Supertendent of Mails in the Portland postoffice, and another State Senator and Chairman of the Republican State Executive Committee of Oregon. Such was the man who in 1845 built the frame dwelling now occupied by F. ULLMAN and began the dry goods business in a one-story frame that for many years stood with its end to the street opposite ULLMAN & Son's present place of business. Associated with him in business either as a clerk or partner was John GIBSON, who had formerly been in business in Barnesville. He was a courtly, nice old gentleman of the old school; and is spoken of with respect by those still remaining in the town who knew him. He occupied the log house still standing next to YOCKEY's residence on Main street. Among the first things to be done by Steel was to change the name of the postoffice and town to Stafford, giving it a name doubtless associated with his boyish recollections on the other side of the Atlantic. The same year he took an active interest in building the church on the hill, since replaced by a better one, it having replaced a log structure. About this time, 1847, Reuben HAWKINS began a mercantile business on the corner where C. YOCKEY now lives in a building which has been removed to the west end of Cross street, and is occupied as a dwelling. He also built the tobacco house on the same street and dealt in tobacco. Part of ULLMAN's hotel was where it now is. W.L. MORTON occupied the dwelling house now owned and occupied by DR. G. W. MASON as a residence. Dr. G. W. MASON came to the village fresh from medical college April 1st, 1849, and is now the only inhabitant in the place who was here at that time. Dr. Edward ELLIS was also here at that time, remaining till the beginning of the war, when he entered the army. He died at home on furlough in 1861.