WAYNE COUNTY OHIO 
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File Contributed for use in the Wayne County Biographies Project by
Name: John and Cordelia Hall
Email: johnh2all@earthlink.net
Date: March 2004
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"The History of Wayne County, Ohio" published in 1910 by B. E. Bowen & Co.

Mount Eaton    

   Mount Eaton, formerly styled Paintville, was platted as early as 1813 by William Vaughn 
and James Galbraith.  Elijah Carr is supposed to have erected the first building in the 
place, and Samuel Shull kept the first tavern.  The earliest minister to proclaim the 
gospel at this point was Archibald Hanna, a Presbyterian, who conducted religious services 
for a number of years in a tent in the big woods.
   In 1829 the name Mount Eaton took the place of former Paintville.  The first 
incorporation election of Mount Eaton was held April 4, 1870, when three trustees were 
elected as follows:  J. B. Westcott, James Huston and John Schlafly.  There were forty-two 
votes cast at this election.
   Mount Eaton had a fire company organized as early as 1861.  In 1823 James Morrow 
operated a carding mill by horse power in Paintville.  In 1827 an iron foundry was in 
operation there, the same being run by Weed & Jones.  In 1827-8 Joseph H. White published 
the Anti-Masonic Mirror, a weekly newspaper, which soon languished for lack of support.  In 
1831 the first steam grist mill at Mount Eaton was placed in running order by Col. William 
Goudy; five years later it was burned, but in 1838 was rebuilt, and again destroyed in 1839 
by the explosion of the boilers.  In this accident John Murphy was suddenly killed by being 
scalded, John McDonald was mangled, and Jeremiah Nelson and James Bradley were inured and 
only survived a few days.  One of the boilers was hurled fifty yards up the hillside, 
splitting a sawlog in its course.
   Cholera made its dread appearance at Mt. Eaton in 1833, the disease having been brought 
there by a Frenchman named Benedict Brownstine, who, with his family were emigrants who had 
a dead child--a cholera victim--with them when they arrived.  The disorder soon became 
malignant in its form.  David Boyd, an intoxicated man, strutted up to the wagon to see how 
a cholera victim looked, and, being attacked, died the same day before sun down.  In a 
month twenty-six persons died of the scourge.  It made its appearance about the middle of 
August.  Doctors Hall and Barber did all in their power to stay its spread, but for all 
that every one in ten of the population died. The last victim was James Galbraith.  Many of 
the citizens fled from the village during the epidemic.
   The church and school history of Paint township is given in another chapter.
   The factors going toward making up the present business of Mount Eaton are as follows, 
the same having been furnished in October, 1909.  General merchandise, A. N. Roth, E. F. 
Graber; hardware, S. A. Schlafly; boots, shoes and rubbers, William Willard; C. N. Clark, 
physician and surgeon.