▁by ▁Joseph ▁Max son . ▁Min ard ▁describes ▁this ▁first ▁sett ler ▁in ▁his ▁History ▁of ▁Center ville : ▁ ▁" He ▁was ▁only ▁ 1 8 , ▁and ▁came ▁from ▁Ot se go ▁Co . ▁Two ▁c ents ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁articles ▁of ▁prov isions ▁and ▁cl othing ▁constit uted ▁his ▁wealth . ▁At ▁Pi ke ▁he ▁took ▁from ▁his ▁feet ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁new ▁sho es , ▁bar tered ▁them ▁for ▁an ▁ax e , ▁and ▁pushed ▁on ▁into ▁the ▁w ilder ness , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁town ship ▁near ▁a ▁small ▁stream ▁ere cted ▁the ▁rud est ▁kind ▁of ▁a ▁h ut . ▁For ▁a ▁bed ▁he ▁pe e led ▁bass wood ▁b ark , ▁used ▁some ▁pieces ▁as ▁a ▁floor ▁and ▁others ▁for ▁covering . ▁Not ▁long ▁after ▁he ▁came ▁snow ▁fell ▁six ▁inches ▁deep . ▁He ▁per se ver ed ▁in ▁his ▁lab ors ▁and ▁passed ▁eight ▁months ▁alone ." ² ▁ ▁James ▁Ward ▁settled ▁there ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 8 0 8 , ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁dozen ▁more ▁families ▁moved ▁there ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁Center ville ▁( then ▁sp elled ▁" C entre ville ") ▁was ▁established ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 8 1 9 ▁from ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Pi ke ▁( a ▁town ▁in ▁Wy oming ▁County ). 1 ▁ ▁In ▁recent ▁years ▁many ▁Am ish ▁far mers ▁have ▁bought ▁land ▁in ▁the ▁town . ▁ ▁The ▁Center ville ▁Town ▁Hall ▁was ▁listed ▁on