USA > Indiana > Wayne County > Richmond > Directory to the city of Richmond, containing names, business and residence of the inhabitants 1857 > Part 2
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six years of age, proceeded to lay out the land of John Smith along Front and Pearl streets; and this was the ex- tent of the town plat at that time. It is well that we are thus looking into the early history of Richmond. For re- cent as the facts comparatively are, it is already said that Richmond was begun in 1818. The truth appears to be that that part of town lying south of Main street, (then a sec- tion line and dividing the lands of John Smith and Jeremiah Cox,) was laid out in 1816; and as it appears, from the form of the lots, without regard to the variation of the magnetic needle. Two years afterward (1818) Jeremiah Cox made his addition on the north side of Main street. Perhaps some of our uninitiated citizens may hereafter enquire why our pres- ent north Front street was run along the brow of the hill at an acute angle of 47 ยบ with Main street. We have it in our power to satisfy the enquiry. At that time there ran along the edge of the hill, a county road, the first perhaps laid out in Wayne county. As no splendid anticipations of future greatne s were entertained for the new town by its proprietors, no provisions were made for coming necessities; but the conveniences of the present were the ruling princip'e. To continue south Front street directly north would run it into wet grounds, unsuitable for a street and unsuitable for building lots; besides the street would ultimately run into the river. On the hill was a road already established; no ground would again have to be relinquished for a street; forty feet was probably the width of the road, and that was sufficiently wide for the wants of the town. Lots were ac- cordingly laid out along this road; and the corners of Main and Front streets became important points. These are the oldest streets, and for a long while were the only ones in
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND.
Richmond. The writer remembers them well, as among his earliest impressions of the village
By the industry of our friend John B. Stitt, we are en- abled to present the reader with an exact copy of the origin- al proceedings of the citizens with regard to the propriety of incorporating the town. "Agreeably," say they, "to an Act of the Legislature of the State of Indiana, passed Janu- ary Ist, 1817, the citizens of the town of Richmond con- vened on the 1st of the ninth month (September, 1818,) at the house of Thomas & Justice, for the purpose of ascertain- ing whether they wished said town incorporated, and pursu- ant made choice of Thomas Swain, President, and Ezra Bos- well, Clerk, who after being legally qualified, entered on the discharge of their duties, and taking the state of the poles, it appeared that there were twenty four votes in favor of in- corporating and none against it. THO. SWAIN, Pres't. "Attest: EZRA BOSWELL, Clerk."
Two weeks afterward, the record runs: "At a meeting of the town of Richmond for the election of Trustees at the house of Thomas & Justice, on the 14th of ninth month (September, 1818,) it appeared, on comparing the state of the poles, that Ezra Boswell, Thomas Swain, Robert Morris- sion, John McLane, and Peter Johnson, were duly elected. "THOMAS SWAIN, Pres't. "Attest: EZRA BOSWELL, Clerk."
Some idea of the number of inhabitants then in Richmond may be deduced from the votes taken at this meeting. In a case of this importance to the rising village, it is probable that the whole adult male population would be present .- The number present appears to have been twenty-four, a l
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voting one way. Allowing a wife and two children only, to each, it would bring up the number to nearly one hundred citizens; allowing three children to a family, the population would be 120; and allowing four and five children to each family, the population would be respectively 144 and 168 .- To say there were at that time between one and two hun- dred citizens would perhaps be a safe deduction. In 1849, according to an estimate in the manuscript of Dr. Carrol, already cited, the population was 350; and five years later the population was 452; and these are perhaps the earliest records of the population now to be obtained.
The "house of Thomas & Justice" thus brought into notice by the foregoing documents, was a new frame building erect- ed at the north-east corner of Main and Front streets, (where a three story brick now stands,) and was designed for a store, though then unoccupied. Thomas and Justice were carpen- ters. Stephen Thomas died near Richmond not many years since. William Justice is also dead. Of the five trustees named, two are still living, Robert Morrisson and Peter John- son. Our older citizens will remember Ezra Boswell, the brewer, with his mutilated eye; and John McLane, the blacksmith, with his ample physical frame. Thomas Swain, President of the meeting, was a dark-skinned, stooped- shouldered man, and a mau of solid sense.
Such was the beginning of Richmond. From the MS. history of David Hoover, it appears that the town was first called Smithsville, after the name of the proprietor; "but the name not giving general satisfaction," says the writer, "Thomas Roberts, James Pegg and myself were chosen to select another. Roberts proposed Waterford, Pegg, Plain- field, and I, Richmond .- And the last was approved by the lot-holders."
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND.
THE NATURAL ADVANTAGES
of the country were the same at that day as they are now. The county abounded in water-power; not less than ten or twelve streams coursing their way through it southward. At Richmond, not only did the main fork offer its mill-seats to the man of enterprise, but, dividing into three branches just north of the town, called East, West and Middle Forks, the amount of water-power was greatly multiplied. Not- withstanding these facilities, they availed but little to the early settlers, for want of capital to improve them. A man- uscript of the present writer, penned some years ago, says, under the head of
MILLS AND PRIVATIONS.
" Until 1807, the early emigrants procured their flour at Germantown, Ohio, or at some other distant settlement in the Miami Valley; but they often crushed their corn by various mechanical means into a very coarse meal, and sub- sisted upon that and wild honey. In the year just named, a ' tub-mill' was erected by Jeremiah Cox, where the present oil-mill stands-what is now an oil-mill being built a few years afterward on the ruins of the tub-mill-and for many years ground most of the grain of the country. Wm. Bulla also erected a small mill on the Middle Fork, but it was an ephemeral structure, and not a vestige of it remains to tell its locality. A saw-mill was built by Jeremiah Cox, on the west side of the river, and south of Newman's Creek; the second one, perhaps, where Benj. Moore now lives (1844), and another on Elkhorn. David Hoover, writing his recol- lections of 1807, says that, for want of a mill, they grated
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all the corn they used in the form of meal, for six weeks. ' About Christmas, Charles Hunt started a corn-cracker, near the mouth of Elkhorn, which did most of our grinding until Jeremiah Cox erected one near where Richmond now stands.'
" I well remember a slender fabric, erected by Philip Harter, and called a 'Carding machine,' which stood like a man on long stilts in the ravine north of the soap factory. The building marked n in Dewey's ' Plot of the City of Rich- mond,' &c, was erected in 1837, by Samuel Smith, father of [the late] Dr. Smith, for a paper mill; his death placed this building in the hands of others who converted it to other purposes.
" A year or two after I came here," said a settler of 1817, " there was no corn in the country, in consequence of frosts; and I raised a crop that year, by plowing a little while, then snatching up the hoe, and hoeing away fit to kill, while my horse picked grass in the fence corner; then, when I couldn't stand it any longer, I'd hitch up my horse again, and plow; and so, plowing, hoeing aud feeding every hour or two, I raised a first-rate crop; but my horse got very poor, living on wild grass only."
Among my memoranda, I find the following item of these early times, under the head of
EARLIEST CLEARINGS.
"The first opening in the forest was made by Woodkirk, on the land now owned by Charles W. Starr, near where Jere- miah Cox built his brick house. It was a very small clear- ing. Next year (1807), John Smith cleared several acres, bounded on the north by a fence running along the section line, where Main-street now is, and on the west by another
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND.
fence running nearly parallel with what is now Front-street. In the same year (1807), ten acres were opened north of Main-street, on conditions that the laborers should have the proceeds of the land for twelve years."
The first entry of lands within the limits of this county was made by Peter Flemming and Joseph Wasson, in the winter of 1804; the next by Andrew Endsley, in the summer of 1805, and by Peter Smith in the winter of the same year.
Among the subjects of interest to the pioneers of a coun- try, are the
PUBLIC ROADS AND CONVEYANCES.
"The first settlers," say my Notes, "opened a road, in the Fall of 1806, to the vicinity where Paris (Preble Co., Ohio,) now stands. This was the beginning of their route to Cin- cinnati. Their object in going to this point, so much aside from a direct line to the city, was to avail themselves of a road opened by David Purviance, James Flemming, and others, from that place (where they resided) to Cincinnati.
"In the course of the summer of 1807, however, the pio- neers established a nearer route, running to Eaton into Wayne's Trace, which led to Hamilton.
"A county road was early established along the lands of Jeremiah Meek, Alex. Grimes, &c., down the hill-side to Cox's Mill, and thence up the ravine between Boat-hill and Buhl's brewery; the land on which Richmond stands then having no roads passing over it."
It was considered a great advance in our intercourse with the world, when, in 1847-8, a four and six-horse omnibus connected us with Cincinnati. Competition for a short time reduced the fare to 50 cents a passenger; but, in 1849, 4
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Vorhees & Co.'s line only running, the fare was fixed at $1 50.
We have already said that in the year 1824 Richmond con- tained 453 inhabitants. The writer remembers that at that time there were "croakers" among us, as they are technically called; and the language of these was: "Richmond has reached its zenith-there is nothing to keep it up-you'll now see it begin to decline." The more hopeful citizens pointed to the abundant water-power everywhere around us; to the fertile lands; the crystal waters of our springs and wells; the healthfulness of the location; the improving society; the moral character of the population; the mate- rials for building-stone, brick-clay, lumber, lime and sand. " What more," said these contented ones, " could a reason- able man desire?" " All this is true," replied the croakers; " but when you have raised your corn and your hogs, and ground your grain, how are you to get out from here to a market ?" The more sanguine inhabitant looked forward to better roads; yet he hardly knew how they were to come. Cincinnati was the chief market; the wagon was loaded up with the produce of the country-linsey-wolsey, tow-linen, flax-linen, beeswax, beans, ginseng, feathers, rags, lard, sugar, butter, hogs, flour, &c .; and, according to the state of the roads, two or three days were spent in getting to the city, and as many in returning home. High waters and muddy roads would often cause the printers to stop the press, for want of his ream of paper or keg of ink, and the merchant to curtail his sales, for want of goods. The ardently looked for wagon would sometimes not arrive for one or two weeks.
But still, Richmond continued slowly to improve; and the next record of its population we find was made in 1826,
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND.
when it was 648 (16 being colored persons). In the year 1827, it reached 716-380 males; 293 females; 43 colored persons. In 1828, it numbered 824 citizens-of these, there were 427 white males, 347 white females, and 50 colored persons. And now a
NEW ERA
was about to dawn upon Richmond, and the croaker's voice to be silenced for a time. Many hearts were made glad when the Public Leger, in 1828, made the following announcement:
" NATIONAL ROAD .- Mr. Knight has completed the loca- tion to this place, which is 4 miles, 26 chains, 17 links, from the State line. He is now engaged between this and Cen. treville, which is also made a point. He thinks it probable that he will locate as far as Vandalia, the capital of Illinois, the present season."
And the State pride of our citizens was not a little exalted when they read, in Jonathan Knight's Report of his survey, that he had " never passed through a greater extent of uni- formly rich land, than on the route through Indiana. It is well watered," he continnes, " as may be inferred from the maps, and from the estimates of the bridge-work." The whole estimated cost of bridging and masonry was given at $313,099 00; the whole length of the road across the State was 149} miles. The Report was read with avidity by our little population, and the following notice with pleasure:
"From the State line, the road " proceeds, by a very direct route, over an undulating surface, to Richmond, a thriving and respectable village, situate on the east side of the' east fork of Whitewater, in Wayne county, about four and a-half miles from the State line."
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Richmond was soon to breathe more freely, east and west, along this noble National Road. It was now admitted, even by those who looked on the dark side of the slowly progressive village, that Richmond would receive a tempo- rary impulse by the construction of this great thoroughfare, Little did any of us then dream of well-made turnpikes leaving Richmond at almost every point of the compass, and of railroads, connecting us with all the large cities around us-and, indeed, with nearly all the large cities of the vast Union. That day, however, was advancing. Meanwhile, the Public Leger was not idle in stimulating the citizens to make the place more and more desirable as a residence. We give the following sample of an editorial in 1827:
" VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT .- The streets of our village, though considerably improved last year, yet require much labor to render them complete, In a number of places, after rain, water stands until evaporation carries it off. This is not only disgusting to the sight, but it is injurious to health. Such things ought not to be in a village improving in other respects as this is. It belongs to the appropriate officers to take the lead; and then individuals, no doubt, will contribute their exertions. Beside the improvements of the streets, there are other subjects worthy the attention of the citizens. Shade-trees afford so delightful a prospect, so much enhance the beauty and interest of a place, and are withal so wholesome, that every owner of a lot should set them out in front of it. The labor and expense would be trifling.
Protection against fire is much needed. Built, as the houses principally are, of wood, a single fire might sweep at once the promising village into ruins. All these subjects are worthy of attention, and ought to be acted upon."
These suggestions were not lost upon the community. Here and there an improvement was made in the streets,
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pavements, houses and lots, as means admitted. Shade-trees began to be planted out; but as for " protection against fire," it was thought that care would have to supply the place of fire-engines, while the town was so poor. Fires, indeed, were rare; and when they did occur, it was as often from lightning as otherwise. One or two incendiary in- stances are within the recollection of the writer, as well as a stable or so consumed by lightning. But, combustible as the materials of the houses were, no neighboring buildings took fire, and no serious conflagration has ever occurred in Richmond.
Previous to this, the difficulties of
COMMERCIAL INTERCOURSE
may be partially inferred from the following memorandum, made by the present writer some years ago:
"In 1810, Bacon sold at 212 cents per Ib .; Corn, 20 to 25 cents per bushel-but there was a season of great scarcity, when it sold at $1 25 per bushel-perhaps in 1819. Sugar was manufactured from the sugar-tree in large quan- tities, and sold here at 3, 4 and 6 cents per lb., while hogs- heads of it were taken to the South in exchange for raw cotton, which, being in great demand here, was woven by the women, and the fabrics brought to the stores here to sell. Butter for a long time sold at 3, 4 and 6 cents per lb; Wheat, at 3712 to 50 cents; Oats, in 1820, were 8 cents per bushel; Apples, at the earliest periods, were brought from Redstone, Pa., by way of Cincinnati, and sold at $1 to $1 50 per bushel. 'Many a time,' said an old woman, ' have I paid Robert Morrisson fifty cents a-yard for muslin, which can now be bought for eight and ten cents, and I
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paid for it, too, with butter and sugar at six cents a pound.'
"John Smith commenced a store in a log building, near his present brick house, in 1810. Robert Morrisson began another in 1814, in a frame building on lot No. 1 of Cox's sale. He afterwards effected an arrangement with John Smith, to enter into co-partnership; but before his goods were removed into the new store (a frame house on lot No. 1, Smith's side,) his own building, with nearly all its contents- $500 worth-was consumed by fire. Smith & Morrisson finally dissolved, and a new firm was established, under the title of Smith & Frost. Their store was kept in the building on Pearl-street, lot 45. Frost (Edward) afterward kept a store on front-street, lot 33, in the present frame building, which was also occupied by my father, in 1823, for the same purpose.
"' I used to take in eight or ten barrels of country sugar a-day,' said one of these merchants; there was an abundance made here at that time. I recollect sending much to Ken- tucky and Tennessee, and exchanging it profitably for cot- ton. I once sent three wagon-loads to Lexington, Ky.'"
Books, in that day, appear to have been as inaccessible and as scarce as cotton. "A copy of Clarkson's Portraiture of Quakerism being offered for sale here," said Robert Hill to the writer, " at one dollar a volume (3 volumes), as I was too poor to buy it, Jeremiah Cox and I agreed to take it together, he buying two of the volumes, and I the other." Another early necessity of a thriving village is a
TAN-YARD.
Two of these were established here in 1818: the first by John Smith, for the benefit of Joseph Wilmot, a dwarfish
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND.
Englishman, and the other by Robert Morrisson. Smith's tan-yard was near his dwelling, and is now owned by the Wigginses. Morrisson's once boasted 70 vats, and was on Main-street, north side, between Washington and Green streets. It was discontinued many years ago.
I quote again from my own manuscripts of 1848.
STREETS AND IMPROVEMENTS.
In one of my old almanacs I find the following memoran- dum: "1826-this year gutters were made on the sides of the streets, and they were otherwise improved." Until this period, the streets furnished pasture for our rambling cattle. Perhaps, here and there might be seen a short row of rough curb-stones, intended to separate a few loads of tanbark, or of gravel, or some equally rough flat stones from the streets; but in general, sidewalks and streets were one. And where gutters were ploughed, where some day curb-stones might be, quite a lively emotion was created in the minds of the townspeople, who flocked to the line of internal improve- ment, and discussed the advantages of having suitable drains for the water. To cross a street in that day in wet weather was a formidable undertaking.
Horse-racks, of materials and structure, in perfect keeping with the humble pretensions of the village, stood a yard or two in the streets, or a foot or two on the sidewalk, accord- ing to the taste or convenience of the owner. And in 1826, when the "mashal," (Isaac Beeson, the potter,) was ordered to cut down all the racks which trespassed upon the streets, if not removed within a given time, the question was raised by those immediately interested in the case, whether the town authorities had not transcended their legitimate powers in
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thus dealing with the "hitching places;" but on the day ap- pointed, when the officer appeared with his axe to lay low one of the lawless racks, (he and the owner very amicably acting in sly concert to alarm the unwilling ones,) mattocks and spades speedily came to the rescue of the threatened structures; and the posts were forthwith dug up, and after- ward replanted at the ordained distance from the lots.
BUILDINGS.
When the proprietor, John Smith, erected his large brick house in 1811-now standing on Market street, west of Front-it was considered the most spacious building in the territory. He showed me, in 1826, on the adjoining lot, his first humble cabin, and the log store house hard by, in which he formerly sold goods to the Indians; and remarked with a smile, that the celebrated warrior Tecumseh, yet owed him a 'coon-skin, for a balance due on some ammunition .- On my lot (No. 18,) at the south-west corner south Front street, there stood in 1828 a low log house, twelve by eight feet, occupied originally perhaps as a dwelling place, then as a smith's shop ;* and afterwards again as a potter's dwelling house. The pottery was a long frame building im - mediately opposite; it was torn down about the year 1824, having been occupied by Eleazar Hiatt, Isaac Beeson, Geo. Bell, (a mulato,) and John Scott; all of whom are now liv- ing, except the last, who died of cholera spasmodica in 1833. The house on the north-west corner of Front and Walnut streets is one of the oldest buildings in the town; and was built and occupied by William Williams, who used the log
*On the south-east quarter of lot No. 18, is yet to be seen the soil black- ened by the dust of an old "coal pit" which was formed upon the spot.
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HISTORY OF RICHMOND.
cabin on my lot for his smith shop; it formerly had a long porch in front, and a stone chimney stood outside at the north end of the house. The subsequent repairs have great- ly concealed its former antiquated appearance. The frame house too, north of me on lot fifteen, is one of kindred age; and once had a sort of porch-floor extending over the side- walk and forming a pavement for the passing citizen, as well as dry resting place, for those who chose to sit and talk .- I hold in distinct remembrance the old log meeting house of 1823, standing near the site of the present large brick one. I remember its leaky roof, letting the rain through upon the slab benches with three pair of legs and no backs; its char- coal fires kept in sugar-kettles; (for as yet . stoves were not procured;) and the toes pinched with cold, of the young who sat remote from the kettles. Happily for the inmates, the air entered the room through numberless crevices of no small dimensions, or the whole congregation might have been suffocated by the baleful fires. In 1827 was consumed by fire a log building on lot six, put up in 1816 for a tavern, by Philip Harter, who kept entertainment in it. This was the first inn. In the present year (1848) David Hoover pointed to the log building on Charles W. Starr's farm, near the tan-yard on Fifth street, and remarked that that was the first hewed log house put up in town, now twenty-two years old.
-
THE FIRST BREWERY
in Richmond was commenced by Ezra Boswell (already named), about the time the town was incorporated. Of the quality of the beer we have now no opportunity of forming a judgment; but it is said that some of the Councilmen of 5
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that day-who, of course, served their fellow-citizens gratui- tously-one day sent to Ezra for some of his brewing; and, we presume, they quaffed it until they were satisfied; but, like all men in place, they, by this simple act, subjected themselves to the tongue of slander. By the citizens, who took it upon themselves to watch over the pecuniary inter- ests of the place, a rumor was set afloat that the Councilmen were drinking beer at the expense of the corporation. The price of beer, sold at taverns, was in that day fixed by the court at 12} cents a quart; while the same authority rated whisky, per half-pint, at 12} cents; the same quantity of common brandy, at 182 cents, and cognaic, rum and wine were to be sold at 37} cents by the half pint. The care of the Court in this particular is further evinced by their allow- ing George Hunt, clerk, a certain sum for the purchase of whisky, during the sale of lots in Salisbury.
WILD ANIMALS.
The squirrel, in these early days, not only furnished many a meal for the resident, but they abounded to a degree that made them a nuisance, and the farmer was glad to invite the sportsman from town to visit his corn-fields, which were seriously molested by these nimble depredators every year. Other quadruped vermin also often annoyed his farm-yard. Wolves were a source of much anxiety and trouble, as well as loss. It is curious to find a record on the minutes of the Court, allowing Robert Morrison one dollar and a half for two wolf-skins. Bears were sometimes killed; and, even so late as 1827, according to a paragraph in the Public Leger (a newspaper hereafter to be noticed), several of these ani- mals visited the vicinity of Richmond; and "their appear-
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