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GENEALOGY COLLECTION
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02402 5535
CENTENNIAL HISTORY
OF
COLUMBUS
AND
FRANKLIN COUNTY, OHIO.
WILLIAM ALEXANDER TAYLOR.
ILLUSTRATED
VOL. I.
Chicago-Columbus: THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING CO. 1909
1
1217035
Putnam - $20.85/2 val)
COL. W. A. TAYLOR.
HISTORICAL
CHAPTER I.
THE CAPITAL CITY OF OHIO.
Explanatory Geographical Note.
The state of Ohio, in its entirety, lies between latitude 38 degrees 27 min- utes and 41 degrees 57 minutes N. and longitude 80 degrees 34 minutes and 84 degrees 49 minutes W. The maximum length of the state east and west being two hundred and ten miles, and the maximum breadth from south to north one hundred and fifteen. The center of the originally surveyed square on which the capital buildings were erected is latitude 37 degrees 57 minutes, longitude 82 degrees 29 minutes, almost equidistant from the cities of Cleveland northeast, Toledo northwest, Cincinnati southwest and Marietta southeast, at and average maximum distance from the capital of one hundred and fifteen miles.
A line drawn through Columbus north and south and another east and west divides the state into four almost equal parts. The most distant points, and somewhat in excess of the one hundred and fifteen mile maximum, are at the corner of the state at the intersection of the Pennsylvania line on the north- east and the intersection of the Ohio, Indiana and Michigan lines on the northwest.
Aside from these points, however, the one hundred and fifteen mile radius is dominant and inclusive, making the average railway and traction distance between the capital and the furthest state points within four hours of average schedule time, and those within the smaller radii from fifteen minutes to two hours and thirty minutes. These lines of travel extend regularly in all direc- tions and following with remarkable fidelity the aboriginal and pioneer lines of travel, which coincidence will be adverted to hereafter at greater length.
The Founding of the City of Columbus.
The selection of the present site of the city of Columbus was purely polit- ical, speaking in contradistinction to the commercial idea and using the terms "political" and "commercial" in their broadest and best significance. There
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
were and could be no commercial reasons for founding the city at the junction of the Scioto and the Olentangy rivers in the first decade of the nineteenth, however strong those reasons might be in the first decade of the twentieth cen- tury. Then it was practically an unbroken forest, marked here and there with puny settlements, for scores of miles in all directions from the present State House Park. Now it is a modern city standing like the hub of a wheel from which radiates lines of steam and electric roads, some of them main lines of commerce as well as transportation, in every direction, and so fixed naturally by the geographical location of the city as to bring the vast preponderance of the five million population within from three hours and thirty minutes, and in most cases in from two hours, down to thirty minutes' travel of the capitol building; albeit the state is two hundred and ten miles in length east and west and two hundred and fifteen miles broad north and south.
The conditions existing a century ago fully explain why commercial ideas did not weigh in the selection of the site, but on the contrary throbbed with political reasons in favor of it. The capital of the Northwest Territory, organ- ized by the ordinance of 1787, was, in a sense, a peripatetic affair and was located at three different points-Marietta, Cincinnati and Chillicothe. Orig- inally and nominally at Marietta, tentatively at Cincinnati and with a degree of permanence at Chillicothe. The territory was a vast, unpopulated empire extending from the Ohio valley north and northwest to Lake Superior and along the great chain of lakes eastward to the northwest boundary of Pennsyl- vania, westward to the Mississippi and with the Ohio river its eastern and southern boundary.
Subject to Three Removals.
The state capital was subject to three removals: originally and from 1803 to February 22, 1810, at Chillicothe; from February 22, 1810, to Feb- ruary 21, 1812, at Zanesville; from February 21, 1812, to February 27, 1816, at Chillicothe; and from that date at Columbus, permanently, the necessary capital buildings being in process of construction from 1812, under the legis- lative acts of the period establishing it as the permanent capital, the legislative and administrative business of the state being, meanwhile, transacted at Chilli- cothe.
Asking for Proposals.
It had obviously been decided as early as 1807-1808, in the minds of those who were shaping the destiny of the new state, to fix its capital at some central point equally accessible to the population which they evidently foresaw occupying all portions of the state, their central idea being that travel should be equalized to and from the capital to all parts of the state.
There were two methods of travel at that day-by roadway, on foot, horse- back or vehicular appliance, or by boat on river and creek. There was but one way to equalize travel-to place the capital in the practical geographical center of the state, not in the theoretical center of population, thus affording equal facilities to all groups of settlers, whether large or small, and, more im- portant than all, to encourage settlements in every section of the state.
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
The Moving Considerations.
They were moved to these considerations by the travel and transportation question as it then presented itself. If the capital should become a great metropolis, its proper place, in their lights, was in the center of the state, where it would offer equal advantages to all. If it was of but limited growth, it was still the capital and great political center, and they were disinclined to afford three-fourths of the facilities to reach the capital to one-fourth of the popu- lation and but one-fourth of the facilities to the remaining three-fourths.
This was the irresistible and common sense reasoning and logic of our ancestors, in the absence of modern methods of travel, traffic and transporta- tion. They may have builded in the dark, but they could not have builded their capital more appropriately or laid the foundation of their state more grandly.
The following commissioners were selected to locate a suitable site for a state capital by the legislative session of 1808-1809: General James Findlay, of Hamilton county ; Joseph Darlington, Adams; William McFarland, Ross; and later the names of Wyllys Silliman, of Washington, and General Rezin Beall, of Wayne, were added to the commission by joint resolution.
Rival Propositions Submitted.
The commission organized and asked real-estate proprietors to submit propositions looking to the location of the future city. In 1811-12 the com- mission submitted their report, in which was recited the following pecuniary or other valuable inducements to locate the capital at one of nine different points :
1. Messrs. John Kerr, Alex. Mclaughlin, James Johnston and Lyne Starling, of Columbus, then known as the High Bank opposite Franklinton, who offered to donate all the grounds necessary for the public buildings and erect all the necessary buildings thereon, donate one thousand acres of ground and four thousand dollars in money.
2. Moses Byxbe and Henry Baldwin, of Delaware, offered to donate the ground and erect all necessary buildings and lay off four thousand acres in town lots, the proceeds of one-half, taken alternately, to inure to the state treasury.
3. John and Peter Sells offered to donate four hundred acres on the Scioto, four miles west of Worthington, and erect suitable buildings.
4. James Kilbourne, of Worthington, offered to donate all the necessary grounds and erect such buildings as might be required.
5. Walter Dun, for himself, and John Graham offered to donate four hundred acres and erect buildings near the Scioto, in Franklin county, north- west of Franklinton.
6. Thomas Backus offered to donate one thousand acres between the Sells' site and Franklinton.
7. James Galloway offered to donate two hundred acres on the Big Darby near the line of Franklin and Madison counties.
8. Henry Neville offered to donate one hundred and fifty acres of the- High Bank on the Pickaway Plains.
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
9. Circleville offered a subscription of five thousand nine hundred and ninety-five dollars.
The commissioners recommended the Delaware offer and site, but the legislature eventually fixed on Columbus as the permanent seat of government and removed it temporarily from Zanesville to Chillicothe until the new capitol buildings were erected. The following representatives entered a protest on the Journal against the act, as unnecessary and uncalled for, and because the Delaware proposition was refused, if any were to be accepted, viz: Messrs. Thomas G. Jones, Frame, Foulks, Crumbacker, Mitchell, Sharp, Jackson, Harman, Huntington, McCune, Bryson and Smith.
The legislature almost unanimously ignored the recommendation of the commission in favor of Delaware and by a similar vote decided to accept proposition No. 1 as above, and in due course of time legislation was enacted and the permanent capital of the state was fixed and Columbus appeared on the map.
Full Text of Winning Proposition.
The following is a copy of the original proposals of the proprietors of Columbus :
To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of Ohio: We, the sub- scribers, do offer the following as our proposals, provided the legislature at their present session shall fix and establish the permanent seat of government on the bank of the Scioto river, nearly opposite Franklinton, on half sections number twenty-five and twenty-six and part of half sections number ten and eleven, all in township five, range twenty-two of the Refugee Lands, and com- mence their sessions there on the first Monday of December, 1817:
1st. To lay out a town on the lands aforesaid, on or before the first of July next, agreeably to the plan presented by us to the legislature.
2d. To convey to the state by general warranty deed, in fee simple, such square of said town, of the contents of ten acres or near it, for the public buildings, and such lot of ten acres, for the penitentiary and dependencies, as a director, or such person or persons as the legislature shall appoint, may direct.
3d. To erect and complete a state house, offices and penitentiary, and such other buildings as shall be directed by the legislature to be built, of stone and brick, or of either, the work to be done in a workmanlike manner, and of such size and dimensions as the legislature shall think fit; the penitentiary and dependencies to be completed on or before first of January, 1815, and the state house and offices on or before the first Monday of December, 1817.
When the buildings shall be completed the legislature and us, reciprocally, shall appoint workmen to examine and value the whole buildings, which valua- tion shall be binding; and if it does not amount to fifty thousand dollars, we shall make up such deficiency in such further buildings as shall be directed by law; but if it exceeds the sum of fifty thousand dollars, the legislature will by law remunerate us in such way as they may think just and equitable.
The legislature may, by themselves or agent, alter the width of the streets
OHIO STATE HOUSE AND MCKINLEY MEMORIAL, Looking East from Roof of Neil House.
CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
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and alleys of said town, previous to its being laid out by us, if they may think proper to do so.
LYNE STARLING (Seal.)
JOHN KERR (Seal.)
ALEX. MCLAUGHLIN (Seal.)
JAMES JOHNSTON
(Seal.)
Attest,
WILSON ELLIOT,
ISAAC HAZLETT.
The above was accompanied by their bond for the faithful performance of their undertaking.
When Matters Looked Dubious.
Although it was the avowed object of the legislature to establish a per- manent seat of government, yet when the time came to act conclusively on the subject, there was a misgiving among them, and it became pretty manifest that the bill for the acceptance of the foregoing proposals would not pass without a limitation clause in it, and it being now just at the close of the session, rather than to have it defeated or to lie over, the proprietors made their second proposi- tion, of which the following is a copy :
To the Honorable the Legislature of Ohio: We, the subscribers, do agree to comply with the terms of our bond now in possession of the senate of the state aforesaid, in case they will fix the seat of government of this state on the lands designated in our proposals, on the east bank of the Scioto river, nearly opposite to Franklinton, and commence their sessions there at or before the first Monday of December, 1817, and continue the same in the town to be laid off by us until the year 1840. These conditional proposals are offered for the accept- ance of the legislature of Ohio, provided they may be considered more eligible than those previously put in.
JOHN KERR (Seal.)
JAMES JOHNSTON
(Seal.)
A. MCLAUGHLIN (Seal.)
LYNE STARLING (Seal.)
Attest,
WILLIAM ELLIOTT, February 11th, 1812.
This proposition seemed to satisfy the opposition, and the bill was amended by adding the latter clause to the end of the second section, and then passed.
The First Historian a Wise One.
This last proposition was at some time lost from the file of papers in the state treasurer's office, and that fact was possibly the means of saving the seat of government at Columbus. From the time of the repeal of the law for the erec- tion of a new state house, in 1840, the subject of the removal of the seat of government from Columbus became agitated, and at the session of 1842-43, a committee of the legislature was appointed on that subject, who being divided
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
in opinion or feeling, made a majority and a minority report. The majority assumed as a first ground that it had been permanently established at Columbus by the act of February 14, 1812, accepting the proposals of the proprietors of the town; and then referring to the conditions of the first proposals, insisted that it could not be removed without a violation of the faith of the state. The argu- ments of the two reports are principally confined to that proposition-the sec- ond proposal not being known of, apparently, by either party. And the com- piler of the "Brief History of Columbus," prefixed to Mr. J. R. Armstrong's Columbus Directory, published in 1843, while the subject of removal was still in agitation, was, as a citizen of Columbus, perhaps excusable in giving the proprietor's first proposals, while he suppressed the second, which would have upset all the fine arguments in favor of the permanent location.
The Original Legislative Act.
The law referred to, accepting the proposals of the proprietors, and estab- lishing the seat of government, was passed the 14th day of February, 1812, and reads as follows :
Section 1. That the proposals made to this legislature by Alexander McLaughlin, John Kerr, Lyne Starling and James Johnston, to lay out a town on their lands, situate on the east bank of the Scioto river, opposite Frank- linton, in the county of Franklin, on parts of half sections numbers nine, ten, eleven, twenty-five and twenty-six, for the purpose of having the permanent seat of government thereon established; also to convey to the state a square of ten acres and a lot of ten acres, to erect a state house and offices, and a peni- tentiary, as shall be directed by the legislature, are hereby accepted, and the same, and their penal bond annexed thereto, dated the 10th of February, 1812, conditioned on the faithful performance of said proposals, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, and shall remain in the office of the treasurer of state, there to be kept for the use of the state.
Sec. 2. That the seat of government of this state, be and the same is hereby fixed and permanently established on the lands aforesaid; and the legis- lature shall commence their session thereat on the first Monday of December, 1817, and there continue until the first day of May, 1840, and from thence until otherwise provided for by law.
Sec. 3. That there shall be appointed by joint resolution of this general assembly, a director, who shall within thirty days after his appointment, take and subscribe an oath faithfully and impartially to discharge the duties enjoined on him by law, and shall hold his office to the end of the session of the next legislature; provided, that in case the office of the director aforesaid, shall, by death, resignation or in any wise, become vacant during the recess of the legislature, the governor shall fill such vacancy.
Sec. 4. That the aforesaid director shall view and examine the lands above mentioned, and superintend the surveying and laying out of the town aforesaid, and direct the width of the streets and alleys therein; also to select the square for public buildings, and the lot for the penitentiary and depend- encies, according to the proposals aforesaid; and he shall make a report thereof
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
to the next legislature ; he shall, moreover, perform such other duties as will be required of him by law.
Sec. 5. That said Mclaughlin, Kerr, Starling and Johnston, shall, on or before the first day of July next ensuing, at their own expense, cause the town aforesaid to be laid out, and a plat of the same recorded in the recorder's office of Franklin county, distinguishing therein the square and the lot to be by them conveyed to this state; and they shall, moreover, transmit a certified copy thereof to the next legislature, for their inspection.
Sec. 6. That from and after the first day of May next, Chillicothe shall be the temporary seat of government, until otherwise provided by law.
And by an act amendatory to the above act, passed February 17, 1816, it was enacted :
That from and after the second Tuesday of October next, the seat of government of this state shall be established at the town of Columbus, and there continue, agreeably to the provisions of the second section of the act entitled "An act fixing and establishing the permanent and temporary seats of government," passed February 14, 1812.
That the auditor, treasurer and secretary of state, shall, in the month of October next, remove, or cause to be removed, the books, maps and papers in their respective offices, to the offices prepared and designated for them severally, in the town of Columbus; and the treasurer shall also remove any public money which may be in his office; and the said public officers shall there attend and keep their offices respectively, from and after that time, any law to the contrary notwithstanding.
Then followed various acts of legislation looking to the completion of the steps that had been taken looking toward the establishment of a permanent seat of government.
Building Committee and Plans.
RESOLUTION, for the appointment of a committee to lay down the plan on which the state house and penitentiary shall be erected.
RESOLVED, That a committee of three members be appointed by the senate. to act jointly with such committee as may be appointed by the house of repre- sentatives, to agree upon and lay down the plan on which the state house and penitentiary shall be erected, and to point out the materials wherof they shall be built, and make a report of their proceedings to the house of representatives. MATTHIAS CORWIN, Speaker of the House of Representatives. THOS. KIRKER, Speaker of the Senate.
Attest-R. OSBORN, C. H. R.
Attest -- CARLOS A. NORTON, C. S.
February 18, 1812.
Laying Down a Plan.
RESOLUTION, Laying down and agreeing to a plan on which the state house and penitentiary shall be erected.
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
RESOLVED by the senate and house of representatives, That the director, after selecting the squares and sites whereupon the state house and penitentiary shall be built, shall proceed to lay down the size and dimensions of the said buildings as follows, viz: The state house to be seventy-five feet by fifty, to be built of brick, on a stone foundation, the proportions of which shall be regulated by said director, according to the most approved models of modern architecture, so as to combine, as far as possible, elegance, convenience, strength and durability.
The penitentiary to be sixty feet by thirty, to be built of brick, on a stone foundation with stone walls projecting in a line with the front fifty feet on each end so as to form a front of one hundred and sixty feet, and to extend back from the front one hundred feet, forming an area of one hundred and sixty by one hundred feet.
The walls to be fifteen feet high. The proportion of the penitentiary shall be regulated by the director, according to the best models which he can obtain from those states where theory has best been tested by experience and the said director shall make a report of his proceedings in the premises, with a plan of said buildings to the next legislature within ten days after the commencement of the session.
MATTHIAS CORWIN, Speaker of the House of Representatives. THOS. KIRKER, Speaker of the Senate.
Attest-R. OSBORN, C. H. R.
Attest-CARLOS A. NORTON, C. S.
February 20, 1812.
A Director Appointed.
Resolution appointing a director agreeably to the act entitled "an act fixing and establishing the permanent and temporary seats of government."
RESOLVED by the general assembly of the state of Ohio, That Joel Wright, of Warren county, be and he is hereby appointed director agreeably to the provisions of the act entitled "an act fixing and establishing the permanent and temporary seats of government."
MATTHIAS CORWIN, Speaker of the House of Representatives. THOS. KIRKER, Speaker of the Senate.
Attest-R. OSBORN, C. H. R. Attest -- CARLOS A. NORTON, C. S. February 20, 1812.
Looking to Removal.
RESOLUTION, for the removal of the state papers, etc., to Chillicothe. RESOLVED by the general assembly of the state of Ohio, That the doorkeep- ers of the senate and of the house of representatives shall take charge of the state
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
furniture belonging to their respective houses, and deliver it to the secretary of state, who is hereby authorized to expose and sell the same at public auction for cash, giving ten days' notice by advertisement in the Muskingum Messenger, printed in the town of Zanesville, and pay the proceeds of such sale to the state treasurer for the use of the state, taking his receipt for the same, which he shall deposit with the auditor of public accounts.
RESOLVED, That immediately after the rising of the legislature the clerk of each house shall make a true inventory of all papers, books, maps and station- ery belonging to the state in their possession and immediately deliver the same with the inventory to the secretary of state.
RESOLVED, That the secretary, treasurer, and auditor shall deliver to the order of Duncan M. Arthur, James Dunlap, Abraham Claypool, William Ster- rett, Samuel Monett and Thomas Renick, all the books, papers, etc., in their respective offices belonging to the state for the purpose of transporting them to the town of Chillicothe in the county of Ross, Ohio, subject to the order of the next legislature ; and the secretary, treasurer and auditor are hereby required to superintend the delivery and transportation of the state, books, papers, etc., in their respective offices agreeably to the provisions of the law fixing the perma- nent and temporary seats of government passed this session.
MATTHIAS CORWIN, Speaker of the House of Representatives. THOS. KIRKER, Speaker of the Senate.
Attest-R. OSBORN, C. H. R. Attest-C. A. NORTON, C. S.
February 21, 1812.
The Town Officially Named.
RESOLUTION giving a name to the permanent seat of government.
RESOLVED by the general assembly of the state of Ohio, That the town to be laid out, at the Highbank, on the east side of the Scioto river, opposite the town of Franklinton, for the permanent seat of government, of this state, shall be known, and distinguished, by the name of Columbus.
MATTHIAS CORWIN, Speaker of the House of Representatives. THOS. KIRKER, Speaker of the Senate.
Attest-R. OSBORN, C. H. R.
Attest-C. A. NORTON, C. S. February 21, 1812.
Director's Duties Defined.
An act ascertaining the duties of the director of the town of Columbus.
Section 1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of the state of Ohio, That the director appointed by the legislature, shall, within thirty days after his appointment, enter into a bond, with sufficient security, payable to the treas-
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
urer of this state, in the penal sum of four thousand dollars, and take and subscribe an oath, faithfully to discharge the duties enjoined on him by law; and shall hold his office to the end of the session of the next legislature: Pro- vided, That in case the office of director aforesaid, shall become vacant by death, resignation, or otherwise, during the recess of the legislature, the governor shall fill the same: Provided also, That nothing in this act shall be so construed as to exonerate the proprietors of the town of Columbus, from any responsibility of their original contract.
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