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.102 OZ
3-1844
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
N
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02279 7499
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013
http://archive.org/details/columbusohiocity00unse
THE
COLUMBUS ohio
BUSINESS DIRECTORY,
FOR, 1843-4.
CONTAINING A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CITY AND PUBLIC IN- STITUTIONS, THE NAMES OF HOUSEHOLDERS, HEADS OF FAMILIES, ETC.
COLUMBUS:
PUBLISHED BY J. R. ARMSTRONG.
SAMUEL MEDARY, PRINTER,
1843,
ba.1338
1638539
A BRIEF HISTORY OF COLUMBUS.
Before noticing the rise and present condition of Columbus, it may not be amiss to briefly glance at the circumstances which brought the town into existence. From the first organization of the State Government, in 1803, until 1816, there was no permanent seut of State Government. The sessions of the Legislature were held at Chillicothe until 1810; and the sessions of 1810-11, and 1811-12, were held at Zanesville; and from there they removed back to Chillicothe, and there remained until December, 1816, when the first session commenced. in Columbus. During the two sessions held at Zanesville, the Legislature, desirous to establish a more central and permanent seat of Government, received various proposals from differ- ent places, offering inducements for the location of the seat of Government at those several different points. And amongst the rest were the proposals of Lyne Starling, Jas. Johnston, Alexander McLaughlin and John Kerr, the after proprietors of Columbus, for establishing it on the "High Bank of the Scioto River, opposite Franklinton," which site was then a native forest. Franklinton was then a town of more con- sequence than it is at present, and one of the sites
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proposed; but the plan upon which it was laid out, and more particularly, its low situation, were consid- ered sufficient objections to its adoption. As we generally feel more interest in the perusal of any work or document to which importance has attached than in a mere recapitulation of its contents, the pro- posals of the proprietors are here given verbatim; and, also, the law passed by the Legislature in pur- suance of said proposals:
"To the honorable the Legislature of the State of Ohio:
"We, the subscribers, 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 east bank of the Scioto river, nearly opposite Franklinton, on half sections Nos. 25 and 26, and part of half sections Nos. 10 and 11, all in township 5, range 22, of the refugee lands, and commence their sessions there on the first Mon- day of December, 1817:
"1st. To lay out a town on the lands aforesaid, on or before the 1st of July next, agreeable to the plan presented by us to the Legislature.
"2d. To convey to the State, by general warranty deed, in fee simple, such square in said town of the contents of 10 acres, or near it, for the public build- ings, and such lot of 10 acres for Penitentiary and de- pendencies, as a director, or such person or persons as the Legislature shall appoint, may select.
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"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 work- manlike manner, and of such size and dimensions as the Legislature shall think fit. The Penitentiary and dependencies to be completed on or before the 1st of January, 1815; and the State House and offices on or before the 1st Monday of December, 1817.
"When the buildings shall be completed, the Legis- lature, reciprocally, shall appoint workmen to exam- ine and value the whole buildings, which valuation shall be binding; and if it does not amount to fifty thousand dollars, we shall make up the 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 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:
"WH. ELLIOTT, "ISAAC HAZLETT."
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The law referred to, is as follows, to wit:
"SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, 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 cast bank of the Scioto river, opposite Franklinton, 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 establised; also, to convey to the State, a square of ien acres, and lot of ten acres, to erect a State House, such of- fices and a Penitentiary as shall be directed by the Legislature, are hereby accepted, and the same, and their penal bond annexed thereto, dated the tenth of February, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, conditioned for the faithful performance of said pro- posals, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, and shall reman 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 permanent- ly established on the land aforesaid; and the Legisla- ture shall commence their sessions thereat, on the first Monday of December, one thousand eight hundred and seventeen, and there continue until the first day of May, one thousand eight hundred and forty, and from thence until otherwise provided for by law.
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"SEC. 3. That there shall be appointed by a 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 dis- charge 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 otherwise, 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 superin- tend the surveying and laying out of the town afore- said, 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 dependencies, ac- cording to the proposals aforesaid, and he shall make a report thereof to the next Legislature; he shall, moreover, perform such other duties as will be re- quired of him by law.
"SEC. 5. That said Mclaughlin, Kerr, Starling and Johnston, shall, on or before the first day of fuly next, ensuing, at their own expense, cause the town, aforesaid, to be laid out, and a plat of the same re- corded in the Recorder's office of Franklin county, distinguishing therein the square and lot, to be, by them, conveyed to this State; and they shall, more- over, transmit a certified copy thereof to the next Legislature for their inspection.
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"SEC. 6. That from and after the first day of May next, Chillicothe shall be the temporary seat of gov- ernment, until otherwise provided by law.
"Passed February 14, 1812."
And by an act amendatory to the above act, passed February 17, 1816, it was enacted:
"SEc. 1. That from and after the second Tuesday in October next, the seat of government of this State shall be established at the town of Columbus, and there continue, agreeable 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 fourteenth, eighteen hundred and twelve.
"SEC. 2. That the Auditor, Treasurer and Secre- tary 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 pre- pared 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."
On the 19th of February, 1812, at Zanesville, the proprietors, Starling, Johnston, Mclaughlin and Kerr, signed and acknowledged their articles of association, as partners under the law for laying out, &c., of the town of Columbus.
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The preamble recapitulates, "That, whereas, the Legislature of the State of Ohio have, by law, fix- ed and established the permanent seat of govern- ment for said State, on half sections Nos. 9, 25 and 26, and parts of half sections Nos. 10 and 11, all in township 5, range 22, refugee lands, agreeably to the proposals of the parties aforesaid, made to the Legis- lature of said State," &c. In this instrument, it was stipulated that a common stock was to be created for their mutual benefit, that Starling was to put into said stock half section No. 25, except ten acres previously sold to John Brickell; Johnston was to put in half section No. 9, and half of half section No. 10; and Mclaughlin and Kerr (who had previously been part- ners, and were jointly considered as one, or a third party to this agreement) were to put in half section No. 26, on which they were to lay out a town agreea- bly to their proposals to the Legislature; the proceeds of the sales to remain in common stock until they should complete their contract with the State. They were to have a common agent, to make sales and su- perintend their whole business. Each party was to pay into the hand of this agent the sum of $2,400, annually, on the first Monday of January, for five suc- cessive years, and such further sums as may be neces- sary to complete the public buildings. Each party was to warrant the title to the land by them respec- tively, put into the stock, and each to receive a mutu- al benefit in all donations they might obtain on sub-
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scriptions, or otherwise. And when they should have completed their contract with the State, and be releas- ed from all obligations on account thereof, a final set- tlement and adjustment of their accounts was to take place, and the profits or losses to be equally divided between them.
This agreement was faithfully abided by, and final- ly canceled in April, 1817, when a division of the unsold property, and of obligations for lots sold, &c., took place, and each party released the others from all the obligations of their articles of association, and also released and quit-claimed to each other all the re- maining parts of their several tracts of land originally put into the common fund that remained unsold by deed on contract. The amount of the donations ob tained on subscription is variously stated, at from fifteen to twenty thousand dollars. And pursuant to a contract with Dr. Hoge, he deeded to the proprietors, for their mutual benefit, eighty acres of land off the south end of half section No. 11, in order to enable them to complete the plat to the size and form desired. Of the lots laid out on this grant, the proprietors re- tained a certain proportion, and deeded the balance back to Dr. Hoge. And pursuant to a similar con- tract with Thomas Allen, and for the same purpose, he deeded to the proprietors twenty acres out of the south part of half section No. 10-they deeding back a certain proportion of the lots and retaining the bal- ance as a donation.
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Thus the town plat, including outlots, and reserves, (which reserves have since been laid out into additions of inlots,) covered the whole of half sections Nos. 25 and 26, and parts of half sections 10 and 11. Mc- Laughlin and Kerr's half section, (No. 26,) was the southern part of the original town plat, bounded on the south, by south public lane, (the eastern part of which is sometimes called the "Livingston road,") and on the north by a parallel (east and west) line, com- mencing at the river a litttle south of State street, and crossing High street, which runs 12 degrees west of north, at the northeast corner of Dr. Goodale's brick building, and crossing Town street at an accute angle between Third and Fourth streets, including all between those two lines, from the river to the eastern boundary of the outlots. Starling's half section, (No. 25,) also extends from the river to the eastern boundary of outlots, and includes all between the north line of McLaughlin and Kerr's half section, above de- scribed, and a parallel line from a short distance in front of the New Penitentiary, due east, crossing High street between Long street and Mulberry alley, and intersecting Broad Street at the eastern extremi- ty of the outlots. Although half section No. 9 was put into the common fund by Johnston, no part of the town plat was laid out on it. It lies between the New Penitentiary and Olentangy creek. The east half of half section. 10, put into the fund by him, buts on the north line of Starling's half section, (No. 25,) from
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Water street to Centre alley, bounded east and west by due north and souh lines, cutting the lots oblique- ly. The part conveyed to the proprietors by Allen, also buts on Starling's north line, immediately west of Johnston's, just described, and the part conveyed to them by Dr. Hoge, also buts on Starling's north line, mmediately east of Johnston's lands.
The contract being now closed between the pro- prietors and the State, and all the preliminaries thus arranged, in the spring of 1812, the town was laid out under the direction of Moses Wright, an agent of the State, appointed for that purpose, and styled "Direc- tor."
The streets all cross at right angles; those running northward, bear 12 degrees west of north, and, conse- quently, those running eastward, 12 degrees north of east. High street is 100 feet wide, Broad street is 120 feet wide, and all the others 82} feet wide, and the alleys 33 feet in width. The inlots are 624 feet front, and 187} feet deep. The outlots, on the east, contain about 3 acres each.
Sometime after the laying out of the main town plat, and eastern outlots, the proprietors laid out some forty or more outlots north of the town, which are represented on the record, by a separate plat; these contain a trifle over two acres, each, and form part of two of those lots they conveyed to the town, an acre and a half for a grave yard. -
On the 18th of June, in the same year, (being the same day on which war was declared against Great
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Britain,) public sale of the lots, at auction, commenced, and continued three days. The lots sold were prin- cipally on High and Broad streets, and were generally struck off at from two hundred to a thousand dollars each. The only cleared land then on this side of the river, was a small spot on Front street, a little north of State street, and another small spot and a cabin on the bank of the river, about where Col. Jewett's white frame house now stands, and a small clearing south of the mound, on the tract which two years after, was ยท laid off by John McGowan as an addition to the orig- inal town plat. Immediately after the sales, improve- ments commenced rapidly-generaly small frame houses and shops, enclosed with split clapboards .- Both proprietors and settlers were too much occupied with their own immediate interests, to attend much to improving, or even clearing the streets and alleys; and for several years the streets remained almost as much impeded by stumps, logs and trees, as when in their original state. Gradually, however, they were clear- ed by the inhabitants, for firewood and building ma- terials. And in or about the year 1816, a subscrip- tion of $200, or upwards, was raised and appropriated to the final removal of the remaining obstructions out of High street.
John Collett was the purchaser of the lot now oc- cupied by Russell's Tavern, and he erected the front brick building now occupied by Mr. Russell, as early as the fall of 1812, in which a Mr. Payne kept tavern,
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in 1813; and in, or about, the spring of 1814, Mr. Collett took possession of it, and kept a respectable tavern in it, for a new place, till about the year 1818, when he sold out to Robert Russell, who has kept it, as a tavern, ever since. Soon after the tavern was opened at Collett's house, Daniel Kooser opened a tavern in a small wooden building on Front street, west of Collett's; and near the same time a Mr. Mc- Collum commenced, and kept for probably a year, at the corner of Broad and Front streets; and various small establishments, known as houses of entertain- ment, such as we now generally denominate gro- ceries, succeeded. At the corner of Rich and High streets, where Buttles' large yellow house now stands, was an establishment of the latter kind, that was kept by Wm. Day, about the years 1815 and '16, that was somewhat famous for company, drinking and quarrelling; so much so, that it obtained the appella- tion of "The War Office," and from thence the cases of combat were generally carried to Squire Shields to be "disposed of according to law." The Squire was rather an eccentric old genius from the Emerald Isle, and disposed of business in short order. He could preach a good sermon on as short a notice as any other man; he could lay as many brick in a day as a common bricklayer would in two; and in surveying and platting of lands, and also in his official business, as Justice of the Peace, he was equally expeditious
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--- but in all things rough and careless, apparently dis- daining precision.
In the year 1815, David S. Brodrick opened a re- spectable tavern at the stand now known as the "City House;" and in 1816, James B. Gardiner opened a. good tavern at the corner of High and Friend streets, in a wooden building, on what is called the "Howard lot."
Amongst the first settlers, or as early as 1813, were George McCormick, Geo. B. Harvey, Jno. Shields, Michael Patton, Alexander Patton, William Altman, John Collett, William Mc.Elvain, Daniel Kooser, Pe- ter Putman, Jacob Hare, Christian Heyl, Jarvis Pike, George Pike, Benjamin Pike, William Long and Dr. John M. Edmiston. Doctor Edmiston was the first physician to locate in the new town; Doctors Par- sons and Ball practiced in Columbus, but resided in Franklinton. About the year 1815 or '16, Dr. Par- sons moved over to Columbus, where he has resided and practised ever since. The first stores opened in Columbus, were one belonging to the Worthington Manufacturing Company, kept by Joel Buttles, in a small brick building on the west end of the lot now covered by the Broadway Exchange building; and one belonging to McLean & Green, kept in a cabin on the south side of Rich street, just cast of where the Mechanics' Hall now stands. About where the Mechanics' Hall stands, in two or three cabins con- nected together, Christian Heyl kept a bakery and
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house of entertainment, where he continued until about the year 1816, when he erected the front part of his tavern building, now the "Franklin House," where he continued to keep a public hotel until the spring of 1841.
In the spring of 1815, the census of the town was taken by James Marshall, Esq., and amounted to something over 700. By this time, there were some half dozen or more stores, of which are recollected those of Alexander Morrison, Joel Buttles, Henry Brown, Delano & Cutler, and J. & R. W. McCoy, and a printing office, issuing a weekly paper called the "Western Intelligencer," owned and conducted by P. H. Olmsted, Joel Buttles and Ezra Griswold, Jr,
The first lawyers to locate in Columbus, were David Smith, Orris Parish, David Scott and G. Swan, proba- bly about the year '15. Shortly after, succeeded John R. Parish, T. C. Flournoy, Wm. Doherty, Jas. K. Cory, and others.
The first silversmith and jeweler's shop kept in Columbus, was commenced by William Platt, (father of W. A. Platt, jeweller of this city,) about the year '15 or '16.
The first couple ever married in Columbus, were George B. Harvey, Esq., to his present wife, then Miss Jane Armstrong, in February 1814. The second couple were Joseph Dillo to Miss Polly Collett, soon after. The first building erected for public worship in Columbus, was a cabin for the Presbyterian Church,
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in the spring of 1814, on a lot of Dr. Hoge's, on Spring street-it was not, however, long used for that purpose; and Presbyterian meetings then continued to be held at the Franklinton Meeting House, until 1818, when the first Presbyterian Church was organized in Columbus, and a frame meeting house, or rather three frames connected and forming but one inside or large room, was erected on Front street, where Dr. Hoge administered to his congregation, until the present fine brick building denominated the "First Presbyterian Church," was erected, about the year 1825 or '26 .- In 1814 the Methodist Church of Columbus was or- ganized; and the same year they erected, on the lot where the present Methodist Church stands, a small hewed log house, with a shingle roof, which was for some time used for the double purpose of meeting house and school house, until 1824 or '25, when the permanent building was erected.
The first school taught in Columbus was in a cabin that stood on the public square, (teacher's name not recollected;) then succeeded as teachers, Uriah Case, John Peoples, W. T. Martin, a Mr. Whitehill, and others; and Joseph Olds, (before he acquired his profession of the law,) Dr. Sisson, (before he acquired his profession,) Samuel Bigger, Governor of Indiana, (while acquiring his legal profession,) and Rodolphus Dickinson, for a number of years a member of the Board of Public Works for the State of Ohio, were all once teachers of common schools in Columbus.
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The first Penitentiary building was erected in the year 1813, Benj. Thompson was the undertaker of the mason work, and Michael Patton of the carpen- ter work. The building was the same that now stands on the old Penitentiary square, and is used for an arsenal; and the yard inclosed with a substantial stone wall, was equal to probably about 100 feet square, adjoining the buildings on the south and west. Col. McDonald, of Ross county, was the contractor for the building of the yard wall. The improvements being finished, and the first of August, 1815 being the time when the first Penitentiary law took effect, (prior to that the whipping law having been in force,) Capt. James Kooken was appointed Keeper of the Peniten- tiary, and Col. G. Thomas (now of Perry township) was by him appointed Clerk of the institution. Koo- ken was continued Keeper, and Thomas, Clerk, with some three, four or five guards, until the exten- sion of the prison in the year 1818, when the prison building, recently demolished, was erected, the yard extended to the foot of the hill, so as to embrace probably ten times the area of the original yard .- This improvement was made under the direction of the Auditor, Treasurer and Secretary of State, (R. Osborn, H. M. Curry and Jer. McLene;) and Judge Pike was agent under them to superintend the work. The building of the wall was let in parcels to several different contractors; the mason work of the house or prison was taken by John Shields, and the carpen-
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ter work by Caleb Houston and John E. Baker. The plan, particularly the yard, with its three benches or levels, was, at the time, much admired, though it was afterwards condemned, and the cause of removing the institution to its present site.
In the spring of 1819, pursuant to a change in the law, Thomas was appointed agent for three years, and Kooken continued as keeper. The keeper and agent were then separate officers, independent of each other. The keeper's powers and duties con- tinued as before, except that he passed over all manu- factured articles to the agent, whose duty it was to make the sales, &c. At the session of the Legislature of 1821 and '22, the law was again changed, abolishing the office of agent; and Barzilla Wright, was, by the Legislature, elected keeper, in place of Kooken. In the summer of 1823 Wright died, and Nathaniel Mc- Lean was appointed by the Governor to fill the vacancy, and continued, by election and re-elec- tions of the Legislature, until the spring of 1830, when he was succeeded by Byram Leonard, and Leonard was succeeded, in the spring of 1832, by W. W. Gault, who continued until the convicts were removed to the new Penitentiary, in the fall of 1834.
[For notice of the new and present Penitentiary, and also of the Deaf and Dumb, the Lunatic, and Blind Asylums, see those respective heads at the close of this historical sketch.]
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The State House was erected in 1814, Benjamin Thompson was the undertaker of the stone and brick work, except the stonecutting for the foundation, &c., which was done by Messrs. Drummon and Scott; and George McCormack and Conrad Crisman were the undertakers of the carpenter work; Gotleib Leigh- tenaker of the plastering, and Conrad Heyl of the painting. The freestone for the foundation, and window and doorsills, was drawn on wagons from Blacklick, some 12 or 14 miles, through swamps and excessive mud. The brick were partly made out of a beautiful mound that stood on the summit of the high ground just at the southwest intersection of High and Mound streets, partly in front of the new Court House, from which Mound street derived its name; and although the mound has long since entirely disappeared, and even the high ground on which it stood, has been removed in the grading of streets, yet, in referring to that part of the town, we speak of the mound as though it yet existed. In this mound, as in other similar works of antiquity, were found nu- merous human skeletons, so that what once formed human bodies, now forms part of the walls of the Ohio State House.
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