20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 36

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 993

USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 36

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The other branch, to-wit, the Hicksites, continued to worship in their own church property until 1843, when this branch also had a division, and the building on the old ground was abandoned. A conservative portion began a house of worship a mile northeast of the former one.

The first Methodist Church here was erected in 1830. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1875. Selma was known all over the country in slavery times as a station for the under- ground railway.

SUGAR GROVE.

Sngar Grove is west of Springfield, just beyond Mad River, and were it not for the fact that Mad River makes such a natural boundary line, it would before this have been absorbed in the city of Springfield.

The first plat was made by Peter Schindler on behalf of the Springfield Brick Manufacturing Company, in 1874. The main part of it was laid out by John H. Thomas in 1880. lots numbering 5-61.

There are several stores now along the National Road. The Erie Railway Sta-

nsed at the present time, as this railroad transfers its passengers to the city of Springfield on a traction car coming from Durbin. The station for the Masonic home is located here, and on this place was formerly the old Sugar Grove Hotel, which gave to the surroundings the name of Sugar Grove. This hotel building was erected in 1840 by Daniel Leffel. It was onee destroyed by fire and afterwards re- built by Colonel Peter Sintz, and torn down a few years ago, when the Masonic Home was built. On this hotel innedi- ately over the door as the paint scaled off could be seen the letters O. K., abbrevia- tion of "All Korrect." The origin of this expression is given in Howe's His- torical Collections of Champaign Comity, there having been a banner at a Whig political meeting in 1840 which read. "The People Is All Korrect." There are perhaps all told one hundred people resid- ing here. The traction line has been re- surveyed to go around the hill by way of the station on the Erie Railway.

SOUTH CHARLESTON.

South Charleston has the distinction of being the largest town or. village in the county next to Springfield, although New Carlisle follows it very closely in this re- spect. Whether it had an identity before the first plat of lots was laid out in 1815 by Conrad Critz is not now known. Neither is the historian of today able to give any reason for the name that it bears, nor can he say definitely why the town was originally laid ont. It is located pot far from the main channel of the Lit- tle Miami River, that river having its

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source as recognized in history a few Columbus Street to Jamestown Street- miles a little north or east of the village.

Indian trails and early roadways were inclined to follow river valleys, and so we find that an early roadway went through or near this village leading up the Little Miami Valley and either going towards Columbus or Sandusky not far from where South Charleston is now located. One of the early roads laid out in this vicinity is the road leading directly south and directly north, the former dating from 1823 and the latter 1830. Lisbon was laid out the same year that South Charleston was and for a long time was its rival, but as the state increased in growth and population and the travel from Columbus towards Cincinnati be- came greater, South Charleston had the advantage in its locality, and when the P. C. & St. L. Railway Company was built in 1848, Lisbon could no longer be considered a rival to this village. Until the building of the Springfield, Jackson & Pomeroy Railroad, in 1878, much of the trade of South Charleston went to the towns of London and Xenia, it being about the same distance from these various towns. Prior to the establishment of Clark County, in 1818, the land upon which the village is now located was mostly, if not all, in Madison County. It is usually said to be twelve miles from the city of Springfield.

PLATS.

It is mostly, if not all, located on land in the Military Survey. and not on Congress lands, and from this fact a peculiar con- dition of things exists, namely, that but one street-the Jamestown Road, from

runs with the compass. This is a short street, being due north and south. As be- fore stated, Conrad Critz made the first plat in 1815 containing lots 1-32. The center of this plat was about where the Miami Hotel is now located. In 1824 Christopher Lightfoot laid out lots 33-60. This plat of lots adjoined that of Critz's along Chillicothe Street. In 1849 Wil- Jiam S. Warner made an addition of lots 61-67 immediately south of the Critz plat. In the next year on Chillicothe Street, south of Jamestown Street, Robert Hous- ton laid out lots from 68-75 and in 1851 Jacob M. Smith made an addition of lots from 83-88 near the extremity of James- town Street, and in the same year at the junction of the Xenia Pike and the Clif- ton Road, Edward Garrett laid out an ad- dition. In the same year Edward Evans made a plat of lots at the junction of Jamestown Street and the Jamestown Road. In 1855 Plasted & Moore laid out quite an addition to the Jamestown Road and Chillicothe Street and gave a number to their own addition of lots from 1-59; and in 1871 Henry E. Bateman made an addition of lots, which were numbered from 1-11. As late as 1906 Marion Kes- inger made a plat in this town. There is not much regularity in the lots in the village. Some, on principal streets, were sold by metes and bounds.

In Beers' History it is stated that the early settler remembers a large pond that extended out and along where the town hall is now located, and that it was a fine place for duck shooting and that the fol- lowing persons were early residents of the village: David Vance, John Briggs, Nathan Low, James Pringle, Sr., Isaac

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Davisson, Jesse Ellsworth, Jeremiah Bodkin, Samuel Thomas, Seth Saint John, John McCollum and Christopher Light- foot.

EARLY EVENTS.

Conrad Critz built the first cabin in the village. The first roadway was laid out in 1815. John Kelsey was the first justice of the peace. A man by the name of Surlot kept the first store in the village, and a person by the name of Best was the proprietor of the first tavern.

Ephriam Vance was the second keeper of a public house. Robert Halsted was the first resident doctor, and Eli Adams the first shoemaker. The first preacher in the vicinity was a man by the name of Trader, who preached in 1818 in the cab- in of Jeremiah Sutton. Daniel Cutler, about 1830, built a saw-mill run by oxen. The first burial in the Charleston Ceme- tery was that of Mary Lott, in 1825. The first election for township officers was held September 19, 1818, at the house of George Searlott. Moses Pierce is said to have been the first school teacher. James Woolsey is said to have built the first two-story frame building, and Phillip Hedrick the first brick building, and it is likewise said that E. Rowan and George Hempleman were engaged in the distill- ing business at an early date, but the loca- tion of the distillery is not known; prob- ably it was a miniature affair.

The writer is not aware as to when the post office was established in this place. but the following persons have served BANKS. as postmasters: Absalom Mattox, K. Brown, Asbury Houston, John Buzzard, The wealth of this place is well indi- cated by its two thriving banks. While 1857; Milt Houston, 1861; R. B. MeCol- Jum, 1869; Levi Burnsides, 1885; T. J. one of these banks is called the Citizens'

Hicks, 1889; George Wilkison, 1893; E. P. Flynn, 1897.

The nature of the land surrounding this village is such that it has always been prominent in stock-raising, and one of the first agricultural fairs of Ohio outside of Hamilton County was organized here in 1837.

POPULATION.

While South Charleston is splendidly located, its growth, like that of many other villages, has not been very rapid. In 1850 its population was 413; 1860, 516; 1870, 818; 1880, 933; 1890, 1,041; 1900, 1,096. While it may not have increased in population rapidly, yet for its size it is one of the wealthiest villages in the state of Ohio, having palatial residences which would do credit to a city of much larger size. And while it has had no par- ticular manufacturing industry (although historians state that as early as 1825 Clement Stickley condneted a tannery in its western suburb), it has always been a good distributing eenter, by reason largely of the elevator and general busi- ness conducted by the Houston Brothers, which is one of the leading establishments. Of recent years the building of the rail- roads and traction lines have added much to its desirability as a place of residence. The traction line was built from here to Springfield in 1904, and is now known as the D. T. & I. Railroad. It was built from Springfield south through Washington C. II. in 1878.

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and the other the Bank of South Charles- ton, yet they are more generally known by the names of the "Houston" and "Rankin" banks, taking these names from persons who are the principal stock- holders. The Bank of South Charleston. as it is now called, is the successor of the First National Bank of South Charleston, which was organized in 1863, with L. W. Haughey as president and Milton Clark, cashier. In 1877 it ceased to be a national bank and took its present name, John Rankin becoming president and Mr. Clark continuing as cashier. Mr. Rankin con- tinned to be president until his death, which occurred a few years ago, and the bank is now managed by his two sons, Stacy B. Rankin as president and James F. Rankin as cashier, S. C. Arbuckle and T. S. Orbison being tellers. The bank has always been recognized as a thoroughly safe and well managed institution.

In 1879 I. H. Houston, with others, or- ganized the Citizens' Bank, and has con- tinued to act as its president until the present time, Mr. Houston being recog- nized as one of the best business men of Clark County. Edwin D. Houston is now vice president and W. A. Malsbary cash- ier. The following persons, in addition to the Houstons, appear in the directory: Alex Comrie, J. S. Kitchen, Ann K. Clark, Peter Comrie and James Vince.

In 1891 the Mutual Home and Savings Association was organized and continued in operation until the spring of 1904, at which time, owing to irregularities in management and the defalcation of an of- ficer, the business of the concern was dis- continued and the depositors received but sixty-six cents on the dollar of their sav- ings.

NEWSPAPERS, ETC.

Since 1840 South Charleston has prided itself as having a local newspaper, that being the time that what is now known as the South Charleston Sentinel was organ- ized. Various persons in the past have edited this paper. E. P. Flynn held that position prior to the time he became post- master. Ralph Harrold is now editor and proprietor. In the '50s the paper was published by a man named Whorton, as- sisted by "Artemus Ward." The paper ceased publication during the war. When the war closed it was resumed under the name of the Charleston Banner, edited by A. N. Barlow. His successors were M. H. Young, E. B. Zartman, Wells Trader, Harvey Rice, Hamilton Smith, Toney Bratton, Westley Rowe (when the paper took its present name), E. P. Flynn and Ralph Harrold.

In 1897 W. R. Montgomery, a practical printer, now deceased, established the South Charleston Echo, which became quite a rival to the Sentinel for public patronage. Mr. Montgomery died in 1906, and the paper is no longer issued.

South Charleston prides itself in a number of churches. (See history of Madison Township.) And during the present year there is being built a new schoolhouse, which will be a credit to the village. It has a very fine town hall, which was erected in 1877 at a cost of $25.000. Artemus Ward, when a journey- man printer, worked on the South Charleston paper. and Whitelaw Reid. afterwards distinguished as a journalist and now minister to St. James, was at one time superintendent of the schoo's and resided here.

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HOTELS.

The village has two hotels. The Miami House dates its history from near the time that the village was originally laid out, that locality furnishing a stopping place for travelers before the building of railroads. Thurman Johnson is the pres- ent landlord, Mr. Furgeson and S. H. Carr having preceded him.

In 1871 several of the enterprising people of the village organized what is now known as the Ackley House, which is the principal hotel of the village at this time, and is one very creditable to a vil- lage the size of South Charleston. For more than thirty years B. F. Dodds wel- comed the guests to his hostelry; before him was Mr. See; Mrs. Emeline Clark is now the manager. Where Heilman's Inn is now located, near the railroad, was for- merly a tavern called Gallagher's Place.

MERCANTILE.

As far back as 1861 the Houston broth- ers founded a business in grain, groceries. wool and produce. It was continued in their name until 1904, in which year it became a corporation; Leon H. Houston is the principal manager and is ably as- sisted by his brothers, Edwin and Foster.

A. Clemans bought ont the old MeCul- lom grocery store in 1896 and in 1905 F. R. Murray established his store and in 1906 Barmann & Hamm established their store and they have recently bought what is known as the Milikin Block, where they will conduct their business on and after January 1st.

Cook since 1906. J. R. Wheeler formerly conducted the bakery now owned by G. H. Flowers, and C. H. Wentz a saddler and harness shop. For twenty-five or thirty years W. H. Brown conducted a dry goods store opposite to the Ackley House. H. R. Gross carries on a dry goods store, as does Pierce Simmerman. Besides these there is one novelty store, one bowling alley, one jewelry store, two pool rooms, two plumbing shops, five saloons and three restaurants.

PROFESSIONAL MEN.

Thirty years ago Hamilton Smith was an attorney-at-law in this place. After- wards he became the owner of the news- paper, and having disposed of that enter- prise, he went away and has since died. Following him was Lawrence Heiskel, whose father, Daniel O. Heiskel, was an old resident of this township and lived a short distance south of the village. Mr. Heiskel afterwards moved to Port Wil- liam, where, I believe, he still resides.

Some ten or twelve years ago Charles E. Ballard opened a law office in this vil- lage and was a resident here for a time. He afterwards established his main office in Springfield, still retaining the office in this village and coming here every Thes- day. John L. Dickey for some time had a law office in this village, but afterwards removed to Springfield. James B. Ma- lone, a native of this place, was recently admitted to the bar and has opened an office in Springfield. To him the writer is indebted for many of the facts concern- ing the village history.

Barmann & Scheetz have been in the E. T. Collins was a resident physician meat business since 1895 and W. R. of this village for more than a half-

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mentioned Isaac Landacre, who for long time was engaged in the brick busi- ness, likewise now deceased. Henry E. Bateman and Seymore Harrold are re- tired farmers.

John W. Warrington, now a distin- guished attorney of Cincinnati, was born near this village. His brother, William Warrington, is now justice of the peace. Another brother, Charles Warrington, formerly a well-known attorney of the Queen City, has, on account of ill-health, resided in South Charleston.

POLITICAL.

The best information at hand indicates that the village of South Charleston was chartered before the organization of Clark County, to-wit, in January, 1816. The writer has no information as to the various persons who have served as pres- ident of council or as mayors of the vil- lage, other than it is known that some twenty-five or thirty years ago Michael Way was mayor and after him came Wil- liam Barrett, Almon Bradford, S. R. Hud- son, William Cheney, Lon Diffendal, to the present mayor, J. B. Allen, W. L. Wentz being now clerk.

At the recent (1907) election Jason Mercer was elected mayor and W. L. Wentz, clerk; T. S. Orbison, treasurer; Charles Duffey, marshal, and Ed. Hous- ton, Aquilla Carr, Peter Hill, L. C. Lewis, L. H. Holdren and George Slaughter, members of conneil. The salary of these officials is not large, being fixed by a re- cent ordinance as follows: Mayor. $150 per year; marshal, $100; clerk, $150, and treasurer, $75.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The South Charleston Cemetery was purchased by the town council in 1855. It is situated a short distance north of the village, in a very pleasant location. The Catholics also possess a cemetery about a mile east of town.

South Charleston has its fair share of secret societies. Clark Lodge No. 166, 1. O. O. F., was chartered July 18, 1850. The charter members were John A. Skin- ner, Pressly Jones, Isaac P. Paist, Daniel Smith, William Paist, Jr., Michael Lidigh and William L. Warner.

South Charleston Encampment No. 200, I. O. O. F., was organized May 31, 1876. The charter members were Robert S. Ful- ton, George R. Armstrong, William Wat- son, S. B. Hoadly, Edward Rott, Dar- win Pierce. Abihu Raines and George W. Jones.

Fielding Lodge No. 192. A. F. & A. M., South Charleston, was chartered October 13. 1850. The original petitioners were John A. Skinner, E. W. Steele, Alex Rowand, G. W. Jones, William Paist, Jr., Daniel Bruner, David Morgan and James R. Bailey.

Recently charters of the following or- ganizations have been established: Cath- olie Order of Foresters. Danghters of America, Junior Order of American Me- chanies and Sons of America. A lodge of the A. P. A.'s had but a short life here some years ago.

TREMONT CITY.

Tremont City is located on the Mad River Valley Turnpike, seven miles north of Springfield, about two and a half

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miles west of the Urbana Pike. It is in the Morris addition in lots number 139- the northeastern part of German Town- 196. In 1836 the Rosses, John and Wil- liam, kept a dry goods store where the Knights of Pythias Hall is now being erected. In 1837 John Hupp erected a hotel, which was demolished by Gus Weigel to erect his residence. The post office was established in 1839 and the name of the town was then changed from Clarksburg to Tremont. shop. There was a settlement here early in the Nineteenth Century. It was orig- inally called Clarksburg and as such was platted, according to references in old deeds, by John Ross. This plat had a tier of lots on each side of Main Street, west, beyond the mill. The northeast corner of Main and Mulberry Streets, was lot one. The hotel corner was lot sixteen. The name of this place was originally Treemount and signified that the burg was located at the foot of a large hill upon which there were a number of large trees at an early date. This plat seemed not to have been rec- ognized, or at least was changed by subsequent persons. At what date it was made is not definite. It was re- corded in 1838. It is known that as early as 1836, where the Seitz Mill is now located, that there was a small carding- mill, and in that year John Ross erected a small distillery there. Afterwards Mr. Lance erected another distillery a short distance east of the village, where the residence of Michael Sullivan is now lo- cated. In 1843 Samuel Bechtle and others made a plat, somewhat re-arrang- ing the original plat of lots. This plat in- cluded the ground running west of Main Street to Seitz's Mill and north to the Methodist Church and east to the second lot beyond the hotel.

In 1845 Benjamin Turman laid out a plat. This extended north from the Methodist Church along both sides of Mulberry Street, and in 1847 Gabriel Al- bin laid out an addition to the lots from 1-6. This was the land immediately east of the Reformed Church.

In 1870 Daniel B. Morris purchased a tract of land belonging to Christian Neff, east of the village, and laid out an addi- tion of lots, 66-138. And in 1877 John H. Blose made an addition on the north of

The towns of Fremont and Tremont were so alike in their spelling, especially the first letters of each-T and F-when made in writing, that very much mail which was sent to Tremont went to the larger place, Fremont, and to avoid this, about the year 1879, the word "city" was added to Tremont and thus we have its present name of Tremont City. The in- dustries of the place have not been very many. While possibly as far back as 1802 there was some kind of a mill erect- ed somewhere near where Seitz's Mill now is. Up to the present time the run- ning of mills has been the principal in- dnstry. In the '80s there was a chair factory established and later a steam saw-mill in the north part of the town. and afterwards a table factory. These have all vanished, the chair factory hav- ing been moved to Urbana and the table factory to Richmond. Indiana. For a long time the village's progress was re- tarded because suitable ground could not be obtained for its enlargement and also because it had no railroad facilities.

In 1893 the D. T. & I. Railroad was

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built, and shortly thereafter Mr. Emerson E. Gard erected the elevator at that place, which is now conducted by Omer Snyder. When the post office was first established in 1839, Dr. MeLaughlin was postmaster. During the war period Daniel B. Morris served in that position. Afterwards came J. E. Fermimore, John McKinley, Walter Mckinley, Ras. Nichols and E. B. Hinton, the present postmaster. There is one rural delivery, J. R. Elvin being the carrier.

For a long time Dr. MeLaughlin and Dr. Senseman attended the sick of the community. Both were rather noted in their profession. Dr. MeLanghlin, a physician of the old school, was consid- ered the best fever doctor in the county, Dr. Senseman being more of a specialist in pulmonary diseases. Later came Dr. A. H. Nesbit and a brilliant young doctor by the name of Hughes, who was here for a few years. The present physicians are Dr. Hirons and Dr. Neece.

The first brick schoolhouse that was built in the town was built in 1835. This was near where the residence of Joe Rit- ter is now. This schoolhouse was torn down in 1865 and a two-story building erected, which was used until the present school building was erected. 1885.

The old Methodist Church was built in 1838 and the present one erected at the same place in 1880. The German Re- formed Church "on the hill" was organ- ized in 1863, the Rev. Jesse Richards, who is still living, being instrumental in its organization. For some time past a de- nomination known as "Saints" have or. enpied the hall in the northern part of the village, but recently it has become dis- organized.

Liberty Hall was erected by a stock company some time in the later seventies. It is a very substantial structure. When first erected it had a nice stage, with snitable paraphernalia, but it seems that the town was hardly large enough to sup port an entertainment hall. Before the war a hall was erected close to where Gus Weigel now resides known as an Armory Hall. This served as a place of entertain- ment quite a number of years; later it was particularly used by the Grange. At this writing the Knights of Pythias have about completed a commodious hall on the southwest corner of Main and Mul- berry Streets, upon what was the site for many years of Carter's store.

The hotel on the southeast corner is at present noccupied. It first became a hotel site in the early '30s, Peter Ferree being the landlord in 1846. He was suc- ceeded in 1859 by George Heller, and he by Jeremiah Ilges in 1867. Later there came Emannel Masonhammer and Jacob Sanders; afterwards came David Carter, Jr. and Sr., J. E. Fennimore, Josiah Faber and Mrs. Adelia Genell. In the forties John Balentine erected this hotel and conducted it for some time.

David Carter, who ran a grocery store where the Knights of Pythias Hall is now located, was for many years a merchant of this place, having at one time a store north of the office of Dr. Senseman; Daniel B. Morris for a number of years conducted a store a little north and op- posite to the Methodist Episcopal Church. The oldest merchant in the town and one who continued longest in the business was the late Daniel H. Thomas, who com- menced keeping store here as early as 1861 and continued until his death in 1907.

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Mr. Thomas was a man of some ability, but mingled very little with the world, it being a rare thing to see him outside of his store building, but by the application of good business principles he acquired a considerable fortune.

Later Captain Lafayette Bechtle had a grocery store on the northeast corner of the square and was followed some time afterward by Mr. Jasper E. Ward and C. T. Rohrer, and he by the present oc- enpant, Erasmus Nichols.

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20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 36

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co. Number of Pages: 993

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 993