USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > A complete history of Fairfield County, Ohio > Part 25
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Our manner of living was in accordance with the general pioneer life of the times. The old time hominy-block was found in every cabin, and spinning-wheels, and reels, and the corn-grater. Our clothing was mostly home-made. We had to work hard, and had very little time for play. The wants of the people were fewer than at present, and more easily met, for our real requirements were natural, and we were satisfied.
STATEMENT OF SAMUEL GRIFFITH, OF AMANDA TOWNSHIP.
My father, Isaac Griffith, emigrated from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in 1818, and settled in Amanda Township,.on the place known as the Leathers Tavern, adjoining the present village of Amanda on the south-east corner. At that time the site of Amanda, and all the surrounding country, was in a wild condition. There were a few small settlements in different parts of the township, mostly living in rude log-cabins, and small farms were opened; but there were neither good roads nor markets.
The best house in the community was the Leathers house. It was of hewed logs, and two stories high. Mr. Leathers settled there at a very early day, and had kept a tavern many years. At the time of our coming there was neither a frame nor a brick building in the township. My father kept tavern in the Leathers House about twenty-five years, or until his death, which occurred in 1855. The house burnt down in 1858 or 1859.
Our neighbors at the time of coming there, in 1818, were Abram Kestler, Abram Myres, John Welsheimer, Frederick
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
Welsheimer, David Leathers, Samuel Leathers, Mr. Gardner, William Hamilton, Michael Shellenbarger, Martin Landis, Judge Vanmeter, John Leist, Samuel Kirkwood, John Swoyer, Daniel Conrad, John Conrad, Michael Nigh, Samuel Nigh and Daniel Peters.
The first school I went to was in the Landis neighborhood. The first teacher was Moses Stutson, and afterwards Solomon Grover. I was a very small boy, but I walked over the road twice every day. The house was made of round logs, and one log was cut out for a window.
The first church was built on Swoyer's land, in about 1828. It was a brick house.
I have known oats to be sold for six and one-fourth cents per bushel, after we came here, though the price was usually about twelve and a half cents, but seldom in cash. There was very little cash in the country. Everything was done by trading. Wheat was sold at twenty-five cents per bushel. A day's labor was twenty-five cents in trade, except in harvest-time, when a half-dollar was paid, for the most part in money. The farmers usually contrived some means of getting money to pay the harvest-hands. I know it was much harder to pay the taxes then than now, although I believe it would not be out of the way to say that eight dollars of taxes then is repre- sented by two hundred dollars now. Butter could sometimes be sold then for six and one-fourth cents. Our post-office was at Lancaster. There was one mail each way in a week. We brought our salt from Zanesville, and paid as high as five dol- lars a bushel for it.
The town of Amanda was first laid off by Samuel Kest- ler; the year I do not remember.
STATEMENT OF THOMAS REECE, OF HOCKING TOWNSHIP.
I am a son of Maurice Reece, who emigrated from Pennsyl- vania, with others, in the year 1799. My father tented first, after his arrival, on the site where the mill now stands, known as Latta's mill, one mile and a half west of Lancaster.
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
He only remained there a short time. He purchased the land known for many years as the Robinson Peters place, and put up a cabin. That was the Reece neighborhood. Thomas Whyley now lives on the farm, and is the owner. After the death of my mother, my father came and lived with me until his death, in about 1844. I have two brothers-Maurice and Isaac Reece-still residents of the same settlement.
My father's first neighbors were: Nathaniel Wilson, Sr., Joseph Hunter, John and Allen Green, William and Thomas Green, Jesse Spurgeon, Peter Woodring, Adam Bear, Baker Dutton, and a Mr. Reed.
There were three early mills I remember-the rock-mill, and Ream's and Shellenbarger's mills. Mr. Ingman built a horse-mill west of Lancaster that was very useful to the neighborhood. There was also a horse-mill built by Samuel Harper, two miles east of Amanda.
There were two brothers, Robert and Joseph Young, who settled four miles east of Amanda, at a very early day.
James Hunter taught school in our settlement as early as 1801, and continued to, teach more or less for several years afterward. Our first school-house stood on what was called Spurgeon's Knob, a short distance north of Latta's mill.
In the course of a few years, but previous to 1810, little still- houses sprang up all over the country, where whisky and peach-brandy were made. Peach crops soon became very abundant, because the peach-tree was the growth of but two or three years ; and in those early years of the country the peach crop seldom failed. They, were hauled in wagon-loads to the still-houses, for distillation. They were, from their very abundance, of little use in any other way, beyond what fami- lies could consume.
Wolves were incessantly howling around us. Deer and wild-turkeys were plenty everywhere, and in the few first years of the settlements, bears were quite numerous. My father was a bold hunter. He killed, within a given time, ten bears, and over one hundred deer, besides a great many wolves. He shot one elk, but it got away. There was a premium paid by the State on wolf-scalps.
A common day's work was twenty-five cents ; but afterward fifty cents was paid for harvest-hands. It was considered a
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
big day's work to reap and bind forty dozen sheaves of wheat. It required good reapers and strong men to do it.
We had to make blazes on the trees so that we could find the way from one cabin to another, though the distance some- times was but short. The woods were very dense. But this was only necessary in the beginning of the settlements, be- cause the roads soon became worn.
The first wedding I saw in the new settlement was Sally Reece, a sister of my father, to Larken -, and the first funeral I can remember to have witnessed was that of Nancy Hunter.
It happened sometimes that breadstuffs became very scarce ; sometimes they could not be had at all for several weeks, which was caused by the streams failing. In these cases the people grated meal from the half-ripe corn, and lived on vegetables and wild-meat.
I can remember when going to and from rock-mill that I saw flocks of deer skipping about in every direction, with their white tails turned over their backs. They would feed near the road, seemingly little afraid of man ; but afterward, when they had been often shot at, they became more shy.
I can remember that my mother did sewing for a neighbor to pay for a fat side of bacon ; ard I can remember when my brother Maurice and myself went into the woods and gathered armfuls of wild-onions and carried them home. Cooked up with bacon, they were much used. Their season was in May and early June. My mother was a weaver, and besides do- ing the weaving for her own family, wove more or less for the neighbors.
Throughout the settlements there was little difference ob- served between Sundays and other days; at least by many. It was no unusual thing to see men come to meeting with their guns on their shoulders; and the crack of rifles through the woods was as familiar on Sundays as any other day in the week.
Within a few years after the settlements began, the hogs, from straying off into the woods, became wild, so that large flocks of them existed. In this state of things many were in the habit of procuring their pork from the woods. When a fat hog was wanted, men took their dogs and rifles and went
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
in search of a drove of wild hogs ; and, having shot one, or half a dozen, they were brought in on sleds and dressed.
My father made as many as six barrels of peach-brandy in a season, and that did not exhaust the crop. Many rotted on the ground, and quantities were given away to families who had no peach orchards.
During the very earliest times it was a very common prac- tice for the young people to go to meeting barefooted. Shoes sometimes could not be had; and many of the people were un- able to procure them for the want of means.
Our living was in accordance with frontier life generally. Wild-meats, such as venison, turkey and bear-meat, were plenty, and cost nothing but a little powder and lead and time, which was not as valuable as it has since come to be. Corn- bread in the form of pone, johnny-cake, dodger, hoe-cake and ash-cake were the common bread. It was more difficult then to pay little sums of taxes than it is now to pay twenty times as much.
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
COLORED CITIZENS OF LANCASTER.
A number of colored persons came to Lancaster at an early day. I have been able, through Elijah Lewis (colored) and old resident white citizens, to secure the following names, though generally not the dates of their coming. Many of the follow- ing, who have lived in Lancaster and died, will be well re- membered :
Elijah Lewis, who is still living, came from Virginia and settled in Lansaster in 1823. He had one brother by the name of Stephen, and one sister, familiarly known as " Aunt Disa," who died a few years since at a very advanced age. Stephen was the husband of Aunt Judy Lewis, still living. Elijah does not know his age, but those who knew him in 1823 say he looked as old then as he does now. Scipio Smith was a Virginian, and came at a very early day. He was a tinner, and will long be remembered on account of his wooden-leg and his jet-black face. Reuben Banks, now the oldest colored man in Lancaster, has been in the place since 1814. He is quite feeble. Daniel Lewis, father of Elijah, came about the same time. Nelson Smith, the popular barber for nearly fifty years, is still living. His two sons, Egbert and brother, succeed him in business.
Then follow others who have deceased: Father Jenkins, Aunty Jenkins. "Black Ike" and Basil Green lived in the Philamon Beecher family. "Yellow Jim" lived with Parson Wright. Charley Graves, Frank Anderson, Bill Davis, Rich- ard Marcus, old Father Watson (still living at a venerable age), John Mathews and Mack Turner, the blacksmith. John Ampy Jones, the popular well-digger, who lost his life by the damps in a well a few years ago on the Dunbar farm, will always be favorably remembered. Of other early settlers of the county, of the African race, I have not the means of knowing.
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
LANCASTER GAS-LIGHT AND COKE COMPANY.
The Lancaster Gas-Light and Coke Company was incorpo- rated in the early part of the year 1856, and its works were speedily completed by the energetic contractor, Coverdale. The site of the works is on the west bank of the canal, and opposite the mouth of Jail street. The capital stock of the company is $25,000. The works were completed, and the city was first lit up with gas on the Fourth of July, 1856.
The shares of the stock have always been at and over par in the market, but holders generally unwilling to sell. Its dividends have usually been from eight to ten per cent. The company have in progress of construction a new gasometer of fifty feet in diameter. Until within the last year the price of gas was $3.75 per thousand feet. The present price, first of September, 1877, is $3.00 per thousand feet.
BANKS OF LANCASTER.
The old " Lancaster Ohio Bank " was chartered by the Legis- lature of Ohio, and went into operation about the year 1814, 1815 or 1816, with a capital stock of $250,000. Its charter and early books have not been easily come at. The exact date, however, of its first opening, is not specially important to his- tory, since its affairs have all been closed thirty-five years ago, but especially as we have been able to give a correct history of the working of the institution to its final settling up in 1842 and 1843.
Judge Schofield was its first President, during two or three years, and then John Creed until its close. Michael Ga- raghty was elected Cashier, and held the position through its entire course of active operations, which was about thirty years. This bank was well and successfully conducted to the last, and acquired a popularity not exceeded by any other bank in the State. It was made the disbursing agent of the State in the payment of the Public Works, especially in the
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
building of the Ohio Canal. Millions of dollars of the public money passed through its hands.
But at last, during the disastrous financial crisis which began in 1837 and continued up to 1842, the bank suspended specie payment and went into assignment, appointing Hock- ing H. Hunter, Joseph Stukey and Frederick A. Foster as its assignees. This course was taken for the purpose of a final closing up of the affairs of the bank, which was completed by the redemption of all its outstanding circulation and the payment of all its liabilities at par. Jacob Green was made the redeeming agent of the still remnant of the outstanding circulation. The Lancaster Ohio Bank was the agent in the payment of the soldiers of the war of 1812, which fixes the time of its organization about, or a little before the close of that war.
Following the close of this bank there was an interregnum of about three years, during which Lancaster had no bank. During that time, Messrs. Boving and Graua sold exchanges and received deposits, very much to the accommodation of the business men of the place.
The Hocking Valley Branch of the State Bank of Ohio (suc- cessor of the Lancastor Ohio Bank), was organized in February, 1847, with a capital stock of $100,000 ; Darius Talmadge, Presi- dent ; Charles F. Garaghty, Cashier; and commenced a general banking business, which was continued up to the early part of the year 1865. At this time it was decided to change to a bank under the provisions of the act of Congress providing for National Banks. For this purpose, D. Talmadge, J. R. Mumaugh and M. Effinger assumed all the stock of the State branch for the purpose of closing up its affairs, which was suc- cessfully accomplished. This was during the general suspen- · sion of specie payment that began with the breaking out of the Southern rebellion in 1861.
During the existence of the Hocking Valley Branch of the State Bank of Ohio, the following were its officers: Darius Talmadge, President from 1847 to 1865, or until its close ; Charles F. Garaghty, Cashier from 1847 to 1848, one year ; William Slade, Cashier from 1848 to 1850, two years; M. A. Daugherty, Cashier from 1850 to 1855, five years; C. F. Garaghty, from 1855 to 1859, four years; H. V. Weakley from 1859 to 1865, six years.
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
The Hocking Valley National Bank went into operation in May, 1865, with Darius Talmadge for President, and Henry V. Weakley Cashier. In 1866, J. W. Feringer was elected Cashier, and still holds the place in August, 1877. In 1869, G. A. Mithoff was chosen President, at which time a reorganiza- tion took place. and the capital stock was reduced from $100,000 to $80,000. G. A. Mithoff is acting President in August, 1877.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY SAVINGS BANK.
The Fairfield County Savings Bank, with a capital of $25,000, was organized as early as 1850 or 1851, by some of the soundest and best business men of the city of Lancaster, and a number of the most substantial farmers of the county. Jacob Green was its first President, and held the position down to the time of his death. Charles F. Garaghty was its first Cashier, and was succeeded after a few years by M. Worthington. After the death of Mr. Green, John C. Weaver was chosen President, who continued to act up to its close. This house was popular and useful. Upon the expiration of its charter, after having had the largest patronage of any bank of the city, it wound up, meeting all its liabilities promptly.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK.
This institution was first instituted on the first of January, 1854, by John D. Martin, P. B. Ewing and Samuel Stambaugh, as the Exchange Bank. Six months afterwards Mr. Stam- baugh died, and the bank was continued by the surviving partners, up to January, 1864, when it was changed into the First National Bank of Lancaster, Ohio, with John D. Martin as President, and Charles F. Garaghty as Cashier. Two years afterwards Mr. Garaghty was succeeded by Geo. W. Beck, who is still holding the place. Both as a private bank, and as a National Bank, this institution has withstood all the financial troubles of the country, successfully sustaining soundness, though several times assailed during the panics between 1854 and 1877. Its capital stock is $60,000. It maintains also a perpetual surplus fund of $12,000.
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
COMMERCIAL BANK OF LANCASTER.
f The Commercial Bank of Lancaster was established in De- cember, 1872, by A. Cochran, as a private bank. In June, 1873, S. J. Wright became a partner by the purchase of one- half of the stock. In February, 1874, Mr. Wright bought the interest of Mr. Cochran, and banked alone until the 14th of September of the same year, when his bank was merged into the Fairfield County Bank, with a paid up capital of $50,000. Wesley Peters was chosen President, and S. J. Wright, Cashier. This banking-house is owned by a number of Fairfield's most solid capitalists, and has the confidence and patronage of its full share of the community.
BANK OF GARAGHTY & HUNTER.
This was a private bank, and was organized in the fall of 1867, with a capital of about $50,000. Its President was Chas. F. Garaghty, and Cashier, William Noble. It did a general banking business until the beginning of November, 1873, when, under the cramping state of the money affairs of that year, it made an assignment of its affairs to John R. Mumaugh and William Noble, and paid, during the first eighteen months, a dividend of 40 per cent., with possibly a small fraction yet to divide.
The living banks of Lancaster are owned by safe men, and are entitled to the public confidence.
RAILROADS.
Two railroads, completed, pass through Fairfield County- the Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley Road, from west to east, and the Columbus and Hocking Valley Road, from north to south. There is also a third road in an unfinished state, passing through the eastern portion of the county, making Bremen, Rushville and Pleasantville points.
The Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley Road was first in- corporated as the "Cincinnati, Wilmington and Zanesville Railroad, " on the 4th of February, 1851, and was open to Lan-
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
caster, and cars running, in August, 1853. In July, 1856, the road was completed through to Zanesville.
In this road, Fairfield County took $250,000 worth of stock, under a special act of the Legislature authorizing the Com- missioners to subscribe stock. For the payment of the stock, county bonds were issued at seven per cent. interest, which were negotiated in the market by the company. The bonds were subsequently redeemed by the county, but the road was sold for its mortgage bonds, and the entire amount of Fair- field's bonds was sunk. After the sale of the road, the title was changed to the "Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley Railroad. "
COLUMBUS AND HOCKING VALLEY RAILROAD.
This road was first chartered as the "Mineral Railroad Company, " in 1864. In June, 1867, the title was changed to the " Columbus and Hocking Valley Railroad, " by the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County. This road was built without county subscriptions. The city of Lancaster, how- ever, issued $20,000 of seven per cent. bonds to the company, to enable them to purchase the right-of-way through the south border of the city. This was an act on the part of the Council unauthorized by law, and was warmly opposed by a majority of the tax-payers. But at last acquiescence was made, and the bonds were redeemed.
The road was speedily finished and cars run into Lancaster from Columbus. In 1868, the road was completed through to Athens-the whole distance being seventy-four miles, and trains running.
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
GOVERNORS OF OHIO.
Following is a list of all the Governors of Ohio, from 1789 to 1876, with the times of their service :
Arthur St. Clair, Territorial, from 1789 to 1803.
Edward Tiffin, 1803 to 1807.
Thomas Kirker, 1807 to 1808.
Samuel Huntington, 1808 to 1810.
Return J. Meigs, 1810 to 1814.
Thomas Worthington, 1814 to 1818.
Ethan Allen Brown, 1818 to 1822.
Jeremiah Morrow, 1822 to 1826.
Allen Trimble, 1826 to 1830. Duncan McArthur, 1830 to 1832.
Robert Lucas, 1832 to 1836.
Joseph Vance, 1836 to 1838.
Wilson Shannon, 1838 to 1840.
Thomas Corwin, 1840 to 1842.
Wilson Shannon, 1842 to 1844.
Mordecai Bartley, 1844 to 1846.
William Bebb, 1846 to 1848.
Seabury Ford, 1848 to 1850.
Reuben Wood, 1850 to 1853.
William Medill, 1854 to 1856.
Salmon Portland Chase, 1856 to 1860.
William Dennison, 1860 to 1862.
David Tod, 1862 to 1864.
John Brough (died), 1864 to 1865.
Charles Anderson, 1865 to 1866.
Jacob D. Cox, 1866 to 1868.
Rutherford B. Hayes, 1868 to 1872.
Edward F. Noyes, 1872 to 1874.
William Allen, 1874 to 1876.
Rutherford B. Hayes, from January, 1876, until chosen President, when Lieutenant-Governor Thomas L. Young as- sumed the executive office, and is now acting Governor, in August, 1877.
In addition to these names, there were four others that filled up intervals, thus : During the absence of Governor St. Clair,
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
William H. Harrison served as acting Governor from 1798 to 1799, part of a year. Othniel Looker was acting Governor from April to December, 1814. Allen Trimble was acting Governor from January, 1822, to December of the same year ; and Thomas Bartley from April to December, 1844.
Ohio has, therefore, had thirty Governors, including Arthur St. Clair, who was appointed Territorial Governor by President Washington, in 1789; and including the four who filled up intervals, thirty-four in all.
Of these thirty-four Governors, only eight are living in August, 1877, viz. : William Denison, Edward F. Noyes, Jacob D. Cox, Thomas Bartley, Wilson Shannon, William Allen, Charles Anderson and Rutherford B. Hayes.
PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
The following shows the time of the inauguration of the respective Presidents, and the terms of office, from Wash- ington down to 1877. The whole number of Presidents who have been primarily elected is sixteen. The number of Vice- Presidents who have served as Presidents in filling out terms, is three, thus making nineteen Presidents from 1789 up to 1877:
George Washington was inaugurated in April, 1789, and March 4th, 1793, two terms.
John Adams, March 4th, 1797, one term.
Thomas Jefferson, March 4th, 1801, and 1805, two terms. James Madison, March 4th, 1809, and 1813, two terms. James Monroe, March 4th, 1817, and 1821, two terms.
John Quincy Adams, March 4th, 1825, one term. Andrew Jackson, March 4th, 1829, and 1833, two terms. Martin Van Buren, March 4th, 1837, one term.
William Henry Harrison, March 4th, 1841. Died of pneu- monia, April 4th, 1841, thirty-one days after his inauguration. John Tyler, Vice-President, filled out the term.
James K. Polk, March 4th, 1845, one term.
Zachariah Taylor, March 4th, 1849. Died of cholera, July 9th, 1850; serving one year and four months. The term was filled out by his Vice-President, Millard Fillmore.
Dr G. Wiesse.Del
APhoto Eng. CoNY
COLD SPRING RESCUE.
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
Franklin Pierce, March 4th, 1853, one term.
James Buchanan, March 4th, 1857, one term. Abraham Lincoln. March 4th 1861 and 1865
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Aut ouent les somewhere between 1780 and 1799, and at a time when the Wyandot Indians held undisputed possession of the Hocking Valley. Two white scouts, whose names are 19
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO.
Franklin Pierce, March 4th, 1853, one term.
James Buchanan, March 4th, 1857, one term.
Abraham Lincoln, March 4th, 1861, and 1865. Assassinated by J. Wilks Booth, at Ford's Theater, Washington, D. C., be- tween nine and ten o'clock on the night of April 14th, 1865. The term was filled out by his Vice-President, Andrew Johnson.
Ulysses S. Grant, March 4th, 1869, and 1873, two terms.
Rutherford B. Hayes, March 4th, 1877. On account of diffi- culties in the returns of the Boards of Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina, the election as between, Mr. Hayes and Sam'l · J. Tilden could not be easily determined. A special act was thereupon passed by Congress, creating a Commission of fifteen members, who " counted " Mr. Hayes in.
Of the nineteen Presidents here named, the following are living, in August, 1877: Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes. All the others have passed away.
THE SCOUTS, THE CAPTIVE AND THE RESCUE.
A TRAGIC STORY OF MOUNT PLEASANT.
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