A history of Adams County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, including character sketches of the prominent persons identified with the first century of the country's growth, Part 59

Author: Evans, Nelson Wiley, 1842-1913; Stivers, Emmons Buchanan
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: West Union, O., E.B. Stivers
Number of Pages: 1101

USA > Ohio > Adams County > A history of Adams County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, including character sketches of the prominent persons identified with the first century of the country's growth > Part 59

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY

Mills.

The first mill in the township is said to have been erected in 1809 on the site of Winchester by Richard Cross. It was an old-fashioned clumsy horse mill. About this date Spencer Records, who then resided on the farm now owned by George Baker, built a mill on Brush Creek near where the county line between Adams and Brown Counties crosses that creek. It was a treadmill. Afterwards Records built a "tub-wheel" mill on the site of what was later known as the old McCormick mill now in Eagle Township, Brown County. This mill was patronized for miles about as being the best mill in that region at that time. It had but one pair of buhrs, and Records dressed the stones himself from a kind of quartz found in the Sunfish hills.

In 1820, Ezra Sparks owned the treadmill where Winchester now stands. About this date Joseph Marlatt erected a water mill on Brush Creek at the mouth of Horner's Run, and a little later Stephen Tolle built one on Elk Run.

The first sawmill was built by Joel Baily on Elk Run in 1820.

SOME REMINISCENCES.

"Abolitionists Mobbed."

In Howe's History of Ohio there appears some "reminiscences" of "Abolition Mobs," written by R. C. Rankin, of Ripley, Ohio. The scene of one of those "terrible" mobs is laid in a grove near Winchester.

Being interested in this matter of recording "pioneer scenes and incidents" the writer was greatly surprised to learn of this "scoop" having been made by a rival chronicler in the vicinity of the writer's own "vine and figtree." With a view of gathering some additional facts relative to the matter, the writer sought among others an interview with Mr. O. R. Smith, or "Reece" Smith, as he is familiarily known, to nearly every person in Adams County. Mr. Smith has resided in Winchester from his boyhood to the present day, and knows personally more of the history of the village and township of Winchester, perhaps, than any other person living. He is a prominent Mason, a Methodist, and a sub- stantial business man.

Referring to the "mobbing" of Rev. John Rankin at Winchester as recited in the volume above named, Mr. Smith said: "I remember the incident as well as if it had occurred yesterday. It was in 1837, or per- haps 1838. Rev. John Rankin, Rev. Dyer Burgess, a gentleman named Weed, and John Mahan and some of the Hugginses from the neighbor- hood of Sardinia had announced an Abolition meeting to be held here in town (Winchester), but from some cause they were not permitted to speak in any of the churches, and so were obliged to hold their meeting in the grove out near where Dr. Noble's residence now stands. There were in Winchester at that time a few sympathizers with the movement among whom I may mention Dr. A. C. Lewis, Milton Colter and Rev. Hiram Burnett, a Baptist minister. But the majority of our citizens looked upon the movement at that time with disfavor, yet they made no attempt at its suppression. It was a matter in which men took sides in argument, which sometimes ended in bad feeling, as so often do political wrangles.

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On this occasion there were a great many people in town from the surrounding country and as usual in those days there was some drunken- ness and a great deal of loud and boisterous talk, but not at the place of meeting.

William Stockwell, an old sea captain and author of "Stockwell's Narratives," who then lived on Brush Creek near McCormick's mill, and some others, with a fife and drum corps, marched about the streets; and I remember that while here in town John Boone Fenton, Barney Mullen and Andrew Swearengen were about to get into an encounter with James Huggins and some of his friends, but they were kept apart by old Joel Bailey and others with cooler heads. There were no clubs or canes drawn at the meeting, and no personal encounters during its progress. I remember that Robert Patton was present, but he neither threw nor had he occasion to throw anyone off the speakers' stand.

The story in Howe's History is purely a fiction of the imagination. I might add that the opponents to the Abolition movement were not con- fined to any one political party-they were in the ranks of both Democrats and Whigs. Barney Mullen and Andrew Swearenger before mentioned were Democrats, while John Boone Fenton and Captain Stockwell were Whigs."

Morgan's Raid.

General Morgan and his staff arrived in Winchester about nine o'clock in the morning, and took up their headquarters in the hotel then kept by Nicholas Bunn on Main Street. There were no telegraph lines nor railroads in Adams County. The people depended upon the mails for their news from the outside world. The Cincinnati newspapers were carried from Maysville and Ripley on the Ohio River by the way of Cherry Fork and Winchester through to Hillsboro in Highland County.

General Morgan was anxious to see the Cincinnati newspapers, and remained in Winchester until four o'clock in the afternoon in order to capture the mail when it arrived. Becoming impatient he sent a detail of soldiers to meet the carrier, Gibson Paul, who was relieved of the pouches near the old Howard Alexander farm on the Cherry Fork pike.

Old Johny Frow was then postmaster and when Morgan's men took the captured pouches to their commander's room at the village hotel, the obliging postmaster hurried thither with the keys and proffered his as- sistance in opening the pouches and assorting the mail. General Morgan was staggered at the proposition for the moment, but quickly recovering himself, he replied that he would "assist the obliging postmaster down stairs," if he did not betake himself that way at once. The General as- sorted the mail himself.

After scanning the dispatches in the latest newspapers, General Morgan rode out to the old cemetery and delivered an address to his men there in camp, in which he advised them of their perilous situation. They then began to prepare in great haste for a renewal of the march, and left in great excitement, taking the Grace's Run route for Harshaville, Wheat Ridge, Dunkinsville and Locust Grove near where the army encamped that night. In the hurry and excitement an officer left his horse saddled and holstered in Bunn's stable.

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The Escape of Captain Hines.

The following from Anna Meek McKee, of Chillicothe, graphically describes the exciting scenes in Winchester during the stay of the famous cavalry commander and his "raiders." Capt. Hines was under guard in the house of Norvalle Osburn and made his escape from there. He was directed to the cellar under the house of Hiram Israel De Bruin where a portion of the wall was taken out through the opening in which Hines crawled back under the kitchen floor. The wall was then carefully re- placed, and Hines remained under the floor until after the departure of Morgan and his men. Then he was helped from his place of hiding as re- lated below by Mrs. McKee :

"The summer of '63 I spent in Winchester, Adams County, Ohio, with my grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. H. I. De Bruin. When we learned that General Morgan had crossed the river and was in Ohio the conster- nation was terrible. On the morning of July 15, I think it was Monday, a rumor of his coming into Winchester was spread abroad, and before we could gather our wits he was in the town about 8 o'clock A. M. The whole army came and most of it stayed all day. Morgan with his body guard rode up to the old Sparks (then Bunn's) tavern and took possession of it. The men began to raid and rifle the homes and stores. A number of men called at the home of I. H. De Bruin, who was in the army, and asked his wife for the key to the dry. goods store which had been locked on hearing the news of their coming into town. Mrs. De Bruin promptly gave them the key, and after being in the store a short time they locked it up and returned the key, and paid in confederate money for what they had taken saying to her that the store would not be disturbed again, which proved to be true. (It was thought by some that such was the case because they must have found in his desk evidence of the fact that the proprietor was a Free Mason and that over the store was the Masonic Lodge Room, General Morgan himself being a Mason.) Not so with the store directly across the way, for they rifled it of every- thing, and what they could not carry away, they tried to destroy, tying their horses's and mules' tails and manes with ribbonsand destroying many things before our eyes, scattering pins, needles and small things over the floor of the store and in the street. Never will I forget what a sight that store was, belonging to Mr. Dick Thompson.

"One of the chaplains, Charles Price, of Nicholasville, Kentucky, spent quite a while on the piazza of my grandfather's home. He came to ask some questions about Hillsboro, knowing that they were not far from that town, especially of Dr. Samuel Steel, who was the Prebyterian minister in Hillsboro, who many said favored in looks H. I. De Bruin, and we thought he was under the same impression for he came up asking if we knew Rev. Samuel Steel. My grandfather referred him to me as being a resident of Hillsboro. He was a relative of Dr. Steel's wife and I had a pleasant chat with him because he knew many in Hillsboro who had visited in Kentucky. He was very interesting and very courteous.

"At three o'clock P. M. a great stir and commotion occurred on Main Street where the house of H. I. De Bruin stood just a half block from where they had entered the town, and here they had in a carriage a prisoner, Captain Hines, of Winchester, Ky. The commotion was caused by the escape of this prisoner. They rode up and down this street swear-

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ing that they would burn to the ground the house in which he might be concealed. We were all unconcerned and innocent when, had the fact been known, our horrified faces might have told the secret, for my dear grandmother, then sitting on the piazza as calm as any of us, had secreted him. He had run into the back part of Mr. Jerome De Bruin's home, who lived just south of grandfather's, and Jerome had brought him to grand- father's house, and had quietly taken grandmother back to him. Oh, what a woman was she! I can hear her yet saying to the prisoner, 'Are you deceiving me?' and his reply, 'God knows I am not, for His sake pro- tect me." And she who had given three of her sons to her country was brave enough to protect him. He was hidden in such a place that he could hear all of the soldiers' ravings over his loss.

"About four o'clock the raiders began to leave the town, and it did not take long for all to get out, they seemed to be in a hurry. General Basil Duke, of Confederate fame was with them. I remember him well. After they had gone, Captain Hines was brought from his hiding place, and after having his supper was sent out north of town where some militia from Hillsboro were stopping.

That same evening word came of Hobson's approach with his seven thousand men. The night was spent in preparing sandwiches and other things for his great army which began to arrive early the next morning. Only the General and his staff stopped for a few hours, he having his headquarters in the best rooms of the De Bruin home. The army passed on in pursuit of Morgan, but not before they had a cup of coffee and a sandwich, which most of them took while on their horses, and they were a tired looking set. Captain Hines was brought in to see General Hobson who gave him a pass to Hillsboro and a horse to ride there and a pass to return to his home. He was wounded and at home on a furlough and this was how he came to be captured. He went to Hillsboro and spent a night at the home of Judge W. M. Meek before going on his journey home.

"After General Hobson and his staff had dined and he had finished his official business, they followed after the army. There was no time lost. Expedition seemed to be his watchword. All the time I was almost paralyzed with fear, but I have always been glad for the personal experiences of those memorable days."

Public Schools.

The school enumeration outside the village of Winchester is 297. The average wages paid teachers is thirty dollars per month. There are six subdistricts and each is provided with a frame schoolhouse twenty- four by thirty feet, one story high. The surroundings of these "colleges of the people" are uninviting. The play-gounds are bare of shade trees or ornamental shrubs, and present a picture of neglect.

In the village of Winchester there is a graded school attended by the pupils of school age within the special district. The present school build- ing is a plain brick structure with four rooms and was erected in 1871. The estimated value of buildings, grounds, furniture and apparatus is $2,000. The school term is seven months; the principal receives sixty dollars per month and the under teachers from thirty to forty dollars each per month. The school enumeration is 232. This special district was organized in 1865. 32a

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HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY

The Winchester Fair.

The Independent Agricultural and Mechanical Association of Adams, Brown and Highland Counties, was organized under the laws of the State in 1859. The first fair was held October 2, 3, 4, and 5, 1860. Moses Patterson was the first President and I. H. De Bruin, Secretary. The grounds of the Association occupied a beautiful tract of twenty acres south of the village about one-half mile. From its organization until about the year 1882 this was one of the most popular fairs in southern Ohio. From 6,000 to 10,000 persons attended here annually, and the Association paid dividends of from ten to twenty per cent to stockholders. But from bad management about the date last above mentioned the at- tendance began to grow smaller each succeeding year until 1897, when exhibitions ceased to be held. In 1899, the grounds were disposed of by the stockholders, and will be subdivided into lots for building purposes.

Postoffices.

There are but two postoffices in the township, Emerald, and Win- chester, formerly called Scott.

EMERALD-Is situated in the northern part of the township and was established in 1868. Sanford Burba was the first postmaster.

SCOTT POSTOFFICE was established in 1820 and Judge Joseph Eyler was the first postmaster. On the first day of April, 1880, the name was changed to Winchester. It is a money order office.

The Cincinnati, Portsmouth and Virginia Railroad.

The first railroad built in Adams County, the present C. P. & V. was a narrow gauge from Batavia Junction, called the Cincinnati and Eastern. The first passenger train entered Winchester, August 7, 1877. It was an excursion train of flat cars, and carried a motley crowd of enthusiasts from along the line to the terminus of the road. Here the train was engulfed on its arrival in a struggling mass of humanity seeking a first view of a locomotive and train of cars.

The Village of Winchester

was laid out November 8, 1815, by Joseph Darlinton, and named by him for Winchester, Virginia, near which he was born and reared to man's estate. The original plat contained seventy lots. Afterwards Joel Bailey laid off an addition of eighty-two lots, known as south Winchester. The village was incorporated in 1865, and has about 800 inhabitants. Joseph Eyler kept the first hotel on the northwest corner of South Street. James and Joseph Baily opened the first store in a log building that stood on lot forty-four, in 1819. Dr. A. C. Lewis was the first resident physician. The first tannery in the village was owned by Joseph Eylar; and the first oil mill was built by Levi Sparks in 1830. Moses Patterson operated a carding mill and a steam flouring mill from 1851 to 1863. These together with the tannery adjoining were burned in the fall of that year.

R. A. McMillan is the proprieor of a fine roller mill in the village at this time. The village contains two hotels, three dry goods stores, three

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drug stores, two family groceries, and one sawmill. The Masons, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias each maintain lodges. The Winchester Bank was organized in 1885 with Hon. L. J. Fenton as cashier.

In the present year, 1900, the citizens seem to have awakened some- what from a lethargy of the "Sleepy Hollow" sort, and with some en- terprising "newcomers," such as Messrs. Mecklin, McMillan and others, have succeeded in building in the town a bent wood works, canning factory, and a shoe factory.

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PART III. PIONEER CHARACTER SKETCHES

By NELSON W. EVANS

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PIONEER CHARACTER SKETCHES

John Amen

was born April 9, 1799, in Botetourt County, Virginia. He was the oldest son of Daniel and Katherine (Heistand) Amen. He, with his parents, came to Ohio about the year 1808. They traveled in a four-horse wagon. They settled in Highland County, near East Monroe. They lived there a few years when his father bought some land a mile south of Sinking Springs in Adams County, and built the stone house that still stands there, and removed to it in about 1812. There the boy, John, lived until he was grown. He attended district school in winter time. His was a rather hard and uneventful life. When twelve years of age, he drove a team of four horses and sometimes oxen, hauling pig iron from Marble Furnace to the Rapids Forge, a foundry owned by John Benner, near Bainbridge, a distance of twenty miles, starting at four o'clock in the morning and returning the same day or night. His life was all work, no play. When twenty-one years old, he left home to work in the store of his brother-in-law, David Johnson, at Georgetown, for the sum of four dollars a month and his board. He saved his earnings and when twenty- four years old, he married Melinda Craighead, the daughter of a well- to-do farmer living two miles from Georgetown. Mr. Craighead was a Kentuckian with aristrocratic notions. He thought the young clerk was no match for his daughter, but the young people were married, making the trip to the minister's, both riding horseback on one horse. Soon after their marriage, they went to the old stone house, making their home with his parents for several months, until a cabin was built for them on a farm owned by Daniel Amen, two miles north of Sinking Springs, where they lived and worked about six years, when, on account of failing health, he and family came to Sinking Springs, where he engaged in business for more than thirty years, enjoying the quiet village life. He was a great reader. Though very economical, he did not stint himself or family in reading matter. In politics, he felt a great interest, but had no desire for office. He was an Abolitionist when it was dangerous to own being a friend to the slave people. His house was a station on the underground railroad from which no slave was ever caught. He was fearless when he knew he was right. On one occasion, a family of seven slaves were brought into the community. A large reward was offered, and the pursuers or slave catchers were close behind them. Fearing to trust his son or any young person to carry them on, he had two fiery horses hitched to a covered wagon, and although he was a small man, and alone, drove away

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just after dark, loaded the family in the wagon and hurriedly drove them to Marshall, eight miles north, when another party took charge of them. He used to boast he had helped more slaves to liberty than any one else near, and that he never had one captured in his charge. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church and held the office of deacon for sixty years. In the year 1865, his wife died. After her death, he sold his old home and went to reside with his three married daughters, all of whom lived in Portsmouth, Ohio. He had one son, Daniel, who died, when thirty years of age, leaving two sons. The oldest, Harlan P. Amen, is president of Phillips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire, and the younger son, J. J. Amen, is a prosperous business man in Missouri Valley, Iowa.

The last four years of John Amen's life were spent at South Salem, Ohio, at the home of his eldest daughter, Mrs. E. McColm, who had re- moved from Portsmouth. He died at the age of eighty-eight, on De- cember 27, 1887. Unto the last week of his life, he read the daily papers with all the interest of a young person. His last vote was for Governor Foraker. The fall before he died, he was taken to the election by a grand- daughter. He was proud he had helped to elect the Highland County boy for Governor. His daughters are all living, Mrs. McColm in Norfolk, Nebraska ; Mrs. P. J. Reed, in Cody, Neb., and Mrs. C. Gillilan at Sink- ing Springs, Highland County, Ohio.

James Anderson.

Of all the men who have lived in Adams County, none has enjoyed . this life more or made it more pleasing to those around him than the sub- ject of this sketch. James Anderson may have had fits of bad temper, but the writer never saw him in one or ever heard of him having one. He was always brimful and running over with good humor. He always persisted in looking at the bright and cheerful side of things and was always ready to laugh and to make those about him laugh. Trouble rolled away from him like water rolls away from a duck's feathers. The writer never knew him until he was between fifty and sixty years of age and the foregoing describes him then. His acquaintance from twenty- five to fifty would have been precious and valuable. He was a man to drive away despondency and to lift the world up. He had the keenest sense of humor of any man of his time in the county and yet he met and performed all the serious duties of life as a man and Christian should. Nature endowed him with great natural and physicial vigor and he never wasted any of it, but expended it in proper channels.

He was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, March 1, 1796. His parents brought him to Adams County in 1807. They took up their residence one mile north of west Union and there he resided until 1866 when he removed to Sardinia where he made his home until his death, May II, 1886. His father was Robert Anderson and his mother was Elizabeth Dickey, both from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. His father and mother died in Adams County and are buried in the old Trotter graveyard near the Wilson Children's Home.

Mr. Anderson was married June 2, 1831, to Mary Baird, sister of Robinson Baird, and daughter of James Baird, a brother of Judge Moses Baird. She only survived until May 7, 1840. By his wife, Mr. Ander-

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son had the following children: George Washington, who married a daughter of Wade Baldridge; James Newton, William Henry, John, Elizabeth, and Mary. Washington is deceased. His widow and family reside at Webb City, Missouri. James Newton resides in Tulare, Cali- fornia; Elizabeth is the wife of Dr. Theo. Smith, of the same place. Mary is deceased. She died at Santa Cruz, Cal. Col. William H. died at McLean County, Illinois.

On November 7, 1844, he was married to Isabella Bryan Huggins, widow of Zimri Huggins. She had the following children by her first marriage: Nelson A., and 'Herman W.

To the last marriage were born the following children: Irwin M .; Benjamin Dickey, born June 8, 1847, residing at Santa Cruz, Cal .; and Martha Caroline, born February 12, 1850. She married J. Porter Mc- Govney. He died and she married Frank Major. They reside at Sal- mon City, Idaho.

Mr. and Mrs. Anderson reared the three sets of children without a jar. They all got along happily together. Mrs. Anderson had the same happy and genial disposition as her husband. When the furnaces were opened in Adams County, Mr. Anderson did a great deal of work for them in hauling iron to the river and supplies to the furnaces. He was a man never ambitious for public honors or offices, but he had a prominent place in the militia because his talents deserved it.

On June 26, 1838, he was commissioned by Governor Vance as Major of the First Cavalry Regiment, First Brigade, Eighth Division of the Ohio Militia, and on August 1, 1839, he was commissioned by Governor Shannon as Lieutenant-Colonel of the same regiment. When it is re- membered that he was elected to those positions by those who knew him best, the honor will be more appreciated.

In 1862, he was selected as Captain of the "Squirrel Hunters" and took his company to Aberdeen to repel Morgan's Raid. James Anderson had a wonderful memory. He could remember every incident of his life and everything which had ever been told him. He was fond of telling of David Bradford's celebrated drive down the Dunbarton Hill. Bradford, who had a coach at Dunbarton, just repaired, wanted it down at the Sample Tavern at the foot of the hill. It was winter and the hill was covered with ice. He hitched two horses to the coach in front of the tongue and drove them from Dunbarton down the hill to the Sample Tavern. Bradford said it was a poor horse that could not keep out of the way of a coach. While Mr. Anderson was fond of telling humorous stories, yet he was a most earnest and conscientious man. He was anti-slavery. He was first a Whig and afterward a Republican. He was brought up an Associate Reform Presbyterian and adhered to that faith all his life. He was an elder for over thirty years. As a farmer, he lived comfortably and easy. He was not the man to worry himself to make money. He was honest and honorable in all his dealings. His life was a more valuable lesson than that taught by the Greek Philosophers, for he was up to their ideas and was a Christian beside. In August, 1886, his widow removed to California, where her son, Benjamin D., resides. She was born July 2, 1806, and died May 6, 1896.

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A history of Adams County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, including character sketches of the prominent persons identified with the first century of the country's growth, Part 59

Author: Evans, Nelson Wiley, 1842-1913; Stivers, Emmons Buchanan Publication date: 1900 Publisher: West Union, O., E.B. Stivers Number of Pages: 1101

Author: Evans, Nelson Wiley, 1842-1913; Stivers, Emmons Buchanan
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: West Union, O., E.B. Stivers
Number of Pages: 1101