USA > Ohio > Jackson County > A history of Jackson County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 10
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16
106
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
moved to Nile township, in Scioto county. He lived there 37 years, and died June 26, 1863, aged 80 years, 9 months and 8 days. His wife survived until February 18, 1865, dying at the age of 70 years 9 months and 15 days. Mr. Givens was a Whig in politics, and a member of the M. E. Church. It was as a manufacturer of salt that he first acquired prominence in this county, and he was closely identified with most of the later salt works legislation. It appears that the expense of salt boiling at the Scioto licks was always heavy, and about 1812 it became so excessive that the Legislature appropriated $300 to pay for boring 200 feet, in hopes of finding stronger brine. No one undertook this work, and the Legislature found it necessary to increase the appropriation. Accordingly,
$1,500 was appropriated February 5, 1813,and Abraham Claypool was authorized to sink two wells to a depth of 200 feet. This money does not seem to have been spent, and William Givens, Joseph Armstrong, John Johnson, Ross Nelson, John W. Sargent, John Prather and Asa Lake petitioned for assistance to dig a salt well each, they to bear incidental expenses, and to have exclusive use of wells for five years. In 1815 the Legislature appropriated $700 to pay William Givens for sinking a well 350 feet, to be two and one-quarter inches in diameter at the bottom. It appears that Givens proceeded to sink the well, and by December 23, 1815, he had reached a depth of 275 feet, and was paid $375. On February 24, 1816, he was given until April 1, 1816, to finish and tube the well. There is no record that Givens was paid any more money by the State, but he continued the work on the well until he reached the depth of 450 feet. The last 175 feet were sunk at his own ex- pense. Hildreth says that Givens procured a stronger water, but it was in small quantity, and did not rise to the top of the well, probably from a deficiency of carburetted hydrogen gas, which at several other works, rises in great volume, and forces the water for many feet above the surface. Givens' experiment demonstrated that a brine strong enough to compete with that of other salines could not be secured at Jackson, and the legislature passed a resolution January 3, 1818, favoring the sale of the Scioto Salt reserve. Givens' salt well is still open. It is a few hundred feet
107
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
above the Baler building, and the water stands the year round in the well pipe. Givens' furnace stood on the knoll near by to. the south, and its remains may be seen whenever the ground is ploughed. The small creek emptying into Salt creek, a few hundred feet below, bears the name Givens' run. Thus the name survives here, although the family has been forgotten. William Givens, jr., was 15 years old when the family left the county. The other children were Allen, David, James H., Thomas J., John, Samuel, George, Cynthia, Jane and Mary. The descendants of the family are scattered in many states.
COMMISSIONERS' PROCEEDINGS-The record of the first meeting of the Commissioners of Jackson county has been lost. At the second meeting held, Dr. Nathaniel W. Andrews was ap- pointed clerk of the board, and he kept a very faithful record, although many acts of the board were not recorded, for reasons not now known. Some of the entries were quaintly worded, and others refer to conditions which have long ago ceased to exist. The following extracts can not fail to interest:
April 25, 1816-Be it remembered that at a special meeting of the honorable commissioners of Jackson county, held in the house of Jared Strong in Lick township, present Emanuel Traxler, John Stephenson and John Brown; ordered that Nathaniel W. Andrews be appointed clerk to this body, he having been qualified accord- ing to law.
A petition was handed in by the hands of Daniel Harris pray- ing for a new township; deferred until the next meeting.
Orders were issued to the listers of Lick township, Milton township and Franklin to attach the fractional parts adjoining the different townships to each of them.
The meeting adjourned until the first Monday of June next.
June 3, 1816-Proceedings of the honorable Board of Commis- sioners at their 'annual meeting on the first Monday of June, 1816, held at the house of Nathaniel W. Andrews in Lick township,
108
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
present John Stephenson, Emanuel Traxler and John Brown. For want of the statute law, adjourned until tomorrow at 9 o'clock.
June 4, 1816-According to yesterday's adjournment the Com- missioners met, present John Stephenson, Emanuel Traxler and John Brown.
Abraham Welch was appointed collector to this county, he having given bond and security according to law.
John James was also appointed treasurer to this county, he having given bond and security according to law.
Ordered that the price of license for retailing merchandise shall be Fifteen Dollars per annum, also that the price of tavern license throughout this county shall be Six Dollars per annum.
Nathaniel W. Andrews was appointed keeper of the county seal and sworn into office according to law.
This meeting is adjourned until the first of July next by order of Commissioners, this 4th day of June, 1816.
July 1, 1816-Pursuant to the adjournment June 4, the hon- orable Board of Commissioners this day met, July 1, 1816, present John Stephenson, John Brown and Emanuel Traxler.
Jackson-It is ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of the following boundaries, that they shall be incorporated in a new township and be called Jackson; beginning at the northwest corner of this county and running east to the seventeenth range line; thence south along the same line to the corner between the Seventh and Eighth townships; thence west to the southwest corner of the Eighth township in the Eighteenth range; thence south one mile to the corner between section Nos. 1 and 12 in the Seventh township in the Nineteenth range; thence west along the section lines to the line between Nineteen and Twenty ; thence north along the same line to the place of beginning.
Clinton-It is also ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of Township No. 10 in range Seventeen, that the said township be incorporated according to its original surveyed boundaries by name of Clinton.
109
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
Milton-It is also ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of township No. 9, in range Seventeen, that the said township remain incorporated according to its orignal sur- veved boundaries by the name of Milton.
July 21, 1816-Pursuant to the adjournment, the honorable Board of Commissioners met according to appointment the second day of the term July 2. 1816.
Bloomfield-It is ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of township No. S in range Seventeen, that the said township remain incorporated according to its original sur- veyed boundaries, by the name of Bloomfield.
Madison-It is also ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of the following boundaries, that they be incorporated in a new township by the name of Madison; be- ginning at the northeast corner of section No. 3 in range 17 and township 7; thence running south to the county line to the south- east corner of section 34, range 17 and township 7; thence west to the southwest corner of section 31, range and township afore- said; thence south to the county line to the southeast corner of section 36 in the 18th range and 5th township; thence west to the. southwest corner of section 35, township and range aforesaid; thence north along the section line to the northwest corner of sec- tion No. 2, range and township aforesaid; thence east to the range line between 18 and 17; thence along the same line north to the northwest corner of section No. 6, township 5 and range 17; thence east to the place of beginning.
Franklin-It is also ordered that in compliance with the. prayer of the inhabitants of the following boundaries, that the same remain incorporated according to its original name of Franklin; beginning at the northeast corner of section No. 1, township 6 in range 18 and running south along the said range line to the southeast corner of section No. 36 in township 6 and range 18; then west to the northeast corner of section No. 3; thence south with section line to the county line; thence west along said line to the southwest corner of section 36 in township 5 and range
110
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
19; thence north along the section line to the northwest corner of section No. 1, township 6 and range 19; thence east to the place of beginning.
Scioto-It is also ordered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants of the following boundaries that they be incor- porated in a new township by the name of Scioto; beginning as follows: At the northeast corner of section No. 2, township 6 and range 19, and running south along the section line to the county line, to the southeast corner of section 35, in township 5, range 19; thence west to the southwest corner of the county; thence north along the county line to the old Ross county line; thence east to the place of beginning.
Lick-It is ordered that Lick township have the following boundaries: Beginning at section No. 1, the northeast corner of, running south to the southeast corner of section No. 36, township 7, range 18; thence west to the county line, southwest corner of section 31, range 19, township 7; thence along the county line north to the northwest corner of section No. 7, township 7, range 19; thence east to the northeast corner of section No. 12, range 19, township 7; north to the northwest corner of section No. 6, range 18, township 7; thence east to the place of beginning.
Hamilton-This township was not erected until December 6, 1825. The commissioners' entry in the journal is as follows: "Or- dered that in compliance with the prayer of the inhabitants in the following boundaries, that they be incorporated in a new township by the name of Hamilton, bounded as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the northeast corner of section 1, township 5, range 19; thence south along the township line to section 36, township 5, range 19; thence west along the Scioto county line to section 33, township 5, range 19; thence north to the northwest corner of section 4; thence east to the place of beginning. And ordered that Scioto township be hereafter designated by the following boundaries, to- wit: Beginning at the northeast corner of section 2, in township 6, range 19; thence west to the northwest corner of section 6, range 19 and township 6; thence south to the northeast corner of section 12, township 5, range 20; thence west to the northwest corner of
111
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
section 11, township 5, range 20; thence south to the southwest corner of section 35; thence east to the southeast corner of section 35, township 6, range 19; thence north to the place of beginning.
THE FIRST ROAD PETITION-A petition was this day (July 3, 1816) handed by the hands of Isaac Baker, praying for a road to be opened; beginning at the fork of the creek two miles and a half above Lewis Mercer's, on the new county road leading from Portsmouth to the Scioto Salt works; thence running the nearest and best way to Hugh Gilliland's on the waters of Simm's creek; thence to Abraham Baker's; thence the nearest and best way to intersect the new road that leads from the Salt works to Galli- polis at or near Mr. Radebouth's on the most suitable place. Or- dered that the above road be reviewed and the following persons are appointed as reviewers, they having agreed to do it without charge; reviewers, Levi Mercer, John Horton, Lewis Adkins; sur- veyor, Gabriel McNeal .- These reviewers made a favorable report January 8, 1817. The report was considered June 2, 1817, and the road was established as proposed, as "one of the public highways of the county." This road was nine and three-quarters miles long. It began at a white oak in the forks of Little Scioto, ran by a beaver pond and intersected the Gallipois road near Henry Rada- baugh's.
FIRST YEAR'S TAXES-The Commissioners met on the 29th of July, 1816, present Emanuel Traxler, John Stephenson and John Brown, and proceeded to make out the alphabetical duplicates of the property tax, and finished them ready for delivery, the total amount being $301.20. The following persons served as township listers in 1816: Lick, Joseph Armstrong; Madison, John Atkinson; Franklin, Richard Johnson; Milton, Joshua Scurlock; Bloomfield, John Stephenson. June 6, 1817-It appears from all statements, the total amount of expenditures for this year up to the fifth of this month, and up to order 176, amounts to $547.18. "The receipts were $363.874. Thus the county was in debt $183.306 at the end of its first fiscal year. The total amount of taxes to collect for the
112
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
year 1817 was $354.85, distributed as follows: Clinton, $29.60; Milton, $39.50; Bloomfield, $48.55; Madison, $48.90; Franklin, $53; Lick, $67.60; Jackson, $35.70; Scioto, $32."
FIRST TERM OF COURT-The new county was in the second judicial circuit, of which Judge John Thompson was president. He set the opening day of its first term of court for August 12, 1816. He arrived at the Springs on horseback, riding up from Chillicothe, accompanied by a number of attorneys, and sightseers who came to see the noted Salt works. Judge Thompson became the guest of his associate, Hon. William Givens, whose residence was the temporary seat of justice. The attorneys were quartered with Nathaniel W. Andrews and Sheriff Abraham Welch. When the hour came for opening court, it was found that no room in the Givens' residence would hold the crowd. This, together with the great heat, led Judge Thompson to order that chairs and tables be taken out and set under the wide spreading branches of a white oak tree, standing near the home. It was a motley crowd that gathered there. Three classes were largely represented and deserve mention. The salt boilers with their rough exterior, much resem- bling the denizens of the more modern mining camps, were the most numerous. Second in number, but first in influence, were the sturdy yeomen planters, elad in homespun. Trappers, hunters and half hermits, silent men, with coonskin caps and clothes of deer. skin, formed a third class. There was beside a small sprinkling of the better dressed, which included the Methodist circuit rider, two or three tavern keepers, a few salt well lessees and furnace owners, some small merchants, and a bakers' dozen of visitors from Chilli- cothe and Portsmouth. The hour having arrived, Judge Thompson and the associate judges, William Givens, Hugh Poor and David Paine, took their seats, and Sheriff Welch was ordered to open court. Following is the record of the first proceedings, as they stand approved:
August Term, 1816, Jackson County, State of Ohio-Pleas held before the Honorable JJohn Thompson, president of the court of common pleas for the second circuit, Hugh Poor, David Paine and
113
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
William Givens, esquires, associate judges for the county of Jack- son, at the house of William Givens, temporary seat of justice, on the 12th day of August, Anno Domini, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, of the independence of the United States, the 41st, and of our State, the 14th. Present, Nathaniel W. Andrews, clerk pro tempore, and Abraham Welch, sheriff. The sheriff, to whom the venire facias was directed, this day here returned the same, and the names being called, appeared, to-wit: James McDaniel, George Camble, Samuel Traxler, John McBride, Gabriel McNeal, Robert Erwin, James Higginbotham, William Martin, William Stephen- son. And the other named presons not appearing, ordered that the sheriff summon sufficient number of the bystanders to complete the panel of 15. Whereupon the following persons were summoned as talesmen: Joseph W. Ross, Joseph Crouch, Joshua Winks, An- drew Donnally, Moses Hale and Jared Strong. Whereupon Jared Strong was appointed foreman, who with his fellows having taken the oath prescribed by statute, and having received their charge, retired to consult. The court appointed Joseph Sill, Esq., prose- cutor. This day, on motion, ordered that the electors of Scioto township have leave to elect a wise, sensible, prudent and discrete person a justice of the peace, in addition to the one at present acting in that capacity, and that certificate issue to trustees. Judge Thompson, in issuing this order, must have had in mind Jethro's advice to Moses: "Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetous- ness; and place such over them, to be rulers." The first case called at this term was styled, "Brown & McCort vs. Peleg Potter; debt." Hon. Richard Douglass appeared as attorney for the plaintiffs. The case was called, for Potter to get an opportunity to give bond, and John George was accepted as his surety. The next business to engage the attention of the court was the appointment of the first administrator to serve in the county, viz: Joseph Crouch appointed to administer the "goods and chattels, rights and credits" of his father, Joseph Crouch; Sr. Jacob Delay, James Stephenson and Jolin Brown, all of Milton township, were appointed as appraisers of the personal estate of decedent. The first business transacted
114
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
August 13, 1816, the second day of the term, was the considering of the petition of Andrew Donnally for a license to keep a tavern, which was as follows:
A PETITION FOR A LICENSE TO KEEP A TAVERN- July 10, 1816-To the honorable judges of the court of common pleas of Jackson county: The petition of the undersigners, free- holders of Bloomfield township, humbly represent to your honours that we conceive a publick house of entertainment in Bloomfield would conduse to the publick convenience, therefore we recom- mend Andrew Donally, one of the sitizens, as a man of a good carricter and every way calculated to acomodate the publick, we therefore pray your honours would grant him a licens for the purpose and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray .- An- drew Donnally.
The other signers were Hugh Poor, Elijah Long, Moses Hale, Andrew Boggs, Samuel McClure, William Stephenson, James Stephenson, Samuel Allison, Reuben Long, Alexander Poor, Joel Long, Christopher Long, Gabriel McNeal, Robert Irwin, John Stephenson, Robert G. Hanna, Benjamin Long, Azariah Jenkins, George Burris, George Campbell, Anthony Boggs. The text of the petiton was written by Donnally himself, and, like Shakespeare, he exercised the right of spelling his name in more than one way. This fact may explain why the spelling in the petition is out of the ordinary. He may have felt that inability to spell was no bar, but rather a recommendation, with the backwoodsmen. He could spell, but did not want to. Be that as it may, his license was promptly granted.
FIRST CRIMINAL CASE-The criminal docket for the term was then taken up. John Hale and Joel Long had been indicted because, "on the first day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixteen, with force and arms, in Bloomfield, etc., they did agree to box and fight each other at fisti- cuffs, etc." This fight occurred on election day and has been men-
115
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
tioned before. The boys were arrested, both plead guilty, and each was fined $12 and the costs.
FIRST PETIT JURY-A petit jury was empaneled on the same day, in the case of Elkanah Bramlet, "otherwise called" El- cano Bramlet. He had been indicted for assaulting William Mc- Connell in Lick township on July 10, 1816, and the case was tried to the following jury: Basil Johnson, Moses Gillespie, John Ogg, David Mitchel, John Corn, Salmon Goodenough, Allen Rice, Austin Palmer, Samuel Stephenson, James Weeks, William Alden and John George. The witnesses for the State were, Joseph Arm- strong and Andrew Donnally. The verdict was "guilty" and Bram- let was fined $6 and the costs. Singulary enough, one of the jurors, Austin Palmer, had settled a little affair of his own with the court, just before taking his seat in the jury box. He had been indicted for assaulting Andrew Frazee, of Milton township, on August 10, 1816, entered his plea of "guilty" and had been fined $12 and the costs. These affairs of honor were very common among the sturdy backwoodsmen, who brooked no insult.
OTHER BUSINESS-The only other transaction of interest at this term was the appointment of Dr. Gabriel McNeal as sur- veyor of Jackson county for the term of five years. There were no resident attorneys in Jackson at that time, and a foreign attor- ney had to be appointed prosecutor. The attorneys in attendance at this term of court, according to the records, were Joseph Sill, Richard Douglass and N. K. Clough, all of Chillicothe. It was the custom then, for the attorneys to travel the circuit with the court. This term closed August 14, 1816.
THE FIRST FALL ELECTION-The voters of Jackson county were called upon in October, 1816, to vote for State and dis- trict officers, and for county officers for the long terms. The county had been divided by this time into eight townships, viz: Bloomfield, Clinton, Franklin, Jackson, Lick, Madison, Milton and Scioto. Two hundred and fifty-two votes were cast. The candi-
116
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
dates for governor were Thomas Worthington and James Dunlap. Worthington received 120 votes and Dunlap 132, but the former was elected. The vote for congressman stood as follows: Joseph Kerr, 72; Levi Barber, 125; John A. Fulton, 12; Samuel Monett, 17; Henry Brush, 41. Jackson county was then in the Third con- gressional district, and Levi Barber was elected from the district. Two years afterward, Brush, mentioned above, was elected, but in 1820, Barber again regained his seat for this district. For State senator, Robert Lucas received 107 votes and David Ridgeway 150 votes. The senatorial district was then composed of the counties of Gallia, Jackson, Pike and Scioto. Ridgeway was from Gallia. Lucas was from Pike and he was elected. The vote for representa- tive stood: Jared Strong, 171; George L. Crookham, 89; Guthrie, 5. The legislative district consisted of Pike and Jackson, and Strong was elected. He thus became the first representative of Jackson county. He was a citizen of the county. His early history is unknown, but it is said that he moved to the Salt works from what is now Vinton county. He early built a mill on Salt creek below Jackson, which was known by his name for many years. He was the statesman of the county, for he was re-elected in 1817, and again in 1819, 1822 and 1823. At the first term of court he was appointed foreman of the grand jury. He became one of the contractors for building the first jail, and he was interested in building the first court house. He was thus foremost in all public affairs. He died early, else he might have become much more prominent in county affairs and might have represented the county in congress. His tombstone stands in the old graveyard near the new school building and the inscription is as follows: "Sacred to the memory of Jared Strong, who departed this life December 20, 1827, aged forty-five years, seven months and ten days." Crookham, his opponent at the first election, has been already spoken of at some length. There was a hot contest for sheriff. Joseph Armstrong, a jolly, good-natured citizen, with con- siderable executive ability, was pushed by friends in order to try to secure the defeat of Welch, whose record was not of the best. The vote stood Welch, 144; Armstrong, 127. Welch's triumph was
117
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
of short duration, for he was compelled by circumstances, to leave the county a short while afterward. The vote for coroner stood as follows: John Stockham, 94; Peleg Potter, 49; John Gillespie, 31; William Jolly, 24; John Kite, 1. Gillaspie was thus defeated for re-election. There was a spirited contest for commissioner, the vote standing as follows: John Stephenson, 185; Emanuel Traxler, 165; R. G. Hanna, 153; John Brown, 112; John Delay, 24; Samuel Hall, 27; John Scott, 21. Stephenson and Traxler were re-elected, but Brown was defeated by R. G. Hanna. The Commissioners held their first meeting November 11, 1816. The first official act of the Board was to determine by lot who should get the long terms. Traxler was the luckiest, and drew the three-year term; Stephen- son drew the two-year term. Hanna was re-elected in 1817, and in 1820 he was elected to the Legislature for the counties of Jackson and Pike. He continued one of the most prominent citizens of the county while he lived.
EARLY CRIMINAL RECORD .- The first settlers at the Licks being squatters, many of them were lawless men. Davis Mackley, who knew something of the early times, wrote as fol- lows: There was no law administered nearer than Portsmouth or Chillicothe, and as many of the men around the salt furnaces were the worst type of adventurers, and as whisky was used in large quantities, it is not strange that fighting was common, and that murder was committed occasionally. In the year 1803 a man named Fitzgerald was murdered by one Jack Brandon, and about the same time a man named Squires was murdered by one Pleasant Webb, a notorious and dangerous character. He had been a Tory during the Revolutionary war, and was the terror of the early set- tlers. He was known by the nickname of Pompey. I could not learn that either of these murderers was brought to justice or pun- ishment. All that part of Jackson from Pearl street to and beyond the fair ground was originally a wet and marshy place, with large maple, elms, birch and other trees, with an undergrowth of alder, wild rose and other bushes. After a time it was cleared and the timber cut, except one of the original maple trees, which yet stands
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.