USA > Ohio > Knox County > A history of Knox county, Ohio, from 1779 to 1862 inclusive > Part 15
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WM. W. ALEXANDER, WM. PETTIGREW, WM. CROUCH.
May 20, 1817."
William Giffin and Peter Zarly got up a meeting of Millwrights, at Zimmerman's inn, on the 26th of August, for establishing a bill of prices for their work. At this meeting John Williamson, Samuel Pyle, Peter Zarly, James King and William Giffin were present. Among the items we find-"For a double geered grist-mill, $300 ; for a double geered saw-mill, $200 ; for a meal spout, $2 ; meal trough, $3; hopper, $4, &c."
Jacob Myers, Patrick Nellans, Robert Robert-
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son, Samuel Hoppers, Samuel Vance, John Byan, John Cottle, John Kinsey and David Poter, agree, upon honor, to support the said bill of prices.
PETTY THIEVING AND OTHER RASCALITY.
Michael Click offers one cent reward for Michael Teadrow, an apprentice to the brick-making busi- ness, but no charges paid. September 3d.
'James Miller publishes the following notice:
" The person who took away a Mattock from my building, with- out leave, is requested to return the same immediately, or his name will be given to the public (besides prosecuting), as it is well known who purloined it."
" TAKE CARE .- The person who was so kind as to take away without leave, a pair of stretchers and a broken singletree, on the 29th of August ; they were laying on the green between Messrs. Bryant & Burr's and Mr. J. Frank & Co.'s stores, are requested to return the same immediately to the subscriber, and save themselves trouble, they had better return them before they are troubled with a call from Mr. Constable.
" Mt. Vernon, Sept. 5, 1817. James Thompson."
Noah Rude has a chesnut sorrel horse stolen from James Bryant's pasture on the night of the 5th of September, and offers a reward for him.
At the District Court of the United States, held at Chillicothe on the 9th of September, Samuel Bunting was indicted on a charge of robbing the mail between Newark and Zanesville, and was sen- tenced to the Penitentiary for one year.
Horse thieves about this time became so bold that Joseph Berry had, on the morning of the 19th of September, a mare, saddle and bridle stolen from the door of James Thompson in Mount Vernon, just after he had hitched her, and gone into the house.
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At the October term of Knox Common Pleas, John McFarland was tried for feloniously stealing a five and two one dollar notes on the Owl Creek Bank of Mount Vernon. The jury found him guilty of stealing the five dollar note ; as to the other counts in the indictments, not guilty. The court sentenced him to one year imprisonment in the penitentiary at hard labor, but no part of said term to be kept in solitary cells of the prison. The prisoner was a boy, 14 to 15 years of age, the son of a poor man, who, from want of restraint and of care in his tuition, had been led to crime.
PROCEEDINGS OF FALL TERM (OCT. 13TH) COMMON PLEAS.
" On the petition of sundry inhabitants of Mount Vernon for incorporation of said town, the sheriff made proclamation thereof according to law. Store license was issued to Daniel S. Norton and P. M. Weddle. Tavern license issued to Wm. Ayres, Seth Knowles, Richardson & Vore. S. W. Culberson was allowed $10 for defending Jacob Kyser, a criminal now in court."
Patrick Moore had S1 cases at this term upon the docket vs. John Green. Thus many bank cases make their appearance, and add greatly to law bu- siness in this county. Among others were the noted Owl Creek ones; Patrick Moore vs. James Smith, John Hawn, jr., Jonathan Miller et al .; the famous Luke Walpole case shows its head, and the "Granville Alexandrian Society" brings suit vs. Enos, Farquhar et al. The first money made by process of law, for military purposes, was in the noted cases of C. Langworthy for use of George Downs vs. Alex. Enos and Samuel Kratzer. In which it was " ordered that in both these cases the
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money be paid to Dr. Timothy Burr, the present Paymaster of this Regiment," &c.
The State case vs. Alex. McKee was disposed of by fining him $5 and costs ; vs. Wm. Henry by fine of $3 and costs; John Watt $3 and costs ; George Lybarger $10 and costs. Assault and bat- tery was coming to be regarded in a more serious light.
ANOTHER TOWN ON PAPER.
A new competitor for public favor springs into notice in September bearing the name of FLORIDA. It is a town laid out by Samuel Hardenbrok, Geo. Vennemon and Plum Sutliff, on the A roads from Mansfield to Columbus, and from Mount Vernon to Upper Sandusky-on a handsome eminence sur- rounded with springs of elegant water and rich soil, convenient mill seats on the waters of Owl Creek and Whetstone. Of this as of another city it may truthfully be said-" Ilium fuit."
"IO TRIUMPHE'-A NEW INSTITUTION ESTABLISHED.
Joseph Brown starts a distillery near Mount Vernon, and gives sixty-two and a half cents for every 56 lbs. of good clean rye delivered at the dis- tillery, or at Capt. Douglas' mill ; he also gives one gallon of whisky for every five pecks of good clean rye. Thus in October, 1817, did the second large manufactory of fire water go into operation.
THE MARRIAGES REGISTERED.
" On January 2d, 1817, by Rev. James Smith, Mr. John Dwyer to the amiable Miss Sally Martin, both of Mt. Vernon.
" On January 7th, by the same, Mr. Reasin Yates to the accom- plished Miss Nancy Boalse, daughter of Capt. N. C. Boalse, both of this town.
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" On Tuesday February 4th, by the same, Mr. Obadiah Tatmax to Miss Peggy Severe.
"What joys they both receive and both bestow,
Virgins may guess but wives, experienced, know."
" On same day, by Rev. James Scott, Mr. David Newell, of Richland county, to Miss Juliet Cooper of Knox.
" There seems no goose so gray, but soon or late She finds some honest gander for her mate."
" On Saturday evening, 22d February, by Wm. Douglass, Esq., Mr. Elijah Webster to Miss Elizabeth, disconsolate widow of - Mr .- Ask, alias - alias- Simpkins.
" Married, April 10th, by Wm. Douglass, Esq., Mr. Isaac Hol- lister to Miss Hannah Kattle.
" A matchless pair- Hers the wild lustre of the rising morn,
And his the radiance of the risen day."
"Married, on May 15th, 1816, by Rev. James Smith, Mr. Alpheus Chapman to the amiable Miss Amy Ward.
"On May 7th, 1817, by Rev. James Scott, Mr. Edward Mar- ques to Miss Elizabeth Newell.
"On June 19th, by Rev. James Smith, Mr. Leonard Simons to Miss Sally Boyles.
" On July 17th, by the same, Mr. Isaac Vore, jr., to Miss Polly Martin.
" On July 10th, by Rev. George Vennemon, Mr. Ensley D. Johnson to Miss Sarah Petton, near Lexington, Richland co.
" Love, friendship, honor, truth and pure delight, Harmonious mingle in the nuptial rite."
"On July 17th, by Rev. James Smith, Mr. Alexander Mc Kee to Miss Tabitha Waddle.
" The following good play is made on occasion of the marriage of James Strong to Miss Sally Strong :
" It has been said in former times, Too sacred to be wrong ;
The battle is not always won, Or given to the STRONG.
Grant this assertion may be true, As on the sacred page ;
Who'll gain the battle, I will ask, Where two that's STRONG ENGAGE ?"
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CHAPTER XVIII.
CONDITION OF THE COUNTRY IN 1818.
RUIN IMPENDING .- MUCH SUFFERING .- A FEW QUAINT ADVERTISEMENTS .- EFFORTS TO START A SABBATH-SCHOOL, AND TO SELL YOUNG LADIES !- HORSE-THIEVES AND COUNTERFEITERS ABOUND. - A JAIL-BIRD ESCAPES. - A CRIPPLE RUNS. - HABEAS CORPUS TRIALS. - A GRAND CIRCULAR HUNT.
THE palmy periods of Knox county, prior to 1820, were from 1808 until 1812, and from 1815 un- til 1818. In the intermediate time there was much depression and suffering caused by the war of 1812; and from the beginning of the year 1818, there was another period of deep gloom and distress caused by the scarcity of money, failure of banks, &c. For several years there was but slight influx of population, but little addition to the wealth of this section. The productions of the country were al- most valueless in exchange for money, and it was with difficulty that they could be bartered for goods at the stores. The unfortunate speculation in which many of the most substantial citizens en- gaged, under the name of the Owl Creek Bank ; the depreciation of the paper money making up the principal circulation, and the general lack of con- fidence throughout the country in all kinds of business operations, prevented much improvement being made in Knox county. Many of the then
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settlers became entirely discouraged and out of heart, pulled up stakes and returned to their old homes eastward, or sought better chances elsewhere in the new country. Almost all whom we have conversed with, say that the most dull and gloomy times they have witnessed since the last war with Great Britain, were between the years 1818 and 1825.
During this period we find numberless suits in- stituted, and judgments obtained, by " The Gran- ville Alexandrian Society," "The German Bank of Wooster," " The Owl Creek Bank," and other like institutions, against the Vores, and Farquhars, and Strongs, and Smiths, and Browns, and Martins, and Hawns, and Winships and others, of the older class of settlers. The mere mention of this fact, in connection with matter developed in our Owl Creek Bank history, will be sufficient upon this subject to convey an idea of the sad condition of affairs at that period. To other matters, then, we will revert.
And first, as to the other business disposed of by the Court in 1818. The Grand Jury, at the April term, found bills of indictment against fourteen persons. For affrays, the Court fined Wm. Wright $1, and costs ; Wm. Herrod and Simon Anderson $3 each, and costs. At the July term, six bills were returned by the Grand Jury ; and for fights, Sylvester Buxton and Daniel Baxter were each fined $3, and costs. Except Michael Harter, no new person makes application to keep tavern, and none to sell goods-the houses of Burr, Green & Co., and Moody and McCarty, being simply altera-
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tions in style of firms. And for six years so few changes were made in these or other branches of business, that we desist from further detail of Court proceedings.
The legal termination of Clinton's existence is the only court matter left to be recorded on this page. The Court, on the 17th of April, heard the petition of Samuel H. Smith, Ichabod Marshal, Elihu S. Webster, Lathrop Shurtliff, John P. Mc- Ardle, Benjamin Barney and Richard Ayres, for vacation of a part of the town of Clinton, and granted the prayer. Shortly after this the Post- Office at Clinton is discontinued, and it rapidly goes into decline.
Miss Ann Davis is the second milliner adver- tised in Mount Vernon. "She is to be found at the house of James Smith, Esq., on Gay street ; and will alter straw hats of old date to any fashion, and has straw on hand for a few hats."
As the people are becoming still more fashiona- ble, another milliner makes her appearance-and she has the advantage over the others of being " Mantua-maker" and "Florist." Mary Lindsey is at the house of Benjamin Martin, corner of Vine and Market streets. March 18th, 1818, witnesses the opening out of the first " Man-tor-mentor," as the natives then pronounced the word in Mount Vernon.
Burr, Green & Co., having bought a stock of goods of Mr. Norton, in January, advertise that they will sell as low as formerly for Owl Creck paper, or approved country produce, but no credit given.
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KNOX COUNTY.
In April, 1818, a two-column address was pub- lished in favor of establishing a Sabbath School in Mount Vernon-arguing that " it would be much better for young men to instruct the children, in- stead of haunting the taverns from morning till night;" and saying that " a respectable company of young ladies in town intend to associate them- selves together for the purpose of forming a Sab- bath school."
James Smith issues an advertisement so charac- teristic of himself, and characteristic of the times, that we give it in his own words :
" NEW GOODS FOR SALE .- James Smith has just received and offers for sale a general assortment of Merchandise. In the house of Mr. Gilman Bryant, he will sell low for CASH in hand, or country produce delivered, but no credit given. OWL Creek paper will be received at par; Granville, Wooster, New Lisbon, and Canton will be received at the present. Clerk's Office removed to this stand, and
YOUNG LADIES FOR SALE
at seventy-five cents each."
About the time the Owl Creek Bank was in its glory, sundry citizens of the northern part of Knox county and of Richland and Huron concluded to grow suddenly rich in like manner. Accordingly they met at Mansfield in September, 1816, and asso- ciated themselves as the Bank of Richland and Huron. Having consulted upon the subject, in October they put their schemes into articles, and Daniel Ayres, John Garrison, Winn Winship, Wm. Webster, Wm. B. James, Wilson Elliott, Matthew Kelly, Alexander McGaffick, Plum Sut- liff, Samuel Williams, Wm. W. Cotgreave, Wm.
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Dean Mann, Geo. Venneman, Jacob Ozenbaugh and Joseph Williams take stock, and act as Com- missioners.
They got fairly to work in. Owl Creek style, and gave through the paper frequent notices reading thus-
"Wilson Elliott, Cashier, notifies stockholders to pay ten per centum on the amount of stock subscribed, being the fourth install- ment, within 60 days. Also those who have been accommodated with loans, will be prepared to pay in 25 per cent. on the renewal of their notes."
The paper of the " Granville Alexandrian Soci- ety" had, about those times, a large circulation among our citizens, and as this institution has sub- sequently acquired almost as great notoriety as the Owl, we give a few lines of our history to its origin.
A number of the Granvillians having become desirous of handling money faster than the hard money allowed, associated themselves together in 1806 to make paper money. Among this number were Timothy Rose, Timothy Spelman, Elias Gil- man, Samuel Thrall, Job Case, Samuel Rose, Sam- uel Bancroft, John Duke, Hiram Rose and Jere- miah R. Munson. On the third day of January, 1807, an act of incorporation was obtained, and the persons first named were constituted the first Board of Directors ; and for many years this organization manufactured what they called money.
The country was filled with other worthless and irresponsible bank paper, and a great deal of that counterfeit, too. "Shinplasters," as now termed, were manufactured wherever type and printing- ink could be got. We have one of the kind made
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at the Register office in Mount Vernon, by McAr- dle, to fill an order from a stranger named Isaac Foster. They were printed on common letter paper. Two quires of eighty-seven and a half cents and two quires of seventy-five cents were issued.
Mr. A. Liggett, Teller of the Farmers' and Me- chanics' Bank of Pittsburgh, wrote to L. S. Silli- man, Cashier of the Owl Creek Bank :
"There is no doubt but the person getting the checks you men- tion printed is doing so without the knowledge of Mr. Ross, for the purpose of defrauding the public. If you can, without any trouble, put a stop to it, be good enough to do so."
McArdle had printed them the 7th of December, and it was not until January that the Cashier had been heard from. Excitement ran high "on change," and with those who had taken these change tickets. Those were terrible times on Owl Creek !
Just before this occurrence, the men of com- merce had been greatly alarmed by counterfeit sil- ver dollars being put in circulation in the county, and in preference paper had assumed a prominence in the public estimation.
A man named Daniel Wolgamott was arrested, and lodged in the jail of the county, for attempting to pass twelve base and counterfeit dollars, purport- ing to be silver. And Robert Walker was arrested for having attempted to pass one counterfeit dollar. A warrant was also issued for one William Coffran, for being concerned in making and passing coun- terfeit dollars, purporting to be silver, founded on an affidavit of the prisoner, Wolgamott. Coffran was a shoemaker by trade, and, notwithstanding
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he was quite lame, made his escape. The commu- nity believed him guilty.
Wolgamott, or Vulgamott, as Sheriff Shaw called him, remained in his lodgings (the jail) about a month, when, between dark and daylight one night, he "left his bed and board;" and the Sheriff offered $45 reward for the capture of a " man six feet high, dark complexion, dark hair, and has a downcast look "-but all in vain ; the place that had known him shall know him no more forever!
Horse-thieves abounded more in Knox county at this time than at any other period of its history. Scarcely a day passed without an account of some new depredation. Among the number were two fine mares stolen from the stable of Elijah Adams, in Morris township, for which he offered $40 re- ward ; also a reward for the thief, " who no doubt belongs to the gang of thieves who have so long labored in their vocation of taking away horses from their honest owners without leave, and passing coun- terfeit money through this State."
Two shoemakers by trade, who passed by the names of Richie and Ryan, alias Austin and Scott, were of this gang; and also one John Crawford, who was caught with a horse stolen from Fairfield county, tried, and sentenced to six years imprison- ment in the Penitentiary. A horse-thief was fol- lowed till near Hanary's Block-house; but by leaving the horse, rode down and made good his escape. Another horse-thief, followed beyond Radnor, left a horse dead in the road from hard driving. It was the custom then for men to make common cause, and hunt for each other's horses as
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soon as they heard of a theft being committed ; for no one knew then but what it would be his turn to suffer next. Anti-horse-stealing associations were got up, and neighbors sympathized with each other, upon the principle that " a fellow-feeling makes us wondrous kind."
HABEAS CORPUS.
The first writ of habeas corpus was allowed " by the Honorable John H. Mefford, Esq.," April 26th, 1819. John Shaw, Sheriff, brought into the Court- house the body of Amos Yarnall, with the mitti- mus, showing the cause of his caption and deten- tion. Saml. Mott, Esq., appeared as his attorney, and on his motion, after the attorney for the State had duly considered the matters in law arising, the Court let him to bail in the sum of $50. James Smith his security.
The second case, that of Wm. Knight, who, on the 8th of July, 1819, was brought to the Court- house, and by Judge Mefford admitted to bail in the sum of $50; Alexander Elliott becoming his bondsman.
The third case occurred April 3d, 1820, when Judge Joseph Brown set at large Abel Fowler, upon Artemas Estabrook and Alfred Manning be- coming his security for his appearance at the May term of Knox Common Pleas, in the sum of $50.
In this year an interesting case was presented in allowance of a writ, on the 20th of November, by Judge Brown, requiring John Bird and Judah Bird to bring into Court the body of an Indian child, daughter of Rachel Conkapote, deceased, by
-
.
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her husband, Elisha Conkapote, both Indians of the Stockbridge tribe. Judges Young and Chap- man also appeared, and the whole Court lent itself to an impartial examination of the case, which re- sulted in their leaving the little Indian in the hands of the Birds, John and Judah. This little Indian was daughter of the squaw killed, as re- lated in chapter xxi.
This was perhaps the most interesting case heard upon writ of this character, until the great military base of Col. Warden, which was tried upon writ issued in name of the State vs. Wm. E. Davidson.
" By Judge James Elliot, September 27th, 1837.
" W. E. Davidson, Provost Marshal of the 2d Brigade, 3d Divi- sion, Ohio Militia (late 4th Brigade, 7th Division, O. M.), in pur- suance of an order by Brigadier-General Wmn. Bevans (commander of said Brigade), and upon action of a Court Martial, now in ses- sion in Mt. Vernon, convened by order of said Gen. Wm. Bevans, on Monday, Sept. 25th, 1837. Col. H. W. Strong, President of Board. Discharged by said James Elliott, Judge, &c."
Another case, of much interest, at a still later period, was about the two dwarfs-of Porter's wife -held, it was claimed, illegally by Warner. Upon hearing, however, the Court did not think so, and they remained in custody of the showman, at last accounts.
The writ of habeas corpus became a favorite re- sort in liquor cases, where parties were, as they thought, unjustly persecuted and cast into prison, by fines imposed upon temperance principles. Dur- ing the administration of his Honor Judge Bevans, more writs of habeas corpus were granted than in
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all the rest of our history put together. To such an extent was it carried, that he acquired the sobri- quet of Old Habeas Corpus. The venerable Judge always leaned towards the side of suffering human- ity. If he erred in judgment, it was because no work upon the subject had been published at that date. Our townsman, Judge Hurd's work on Ha- beas Corpus, did not get into print until the year 1858.
SPORTS AND CIRCULAR HUNTS.
From the earliest period in our history, hunt- ing, horse-racing, and athletic sports, were freely indulged in by our people. Many, very many of these festive occasions have been lost sight of or entirely forgotten by the great majority of those now living, who in these later days have become wholly absorbed in money-making pursuits, and have ceased to think that man was made to rejoice as well as to mourn. Our Owl Creek settlers, the old pioneers, bless their memories, believed that there is a time for all things, and that sports of the turf, circular hunts, etc., were not interdicted. In truth, we are constrained to say that very many of the old set believed in such sports all the time.
A grand circular hunt came off in 1818, wherein the natives of Knox and Coshocton vied with each other for the mastery. At an early hour of the day appointed for the frolic, the people commenced gathering in on the lower part of Owl Creek; and when the companies were formed under their cap- tains, more than 1500 people were present. The drive was from our county towards the town of
16
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Coshocton, and when finally the ring was drawn in, from 300 to 500 deer and many wolves were bagged. It was a glorious day that-remembered with pride by all who participated in it. Our old friend Joe Hull, of Monroe, was one of the cap- tains, and it can well be imagined that he enjoyed it hugely.
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CHAPTER XIX.
HISTORY OF THE PRESS IN KNOX COUNTY.
THE OHIO REGISTER .- THE AURORA-STANDARD-ADVERTISER-WATCH- MAN-GAZETTE-DAY-BOOK-BANNER-TRUE WHIG-TIMES .- THE VARI- OUS DAILY AND WEEKLY PAPERS, RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL PUBLICATIONS, AND SOME ACCOUNT OF THE EDITORS AND THEIR ADVENTURES.
IN July, 1813, a press was put up in Clinton, and the first newspaper ever issued in Knox county then made its appearance, styled The Ohio Register, printed and published every Tuesday by Smith and McArdle. Samuel H. Smith was the proprietor of the town of Clinton, and he induced John P. Mc- Ardle, who was a good practical printer, to engage with him in the publication of a newspaper, and in the printing business generally, at that place. Mc- Ardle emigrated from Ireland, March 17th, 1801, and came to this county in 1809. He is now living, in his 78th year, at Fremont, in this State. Smith, as elsewhere stated, is alive, and surveying in Texas.
The waning fortunes of Clinton, and the rising greatness of Mount Vernon, caused the office, after two years of tribulation, to be transferred to the latter place, and accordingly, on the 24th of April, 1816, the first paper ever issued in Mount Vernon made its appearance, bearing the name of " The Ohio Register," and having the laudable motto-
-
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" Aware that what is base no polish can make sterling." It was the prolongation of The Ohio Register, published for two years at Clinton by Sam'l H. Smith and John P. McArdle.
From the Editor's " Address to his Patrons," we extract the following :
" On moving the office and establishment of The Ohio Register to this place, it will be expected the editor (according to custom) will say something to his patrons.
" The editor, well aware of the difficulties attending the task he has undertaken, to instruct, enlighten and please the public, must not only produce that which is excellent in its kind, but he must continually vary the matter and manner of his lucubrations ; he must, to a certain degree, be all things to all men. The serious, the gay, the learned and the unlearned, not only expect that their tastes will be studied and their inclination gratified, but the same individual becomes dissatisfied with a long course of the same species of entertainment ; he hopes to be delighted and surprised; he must find productions which are meant to be instructive, and novelty in those which are designed for amusement. How the editor will execute the duties of his employment, time will dis- cover; he is not disposed to boast of his education, to make a parade of his abilities, or to seduce the publie with a multiplicity of specious promises. It is too common for editors of newspapers to undertake more than they are able to perform.
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