USA > Ohio > Highland County > A history of the early settlement of Highland County, Ohio > Part 37
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feet long in the upper side of each, three was obtained prior to the location of it. feet from the lower end- holes bored in . The spontaneous act of the people orig- the upper end through which "ings" inated it from the survey to the comple- were passed by which this primitive tion, and they chose at the time the vehicle was fastened to the liames on name above given for it, for the follow- the horse, which was placed between ing reasons: Whisky was the great in- the poles as in shafts-this is the slide ducement for making the road, and the of fifty years ago) on which, supported labor of cutting it being free and vol- by the two pins, was a full barrel of untary, a barrel of that much prized Jacob Medzker's newest whisky, tapped commodity was the first article of trade and ready for use. Two or three tin carried on it.
cups attached to each other by a string,
The small log cabin distilleries in the dangled from one of the pins, and a side vicinity of New Market in 1809 were of bacon from the other. A boy be- found totally inadequate to the demands strode the horse, under whom was a of the people, and as a natural conse- tow-linen bag partly filled with corn quence, they cast about for a more dodgers. Some of the party carried, in abundant and satisfactory supply of that addition to their axes, rifles and shot indispensable fluid. Early in the pro- pouches. To complete the train a large gress of this inquiry it was ascertained number of dogs followed, and a few of that Hemphill, an old Virginia Dutch- the most enterprising and ventursome man of considerable wealth for that day, of the village boys hovered in the rear had established a pretty extensive man- and ran along the sides of the coterie, nfactory of whisky, in Adams county, a but were wisely driven back at the edge few miles east of the present town of of the town. All the population, who remained at home, were out to witness promised a much better article than the departure of the road cutting party.
Winchester, and the fame of his whisky Highland then produced. It was believ- ed that his distillation was equal, if
When they struck the woods on the south-east of the town a halt was called not superior, to the celebrated Mononga- and the compass set and the course hela, so early and so long a favorite in fixed with care, then the supercargo of southern Ohio. The men of New Mark- the slide, Mike Moore, was called to his et in view of this determined to supply post. Whisky was freely drawn by him themselves with his whisky. To do so, and passed round the company in the however, much hard labor had to be tin cups. After thus refreshing them- undergone and many obstacles removed. selves the company proceeded with much But what will not thirsty mortality en- vigor and determination of purpose, to dure when the hope of drink, and good strike the first saplings on the route to drink in satisfying abundance, is pre- the still house. They wrought vigorous- sented! The hardy and drouthy New ly most of the day, a large portion of Marketers, after brief deliberation, de- the party keeping pretty passably sober, termined to, not only penetrate the though it is but just to say that some thick and continuous forest of fifteen zealous laborers being, perhaps more miles, which shut them out from the constitutionally thirsty than others, fell promised joys of Hemphill's still-house, by the way, and were thus deprived of but actually open a thoroughfare be- the glory of seeing the end of the great tween the ancient capital of Highland work. The party camped ont that night and that attractive spot. It was a bold, on Buckrun. Some of the hunters man- though not hazardous undertaking, and aged to kill some game, which, with the they set out for a New Year's frolic the bacon and corn bread, furnished a sup- last day of December, 1809, from their ply for supper. Mike Moore happened rendezvous at Barrere's tavern, in a to be a fiddler and had fortunately most imposing procession. First was G. taken the precaution to sling his instru- W. Barrere, Esq., acting Justice of the ment on his back. Hegave them music
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
at the camp fire to their heart's content, ton, from New Market-the Ridge then being a part of New Market township. and all who could, danced till a late hour. In the morning they were up by times. The whisky barrel, on examin- ation, was unfortunately found almost empty-merely enough for "bitters" all round. This discovery greatly acceler- ated the progress of the work and by eleven o'clock the company, slide, dogs, and all, reached the haven of their hopes. A "good dinner" all round was the first thing in order. Next they purchased a barrel of Hemphill's best, put it on the slide and started home. On the return route more speed was made, and, in view of the wonderful shrinkage of the fluid on the slide the the previous day, more stringent regu- lations were adopted, by which all hands succeeded in reaching New Market before bed time, with consider- ably more than half a barrel of whisky --- all safe and sound, on the slide. Thus was opened the road, now not much On the first Monday in January; 1810, the Board of Commissioners for the county met at the house of Levi War- ner, corner of Beech and High streets, and issued orders to sundry citizens to the amount of some fifty dollars for wolf scalps. They also transacted such other business of an ordinary character as was necessary, and after appointing Walter Craig their permanent clerk, adjourned on the third day till the 17th day of the month. This appointment used it is true, for the still house has long since gone the way of all things human, and the place of its interesting whereabouts is known only to the aged, but which is known by no other name than that which we have given, though it has by no means been used for exclu- sive whisky purposes. It passes through an intelligent, refined and Christian community, who are quite as ambitious of a reputation for temperance, and as loud in the denunciations of whisky as of a permanent clerk outside of the the most zealous, noisy and short-sight- Board, was the first step towards es- ed advocates of reform, in the favorite tablishing the office of County Auditor in Highland. and exclusive subject of the quenching of thirst, apparently peculiar to frail man the world over. The road was, however, too thoroughly baptised in whisky at its opening, ever to lose the name, inappropriate as it may now seem to the people of the vicinity who pass soberly over it.
No further accessions to the Sugartree Ridge neighborhood took place till the summer and fall of 1809, when James Rotroff, Henry Nace and St. Clair Ross settled immediately on and near the Ridge, which was early named from the beautiful and abundant growth of the
Sugartree. Most of these early orna- fourth cents per pound. George Rich-
ments of that locality have been de- stroyed, a few, however, yet remain to speak, like the cedars of Lebanon, of the grandeur of other days, when their fallen companions . were standing by their sides, thus rendering complete one of the most beautiful forests in Ohio.
In regular succession, during the two or three following years, the Sugartree Ridge settlement was enlarged by the arrival of Oliver Ross and Robert Hus-
In September, 1809, the Highland Battalion muster was at the farm of Jesse Lucas in Paint township. Noth- ing of unusual interest occurred at this exercise of the military of the county. Major Franklin still held the com- mand, and deported hinself on this oc- casion with his accustomed display and dignity. Of course the novelty of this . annual meeting of the six companies of the legally organized militia, had not in the least abated since the last grand parade at Billy Hill's, and a larger number of spectators, chiefly boys, were early on the ground. Gingerbread, whisky and watermelons were present in considerable abundance and, alto- gether, the exercise and amusements of the day went off pretty satisfactorily, with the usual number of foot-races, fights, &c.
The adjourned meeting of the Com- missioners was chiefly for the purpose of selling out the work of the new jail, and on the next day in pursuance of their former order, the work was cried off. Gus Richards was the auctioneer, for which he was ordered to be paid three dollars. Caleb Reynolds bid off the mason work of the jail and jailor's house at $139.50, and John Wily, of Chillicothe, took the carpenter work of the same at $475. Joseph Dryden and William Barnett took the contract for the blacksmith work at five and three-
ards was engaged to furnish the neces- sary amount of iron for the work for which $100 were ordered to him, after which the Board adjourned to the 27th of February, when they met and issued more orders for wolf scalps and trans- acted some other ordinary business, when they adjourned to the first Mon- day of March.
At this session the location of the new jail was settled as follows, to-wit: "Twelve poles from the east side of the
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
public ground to the west side of the large set of stairs, to ascend the upper jail at right-angles with Main street on rooms of both buildings. At each end a line with the Court House." This of this passage there shall be a grated arrangement placed the old jail almost window. It is understood that the due west of the old Court House, and jailor's rooms are to be of frame work, the north side a few feet south of the of good sound oak, and the roof to be front of the present jail, the whole of shingled with joint shingles, of good the building lying to the east of it. sound oak timber. There shall be a
The jail, it was determined, should door in the front of the jailor's room. be built of stone, this being considered and another to enter the passage next the most durable material for a build- the jail, said room to be divided into ing of that kind, as well as the most two equal parts by a partition of plank. difficult to break.
The flooring shall be of sound oak well tongued and grooved. A stack of chimneys of stone, with two fire places
As the whole structure disappeared plank one and a quarter inches thick, upwards of forty years ago, it may be interesting to some to know the ex- act plan fixed by the Commissioners. below, three feet in the back, arched The jail-the stone part-was "thirty and made complete."
feet by eighteen, wall two feet in the
This work was contracted to be fully ground and six inches above the sur- completed by the first day of January, face of the earth under the floor. The 1811, and each contractor was required lower story, between the floors, to be to give bond and good security, to the eight feet high and the wall to be three satisfaction of the Commissioners, for the faithful performance of his con- feet thick. To.be divided into two rooms, one room to be twelve feet by tract. thirteen in the clear, for the confine -.
In front of the jailor's part of this ment of criminals; the other is design- house was a large porch of no great ed for the use of a dungeon. The up- pretensions, and, on the whole, the per story to be seven feet high, between building, when completed, was a most the floors, the outside walls to be two clumsy and forbidding affair. feet thick, divided into two rooms, in It is a little singular, taking into the same manner as the lower story, view the care with which the Commis- for the reception of debtors of each sex, sioners seem to have had this building the whole to be built in the most ap- constructed, that it only stood about proved manner, with good stone, laidin twenty-six years, during most of which a suitable quantity of sand and lime, time it was not worthy the name of duly proportioned for strength and prison, for it would hold no one who utility. Under the foundation of the chose to make the effort to get out; and jail, it shall be paved with rock six the frame part, long before it was torn inches deep. There shall be provided down, was almost untenable. Public by the undertaker of the carpenter work, two sets of square timbers, eight
buildings, while they generally cost double as much as private houses, do age half as long. This is well attested
inches by four, to be laid in the walls not in this county, stand on the aver-
of each lower room, for the conveni- ence of lining the two rooms. The in the town of Hillsboro.
three floors of the jail shall be laid with
The spring term of the Court of good sound oak timbers, not less than Common Pleas for 1810 was com- twelve inches deep. These tinibers to menced at Barnet's tavern in Hillsboro be well squared or hewed, and be laid on the 26th day of February. The in the wall, not less than six inches at President Judge, Belt, was not on the each end. The partition wall of the Bench during this term, which lasted upper story, of good sound two inch five days, without recording anything oak plank, and the partition wall of the of particular interest at this day. Levi lower story to be of equal thickness
Warner was licensed to keep tavern in with outside walls. There shall be one Hillsboro in the house formerly occu- door to each lower room, with iron pied by Barnet, which was then the grates two feet four inches wide and principal hotel in the place, and stood five feet high, and a door to each upper as it will be remembered by the reader room of the same dimensions, to be of on Beech street, west of High, on the wood well lined with iron. south side about the middle of the
"There shall be a jailor's house attach- square.,
ed to the prison, twenty feet by thirty,
"At this term the Court examined the and the same height of the jail, so as to accounts of George Richards, Director be contained under one roof. An entry of the town of Hillsboro, and found his of five feet in the clear, taken off the receipts on the sale of lots to be three jailor's rooms for the convenience of a thousand and forty-five dollars and
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
eighty-two cents. The Court allowed evening came they returned to the den him three dollars per day for his ser- or cave in the rocks, and after a careful vices, and authorized him to sell on the examination they satisfied themselves' same credits as the first sale, areserved that bruin was still there in defiance of lot, No. 118, and to advertise it in the the smoke. So Jackson proposed to county of Highland only, the sale to take a torch and crawl into the hole take place'on the first day of the next summer term of Court. Court then adjourned without day.
and force him out, for they were deter- mined to have him at all hazards. He accordingly prepared himself and man- aged by a considerable effort to force himself in. He soon succeeded by the
The oldest brick dwelling, and doubt- less the first built in the county. was that half a mile east of Clear Creek on the help of his torch in finding the bear, Chillicothe pike. It was erected by Judge Richard Evans in 1810, the brick having been made on the ground the preceding year. Richard Lucas was the contractor for the brick work and and Robert Warson, both of whom had recently come from Fleming county, Kentucky, and settled in Hillsboro, and
which, contrary to his expectations, was quite dead from his shot. On making this discovery and satisfying himself that there was no mistake, he called out to Lowman at the mouth of the was assisted in laying them by Samuel hole to come and assist him in dragging out the carcass. Lowman crept in and managed to get hold of the body, and pulled out while Jackson pushed. The - became industrious and useful citizens. bear was a very large one, and in that Daniel Weir, recently from Virginia, contracted place was quite difficult to contracted for the carpenter work, in which he was assisted by David Reece. This building was near three years in completion.
The same year Foster Leverton built a two story brick house, on the present Washington road, seven miles north of Hillsboro. We have no information as to the names of the workmen on this building.
In the fall of 1809, as Samuel Jackson was passing along a trace down the banks of Sunfish Creek, about three miles east of Sinking Springs, he saw a large bear crossing the path before him. The bear, not seeing him, went into a hole in the rocks while yet in sight near the creek. Jackson deter- mined to have him out but knew that When they reached the place they first
opening. Then laying himself on filled the hole with dry branches, which his back, with both fect against they set on fire. After this they sta- the rocks, he took a long and steady tioned themselves thirty or forty yards pull for life, and finally, to the great distant, rifles in hand. The smoke joy of his friend inside, brought out soon entered the hole and forced bruin the bear, and saved him from suffoca- out. As he emerged Jackson fired and tion. Mr. Lowman above named was wounded him. The bear then retreat- long a most worthy citizen of the vi- ed to another hole close to the first. cinity of Hillsboro.
At the February term of the Court of Common. Pleas 1810, James Daniel was appointed Prosecuting Attorney for the county of Highland. He was the first lawyer located in the town of Hillsboro. He did not, however, de-
The entrance of this was just large enough for him to pass through, but increased in size further in. Thehunt- ers again filled the mouth with leaves and fired them. But after waiting for upwards of an hour for the re-appear- ance of the bear, and neither seeing vote himself to his profession for any nor hearing him, they concluded to go great length of time and held the office. home and wait till evening. When of Prosecutor only a few months.
manage. The mouth of the cave being small, the great difficulty was, however, to get him through it. Indeed, the thing seemed impossible, although the animal had entered with apparent ease while alive. After many efforts it finally stuck fast, and became wedged so tight that they could not move it either way. The efforts of Lowman at the entrance of the hole had stirred up the remains of the leaves fired in the early part of the day, and the fire not being extinguished, a dense smoke soon penetrated the cave, notwithstanding the fact that the bear was fast in the mouth. Jackson being on the inside was like to suffocate, and Lowman be- ing partly in was in little better condi- tion. In this alarming state of affairs he could not effect his purpose alone. while Jackson was begging and pray- He therefore went to the nearest cabin, ing with the little breath he had yet which happened to be John Lowman's, remaining, Lowman was inaking al- for assistance, who immediately re- most superhuman efforts to rescue hin. turned with him to the den of the bear. By thrusting his hands between the They took a chunk of fire with them. bear and the rocks, he made a slight
A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
Ou the 30th day of June, 1810, the The Treasurers at that day were chosen AAssociate Judges held a special Court for the people of the county by the in the new Court House in Hillsboro, Board of Commissioners. This was an- which was the first use made of it for the purpose for which it was erected. thorized by an act passed January 15th, 1810, requiring the Commissioners of each county in the State to electannual-
It was to have been conpleted some months earlier, but the contractors ly on the first Monday of June a County failed, and from the time at which they Treasurer. The per cent. (four) allowed had obligated themselves to have it the Treasurer for the preceding year ready, to the day it was first used, the amounted to one hundred and forty-six Commissioners charged them with the dollars and thirty-six cents.
cost of rooms for the use of the Court and juries.
At this session of the Board the jailor, John Shields, was ordered to be paid
As is frequently the case in public sixteen dollars for keeping William buildings as well as private, there was Simpson, a debtor, in jail thirty-two considerable difficulty in this case with days. This is the first case of imprison- thecontractors, Shields and Pye. They, ment for debt, which appears on the in addition to their failure to get the records of the county.
work done in time, charged upwards of
On the 10th of June. 1810, the Com- a thousand dollars for extra work, missioners ordered "that there be a which the Commissioners refused to township struck off from the northeast pay. An arbitration was then agreed corner of the county of Highland, by the upon by the parties, and workmen call- name of Madison, beginning at the ed upon to examine and value all the mouth of Rattlesnake fork. of Paint . extra work about the building. Pleas- ant Arthur, John JJones and Anthony
Creek, thence up the same to the line of Highland county, thence with said line
Franklin were called upon for this east to Paint Creek, thence with the purpose. They were engaged seven meanders of Paint Creek to the begin- days in the investigation, and ordered ing." to be paid fifteen dollars each for their During this year the township of services. By the award of arbitrators, Richland disappeared from the county the county had to pay six hundred and of Highland, being absorbed in the ninety-seven dollars and seventy-nine county of Clinton, which was establish- cents for extra work, upon which the ed during the spring. Fayette county was also established at the same time, a large portion of which was taken from Highland. Commissioners in behalf of the county, received the building from the contract- ors and issued orders for the payment of the money then due. This was not.
The summer term of the Court of however, until the 11th of January, Common Pleas for Highland was held 1811 -- six months after the county had in the Court House at Hillsboro, and commenced using the house for Court purposes.
commenced on the 7th day of August, 1810, present, Hon. John Thompson,
The Lebanon road was surveyed and President, Richard Evans, John David- opened during 1811, and the bound- son and Jonathan Berryman, Associates. aries of New Market and Union town- Moses Patterson was foreman of the ships changed, the first, "from Andrew Grand Jury. The Court remained in Kessinger's, with the new road from session three days, but the record of Morgan Vanmeter's, as far as the An- their proceedings discloses nothing of derson State road, thenee with said road interest at this day, except, perhaps, westerly to the boundary line of the that indictments were found against county as formerly" the line of Union William Hill, Jonathan Boyd, G. W. township to "be continued from where Barrere, George Richards and Allen the old Mad River road crosses Ander- Trimble, all for assault and battery. son's State road, thence with said road This year B. H. Johnson was licensed ' easterly, so far as the intersection of the to retail merchandise in the town of. New Market road from Morgan Vanme- Hillsboro, also Joshna Woodrow & Son. +er's the new way, thence a northeaster- y direction to strike Joshua Hussey's as formerly."
A county road was this year op. o :1 from New Market to Lytle's salt winks.
At the June session of the Con mis-
The fall term was held at the same place on the 27th day of November. present, the same judges as at the last terni.
At this tenu the Rev. Nicholas Pet- tinger was licensed to solemnize the rite. sionera, 1810, John Richards was re- of matrimony, John Smith to retail elected Treasurer for Highland an Ien- merchandise in the town of Hillsboro tered into bond with John Smith, Allen and James D. Scott to keep a tavern. Trimble and G. W. Barrere, securities.
The third session of the Supreme
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
Court for the county of Highland was menced business .. Amariah Gossett held at tlie Court House in Hillsboro on worked with him as a partner. the 12th day of October, 1810, by Judges
That year was one of remarkable William W. Irvin and Ethan Allen scarcity. All kinds of provisions were Brown. No business of interest at this greatly needed, particularly by the in- day was done, and the Court adjourned habitants of towns. Breadstuff was, at the close of the first day. however, the most difficult to obtain. Fisher, having waited in vain for sup-
The annual election was held on the 9th day of October this year, (1810). plies to come to market, determined to Thomas Worthington and Return Meigs, have bread if grain could be found in were the candidates voted for for Gov- the county, so he mounted his horse and ernor. The majority in Highland voted started. He went through the Clear for Worthington, but Meigs was the successful candidate throughout the State. Jeremiah Morrow was re-elected to Congress without opposition. Sam- uel Evans was elected Senator, and Sam- uel Reese, Representative, and Jesse Baldwin, Commissioner. Creek settlement from end to end, but could find no one who would sell him corn or wheat. From there he went to Fall Creek and after several days search he chanced upon a Quaker, whose name is not remembered, who confessed to having a few bushels of wheat more In the new township of Madison; which had recently organized by the election of the prescribed township ofli- cers, the October election for 1810 was held at Greenfield. There were forty- seven votes polled by the following citi- zens: Samuel Strain, Joseph Hender- son, James Watts, Wilson Stewart, James Thornton, Joseph Hill, Lewis Lutrel, Fredrick Grants, Matthew L. Kilgore, William Biswell, Jacob Jones, Matthew Brown, Francis Nott, Joseph Bell, George Gray, James Currey, Thomas Rogers, Josiah Bell, James Strain, James Rogers, David Dutton, James Kingrey, Demsy Caps, Charles Hughey, William Bacon, Henry Brown, Seph. Fisher, Samuel Hatton, John Kil- bourn, Jeptha Johnson, James Fisher, Charles Brown, Samuel Gibson, David Strain, William McMillen, Samuel Kin- grey, Samuel Holladay, John Fisher, Jacob Kingrey, Cornelius Hill, George Sanderson, Alexander Morrow, jr., Alex- ander Morrow, George Mitchell, John Coffey, John R Strain and John Sellers. The judges of the election were Samuel Strain, Wilson Stewart and Matthew L. Kilgore, and the clerks were Joseph Henderson and John R. Strain. John Coffey was the first Justice of the Peace in this township, but we can not name the constables. ยท than he absolutely needed. Fisher told him he must have some-told the owner the time and effort he had bestowed in the pursuit of bread for his family, who were waiting with the greatest anxiety, almost starved, the result of his expedi- tion, and never doubting that a heavy price tendered in coin would so far arouse the Quaker's cupidity as to enable him to return home with a small supply. He offered seventy-five cents per bushel for six bushels, but met a prompt re- fusal. Fisher then bid a dollar, but again met an emphatic no. Again he bid a dollar and twenty-five cents, which was at that day four times the price of wheat, but was still refused. Vexed at this apparent determination on the part of the owner to take a mean advantage of his necessity, he said what will you take? I must have it and you well know it. Well, responded the Quaker, if thee must have it I will charge thee fifty cents a bushel and no more. Fish- er closed the bargain at once and re- turned rejoicing to his family, took a small wagon and brought home the wheat, which greatly cheered the hearts of the two families, his own and Gos- sett's, who, whilst they ate the sweet bread blessed the good Quaker. We re- gret exceedingly our inability to get the name of this true practical Christian, for he deserves to be remembered and pre- sented in bright contrast to shame the unchristian grasping of the men of this day.
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