USA > Ohio > Darke County > A pictorial outline history of Darke County, Ohio with portraits and biography of prominent citizens of the county, county and ex-county officials, attorneys at law, city officials, bankers, capitalists, business men, teachers, ministers, agriculturalists and notable citizens of the county > Part 3
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the county in the early years of its history. In the year .1820 .. the business of the County Treasurer may be stated as follows: Amount . of orders redeemed, $708.82; receipts' for fines, $16.50; for licenses, $32.00; for permits, $10.69; total of these items, $59.19. Received from Tax Collector, $446.0512; received on notes and costs on roads, $185.644 ; received of Azor Scribner, tavern license, $10.00; total amount received, $700.8834. The Sheriff's salary for 1821, was $30.00; the Auditor's salary for 1824, was $125.00. We may add that the total amount paid into the county treasury, from September, 1873, to September, 1874, including the balance of the March settlement, 1873, was $462, 503.96. The expenditures during the same time were $355, 314.41. The salaries of the countv. officers for the same time were as follows:
Clerk of the Court $1,650 66
Recorder
1,630 00
Treasurer, with special duplicate. 2,817 19
Auditor 2,800 00
Sheriff 2,625 56
Prosecuting Attorney .765 90
Probate Judge. 2,752 43
Commissioners, average salary 705 69
And these salaries, we have been informed, much exceed the above figures at the present time; for surely as the labor increases because of increased wealth and improvements, the salary increases in like proportion.
Now, while there has been a steady advancement in all the departments mentioned, and while the inhabitants of Darke county, in an early day, were unequaled for their kindness, honesty and hospitality, the inhabitants of a later day are engaged in farming, manufacturing and carrying on the trades and professions which are complements of and auxiliary to their leading employments, and they are noted for their morality and intelligence. And while all these conditions exist, we must remember one industry in which the early settlers excelled, for in 1824 there were, perhaps, a dozen "one-horse distilleries, whose total product fell far short of slaking the thirst of the people, and additional supplies . were
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constantly required from the establishments on Stillwater, Twin and Whitewater. in addition to the importation of Cogniac, Jamaica and Schiedam, from Cincinnati, together with Madeira, Sherry and. Port, necessary in case of sickness." To-day there is not a single distillery in the county, nor has there been for a number of years, yet the ease and facility with which the liquid poison is obtained, has established the saloon in almost every town in the county, and its deleterious influence is felt in almost every home. Not that so many frequent these places of iniquity, but the fear exists that young and old may, sooner or later, be overcome by its temptations. The prohibition element is strong in the county. The Women's Christian Temperance Union is doing a grand work for the young, and is yet in its infancy; the establishment of a Temperance Sunday school and free reading-room in the city of Greenville are products of the efforts put forth by this organization to stay the tide of intemperance, yet these efforts have been but partially successful. We do not say that intemperance in the county is on the increase. for we believe it is not. The influence of the saloon and the curse of strong drink, however, is with us and every citizen of the county should feel the responsibility of this great evil resting upon him. Our legislatures have taken steps in the right direction; the teachers in our public schools are required to explain the evil results of its use to their pupils, - so that the next generation should be more temperate than the present one.
And thus, in one respect, we may notice the. increase in population and the development of the resources of the county. Eighty-four years ago the first white man built the first . dwelling within the limits of Darke county. Adventurers, surveyors, traders and trappers, had been here before. but the roads made by armies had been abandoned and overgrown by weeds and briers; and the Indians, subdued by the superior prowess of the white man, (subdued but sullem) still found his rude home on the lands of the county's meandering streams, his habits of life in no way changed by the former influence of the white man. But these
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passing yeus have transformed the abode of the sullen savage to an home of the highest civilization. The early settler endured cold and hunger, the peltings of the pittiless storm and all the horrors of savage warfare that they might enjoy civil and religious freedom. They had strong confidence in the result of their labor. prominent among which in volume and character of its products is agriculture. But education and religion were not ignored, and immediately after completing the cabins to shelter themselves and families, they erected the rude log school-house occupied by the teacher and pupils during the day and perhaps at night, and on Sundays was used by the settlers as a place of public worship ; and thus were encouraged those sterling agencies that are intended to elevate and ennoble the human character, while they direct and stimulate cachtion in the proper direction. These testimonials of energy and industry in the past are repeated in the present and give encouragement and direction to the future. Surely the labors of the people of Darke county from its infancy have been progressive, and from the most disheartening commencement, we may, with satisfaction, discern its growth and its present proud preeminence among its sister counties in the elements of
stable and enduring prosperity. May we not say that these pioneers found subsistence hard to obtain from the soil because of the dangers to which they were exposed, for while at work by day a sentinel was on the watch to give notice of the approach of danger, and at night they would retire within the pickets or forts. And so they labored until clearings of sufficient size to support their families had been secured. Thus encouraged, their friends and acquaintances from the East joined them, and thus in a few years a new community was formed. The forest disappeared beneath the sturdy stroke of the emigrant and in a short time the new clime and the rising "settlement is already linked in all its future expectations and associations with that from which its fathers and founders have wandered." In this manner was the county of Darke settled and its resources developed. We may also mention the arduous labors of the early settlers; their log cabins, their home-made furniture and home-made attire; their rough, but kind
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manners and their "open handed generosity." But the cabin gave way to the comfortable hewed log-house, which for many years was considered the emblem of thrift and prosperity. But this in time has almost entirely disappeared, and the beautiful frame or more substantial brick-house, with all the the modern improve- ments and conveniencies, speak of the continued prosperity of the present citizen.
The early condition of society made it necessary that men, while seeking opportunities to pursue their trade or profession, as it might be, should, at the same time, be the owner of a tract of land; and it was not unfrequently the case that the blacksmith- shop was located close to the dwelling, and the smith on returning from farm labor, would find jobs of repairing for neighbors awaiting him. The preacher would also labor during the week and preach and exhort on the Sabbath and attend to the rites of burying the dead whenever called upon. The teacher would only engage in his profession for a few months in the year, and for these services the payment of money was out of the question for there was but little, if any, in circulation, and he was paid in corn, meat. hay, or anything that could be spared, and hence, while not employed in teaching, was expected to labor for a living as did the other settlers. But corn, potatoes, etc., would hardly ever find a ready market among the farmers, for all could raise these products and the most common way of disposing of corn was to trade it to the distiller for whisky, and then sell the whisky, which invari- ably commanded a fair price. Teachers frequently took their pay in corn and disposed of it as above stated; but to-day they need no longer patronize distilleries for the purpose of obtaining food or the other necessaries of life, and the sentiment of all communities is that the teacher who frequents saloons or is addicted to intemperance is not a fit person to assume the duties and responsibilities of a public or private instructor for the young. He should not be sc employed for he is a disgrace to the profession.
Darkc county bas a soll, a climate and a local position which constitute the essential elements of a first-class agricultural county, Its surface is generally rolling and in nearly all places
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sufficiently sloping to furnish self-drainage. Its marshes and peat bogs have all been reclaimed and are now utilized. A small surface lake exists in the south-west part of the county which furnishes clear, cold water in great abundance from springs in the same, while in the northern part of the county a subterranean lake is known 'to exist, a description of which is given by' one writer as follows : "Many years ago in the construction of the Cleve- land, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis railroad in the northern part of the county, the route of the track necessitated the running over one of these peat. bogs. . To the apparently dry loam with its dense growth of vegetation was added sufficient gravel and other material to complete the bed of the road and in due time the rails were laid and th; track used. But one morning not long after as the train came along, a break was espied; the track had evidently disappeared, and upon investigation, the truth was revealed; The track instead of crossing over a dry peat bog was, rather, laid over a hidden lake. Vast quantities of mozses and aquatic plants, together with branches, trunks of trees and other accum. ulations had collected until they had formed, as it- were, a super- aquatic soil of several feet in thickness, and of such a remarkable density and buoyancy as to support for a time the weight of a passing - train." We may add that large quantities of material such as earth, gravel and large timbers were dumped in this open- ing, in the water of which were seen fish without eyes, all of which for a time disappeared, but finally the chasm was "bridged " and remained for several weeks when it again disappeared. A second effort to fill up the space has been successful; no further evidence of the subterranean lake has been discovered.
OFFICIAL. ROSTER OF DARKE COUNTY.
An instructive record in connection with the history of Darke county is its official list which we give as follows: Members of the Assembly : 1843, James Bryson; 1844, D. I. Hostetter; 1848, Luther Monfort: 1849, George Ward; 1950, Judge Lennox; 1851, P. V. Banta; 1853, Evan Baker; 1855, J. C. Williamson; 1857-9, J. I .. Winner; 1861, L. B. Lott, (served two terms) ; 1865,
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Scipio Myers; 1867-9, Jacob Baker, (two terms) ; 1871, E. N. Walker; 1873, D. T. Styles; 1875-7, Dr. Hostetter, (two terms) ; 1879. Charles Negley and Washington Long. The law was again changed and in 1883 David Baker was the only Representative; who served two terms, and was succeeded in 1887 by A. C.
Robeson. £ The rule or law being again changed and the county being entitled to two Representatives, in 1889 A. C. Robeson and Harvey Garber were elected. County Commissioners : 1817, Archibald Bryson two years, Abraham Studabaker, three years, Silas Atchison, one year; 1818, Jacob Miller, one year, (record
not complete). 1823, William Cury, one year, Abraham Stude- baker, ten years, John McNeill, two years; 1824, Joshua Howell, two years, Dennis Hart, three years; 1826. James Bryson four years, Kobert Kobeson one year; 1828, David Briggs, one year ; 1831. Jacob Harter. three years; 1832, Soloman Riffle, five years; 1833, John Swisher, two years; 1837, Richard Lucas, two years; 1840. Moses Wood, three years and William B. Ludd, che year, 1841, George Ward three years; 1842, John McGriff, Jr. : 1843, John Colville, five years; 1844. Henry Lipps, two
. years ; 1845, William Arnold, two years : 1848, John Miller, one year; 1848, (October) Christian Harshey, two years, Adam Baker, who resigned, and Henry Arnold appointed till the next election ; 1849, Samuel C. Baker, two years and Isaac Reed, three years; 1851, Daniel Reigle, five years; 1852, David Stude- baker, five years; 1853, Abdel Slonaker, two years; 1855, S. A. Greer, three years; 1856, William Kerr, three years; 1857, Michael Zeech, three years; 1858, William Wight, three years; 1859, Riley Gard, three years; 1863, John Stoltz, six years; 1864, George Ivester, six years; 1865, Samuel Alexander, three years; 1868, David Oliver, three years: 1869, Jesse Woods, three years; 1871, James Auld, three years; 1872. J. R. Holland, four
years ;
1873,
Elisha Berry, four years; 1874.
John Antonides,
one year, ; 1877, George D. Miller, three years; 1878. William Archard ; 1879. J. H. Antonides George D. Miller and E. Berry; 1886, G. D. Miller, E. berry and Wm. Archard; 1881, WVm. Archard Samuel Wilson and J. G. Deubner; 1882, Wilson,
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Deubner and J. P. Frederick; 1883, Wilson, Frederick and J. W. Corwin; 1884, Wilson, Corwin and Frederick; 1885, Wilson, Corwin and Wm. Archard; 1886, Wilson, Archard and R. D .. Beam: 1887. Archard, Beem and S. J. Stapleton; 1988, Stapleton, Beam and William Smith; IS89, same incumbents as above. Probate Judges: John Wharry, elected in 1851; A. R. Calderwood, 1854; D. H. R. Jobes, 1857; J. C. McKemy, 1866, resigned 1868, and A. T. Bodle was appointed to serve from April to November of that year; James T. Mecker was elected in October, 1868, to complete the term, then elected in 1869 for three years, and again chosen in 1872; J. A. Jobes was chosen in 1875, and re-elected in, 1878; S. I .. Kolp, 1881, and re-elected in 1884: 1. C. Anderson, 1887, and is now the incumbent of the office. No list of Prosecuting Attorneys is given. Clerk of the Common Pleas and Circuit Courts: Linus Bascom was the first Clerk appointed in Darke county, and held one year; Easton Morris was appointed in June, 1818, served seven years; David Morris served four years and died, when L. R. Brownell served pre tem. from August to November of 1820; John Beers served three terms, from 1829, to 1850; David Beers served a few months, after which J. W. Frizell was appointed for a term of seven years, but the new constitution, which was adopted in 1852. reduced the term to three years. Samuel Robinson was elected October, 1854; William C. Porterfield in October, 1865, but died before the expiration of his term and was succeeded by Henry Miller, who served as Clerk, pro tem. until October, 1862, when he was elected and served two terms; Hamilton Slade was elected in 1868; Wesley Gorsuch, 1873, and John H. Martin filled three months of the unexpired term following Gorsuch's resignation, finally being elected in 1879; P. H. Maher, 1885, and is the present incumbent. Sheriff's of Darke county: On the second Monday of August, 1817. Moses Scott was appointed Sheriff by Thomas Worthington, Governor of Ohio-bond. $4,000. He served until 1820. and his successor, William Scott. served anti! 1824; Wark T. Mills, 1823; Joshua . Howell, 1830; John Howell, 1834: James Craig was appointed, but died and William Vance
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served until 1836; David Angel, r840; Thomas Vantilburgh. 1844-52-56; George Coover, 1848; David Stamm, 1852; Joshua Townsend, 1860; G. W. Hamilton, 1862; Chauncey Riffle, 1866; A. Vandyke, 1870; N. M. - Wilson, 1875, J: W. Hall, 1879; Jerry Runkle, 1883; Thomas Licklider, 1887; . D. E. Vantilburgh until 1889; and .John Welker is the present incumbent. County Auditors: These officers serve for three years. June 5, 1821, John Devor was appointed. H. D. Williams was appointed in 1822. March John
24, Craig
was elected, but he died
in June, 1826, and John Beers was appointed to fill the vacancy; he resigned in December. 1829, to accept the appoint- meut of Clerk of the Court, and in January, 1830, David Cole was appointed to fill the vacancy. In October, 1832, Iliram Bellows was elected ; resigned October 5, 1836, and David Angel served until January, 1837, when John McIlthanney took his seat; the latter died some time after, and at a special meeting called by the Sheriff, in September, '37, Commodore C. Craig was appointed, then elected, and served until 1840, when he resigned and William M. Wilson succeeded him. Wilson held the office until October, 1846, when he resigned and John L. Winner was appointed to All the unexpired term. David Stamm served a term, and was followed by Frederick Gram, who died, and A. R. Doty was appointed to All the vacancy. A. L. Northrop served from October, 1849, until 1352, when George W. Coover was elected. Joseph C. Shepherd was chosen iu 1854; John E. Matchett, 1857; D. B. Clew, 1861; E. H. Wright, 1865; O. C. Perry, 1867; John E. Matchett, 1871; William J. Kelly, 1873: John C. Turpen, . 1879; Cyrus :Minnick, 1883, and J. H: Klipstein is the present incumbent. County Treasurers-serve for two years. John Devor, appointed June 1817-18-19; Daniel Briggs, 1821; Linus Bascom, 1822-4 : John Beers, 1825, Abraham Scribner, 1826-7. Loring R. Brownell, elected October, 1831; Henry D. Williams, 1835: James M. Dorsey, 183 ;: Daniel Irwin, 1$39; (James Devor was appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Irwin, in May, 1844): Charles Hutchins, 1847: James Irwin. : 851-3: William Schmidt was appointed in 1854; James McKhaan was elected in
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1855-7, George H. Martz, 1859-61; Thomas P. Turpen, 1862; Eli Helm, 1866 (two terms) ; Peter V. Banta, 1870 (two terms) , William K. Kerlin, 1874 (two terms); Amos Hahn, 1878; John S. Simon, 1882 (two terms); and Henry M. Bickel, the present incumbent, for two terms. County Recorders: Abraham Scribner was the first Recorder, appointed in 1817; Easton Morris, 1822; Josiah D. Farrar, Thomas Rush and John Wharry, served in the order named. Elias Bromagen, elected in 1844; John S. Shepherd, 1850; S. C. Edington, 1856; Daniel M. Stevenson, 1859; Amos F. Medford, 1865; Benjamin Beers, 1868; P. H. Maher, 1874. re-elected in 1878; Richard Hunt, 1881 (two terms), and Daniel Snyder is the present incumbent.
Desides these officers for the county, there is the Coroner, Surveyor, three Infirmary Directors, a Superintendent of the County Infirmary and the Children's Orphans' Home, with a Board of Trustees to take charge of the same. The county is conceded to be Democratic and has been for many years, the Republicans occasionally electing an officer when dissensions and disagreements spring up in the dominant party. At present there is but one Republican officer elected by the people. During the late war the county, and particularly the city of Greenville, was one of the most thoroughly agitated localities in the State of Ohio. "The local press did not mince matters, but criminations and recriminations were frequent. The editorial pencils were held firmly and moved by fervid energy. Italics, 'small caps' and 'caps,' wearied the printer, and political writers and speakers dealt in denunciations,
threats and charges. . The Democrat office was 'pied' and pitched into the street." Extreme measures were resorted to, but no lives were lost. In later years a more conservative spirit was manifested by all parties; harmony has been restored, and this condition of affairs speaks well for the patriotism and intelligence of the people.
PUBLIC ROADS.
We cannot close this article without giving the public roads of the county a passing notice, and will say the public roads of the state, first laid out, was by order of the State Legislature
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The first one located in Darke county led from. Troy, in Miami county, through Gettysburg, to Greenville; this was about the year 1811, and settlers coming from Troy and Piqua came by this road. It led past the block-house of Abraham Studebaker, near Gettysburg, and was made a toll-pike in 1853, being the first in the county; part of which, at the present writing, is the only toll-pike now in the county. At that time there were only two or three families living between Piqua and the block-house just named. The roads leading from Greenville to Milcon, Shanesville, Fort Recovery and Fort Jefferson, were laid out shortly after the organization of the county, by the commissioners of the same, but little was done by way of improving them at that time. They were laid out to suit the convenience of the bottleis without any regard to section lines, but in after years, when these farms were cleared up and fully developed, the necessity of changing the locality of many of these roads required much legislation and was accompanied by a great deal of expense to the land-owners. Particularly did this necessity become apparent when these roads were changed to "free turnpikes," and land-owners were heavily taxed to construct the same. For many years this
construction of free pikes in the county has become epidemic, and has fostered such a spirit of rivalry that more than two hundred roads, and parts of roads, have been thus improved, and some of them at an expense of not less than four dollars per acre. These improvements show that the farmers are determined to invest in what will prove a permanent benefit to the country, And while some have been compelled to sell part of their land to meet these expenses, the increased value of the land shows that the result of this special enterprise has been favorable to those most heavily taxed. Our county now stands second to none in the state for good roads, and the expense of keeping the same in good repair is not burdensome to the land owners.
The general improvement of the farms has kept pace with that of the roads, and the establishment in the county of a "Farmers' Institute" has given new engery to the many enter- prises already at work, and from the present outlook we will not
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be boastfal in saying that in all internal improvements Darke will stand side by side with any other county in the state, within the next few years.
What a change has here taken place! Imagine this vast area shrouded in the mantle that Nature give it; the dense forest; the almost impenetrable swamp; no mark of civilization greeting the eye of the adventurer; no church; no school; nothing for the weary traveler to appease his hunger, but the trusty rifle. The howl of the wolf, the scream of the panther, or the whoop of the Indian, alone broke the enchanted stillness where now civilization and Christian influence have taken up their permanent abode.
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GEOLOGY OF DARKE COUNTY.
UCH has been said in regard to the primitive condition and importance of Darke county. and though for a long time the name was held in derision, (the currency of its inhabitants being hoop-poles, and its people being regarded as semi-civilized,) to-day the county ranks with the first in the state. In a geological, historical and agricultural sense no other county in this commonwealth presents more matters of interest than does this county, and he who assumes the duties of an instructor should certainly be familiar with its history and condition in all these respects. In treating our subject in a geological sense we will say that from . railroad surveys which have- been made we gather the following facts in regard to its elevation: Mr. Phineas Pomeroy assumes the grade. of the railroad depot at Greenville, Ohio, to be five hundred and seventy-six feet above the low-water mark of the Ohio rat JOM! Cincinnati. Different railroad surveys give different. results, but these do not differ materially, and we obtain a sufficiently correct idea of its elevation when we accept the foregoing statement, and we may further add that the highest altitude known in the county is a litde north of Union City, where an elevation of six hundred and sixty-five feet is reached. One of our county surveyors located this point in Allen township, about four miles north of Dallas. We have stood upon this elevation and were forcibly impressed with its seemingly great elevation, and with the grandeur of the scenery there presented; but the preponderance of testimony locates
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the point mentioned at the place first stated, while on the summit ridge, between Stillwater and the Wabash, the land has an elevation of six hundred and thirty-five feet above the said low- water maik. And we may say that points on the northern line of the county have an elevation of six hundred and thirty-four feet; on the southern line of the county five hundred and fifty- one feet; while on the castern line of the county the bed of Greenville creek is only five hundred and twenty feet above the same point. Now, low-water mark in the Ohio at Cincinnati is one hundred and thirty-three feet. lower than Lake Erie, which gives us an elevation of five hundred and sixty-seven feet above that lake, or more than eleven hundred and thirty two feet above the Gulf of Mexico. In locating and describing river systems we speak of water-sheds dividing or separating the tributaries of the different rivers; so we may, with equal propriety, speak of the water courses in this county, and locate the water-sheds of the same. We notice that the water of none of our streams finds its way to the great lakes. The Wabash river, located north of one of these dividing ridges, flows in a north-easterly direction, and its waters no doubt at one time reached Lake Erie; but now they rae opposed by another of these elevations and are deflected in a north-westerly and finally in a south-westerly direction, reaching the Ohio hundreds of miles from their source, while the low valley of Stillwater, beginning just south of this divide, but in the immediate vicinity of the head-waters of the Wabash, flows in almost an oppo- site direction and uniting, with the waters of Greenville creek which in this county are also separated from it by one of these water-sheds, and after receiving the waters of Swamp creek from the north-east and of Painter creek from the south-east, their waters mingle with those of the Wabash after a circuitous route of hundreds of miles. Again, near the head-waters of the Wabash we find that of the Mississinawa flowing from the western side of this same water-shed, and its waters unite with those of the Wabash after a circuitous journey ; and in the south western part of the county we find the head-waters of White river separated by one of these elevations from the valley of Greenville creek, while the low valley of
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