USA > Ohio > Adams County > Caldwell's illustrated historical atlas of Adams County, Ohio. 1797-1880 > Part 23
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JOHN TAYLOR .- The paternal ancestor's of the subject of this sketch were of English descent. The earliest known of them, was his great grandfather, who served in the Revolutionary war, from Virginia. As he received large bounties in land warrants, in the Virginia Military Distriet in Ohio, it is presumed he was an officer of some rank. lle had a family, though little is kuown of them. Ile, however, had a son named Jesse, who was the grandfather of John Taylor. This Jesse Taylor received a share of his father's bounty lands, which were located in Brown coun- ty, but he sold them at an early day. He, however, moved from Virginia aud settled in Fairfield county, Ohio, where he raised his family. llere both he and his wife died. James W. Taylor. the oldest of Jesse Taylor's family, was born in Virginia, in 1803, and came with his tather to Fairfield county. When grown to a young man, he lett Fairfield and came to Brown county, where he married Catharine Laney. They became the parents of five children, three sons and two daughters, named John. Samnel, Eliza Jane, James 11. and Ellie. The oldest in this family of children, John, who is the subject of our sketch, was born in Adams county, August 22d, 1835. lle worked ou a farm in his earlier years, receiving such an education as the common schools afforded. In 1861, Oct. 19th, he enlisted in Co. II., Capt. B. F. Wiles, 70thi Regt., O. V. I., Col. J. R. Cockerill commanding. Ile was promoted to Second Lieutenant, and fought in the battle of Shiloh, where he lost an arm, on account of which disability, he was honorably discharged, December 1, 1862. 1n 1863, he was elected Sheriff of Adams county, and re-elected to the same office in 1865, and performed his duties in a manner that was accep! .- ble to the people. In March, 1868, he engaged in the mercan business in West Union, but in 1873, was again elected Sh and re-elected when the term was out. At the expiration ot last term of office he engaged in farming, which he still cai on. In the meantime he formed a copartnership with T. J. M len in the the grocery business, but at the end of a year, reti from the firm, and is again devoting his attention to farmi Ilo married Clarra S. Mullen, daughter of T. J. Mulleu, E. April 6, 1875. They have been blessed with a daughter, nam .. Auna M. Taylor, born July 24th, 1878.
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SAMUEL M. WRIGHT .- Tho ancestors of Samuel M. Wright were natives of Ireland. Ilis great grandfather married in that country, but at an early day, he, with his family, emigrated to America, aud settled in Virginin." At what period he came to this country wo don't know, but it was before the Revolutionary war, for several of his sons took part in that struggle, serving in the continental army. Somo of them were at the Cowpens. This great grandfather and his wife both died and their names aro forgotten, and the names of but few of their children are now remembered. Five of these sons, however, came west about 1787, and settled somewhere between Paris and Lexington, Kentucky. whero they lived some twelve years, then all removed ta Ohio, three of them, James, William, and Alexander, settled in lllgh- land county .. Another one, Saninel, settled on Cherry" Fork. Wayne township, near North Liberty, in 1799. The ather broth- er, John, settled about a mille north of Decatur, Brown county. John married Margaret MeKIttrick, berore leaving Virginiu. They reared n family of nine children, seveu sons and two daugh- ters, named Jane, William, Robert, Margaret, John, Thomas, Samuel, James and Alexander. Several of these sons served In the war of 1812. William, the second in this family of children, was horn September 21, 1779. In 1805, he married Elizabeth
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF ADAMS COUNTY, OHIO.
Thomas They were the parent of eight children, three sons and tive daughters. Que of these sous was Samuel M. Wright, whose name stands at the head of this article. These eight children were named Jolm T., James, Margaret, Amanda MI., Mary B., Samuel M., Eliza and America Wright. John T. was born Scp- tember 22, 1805, died of yellow fever at Memphis, Tennessee, Sep- 1ember 28, 1839. He was in ver married. James, born January 41, 1808, married Malinda Payne, in 1832. They moved to Tax- well county, Illinois, where they are now living. Margaret M., horn January 6th, 1810, married Joshua T. Parish, in 1842. They moved to Missouri, where Mr. Parish died. The widow survives. Amanda M., boru December 15th, 1811. married Dr. Greenleaf Norton, in May 1838. They immediately, removed to Crawfords- ville, Indiana, where the Doctor practiced medicine two or three year's then came back and settled in the old neighborhood. Ile eventually engaged in farming, in Brown county, where he died in 1869. The widow still resides ou the farm. Mary B., born May 19th, 1814, married James M. Taylor. in September, 1841. They settled en Grace's Run, where Mr. Taylor died in 1851. The widow owus and occupies a farm near the U. P. Church on Cherry Fork. Eliza, born July 12, 1818, married W. W. West, November 5, 1846. They moved to Nebraska iu 1874. where she died in 1876. America, born January 4th, 1824, married Robert Kerr, in May, 1841. They moved to Oswego, Kosciusko county, Indiana, where Mr. Kerr died in the fall of 1850. Mrs. Kerr married for a second husband, Nathaniel Kirk- patrick, July, 1854. They reside in Wayue township, Adams county. Samnel M. Wright, the sixth child, was born November 25th, 1815, married Catharine A. Stevenson, November 4th, 1846. They are the parents of two children, both daughters, named Sarah Elizabeth and Hannah Lonisa. Sarah Elizabeth was born December 4th, 1847 ; married .J. W. Shinu, March 10th, 1870. She died November 1Sth, 1872, leaving a daughter named Ann Louisa, born May 22, 1871, which died January 31st, 1872, aged eight mouths and nine days. Ilannah Lonisa was born January 15th, 1849 ; married C. E. Irwin, editor of the Adams county New Era, November 23d, 1869. They are the parents of three children, Etta Catharine, born August 14th, 1870, McArthur Wright, born Jan- uary Ist, 1873, Ralph Waldo Emerson, born April 24th, 1877. Mr. Wright owns a good farm near West Union, as well as other val- Hable property. Ile aml his daughter. Mrs. Il. L. Irwin, are the proprietors of the " Barrk Hotel, " which they personally manage, while Mr. Irwin runs the New Era newspaper on the same prem- ises.
CHAPTER XXIII.
IHISTORY OF THE NEWSPAPER PRESS OF ADAMS COUNTY.
BY J. P. SMITH,
The Press of Adams county has been almost co-existent with the county. It is to the credit of the first citizens of West Union that they had barely secured proper shelter for themselves, a church or two, and school, before they had induced a courageous editor to undertake the publication of a newspaper in their midst, in a wilderness whose solitude had only been broken by the clear- ing not yet completed, began ten years before.
Prior to this the occasional mails had brought stray copies of "National Intelligencer" from Washington, the Richmond ... " and "Enquirer," and "Examiner," and New York Even- .Post," while there were a few regular subscribers for "Niles' :reister." of Baltimore ; "Liberty Ilall" and Cincinnati "Gazette," May-ville "Eagle," and the "Scioto Gazette," of Chillicothe.
THE POLITICAL CENSOR.
Our first newspaper dates from the Spring of 1815, a time when the Cincinnati "Gazette" (established 1790,) the "Scioto Ga- zette, (1800) Marietta "Register," (1801) "Ohio Patriot," (N:w Lisbon, 1804) "Western Star," (Lebanon, 1805) Steubenville "Her- ald," (1806) "Belmont Chronicle," (§ .. Clairsville, 1813) "Burler County Democrat," (1814) and the "Telegraph," (also of Hamil- ton, 1$14) were the ouly newspapers in Ohio, then a frontier state. I was called the "Political Consor," and was edited and published by James Finley. This p .. per was first established in Williamsburg, then the county seat of Clermont, by Thomas'S. Foot and Robert T. Weed, in March. 1512. Foot & Weed sold the office to Finley in 1814, who published the paper car at Wil- liamsburg, then moved the material to West Unio: of 1815. The publication was continued here, with & a ass weer of John Woodrow. late of Lynchburg, Highland ca . y, C, i 9 a boy in his teens, until March, 1822, when the off;> -
to Ripley, and sold to John and James Carnahan, in " ose har 1s the paper was discontinued in 1824.
The outfit of the office was scant, the old Ram . ress, ne the type being much worn. The "Censor" was al . hect of 1712 Inches, though its four columns per page wer . . ider than usual. It contained little original matter, hardly a local. Its ex-
tracts favored the administration and internal improvements, The paper was published in the building where Mr. Uriah Upp now lives, which for a time served Finley as both office and resi- dence.
A frequent arbitrator of difficulties between his neighbors, Finley was elected Justice of the l'enco in 1816, and served until 1819. Few of his official acts are remembered, except his marry- ing Robert Cart and other citizens. . By his efforts West Union was first iucorporated, though remaining so but three years. In General Joseph Darlinton's Cost Book, No. 2, page 104, is this entry :
WEST UNION PETITION OF INCORPORATION.
Recording petition, 4013, order, 06 $ 46%
Copy of petition, 4016, copy of record, $1.03 1 48%
Search and copy of boundaries .. 3716
Filing 4
Total
2 361%
December 8th, 1817, received of Jas. Finley, Esq. $2 00
Balance due me 36%
A coufirmned bachelor of 40 or 50, he married Miss Mariah McFadden, daughter of Moses McFadden, of this place, a girl of 17 or 18 years. Mr. Finley was an honorable, easy-going, econo- mical, very eccentric man, and great honor is dne him and his immediate successors for their manly struggle to establish even a feeble press in our back woods county. He died in Brown county not long after leaving here.
Hon. John W. Campbell, then a practitioner here, was a con- tributor for the "Censor," mostly of original poetry. The paper and print are still remembered as abominable.
THE VILLAGE REGISTER.
Two young men, Ralph M. Voorheese and John II. Wood next undertook publishing a newspaper in Adams county, of the above name, "making their best bow," Tuesday, June 17th, 1823. If the average conutry editors of that day be a standard by which to judge they were abundantly able to do this, for both were inen of push and ability.
Their type was all new, having been purchased "of the new Cincinnati Type Foundry, at a cost of frum 40 cents to $2 per pound, according to size." The new Strausburg Patent Press "was bought for this office at the great cost of $180." It had "both iron platten and iron bed, a great improvement on the Ramage."
With proper management, the work this press did, justified its owner's praise. For, considering the manner in which the type were inked, and the ink distributed, its excellent impression was wonderful. No revolving distributing cylinders, nor com- position rollers, had then been thought of, the ink being dis- tributed by great "balls," or sheep's pelts, stuffed with wool combings and saturated with ink, drawn rapidly and deftly over the forms.
The "Register" was published on strong, white, rag paper with bold-faced long primer and minion type, and its advertise- ments show that the office owned an excellent assortment of dis- play letter. Typographically, and in other respects, this paper is the best ever published in the county up to that date. The pub- lication days were Tuesdays, and circulation 300.
'The first seventeen numbers were published "in the Sparks' building, on Market street," but the high-priced rent of $35 per year was too expensive, so the office was moved to the little old shop that then stood on the site of G. B. Grimes & Co.'s Banking House, "on Main street, opposite the Court-house," where it re- mained until November, 1824, then it was removed to the lower story of the Worstell property, "on Mulberry street," where it drew its expiring breath in A. D., 1831.
John Kilbouru's "Ohio Gazeteer" for 1830, page 296, says of the "Village Register :" "This paper was established in 1823, and is still continued-having however, changed owners and charae- ters several times."
Before speaking about owners a word about names. From 1823 to 1828 the name was simply "Village Register. " In 1823 it was " Village Register and Advocate, " though what it especially advocated is not clear. From then until its discontinuance in Feu- rnary, 1831 the title was " Village Register and Anti-Masonie In- vestigator, " with the last clause at least explicit. ..
JOHN H. WOOD.
Two editors for a country newspaper then were as minch out of place as a sole editor for a' metropolitan daily now would be so Mr. Wood returned to Cincinnati early in June 1824. He had come here from Chillicothe, but was a native of the Queen City. As a zealons Protestant Methodist, with Moses Lyon and Win. L. Chappell, also of the Committee, Wood then publishod for the Conference, 'the "Methodist Correspondent," from 1830 to 1832. In August, 1831, he established the "Cincinnati Mirror and Ladies' Parterre," with Wm. D. Gallagher as chief editor, from which the "National Repository" is an outcome. Wood & Strat- ton were also well known early "Book, Job and General Prin- ters," at south-west corner Walnut and Fifth streets. Of all the Adams county printers Mr. Wood's career was perhaps most var-
ied. IIe was well educated, and a live newspaper man, with all the term implies. He died in Cincinnati.
RALPHI M. VOORHEESE
Married Gov. Thos. Kirker's daughter Mary, who is now the wife of Hayden Thompson, of Ripley. Unlike Mr. Wood, the seniur editor took great interest in his new home, and as early as 1824, hie undertook to establish a West Union Publie Library, but the ungrateful settlers were thinking more about planting the vacant town lots in "Havana yellow leaf"' than books, so, the movement came to naught, to no great sorrow. To appease his grief, or for other good reasons, he married about 1825, and his son and only child, Thos. Voorheese, is now a prominent steani- boatman on the upper Mississippi.
A LOCAL M. E. MINISTER,
Of this place, the Rev. Allen D. Beasley, took charge of the paper, and soon formed a partnership with David Murray, jr., a young typo from Sugar Tree Ridge, Ilighlaud county, under the firm name of Beasley, Murray & Co.
Rev. Beasley, while active in all things, was a better exhorter than editor, and soon found that managing a newspaper office is no child's play. He put the paper entirely in Murray's hands, (with David's father as security for his fulfilling Beasley's' con- tract with the administrators,) and returned to his former, more congenial calling. Murray claimed the rent was toe high, refused to pay it, and thereupon Beasley secured an execution, which was put in the hands of David Miller, Sheriff of Highland county, but subsequent proceedings cannot be traced.
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Mr. Beasley married Miss Elizabeth R. Cannon, May 15th, 1828, who died in 1831. He married Miss Miley Ann Truitt, March 20th, 1832, and soon moved to Indiana. About 1845, he went to Texas and for a time traded in mustangs, but the roughs, "greasers" and Indians were so nneivilized and quarrelsome that he was forced to make a sudden exit, a more rapid transition than his change of profession from clergyman to country editor aml printer, to horse buyer. He died at his home in Tippecanoe coun- ty, Indiana, in 1863, and there his wife now lives.
DAVID MURRAY, JR.,
Was a popular journeyman, if not editor. The boys in the office had some lines they used to sing with great zeal on his ap- pearance later than usual certain mornings, which David eujoyed as much as they did. They were funnier then, than now :
"That awful day will surely come, The appointed hour make haste ; When you must stand before old Laws, And marry little Grace."
He fulfilled the prophecy by having the Rev. James Laws marry him to Miss Grace Dunbar, (sister of David Dunbar, Esq., of Manchester,) April 22d, 1829. They soon moved to George- town, Scott county, Ky., where she died ere many years.
The motto of the "Register" was Shakespear's noble declara- tion, Nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice. The rates of advertising for twelve lines were three insertions for one dollar-about what has been charged by all papers since for the same space and time. The subscription price was $2 per annum in advance, or $3 at the end of the year. With Mr. Murray's dle- parture in July, 1831, after a useful existence of over eight years, the "Register" suspended.
George Gregory, James Carl and John P. Hood all learned their trade in this office, while James Wormall and L. D. Camp- bell were the carrier boys. An Englishman, named Benjamin Bullfuncb, was also a compositor who contributed a great deal of poetry. His poems were popular and widely co; 'ed by the papers of that time ; possibly some are afloat in the almanacs yet. Bull- finch was at one time a Cincinnati publisher. Mr. 1lood com- meneed learning his trade when only 11 years old. At that time four faithful years were required to learn the mysteries of the printing brsiness, instead of four weeks now.
In Vol. 1, pages 89-95, of the Records of the West Union Presbyterian church, is a long account of the trial and expulsion from the church of Mr. Murray for a violation of the Fourth Com- mandment, (in traveling in the mail stage to Maysville on the Sabbath,) and for shoving one Wm. Thoroman out of his office, "for calling him a liar, kicking said Thoroman, and for using profane language on that and other occasions." But Murray, while apologizing for his profanity and Sunday travel, declared uuder similar provocation he would fight again.
THE JUVENILE JOURNAL. .
The greatest curiosity among West Unien papers was the lit- erary, miscellaneous and bumorous "Juvenile Journal," a 5x9 inch semi-monthly, published by John Allen, in the "Village Reg- ister" office. The first number appeared Saturday, February 5th, 1825. In the absence of any reliable statistics to the contrary, this paper may be claimed as the first juvenile periodical west of the Alleghanies.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF ADAMS COUNTY, OHIO.
It was grievously burde ... d with the heavy motto : "While fiery hos;s in heaven's wide circle play, And bathe in livid light the milky way,
site from the storm, the meteor, and the shower; Our pleasing page shall charm the solemn honr."
tiiving such o nditions, wasn't the charming a pretty linge undertaking? The fourth page was nearly always of original poetry, written by Miss Sarah Wright, of Xenia, a relation. of Mr. Voorheese. Tris young lady possessed no little political genins and wrote u., ode entitled, "The Forty-Ninth Anniversary of American Independence," for the "Register" in 1824, that had a wonderful run in the country newspapers all over the Union. The only locals in the "Journal" were those of Cupid's Ledger in which were chronicled all the marriages of the preceding half- month. The clippings were good and the spicy juvenile ought to have had more than its hundred subscribers, (at seventy-tive cents each per unminn,) which couldn't support it, so it sns- pended at the expiration of its first your.
Mr. Allen left here in 1826, traveled over land to the Pacific coast. and on his return published an account of his journey ; a readable book that is still in existence. He lived some years since in St. Louis.
JACON T. CRAPSEY,
A Yankee, succeeded Murray, Beasley & Co., and issued the first umber of the "Courier of Liberty," in February, . 1831. It was contemporary with the "Farmer's Chronicle," and with that paper, and all creation, waged a vigorous warfare on the Masonic question. In 1832, it supported Wm. Wirt, the An- ti-Masonic Democratic candidate for the Presidency.
The people were munch divided ou this question, but the "Courier" did not prosper. March 27, 1832, on Crapsey's own ap- plication, Joseph Riggs, County Auditor, at the suit of Nathan Guilford, issued Crapsey the proper certificate of insolvency.
The paper was published where Jacob Pffaummer now lives, with the material of the old "Register" office. This paper was slightly larger than its predecessors. It suspended in June, 1×33.
Mr. Crapsey taught the school here in the old district, No. I, and improved the opportunity thus afforded by studying law. He was soon admitted ; practiced here until about 1836, when he went to t'incinnati. There he now lives, and has since been elected Proseentor of Hamilton county. He was a good, though severe teacher, a fair lawyer, a keen editorial writer, a poor busi- ness manager.
WEST UNION REGISTER.
George Medary came here in 1833, and established a red-hot Democratic journal called the "West Union Register." Its motto was, "All redress of political grievance is with the people ; if the people be with us, who shall be against us?" Its editor seems to have occupied his time mainly in extracting all the demagogical arguments and abuse he could find "against that daring mon- ster, Bank." and with writing long editorials on the same sub- jort .. The arguments he used for "specie-and specle only," would Have been an excellent campaign document against Gov. Alleu in 1875. some forty years after they were written in support of his party's honest President. The paper was published for a time in the shops adjoining Daniel Boyte's residence, then moved down in a building on R. H. Ellison's lot. Medary was a vigorous writer, an extreme partisan, a poor business man. He made an assignment of his effects to James llood, Esq., and left here for Clermont county, March, 1835. He was a brother to Hon. Samuel Medary, who established the "Ohio Statesman," and was elected State Printer in the sessions of 1835-36.
THE FREE PRESS.
The first paper opposed to the Democracy ever published are was the Whig paper, West Union "Free Press," published and edited by Robert Jackman and James Carl. It dates from March, 1835. The "Courier." prior to it, had supported Wirt for the Presidency, who, though Anti-Masonic in belief, was in all other regards, "after the strictest sect," a Democrat. Mr. Jack- man was born in Pennsylvania, but Mr. Carl was a native here ; died here in 1837, and now sleeps in our cemetery. Tho "Press" was a live newspaper, but of the wrong politics to flourish well, so in the fall of 1835, it was sold to
HON. JAMES SMITH,
At that time county Recorder. Ile too was born in Peun- >ylvania, and was a half brother to Nathan Foster. who is still living. Mr. Smith's foreman and manager was Wm. Ilenry Har- rison Stallyards, who now lives in Ironton, O. After serving acceptably as Recorder, Mr. Smith was nominated at the cele- brated Log Cabin Convention, in Hillsboro, in 1840, as Represen- tative for the Adams-llighland District, and elected the next Oe- tober. Stallyards married Miss Ann Brown, September 16th, 18:17, and upon her death, her sister, Eliza Brown, both of this county, May 28th, 1842. Eliza died of cholern in Portsmonth, O., and Stallyards has married the third time. The circulation of the paper before its suspension in 1839, had reached 300. Its mtotto was, "Open to all, influenced by uone-we follow. truth where'er it leads the way," and it was published in the second story of the Bank building.
THE WEST UNION BEIT BLICAN AND POLITICAL, EXAMINER.
Soon after the "Free Press" had suspended, it necurred to Preston W. Sellers, who was publishing the "Political Examiner" at tirorgetown, that he could secure the legal printing of Adums county by changing the title of his paper, and after working off his regular edition each week, print an edition for West Union. This he did, and from the Spring of 1839 to .Inly, 1841, we had the novelty of a West Union paper published 22 miles west of the corporation line. Mr. James Hood was its agent here.
ADAMS COUNTY DEMOCRAT.
November, 1844. Lewis A. Patterson, of this place, established this paper and continued its publication until his health was too poor to admit it, when he disposed of it to his brother, Jos. P. Patterson, who in inrn sold it to W. R. Clarke. Mr. Clarke sold it to John M. Smith, in November, 1846, who published it for a few years as a five cohninn paper, then enlarged it to a large seven column sheet, and successfully continued it until sometime in 1859, when he sold it to R. P. Brown. Mr. Smith was elected Recorder, Representative and Probate Judge three times, of this county.
Mr. Brown continued the publication of this paper in a very disgraceful and distasteful manner to his party, until March 23d, 1860, when he sold the office to W. 11. Il. Stallyards, for $13,000, if we may believe his egotistical card, in which he says he came here to heal up a breach in the Democracy ; had done so, and now intended to remove the office. The "Democrat" was perhaps the most prosperons of all the Adams county papers, possessing a large advertising patronage and subscription of -. Lewis A. Patterson died in this place in 1845; Jos. P. Patterson in Butler, Pu., in 1849. Neither married in this county.
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