Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 17

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149

USA > Ohio > Butler County > Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio > Part 17

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Torrence's tavern was situated on the east side of the Miami river at the corner of Dayton and Water streets. The house still stands and is now owned by our much-esteemed fellow citizen, Henry S. Earhart, both man and house vener. ated relics of a former generation.

The first regular term began on Tuesday, July 12, 1803, at Torrence's tavern. The presiding judge was Francis Dunlevy, one of the survivors of Crawford's defeat-a man of unblemished in- tegrity, of an earnest nature, and fearless in the discharge of his duty.

The associate judges were James Dunn, John Greer and John Kitchell; the clerk of the court was our late esteemed fellow-citizen, John Reily, who held the office until the year 1840, so great was the confidence justly reposed in him. He was a model public officer, and performed all the duties pertaining to his office with singular fidel- ity and with an eye solely to the public interest.

The only lawyer then residing at Hamilton was William Corry, Esq., father of the late Wil- liam M. Corry, Esq., of Cincinnati. But Jacob Burnett. Nicholas Longworth, Arthur St. Clair and others from Cincinnati, and at a later period John McLean (afterwards a justice of the su- preme court of the United States), Joshua Collett and others regularly attended the courts. They were all men of ability and learning. several of them having acquired a national reputation and their fame has come down to us without reproach.

The courts in Hamilton were afterward, until 1810, held in one of the old buildings of Fort Hamilton, which had been used as a store room. It stood in the center of High street, near where the east end of the Suspension bridge now is. The historian describes it as a "frame building about forty feet long by twenty feet wide, one story high, roughly weather boarded, without fill- ing-in or plastering, and set on wooden blocks about three feet high, thus affording an admirable shelter for the hogs and sheep of the village. The judge's seat was a rough platform of un- planed boards erected at the north end of the room. A long table like a carpenter's work bench was placed in front of the platform, and around

this the lawyers were seated on benches made of slabs. The remaining space was occupied by suitors, witnesses and spectators." From 1810 to 1817 the upper story of a building adjoining the jail, which was built for the accommodation of the jailer and his family, was used as the court- house.

The court house recently torn down to give place to the new one, was built on the public square where we now stand in the year 1817. It was a plain, square, brick building, two stories high, with strong, massive walls. The court was held in the first story, the floor of which was laid in part with brick about twelve inches square. The second story was used for jury rooms.

This building was remodeled about the year 1836 by building a portico, with Corinthian col- umns in front. The court room was changed to the second story. The cupola was erected, in which was placed a bell, whose sweet tones I have listened to for fifty years, and which I shall never cease to recall but with pleasurable emotions. Surmounted upon this was a carved wooden statue of the Goddess of Justice. The goddess was rep- resented with a bandage over her eyes, in her left hand she held the scales of justice, and in her right she firmly grasped a sword.

The building thus remodeled remained until during the present summer, when it was torn down to give place to the massive, elegant and beautiful structure, the foundation of which has been laid and the corner stone of which has this day been placed.

Let us indulge the hope that this grand and noble building may rise in strength, beauty and dignity, and that while it stands through the fu- ture ages, it will illustrate in the highest degree the great purpose for which it was built, and be indeed a temple of justice.

The first meeting of the joint court- house board was held February 16. 1885. The board consisted of the county commis- sioners. Thomas Slade. Eli Long and L. N. Bonham. James E. Neal and C. B. Johnson. appointed by the court as required by the enabling act. James E. Neal was chosen chairman of the joint board and Joseph B. Hughes, auditor-clerk.

On March 27th the architects submitted

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TORRENCE TAVERN, HAMILTON.

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plans and elevations. March 30th, D. W. Gibbs & Company, of Toledo. were em- ployed as architects, and on April 21st the plans and elevations were adopted and the contract signed.

On June 4th the bids for heating and ventilating were received, and on June 4th the contract was awarded to Isaac D. Smead & Company, of Toledo, at their bid of twenty-six thousand eight hundred and ninety dollars.

The bids for the construction of the court-house were received and opened, June 18th, and were as follows, for the building complete : J. Lichtenberger, one hundred and ninety-six thousand dollars; Freeman Compton, one hundred and eighty-six thou- sand two hundred and ten dollars.

The next day the contract was awarded to Freeman Compton. On March 29. 1887. bids for the furniture were opened. Two days later the contract was awarded to A. H. Andrews & Co., of Chicago, their bid complete being sixteen thousand five hun- dred dollars; the contract for the frescoing was let on the 20th to A. Mahler, of Cincin- nati, in the sum of three thousand five hun- dred dollars. On August 7, 1888. Dodd, Warner & Company, of Cincinnati, were awarded the contract for gas fixtures at their bid of two thousand five hundred dollars.

The receipts of the court-house building fund were as follows: From sale of bonds. two hundred and ninety-six thousand three hundred and twenty-eight dollars and thirty- five cents ; refunders, two hundred and forty dollars and sixty-six cents; total, two hun- dred and ninety-six thousand five hundred and sixty-nine dollars and one cent.

In the extras allowed Freeman Compton,

the contractor, is included the cost of mak- ing the sub-basement. The "miscellaneous" item includes salaries, advertising, extra plumbing, etc. :

Freeman Compton, on contract. .$182,137.93

Freeman Compton, extras. 33,252.32

I. D. Smead & Co., heating. 26,890.00

D. W. Gibbs & Co., architects. 12,600.00

John L. Walker, plumbing 1,046.50

A. Mahler, frescoing. 4,180.00

Schlicht & Field, fille boxes 645.00

Dodd, Warner & Co., gas fixtures 1,000.00

A. H. Andrews & Co., furniture. 12,275.00

F. Horssnyder, mantels. 587.00

Howard Clock Co. 2,915.00

Miscellaneous items. 11,042.28

Total . $287,932.48

Outstanding bills, at time 11,453.95

Grand total $304,886.43

The new court-house was completed. ac- cepted. and occupied on February 4, 1889.

THE OFFICE BUILDINGS.

In February, 1820, the county commis- sioners contracted with Pierson Sayre for furnishing the materials and building two public offices on the public square for the accommodation of the county offices, to be erected. one on the east and one on the west of the court house, some distance therefrom, and in line with the front of that building: to be of brick, one story high: each forty feet long by twenty feet wide, with a stone foundation : each building to be divided into two compartments, and made fireproof. The contract price for building them was two thousand four hundred and eighty-six dollars. They were completed. ready for occupancy, in 1822. The manner in which the offices were made fireproof was by lay- ing a floor of boards on the upper joists

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which supported the ceiling. On this was laid a course of brick, which was covered with a layer of sand or clay six or eight inches deep. The woodwork of the doors and windows was covered with sheet iron. The floors were first laid with brick.

In 1836 an addition of twenty-three feet was built to the office on the west of the court house, and the whole building was raised to two stories in height. The work was done by Thomas M. Thomas at a cost of one thousand five hundred dollars. In 1837 a similar addition was made to the building on the east of the court house by Jacob H. Elerick, at a cost of one thousand eight hundred and twenty dollars. The total cost of these buildings, with the additions, amounted to five thousand eight hundred and six dollars. In 1877 an addition was erected to the west building for the use of the treasurer and county commissioners. The foundations were of the best quarry stone, and the building, which was of brick, was two stories high. In 1858 the com- missioners caused complete fireproof apart- ments to be constructed in the interior of the buildings, one for each the auditor, treas- urer, recorder and probate court. The rooms on the first floor of the east building were assigned to the clerk of court for his office. The rooms on the second floor, over the clerk's office, were occupied by the pro- bate court. The east room, on the lower floor of the west building, was the county treasurer's office. The west room was the recorder's office, and the auditor's and com- missioners' offices were on the upper floor of the building.

The office buildings continued in use until the completion of the new court house in 1889, when they were torn down and re- moved.

PUBLIC SQUARE ENCLOSED.

In 1817 the public square was enclosed with an open board fence made of mulberry posts and poplar plank. The materials were furnished and the fence put up by Daniel Keyte for one dollar and twenty-five cents per panel of ten feet.

In 1838 the commissioners had the pub- lic square enclosed with the present fence of iron railing. The foundation is a wall built of limestone, sunk two feet below the surface of the ground. Above the surface there is a wall built of large, well-dressed and cut limestone, brought from the quar- ries near Dayton, having a coping of the same material, on which is placed the fence. a neat and strong iron railing. The whole length of the enclosure is one thousand and seventy-one feet. Daniel Skinner, of Ham- ilton, erected and put up the ironwork; Mr. Doyle, of Dayton, put up the stone foun- dation. The work was begun in the sum- mer of 1838, but was not completed until June, 1839. The cost was seven thousand two hundred and ninety-three dollars and eighty-four cents.

COUNTY INFIRMARY.

Prior to 1830 Butler county made no provision for the care of its indigent citi- zens. About this time it became apparent that steps must be taken to establish an in- firmary near the county seat, and so manifest was the necessity for such an institution that the county commissioners, on June 4, 1831, appointed a committee of citizens, consisting of Daniel Millikin, Jonathan Pierson and Caleb De Camp, to receive proposals for a site.

The committee began its work of investi- gation at once and visited the several sites

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proposed, and after careful consideration it finally selected the site on which the present infirmary stands, as the most suitable and best location. Acting on the committee's recommendation, the county commissioners, on August 2, 1831, purchased a tract of land containing ninety-nine and one-third acres for infirmary purposes, of Thomas Espy, for one thousand and eight hundred dollars, one-half payable cash. the balance in one year.

In December of the same year James McBride prepared plans and specifications for the infirmary buildings, and on July 6, 1832, Daniel Doty, who had been awarded the contract to erect the same, commenced the work. After completing the buildings, he claimed he had lost money on the con- tract, and in order to settle the difference the matter was submitted to a committee on arbitration which, on June 17, 1835, awarded Daniel Doty six hundred dollars for extra work. This amount he refused to accept. He averred that it was not suf- ficient to cover his outlay. Subsequently the commissioners allowed Mr. Doty nine hundred dollars extra and in full payment of his claim.

In 1835 Daniel Beaver built a brick "mad house" on the infirmary farm, in con- sideration of nine hundred dollars.

On Wednesday. September 6, 1854, John S. Wiles began grading and graveling the infirmary hill on the Princeton road. The contract price for the work was as fol- lows : Grading, two dollars and ninety-eight cents per lineal foot ; graveling. one dollar and forty cents.

In the middle fifties William B. Van Hook built the present stone house for in- sane ·inmates.

In 1883 the question of subdividing and selling the infirmary farm, with the view of purchasing a cheaper one near McGonigles, was submitted at a special election to the qualified voters of Butler county. The proposition was overwhelmingly defeated at the polls.

In 1884 the county commissioners em- ployed D. W. Gibbs & Company, Toledo, Ohio. to prepare plans and specifications for a new infirmary building. These plans were submitted to the infirmary directors, who favorably passed upon them, after which the county commissioners let the contract for erecting the new infirmary building to Freeman Compton. It was completed, ac- cepted and dedicated in 1885; is modern and up-to-date in all its equipments, and stands as an enduring monument to the credit of its designers and projectors and the neces- sity which gave rise to its erection.

PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.

THE MIAMI CANAL.

The legislature of the state of Ohio, in February, 1820, passed an act the purpose of which was to prepare the way for the construction of a canal between Lake Erie

and the Ohio river. The act provided for the appointment of three commissioners, who, however, were never appointed. On January 31, 1822, however, another act was passed and in pursuance of its provisions the following commissioners were appoint-

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ed: Benjamin Tappan, Alfred Kelley, prominent citizens of the state were sent Thomas Worthington, Ethan Allen Brown, out, inviting them and their friends to be present in Hamilton on the occasion of the Governor's visit there, July 1Ith. The Gov- ernor was received and entertained in splen- did style and as a holiday was declared for the occasion a vast crowd was in attend- ance. The dinner was served under the shade of the locust trees in the court house yard and was a sumptuous affair. Gover- nor Clinton had been met at Middletown the day previous by a delegation of promi- nent citizens and was so escorted to Ham- ilton. Among the guests were many of the most prominent men in public and private life in the state. Jeremiah Morrow, Isaac Miner and Eben- ezer Buckingham, Jr., "Whose duty it shall be to cause such examinations, surveys and estimates to be made by the engineer as aforesaid as may be necessary to ascertain the practicability of connecting Lake Erie with the Ohio river. by a canal through the following routes, viz: From Sandusky bay to the Ohio river: from the Ohio river to the Maumee river ; from the lake to the river aforesaid by the sources of the Cuyahoga and Black rivers and the Muskingum river; and from the lake by the sources of the Grand and Mahoning rivers to the Ohio river."

The commissioners. on June 27. 1825. ordered the following advertisement issued :

Proposals in writing will be received by the undersigned at Hamilton, on the 15th of July next, for the construction of about fifteen miles of the Miami canal, extending from a point on the Great Miami river two miles above Middletown, to a point near Hamilton.

Persons who are disposed to contract for the construction of any part of this work are invited to examine the ground before the day of sale. Any information as to the character of the line, man- ner of constructing the work, or terms of contract- ing, may be had on application to Samuel Forrer, Esq., engineer on the line.

A profile of the line, with the estimates of the value of the work, will be exhibited on the day of letting, for the information of all who may be dis- posed to take contracts.

In 1825 DeWitt Clinton, governor of New York, was invited by the citizens of the state of Ohio to be present on the occasion of the commencement of work on the in- ternal improvements about to be inaugu- rated. Upon the announcement of his ac- ceptance of the invitation. notices to the

On November 28, 1828, an experimental trip was made by three boats, crowded with citizens, the trip being made from the basin six miles north of Cincinnati to Middle- town. The trip was entirely satisfactory, though managed by inexperienced hands.

January 22. 1829, the first boat, "Gov- ernor Brown." completed the trip from Cin- cinnati to Dayton, and thereafter for many years regular packets were run three times a week between these two points. The canal soon became the principal highway for freight and passenger traffic to the North and East and was a great factor in the de- velopment of Butler county. Now. after seventy-seven years of almost continuous operation, in which it has not ceased to be a great public convenience. it is claimed the canal has outlived its usefulness and its early abandonment is predicted.

RAILROADS.

The Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad was the first constructed in Butler county. The original idea of building the

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road was probably suggested by the late Henry S. Earhart, of Hamilton. At any rate he was the first one who did anything towards putting it into execution. He sug- gested it to John Woods, then the great man of Hamilton, one who always kept his eyes open for anything to improve the town or neighborhood. Mr. Woods took an active interest in the matter and, with Mr. Ear- hart, obtained subscriptions enough to make a temporary survey. The sums offered varied from three dollars to forty-five, and the aggregate was intended to be used sim- ply to pay the expenses of the men employed. The engineers were to receive nothing. John W. Erwin, then a prominent engineer of this city, was engaged to go with the party, but could not join them until they reached Carthage. Mr. Earhart had with him his sons, Martin and James, who drew no compensation. George R. Bigham ran the compass line. The men tented out, and were provided for by commissary Henry Auchey.

The beginning of the survey was from the lower end of Third street. They crossed the ponds at the south part of town, and laid their course in the direction in which Jones' Station now lies. They camped there the second day. It was all woods, and they In 1849 the capital stock was increased to $2,500,000, and October 12, 1864, to $3,000,000. In 1866 it was increased to $3,500,000. The original charter was pre- pared by John Woods and Lewis D. Camp- bell, who from the beginning were the chief men. The first meeting of incorporators was held at the Pearl Street House, in Cin- cinnati, in 1847, when Lewis D. Campbell was elected president. Soon thereafter actual work began. On December 9th, in staked their way through every hundred feet. There were few settlers along the route at that time. At Jones' Station Dr. Close, of Springdale, since dead, met the surveying party. He wanted them to run their investigating line so as to take in Springdale. Acting upon his wishes, they ran a line taking the eastern side of the Springdale pike, and coming into Carthage by way of the present site of the Hamilton county infirmary. From Carthage down that year, the principal part of the survey

they followed the Millcreek valley, substan- tially as the road is now. Near the valley the line crossed the creek and struck into Freeman street, the whole distance measur- ing twenty-two and a fraction miles. The termination, as they designed it, was in the neighborhood of where Lincoln Park is now.

The Cincinnati. Hamilton & Dayton Rairoad Company was chartered on March 2. 1846. The original incorporators were John McLean, Samuel Fosdic, John C. Wright. Jacob Burnet, Josiah Lawrence, Jacob Strader and George P. Torrence, of Hamilton county; John Woods, William Bebb, Lewis D. Campbell, John W. Erwin, Charles K. Smith, Aaron L. Schenck, Fran- cis J. Tytus, Abner Enoch, Dr. Andrew Campbell, Samuel Dick, George L. Wrenn, Solomon Banker and John M. Millikin, of Butler county ; Jacob Zimmer, C. N. Huber. Lewis Hasselman, Perry Pease, Alexander Grimes, Daniel Beckel, J. D. Phillips, Jonathan Harshman, H. S. Gunckle, James C. Negley, Samuel Rohrer and Edward W. Davis, of Montgomery county, and John D. Mullison, John G. Law, George L. Denise, O. H. Schenck, Joseph H. Brown, Aaron R. Earhart and Denise Denise, of Warren county.

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of the final location of the above road had been made, and the estimates of the en- gineer received. The route chosen was thought to be shorter and on more favorable ground than was at first expected, and. there- fore, involving much less expenditure. The road ready for superstructure it was esti- mated could be built for $48,673. and the entire road of single track, with turn-outs, etc., for $80,000. For $90,000 persons were then ready to contract. The distance is twenty-one and a half miles. The expense which the construction of the road involved was about half that at which the eastern roads were built.

In March, 1848, Mr. Campbell issued an advertisement for sealed proposals to be received at his office on Saturday, April 29th, between the hours of ten A. M., and four P. M., for the grading and masonry be- tween Hamilton and Lockland. De Graff, a noted railroad contractor, built the road. Mr. Campbell, who had been elected to congress, was succeeded as president by S. S. L'Hommedieu in October, 1848. Mr. L'Hommedieu went to New York and ob- tained additional capital and pushed the road to rapid completion. The first ticket was sold on September 19, 1851, at Ham- ilton. by Henry S. Earhart. The office was at that time in a brick house, at the corner of Caldwell and Fourth streets, Mr. Ear- hart remained ticket agent for more than twenty-five years and was succeeded by his son. For the twelve months ending Sep- tember 30, 1852,-the first year of the road's operation-the number of passengers carried was 204,198 and the average monthly earnings for the year aggregated more than $20,000. When it is considered that L. D. Campbell had much difficulty in

convincing Cincinnati parties, afterward in- terested in the construction of the road, that there would be enough business to take a loaded train each way every day. the success of the first year's business must have been most gratifying to those who had had mis- givings of the amount of business the road would command. The Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton system was recently merged with the Pere Marquette system and together they form one of the greatest railway sys- tems in the world. There are upwards of sixty miles of the new system in Butler county and it affords speedy connection with all of the principal points North. East, South and West.

The Eaton road followed next. It was laid out by John W. Erwin in the winter of 1849. Henry S. Earhart was an assistant. The route follows the valley of the Seven- Mile creek and passes through Seven-Mile, Collinsville and Somerville. John Woods was one of the promoters of the Eaton & Hamilton Railroad Company, of which he became president on retiring from the office of auditor of state. He opposed the con- struction of a branch road from Eaton to Piqua, which many of the stockholders favored, and on account of Mr. Wood's op- position to the project he was defeated for re-election as president. November 1, 1864, a few years after the construction of the road, the Eaton & Hamilton Company was succeeded by the Cincinnati. Richmond & Chicago Railroad Company, and that name was given the road. In February, 1869, this company leased its road in perpetuity to the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Company. This arrangement obtained un- til 1883, when the Pennsylvania Railroad Company purchased the Hamilton, Eaton &

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Richmond Railroad and extended the line by building a road from Hamilton to Cin- cinati and connecting with Little Miami at Redcomb Junction, east of Cincinnati. This constitutes the main line of the company's road leading from Cincinnati to Chicago.

The Junction Railroad Company was in- corporated by the legislature of Indiana February 15. 1848, for the construction of a road from Rushville, through Conners- ville and Oxford, to Hamilton, with the permission of Ohio. March 8, 1849, the Ohio legislature passed an act granting the right of way. Other companies were merged and leased. until the road is now known as the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Indianapolis division of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Day- ton system.

John Woods became president of this road after retiring from the Eaton road, to the prosecution of which he bent all his 'energies to bear, and much of its early suc- cess was due to him. He held this office until his death. The road made progress by sections, the work being taken by re- sponsible contractors at prices much below the rates which other western roads had been obliged to pay.

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 17

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1149

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149