Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 52

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 52

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The first building erected in College Corner was in 1811. It was a log hemp mill and stood on the site of the Bake & Hanna store. Near this mill a Mr. Bright conducted a blacksmith shop. Later John Murphy conducted a shop near the present location of the Ramsey store. Still later David Montgomery worked at the trade for several years. The first store keeper was Thomas Forbes. He was succeeded by Samuel Ridenour, who was very enterpris- ing and gave to the town some importance

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as a trading center. The first tavern keeper in the village was Gideon Howe, whose stand was in the same building as that now occupied by Mrs. Schlenck. This house was built in 1830 and has been used as a tavern ever since. Ezra Smith came in the early 'fifties. William H. Ridenour was here from 1853 to 1856. After him was David Long, Charles Ruffin, Michael Garin and Oscar Schlenck. About 1892 Thomas Pen- tacost engaged in the hotel business in a handsome building, erected for the purpose, adjoining the Bake & Hanna store. He is still located here. In the early 'thirties John Leach conducted a tailor shop in a frame building where Bake & Hanna's store now is. In 1835 Ambrose E. Burnside, after- ward General Burnside of Civil war fame, and later governor of Rhode Island, and United States senator from that state, worked at tailoring here.

College Corner is situated in the midst of a rich farming community and is a trad- ing point of considerable importance. The town has two banks, two hotels, a news- paper, a grist mill, a saw mill, three general merchandise stores, three groceries, three blacksmith shops, a hardware store, a marble works and other lines of business. It is a station on the Cincinnati, Hamilton & In- dianapolis Railroad, and has the convenience of ten passenger trains a day. The famous Tallewanda mineral springs are located near the village.

Until the erection of the present hand- some high school building separate schools were conducted in each state. The first school house, which was a hewed-log struc- ture, stood near the site of the railroad depot. The second school house-a brick building one story high-stood about fifty

rods north of the first house. The third school house, also constructed of brick, was erected about 1855, and stood about twenty- four rods southeast of the second building. The fourth school house, a two-story brick, erected in 1872, is still standing on the county line road leading east from the vil- lage. It is no longer used for school pur- poses.

The Methodist Episcopal church was or- ganized at the home of John J. Murphy in the spring of 1837 by Rev. George M. Bes- wick, of the Indiana conference. Thirteen members constituted the original roll. The first services were held in a log house which stood east of Ramsey's store. A frame church was built in 1838 at a cost of eight hundred dollars. The second house, a brick, was put up on the site of the old one in 1855. It is still standing and is used as a town hall. In 1889 or 1890 the present commodious and beautiful church edifice was built. The church was originally con- nected with the Centerville circuit and later belonged to the Liberty, Indiana, circuit. For the last twenty years it has been a stated charge, with a manse connected. The so- ciety numbers about two hundred and fifty members. The first pastor was Rev. Hasty. Other pastors have been Revs. Kiegers, Ha- vens, Beeks, Kelso, Hibben, Snyder, Win- gate, Falkinburg, Baldwin, Edwards, Black, Lathrop and Dolph.

The Presbyterian church was organized in 1845. Dr. John W. Scott, the father-in- law of President Benjamin Harrison, was instrumental in the organization of the so- ciety. When the church was first formed the pulpit was supplied by professors from Miami University, at Oxford. The first church, which was of frame, was built be-

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CHURCH STREET. OXFORD).

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HIGH STREET, OXFORD.

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fore 1850 on the Ohio side. During the 'eighties a handsome new church was built on the Indiana side, where the congregation now worships. Among those who have held pastorates are the following : Rev. James Graham; Rev. Wilber Chapman, Rev. Grandstaff, Revs. Thayer, Boyier, Sands and Dobson.

The United Presbyterians also have a strong church organization here. Their place of worship is located in West College Corner, where the membership enjoys a well-appointed modern church home.

OXFORD.

The village of Oxford is situated in lati- tude thirty-nine degrees and thirty-four minutes north and seven degrees and thirty-eight minutes west longitude from Washington, District of Columbia. The town was laid out by direction of the legislature of Ohio, which en- acted a law on February 6, 1810, directing the board of trustees of Miami University to cause the town of Oxford to be laid off on the Miami College lands. In pursuance of the instructions contained in this law the board of trustees met at Hamilton on the first Monday of March, 1810, and appointed a committee consisting of William Ludlow, Thomas Irwin, Ogden Ross, John Reily and Joseph Van Horne to select a suitable tract of one mile square on which to lay out the town of Oxford, to designate the lots and lands to be first offered for sale, and to se- lect certain reservations. This committee proceeded, on the 29th day of March, 1810, to the Miami College lands, and, after two days spent in the examination, selected the southeast quarter of section 22, the south- west quarter of section 23, the northwest

quarter of section 26, and the northeast quar- ter of section 27, as the site of the town of Oxford. On this site the first portion of the town was laid out by James Heaton. It consisted of one hundred and twenty- eight in-lots, ten poles in length by four poles in width; the streets six poles in width, and alleys one pole wide; and on the south of the in-lots forty out-lots of four acres each. In July, 1827, an additional number of lots were laid off, and in November. 1831, a further addition on the east of the former lots and north of the University square. In the east part of the town is laid off a plat of ground containing fifty-six acres, which is designated the "University square." It is reserved for the erection of buildings for the use of the university. In the northeast cor- ner of the town plat is also reserved a tract of about forty acres for the use of the university. The lots in the town were dis- posed of by the trustees of the university at public sale at Hamilton. The first sale was held on May 22 and 23, 1810, when the lots then laid out of an uneven number were of- fered for sale. At this sale eleven in-lots were sold at prices from sixteen dollars and sixty-six and two-thirds cents to twenty-five dollars and ninety cents each, and eight four- acre out-lots were sold at the rate of five dollars per acre. On August 28th and 29th, ensuing, a second sale was held. At this sale only three in-lots and three out-lots were sold, at about the same price as at the first sales.

Oxford village was incorporated Febru- ary 23, 1830. The town was governed by a president and trustee until 1855, when the first mayor was elected. Peter Sutton was the first mayor and served from 1855 to 1861. Oxford has had a fire company since

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1833. The town had a population of 2,009 of Hon. John B. Weller, succeeded Mrs. in 1900. John S. Muddell is the present mayor.

The first house erected in Oxford was built by Samuel Mccullough, on lot No. 1. It was a log structure, and for several years was the only tavern in the village. Among the first settlers of Oxford were John Taylor, James W. Dorsey. Samuel Mccullough, William Ludlow, John Smith, Moses Crum. John C. Irwin, James Parker. Seth Bates, Jacob Webb, George Davis, Robert Morris, Levi Lee, Skillman Alger, Stephen Minor. Walter Dickinson, Enoch Simpson, Abraham York, William Allen. Thomas Longley, Benjamin Jones, Fergus Mitchell, Aaron Jones. James Ratliff, Elias Farr. Sylvester Lyons, Daniel Hopkins, James Beck and Philip Wiggins. Other early influential settlers were Zachariah DeWitt, Samuel Beeler. West Bonney, Wales B. Bonney. Eleazar Hoag, Ethan S. Weston, Thomas Craven. 'Squire Crawford. 'Squire Sutton. John Mollyneaux, Joseph Ward, John DeMoss, John Parsons, Henry Lewis, John Able, Deacon White and Thomas Mc- Cullough, the latter the first white male child born in the village.

The first shingle-roof house in the town was built in 1815 by William McMechan. The first tavern keeper was Samuel McCul- lough, father of the late Thomas McCul- lough. After his death his wife, Mrs. Eliza- beth Mccullough, kept tavern for several years in the old stand east of the public square. Other early tavern keepers were Calvin Ward, in the southern part of the town, and James Carlisle. in a two-story hewed-log house which stood on the north side of High street on the lots next west of the public square. Ludwick Weller, father

Mccullough. A Mr. Chancy came later to succeed Weller, who was succeeded by Mr. Dawson, who continued in business until about the time of the outbreak of the Civil war. A. Stiltson kept tavern during the early 'thirties and John McGonigle had a house of entertainment on High street some time later. The Mansion House hotel was built about 1830 by J. R. Huston. His death occurred before the building was com- pleted. Harry Lewis and Colonel French bought and completed the house and the latter conducted the hotel for a short time. Roberts and DeWitt succeeded French. Next came William McChesney, who was succeeded by Isaac Worden, father of Rev. James Avery Worden, of Philadelphia, sec- retary of the Sabbath school work of the Presbyterian church of America. At the sale of Lewis and French, Daniel Corwin pur- chased the property and in turn sold to Peleg H. Cone, who conducted the hotel for several years and until after the close of the Civil war. Since that time the build- ing has been used for general busi- ness purposes. The Girard House was built by Ludwick Weller, who con- ducted the stand for a short while. He was succeeded by James Adams, who, after three or four years, disposed of the property and business to Roswell Hazleton, who re- mained about twenty years. In 1872 Thomas Mccullough purchased the stand, but later disposed of it to B. B. Davis, who conducted the hotel under the name of the Girard House for over a quarter of a cen- tury. After the retirement of Mr. Davis the hotel was managed for a time by L. B. Bowman, from Brookville, Indiana. The present manager is James A. Bake.

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One of the early blacksmiths was A. V. Flagg, who worked at his trade for about thirty years. He located here about 1820. E. D. Smith came some time later and D. B. Sanders was engaged in blacksmithing for about twenty years. J. Jellies was a similar mechanic, and later Charles Watt worked in the same shop. A. M. Pierson also worked at the trade in a shop near the railroad depot during the early 'nineties. Jacob Brandenburg was a blacksmith here for nearly half a century. Edward French, John Kirkwood and William Proctor were blacksmiths here before the Civil war. John A. Weers, now retired, was the village blacksmith for over forty years and now John Woodruff, the town marshal, conducts the leading blacksmith business.

Joshua Davis conducted a carriage fac- tory on lot No. 88, from 1858 to 1879. In the latter year the factory burned. Later, for a time. a Mr. Krom was engaged in a similar business and until recent years George Myers conducted a factory near the railroad station, that was destroyed by fire. Later the factory was removed to a building on the north side of the public square. The first tanner in Oxford was David Swing, who located here about 1815. Dr. Boude came later. John Baughman was here be- fore 1834.

Some of the early merchants were West Bonney, John Smith, Abraham I. Chitten- den. Merrikin Bond. Harry Lewis, Charles Spinnings and Robert Mollyneaux. All were here before 1830. Later Jacob Ogle, 'Squire Crawford and Ratliff & Meredith kept general stores. In recent years George Adams and William Mitchell were promi- nent merchants. The oldest mercantile firms now in business are Clough & Beaton and A. F. Sloan.

The first bank in Oxford was the Citi- zens, organized in 1869 by Thomas McCul- lough and J. S. Smiley. It was a private institution. The next year the Oxford Bank was organized by Murphy and Fry. These banks were continued under private man- agement for several years. In 1890 the First National Bank was organized with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars. In 1901 the Oxford National Bank was or- ganized with a capital stock of fifty thou- sand dollars. J. W. Welsh was made presi- dent and C. A. Shera cashier. This is now the only bank in Oxford and is conducted on conservative business lines.

Oxford has had a newspaper since 1854. On December 19th, of that year The Oxford Citizen first made its appearance. Charles H. Bingham was the publisher, Theodore W. McLane, editor, and Z. Casterline associate editor. The paper was independent in re- ligion and politics and neutral in nothing. Terms, two dollars per year in advance. Its publication was carried on by Mr. Bingham with some degree of prosperity until 1859, when the paper and plant were purchased by Richard Butler, then a compositor on the old Cincinnati Gazette. Mr. Butler con- ducted The Citizen with marked ability until 1866, when he sold out to Jacob A. Zeller, now superintendent of the Richmond, Indi- ana. public schools, who retained it for three years. Grennan and Prentice then be- came owners of the plant and published the paper for two years, when Rev. L. E. Gren- nan became editor and proprietor. In 1877 Hill Brothers-Charles B. and Hewett- came into possession of the plant by pur- chase and conducted it as editors and pub- lishers until January 19, 1885, when Stephen D. Cone became editor and pro- prietor. Under Mr. Cone's management

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the paper prospered and exerted a great in- pointed president of Miami University. In fluence in public affairs. He published the 1817 Dr. Blackleach taught a school in the ·village. In 1827 the directors of the school district at Oxford leased lot No. 33 of the trustees of Miami University and built thereon a one-story brick school house twenty by forty feet. Here the public school was conducted for several years, or until the building became too small for school purposes, when it was sold with the lot to the trustees of the Catholic church for a house of worship. A lot was then purchased and a school house of four rooms erected. This building continued to answer the requirements of the village until 1886, when the present handsome high school building was erected at a cost of $28,000. The high school was opened in 1874 to take the place of the preparatory department of Miami University closed the year before. W. H. Stewart was made superintendent. paper for six years and three months, when he disposed of the plant, on April 15, 1891, to Charles W. Stivers, of Liberty, Indiana. In 1893 The Citizen was consolidated with the Oxford News. The Oxford News was organized in 1885 by Messrs. Jay Brown and W. S. Osborn, practical printers. From the beginning the News proved a favorite and soon acquired a profitable patronage. After the death of Mr. Brown, Mr. Osborn con- tinued the publication of The News for several years. In 1890 a stock company was formed which obtained control of the paper and Mr. Osborn was retained as man- ager. Later the paper passed into the con- trol of the Moore Brothers, of College Cor- ner, but after a few months Rev. A. G. Warner was made manager and continued the publication until 1902, when he retired, and was succeeded by J. F. Fenton, the present publisher. THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

The first school building in Oxford was erected on the campus of Miami University in 1811. For some time it was used as an English school by the citizens of Oxford township. This house was built of hewed logs and was twenty by thirty feet in size and one story high. It was provided with a stone fire-place and chimney in each end. A partition divided the house into two rooms. In December of that year the first school was opened by James W. Dorsey. Dorsey lived with his family in the room at one end and taught school in the other room. A grammar school was carried on by Rev. James Hughes in this building for several years. In 1824 a second story was added to the building and prepared for a residence for Robert H. Bishop, then ap-

The first church services in the town of Oxford were conducted by Methodist itiner- ant preachers. Rev. Moses Crume was among the first preachers who visited the place and left an appointment for preaching. The place of worship was a log house that stood near the site of the old school build- ing, on Poplar street. Here the Methodists worshiped with irregularity until 1818. In 1813 Rev. Moses Crume was appointed pas- tor of the Oxford circuit and his regular ap- pointments for the infant society were for every sixth Sabbath. In 1818 and 1819 a church was erected thirty by forty-two feet in dimensions. When the work had pro- gressed favorably a cyclone, in June, 1819, nearly wrecked the building and this oc- casioned so much of a delay that the build-

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MIAMI UNIVERSITY. Approach from High Street to the Main Building through the Campus.

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WINTER VIEWS ON THE CAMPUS OF MIAMI UNIVERSITY.

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ing was not completed until in the fall of of Oxford, in the county of Butler," was in- 1820. The church had varying success corporated under the laws of Ohio. The in- corporators were Benjamin C. Swan, James Montgomery, Abraham I. Chittenden, John Harding, James R. Hughes, C. H. Spin- nings, Charles Barrows, Harry Lewis and Joseph Woodruff. under the pastorates of Russel Bigelow, Samuel Brown, Allen Wiley, B. F. Cranch, Samuel Baker, Wm. H. Roper and Levi White, all of whom were among the ablest of the early preachers. In 1839 the house of worship was enlarged and transformed Rev. Henry Little succeeded Dr. Bishop as pastor. The pastors in succession, after Rev. Little to November 23, 1869, the date when the old and new school Presbyterian united, were Rev. George B. Bishop, Rev. William Graham, Rev. John W. Scott, Rev. Henry Maltby, Rev. J. R. Burgett, Rev. W. Rogers, Rev. David Swing, Rev. J. B. Stewart, Rev. William Rogers, Rev. Mr. Haight and Rev. John Crosier. Since that time the pastors have been Rev. A. H. Young, Rev. Charles Ful- ler, Rev. Jacob Norris, Rev. Francis M. Wood, Rev. George G. Mitchell, Rev. Nes- bitt, Rev. Bierce and Rev. Thomas J. Porter, the present incumbent. into a very neat and comfortable building. This church answered to the needs of the congregation until May, 1872, when it was torn down to make room for the present beautiful church edifice. The first story, or Sunday-school rooms, was completed in the summer of 1873, and the society worshiped here until the completion of the auditorium . in 1875. The dedication took place on No- vember 28th of that year and the services were conducted by Bishop R. S. Foster. The Methodist society is numerically strong and possesses the most valuable church property in the village. Rev. C. M. VanPelt is the pastor.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

In 1818 Rev. James Hughes, principal of the grammar school, organized a Presby- terian congregation in Oxford. However, it was not until 1825 that the church was regularly organized under the pastorate of Rev. Robert H. Bishop, D. D., president of Miami University, who continued to preach to the congregation for several years in the university chapel. In 1833 a house of worship was built at a cost of about six thousand dollars. The house was a two- story brick, fifty by seventy feet in dimen- sions, and would seat nearly five hundred persons. It stood on the site of the residence of Frank McCord. On the 15th of Janu- ary, 1833, the "First Presbyterian church

In January, 1841, a large number of members of the First Presbyterian church withdrew, because of a disagreement among the membership over some questions of church polity, and on the first of February following organized themselves into a new religious body under the name of the Sec- ond Presbyterian Church of Oxford. Among those thus seceding from the mother church was the acting pastor, the Rev. William Graham, and he became the pastor of the new society. The Second Presbyterian church was organized with thirty-two mem- bers, which number was increased at the sec- ond meeting to seventy. Having obtained admission into the Cincinnati presbytery of the so-called New School Presbyterians, the new body was soon in possession of a com-

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fortable church, erected on the northeast corner of Main and Church streets, and fronting on the latter. In June, 1844, Rev. Graham was succeeded as pastor by Rev. Daniel Tenney, who continued in charge for twelve years. In July, 1856, Rev. E. W. Root was installed pastor, being followed, August 11, 1861, by the Rev. J. P. E. Kum- ler, and in March, 1869, by the Rev. A. H. Young. In November, 1869, by full and most harmonious concert of action upon the part of the membership of the two existing branches of the Presbyterian church, both bodies were united, the organization to be known as the First Presbyterian church of Oxford. The new church thus strength- ened decided to occupy the house of worship of the Second church, and retain as pastor Rev. Mr. Young, and to enlarge and im- prove the church edifice to meet the wants of the increased society and congregation, which was accordingly done.

THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

The United Presbyterian church of Ox- ford was organized in 1836. It was origi- nally known as the Associated Reformed church, but in 1858, in common with other bodies of the same faith, it took the name "United Presbyterian." The Oxford church is a scion of the Rev. Alexander Porter's church, of Israel township, in Preble county, eight miles north. Porter's church was formed by members who came from South Carolina to avoid slavery. The Oxford church was organized with the understand- ing by the synod that a theological seminary should there be opened. Rev. S. W. Mc- Cracken was the organizer and preached as ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH. "stated supply" for two or three years, dur- The St. Mary's Catholic church was ing which time he was a professor of established in 1852. Among its first mem- mathematics in Miami University. Three bers were Michael Foley, Byron Kelly,

years after the church was established the theological seminary was opened in a build- ing conjointly erected by the Associated Re- formed Presbyterian Synod of the West and the congregation of the church at Oxford. The building afforded an audience room for church services on the second floor, and a lecture room, library room, chapel and seven living rooms for students on the first. Rev. Joseph Claybaugh was chosen first profes- sor, and continued in that capacity for six- teen years, or until his death, which oc- curred September 9, 1855. Rev. Alexander Young was then elected professor of He- brew and Greek exegesis, and Rev. William Davidson, pastor of the Hamilton church, was appointed professor of ecclesiastical his- tory. In 1858 the seminary was removed to Monmouth, Illinois, but in 1874 was brought back to Ohio and consolidated with the seminary at Xenia. During the time the seminary was located at Oxford-about nineteen years in all-more than one hun- dred students received theological instruc- tion in connection with it, and almost all of them entered the ministry. The first pas- tor of the Oxford church was the Rev. Joseph Claybaugh, D. D., who continued to act until 1855. Rev. Wm. J. McSurley suc- ceeded him, and remained about four years. Among those who have since held the pas- torate are the following: Revs. Ormond, Black, Dodds, Frazier, McDonald and Brit- tain. The society numbers over a hundred communicants and is in a prosperous con- dition, though it is at present without a pastor.

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Nicholas Hester and Charles Fye. The so- ciety first worshiped in the old brick school house, which is now used as a dwelling, and stands on lot No. 33. The house was pur- chased in 1852 of the board of education and was fitted up for the use of the church, and continued as the place of worship until 1867. when the present church edifice was built. The parish numbers seven hundred members, and is in a prosperous condition. A handsome parsonage and a cemetery are connected with the church building. Rev. Father Venneman is the pastor in charge.

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 52

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