USA > Ohio > Butler County > Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio > Part 8
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
erty lies in what is now the village of Port Union, being a portion of section 4. Section Io has lately been owned by Christian Moer- lein, James Beatty. the Cincinnati Ice Com- pany, Philip Hughes, and others. Section 17 is the property in the same neighborhood. now owned by the Ice Company.
In the deed made by Israel Ludlow to Daniel Harrigan. conveying certain lands which will be described hereafter. we get a record of the exact sum which Judge Symmes and his coadjutors paid for the Mi- ami purchase. It reads :
"The President of the United States did, conformably to the powers and author- ity in him vested, and in consideration of the payments therefore made into the treas- . ury of certificates and military warrants equal in value to $165.693.42."
The conveyance to Harrigan embraced 248,540 acres, and as a refunder to Judge Symmes $42,897 were placed to his credit on the treasury books.
ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY AND TOWNSHIPS. BY STEPHEN D. CONE.
On the 24th day of March, 1803, the gen- eral assembly of the state of Ohio passed "An act for the division of the counties of Hamilton and Ross," by which act the county of Butler was established, compre- hending the country included within the fol- lowing boundaries : Beginning at the north- east corner. of section number seven, in the third township of the second range in the Miami purchase; running thence west to the state line : thence north with the state line to a point due west from the middle of the fifth range of townships of the Miami pur- chase ; thence east to the Great Miami river ; and bounded on the east by the Miami river
and a line running north on the section line from the place of beginning to the Miami river.
The southern boundary of the county, as established by this act, was a west line from the place of beginning. This line, when run, passed through the tier of sections south of the present boundary line, dividing farms, and struck the Miami river in the Colerain bend, about a mile south of the present. county line. To remedy this inconvenience, the legislature passed a law on the 20th of January. 1808. to establish the line between Hamilton and Butler counties. By this act the line was established, beginning at the southeast corner of Butler county, as men- tioned in the first act: thence westwardly along the line of the tier of sections to the Great Miami river : thence down the Miami river to the point where the line of the next original surveyed township, on the west side of the river. strikes the same: thence west along that line to the western boundary of the state.
This is . the present line between the counties of Butler and Hamilton.
On the 15th day of February, 1808, the legislature established the county of Preble, and made its south boundary a line begin- ning at the southwest corner of the sixth township in the first range east of the merid- ian drawn from the mouth of the Great Miami river (the northwest corner of the college township) ; thence east along the township line to the range line between the third and fourth ranges: thus cutting off from the county of Butler. on the north, about one tier and a half of sections. The north boundary line of Butler county. as originally established, struck the Miami river on the west side. about two miles above
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BUTLER COUNTY, OIIIO.
the town of Franklin, opposite where the protection wall, on the east side of the river above Vanderveer's mill, has since been made, at the time the Miami canal was con- structed. On the 30th of January, 1815, the legislature passed a law attaching that part of Butler county which lay within the first and second fractional townships in the fifth range to the county of Warren, and which now comprehends that portion of Franklin township. Warren county, lying west of the Great Miami river; thus reduc- ing the county of Butler to its present di- mensions.
This county was named Butler after General Richard Butler, a heroic soldier of the Revolution. He distinguished himself on more than one occasion in a remarkable manner. He was a native of Pennsylvania, and was one of a family of brothers who were active in the Revolutionary struggle. He lost his life in the memorable defeat of St. Clair by the Indians, as is told more fully elsewhere.
At the same session that the county of Butler was established by the legislature. a resolution was passed on the 15th day of April. 1803. appointing James Silvers, Ben- jamin Stites, and David Sutton commission- ers to examine and select the most proper place for the seat of justice of Butler county.
These commissioners. having given twenty days notice of their time and place of meeting. met at the town of Hamilton early in the month of July, 1803. and hav- ing taken an oath, as required by the law establishing seats of justice. proceeded to the duties incumbent on them. Several places were proposed to the commissioners as eligi- ble sites for the seat of justice. Amongst the most prominent of them was a beautiful
situation immediately on the west bank of the Miami river, about four miles above the town of Hamilton, called the "High Bank tract," then owned by William McClellan and George P. Torrence, adjoining to where the late John Wilson formerly lived.
A company, composed of Jacob Burnet, John Sutherland, Henry Brown. James Smith and William Ruffin, owned a large tract of land on the west side of the Miami river, opposite the town of Hamilton, in- cluding the situation where the town of Rossville (now known as West Hamilton) was afterward laid. They proposed the ground where Rossville now is as an eligible site for the seat of justice.
Israel Ludlow, the proprietor of the town of Hamilton, submitted to the commis- sioners the following proposition in writ- ing
I will give for the use of the county a square for public buildings, agreeably to the plan re- corded of the town of Hamilton; also a square for the church and burying-ground, consisting of eight town lots, together with the commons in front of the town, for public uses-such as boat-yards, etc. -in case the honorable commissioners should con- ceive the town of Hamilton a convenient and suit- able place for the seat of justice; and will also pay two hundred dollars toward the erection of a court house.
(Signed ) ISRAEL LUDLOW.
The commissioners having examined the different places proposed. after due delibera- tion decided in favor of the town of Hamil- ton as the most eligible place for holding the several courts, accepted the proposition of Mr. Ludlow, and established the seat of justice at Hamilton, of which they made report to the court of common pleas, then in session, on the 15th day of July, 1803.
Israel Ludlow died on the 21st of Janu-
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ary, 1804, before complying with the prop- osition made to the commissioners. How- ever. afterwards Charlotte Chambers Lud- low. John Ludlow and James Findlay, sur- viving administrators of Israel Ludlow, peti- tioned the court of common pleas of Butler county for leave to complete the contract. on which the court rendered a decree at the December term, 1808; in pursuance of which decree the administrators paid to the county of Butler the sum of two hundred dollars. and executed a deed for the square of ground at present occupied by the court- house and public buildings, being in-lots Nos. 95. 96. 97 and 98. in the town, and also a square for the burying-ground, being in-lots Nos. 13, 14, 15. 16. 29, 30, 31 and 32.
The first associate judges' appointed by the legislature for the county of Butler were James Dunn, John Greer and John Kitchel. They met at Hamilton on the 10th day of May. 1803, and held their first court of quar- ter session at the house of John Torrence. who then kept a tavern in the house standing on the corner of Dayton and Water streets. on lot No. 132. This house is still stand- ing, and until recently was owned by the late Henry S. Earhart. who occupied it as a family residence for many years. It was built by John Torrence, and was the first frame building erected in the town of Ham- ilton outside of the garrison. Although this house was built about one hundred and ten years ago, the framework is as solid and firm, apparently, as it was half a century since. The siding or weatherboard- ing was of black walnut, and was sawed by means of a whip-saw. Every nail used in putting on the siding and roof was made to order by a blacksmith then residing in
Hamilton. The judges at this session ap- pointed John Reily their clerk pro tem., di- vided the county into five townships, and or- dered an election to be held in the several townships on the Ist day of June then next, for the election of a sheriff and coroner for the county of Butler, to serve until the gen- eral election in October.
On the Ist day of June, 1803, the associ- ate judges commenced the second session of the court of quarter sessions at the same place in Hamilton .. At this session a state- ment of votes given for sheriff and coroner at the election held on the Ist day of June was returned to the judges, by which it ap- peared that James Blackburn was elected sheriff and Samuel Dillon coroner.
The first regular term of the court of common pleas for Butler county, at which cases were tried, was commenced on Tues- day. the 12th day of July, 1803, at the house of John Torrence, in Hamilton. The court was composed of Francis Dunlevy, president judge: James Dunn, John Greer, John Kitchel, associate judges ;. Daniel Symmes, prosecuting attorney for the state; James Blackburn, sheriff; John Reily, clerk. The grand jury, being the first impaneled in the county of Butler, werè : David Enoch, fore- man, James Watson, John Scott, Samuel Dick, William Crooks, James Scott. Mat- thew Richardson, Robert Lytle, Moses Vail, James McClure. Andrew Christy, Benjamin Line, Solomon Line, Jolin McDonald.
At this term John Reily was appointed clerk of the court of common .pleas : July 13. 1803. James Heaton was appointed county surveyor for the county of Butler ; July 14. 1803. Joseph F. Randolph was appointed county treasurer; and on the same day the court made an order that the building lately
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BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO.
occupied and used by the troops of the gar- rison as a magazine should be assigned to be the jail for Butler county.
The first term of the supreme court of the state of Ohio for Butler county was held at Hamilton on the 11th day of October, 1803, by Samuel Huntingdon and William Sprigg, judges; John Reily; clerk; Arthur St. Clair, prosecuting attorney for the state; William McClellan, sheriff.
The court of quarter sessions, at their meeting of Tuesday, May 10, 1803, estab- lished the boundaries of five townships as follows :
FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP.
Beginning at the bank of the Miami, on the eastern side, at the place where the south boundary line of the county strikes the same: thence east with the southern boundary line of the county to the southeast corner of section No. 14 of the second town- ship of the second entire range: thence north to the Great Miami river; thence south- westwardly down the same to the place of beginning. Two justices were assigned.
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.
Beginning at the southeast corner of sec- tion No. 14 of the second township in the second entire range on the south boundary line of the county ; thence north to the Great Miami: thence northeastwardly up the Mi- ami to the northern boundary of fractional section No. 10 of the second. township in the third or military range; thence east to the eastern boundary of the county; thence south with the eastern boundary of the county to the southeast corner thereof; thence west with the southern boundary of the county to the place of beginning. Two justices. .
LEMON TOWNSHIP.
Beginning on the west bank of the Great Miami, at the southwest corner of fractional township No. I in the fourth range west of the Miami; thence north to the northern boundary of the county ; thence east with the northern boundary line of the county to the northeast corner thereof; thence southwest- wardly and south with the eastern boundary of the county to the southeast corner of sec- tion No. 1I, township 3, in the third entire range; thence west to the Miami; thence southwestwardly down the Miami to the be- ginning. Two justices.
ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP.
Beginning on the west bank of the Mi- ami at the southwest corner of the fractional township No. I of the fourth range west of the Miami; thence north to the northern boundary of the county; thence west to the northwest corner of the county ; thence south to the southwest corner of the township No. 4 of the first range west of the Miami; thence east to the Miami; thence northeast- erly and northwestwardly up the Miami to the place of beginning. Two justices.
ROSS TOWNSHIP.
Beginning on the west bank of the Mi- ami at the northeast corner of fractional township No. I of the third range west of the Miami ; thence west to the western boun- dary of the county; thence south to the southwest corner of the county; thence east with the southern boundary of the county to the Miami; thence northeastwardly up the Miami to the place of beginning. One justice.
FORMATION OF ADDITIONAL TOWNSHIPS.
On the 21st day of January, 1804, the legislature passed a law to provide for the
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
incorporation of townships. ( Laws of Ohio, volume II, page 93.) This law empowered the commissioners of the county to alter the boundaries of townships, and to set off new townships. At a meeting on June 11, 1804, consisting of the following persons, Ezekiel Ball, Matthew Richardson and Solomon Line, John Reily was appointed their clerk.
On the petition of a number of the in- habitants of St. Clair township, December 2, 1805, Wayne township was erected as follows :
WAYNE TOWNSHIP.
"Ordered, that the following tract of land and country, now part of St. Clair township, in the county aforesaid, to wit: Beginning at the southeast corner of the third township of the third range west of the Miami; thence north with the eastern boundary line of said third range to the north boundary line of the county; thence west with said northern boundary line to the west boundary line of said third range; thence south with the said last-mentioned line to the southwest corner of the aforesaid third township in the third range aforesaid; thence to the place of beginning-shall com- pose a township to be called and known by the name of Wayne township."
MILFORD TOWNSHIP.
At the same session of the same commis- sioners, on a petition of the inhabitants of St. Clair township, it was "ordered, that the following tract of land and country, now part of St. Clair township, in the county aforesaid, to wit: Beginning at the south- east corner of the fifth township of the sec- ond range west of the Miami; thence north with the east boundary of the said second range to the north boundary of the county;
thence west with the northern boundary line to the northwest corner of the county ; thence south with the western boundary line of the county to the southwest corner of the fifth township in the first range; thence to the place of beginning,-shall compose a town- ship which shall be called and known by the name of Milford township."
REILY TOWNSHIP.
December 7, 1807, on the meeting of James Blackburn, Matthew Richardson and James Smith, commissioners, on a petition of some of the inhabitants of St. Clair town- ship, it was "ordered, December 8, 1807, that so much of the township of St. Clair as lies within the following boundaries, to wit : Beginning on the western boundary line of the county at the southwest corner of the fourth township in the first range; thence east with the township line to the southeast corner of the section numbered 32 of the fourth township in the second range: thence north with the sectional line to the north boundary line of the said fourth town- ship in the said second range; thence west with the township line to the western boun- dary line of the county aforesaid; thence south with the same to the place of begin- ning .-- shall compose a township which shall be called and known by the name of Reily township." Election to be held at the house of Henry Burget on the 2d day of January, 1808, for electing township officers.
MADISON TOWNSHIP.
May 7, 1810, at a meeting of James Smith, James Blackburn and William Robi- son, commissioners, on petition of some of the inhabitants of Lemon township, it was "ordered, that so much of the said township of Lemon as lies within the following boun-
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BUTLER COUNTY, OHIO.
daries, to wit : Beginning on the west bank of the Miami at the southwest corner of township No. I of the fourth range; thence north with the western boundary line of the said fourth range to the boundary line of the said county of Butler; thence east with the said northern boundary line to the Miami; thence south and southwardly with the meanders of the Miami to the place of beginning,-shall compose a township which shall be called and known by the name of Madison township." Election to be held at the house of Jacob Kemp on the 19th of May. 1810, for the election of township offi- cers.
MORGAN TOWNSHIP.
March 4, 1811, at the meeting of James Blackburn, William Robison and John Win- gate, commissioners, it was "ordered, that so much of the township of Ross as lies . within the following boundaries, to wit : Be- ginning at the southwest corner of the county of Butler; thence north with the western boundary line of the said county to the northwest corner of township No. 3 of the first range east of the meridian line drawn from the mouth of the Great Miami river; thence east with the northern boun- dary line of the same township to the north- east corner thereof; thence south with the eastern boundary line of the same to the south boundary line of the county of Butler aforesaid; thence west with the said south- ern boundary line to the place of beginning. -shall compose a township which shall be called and known by the name of Morgan township." Election to be held at the house of William Jenkins on the first Monday of April, 1811, for the election of township officers.
OXFORD TOWNSHIP.
August 5, 1811, at a session of the same commissioners, on petition of inhabitants of Milford township, it was "ordered, that so much of the township of Milford as lies within the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of the county of Butler: thence south with the western boundary line of the said county of Butler to the southwest corner of township numbered five in the first range east of the meridian line drawn from the mouth of the Great Miami river; thence east with the southern boundary line of the same town- ship to the southeast corner thereof; thence north with the eastern boundary line there- of to the north boundary line of the said county of Butler; thence west with the same to the place of beginning,-shall compose a township which shall be called and known by the name of Oxford township." Election to be held at the house of Sylvester Lyons on the 24th day of August. 1811, for the election of township officers.
HANOVER TOWNSHIP.
At the meeting of the board of commis- sioners December 2, 1811, William Robison, John Wingate and James Blackburn being present, on petition of the inhabitants of Reily and St. Clair townships, it was "or- dered, that so much of the said townships as lies within the following boundaries, to wit : Beginning at the southeast corner of the sur- veyed township No. 4 in the second range east of the meridian line drawn from the mouth of the Great Miami river; thence north to the northeast corner of the same township; thence west to the northwest cor- ner thereof: thence south to the southwest
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF
corner thereof; thence east to the place of the division of Liberty township, ordered beginning,-shall compose a township that the prayer of said petition be granted, and that the new township be called by the name of Union township, and that an elec- tion be held," etc. No boundaries given. which shall be known and designated by the name of Hanover township." Election to be held at the house of Aaron Sacket on the 2Ist day of December, 1811, for the election of officers.
UNION TOWNSHIP.
At the meeting of the commissioners, June 2, 1823, "petitions being presented for
This seems to be the only record of the matter preserved in the books of the county commissioners. Union was the last town- ship erected, except Hamilton. That was so made after its erection as a city and union with Rossville.
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CHAPTER III
EARLY ADVENTURES AND REMINISCENCES.
GENERAL JOSIAH HARMAR'S CAMPAIGN.
All efforts at peace with the In- dians appearing to be useless. an ex- pedition was set on foot which began its march on the 30th of September. 1790, from Fort Washington (which stood on the site of the present city of Cincin- nati). Brigadier General Harmar, a veteran of the Revolution, led the expedition, hav- ing under him three hundred and twenty regulars, with militia detachments from Pennsylvania and Virginia (or Kentucky), making in all fourteen hundred and fifty- three men. After a march of seventeen days, they approached the principal village of the Miami on the Maumee river. The Indians did not await an attack,' but set fire to the village and fled to the woods. The destruction of the place, with that of large quantities of pro- visions, was completed. An Indian trail being discovered. Colonel Hardin, a Con- tinental officer who commanded the Ken- tucky militia, was detached to follow it at the head of one hundred and fifty of his men, and about thirty regulars under Cap-
tain Armstrong and Ensign Hartshorn. They followed the trail for about six miles, and were crossing a plain covered by thick- ets, when suddenly there were volleys of rifles on each side from unseen marksmen, accompanied by the horrid war-whoop. The trail had, in fact, decoyed them into an ambush of seven hundred savages, under the famous warrior, Little Turtle. The militia fled without firing a musket. The savages now turned upon the little handful of regu- lars, who stood their ground and made a brave resistance with the bayonet until all were slain excepting Captain Armstrong, Ensign Hartshorn, and five privates. The ensign was saved by falling behind a log, which screened him from his pursuers. Armstrong plunged into a swamp, where he sank up to his neck, and remained for several hours of the night within two hun- dred yards of the field of action, a spectator of the war dance of the savages over the slain. The two officers who escaped thus narrowly found their way back to the camp, -about six miles distant. The army not- withstanding effected the main purpose of the expedition. in laying waste the Indian
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village and destroying their winter's stock of provisions, after which it commenced its march back to Fort Washington. On the 2Ist of October, when it was halted about ten miles to the west of Chillicothe, an op- portunity was given Colonel Hardin to wipe out the late disgrace of his arms. He was detached with a larger body of militia than before, and sixty regulars, under Major Willys, to seek and bring the savages to action.
The accounts of these Indian wars are very confused. It appears, however, that he had another encounter with Little Tur- tle and his braves. It was a bloody battle, fought well on both sides. The militia be- haved bravely, and lost many men and of- ficers, as did the regulars; Major Willys fell at the commencement of the action. Colonel Hardin was at length compelled to retreat. leaving the dead and wounded in the hands of the enemy. After he had rejoined the main force. the whole expedition made its way back to Fort Washington on the banks of the Ohio.
GENERAL ARTHUR ST. CLAIR'S EXPEDITION AND DEFEAT.
Arthur St. Clair was appointed major general in the United States army on March 4, 1791 and invested with the chief com- mand of the troops to be employed against the Indians of the Northwest. An army was raised and assembled at Fort Washing- ton the ensuing summer. On September 6, the troops, except a small garrison for the fort, moved to Ludlow Station, on Mill creek. On September 10, 1791, a portion of the army which had been previously reconnoitered was led by Colonel William Darke to the Miami river at Hamilton, and
encamped on the prairie near the present Columbia bridge. On September 18th, General St. Clair, who had been detained at Fort Washington, arrived and commenced building Fort Hamilton, which had been laid out August 2, 1791. On September 30. the fort being completed, so far, at least, as to be in a condition to receive the garrison, two pieces of artillery were placed in it, on the platform; a salute was fired, and it was named Fort Hamilton, in honor of Gen. Alexander Hamilton, then secretary of the treasury. Gen. Richard Butler, second in command, and Captain Denny, aid-de-camp to General St. Clair, joined the army at Fort Hamilton on September 18th. The whole army was mustered and inspected at Fort Hamilton by Colonel Mentgez, inspec- tor of the army. The whole force num- bered two thousand three hundred non- commissioned officers and privates fit for duty. While they lay at Hamilton fifty- seven horses were stolen by the Indians. On October 3d, the night before the army took up its line of march, twenty-one men de- serted. A detachment of troops was made, to be left in garrison at Fort Hamilton, . which was committed to the command of Captain Armstrong. General St. Clair is- sued an order directing the manner in which the army was to march, to encamp, and form in order of battle, under various circum- stances.
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