USA > Ohio > Miami County > Troy > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 15
USA > Ohio > Miami County > Piqua > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 15
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Piqua was raised from a village to the dignity of a town in 1843. This charter was passed by the House and Senate of the General Assembly and became a law, re- ceiving the signatures of John Chaney, speaker of the Honse, and James S. Far- ren, speaker of the Senate, March 13, 1843. Some odd features are connected with this charter. It made the councilmen the judges of elections and the recorder the clerk of the same. Any person refusing to serve when elected was subject to a fine of two dollars. The mayor, recorder and marshal
were required to give bond in an amount satisfactory to the council, which body had the authority to appoint a collector and treasurer for terms of one year.
The first election under the new charter was held the following April. William R. Barrington was chosen mayor. He was a newspaper man. He edited the first news- paper printed in Piqua, the Piqua Gazette, which he sold in 1837. At the first election F. R. Cole was chosen town recorder. For the next seven years the mayors of Piqua were William R. Barrington, G. B. Frye, J. P. Williamson, J. W. Horton, S. S. Me- Kinney, Jos. C. Horton, Stephen Johnston. The recorders during the same period were as follows: F. R. Cole, J. A. Truitt, Will- iam Elliott, M. H. Jones. Among the later mayors of Piqua one finds the names of Harvey Clark, Samnel Garvey, W. W. V. Buchanan, George Detmer, George A. Brooks, John C. Geyer, E. M. Wilbee, J. Ward Keyt, J. E. Smith, L. C. Cron, and J. C. Hughes. The latter is the present efficient mayor of the city.
Some of the early ordinances that were placed on the official records of Piqua are decidedly amusing as viewed at this day. One of the first provided for a license of from $5 to $20 per day for showmen. An- other whieli was adopted in March, 1845, prescribes the manner in which the town hall might be used by the public. When it was designed to use the building for any purpose it was necessary to interview the marshal, who was both eustodian and janitor. This high funetionary had the anthority under the ordinance to allow sev- eral denominations of Christians to use the hall for religions purposes. But the same denomination could not occupy it twice in the same month. The hall might also be
Y V
SITE OF FORT PIQUA-CONFLUENCE OF MIAMI AND LORAMIE RIVERS (Cross Shows Site of Fort)
SOLDIERS' MONUMENT Forrest Hill Cemetery, Piqua
MAIN STREET, PIQUA Looking North from Ash
RESORRY
MAY'S' OPERA HOUSE, PIQUA
(3)
HIGH STREET, PIQUA Looking West from Hotel Plaza
4
PIQUA CLUB, PIQUA
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used by political parties, but some person had to be responsible to the marshal in case of any damages arising to the build- ing from a too free discussion of political opinions. In those days, and for some time later, something more emphatic than ar- guments often took place at conventions held in this county and broken chairs, to say nothing of broken heads, sometimes re- sulted. Hence the wisdom of having some responsible person become surety for the safety of the town hall during political meetings.
In 1826 an enumeration of Piqna was taken by William R. Barrington. It was found to have 450 inhabitants included in seventy-five families, an average of six to the family. The year before Piqua's pop- ulation was 248, while Troy's was 283. At the Barrington census there were no col- ored people in Piqua.
The city was incorporated in 1823, at which time an aet of incorporation was granted by the General Assembly in which it was stated that "the householders in the town of Piqua in the county of Miami having complied with the provisions of the aet of the General Assembly entitled : 'An Act to provide for incorporation of towns' and being filed in the office of the secretary of state, the documents required by the above recited act, ete." This act of incorporation, which is now in the pos- session of Mr. John A. Raynor of Piqna, is signed by Jeremiah MeLene, secretary of state, and has affixed to it the old seal of Ohio. In this important paper Piqua is described as follows :
"Situated on the western bank of the Great Miami River, and was originally laid out by John Manning and Mathew Caldwell and includes a part of Fractional Seetions 17 and 18 in Township No. 6 cast First Merid- ian, comprising one hundred and one lots and containing in said original plat fifty-two acres, etc. The whole
town as contained and represented by said plats is bound- ed by the Great Miami River on the North, by the lands of Charles Murry and Manning on the east, and by the lands of John Campbell, Mathew Caldwell and John Kyte on the west, which said town was called Washing- ton, but afterwards by an aet of the Legislature of this state changed to Piqua, by which name it is now known and called."
Grown from its first inception in the wilderness of the Miami, Piqua had reached the dignity of an incorporated town. It had previously become a place of some importance. From its first deal- ings with the Indians trade had gradually turned into more profitable channels. The Ewing's were the first traders or merchants of Piqua. They bartered largely with the Indians. In 1809 the famous Ewing tav- ern stood on Main Street. For some time it was the commercial center of Piqua. It was the first place songht by the new comer and the last one where he "wet his whis- tle" ere he bade adieu to the town. If a full record of the days and nights spent by the guests of this old hostelry could be found, an interesting chapter could be add- ed to this work. Ewing did a good busi- ness for the time, though it is said that now and then some guest left him in the lurch and went his way, leaving behind the memories of an unpaid bill which the landlord charged against the profit and loss page in his ledger.
In 1812 an Irishman named Nicholas Greenham dropped into Piqna. He had the odors of the "ould sod" upon him. Trade and barter looked out of his eyes and he proceeded to set up the first coun- try store in the Border City. He rented a room in Ewing's tavern and what escaped the eye of this son of Erin is not worthy of record. He gathered in all sorts of country produce, for which he exchanged the contents of his shelves and some things that were not kept in sight. The sharp
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Nicolas kept in full view the whiskey bot- tle and a pitcher of water and every cus- tomer prospective and actual was invited to "help himself" without stint, for whis- key was cheap those days and proverbially good. More than one Indian smacked his lips over the Irish merchant's bottle and when the said redskin became somewhat mellow and thought the world his own, Mr. Greenham bartered with him for his furs and usually came out best.
By and by John McCorkle opened a store. The name McCorkle is an honored one to this day in Piqua. He represented Miami County in the Ohio Legislature and was one of the most ardent friends of the canal, which he did not live to see com- pleted. Among the other early merchants of Piqua were William Scott, John M. Cheevers, Jacob and Abel Furrow, Byram Dayton, James Defrees, Young & Sons, David J. Jordan, William Keyt, L. R. Brownell, Demas Adams, William and Lewis Kirk. All these old merchants have passed away, but among the heirlooms to be found at this day among the families of the county are certain goods, household utensils, etc., which were purchased over their counters. Some of these old-fash- ioned wares were paid for in "sharp- skins," or the cut-money which came into use about the time of the second war with England.
The history of every locality has closely identified with it men who became a part of it in various capacities. This is essen- tially true of Pigna. It has had for its citizens some of the foremost men of the country. Among these is the late Stephen Johnston. Major Johnston came of good Irish stock. His father, who came to Ohio in 1808, was killed by the Indians near
Fort Wayne, Ind., during the War of 1812. The mother of Major Johnston was Mary Caldwell, a pioneer woman who knew Dan- iel Boone and the famous backwoodsmen of the early day. She was acquainted also with several of the noted Indian chiefs, in- cluding Tecnmseh, the red cyclone of the border wars. Major Johnston was a sad- dler by trade and had the distinction of having drafted upon his bench the charter for the Columbus, Piqua & Indiana Rail- road company, now known as one of the component parts of the Pennsylvania Sys- tem. He was elected sheriff of Miami County, was a candidate for governor on the Greenback ticket in 1877, and previ- ously, 1864, an elector on the Lincoln ticket. Reaching a ripe old age he passed to his reward, having done much for the city which he helped to build up in connec- tion with his own sterling character.
Another of Piqua's prominent citizens was Godwin Volney Dorsey, M. D., who was born in 1812. He became treasurer of state, being elected during the exciting Brough-Vallandigham campaign of 1863, though his first elevation to that office took place in 1861. Dr. Dorsey was originally a Jeffersonian Democrat, but in 1849 he rep- resented Miami, Darke, and Shelby Coun- ties in the legislature as a Whig. From that time on, covering a period of many years, he filled various offices of trust. He was a man of comprehensive erndition and a profound scholar. He translated the best part of Horace, some Greek tragedies and a number of Latin mediæval hymns. In therapeutics and surgery Dr. Dorsey stood at the head of his profession and his death was a loss to the city which he had honored by his learning and presence.
Major Johnston and Dr. Dorsey were
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but two of the many citizens who stimu- lated the growth of Piqua. Among others in the profession of medicine stand Henry Chapeze, who came from Kentucky and lo- cated in Piqua about 1813. Dr. John O'Ferrall followed him in 1820, and he was succeeded by Drs. Jackson, Teller, Jordan, Hendershot and Worrell. These old practitioners, some of whom are still remembered by the older citizens of Piqua, gave way at last to others and with the "old guard" went the old practice of med- icine.
When the Miami & Erie Canal was opened to Piqua the city became a minia- ture mart. Until then it had had but little intercourse with the outside world, save through the trafficking carried on by the flatboats and barges which navigated the rivers going as far South as New Orleans. Piqua for some time was at the head of canal navigation and therefore was a place much sought by the merchants and farm- ers of the surrounding country. The canal brought it much business and went far toward enriching a number of its citi- zens. The boats which cut the waters of the canal were many and "warions," as Mr. Wegg would say. There are extant to this day some of the old shipping bills of the late 30's from Cincinnati firms to Ashton & Ewing of Piqua. These ancient bills give the names of the boats with those of their captains who led the gaudily painted craft through the locks-Captains Prescott, Jordan, Clark, Whistler, Ben- nett, Culbertson, Barton and Taylor, all names connected with the early water nav- igation in Miami County. Piqua grew with the eanal, which probably accounts for the tenacity with which the city still battles for its retention as a water-way,
though much of its usefulness has de- parted.
The coming of the railroad to Piqua opened up a new avenue to business pros- perity. The steam lines followed the canal and naturally took much business from it. Although steam is a swifter method of conveyance than mule power, the canal was slow to relinquish its domain. Freight con- tinued to be hauled on the boats through Piqua and for years after the establish- ment of the steam roads canal traffic con- tinned to be great. Of late years, how- ever, this mode of shipment has dimin- ished, and, while the locks are still main- tained, the canal is no longer much of a business factor. The old system helped to build up Piqua, as well as other county towns along its route, and the early mer- chants found it an indispensable business agent.
The Dayton & Michigan Railroad was formally chartered in March, 1851. It was completed to Piqua in 1856. This gave the city and the contiguous region a long de- sired outlet to the South.
The railroad was hailed with delight by everyone. A new era had dawned, one of great promise to the commercial interests of the Border City. The same year that witnessed the entrance of the Dayton & Michigan Railroad in to Piqua (1856) saw the completion of the P. C. & St. L. Rail- road (Pennsylvania Line) to this city. Major Stephen Johnston had drafted the charter of this line on his saddler's benel. An eastern market was now opened up to Piqua and this, with the region tapped by the Dayton & Michigan Railroad, added to the prosperity of the place. These two roads with their varions branches placed the city in communication with the East
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
and West. In later years and quite re- cently two prominent electric lines entered the city. The Dayton & Troy Electric Railway blazed the way for a trolley and the Dayton, Covington & Piqua Line came soon after. There is now electric com- munication with Cincinnati and Toledo, and, through the aid of branch lines, with nearly every part of Ohio and a large por- tion of Indiana.
The need of hydraulic power by Piqua inaugurated a move in that direction as early as 1856 when the Legislature passed a bill looking to the enlargement of the Lewistown Reservoir for hydraulic pur- poses. The "Miami Hydraulic and Manu- facturing Company" which was organized at this time, failed to successfully interest the citizens of Piqua and was abandoned. In 1865 the "Piqua Hydraulic Company" was incorporated and Dr. Dorsey became its first president, serving till 1868. After a vast amount of work and the expenditure of large sums of money, after numerous drawbacks which would have discouraged less energetic people than its projectors, the hydraulic canal was completed and in June, 1876, it was opened for test and dis- play.
"Probably no event connected with the city since its foundation," says a writer, "was of so much importance to its people and should conduce more to its ultimate growth and development, than the comple- tion of the hydraulic canal, producing fine water power and thus creating the life artery of the city. A cheap and never- failing power, it thus provided for run- ning a great number of establishments re- quiring power. In addition to this use and operated by the hydraulic canal, there has been completed a system of waterworks,
containing over seven miles of pipe and the necessary number of hydrants, fur- nishing an inexhaustible supply of water for domestic purposes, and, in connection with a well appointed fire department, giv- ing a better protection against loss by fire than is usually found in cities of its class."
In 1890 the manufacturing and jobbing interest of Piqua amounted to over $7,000,- 000-figures which represent less than one-half of its actual business. In that year there was a grand total of 646 manu- facturing establishments, wholesale and retail houses and miscellaneous industries. Since then this total has been largely in- creased. In 1906 seventy-nine manufac- tures were reported, with an annual pay- roll of $1,267,000. Upwards of two mil- lion dollars were invested in these indus- tries and the total value of goods produced or manufactured amounted to twice that sum. This is certainly an excellent show- ing for a city of 15,000 inhabitants, a city upon whose site less than a century ago stood the cabin of the settler and the wig- wam of the Indian.
Retracing our steps a little, let us de- scribe the buildings of one of the famous public institutions of Piqua. About sixty- four years ago the city was interested in the erection of its town hall or council house, as it was then called. This old building which is still the official residence of the city, was commenced in 1843 and com- pleted the following year. The contractors were Spencer & Darnold. J. Reed Hilliard furnished the brick and lime. It was in the early days of the Miami & Erie Canal and the iron work and glass of the build- ing had to be transported from Cincinnati by water. Messrs. Reed, Hilliard and Walkup went to the Queen City to pur-
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chase the material on a boat run by Law- ton and Barnett. After transacting their business the several agents found them- selves icebound by the freezing of the canal and were obliged to seek other means of returning home. Mr. Walkup engaged the only remaining seat in the north-bound stage coach, while the other members of the party concluded to walk home. They made the entire journey on foot while the purchased material had to wait till the opening of the canal, which did not take place till the following spring. Work was then resumed on the council house and the "ornate structure," ornate for the time at least, was finally completed.
In those days it was asserted that the public square was east on Main Street. On the west side of Main Street stood the old academy or seminary of John Vail, where some of the elder residents of Piqua finished their education. The academy was a long, low structure which disappeared many years ago. On the site of the post office stood the home of Martin Simpson, which in later years gave way for what is known as the Conover Opera House. Abont this time the population of Piqua amount- ed to 2,600.
It is a far cry from the splendid school buildings of the city of Piqua back to the educational beginnings. The first inhabit- ants, desirous of having their children well educated, built the first school house in 1809. This building stood outside of the then limits of the town near the present corner of Main and Young Streets. The first teacher was John Hendershott. The interior furnishings of this "temple" of learning were of the simplest, the books the simple ones of early times. Hender-
slott could teach the "three R's" and was an instructor of the old style.
"A man severe he was and stern to view,
They knew him well and every truant knew, Well had the boding tremblers learned to trace The day's disasters in his morning face; Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee At all his jokes, and many a joke had he; Full well the busy whisper cireling round, Conveyed the dismal tidings when he frown'd Yet kind he was, or if severe in aught, The love he bore to learning was in fault; The village all declared how much he knew, 'Twas certain he could write and cypher too, Lands he could measure, terms and tides presage, And e'en the story ran that he could gauge. In arguing too, the parson owned his skill. For e'en tho' vanquished he eould argue still, While words of learned length and thundering sound Amazed the gazing rusties ranged around, And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew That one small head should carry all he knew."
In 1818 the first schoolhouse gave way for a brick one and to this was given the loftier name of the Academy. Rev. J. P. Finley was the first instructor in the new building. It was not until 1850 that the public schools were organized. The graded schools of Piqua came in 1854, when the site for the first high school was selected. Dr. G. Volney Dorsey and William Scott, members of the board of education, chose the site, and A. G. Chambers was made the first teacher and superintendent of the new structure. Since then Piqua lias made rapid strides in the matter of education, until today she stands in the foremost rank in matters of this kind. Her schools have sent into public life men and women who have made their mark and who have re- flected honor and credit upon their Alma Mater. Every branch of education is taught in her high schools and her edu- cators have always been of the highest order.
The religious institutions of the city have kept pace with its development along other lines. The United Presbyterians built the first log church in 1816. Before
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
this time religious services were held in the homes of the early settlers and in the umbrageous groves that surrounded the town. The Rev. Dyer Burgess was the first minister to call the people to worship and his convincing discourses were long cherished by those who sat under the drop- pings of the first sanctuary erected in Piqua. In 1837 Rev. James Porter pre- sided over a little flock in a neat brick building. The Methodists, after occupying the seminary on the public square, built a small briek church on Spring Street in 1825, but this gave way to a larger church edifice which became known as the Green Street Church. The most celebrated pas- tor this church has known was the re- nowned Granville Moody, known as the "Fighting Parson," for when the Civil War broke out he exchanged the pulpit for the tented field and was as successful as a conqueror of rebellion as he was as a conqueror of souls. It is asserted that dur- ing one of the fiercest battles of the war, overcome by military zeal and excitement, he instructed his command to "Give them h-1, boys!" But Colonel Moody always maintained that what he really did say was: "Give them Hail Columbia."
Other churches now followed in rapid rotation. The Methodists erected another on Water Street, known as Grace Church, James Stevenson, pastor ; the present Old School Presbyterian church arose on the corner of Wayne and Ash streets, the Sec- ond Presbyterian on Wayne Street, while the Baptist first worshiped on Ash Street but afterward (1848) on High, near Wayne. The remaining churches of Piqua are St. James Parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church, which was organized about 1820, the German Lutheran, the
United Brethren, the German Episcopal Methodist, the Roman Catholic. Of late years some of these old churches have given place to better houses of worship, until now the city is well housed religious- ly and the congregations are large and lib- eral. The congregations of Piqua will be further referred to in a separate chapter.
"The Piqua Female Bible Society" came into existence in 1817. This society fol- lowed the establishment of the American Bible Society by only one year. Its first president was Mrs. Rachel Johnston, who held the office continuously till her death in 1840, when Mrs. Eliza Petit became president. She was succeeded by Mrs. M. H. Jones, who conducted the affairs of the society until her death, which occurred in recent years.
It is not generally known by those out- side the limits of Piqua that within her borders are numerous tumuli which indi- cate the residence of the Mound Builders. These first denizens of that part of the county covered by that city and its en- virons have left behind them traces of their abode. In some of these mounds have been found skeletons and various im- plements which attest the former presence of this vanished race. Mr. J. A. Rayner recently unearthed the complete skeleton of a mound bnilder along with some euri- ous implements. In many parts of Piqua have been found numerous utensils, wea- pons, etc., used by the Indians and the Johnston farm near by has been discov- ered to be rich in such "finds."
While the history of the regimental or- ganizations of the county which took part in the suppression of the Rebellion in 1861- 1865 is treated in another chapter, refer- ence must be made here to the patriotic
ST. PAUL'S EVANGELICAL PROTESTANT CHURCH (GERMAN), PIQUA
T
I
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, PIQUA
11
M. E. CHURCH, PIQUA
P
ST. BONIFACE CATHOLIC CHURCH, PIQUA
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spirit that stirred the people of Piqua dur- ing that momentous period. It is but fair to say that the scenes were duplicated in other parts of the county. With the first enlistments which followed the memorable attack upon Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, the loyal citizens of the Border City came forward with aid societies and kindred organizations which did much to keep up the spirit of patriotism. The first soldiers had hardly left the city with their faces turned toward the disloyal South ere the first Soldiers' Aid Society sprang into existence. The drum was still sound- ing in the ears of those left behind and the sun threw back from the sabres the first glints of war.
The first Piqna Aid Society was organ- ized with Mrs. Henry Kitchen as presi- dent, Mrs. Preston Defrees, vice-president, Mrs. J. F. Mckinney, secretary, and Mrs. James Starrett, treasurer. A quartette of women more loyal to the cause of the Union was not to be found in the country. The Green Street Methodist Church was the scene of the organization of the So- ciety, and Mrs. Rachel Davis gave up a portion of her house for the work. Once a week the members of the Society came to- gether. During the entire period of the war the ladies remained at their post of duty. They rolled bandages, scraped lint, knitted stockings and mittens for use at the front. Everything that could add to the comfort of the men who were fighting the battles of the Nation was done. Box after box of remembrances of home was filled and dispatched to the various camps where the soldiers of Miami County were to be found. It was a labor of love and duty. Not only were the men of the county remembered, but soldiers passing through
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