USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Centennial history of Cincinnati and representative citizens, Vol. I, Pt. 1 > Part 76
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the Ohio district, the first after Ohio had achieved statehood, and from 1809 to 1811 he was sur- cyor of the port of Cincinnati. He died in 1811 at the age of 63 years, and was buried with military honors.
His residence at the time of his election to the presidency of the Council was just cast of Griffin Yeatman's tavern. "His was a stately and commanding presence, especially when he chose to array himself, literally, in the purple and fine linen of his elaborate wardrobe. His was an erect, military bearing, with broad shoul- ders, full round face, smooth shaven (of course, at the hands of John Arthurs, the first barber and hair-dresser of the settlement and military post) with large, regular features; in all a fine, open countenance, that challenged inspection and in- vitcd confidence. He had ceased to wear his hair 'en queue' although the fashion was still quite in vogue, but used powder plentifully on his full natural hair, which was rolled back from forehead and temples, and fell behind upon the high collar of a plum-colored velvet coat, upon the left lapel of which glittered the great gold badge of the Society of the Cincinnati. Lace ruf- fles to his shirt, lace falls to his sleeves, a long buff waistcoat, close-fitting knee breeches or smalls, silk stockings, highly polished shoes with silver buckles, and silver buttons on garments and at knecs, made up his gala costume as a civilian. Such was the appearance, in his fifty-fourth year, of David Ziegler, the first President of Cincin- nati's first Council." ( Henderson's Council, p. 9. )
In the early days very few records were kept and it is now almost impossible to obtain accurate information as to the official acts of the authorities during Cincinnati's life as a town. We know that Mayor Ziegler was regarded as a very satis- factory officer. In 1803 he gave way to Joseph Prince who had been the assessor during the first two years of the town life. Prince as well as Ziegler had won for himself high honor as a soldier and he was by nature of the temperament that gains the affection of the public. As was common in those days, lie was of a convivial tem- perament and many were the tales told of the scenes in his court at a time when the lofty dignity of the presiding officer was mellowed by the soft- ening influence of applejack. He was one of those men, of whom there are many in every com- munity, about whom and whose exploits tales are told for years after they pass from the scenes of this earth. Two terms were enough for President Prince. At their conclusion in 1805,
one of the most distinguished of the carly citi- zens, James Findlay, was elected to succeed him. He was one of the most prominent of the early citizens. He organized and for a long time was a general of the militia, was register of the United States Land Office and preeminent in every public matter. He served for two years as president, at the end of which time he was obliged to de- cline further service on account of the press of other business. He was succeeded by another very distinguished citizen, Martin Baum. John S. Gano acted as president and Martin Baum clerk for a short time in the early part of 1807. Martin Baum was born at Hagenau in Germany in 1761. He came West towards the end of the 18th century with the sutlers' trains for Wayne's army as a surveyor, and at once became one of its leading citizens, settling in Cincinnati in 1795. He organized its first bank and acted as presi- dent for many years. When the business and commercial developments of the first decade of the city are spoken of and are examined closely, it will be found that in a large measure they are simply the history of Martin Baum's business life. He organized the first sugar refinery, the first iron foundry, the first woolen factory, the first steam flouring mill, laid out the first vine- yard, the first ornamental garden, assisted in the founding of the Lancaster School, the first Public Library in 1802, the Western Museum, the Literary Society of 1818, the Society for the Promotion of Agriculture in the West in 1819 and the Apollonian Society in 1823. He did much to encourage the immigration of his fellow citizens and in that way laid the foundation for the great German population of Cincinnati. He married, in 1804, Ann Wallace, Judge Burnet's sister-in-law, and built for himself a brick resi- dence on the northwest corner of Front and Syca- more streets, back of his store a weather-boarded log house at the corner. His later residence, which unfortunately he was unable to occupy but a short time owing to financial difficulties, still stands on Pike street, one of the handsomest as it is one of the oldest buildings in the city. It has been in turn the Longworth, Suire, Sin- ton and Taft residence. Baum died in 1831.
Daniel Symmes, a nephew of John Cleves Symmes, succeeded Martin Baum as president in 1808. He was also a prominent man in the early life of the community "a ripe scholar, a profound thinker, a true patriot, an honest man and officer."
He graduated at Princeton, was clerk of the territorial court, State Senator, judge of the Su-
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preme Court and register of the Land. Office. He was a very prominent citizen until his death in 1817.
General Findlay in 1810 once more became president and served for two terms, to be, suc- ceeded again in 1812 by Martin Baum. In 1813 William Stanley, also an old Revolutionary sol- dier, was elected president. In 1814 he was suc- ceeded by Samuel W. Davies, the last of the presidents of the town of Cincinnati. By virtue of the act of 1815 the head of the government was the mayor selected by the trustees from their own body. The first mayor and president of the town of Cincinnati was William Corry, se- lected by the Town Council, at that time holding their meetings at the tavern of Samuel McHenry. Mr. Corry was the only person to hold the office of mayor and president. During his term which lasted four vears the trustees held many of their ineetings at the old Town House on the landing and after 1817 at a hall on Fourth street between Main and Walnut.
THE CHARTER OF 1815.
The act of January 1, 1802, was repealed by an act of January 10, 1815 (13 O. L. L. 60). By this act, which reincorporated the terri- tory covered by the first act, the officers of the town were a mayor, recorder and trustees. The town was divided into four wards by straight lines crossing each other at right angles. Until the boundaries of the wards should be al- tcred by Council, these lines were to be along Third street and Main street and that portion north of Third and east of Main was to go to the First Ward, west of Main to the Second, south of Third and east of Main to the Third and west of Main to the Fourth. The electors were required to be white male inhabitants, free- holders or householders, who had resided there- in one year. They were directed to meet on the first Monday of April of every year to elect trustees for cach ward which should be three in number until otherwise ordered by the Coun- cil. These trustces were directed to select from their number a mayor, recorder, clerk and treas- urer no two of whom should be selected from the same ward. These officers were to serve for two years. The remaining two trustees of each ward were directed to decide by lot as to which should serve for one year and which for two and thereafter all trustees should serve for the term of two years. The Council was empowered to appoint a marshal, assessor, collector, town surveyor, clerks of the market and such officers
as might be necessary. Other provisions gave the Council, which was constituted of the mayor, recorder and trustees, the right to hold real estate not to exceed five thousand dollars per annum in value. In addition to the rights given by the fornicr act they were empowered to es- tablish a night watch for the purpose of securing the town against fire, to purchase fire engines and to establish fire companies and also to ap- point supervisors of the highway, to regulate the assize of bread and to establish wharves, but they were restricted from establishing any by-laws sub- jecting cattle, sheep or hogs not belonging to the inhabitants of the town to abuse or to be sold coming into the bounds of the corporation. The Council was also given power to levy taxes on dogs and hogs and on realty not to exceed one- half of one per cent of the value thereof unless the legal voters should in a general meeting au- thorize a greater tax. The Council was also given power to license taverns, porter houses, ale houses and houses of public entertainment, and puppet shows and to impose fines upon persons refusing to accept offices. The mayor was given the powers of a justice of the peace. Appeals could be taken from his decision to the Court of Common Pleas. The recorder was required to keep a record of the laws and ordinances and in the absence of the mayor to exercise his func- tions. The town marshal was to be the minis- terial officer of the corporation with the powers of a constable. Imprisonment for the violation of by-laws or ordinances was forbidden except for non-payment of assessment and then it could not he continued longer than 24 hours if the person imprisoned should take the pauper oath. This act by its terms took effect on April 1, 1815.
WILLIAM CORRY, THE FIRST AND ONLY MAYOR OF THE TOWN.
During the time that this act remained in force, William Corry served as mayor (1815 to 1819), to be succeeded when the town became a city by act of February 5, 1819, by Isaac G. Burnet, who served until the new charter of 1827. This explains a common confusion of ideas as to the first mayor of Cincinnati. David Ziegler was the first president of the town, Will- iam Corry the first mayor of the town, and Isaac G. Burnet the first mayor of the city. Other officers of the town whose names have been pre- served are as follows: Recorders,-Jacob Bur- net, 1802, 1812; Charles Kilgour, 1803; Aaron Goforth, 1805-09; James Andrews, 1810-11;
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Samuel W. Davies, 1813; Griffin Yeatman, 1814; Oliver M. Spencer, 1815-16; Martin Baum, 1817- 18; John W. Armstrong, 1818. Treasurers, -- Jacob Williams, 1813; Davis Embree, 1814; David Kilgour, 1815-16; Jacob Wheeler, 1817- 18. Marshals,-James Smith, 1802; Andrew Brannon, 1813; James Chambers, 1814-18. Clerks of Council,-John Reily, 1802; Matthew Nimmo, 1804; Griffin Yeatman, 1805-06; John Mahard, 1807; William McFarland and Daniel Drake, 1813; William Corry, 1814; William Ruffin, . 1815; George P. Torrence, 1816; and Jesse Embree, 1817-18.
William Corry was born in Virginia of Irish parentage in 1779. His father was killed at the battle of King's Mountain in 1781. William was educated in the schools of the neighborhood and worked upon his mother's farm until his 20th year. In 1798 he was invited by William Mc- Millan, a relative, to come to Cincinnati and ac- cordingly entered the latter's home as a member of his family. Mr. Corry studied law in Mc- Millan's office and was admitted to the bar in 1803. After McMillan's death in 1804, Corry associated himself with John Reily at Hamilton, where they inhabited the same log cabin. After Reily had been appointed clerk of the courts, Corry practiced alone until his marriage in 1810. Under the provisions of Mr. McMillan's will, he was one of the executors and in order to more effectually administer the trust which involved the cultivation of the large farm where is now Avondale, Corry returned to Cincinnati in 1811. He settled with Ethan Stone on Main between Fifth and Sixth streets. Here in an old white frame double house were for many years the Cincinnati Library, of which he was librarian, and the offices of the trustees of the Cincinnati College and of the Medical College of Ohio. Subsequently, on Corry's election as mayor it became the official center of the municipality. During Mr. Corry's term he with the assistance of his marshal, James Chambers, ruled the town with a strong hand. We are told that "law- lessness abounded, weapons were indiscriminately carried and used on the slightest provocation ; and bowie knives, the broad blades of which were riveted into iron or wooden handles, were car- ried about for ornament and for toothpicks. The mayor's office, to which issues were adjourned in the expectation of a peaceful and judicial settle- ment often became the scene of bloody riot. But this was only for a time. The determination of Mayor Corry, the coolness and daring of his able lieutenant, Marshal Chambers, the rigor of
prison discipline had its effect upon the san- guinary disposed part of the community. Mayor Corry disposed of the many cases coming before him with deliberation, handing the prisoners under sentence over to the marshal who in turn delivered them to Jailer Cunningham who placed them on a breael and water diet in the public jail at Fifth and Market streets." (Encyclo- pedia of Ohio, p. 103. )
After the expiration of his term of office, Mr. Corry returned to the practice of the law where he met with success. By temperament he dis- liked the antagonisms both of the active practice and of politics although he subsequently was sent to the Legislature twice. He was a man of wide scholarship and of much literary taste. His health during the latter years of his life was poor and he died in 1833 at the age of 55.
THE MEETING PLACES OF THE COUNCIL.
The Council had no official abiding place of any permanency until April 19, 1815. From the date of the passage of the first ordinance, which, passed March 5, 1802, was an ordinance for preventing swine from running at large in certain places, until 1815, the meetings were held at inns or at private residences. Popular meeting places seem to have been the Colum- bian Inn, Yeatman's, McHenry's, Wingate's, and the Green Tree.
The controversy with relation to the owner- ship of the town common has already been re- ferred to. By the decree in chancery entered by the Supreme Court at the November term, 1807, the use of the "Brick House" on the com- mon or landing just south of the corner of Front and Main was reserved to Joel Williams until April, 1816. Mr. Henderson has pointed out that although in 1813 and 1814 meetings were held at the Columbian Inn, John Wingate's tav- ern and Stephen McFarland's tavern, at one dol- lar a night including fuel and candles, as early as April 4, 1814, the Council leased the "Brick House" to William C. Anderson for one year for $300. A year later Jonathan Pancoast and Francis Carr were appointed on a committee to examine and subsequently to repair the upper room in the Town House for use of a council chamber and on April 14, 1815, the first meeting of the Council was held in that room. Various entries in the minutes at later dates refer to the plastering of the council chamber, the building of a stairway on the exterior of the building and the purchase of andirons, etc., for the council house. It seems therefore that, except for short
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intervals while repairs werc being made, the legis- lative part of the city government occupied the Town House on the Public Landing until it was ordered torn down in 1824 at which time it was sold at public auction to Peter Britt for $62. The council chamber was then removed to Francis Carr's brick building at the northwest corner of Third and Hammond streets. ( Henderson's Cin- cinnati City Hall, pp. 5 and 6.)
According to the "Cincinnati Almanac" for 1839, the Council met during the years 1813 and 1814 at the Columbian Inn, and during the next year and until April 14, 1817, at which time the Town House was occupied, at McHenry's.
THE SELECT COUNCIL ( 1802 TO 1815).
The records of the Select Council are com- plete from the first meeting on March 5, 1802. There were recorded as present on this day : The recorder, Jacob Burnet ; the trustees,-Will- iam Ramsey, David E. Wade, Charles Avery, John Rcily, William Stanley, Samuel Dick and William Ruffin ; as well as the assessor, Joseph Prince; the collector, Abraham Carey, and the town marshal, James Smith. The president, David Ziegler ( speller Zeigler in these records) was absent.
The first ordinance was an appropriate one for a city to be known for all time as "Porkopolis." It was "an ordinance for preventing swine from running at large in certain places," the places being any lanc, street, alley or public common within the bounds of the in or town lots of the town or between the south front of the town and the river. This ordinance in the absence of the president was signed by Jacob Burnet, the re- corder and John Reily, clerk.
The second ordinance passed at the same time required the removal by the inhabitants of all wood, tiniber and luniber and every other matter or thing that rendered or might render the pass- ing and repassing of the said streets in any way dangerous or inconvenient.
The third ordinance passed on the same occa- sion provided for the first annual meeting of the inhabitants. According to this ordinance, the meeting was directed to be held at the Court House or place of holding the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace at five o'clock P. M. on the day appointed and provision was made for the office of moderator and clerk. After the selection of these officers, the inhabitants were directed to procced to clect by ballot the officers of the corporation for the year ensuing, the first ballot to be for the president and recorder, the
second for the trustees and the third for the marshal, assessor and collector. The duty of the moderator was to preserve order and with the assistance of the clerk to count the ballots and to make known the persons elceted. The clerk's duty was to make a record and deliver a copy of it to the president elect, signed by the moderator within five days of the election. All propositions before the town meeting were re- quired to be reduced to writing and voting on these propositions was to be by the lifting up of hands, except in case of doubt when a division was directed. In accordance with this ordinance which was the last passed by the first Council, the election was held at the Court House and the following officers were elected: David Zieg- ler, president ; Aaron Goforth, recorder; George Fithian, Thomas McFarland, David Grummon, Samuel Stitt, Isaac Anderson, Andrew Park and William McFarland, trustces; and Joseph Prince, assessor ; Abraham Carey, collector and William Ruffin, town marshal.
The first ordinance of the newly selected Coun- cil was one regulating the duties of the various town officers. This was signed by President Ziegler and attested by William McFarland, clerk. Another ordinance passed immediately thereafter provided for the seal of the corporation as de- scribed elsewhere. On the same evening was passed the ordinance for preventing accidents that might happen by fire by which all house- holders and freeholders paying an annual rent of $36 were directed to provide themselves with black-jack lcather buckets and all male inhabitants were required to render assistance upon an alarm of fire. The black-jack leather bucket was so minutely defined as to leave very little option to the householder. It must contain two and onc-half gallons of water; have a rope handle covered with leather and be a third wider at the top than at the bottom and 14 inches in length and must have the initials of the owner painted on the side.
Another ordinance passed on the same evening provided for a town meeting to be held at the Court House on July 31, 1802, at two P. M. for the purpose of voting funds necessary to the use of the town; at such meeting the president was to preside to preserve order. All proposi- tions were required to be in writing and the voting was to be by the lifting up of the right hand except where a division was called for. The procedure apparently was very much like that of the New England town meeting. Two days later by a resolution the public were informed
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of this meeting which was to be at the house of Charles Avery and were also informed that the Select Council would meet at the house of George Fithian on the first Monday of every month at three o'clock P. M. The result of this town meeting appears in an ordinance passed Septem- ber 8, 1802, which recites the voting by the in- habitants of the sum of $118 and provides for its collection.
Among the earliest ordinances of the Council was that of July 17, 1802, fixing upon an appro- priate design for a seal as follows: "Cincin- natus, with the word engraved above his head in a circular manner; a plow, sheaf of wheat, beehive, and rising sun, with an inscription around the edge and near the extremity thereof in these words, to-wit : 'Corporation of the Town of Cincinnati' and with the Roman numerals MDCCCII."
The first paving ordinance was passed Jan- uary 8, 1803, which permitted lot owners to pave the street in front of their property with brick or flat stones to a width not to exceed nine feet and forbade the extension of cellar doors in the street more than five feet. Lot owners were also authorized to erect posts and to plant Lom- bardy poplar and black locust trees in front of their lots.
An ordinance establishing a night watch for the more effectual prevention of fires concluded the proceedings of the first elected Council. It was passed March 29, 1803, and was the last ordinance signed by David Ziegler as president. It provided for a roll of all the citizens of 21 years of age and the division of the citizens into classes of 12 men each who should serve as watchmen in rotation, meeting at the watch house at eight o'clock in the evening. The watchmen were directed to choose an officer for the night who should divide its forces into two divisions of six men each, which divisions should in turn guard the town by walking to and fro through the streets in a quiet peaceable manner and take in custody the wrong doers. As said elsewhere, the houses of Hugh McCullum and David J. Poor were selected as the watch houses to be used on alternate nights.
¿The first ordinance, to which the name of the second president, Joseph Prince, was fixed, passed June 18, 1803, once more attempted to regulate the swine of the town. John Reily signed this ordinance as clerk.
An ordinance passed March 22, 1804, "for the better security and peace of the town of Cin- cinnati" recited the frequent riots, quarrels and
disturbances which had arisen in consequence of the free toleration of slaves from Kentucky to pass and repass the river Ohio and spend the Sab- bath and nights in the town of Cincinnati and forbid slaves unaccompanied by their masters from coming within the limits of the town at "any time between the setting of the sun and daybreak next morning or at any time during the Sabbath," and at other times without a writ- ten license. The penalty for the first offense was imprisonment in the "County Jaol" until the master should have paid the expenses and for a second and each subsequent offense, the pillory. To carry this ordinance into effect, two con- stables were provided for.
The colored population scemed to be a source of constant annoyance and the first ordinance passed by Daniel Symmes as president and James Ewing, clerk, referred to them. It recited that many black and mulatto persons of idle lives and vicious habits were ordered to the town under pretext that they were free and thus imposed upon the public to the great damage of the town and society in general and the injury of their masters in particular and required that all non- resident black or mulatto persons should have credentials in the shape of a written pass from their master or a certificate of freedom.
A resolution passed by the president, recorder and trustees of the corporation of Cincinnati on October 22, 1804, was to the effect "that the corporation petitioned for the fee of the thirteen acres now occupyed by the Garrison and other Publick buildings ; and should Congress concieve this incompatable with their former donations of Lands that the ground lying North of a Street runing from the Stone House of Daniel Symmis to be granted in trust to the Corporation for the purpose of Erecting an Academy and that the Land lying South of the 3d Street to be granted to Jeremiah Hunt & Ethan Stone and the money proceeding from the valuation thereof be given to the corporation for the effecting the affore- said purpose. Provided that the sd Hunt & Stone open sufficient Street from Vattiers to Ruf- fins and another Street from the Stone landing or thereabouts runing Northerly and that both Streets be four poles wide. And provided also that should the corporation obtain the fee for the whole of the thirteen acres they shall grant a Deed to the sd Hunt & Stone for such part thereof as lies South of said Street leading to Symms's and their paying to the Corporation the value thereof to be ascertained by three dis- interested Persons mutually chosen.
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