USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > Centennial history of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, Vol. I > Part 6
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Later, in 1815, David S. Broderick opened the "Columbus Inn" in a large frame building on the corner of Town and High. In 1816 James B. Gardiner opened a tavern on Friend (Main) street, just west of High. Mr. Broderick having retired from the hotel business in 1818, Gardiner took charge of the stand, corner of Town and High, and called it "The Rose Tree," with the Biblical quotation: "The wilderness shall blossom as the rose." The stand for a time was known as the "Franklin House" and the "City House," and possibly was otherwise designated. When Mr. Gardiner removed from Friend (Main) street to take charge of "The Rose Tree," (Judge) Jarvis Pike
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took charge of the former stand and renamed it "The Yankee Tavern." About 1815-16 there was a somewhat famous "place" yclept "The War Office," where, between drinking and carousing and quarreling and fighting, Squire Shields, who was among the first justices of the peace, was enabled to run a pretty heavy police docket at times.
The First School and School Teachers.
The first school taught in Columbus was in a cabin that stood on the pub- lic square (teacher's name not now known) ; then succeeded as teachers, in 1814-15, and so on, Uriah Case, John Peoples, W. T. Martin, a Mr. Whitehill, Joseph Olds (afterward a distinguished lawyer and member of congress), Dr. Peleg Sisson (while acquiring his profession), Samuel Bigger (afterward gov- ernor of Indiana), Rudolph Dickinson (for a number of years a member of the board of public works and member of congress), Daniel Bigelow, Orange Davis, a Mr. Christie, Rev. Mr. Labare, Cyrus Parker, H. N. Hubbell, Andrew Williams, and a number of others not now recollected, who were all teachers of common subscription schools in Columbus before the introduction of the present free school system.
The First Census.
In the spring of 1815 the census of the town was taken by James Mar- shal, Esquire, and amounted to about seven hundred. By this time there were some half dozen or more of stores, among which were those of Alexander Morrison, Joel Buttles, Henry Brown, Delano & Cutler and J. & R. W. McCoy; and a printing office issuing a weekly paper.
The First Lawyers.
The first lawyers to locate in Columbus were David Smith, Orris Parish, David Scott and Gustavus Swan, about the year 1815. Shortly after, suc- ceeded John R. Parish, "T. C. Flournoy, James K. Cory, William Doherty and others.
Mr. Parish died in June, 1829, in the forty-third year of his age. He was a man of vigorous mind and an able lawyer and legislator, and for a time quite popular. But he had his frailties.
Mr. Cory died the first day of January, 1827, in his twenty-ninth year. He was a promising young lawyer from Cooperstown, New York, and had resided in Columbus some seven or eight years.
On the same day Dr. Daniel Turney, a popular physician of Columbus, died from the effects of poison.
Colonel Doherty was a native of Charleston, South Carolina, from whence he came to Ohio during the war of 1812, and took up his residence in Colum- bus in 1816. He subsequently, in 1820, married a daughter of General McLene, and made Columbus his residence the balance of his life. He pos- sessed a turn of mind for public business, and, being a man of fine appearance
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FACADE OF THE BROAD STREET BAPTIST TEMPLE, Between Washington and Parsons Avenues, in the Midst of Fine Residences.
THE BROAD STREET METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, Broad and Washington Avenue, Built of Green Stone.
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and pleasant address, became popular and filled some highly respectable and lucrative offices. He was for seven years in succession clerk of the house of representatives in the Ohio legislature-one session at Chillicothe and six at Columbus. The clerks then received five dollars per day, while the members received three dollars. He was also for a number of years adjutant general of the state of Ohio. He was afterward United States marshal for the district of Ohio four years. He had, however, previous to this and since his residence in Columbus, prosecuted the study of the law and been admitted to the practice.
In 1831 he was elected senator for the district of Franklin and Pickaway counties, and was at his first session chosen speaker of that body-a compli- ment rarely bestowed on a new member. But he was competent to fill the place and filled it to the general satisfaction of the senate. He died in Feb ruary, 1840, at the age of fifty years.
The First Postoffice.
The Columbus postoffice was established in 1813 and was made a distrib- uting office in 1838. From that period it has grown constantly.
The First Market House.
The first market house was erected in 1814 by voluntary contributions of property holders in the vicinity of its location. It was a substantial frame, probably fifty feet in length and proportionable in width and height. It was situated in the middle of High street, a little south of Rich street. It con- tinued there until the town became incorporated. Immediately after the incorporation the subject of a new market house and the proper place for its location was agitated. Rich street, Town street, State street and Broad street were all proposed as sites. Property holders on Broad street were strenuous in favor of it, arguing its greater width than any other street and drawing the inference therefrom that it must have been designed in the plan of the town for the market house. Joseph Miller, who bought and erected the front of the building afterward known as the "Buckeye House," as early as 1816, it is said, was influenced in his purchase and made large improvements in the confident belief that the market house would be established nearly in front of his house. But about the year 1817 it was determined by the council in favor of locating it on State street, immediately west of High; and pursuant to contract, John Shields erected the new market house. It was a two-story building, something larger than the old frame, the under story of brick for a market house for the town, and the second story was a pretty well finished frame, divided into two large and well finished rooms and belonged to Shields. Thus he furnished a market house for the town for the privilege of having rooms of his own over it.
These rooms he rented out for various purposes : one was occupied as a printing office and the other was for a time used by himself, and occasionally others, to hold preaching in. After some years Shields sold out to John
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Young, and by him the rooms were appropriated to amusement and gaming. The first billiard table kept in town was in the upper part of this market house. About the year 1829 or 1830 the council bought out Young's interest and the building was removed and a larger market house, without any rooms above. was erected on the same site-Elijah Ellis, contractor. This building con- tinued until the erection of the market house on Fourth street.
The First Corporation.
On the 10th of February, 1816, the town was incorporated as "The Borough of Columbus," and on the first Monday in May following, Robert W. McCoy, John Cutler, Robert Armstrong, Henry Brown, Caleb Houston, Michael Patton, Jeremiah Armstrong, Jarvis Pike and John Kerr were elected the first board of councilmen.
First Town Wit and Poet.
James B. Gardiner, who was the wit of the day, composed the following off-hand doggerel verse with reference to their occupations, with which he would occasionally amuse himself by repeating to the members:
I sell buckram and tape. McCoy.
I sell crocks and leather Cutler.
I am the gentleman's ape R. Armstrong.
I am all that together Brown.
I build houses and barns Houston.
I do the public carving Patton.
I sell cakes and beer J. Armstrong.
I am almost starving. Pike.
I sell lots and the like. And dabble in speculation
Kerr.
We and his Majesty Pike (Mayor Pike) Make a splendid corporation.
Mr. Gardiner was very apt in writing amusing and satirical verse and was in the habit of using the signature "Cokeley" until he was familiarly known by that name to all his acquaintances, and he was frequently so addressed by his jocular friends. But he also wrote some very fine patriotic and sentimental poetry for July celebrations and such occasions. He removed from Columbus to Greene county about the year 1823. and while there represented that county in the state legislature. He afterward returned to Columbus, and in 1834 was elected state printer for three years. He died in April, 1837, aged forty-eight years.
The First Incorporated Bank.
The Franklin Bank of Columbus was incorporated by the act of the legis- lature February 3, 1816, and on the first Monday of September, 1816, the first election of directors was held, the following being elected: Lucas Sullivant,
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James Kilbourne, John Kerr, Alexander Morrison, Abram I. McDowell, Joel Buttles, Robert Massie, Samuel Barr, Samuel Parsons, John Cutler, Robert W. McCoy, Joseph Miller and Henry Brown.
Lucas Sullivant was chosen the first president, and his immediate success- ors were: Benjamin Gardiner, John Kerr, Gustavus Sevan. The charter of the institution expired January 1, 1843.
First Big Sensation.
The first big sensation in banking, social and political circles occurred shortly after in the sudden disappearance of Benjamin Gardiner, the second presi- dent of the Franklin Bank, although it does not appear that he misapplied or carried off the money of others. This gentleman, whose true name was Bar- zillai Gannett, had left his home and family in one of the eastern states under unfavorable circumstances and obtained an appointment by the name of Ben- jamin Gardiner as quartermaster in the army, and was stationed at Franklin- ton during the war. He was grave and dignified in his appearance and man- ners and obtained a high reputation in the church and society generally, and married into a respectable connection in this county. But, unfortunately for him, his history followed him, and to avoid a prosecution for bigamy he left clandestinely and was never heard of, except perhaps by a few confidential friends.
The First Cotton Yarn Mill.
Colonel Jewett and Judge Hines erected a mill for spinning cotton yarns in 1821, run by horse power, on Front street, between Rich and Friend (Main) streets. Later it was run by water power, and it continued for some years, but was never very successful.
First Woolen Factory.
Ebenezer Thomas and others erected a woolen factory for carding, spin- ning and weaving at the corner of High and Noble streets. This venture, too, was not a great success.
First Steam Sawmill.
The first steam sawmill was erected in 1831-1832 by John McIlvain at the head of the Columbus branch of the Ohio canal. It was only comparatively successful in a business sense.
The First Plow Factory.
The first manufactory which was a success from the start was a plow fac- tory and foundry established by Joseph Ridgeway in 1822. This being the heart of a great agricultural district, this establishment possessed signal advan- tages.
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The First Addition.
The town was originally laid out in 1812 and the plat regularly made and laid down. The first addition was made to the original plat in 1814 by John McGown and called by him "South Columbus." The surveyor and platter was John Shields.
The First Insurance Company.
The Columbus Insurance Company was chartered by the legislature of 1832-33 and was known as the Columbus Insurance Company. It continued in business less than a score of years and went upon the shoals of failure in 1851.
First a City.
Columbus was incorporated as a city by the act of February, 1834, and entered upon a vigorous growth and began to expand its boundaries in all directions, as well as to take on the air and appearance of solidity.
The First Theater.
In the fall of 1835 the first public play house or theater was opened. It was a large frame building and was erected on the west side of High street, between Broad and Gay, and was opened "by a corps of dramatic performers under the management of Messrs. Dean & Mckinney," says the original chronicler.
The First Balloon Ascension.
The first balloon ascension to be witnessed at Columbus was made on the 4th of July, 1842, from the state house grounds, in the presence of a great con- course of people, gathered from a radius of thirty or forty miles, who came on horseback, in vehicles and on foot. A Mr. Clayton of Cincinnati was the aeronaut.
The First State Bank Law.
In February, 1845, what was known as the state banking law was passed by the legislature, and three banks were organized under it in the city during that year.
The First Railway Passenger Train.
The first railway passenger train entered Columbus, coming in over what was then called the Columbus & Xenia Railroad, now a part of the Panhandle System of the Pennsylvania Railway Company. It arrived on the 26th of Feb- ruary, 1850.
The First Museum.
Mr. William T. Martin, writing of this interesting event, says: "In July, 1851, Captain Walcutt first opened his Museum in Columbus. It then consisted
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of only six or seven wax figures and a few paintings. It for a time attracted as much attention and patronage as could be expected from so small a collection. He has been since then constantly adding to it, until it now comprises over twenty good wax figures, two or three hundred specimens of beasts, birds, fos- sils and other curiosities and about one hundred fine oil paintings, present- ing quite a respectable collection. But those of our citizens who saw it or heard of it in its infancy are not aware of its improvements and do not seem to fully appreciate it."
With 1858-1860 the "firsts" of the ancient era and regime ceased and determined, and the present forms are but the outgrowth and improvements upon those which have gone before, and in none more conspicuously than those forms appertaining to transportation, trade and travel, which appeared in its original forms in the Columbus & Xenia, Cleveland, Columbus & Cincin- nati and the Ohio Central Railways of over fifty years ago.
The present great system, more elaborately presented elsewhere, includ- ing the electric street railways, evolving from the earlier tramways or horse cars, and the great web of traction and interurban lines, is but the advanced growth from the earlier forms, some of them remoter than the middle of the nineteenth century.
Instead of one steam railroad alone, as in 1850, bringing anually from eight thousand to twelve thousand visitors into the city, it now has eighteen steam roads in operation, and others in contemplation for the near future, with an average of one hundred and fifty passenger trains entering and leav- ing daily, and in touch with all the trunk lines more than three million two hundred and fifty thousand visitors enter the city annually.
Ten electric lines in operation, radiating in every direction, bring in and carry out more passengers daily than arrive and depart over the steam roads, so that the passengers in and out annually by both systems reach eight mil- lion or ten million.
CHAPTER III.
FROM TOWN TO BOROUGH; FROM BOROUGH TO CITY.
Village Sidelights-Contemporaneous Incidents.
There is something akin to classic glamour hanging over the near-village and village days of Columbus, and during its evolution; and some of the inci- dents in connection with its early and village history had much to do with the making of history, not only for the state, but the Ohio and lower Mississippi valleys.
How great their influence it is not easy to estimate, since the things pre- vented, as well as the things accomplished, are not readily differentiated and estimated. The accomplished things may be readily compared, analyzed and weighed, but the things that did not occur, because of these almost primal
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negotiations between two opposing civilizations carried on here, on the verge of the unbroken wilderness itself, may neither be analyzed nor weighed, save in the delicate balance of an optimistic philosophy which has faith in man- kind regardless of race, tradition, civilization or so-called education.
One of these belongs to the opening of this chapter. The first and direct record is from the pen of James B. Gardiner, the pioneer editor and news- paper publisher of Columbus, and which, when the time came, was analyzed and estimated by the brilliant mind of Colonel Edward L. Taylor. This was
The Harrison-Tarhe Peace Conference.
On the 28th of June, 1904, the Columbus Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution did themselves and their organization great honor by placing in Martin Park, in the western part of the city of Columbus, a large bowlder, of igneous origin, bearing a very handsomely designed tablet in commemoration of the important council or conference which General William Henry Harrison had with the chiefs of certain Indian tribes near that spot, beginning on June 20th, 1813. By this act the Daughters rescued from the very brink of oblivion and gave a permanent place in the history of the war of 1812 to one of the important and controlling incidents of that war. But for this action on the part of this organization that event would probably have soon passed into entire forgetfulness, as there was but one contemporary report of the proceedings ever published of that conference or council, and that was in a weekly paper then published at Franklinton, called The Free- man's Chronicle, which was edited and owned by James B. Gardiner. It was the first weekly paper, or paper of any kind, ever published in what is now the city of Columbus. The first number of this paper was dated June 24, 1812, and the publication continued for more than two years. covering the entire period of the war of 1812. Mr. Gardiner was present at the council, and in the issue of his paper of June 25, 1813, he published an account of it. Mr. William Domigan, at that time a resident of the town of Franklinton, had the thoughtfulness to preserve a full file of that paper as it was issued, and had the same bound in substantial form, which sole copy has been pre- served to this time and presents the best picture of the condition and life of the young village that is in existence today.
Mrs. Orton Presides.
Mrs. Edward Orton, Jr., regent of the Columbus Chapter of the organ- ization before mentioned in her very appropriate address in presenting the memorial tablet to the city of Columbus, said: "We are assembled here today to commemorate an event more than local in character, far-reaching in its results and of the greatest importance to the state as well as to the capital of Ohio."
Hon. Robert H. Jeffrey, mayor of Columbus, in his remarks accepting the tablet on behalf of the city of Columbus, said: "The value of this bowlder lies in recalling to our memory the high patriotism of our forefathers.
CHIEF TARHE (THE CRANE) From an old print, 1817.
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In its ruggedness, its strength and its power to defy all time it typifies the immutable principles of the great union of stars which these ancestors fought, bled and died for."
General Benjamin R. Cowen then delivered an historical address con- cerning the events the monument and the tablet were intended to commemo- rate. This address as well as all the proceedings of the day have been published in booklet form by the regent, Mrs. Orton, for private circulation.
In order to give further permanency to the record of this important event we give in full the account of Mr. Gardiner, as it apears in the issue of The Freeman's Chronicle of June 25, 1813:
A Pioneer Newspaper Account.
"On Monday last General Harrison held a council in this place with the chiefs of the Delaware, Shawanee, Wyandot and Seneca tribes of Indians, to the amount of about fifty. In the General's talk he observed that he had been induced to call them together from certain circumstances having come to his knowledge which led him to suspect the fidelity of some of the tribes, who had manifested signs of a disposition to join the enemy, in case they had succeeded in capturing Fort Meigs. That a crisis had arrived which de- manded that all the tribes, who had heretofore remained neutral, should take a decided stand, either for us or against us. That the president wished no false friends, and that it was only in adversity that real friends could be dis- tinguished. That the proposal of General Proctor to exchange the Kentucky prisoners for the friendly tribes within our borders indicated that he had been given to understand that those tribes were willing to raise the tomahawk against us. And that in order to give the United States a guarantee of their good dispositions the friendly tribes should either move, with their families, into the settlements or their warriors should accompany him in the ensuing campaign and fight for the United States. To this proposal the chiefs and warriors present unanimously agreed, and observed that they had long been anxious for an opportunity to fight for the Americans.
"We cannot recall the precise remarks that were made by the chiefs who spoke, but Tarhe (The Crane), who is the principal chief of the Wyandots and the oldest Indian in the western wilds, appeared to represent the whole assembly and professed, in the name of the friendly tribes, the most indissol- uble attachment for the American government and a determination to adhere to the Treaty of Greenville.
"The General promised to let the several tribes know when he should want their services, and further cautioned them that all who went with him must conform to his mode of warfare; not to kill or injure old men, women, children nor prisoners. That by this means we should be able to ascertain whether the British tell the truth when they say that they are not able to prevent Indians from such acts of horrid cruelty ; for if Indians under him (Gen. H.) would obey his commands and refrain from acts of barbarism, it would be very evident that the hostile Indians could be as easily restrained by their commanders. The General then informed the chiefs of the agree-
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ment made by Proctor to deliver him to Tecumseh in case the British suc- ceeded in taking Fort Meigs, and promised them that if he should be success- ful he would deliver Proctor into their hands-on condition that they should do him no other harm than to put a petticoat on him; 'for,' said he, 'none but a coward or a squaw would kill a prisoner.' The council broke up in the afternoon and the Indians departed next day for their respective towns."
In order to understand and appreciate the importance and full signifi- cance of this conference, it is necessary to recall some of the chief events of the times relating to the war.
The Battle of Fallen Timbers.
The battle of "Fallen Timbers" was fought August 20, 1794, at which General Wayne obtained a complete victory over the Indians who had concen- trated in the region of the Maumee. This defeat was followed the next sum- mer by a general council held by General Anthony Wayne at Greenville, Darke county, Ohio, with the Indian tribes of the northwest. which resulted in the celebrated treaty known as the "Treaty of Greenville," which was con- cluded August 3, 1795, and was in its results the most important of all the peace treaties made between the United States and the Indian tribes northwest of the Ohio. The Wyandots, Delawares, Shawnees, Ottawas, Chippewas, Pot- tawattomies, Miamis, Eel Rivers, Weas, Piankeshaws, Kickapoos and Kas- kaskias became parties to that treaty.
This treaty was followed by comparative peace for a period of sixteen years and until about the year 1811, although in the meantime turbulent, revengeful and evil-disposed Indians frequently broke away from the differ- ent tribes and from the control of their principal chiefs and formed maraud- ing parties, which from time to time committed all manner of murders. thefts and outrages on the frontier settlers of the northwest.
For a few years prior to the declaration of the war of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain the relations between these two governments had been very much strained, and it was generally considered that war was sure to ensue. In the meantime the British maintained numerous active and powerful agents among the Indians of the northwest for the purpose of sup- plying them with munitions of war and creating discontent among them and inciting them to make war on the white settlers. Thus encouraged, there was assembled under Tecumseh and his brother, the Prophet, at their camp at the junction of the Wabash and Tippecanoe rivers, in northwestern Indiana, a large number of turbulent and desperate Indians drawn from most of the various tribes east of the Mississippi. It was the purpose and hope of Tecum- seh and his brother, and the Indians under their influence, by a united effort with the British forces, to drive the white people out of the territory of the northwest. These Indians thus assembled on the upper Wabash became very threatening and endeavored to deceive and surprise General Harrion, who was then governor of the territory of Indiana, with headquarters at Vincennes. Their actions and numbers were such as to make it prudent and even neces- sary that General Harrison should make a demonstration against them for
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